in no sense it can hurt him and that it is not a sting and terrour to the Conscience even of a Believer while his Faith is unactive and under a Cloud he wrongs him for he saith in fol. 512. The Torments of Hell is the merit of the least sin in the World I speak not to Extenuate any sin such as look upon these sins as uncancelled So long these sins may work an horror and trembling in Persons and Mr. Williams will not say but this is harm to a poor Souls peace and comfort and this Dr. Crisp holds nay he saith in fol. 513. Before Men come to see the light of the Gospel of Christ their sins stare in their Faces seeming to spit fire at them and is this no harm and this is to the Elect till they believe so that this is no good charge of Mr. Williams But if Mr. Williams mean 't is an error of Dr. Crisp to say there is no sin the People of God commit can possibly do them any hurt if it be taken in the sense the Doctor expresses calling it real hurt in fol. 510. This may be matter of debate but will doubtless issue on the Doctors side or rather on the Apostle Paul's who saith all things work together for good to them that love God If so then the Affliction that the Lord chastens withal for sin doth not argue that sin brings a real hurt If sin could do real hurt to a Believer such as to take away his Title to Heaven or cause him totally to fall from Grace then Christ did not for ever by one Sacrifice of himself save us and wash us from our sins in his Blood and perfect those that are sanctified but if he did make an end of sin and brought in everlasting righteousness for all that the Father gave him then he having purged our sins by himself on the Cross nailing them there never to be able to rise in Condemnation to those that are in Christ then this stingless Serpent sin will never do real hurt to Believers as the Doctor saith But if Mr. Williams mean that sin doth hurt even Believers because it brings natural death the Wages of sin being Death to Believers yet the sting of that being taken out by our Lord Jesus that is so far from real hurt that it is the Inlet to Eternal glory and if that be hurt the Lord grant Mr. Williams and I may be so hurt or rather Blessed with it in our exits Several other such hurts come by sin not from its own Nature but from Gods Ordination as that where sin abounds grace much more abounds not that any should think sin the less dreadful and terrible and as sin hath reigned to death so Grace reigns to eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord and yet still sin is to be avoided as the greatest horridest evil in the World but notwithstanding this the Apostle encourageth poor Souls when they do fall into sin not to be afraid of their sins but to flie for Refuge to the Mercy-Seat the hope sure and stedfast set before them saying if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and thus I hope this grand Cavil is evaporated and that it appears groundless for any to think Dr. Crisp had slight thoughts of sin when he saith it cannot do a Believer any real hurt yet he saith the Torments of Hell is the merit of the least sin and they will work an horrour and trembling till we see them Cancelled The next is Nor can God afflict them for any sin saith Mr. Williams against the Doctor This expression is no where quoted but inferred from the Doctor and it is put here contrary to the Doctor 's sense in which he speaks of Affliction and seems harsh Mr. Williams might see that what the Dr. saith is spoken by way of punishment that all the Afflictions that God lays on his People are in love and not by way of punishment for their sins seeing their sins were laid on the Lord Jesus and he bare them and all punishment due for them and if those that scruple saying Christ bare the very sins of the Elect will yet allow he bare the punishment for them sure then they must grant that God doth not lay affliction on his People by way of punishment God saith indeed you only have I known therefore will I punish you for your Iniquities but this cannot be taken properly for punishment unless Men will make God worse than the foolish Servant who made him a hard Master viz. an unjust Oppressor to punish sins on his Son and to punish them also on the sinner and besides that affliction which a man bears in this life be it never so great is so far from punishment proper for sin the least of which deserves as Doctor Crisp saith eternal Hell Torments that it is not so much as a flea-biting compared with a stab at the Heart but I take the ground why persons will call afflictions on God's Children punishments for sin is on this double account First they would make God an easie tender-hearted Judge that will commute Penance and for a great Crime as every sin is he will take a small amends as a little temporal Affliction and next they will be as kind to our Lord Jesus Christ and reckon he bears the less if the sinner bear part with him but without any mincing this must be owned that all afflictions on Gods people are in love all I love I rebuke and chasten and 't is for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness and it is fatherly to deter from sin I do not mean that sin hath no hand in many Afflictions for as the Apostle said of the disorderly Corinthians for that cause many were sick and weak But what the Dr. insisted on was that Affliction for sin was not proper punishment but pure love to their Souls though I cannot see but afflictions are a Fruit or effect of sin in many yet I may not from thence conclude that those Afflictions are from Wrath in the Father or for punishmenr proper on the Child but the effects of a Fatherly love for if ye be without Chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye Bastards and not Sons so that this Exception against the Doctor is a small one but because it hath some seeming harshness to say God doth not afflict the Elect for sin therefore it must be hookt in to fill up the Charge though the Charge in the Preface be varying and harsher then it seems Mr. Williams could lay in his Book for there is no such word as nor can God afflict them for any sin Mr. Williams having laid the Charge in the next words he comes with a deadly thunder-clap conclusion full of Indignation saying All the rest of his Opinions follow in a Chain to the dethroning of Christ which if true then say I let his memory for ever perish and his
that as soon as I have him by faith I have forgiveness and I am bid to fly for Refuge to the hope that is set before me which I take to be Jesus my City of Refuge and not my Gospel Holiness Now good Sir may this poor Soul say what shall I do under the load of my sins may I take the Apostles words and Christs call Come to me and you shall find rest for your Souls as soon as ever you find your selves weary and heavy laden or must I stay till I find by a long seven or ten or 38 years lying at the Pool searching if I can find Mr. Williams draught agree with me that I have attained to a full compleat answering the Rule of the Gospel which he calls conformity to the rule of the promise Must I stay till I can understand Mr. Williams School terms of a Judicial Act of Pardon by that promise to the Person thus conformed to the Rule that is to say must I stay till I can love my Enemies they being my Neighbours as well as my self till I can turn my left Cheek patiently to him that smites me on my right till I can having two Coats give one to him that hath none till I can hate Father Mother sell all and follow Christ and in every thing conform to Gospel Rule in a word till I am perfect as my Father which is in Heaven is perfect before I may dare believe my sins are forgiven Or may I satisfie my self with Dr. Crisps quotation Look to me and be ye saved as the Serpent was only lookt to for healing I say if a poor Soul should put this to a Gospel Minister would he not answer the plain short Scripture way is best hearken to Jesus saying come take the Water of Life freely this is the work of God that ye believe in him the Father hath sent If you have me you have Life as many as receive me that is believe on my Name are Sons of God As for Mr. Williams distinctions Connexions Judicial act of Pardon he may please the Schools with them but there is more nourishing food in one calâ— of Christ Come to me come come buy Wine milk and honey without money without price in such a promise well prest than in a thousand of Mr. Williams distinctions Next I must attack an odd expression savouring of God's dispensing with the breach of his righteous Law without satisfaction which is the back door of Arminianism wherein creeps in mans free will and his good works concurring to his salvation the expression which I cannot digest is this Mr. W. saith a continuance in a state of death with a bar to the blessing are not threatned in the Gospel against every degree of sin as the Covenant of Works did This is Mr. Williams sense of the Gospel and its differing from the Law or Covenant of Works viz. the Law condemned for every sin but there are some degrees of sin the Gospel allows or doth not threaten Death for which I suppose without wronging him I may instance thus The Law condemned a Man for killing his Brother and for hating his Brother and for ill will to his Brother but the Gospel hath compounded the matter and made God reconcileable through Faith in Christ for a mans murdering his Brother but God will take no notice of a man's ill will to his Brother that degree of sin there is no threatning of Death for if this be his sense I take it to be far wide of the Apostles sense when he said the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin that is to say there is as real need of the vertue of the blood of Christ to cleanse from a vain thought as from murder though I do not say both are alike heinous yet both need the blood of Christ to wash them away or there is no standing Justified at God's Bar. Oh we should have a care of letting this poyson down that any sin can be pardoned but by the blood of Christ cleansing it for he that is guilty of one sin is guilty of all so that to say there is any degree of sin under the Gospel against which death is not threatned will amount in the conclusion to render the blood of Christ not needful to take away that degree of sin O sin sin how small soever must not be so treated for if the grain of Mustard seed small faith but true will grow to a great Tree and reach to Heaven this grane of Henbane the smallest degree of sin if not accounted for in the Gospel by the blood of Christ will grow to a vast