his supreme faculty in it's throne c. and saith that they suppose it is within the Power of a mans own soul always to keep Sin out of it self c. But can he think that these words suppose it when 1. Mr. F. makes holiness the effect of God's grace and Spirit not of a mans own power 2. When he doth deny any such thing as perfect holiness in this life p. 27. And 3. When he saith immediately after his Third description that so far forth as holiness is vigorous and predominant in men it causeth them to perform good actions and forbear the contrary All this lamentable stuff is in the two first Pages But I have something else to do than thus to trace him to the end for 't is all alike and therefore I can look for no other should I do so from all wise men than to be call'd fool for my pains I will therefore only take notice of those things that he builds most noise upon After a deal of hideous non-sense and running over the same things again and again he saith in p. 13. That this Righteousness as Mr. F. hath described it is not that which justifieth us before God Because it is our own and tells us that there is the righteousness of men and the righteousness of God But is that Righteousness our own that is wrought in us by God's Holy Spirit Is not that God's righteousness which is the effect of God's grace who sees not that it is And therefore his Citation of Phil. 3. 9. will do him no service for S. Paul meant no other there by his own Righteousness which is of the Law than that which consisted in the observance of the purely Jewish Law which he calls his own righteousness because he could obtain it by his own natural power it consisting of external performances And by the Righteousness of God by Faith in the next verse he means the righteousness of the new Creature wrought in him by God's Holy Spirit through Faith in Christ's Gospel And so the Apostle explains himself in the following words That I may know him and the Power of his Resurrection c. That is that I may know the power of his Resurrection in raising me up to newness of life and of his death in mortifying all my lusts And whereas he abuseth Rom. 10. 3. to the same purpose take notice that their own Righteousness there is no other than that the unchristian Iews gloried in as that by which alone they expected justification and eternal Salvation and 't is the same with that in the Philippians He saith The Righteousness Mr. F. hath described is the Righteousness of the Moral Law only But I say that his general Descriptions take in the Righteousness of the Gospel too 'T is said that 't is such a disposition and temper of the inward man as causeth men to be under the power of all practical principles made known by Revelation and all the Laws of the Gospel I hope are such And Mr. F. abundantly sheweth that this Righteousness is by the Faith of Jesus Christ that is by effectually believing Christ's Gospel in shewing what an admirable instrument the Gospel is to work this Righteousness And this is an answer to the text quoted out of Rom. 3. 21. Mark by the way I. B takes Faith still for nothing else but a bare relying on the merits or righteousness of Christ which any presumptious wretch may do but I will make it good against men of an hundred times his abilities if it be possible any such should be of his mind that the true Christian Faith is such a Belief of the doctrine of the Gospel as implyeth an hearty complyance with all its Precepts whereof that of relying on Christ's merits is one and but one He saith the Righteousness Mr. F. hath described can't justifie before God because of its imperfections and then follows another page within two or three lines spent in proving and Crying out of the corruption of nature in the midst of which he brings Gal. 2. 16. to prove that his assertion where he said 't is By the works of the Law shall no flesh living be justified But I have told the Reader already that Mr. F. never affirmed but absolutely denyeth justification by any thing but the Righteousness of Christ only as a meritorious cause and he holds the true living Faith to justify as a Condition without which no man by the Righteousness of Christ shall be justified And whereas the Apostle saith by the works of the law none shall be justified his meaning is that none shall be justified by the merit of them nor yet in any sence by them considered as opposed to the obedience of the Gospel He Saith the Righteousness which Mr. F. hath described can't justify because 't is not of faith This he proves from Gal. 3. 12. The Law is not of Faith The meaning of that place is the law makes no account of Faith allows no justification but on condition of legal obedience as the following words shew but he that doth them shall live in them But now the Righteousness Mr. F. hath described doth make account of faith it causing men to comply with all Divine Revelations and therefore with the Gospel He saith p. 18. that there are three things essential to Gospel Holiness of which Mr. F's Descriptions are utterly destitute The Holy Ghost Faith in Christ A new heart The Holy Ghost But Mr. F. hath shewn that this Righteousness cannot be obtained without the assistance of the Holy Ghost But 't is false and nonsense to say the Holy Ghost is of the Essence of Righteousuess and therefore that he ought to be put into the definition of it He may as well say that a man is falsly described when he is said to be a Reasonable Creature indued with a Soul and Body because God his Creator is left out of the description As for Faith in Christ I have again and again shewed that it is manifestly contained in Mr. F's descriptions And then for a new heart and a new spirit What difference is there between these and Purity of nature and a Sound complexion of Soul and a Divine or Godlike nature doth not every body know that these are but several expressions of the very same thing P. 23 He inveighs against Mr. F's saying that it was Christ's main errand to effect our deliverance out of that sinful state we had brought our selves into and so to put us again into possession of the holiness that we had lost By this you see he was not ignorant that Mr. F. asserted the corruption of nature for all his base suggestions to the contrary Now saith he I would have the Reader take notice that in this last clause to put us again into possession of that holiness which we had lost is the Summ of all his large Descriptions and the Holiness he contends for is only that which
