capacity of favour with God by the bloud of Christ so it is faith with a life conforme to the Gospel that gives us an actual interest in his Death and thereby unto the peace of God but seing the result of this in plain language is no other then that our Lord having by his own bloud ransomed fallen and forfeited mankind hath in liew of the first Covenant made with man and by him transgressed proposed to us a second adding to the condition of a holy life required by the fâ—â—st that of beleeving That this is altogether dissonant both to the declared love of God and the grace revealed by Jesus Christ in his Gospel any Christian may discern Your next words are And a fourth And the root of this new life is a faith which worketh by love purifieth the heart and overcometh the world and there fore Iustification is ascribed unto it in Scripture But pray Sir how is it that faith becometh such a fruitful root Is it not by laying hold on Christs Righteousnesse by which pardon being obtained and we reconciled unto God we have right unto and so do attain in due time the benefite of all the promises of Grace which in Christ Jesus are yea and Amen or that the same faith which layeth hold on him as our Righteousnesse in Gods sight doth also unite us to him for Sanctification and ingraffing us as it were in him through the communication of his grace purifieth the heart and overcometh the World Or lastly is it not that by faith we are brought to the bloud of Sprinkling which is both the bloud of atonement that sprinkleth from an evill Conscience and also the Laver which cleanseth from all sin and wherewith we are sanctifyed This being then the Scripture account and it being most apparent that Christ through faith becometh first our Righteousnesse for remission of sin and Justification in Gods sight and then our Sanctification unto Good works your own acknowledgement that faith is the root of this new life of holiness may evince that a holy life subsequent to faith and our acceptation therethrough cannot be therewith joined as a condition for our Justification But that which followeth in your discourse and therefore i. e. because of the above enumerat fruiâ—s which it produceth Iustification is ascribed unto faith in the Scripture is the grossest error of all because 1. It directly repugnes to Scripture clearly intimating that it is unto faith as the instrument only whereby the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ is unto us applyed that Justification is in Scripture ascrived If we be justifyed by the faith of Jesus Christ and if by the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ the free gift cometh upon all to the Justification of life if he be the propitiation through faith in his bloud and our righteousnesse which is of God by faith are you not affrayed to say that Justification requiring a satisfactorie righteousnesse is ascrived to faith because of its poor and imperfect fruits in us and thereby to â—light and vilipend the perfect Righteousnesse of Christ the immediat object whereon it layeth hold and our only acceptation in Gods sight 2. Because this your error derogates from Divine justice We have already heard you call Justification a legal or judicial act and consequently an act wherein free grace doth not more favour the lost sinner then justice doth regard a valuable ransome and surety If Iustification then be ascribed in Scripture to faith this must certainly be understood either as faith is in it self or is relative to a compleat and adequat satisfaction Now to think that faith in it self or as it is an act or habite which is the Gift of God or its fruits which beside that they are also the gift of God and our dutie as from us are mixed with much weakness and imperfection or lastly that any thing else then the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ apprehended by faith can be commensurable to holy Iustice is more then redargued by the simple proposal 3. This your ascribing Iustification unto faith in regard of a holy life which it produceth doth no less detract from the praise of the glory of the grace of God wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved Is it the praise and commendation of this wonderful love and grace that he spared not but gave his only begotten Son to be a ransome for sinners and that it is in the Beloved that we are accepted and justifyed and should not you be ashamed to say that it is unto faith as the root of a holy life and not as it doth respect and take hold on him who was made to be sin for us and knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousnesse of God in him that Iustification is in Scripture ascrived 4. This your error as it is contrary to the Scripture and derogatorie to the Righteousnesse of Christ the Holinesse of Divine justice and the Glory of free Grace so it is the manifest product of and cannot but be a most dangerous temptation to that inward and spiritual pride in the heart of man of all sin the most subtilly insinuating deeply rooted and pernicious A price or something meriting or moving at least of our own is that which the natural man liketh well nay knoweth not how to renounce was it not a subtile and strange effect of this pride and corrupt selfe Shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul When as the thing required by the Lord was to do justly love mercy and walk humbly with God And whence did the Iews their stumbling at the Gospel proceed Was it not that they went about to establish their own righteousnesse and therefore they did not submit themselves unto the Righteousnesse of God Say not that this accusation against you is unwarranted I know you tell us That your explanation ascribes all to Christ through whom it is that our sinnes are pardoned our services accepted