depth even the Regions of darkness and Hell Upon this dangerous position of Mr. Williams That a continuance in a state of death and a bar to the Blessing are not threatned against every degree of sin as the Covenant of works did Mr. Williams propounds a splendid question Can any doubt this to be the grace of the Gospel Promise O profound grace of the Gospel promise it doth not bar from blessing nor continue in a state of death for every degree of sin a Heaven-born Soul that lives day by day on the Blood and Flesh of Jesus and feasts on the infinite love of God in Jesus would have thought that an eminent Minister of the Gospel a Gentleman of great parts supported by some of the greatest names in our Israel would havâ— thought that when Mr. Williams was rescuing the Lord Jesus as he intimates from the dethroning Principles of Dr. Crisp as he pleases to call them and when he is bringing back the Lord Jesus to his Throne one would think I say when Mr. Williams is celebrating the glory of the Grace of the Gospel promise he should have called for the aid of the holy Spirit to help him and have said somewhat to this purpose O the heighth and depth O the superlative Excellency of the Love of God in Christ that he should love us and wash us from our sins in his blood that the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin that he hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings in heavenly places in Christ Thus our Lord Jesus is to be enthroned though it comes too near Dr. Crisp his way of dethroning Christ no this is not his Clue or way to raise Monuments of Glory to our Blessed Lord but thus he celebrates him by sniping off a Lap of his Garment as David did Sauls can any doubt but this the not being in a state of Death for every degree of sin is the grace of the Gospel promise If he had said this is a grace of the Gospel it had been a degree of modesty in Mr. Williams to the Gospel though it were not a truth but to say 't is the Grace and so the grace that none can doubt of it
this needs a remark and the chief that I shall make is that I will beg of God and now do that I and Mr. Williams also may have the grace of the Gospel promise in a more full stream than that a continuance in a state of Death and a bar to the blessing are not threatned against every degree of sin as the Covenant of works did but that we may swim in the Rivers of infinite Love that God chose us in Christ before the World and gave us to the Lord Jesus that no sin should pluck us out of his hand and that by one offering he hath for ever perfected those that are sanctifyed so that now there is no more conscience of sin because where sin abounds grace doth much more abound and yet still for every sin and for every degree of sin we may not think our selves freed from Condemnation for it by vertue of the Gospel promise relaxing the Covenant of Works but I beg that he and I may for our cleansing our Consciences from the least degree of sin make use of the Apostles remedy If any man sin be it in any the least degree we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous who is the propitiation for our sins ay that 's the business that 's it we must trust to he is the propitiation for our sins of sin in the least degree it must have this participation or wo unto us this I implore of God in the name of Jesus that I and Mr. Williams may by a daily applying to this propitiation get our Consciences free from every degree of sin Before I leave this clause I reflect that the greatest Grammarian may make blunders which I note that Mr. Williams in the next Edition may mend this that so the World may not think Mr. Williams allows false Grammar as this Clause gives suspicion or I must go to School again The false Grammar in this clause is in these words At the Covenant of Works did which follows these words And a continuance in a state of death with a bar to the blessing are not threatned against every degree of sin as the Covenant of Works did so that the sentence in brief by Mr. Williams ordering runs thus Death and a Bar are not threatned as the Covenant of Works did and if this be sense or Grammar it must be by some Outlandish Figure and Rule I suppose he means thus Death and the Bar are not threatned as in the Covenant of Works they were and not as the Covenant of works did Mr. Williams next makes his Queries to confirm â—is assertion that every degree of sin is not threatned under the Gospel with Death and for confirmation of it saith Doth it the Gospel promise Life to all men however vile and impenitent they be I confess this rimes like brains and stairs he propounds that every degree of sin doth not bar the blessing of the Gospel and Confirms it by this the Gospel don't promise Life to the vilest and impenitent If it don't promise life to the vilest and impenitent doth it follow that any degree of sin can be so small as not to deserve death under the Gospel A strange Inference and stranger Doctrine as if he had said thus there are some sins under the Gospel do not deserve death because the Gospel doth not promise life to the vilest and most impenitent But to leave the Illogicalness of his Argument I 'll consider his Question as a positive Assertion single and by it self The Gospel doth not promise Life to all men however vile and impenitent they be saith Mr. Williams and I never heard of any that ever said it did that all men of all Nations since the World began to the end of it had promise of Life by the Gospel and then Mr. Williams rambling Question supposes some such Universalians there are but to help and amend the question it may be Mr. Williams intends thus Doth the Gospel promise Life to all that hear it however vile c. I answer none that he opposes ever asserted it as I see they with every good Christian say it promises life to all that truly believe in the Lord Jesus nay it promises life to all the Elect But the grand Question is still if it promise Life to the Elect however vile and impenitent they be this I take to be Mr. Williams Question now if he mean that the Gospel do not promise life to those that continue vile and impenitent to those that are never effectually called by the grace of God I am satisfied he must fight with the Air for none disputes him in that point but if he mean that the Gospel doth not promise Life to the chief of sinners to thâ— most vile and most impenitent which cannot be worse than the chief of sinners if they be elected chosen Vessels if he asserts this he mistakes but I will not question his Integrity to the Gospel in this point I fear there lies somewhat at the Bottom that wiâ—â—â—â—t bear the standard or touchstone of the word that is that God promises Life and Salvation upon our repentance and growing from vile to good for he doth not promise it to the vile and impenitent If this be his meaning that there is no promise of life to an Elect person till he return from vileness and till he repent this is as near Arminianism as four pence is to a groat and as far from the scripture as the West is from the East for that saith in Titus 1.2 In hope of Eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the World began so that I conclude against Mr. Williams with the Apostle that the Gospel promise was before the foundation of the World for Life and Salvation to all the Elect according to the Promise of God though they be the chief of sinners however vile and impenitent they are till the Gospel comes and turns them from darkness to light from dumb Idols to serve the living God and the Gospel promise when it first touches their Hearts by the Spirit of God though it finds them so vile and impenitent it does not leave them so but first puts in a new spiritual life and carries it on in sanctification more and more every day and in this sense I give my Judgment the Gospel promises life to all men that are Elected that is all that are by vertue of their Election effectually called which promise was before the World began this cannot be too much insisted it because it is for the praise of the glory of his grace and hath no tendency to lessen the true value of the blessed graces of Repentance and new obedience which flow from and do give life to the promise His next Question is or doth it the Gospel threaten damnation or a continuance of it on any true Penitent believing Godly man because he is imperfect This is as wild a question as the former that was doth the Gospel
cannot but own they believe him a holy Person and well they may if they compare his Sermons on Free Grace teaching to deny Ungodliness with his other Sermons on our sins laid upon Christ in the last side of which Vol. fol. 444. the Dr. saith For my own part I abhor nothing in the World so much as this namely a licentious undertaking to continue in any sin because that such fulness of Grace hath abounded and I shall recommend to them if any such be here the reading of the Epistle of Jude where they may see the fearful wrath of God upon such persons as abuse the Grace of God to sin O Beloved let not the love of the Lord God in Jesus Christ thus manifested be so basely requited at your hands seeing the Lord hath so freely loved you and given Christ to you that you might be to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace in a Godly and Christian Conversation whereunto you are Ordained for you are Created in Christ Jesus to good Works that you should walk in them and I beseech you always to remember that you cannot answer the free love of God toward you any other way but by shewing it in a fruitful Conversation in the World and considering that one end for which the Lord did redeem you was that you might be a peculiar people to himself zealous of good Works Titus 2.24 Thus ends the third Volume To stop the mouths of Gain-sayers especially Mr. Williams who accuses the Dr. to be for Licentious Doctrine but because our holiness must not come in to concur to our Justification this is to enervate Christs Laws But to our purpose again The Homily saith as to the respect Christs sufferings have to the Pardon of our sins though his sufferings be not a formal pardon as saith Mr. Williams as a piece of nonsense charged upon Dr. Crisp yet his Sufferings are tant-amount to a Pardon in the Account of those holy compilers of the Homilies who say in fol. 178. His Passion is the Ransom and whole amends for our sin If so then with submission I may say this whole amends for sin is in the Eye of a just and gracious God tant-amount to a Pardon for God cannot but acquit where amends is made though the Person