Christian that is most dead and crucified to these things he it is that shines most gloriously in the Kingdom of Christ Z Lastly this crucified flesh is the only subject of the glorious Resurrection For as the living Word and Spirit that crucified Christs flesh did again raise up that crucified flesh of his from death and set it at the right hand of God and thereby did plainly manifest him to be the Son of God so the same Word and Spirit that crucifie our flesh shall as certainly raise it up with Christ into the fulness of the life and glory of God And this time the Apostle cals the day of the manifestation of the sons of God For the Word and Spirit whilest they dwel in us and crucifie us they make it only known to us and to them that live in the same faith spirit with us that we are the children of God but when they shal raise up this flesh of ours which they have first crucified from death and the grave into the life glory and eternity of God then it shall be manifest to all the world that we are his children And so our crucifying with Christ is a certain pledge of our Resurrection with him and this the Apostle testifies Rom. 8.11 saying He that raised up Christ from the dead shall quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwels in you and Rom. 6.8 If we be dead with him we believe we shall also live with him If we be dead with him that is through the Word and Spirit first crucifying our flesh and then offering it up to death A We believe we shall live with him that very life which the Word and Spirit of God did communicate to his flesh when it raised him from the grave and fully translated him into the immediate Kingdom of God And for this cause Col. 1.18 Christ is called the first born from the dead that is the first whom the Word and Spirit did raise from death and the grave and did carry into the Immediate presence of God as the first fruits and pledge of their Resurrection who have the same word and spirit dwelling in them ANIMADVERSION VII A I Find no such thing affirmed in the Scripture that through Faith we receive the living Word to dwel in us understanding thereby precisely the Godhead of our Saviour But it is plain that through Faith we receive Christ the Son to dwell in us and the Father also by the Spirit Ephes 2.22 1 John 4.12,13 John 14.23 B Indeed the word of God in the Scriptures and the Gospel preached according to the Scriptures is an outward word consisting in doctrines which hypocrites and carnal christians may have and professionally receive and stil live their own lives and after their own lusts But that this word is without the spirit unto believers not now to dispute how far the Spirit may work in the word to the coÌ„viction of unbelievers to deny that it is a means whereby they receive the Spirit and whereby the spirit crucifieth the flesh in them is plainly to deny the Scriptures Gal. 3.2 Eph. 6.17 2 Cor. 10.4,5 And to give up those who by faith receive and make use of this outward word of God to dwel in them for the crucifying of their flesh for hypocrites and carnal christians is certainly to condemn the generation of Gods children Psal 119.11 Col. 3.16 C It is as clear as light from the text that by the ergrafted word James 1.21 where this phrase is only found is meant the word of the Gospel outwardly dispensed In these words therefore Mr Dell seems unwarrantably to confound the Godhead of our Saviour with the Gospel outwardly dispensed or to put one for another which is a very strange mistake And certain it is that the word which faith receiveth is the Gospel outwaâ—dly preached which is not alwayes accompanied with the spirit in those that hear it Mark 16.16 Heb. 4.2 Rom. 10.8 D If here be not a president of racking the Scripture to purpose I am much mistaken The Apostle 1 Cor. 1.18 called the word which he preached which Mr Dell nameth an outward word the word of the crosse not for either of the two reasons here mentioned because it exposeth men to afflictions or because it doth crucifie us but plainly because it held forth Christ crucified to the world as is most apparent verse 23. of that chapter and 1 Cor. 2.2,3,4 And yet Mr Dell with much confidence brings forth the words of the Apostle as if they had been undoubtedly written not of the word preached by him but of the living word or Godhead of our Saviour to which for certain the Apostle had no eye in that place E The words found Heb. 4.12 are here by Mr Dell confidently applied to the living word of God or Godhead of our Saviour which by the general consent of almost all interpreters and by the argument of that place appears to concern the word of God outwardly administred which though Mr Dell maketh light of it yet as it is made effectually by the spirit of God hath all that testified of it in the Scripture which Mr Dell here affirmeth of the word of God in his sence 1 Cor. 14.24,25 2 Cor. 10.4,5 John 17.17 F If the word of the crosse be as it is and is here called by Mr Dell the word of faith then it is the word of the Gospel preached Rom. 10.17 which Mr Dell sleightingly calleth an outward word and leaveth to hypocrites and carnal christians And to as those words 1 Cor. 15,31 here alledged I find no expositor understanding them of an inward dying to sin The context plainly importeth that the Apostle by dying dayly intended a daily apprehension and expectation of death together with a daily exposure of himself to deadly afflictions for Christ and his Gospel sake 2 Cor. 4.10,11 The dying therefore mentioned in this Scripture is altogether different from the dying which Mr Dell here speaks of G The Law had a regulating power over our Lord Christ in the dayes of his flesh Mat. 5.17 Mat. 3.15 and therefore lost not all its power over him at that time as is here peremptorily asserted by Mr Dell. H So also how boldly soever Mr Dell affirms the contrary the Law hath a regulating power over all the faithful who keep it and fulfil it through love wrought in their hearts by the spirit Psal 119.1 1 John 5.3 I Believers own life if that be their humane life is not extinguished by the living word and spirit Mr Dell being judge whose words very soon after are these though sin hath its ful power in our humane life But in this case there needs no appeal Res ipsa loquitur All the world sees and knows that believers retain their own humane life the faculties and actings thereof after they live the life of Christ through the Spirit I would gladly therefore understand Mr Dell in this place of the extinguishing only of the life
called a grace 2 Cor. 8.7 which yet certainly is not Christ D Questionlesse there is the grace of Gods eternal love whereby we are saved against which the gates of hell cannot prevail which though believers are partakers of in Christ yet is not the Lord Christ this grace but the chief gift of it John 3.16 and the 4th 10. E The third use made here by Mr Dell of his doctrine standeth in full force for the comfort of believers upon the ground of the doctrine of Christs living in his people by his spirit as it is taught by those who see no footing for his doctrine in the Word of God for they all know that Christ is afflicted in his members according to the Scriptures F If Christ being himself our new law within us makes void the law of God without us as old as Mr Dels words in this place seem to import then both the law of works and faith too as it is outwardly dispensed yea the whole Scripture as to the mandatory legislative part of it is made void to believers which whether Mr Dell will nakedly affirm I know not If he do I doubt not but it will appear an anti-scriptural affirmation and an open road to a state beyond ordinances and above duties in which men are apt in a mist of imaginary perfection to lose their way to that real perfection of righteousnesse and blessednesse which believers enjoy in Christ Jesus according to the Gospel Col. 1.28 G These words as I conceive in a sound Scripture sence may be admitted for it is certain that our Lord Christ doth communicate himself wholly to believers according to their place and use in his body and will do so till at the last he fill them with all the fulnesse of God yet is it not to be admitted for truth that the divine nature is communicated to our flesh as it was to his own that is to say after the self same manner If Mr Dell decline this sence of his words I will not presse it or the dangerous consequences of it upon him If he own it I see not how he can avoid the avowing of believers to be God even as our Lord Christ is God which I hope he will not affirm H It seems to me by these words that Mr Dell either hath not learned or which I rather think doth not like the Protestant doctrine of justification justified by so many of our worthies against Popish advocates Protestant Divines generally having learned from the Apostle Paul that Justification is verbum forense a word taken from humane judicatories and opposed to comdemnation Rom. 8.33,34 Do teach that we are justified freely by Gods grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus But Mr Dell here teacheth that we are justified by Christs living in us his own life and by his righteousnesse even the righteousnesse of God dwelling in us which as I know it not to be down-right Popery so I am sure it coasteth much nearer upon Popish then upon Protestant which I trust I may call Scripture doctrine since it acknowledgeth the righteousnesse whereby believers are justified to be resident in their own persons which is a position very wide from the apprehension of Protestants who believe that we are justified freely by Gods grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus I This exhortation directed to believers as to the matter of it is very sound and good But I would ask to what persons Mr Dell intends to give this exhortation If to the persons of believers he would perswade us that there are none such for he teacheth that believers have lost their own personality and are taken up into the nature and person of the Son of God Sect. 11. B C And I believe M Dell doth not look upon the person of the Son of God as one that needs his exhortation SECT XV. And the life I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God A ANd here note in the first place That Paul sometimes saith Christ lives in him and sometimes that He lives I live saith he yet not I but Christ lives in me and again The life I live The life I live saith he of that very life which Christ lived in him All which shows the near Vnion and Communion betwixt Christ and a believer Christ and a true Christian being so much one that what the one doth the other may be truly said to do B So that as God and Christ were so united that the very works of God in Christ sometimes were attributed to God and sometimes to Christ as is manifest in divers places in the Gospel and it made no difference whether they were attributed to God in Christ or to Christ in God Just so it is betwixt Christ and believers who are as nearly united as God and Christ as Christ himself whom we may safely believe affirms in Joh. 14.20 saying In that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you C In that day that is when the Spirit is given and comes into the heart which makes the true Lords-day in a believer in that day when the Spirit is the light whereby we see and know aright all the things of God in that Day Ye shall know this great mystery which the World and the Worldly Church cannot know but will be greatly offended at it when they hear it to wit that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you D And in John 17.21 Christ who was heard in all things in his last solemn prayer for his elect Church in the dayes of his flesh intreats his Father that this may be accomplished in all the Believers praying that they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us From which Scriptures we may see and perceive that as Christ is in the Father and the Father in Him so Believers are in Christ and Christ in Them And hereupon the works of Believers are sometimes attributed to Christ and sometimes to Them And it is no matter whether they be attributed to Christ in them or to Them in Christ seeing it is Christ in believers that is all and doth all and hath the Glory of all E Now this Vse we who are believers may make of this to wit that it is our Dutie so to live in Christ that every part of our life may be attributed to Him and may be such that Christ may not be ashamed to own it but that it may be a praise to Christ He doing all in us and we doing nothing but in him and of him and for him ANIMADVERSION 15. A THe former part of this paragraph in a sound sence is true but that Christ and a Christian are made so much one that what the one doth the other may be said to do being laid down by Mr Dell as universally and without all limitation true is an