was in Adam before the fall I answer that it is the same the very same for kind but in what degree Adam was holy is unknown to us This is at least without dispute that he was perfectly innocent and was also indued with a Principle of Holiness and such powers as whereby he could improve that principle to as great a heighth as humane nature was capable of True holiness or inward real Righteousness was ever one and the same in its own nature it was never nor ever can be any other than such a temper of soul as causeth an affectionate and hearty complyance with all goodness and an abhorrence and detestation of all wickedness which is the Sum of all Mr F's descriptions of it In short it is the image of the infinitely holy God in man and what God's Holiness is we may learn from such scriptures as these The Righteous Lord loveth Righteousness c. He is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity The Lord is just in all his waies The wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hates The Lord is merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in Goodness and truth God cannot lye c. Now this Holiness is in God Originally he is an inexhaustible fountain of Goodness nay he is holiness itself holiness as 't is in him is his very nature and essence But in all creatures whether Angels or Men it is by way of derivation from him Now observe the Holiness that was in Adam was the image of God God made him after his own image and take notice again that the Holiness of the Gospel is of the same nature is shewed by St. Paul Eph. 4. 24. He there Exhorting Christians to holiness expresseth himself thus And that ye put on the new man which after God or after the image of God or like to God is Created in Righteousness and true holiness And again he plainly intimates and more than intimates too that the Holiness of the Gospel is the same with that mankind hath lost in the verse immediately foregoing And be renewed in the Spirit of your minds What is it to be renewed but to recover our former state or that which was lost Lastly Holiness is described by Mr. F. by a Divine and Godlike nature and so the Apostle Peter calls the Gospel Holiness 2 Pet. 1. 4. Now what is the difference between a divine or Godlike nature and the image of God but I say once more God made Adam after his own Image Gen. 1. 27. What is clearer than all this Not the Sun at noon But let us now see the goodly Argument whereby this Ignoramus endeavours to overthrow this Doctrine 1. Saith he Adam before the fall even in his best and most sinless estate was but a pure natural man which he explains thus consisting of body and soul and in this mans heart God did also write the law that is saith he the first principles of morals But doth not every man since the fall consist of body and soul and does not the law still continue written in the hearts of men Doth not the Apostle say concerning the very heathens Rom. 1. That they having not the law are a law to themselves and that they shew the work of the Law written in their Hearts c Was Adam no more than this comes to Yes he adds too for I will do him no wrong as wickedly injurious as he is to Mr. F. that Adam was made of God sinless But are not all Brutes sinless too So that according to this Doctrine we now differ from Adam before the fall in nothing but what every beast it self hath But let this man know that God did not only write the law in Adams heart but also indued him with a principle whereby he was enabled to yield perfect obedience to that law and this by his fall he lost Next see what folly he discovers in proving this gross assertion concerning Adam he doth it by that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 45. and thus he sets it down The first Adam was made a living Soul howbeit that was not first which was spiritual but that which was natural and afterwards that which is spiritual The first man is of the earth earthy Observe 1. He saith that here Adam is said to be but a natural man even in his first and best estate earthy when compared to Christ or with them that believe in Christ. So that he makes Christ and them that believe in Christ the same for Adam is here only compared with Christ. 2. that which the Apostle speaks only concerning Adams body this I. B. understands concerning his soul. This I never heard of any one that once doubted and no one can that understands sense if he reads that Chapter or but the context of those words The Apostle makes it his business in that 15th to the Corinth to prove the doctrine of the Resurrection and from verse 35. shews what bodies Christians shall rise with and having said that the body â—s sown in corruption and raised in incorruption sown in dishonour raised in glory sown in weakness raised in power he adds V. 44 it is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body there is a natural body that is an animal body for so the word in the Greek signifies that is a body that needs meat and drink and there is a spiritual body or a pure fine immortal body that needs neither Now follows that which I. B. hath cited And so it is written the first Adam was made a living Soul the last Adam was made a quickning spirit which words he hath left out howbeit that was not first which is not Spiritual but that which is natural and after that which is Spiritual that is the animal body was first and afterwards 't is to be changed into a Spiritual body the first man is of the Earth Earthy c. that is the first mans body was so for his Soul as the history of his