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
a part or share of it and as the Apostle speaks Eph. 4.7 Grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. We may then conclude that the Fulness is in Christ's Person and say of him Hom. of Man's Misery as our Church doth He is the alone Mediator between God and Man which paid our Ransom he is the Physician which healeth all our diseases he is the Saviour which saveth us from our sins he is that flowing and most plenteous Fountain out of whose Fulness all we have received But saith the Author We may learn what this Fulness is by ver 14. We beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten Son of God full of grace and truth so that this Fulness is a Fulness of Grace and Truth and if we consult ver 17. we shall find that this Grace and Truth is opposed to the Law of Moses so that Grace and Truth signifies the Gospel To which I answer In the 14. ver we have only a description of the Person of Christ whose Glory is there set forth by being full of Grace and Truth not a tittle in it of the Gospel In the 17. vers we have not the word fulness but we have Grace and Truth opposed to the Law of Moses but how not as if under the Law taken in the whole Complex and Administration of it there were no Evangelical Truths or Graces this is evident for in the Second Commandment we have mercy for thousands Upon the renewing of the Tables we have God proclaiming himself in those stately Titles of Love The Lord gracious merciful longsuffering abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin In Deut. 30.6 we have the circumcision of the heart in the 37. Psal 31. we have the Law of God in the heart as the Character of a righteous man We have the holy Spirit in the Saints hence David siducially prayes Take not thy holy Spirit from me Psal 51.11 We have Job looking to his living Redeemer Job 19.25 Abraham rejoicing to see Christ's day Joh. 8.56 Abraham Isaac and Jacob embracing the Promises and looking to an heavenly countrey Heb. 11. and and to say no more all the Types and Shadows in the Ceremonial Law were a kind of veiled Gospel and pointed at Christ the great Center of both Testaments And hence it appears that in case the Law be never called Grace yet Evangelical Truths and Graces were not wanting under it But in that 17. vers two things are pointed out to us the one is this That the Evangelical Truths and Graces after the coming of Christ in the flesh though in Substance but the same were gradually far more excellent than before those Truths which under the Law were in Shadows and dark Resemblances after the coming of Christ appeared in Splendour and evidential Glory those Graces which under the Law were but as Drops and in lesser measures after his coming were as Showers and in greater plenty The other is this That Christ is in a transcendent manner supereminent above Moses though there were Grace under the Law yet Moses could not communicate it he could declare the Law or Doctrine but being but a Man a Minister he could go no further Just as John could baptize with water but then he was at his utmost Moses could no more communicate Grace then John could baptize with the holy Ghost and Fire but Christ dispenses more than meer Doctrine he communicates Grace it self Hence it appears that in that 17. vers there is more than bare Doctrine opposed to the Law and attributed to Christ I confess the Gospel to be the Charter and Medium of Grace but it is in the Royal hand of Christ to communicate it and that from his own Person He is a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins Act. 5.31 Moreover if all Grace and the fulness of it be only in the Gospel in the outward Doctrine and Declaration of Gods Will as the Author seems to hint what becomes of the influences of Grace What are the supplies of the Spirit of Christ Phil. 1.19 What the inward drawings and teachings John 6.44.45 What the measure of the gift of Christ Eph. 4.7 What the effectual working in every part which is from the Head Christ Eph. 4.16 All internal operations of Grace all vital influences from Christ must utterly cease the condemned Pelagius may come in and set up the very first and rudest draught of his Heresie which placed all Grace in Free Will and external Doctrine and the Orthodox Fathers which with might and main opposed him therein may be justly censured for doing so To the same purpose the Apostle discourses in Coloss 9.10 Mr. Sherlock For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily and ye are complete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filled in him who is the head of all Principalities and Powers The expression is allusive and Metaphorical For God who is a Spirit cannot in a proper sence dwell bodily in any thing The Apostle's design in this Chapter is to perswade the Colossians to adhere to the Gospel not to be seduced by Jews or Gnosticks who talk'd very much in their canting phrase of the Pleromata to corrupt the Religion of Christ with Jewish Ceremonies or Pagan Superstitions and the principal argument he urges to this purpose is the perfection of the Gospel-revelation that in Christ that is the Gospel are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Verse 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not in whom are hid but in whom are all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge that is who hath now revealed to us all those treasures which in former ages were hidden from the world upon this he exhorts them to be firm to the Gospel Vers 6.7 To beware lest any man spoil them through Philosophy and vain deceit after the traditious of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ and then adds For in him that is in Christ dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily So this must refer to the complete and perfect revelation of the Gospel which needs not be supplied by the Philosophy or Traditions of men To understand the reason of this phrase and the force of Argument we must consider that this is an allusion to Gods dwelling in the Temple at Jerusalem by Types and Figures which were the Symbols of his presence The Temple was Gods house the Mercy-Seat and Cherubims c. were the emblems of Gods presence he dwelt among them by Types and Figures and therefore instituted a typical and figurative Religion and this was an imperfect declaration of himself to the world But now God hath sent his son to tabernacle among us Joh. 1.14 The Deity it self dwells in the Temple of Christ's Body not by Types and Figures but by a real and immediate Presence and Vnion and therefore those revelations which are made by Christ are
Spirit of God which no Man can possibly tell whether it be or not it is not of the right stamp and will avail us nothing so that the Sinner hath nothing to do but to sit still and patiently expect till God will do all for him The method is Conviction Compunction Answer Humiliation and Faith but a Man is passive in all this How passive what is he to sit still and do nothing at all No surely he may abstain from outward Acts of sin he may do Acts of Sobriety Justice Charity he may hear pray but internal Grace is Gods work Some have taken those words Let us make Man as if God hath spoke to the four Elements and said Vos date Corpus ego dabo Animam Do you give the Body I 'll give the Soul If I may allude to this Gloss thus it is Man may frame a Body of outward Piety but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the inward life of Grace is from God only it is he Who quickneth the dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2.1 Believers are not born of the will of Man but of God Joh. 1.13 But saith the Author It is a vain thing to give such rules and directions as no Man can follow To which I answer Rules are not therefore vain because Man cannot follow them by his own power God gave not the Moral Law in vain yet the spotless sanctity of it was a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a meer impossible thing to any fallen Man in the World God bid them not in vain to make a new heart Ezek. 18.31 and yet claims it as his prerogative and as an act of special Grace to make such an heart Ezek. 36.26 Christ did not in vain call Men to come to him and yet withal tells them That no Man could come to him except the Father drew him Joh. 6.44 Moses was but to lift up the Rod but it was God only who could divide the Sea we are to use the means but it is God only who can work the great work of Grace These Rules though we cannot follow them of our selves may yet shew us our duty and if we reflect upon our selves they may point out our impotency to us and withal they minister under that Spirit which in the use of means infuses the life of Grace into Men. Polychronius in the 6. Council of Constantinople offered by a Paper containing in it the Doctrine of the Monothelites to raise a dead Man to life again Mr. Shephard never thought that his rules though containing excellent truths in them could raise the Spiritually dead but this they do they minister under that Divine Spirit which breathes regenerating Graces into the Soul St. Paul would have Timothy instruct the Opposers not as if they had a power of themselves to repent but if God peradventure would give them repentance 2 Tim. 2.25 All Rules and Instructions do but minister under the Holy Spirit who gives Faith and Repentance as it pleaseth But saith the Author These tell us not what we must do but what we must suffer in order to our union to Christ To which I answer we are to use the means and thus far we must be doers but I suppose we must suffer the Holy Spirit to have the glory of our Regeneration we must not presume to be such doers as if we could work Regeneration our selves or by our works procure it Pelagius would have been a doer in this kind alledging that Gratiam darisecundum merita that is in the Phrase of the Ancients in those dayes secundum opera that Grace was given according to works But unless he had recanted he had in the Palestine Council been by the Church turned into a Sufferer by a just Excommunication neither is our Church for any such doers for it tells us in the 13. Article That works done before Grace do not make Men meet to receive Grace or deserve Grace of congruity yea rather they have the nature of sin The Inspiration of the Spirit which that Article mentions must work the great work of Grace in us which when we see in our selves we must needs acknowledge the insuperable power that was in it Suppose a Man have this Conviction Mr Sherlock Compunction Humiliation is this a sufficient reason to lay hold upon Christ by Faith by no means The end of Conviction is Compunction the end of Compunction Humiliation and all this carries us no nearer to Christ than quietly to lye down before God that he may do what he will with us he may save or damn us So that all this contributes nothing to our union to Christ but brings us to such a temper of mind as to be content to have Christ or go without him as God shall please this is all Men get by Humiliation that if the Lord intend to do them good this is the way in which he will do it but though they be humbled they cannot be sure whether God intend to do them good or not therefore we are told we are as much bound to submit to God whether he will save or damn us as we are to submit to the disposal of God as