That Paul was crucified with Christ because his sins were subdued and his nature conquered through the spirit of Christ dwelling in him is a very sure truth generally acknowledged yet is not this all the truth but Paul further intended in saying that he was crucified with Christ that his sins were subdued through the redeeming vertue of the outward crosse or suffering of Christ both as to the condemning and commanding power of them of which here is altum silentium though the Scriptures speak much of it 2 Cor. 5.15 Tit. 2.14 Heb. 9.14 1 Pet. 1.18.19 F Mr Dell here professeth to prove both these things by plain Scripture By both these things he meaneth both that Christ was crucified by the being of the eternal word and spirit in him and also that believers are crucified by the same word spirit dwelling in them But he faileth evidently of his word for the Scriptures produced may seem to speak something towards the proof of the second position yet they say nothing towards the confirmation of the first And as to the second position they only prove that the spirit of Christ or Christ by his spirit doth work to the mortifying of the flesh in believers which is a well known and acknowledged truth But that the living Word or Godhead of our Saviour otherwise then as in and by the Spirit dwelleth in beleevers as a root of mortification not one of the Scriptures produced do affirm That by Christ in us Rom. 8.10 we must understand the living Word within us as Mr Dell glosseth those words I cannot believe since the Apostle in the verses immediately before and after that text doth plainly expound the being of Christ in us by the being of the Spirit of God in us in full consent with all the other Scriptures here produced by Mr Dell. G This use which Mr Dell makes of his doctrine if the words be taken in Scripture sence is sound and consonant to the sence of all true believers and needs no new doctrine to enforce it SECT VII NOw if any desire to know how we may attain to be thus Crucified with Christ I answer that the true faith of Gods Elect is the only way through which we can attain to this crucifying A For through faith we receive the living Word of God to dwell in us and in this Word we partake of the Spirit and this Word and Spirit dwelling in us do as hath been declared crucifie us with Christ B Indeed Hypocrites and carnal Christians receive and professe a word that will not crucifie them with Christ but do receive a word and doctrine that will still suffer them to live their own lives and after their own lusts For the word they receive is only an outward word consisting of divers questions opinions and Doctrines and is also without the Spirit and so it leaves them as it found them in reference to their Natures and corruptions C But the word that faith receives is the Word of righteousnesse and life a word that is alwayes accompanied with the Spirit and when this is ingrafted into the soul and abides in it it presently mortifies and crucifies it and destroyes a mans self out of himself D And therefore in 1 Cor. 1.18 it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word of the crosse and that not only because it exposes us to afflictions in the world but also because it dwelling in our hearts by faith doth crucifie us And this crucifying word in the same verse is called also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the power of God for that Word that crucifies our flesh subdues and destroyes the whole strength of corruption out of us must be such a Word as is also the Power of God and so it is not only in tseâ—f but also because the Spirit of God dwels in it And this Word thus appreheâ—dâ—d will crucifie us with Christ Now this word of faith which is the word near us even in our hearts will crucifie us 1. Throughly It will crucifie the whole man throughout and that according to his mind will and affectâ—oâ—s E for this Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper then any two edged sword and is piercing to the dividing asunder both of the soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a curious discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart c. And all the Tribulations and Torments in the world yea all the sorrows and pains of Hell cannot so crucifie and subdue our evil natures and lives as this Living Word in our hearts with whom we have to do This will crucifie us till we be dead with Christ as Christ was dead which was the fullest and compleatest death that ever was that is till our outward and inward man be wholly and fully subject to the only Will of God 2. F This word of faith will crucifie us daily and constantly as Paul witnesses 1 Cor. 15.31 saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I die daily for the word of righteousnesse dwelling in us is clean contrary to our corrupt nature and all the operations of it and doth without intermission put forth its strength and efficacy against both That as in the first break of day the light is still mortifying the darknesse till it have wholly dispelled it so the Word of righteousnesse deals with our corruptions till their place shall be no more found Now because this our crucifying with Christ is so contrary to the flesh that the flesh is alwayes mourning under it and murmuring against it therefore for our encouragement in so difficult a work as this I shal propound some choice and excellent advantages that believers have by being truly crucified with Christ For by this means 1. We are freed from the Law G For as the humanity of Christ being crucified by the Word and Spirit by this means became dead to the Law and the Law lost all its power over him H so all the faithful that are thus crucified with him are through this crucifying set free from the Law I for their own life being extinguished by the living Word and Spirit and they living in that word and spirit a life not their own but Christs are as truly freed from the Law as Christ himself was K And this Paul doth plainly teach us Rom. 7.1 saying that the Law hath Lordship over a man all the time he lives and no longer But when he is once crucified with Christ and dead with Christ the Law hath no more Dominion over him So then as long as we live our own life the Law hath power over us but when we are dead to our selves through the Life of Christ we are set quite without the reach of the Law and the Law hath no more to do with us the Members then with Christ the Head 2. L By being crucified with Christ we are freed of sin For one of the chief ends of the indwelling of the Word Spirit in Believers is to free them
we believe we shall also live with him spiritually in this life gloriously in that which is to come Rom. 6.8 But that believers shall live with Christ that very life which the word and spirit of God did communicate to his flesh when it raised him from the grave and fully translated him into the immediate kingdom of God is a position raised by Mr Dell to a very high pitch wherein yet I shall not oppose him if he admit as I hope he will a preheminency of life unto our Saviour as being the head of the Church anointed with the oyl of gladnesse above his fellows Heb. 1.8,9 For whilst our Saviour hath his peculiar preheminence of degree allowed him as the head I take it we may safely believe that his members shall be sharers with him in that very life of blessednesse and glory which is communicated to his flesh or humane nature since the Apostle teacheth us that God hath raised us up together and made us sit togother in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.6 and again that if whilst we live we are delivered to death for Jesus sake the life also of Jesus shall be made manifest in our mortal body 2 Cor 4.11 for when Christ who is our life shall appear we also shall appear with him in glory Colos 3.4 SECT VIII WHence it is evident that all that flesh which the Word and Spirit do crucifie with Christ they shall also rise up together with him and sit in the same heavenly places in him which is the sure hope of all Believers Now seeing all these things are truth and are no lye let us willingly give up our selves to be thus crucified how bitter and grievous soever it be to the flesh Quest A Now if any man shall say How shall I know that I am thus crucified with Christ that I may have interest in all these advantages Answ I answer There are many Trials of this some of which I wil name very briefly and so conclude this matter As First If though findest thine own Nature truly subdued and changed by another Nature that is from God and if thou findest thy own life put to an end by another life that is from God then art thou crucified with Christ indeed 2. If thou canst deny thy self in all things of flesh and bloud and findest a new self within thee to have power over thy old self which is daily withering and decaying at the presence of the new creature then art thou crucified through the Word 3. If thou art dead to sin even to all those corruptions and lusts which have delighted themselves in thee and thou again in them if thou findest thy self dead to them and they killed in thee then art thou crucified by the Word 4. If thou art dead to the world and to the things of it which are the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life then art thou crucified by the Word 5. If thou dost not mind the praise and applause of men on the one hand nor their reproaches and indignities on the other hand but art truly dead to both then art thou crucified by the Word 6. If thou at deceased and departed from thine own will and works and canst do and delight to do the will and works of God then is his Law within thy heart and thou art crucified by the Word 7. If thou art ready prepared to bear and endure any sufferings and persecutions for Christ with patience and over and above with willingnesse and joy and dost not draw back for any evils but doest stand to them and overcome them then also art thou crucified by the Word and that is crucified with Christ B Now this our crucifying with Christ is the chief and greatest matter that we are to mind in this world wherefore Paul saith to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I did not judg it worth the while to know any thing among you or to behold any thing in you but Jesus Christ and him crucified Seeing in this present state of ours this is our chief businesse to be crucified with Christ and to be taken out of our selves and all our own things till we be altogether reduced to nothing that we may receive our selves and all things anew in Jesus Christ This is the chief work of God by his Word and Spirit upon the faithful here in this world