as the fickle Will of Man doth that standing there is an Election that falling there is none and so toties quoties as often as it pleases man to shew himself variable Election will be something or nothing as it happens This Opinion doth not ascribe Eyes and Hands to God as the gross Anthropomorphites did but it assimilates him to the filly turnings and windings of the Creature But to speak more directly to the Author God's electing Love antecedes all Goodness in in Men and if his elect Vessels fall into great sins as holy David did and this after their Conversion however the Light of God's Countenance be for a time suspended however their habitual Graces be weakned and their Consciences wounded yet the Foundation of God stands sure electing Love remains unvariable and will revive them again by Repentance When God elected a People to himself he did not as Mr. Shaw speaks in allusion to the words of the Apostle use lightness or purpose according to the flesh after the manner of men unsteady and wavering in their determinations no the foundation of God standeth sure the Lord knoweth those that are his But if the Love of Christ be infinite Mr. Sherlock eternal unchangeable fruitful I would willingly understand how sin and death and Misery came into World for if this Love be so because the Divine Nature is so then it was always so for God always was what he is and that which is eternal could never be other than it is now And why could not this Love as well preserve us from falling into Sin Misery and Death as love Life and Holiness into us for it is a little odd first to love us into Sin and Death that then he might love us into Life and Holiness which indeed could not be if this Love were always so unchangeable and fruitful as the Dr. perswades us For if this Love had always loved Life and Holiness into us how should it happen that we should sin and die The gracious Decree of Election is Answer as becomes the Divine Nature eternal unchangeable fruitful yet was it a free Act terminating upon what Object it pleased Hence God saith Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated he infallibly brings his Elect to Glory But no man may be so vain or presumptive as to limit the holy One or chalk a Way or Method for him to walk in who works all things according to the counsel of his own will But how then came sin and death into the World Why surely it came in by Man's Transgression and under God's-Permission But why could not this eternal unchangeable fruitful Love preserve us from falling I doubt not at all but God who is Almighty could have kept up Man and all his Posterity in their primitive station as well as he did the standing Angels but if you ask on Why did he not do it I have nothing to answer but that it was not his pleasure God loves no man into sin the Expression is too odd for a Christians Mouth or Ear but he suffers his very Elect to fall into sin yet is his Love eternal unchangeable fruitful towards them if I may allude to that of Hezekiah Isai 38.17 He loves them from the pit of corruption he fetches them out of the corrupt Mass of Mankind by his effectual Grace and though afterwards they have many falls and lapses yet electing Love sets to its hand again and revives them by a fresh Repentance shewing it self fruitful in their recovery and safe conduct to Heaven and all this is managed in a way of unaccountable Sovereignty Not that I deny that the Love of God is eternal Mr. Sherlock unchangeable fruitful that is that God was alwayes good and alwayes continues good and manifests his love and goodness in such wayes as are suitable to his nature which is the fruitfulness of it but then the unchangeableness of Gods love doth not consist in being alwayes determined to the same object but in that he alwayes loves for the same reason that is that he alwayes loves true virtue and goodness where-ever he sees it and never ceases to love any person till he ceases to be good and then the immutability of his love is the reason why he loves no longer for should he love a wicked man the reason and nature of his love would change and the fruitfulness of Gods love with respect to the Methods of his Grace and Providence doth not consist in producing what he loves by an omnipotent and irresistible power for then sin and death could never have entered into the world but he governs and doth good to his Creatures in such wayes as are most suitable to their Natures he governs reasonable Creatures by Principles of Reason as he doth the material World by the necessary Laws of Matter and bruit Creatures by the instincts and propensities of Nature After all the rest Answer the Author himself confesses that there is in God an eternal unchangeable fruitful Love how so There is a Love of Virtue and Goodness and is there not a Love of Persons too The Scripture is express in it St. Paul is a chosen vessel Act. 9. Jacob was loved and that before he was born or had done any good at all Rom. 9. The Lord knoweth those that are his 2 Tim. 2. He calleth his sheep by Name Joh. 10.3 Some are drawn of the Father Joh. 6.44 Some are called according to purpose Rom. 8.28 On some God will have mercy when he hardens others Rom. 9.18 All which places places prove that electing Love is of particular persons who as St. Austin hath it certissimè liberantur are certainly saved when others are left in massa perditionis Unless this be owned that great Design of a Church which is the Master-piece of Providence must be carried on in such a lame and imperfect manner as if God which is unworthy of him should say I would have a Church but I intend not who shall make it up Such a Jeofail is hardly to be found in a prudent Man But saith the Author The Vnchangeableness of God's Love doth not consist in being determined to the same Object but in that he always loves for the same Reason that is he always loves true Vertue and Goodness where-ever he sees it and never ceases to love any person till he ceases to be good he always loves for the same Reason where Goodness is there he loves where Goodness is not there he loves not This is the Author's meaning this is loving for the same Reason But if this had been so what could have become of Man corrupt lapsed Man in whom as our Church tells us there is not a spark of Goodness How desperate must his case have been Divine Love could not possibly have let out a drop of Mercy to such an one much less have shewed forth it self in such an unparalle'd Act as the Mission of his own Son for our Redemption there
opening of it all vanishes into nothing God's holy Ordination was his pleasure but Man's Sin is hateful and provocative of wrath This cannot be strange to any one versed in Scripture The Assyrian Tyrant was the Staff and the Rod in Gods hand sent by him against his people yet when the work was done God would punish the fruit of his stout heart and kindle a fire under his Glory Gods Hand and Gods Counsel was in the Crucifixion of Christ and yet what an horrible tempest of wrath came down on the Jews for it The other Expression is this This falls hard upon those miserable wretches who without any fault of theirs were left out of the Roll of Election To which I answer It is very hard if God may not have his Royal Prerogative of putting in or leaving out whom he pleases in the Book of Life the Apostle is clear He will have mercy on whom he will whom he will he hardens Rom. 9. And if any murmur he must hear Nay but O man who art thou that repliest against God As if the Apostle had said If thou hadst O Man but any Sentiments of thy own Nothingness or true Rayes of the divine Glory thou wouldst never dare to implead thy Maker Thou wouldst not endure to see a little Fly or Ant had it Reason enough to draw an Earthly Prince into question and wilt thou do so to the great Lord of Heaven and Earth There is no Commune Jus or Common Measure between him and thee to warrant such a presumption This is not enough Mr. Sherlock said the Doctor that we are not guilty we must also be actually righteous not only all sin is to be answered for but all righteousness is to be fulfilled Now this Righteousness we find only in Christ we are reconciled to God by his Death and saved by his Life that actual Obedience he yielded to the whole Law of God is that Righteousness whereby we are saved we are innocent by virtue of his Expiation and righteous with his Righteousness Upon which words the Author infers This is a mighty comfortable discovery how we may be righteous without doing any thing that is good or righteous but the Gospel tells us that he is righteous who doth righteousness that without holiness no man shall see God that the only way to obtain pardon of sins is to repent of and forsake them The only thing that gives a right to the promises of future Glory is to obey the Laws and imitate the Example of our Saviour and to be transformed into the Nature and likeness of God The Doctor is no enemy to Holiness Answer but cannot assign it an Vbi in Justification no more doth our Church who in the Homily touching the Salvation of Man saith All men are sinners and breakers of the Law therefore can no man by his own Acts Works and Deeds seem they never so good be justified and made righteous before God but every man is constrained to seek for another Righteousness which afterwards is declared to be Christ's fulfilling the Law and making satisfaction In Justification no other Righteousness can take place but that Active and Passive one of Christ which answers the pure and righteous Law in every point He that doth righteousness is righteous that is his doing shews but doth not make him righteous in Justification Repentance is an Evangelical Condition but no Cause of Pardon Holiness and Obedience are the way to Glory but not the Cause of it A Transformation into God's Image makes us meet for Heaven but the Righteousness of Christ alone purchased a Title for us As to what the Author adds Though our Obedience be not perfect if it be sincere we shall be accepted for the sake of Christ I answer Our Obedience is accepted but not to be the matter of our Justification Christ's Righteousness alone is that which answers the Law for us The third part of our Wisdom is to walk with God Mr. Sherlock saith the Doctor and to that is required Agreement Acquaintance a Way Strength Boldness and aiming at the same Ends and all these with the Wisdom of them are hid in the Lord Jesus The sum of which saith the Author in short is this That Christ having expiated our sins and fulfilled all righteousness for us though