to any common mercy though you must pray for mercy it must be with submission to Gods good will saying the Lords will is good whether it be to save or damn but mine is evil though it be to be saved and have Jesus Christ Nay we are much more bound to submit to God whether he will save or damn us than we are to submit in the lesser concernments of this life if it be pride to murmur in case the Lord deny you smaller matters the off-alls of this life is it not greater pride to quarrel with him if he deny the greater the things of another life Is he bound to give thee greater who doth not owe thee the least The Lord gives you life but you ask for treasures of Grace and Mercy now God hath given you life you would live for ever an unpardonable fault this thousands of pounds Christ and all he is worth and the Lord seems to deny you and now you sink and grow sullen may not the Lord say Was there ever such pride insolence as to be unwilling to be damned for ever though I dare say this is not the pride which cast the Angels out of Heaven so that though Humiliation be the way to Christ yet it brings us never the nearer him when all is done we are where we were Before Humiliation it was at Gods pleasure whether we should have Christ or not and so it is still The humbled Soul may Answer without doubt lay hold upon Christ but we must remember that we cannot do it by the power of Nature but must do it by the Grace of God Faith is a great receiver it receives Christ and all blessings in and with him but this Faith this very receiving must be received from Grace Nothing is plainer in Scripture than that Faith is the
towards the discharge of those that perish who are never discharged as of those that are discharged and saved which plainly shews that it properly discharges none at all and if it discharge not it satisfies not that is it is no satisfaction It remains therefore that Christ's Satisfaction is made ours by Imputation and so doth discharge us If it discharge us it must be made ours by Imputation and if it discharge us not it is no Satisfaction Socinus who denied Christ's Satisfaction had reason to deny imputed Righteousness and he who denies imputed Righteousness must in the consequent deny Christ's Satisfaction nay he must set up another satisfaction in stead of it In Justification there must be some Righteousness or other to be the matter of our Justification and to discharge us before God if the imputed Righteousness of Christ be not such then our own inherent Righteousness must be the very thing that must discharge us and satisfie for us that indeed must be the satisfaction much rather than Christs because it properly actually discharges us which Christs doth not Vnless we say with the Socinians that there is Remission without Satisfaction there must be somewhat to be a Satisfaction and what that is very obvious That which is the matter of our Justification that which doth properly discharge us that is the Satisfaction if Christs Righteousness imputed be not it our inherent Righteousness must be such and yet alas what a poor thing is it to be so advanced It s own defects call for a pardon and how should it justifâ—e or discharge us May that which wants a pardon it self justifie or may it first be pardoned it self and then justifie its Subject in which it is Both are absurd Before it is pardoned it self it cannot justifie and after it is pardoned it is very odd that it should give that which it self once wanted Not to be tedious I have endeavoured to return an Answer to Mr. Sherlock's Book not out of Passion or disrespect to his Person who is my acquaintance and for whom I have respects but meerly out of love to the Truth which is dearer to me than all Relations I have for the most part set forth his words at length and where sometimes for brevities sake I have contracted them it hath been my care to be just to every thing of Emphasis or Argument The Lapses in this my Answer beg the Readers pardon and the Truths in it call for his consent If any thing in it tend towards the clearing or establishing of sacred Truth it is enough for him who is A Well-wisher to the Truth EDWARD POLHILL THE INTRODUCTION CHAP. I. ALL Error hath some appearance of Truth Mr. Sherlock it being impossible to believe a plain and undisguised falshood It is so indeed Answer The old Fable is true Truth first presented her self to the World and went about to seek entertainment but finding none she resolved to leave Earth and take her flight to Heaven But as she was going up she let fall her Mantle and Error waiting by snatched it up and ever since hath gone about in it Every erroneous Opinion which walks about in the dress and appearance of Reason tells us that the opposite Mysteries are retired up to their great original above there to complain against an unbelieving World for the hard usages found here below The first and fundamental mistake is in a confusion of Names Mr. Sherlock in a doubtful and ambiguous use of Words especially in Matters of Religion men consider nothing but the sound of words and from thence form such uncouth Idaea's of Religion as are fitted to the meanness of their understanding or gratifie their natural Genius and Disposition or are calculated to serve an Interest and thus the Gospel of our Saviour is defaced and obscured by affected Mysteries and Paradoxes and senseless Propositions and Christ the brightness of his Father's Glory is represented with a thicker Veil upon his Face than Moses How truly this general Charge is laid at the Door of those Worthies Answer whom this Author opposes must be tried by the instances of the after Discourse in the mean time I fear that some men following