Preparatory by way of Causation Merit and Congruity i. e. by disposing fitting and making Men the sitter for Effectual Grace as you say as asserted by the Papists and Arminians DEBATE XI Of Union with Christ before Faith Neonom ANother Errour of his is All the Elect are Actually Vnited to Christ before they have the Spirit of Christ or at all believe in him even before they are Born yea and against their will D. W. p. 90. Antinom Your Terms are all Ambiguous you seldom use a word of two or three Syllables but you 'l have him Bifrons like Janus I pray produce your proof and I shall see which way you look most Neonom The Title of a Sermon of yours is Christ ours before gracious Qualifications D. W. p. 91. Antinom I own such a Sermon from Isa 33.6 and the design of it was to answer this Query Dr. C. p. 432. How I may be assured my part lyes here That my Sins were laid on Christ The Apostle speaks of full Assurance of Faith and of coming to the Throne of Grace with boldness I shew'd that it may be found out as the Lord hath chalked it out in his Grace and Grant not only when the Lord is pleased to hold out his Grace and Grant to a Man but also upon those Terms that he holds it out on such as the Terms of God are or Conditions if you will call them so Sure I am as the Conditions are by which they may claim Interest in Christ those conditions being granted and found the Soul may close with the Grace of God now all the difficulty lyes in this whether the Lord propounds to Men that there shall be no part in Christ nor Grace by him till they find their Spirits Souls and Bodies sanctified throughout or whether the Lord holds out the Grant of Pardon of Sin without those previous Qualifications And I say D. C. p. 433. That the Grace of saying Iniquity upon Christ is applicable by Forgiveness of Sins to Persons before there be ever the least measure of Sanctification in Works and being applyed by the Lords own Grant there may be Safety and Security in applying the same by Faith without regard to Sanctification in any measure That is in respect of making Trial thereby I seeing yet no Sanctification in Works to try by it 's certain such Pardon is to be had and that the Grace of Forgiveness is applicable before Works or a Person capable of doing them as to Elect Infants and to the Dying Thief and hath the same place in every Elect Person that doth believe forgiveness is applied to him before he can exert any of the working Fruits of Faith and being applied to him by God's Grant it may be applied to himself by Believing but because you insist on nothing in this Sermon that you particularly express I say no more of it now Neonom Sure you intend only to exclude Works and not Faith D. W. p. 91. Antinom I do not exclude Works from a ground of Assurance for I own when the Conditions are granted and found i. e. the Fruits of the Spirit in the Heart the Soul may close with the Grace of God by way of Assurance but I say also there may be an Assurance of Faith without particular respect to the said Works I say not that Works evidence not but that there is an evidence besides Neonom No you tell us of dangerous Consequences that must follow on it if Persons are not united to Christ and partake not of Justification before they believe and addeth There is not I say such a thing as an uniting or knitting Power in Faith as that Faith doth or should become an Instrument to unite a Soul to Christ Dr. C. p. 616. Antinom My Discourse was from 1 John 2. 1 2. The main design of my Discourse there is to prove That Faith is the Fruit of our Vnion to Christ I shew'd that Christ himself frames and creates that very Faith in Persons that come to him D. C. p. 614. uniting them as Members first to him their Head 2. I shew'd that a Branch must have Union with the Root before it can bring forth Fruit. Christ is the Vine we the Branches Faith part of the Fruit. Communion is a Fruit of Union Faith is a Grace of Communion Suppose that the Life spoken of is not in Persons till they believe it is Dr. C. p. 615. but this That there is no Activeness of the life of Christ in the Person that is Elected his Life is in Christ and was in Christ and reserved in Christ till the time of believing for him and then doth the Elect Person become Active in Life when Christ doth give him to believe Actually But to say that this believing should give the first Being of that Life that should be in Persons is to say There is not that Life of the Elect Persons in Christ before they do believe if this be maintained that there is no Justification at all belonging to Elect Persons till they do Actually believe in Christ or Faith be the Instrument by which they are first united dangerous Consequences must needs follow 1. That in some respect there will be a bringing to Life again the Covenant of Works Do this and live viz. for Persons to do that they may live but the Covenant of Grace gives Life first and from Life comes Doing c. But the words you refer to p. 616. For they are not there nor do I find them elsewhere Neonom He denies the presence of Faith to this end he spends much time to prove that Christ is ours before we come to him and that our not coming unto him doth not import a state