we have no personal righteousness of our own but are as contrary to God as darkness is to light and death to life and an universal polution to an universal holiness and hatred to love yet the Righteousness of Christ is a sufficient nay the only foundation of our agreement and upon that of our walking with God though St. John tells us If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not the truth Christ the sufficient and only Foundation Answer No doubt he is so who can who dares lay any other Had not he satisfied divine Justice there could have been no room for agreement or walking with God but as cursed Exiles we must have gone to our own place in the lowest Hell But what Foundation is he Is he such an one that prophane persons contrary to God as Darkness to Light Death to Life Polution to Holiness and Hatred to Love may whilest such agree or walk with God Is he such that such wicked ones walking in darkness may have fellowship with him contrary to that of the Apostle Or that such may as the Authors phrase is become bold and look Justice in the face and whet their knife at the Counter-door all their debts being discharged by Christ Doth the Dr. say so or mean any such thing No surely hear what he saith not in remote places but upon this very point God is Light we darkness he Life we dead sinners he Holiness we defiled he Love we hatred surely this is no foundation of agreement or upon that of walking together nothing can be more remote than this frame from such a condition The foundation then of this is laid in Christ he is our peace he slew the Enmity in his Body on the Cross he made an atonement with God God lays down the Enmity on his part and proceeds to slay the Enmity on ours We receive the Atonement lay down our Enmity to God and have access unto the Father Christ gives us an Vnderstanding to know him that is true he consecrates a new and a living way into the holiest of all and this way is no other but himself he is the Medium of communication between God and us all influences of Love Kingness Mercy from God to us are through him all our returns of Love Delight Obedience to God are all through him nay all our Strength is from him by the Spirit of life and power he bears us on Eagles Wings in the paths of walking with God and in him we come to have an aim and design at Gods Glory Thus and much more saith the Dr. in that place his excellent
all the Dispensation of Grace to it self But if we may not have acquaintance with Christ himself may we have one with the Gospel No I doubt not the Gospel tells us That the Spirit reveils the things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 and by necessary consequence the Gospel will lead us unto Christ for that Spirit and to communion with him which is the thing opposed by the Author but to me so pretious that before I would open my lips against it I would put my self under the penance of Severus Sulpitius who having sullied himself with Pelagianism afterwards repented and devoted himself to perpetual silence ut peccatum Spond Ann. An. 430. quod loquendo contraxerat tacendo emendaret But now we must see the Pious Learned Dr. Owen brought upon the Stage The Dr. tells us Mr. Sherlock that Christ is not only the Wisdom of God but made Wisdom to us not only by teaching us wisdom by his Doctrine as he is the great Prophet of his Church but also because by knowing of him we become acquainted with the Wisdom of God which is our Wisdom To which purpose he applies that Text which speaks of the Doctrines of Christ to his Person Col. 2.3 For in him dwell all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge A little before those words Answer the Doctor 's Design by which in all Candor his After-discourse should be construed appears to be that all Wisdom is laid up in Christ and that from him alone it is to be obtained who is so hardy as to deny it He that knows him becomes acquainted with one in whom dwell all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge and from whom are derived all the Riches of Understanding in the Saints As in the corporal vision of an Object there is requisite a Light in the Air and another in the Eye so in this intellectual Vision there is external Revelation and internal Illumination and both are from Christ Cui Veritas comperta sine Deo De Anima cap. 1. cui Deus cognitus sine Christo cui Christus exploratus sine Spiritu sancto cui Spiritus sanctus accommodatus sine Fidei Sacramento saith Tertullian By that Col. 2.3 In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge is as I take it meant the Person of Christ the very same which is pointed out Ver. 9. In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead Ver. 10. in him ye are complete Ver. 11. In him ye are circumcised and Ver. 12. With him ye are buried in Baptism and with him ye are risen through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead I can very hardly understand all these of the Gospel neither did I ever find that it was raised from the dead But now let us hear the Author's Inference So that our acquaintance with Christ's Person signifies such a knowledge of what Christ is hath done and suffered for us Mr. Sherlock from whence we may learn those greater deeper and more saving Mysteries of the Gospel which Christ hath not expresly reveiled to us for so the Doctor adds That these Properties of God Christ hath reveiled in his Doctrine in that Revelation he hath made of God and his Will but the Life of this Knowledge lies in an acquaintance with his Person whereby the express Image and Beams of this Glory of his Father doth shine forth that is that these things are clearly eminently and savingly only to be discovered in Christ So that it seems the Gospel of Christ makes a very imperfect and obscure discovery of the Nature Attributes and Will of God and a little after This sets up a new Rule of Faith above the Gospel acquaintance with Christ Doth our Acquaintance with Christ teach us Mysteries not reveiled in the Gospel No by no means neither doth the Doctor say so Redde verba mea vanescet calumnia tua saith St. Austin to Julian The Doctor saith those Properties are reveiled in the Doctrine And in a Sentence interposed by the Doctor but omitted by the Author he saith The knowledge of them is exposed to all but saith the Dr. The life of this knowledge lies in acquaintance with Christ So it is he is God manifest in the Flesh and so a rare Mirrour of the divine Perfections and withall he is the Great Illuminator by his Spirit and so opens our eyes to see the Mysteries in Christ and the Gospel Without this Illumination the outward Revelation gives not a saving Knowledge It may be the Author will smile at me but hear St. Austin De Praed Sanct. c. 8. Valdè remota est à sensibus carnis haec Schola in quâ Deus auditur docet gratia ista secreta est gratiam verò esse quis ambigit Hear Bishop Davenant Exp. in Col. cap. 2. Tales illuminationes fieri talem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imprimi fidelium animis non credunt mundani experiuntur tamen pii The Gospel is a perfect outward Revelation and Rule of Faith yet our blindness needs an inward Illumination that we may spiritually discern the Mysteries therein But now the Author will shew us what Additions these men make to the Gospel from an Acquaintance with Christ's Person and first upon the doctors words That the knowledge of God the knowledge of our selves and skill to walk in Communion with God in which three is the sum of all true Wisdom are obtained and manifested in and by the Lord Christ. The Author observes that by is fallaciously added to include the Revelations Christ hath made To which I answer The Dr. never excluded outward Revelation but this alone cannot give saving knowledge All Wisdom is in Christ as the Mirrour of divine Perfections and by Christ as the great Illuminator by his Spirit We should use outward Revelation in the very same posture as Zuinglius did who understanding from St. Peter that the Scripture was not of private Interpretation Mel. Ad. in vit Zuing. In coelum suspexit doctorem quaerens Spiritum looked up to heaven seeking the the Spirit for his great teacher Had Christ never appeared in the World Mr. Sherlock yet we had reason to believe that God is Wise and Good and Holy and Merciful because not only the works of Nature and Providence but the Word of God assure us that he is so And a little after he adds And is not this a confident Man to tell us That the love of God to sinners and his pardoning Mercy could never enter into the heart of man but by Christ when the Experience of the whole World confutes him for whatever becomes of his new Theories both Jews and Heathens who understand nothing at all what Christ was to do in order to our recovery did believe God gracious and merciful to sinners The Jews knew God to be gracious and merciful Answer very true but through the promised Messiah whom the Believers among them saw slain
in every Sacrifice or else which is hard to believe they knew not the meaning of that Service or did it not in Faith The Gentiles as I conceive had some Glimmerings of pardoning Mercy in his Patience towards them sparing Mercy being an hint of pardoning but this Patience was founded on the Sacrifice of Christ though unknown to them God upon the Fall of Angels made a short work and immediately cast them down into Chains and that he did not so with Men is only owing to the Sacrifice of Christ As for the Dr. I suppose as to the Jews he will fully concurr with me and as to the Gentiles I must concurr with him for he saith pag. 91. That pardoning Mercy which is reveiled in the Gospel shines not with one Ray out of Christ the Mercy in the Gospel expresly relates to the Satisfaction of Christ and as such they knew it not though that Patience which gave some glimpse of it was founded on that Satisfaction The Doctor tells us Mr. Sherlock That in Christ God hath manifested the Naturalness of his Justice in punishing Sin in that it was impossible that it should be diverted from sinners without the interposing of a Propitiation that is God is so just that he cannot pardon without Satisfaction Now this is such a Notion of Justice as is perfectly new which neither Scripture nor Nature acquaints us with Perfectly new Answer how so How many grave Divines and worthy Champions against the Socinians have affirmed That God such is his infinite Sanctity and Righteousness cannot pardon sin without a Recompence or Satisfaction And how strongly have they urged it out of Scripture and Reason In