the tinkling of their own reason shape such Idaea's of Religion as cast smiles and flatteries upon corrupt Nature and strangely darken the Gospel by clearing away those Mysteries which are the glory of it and stand above the level of humane reason as pregnant proofs of the Divinity of the Gospel and fit objects for the exercise of Faith If we believe some men Mr. Sherlock There is as irreconcileable a difference between the Religion of Christ's Person and of his Gospel as between the Law and Grace for the Gospel of Christ is as severe a dispensation as the Law which dooms all men to eternal misery who live not very innocent and virtuous lives but the Person of Christ is all Grace a meer refuge and sanctuary for the wicked and ungodly that is as he after explains it for impenitent and incorrigible sinners Christ at odds with his Gospel Answer Absit The reason is untrue on both sides That the Gospel is as severe a dispensation as the Law which surely calls for no less than sinless obedience is untrue in it self that the Person of Christ is a refuge for impenitent sinners is not so much as truly affixed upon the Opposites their Writings deny it their hearts abhor it as prodigious He that goes about to deduce it from their words will have as little success as that attempt had which would have extracted the Spirits of Turcism out of the Writings of Reverend Calvin What he means by virtuous and innocent lives I know not the Pelagian Julianus ushers in his Fabricius Fabius and Scipio as very virtuous men and lifts up their Chastity Mercy and Justice as true Virtues and well pleasing to God Will this serve the turn St. Austin can by no means endure it but breaks out in a holy passion O inimici gratiae solo vocabulo Christiani May there be true virtue in animo fornicante à Deo or can a man be just sine fide Christi Or is that virtue in which God is not served Hoc est unde vos maximè detestatur Christiana Ecclesia thus that excellent Father The Authors sence in this matter will be further seen in his after-discourse about natural Faith Faith in Christ Mr. Sherlock and hope in Christ are expounded of a fiducial reliance and recumbency on the Person of Christ for salvation in contradistinction to obedience to his Laws which sets up a Religion of the Person of Christ in opposition to the Religion of his Gospel If these pregnant Phrases of Faith in Christ and Hope in Christ do not make him the Object of Faith Answer I know not what can when the Socinians disputed among themselves whether Christ were the Object of Worship and so of Faith it was a very hard case
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
Glory in Heaven though it cannot but be more estimable than all the Providences in Nature must be a meer Pendant on the fickle Will of Man But the Author urges upon the Doctor That it is impossible for us according to his Principles to do any thing that is good that is I suppose without Faith in Christ without which our Church in her Homily of good Works declares that no good work can be done I take it for a very Truth That from the first good Thought to the last Act of an holy Life all that is truly good must come from Grace But saith the Author This turns us into meer Machins and pag. 379. he glosses upon one of his Opposites as if Christ were to make us willing against our will Unto which I answer The very same was cast into St. Austin's dish by the Pelagians Sub nomine inquiunt Ad Bonisacdib 2. cap. 5. Gratiae it a satum asserunt ut dicant quia nisi Deus invito reluct anti homini inspir averit boni ipsius imperfecti cupiditatem nec à malo declinare nec bonum posset arripere To which as a meer Calumny St. Austin returns That a man may as well call St. Paul fati assertorem for saying It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Indeed it is a very strange charge doth Grace destroy Nature or may we be willing against our Will It is impossible That of the Schoolman may reconcile the matter Voluntas humana induci potest ab agente creato mutari ab agente increato Bonaâ—â—â—â— in 〈◊〉 2.25 cogi à nullo The Will without ceasing to be it self cannot be compelled but Grace changes it without Coaction breaks off its Chains without destroying its Liberty and per suavissimam omnipotentiam makes the unwilling Will willing But still there is a more glorious Discovery behind that is Mr. Sherlock The glorious end whereunto Sin is appointed and ordained I suppose the Dr. means by God is discovered in Christ viz. for the demonstration of God's Vindictive Justice in measuring out to it a just recompense of reward and for the praise of Gods glorious Grace in the pardon and forgiveness of it that is It could not be known how just and severe God is but by punishing sin nor how good and gracious God is but by pardoning it And therefore lest his Justice and Mercy should never be known to the World he appoints and ordains Sin to this edd that is Decrees that men shall sin that he may make some vessels of wrath and others vessels of mercy This is a Discovery which Nature and Revelation could not make for Nature would teach us that so infinitely a glorious Being as God is needs not sin and misery to recommend his Glory and Perfections and that so holy a God who so perfectly hates every thing that is wicked would not truckle with Sin and the Devil for his glory and that so good a God had much rather be glorious in the happiness and perfection and obedience of his Creatures than in their sin and misery And Revelation tells us the same thing That God delights not in the death of a sinner but rather that he should return and live that is He had rather there were no occasion for punishing than be made