as it was also his chief work upon Christ in the dayes of his flesh For though there were in Christ many clear Demonstrations of the presence of God through which he wrought many of the great works of God C yet our main businesse that concerned Christs life in the flesh was daily and throughly to crucifie him by the Word and Spirit which dwelt in him and thereby to prepare him and make him fit for the outward crosse and for that sad hour and power of darknesse that was to overtake him D And so this also is to be the chief businesse of our lives after we do believe even to be daily crucified and mortified and killed by the Word and Spirit of Christ till our will be perfectly subdued to Gods and by this means we be fitted and prepared for that tribulation and crosse whatever it is that the Lord shall please to appoint unto us either in life or in death And thus having spoken something of the Crucified Christian we proceed to speak in the next place of the Quickned Christian from the following words ANIMADVERSION VIII A ALl these notes of trial whether a man be crucified with Christ laid down by Mr Dell are very good and found and fully to be discovered in those who are crucified with Christ through the Word of the Gospel and the Spirit of Christ according to the old Scripture doctrine of Protestant teachers Great pitty it is that so good words as these wherein Mr Dell hath laid down these notes of trial should ever be misplaced B The Apostle in the words here alledged spake of Christs being crucified for us as the main subject of his Gospel doctrine which he preached amongst the Corinthians as appeareth by comparing the 23. verse of the former chapter with this text Here is therefore no intimation of that our crucifying which Mr Dell speaks of for all his admirable confidence in the strange allegation and interpretation of the place now before us C If the Printer have done his part in these words they are extreamly obscure if at all intelligable otherwise then by guesse D These words of Mr Dell I understand and in plain Scripture sence yield full assent to them as to their main intent praying that the Lord would pour out more abundantly the spirit of mortification and self denial on his people that we may indeed live the rest of our time in the flesh not to the lusts of men but to the will of God both by doing and suffering with cheerfulnesse according to his good pleasure The
The Apostle used this form of speech that he might shew that as a garment is a different thing from him that putteth it on so also the old and new man are different things from us who put off one wherewith we were clothed and again put on the other which before we had not upon us I take it that Austins words are fully consonant to Scripture doctrine Sit igitur in primis positum atque firmatum virtutem quâ rectè vivitur ab animi sede membris corporis imperare sanctumque corpus usu fieri sanctae voluntatis Let this be in the first place laid down and firmly held unto that the vertue whereby a man lives well commandeth over the members of the body from the throne of the minde and that the body is made holy by the use of a holy will Aug. de civ dei lib. 1. cap. 16. B By the words of the Apostle it doth appear that a Christian crucified with Christ as to the life of the old man liveth not unto God from a principle of life which is properly his own or from himself but from a principle of life which he hath from Christ and in Christ namely from the spirit of Christ which dwelleth in all his But that a believer loseth his personality by being crucified with Christ it appeareth not from this or any other Scripture that I know That through faith a believers soul and body live no more any proper life of their own but are taken up into the nature and person of the Son of God understanding these words according to Mr Dels explication Sect. 13. D that Christ in a believer is not the flesh of Christ for that being a creature can be but in one place at a time but this Christ is the Eternal Word and Son of the living God the power wisdom and righteousnesse of God and the true God and eternal life seems to me a very dreadful position For if a believers soul and body be taken up into the nature and person of Christ the Son of God in distinction from his flesh then he must needs in nature and person be the Son of God and the true God as our Lord Jesus Christ is which I am not willing to believe that Mr Dell will positively and plainly affirm though his words evidently speak so much Whereas it is here further asserted by Mr Dell that in Christ a believer subsists lives and acts as a member in the man the branch in the Vine that is acknowledged in a Scripture sence sc that a believer hath his spiritual life wholly in Christ and from Christ as his head and mediatour through his spirit as a member hath its life from a man and a branch from the Vine but from hence to conclude that a believer through faith doth lose his personality and lives in the person personality of the Son of God is utterly inconsequent for though a believer doth retain his humane nature and personality and doth truly live and subsist in the same yet is it likewise true that that person subsists lives and acts in Christ as to the life of God in him as a member in the man or as a branch in the Vine C This assertion here reiterated by Mr Dell that a believer after faith comes is no more a person distinct from Christ needs not again to be proposed peremptorily but to be proved sufficiently by Scripture and me thinks those words so far as he is gathered up into Christ do utterly overthrow the former assertion and prove that a believer in some degree or respect is not gathered up into Christ and therefore must needs be a person distinct from Christ If here be not contradictio in adjecto a contrariety in the end to the beginning of this sentence I am much mistaken D I utterly deny and doubt not but the Scripture will bear me out in it that a believer though admitted to be a distinct person from Christ is within the reach and power of death and hell for the humane person of a believer being by faith and the Spirit united unto Christ as his member truly and yet mystically is through Christ as his head and mediatour fully put out of the reach of death and hell and of the Law and sin as binding over thereunto so that if the law sin death or the Devil come to a believer to accuse terrifie or condemn him he by reason of his most real and near union into Christ may reply in truth and say It is not I I am not I I am through faith a member of Christ I am in him and of him If you have any thing to say say it to Christ my head and mediatour for I am a member of his and do live in him And this doctrine I doubt not is as full and effectual as what Mr Dell here suggests to bring on that conclusion in regard of believers that none can lay any thing to their charge but what Christ hath taken upon himself and overcome for them and so the law sin hell and the Devil can as soon prevail against Christ as against them who are so nearly joyned to him as to be one flesh and spirit with him in a Scripture sence much different from the mind and meaning of Mr Dell in this point E Those words being not overstrained beyond Scripture meaning are very true and good and conformable to the judgment of those who judg Mr Dels doctrine of a believers having no personality but in the person of the Son of God to be very unsound and dangerous Indeed if we were persons by our selves that is persons not united unto Christ as our head and mediatour we should be very miserable but blessed be the Lord though we know believers to be distinct persons from Christ yet we also know them to be persons spiritually and mystically united unto and even into Christ as their head being made parts of that body which is his fulnesse who filleth all in all Eph. 1.23 and that is unto them matter of everlasting and invincible rejoycing F Where to look this place in Luthers works I know not but upon what I know of the general tenour of Luthers doctrine I dare adventure the reproach of a grosse mistake if the words being duly weighed do import more then this that all personal works worth merit and righteousnesse is to be wholly disclaimed by those who partake of the spiritual benefits of Christ And this is very sweet Gospel doctrine assuredly which hath no affinity with Mr Dels new paradox G Agreed if these words be taken in the plain Scripture sence of them there is no doubt but for the escaping of eternal evils and obtaining eternal good things believers must be taken up into Christ and found in him not having their own righteousness but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3.9 at what time they may in their particulars
anti-scriptural and anti-evangelical position For do not believers find a law in their members rebelling against the law of their minde and leading them captive to the law of sin which is in their members Doth Christ so too Do not believers groane in their earthly tabernacles desiring to be cloathed with their house which is from heaven Doth our Lord Christ so too Doth not our Saviour ever live to make intercession for his people and to save all those to the uttermost who come to God by him Do all believers so too I cannot but believe that Mr Del hath limitations in store for this boundlesse position though he omitted to expresse them at the publishing thereof B That it is just so between Christ and believers as it is between God the Father and Christ and that believers are as nearly united to Christ as God and Christ cannot be truly affirmed unlesse Christ the eternal Word and Son of God and believers be one God essentially or that God and Christ be not one God essentially neither of which positions I hope Mr Dell will adhere unto upon deliberation The words of our Saviour whom we may safely nay whom we must surely believe which are here alledged by Mr. Dell speak not home to his affirmation For we may know and believe that Christ is in the Father as being together with him one God blessed for ever and that believers are in Christ as members of his mystical body and that Christ is in them by his spirit which dwelleth in them and yet neither know nor believe that it is just between Christ and believers as between God and Christ and that Christ and believers are as nearly united as God and Christ which are high affirmations and very strange and dangerous C Whether this be not close girding at the conscionable observation of the weekly Lords day let Mr Dell judge D In John 17.21 it appeareth that our Saviour prayed and was no doubt heard therein that all believers might be brought into a blessed unity amongst themselves in God and the Lord Christ through the Spirit of God which is given unto them 1 John 3.24 By the inhabitation of which Spirit of God in believers it cometh to passe that as the Father is in the Lord Christ and Christ in the Father in a divine unity so believers become one amongst themselves in the Father and the Lord Christ in a blessed spiritual unity and so united they are one as to the truth though not to the manner and degree of unity as the Father and the Lord Christ are one This is all for ought I see which can be perceived from the Scripture alledged by Mr Dell which falleth very short of his purpose and doctrine or if our Saviours words John 17.21,22 be to be understood of that celestial unity which is between the Father the Son and Believers through the reciprocal actings of special love to which sence the 23. verse seems to give countenance our Lords words admit of a clear interpretation without the least intimation of the same or as near a union through the Word or Godhead of our Saviour between him and believers as is