5. Therefore they set up the Name of Christ against his Government Is his Name Jehovah our Righteousness against his Government See whether Paul is one of those Ignorant Advancers of Christ Gal. 2.8 9. Neonom I believe many Abettors of these Mistakes are honestly zealous for the Honour of Free Grace but have not sufficient Light to see how God hath provided for this in his Rectoral Distribution of Benefits by a Gospel Rule Antinom We are beholding to you Sir for a Drop of Charity mingled with your supercilious Contempt of Holy Protestant Reformers who in my poor Judgment were knowing and learned Men that asserted both the Grace and Government of Christ against your new Law you esteem them but ignorant honest Men that meant well but ignorantly zealous for the Grace of God carried on only by a blind Devotion and did not understand the Mystery of God's Rectoral Distribution The Apostle tells us who are ignorant Rom. 10.3 They that are ignorant of God's Righteousness and go about to establish their own What do you think of the Mythologists of the Late Athenian Society I hope you esteem them Learned and Knowing as well as Honest Neonom Indeed I am bound to give them a high Character because they have given so ample a Testimony to my Scheme After their Learned Defence that somebody took Care of that it should be well done they give me and my Book this Character The Book is worth Perusal of all sorts of Persons for the Antidote which is annexed to each Argument and we must deliver our Opinions that Mr. Williams hath without Passion plainly learnedly and solidly established the Truth with incomparable Brevity and Criticism upon many Texts Antinom But I suppose they have wronged you in one thing viz. Branding you for a Critick upon Texts of Scripture I would do you right I believe you were never guilty of that As to what they say besides of you and your Book I leave others to judge when the matters are impartially tryed Neonom You may say what you please you see it passed the Judgement of those Wise Learned and Judicious Men Divines and others that were Eyes to the Nation in all Points of Difficulty both in Policy Law Divinity Matrimony and something else Antinom As to the Politicks or the Oeconomicks or what else you will call it their Skill failed tho to their Fatal Ruine But I meddle not with those Points I am most concerned at the Inscription upon their Altar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the unknown God which they ignorantly worship Neonom What do you mean by that Antinom I mean they are ignorant of God according to the Articles of the Church of England Neonom It 's Impossible I am sure they give no such ground of suspition by the Credit they have given my Scheme Antinom That may be Bona Ingenia jumpunt I doubt not but they are of your Opinion in Doctrinals Neonom But you say they know not God according to the Church of England Prove that Charge we will both fall together sure if you make not that good I can't but take you for a wicked Slanderer and Backbiter of a worthy solid learned Society of men Antinom If I do not prove my Charge let me be accounted so Sc. As to the Doctrine of Election in answer to this Q. Does the Scripture any where affirm an Election of a determinate Number of men to Eternal Life and Happiness Vol. 7. Athen. Merc. Num. 26. July 26. 1692. They make this Answer I must confess as Men to be pitied for their Ignorance It 's an easie thing to be mistaken in matters of this nature howsoever if we are so we 'll profess our selves ready to change our Opinion this is modest and Ingenuous on the producing better Reason and in the mean time not to have angry and uncharitable thoughts of those who are of a different Judgment Now thus far they set you a Pattern for you forsooth must Dogmatize and Anathematize all men that are not of your Opinion But to the Question We cannot be satisfied by any of those Scriptures which are brought for that purpose that there is any such an Election of a determinate number as either puts a Force to their Natures and Irresistibly saves them or absolutely excludes all the rest of Mankind from Salvation Not to stand upon the fotching in some words improperly brought as forcing Mens Natures which is so much like your way of Canons and Articles that I have a great suspicion that they drew up this Answer by your Direction I shall for all your shifting and shuffling that I see you are prepared for and I am as ready to answer for brevity sake say thus much That these Gentlemen do in this Opinion of theirs deny Absolute Election which you will also be found to do at the long run and that this assertion in denyal of Absolute Election is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England Art 17. Predestination to Life is the Everlasting Purpose of God whereby before the Foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us to deliver from Curse and Damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of Mankind and to bring them to Everlasting Salvation as Vessels made to Honour Now your Servant Sir I think I have proved what I promised I am sure this Article intends an absolute and unconditional Election of some and such an Election as excludes all others Eventually which I am ready to make good But this is not all yet there is another Question concerning the Salvation of the Heathens you advance in order to that Text There is a Qu. Vol. 7. No. 29. There 's no other Name under Heaven given That if we believe in God we believe vertually in Christ I desire to know what 's meant by a Vertual Belief A. The Jews were under the Dispensation of believing Our Father having Faith in the Messiah and whereas the Heathens were under the Dispensation of the Law of Nature the Divine Light written in Man which is the ordinary Voice of the Spirit in every man to restrain him from Murder Idolatry c. if they kept to that Law they should receive the Vertue of the Lamb of God slain before the Foundation of the World by the Fathers Decree for the sins of all men contrary to the Article 18. of the C. of E. They also are to be had accursed that presume to say that every man shall be saved by the Law or Sect which he professeth so that he be diligent to frame his Life according to that Law and the Light of Nature For Holy Scripture hath set out to us only the Name of Jesus Christ whereby men may be saved Neonom You are under many mistakes you neither understand those learned Mythologists nor the Articles for the Articles speak Old English and the Mythologist the New Divinity but they both mean the same thing