creation tells us was not from the earth And whereas Adam is said to be made a Living Soul the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soul is by a Metonymy very often used to signifie the body and that not only living but dead too nay the breath and the bloud also of these significations of it I can give abundance of instances out of the Holy Scriptures but 't is so well known that I will not lose one moment upon it And whereas the Second Adam is called in opposition to the First a quickning Spirit that is he is a quickner of dead bodies But now what is all this to I. B's purpose he might as well have quoted for it in the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth And in interpreting those words as he hath done he hath put as great an Abuse upon the Apostle as he hath done upon himself that is made him a most wretched arguer You see again what a sad Soul this is to take upon
light Scratches thou art for Neck or nothing Thou hast a mouth for MACHIAVIL'S money who hath taught such as thy self this rule Fortiter Calumniare c. which because thou hast little kindness for the Language of the Beast take thus in English Slander lustily and something will stick Thou couldst scarcely hope that any one that knows or hath but heard of Mr. F. nay though he should be one of thine own herd can find in his heart to think him such a Monster of men such a Devil incarnate as thou wouldst make him but yet to be sure thou concludest that all that don't think thee so will at least be suspicious that so loud and hideous an out-cry is not made for nothing and that he hath written a too erroneous book if not such a damnably heretical one and therefore that 't is dangerous to read it and hear or converse with the Author of it But we will now consider what foundation is laid in that Treatise of Mr. F's for this Fellow to build so black a charge on and in order thereunto I shall not need to do any thing more than give the Reader a short view of the Sum and Substance of the Doctrinal part of it which I will do for the sake of those that are strangers to it And I promise to do it with all sincerity and impartiality and if I perform not let me be stigmatized by any that shall compare the following account with the Book it self for a man of no Conscience and a most false person The whole Title of the Book is The Design of Christianity or a plain demonstration and improvement of this proposition that the induing men with inward real Righteousness or true Holiness was the Ultimate end of our Saviour's coming into the world and is the great Intendment of his Blessed Gospel The business of the first Chapter is an Explication of the nature of true Holiness wherein after it is said to be by various forms of speech exprest in Scripture such as Godliness Righteousness Conversion and turning from Sin Partaking of a Divine Nature c. and that it is originally seated in the Soul and Spirit and is a Complication of all vertues there are four general and Comprehensive descriptions given of it all which differ only in words not at all in Sense And they all amount to thus much as any one of but a competent understanding will at first sight perceive viz. That true Holiness is such an inward living principle as so far as it prevails causeth the person that is indued with it to behave himself as becomes him that is to avoid and hate whatsoever is any wayes known to be morally evil and to love and prosecute whatsoever is good or to be under the government of all those good practical principles or Laws which are made known either by Revelation that is by the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament or by Nature or the use of Reason When Holiness is called a healthful complexion of Soul c. the purity of the humane nature c. and a divine or Godlike nature c. there is no more said than what is included in this description Next between the third and last description there is a somewhat more express and distinct account of the nature of Holiness but this I shall have occasion hereafter to take notice of In the close of this Chapter it is said that nothing is more natural to the Souls of men as they came out of God's hands than this excellent temper but by their Apostasie from God and sinking into brutish sensuality they sadly dispossessed themselves of it and so became like the beasts which perish but it pleased God in infinite goodness not to give us over so but when we had destroyed our selves in him was our help found and in order thereunto he sent his only begotten Son to us The Second Chapter is spent in proving that the great errand Christ came upon was to put us again into possession of that holiness which we had lost and this is proved by a Climax of seven particulars all which are implyed in these Scriptures which I entreat the Reader to turn to Matt. 3. 1 2. and Luke 1. 16 17. Mal. 3. 1 2 3. Matt. 1. 21. Luke 1. 72 c. Luke 2. 32. Matt. 3. 11 12. Matt. 9. 13. Matt. 5. 17. Acts 3. 26. Acts 5. 31. 1 Iohn 3. 8. Titus 2. 12. 1 Iohn 3. 5. In the third Chapter is shewn that holiness is the only design that is in reference to us of the Christian Precepts and 't is particularly shewn that they require 1. The most extensive holiness that is such as respects God our Neighbour and our selves 2. The most intensive not only negative but positive that is not only such as consists in doing no evil but also in doing good not only holiness of words and actions but likewise of thoughts and affections not only such a holiness as puts upon performing good actions but also such as puts upon performing them in a right manner with right ends or from good principles causing us to do every duty as to the Lord and not as to men to do all to the glory of God c. Lastly this Chapter concludes with the answer of an Objection The Objection is that all sober Christians acknowledge that the Gospel precepts do not require indefective and unspotted holiness or at least that Christ will accept of that which is far short of perfect and therefore he seems not to be so great a friend to it as is asserted The Answer is that 1. The attainment of perfect holiness is in this state impossible to us 2. That Christ will accept of nothing short of sincerity and diligent serious endeavours to abstain from all Sin 3. That no less than our absolutely perfect holiness is designed by Christ though not to be effected in this yet in the other world The Fourth Chapter sheweth that the promises and Threatnings of the Gospel have the promoting of holiness for their only design That the promises have 't is proved from 2 Pet. 1. 4. 2 Cor. 7. 1. Rom. 12. 1. And 't is further shewed that 1. These promises are either limited to holy persons or made use of as motives to holiness as 1 Tim. 4. 8. Matt. 5. 8. v. 3 5 7. Rom. 27. Rev. 3. 21. ch 2. 20. And whereas the promises of pardon and Eternal life are made to believing 't is said that nothing is more evidently declared than that this faith is such as purifieth the heart and is productive of good works 2. 'T is shewed that the Nature of these Promises is such as is alone sufficient to satisfie us that holiness is the design of them This 't is shewed is manifestly true concerning the principal promises which are reduced to 3 heads 1. That of the holy Spirit 2. Of Remission of sin 3. Of Eternal happiness in the enjoyment of God For the first viz. the
makes men uncapable even of those Effects of the Divine Benevolence and Complacency that would render them but not-miserable and therefore could we suppose a wicked man the object of both these as 't is said that nothing is less supposeable than that he should be an object of the latter this could not make him whilst he continues wicked to cease to be miserable And lastly if our phansies were so powerful as that they could place a wicked man in Heaven it self so long as he continueth unturned from his iniquities he would carry a hell to heaven with him and keep it there and that 't is not the place Heaven without the heavenly state that will make men happy as a diseased body will have never the more ease for residing in a Princes Court And in the conclusion of this Chapter it is asserted that deliverance of a man from all misery while sin is vigorous in his Soul is not an object of any power and implieth a palpable and apparent Contradiction misery being no less of the Essence of Sin and wickedness than is light of the Sun so that they cannot be separated but must like the Twins of Hippocrates live and dye together The Twelfth Chapter contains the Fourth Argument viz. Holiness is the greatest of Blessings because when 't is perfected 'tis Blessedness it self and the glory of heaven doth chiefly consist in it This proved out of 1 Iohn 3. 2. This we know that when he appears we shall be like him that is chiefly in holiness for as for God's attributes of knowledge and Power c 't is said that the Devils themselves who are most of all Creatures unlike to God have not lost all likeness to him in them but have still a large measure of them By the way observe that J. B. puts this among Mr. F's Doctrines destructive of Christianity but who that believes there are such Creatures as Devils especially having read what the Scripture saith of them did ever doubt it But to proceed it is in this Chapter plainly shewn that the perfection of holiness and the Heavenly happiness are for substance one and the same and therefore it may well be affirmed that the making us holy is the ultimate end of Christs coming as to us that is seeing our Eternal Salvation is by all acknowledged so to be and perfect holiness and Eternal Salvation are but two Conceptions of one and the same thing Eternal Salvation being primarily a Salvation from Sin all Sin and a Salvation from misery as 't is a Salvation from the Cause of it The Thirteenth Chapter gives the second account of our Saviours preferring the business of making men holy before all other viz. that as this is to do as hath been shewn the greatest good to men so is it also to do the best Service to God where 't is said that 't is without dispute better Service to a Prince to reduce Rebels to their obedience than to procure a Pardon under his Seal for them and that Christ loving his Father better than us must needs more concern himself for the recovery of the right of Obedience that Sinners have rob'd him of than for the deliverance of wretched Rebels from the misery they have deserved but that both these works are carried on together And in the close of this Second Section 't is shewn that those that say that the Christian Religion designeth to glorifie the infinite grace of God in Christ to Sinners if they understand what they say do assert the same thing that this Book asserts Seeing that not only the grace of God is so abundantly displayed in the Gospel to Sinners for this end that they may be effectually prevailed with to forsake their Sins but also the principal grace that is therein exhibited doth consist in delivering them from the Power of Sin which appears in that Sin is demonstrated to be in its own nature the very greatest of Evils and holiness the chiefest of all Blessings And besides men are not capable of God's pardoning grace till they have repented them of all their Sins that is as it there follows these words till they have in will and affection sincerely left them And to justifie a wicked man while he continueth so would far more disparage his justice and holiness than advance his grace and kindness viz. Because to deal with a man living in wickedness as if he were righteous would be an Argument that he doth not hate Sin as he declares he doth Thus Reader I have faithfully given thee the Substance of the Doctrinal part of the Design of Christianity the Third and last Section is spent in improving that whole discourse in most evident Inferences and now my hand is in I 'le be better than my word and very briefly tell thee what they are The first Inference chap. 14. That it appears from the past discourse that our Saviour hath taken the most effectual course for the purpose of subduing Sin in us and making us partakers of his Holiness where 1. It is largely shewn what mighty and infinite advantages the Gospel gives above any that even those Heathens had who were priviledged with extraordinary helps for the improvement of themselves And if the Reader will run over that discourse he shall perceive how wickedly J. B. hath slander'd Mr. F. in accusing him as levelling Christianity with mere Heathenism 2. 