glorious by such acts of vengeance Vindictive Justice and pardoning Mercy are but secondary Attributes of the Divine Nature and therefore God cannot primarily design the glorifying of them for that cannot be without designing the sin and misery of his Creatures which would be inconsistent with the goodness and holiness of his Nature And afterwards pag. 57. He appointed sin for the glory of his Justice and Grace and since nothing can withstand the Decrees of God it pleased God that Man should sin but when he hath sinned he is extremely displeased with it and now his Justice must be satisfied This falls hard on those miserable Wretches whose ill fortune it was without any fault of theirs to be left out of the Roll of Election and who have no way to satisfie divine Justice but by their eternal torments It is I suppose agreed by all that God did willingly permit the entry of sin upon the World of Angels and Men he could have kept all the Angels up in their primitive Station and then there would have been no Tempter to Man or had their been one he could have sent the holy Angels to warn him from the late downcast of their fellows against his own and to tell him that the poyson would come from the Serpent or if not that he could have sent him such strong auxiliaries of Grace as should have out wrestled the temptation he could no doubt as easily as he confirms the Saints and Angels in Heaven he could for ever have barred out sin but he would not he freely suffered it to come in only the question is How he did it Whether there be only a nude Permission such as leaves the event pendulous and uncertain till Man's Will hath determined or whether there be a Preordination of the Event so that it falls out infallibly Deo permittente and Creatura liberè agente Two things constrain me to believe the latter The one is this That without a Preordination the Event of sinful Actions must be casual and what then shall become of Providence The Moments which hang upon those Events are great and weighty Multitudes of Angels Courtiers of Heaven turn Apostates out of their Fall comes a Tempter who at one blow draws Man and all his Posterity into sin that entring into the world makes way for a glorious Redemption by Christ The Four first Monarchies rowl about upon the Lusts and Ambitions of Men The poor Church like the Ark floats upon the waters and now and then a storm of persecution comes dashing down upon it Errors and Heresies successively break forth as so many Torrents ready to carry away every Article of our Creed and what mighty Concerns are these Admirable are the Methods and Mysteries of Providence in and about such Events Joseph's Brethren sell him into Egypt and the Church is provided for in the famine Absolon goes in to his Fathers Concubines and David is visited for his Adultery Judah and Tamar commit Incest and this way came the holy One into the flesh The wicked Jews crucifie the Son of God and out comes the great Work of Redemption Persecutors scatter the Church and God by this means scatters the Gospel Act. 8. In such Actions as these the Light shines out of Darkness God's Mercy Justice Wisdom Holiness Power break forth out of Man's Cruelty Injustice Folly Filthiness and Weakness In every Ataxy God hath a secret Order either an Order of Penalty Sin punishing Sin or an Order of Conducibility Good coming out of Evil. Nullum est malum in mundo saith profound Bradwardine quod non est propter aliquod magnum
the Prima Sapientia In the Sale of Joseph Man was cruel but God merciful In the Act of Judah and Tamar Man was unclean but God holy aiming at the Messiah in it In Rehoboam's rough Answer Man was foolish but God wise to accomplish his word In the Assyrian Tyranny Man was unjust but God righteous to correct his people In the strong Delusions sent to those that love not the Truth Man was weak but God strong in Spiritual Judgements and to name but one more In the Crucifixion of Christ there was Malice Blood and Wickedness on Man's part but Love Justice and Righteousness on God's one Attribute or other of his glitters in the Event with no more taint than is upon the pure Sun-beams by their converse in unclean places It 's true God needs not Sin to recommend his Glory no nor Virtue or Holiness in the Creature but sure he uses Sin that way and that so holily that it deserves a more reverent Expression than trucking with sin and the Devil As to the Event God preordains it I confess the Event of sinful Actions is evil in it self but in some respect it may be good to a third person Confess li. 9. cap. 8. A railing Servant wrought a cure upon Monica as St. Austin relates Nay in some case it may be good to the sinner De Civit. l. 14. c. 13. Audeo dicere superbis esse utile cadere in aliquod apertum manifestúmque peccatum unde sibi displiceant qui jam sibi placendo ceciderant saith the same Author And again on those words Omnia cooperantur in bonum Rom. 8. he adds Etiam si deviant exorbitent De Correp cap. 9. hoc ipsum eis faciat proficere in bonum quia humliores redeunt doctiores But however the Event be evil to the sinner it is not so to God as Ordinator The Event of Adam's Fall was evil to him but as it made way for the Redeemer was not so to God which made one cry out O foelix culpa quae tantum meruit Redemptorem The Event of the vile Affections in the Gentiles was evil to them but as it was punitive of their Idolatry was not so to God Hence St. Austin saith elegantly Tradit Deus in passiones ignominiae Contr. Jul. lib. 5. ut fiant quae non conveniunt sed ipse convenienter tradit even those inconvenient Affections were convenient for Gods Justice to inflict on them Is it not good that Sin should be