between him and the Father E Doth not Mr Dell here forget himself whilest he mindeth believers so to live that Christ may not be ashamed to own every part of their lives for this intimateth that believers may possibly so live that Christ may be ashamed to own some part of their lives and then in those parts of their lives at least believers must needs be distinct persons from the eternal Word and Son of God which is plainly and confidently denied by Mr Dell Sect. 11. B C SECT XVI And the life I live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the flesh This Paul speaks to shew that the life he lived after he was a Believer was not out of the flesh in the Religion of Angels in strange Raptures and Revelations and in high and wonderful things above himself but that the life he lived in Christ and Christ lived in him was in the flesh that is in his humane soul and body A There are a sort of People which also have been Professors of the Gospel so deluded by the Devil that they say they live the life of Christ yea a life far above Christ in the Spirit and that they live immediately in God and have often visions of and intercourse with Angels whilst yet these very people live the life of sin and Satan in the flesh in all manner of filthinesse and uncleannesse and loosenesse and abominable prophanesse B Wherefore saith Paul I live the life of Christ in the flesh in this soul and body of mine I live in the flesh but not after the lusts and requiring of the flesh but I live Christs life in my own flesh in all righteousnesse holinesse cleannesse purity meeknesse goodnesse love patience heavenlinesse this is the life I now live in the flesh 2. Note hence again That the life of Christ is to fill a Christian not his spirit only but his flesh it is to fill his soul and his senses his inward and outward man his thoughts words works and his whole conversation the life of Christ is to fill them all C The life of Christ is first communicated to the spirit of our minde there it is first kindled and rooted and from thence by degrees it spreads it self into the flesh and to this the flesh is most unwilling but at last the Spirit overcomes the flesh and leads it forth into its own righteousnesse and life Vse 1. D And hence we may learn that our present natural life doth not hinder us but that we may live a spiritual and heavenly life or the very life of Christ in our flesh if we be true Belivers Wherefore Paul elsewhere speaking of Believers saith the Father hath quickned us with Christ and raised us up together with him and set us in heavenly places in him and that whilst we live a Natural life according to the body E So that here in this present world we may partake of eternal life and may live not in notion but in deed the life of the Spirit in the flesh and the life of heaven on earth and the life of the Son of God in our humanity if we do not deprive our selves of so great happinesse through unbelief Vse 2. F Again we may learn hence That the life of the Son of God is not to be confined only to that Humanity that was born of the blessed Virgin which was the Head of the Elect but that it extends it self to all true believers in whom Christ lives as in his own flesh as Paul saith Christ lives in me even in my flesh which through this life of Christ in it became Christs more then Pauls So that the life of the Son of God is communicated truly to all the faithful and is to be seen in their flesh in some measure as well as in his in all fulnesse as the
ANIMADVERSIONS ON Mr. WILLIAM DELLS Book Intituled The Crucified and Quickned Christian BY HUMFRY CHAMBERS D. D. Pastor of Pewsy in the County of Wilts 2 JOHN 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son Saepe sub diversis verbis idem tenetur sensus Attamen qui novas phrases terminos definitiones rerum excogitant etiam nova dogmata moliuntur Nolunt enim loqui cum aliis ut supra alios sapere videantur Simul indicat sc Apostolus remedium quo schismata caveri curari possint si idem loqui studeamus hoc est phrases ecclesiae proprias perspicuas consuetas studiosè teneamus At non debemus esse jurati in cujusquam verba nec admittere aliquid extra scripturas Pareus ad 1 Cor. 1.10 Novemb. vicessimo 1652. Imprimatur JOHN OWEN Vicecan OXON London Printed by R. N. for Sa. Gellibrand at the Ball in Pauls Church-yard M.DC.LIII TO HIS EXCELLENCY The Lord General CROMWEL My Lord I Trust it shall not be adjudged overdaring presumption in me seeing Mr. Dell did adventure to Dedicate his book to you that I take the boldnesse to follow him into your presence and to lay down these Animadversions on his book at your Excellencies feet If you please and the multitude of your important affairs will admit you to cast an eye upon them I hope you will discern in them amidst many weaknesses a heart studious of keeping the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace and desirous to speak the truth in love I have great assurance given me that your Excellency expressed a reall distaste of some of the Doctrines contained in Mr. Dells book when he published them in your hearing and I believe it being convinced that there are many positions and expositions in Mr. Dells book which cannot but afford matter of just offence to a pious and judicious spirit But I will not presume any farther to trouble your Excellency The God of power wisdom and mercy make you Instrumental to promote his truth kingdom and Glory which is and shall be the hearts desire and prayer of My Lord Your Excellencies servant in the truth and service of Jesus Christ HUMFRY CHAMBERS To Mr. WILLIAM DELL Master of GONVIL and CAIUS Colledge in CAMBRIDGE Mr. Dell NOt out of any itch which I have to put my self under the scratching of this way-ward wrangling age nor out of a desire to be seen at this time wherein were it not for conscience of duty I should prefer a Cave in a wildernesse with bread and water above any pallace and provisions which I know in this low world nor out of a conceit of sufficiency duly to mannage points of difference and difficulty in matter of Religion wherein no man knoweth more of my weaknesse then my self But out of love to the everlasting truth of God which if I much mistake not is generally clouded and I fear in some places contradicted in your book I have been induced in the face of many discouragements to expose these Animadversions on the same to publike view In so doing I do not know that I have given you any just cause of offence seeing you and I and all that pretend to be the servants of Christ have warrant upon no other terms in word or writing to tender doctrines unto others then as unto wise men who are to judge what we say and proving all things to hold fast that which is good 1 Cor. 10.15 A faithful servant of God now at rest lying upon his sick and as it proved his death bed being much disquieted with your book put it into my hands who before had never seen it or heard of it and desired me to make some short notes upon it and communicate them to him who was then by reason of his bodily infirmity unable to compose his own thoughts Mr. Henry Scuddar I answered his desire in part before he died since which time considering as you testifie that several good men desired the publishing of your doctrine and being assured that the ultimate doctrine of your book which seems to me very contrary to sound doctrine and the power of godlinesse namely concerning the subsisting of believers spoiled of all proper personality in themselves in the nature and person of the Son of God hath been lately preached by another in a large congregation in words much like yours if not the same and seeing how ready many high professours of Religion in our dayes are to swallow novelties without chewing which breedeth strange crudities and causeth such stupendious putting of darknesse for light and light for darknesse of bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter I resolved through the strength of God to go through your book and weigh it at the ballance of the Scripture with a firm purpose to give all the allowance to your words which reason and charity could call for and if I found them consonant to the word of God then to sit still if otherwise to give publike warning to Gods people to try before they trust your new doctrine In prosecution of this resolution I have now published these Animadversions on your book If you or any other shall shew me that I have erred in them from the rule of truth or love I here bind my self to make a thankful and if it be desired a publike acknowledgement of so great a favour conceiving it a great mercy when God bringeth any one unfeinedly to the honourable duty of a just retractation and knowing that errour in print unretracted may do unspeakable mischief to succeeding generations when the Author thereof is dead and rotten Sir I thought fit thus far to give you an account of the true reason of my undertaking in the composing and publishing of those Animadversions on your book The good Lord reduce us where either of us erre and confirm us where we go aright and teach us to triunph in our own lessnings whilst the truth of God is exalted So prayeth he who is Desirous to meet you in the truth love life and kingdom of Jesus Christ Humfry Chambers To the Christian READER THe word of God is truth and that truth everlasting John 17.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 119.160 All divine truth is in it self and as to Gods manifestation of it in his word old though much of this truth is as to us and our apprehension of it from the word new but whether new or old what ever appears unto thee by Scripture evidence to be truth imbrace and honour it as an irradiation of the God of truth Adversus universas haereses jam hinc praejudicatum sit id esse verum quodeunque primum Tertul Let the holy Ghosts counsel impartially prevail with thee buy the truth and sell it not Prov. 23.23 By perusing of the ensuing Animadversions on Mr. Dells book which out of love unto the