of disunion with Christ. D. W. p. 614. Antinom I said Let us suppose the coming in this place is spoken of believing Ye will not come to me that you might have Life it cannot follow that although there be no Life till believing therefore there can be no Union till believing I say If it possibly might be imagined that there may not be Life from Christ till believing yet it follows not that there must be believing before this Union Suppose I say that there cannot be Life before there be believing yet there must be Union before there can be Life fetched from Christ Faith being the Fruit born as aforesaid Neonom He saith You may as soon conceive that a Man is able to see whilst he hath no Head as think a Man can have Spiritual Eyes whether the Eye of Faith to behold Christ or the Eye of Mourning to lament ones Wickedness before there be Actually the Presence and Conjunction of Christ the Head to such a Body Dr. C. p. 104. Antinom I say so and will stand to it Calvin I wonder you should find fault with that Divinity or note down that Expression for an Errour you cannot suppose that there can be any living Act performed without Life as the cause of it
become most abominable as if God stood in need of something that we have To depart from Iniquity or to labour in Holiness in order to express our Thankfulness unto God for his Mercies in Jesus Christ is most grateful and most forcible Again Love unto God for all his Glorious Excellencies especially for his Mercy in Christ Jesus is the best Principle of Holiness and our departing from Iniquity and this Love is begun and flows from God's Love first He that Acts according to any of God's Commandments out of hope to Merit by them may Act out of Love indeed but it must be then Self-love to obtain as he vainly thinks by his Obedience Eternal Happiness Our Love of God should exceed Self-love as far as God himself exceeds which is Infinitely Our Love of God is a Vertue and the Foundation of the rest Our Love of our selves thus taken is a Sin a Mother Sin the cause of all the rest of our Sins c. I am mistaken if I find not this Doctrine of working for Life according to your sence exactly in the Council of Trent Decree XVI Grace proposeth to the Just the Exercise of Good Works by which Eternal Life is gained as Grace promised by the Mercy of God and a Reward due to Good Works by the Divine Promise And it concludeth This Doctrine doth not establish any Righteousness of our own refusing the Righteousness of God but the same is said to be in us and of God being infused by him for the Merit of Christ Calvin But Mr. Neonomian saith in his Reply It 's vain and false Mr. Antinomian that you say that you are only against setting Graces and Holiness in the place of Christ Antinom He that reads my Sermons must needs see the Truth of that Assertion I have nothing to say to such as only depend upon Mr. Neonomian's report Neonom He reckons they are put in Christ's place though they be affirmed but as Means and Conditions antecedently necessary by Divine Appointment to obtain any Blessing for the sake of Christ's Merits Antinom And well I may if Men must be gracious and holy antecedently to any Blessing for the sake of Christ's Merits and by vertue of that Antecedent Grace and Holiness do obtain Blessings for the sake of Christ's Merits I think you outstrip the Papists here in the Doctrine of Merit Neonom His Principles are That Faith is not so much as an Instrument whereby we are united to Christ or Justified P. 616. Antinom He speaks not there of Faith as an Instrument but he doth speak of it as such P. 597. where he saith Faith is not the Instrument Radically to unite Christ and the Soul together but rather is the Fruit that flows from Christ the Root being united before-hand by the Spirit to the Persons that do believe Neonom 2. That Christ brings us all good things when we are ungodly so it 's in vain to do any thing to obtain these P. 41. Antinom He speaks there of Justification by Faith alone without Works And we are delivered from Wrath before we step a step into Duties and we do not the Duty to be delivered but we do the Duty because we are delivered and seeing all these are settled by Christ for us of Free Gift all we do is for Christ himself I say that we do we do for Christ and not for our selves Neonom He saith Obedience is not the way to Heaven and Sanctification is not the way to a Justified Person Antinom No Sanctification is not the way of Justification he speaks of the way of Justification we are not according to his Divinity Justified by Inherent Holiness or Righteousness though we are according to yours And he tells you Sanctification is our business in Christ the Way for whatever Duty is performed acceptably must be wrought by Faith in Christ Jesus we are Sanctified in Christ Christ is the true way of Sanctification Neonom He saith He should not have the least Thought in his Heart of promoting or advancing himself or any end of his own by doing what he doth Antinom You know this thing is no new Doctrine It use to be one of the signs and marks of Truth of Grace when we Act in Duty singly for the Glory of God and not for selfish and sinister ends and designs but this is spoken to