acquitted is never the better for it as to his Conscience till he believe in the Lord Jesus no more than a Criminal in New-gate condemned for Treason is the more at peace in his mind when his Friend hath got a Pardon for him in his Pocket till he see it or believes it but will any man in his senses say this Criminal is not really benefited by the Pardon his Friend got him till he see and plead this Pardon much less may Mr. Williams say that an Elect person is not benefited by the Justification by Christs Resurrection because 't is not applyed to him till believing They go on in fol. 185. and say Christ being perfect God and the Son of God gave his Body to be bruised and broken on the Cross for our sins this Mr. Williams will grant but they go on and say our Saviour Christ hath delivered us from sin this Mr. Williams must temper with ifs and Connexions they proceed Yet not so that we shall be free from committing sin but so that it shall not be imputed to our Condemnation So they have allowed a benefit to Believers before they believe though Mr. Williams questions it and affirm Christ on the Cross delivered from sin bearing it away so as it shall not be imputed to them and whether this be not more than a bare foundation of our Pardon it being a real making amends for sin a real justification a real saving our Souls in these great mens account and in the Nations account let Mr. Williams ponder and not conclude that Dr. Crisp entertained these Opinions which dethrone Christ as he calls it by not animadverting that Christs sufferings were barely a foundation of pardon and let him muse what his vilifying this Doctrine of the Church of Englamd will amount to To proceed he saith that the sins of the Elect They are not forgiven immediately upon nor meerly by his enduring those sufferings this is directly contrary to the Doctrine in the Homily 177. which saith In this death of Christ standeth our continual Pardon I hope he will allow that Christ did put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself because God saith it without any Trope or Ifs or Connexions Heb. 9.26 Also he will allow that before Christ sat on the right hand of God he purged our sins by himself Heb. 1.3 And that at the end of seventy Weeks he made an end of sin and brought in everlasting righteousness Dan. 9.24 and bare our sins in his Body and was the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the World John 1.29 If so that sins be satisfyed for and if put away and if purged and made an end of and born away and took away then what will remain to be forgiven even nothing and yet still neither the Dr. or any I know of hold that the Conscience of a sinner is acquitted hereby or at all by Christs death till Christ be applyed by Faith with all his Benefits to the Soul so that though with Mr. Williams our sins be not forgiven immediately upon Christs death as pertaining to the Conscience of the Elect sinner dyed for yet by Mr. Williams leave God is not so hard a Creditor to keep the Debt upon Record when he is satisfied for it and when 't is blotted out by the Blood of Christ sure he will allow that in the Court of Heaven the Book is crost and no debt appears against the Elect after Christ made payment sure this will not be gainsaid but by those who deny Christs satisfaction which many will nibble at tho' 't is too plain Popery to say downright that Christ did not make full satisfaction to God by his Death for the sins of all the Elect. Sins are not forgiven meerly by his enduring Sufferings W. What is our Gospel Holiness to help our Faith Holiness c. Yes for saith he There were to intervene a Gospel Promise of pardon the work of the Spirit for a Conformity to the rule of the Promise in the person to be pardoned and a Judicial act of Pardon by that promise on the Person thus conformed to the Rule thereof here 's a tedious lesson for a poor terrified Soul to get by heart when the Spirit of God hath convinced him of his miserable condition by sin when he cries to a Gospel Minister good Sir for the Lords sake tell me how I may get a pardon into my Bosom I have heard may he say God saith there is forgiveness with him 't is now ready by him that he may be feared I have heard that when the Jaylor cryed out What shall I do to be saved The Apostle bid him only believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved I have heard and read that in Ephes 1. and Col. 1. the Apostle saith in him we have Redemption through his Blood forgiving of sins so
save all thus doth it damn all for what man lives and sins not So that every true Penitent is imperfect and this question needed not be askt but only to insinuate that true Penitence believing and godliness come in equal sharers in intituling Men to salvation by Christ that they go hand in hand to give an Interest in the promise only Repentance must take the Right hand and go next the Wall though the Apostle say justified by Faith we are saved by grace through Faith yet Repentance and Godliness will crowd in for a little boasting though it rob Christ whereas true faith gives him the glory of all by being the hand that receives all from Christ In the next place we have the yet most dangerous position for establishing our works in the business of our Salvation in this long sentence to bring in a degree of obedience a little finger we must have in the Pye or it will not be well made he brings it in thus This change of the Sanction that is of Life from Gospel Obedience instead of the Law Obedience supposes the death of Christ and his honouring the Law by his perfect Obedience wherein God hath provided for his own glory while he promises Life by forgiveness to imperfect man and yet he insists on some degree of Obedience to which of his meer grace he enableth us Here 's a long series or train to bring in a degree of Obedience first the sanction is changed this needs pondering next this supposes the death of Christ O fit what only supposes the death of Christ is his death to have no better encomium upon it one would think that glorious price and ransom of our redemption should have been set off with a glorious title as thus this is owing to the infinite love and mercy of God in the Unvaluable purchase by the blessed death of Christ But repenting believing a godly life that must have the high praises the Death of our blessed Lord Jesus must come off with a supposition this supposes the Death of Christ 〈◊〉 the next place it supposes the honouring the Law and is that all doth it not suppose the satisfying the Law I find not a word of that that Christs death satisfyed the Law O there is care taken that string must not be harped upon it would drown the sweet melody of some degrees of Obedience and our repenting believing and godliness which though excellent in their place yet are not to eclips the glory of our Lord Jesus in becoming the end of the Law I must say 't is a mean business to say Christs death honoured the Law so Cranmers death honoured the Gospel but Christs death to all sound Protestants was the end of the Law by his fulfilling our Righteousness but there must come in with it some degree of our Obedience this seems pretty broad compounding the matter with God for the sin of man Christ honoured the Law by his Obedience yet God insists on some degree of our Obedience this looks like a linsey woolsey Garment but it must be laid aside for it will not prove the wedding Garment the Bridegroom will scorn that any of his Guests shall sit down with the glorious Garment of his righteousness patcht up with the degrees of our Obedience If the King should send a Garment for Mr. Williams to come to Court in and stand before him I am confident he would wear that and that only and not go about to clap a patch here and a patch there of his own Coat much less will he do it to the Lord Jesus on serious thoughts Wherein God hath provided for his own Glory But it is but a mean provision if Christ have only honoured the Law and not fully satisfyed it and if our Obedience must come in with his Sons Obedience can is be thought that our imperfect obedience provides for God's glory by joyning it with Christs most perfect Obedience God indeed hath provided well for his glory in mans Salvation only from his own free Grace through the Blood of Christ but Mr. Williams makes but a slender providing for God's glory while he leaves room for the flesh to glory in his presence by his own obedience is this that no flesh may glory in his sight But Mr. Williams takes care to prevent that he 'll say by the last clause that God of his men grace enables us to this our Obedience I answer not in the least doth this take off from glorying for though 't is Gods grace inables to Obedience yet the Obedience is still our work and the Scripture saith plainly not of works lest any boast Every breath I breath is of God's grace and if God should enable me to speak for two hours together to the King Lords and Commons in Parliament so as to perswade them to imploy none but those that truely fear God in any place of trust should I not be apt to applaud my self though I should still own the ability and efficacy to perswade them was of God how much more will any poor Creature boast if his Obedience hath any hand in the salvation of his Soul O that we could cry grace grace not to us but to thy name be the praise and as for our Obedience cry all our righteousness is as filthy Raggs and so let us set the Crown on the head of our Lord Jesus say continually To the King eternal immortal invisible the only wise God be honour and glory for ever for his being all in all Author and finisher Alpha and Omega in our Salvation He promises Life by forgiveness to imperfect Man This is the next step to bring in some degree of our obedience but a false step if by promising Life by forgiveness he excludes Christs satisfying Gods Justice as that which leads to forgiveness of which there is not a word in this Paragraph and doth God promise life barely by forgiveness this is a sorry and nonsensical account of mans Redemption and Salvation And yet he insists on some degree of Obediences saith Mr. Williams Here comes the great master wheel by which our Salvation is secured Christs death is supposed the Law hath honour by Christs Obedience life is promised but yet God insists in our Obedience at least on some degree of it That God insists on our obedience and on more than some degree of it must be owned by all for God insists on our being holy as he is holy God insists on our loving him with all our heart God insists that we be blameless and unreproveable in his sight this is more than some degree of Obedience and it is our duty doubtless to endeavour to be perfect as our Father which is in Heaven is perfect But this hath nothing to do in our obtaining Life and is not such an Obedience as Mr. Williams saith God insists on He is more easie in his terms to poor sinners than to run it so high well what is it God insists on he in