of God as Rector Antinom If you understand Judicial in respect of the Justice of God answered by the Righteousness of Christ purchasing all good Gifts and Blessings for Sinners that deserve nothing but Wrath it may be said of Justification But if you understand Judicial in respect of any Duty Grace or Qualification that is found in us tho' wrought by the Spirit I abhor it as an abominable Position And your Saying the Wedding Garment was Faith and not the Righteousness of Christ apprehended by Faith is a wretched wresting and Abuse of Scripture turning the sweet and precious Doctrine of our Lord and Saviour against himself I shall meet with you again upon these Points more largely therefore I pass them over briefly now But in the mean time take notice that all our Protestants and particularly the Assemblies Catechism define Justification and Adoption always Acts of Free Grace Neonom If so doth he despense these blindly and promiscuously without any regard to our being Believers c. or no Whether our Faith be true or no any one would blush to affirm Antinom I would know whether if God distribute his Free Grace to poor wretched and worthless Creatures according to his Election and distinguishing Mercy doth he do it blindly because he finds no Reason in them And I pray doth God dispense the Grace of Faith blindly if he doth it without respect to Men's being Believers first So if they believe before they shall have the Gift of Faith and their Faith must be true too before they have Faith given I can ' but think you are Fricatae Frontis or you would blush at the delivery of these things Neonom With respect to what is above declared the Gospel is a Law of Faith a Law of Liberty c. And it especially insists on that Sincerity of Grace and Holiness which the Rule of the Promise makes necessary in it's Description of the Person whom it makes Partaker of it's included Benefits Antinom You do here begin to make Conclusions on your Premises but your Premises not holding Water your Conclusions will no way follow you conclude the Gospel is a Law of Faith We have briefly shewed as you have given occasion that the Gospel as such is no Law and hath not a Sanctio it 's wholly a Promise of Life and the Performance of the Promise doth not depend upon any thing a Sinner can do as a Foederal Condition I shall shew fully hereafter that there is no ground from that place Rom. 3. nor that of James 1. to conclude the Gospel to be a Law i. e. A Command of Duty for a Condition with a Sanction of Threats upon the Non-performance or Promises as Rewards upon the Performance whether the Condition be Perfect of Imperfect Obedience You make the Sincerity of Grace and Holiness to be this Condition and you call it the Rule of the Promise which you say is not the Precept neither neither is it the Promise but a Rule that is neither Precept or Promise So what your Rule is he is wise that knows And you say this Rule makes Sincerity necessary in the Discription of the Person So the Rule of the Promise describes a Person only and therefore makes him not but tells us he must be sincere before he hath any thing to do with the Promise From whence hath he this Sincerity described From Law or Gospel From God or himself If from God then by way of Grace and Gift and so through the Promise If of our selves it 's Dross They that are in the Flesh cannot please God and therefore much less perform such a Duty for which God will give the promised Benefits Neonom And the main of our Ministry consisteth in pressing Men to answer the Rule of Gospel Promises Antinom What this means is very strange when you say the use of Faith and Holiness as to Benefits is not from their Conformity to the Precept Therefore what do you press them unto when you press them to answer the Rule of the Gospel When the Conformity to the Precept doth no good I suppose in the same Sence as you say Obliquity in regard of the Precept will do no hurt But the main of our Ministry consists in Preaching Christ and bringing Sinners unto him and building them up in him Neonom And disswading Men from those things which the Gospel threatens shall hinder their Interest in all or any of their Benefits with an Aggravation of their Misery if they be final Rejecters of Grace Antinom Whatever befalls Sinners retaining their sinful state and rejecting Grace is from the Law and not from the Gospel To talk of a Gospel-Threat is a Catechresis at best and nothing else can save it from being a Bull. But what are those that will hinder a Sinner from the Benefit of being turned from Darkness to Light This I can suppose is the Non-improvement of the Grace which you take every one to have which either hinders or makes that they are not converted Neonom We call Men to be reconciled to God upon which we know God will be at Peace with them Antinom But you tell them not according to 2 Cor. 5.18 That all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ And this is the ground of the Ministry of Reconciliation and the ground of Perswasion to Sinners to be reconciled unto God But this Portion of Scripture to the End of the Chapter you take to be hardly Canonical Neonom These things will help thy Conceptions still remembring that the Merits of Christ are the Cause of this Ordination Antinom The Councel of God is the Cause of the Ordination of Salvation Means and Order But you mean they will help to blunder and confound poor Men's Conceptions Per Nebulam per Caliginem per Somnium Non lectore tuis opus est sed Apolline libris But you would have us not to forget the Causa sine qua non of this rare Gospel Scheme You should have told us that your own corrupt Imagination was the Procatarctick Cause of this new Law Ordination Neonom His Righteousness imputed is the Cause for which we are Justified and Saved when we answer the Gospel Rule Antinom It 's ad Graecas Calendas when a poor wretched Sinner must be saved then Christ is the cause of setting up this new Law and that we should be justified thereby when we perform the imperfect Conditions thereof and that 's your answering the Gospel Rule Since Christ hath put a Barr upon the Old Law now we must set up for a Righteousness of our own to answer the Gospel-Rule by and that 's not Conformity to the Precept neither but answering the Gospel-Rule by Imperfection Is not this sad Divinity Neonom And I exclude not this Righteousness when I affirm That the Righteousness of God Phil. 3.9 principally intended the Gospel-Holiness of a Person Justified by Christ's Righteousness Both which by Faith in Christ all his Members shall be