and grace and glory conveyed to us But it is evident that these are but vain words in as much as though you here tell us that our services are accepted through Christ yet almost immediatly before we heard you say that it is faith and a life conforme to the Gospel by way of antecedent condition which gives us an interest in his bloud Now that our services cannot be prerequired by way of condition to his acceptance of us and also only accepted as performed by us in himâ— is of it self manifest 2. Though you should more clearly and consistently ascribe all unto Jesus Christ yet by turning his grace into a condition the subtilty and folly of your pride doth but the more bewray it self For as simply to obtrude our own good works which in the acknowledgement of the most exact and confident legalist are both commanded and given us of God is a proud presumption so the more you attribute either the strength or the acceptance of performances
his most Voluntarie free and desired as well as commanded suffering is a Truth so high and precious and justly accounted inimitable in substance that I strange you should debase it by making it a part of your Argument when you know that Christ came into the world that he might freely give himself a ransome and that therefore he neither would be diverted nor use the flight which he had formerly both commanded and practised do you rationally argue that because he thus suffered so ought we to do or because he refused his Disciples endeavours of rescue that therefore Christians in persecution should neither give nor admit of assistance I grant that if God so order it in suffering we ought to imitate his patience 1 Pet. 2. 21. But what maketh this for you You insinuate as if his not commanding Angels to his defence had been a meere effect of his patience but as this opinion is not countenanced by the description thereof given by the Apostle in the place cited so I pray you hear our Lord himself Thinkest thou that I cannot which I am certain soundeth plainly May not pray to my Father he shall presently give me c. but hoâ— then shall the Scripture be fulfilled that thus it must be here then is the reason of our Lords forbearance presume not to fancie another But you say he forbad his Disciples to draw the sword in his defence whith a severe threatning for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword Take you this to be a threatning against the Disciples which for their comfort is so plainly spoken against the traiterous band that came against him upon whom also it was most dreadfully accomplished Thus Grotius upon the place though in the point of defence he be very inconsequent if you cannot understand it thus from the context I desire you onely to read it in a parallel application Rev. 13. 10. He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword here is the Faith and Patience of the Saints are you not then ashamed to make it their threatning and fear Next you adde that what our Lord said to Peter my Kingdome is not of this world c. is so Plain language that you wonder it doth not convince all If I were to oppose confidence to confidence I should make no other reply then that this is indeed so plain language that I wonder what Conviction you mean but because this is the ground of your proud and vain boasting which you are not affrayed to seal with the veracity of God let us hear the words at length Iohn 18. where our Lord being questioned by Pilat art thou the King of the jews ver 33. returnes the direct Answere ver 16. thus My Kingdom is not of this world if my Kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the jews but now is my Kingdom not from hence In which words as he witnesseth his Kingdom so to remove the jews accusation and Pilats jealousie he declareth the quality of it viz. That it is not of this world that is a worldly Kingdom to be exercised as other Kingdoms of the world are in out ward power and splendour and therefore can neither interfeere with nor diminish Caesars Empire and grandour and this he confirmeth by a most plain and convincing argument If my Kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the jews that is if I designed a worldly Kingdom I would have gathered followers or rather according to the assistance mentioned by him at his first taking called Angels my servants to fight for my rescueâ— but since I imploy no reliefe but willingly give my self unto the death now is it plain that my Kingdome is not from hence Thus I have set down both the plain language and I hope the plain meaning of the place but whence it is that you derive your advantage I protest I cannot divine If the Lord prove his Kingdom not to be a worldly one because he imployed no aid for his rescue from the Jews doth it therefore follow that all persecute Christians should reject all assistance and deliver themselves up to suffering after the same example Are you not yet satisfied that the manner only and not the act of our Lords suffering is proposed to our imitation Beleeve me Sir I have been often serious to finde out wherefore this text is so much talked of by the men of your persuâ—sion but unless is be that men who would be content that Christs Kingdome were not in the World do love to hear a phrase so neer it that it is not of the World or that the great Devotionaries of ease without adverting to the reason and making an Emphasis in that which is a clear speciality would force from the words contraire to their plain tenour and scope this general Rule that his Servants fight not no not as they would read it for his rescue I could never attain to a better conjecture It comes in my thought while a writing that it is possible that in reading the words forward you may understand them backward As if our Lord in saying If my Kingdom were