punished with Sin The Scripture plainly affirms it and if the Event may be good as to God because of the Order of just penalty why may it not be such because of the Order of wise Conducibility God by his holy Ordination 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dion de Div. Nom. cap. 4 as far as that Ordination is Hence the Apostle puts a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the Event of Heresies Dial. de Ver. cap. 8. and Anselm puts a Debet esse upon the Event of Sin and St. Austin lays it down clearly Euch. cap. 96. Vt sent mala bonum est aliter nullo modo esse sinerentur ab omnipotente bono every thing is good so far as ordinated by him In this sence the Medes are God's sanctified ones without sanctity in themselves and Events are good without goodness in themselves that which is evil in Specie may be good in Ordine and so far as it is good it is a fit Object for his Will especially seeing it is ordained to come to pass Deo permittente on the one hand and Creaturâ liberè agente on the other On such Terms as these I may say Deo ordinante pulchra sunt omnia But saith the Author The Creature cannot act freely for nothing can withstand the Decrees of God To which I answer Gods Providence is ever salvative of the Creatures Liberty inferring not a necessity of Coaction but Immutability Instances in Scripture are abundant Antiochus blasphemes according to his own will yet it was determined Dan. 11.36 The Chaldees march in violence and in the pomp of freedom insomuch that the Text saith That their judgment and dignity proceeded of themselves yet God had ordained them for judgment Hab. 1. The Kings in Revel 17. gave their Kingdom to the Beast and what freer than gift yet God put in their hearts to do so The Jews freely crucified Christ yet God's hand and counsel was in it After such pregnant Scriptures ought we not to acquiesce in this Truth That God's Decree and Man's Liberty may consist together Cajetan is an excellent Pattern for us who laying down the Common Opinion That Humane Acts are evitable as to us but inevitable as to Providence and then mentioning some distinctions to reconcile the matter piously concluded that he would captitivate his Uunderstanding in obsequium fidei and so we should all Having so prolixly spoken of the Ordination of such Events a very little may serve as to the End when God preordains such Events to be sure he doth it in great Wisdom and Reason some End there is in it If any will say it was done quià Voluit I am content his Will is never irrational if he will say further that it was for his Glory I am satisfied that is the supreme End if he will yet go on and say it was for the manifestation of his Justice and Mercy I cannot tell how to assign a better End if the after-use made of Sin may interpret God's meaning that shews forth the Illustration of both those Attributes The Apostle tells us That God is willing to shew his wrath and power in some and to make known the riches of his glory in others Rom. 9. Suppose there were no Ordination but only a nude Permission a man may ask Why did God permit such an Apollyon as Sin to enter the World Why suffered he so many glorious Angels to fall into sin and immediately without any place for Repentance to sink into Chains of Darkness for ever There is scarce any appearance but of meer Sovereignty Justice in it Why suffered he Man and all his Posterity with him to fall into sin and wrath It is plain that the work of Redemption in which Justice and Mercy were both shewed forth was ushered in upon it It 's true as the Scripture saith That God delights not in the death of a sinner not in death as it is the misery of the Creatute not in the death of a repenting sinner his Repentance which is there opposed to Death is more grateful However the sins of men fall under his Providence and without repentance their death as an act of Justice wil be grateful to him insomuch that he will laugh at it Prov. 1. There are behind yet two other Expressions the one puts the Doctor 's Opinion into odious colours after this manner It pleased God that Man should sin but when he had sinned he is exceedingly displeased at it But upon the very
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
Answer who is acquainted with himself may learn his own impotency to good from the inward pressure of corruption which is in him However the Apostle in that 2 to the Ephesians doth notably decypher it out to us there he speaks not so much of a spiritual Death in actual customary sins as of such a Death in Original corruption for he opposes it to quickning Grace which by divine Principles infused heals the same and a little after tells us that we are by nature the children of wrath Hoc uno verbo quasi fulmine totus homo quantus quantus est prosternitur saith Beza on the place this shews him dead indeed It 's true the Pelagians Contra Julian l. 6. c. 4. as St. Austin tells us would have omitted the word Nature and in stead thereof have read Prorsùs altogether children of wrath but the Church would not suffer it This spiritual Death in Sin is a total one it runs over all the Soul there are saith the Apostle lusts or desires of the Flesh the sensitive Faculties and of the Mind the rational Powers nothing is left in Man but what is dead in sin not a drop or a spark of Spiritual Life or true Grace For then a man should be naturally regenerate and under a Promise of that Evangelical Mercy which is indulged to the least measure of Grace though it be but as a smoking flax or bruised reed Man is wholly void of spiritual Life by Nature and hence it evidently appears that he is not able to reach so high as any spiritual Act such as Conversion