i. e. believed them so as to be assured of them As for the rest of the Saints you shall find all along that their Triumphant Assurances was by Faith Abraham Rom. 4.20 21. See the various phrases to express his full Assurance of Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he made no dispute or doubt about the Promise the English well express He staggered not at the Promise or through unbelief ver 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 19. He was not weak in Faith but was strong in Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and consulted not with himself secondary Causes or Carnal Reason but was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carried forth with a full gale of Assurance Job 19.25 Job's Assurance was the Assurance of Faith I know my Redeemer liveth c. David under his greatest Tryal of Banishment by his own Son from the House of God Psal 42.10 when Challenged by his Enemies at the highest rate at which he was so disquieted he calls up his Soul to take up Comfort in believing ver 11. and 45.5 Paul Rom. 7. where he tells how low he was brought upon Self-examination as to what he could find in himself ver 18. I know that in me that is in my Flesh there dwells no good thing See how he complains ver 24. O wretched Man that I am c. as much as to say I am wretched in regard of the Evil Sin and Corruption that I find abounding in me but ver 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord there is the Root of his Comfort in the Faith that he had in Jesus Christ tho there was this little small spark of Holiness in him a mind at least to serve the Law of God yet he trusted not to that And you see 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. when he fell into Temptation and Buffeting was it his Duties and Services to Christ and his Churches that supported him No it was an objective manifestation to him received by Faith My Grace is sufficient for thee but you will say his rejoicing was in the Testimony of his Conscience 2 Cor. 1.12 It 's true it was and the Testimony of a good Conscience as to our Hearts and Ways is matter of Rejoicing but this was in Paul without confidence in the Flesh or ascribing any thing to it but by seeing all in Christ and that all flowed down from the Free Grace and Love of God all his Simplicity and Sincerity of Heart was seen by Faith to be Gifts of Grace therefore you see whensoever the Children of God took any Comforts and Rejoicings from the Fruits of the Spirit they made not these as the Fundamental ground of their Assurance but a confirming and additional ground and such as was very uncertain insomuch that at some times they were at a perfect loss for them yet was not without their rooted and grounded Assurances in the darkest Times and under the obscurest Providences Neonom The Conscience is bound to condemn every Man in whom the contrary to these Graces do appear yea where it 's evident they are wholly wanting It 's otherwise a seared Conscience 1 Tim. 4.2 It 's the Candle of the Lord now there can be no Assurance where the Conscience condemns 1 John 3.19 20 21. D. W. p. 166. Antinom There is nothing but the sprinkling of the Blood of Christ applyed by Faith that can take off the Conscience from Condemning and without this all the Works and Duties in the World cannot do it it 's the Law that obligeth the Conscience to condemn and the sence of our Imperfections and Weaknesses and remainder of Corruption may be where there is no condemning Conscience but wherefore is it Not because of what they find in themselves but from what they find in Christ and it 's a harsh Doctrine that you teach from 1 Tim. 4.2 that all that cannot find Works enough in themselves to conclude their state in Christ from and hold it meerly by Faith in Christ and thereby freed from Condemning Consciences have Seared Cauterized Consciences such as the Apostle Prophesies of that should abound in the Antichristian Apostacy and Seduction and you subvert the Doctrine of the Gospel thereby helping to fulfill that Prophecy by what Doctrine the Text will tell you Neonom The Spirit witnesseth with our Spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.16 It doth not witness before our Spirits doth witness It is not a separate Testimony from our Spirits but it concurrs with our Spirit as its Instrument our Spirit witnesseth in the Light of the Spirit 1 Cor. 9.1 my Conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost Antinom What is this Argument brought for is this to prove that there 's no Assurance by the Voice of the Spirit And that the only way of Assurance is by Signs and Marks But you have brought in this place of Scripture as many Men retain Councel in their Case they Fee some Councel only that they may not be against them but the Word of God will not be Bribed this place is directly against you The Apostle here tells us the very Comforting Office of the Holy Ghost that it becomes a Spirit of Adoption this is the Spirit of Christ Gal. 4.6 And what is it that it doth it teacheth us to call God Father and how doth it do this A. It 's by witnessing to us our Relation viz. that we are the Sons of God this is that which doth assure us of our Inheritance if Children then Heirs Now I argue that which witnesseth in the Children of God that they are the Children of God insomuch that from thence they can conclude themselves Heirs doth pronounce the Actual Forgiveness of their Siâ—s and is the usual way of Assurance but the Spirit witnesseth in the Children of God that they are the Children of God Ergo there is a pronunciation of Actual Forgiveness by the Voice of the Spirit c. For the Major it 's proved from Gal. 3.26 The Spirit bestows Adoption by Faith in Christ Jesus Ye are all the Children of Gâ—d by Faith in Christ Jesus and ver 29. If ye be Christ's then are you of Abraham's Seed and Heirs according to the Promise you 'll allow the Spirit to witness but not before our Spirit so that you 'll have our Spirits to be before the Spirit the Senior Evidence I deny it for that which causeth our Spirits to give Evidence is not the younger Evidence but the Spirit causeth our Hearts to give Evidence Ergo Now for the Minor that the Spirit causeth our Hearts to give Evidence I prove from your self you say the Spirit concurrs with our Spirit as its Instrument now the Efficient is before the Instrument by which it works and Instrumentum is but Causa Ministrans at most and is res motu facta in that respect is effectum efficientis Now the way of the Spirits witnessing is by bringing to our Spirit an objective Manifestation of Grace in the Promise and causing us by Faith to make
