punishment which is due to it may be or may possibly be fancied to be obtained the three first of which viz. past innocence present repentance and future obedience are shewn to be naturally insufficient in order to this end from p. 241 to 244 The fourth possible expedient is that of a gratuitous remission on Gods part and the fifth a proxenetical or vicarious expiation in our stead p. 244 245 Three reasons especially why the later of these was pitcht upon as the most proper method of Justifying Offenders from p. 245 to 247. to which a fourth possible consideration is subjoynâ—d p. 247 But though this vicarious expiration by the death of his Son was the greatest Testimony that God could possibly give us of his love to mankind yet this will but serve to aggrevate our disobedience if we shall neglect so great Salvation p. 248 249 A more particular application of the premises to the nature of Justification wherein is shewn that though Repentance and obedience be required as conditions on our part yet this hinders not but that our Justification is meerly and solely the effect of Grace and that we be justifyed by faith only by which the merits and satisfaction of Christ are applyed to every true believer with some fresh remarks of the inconsistence of the Calvinistical doctrine to the general strain and tenour of the Gospel from p. 249 to 257 The conclusion of this whole matter concerning justification with an appeal to the Reader whether the account that hath been given be not such as ought to satisfy every unprejudic'd and impartial person from p. 257 to 259 The second account of the rise and progress of Calvinistical Doctrines taken from those places of St. Paul wherein he describes the lucta or contention between the two Principles of the flesh and spirit with a description of those two Principles what they are and wherein the nature and notion of Virtue and Vice do consist from p. 259 to 261. The Description of these two Principles together with an enumeration of the genuine productions and effects of both in the words of St. Paul from p. 261 to 264 From the respective predominancy of these two principles either the one or the other in every man so he is denominated in Scripture either natural or spiritual in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from p. 264 to 266 This notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to be borrowed from the school of Plato p. 266 A comparison betwixt the several Hypostases or personalities of the Platonick Triad with so many distinct resemblances of them in the humane nature from p. 226 to 268 Two reasons why the notion of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or natural in the N. T. seems to be borrowed from the Platonick School from p. 268 to 272 However it is certain that in the Language of the N. T. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the same in opposition to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which the purely cogitant intellectual and abstracted nature is denoted from p. 272 to 276 The natural body and the spiritual body what they signify in that place of St. Paul 1. Cor. 15. v. 44. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 275 276 Two possible advantages to be made of that contention which there is betwixt the two Principles of the flesh and spirit as that contention is described by Saint Paul p. 276 277. First advantage that St. Paul seems to speak in such a manner of the spiritual principle as if it were perpetually overcome by the carnal and were utterly unable to bring any thing to effect of it self as appears by the places there subjoyned Rom. 7. v. 14 15 17 18 23. p. 277. This difficulty capable of a fourfold solution First that even in prophane Authors there are expressions to be met with that speak every whit as fully or rather more of the necessity of humane nature by which notwithstanding not a natural necessity but only a moral is to be understood and that moral necessity is to be understood not of any one action but of the whole series and course of a man's life taken together with instances of such expressions out of Euripides Lactantius and Seneca from p. 278 to 280 That the Stoicks and Epicureans notwithstanding their Principles supposed nothing but matter in the world yet by the evidence of sence and experience which gives perpetual attestation to it in the inwardconsciousness and feeling of every man they were forced to admit the liberty of the will as the Stoicks sometimes do and the Epicureans pretended to explain it by material causes and at other times being convinced that such causes were altogether insufficient for the explaining such Phaenomena they had recourse to an immaterial nature both in God and mens all which is largely proved out of Seneca and Manilius from p. 282 to 297 The true notion of the word Aeternus that it signifyes nothing but the Aetherial matter proved out of several passages of Seneca Pacatus Mamertinus and from the antient Glossaries from p. 214 to 290 How the word Aeternus comes to denote an infinite duration p. 287 That Decartez who was as very a Materialist as the Stoicks or Epicureans did acknowledge the liberty of theâ— will p. 297 298 An