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
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 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
of Grace as I do ye I doubt not but I should be highly recompensed for this labour of love and should find refreshment under many rufflings from the Lord on my Person and Family Thus beseeching the Lord to pour out abundance of his Spirit on you all and the unhappily engaged Mr. Williams whom I truly love and respest That the people may be prepared for the Lords glorious appearance now hastning To him I recommend you and subscribe Your Servant and an unworthy Son of Dr. Crisp S. C. Clapham January 21st 1692 3. Christ alone Exalted IN Dr Crisp's Sermons Partly Confirmed in Answer to Mr. Williams Preface to his Gospel Truth stated and Vindicated by Comparing some of his unfair Accusations of the said Doctor with the Scripture and the Doctrine of the Gospel Established by Law in the Homilies c. WHEN Peter who seemed to be a Pillar was come to Antioch I withstood him to the Face because he was to be blamed saith the Apostle Gal. 2.9 10. And if an Apostle who seemed a Pillar might Err in Ceremonies and be blamed so may our seeming Pillars some of them Err in Substance conjoyning our Gospel Holiness with Christs Righteousness and be blamed Now I perceiving what I suppose will appear a great Error in the Preface of Mr. Williams to his Arraignment of Gospel Truths in Dr. Crisp's Sermons and supposing none will mind the Preface that design to Answer the Book but pass it over as a Cursory Discourse I think it not ungrateful to studious Christians to animadvert on the brief Systems of Religion which Mr. Williams hath there given the World in opposition not so much to Dr. Crisp as to the plain express Scripture and the sound sense thereof held out by the great Orthodox Divines that were Staunch against Aâ—minianism upon our first coming out of Popery when Zeal for Christ alone in Salvation was warm Wherein I beseech the Lord so to guide my Thoughts and Pen that I may mind only his Glory in and through our Lord Jesus The Meek he will guide in Judgment which meekness I beg of the Lord though a Golden Calf of Mans Gospel Holiness to be set up in the place of Christs Righteousness would provoke a Moses Yet I hope to retain as well Meekness as Integrity till I die It is beyond all doubt Man since the Devil deceived him that upon eating he should be as God doth think with himself he can tho' dead do something which is proper only to God that is he can quicken his own dead Soul he can Convert himself he can be a God to himself hereupon there is a great Outcry against any that assert That our Lord Jesus Christ is all in all in the Salvation of poor Sinners and Dr. Crisps Sermons because fuller than ordinary of the free Grace of God in Jesus Christ are singled out to be battered and with them the Gospel of our Salvation is run down into terms utterly Forreign to the Scripture and because the Doctor adheres and sticks close to the Scripture terms of our being dead dead dead in sins and our sins our very sins Christ bare in his Body on the Tree as the Apostles Peter and Paul expresly say he is exclaimed against And that this great Champion might appear compleatly armed in opposing Dr. Crisp he puts on the great shield of being solicited to this Work by several worthy Ministers and that this may appear true he hath emblazoned his honour in this great Atchievement by the Hands of several indeed worthy Ministers who are most of them in my Experience eminent Servants of our Lord Jesus however their Zeal for Gospel Holiness may have been imposed upon to countenance Mr. Williams making Christ's Righteousness to be our Gospel Holiness Though I have a great honour for all those of them whom I know yet I suppose they will not think themselves dishonoured to say I think most of them were imposed upon in getting their subscribing to what they never throughly examined I am sure one of them tho' next the first yet nulli secundus for a sweet Christian Spirit among them said a few Weeks before Dr Crisps Sermons were reprinted to an Eminent Mininister in a great Company If Dr. Crisp be an Antinomian so am I and I am sure he said in a Sermon December 12. 1669. We are first made active by Christ in order to his bringing us to God and September 24. 7. 