regenerate and Justified and indued with true Faith and regarding the Order of Nature it follows Faith and Justification O these are strong battering Rams against setting up mans Righteousness and in fol. 468. he gives account whence this new Doctrine of repentance having a hand in our Salvation comes viz. from Rome and saith thus The Church of Rome hath Corrupted the Antient Doctrine of Repentance saying That a Sinner hath in him a Natural disposition which being stir'd up by God's preventing Grace he may and can work together with Gods Spirit in his own Repentance But indeed all our Repentance is to be ascribed to Gods grace wholly Eph. 2.4 The Soul of man is not weak but stark dead in sin and therefore it can no more prepare it self to repentance than the body being dead in the Grave can dispose it self to the last Resurrection O these are weighty words and O that they might prevail in the hand of the Spirit of God to weaken mans apprehensions of something practicable in and by himself in order to bring about his Salvation that so we might all put our Mouths in the dust and give glory to God for of him and through him especially in the matter of our Salvation and to him be all things to whom be glory in the Churches for ever thus much for Mr. W. Sanction of the Gospel giving pardon on our Conformity to the Rule of the Promise In the next place Mr. W. asserts a profound benefit by Gospel grace and yet it carries Poyson in it I fear Hence by Gospel grace there is a great difference between imperfect Faith and utter Vnbelief The Poyson in the head of this Snake I fear is that this imperfect Faith is intended to be the upshot of Gospel Grace A little to descant upon this I would offer That if so mean a Lover of the Lord Jesus as I am should have been telling the World the benefit of Gospel Grace I should have flown a little higher in celebrating the Love of God therein than to say by it imperfect Faith differs greatly from utter Vnbelief which without Gospel Grace any Child of four Years Old will grant That can tell there is a great difference between a little mess of Milk and none at all I should have said By Gospel Grace there is a great difference between our Lord Jesus freely given us and with him all things even himself to be our Wisdom Righteousness c. And being slaves of Satan sold under sin without this gospel grace I should have invited the World to rejoyce in this Benefit by Gospel Grace That Christ was made sin for us that he might be made righteousness to us or become the Lord our Righteousness And that by Gospel Grace God comâ—s to justify the Ungodly to save Sinners of whom the Apostle saith He was chief and a Pattern of them who should afterward believe to everlasting life this is right gospel grace worthy of the Father Son and Spirit to give Purchase and Communicate I should scarce have flamm'd the World off with such a dead Carcass of Divinity as to say If you look for the glorious Priviledge and Benefit of Gospel Grace which the Father Son and Spirit have been contriving and rejoycing in from all Eternity and which the Eternal Blessed Son of God took Man's Nature for and for which he was under the Curse of God and died for which all the Angels and Saints of God for ever adore him It was that this should be published That there is by the Gospel Grace a great difference between imperfect Faith and utter Unbelief or which is much at one between an Essentiality and a Nullity between something and nothing there is so great difference as is between Heaven and Hell and this difference is eternal and so would have been without any thing of the Gospel I suppose Mr. W. means though he is unhappy in not expressing it that by Gospel Grace imperfect Faith is accepted for perfect Obedience that is to say if it be joyned with sincere Holiness true Repentance and Perseverance c. but this is still wide from the mark of Gospel Grace for the Apostle saith It brings Salvation and teaches Godliness But Mr. W. will make the World amends it may be hoped in the next Benefit by Gospel Grace which take as follows By gospel grace there is a great difference between sincere Holiness and formal Profaneness or Wickedness one would wonder how gospel grace comes to be hookt into this Difference which all the World would own to be infinitely different without any grace of God in the Gospel Did our Lord Jesus shed his Blood for this Notion to be asserted which was as true without any grace of the gospel as with it but it may be he means that by gospel grace there is a Purchase made that sincere Holiness shall stand instead of perfect Holiness which Wickedness could not do And this he must mean or nothing and if he means this he perfectly overthrows the gospel and if he do not mean it he abuses the World with an Amusement The next is True Love to God and prevailing Enmity There is by Gospel Grace he saith great difference between these But this is another great mistake which I am confident he will he ashamed to own What hath the gospel to do to make this great difference By the law is the Knowledge of sin and the gospel shews grace but to say the gospel makes this difference is to roh God of the Holiness of his righteous Law But supposing this Nonsense to be current Divinity with some that by gospel Grace there is great difference between God and the Devil or Love to God and prevailing Enmity What is this to the point Mr. Williams is labouring to make good that there is to be a Conformity to the Rule of the Promise in the person to be pardoned for proof of which he saith There is great difference between Love of God and prevailing Enmity Would he have his meaning to be that love of God is conforming to the Rule of the Promise therefore an ingredient to Pardon which Enmity is not I answer Love of God is as much conforming to the Rule of the Law as of Gospel grace and so his Argument faces had he said the Law commands us to love God and the Gospel promiseth to write this Law in our hearts though not as an ingredient to our Pardon there might be some Edification by it but to assert there is a difference between these two which was ever so is of no more force for his Argument than to say Black and White differ or I and Doctor C. dâ—ffer His next is like the three former Differences viz. by Gospel grace there is a great difference between in perfect spiritual Duties and Rebellious Negleâ—ts Now he hath spun a fine Thread here 's the end of his Gospel grace it hath made this difference and would not this difference have been if
Co-workers with him for Justification and Salvation Though by his Spirit he makes all his Regenerate ones Co-workers with him in the carrying on the Work of Sanctification Not to multiply Scriptures in a matter so strenuously contended against by the Apostle of our Works concurring to our Salvation I shall only add at present that great Text 2 Tim. 1.9 who hath saved us and called us not according to our Works Here 's a perfect Renunciation of VVorks even VVorks of all sorts before Faith and after Faith He don't say VVho saved us not for our VVorks but not according to our VVorks our VVorks have no accordingness in them to our Salvation they have no concurrence in that point they are left quite out Here 's no room for Gospel Obedience in complying with Gospel Rule to obtain life No not a word of that 't is so far from being for our Works that 't is not according to our works God hath no regard to them in saving and calling He hath saved How He saved by calling us How is that Did he not call us to Salvation upon seeing us comply with the Gospel Rule No he saved us and called us not according to our Works How then Then it is in a way that amazes the Scholastick World a way that will not go down with the wise and prudent of this world It is according to his grace not our grace according I say to his own grace given us in Christ before the world began O be amazed and confounded all that would state Gospel Truth any other way than God hath stated it for the everlasting comfort of all those blessed ones whom God hath shewed their Election to by their effectual Call to come to Christ he hath saved 't is already done and that not according to humane stating Gospel Truth not according to our Works that way would leave us always under Suspitions and Jealousies to our dying day but according to his ancient everlasting Love and that given to us as lookt upon in Christ when chosen in him before they had done good or evil before the world began that the purpose of God according to Election might stand Here the Apostle leaves it and so will I as to Scripture Confutation of his Gospel Ordination and because Mr. Williams may not say This is but one Doctors Opinion when he saith Doctor Crisp Dethrones Christ by rejecting holy Works from concurring to Salvation I shall spend some pains and time begging it may be acceptable Service in the Lord in shewing what several Servants of God of good Name say to this point I begin with Mr. Veale a Gentleman not in the least inclining to Antinomians in his Sermon against Merits Morn Lect. fol. 437. He shuts out gratious Works from having any hand or concurrence in our Salvation by this expression viz. It is muche that he God doth not damn you for your good Works seeing they are all defiled and have something of Sin cleaving to them What becomes of our Gospel Holiness now and sincere Obedience in the case of Salvation What all good works sin then they are dung Well but hath not Christ merited such a Gospel Ordination as our answering the Gospel Rule of holy Obedience though imperfect it shall interest us in Gospel Blessings To this Mr. Veale saith in fol. 417. It is in vain to say that Christ hath merited for the Saints a power of meriting The Papists can never prove that Christ merited any such Power for Believers It is really more for his honour to purchase all for them himself but Mr. Williams will say I do not say Christ merited that we should merit no but he saith Christ merited God should regard our works in Justification and in our Salvation What 's that but coming in as it were by Works not with a down-right rejecting of