Appeal to the Reader concerning the infinite folly and madness of obstinately denying the liberty of the humane will notwithstanding we do perpetually feel it p. 298 299 Second answer to the first advantage taken from the consideration of the contention between the two principles as that contention is described by St. Paul viz. that if the words of St. Paul produced p. 277. be to be understood of an absolute Fatalty this does not only destroy the necessity but the nature of obedience p. 300 Third answer that by these means God is represented as the most cruel being that can possibly be conceiv'd and that he begins the Tragedy of Damnation in this life that he may perfect it in the other p. 300 301. Fourthly and Lastly it is manifest from the words of St. Paul himself that we have some degree of strength and ability of our own though it be not sufficient to produce a perfect and entire obedience and though it be morally impossible for it to bear us harmless through all the parts of our lives p. 301 302 It is so far from being true what the Calvinistical Doctors are used to maintain that in the nature of man considered abstractedly from the assistances of Divine Grace there is nothing to be found but an irresistible propensity to all manner of evil that on the contrary St. Paul himself supposes that there are very strong desires and tendencies to goodness implanted in us by nature and it is manifest by experience that the first beginnings of Sin are accompanyed with a sensible regret and pain and that it requires a considerable time and
unalterable decrees of Heaven Sometimes again you shall have several persons promise or intend to meet together at such a place upon such a day for such or such an end and this they do supposing themselves to be free and indu'd with an ability of being as good as their word and it is a shrewd sign that what they supposed was true when at a Club a Coffeehouse a publick Feast a Rendezvous or an Exchange you shall find them all accordingly met together which if the fatal Hypothesis were true it seems utterly impossible for them to be but most of them by that particular necessity by which they are governed would either be kept at home or carry'd violently some other way to which they were predetermin'd before this assignation was made To conclude we have had very warm and fierce Contentions about things necessary and things indifferent and about the Civil Magistrates power as to the latter in Religious affairs which if the Calvinistical Doctrine be true is a very needless Controversie for according to them if they will stand to their own Principles there is nothing indifferent either in Sacred matters or in Civil but all things are necessary because unavoidably determined And so the Controversie is happily at an end and we should be much to blame for censuring such innocent people for such unavoidable Scruples but that we cannot help it which if this Hypothesis be true is the Universal reason and excuse of all our actions And thus I think I have proved that the Doctrine of Transubstantiation it self how absurd or contradictious soever it may seem yet it is not more inconsistent with the common sentiments of Mankind and with the plain acknowledgments of its own Defenders with reason experience and with common sense than this of the Stoical or Calvinistical fate which most of the actions of our lives and most if not all the Passions which we find within our selves are combined in a strict confederacy to overthrow it being directly contrary to the nature of the one and to the suppositions upon which the other proceed Another very just exception which has been made and managed to very great advantage by a very Reverend and Learned person Dr. Tillotson Dean of Canterbury against the absurd and blasphemous Doctrine of Transubstantiation is this That it overthrows the whole Fabrick of the Christian Religion by destroying that Foundation upon which it stands that is to say its Divine Authority attested by those Miracles by which it was confirmed because we have no way to judge of Miracles or to distinguish them from the ordinary and usual Phaenomena of nature but by the testimony of our senses which if they may deceive us in their proper objects when they are placed in the most advantageous circumstances to make an unerring Judgment then it is impossible for us in any case given to determine when a Miracle is wrought and when it is not and consequently that Religion whose Sanction and Authority is founded upon Miracles can never be thought to be sufficiently confirmed And what has been said of Transubstantiation the very same may be applied to the Predestinarian Doctrine against which as being founded in the fatal determination of all humane Actions there is a loud and a perpetual Clamour of common sense and experience But besides this it is farther evident from other considerations That if the Doctrine of absolute Reprobation be true the Scriptures of the New Testament are both a very false and a very impertinent Book it being not only plainly contradictory to so many plain Texts of whose true meaning and signification there can be no manner of doubt or question but to the whole Oeconomy of the Gospel to the design of Christ's coming into the world to the design of his Suffering to the reason of his Intercession and Lastly to the genius and temper of the Christian Dispensation S. John tells us 1 Joh. 4. 