sufficiently before DEBATE XV. Of the Way to attain Assurance Neonom THE next Errour that I have to charge Mr. Antinomian with is his Doctrine of Assurance Errour Assurance is not attained by the Evidence of Scripture marks or signs of Grace or by the Spirits discovering to us that he hath wrought in our Hearts any Holy Qualifications But Assurance comes only by an Inward Voice of the Spirit saying Thy Sins are Forgiven thee and our Believing thereupon that our Sins are forgiven D. W. p. 161. Antinom What evidence do you bring of your Charge Neonom You say if you would know that the Lord hath laid your Iniquities on Christ you must know it thus 1. Is there a Voice behind thee in thy self Thy Sins are forgiven thee Dost thou see this Voice agree with the Word of Grace i. e. Dost thou see it held out to most vile and wretched Creatures as thou canst be And upon this Revelation of the Mind of the Lord by his Spirit according to that Word doth the Lord give to thee to receive that Testimony of the Spirit to sit down with it as satisfied that upon this thou makest full reckoning thou hast propriety in this particularly to thy self If thou dost receive that Testimony according to that Word here is thy Evidence thou hast thy Propriety and Portion in this Dr. Cr. p. 491. Calvin And do you Banter this Doctrine as Erroneous Stuff I would wish you to have a care it 's a tender Point Antinom I will acquaint you with a little of my foregoing Discourse Let us see what kind of evidencing believing gives it is not a Revealing Evidence Dr. Cr. p. 491. nor an Effecting Evidence these the Word and Spirit are but it is a Receiving Evidence or it is an Evidence as it doth receive that Testimony which the Spirit holds out applying it to the Heart as the Eyes receive the light and the Ears the sound and if we ask a Man how do you know such a thing he will say I saw it with my Eyes and heard it with mine Ears It is an evidence as an Officer in Court that speaks nothing of his own knowledge but produceth Records and testifieth the Authentickness of the Records The Life of Evidence is materially in the Records themselves but the Officer is an Evidence as he doth assert the Truth of such Records It is even so with Faith The Spirit of the Lord makes the Records and speaks the Records to the Heart Now Faith comes in and receives what the Spirit of the Lord hath written In brief Faith is an Evidence as it doth take Possession of
a particular application thereof to our selves and so we become by the Witness of the Spirit to be the Children of God by Faith in the same sence we are Heirs according to the Promise Gal. 3.29 Now therefore the Spirit must witness first as the Worker of this Assurance by the Promise that Faith may witness and you your self said but now that the Spirit witnesseth as a Worker of Grace therefore as the Worker of the Grace of Assurance You say it is not a separate Testimony from our Spirits I suppose you mean from our Spirits Testimony your meaning I take to be that they both witness one and the same thing but that they are two distinct Witnesses is evident from the Text that which witnesseth with another is distinct from that other and you say it concurrs with our Spirit i. e. Conveniunt in uno tertio Testimonio ergo inter se And you say our Spirits witness in the Light of the Spirit i. e. in the Light of its Manifestation and Evidence and therefore the Spirit must witness first or else our Spirits must witness without Evidence which is impossible So that all you have been saying in this Argument is against your self and for us Neonom A Testimony of the Spirit giving an Evidence of Pardon without any evidence of Grace is not according to the Word of Grace for the Word of Grace never declareth any Sinners are pardoned but believing penitent Sinners it is not as meer Sinners the Word pardoneth but it flatly condemneth and leaves guilt on all Impenitent Vnbelievers as I have proved Antinom I marvel a Divine should speak at such a rate as if an Evidence of Pardon were not an Evidence of Grace Is not Pardon the highest degree of Grace is not the Word of Grace therefore so because it is a Word of Pardon to Sinners And if you mean Inherent Grace why may not the Spirit give evidence of Pardon to a Sinners evidence of it in an act of Believing before there can be any Fruits of Faith Was it not so with the Thief upon the Cross and many that God pardons just upon the last moment of their Lives And is it not so with many of Gods Children that can see no Evidences in themselves the Spirit strips them of all grounds in themselves and that gives a full satisfaction in objective Grace with the full Assurance of Faith that the Creature may be laid low and Christ may be glorified I must tell you that a meer Sinner is the Object of Pardon and not a Sinner considered under any holy Qualifications The whole need not the Physician Christ finds and pardons lost Sinners and there 's no Sinner applies pardon aright but as a meer Sinner tho he hath Faith But of this I have spoken before in our Eighth Conference and Twelfth Neonom Therefore if there be a Voice a true Voice of God carrying its own evidence saying Thy sins are forgiven it doth at the