to your Intention and therefore now you will accuse him for his meaning that all that he speaks of Believers refers as well to the unconverted as the Elect. Now to shew the World how little like a Gentleman Scholar or Christian you carry your self see D. Crisp pag. 15. out of which you take your Charge against him in the very entrance of his Discourse what is said He shews from John 14.6 That Christ is the way from all the Wrath of God to all that do receive him 1. From the Affection itself of Wrath let me tell you God doth no longer stand offended or displeased tho' a Believer after he be a Believer do Sin oft yet I say God no longer stands offended or displeased with them when he hath once received Christ and unto them God saith Anger is not in me Isa 27.4 And doth he not expresly mention Believers in these very places you quote out of him Now I see it 's impossible to escape your Accusations for you have so addicted yourself to say one thing and mean another that whatever any saith tho' never so plainly whom you are minded to accuse you 'l say he meant another and so you run on with your Cuckow 's Note He says that Sin will do them no hurt and God is not angry with them c. Neonom I affirm God is displeased with Believers for their Abominations Antinom Some abominable Believers out of doubt some that you will have called Believers when as they themselves know in their Consciences that you slander them Neonom If he be displeased it must be for their Sins he oft affirms it and he forceth his People to own it Psal 60.1 3. Isa 5.25 Antinom There is nothing to be concluded that God is angry with the Persons of true Believers from those Expressions that refer to a National Church when there is a mixture of Believers and Unbelievers God always when he speaks to such in a way of Anger hath respect to the generality or prevailing Party according to which he doth in external ways of his Providence carry himself towards the whole Neonom God was angry with Moses Exod. 4.14 Deut. 4.21 Chap. 9.21 Antinom No Man of sense would bring that of Exod. 4.14 to prove God was angry with Moses in your sense for Moses was then in Converse with God who was calling him to a great Undertaking whereat Moses was surprized and pleaded his own Insufficiency which Plea of his when it savoured of Unbelief God rebuked not that there was in God penal Anger against his Person but he rebukes his Sin that he might not go on in the same Sin and Unbelief and it s spoken after the manner of Men and so often in Scripture God's Rebukes of Sin in his Children by Word or Providence is termed his Anger because it s so against Sin and seems to be so with their Persons by God's carriage to them many times in their Apprehensions and yet for all that whom he loves he loves to the end And so God loved the Persons of Moses and David even when they sinned as you say yourself that God ceaseth not to love a Believer when he sinneth if not then he is reconciled to their persons however his sensible dealing may be with them and all proceeds from that love And therefore why do you blame Dr. Cr. for saying that at that Instant when God brings Afflictions on Believers he doth not remember any one of their sins It must be understood thus as he explains it that God remembers not their sins in a way of judicial proceeding marking Iniquity it is called therefore God's dealings in this kind with his Children and are called in the Gospel-language Corrections and Chastisements not for Destruction or Hurt as all Penal Evils be but for Reformation and Amendments c. Doth he not speak as plainly and distinctly as may be that he doth not say God is not angry with the sins of a Believer but that he is not wroth with their Persons Neonom That place Psal 81.30 31 c. proves what I say Antinom That place is on the Doctor 's side and against you for it only holds forth thus much that God corrects his People from Sin not for Sin in a way of vindicative Wrath for its a Promise to Christ and the Seed there spoken of who are redeemed ones and believers God saith in case of Sin he will visit their Iniquities with a Rod to kill and destroy Sin in them but as for his loving-kindness it shall never depart from them You could not have mentioned a place of Scripture more directly against you Neonom There is that place 1 Cor. 11.30 and Rev. 3.19 Antinom The Church-members of the Corinthians might not be true Believers for ought you know for they were of those that eat and drunk unworthily and accordingly in the Apostle's phrase did eat and drink damnation But what hinders but a Child of God may die under an Affliction which is laid upon him to cure some Corruption or other it's not too late to partake of God's holiness upon a Death-bed in a higher measure than before And as for those that were sick and weak but recovered there 's no doubt if they were true Believers but it tended to the curing their spiritual sickness It is a strange thing that a Chirurgeon must act always as an Executioner have his Commission from Justice-Hall still when he comes to a Patient to open an Ulcer or to cut off a mortified Hand or Leg and he cannot do this in love and all tenderness and compassion to his Patient but in anger and wrath and to punish and torment the poor creature for his faults As to what is said by Christ to the Churches Rev. 2. 3. Christ speaks to Body-Politicks to mix Congregations that had many corrupt Professors among them and he speaks to them as such as were for the greatest part of many of them over-run with Hypocrisie and Formality And what is it he calls them to but Reformation So is that place Amos 3.2 it 's spoken to a professing apostatizing People Neonom The Assembly at the Savoy assert this and in the Assembly's large Catechism How doth Christ execute the Office of a King in rewarding their Obedience and correcting them for their Sins Antinom But what follows preserving and supporting them under all their Temptations and Sufferings is that in a way of Wrath and Indignation They say for their Sins so say we too in their sense if for denote the end of the chastisement causa medendi for healing but it 's not causa vindicandi for punishing in a way of vindictive Justice which is your sense or else you would never make this sputter whatever pretence to the contrary you make God's displeasure is with the Sins of Believers not with their Persons and this is Paternal Displeasure because there is love to their Persons as the cause of dealing with them in the way of any seeming