Scripture God is set forth as a Righteous God a Judge of the World who will do right one who cannot look upon iniquity who will by no means clear the guily his punishing sin is attributed not meerly to his Will or Decree but to his just Nature Thus the terrible Tempest comes down upon the wicked because the righteous Lord loveth righteousness Psal 11.6 7. Thus the vials of wrath are poured out because God is righteousness Revel 16.5 In God an hatred of Sin is as essential as a love of Holiness and in this hatred is tacitly included a velle punire as some Divines speak and upon that account sin cannot go unpunished The Subjection of a Rational Creature to its Creator is indispensable and this Dependence so far as it is broken off by sin must be salved up by punishment Should God punish meerly from his Will then it seems Sin or no Sin is all one to him God is in his own Nature no more moved with Impieties and hellish Blasphemies than if there were none the punishing them or absolving them is but an indifferent thing Socinus upon that Text absolvendo non absolvet saith That God as propense as he is to mercy and forgiveness absolves no rebels and impenitent persons remaining in that estate Yet if he might pardon without a Satisfaction might he not do it without Repentance also The very Pagans knew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the just judgment of God or that he would punish sin and this not from the reveiled Will of God but from the natural Principles and Sculptures graven in their hearts which shews that the punishment is not meerly from God's Will If Sin could have been pardoned without Satisfaction why was the only beloved Son of God made a Curse Why did he fear and tremble and bow and sweat and pray and die upon a Cross as the Dr. pathetically expresses his Passion It seems all this might have been spared But saith the Author All Mankind hath accounted it an act of goodness to remit injuries without exacting punishment and he is so far from being just that he is cruel and savage who will remit no offence till he hath satisfied his revenge That part of Justice which consists in punishing offenders was always look'd on as an instrument of Government and therefore the exacting or remitting punishment was referred to the wisdom of Governours who might spare or punish as they saw reason for it Unto which I answer The Comparison between God and Man holds not in all things A Man may renounce his Dominion over his Servant but God cannot renounce his Dominion over his Creature that whilest a Creature must be subject unto him A man saith the Author is cruel who will remit no offence till he hath satisfied his revenge But I hope God is not so who never did hath or will remit any the least offence without satisfaction a man may remit a private offence without it but may a Magistrate remit a publick one in all cases No surely sometimes Justice and the Common Good calls for punishment Deus non vult ut Princeps scelerato Legum publicarum violatori poenam commeritam remittat saith the Learned Camero God is here considered as a Magistrate as the great Judge of the World and that he cannot remit without satisfaction is not out of Impotence or Cruelty but because of the supreme Perfection of his Justice and Sanctity After the terrible discovery of the Naturalness of God's Justice Mr. Sherlock the Doctor makes some amends for it for now in Christ the Nature of God is discovered to be love and kindness a happy change this from all Justice to all Love But how comes this to pass why the account is very plain because the Justice of God hath glutted it self with revenge on sin in the Death of Christ And a little after God is Love and Patience when he hath taken his fill of revenge as others use to say that the Devil is very good when he is pleased What! Answer doth God glut himself with Revenge or is he as the Devil good when he is pleased I tremble at the Expressions and verily believe that the Dr. would have laid down his neck upon the Block before he would have uttered them Revenge or Vengeance in God is nothing but pure immaculate Justice Glutting with Revenge is an Expression fit for malicious Men or for Devils rather but not at all for God God out of Christ is a consuming Fire but in Christ a gracious Father reconconciling the World unto himself Not that there is a change in the unchangeable One but according to his wise and gracious Decree his Justice was satisfied in Christ and through that Satisfaction his Love and Kindness sweetly stream out to Men He that dares deny this must forfeit his Christianity But if the Dr. did not utter these horrid words may any such thing be drawn from him by consequence This the Author would hint for saith he The Dr. speaks very honourably of God Whatever saith the Dr. discoveries were made of the Patience and Lenity of God unto us yet if it were not withal reveiled that the other Properties of God as his Justice and Revenge for sin had their actings assigned them to the full there could be little Consilation
discharge our load and cast it upon Christ and having brought our Souls to Christ we must commit them to his charge if they perish it will be his fault Thus St. Paul did 2 Tim. 1.12 And now we must hide our selves in Christ as the Dove in the rock Cant. 2.14 Christ's Wounds are the clefts of the rock where the believing Soul hides it self But this is not enough yet we must put on Christ Rom. 13.14 that is his Righteousness which is a most beautiful Robe to cover our nakedness if we would get the blessing we must go to God as Jacob did in the Robes of our elder Brother though this resemblance doth not very well please me For though Jacob was a good man yet this looks like a cunning trick to rob his elder Brother and cheat his blind Father and men must not think that God is thus to be imposed upon when we are united to Christ and made one with him all is ours as the Apostle tells us And now what better proof can you desire for all this if you will be contented with express words No man would have dream'd of such Interpretations of Scripture who had not been prepossest with the mysterious Notion of a fanciful Vnion to Christ and Application of Christ to us for here is no other proof of this but words and phrases separated from the body of the Text and the design of the Discourse and like straglers picked up and listed into the service of their Hypothesis The whole mystery of this and a great deal more stuff of this nature consists in wresting Metaphorical expressions to a proper sence When the Scripture describes the Profession of Christianity a sincere Belief and Obedience to the Gospel by having of Christ being in him coming to him and receiving of him these men expound these phrases to a proper natural sence to signifie I know not what unintelligible Vnion and closure of the Soul with him I never yet took any pleasure in Drollery Answer and least of all when it sports it self with Scripture which is sacred all over to the lowest Hem and Fringe of Metaphors Methinks no man can play with these but he will meet with some stops or Remora's in Conscience the tragical Stories of Theopompus and Theodectes mentioned by Josephus might serve for retractives or the Reverence of Scripture might fly in the face as the Fringe did in that Jew 's who was addressing himself to his forbidden pleasure I conceive Faith which is the Instrument of Union with Christ is not luckily but purposely and in wisdom called Coming It being as our Church tells us 1. Hom. of Faith the first coming unto God whereby we be justified And in another place 2. Hom. of the Passion The only mean and instrument of Salvation required of our parts The divine Spirit did not plant those Metaphors in Scripture as so many Flowers in a Garden in vain or to no purpose but to set and shadow forth in lively colours that excellent Grace of Faith which doth in so admirable a way unite to Christ as if it had all Motions postures and Sensations spiritually in it self to take in Christ with his incomparable Benefits into the Soul Christ is the Center of Rest rich Treasure infinite Beauty sure Foundation Rock of Salvation heavenly Covering and the very Food and Life of Souls and Faith is coming receiving embracing leaning hiding putting on and feeding on him denoting thus much to us That Faith is as I may say the commune Sensorium or common Capacity which takes in Christ and his excellent Benefits in an appropriative way into the Soul The Author indeed thinks this Union and Application of Christ to be but a Fancy but it is such an one as without which his Blood and Merits are like to avail us little or nothing as I before noted St. Austin upon that Text of receiving Christ Joh. 1.12 saith Tract in Joh. Et nos illum possideamus ipse nos possideat ille nos possideat sicut Dominus nos illum possideamus sicut salutem Gregory Nyssen as I find him quoted by Gerard saith Nos fide Christum recipere ut intra conclave nostrum quod cor nostrum est perveniat St. Chrysostome on that Text Rom. 13.14 would have us put on nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be compassed round about with Christ he would have Christ to dwell in us and to be a garment about us that he may be all to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 within and without and a little after he tells us That he is the Root Food Life the Foundation Corner-stone and what not to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every way conjoyning and conglutinating us to himself That of going to God in the Robes of our elder Brother which pleases not the Author not every way suiting as indeed no Resemblance doth was hinted by no less man than St. Ambrose who saith Et odoratus est odorem vestimentorum fortasse istud est quia non operibus justificamur sed fide And for the necessity of this Application our Church hath laid it down in terminis As it profiteth a man nothing to have Salve 2. Hom. of the Passion unless it be applied to the part infected so the Death of Christ shall stand us in no force unless we apply it to our selves in such sort as God hath appointed Almighty God worketh by means and in this thing he hath ordained a certain mean what mean is that forsooth it is Faith And in another place 1. Hom. of the Sacrament our Church would have us come to the Lord's Supper not as specially regarding the terrene and earthly Creatures but always holding fast and cleaving by Faith to the Rock whence we may suck the sweetness of everlasting Salvation However the Author to whom all these are Fancies understands by such Metaphors believing and obeying the Gospel Believing the Gospel is but a dogmatical Faith not entitling us to Christ or Salvation if that be all which is meant the Glory and divine Emphasis of those Metaphors is lost and the Texts themselves must wither in a very cold and jejune Sence And for Obedience that follows after Union and as our Church tells us in the 12. Article is a fruit of Faith Thus when they talk of our spiritual impotency and inability to do any good thing Mr. Sherlock they prove it wonderfully from our being dead in trespasses and sins therefore as a dead man can contribute nothing to his own Resurrection no more can we towards our Conversion Which is true of Natural death but will be hard to prove of a Moral death which consists in the prevalency of vicious habits contracted by long custom which was the case of the Heathen whom the Apostle there speaks of which do enslave the Will that it is very difficult though not impossible for such persons to return to the love and practice of Virtue Every man