same time and by the same voice witness to the truth of our Grace because he forgives no other according to the Word of the Gospel Antinom A true Voice witnessing the Forgiveness of sins doth consequently witness to the truth of Grace in our Hearrs for the closing with the Evidence in a way of Comfort witnessed by the Spirit doth de facto witness to the truth of our Faith there 's Lord I believe Likewise it witnesseth that Christ is ours and we Christs and if so we are New Creatures and this we may be and must be before we can bring forth any Fruits besides Faith it self But it 's not for the reason you alledge which is as much as to say Christ saves none but them that are saved already Neonom If the Spirit should say to an Impenitent Soul Thou art pardoned while such it is no Promise in the Gospel c. Antinom Is there no promise in the Gospel to take away the heart of stone to give repentance and neither of these is found till pardoning mercy make the way and are never savingly found till Forgiveness is given and in some measure of Believing closed with but you rove from the Point of Assurance that we are upon go on to your next Argument Neonom To have the Ordinary way of Assurance as it 's stated by the opposite Errour is of dangerous Consequence D. W. p. 167. Antinom i. e. By the Witness of the Spirit and by the Evidence of Faith I pray let us hear those dangerous Consequences what they be Neonom 1. Most Saints must quit their Hopes and Assurances for they never had this Voice tho they have greater stamps of the Spirit than any I ever knew pretend to this Antinom If any Saints have Hopes and Assurance that is good in some degree they need not quit them in betaking themselves to better firmer and more lasting grounds of Hope and Assurance the Assurance may be the same tho better grounded and built But they never had this Voice what mean you by this Is there any true Believer that never heard what the Spirit saith to Sinners is there any that hears not what God saith in his Word Do they not hear that are in their spiritual Graves the Voice of Christ and live Do you so impose as to stretch our meaning to an extraordinary Audible Voice Then you do but like your self But yet you say they have stamps of the Spirit I pray how doth the Spirit make a Stamp and Impression upon a Sinners Heart but by the Application of the Grace of the Gospel in Believing Is it not as many as received Christ to them is the Priviledge of being the Sons of God And you say greater Stamps than any you know pretend to this you speak you know not what in a scornfull manner as if you knew little your self what belongs to a rrue Gospel Spirit I am sure if you did you would not run out in this loose manner as you do in a way of Contempt of others See Phil. 2.3 4. Neonom It makes all Examination useless and vain Antinom It makes Examination most usefull and necessary yea hereby becomes more profitable advantageous and comfortable when by sounding we find good bottom we find we have not only Life but have it more abundantly Neonom It overturneth one of the great 〈◊〉 God hath assigned to the work of all Grace on the Heart Antinom What shall I call this Assertion Mr. Calvin Calvin For shame Mr. Neonom leave off what will you say Gods own Spirit witnessing in our Hearts to the full Assurance of Faith overturns his work of Grace in our Hearts I am sorry to hear this evil Communication come out of your Mouth Neonom It makes Assurance impossible without this Miraculous Voice Antinom Are you again upon the High Ropes and Tenter-hooks Is this intended to be any way a miraculous Voice only the Voice of the Spirit as Comforter in the Heart according to the Word Is it a miraculous Voice
the said Foederal Conditions But we affirm neither Faith it self no not the Gift of the Spirit that works Faith not our Union to Christ no Gifts that accompany Salvation are Foederal Conditions Christ in the Exercise of his Mediator's Office in his Humiliation and Exaltation is the only Foederal Condition wherein all entitling Conditions particularly mentioned in the Gospel are lodged and treasured up and are freely by Christ bestowed on us 12. There are also Conditions of Connexion by way of Order and Dependance of things one upon another Whereas the Scripture often inculcates such Expressions as these Without Faith none can please God Without Holiness none can see God as if they had called Faith and a new Life Conditions of the Covenant when in accurate speaking and according to the nature of this Covenant on God's part they are Executions of former Promises and an Earnest of future good But if we will call these Conditions they are not so much Conditions of the Covenant as of the certainty that we are in the Covenant Wits de Foed 196. which are rationes rerum inter se and belong to Logick and they arise from all Arguments Artificial or Inartificial Prime and Ort Simple or Comparate Consentany or Dissentany and they run in a Connex Axiom when the said Conditionality is express'd As thus Si Animal est homo est rationale si figura est trigularis est trilateralis If a Creature be a Man he is a Rational Creature If a Figure have 3 Corners it hath three sides all things in the World