but there 's some as in Elijah's time that calleth upon thy Name i. e. sincerely and earnestly so as to stir up themselves to call upon God then she proceeds to confess Sin and bemoan her self in regard of desolating Calamities acknowledging God's Justice and Soveraignty but Appealing to his Mercy and their Interest in God as a Father O Lord thou art our Father It s most evident then the Prophet mostly personates the choisest tho' the least part of the Church who is set forth here flying to the Throne of Grace and renouncing her own Righteousness even her best Duties accounting them as Filthy Rags We are saith she all of us even the holiest among us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth not say we are absolutely an unclean thing as all Wicked Men and Hypocrites are but that we are as if it were so in respect of the prevalency of Corruption and present decay and thy dealing with us as if thou wouldst cast us off and all our Righteousness as a Filthy Garment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all our Righteousness of what sort soever it is as Pannus sedentis the Peraphrasis of the Syriac and Arabic calls it Panniculus menstruata and the Chaldeac Paraphrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sicut Vestamentum Abjectum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies things removed as unclean and polluted Res Inquinatae Abominabiles quae removentur abjiciuntur The Import is that God's Children see so much Corruption and Pollution in their best Duties that they dare not plead them for acceptance before the Lord. And how many Ten Thousand times hath this place of Scripture been thus applied by the Saints and Churches of the New Testament What Expression is more frequent in their Prayers and more Eminently Exalting the Grace of God and the Righteousness of Christ It 's not only the Gospel Spirit of Ministers but of all true Christians that leads them to the Practical Improvement of this portion of Scripture and shall the Universal Spirit and Sense of all Believers in all Ages be Condemned by One or Two singular Men that are for crying up their own Righteousness and will not have it to be Filthy Rags or Dung I apprehend there 's not a little also in putting the Plural Number which the Seventy Two Explain universally with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there 's no Righteousness of ours inward or outward before Regeneration or after that hold the Test before God in it self for Acceptance much less render us Acceptable to God I 'le set against your Annotator the Dutch Annotations who upon this place say All our Righteousness all our best Works or whatever Good we might have done are as a cast Garment if they should be examined according to their own Nature according to the Rigour of the Law out of Christ Phil. 3.8 See on the contrary what we are in Christ Jesus Rev. 19.8 Neonom Object The Apostle saith Phil. 3.8 Answ If this place speaks of Gospel Righteousness as his own things which he counted Dung it doth not prove that Holiness is Dung Antinom Did I not speak of Holiness abstractly considered and of Duties and Services performed by us and mingled with Sin are reckoned Dung because they cannot render us Acceptable to God for Imperfect Righteousness cannot Holiness entire without defect and failure is one thing and Holiness mixed with so much Sin and Corruption as is in our Hearts and Duties is another Neonom All that it can infer is that in comparison with winning Christ it was esteemed as Dung Antinom That is as much as to say that your own Righteousness is but as Dung in comparison of what you shall gain by it your Bargain will be so good your Mony bears not proportion to the Estate that you have bought with your Mony Neonom And who must not own that compared with gaining Christ the best thing in us is Vile compared with his Righteousness yet it must not be Vile in it self Antinom So far as any thing is Sinful its Vile and so far its unprofitable to the end that I employ it its Vile in both those cases our Duties are Vile because its impossible they should be a Justifying Righteousness or recommend us to God therefore a Christian looks upon them Vile upon this account we speak not against Duties but for them but they must not presume to be our Righteousness for Justification Upon this account they must be reckoned Dung it is not enough to say compared with Christ's Righteousness as if Christ's Righteousness were better and had a preheminence in Justification and ours next to it but that our Righteousness hath no share at all in that matter for God never intended that the most Eminent Graces and Virtues of God's People should ever be a Righteousness to Justifie them because they are upon this account Rejectamenta as Bricks are to the making a Brass Kettle Ex quovis ligno non fit Mercurius a Man cannot cut out the Wheels of a Watch with a Broad Ax out of a Rock Neonom As Rivals with Christ we must hate Father and Mother Antinom Yea and if they go to set themselves instead of Christ or to claim an inferiour degree of share in being a Righteousness or patching up a Righteousness for us Neonom Tho' I own the Imputed Righteousness of Christ for our Justification yet I think to ground it on this place is a damage to the Truth and therefore I add 2. A Gospel Holiness or Righteousness is not here intended by Dung Antinom How you own Imputed Righteousness hath been already made manifest and that you do not own it in other sense than in that which is no owning of it but denying of it hath appeared But it seems you are now such a Friend to that Doctrin that you would not have Scripture to damage it and that grounding it here on this place hath been a damage to it The Assembly at Westminster hath done damage to the Doctrin of Imputation in grounding it on this place Large Catechism Quest 72. Shorter Catechism Quest 33. and Dr. Ames in his Medulla C. 27. S. 12. And Dr. Owen you also have done damage to this Doctrin of Imputation by grounding it on this Text Treat of Justific p. 526. Mr. Calvin Mr. Beza Mr. Zanchy and all you Reformed Protestants you have thought you had a mighty place to ground the Doctrin of Imputation upon and now our Divines especially this Gentleman and a great Train at his Heels bear Witness against you and say you have done a great damage to the Doctrin of Imputation by making use of this place of Scripture to prove it Now I see others are mistaken as well as I. Calvin I Observe Gentlemen That you all sit Astonished to see that at such a time of Day here should be so bold an Assertion made to overthrow the Doctrin of the Gospel and to make this Text of Scripture