visible Church is external and our union to Christ internal and spititual our excision from the Church is one thing and our separation from Christ another a man may be united to the visible Church and yet not really united to Christ for so is the hypocrite a man may be cut off from the visible Church and yet not cut off from Christ for so is the unjustly excommunicate Mr. Sherlock The union between Christ and the Church is not a natural but a political union Christ is a King and all Christians his Subjects and our union to Christ consists in our belief of his Revelations Obedience to his Laws and subjection to his Authority If you continue in my words then are ye my Disciples indeed John 8.31 Which is the same thing with being in Christ And by keeping his Commandments we abide in his love John 15.10 and 14.21 And to have his word abide in us Is a description of the closest and fir mest union to him John 15.7 Thus Christ is a Shepherd and Christians his Sheep To signifie the Authority he hath over his Church Shepherd is used as a name of power thus Christ is a head and the Church his body a Husband and the Church his Spouse which are names of power Eph. 5.23 Christ is called an Head an Husband because he hath the Rule and Government of us Head is a name for Princes and Governours Deut. 28.13 The Apostles alwayes expound the Metaphor of Christs being a head by power Eph. 1.20.21 Col. 1.18 So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place signifies one that hath Authority Christ is the head of all principalities Col. 10. He is an head and husband because he is invested with authority to govern the Church is the body and Spouse because it must obey also these Metaphors signifie the mildness and gentleness of his Government as a good Shepherd he lays down his life for his Sheep John 10. He loves his Church with the natural kindness of an head and husband his Government is only for the good of his Church and therefore his yoke is easie he gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie it Eph. 5.25 26. Upon which account we may be called members of his body of his flesh and bone verse 30. The Church being taken out of his crucified body as woman out of man Christ hath reconciled the Gentiles that is taken them into his Church in the body of his flesh through death because the Covenant which was the foundation of the Church was sealed with his blood Christ owns himself our friend John 15. Ye are my friends if ye do what I command you which shews the tenderness of his Government He exercises his authority in methods of Love hence he is called a Father Our union to Christ Answer consists in a belief of his Revelations Obedience to his Laws and Subjection to his Authority Thus the Author To whom I answer A belief of Revelations is only a dogmatical faith which is found in many not united to Christ Obedience is not our mystical union to Christ but a fruit of it Christ and the Soul being once espoused out-comes a blessed progeny of good works as so many reall proofs of that Divine conjunction which is made by the Spirit and Faith and shews forth it self in such effects as the dead womb of nature could never have produced Subjection to Christ's Authority is either a formal actual one standing in doing his commands and that is the same with Obedience a fruit of our union to Christ or a virtual one consisting in accepting Christ as our Lord and this is part of that Faith which is a bond of that Union Those words If ye continue in my words then are ye my Disciples indeed John 8.31 Were spoken to Believers to men in union with Christ to exhort them to perseverance as a reall proof of their Discipleship and Union to Christ If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love John 15.10 They were in his love before Verse 9. But Obedience will shew it forth Thus St. Austin on the place Ostendit non unde dilectio generetur sed unde monstretur hinc apparebit quod in dilectione meâ manebitis si precepta mea servaveritis Christs promise to the Obedieut is That he will love him and manifest himself to him Joh. 14.21 Christ loved him before but now he will manifest it Thus St. Austin on the place Quid est diligam tanquam dilecturus sit nunc non diligat Absit diligam manifestabo id est ad hoc diligam ut manifestem Our abiding in Christ and Christ's words abiding in us are very well joyned together Joh. 15.7 To shew us that where the Soul and Christ are in union there the holy words will have a mansion in the heart Christ is a King a Shepherd an Head an Husband and all in a superlative transcendency above all others in those relations He is a King who hath his Laws without us and an inward Scepter in our hearts making the unwilling will to become a willing one in the day of his power A Shepherd who speaks to his Sheep nay and brings them into the Fold John 10.16 who before were not in it A Head who stands above all in eminency and influences spiritual life and motion into the lowest meanest Believer on the earth An Husband who espouses us unto himself and invests us with a rich Dowry out of his incomparable Graces and Perfections The Church was taken out of the crucified body of Christ But that place We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5.30 plainly declares the mystical union as man and wife are one flesh so Christ and Christians are one spirit One thing more may be observed Christ saith the Author hath reconciled the Gentiles that is taken them into his Church in the body of his flesh through death Col. 1.21.22 This is a little strange reconciled that is taken them into his Church Socinus on this place De Servat pars 1. cap. 8. saith That the reconciliation here is Omnium rerum non cum Deo sed secum ipsis per Christum parta concordia And a little after Vniversi tà m Gentes quà m Judaei unus Dei populus sunt facti But I hope our Author doth not exclude reconciliation to God Christ doth not govern us immediately by himself Mr. Sherlock for he is ascended up into Heaven where he powerfully intercedes for his Church and by a vigilant providence superintends all the affairs of it but hath left the visible and external conduct and Government of his Church to Bishops and Pastors who preside in his name and by his authority He governs his Church by men who are invested with his authority which is a plain demonstration that the union of particular Christians to Christ is by their union with the Christian Church which consists in their regular subjection to
collectio sed fideles singuli rectè appellantur Templum quia in ipsorum mentibus Spiritus Dei habitat Mr. Sherlock Eaptism and the Lords Supper represent and signifie both our external and real union to Christ Baptism doth signifie to all baptized an admission into the Church Visible Answer and to Believers it seals the Mystical Union with Christ Thus the Apostle speaking of Believers such as are the children of God by faith in Christ Gal. 3.26 saith As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ you are mystically united to Christ and Baptism seals up that Union to you The Lord's Supper doth import to all receivers a Communion with the Visible Church and to Believers it seals the Mystical Union hence the cup is the Communion of Christs blood and the bread is the Communion of Christ's body 1 Cor. 10.16 The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and why was it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St. Chrysostome upon the words answers Because the Apostle would shew something more even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great Conjunction with Christ Baptism signifies our profession of becoming new men Mr. Sherlock of Conformity to Christ in his Death and Resurrection We are buried with Christ by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life Rom. 6.4 Baptism signifies our dying to sin and walking in newness of life He that is baptized into Christ hath put on Christ Gal. 3.27 that is hath engaged himself to be conformed to Christ's image and likeness Baptism signifies our profession of Conformity to Christ very well Answer But first of all it signifies our Union to him without which there can be no participation of his Death and Resurrection nor conformity thereunto In that place Gal. 3. putting on of Christ imports an Union with him and in that Rom 6. after that discourse of Conformity to Christ's Death and Resurrection the Apostle immediately raises up himself to the Fountain of that Conformity and tells us that we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implanted in the likeness of his death and resurrection ver 5. Aptissimâ translatione arctissimam illam nostri cum ipsa Christi substantiâ conjunctionem vivificam illam virtutem inde in nos manantem expressit saith Beza on the place The Apostle by that Metaphor of a Plant expresses our intimate Conjunction with the very Substance of Christ and the quickning virtue flowing from thence unto us to assimilate us to his Death and Resurrection Thus the Lord's Supper is a spiritual feeding on Christ Mr. Sherlock eating his flesh and drinking his blood which signifies the most intimate Vnion with him that we are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone Eph. 5.30 That as we are redeemed by his death and so taken out of his crucified Body so by this spiritual feeding on Christ we are transformed into the same Nature with him as much as if we were of his flesh and bones This is eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Christ when the visible figures of his death and sufferings affect our minds with such a strong and passionate sense of his love to us and excite in us such a firm hope in God as transforms us into a divine Nature And this is our real Vnion to Christ In the Lord's Supper all true Believers feed upon Christ Answer Those words of our Saviour He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Immanuel 52. Joh. 6.56 declare as the most Reverend Vsher hath it That by a mystical and supernatural Vnion we are as truly conjoyned with him as the meat and drink we take is with us And what this Mystical Union is the same Author tells us That it is made by the Spirit and Faith But saith our Author This spiritual feeding on Christ is when we are transformed into the divine Nature But I take it that transformation cannot possibly exist without a Mystical Union to Christ who is the great Treasury of Grace nor without the Spirit and Faith which are the bonds of that Union Therefore our Saviour tells us He that eateth me shall live by me Joh. 6.57 Spiritual Life follows after eating or Union to Christ No man saith the Reverend Vsher can participate in the benefits of Christ Serm. before the Commons 1620. except he first have comunion with Christ himself We must have the Son before we have Life and eat him we must that is as truly be made partakers of him as of our food if we will live by him The Apostle tells us how the divine Transformation comes Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord we are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 The heavenly Change is from the two bands of the Mystical Union that is from the Spirit which is called the Spirit of the Lord and from Faith which is set forth by a transformative View of Christ Excellent is that of Calvin and by him quoted out of St. Chrysostome Inst l. 4. c. 17. Vinculum istius conjunctionis est Spiritus Christi cujus nexu copulamur Et quidem veluti canalis per quem quicquid Christus ipse est habet ad nos derivatur The Spirit of Christ is the Bond of Vnion between Christ and us and the Chanel of derivation whereby Christ and all that he hath is conveyed to us 1 Joh. 1.3 Mr. Sherlock That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that you may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ Observe that our fellowship with the Father and Son is first founded on our fellowship with the Christian Church 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithful by whom ye are called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord where the fellowship of Christ can signifie no more than the fellowship of the Christian Church whereof Christ is Lord and Head and therefore the Apostle adds in the next Verse Now I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all speak the same thing that there be no divisions or schisms among you but that you be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment Where he argues from the nature of their Faith in Christ to the Obligations of Peace and Vnity which plainly evinces that this fellowiship with Christ is that relation we stand in to him as Members of the Christian Church whereof he is Head The true Notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is plain 2 Cor. 6.14 where the Apostle disswades from fellowship with heathen Idolaters where we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all which Expressions decypher to us the Nature and Foundation of Fellowship The
mercy enough in him and in very deed this is a comfort for sinners too high and sacred to be entertained with any other laugh than that of the joy of Faith But what now if the Divine Nature it self have not such an endless Mr. Sherlock boundless bottomless Grace At other times the Dr. tells us of the Naturalness of Vindictive Justice Though God be rich in Mercy he never told us yet that his Mercy was so boundless and bottomless He hath given a great many demonstrations of the severity of his Anger against sinners who could not be much worse than the greatest oldest stubbornest Transgressors But supposing the Divine Nature were such a bottomless Fountain of Grace how comes this to be a personal Grace of the Mediator For a Mediator as Mediator ought not to be considered as the Fountain but as the Minister of Grace God the Father ought to come in for a share at least in being the Fountain of Grace though the Dr. is pleased to take no notice of him But how excellent is the Grace of Christs Person above the Grace of the Gospel for that is a bounded limited thing it is a strait gate and narrow way that leadeth unto life there is no such boundless Mercy as all the sins in the world cannot equal its dimensions as will save the greatest oldest stubbornest Transgressors Smalcius denies God's Mercy to be infinite and immense Answer and the Author seems to hint some such thing But Christ is God and in his Divine Nature there can be no finite Attribute and what if Divine Justice be natural and infinite too Infinite Justice and Infinite Mercy may stand very well together or what if Divine Justice break out against sinners yet is Divine Mercy infinite for all that nay what if Divine Mercy had shewed it self in gracious Effects to no one man in the World yet still would it have been infinite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the divine Essence And what if the Author will not call this a personal Grace in the Mediator It is doubtless a Grace in the Person of the Mediator and what if Christ as Mediator be God's Servant yet is he really God and a Fountain of Grace and that without the least exclusion of his Father being such The Son made and upholds all things and yet I hope the Father did and doth the same and what if in the Gospel the Gate be strait and Way narrow yet the Grace is never the less infinite because it is dispensed in a way decorous to the Holiness of God infinite Grace stands open to the greatest Sinners and yet none shall partake of it but upon the holy Terms of the Gospel Thus the Love of Christ is an Eternal Love Mr. Sherlock because his Divine Nature is Eternal an unchangeable Love because his Nature is so a fruitful Love producing all things which he willeth to his beloved he loves Life Grace Holiness into us he loves us into Covenant loves us into Heaven This is an excellent Love indeed which doth all for us and leaves nothing for us to do we owe this discovery to an Acquvintance with Christ's Person or rather with his Divine Nature for the Gospel is very silent in this matter all that the Gospel tells us is that Christ loved Sinners so as to die for them and that he loves good men who believe and obey his Gospel so as to save them and that he continues to love them while they continue to be good but hates them when they return to their old Vices And therefore sinners have reason to fetch their comforts not from the Gospel but from the Person of Christ which as far excels the Gospel as the Gospel excels the Law The Dr. discourses of the Love of Christ as he is God Answer There is in God Amor Complacentiae a Love of Complacence whereby he delights in good men but is there not Amor Benevolentiae too a gracious purpose of bestowing good things on us All the good things Temporal in the World and Spiritual in the Church know no other Spring or Origen than this our Repentance Faith Grace Holiness unless we will blaspheme the great Donor and deny them to be Gifts are so many pregnant proofs of it Hence the Apostle tells us That God worketh in us to will and to do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 And is not this Love or gracious Purpose an Eternal one It can be no other all the divine Decrees are so His Works are in Time but his Decrees in the same Eternity with himself as being no other than Deus Volens Should his Decrees be made in time the Divine Will though it ever had an infinite Reason and Wisdom standing by it must yet hang in suspence and float in uncertainties touching things to come till its own Creature Time came forth into Being and then upon passing those Decrees a new Generation of Futures must start up which were never before and withal a new Prescience in God to look upon those novel Objects both which are impossible But this is a Love which doth all for us and leaves nothing for us to do Thus the Author Vsser de Cottesch The Semipelagians to blast the Doctrine of St. Austin touching God's Free Grace formed out of their own Brain a Story of the Praedestinatiani an odious Sect which as was pretended held such a Notion as rendred an holy Life altogether unnecessary But why the Author should charge the Dr. with any such thing I know not he never said or thought any such thing nay he hath again and again urged the Necessity of Obedience Neither do I see how there can be a more unnatural Consequence framed than this Christ loved us and therefore we need do nothing our selves Our Love to Christ is an excellent Principle of Obedience to him and to set it a working his Love to us is a divine Inflammative to ours But saith the Author All that the Gospel tells us is That Christ loved Sinners so as to die for them and that he loves good men who believe and obey the Gospel But sure this is not all Christ in his Love doth something to the Quickning and Conversion of men and something to the sanctifying and establishing of them This Last I suppose the Author allows not for he tells us That he loves them while they continue good and hates them when they return to their old vices But this is much after the rate of the Remonstrants who tell us That as soon as men believe there is a kind of incomplete Election such as rises and falls with their Faith and when they arrive at the full point of Perseverance it becomes complete and peremptory The Divine Will according to them must be successive and make its progress from an incomplete Election to a complete one and in its passage to that Completure it must all the way vary and turn about to every point