8. God is love He that loveth not saith he knoweth not God for God is love but you know it is a common rule denominatio sumitur à parte potiori if therefore of those who are born into this world there be not above one in a Thousand who are the Objects of this love and favour while all the rest are irreversibly doom'd to be the eternal examples of his utmost Vengeance and Displeasure and all this for no reason but what depends upon his Arbitrary power and will without any other Consideration then it is manifest if a man were to draw a Character of God Almighty and to exhort Mankind to imitate his example he must preach a Doctrine quite contrary to that which was taught by the Disciple whom Jesus loved and who was himself so full of love to his Brethren it being more suitable to the nature of God if the Calvinistical Painters have drawn him right to say he that hateth not knoweth not God for God is hatred the same may be said of all those other Pathetical exhortations to the mutual endearment and love of one another which are to be met with in the same Chapter of that good Disciple Beloved saith he v. 7. Let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God And again v. 9 10 11. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our Sins Beloved if God so loved us we ought also to love one another Lastly v. 19 20 21. We love him because he first loved us If a man say I love God and hate his Brother he is a lar For he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen And this Commandment have we from him that he who loveth God love his Brother also It is St. Paul's own exhortation in the Epistle to the Ephesians c. 4. v. 31 32. Let all Bitterness and Wrath and Anger and Clamour and Evil speaking be put away from you with all Malice and be you kind one to another tender Hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you So the same St. John tells us in the third Chapter of his Gospel at the 16th and 17th verses God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life For God sent not his Son into the World to Condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved And our Saviour himself in his incomparable Sermon on the Mount exhorts his Disciples to mutual Kindness and Charity for one another and for their very Enemies from the example of God Matth. 5. v. 44 45. Love your Enemies bless them that Curse you do good to them that hate
is more plain than the reason and the usefulness of his Intercession for Salvation being annext to Faith and Repentance and a good Life and the satisfaction of Christ being apply'd to the person of a Believer upon these conditions which conditions are not so fully performed by any as they might be nor equally by all it is manifest there must needs be very many whose performance is so weak and imperfect that without any breach of that Covenant which God has entered into with Mankind he might very justly abandon them to eternal Flames to be tormented for ever with and by the Devil and his Angels but that the intercession of Christ extends and enlarges the benefit of his satisfaction and makes it more operative and available than otherwise it would have been But besides the Prophetick Office of Christ under which I include his example and his preaching and the Priestly to which his Sacrifice and his Intercession in virtue of that Sacrifice belong there is also his Kingship to be considered one great part of the exercise of which consists in his sitting in Judgment at the last day to pronounce the irreversible sentence of Death or Life upon all Men but there can be no Judgment where there is no difference made betwixt the Moral good or evil of things for to judge is to act with reason and Fate and Morality are inconsistent together which Fate if it were the only principle and spring of Action the Reprobate at the last day need not stand in justification of themselves from other Topicks as they are made to do in Scripture but they need only say that what they had done they could not avoid which being a very reasonable excuse and yet not urged where the Pleas of the Wicked are set down by our Saviour himself it is a very powerful and convincing Argument that he will at that day proceed by other measures and that he will not much less did he design it from all Eternity condemn the meanest Wretch that ever wore the shape and title of a Man for any but voluntary and wilfully committed Sins Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right said Abraham to his God Gen. 18. 