of this World then would my Servants fight had reasoned thus because my Kingdom is not of this World therefore my servants do not fight But seeing his Argument is evident as the Meridian Sun My servants do not fight for my rescue therefore I pretend to no worldly Kingdom the force of the inference is no more clear then it is certain that the spirituality of his Kingdome neither is in this place nor can be at all used to astrict his followers to his unimitable example in this his free and voluntaire suffering But because I am resolved to constrain you to an acknowledgement that the Non-conf Answeres to your Scriptures are neither irrational nor ridiculous as you alledge I shall enlarge a little more upon this subject Some men of your way say that seeing Christ doth here declare his Kingdom not to be of this World for the clearing of Pilat and all Powers of the Jealousies which such a thing might raise of necessity the inconsistencie and prohibition of fighting the great fear of the Princes of the Earth must be imported It 's answered our Lords answere is no doubt framed and suited to the Jews accusation which beyond question both in Pilats and in their understaning was his affecting an outward Kingdom in prejudice of Caesar and as of this he doth unanswerably purge himself and thereby fully satisfy all the just feares that could be objected so to imagine that his purpose was to remove all the false apprehensions and restlesse inquietudes which only the wickednesse and violence of Tyrannes do suggestâ— and thereby to gratify Tyranny is both groundlesse and impious But to convince you plainly that the spirituality of Christs Kingdom doth not restrain Fighting for Religionâ— I ask
a Gentleman why may not the temporall honour of a Lord be as well put upon a Bishop Sir if you were as innocent of the vanity as you seem to be ignorant of the Nature of these titles Our controversie were at an end a Faithfull Minister truely minding his work values not himself upon points of Herauldriâ— to acquit himself as becometh an Embassadour for the Glory of Christ is all his ambition and truly honourable beyond the accession of all temporall dignity If it were not so I could further inform you that a Gentleman and Nobleman do not only gradually differ but are prorsus disparata wholly different The King wee say can make the one but cannot make the other I grant the privileges of a Gentleman are commonly supposed to belong to Ministers and decent civility may respect them as of that ranck but really there appears to me such a disparity betwixt these things and a Bishops receiving let be the usurping of the temporall and more eminent honour or Lord specially as above his Brethren that if a Minister as such should but tenaciously lay claime to the title of a Gentleman I would think it not only very misbecoming his Profession but a plain forfeiture of the pretended privilege But your N. C. urges to better purpose that Bishops should not Lord it over Gods heritage And you for Answere tell us That by Lording is meant a tyrannicall domination and not a tittle Next That Gods Heritage applyed by us to the Clergie is not in the Text bearing only not Lording over their Lots or Divisions to which you adde That Whatever argument we use to put down Bishops from being as Noble-men will also prove Ministers not born such not to be Gentlemen Sir to put this foolish trifling about titles first by hand Bishops neither are Noblemen nor ought to be esteemed quasi Noblemen because 1. The thing is altogether incompetent and the title without the thing is a vanity 2. Either title or thing as it exalts them above their Brethren is sinful and the very reverse of our Lords Command Whosoever will be chief among you let him be your Servant not your Lord. He that is chief let him be as he that Serveth not as a Nobleman How then can ye acclaime either thing or title 3. The title of Lord in its Ecclesiastick usurpation hath been and is so grossly abused by Church-men above all that our Lord reprehends in the pride of the Pharisees not only to the pretending to the uppermost roomes at feasts and the chiefe seats in the Synagogues but the chief places in States and the first banches in Parliaments not only to Greetings in the Mercaâ—s and to be called of men Rabbi Rabbi but to ride next to the Honours and be called Grace Grace that seriously I marveil how you or any Christian regarding our Lords express words can justify it That these reasons do not militate against the civil and ordinary respect commonly payed to all Ministers and men of any fashion without either a vain usurpation in the receivers or any other thing then that courteous mutuaâ—l preference commended by the Apostle in the givers which without falling into the ravings of the Quakers their austerity you cannot from our Lords words redargue I think it needlesse to resume Now you say that by Lording prohibite to Church-men a Tyrannical domination is only meant why do you thus offer to impose contraire both to the import of the word and tenour of the Scripture the word used by Peter is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the very same used by our Lord Math. 20. Whence Peter himself learned the Prohibition that it signifies not to Tyrannize buâ— simply authoritative Dominari to rule with Authoritie all Lexica attest Neither doth the proposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joyned to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 import more of force then what doth more expressively denote and distinguish the dominion of Empire and Authority from that of propriety As for the tenour of Scripture that it repugnes to your exposition is manifest 1. Because that where Math. in this passage useth the compound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke doth indifferently use the simple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as of the same import to the present purpose by which your gloss of a tyrannicall domination is deprived of all shadow of ground 2. Because our Lord by both words doth only prohibite such a domination and authority amongst his Disciples as was exercised amongst the Gentiles by their Princes and which they who were called their Benefactors did use over them but certain it is that neither was the dominion of the Princes of the Gentiles allowedly or commonly tyrannick nor is it our Lords purpose in this place to brand them with such a character 3. The positive Command plainly set down and enforced by our Lords own example is too evident to leave any man hesitant as to the Prohibition But it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be great among youâ— truely great in virtue and reward let him be your Minister Let him exercise the Ministery committed to him by way of humble and painfull service denyed to all worldly advantages and neither affect nor assume the Grandour and Authority of Civil Governours Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but to Ministere and to give his life c. and made himself of no reputation contemning his Gentility and not valuing his Nobilitie but took upon him the form of a Servant Sir do we indeed beleeve that this is commanded and proposed for a pattern to Gospel Ministers And yet it is not only most certainly so but also undeniable that if there were in Ministers and Church-men that same Spirit of Obedience to God and love to Souls which was in him who accounted it his meat and drink to do the will of him that sent him and to finish his work and if they had the same eye and regard to the joy set before them which he had who is the Author and â—inisher of our Faith it could not be other wayes For my part I think a serious reflection on these things is not only enough to confound for ever the ease vanity and pomp of aspiring Prelats but to make the best of Ministers ashamed to appear so much above their Master even in their indulged honesties and conveniencies But 4. Because the place that you touch is taken from Peter see how it also agrees with that of Math. Feed the flock of God c. Not as being Lords or Lording over Gods heritage but as being Ensamples where it is evident that the adversative doth not only reject your Gloss of a tyrannick domination But by commanding rather to lead and instruct by example then to rule by Authority hold furth the same humble and simple Ministerie to be enjoined here which by our Lord was before recommended The next thing you answere is that Gods heritage applied by us to the
Scripture and your sext to compleat the carier of your delusions Notwithstanding that the clâ—arest light both of Reason and Religion do exact a definite constant portion of time for a rest and this rest to be holy unto the Lord that the Law of God in recommending the celebration of the old Sabbath doth found it upon a perpetual determination of the seventh part of time grounded on Divine Authority and example and lastly that the Scripture in the antiquating of the service and observation of the Jewish Sabbath doth evidently translate the keeping of the perpetual holy rest unto the Lords day the first of the week Notwithstanding I say of these firme grounds your sext attempt darres to unfix this grand Ordinance the reverence or contempt whereof hath in all ages of the Church by experience been found of great moment and unquestionable influence either as to the promoving or decay of true Piety and Godlinesse how justly may it be said of you and your Compliâ—es who endeavour to make void the Divine institution of this day which your predecessours so grosly and wickedly profaned ye be witnesses there ore unto your selves that you are their Children fill ye up the measure of your Fathers But O â—ear lest you do not escape the damnation of Hell I will not take Notice of your own or your Non-conformist's meen reflection on these things That they may prove our Church was not perfâ—ct but will not justify you your answere to that which follows viz. do you mean to lay aside the Scripture 〈◊〉 rather to be considered wherein leaving the retortion of â—ouâ— objected insolence and big pretending to the impartiall examiner of what you have alledged and I replied â— come â—o your summe of the whole matter which you say is That the Scriptures were designed bâ— God for the purifying of the hearts and conversations of Men Most true And therefore it was not necessaire they should contain direct rules for the Church-policie which being a half Civill matter needs not Divine warrants a strange inference whereof almost every word is a ridle for first you grant that the Scripture doth contain Rules though not Direct rules for the Church-policie and yet you adde almost immediatly that it needs no divine warrant Then what mean you by Direct rules if you mean Particular as the subjoined Antithesis of Common doth give us to understand let these Scripture rules Common or not be observed and particular determinations thereto duely squared and it is all we contend for Search therefore the Scriptures and whatever latitude may be left therein as to the regulation of necessary and common circumstances according to decencie and order for Edification Yet I am confident that as to the substance and main of the Officers Discipline and Government of the Church the matters in controversie betuixt us both you shall be found thereby clearly condemned and we justified but if by denying the Scripture to contain direct rules for the Church-policie you understand that it only holdeth out indirect unstraight and ambiguous rules applicable to any forme as may best sute serve the