1672. Christ hath brought the Law to its end it hath no more to require be is the abolishing end the Law is quite out of doors as to justify plant a Crab-Tree in the best Soil it brings forth crabs till planted in Christ so that there must be Vnion to Christ by Gods planting us in Christ before any good Fruit. So this Gentleman and so Doctor Crisp in his Faith the Fruit of Union contrary to Mr. Williams and yet this excellent person is by Mr. Williams Art taught to say with the rest We judge our Reverend Brother hath in all that is material fully and rightly stated the Truths and Errors mentioned as such and do account he hath in this work done considerable Service to the Church of Christ and so will I say when by it he hath ingaged Able Pens to vindicate the truth from Sophistical Glosses that he hath done considerable service against his will I reckon this Preface is the marrow of his Book and I shall begin with as great a point as any I know of in the Bible next to the Deity of the Lord Jesus and yet 't is that which is the chief Fruit of his Deity which is his Righteousness as God-Man made ours by Faith by Mr. Williams his treating this he discovers his whole Soul concerning Justification that great Article stantis vel cadentis Ecclesiâ—â— of the standing and falling of that Church that holds it as Luther said in that a little Leven here leveneth the whole lump Here Mr. Williams hath made very bold with the expression of the Apostle Paul in Phil. 3.9 That I may be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by Faith here Mr. Williams instead of extolling this righteousness of Christ and the rich Grace of God to impute this to us he runs Counter to the stream of the Gospel and dashes to pieces all the comfort that thousands have found in this Scripture as signifying Christs Righteousness our cloathing before God and gives his Romish gloss upon it in these words I exclude not this Righteousness Christs imputed when I affirm that the Righteousness of God Phil. 3.9 Principally intends the Gospel Holiness of a Person Justifyed by Christs Righteousness which in plain Words is this When I Daniel Williams say in the preceding words his Righteousness imputed is the cause for which we are justifyed and saved when we do answer the Gospel Rule now I explain
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
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
Faith gains admittance to day 't is nay to morrow now persevering Holiness doth it This is giving an uncertain Sound whereas the Promises are the same to day yesterday and for ever and all yea and Amen in Christ Jesus If true Faith be the Wedding Garment our wearing Christs Righteousness the same true Faith is that which receives the Oyl into our Vessels the blood or righteousness of Jesus ours by Faith or the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus Rom 8.2 This Christ dwelling in our Hearts by Faith Christ dwelling in us by the holy Spirit is the true Oyl that the Wise Virgins gain admittance by His next Clause is the advancing into our Justification God's terms of forgiving adopting glorifying as Rector by believing c. This c. hath a great hand in forgiving I suppose it wonderful to every Judicious Râ—ader that a Gentleman of great Parts and sense should blend the Gospel thus as to make the Gospel Blessings to be disperst by God with regard to our being Believers c. that is to our being Believers and performing all the Duties prescribed in the Gospel he puts it only God hath a regard to it but the plain English must be God doth so regard our performing this Act of believing c. and that till death and not only so but all other Gospel Duties that if we do not perform them God dispenses no gospel Blessing so that we are still under a Covenant of Works but let us see the true lineaments of this new Gospel which is in these words of Mr. Williams Thus Can any think that Forgiving Adopting Glorifying or the conveyance of every other promised Benefit given on Gods terms are not Judicial acts of God as Rector if so doth he dispense these blindly and promiscuously without any regard to our being Believers c. or no I suppose Mr. W. will be accounted more hold than becomes him to insinuate that God dispenses his Blessings blindly if he do not bestow them in his way upon his terms of our being Believers c. O that men were humble and in pretending to oppose Dr. Crisp they did not speak indecently of God by calling him a blind giver of Benefits if he give them not according to our prescriptions of his rectoral Government God gives freely God gives before we have done good or Evil God shews mercy because he will shew mercy God saves the chief of sinners in the Career of sin God therefore speaks comfortably because Israel went after her Lovers and pardons sin because it is great his ways in shewing mercy are past finding out justifying the Ungodly and not calling the Righteous and yet God dispenses not blindly and promiscuously though he do not do it in Mr. W. way of having some regard to our being Believers Repenters Perseverers c. Vain man would be wiser than God when God saith Not for your sakes do I this be it known unto you but for mine holy Names sake which ye have prophaned among the Heathen Will Mr. W. be so bold as to think God dispenses his Blessings blindly because he doth not give them on those terms he hath prescribed We see Gods terms here are for his Names sake which they prophaned prophaning Gods Name was all that God had regard to on their part it