are capable of coming under this kind of Conditionality yea the most absolute Beings As if God be the first Cause he is the Creator of all things In this Sence Creation is a condition of Salvation If a Man be saved he must be created So Election a condition if a Man be saved he must be elected but Election is not a Foederal Condition So if a Man believe he shall be saved Believing is a condition of connexion to Salvation If a Man have the Spirit of Christ he shall believe unto Salvation but neither Faith nor Union are Foederal Conditions A state in Grace is a condition to a state in Glory by way of connexion in the Promise But one is not a Foederal Condition of another but both come in in the Gift of Grace In this Sence the Covenant of Promise contains all the Conditions of Order and Dependance in the Exhibition and Performance The Hearing the Word is the Condition of Faith but hearing the Word is not a Foederal Condition So the giving the Spirit is the condition of Union to Christ and Faith Faith the condition of receiving Pardon and living in Holiness And the giving of Pardon the condition of receiving it Holiness the condition of seeing God and eternal Happiness But these kind of Conditions are not Foeâ—eral entitling to the Promise but are contained in the Promise and denote only the connexion and dependance of one promised Benefit upon another 13. Hence the Ministry of Reconciliation runs conditionally because in it the absolute Covenant is preached 1. Indefinitely to Elect and Non-elect 2. The Covenant is declared in all the Promissary and Duty-Dependances contained in it and Duty required because promised 3. We must distinguish of the Ministry of Reconciliation in respect of the Letter of it Insertae sunt novisaederis conditiones novae obedientiae legali quidam Schaemate ad normam probationis nostrae ipsius gratitudinis debitae Sic tamen alio quoque Schemate ipsa resipiscentia in peccati mortificatione bonorum operum studio promittitur tanque Dei donum quod ipse operaturus sit in nobis ut isthoc signo argumento fas sit ex quo verè resipuimus credimus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sperate in eam quae ad nos defertur gratiam in patefactione Jesu Christi 1 Pet. 1.13 Promissionis formulae expressissimae novum foedus sancientes donatione rescipiscentiae novae obedientiae extant Jer. 32.40 Isa 52.2 1 Pet. 1.4 2 Pet. 1.3 1 Joh. 3.9 and ver 18. Clopeub dâ— foâ—d p. 516. Quicquid conditionis locum obtinere concipitur id omne vniversalitare promissionum includitur si vitam aeternam solum polliceretur Deus non deâ—sset specie aliqua dicendi rescipiscentiam fidem c. Conditiones hujus foederis esse Verum cum initium progression non intercisam continuationem consummationem denique novae vitae odem quasi â—â—lur addicat Deus in universalitte hâc promissorum nihil remanet quod totius foederis conditio censeri queat Nos hic de conditione foederis sic agimus non de aliquâ re in homine quae actuaalem fruitionem consummatae felicitatis precedere debet Witf p. 195 196. de Foeâ—ere and the Spirit of it 1 Cor. 3.6 In the Letter of it the meer external Dispensation that kills because a Sinner looks upon all these conditions of Dependance to be Foederal Conditions but the ministration of the Covenant by the Spirit in that Ministry is absolute according to the Original Contract and the fullest Discovery in its highest Freedom And therefore the Apostie tells us this Spirit giveth Life And the believing Corinthians are said to be the Epistle of Christ written and transcribed from the Original Covenant-Contract not with Ink but with the Spirit of the Living God not in Tables of Stone but in the fleshly Tables of the Heart according to that Promise of a new Heart Hence therefore we must distinguish between the Covenant of Grace it 's absolute Tenure and the Ministry of the Grace of the Coventnt which Ministry is conditionally dispensed according to the connexion and dependance of good things contained in the Promise to a mixed People Elect and Non-elect The effect of this Ministry is either to work effectually by the Spirit according to the nature of an absolute Promise and then becomes a Savour of Life or else it works only in the Letter in the conditional Nature as a Covenant of Works and then it killeth eventually and is a Savour of Death and Condemnation 14. The Covenant of Grace is to be distinguished according to its different Revelation and Dispensation under the Names of the Old and New Testament which is no Specifick Difference but only secundum adjunctae Revelationis The Absoluteness of this Covenant was abundantly revealed under the Old Testament Dispensation unto the Patriarchs and Prophets but not so clearly by the Ministry of the Worldly Sanctuary but vailed on which vailedness the faultiness of that Dispensation was charged and did consist in comparison of what was to ensue 1. It stood vailed under a Figurative Carnal Ministry and Ordinances 2. Such as were weak and insufficient as to reaching those Ends that were designed by the Grace of the Covenant Heb. 10.1 and that in respect of the main Gospel Grace in pardon of Sin and purifying the Conscience 3. In that it