Righteousness before we be delivered from our Enemies Will you run at all Scripture and Experience Is it not true that the Law said to Man that had Life and Power concreated with him Do and thou shalt live And can this be the Tenor of the Gospel to say to a dead Sinner Do and thou shalt live Can a Man dead in Trespasses do any thing Were it not madness to say to a dead Corpse Walk and thou shalt live Doth not Christ first come as the Resurrection and Life to a Sinner before he can do any thing Do you think that Christ comes to a Sinner upon condition of any thing he can do in his natural Estate What is more plain than that Life is the Principle and Cause of Action and not Action of Life Christ himself saith a Man must have Life before he can Believe it 's first in Nature Joh. 11.26 Whoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die Now is the giving of Christ for Life the condition of our having Life Or our doing before we have Christ or Life the condition on which we have Christ and Life Calvin I think you have gained nothing nor yet made any proof of your Charge unless you think it be in this that the Doctor saith we must live before we can do If you take that for an Error I pray do you try your Skill the other way to make Men do before they live and if you can attain to that Art either in Naturals or Spirituals you will be the Wonder of the World Neonom He saith p. 124. The Freeman of Christ hath this freedom Christ doth all his Work for him as well as in him c. Christ doth all for them that God requires to be done Antinom You must know it is this I said A Freeman of Christ hath this freedom Christ doth all his Work for him as well as in him He that is in bondage under the Law must do every thing himself and that he doth he must do perfectly that is an unsupportable thing and heavy bondage for a Man to have more laid upon him than he can bear The Freeman of Christ considering that he is weak poor and unable to work Christ doth all his Work for him Isa 26.12 The Holy Ghost tells us he hath done all our Works in us and in the Margin it is render'd for us See Rom. 5.19 Their freedom is that they stand righteous in the sight of God by that which Christ hath done for us that they are as righteous as if they had done it in their own persons c. Thus I treat concerning the Obedience of Christ unto a Satisfactory Righteousness on our behalf But Obj. Doth not this take off Men from all manner of Obedience and all manner of Holiness A. It takes them off from those ends that they aim at in their Obedience viz. the end for which Christ's Obedience served viz. our standing Righteousness as it concerns us in point of Justification Consolation and Salvation We have our Peace we have our Salvation only by the Righteousness Christ hath done for us but this doth hot take away our Obedience nor Services in respect of those ends for which such Services are required of Believers to glorifie God to evidence our thankfulness to profit Men as Ordinances to meet God in to make good what he hath promised so far we are called out to Services and walking uprightly exactly strictly according to the good pleasure of God and in regard of such ends of Services there is a gracious Freedom that the Freemen of Christ have by Christ i. e. so far forth as Services and Obedience are expected at a Freeman's hands there is Christ by his Spirit present with such persons to help them in all such kind of Services so that they become strong in the Lord and the Power of his Might to do the Will of God Mark what the Apostle speaks I am able to do all things through Christ strengthening me of my self I am able to do nothing but in Christ and through Christ that strengtheneth me I am able to do all things c. There 's much more to this purpose Now judge whether here 's any ground for his Accusation Dr. C. p. 126. He slanders me to the World as if I taught a Doctrin of Licentiousness and were against all Duty but it will appear otherwise plainly enough if an impartial Man reads my Sermons especially that Sermon on 1 Joh. 2.1 2. Sermon III. p. 548. Neonom He saith p. 554. Man will be mincing of this Truth and tell you if you walk close to God and if you refrain from sin especially from gross sins God will love you and then you may apply these and these Promises unto your self but God speaks plainly before they had done good or evil Jacob have I loved the Grace of God is passed over to Men as they are ungodly c. This is the Grace of God revealed he hath exhibited it freely to Men Hath the Lord given us Commission to Preach this Gospâ—l Antinom In my Discourse from 1 John 2.1 2. this Objection is answered p. 557. viz. There are many admire and adore the Doctrin of the Free-Grace of God and yet are notoriously known to live in all manner of Lewdness and Licentiousness and upon this ground Because their Sins are laid on Christ The Sum of the answer is I confess I never knew any such Monsters c. There are many taxed for such but I cannot say any thing to the truth of this Charge by mine own experience c. But it may be there are such and Paul speaks of such in his time c. But if there be such I must tell you they are the greatest Monsters upon the face of the Earth c. And I dare boldly say they are the greatest enemies to Free-Grace and that open Drunkards Harlots and Murderers come infinitely short of them in Abominations c. But admit this that the Grace of God hath been abused hath not the whole Scripture been abused Law and Gospel Is not Christ set for the fall and rising of many in Israel Is he not a Rock of Offence But in the mean time shall the Children want their Bread because the Dogs catch at it c Shall not the Gospel be preached because some abuse it Obj. But you will say it may be done with caution and limitation A. But let us not be more wary and cautions than God would have us to be to put mixtures of Mens doings to the obtaining the Grace of God while the Lord himself doth pour out his Grace to Men simply for his own sake without consideration of any thing in them Men will be mincing this Truth c. Then follows what you rehearse And what doth all this amount to but what the Apostle John expresly speaketh 1 John 4.10 and the Apostle Paul Phil. 2.13 Eph. 2.23 That God's Love and Grace is the cause of all that which we do