themselves or are freed by others from the old Law before the new be written in their hearts E But this they understand not that when the new law comes it is a sufficient discharge from the old since the Law of Grace within us is infinitely more powerful to keep us from sin then the Law of Moses without us and the love of righteousnesse and hatred of iniquity put into our hearts by the Spirit is infinitely more able to make us do righteousnesse and avoid sin then any outward commands and threatnings whatsoever And so where the Gospel prevails in truth and power men need not fear the taking away the Law from such men seeing they through the new Law are dead unto the old that they may live unto God F That as the humanity of Christ knew no Law but the presence of the Godhead in it was unto it instead of all Law and it lived unto God by living in God through union and communion with the divine Nature so the Saints God dwelling in them and they in God do by this means live unto God G and God himself who dwels in them is the new law according to which they live they doing all in God and for God and so live unto God indeed And now it follows ANIMADVERSION 3. A THis being a Scripture expression cannot be excepted against if it be not racked to speak contrary to the plain and general tenour of Scripture doctrine It is very considerable what two worthies have written concerning partaking of the divine nature namely Naturam non vocat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed certas ut ita loquar qualitates quas dei virtus in nobis efficit ut hactenus dei imago simus Nam hoc ipsum postea indicat quum definit naturae divinae participem fieri idem esse atque mundi corruptionem effugisse Itaque non modo impii sed plane etiam ridiculi sunt qui ex hoc loco Divinae essentiae in nos transfusionem imaginantur ut impius ille Servetus praefracte ad mortem usque defendit He cals nature not the very essence but certain qualities as I may so speak which the power of God worketh in us that thus far we may be the Image of God For this very thing he afterwards declares when he defineth to be made partaker of the Divine Nature to be the self same thing which having escaped the corruption of the world Therefore they are not only impious but altogether ridiculous who from this place raise an imagination of the transfusion of the divine essence into us as that wicked Servetus obstinately defended even unto death Beza in 2 Pet. 1.4 Notemus ergo hunc esse Evangelii finem ut aliquando deo conformes reddamur id vero est quasi deificari ut ita loquamur Let us observe that this is the end of the Gospel that we should be at last made conformable unto God that is that we may so speak to be in a kind deified Calv. in Locum B Gospel liberty from the Law according to the Scripture is doubtlesse to be declared as an high priviledge and prerogative of the sons of God and I hope it is so declared by them whom Mr Dell in contempt calleth ignorant and carnal Christians in the former page Rom. 2.1 Freedom of heart unto the Law as a divine rule is as I take it a great part of Gospel liberty from the Law as a yoak of bondage Do not these Scriptures teach as much Rom. 6.14,15,16 and 7.22 Psal 119.45 James 1.25 It is an high priviledge of the Gospel and an excellent prerogative and branch of the glorious liberty of the sons of God to be set free from sin made the servants of God to have their fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life Rom. 6.21 The sons of God established with his full spirit cannot but speak in Davids language I will run the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart Psal 119.32 C It is dangerous and unwarrantable distinguishing upon the Scriptures without the Scriptures If that liberty be indulged unto men they will have a bridle in the mouth of Scripture to make it turn and speak at pleasure Evill doers without distinction are made the objects of Magistratical restraint Rom. 13.4 1 Pet. 2.14 And the corrupters of Gods truth and worship are expresly called evil doers Phil. 3.2 When therefore men manifestly appear to be such they cannot plead or expect exemption from magistratical restraint by Scripture authority The Parliament hath lately published an Act against blasphemy and revived and enlarged some Acts for the due observation of the Lords Day and I think therein have discharged a duty which belongs to Christian Magistrates Should any attempt to introduce surcisme Paganisme Judaisme or Socinianisme into our Land would the governours thereof do well like Gallio to sit down and care for none of these things would they be able to satisfie their conscience that they did satisfie their duty towards God in case they should look on stand still and cry God help I think there are few who would have a face though it be much to be feared that many have a heart to professe so much which is the necessary result of Mr Dells principles Blessed be God that the present heads of our State in Parliament by what they have lately done about the Turkish Alcaron and the Sociman Catechism towards the suppressing of them have declared themselves to be of more sound judgement I cannot yet otherwise apprehend but that they who hold that Magistrates may not at all Judg and do justice in case of manifest immediate injury done to God are not through strength of reason but by reason of the Magistrates strength only held to an acknowledgement that they may Judge and do justice in point of injury towards men For the reason taken from Gods being alwayes present in the world as moderatour and governour himself to prove that he is the immediate Judge in all things that immediately concern himself and his kingdom being pressed home will prove him to be immediate Judg also in all things pertaining to Judgement and Justice amongst men seeing his throne is in the heavens and his kingdom rules overall and so a fair way will be made to an utter extirpation of Magistracy from the very foundations And as for tender-hearted Magistrates who may be staggered at the use of their power for the suppressing of such as in the judgement of their conscience regulated by the word of God are manifest and pernicious offenders in such affairs as immediately concern God and his kingdom I would offer these things briefly to their judicious consideration 1. That the tendernesse of good Magistrates to act for God will breed no tendernesse in evil Magistrates to act against God when they have power in their hands 2. That the abuse of Magistratical authority by evil men doth not make that authority void in the hands of good
that the law of grace and of the spirit within us is infinitely more powerful to keep us from sin then the Law of Moses without us and that the love of righteousnesse put into our hearts by the spirit is infinitly more able to make us to do righteousnesse and avoid sin then any outward commands or threatnings whatsoever which yet have their subordinate place in this work If this be all Mr Dell contends for he will not find an enemy amongst his despised brethren But if by saying that the coming of the new law is a sufficient discharge from the old he intend that all who receive the spirit to be in them the root of obedience are sufficiently discharged from taking the outwardly revealed Law of God to be unto them the rule of obedience It is true that the brethren whom he glanceth at do not understand or at least do not believe that but are very confident that when the Law of the Spirit comes into the heart the heart is brought to delight in the outward Law of God and to chuse it for a light to a mans feet and a lamp to his path Psal 119.97 and 105. F Our Lord Christ in his humanity did know and acknowledge the written Law of God for a law and â—ule unto him and did fulfil it Mat. 4.4,7,10 and 5.17 how confident soever Mr Dell â—e of the contrary G That is not the tenour of the Covenant according to Mr Dells words I will be in their hearts for their law but I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Jer. 31.33 It is dangerous tampering with the Covenant of God when the words thereof are plain That the Lord is the Law-giver I have often read Esay 32.22 but that he is the law of his people I never saw affirmed in Scripture SECT IV. I am Crucified with Christ c. I Am crucified with Christ who through this new Law was dead to the old For Christ our brother of the same flesh and bloud with us having the living word and law of God within him A he owed nothing to the law of Moses by way of debt neither was he justified by the works of the Law but by the righteousnesse of the eternal Son or Word of God that dwelt and wrought in him and he again in it B And this living Word and Spirit of God that dwelt in the flesh of Christ was the true crucifying of his flesh and in this crucifying of Christs flesh all his Saints partake with him as Paul here saith I am crucified with Christ. C Now this cannot be understood of Christs outward crucifying upon the material Cross for thus Paul was not crucified with him neither are all the Saints But this is to be understood of Christs inward and spiritual crucifying through the Word of righteousness and life that dwelt in him and according to this all the faithful through all ages are crucified with him indeed And now here it wil be needful to speak something more fully both touching Christs own crucifying and the crucifying of all his Saints with him on the same crosse And the rather because as men generally in the outward Church have a carnal understanding of all the things of Christ so also of his Crosse and Death And not the Papists only but many among our selves who greatly adore the outward cross and crucifying of Christ are yetignorant of the true cross and crucifying of Christ and his Christians with him whereby they are truly crucified and dead to themselves to sin to the world D and to whatever is not God himself And so under the open profession of the outward crosse and death of Christ do live in all manner of sin and wickednesse equally with the very heathen amongst whom the Name of Christ hath not been named Wherefore to remove this gross ignorance from all that love the light I shall speak something first of Christs own crucifying and then of our crucifying together with Christ ANIMADVERSION 4. A VVHat did not Christ owe something to the Law so much as for us How then was he made under the Law Gal. 4.4 Did not his submitting of himself to Circumcision make him a debter to do the whole Law Gal. 5.3 Did not our Lord Christ by submitting himself to the state of a servant in relation to his Father become obliged to fulfil all his righteous commands It seems to me that those two Scriptures joyned together prove so much Esay 42.1 Mat. 3.15 Again did not we owe to God perfect obedience to his Law and full satisfaction for our disobedience against his Law And did not our Saviour as our surety transfer and take upon himself our whole debt It would be ill with us if he had not done so me thinks Dr. Vshers words in his Sermon of the Incarnation hath much light and strength in them namely Our Mediator took upon him the part of an advocate to plead full satisfaction made by himself as our surety unto all the debt wherewith we any way stood chargeable Now the satisfaction which our surety bound himself to perform in our behalf was of a double debt the principal and the accessary The principal debt is obedience to Gods most holy Law if this stand true as I believe it will then Christ did owe the debt of obedience to the Law at least in our stead B Where doth the Scripture speak this language Doth not that Scripture speak otherwise 1 Pet. 3.18 which ascribeth not the crucifying but quickning of Christ to the spirit C Why may not the Apostle when he wrote that he was crucified with Christ be understood of Christs outward crucifying on his material crosse Is not the vertue of Christs outward crucifying applyed to all believing Saints is not the flesh in the Saints crucified through the power of that redemption which our Saviour finished on his material crosse and by participation of that redemption finished on the Crosse are not all believers crucified and dead with him what else do those Scriptures teach Rom. 6.5,6,7,8,9,10,11 1 Pet. 2.24 and 4.1,2 Tit. 2.14 It is very strange to me that Mr Dell should here so peremptorily deny that Pauls crucifying with Christ could be understood in relation to his outward crucifying since in Sect. 5. K he confesseth very truly that there was an infinite worth excellency and efficacy in our Saviours outward crucifying which unquestionably is imparted to those who believe and was imparted to the Apostle Paul who might therefore truly write as he did that he was crucified with Christ in reference to Christs outward crucifying on his material crosse D Are Christians dead to the Scriptures both to the Law and Gospel and to all Gods outward ordinances of none of which it can be affirmed that they are God himself I hope Mr Dell hath some limitations in store to make this strange assertion of his that believers are dead to whatsoever is not God himself passable or else SECT