25. That be far from thee to do after this manner Which Expostulation and Appeal of his to the Divine Justice must either be acknowledged to be very frivolous and nothing at all to the purpose or else we must be forced to confess that Christ when he sustains the person and character of a Judge and a Judge of all the Earth as he will do at the last day he will not proceed by Arbitrary measures which know no distinction of Persons or of Causes but condemn or save by unaccountable methods without any regard to reason or to justice the exercise of which is founded upon the differences of Moral good and evil all which differences must come to nothing where the liberty of humane Actions is destroyed but he will act with us upon a supposition of Freedom for the improvement or abuse of which we shall reap a proportionable punishment or reward And as nothing is or can be more contrary to the whole current of the Scripture than the Doctrine of absolute Reprobation so neither is there any thing more destructive of that meek charitable and humble frame of Mind which it was the design of the Gospel to establish in the World the natural and immediate tendency of such Doctrines in the minds of inconsiderate Men though if they consider all they have no reason to be proud being to create a Spiritual Pride and overweaning Conceit of themselves together with a contempt and hatred of all others whom they call the Reprobate and are pleased to look upon as the Dross and Off-scouring of the World There neither is nor can be any other opinion which is so naturally fitted to make distinctions and parties amongst Men or to preserve those distinctions when they are made for what greater or what wider difference can there possibly be thought of than between the Reprobate and the Elect Those who are irrecoverably given over to everlasting Torments and those who are out of all danger of miscarrying and past the possibility of not being as happy as God and happiness themselves can make them Or what greater indignity or reproach can be cast upon one Man by another than for some to separate from the rest under pretence that they are rejected and forsaken by God This being if those that separate would speak their minds one of the true reasons of their separation as it is likewise the strongest Prop and Pillar by which that uncharitable Schism is supported for I reckon that there are six accounts especially to be given of the first rise of this absurd and impious Doctrine of absolute Reprobation and of its continuance in the World to this day The first of which is that inconsiderate Interpreters not minding the whole scope and drift of the Writings of St. Paul but looking only to the immediate seeming sense of one single Proposition and not considering that neither so well as they should have done have stretched the interpretation of those places beyond their natural extent wherein St. Paul sets himself in opposition to the Jews who expected Justification from the Law of Moses or to the Judaizing Christians who would have retained that Law either in whole or in part as thinking that Justification could not be had without it or lastly to any other who expected Salvation from an exact observance of the Duties of natural Religion or of the Law of Nature For by the Law in the Writings of St. Paul both these are promiscuously understood as might be shewn from several places but that of Gal. 5. 22 23. is sufficient The Fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace long Suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against such there is no Law that is whether of Moses or of Nature And the same may very well be the sense of all those places where he says That the knowledge of Sin is by the Law and that if it had not been for the Law he had not known Sin and that by the works of the Law no Flesh can be justified and that where there is no Law neither is there any Transgression All which may very well be understood of the Law of Nature as well as of that of Moses it being equally true of both Now the reasons why Justification could not be obtained by the works of the Law of Moses were these two First That that Law containing the Types and Shadows of things to come when once their Antitypes appeared in the World they could be of no longer value or signification And Secondly That besides that those legal Rites and Ceremonies had a respect to future events which events were now exactly fulfilled they did also under them contain a shadow of that inward sincerity and purity of Mind without which notwithstanding all the accuracy of external Observations
Divine worship which must have continued still in force so long as those shadows were not done away by the more perfect Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross Secondly By this means God gave the world the strongest assurance that it could possibly receive of his Veracity or of his fixt and unalterable resolution to perform on his part the Conditions of that new Covenant which he had entered into with Mankind whose sanction was founded in the Blood of his only Son it being not only unreasonable but impious and highly derogatory to the Honour and Majesty of God to suppose that the Divinity it self should condescend to appear in the form and likeness of a Servant should take our Flesh and our Nature upon him should stoop to those mean Indignities which were offered him by the vilest of men and should suffer such a shameful and ignominious Death upon the Cross by the hands of Sinners and in the scandalous Company of two notorious Malefactors and all this to no purpose in the world Thirdly A third reason why this Method was taken seems to me to have