blameless ver 5 6. But then after all he casts away all this Jewish and Pharisaical glory What things were gain to me those I have counted loss for Christ ver 7. he would not be justified by any of those things but doth he go no further Doth he only exclude his external Pharisaical Righteousness No surely his discourse goes on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ vers 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are Particles of amplification as if the Apostle had said Nay more than that even now do I count all things loss In the 7. Verse he casts off his Jewish and Pharisaical gains but in the 8. he puts by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things his inherent Graces not being admitted to be the Matter of our Justification In the 7. Vers we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in tempore praeterito I have counted but in the 8. we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in praesenti now I do count all things loss Hence the excellent Beza saith Notandum praesens tempus sic enim crescit oratio ut jam Apostolus quod ad justificationem coram Deo attinet omnia opera excludat tum praecedentia tum etiam consequentia fidem Exam. ' de Justif pag. 135. And Learned Chemnicius saith Paulum non tantùm uti praeterito tempore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de operibus praecedentibus conversionem sed praesenti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut ostendai quòd operibus suis etiam post renovationem fact is non tribuat Justificationem coram Deo Even our inherent Graces how precious soever they be in Sanctification must not assume the Royal seat of Christ and his Righteousness they must not be our very Righteousness in Justification Bellarmine indeed here cries out Quanta quaeso blasphemia est How great is this blasphemy to call good works done out of the Faith and Grace of Christ no better than dung But Paraeus answers him very well That they are not so called absolutely in themselves but comparatively to the Righteousness of Christ nefas enim ducit in ullis operibus fiduciam Justificationis ponere coram Deo In the Matter of Justification the whole Church calls her Righteousness a filthy Rag St. Paul will not there own his own inherent Graces no more than holy Job would know his own Soul But this is yet more clear ver 9. The Apostle would be found in Christ not having his own Righteousness which is of the Law he excludes his own Righteousness that is his inherent Graces in the point of Justification I say his inherent Graces for he had before shut out his external Pharisaical Righteousness ver 7. and his after-speech being not a Battology or vain repetition but progressive or expressive of more than went before he doth in the 9. Verse put by his inherent Graces under the name of his own Righteousness and which further confirms this Sence inherent Graces are in Scripture said to be our own Hence we find my faith and thy faith Jam. 2.18 and our Saviour saith Except your righteousness shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of heaven Matth. 5.20 See here a Righteousness and that exceeding a Pharisaical one called theirs The Apostle excludes the righteousness which is of the Law In the 7. Verse he had shut out the Righteousness of the Law taken in the Pharisaical sence but in the 9. Verse he goes on and puts by the Righteousness of the Law taken in its own spiritual Nature the Righteousness which the Law in its holy Commands prescribes and surely the Law calls for internal Holiness as well as external Conformity In another place the Apostle tells us That by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified Gal. 2.16 No flesh not the holiest Saint on earth whose Righteousness is as much above the Pharisees as Life is above pictures and shadows shall be justified by his own Righteousness or conformity to the Law But if the Apostle would not have his own Righteousness which is of the Law in Justification what would he have He would have the righteousness which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith He doth not say a Righteousness which is Faith or other Graces but a righteousness which is through the faith of Christ a righteousness which is of God by faith Now inherent Graces are never in Scripture called the Righteousness of God The righteousness of God is upon those that believe Rom. 3.22 not in them as inherent Graces are The righteousness of God is in Christ 2 Cor. 5.21 not in our selves as our Graces are The righteousness of God is one and the same with the righteousness of Christ 2 Pet. 1.1 not the same with our Graces The Apostle therefore would have the righteousness which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith that is the perfect Righteousness of Christ which Faith receives and God accepts on our behalf By these things it appears that the Apostle in this place doth not only exclude external Pharisaical Righteousness but even inherent Graces in the matter of Justification There is a double Antithesis in the words Mr. Sherlock the righteousness of the Law is opposed to the righteousness which is by the faith of Christ and my own righteousness to the righteousness of God Now the surest way to understand the meaning of this is to consider how these phrases are used in Scripture The righteousness of the Law as you have already heard is an external Righteousness which consists in washings and purifications and sacrifices or an external conformity to the Moral Law The righteousness which is by the faith of Christ is an internal Righteousness which consists in the renovation of our Minds and Spirits in the government of our thoughts and passions which is therefore called being born again becoming new creatures rising with Christ putting off the old man and putting on the new which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness That Righteousness which God requires of us under the Gospel must be an inward Principle of Love and Obedience which transforms us into the image of God as if we were born again or made new creatures The reason why Godsent Christ into the world to die as a Sacrifice for our sins and to confirm and seal the new Covenant with his Blood was that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom 8.3 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Chrysostome expounds it that which the Law was designed to work in them but was found too weak to effect it by reason of the greater power of sin that is the inward holiness and purity of mind which was represented and signified by
such men can be supposed to relapse into a sinful state God will cease to love them therefore they found the immutability of Gods Love to them on their perseverance in doing good God loves all good men but if they cease to be good he also must cease to love Herein the immutability of Gods Love consists not that he always loves the same person but that he always loves for the same reason For it is no perfection to be so fixt in our kindness that where we love once we will always love whatever reason there may be to alter our affections for by this means we may love undeserving Objects which is the greatest degeneracy of Love but the perfection of Love consists in loving deserving Objects and in loving upon honourable reasons and the immutability of Love consists in loving always for the same reasons which is the only foundation of a virtuous immutability The reason of Christs Love to any person is Holiness and Obedience If any love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our abode with him Joh. 14.23 The unchangeableness of his Love is seen in this that he will continue to love while we continue to obey him If ye shall keep my Commandments that is continue to do so Ye shall abide in my Love I will continue to love you As I have kept my Fathers Commandments and abide in his Love Joh. 15.20 This is the immutability of the Divine Nature that God always acts upon steddy constant Principles that whatever changes there are in the World which may occasion very different administrations in his providence yet he is the same still and never changes Whereas should God always love the same person however he changed and altered God must change and alter too because though he still loves the same person yet he must love for different or contrary reasons or for none at all and that is the much greater change of the two to alter the reason than the Object of Love If God love a good man because he is good and continue to love him when he is wicked his love is a mutable thing which can love goodness or wickedness which can love for none or for contrary reasons But if God always loves true goodness and good men and never loves any other whatever change there be in Creatures God is the same still and unchangeable in his Love The Author admits an immutable Love in God towards goodness Answer but the Scripture asserts an immutable Love in God towards persons He hath chosen us before the foundation of the world Eph. 1.4 Electing Love is eternal and therefore immutable Non enim est vera aeternitas ubi orttur nova voluntas nec est immortalis voluntas quae alia et alia est An eternal choice must be ever the same and after one there cannot rise another The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his 2 Tim. 2.19 Election which is the foundation is sure and Gods fore-knowledge which includes invariable Love in it is the seal of it The Book of Life hath all the names of the Elect written in it and Gods Love is the Seal that confirms it whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Rom. 8.30 This Golden Chain of Grace comprises in it certain individual persons as the words whom and them which fasten every link of it doth evidently import and that which holds all the links of it together is immutable Love Nay besides Scripture evidence reason will evince this immutable Love of the Elect without this there can be no design of a Church and without the design of a Church Christs blood must needs be shed irrationally or upon a meer peradventure I say without this there can be no design of a Church for the design of a Church must comprise in it those individual persons which shall make up a Church and undertake that they shall infallibly believe and persevere till they come to Heaven it must first comprise in it those individual persons which shall make up a Church or else it is lame and imperfect unworthy of the Divine Wisdom and Perfection running much after this rate as if God should say I design a Church but I care not of whom it consists which is much one as if God should design an Heaven and not what Stars should be in it or an Earth and not what Plants should be there All the members in mans body are written in Gods book Psal 139.16 And can any man imagine that those who should make up the Mystical Body of Christ as so many Members thereof are not certainly designed God calleth them by name Joh. 10.3 Your names are all down in the Book of Life Phil. 4.3 To design a Church and not who is too weak a thing for the all-wise Deity Again the design of a Church must undertake