called forth to witnesse the truth with their lives have at first for fear and dread of the outward crosse abjured the truth to save their lives But afterwards when the Word and Spirit within them had truly and fully crucified them they would then come forth again of their own accord and willingly offer up their bodies to fire and death And thus also I have declared what is our crucifying with Christ E Paul saying here I am crucified with Christ because his sins were subdued and his nature conquered through the living word and Spirit of Christ dwelling in him F Now that both these things are so in truth and that they are no fond notions speculations and glosses of mine own devising I will yet make it more evident by some few other plain Scriptures as by that of Paul in Rom. 8.10 where he saith If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin that is the presence of Christ that is the living Word of God within us is the killing and crucifying of the body to all sin And in Gal. 5.24 The same Apostle saith That they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts of it and ver 25. he shews that this crucifying of the flesh of Christians is not brought about by any outward sorrows and sufferings but by the presence of the Spirit in it saying if we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit and verse 16. of the same chapter he saith This I say then walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh and Rom. 8.13 If ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live So again Rom. 6.5 If we have been planted together in the likenesse of his death we shall be also in the likenesse of his resurrection Now all believers without exception are planted with Christ into a likenesse of his death which is not so to be understood as if all should be crucified on a material Crosse as he himself was but that all of them are buried with him by Baptism into his death that is by the baptism of the spirit and the baptism of the Spirit is the death of the flesh it is the death of our flesh with Christs for thus was Christs flesh made dead to it self to sin and the world to wit through the Baptism of the spirit and thus also is ours wherefore Paul adds vers 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin So that it is plain that the destruction of sin in our bodies by the living Word and Spirit of God is our crucifying with Christ. And verse 11. the Apostle would have those that are thus crucified with Christ to reckon themselves dead to sin for as the Word and Spirit of God in Christ made him wholly dead to sin and sin had no place in him So likewise as far as the same Word and Spirit of Christ prevail in us they will make us dead to sin for the time past and present and for the future will preserve us from sin And now we shall make some Vse of this point Vse 2. G First Then let us know that it is not enough to Salvation to believe That Jesus Christ according to his humane nature was outwardly crucified on a crosse for us at Jerusalem except we also our own selves be crucified with him through his living Word and Spirit dwelling in us through which we must be powerfully planted into a true likenesse of his death in such sort that we must be dead unto all sin whatsoever even to all our own corruptions and lusts and to all the Corruptions that are in the world through lust and we must be dead to our selves to our own fleshly reason understandig will desires ends and to our whole humane life and we must be dead to the world and to all that is in it and of it to all the pleasures profits and honours of it we must thus truly be dead with Christ ere we can live with him And with this kind of crucifying must whole Christ be crucified from the Head to the lowest members thus also must we be crucified with him if we will have any part in him I say we must have fellowship with him in his sufferings and be made conformable to him in his death ere ever we can attain to his Resurrection from the dead ANIMADVERSION 6. A I Take it that by the word of Christ is here intended the Word the Son or Godhead of our Saviour which was made flesh If so I demand a Scripture which teacheth that the Word or Godhead of our Saviour is otherwise in his people then in and by his Spirit the holy Ghost which dwelleth in them As for the holy Ghost the spirit which without measure of operation was in our Saviour as the head of his Church John 1.33 and 3.34 called therefore the spirit of Christ Rom. 8.9 that it is in several measures of operation shed forth by and through our Lord Christ upon all his who are by faith united unto him 1 Cor. 6.17 Gal. 3.14 and that it is in them the powerful and only root of mortification or crucifying of the flesh Rom. 8.13 is very well known and acknowledged by those whom Mr Dell slighteth as ignorant of the mysteries which he hath discovered were so much spoken in usual words it would appear no unusual doctrine But if Mr Dell decline this sence of his words I believe the doctrine comprised in them hath no footing at all in the Scripture B That faith hope and love together with other fruits of the spirit of Christ in believers are real crucifyings that is real originals of the mortification or crucifying of the flesh in them is a plain truth of it were plainly expressed Neither do these fruits of the spirit suffer a believer to live to himself or the lusts of men 1 Pet. 4.1,2 which is no doubt the true crucifying of the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof This Scripture doctrine is full of comfort and is neither new nor strange C The Scripture ascribeth the mortification or crucifying of the flesh to the spirit of Christ which dwelleth and whereby he dwelleth in believers This is plain and old truth But where is this spoken of as the work of the living Word or God-head of Christ any otherwise dwelling in them thâ—n by the Spirit That Scripture would be shewed D Where is the living word and spirit in believers called their crosse Scripture language is most proper for Scripture doctrine 1 Cor. 2.13 the sufferings of Christians are in the Scripture called their crosse Mat. 16.24 But the living Word and Spirit in them is never expressed by that name that I know And how should we dare to speak of the things of God otherwise then as we are taught by the word of God E
comfortably and confidently say with the Apostle It is no more I. SECT XII Yet not I. ANd here I must needs note one thing more e're I conclude this matter and that is this Note A That a believer must be so much taken up into Christ by faith that as Christ must work all in him so he must attribute all Christs works unto Christ and none to himself still saying in the midst and exercise of all Graces and Vertues It is not I It is not I that live but Christ himself that lives in me this life of Grace Righteousnesse Wisdom Meeknesse Goodnesse Humility Patience Power Love c. It is not I that live it in my self but Christ that lives it in me as he saith elsewhere I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the Grace of God that dwelleth in me After the same manner as every Christian must keep his Rest in Christ and must suffer Christ to work all his own works in him so he must still attribute all Christs works unto Christ and be still saying It is not I but Christ in me that hath done these works that hath endured and overcome these evils B And thus we must keep our Sabbath in Christ as Christ kept his Sabbath in God For Christ was so taken up into God and filled with him that he said of his humanity I can do nothing of my self and again the Father within me he doth the works and again the words that I speak are not mine but his that sent me and so Christ in all great works said not I but the Father in me so we in all our works that are truly spiritual must say not we but Christ in us C And this onely a mortified Christian can truely perform for others will be attributing the works of Christ to themselves rather then to Christ and be glorying in themselves more then in him It follows ANIMADVERSION 12. A A Greed agreed if as Mr Dell speaks Scripture language so he will hold to the plain Scripture meaning of the words Christ by his spirit is questionlesse the fountain of all good in his members and they must and will attribute all Christs works unto Christ and none to themselves still saying in the midst of the exercise of all graces and vertues It is not I but Christ himself that lives in me this life of grace B Though this be besides the main point now in hand yet I would see a Scripture which calleth our Saviours universal submission to his Fathers will or if Mr Dell likes not this explication then to use his own words his being taken up into God and filled with God his sabbatisme or sabbath-keeping If Mr Dell do here glance at the conscionable observation of the weekly sabbath as unnecessary as it is doubtful likewise whether he doth under the name of the sabbath Sect. 7. T and under the name of the Lords day Sect. 15. C he should do well to speak out that his minde may be known and his judgement in this point considered of by the word of God C To my certain knowledge very many who find no sweetnesse in Mr Dels new doctrine of no distinct personality in believers from the Son of God are by this mark which he makes infallible to be judged mortified Christians for they dare not attribute the works of Christ unto themselves and therefore glorie not in themselves but in Christ acknowledging that without him they can do nothing and joying in this with the Apostle that they can do all things through Christ who strengthneth them Phil. 4.13 SECT XIII But Christ lives in me A FOr least any should think that Paul had a new habit of life created in him he adds this that we must know it was Christ himself within him that was his life even that Word of life and Son of God that made the world and no created habit of life That as that Word that was with God and was God and dwelt in the humanity of Christ was that very life of his humanity So the same Word of God dwelling in us through Christ is also our life as it was his And as the body hath no habit of life in it self distinct and apart from the reasonable soul but the soul it self that dwels in the body is the life of the body and when the soul withdraws the body is dead and hath no habit of life in it self afterwards so the life of a Christian doth as immediately flow from Christ as the life of the body from the soul and if Christ should withdraw all Spiritual life would leave him and the Second death would swallow him up And as the very presence of the soul in each member is the Life of it so is Christs presence in all his Members their true and very life Wherefore saith Paul here Christ lives in me as God lived in Christ and as the Soul lives in the Body And so as Paul had affirmed before That it was not he that lived so here he shows Who it was that did live in him and that is Christ Christ lives in me B Indeed the Soul and Body were Pauls but Paul did not live in his own Soul and Body but Christ himself did live in them and so Paul lived the life of another in himself the life of Christ in his own soul and body and the soul and body of Paul were but a Temple in which Christ lived more then himself as the humanity of Christ was but a Temple in which God lived more then himself C So that it is Christ himself that lives in a true believer and he is and doth and suffers and overcomes all in him D Now that we may not mistake in this great matter we must rightly understand What this Christ is that lives in a believer now this is not the flesh of Christ for that being a Creature and in all things like unto our flesh sin excepted can be but in one place at a time but this Christ is the Eternal Word and Son of the living God the Power Wisdom and Righteousnesse of God and the true God and Eternal life This is the Christ that lived in Paul and lives in every believer ANIMADVERSION 13. A HOw Mr Dell will expound these words of his sc That as that word that was with God and was God and dwelt in the humanity of Christ was that very life of his humanity So the same word of God dwelling in us through Christ is also our life as it was his How I say he will expound these words and not confesse that the Godhead dwelleth in us as it doth in Christ and so that we are God as he is I see not Yet I am willing to hope that he doth not so apprehend although his words as far as I can judge import so much But I very much doubt that in this paragraph he puts asunder those things which God hath inseparably put together sc A new habit of life created in