founded on the Obedience of Christs Life and the Sacrifice of his Death and yet so unhappy I have been in my search that I cannot find any proof or any attempt to prove it and therefore till I see evidence to the contrary I shall take for granted that the Covenant of Grace is owing to and founded on and given forth by that Free Grace of God from whence it s justly denominated a Covenant of Grace though the Intervention of a Mediator such a Mediator was absolutely necessary to put us into Actual Possession of those Rich Mercies designed to us by God in that Covenant which Mediator himself is owing to and founded on that Covenant of Grace and therefore the Covenant of Grace is not founded upon him but indeed for that Covenant which Mr. Neonomian is pleased to call a Covenant of Grace it 's no great matter where it is founded and therefore let him dispose of his own Creature as he pleaseth c. See p. 581 586. c. Neonom There are Precepts and Threatnings in the Covenant of Grace and therefore those Duties required are Foederal Conditions For to the performance of them are annexed Promises and to the breach of them Threats Calvin I pray Dr. Witsius do you speak in Answer to this Argument Dr. Witsius The Covenant of Grace or Gospel strictly so called as a Platform of that Covenant seeing it consists in meer Promises properly prescribes nothing as Duty it requires or commands nothing not so much as Believe Trust and Hope in the Lord c. but it reports declares and signifies to us what God in Christ hath promised what he will and is about to do All Prescription of Duty belongs to the Law even as after others venerable Voetius hath pressed again and again Voet. Disput Tom. 4. p. 24. seq And this we must firmly hold if we will constantly defend with all the Reformed the perfection of the Law containing in it's compass all Vertues all Duties of Holiness But the Law fitted to the Covenant of Grace and according there to written in the Heart of the Elect commands all these things which are propounded in the Gospel to embrace it with Faith unfeigned and to live a Life of Grace and Glory agreeable thereto De Fâ—â—der p. 197. As to Comminations it cannot be denyed but in the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles there are many Comminations which have a peculiar respect unto the Covenant of Grace as He that believes not shall be condemned c. which Comminations do seem to be distinguished from those that are plainly Legal Such as this Cursed be he that continues not in all things c. Yet if we exactly consider them the Covenant of Grace hath no peculiar Threats for all the Threats are from the Law which Law as to all its parts doth accommodate and suit it self to the Covenant of Grace and there are none which cannot be referred to or deduced from that meer Legal Commination Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things c. De Foed p. 199. DEBATE IX Of the Nature of Saving Faith Calvin AT our last Meeting we finished our Debate about the Covenant of Grace and the Conditions of it What have you further Mr. Neonomian to discourse Mr. Antinomian about Neonom Divers Points besides that he is erroneous in The next I would challenge him upon is Saving Faith and the Nature of it For his Errour is this That Saving Faith is nothing but a Perswasion or absolute concluding within our selves That our Sins are pardoned and that Christ is ours D. W. p. 73. Calvin But you do not deny Faith to be a Perswasion do you If you do deny that Perswasion is the Genus of Faith every common Porter or Youth in the Sreet will contradict you for they will tell you that they do believe this or that to be true Ask them what they mean by Believing they will tell you They are perswaded of it They take Faith and Perswasion to be equivalent Terms and indeed reciprocal for that which I am perswaded of I do believe and that which I believe I am perswaded of But go on let us hear what Mr. Antinomian saith in this Point Neonom Sir he tells us that the whole Essence of Faith is nothing else but the Eccho of the Heart answering the foregoing Voice of the Spirit and Word of Grace My Sins are forgiven me saith Faith And the Soul that can assume thus from the Spirit and Word of Grace hath the whole Essence of believing D. C. p. 493. Antinom I doubt not Sir but to prove that this is a good Account of Saving Faith I said That which hath the Whole Essence of Faith is not a Dead but Living Faith i. e. which bringeth forth Fruits D. C. p. 493. But the Question was Whether Faith gives Evidence by it self or no by it's own direct Act. Now I said The whole Essence of Faith is nothing else but the Eccho of the Heart answering the Voice of the Spirit and Word of Grace c. Now I thought I could not give a more lively Account of it for the Eccho is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Daughter of the Voice it 's begotten by the Voice So saith the Scripture Rom. 10.16 17. He quotes Isa 53.1 Who hath believed our Report 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Word signifies the Voice heard or that comes to the hearing And so doth the Hebrew Word import 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who hath believed or heard our Voice i. e. Who hath so heard it as to make an Impression thereof upon their Hearts believingly And the Apostle saith When this heard Voice takes in a due Impression upon the Heart through the Spirit it begets Faith and that Impress is Faith Rom. 10.