that those individual persons shall believe and persevere unless this be granted the design of a Church must be framed thus God gives a Saviour and a Gospel in common and over and above a power to men to believe and persevere and so though the issue hang upon mans will hopes for a Church But in Truth this is not to design a Church but the possibility of one there may be one as it may happen and there may be none And is this like that Divine Providence which is perfect in all things and especially in the great design of a Church Nay is it probable upon these terms that any should believe and persevere Innocent Adam and yet alas how soon was that Star shot was more likely to stand in his integrity than any man since upon those terms hath been to believe and persevere The disparity clears it The Divine principles in Adam sweetly inclined him to obedience But the power of believing in men doth not incline but only put the will in aequilibrio The Divine Principles in Adam were pure and without mixture But the power of believing hath in the same heart where it dwells an inmate of corruption which continually counter-works it In innocency the temptation stood without a courting the senses But after the Fall it makes nearer approaches as having a party within ready to open and betray every faculty These things considered methinks every one who with humble eyes looks on that glass of Creature defectibility which was made out of the broken pieces of fallen Adam should conclude it very improbable that any one in all the World upon those terms should believe and persevere it being no less than a proud thought for any to imagine that upon such great disparities he could act his part better than Adam did And is it reasonable that God should found the design of a Church upon such improbabilities The first Covenant in which the stock of Grace
was in mans own hand and the stress of all lay upon his will miscarried and brought forth no happiness to man and can we imagine that the All-wise God who made the second Covenant as a secunda tabulae to repair the ruines of the first should frame it in that very same way in which the first miscarried May the stock be in mans hand again and his Bankrupt will trustee a second time Will God hang up all upon a meer posse in the Creature and expect it may do better in lapsed than innocent man Alas what miserable specimens hath Free-will given of it self in fallen Man The old World left to their own Free-will though I suppose according to the Author not without a posse all but one Noah desperately corrupted themselves till the Flood swept them away And for that one Noah it is not probable or indeed imaginable that he had he been left to himself only with the common Grace afforded to the rest should have done better than they nay it is a World against one man that he would have corrupted himself as they did After the flood and that was a startling warning-piece hath free Will with the common Grace done better All Nations have walked in their own ways that is in wayes of wickedness affording us a vast experiment in millions of men that free Will left to it self will miscarry and come to nought and withal a pregnant proof that nothing less than special effectual Grace could secure a Church or so much as a single Noah unto God These things being so I conclude that the design of a Church doth not only give a power to believe and persevere but Faith and Perseverance to those individual persons which make up a Church Hence our Saviour tells us that all that the Father giveth him shall come to him Joh. 6.37 that is shall believe and make up his mystical Body and withal that it was his Fathers will that none of them should be lost vers 39. that is that they should persevere unto the end Now after all this discourse if there be such a design of a Church that comprises in it those individual persons which shall make up a Church and secures Faith and Perseverance unto them then the love of God towards them can be no less than immutable pitching upon them in election and carrying of them through Faith and perseverance unto glory Having said thus much to establish the point I now shall attend the Authors objections first he tells us That sin it self cannot separate us from this immutable Love Very well I acknowledge it that immutable Love which gives Faith and Perseverance to his People preserves them so that sin any other than unavoida-infirmity shall not be at all or if it be shall not finally be in them They shall not sin such sins or if they do the divine Grace shall raise them up by Repentance They are as Dr. Owen hath it preserved from such sins for which a remedy is not provided in the Covenant of Grace that is not only as the Author glosses from the sin against the Holy Ghost but from final Impenitency too which is not remedied in the Covenant of Grace If they sin they shall not lie in it by final Apostacy Impenitency consequently they shall never fall under such threatnings against Backsliders and Apostates as that mentioned Ezek. 18. and in other Scriptures and what Antinomianism there is in this I know not neither can I see how that Love which preserves from final Impenitency should want Wisdom or Holiness The Author goes on Many wise learned men there are who contend for Perseverance but they found Gods immutable Love on their Perseverance To which I answer I know no such They who are for Perseverance do not found Gods immutable love on perseverance but perseverance on Gods immutable love which causeth the same Thus Fulgentius Deus Praedestinationè suâ donū Illuminationis ad credendum donū Perseverantiae ad permanendū donū Glorificationis ad regnandū quibus dare voluit praeparavit nec aliter perficit in opere quà m in sua sempiterna incommutabili voluntate habet dispositū Faith Perseverance Glory all are the effluxes of immutable Love But the Author further tells us That the Immutability of Gods love consists in this not that he always loves the same person but that he always loves for same reason he always loves true goodness and good men and never loves any other and so is unchangeable To which I answer God loves good men with a Love of Complacence he cannot love a wicked man with a Love of Complacence but may he not love him with a Love of Benevolence Then he cannot design the least good to any fallen Man in the World all being by Nature wicked and children of wrath If God love good men and never loved any other then he could not design to lapsed corrupt Man a Christ or a Gospel or any the least means of Salvation Goodness the only reason of Love being gone by the Fall nothing that is good can be intended to man This as the Author tells us would be the degeneracy of Love to love an undeserving object every man by Nature is no better It is saith the Author the greatest change of all to alter the reason of Love and therefore according to this Principle God as he would be a Self-preserver and not suffer a Change in himself having loved innocent Man was bound not to love fallen Man not to give him a Christ or a Gospel or any good thing But rather than run our selves into such Consequences I think we were as good say God's Love of Complacence is towards good men but his Love of Benevolence is towards men even before they are good and is the fontal Cause of all that after-goodness in them which is the Object of his Complacence As for that place Joh. 14.23 If a man keep my words my Father will love him the meaning is God will manifest himself unto him as it is ver 21 I will love him and will manifest my self unto him If God did not love him before whence came his Obedience It must be an odd independent Self-originated Obedience which came not from the Grace or Love of the great Donor SECT II. SOme men tell us That as Christ falls in love with our Persons Mr Sherlock so we must in requital to him love the Person of Christ This is as certain as any Demonstration in Euclide that if we love Christ we must love his Person for the Person of Christ is Christ himself and if we love Christ we must love him But this will not serve their turn they oppose our love to the Person of Christ to our love to him upon account of his benefits to our love to our selves and to our duties First we must love the Person of Christ in opposition to his Benefits that is we must not consider what advantages we
the Mystical Union let Bishop Davenant say Exp. in Col. Quicquid de obtentâ Gratiâ sanctificatione de obtinendâ vitâ aeternâ homines sperant merum ludibrium insomnium est si non sint in Christo Christus in illis jam verò Christus in nobis nos in illo sumus cùm vinculo Spiritûs Fidei per Spiritum impressae in cordibus nostris unimur huic capiti nostro What in denying Imputed Righteousness the Church of England tells at large in the Homily touching the Salvation of Man I shall quote but one passage Christ is now the Righteousness of all them that truly believe in him he for them paid the Ransom by his Death he for them fulfilled the Law in his Life so that now in him and by him every true Christian man may be called a fulfiller of the Law forasmuch as that which their infirmity lacked Christ's Justice hath supplied Which plainly implies a necessity of Imputed Righteousness What in bringing in internal Holiness into Justification the reverend Hooker saith The Church of Rome in teaching Justification by inherent Grace doth pervert the Truth of Christ There are other things but I leave them to the Reader 's observation in the After-discourse All Religion is founded on a belief of God's Goodness Mr. Sherlock Natural Religion was founded on those natural Evidences of the divine Bounty and Goodness in making and governing the World The Mosaick Religion on those miraculous Deliverances God wrought for Israel and that particular Providence which watched over them The Christian Religion on the Incarnation death and Resurrection of the Son of God The Christian Religion is founded so but dated much sooner than the Incarnation Answer it was in Essence though not in Name under the old Testament all along there hath been but one Faith one Mediator one Name under Heaven one Foundation of Salvation The Gospel was preached to us as well as unto them Heb. 4.2 Through the grace of the Lord Jesus we shall be saved even as they Act. 15.11 They all drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rook was Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 He is that Petra vnde omnes credentes salutem hauriunt as one glosses on those words Salvation streams from him yesterday to