was his own holy name was his only inducement his holy free gratious Covenant in which his holy name was engaged not our being believers Perseverers in spiritual Duties c. The like ground God looks at and regards in his delivering Israel in Deut. 7.7 not their being more excellent than other People but his own love of them The Lord did not set his love upon you and châ—se you because you were more than other people for you were the fewest of all People but because the Lord loved you these are Gods Terms he loved and chose because he loved Sure Mr. Williams will not say God had regard to their holiness in dispensing his blâ—ssings to them before the gospel shined in its lustre through our Lord Jesus and must God be charged with blind promiscuous dispensing blessings now under clear gospel light if he now shew mercy in a soveraign way of grace to gross sinners without regard to any good they do while he suffer the Righteous in their own Eyes to perish in their own righteousness O let us not prescribe rules and terms to God for his bestowing mercy but thankfully accept his grace and mercy in our Lord Jesus freely given because he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardens Well but Mr. W. will confirm his Position and that by Scripture too though strained thus With respect to what 's above declared the gospel is called a Law of Faith a law of liberty It is true the gospel is called in opposition to the Law of works a Law of Faith but I think in the stream of the whole Bible David could not find a fitter stone to sling into the Head of this great Goliath mans righteousness to joyn with Christs than this Scripture Mr. Williams is setting up a righteousness of Works or gospel Holiness for ushering in pardon and to prove it saith the gospel is called a Law of Faith but let us see how 't is so called in Rom. 3.26 27. To declare his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law of Works Nay but by the law of Faith Here the Apostle setly and solemnly treats of excluding works and of our being justified by Faith without works of all sorts and positively asserts God is just in justifying the Believer God could not be just in justifying according to the Arminian way for our imperfect holiness or having any regard to it in the matter of Justifying but God is just in justifying a Believer because the Believer hath a perfect compleat righteousness of Christ put upon him to answer the Law by and God looking upon him compleat in Christ is just in Justifying him The Apostle having laid this ground work to damn all self-righteousness or works even Faith as a work in the matter of Justification he comes and makes a challenge directly against Mr. Williams's Doctrine of our sincere holiness concurring to pardon and saith where is boasting then Where are all these great Advancers of mans righteousness which tends to boasting and he gives the stabbing answer It is excluded God hath not lest the least Crevice for it to enter by 't is wholly excluded 't is shut out from ever having any thing to do in our salvation yet may one say 't is shut out by the Law of Works the old Moral Law do and live we grant that but there is a gospel holiness will let in boasting again I must repent believe be sincerely holy and persevere therein all my days and God hath regard to this in my Justification no no 't
their Comforts by telling them I will be at peace if you be reconciled to me but revives their hearts by telling them that the peace is already wrought in God and for sinners by Christ at his death for that he made peace by the Blood of his Cross and by him reconciled all to himself Col. 1.20 Christ did not stay till we were reconciled to him as Mr. W. seems to intimate when he calls men to be reconciled to God upon which he knows God will be at peace with them This I take to be setting the Cart before the Horse to invite Men to be reconciled thereby to get God to be at peace whereas the sweet heavenly strain of the gospel is Come for all things are ready come to Jesus who is already made of God to you that come Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption who is the Author and finisher of your Faith O Jesus thus draw and we will run after thee and thus he hath drawn thousands by the Prophets and Apostles preaching and his faithful Servants after him to come to God and to holy Obedience in Love whereas the legal drawing of walking holily and then God will be at peace keeps poor Souls in perpetual doubts and works the Soul but to a Spirit of Bondage Next comes the Top-stone of this New system of gospel Truth which looks as if it were hewed and squared at Rome with only a little Varnish at Amsterdam viz. These things Gods promising life by forgiveness and yee insisting on some Degree of Obedience will help thy Conceptions still remembring that the merit of Christ are the cause of this gospel Ordination Can any spiritual inlightned mind read this and