Christ but with a side-wind bringing in our works Christ merited that we should do something in our salvation And what 's that In plain English they give us a right to the Gospel Benefits which in some sense is worse than down-right Popery in as much as Popery makes our works meritorious of life in that Christ hath put an infinite value on them by his merits and so makes our works so valuable as to compensate the Justice of God for our sins and so still maintain the honour of God's Righteousness in forgiving sin on a valuable consideration of our works made by Christ meritorious of it Whereas the middle way found out by some makes God so gracious as by virtue of Christ's Mediation God accepts of imperfect defective gospel Holiness as perfect for Christ's sake and thereupon Forgives How near this comes to Mr. W's stating the gospel Ordination may be easily be judged Mr. Veale leaves Mr. Williams to stand by himself as to Gospel Holiness giving an Interest in the Blessings and saith 't is only an evidence of Faith and gives no Title in fol. 421. Hope of Life saith he may be helped on by Obedience and good Works because they are an Evidence of his Faith and so of his Interest in Christ but there is a vast difference between a man's taking comfort in his Obedience as the evidence of his Title to glory and Trusting in it as that which gives him Title I come next to Mr. Doelittle fol. 195. of Morning Lecture who gives an account of the Protestants and Papists Doctrine of Justification First he sums up the Apostles Doctrine of Justification not to him that works as Dâ—vid describes the blessedness of the Man to whom the Lord imputes Righteousness not imputing their Trespasses to them for he made him to be sin for us that we might be the Righteousness of God Then he quotes the Protestant Doctrine thus We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith and not for our Works Those whom God effectually calls he freely justifies not by infusing Righteousness into them mark that against the Gospel Ordination of God's regarding our Holiness but by pardoning their Sins and by accounting and accepting their Persons as righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christ's sake alone imputing the Obedience and Satisfaction of Christ to them they receiving and resting on him and his Righteousness by Faith I think nothing can be more opposite than this Account of Protestant Faith where is not a word of our Holiness to Justification and Mr. Williams's which is made up of Gospel Obedience Gospel Rule Gospel Ordination of sincere Holiness regarded by God in our Justification This Protestant Doctrine he confirms by referring to a cloud of Witnesses against our new Divinity viz. The Helvetian Confession the Bohemian Gallican Augustane Belgick Wittemberg and Basil Then follows the Popish Trent Justification Justification is not only forgiveness of sin but also Sanctification of the sinner whereby a Man of unjust is made just and Mr. Williams like this complying
Christ alone Exalted IN Dr. Crisp's Sermons Partly confirmed in Answering Mr. Daniel Williams's Preface to his Gospel Truth stated by alledging Testimonies from Scripture and the Doctrine of the Church of England in the Book of Homilies establish'd by Law and other Orthodox Authorities SHEWING How he hath wronged as well the Truth as the said Doctor in the great Point of Justification by the Neonomian Doctrine Hom. of Salvation fol. 17. Justification is not the Office of Man but of God we be justified freely by Faith without Works not that this our Faith in Christ which is within us doth justifie us that were to count our selves justified by some Act within our selves Of Fasting fol. 82. Good Works go not before in him which shall afterward be Justified but good Works do follow after when a Man is first Justified and are Testimonies of our Justification this spoyls Neonomianism on the Sacrament fol. 200. It followeth for Communicants to have a sure and constant Faith that he Christ hath made upon his Cross a full and sufficient Sacrifice for thee a Perfect cleansing of thy sins Where is the sin of a Believer now Passion Serm. 177. for in this death of Christ standeth the continual pardon of our daily Offences in this resteth our Justification If so then Faith doth not procure it but only receive and evidence it and so away flies Neomanism with Arminianism Humbly offer'd by S. C. an unworthy Son of the said Doctor Author of a Book Entituled Christ made Sin Reflected on by Mr. Williams London Printed for William Marshall at the Bible in Newgate street And Henry Barnard at the Bible in the Poultry 1693. Where is to be Sold at the same place the same Authors Book Entituled Christ made Sin Errors besides false Pointings to be amended Folio 2 Line 47. for assume read affirm 12 36. for or read our 24 40. for of sin read if sin  41. for participation read propitiation 26 5. for thus read this 28 24. for as read of at the last as 32 22. for other read object 34 7. for faces read fails 38 47. for pampering read tampering 40 38. read But saith 42 33. f. God's Righteousness r. our sanctification 43 20. Blot out that 44 last line put in is after Holiness 47 34. for Mercies read Mines 47 45. read 1642. 48 20. read then God believes To the Eminent Assertors of the Free Grace of God in Christ whereby Christ alone is exalted in the Salvation of Sinners viz. To the Reverends Mr. Cole Mr. Griffith Mr. Mather Mr. Beverly Mr. Barker Mr. Mead Mr. Chauncey Mr. Trail Mr. Woodcock Mr. Laurence of Stepney Mr. Brag. Mr. Bearman Mr. Terry Mr. Crusoe Mr. James of Wapping Mr. White Mr. Moor Mr. Wavel Mr. Tailor of Pinners-Hall Mr. Cross Mr. Grace Mr. Nisbet Mr. Fincher Mr. Lob Mr. Glascock Mr. Mence Mr. Ford Mr. Owen Mr. Jennings Mr. Roe Mr. Wressel Mr. Clark Mr. Goodwin Mr. Gamon Mr. Powel Also to several of the surprized Subscribers to Mr. Williams late Book as Dr. Bates Mr. How Mr. Alsop Mr. Bures and others Also to those of the Episcopal Clergy who preach the Doctrine of Justification as it is established by Christ in the Gospel and by our Statute Law in the Homilies as Mr. Meriton of Old Fish-street and others REjoyce thou Heaven the Church of Christ and ye holy Apostles and Prophets Rev. 18. The Evangelical Preachers that blessed be God there are many Seven thousands that have not bowed to the Bayal of Man's Holiness joyning with Christ to Justification But Mr. Williams having in the judgment of many in his Gospel Truth stated warped that way witnâ—ss his interpreting the Righteousness of Christ in Phil. 3.9 to be a Believers Gospel Holiness I hereby appeal to your Consciences if such a Star of the first Magnitude in the Firmament of the Scriptures ought with the silence of the By-standers to be so obfuscated Though in many respects I look on my self one of the unworthiest of those that name the Name of our blessed Lord Jesus in sincerity yet I cannot but bear my Testimony against the Preface of the said Book as unsound according to my sence of the Truth after above 50 Years investigating it and tasting a sweet Relish in Divine Things and I humbly apprehend I have in the ensuing Collection made it so appear which I leave to the Spirit of the Prophets in the Prophets to judge and hope you will all agree to declare he hath much wronged the said Text. As for his stigmatizing my dear Father as a dethroner of Christ because he exalted him alone without Works in the business of our Salvation I beseech the Lord Mr. Williams may see his Mistake and that God would forgive him as I and I hope all mine freely do This I pass by But when the Mother of us all the Truth as it is in Jesus is wounded by him when not of Works lest any Man should boast Eph. 2.9 is turned by him into God promiseth Liâ—e to imperfect Man by Forgiveness yet insists on some degree of Obedience And hence the use of Faith Holiness c. To these Benefiâ—s is not from their Conformity to the Precept but their Conformity to the Rule of the Promise Then on such an invasion all from 16 to â—0 should be alarum'd then all hearts and heads that love the Lord Jesus should be engaged iâ— vindicating his Royalties that he is Alpha and Omega Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption all and in all in our Salvation that no Flesh should glory In particular I find my self though the meanest obliged to bear witness against this piece being censured by many for my silence in regard my Preface to my Fathers reprinted Sermons they say occasioned this Pudder What I did therein was in the simplicity of my heart to exalt the Lord Jesus and refresh Souls thereby which I still desire by taking off Mr. William's Evidence against the said Sermons by shewing his disagreeing from Scripture and Orthodox Authority as well as from my Father I hope you will all candidly accept this Service and upon this occasion give me leave to beg that as the Lord Jesus hath sent you to preach the everlasting Gospel glad Tidings to sinners through Christ in which many of you have been renowned so that ye abound more and more That you will determine to know nothing among your people but Christ and him Crucified that he may be magnified in your Bodies by life and by death that you may shew in every Sermon that to you to live is Christ and not to labour with a Scheme of some degree of Obedience in the business of our Salvation and this supposes the death of Christ as if his death were only a Sub-intelligitur business in his Rectorship O that we could be more warm for our Lord Jesus who poured out his Soul and warm Blood for us and if when warm you please to remember me a poor worm at the Throne