is unless he be elevated above his own Line by supernatural Grace This is fully the Doctrine of our Church who tells us Man of his own nature is fleshly 1. Hom. for Whitsunday carnal corrupt naught sinful disobedient without any spark of goodness in him And in another place The condition of Man Article the 10th after the Fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works to Faith and calling upon God Wherefore we have no power to do good Works pleasant and acceptable to God without the Grace of God preventing us that we may have a good Will and working with us when we have that good Will We are said to be created to good works Mr. Sherlock and to become new Creatures and therefore we can contribute no more to it than to our first Creation and we are born again which signifies that we are wholly passive in it Which were true indeed if our being created unto good works did signifie the Manner and Method of our Conversion and not the Nature of the new Creature which is the true meaning of it That as in the first Creation we are created after the Image of God so we are renewed after the Image of God in the second which is therefore expresly called in other places the renewing of our minds The new Creature is indeed after God and his Image Answer but it is also from him and his glorious Power in a way of Creation He takes it upon himself A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you Ezek. 36.26 His great Power is put forth in it Eph. 1.17 and it is brought forth in a way of Creation even as God commanded the light to shine out of darkness 2 Cor. 4.6 May there be a new Creature without a Creator Or may poor dead impotent Man without any spark of Goodness in himself be such Or if he cannot do it alone may he be a Co-creator with his Maker and put in for a share in so great a work No surely all must be ascribed to the Grace of God alone Non est devotionis dedisse prope totum sed fraudis retinuisse vel minimum saith Prosper We must not rob God of the least Atom in Nature For my own part were I as I am not under a necessity to do one I should rather think it tolerable to steal away the old World as the Manichees did than with the Pelagians to take away the new from him But suppose a man could indeeed as some have presumed new-make his own Heart after God's Image might it be called a Creation Is not that Title too high for any Creature and where doth the Scripture give such an one to Man 'T is God's Royal Prerogative to new-make the Heart Of his own will begat he us saith the Apostle Jam. 1.18 To this our Church agrees It is the holy Ghost 1. Hom. for Whitsunday and no other thing that doth quiken the Minds of Men and a little after He is the only worker of Sanctification and maketh us new men in Christ Jesus When this fails they take another course with Metaphors to make them serve their purpose that is by considering all the properties of those things Christ is compared to and applying all that will serve their turn to Christ without regarding the end to which they are used thus the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a Pearl of great price Mat. 13. This Pearl signifies Christ who as Mr. Watson saith makes us worthy with his worthiness Though all the Parable means is that we should part with all for the Gospel Thus Christ was prefigured by the Manna this was circular and so a figure of Christs perfection it was meat dressed in Heaven and Christ was prepared of his Father it suited every ones palate and Christ suits every Christians condition he is full of quickning strengthning comforting virtue that is He is what every man fancies him to be relishes to their gusto what precious discoveries are here of Christ What irrefragable proofs for them Thus Christ is a Rock 1 Cor. 10. A rock for defence and for offence and for comfort to screen us from Gods wrath and contein the honey of the promises Christ is resembled by the brazen Serpent Brass as inferiour metal signifies his humanity and as solid metal the power of his Godhead it shines but doth not dazle the eyes and so signifies the Godhead veiled with Manhood thus the brazen Serpent was like a Serpent but no reall one so Christ was in the likeness of sinful flesh but no sinner the Serpent was lifted up to be looked on and so was Christ to be looked fiducially upon Never man so happy in expounding types never Serpent so subtil Thus Christ is a Vine a Vine is weak Christs humane nature was fain to be supported by the Divine the Vine grows in the Garden Christ in the Church not known amon the Heathen It had been more grand to have said that Christ made the Garden where he grows The Vine communicates to the Branches Christ to Believers the Vine hath rare fruit and the promises grow upon Christ the Blood of Christ is the wine which chears mans heart What fine work might a prophane wit make at this rate but further they jumble all together and prove