'T is fully shewn that the Gospel contains incomparably greater helps for the effecting of the design of making men holy than any God's people the Israelites were favoured with Then follows a threefold answer to an objection against the wonderful efficacy of the Christian Religion for this purpose chap. 16. The Second Inference chap. 17. That we understand from what hath been said of the Design of Christianity how fearfully 't is abused by those that call themselves the Roman Catholicks This Chapter will soon inform thee Reader what a friend Mr. F. is to Popery and make thee believe if thou hast any charity that no man under heaven doth more abominate it than he does The Third Inference chap. 18. That these two sorts are most extremely Sottish 1. Such as expect to have their share in the Salvation of the Gospel without true holiness 2. Such much more as encourage themselves by the grace of the Gospel in unholiness The Fourth Inference chap. 19. That a right understanding of the design of Christianity will give satisfaction concerning the notion 1. Of justifying Faith viz. That it is such a belief of the truth of the Gospel as includes a sincere resolution of obedience unto all its precepts that is true holiness and that it justifieth as it doth so where it is added that the Faith that justifieth must needs be such as complyeth with all Christs purposes of coming into the world but especially with his grand purpose and that 't is necessary it should justifie as it receives Christ for a Lord as well as for a Saviour Nay especially when
them too severely nor suppose them to speak properly or accurately but onely is an hyporbolical expression as many use the word infinite as an attribute of created things c. This I. B. saith But if the Holiness Mr. F. speaks of be not subjected in any thing without us then it is not of all that fulness which it pleased the Father should dwell in us For the Holiness and Righteousness even the inward Righteousness that is in the Saints it is none other than that which dwelleth in the Person of the Son of God in heaven Now Reader thou understandest what a Ranting Antinomian this man is or rather if he knows what he saith a down right Ranter For this most abominable assertion he brings Iohn 1. 16. of his fulness we all receive and grace for grace But would any one that hath the least of Sobriety have understood this Text otherwise than thus viz. Christ is a bountiful bestower of grace on his especially when 't is not said we all receive his fulness but we receive of or from his fulness as the Greek Preposition signifies Observe here that this monstrous piece of impudence saith that the Saints on earth are as perfectly holy as Christ himself in asserting that their holiness and righteousness is none other than that which dwelleth in the Person of the Son of God in Heaven Now I will cry Blasphemy too and that upon most just grounds There is also another place he abuseth to favour this Blasphemy viz. 1 Iohn 2. 8. but let the Reader see how that makes for him I sedately and without the least inclination to passion profess that I cannot remember I ever knew such a shameless abuser and perverter of the holy Scriptures in all my dapes But I wonder how he came here to escape that Text Eph. 1. 19. That you may be filled with the fulness of God where by fulness of God we must understand that heighth of grace to which God designeth to raise Christians as the Righteousness of God signifieth as I shewed the Righteousness that is the effect of Gods grace and Spirit but according to this I. B's wild rate of interpreting the sense of the words would be that ye may be Goddified or be made God himself which is a blasphemy that any one but a very Devil would tremble at the thoughts of And I pray Reader how much short of this do those strange words of I. B's come which I find in p. 63. in heaven there shall not be in us a likeness onely to but the very nature of God that is if he understands that word the Essence and very Deity of God And observe to thy amazement that he proves this by Rom. 8. 17. Heirs of God and joynt Heirs with Christ. As if to be an Heir of God is to be an inheritour of his nature or Godhead when to be the Heir of a man no fool will understand to be the Heir of his nature but of all or part of his estate and goods If he should think that those words of S. Peter make for this horrid assertion namely that ye may be partakers of the Divine nature let him know that the divine nature ought to be rendred a divine that is a God-like nature and our Translators meant no more though little thinking how wretches would abuse it they put the for a. I would not so far imitate this man in his most not only unchristian but also inhumane uncharitableness to Mr. F. as certainly to conclude him as bad as his last cited words make him but if they don't necessarily speak him guilty of the highest impiety they demonstrate him most wofully ignorant and therefore judge how dangerous a thing it must needs be for such a one to be suffered to preach the Gospel If he should say for I would prevent all his pleas for such mad talk that Christians are said to be even in this life the Temple of God and of the Holy Ghost c. A mere Novice in Christianity can tell him that the meaning of the Metaphor is that they are by their special favour and graces in the Church and in particular Christians not that the Divine Nature and Essence it self can be otherwise there than in other places whose brain is so wild as not to apprehend the absurdity and contradiction of such an assertion To say a word or two more to his frantick doctrine of the Holiness that is in the Saints he possibly may think that Eph. 1. 