Cross all the sins of the Elect were transferred to Christ If this be the grand Error then the Prophet Esay must be called to account for it with the Apostle Peter The Lord laid on him the Iniquity of us all who in his own Body bare our sins on the Tree 'T is admirable strange the bold front of humane reasoning to oppose the most plain express Scriptures in the Bible the sins of the Apostle and those he wrote to were committed several years after Christ was crucifyed and yet he saith Christ bare them on the Tree If Men will fight against plain Scripture and cry 't is dethroning Christ to urge the truth thereof then farewell the Gospel But to expostulate a little either our sins were laid on Christ then or never for Christ suffers no more and if they be laid on him now or when a sinner is converted then Christ must come down again and suffer or sin could not be expiated but sure 't is somewhat else Mr. Williams means as that sin was never laid on Christ but that when Christ died he suffered for this end that if we live a good life repent and believe the Gospel we shall be saved but grant that which can never be granted for no man can do one good Act without true saving Faith in Christ a sacrifice for his sins what becomes of our sins if Christ did not bear them on the Tree they must lye some where for they cannot be laid on Christ now then they must lye on the Sinner which would have sent him to Hell presently but he purged away sin by the Sacrifice of himself which he could not do if they were not on him when he was on the Cross when he became that Sacrifice God forbid that Mr. Williams by his Gospel Truth stated should call us to a new Gospel as he would by making it an Error to say that the sins of the Elect were on Christ upon the Cross His next is of smaller moment but to be taken notice of viz. 'T is one part of his Scheme of Dr. Crisps Errors that he holds that at the first moment of Conception a Title to all those decreed Blessings is personally applyed to the Elect and they invested actually therein Sure this is no horrid Blasphemy since God saith of Jacob and Esau before they had done good or Evil being yet unborn Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated and Jeremy being sanctifyed in the Womb Jer. 1.5 It must be before he had done much good sure an Heir of Glory is as soon an Heir to it as an Heir of a Kingdom and if a young King should be married but one Night and die the next Morning if that Kingdom was purely Hereditary the States of that Kingdom would not suffer the Widdow Queen to Marry again 'till they see whether she proved with Child or no and if she prove with Child and that Child be born I would fain know when that Child began to be an heir it must be at the first moment of his Conception or not at all But some Men will hardly allow God the Prerogative to give Titles to his Heirs as they will allow a Man to do by a settlement on Marriage they will grant that a King may go to Jail and choose out the worst Offender there and save him but God may not without Faith foreseen choose Vessels of Glory to himself and make them Heirs as soon as they have a Being Hence the Elect have nothing to do in order to an interest in those Blessings Mr. Williams This Assertion is both right and wrong as it may be taken for if by having nothing to do in order to an interest if Mr. Williams means that Dr. Crisp asserts the Elect have nothing to do in order to original right and Interest by Election of the Father before the World then he is in the wrong when he charges Dr. C. with an Error in holding with the Apostle that there was Grace given in Christ Jesus before the World began 2 Tim. 1.9 For in that respect the Elect have no more to do in order to an Interest in those Blessings than an Heir to an Estate setled on him before he was born hath to do to gain him an Interest therein and accordingly the Apostle is plain in Ephes 1.3 He hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings according as he chose us in him before the foundation of the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even as he chose us in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and according to his own grace given to us before the World began if he blessed with all blessings even as he choose us and if he gave his own grace to us before the times of Ages sure then those so chosen and so endowed with grace before time have nothing to do to get an original right or interest in those Blessings that were then given to them and afterwards bestowed by God upon them no more than the Law coming 430 years after the Promise to Abraham had to do to obtain or evacuate the Promise But if Mr. Williams means that Dr. Crisp holds That the Elect have nothing to do in order to the applying their Interest in these Blessings then he is in the right and Dr. Crisp wrong when Mr. Williams proves it on the Dr. But he doth the Dr. wrong in so charging him for there are whole Sermons of the Doctors to the contrary and particularly the 17th of Vol. 2. Of the assurance of Faith in P. 486 wherein he saith from Acts 13.39 You shall see there how necessarily it must be received that Faith gives Interest in the priviledges of Christ These are the very words in flat contradiction to what Mr. Williams Charges him with when he saith Dr. Crisp holds the Elect have nothing to do in order to an Interest in those Blessings where this passage of the Dr. may convince Mr. Williams of a false Accusation and Slander contrary to the ninth Command Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour But saith the Wise man who can stand before Envy I hope those eminent Divines that favoured his Book will desire their Names may not stand to his Preface lest they be brought in to savour this false Charge Dr. Crisp goes on upon that Text Acts 13 39. By this man is Preached to you forgiviness of sins and whosoever believeth on him he is justifyed from all things from which he could not be Justifyed by the Law of Moses from which text the Doctor treating not of original right or interest in the Blessings but of the Application or Evidence hereof he saith farther in fol. 486. thus out of this Text I argue thus If there be Justification where there is Believing this believing is a proof of Justification If therefore thou dost believe this is a certain Truth thou art Justified it is an undeniable Argument because that the Apostle doth affix Justification to believing Here by the way besides
this assertion being a proof that Mr. Williams hath done amiss in saying the Doctors Scheme is that the Elect have nothing to do c. which his saying justification is affixt to believing confutes this saying also reflects on another very false and gross charge in the very first page of his Book where he saith Dr. Crisp holds the Elect are not subject to Condemnation if they dye before they believe which as it is impossible they should so the Doctor never asserted they could and this saying of his that Faith gives Interest in the Priviledges of Christ and Justification is affixt to believing shews that it was against the Doctors Sentiments to hold that Elect persons could die before they believe or that he ever said If they should so die there was no Condemnation But for once I would suppose the purpose of God concerning the Elect to be Created in Christ Jesus to good Works should be frustrate and the Elect never should come to actual Faith and so never come to do a truly good Work Now I would ask any sober found Protestant if he should allow such an imposibility for Argument sake as that God's purpose in this last case could be frustrate which of these two Assertions he would take for the more false either that an Elect Person chosen in Christ from all Eternity and given to Christ and grace given him in Christ and accordingly dyed for by Christ according to the Compact and Council of peace and this Elect person dying in unbelief is saved that so the grand contrivance of God and the precious blood of the Son of God be not frustrate Or this Assertion that such an Elect person dying in unbelief is damn'd because the word of Truth must be fulfilled That he that believes not is condemned far be it from any Christian to affirm either but of the two false positions I should be apt to think the first is not the worst because of the Eternal design of the Father and Son to save all the Elect given in Election to Christ The next Charge Nor ought they to intend the least good to themselves in what they do This is high General and Universal like the Confidence of a Man with his drawn Sword against a Thistle here I could have you and there I could have you though this be not of the Essence of Faith the not intending good to our selves in what we do and he would make the Doctor preach marvellous self-denyal herein as not intending the least good in our doing yet here lies a snare for doubtless if he means this to be an Error then it may be he means that the Doctor holds that the Elect must do what they do not with intent to procure the good of Gods reconciliation to them If that be the Doctors Error it is also of all Protestants that are Orthodox if he means that the Error is that the Doctor holds the Elect are not to do with intent to get the good of Pleasing honouring and glorifying God he mightily wrongs the Doctor witness his Sermons on Titus 2.11 12 Grace teaches to deny Ungodliness What good he means no man can reach without his unfolding but the charge must be high and general though thereby Mr. Williams lays himself too open for a Friend to take the Advantage he might and thereby might give him the unmannerly word of speaking untruth against the Doctor I will not say a Lye will Mr. Williams say the Doctor holds the Elect ought not to intend the least good to themselves in what they do what will he say then to those expressions of the Doctors in fol. 141. Our Righteousness serves as a real way to manifest our thankfulness to God Secondly There is this usefulness in our righteousness namely that we may serve our Generation That Men may be drawn on to glorifie God and we must shine before men in a Godly Conversation Thirdly Our Righteousness is useful as it is the Ordinance of God wherein be will make good those things which before he hath promised Now how can Mr. Williams say the Dr. holds this don't intend the least good when the Dr. â—â—ith here that by their righteousness they walk in Gods Ordinance wherein he will make good his Promises is not Eying the making good of Promises or intending some good but unless we intend the good of our Righteousness or Gospel-Holiness to be meant by Gods Righteousness ours by Faith as Mr. Williams asserts the Apostle intended on Phil. 3.9 Our doing is by him accounted the not intending the least good to our selves what can't we intend good to our selves in Fasting Praying Relieving the Necessitous walking in all Godliness and Honesty unless this must come in with Christs imputed Righteousness for our Justification Next the Doctor holds saith Mr. Williams Sin can do them no harm because it is not theirs If he mean that sin cannot hinder them from Heaven at last then he rather wrongs himself by holding it can than the Dr. for holding it cannot for God hath cast them all into the depth of the Sea and saith I will remember them no more if so they cannot do much hurt If Mr. Williams means that the Doctor holds there is no Evil in sin to an Elect Person then he is a false Accuser again for the Dr. acknowledges evil in sin when he saith fol. 4â—0 If you would come to see the Evil of sin and to see it that it may be a Bridle to restrain you from sin now in this sense the Dr. owns hurt in sin and prescribes a way so to see it as to be kept from it and that is in the next words look upon Christ if you would see the evil in sin if he mean by sin can do them no harm in his accusing the Doctor that the Dr. holds that sin cannot do them the harm of making their Services stink in God's Nostrils then he falsely accuses the Doctor also who saith in fol. 404 sin is agravated much in Esaiah 1. When you make many Prayers I will not hear because your hands are full of Blood here are expressions to aggravate sin that it makes all our Prayers and Sacrifices loathsome in his Presence God hateth it in me and in thee Now will Mr. Williams have the Confidence to say in general that this is the Scheme of Doctor Crisp that sin can do the Elect no harm whereas the Doctor saith plainly that sin makes all our Sacrifices and Prayers loathsome in Gods Presence is it no harm to have our Prayers loathed of God Sure Mr. Williams would think this a great harm done him by sin if his wronging the dead by a false general charge should fly in his Face and make loathsom his Prayers to the Lord till he repent and obtain the washing of it from his Conscience by Faith in the Blood of Christ Again if Mr. Williams mean that Doctor Crisp in saying sin could do him no harm holds it so in general that