a conduit only and not rather a Sea or Ocean of Grace S. Chrysostome as I have him quoted by the Learned Jeans calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an infinite Sea adding Though all the Saints that are were or shall be did do or shall receive of his fulness yet will he never be emptied never the less full for all that and why should the Author utter such a word as dressing up of Christ The investiture of him with his sacred Office of Mediator is so far above a slight that it is no less than the work of infinite Love Wisdom and Power those whom the Author opposes ascribe nothing to Christ but what is founded on Scripture And for such as are united to Christ in truth I verily believe that they shall never fall short of Heaven and to keep them in the true way thither God puts his fear into their hearts that they shall not depart away from him but these men ransack all the boundless perfections of the Deity What is this for Must we not own that Christ is God and hath all the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him Or may we be Christians without it but they would have us build all our hopes not on the Gospel but on the person of Christ And where do they utter any such word or syllable Or how could they do so To rest upon Christ and cast away the Evangelical warrant to stand for the great purchaser and despise or neglect the Charter is utterly impossible To make this appear consider Mr. Sherlock Dr. Owen tells us That Christ is fit to be a Saviour from the Grace of Union and if we would understand what this strange Grace of Vnion is It is the uniting the nature of God and man in one Person which makes him fit to be a Saviour to the uttermost he lays his hands upon God by partaking of his nature Zach. 13.7 And he lays his hands on us by partaking of our nature Hebr. 2.14 And becomes a Daysman or Umpire between both Now though this be a great truth that the Vnion of the Divine and Humane nature in Christ did excellently qualifie him for the Office of a Mediatour yet this is the unhappiest man in expressing and proving it that I have met with For what an untoward representation is this of Christs Mediation that he came to make peace by laying his hands on God and men as if he meant to part a fray or scuffle and he might as well have named Gen. 1.1 or Matth. 1.1 or any other Scripture for the proof of it Strange Grace of Vnion Answer No Divine is a stranger to the Gratia Vnionis Nay the Author himself confesses it to be a great truth but the strangeness is in the Doctor 's untoward expressing of it he being the unhappiest man therein that ever the Author met with Imman fol. 21. that is except Bishop Vsher whose words are these Christ the only fit Vmpire to take up this controversie was to lay his hand as well upon God the party so highly offended as upon man the party so basely offending But the Doctor might as well have named Matth. 1. or Gen. 1. for the proof The expression was taken from Job 9.33 And if that expression the man God's Fellow Zach. 13.7 do not prove Christ's Divinity and that other he took part of our flesh and blood Heb. 2.13 do not prove his Humanity what can do it From the Deity of Christ Mr. Sherlock the Doctor observes The endless bottomless boundless Grace that is in Christ it is not the Grace of a creature no not of the humane nature it self that can serve our turn if it could be conceived as separate from the Deity Surely so many thirsty guilty souls as every day drink deep and large draughts of Grace and Mercy from him would if I may so speak sink him to the very bottom nay it could afford no supply at all but only in a moral way and that is a very pitiful way indeed The condemned Pelagius would allow meer moral Grace Answer but if there be no more what means the drawing quickning renewing regenerating creating conquering Grace so signally set forth in Scripture Or how should poor lost lapsed corrupted man dead in Sins and Trespasses ever be raised up into the Divine life Meer suasion operates only as proposing an object and not as ingenerating a power or faculty and were there no other Grace how should the power of repenting and believing which are things far above the Sphere of Nature ever be produced Or which way should the acts of repenting and believing ever come forth without a power S. Austin is not content with meer suasory Grace but would have such an one Quâ Gloriae magnitudo non solùm promittitur De Grat. contr Pelag lib. 1. cap. 10. verum etià m creditur nec solùm revelatur Sapientia verum etiam amatur nec suadetur solùm omne bonum verùm persuadetur And a little after he tells Pelagius That he must confess such a Grace if he would be a Christian The Dr. tells us Mr. Sherlock That if all the world should set themselves to drink free Grace and Mercy and Pardon from the Wells of Salvation if they should set themselves to draw from one single Promise they would not be able to sink the Grace of the Promise of the Person of Christ he means saith the Author one hairs breadth The Infiniteness of Grace with respect to its Spring or Fountain will answer all objections what is our finite guilt before it Shew me the sinner that can spread his Iniquity to the dimensions of this Grace Here is Mercy enough for the greatest the oldest the stubbornest Transgressor c. Enough in all reason this what a comfort is it to sinners to have such a God for their Saviour whose Grace is bottomless and boundless and exceeds the largest dimensions of sin though there be a world of sin in them The Grace of the Promise saith the Dr. of the Person of Christ he means Answer saith the Author This is just to as much purpose as if the Author should tell us That the Grace of the Evangelical Charter and the Grace of Christ the great Purchaser cannot consist together which as yet I never found admitted among Divines The Infiniteness of Christ's Grace is a thing no more to be scrupled or plaid withal than the Verity of his Deity When the Emperor Constantine had unjustly and unnaturally dipt his hands in the blood of his Son Crispus Spondan Annal. and Nephew Licinius Junior the Pagan Flamins were nonplust and could tell of no way of Expiation for so horrible a Crime but the Christian Doctrine furnished him with one No sooner doth a man become Christian but he must own that the Grace of Christ is infinite and in a transcendent Excess above all the dimensions of sin that the oldest and greatest Transgressor may find