day and for ever he that will seek any other Fountain of Life must be saved Platonicè or Catonicè which to say is to depreciate the Christian Religion and render it as cheap as any other He is our Saviour in no other sence than as he is our Mediator Mr. Sherlock and he mediates for us as our Priest that is in vertue of that Covenant which he sealed with his blood He sealed the Covenant with his Blood Answer but did not turn over his Mediatory Office to it he mediates in vertue of his Blood and Merits being not as Socinus would have it a meer Internuncial Mediator but a Redeeming atoning and Reconciling one He ratified the Covenant by his Blood but so that we have redemption through his blood Eph. 1.7 peace through his blood Col. 1.20 and cleansing from sin in his blood 1 Joh. 1.7 Hence as the learned Lubbertus hath observed the Blood of Christ differs from other in a way of transcendent excellency other blood hath been used in confirming Covenants but Christ's confirms the Covenant and besides expiates and purges away sin There is one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.5 and how he mediates the next Verse tells us Who gave himself a ransom for all The blood of Christ purges the Conscience saith the Apostle Heb. 9.14 and then adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that he might purge away our sins What the Author afterwards subjoyns These men trust in the person of Christ without any Promise nay in contradiction to it they quit his Promise and rely and roll upon his Person is utterly denied till proof be made of it The good men opposed are far from believing that they shall have any thing without a Promise neither do they quit his Promise when they rely upon his Person and Blood And yet that Reliance is as I have before shewed a Faith far higher than that dogmatical one which believes the Gospel and is distinct from Obedience When the Author summs up the Terms of the Gospel only in believing and obeying he falls short in omitting that Faith of Recumbency required therein under the Command of Faith which is more than a dogmatical Faith and distinct from Obedience which is the fruit but no part thereof CHAP. III. Sect. 1. WHen God chose Abraham 's Posterity Mr. Sherlock to be his peculiar People he did not design to exclude the rest of the World from his care and Providence and all possible means of Salvation as the Apostle argues in Rom. 3.29 Is he the God of the Jews only is he not also of the Gentiles Yes of the Gentiles also Which Argument if it have any force in it must prove Gods respect to the Gentiles before the preaching of the Gospel as well as since because it is founded on that Natural Relation God owns to all Mankind as their merciful Creator and Governour which gives the Gentiles as well as Jews an Interest in his Care and Providence This plainly evinces that all those particular favours which God bestowed on Israel were not owing to any partial fondness and respect to that People but the Design of all was to encourage the whole World to worship the God of Israel What the Author means by all possible Means of Salvation Answer I know not Surely God could have given as great Means to all other Nations as he did to Israel who was exalted above them all in Laws Revelations Miracles Protections Symbols of the Divine Presence in so signal a manner that the Jews doubt not to say That the seventy Souls that went down with Jacob into Egypt were worth as much as the seventy Nations of the World As for that of the Apostle Rom. 3.29 Is he the God of the Jews only Is he not also of the Gentiles Yes of the Gentiles also The Apostle in the precedent Verse concludes that the only way of Justification is Faith in this he shews that the one way of Justification was open to Gentiles as well as Jews in the next Verse he infers that it is one God who justifies both of them in a way of Faith He speaks not of being the Gentiles God in respect of Care and common Providence but in respect of extending this way of Justification to them upon their coming in to Christ who was that blessed Seed of Abraham in whom all Nations were to be blessed However till the Gospel came to them they sate in darkness and in the shadow of death aliens from Israel strangers from the Covenant without God without Christ without hope seeing no
further than Nature and that desperately corrupted and not knowing whether there were any such thing as Grace or Glory the Center of it As for Israel I wonder that any man should deny Gods special Love to that people What! did he call them his first-born his peculiar treasure the apple of his eye without special Love Did he sever them from other people to be his own Levit. 20.21 chuse them to himself above all people on the earth set his love upon them and that merely because he loved them Deut. 7.6 7 and 8. Verses and all this without special Love Were theirs the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises Rom. 9.4 and all this without special Love He hath not dealt so with any nation saith the Psalmist To call this special Love partial fondness is to me a presumption not unlike that of the old Pelagians who charged a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or unjust Partiality upon Gods special Grace towards his own people upon whom St. Austin made some such tart Returns as these Tolle quod tuum est vade Annon licet mihi quod volo facere Li. 2. ad Bonifac. cap. 7. hic tota justitia est hoc volo O homo tu quis es qui respondeas Deo with a great deal more on God's behalf But saith the Author The end of all those particular favours was that all Nations might worship the God of Israel Suppose so if such particular favours to Israel above all other Nations argue not a special love to Israel what can do it God loves all Creatures as the Schools speak Vno simplici actu Voluntatis And if particular favours do not prove his Love special we must say that he loves Worms as much as Angels and Oxen whom comparatively he cares not for as much as Men upon whom his Love hath been set above all other Creatures Joh. 14.6 7. Jesus saith I am the Way Mr. Sherlock the Truth and the Life no man cometh unto the Father but by me If you had known me you should have known my Father and henceforth you have known him and seen him that is I alone declare the true way to Life and Happiness no man can thoroughly understand the Will of God but by learning of me Whoever knows me whoever is acquainted with the Doctrine and Religion I preach knows my Father also that is is thoroughly instructed in God's Mind and Will Christ is the Way Answer the Truth and the Life how so He declared the true way to Life and happiness Is this the all of it Is he only the Declarer and not the Author of Life Doth he not work it in us by the power of his Spirit and Grace Hath he not purchased a place in heaven for us by his Blood and doth he not consecrate a new and living Way thither through the Veil of his Flesh It cannot be denied Hear the Learned Bishop Wren against the Racovian Catechist Vidit Dives in inferno ubi sinus Abrahae erat sed monitus est de magno Chasmate intercedente nè possint congredi Via arboris vitae extabat sed ab acie versatilis gladii custodita Aeger ad Bethesdam positus diu jam vider at viam in stagnum sed movere se clinicus non poterat Nôrunt piae foeminae viam in sepulchrum Domini pariter nôrunt saxo obturari Ipsi denique Parenti horum Barjesu ostensa est à Paulo conversionis reconciliationis via verùm ille eò se caeciorem factum ducéque plus egentem indicavit Respondeat igitur an viam Christus quam ostendit aperuit an Pontem paravit trajiciendo Chasmati an versatilem avertit gladium saxum revolvit clinicum excitavit caecum collyrio beavit suo Reconciliationis hae primariae partes sunt sine his praeviis nihil est omnis conversio frustrà via omnis convertendi incassum omnis viae ostensio And afterwards speaking of Christ being the way he shews how he was so Non solùm quòd revelavit iis quae Deus volebat eos scire sed etiam quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luc. 2.14 vel eapropter constitutus quae ab hominibus sine ipso praestari non poterant pro ipsis praestiterit sanguinisque sui merito ità viam ad Deum Patrem perpurgavit communivit illustravit ut nos jam ab ipso veluntatem Dei edocti veréque ad Deum conversi per fidem in sanguine Christi Propitiatione eâ perfrui possimus Thus he very excellently .. I know no need at all for such an Interpretation as takes the Will of the Father for himself or the Doctrine of the Son for himself the thing is plain He that knows the Son in whom dwells all fulness of the Godhead bodily must needs know the Father also To know God is to know the Will of God concerning the Salvation of Mankind Mr. Sherlock to know Christ is to understand the declaration of Gods will that is the Gospel which he preached which is therefore called the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 that is that glorious manifestation God hath made of himself by Christ For the face of Christ signifies all that whereby he made himself known as a man is known by his face that is his Laws Religion and Miracles whereby it appeared that he was the Son of God In the knowledge of God and Christ Answer God and Christ are the Objects the Gospel is the outward Medium Hence it appears that to know God and Christ is in propriety no more to know the Gospel than the Object of Knowledge is the Medium properly we know God and Christ by the Gospel As for that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.6 I conceive he discourses of somewhat more than external Revelation even that of internal Illumination set forth there by the Creation of the first Light and shining in the heart which gives the Light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ that is in the Person of Christ who is God manifest in the Flesh God was seen in Christ Mr. Sherlock Joh. 14.9 He that hath seen me hath seen the Father that is in plain terms the Will of God was fully declared to the World by Christ upon which account too as well as with respect to his Divine Nature he is called the brightness of his Fathers glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1.3 And a little after he adds It is plain that in this sence Christ is called the Image of God 2 Cor. 4.4 Lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ which is the Image of God should shine unto them Where Christ's being the Image of God comes in very abruptly unless we understand it in this Sence That he is the Image of God with respect to the