and the faithful in all Ages are filling up the remainders of the sufferings of Christ in his body For believers have all along suffered and do still suffer from the World because God is in them of a truth and the evil done to them is against God himself who dwells in them And against this Rock have all the unbelievers dash'd themselves in pieces all along 4. Christ who lives in believers lives in them like himself that is like the Son of the living God and so those in whom he lives 1. He frees them from their own evil things and 2. He confers upon them all his own good things 1. He frees them from their evil things And in reference to these he lives in them as their Redeemer and Saviour and so Christ within them abolishes the Law takes away sin and destroyes death for none of these things can dwell in his presence in that soul wherein he lives F For he is our new Law to make void the Old and he is our new Righteousnesse to take away sin and our new life to destroy death and the Law Sin and Death can have no place nor power where Christ our new Law Righteousnesse and Life dwels and lives 2. Christ living in believers confers upon them his own good things G For Christ the Son of God hath nothing in himself that is in his Divine nature which he will not communicate to our flesh as he hath done to his own according to our place and use in his body and so he communicates to all those in whom he dwells of all the things of God till at last he fill them with all the fulnesse of God And thus is Christ glorified in his Saints and admired in them that believe 5. H If it be Christ the true God that lives in believers then we learn hence what true justification is and that is to be so one with Christ by faith that Christ himself may live in us and we in him that he may communicate his nature to us and our nature may be taken up into his for we cannot be Justified before God by our own living but by Christs living in us his own life and his righteousnesse which is the righteousnesse of God must dwell in us e're we can be Justified before God I Lastly seeing Christ himself lives in all true believers let us all who professe our selves to be such so live that Christ may be seen to live in us more then our selves that they that have known us may know us no more but may know Christ in us and that they that have communion with us may acknowledge Christ himself speaking working and living his whole life in us in all self-denyall humility holinesse love resignation of our selves to the will of God and in all diligence to do the work of God and readinesse to suffer the will of God for thus Christ lived in his own flesh and thus also he will certainly live in ours if he live there at all and when Christ lives in our flesh as he did in his own something of his glory will be seen upon us Now such a Christian in whom Christ lives and he lives not himself how amiable would he be in the spiritual Church but how unlike would he be to all the men in the world yea to the most Professors in that which is called the visible Church but I proceed to that which follows ANIMADVERSION 14. A MAster Dell should do well to name the men who look for all the life of Christ in his humanity and do not acknowledge that Christ lived truly in Paul and doth live in all the faithful by his spirit If none such appear as I am confident there will not amongst knowing Protestants he might have saved his use of rectification at least wise in respect of them B That Christ the true God is instead of all created habits of grace yea that he is truly all grace unto believers seems to be a position very dissonant from Scripture doctrine and which to my best remembrance I never saw Printed nor heard uttered until now Paul fully distinguished the spirit in believers from the sanctifying graces of believers which he calleth the fruits of the spirit Gal. 5.22,23 and in divers places he teacheth that the graces flow by way of creation from Christ through his spirit 2 Cor. 5.17 Ephes 2.10 and 4.24 Might the Scriptures be heard I think created graces and Christ in believers would not be opposed or confounded but Christ dwelling in believers by his spirit be acknowledged not to be all grace but the fountain of all created graces in them for of his fulnesse have we all received and unto every one of us is grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ Ephes 4.7 That the Godhead which dwelt in our Saviour was in him instead of all grace as Mr Dell confidently affirmeth needs proof before it be believed The fear of the Lord fiducial hope in God and other holy graces seem plainly according to Scripture doctrine to have been wrought habitually in our Saviours humane nature by the Spirit which was given him without measure Esay 11.2 and 61.1 Acts 10.38 It is quickly affirmed that created habits of grace in a Christian are empty notions and vaine speculations of School-men and of carnal and unbelieving hearts But doubtlesse men of holy and believing hearts have conceived that God in the Scripture makes mention of the habitual grace of righteousnesse wrought by the Lord Christ in his people Phil. 1.11 Eph. 4.24 as also the habitual graces of faith and love 1 Tim. 1.14 Acts 18.27 and of patience James 1.4 and the like flowing all from the Lord Christ as the vine which hath the sap of all grace originally in himself But that the Lord Christ is all grace to a believer I never yet read in any Scripture As to the place here produced by Mr Dell as expresly teaching the same sc 1 Cor. 1.30 I find it not there said that Christ is all grace to a believer nor do I imagine how it should be convincingly argued from that text which as far as I yet see only setteth forth our Saviour as made by God to his believing people the author and object of saving wisdom the treasure of Gods righteousnesse unto justification the root of sanctification through his spirit and the worker of the ful redemption of his people All which may be granted and is believed of those who yet believe that there is habitual operative grace wrought by â—hrist through his Spirit in his believing people enabling them in some measure unto every good work acording to 1 Cor. 15.10 C It is certain that our Lord Christ is the only ground of acceptation with God unto believers but that he is the only acceptable grace to God as Mr Dell here affirmeth is never as I know said in Scripture Love acting towards the Saints is pointed at as acceptable to God Heb. 6.10 and
Tongues People and Nations but some out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation which he hath loved and redeemed to God by his blood And now to make some Vse of both these Truths together Vse 1. And first The World as Christ terms Vnbelievers and Reprobates will certainly be grievously offended at this Doctrine when they shall hear that they have no part nor lot neither in the special Love nor in the special Redemption of Christ But this we cannot help nor be false witnesses of the minde of God which he hath so clearly revealed in his Word For they are not of God neither hath Christ loved or redeemed them neither do they much prize this Special Love and Redemption But the Sins they have they love them and live in them and do alwayes resist and oppose Christ and his Spirit and so as they are rejected of God so also they perish in their own sin and obstinacie Vse 2. 2. The faithful may learn hence that our Happinesse and Salvation in the first cause of it doth far surmount the utmost capacitie of the highest reason of all men and Angels seeing it is builded on no reason or ground of reason in any Creature but upon the meer will and good pleasure of the Creator which is not moved directed or ruled by any thing that is in the Creature but by it self alone and that freely fully and unchangably Which good pleasure of his as it is the Rule of all his works towards the Creature so this also is to be the Rule of all reason in the Creature and with this the Creature is to rest satisfied without farther questions and demands otherwise it blasphemes at the highest rate when it will needs be replying against God and not rest satisfied with his good pleasure Wherefore Christ himself speaking of this special Grace of God to the Elect gives him thanks for his good pleasure which was the first Fountain of all saying Matth. 11.25.26 I thank thee Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of understanding and hast opened them to babes Even so Father because thy good pleasure was such Which shews us that the good will of the Father is the Fountain and first Original of our Salvation unto which the will and pleasure of the Son is fully conformed and the Reason and Prudence and Knowledge and Understanding of man have no Place nor Vse here Vse 3. 3. The free and special Love and Redemption of Christ apprehended and felt by Faith tends to the great Refreshing and Comfort of the Faithful and that in the midst of the greatest sense of sin and wrath That the Lord even the Father and Son should by the Spirit thus single them out of all mankind and that the Father should freely set his love on them and give them Christ to give himself for them and should manifest the truth and certainty of all this to them by the Spirit which only is the Faithful witness of the mind and counsel of God to all his people I say the true and Spiritual sense of this Special Love and Redemption of God and Christ to them cannot chuse but fill their hearts with joy unspeakable and glorious So that the Soul cannot chuse but say Lord what is thy poor servant that thou shouldest deal thus with me That thou shouldst in thy deep and unsearchable counsel and in thy most hidden but most righteous Judgements passe by so many thousands and millions of people in every age and generation and should set thy love on me together with Christ and all his Saints being in my self so wretched and unworthy a Creature And this choiceness and speciality of thy love the more endears it to me and hath ravished and overcome my heart After this manner yea and beyond all expression must the Soul needs be affected that is truly sensible of the Special love and redemption of Christ ANIMADVERSION 19. A THese words speak of Faith as an act of Believers towards Christ regarding and apprehending in him his infinite love and the incomparable fruit of it according to the old Protestant doctrine agreeing with the Scriptures which I think cannot be brought into any good accord with the description of the nature of Faith set down by Mr Dell Sect. 17. A B This is old good and acknowledged doctrine firmly believed by those who are wholly unsatisfied in much of Mr Dels former doctrine as having no affinity with what is here delivered SECT XX. ANd this for Vse Object Now if any say If Christs Love and Redemption belong but to a few why is the Gospel commanded to be preached to all Nations in the World Answ I answer That in all the world among all Nations it may find out the Elect of God and bring them to the true knowledge and enjoyment of what God of his free grace hath done for them in Jesus Christ and when that word cometh they hear the Joyful Sound and believe and according to their Faith so is it to them And so I proceed to the third point which is Faith 's particular application of this special love and redemption of Christ to believers who loved me and gave himself for me A It is the nature of true Faith to apply Christ and all his Works to the believer and to make them his own for faith puts on Christ and cloaths us with Christ yea it eats and drinks him who is the Son of the living God and so makes Christ its own indeed Through faith Christ is formed in us and we again are formed in him and Christ and we are so made one another through faith that Christ Appropriates us to himself and we again appropriate Christ to us Other men content themselves with a General conceit that Christ loved them but a Christian hath a Particular faith Other men believe that he loved Paul and Peter and John such eminent Saints but true faith saith in our hearts he loved Me even Me together with them and that with the self same love and gave himself for Me as he did for them Quest But some will say Had not Paul a special Revelation of this love of Christ besides faith Answ I Answer Paul had a special Revelation of this love but yet no other then all believers have who have received the Spirit as the same Apostle shews 1 Cor. 2.12 where he saith We have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit that is of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God So that the Spirit of God within us shews us the things that God hath freely given us among which Christs Love and Redemption are the chief And the same Apostle prayes for the Ephesians that God would give them the spirit of wisdom and Revelation to know Christ. Now this spirit of Revelation doth not only shew us that there is a Christ and what he is but also that