been not only that by faith in a crucified God we might have sufficient assurance of the remission of Sins but also that by his Resurrection and Ascension which were consequent upon that Crucifixion we might have the most sensible Demonstration that could be given us of the certainty of our own Resurrection and of those Eternal Joys that expect us in Heavenly places there being no way so proper to bring life and immortality to light as for him who first made so clear and perfect a discovery of them to rise himself from the Dead and become the first-fruits of them that slept and if to these three you will add likewise a fourth Consideration it may be this that if God had bestowed a gratuitous remission upon the world that is for I would not be mistaken in the use of that word a remission without any satisfaction made for Sin either by our selves or our Proxy it would have argued such an easiness in the Divine nature in the opinion of many men that it would rather have proved an encouragement to continue in Sin than an obligation as it ought to be in point of Gratitude to greater strictness and Holiness of Conversation as on the Contrary if for this reason without shedding of Blood there could be no forgiveness it follows plainly that nothing less than the Sacrifice of God himself upon the Cross would serve the turn because nothing short of this could possibly be a compleat Expiation and Atonement for the Sins of the whole world but it would be so far from it that all the Sacrifice that could be offered would fall infinitely short of the value of this and God might as well pardon us without any Atonement at all as by that which would be so infinitely disproportionate to the guilt of the offending Parties Further Though it be certain that God could not possibly give the world a more signal Demonstration of his love than by sending his only begotten and his entirely beloved Son to die for it for he that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Rom. 8. 32 Yet this will but enhance and aggravate the Condemnation of our Disobedience if after so dear a purchase paid for our Redemption we shall still notwithstanding continue in an obstinate and wilful course of Sin for how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation And now having thus clearly explained what is meant by Justification namely the pardon of our Sins or the remission of that right of Punishment which is devolved upon God by them and having likewise seen by what means this Justification is to be procured that it cannot be obtained by any thing in our selves but that it is wholly oweing to the Grace and Mercy of God in and through the meritorious Death and passion of his Son and our Saviour Jesus Christ the Righteous who knew no Sin neither was guile found in his Mouth and who by the Sacrifice of himself once offered upon the Cross made a full perfect and compleat Satisfaction Propitiation and Redemption for the Sins of all Mankind We may now from hence give such a clear and solid Exposition of many places in the writings of St. Paul which are so miserably abused and stretched beyond their true extent by the Calvinistical Doctors as to make them for ever hereafter utterly useless to that cause and party which without that method which I have used cannot so convincingly be done by any other way of proceedure St. Paul tells us Rom. 11. v. 6. if we are saved by Grace then is it no more of Works otherwise Grace is no more Grace But if it be of Works then is it no more Grace otherwise Work is no more Work and Gal. 2. 16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the works of the Law For by the works of the Law shall no Flesh be justified Lastly Eph. 2. 4 5. God who is rich in Mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in Sins hath quickned us together with Christ by Grace ye are saved And again v. 8 9. For by Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast Which places together with several others of a like purport and signification are so far strained beyond their true sence and meaning by Calvinistical Interpreters as if God in the justification of a Sinner had no regard to any previous Conditions of Repentance or good Works but that he proceeded perfectly by an arbitrary Goodness and had not the least respect to any other Consideration whatsoever which it is plain does not only destroy the necessity of Obedience and a good Life but renders all the exhortations and Encouragements to it which are so plentifully and so pathetically interspersed up and down the Scriptures both of the old and the new Testament and all the arguments or menaces made use of to deter us from sinful gratifications or desires not only useless but ridiculous and consequently very unbecoming the Majesty of that God in whose name and Authority they are delivered and St. Paul would be very inconsistent with himself if this opinion were true when in the 12th of his Epistle to the Romans v. 1 2. he exhorts them with so much passion as he does I beseech you Brethren by the Mercies of God that ye present your Bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable Service and be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good that