interests and lusts of vain Men this indeed is agreeable to your scope but as far from Scripture as it is dissonant to the truth of God and Great ends of the Gospel 2. What do you understand by the Church policie its Officers Discipline and Government are the things which we contend for If you think these half Civil I would gladly learn what a Church as such can have more Ecclesiastick certainly if a distinct Head Jesus Christ a distinct Authority flowing from that all Power given to him a distinck manner nothing like but wholly opposite to the way of Civil rule distinct effects and ends as Holinesse and eternall perfection are from external justice and temporal peace and lastly a distinct subsistence of the Church and its Policie not only when disowned but mortally persecute by the Civil Powers may prove the Policie Ecclesiastick to differ from the Civil there can be nothing more clearly disterminat but if by Policie you only mean the externall protection and assistance which the Civil Magistrat may and ought to give to the Church it is not only half but wholly Civil as to its rise and cause and therefore the acknowledgement thereof we render under God heartily and entirely to the Powers which he setteth up I might further question what you call half Civil and how you come to deny that Divine warrant which at first you half grant but I shall content my self to declare the falshood of your inference understood of the Discipline and Government of Gods house the subject of our debate by shewing you that its plain contradictory is a Scripture truth viz. The Scriptures were designed by God for the Purifying of the hearts and conversations of men and therefore it was necessary they should they do contain direct rules for the Churches Policie wholly Ecclesiastick appointed by Jesus Christ The reason of the consequence is clear not only because the Church Policie viz. its Officers Discipline and Government are expresly and directly ordained by our Lord for our Sanctification Salvation as I have formerly shewen therefore their necessity such as cannot without the highest presumption be called in question but also because their usefulnesse in order to these ends is by diverse Scriptures undeniably held forth And he who as the Son was faithful over his own house gave some Apostles and some Prophets c. yea and all the Gifts Power Authority and Directions to be found in Scripture concerning them for the work of the Ministrie the Edifying of the body of Christ and perfecting of the Saints Is a truth so evident that I marvail how you could adventure on this Architectonick reasoning and offer to lay down the end and project of the Gospel and then frame and Modell its institutions and midses according to your own imagination and not rather humbly endeavour in the recognisance of his wonderfull love and fidelity to and care of his Church his own body with all sobriety to pursue the knowledge and practice of what things-soever he hath ordained for its edification I might further remember you that the rebuke and all the Censures of discipline are for Edification the Saving of the soul making sound in the faith and Causing others to fear and that we finde the exercise of the Churches Authority and Government in that Meeting and Decree made at Ierusalem attended with The consolation and establishment of the Churches But if your own concessions be but a little pressed they will easily exhibite the inconsistencie of your vanity you say then That the common rules are in Scripture 1. That there should be Church Officers and are not their Power Degrees and Ministerial Authority as certainly therein defined 2 That these should be separate for that function Ought not then the best among them give themselves continually and wholly to Prayer and to the
unto the grace of God in Christ Jesus while in the mean time you do still arrogate them as a condition on the creatures part you the more declare the folly but in nothing diminish the sinfulnesse of your vanity These things need not to be illustrat questionless who ever doth consider his lost condition by reason of sin and wrath and hearkeneth unto that fundamental Gospel-precept deny thy self imprimis all self-righteousnesse and beleeve will find the power thereof so deeply descending into his Soul that all the desire trust and hope thereof will be fixed on Jesus Christ alone and to be found in him not having his own righteousnesse which unto his sincere reflection will be so far from appearing a condition that it will disappeare as dung but that Righteousnesse which is through the faith of Christ the Righteousnesse which is of God by faith But who can sufficiently declare and regret the madnes and ingratitude of this pride of man Jesus Christ is made of God unto us Righteousnesse and yet we will thereto join our own for Justification in Gods sight He is also made unto us Sanctification that in Him we may bring forth the fruits of holinesse unto the glory of God and the very same fruits will we impropriat to be the condition and as it were the price of our acceptance even with himself who is our only acceptation and our all Sir be not deceived as they who in the sight of sin and fear of wrath fâ—ee unto Christ alone for a refuge do finde his Righteousness not more sufficient then freely offered to every one that willeth for Justification in Gods sight so your Doctrine requiring both faith and a holy life as the previous conditions to give an interest in Christs Death and ascriving Justification to faith because forsooth of the pitiful fruits of our righteousnesse and not that perfect Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ which it doth apprehend is wholly dissonant unto the method of the Gospel and cannot possibly attain its end What shall be then said