17. is a friend to it where 't is said That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith But none but a Bunyan that reads the foregoing verse with it can doubt that the Apostle's meaning is any other than this namely That Christ may dwell by his Spirit or the graces and fruits of his Spirit in your hearts by or thrrugh faith or an effectual believing the Gospel not by his individual Righteousness imputed to them or accounted theirs But lastly to conclude this let the Reader observe that there is this poison also in those words concerning the Saints Holiness namely that there are no holy dispositions wrought by the Spirit of God in them for as was said these are his words that even the inward Righteousness that is in the Saints it is none other than that which dwelleth in the Person of the Son of God in Heaven So that whatever for his credits sake he acknowledgeth elsewhere he professeth here that the only inward Righteousness or holiness of the Saints is but Christ's imputed Righteousness which is to say also that they have no inward Holiness at all Then next he puts as wicked a sense on the following words of Mr. F's as he doth on the abovesaid Scriptures namely these But is originally seated in the soul and Spirit and makes Mr. F. to say in them that holiness hath its original from us when the plain meaning is that holiness is first seated in the Soul it self not in the outward man and as I have said he doth as expresly as is possible assert that God's holy Spirit is the Seater of it there and that those that have it are beholden to Christ for it I have shewed this over and over Again in the 27. page he proceeds to his accusation of Mr. F. as affirming that coming to God by Christ is in itself and absolutely considered an indifferent thing This he saith follows from Mr. F's saying that positive precepts are so in that he makes this a positive Precept But Mr. F. never said positive Precepts are so but the things injoyned by them Now see how ignorantly he talks If saith he it be but indifferent in it self 't is not of the substance of Christianity But he that is but one remove from a child can tell him that this is an egregiously false consequence To say that a thing is in itself and absolutely considered indifferent is as hath already been shewn only to say that 't is so
invincibly defended by Abundance of the Orthodox Divines of the Church of England and by none more effectually than by Mr. Baxter in his Book against Crandon long since written and in many other of his works Which if it be possible thou shouldest yet be dissatisfied concerning it thou wilt do well to peruse and which if this I. B. had ever read or but anyone of them and had the wit to understand it he had never made himself so infamous as to publish to the world such filthy stuff nor brought out the worst of those woful arguments for the defence of his doctrine that have been answered a thousand and a thousand times In Page 66. and other places he makes woful work with Mr. F's saying that Christ trod every step before us of the way that leads to Gods Kingdom and cryes therefore he went to heaven by vertue of an imputative Righteousness and by vertue of his own intercession and faith in his own bloud and then Christ must come to God and ask mercy for some great wickedness that he hath committed But here he also discovers a most ill nature and perverse spirit for no man of any candour could otherwise have understood Mr. F. in those words than thus That Christ was an example of all those vertues or graces that qualifie men for the Kingdom of God was he not an example of all those graces that together denominate a man pure in heart can he dare to say he was not Now doth not our Saviour say Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God But then faith he what say you to going to heaven by vertue of an imputative Righteousness and of his own intercession and faith in his own bloud I say all these are no other than going thither by Faith in Christ that being faith in his bloud and Righteousness and intercession but those that understand the Christian Religion will tell him that the obtaining of this purity of heart or the graces Christ was an example of is the end of this Faith So much the Apostle intimates in those words purifying their hearts by faith and it is the business of the Design of Christianity to demonstrate this So that 't is most true that whosoever follows Christs example shall see the Kingdome of God but we cannot follow it without faith in his merits faith in his power or in one word without effectual believing the Gospel which takes in the whole of the Christian Faith And whereas he saith that if this doctrine be true Christ must ask God mercy for some great wickedness committed by him how does that follow Christ ask'd God mercy for us and do not we do as he did when we ask it for our selves But then he monstrously foolishly proceeds and saith if this be so then we cannot come to heaven before we be accursed of God we must first make our body and Soul an offering for the sin of others then we must go to heaven for the sake of our own Righteousness And then he insultingly cryes O Sir what will thy gallant generous mind do here This might be a Sad nonplus indeed were Mr. F. a perfect Changling But observe did Mr. F. say that Christ trod no steps but those we must tread is this saying that he trod before us every step which he hath told us leads to the Kingdom of God or that we must go in to the Kingdom of God the same with this that he trode no other but those we must tread Can any man be such a sot as not to discern the wide difference between these two propositions By the way take notice that it is blasphemy to say that Christ was accursed of God in any other sense than this that he suffered such a kind of death as was by the law of Moses pronounced accursed So the Apostle explains his being made a curse Gal. 3. 