where the Love of Christ is tasted 3 The Spiritual taste of this Special Love wil sweeten all the mercies of God which he gives us to enjoy in this world which would not be truly sweet if we did not taste his special love in them yea the taste of this love will make every ordinary mercy extraordinary and every small blessing a great one for nothing is ordinary or small where the special love of God is tasted 4. And lastly this spiritual taste of the special love of God will cause us constantly to put our trust in him seeing God who hath given us Christ and Christ who hath given us himself can afterwards deny us nothing nor suffer any thing to do us any prejudice Wherefore let these considerations move us to labour for this particular faith that we may believe that Christ hath loved us and given himself for us Yea let us known that such is Christs love to his Elect that he would not have refused to have given himself for any one single person of them and to have suffered the same things for any one of them as he hath done for all of them that each of us may know that we are as much engaged to be thankful to Christ as if he had given himself for us onely seeing each Christian by true faith may say with Paul he loved me and gave himself for me And this is all the hope and comfort we have in this World and we desire to live and dye with this faith rooted in our hearts ANIMADVERSION XX. A THis is a very good discovery of the nature of right saving faith which how it can consist with Mr Dels former description of the nature of faith Sect. 17. A I see not B The doctrine delivered by Mr Del in the following uses which he maketh of the point before him is old sound and good and needs not any new notions to support or inforce it If that passage following faith can trust in Christ in the midest of all sin and evil as wel as in the midst of all graces and vertues be understood with some grains of Gospel salt which it much needeth as intending that when a man seeth nothing in himself but sin and evil he may yet and should then being burdened come to Christ for rest and trust on Christ for life as much as if he saw himself in the middest of all graces and vertues saying with the Apostle This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of which I am chief It may then as I conceive be admitted for a truth which yet had need be delivered with much caution and many Gospel provisoes lest otherwise it might occasion in men a boldnesse to continue in sin that grace may abound which is a dreadful abuse of the Gospel noted and renounced by the Apostle Rom. 6.1 I think that much of that reproach of Antinomianism which many have drawn upon themselves in our dayes hath proceeded from an Antinomian liberty of language which they have affected and taken to themselves holding to no ordinary rule or law of words in their expressions but loving to deliver old and sound doctrines in new and dangerous terms and forms of words which have no doubt misguided multitudes into wicked and wretched errours which I am apt to conceive their leaders did not as their disciples do apprehend to be Scripture truths It would be very happy if at the length that Apostolical rule might obtain amongst us both in words and deeds Let us not judge one another any more but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way Rom. 14.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quicunque ista lecturi sunt non me imitentur errantem sed in melius proficientem August Retract FINIS
of sin in believers and the then refining purifying and spiritualizing of their humane life and faculties by the spirit of Christ unto a new life of holinesse wherein Christ may be truly said to live in them and they to live to God but that the native intent of Mr Dels words here looks to a much higher and his after words in this book contain a plain and peremptory refusal of so low a sense K Paul in the place here alledged Rom. 7. teacheth that the condemning and sin irritating power of the Law ceaseth towards those who are spiritually dead with Christ which is no doubt a branch of their true freedom from the Law acknowledged and joyed in by those whom Mr Dell sleights as Jewish zelots what more Mr Dell fetcheth from that Scripture is of his own putting into it as I think L It is an acknowledged truth that they who are crucified with Christ are freed from sin and the indwelling of the Gospel Col. 3.16 James 1.18 together with the spirit of Christ carrieth on this blessed freedom in them If this would content Mr Dell he might have the company of his brethren in the old way of truth But if this seem too low for him he must not think strange that he obtains not general applause amongst men of understanding in his sublime notions M Sin hath not its full power in the humane life of believers as is here affirmed by Mr Dell and this the texts here produced by himself do infallibly prove which teach that the old man of sin is crucified in believers to be destroyed and the dominion of it removed from them and therefore it doth not retain its fulpower in their humane life in any sence N If Christ and sin cannot live together in strength which I believe Then sin hath not its ful power in their humane life in whom Christ lives which yet Mr Dell in this same paragraph hath affirmed Ipse viderit O Hath a believer two fleshes then one Christs another his own I take it that the Scripture teacheth the direct contrary namely That a believer hath but one flesh or body in property of speech which is a member of Christ the temple of the holy Ghost and as to right of possession not his own 1 Cor. 6.15,19,20 Colos 2.1.5 In which body or flesh of a believer death reigneth not in any sence though as an enemie bodily death shall for a while imprison it in the grave 1 Cor 15.25,26 P The Devil finds so much corruption in Christs crucified ones that he too often prevaileth by temptation to lead them into sin Gal 6.1 1 John 2.1,2 Now sin is very hurtful to the people of God at least in point of comfort Psal 51.8,12 the Devil therefore whatever Mr Dell saith can do Christs crucified ones harm though not destroy them Q This is plainly opposite to Scripture doctrine namely That the flesh which is crucified with Christ is the old man Rom. 6.6 which lusteth contrary to Christ and his spirit Gal. 5.17 and therefore cannot possibly be Christs own flesh as Mr Dell here affirms R Let Mr Dell shew one Scripture which teacheth that the flesh which is crucified in believers is the flesh of the second Adam Believers themselves not the flesh which is crucified in them are intended by the Apostle when he writes that we are of his flesh and of his bones Ephes 5.30 S Mr Dell should produce that Scripture which calleth the flesh which is crucified in a believer the temple and habitation of God As to the text here alledged it speaketh to and of the persons of believers themselves not of the flesh crucified in them which are things of a very different consideration as all know who know any thing of Scripture doctrine T That flesh which is crucified in believers doth never keep the true sabbath understanding thereby as Mr Dell doth a ceasing from our own works of sin but it opposeth the keeping of that sabbath continually Gal. 5.17 Eph. 2.3 V Let Mr Dell shew a Scripture which speaketh any of these things of the flesh crucified in believers which are in this place heaped together by him Indeed all that is here said is true of believers in whom the flesh is crucified But believers and the flesh crucified in them are things as much different as Saints and the body of death in them which I think no rational Christian can mistake for the same thing W In direct opposition to this position it is as apparant as the noon-light that the flesh which is crucified in a believer in the reliques of it which are daily to be mortified Col. 3.5 doth by all possible means oppose suffering for Gods name Rom. 8.7 and a believer so far as he is inabled by the spirit of God to mortifie the deeds of the body and resist the lusts of the flesh which is crucified in him so far he is carried on in cheerful readinesse to bear the crosse of Christ and no further Is it possible that Mr Dell should all along mistake the flesh crucified in believers for believers themselves in whom the flesh is crucified If that may be imagined to be his meaning contrary to his words I would then say of the difference between Mr Dels strange positions concerning the crucified flesh and the doctrine of other Divines what Austin spake de predestinatione Dei cap. 5. in another case If the book be his His oppositionibus in literatura nulla est reconciliatio in intelligentia nulla est repugnantia There is no reconciling of these oppositions in word no repugnancy between them in deed X If Mr Dell had minded the old language and doctrine of the Scriptures he would never I think have broken out into these new and strange commendations of the flesh crucified in believers A little Scripture proof amidst this confident affirming would do wel Y Mr Dell should shew a Scripture which affirmeth that the flesh crucified in believers hath the very glory of Jesus Christ upon it which is a position so new and strange that it needs to be well proved before it be received The flesh which is crucified in believers is called the old man and the body of sin Rom. 6.6 which hath no part nor portion in the glory of Jesus Christ Z This position of Mr Dell is clearly opposite to the form of Scripture doctrine which teacheth that the flesh in believers is crucified with Christ to be more and more mortified in them till it be utterly destroyed and therefore it cannot possibly be the subject of the glorious resurrection And to take the mortal body of a believer which shall be the subject of the glorious resurrection 1 Cor. 15.44 for the flesh which is crucified in him and in reference whereunto he is said to be crucified with Christ seems to be such a mistake as no man could be subject to who taketh any heed to the old language of the Scripture A If we be dead with Christ