of your ensuing words Now judge but a little what it is to have a right apprehension of things since I have in a few plain words told you that which with much nicety swels among you to Volumes Really Sir if I may use the liberty of answering by you permitted I would say what a sad thing is it to have a wrong and conceited apprehension of things since you have in a few involved words in such a manner obscured and confounded a plain point of truth that notwithstanding of express Scripture-light yet it hath necessarily required a great many words clearly to unsold it There remaineth now to be considered the main reason whereby as you shut up so you would seem to enforce the opinion which we have heard and that is the necessity of a holy life which you say Your way of Iustification doth clearly declare as being that whereupon we shall be solemnly judged justified and absolved at the last day and afterward you add That it may correct the error of many carnall Christians who love well to hear of Salvation by the death of Christ provided they be bound to do nothing themselves that they may be saved 'T is answered 1. That there are many seeming Christians who have a name that they live and are dead who have and do delight in a form of knowledge but want the power of whose delusion the error which you mention may be a part is an old and true regret And yet the explication by you delivered being so many wayes unsound and peccant as we have heard cannot possibly be an antidote 2. As these carnal Christians pretending to lay hold on Jesus Christ for Righteousnesse and yet wholly neglecting the study of holiness are of all men the most sadly deceived and most wretched deceivers so your manner of Justification derogating from the holy Iustice of God and the perfect Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ flattering the natural mans pride to which of all vices we are most prone and seducing souls from the free Grace of the Gospel cannot be less dangerous and pernicious But 3. This your reason for departing from Justification by faith only as encouraging to licentiousness is so directly the objection which the Apostle Paul taketh notice of and fully answereth after his having declared the truth of Justification as by us professed that we are thereby exceedingly fortified The passage is thus the Apostle having shewed that it is by the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ that the free Gift cometh upon all men to Iustification of life and that it is by the obedience of one that many are made righteous and summing up the whole matter that it is grace that reigneth through Righteousnesse unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord he subjoineth What shall we say then shall we continow in sin that grace may abound Seing it is not by our works but of free grace through faith in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ that we are justified from sin shall we therefore in as much as sin commendeth grace and our good works availl not continow in sin that grace may abound The plain insinuation of what you object Now hear the Apostles answere both for us and himself 1. He saveth justification by faith only cannot encourage to sin because such as do thereby truely lay hold on Jesus Christ partake of his death and are made conformable thereto How shall they then that are dead to sin live any longer therein Sin may indeed remain but that they who through faith in his Death are planted in the likenesse thereof and become as crucified with him should live any longer in sin is not possible To the same purpose it is that the Apostle Iohn saith whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin and he cannot sin because he is born of God And yet if any false pretender should therefore say either that he cannot transgress or that his transgressions are no sins and so license himself unto wickedness he but deceiveth himself and the truth is not in him 2. Paul saith that Justification through faith importeth a more certain assurance of good works then any thing by you urged The necessity of good works which ye plead for is only that of a condition strict indeed as to its obligation but very uncertain if not desperat as to its cause and reall existence being previously required unto our acceptance by and being in Christ as I have already shewed whereas the Apostle tells us plainly that according to the truth of Justification by him and by us asserted the necessity of good works is causally certain depending upon such infallible causes that whereever true Faith is the study of holiness must necessarily ensue and where this is not the pretense of Faith and Justification thereby is but vain and groundlesse For seing by Faith the only requisite on our part for Justification we are not only dead indeed with Jesus Christ unto sin but planted
That being made free from sin and become servants to God we have our fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life Now then if there be a constraint in love and gratitude above the perswasion of fear and if the desire of reward be powerful above the apprehension of punishment these considerations are certainly cumulative and in our way above any thing that yours doth contain That I may therefore summe up this discourse anent the necessity of holiness Know that without holiness none shall see the Lord But hence it doth so ill follow that holiness by way of previous condition is to be joined unto our Faith in order to our Justification that on the contrary as God hath elected us in Christ Jesus to be holy so he also justifieth us through Faith in his Name not because we are but that in and by him we may be partakers of the glorious riches of his free grace in begun holiness here and consummat holinâ—ss in Glory hereafter