13. Christ was alwayes Gods beloved Son nor was he ever more a darling of heaven than when he hung upon the Cross. And that the Reader may be truly informed in the Doctrine of Christ's Satisfaction false notions whereof make this I. B. talk most gross things I entreat him to get and carefully peruse the Learned Dr. Stilling fleets Treatise upon that Subject there you will find that Christ did not suffer the very same punishment that is due to sinners but that what he suffered for sinners sakes was as Satisfactory and answered the ends of Government as much as if all mankind had perished And thanks be to God that Doctrine of Christs suffering the very same is now generally exploded But to return observe but these Scriptures and you will then need no more than what hath been said to discern how ridiculously and wretchedly this I. B. talks in several places about the life of Christ. Luke 9. 23. If any man will come after me or be a Christian let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and sollow me 1 Pet. 2. Christ suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth who when he was reviled reviled not again c. 1 John 2. 6. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked V. 29. If ye know that he is Righteous ye know that every one which doth righteousness is born of him 1 John 3. 7. Little Children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous 1 Iohn 4. 17. Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment because as he is or was the Analage of the tense being ordinary so are we in this world Now this I. B. saith p. 106. that our Saviours life in all duties that respected morals was not principally or first to be imitated by us but that the Law even in the preceptive part thereof might be fully and perfectly fulfilled for us Mark 1. he saith in all duties that respected morals what nonsense is this any body may see he does not know what Morals means 2. That our Saviours life in these duties was not principally to be imitated by us he dares not say not at all to be imitated though any body may see that reads his book he would be glad to say so with all his heart But what Scripture doth he bring for this none at all So that if you will not take his word for it he hath nothing to say to you 3. But saith he that the Law even in the preceptive part may be fulfilled for us was Christs principal design in living as he did What proof hath he for this Rom. 10. 5. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness the end saith he not only of the Ceremonial law but of the 10 commandments too but is he the end of both alike then we are no more now obliged to the one than to the other In
and Tongues leave to be such unruly evils and even helps to fill them with the most deadly poison That puts its professors upon thus persecuting Christ's Ministers for RIGHTEOUSNES sake for the sake of inward and real Righteousness without which nothing can commend a Religion let wretched Hypocrites think never so despicably and basely of it and inveigh never so villainously against those that promote it Thus thou hast seen Reader how this Raging wave like his fellows in S. Iude fometh out his own shame And let him take for an answer to all the same that was given to his Great Master that hath assisted him in this Employment by Michael the Arch-Angel Iude 9. But one word more to this sad object of pity and then I shall have done with him If your Pride and Stomack will not suffer you to make now an acknowledgement of your most wicked behaviour towards Mr. F. and his Treatise as open and publick as you have made your Sin do not so cheat your own Soul as to hope for forgiveness upon any account whatsoever at the hands of God which God for Christ's sake by first qualifying you for it bestow upon you Amen An Abstract of several of the Excellent Propositions contained in that Tract of M. Baxter's wherein he hath defended Mr. Fowlers Design of Christianity His 27th Proposition THe Sum of Holiness and Morality which is all one is the Love of God as God including absolute Resignation and subjection and the love of man and all things for God appearing in them and served by them His 50. Nothing is more sure in Christianity than that Christ came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost and to bring home straying Prodigals to God and to destroy the works of the flesh and Devil and to bring man back to the love and obedience of his Maker and to cure him of his worldly love And so that Holiness or the love of God is the end of our Redemption and our Faith Part of his 51 52 53. We are pardoned what is past that love may make us sin so no more and justification is an antecedent means to our fuller Holiness and obedience to God which I have largely opened in my Confession of Faith It is certain that justification and Sanctification go on hand in hand together and it is a notorious error of such as say that justification is perfect as soon as it begins And it is certain that Sanctification as it is the work of God is one part of the executive pardon of our sins because it is the taking off of a very great penalty which is the privation of the Spirit of Grace His 54. Nothing is more injurious to Christ than to feign that he is a Patron of Sin or came to excuse men by free justification from obedience to their Creators law of Nature or to make sin less odious to Mankind seeing he dyed to redeem us from all iniquity and to purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works His 55. And it is an intolerable Blasphemy against God to imagine that Christ came to make the Divine Nature more friendly or reconcileable to sin or to love complacentially an ungodly person as if he were Godly as being such by the imputation of Christ's Righteousness to him and to repute any man to be what he is not to take a wicked man for a Saint because that Christ was holy for him whatever