effect told us before 't is a true penitent believing Godly Man this God insists on this is his some degree of Obedience that God insists on while he promises Life by forgiveness and is this the true Interpretation of these Texts Whileâ— we were Enemies we were reconciled and he justifies the Ungodly but from such glosses I desire to be delivered Well we must be true Penitent we must have Faith that Christ honoured the Law and we must be Godly persons that is we must walk in all godliness and honesty or we be not godly persons and when that is done then we may come to God and say Lord we have done what thou commandest we repent believe and are Godly though we are not perfect yet we are truly penitent believing and Godly 〈…〉 life if this be nor dividing shares with the Lord Jesus in the honour of salvation what is No mortal man will say that our perfect Obedience must come in toward our justification there being no such thing in the World and to say that Christ merited that our imperfect Obedience should be accepted for perfect is to say Christs death was needless for God might as well have saved the honour of his Righteousness and justice when Man had broken his Law by an absolute Forgiveness without Christs death as to make his death of no more value than to purchase that our lame Obedience should pass for firm perfect Obedience But God is Just in Justifying God hath received full compleat satisfaction from the Lord Jesus and now saith Come take the Water of Life freely and by a Holy Conversation glorifie me and do good to your selves and others I pass by examining his next cloudy expression in these words viz. This life on some degree of our Obedience the Covenant of Redemption secures to the Elect tho the grant therein is pleadable only by Christ as the Stipulating Party for us and our personal claim depends on the Gospel Covenant wherein Christ is Mediator which is liable enough to Exception for his saying Gods grant is not pleadable by us but only by Christ whereby Mr. Williams makes way to bring in the Gospel Covenant of our degree of our Obedience before we can claim any thing of Christ as Mediator this I pass and If come to his plain downright opposing the way of Salvation according as it is delivered us by the Apostle by holy Martyrs by the Homilists by famous Divines besides Dr. Crisp which follows in these unscriptural words of Mr. Williams his Gospel Sanction saith he determins as certain a Rule as happiness and misery as the Law of Works did though it be not the same 〈◊〉 it fixeth true repentance and Faith unfeigned to be the terms of Pardon so when it promiseth Heaven to the sincerely holy persevering Believer it fixeth sincere Holiness and Perseverance in Faith as the terms of Possessing Heaven Hence the Vse of Faith holiness c. to those benefits is not from their conformity to the Precept but their conformity to the rule of the Promise This long Paragraph of the Gospel Sanction of Mr. Williams his drawing I take to be as clearly opposite to the Apostle Paul as Arminius was to our Reformed Orthodox Divines for Mr. Williams his Faith Holiness and the bottomless boundless endless c. are brought in as the terms of possessing Heaven and not only so for that they might be as fruits of Union to Christ but they are so the terms as they are a Conformity to the Rule of the Promise even as the Law of works was to the Rule of the Precept that is as the Law of works required a perfect Obedience in Conformity to the Precept for obtaining Life So the Gospel Sanction requires Faith Holiness c. in conformity to the promise for obtaining Life which in our ordinary Dialect is that what perfect Obedience obtained under the Law that imperfect Faith and holiness c. doth under the Gospel which in plain terms is Christ hath purchased that our Faith Holiness perseverance in new obedience under the Gospel should pass instead of perfect Obedience under the Law which is as diametrically opposite to the Apostles not of Works lest any boast as East is to West and though Mr. Williams say these are not Works of the Law yet they are works and good works and such as if brought in for answering the Gospel Sanction as perfect works did the Law is the homest stab to the true Gospel that ever was printed by any Arminian for there is not a tittle in all the Gospel that our Faith and holiness are so our terms of happiness in conformity to the Rule of the Promise as obedience to the Law of works was in conformity to the Rule of the Precept the Apostles sanction is quite otherwise he faith not by works of righteousness but by his grace he hath saved us and not of works lest any boast if of works then grace is no more gâ—â—â—â— is not Faith a work holiness is it not working perseverance in Obedienc◠〈◊〉 it not working and must these come in to answer the Promise as perfect Obedience answered the Law What becomes then of Christs Obedience for us to answer the Law 't is quite shut out of doors and his Satisfaction too by this Scheme and Sanction this is so far from giving Christ the sole honour of being our perfect compleat alone only Saviour Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption that it quite excludes him in every part of Salvation but only his making way that we should save our selves his obtaining by his Life and Death imputed to us that God would be so kind to us and unjust to himself that our Faith Holiness c. should answer the promise as unsinning Obedience should have answered the Law this is making God a very cheat to himself to set up a pure holy Law the perfect Copy of his will and mans breach of it should be made up by our imperfect weak faith and holiness which hath no more proportion to the infinitely holy Law than a brass Farthing hath to a World full of Diamonds nor so much and yet so easie a Merchant this Doctrine would make God by making our pretended conformity to the Promise to answer the enjoyned perfect conformity to the Law But because those of this Opinion cannot for shame bring it in to stand alone that our Conformity to the Promise should answer instead of obedience to the law therefore they bring in Christ to purchase this priviledge that is that Christ purchased that God should cheat his holiness and righteousness with a sham of Mens invention whereas the Doctrine of the Gospel is that God is just and the justifier of those that believe in Jesus who in our stead fulfilled all righteousness for us and so became the end of the Law for righteousness sake And that our Faith and Holiness with the unmeasurable c. have nothing to do in our justification or Salvation as a
is wholly shut out there is to be no boasting and 't is shut out by the law of Faith by that Faith I just now mentioned all you have to do in the point of Justification is Believe in the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved Do these Men seek a Law here 's the Law this is his Commandment that you believe in the name of the Lord Jesus John 3.23 when they said What shall we do that we might work the works of God Jesus answered and said unto them This is the work of God that ye believe in him whom he hath sent so the Apostle here do you seek a Law that excludes from boasting I 'll tell you the Law 't is the law of Faith to believe on him that is just and the justifier of the Ungodly upon his believing and yet this Mr. W. brings for confirmation of his sincere holiness that God regards in his giving pardon But thus it pleaseth God to confound the wise by quoting a Text in order to adulterate it when in the Issue no Text is more sharp upon him A farther Confirmation of his setting up works for concurring to pardon is in the next words thus And it the gospel specially insists on that sincerity of grace and holiness which the rule of the Promise makes necessary in its description of the Person whom it makes partaker of its included Benefit sure never was the free grace and love of God to Man so fetter'd and obscured by dark expressions had any Sophister industriously set himself to vitiate the true meaning of Gods Love in these words God so loved the World that he gave his only beloved Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life he could not possibly I think have done it worse than to explain hem in Mr. W. expressions of the gospel insisting on grace and that sincere and on holiness and that such as the rule of the Promise makes necessary and that rule of the Promise is in its description of the Person to be benefited by it which description must needs be the whole word of God and when this person hath all that holiness that we find the word of God recommends then this person by this rule with this holiness is partaker of an included benefit God of his rich mercy pour out his Spirit and grant his Servants may be inabled to deliver his clear plain Scripture offers of life and Salvation by Jesus Christ with clearer Evidence than this Is this the way of confuting Dr. C. who asserts Gospel Grace in plain Gospel Terms That Christ came to seek and save the lost that he seeks and finds his lost sheep and brings