and hereby is our obligation unto and study of holiness so far from being remitted that it is both promoved by the same standing fierie Law against all sin ungodliness and strengthened by that alsufficiency of grace which is in Christ Jesus for our compleating to whom through Faith we are united And lastly we are bound and encouraged unto it by all that is most binding in the Laws Authority and obliging in Divine bounty To all which this consideration may also be superadded that as the exercise of holiness remaineth with us still under the obligation of Divine precept and is certainly the end and effect of our acceptation in Gods sight so the same being the necessary consequence and inseparable effect of beleeving and thereby becoming its most assured test must upon this ground stirre up as effectually unto the truth and sincerity of Faith whence it flows and which doth again incite to the sincere closs and constant study of holiness by a reciprocal influence as your vain stating of it as a condition in our Justification doth but lamely perswade its persuite But I hasten to the last part of your discourse viz. That it is upon the necessity of holiness that we shall be solemnly judged justified and absolved at the last day I cannot now enlarge upon these mistakes that are again by you crouded into these few words it may here suffice that I tell you that it is without all doubt that on that day all men shall be solemnly judged according to the holy Law of God and therefore seing by the deeds of the Law there shal no flesh be justifyed in his sight The righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that beleeve without the mixture or conjunction of our imperfect righteousness in the often forementioned respect is only thereby the more recommended 2. Where you say that it is upon this so understood necessity of holiness or upon our holiness that we shall be in that day solemnly justifyed and absolved you erre and impinge most grosly contrary to Scripture-evidence the value of Christs Righteousnesse the holiness of Gods Justice and the glory of free Grace as I have already demonstrat I grant indeed that in that day when our Lord shal gather into one welcome and appear glorious in all Beleevers he will also confess them before his Father and the holy Angels commemorate their charity and good works and in the exceding riches of his bountie reckon his own grace in them unto the increase of their reward but thence to inferre that it is upon our holiness that we are justifyed and absolved in Gods sight is destitute of all truth and reason Nay the very figure of that judgement wherever represented in Scripture bearing only in order to Beleevers their solemne reception and welcome from our Lord and Saviour as such who are already in him blessed and justifyed and by him redeemed and sanctifyed doth most plainly and powerfully confute it And thus I hope I have evidently demonstrat not in the language of men or in Schoole termes which on purpose I have declined but in the express revelation of the Gospel that that Doctrine of yours which you make your N. C. only to taxe as singular in its phrase and you your self do the more commend as being closely Scriptuâ—al is in effect both vain and antiscriptural in matter as well as expression What you mean by preferring the stile of the Catholick Church to Modern and Scholastical expressions under which the Doctrine of all the Reformed Churches is unavoidably comprised let others judge but as for the abuses which you mention viz. the presumption of such who love to hear of Salvation by the Death of Christâ— provided they be bound to do nothing themselves that they may be saved seing there can be nothing more engaging and effectual unto holiness then that which in Scripture termes we do assert viz. That we are saved and called with an holy calling not according to our works or doings but according to his own purpose and grace given us in Christ Jesus the sin thereof remaineth with the Authors and pure and certain truth is neither thereby lessened nor ought to be stumbled at And therefore having fully redargued the falsehood of your Doctrine and the vanity of all your pretenses that I may once for all vindicat this most precious and important truth of Iustification by Faith only from all calumnie and warne all of that delusion which you would very unjustly make proper to our way I plainly and positively affirme that the study of holiness is a most necessary and indispensable dutie unto the justifyed Beleever 1. By the necessity of Divine precept at length above declared 2. By the necessity of loves constraint holiness being both amiable in it self and the high path way leading unto the seeing and enjoying of God who therein delights 3. By the force of fears perswasion in regard of Gods fatherly displeasure against all sin a motive most tenderly perswasive to all that are truely godly 4. By the obligation of gratitude which is indeed the cords of a man and cannot but powerfully engage the Beleever to the constant acknowledgement of God's free love and grace and to walk worthy of him who hath delivered us from death and called us with so heavenly a calling 5. For the manifestation to our selves of our faith and justifyed state to our own peace and comfort 6. For the adorning of the Gospel to the edification of others nay in a word if our felicity be in God if glory be our desire if free grace be the most powerfull attractive and sufficient help and if there be any dread and terror from Gods displeasure the study of holiness is by the united force of all these motives most strongly recommended and by the wonderful free love of God in our Justification through faith in Christ Jesus only yea infinitly intended In the next place your N. C. having acquit