malicious Papists say the Protestants abhor such Doctrine Therefore John Bunyan is no Protestant His 56. And as far are we from believing that Christ was a sinner or that God ever supposed him to be a Sinner or hated or punished him as a Sinner or that ever our sin did really become his sin or that God reputed it so to have been For no false judgment can belong to God Part of his 57 and 58. But we believe that Christ dyed for our sins as a Sacrifice Ransom Propitiation Attonement c. And though we believe not that God doth judge us to have done all the Righteousness that Christ did nor to have possessed the same individual Righteousness that Christ had for God never erreth nor accounteth us as Righteous as Christ himself nor yet useth us in all respects as he would have done if we had been as Righteous as Christ himself nor do we think it a thing possible that the same individual Righteousness that was in Christ being an accident can be in itself and really given to us and made ours yet do we believe that his habitual perfection with his active Righteousness and his Sacrifice or Sufferings all set together and advanced in value by their conjunction with his Divine Righteousness were the true meritorious procuring cause of our Pardon Justification Adoption Sanctification and Salvation c. And thus Christ's Righteousness is imputed and given to us not immediately in it self but in the effects and fruits As a Ransome is said to be given to a Captive because it is given for him though strictly the Ransome is given to another and only the fruits of it to him His 59. Those Ignorant Self-conceited Contentious Teachers that seek the reputation of Orthodox zeal in the things which they never understood and instead of clear apprehending sound Scripture-doctrine and plainly expounding it to the Church do take on trust and for company false or insignificant confounding notions and proudly make them the instruments of their furious Censures and revilings and of dividing the Church by raising slanders against those that presume to be wiser than they and so by back-biting tell their hearers how erroneous and dangerous this and that man's doctrine is because they never had wisdom study and patience to understand it such I say are the men that in all ages have been the Fire-brands in the Church and zealously promoted Christ's Kingdom by dividing it and will hardly ever have peace here themselves nor endure their Brethrens or the Churches Peace His 65. Those Churches especially that lament the laps of Discipline and the confounding of the holy and profane and those that are constituted by unwarrantable Scrutinies after the holiness of Members beyond the test that was appointed by Christ should not dishonour themselves nor bring their doctrine or persons into suspicion by being the hasty Censurers and condemners of such writings as drive harder for the promoting of holiness than themselves His 67. He knoweth not the hurtful miscarriages of our times who knoweth not what the mistaken notions about free-grace have done against free-grace it self and how the Gospel hath been supplanted by an erroneous crying up the Gospel and crying down the Law and how justification hath been abused by mens seeming to extol it and sanctification injured by such pretexts And he that with one eye looks on that disease and its effects and with the other looks on the Book you tell me of viz. The Design of Christianity and such like will quickly see what Sore this Plaister was provided for and how much excellent matter there is in it which the aforesaid Persons and diseases need Part of his 69. And as to Mr. Fowlers Consectaries or Inferences ch 20. 22 23. what would you wish more accommodate to an honest concord which is our strength and beauty and to the healing of deforming and destroying abuses than the practising the motion that our union be placed in things necessary to holiness c. Whose judgment Reader dost thou think is to be preferred concerning these Inferences whether this worthy able Divine or poor J. B' s. who makes a very Turk of Mr. Fowler upon the account of them Part of his last Proposition To conclude undoubtedly Holiness is the life and beauty of the Soul The Spirit of Holiness is Christ's Agent to do his work in us and our Pledg and earnest and first Fruit of Heaven It is Christ's work and subordinately ours to cleanse us from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit c. Christ the Spirit the Word the Ministry mercies afflictions and all things are to bring home our hearts to God and to work together for our good by making us partakers of his Holiness Our Holiness is our Love of God who is most holy And our Love of God and reception of his Love is our Heaven and everlasting Happiness Thus thou seest Reader that if Mr. Fowler be so Devilish a wretch as I. B. makes him this Learned Divine may shake hands with him Matt. 23. 16 24 26 27 28. Wo unto you ye blind guides which strain at a gnat and swallow a Camel Thou blind Pharisee cleanse first that which is within the Cup and Platter that the outside of them may be clean also Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites c. Ye outwardly appear righteous unto men but within ye are full of Hypocrisie and Iniquity Matt. 15. 14. And if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the diteh 2 Tim. 3. 8. 9. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the truth Men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the Faith But they shall proceed no further for their folly shall be manifest unto all men as theirs also was Read also the foregoing verses THE END ☞ 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 6. 1. * Observe that he chalengeth Mr F. to produce but one piece of a text that in the least looks towards a proof that christ came to restore the holiness we had lost p. 36. and I think I have answered his challenge 2. 3. 4. 5. 7. 1. 2. 8. 9. 1. 2. 10. 1. 11. 12. 13. â—â— 14. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.