other Places contrary to Artic. 7. of the Church of England Assemb Confes c. 19. Larg Catech. Q. 97. 3. That to supply the room of the moral Law vacated by him he turns the Gospel into a new Law in keeping of which we shall be justified for the sake of Christ's Righteousness whereby he boldly strikes both at Law and Gospel p. 44 126 139 210. making Qualifications and Acts of ours a disposing subordinate Righteousness whereby we become capable of being justified by Christ's Righteousness p. 54 55 62 68 98 103 113 114 130 143 146. Pref. p. 5 6 7. Contrary to Artic. of the Church of England 11 12 13. To the Assemb Confes c. 11. c. 16. Large Catech. Q. 70 71. Short Catech. Q. 33. 4. He denies the Covenant of Grace to be made with Christ as the second Adam and in him with all the Elect as his Seed p. 53. Contrary to the Assemb large Catech. Q. 31. Short Chatech Q. 29. and that the Covenant is pleadable by us as it s made with Christ Pref. p. 6. 5. He teacheth That the Righteousness of Christ is imputed only as to Effects with a Purchase of a conditional Grant viz. this Proposition He that believeth shall be saved p. 39. 51. Contrary to the Doctrin of Imputation and Redemption Artic. 11 17. Confes 11. Large Catech. Q. 68 70 72. 73. Short Catech. Q. 29. 6. He asserts That forgiving adopting glorifying and conveyance of every promised Benefit on God's Terms are judicial Acts as a Rector in a way of distribution of Rewards Pref. p. 8 9. Lib. p. 130 136. Contrary to Artic. 11 12. to Assemb large Catech. Q. 70 72 73. Short Catech. Q. 29. 7. He perverts and wrests many eminent Portions of Scripture from their plain and received Sense which hath been given by the best Protestant Interpreters in particular those that follow Phil. 3.8 9. Jer. 31.31 32 33. Heb. 8.10 11. Isa 64.6 with divers others And they further add These are a few Exceptions against the abovesaid Book of Mr. Williams's among many more of the like nature which may be made appear In this Undertaking Mr. Williams doth as a seeming Antagonist to the Antinomians and the many that he doth call so broach his Anti-vangelical Principles endeavouring to hide them as much as may be under ambiguous Terms perverting and undermining the whole Protestant Doctrin in the main fundamental Points of it as they have been truly stated and hitherto maintained in the 39 Articles Westminster and Savoy Confessions the Assemblies larger and shorter Catechism and by our best Divines ancient and modern since the Reformation hitherto As if his own Name and the Names of some others obtained by his Art and Industry were enough to weigh down all other Authorities whatsoever and to set up his new Scheme as the Standard and true Measure of all Protestant Doctrin Therefore we thought ourselves bound in Conscience to declare our Judgment herein as a timely Caution to all that shall read the aforesaid Book of Mr. Williams's c. This Paper of Exceptions drawn up and subscribed by several Divines was delivered in to a full Assembly of Ministers by the Hand of Doctor Isaac Chauncy Octob. 17. 1692. A POSTSCRIPT READER having finished my Dialogue I am necessitated to add a word or two by way of Apology 1. To clear my self of an Imputation of concurring with certain Ministers in exerting a Synodical Jurisdiction c. I must acquaint thee that I have never been accessary to any such Proceedings they being utterly contrary to my Judgment what they have done since Octob. 17. I am a Stranger to and know not but by hear-say 2. Whereas it hath been reported that Matters were so adjusted as that an end was to be put to all Writing in this Controversie I must say I know of no such Agreement something there was which might give some ground to such a Report the History whereof I shall for some Reasons forbear now to relate 3. Whereas some have been offended that I have continued to write Book after Book c. all is no more than the Answer of one Book sent forth and recommended to the World and therein I challenge the common Priviledge of all Men to reply to any published Book that I think meet and it s not in the due power of any Men or Society of Men to abridge me of it how much soever they disapprove thereof and I am so far from loving Contention that if Mr. Williams hath done I have done opposing him but notwithstanding all Subscriptions to Orthodox Articles formerly or lately if he continue to maintain his Doctrin as agreeable to Scripture and the Articles of the Church of England and the Confessions and Catechisms he must expect to meet with Opposition maugre all the premeditated fury and rage that hath been from time to time expressed by the Assertors and Defenders of the said Doctrins both in Pulpit and Press with all the ignominious marks of Reproach and Contempt which they have branded their Opposers with 4. I cannot but in honour to a Reverend Brother make a particular remark upon the great Pains he hath taken in his Sermons to expose one upon this account in the height of Bitterness and to print them for his cognizance Not to say any thing now of his Invective Reflections on the congregational Practice or the wrong representation which he hath given of the Matters at present in Debate as another reverend Divine hath also lately but only to admire that a Minister of Christ can appear solemnly in the Presence of God to vent so much of his own Spirit I understand one Sermon to be wholly taken up in setting all the black Characters upon one Man as he could gather together who he means all the Town that hath heard or read the Sermon hath judged portraiting a Person to be an airy imagined Piece of Spirituality drawn over corrupt rotten putrid Flesh an angry tumified Piece of proud Flesh with many such Characters which they that are desirous to know more of may see in the Original This ignominious Usage I shall say no more to but only That tho' I have a sinful deceitful Heart and know my self to be worse than any Man knows me to be and shall always I trust abhor my self before the Lord yet if this be to be vile in the Eyes of Men bad or good to defend the Truth according to my Conscience and the Talent God hath or shall give me as he calls me to it I shall be yet more Vile but still looking upon what I do to be mixed with so much of human Frailty Hypocrisie and all Corruption lurking in my naughty Heart mingling itself with the best of my Duties and Services That I count them all but Loss and Dung for Christ as the Apostle Phil. 3. I could give many convincing Reasons why among many others it did least become this Reverend Person to launch forth into these Waters of Marah