them home upon his Shoulders that he carries the Lambs in his Arms and gently leads those with young and instead of such Soul-saving encouragements to poor sinners to put them off with our grace and holiness and not a word of Gods saving them in Christ but our coming up to the rule which the promise makes necessary And who shall be able to say when he hath done all that he comes up to Mr. Williams rule of believing c. his Obedience c. his persevering c. from such stating of Gospel Truth O Lord deliver thy People Now we come to the Use Mr. Williams makes of his premises of salvation from our conformity to Gospel rule of new obedience c. which he summs up in few words viz. And the main of our Ministry consists in pressing men to Answer the Rule of the Gospel Promise But the main of the Apostles was to know nothing but Christ and him crucified and to press men to be found in him and so Mr. W. once did when he preach'd that Christ indured the utmost God bated him nothing the atonement was so compleat that God can demand no other from Christ or from any Soul this Atonement is applyed to This he deduced from this Doctrine The reconciling of sinners to God is effected by the concurring influence of the Priestly and Kingly Office of Christ Well then Christ hath effected this reconciliation what remains for poor man to do but accept it and be thankful not to come in with his Gospel Holiness for God to have regard to in our reconciliation to God But it seems this stream of Gospel grace must not run so clear now in his Book here must be conformity to Gospel Rule before we have any benefit by Christ which consists in Repentance Faith c. to all the rest and now this is prest and the main of our Ministry consists in this whereas the main of the Apostles was to beseech Men to be reconciled to God because God was in Christ and when upon the Cross reconciling the world to himself when by one Offering he for ever perfected the Work and cryed out it is finished and then after Union after engrafting into Christ after being in a blessed state of Salvation secured so as never to fall away then the Apostle presses to walk worthy of this Gospel of this free Salvation by Jesus Christ Mr. Williams proceeds viz. We call men to be reconciled to God upon which we know God will be at peace with them This I thought it would come to at last First we must come to God and be reconciled to him and then God will be at peace with us which is just contrary to the Apostle when we were Enemies we were reconciled Rom. 5.10 But when Men will be pampering with our holiness for God to look to in our acceptance in Christ they will fall into a Covenant of Works and call it Gospel Grace that our works are accepted in order to our Justification and Salvation we must first be reconciled to God saith Mr. W. that is we must first comply with the gospel rule of not only Faith but Holiness Repentance and perseverance in new Obedience and having thus brought our selves to that reconciled posture then God will be at peace is this fulfilling Christs commission Go Preach the gospel to every Creature he that believeth shall be saved Is this proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord When thou wast in thy Blood I said to thee Live and for mine own Name sake I will remember their sins no more God waits to be gracious knocking at the Door of poor sinners hearts crying Open to me let me come in I bring my Supper I bring my Son only let him in only receive him by Faith God don't say my Son and I will be at peace with you after you have washt you and made your selves clean but he comes to tell you he loved you and washt you from your sins in his blood on the Cross and you that believe in me are the Persons I was reconciled to you then and am come now to offer it to you and beseech you to be reconciled to me Thus with these words of his first love he draws poor sinners to be reconciled to him and do not damp
denies 'T is not of Works only of Faith that it might be by grace not Gods grace in us working holiness but his grace to us in Christ The next is that which is the ground work of all Mr Wâ—â— building 〈…〉 that glorious Text which I so often have harped upon and which I must again say somewhat to now in its course for that I am not able to bear that such an outwork should treacherously be delivered up and say that this Text in Phil. 3.9 Is allowed by all sound Protestants to be meant as 't is said that the Righteousness of God that the Apostle desired to be found in by Faith is only the imputed Righteousness of Christ and not at all concerns our Gospel Holiness nay this Gospel Holiness thus put in the room of Christs Righteousness is a term Foreign to Scripture Language and is brought in to jostle out Gospel Grace 'T is Holiness we are to walk in but 't is Grace we are to be saved by which grace is this that the Rigâ—â—â—â—â—ness of Christ is made ours wrought out by Christ for us and imputâ—â—◠〈…〉 to us without any thing of that which men call our Gospel Holinâ—â—◠〈…〉 to do therein Now if the Church of God will be content to lose 〈…〉 â—f Phil. 3.9 and suffer a Disputer to make this breach in our Bank agâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Popish Sea of Justification by Gospel Holiness all the rest of our Banks and â—arriers will soon be run down Then they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness shall be filled must be interpreted of our Gospel Holiness If we be hungry for holiness in conformity to Gospel Rule our Souls shall be filled with eternal happiness and then if we take to us the Brest Plate of Righteousness that is a holy walking with God that will defend us from all Temptations of the Devil as for Faith in Christ that must come after our own Righteousness by this Doctrine whereas the Apostle in that place Eph. 6. Brings in that Breast Plate as our chief first piece of Armour after Truth when the Soul is enlightned with the knowledge of God's love to give Jesus Christ for us The first thing he doth is he puts on Christ's Righteousness as his Breast-Plate Alas if the Soul puts on his own Righteousness the Devil's Darts would soon pierce through it but every sensible Soul will say with Job Though I were righteous yet would I not answer I would make Supplication to my Judg. I suppose Job had as much to say for his close holy walking with God as any that now call for Gospel Holiness to make us partakers of Christ's purchase yet he renounces all and saith farther for the confounding our new Grotian Divinity If I wash my self with Snow Water of the best Gospel Holiness that ever meer Man had and make my hands never so clean with close walking with God yet shalt thou plunge me in the Ditch of self Condemnation and eternal misery and mine own Cloaths of self righteousness shall abhor me O what clear gospel grace had this good man acquaintance with when he flies from all the trash of his being clean to make way for his justification and betakes himself to his Days-Man his Redeemer who though he had not actually taken flesh yet was then living and living as his Redeemer For I know that my Redeemer liveth though he slay me I will trust in him If I justifie my self with my close walking or Gospel Holiness in part or in the whole mine own mouth would condemn me nay though I were perfect yet would I not know my Soul Here was a right gospel Spirit like the Apostle Paul concerning the Law blameless yet my Righteousness is Dung so Job If I be righteous I will not lift up mine head Job 10.15 I will not glory in my Breast-Plate of mine own Righteousness Again if with Mr. Williams the Righteousness of Christ by Faith be our own gospel Holiness why may not Esa 45.24 In him have I Righteousness and strength he our gospel Holiness too and Jer. 23.6 Jehovah our Righteousness be the same and then Have not submitted to the Righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 shall have the same usage and mainly intend our Gospel Holiness though the Apostle brings it in in opposition to our own righteousness But blessed be God if Mr. W. or an Angel should undermine these Foundations of a sinner's salvation yet on this Rock God will build his Church that Christ was made sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him I say in him not in our gospel holiness and if on this foundation any man builds hay and stubble as our gospel holiness compared with Christs Righteousness his work shall be burnt and he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved so as by fire it being a dangerous thing to mingle our gospel holiness with Christs Righteousness Again if Christ Righteousness Phil. 3.9 be our gospel Holiness Mr. W. may as well say by the Righteousness of one the free gift came upon all Men to justification of life Rom. 5.18 doth principally intend not so much the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us as the gospel holiness of every one of us If we give this Inch he may take an Ell but we are bid earnestly to contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints of which this is as great a part as any I know next the Deity of our Lord Jesus therefore we must not part with it to let in a sham Model of Schematical Divinity of God's regarding our holiness as a ground to justify us we complying with the Gospel Rule of sincere Obedience to qualify us for Christs Righteousness to be Imputed to us By this unsavory gloss of Mr. W. any Judicious Person may see how unmeet he is to Arraign and by his Arguments to come in Evidence against the Doctrine delivered by Dr. C. If he would have convinced him he must do it with stronger and better Reasons than Human even with opposite Scriptures if his Bible have any such as are repugnant to the plain force of express Scriptures that the Dr. insisted on such as the Lord laid on him the Iniquity of us all to prove sin really translated on Christ and the Children being yet unborn having done neither Good nor Evil he said Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated to prove that God loves us and imputes the Righteousness of Christ to his Elect without respect of good or Evil done by them But he having no Scriptures to overthrow those Maxims he may not think to do it with plausible Sophistry of the suitableness of it to God's holiness to justifie none but the Holy when the Scripture saith expresly he Justifies the Ungodly and so I beseech the Lord to do to him as well as to my self else woe unto us Next comes the exact Copy of Paul a Pharisee thus The grace of God is hereby stated as free as is consistent