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Faith verily is from hearing and this hearing by the Word of God Hearing or the Voice that is heard is by the Word of God Hence that Expression of the Apostle James 1.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of his own Free-will working effectually by his Spirit in opening and new framing the Heart as Lydia's he begets us by the Word of Truth The Truth of the Word is received into the Heart as it were with an Eccho and Formation of the Heart into it Progenuit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all udit ad nostram adoptionem cujus facti sumus per fidem participes John 1.12 13. Fides autem est ex auditu verbi Rom. 10.17 Ideo etiam dicuntur ministri filios gignere sed quatenus Dei instrumenta â— Cor. 4.15 Phil. 10. Beza by an Assent to it as true and Consent to it as a good Truth And this is indeed the Writing the Law of God in the Heart the Law being taken often for any Truth declared in the Word After this manner the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 4.15 In Christ Jesus I have begotten you by the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that the Gospel
the Nature of it The Understanding essentially includes the VVill and the VVill the Understanding wherefore the Oâ—ject of the Understanding and VVill are one and the same Truth and Goodness are essentially the same Faith is General or Particular P. 124. General that which is Assent to all Divine Revelations as good and true in regard of our selves Here comes in the common Work of the Spirit Particular Assent of Faith is when all things revealed by God are assented to as most true and excellent in regard of our selves when they are particularly applyed to our proper occasion and compared with all Desires and Provocations whatsoever to the contrary when we know and believe these things that are generally delivered P. 131. for our selves in application to our own use and practice as Job was counselled by his Friends so that we believe in this particular as well as that at this time as well as another 1. The Root and Fountain of this Blessed Assent is the Grace of Sanctification And 2. The Object is Twofold P. 133. The whole Will of God revealed in his Word containing all Histories Doctrine Commands Threatnings Promises c. 2. The particular Promise of Remission of Sin and everlasting Life by the Death of Christ which in one Word we call the Gospel tho both be one and the same infused Grace which respects both yet Faith as it respects these Objects the whole Will of God and a particular Promise of the Gospel admitteth of divers Considerations Names and Use Faith as it assents to the whole Will of God I call Legal because it is such a Vertue as is immediately required by the Moral Law in the same manner as Duties of the Moral Law are and as all other Moral Duties are required of us in their Degrees as parts of our inward and outward Sanctity necessary to Salvation so is this Faith commanded as a principal Grace and prime part of our Obedience to the first Command so in this respect it may be saving namely as other Graces are Faith as it assents unto the Special Promise of Grace I call Evangelical because it 's such an Act as is expresly commanded in the Gospel not revealed by the Moral Law It is called properly Saving and Justifying in regard of the Use of it through God's gracious appointment to be the only Instrument of our Justification and Salvation by Christ He defines it thus It is a Grace of Sanctification wrought by the Holy Ghost in every Regenerate Man P. 140. whereby for his own particular he trusteth perfectly on the Promise of Remission of Sins and Salvation by Christ's Righteousness The proper Act of Faith as it justifies it consisteth in Trust and Reliance for our own particular To believe the Truth of a particular Promise is to trust upon the Performance of it to me and that assent of Faith which is given to such a Promise is properly called Fiducia or Trust To assent unto such a Promise is not barely to believe that there is such a thing in the World as Remission of Sins by Christ to be bestowed upon God knows who for this is to believe the Promise not as a Promise but a History but this Assent is of the whole Heart in Trust Reliance Adherence c. That Fiducia is the Essence of Justifying Faith 1. From the Phrase of Scripture used in this business 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to believe in upon into God Christ c. 2. From the opposition between Faith and Distrust Jam. 1.16 Rom. 2.