for I have subscribed the Doctrinal Articles as very tolerable Divinity for those former well-meaning times but you know the Opinion of our modern Divines about Subscriptions how far a man may go in those cases with a safe Conscience But to proceed to what I was saying That by the pretence to the Honour of Free Grace Antinomianism so corrupted Germany and in N. E. c. Antinom It was the Pretence of those that abused Free Grace to Licentiousness in St. Paul's time Therefore you might have gone further back than the Antinomians in Germany or New England And do we not know that a Pretence to Holiness and the Exaltation of that in Opposition to the Doctrine of Free Grace is that which hath brooded all the Doctrine of Popery Arminianism Quakerism c. And is it not this that you shelter all your Errours and false Accusations under whereby you endeavour to murther the Name of one who was an holy Man and a Gospel Divine and hereby would deceive the Reader into the Belief of a gross and notorious Falsehood in the Entrance into your Book which is this You say I have in nothing misrepresented Dr. Crisp 's Opinion nor mistaken his Sence This Assertion I shall prove to be as I said Neonom It bid fair to Overthrow Church and State in New England and by its Stroke at the Vitals of Religion it alarum'd most Pulpits in England Pr. p. 1. Antinom It was by reason of some such as you are that beat the Cushion and Kettle-Drums as they do sometimes against the Truth it may be oftner than for it The Pulpit and Press are like the rest of London Roads you 'll meet both Truth and Error upon the Tantivy there and the fewest in number must break the way So he that can make the greatest Cry of Error and Magisterially cry down Truth for Error he is the Man Neonom Many of our ablest Pens were engaged against those Errors as Mr. Gataker Rutherford Burgess Provincial Synod c. Antinom Sir These Persons were worthy Divines but dead and gone I will not rake in their Ashes as you have done in this good Man's and whatever Errors you pretend they were against it may be we shall find their Opinions were no more as you represent them in your Book than Dr. Crisp's was as you represent him Neonom To the Grief of such as perceive the Tendency of those Principles we are engaged in a new Opposition Antinom After a certain zealous Neonomian had taken his leave of us there was a great deal of Probability this Controversie would have fell to the ground But since that you have been the only Bellweather that hath set it on foot thinking to make your self the Head of a Party but do not believe that so many do admire you as you think nor perswade your self you can wind all the Divines in London about your Finger as you think you have done some here and all at Dublin Neonom I believe many Abettors of those Notions have Grace to preserve their Minds and Practices from their Influence But they ought to consider the Generality of Mankind have no such Antidote and themselves need not to fortifie their own Temptations nor lose the Defence which the Wisdom of God hath provided against Remisness in Duty and sinful Back sliding Antinom The great Advantage the World is easily perswaded of that the Opposers of the Doctrine of Free Grace in the Salvation of Sinners â—â—ve had against the Assertors thereof in all Ages is a Suggestion that the said Doctrine tends to the Countenance and Encouragement of Sin And this Accusation the Apostle Paul doth industriously set himself to the wiping off Tit. 1.10 11 12. and divers other places And to affirm that the Grace of God is the oâ—â— Root and Foundation of true Holiness in the freest and fullest Despensation the Truth of which doth not only abundantly appear in the Word but by manifest Experience that your Self-Justiciaries Free-willers Neonomians that seek Justification by a Law they are least observant oâ— any Rules of strict Obedience or conscientious Regards to the Commands of God I will go no further now for an Instance than your self who now come forth into the World in a Vizard of Holiness to the deluding of such as can discern but Skin-deep when your Treatise it self is sufficient Evidence to contradict what you pretend to being stuffed with so many Immoralities Immoralities I say for such are false Accusations Malice Envy Evil Speaking and all shot from the Quiver as it were of a Persecutor at the good Name of one that was upright in heart Psal 11.1 2 3 4. if not at the Name of Christ and other his Faithful Servants And as for the Danger of those Truths to the generality of Mankind which you call Error it is an high Impeachment of the Grace and Wisdom of God because a wicked carnal corrupt World for such is the generality of Mankind do abuse the Grace of God as well as refuse count it Folly yea and stumble at it therefore it is to be blamed and shunned as an Error and such a Doctrine of Life and Salvation is to be set up as may be of better Influence upon the generality of Mankind and more suitable to their Nature i. e. Their Carnal Reason and Corrupt Affections And therefore you would have Antidotes to take off the Poyson that Mankind is apt to suck in from the Doctrine of Free Pardoning Grace and this must be the Doctrine of Neonomianism and likewise a Cure of that which Believers have suck'd in already and are apt to perish under by reason of Temptation Therefore as it may be supposed you have given it the Name of a Remedial Law to cure the Distempers that arise from the Doctrine of Free-Grace Neonom Who can wonder at the Security of Sinners the mistaking the Motions of sensible Passion for Conversion and the general Abatement of exact and humble walking when so many affirm Sins are not to be feared as doing any hurt even when the most flagirious are committed Graces and Holiness can't do us the least Good God hath no more to lay to the Charge of the wickedest Man if he be elected than he hath to lay to the Charge of a Saint in Glory The Elect are not governed by Hope or Fear for the Laws of Christ have no Promises nor Threats to rule them by nor are they under the Impressions of Rewards or Punishments as Motives to Duty or Preservatives against Sin Antinom As for this great Flourish it 's but like Don Quixot 's brandishing his Sword against a Windmill It 's not only a Rule that Calumniators go by and known to be their Practice Fortiter calumniari aliquid adhaerebit But Calumnies go no further than the Ears with wise Men according to a Proverbial Saying apud Aeschium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At the first light of a black Tongue it 's easie to judge of the Foulness of