not blush for Mr. W. and think he is hard put to it to support his cause of laying our salvation on our gospel holiness joyned with Christs righteousness when he flies to such an Assertion as the Papists have been forced to forsake being beaten out of that Trench by our great Divines That Christ merited that we should merit this they asserted but found it would not hold water therefore Bellarmin flies to his Tutissimum and saith in his Book de Justif l. 5. ch 7. pro. 3. Propter incertitudinem propriae Justitiae periculum inanis gloriae Tutissimum est totam fiduciam in sola Dei misericordia benignitate reponere Because of the uncertainty of our own righteousness and the danger of vain glory it is safest to put all our trust in the alone mercy and bounty of God Here the Jesuit flies from the gospel Ordination that Christ merited that God should have regard to our gospel holiness and our conformity to gospel Rule for obtaining gospel promise this chimed well with him in his long arguments for Justification by works but upon his review of his strong reasons he flies from it and betakes himself to Gods meer mercy and bounty which must be in Christ and so I hope the great opposer of Dr. Crisp will do But in regard this is so broad and wide a gap to let in the whole body of self Justiciaries with their good works to come in for sharing with Christ in salvation I must make some opposition to it both from Scripture and sound Protestants The merits of Christ saith Mr. W. are the cause of this Ordination that is that our answering the gospel rule obtains us interest in the gospel Promise or which is all one Do and live Christ merited that if we do we shall live the only difference is the first doing and live was perfect Obedience to the Law and this doing and live of Mr. VV. is sincere obedience to the gospel in all its commands counsels c. which every true Christian trembles to think on Is this the upshot of Christs Death to merit that our Gospel Obedience should be the ground of our obtaining Benefit by Christ then I say again it must come to this that Christ merited that we should merit for there can be no benefit to a Sinner but by merit Christ did not absolutely merit the Benefit for us say they but merited that we doing so and so should obtain the Benefit then our doing so and so must merit it for it is injustice of God to himself and his Righteous broken Law to give a Sinner that deserves Hell any good unless that good be merited and this is left to the Sinner to obtain by Gospel Obedience which therefore must of necessity be from merit So that here it must rest or we make God unjust to himself and so say Christ purchas'd this that we should do so is Nonsense Mr. Williams can hardly assoyle himself from this Charge till he retract this Assertion That the merits of Christ are the cause of that Gospel Ordination he had laid down As for the Scriptures that oppose this Divinity those already mentioned are abundantly more than sufficient to throw down the House built on this Sandy Foundation as that God so loved the World that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life Here is nothing required but believing to everlasting life So the Apostle Acts 16. Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved Here 's complying with no other Gospel Rule for Salvation but believing in the Lord Jesus To which I may add the whole Stream of the New Testament to come and take the Water of Life freely Rev. 22. They that hunger and thirst after this Righteousness of Christ they shall be filled If God by his grace have begot a true hunger a true desire after it they shall have it Come to me if weary if laden cast your self on me and you shall find rest for your Souls But the great Scripture is Not to him that worketh not to him that thinks to obtain gospel Benefits by complying with gospel Rule of walking in holy Obedience to obtain pardon by it but to him that believes on him that justifies the Vngodly This Scripture is enough to confound the whole Scheme of the new fashion'd stating of gospel Truth The Apostle states gospel Truth thus Not to him that worketh no Works at all must come in in the business of our Salvation as concurring to it Thus the Apostle held saith Mr. Williams This lets in Licentiousness I have found a better way of staring gospel Truth that is To him that worketh to him that complies with gospel Rule to him that is godly not his Faith alone but his Faith with sincere Obedience That is his gospel Holiness which the Apostle intends when he speaks of being found in the Righteousness of God by Faith this gives right to gospel Benefits O what heart touched with love to the Lord Jesus and poor Souls but must ake to see the gospel thus mangled and the Crown upon our gospel Obedience jointly with Christ If this be not Evacuating and Invalidating the compleat Mediation and Atonement of the Lord Jesus then what can do it For he will not have any