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. From that excellent place 2 Tim. 1.12 I am perswaded he is able to keep c. Wherefore to believe the Promise is with Confidence and Trust to rely upon it P. 140. which Assent of Faith is wrought in this manner 1. A Man is enlightned to see his Sin and Misery 2. The Promise of Grace is proposed and freely offered unto him 3. Whence the Heart touched by the Spirit of Grace draws near to Christ casts himself into his Arms c. It bespeaks Christ in all Terms of Confidence and Affiance My Lord my God my Hâ—pe This Work of Faith as it doth greatly glorifie God in ascribing the whole Honour of our Salvation only to Free Grace in Christ so God doth highly honour it above all Fellow-Graces by making it the blessed Instrument of all the Comfort we enjoy in this World thereby giving us assurance of our Justification in his sight by Christ's Righteousness and a double Comfort 1. Peace of Conscience resting it self secure upon the Stability of God's Promise against the Severities of Justice the Accusations of the Law it hath wherewithall to answer even an All-sufficient Righteousness in Christ 2. That kind of Fiducia which we call Assurance of full pardon of our Sins This is the fruit of that Fiducia or trusting unto the Promise it self wherein stands the proper Act of Justifying Faith Many do stedfastly believe and rest themselves only upon Christ for Salvation who yet would give a World to be assured and fully perswaded that their sins are pardoned Whereupon they will be apt to fall back and say They do not nor can't believe at all A great mistake and that which casteth many a Conscience upon the Rack It 's a false Argument for Justifying Faith is not to be assured of Pardon but to trust wholly upon the Promise for Pardon What is Essential unto Faith is manifest That which in order of Nature seems to have the Precedency Dr. O. of Justific p. 135. is the Assent of the Mind unto that which the Psalmist betakes himself unto in the first place for relief under a sense of Sin and Trouble Psal 130.3 4. It 's declared in the Gospel that God in his Love and Grace will Pardon and Justifie guilty Sinners through the Blood and Mediation of Christ so it 's proposed Rom. 3.23.24 The Assent of the Mind hereunto as proposed in the Promise of the Gospel is the Root of Faith the Foundation of all that the Soul doth in believing nor is there any Evangelical Faith without it yet consider it Abstractedly as a meer Act of the Mind the Essence of Justifying Faith doth not consist solely therein 2. This is accompanied in sincere believing with an approbation of the way of Deliverance and Salvation proposed c. This Assent and Approbation causing the Heart to rest upon Divine Grace Wisdom and Love and apply it self thereto according to the Mind of God is the Faith whereby we are Justified and concludes in it Renunciation of all other Ways and Means of attaining Righteousness the Consent of the Will Acquiescence of the Heart in God Trust and Confidence c. Peter Martyr saith Faith is an Assent and that a firm Assent unto the words of God obtained not by Reason or Natural Demonstration but by the Authority of the Speaker and by the Power of the Holy Ghost Com. pl. part 3. p. 58. We must now declare what
by the several Fruits that it doth produce Neonom Because sometimes the worst of Sinners are made Subjects of Preparatory Work and of Effectual Calling as God's Act on them therefore he thinks that these Sinners are invited to conclude they have an Interest in Christ before they do at all answer that Call D. W. p. 90. Antinom You intimate as if you thought some Sinners were more capable Subjects of Effectual Calling as to God's Act than others and that there 's a Preparatory Work distinct from God's Act in Effectual Calling which I do not think Besides I think God's Act in Effectual Calling upon a Sinner is more than a bare Invitation And I do not think or say That any Man concludes their Personal Interest in Christ because they are invited but because being invited they did come therefore not before they answer the Call by coming Neonom But his greatest cause of mistake is that he thinks the worst of Sinners if Elect have as much Interest in Christ as the greatest Saint Antinom Est Argiva Calumnia when you make it appear that I think so by what I have spoken I will answer to it and your Sarcastick Inference therefrom Neonom You may see the large Catechise Q. What is Justifying Faith They tell us That a Sinner is convinced of Sin and Misery who receiveth Christ Antinom But they tell us that that Conviction which is Saving comes by Saving Faith their words are Justifying Faith is a Saving Grace wrought in the Heart of a Sinner by the Spirit and Word of God whereby he being convinced of his Sin and Misery and of disability in himself and other Creatures to recover him out of his lost Condition not only assenteth to the Truth of the Promise of the Gospel but receiveth and resteth upon Christ and his Righteousness c. And in the Shorter Catechism you may see a more particular account of Saving Convictions that they are wrought in Effectual Calling though they be not so properly of the Nature of Justifying Faith for they say Effectual Calling is the Work of God's Spirit whereby convincing us of our Sin and Misery enlightning our Minds c. He doth perswade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the Gospel You see Conviction and Illumination are both the Saving Works of the Spirit And in the Confession they 'll tell you That Saving Faith is of a larger extent as to the Object it Acts upon than meerly Justifying Saving Faith it convinceth it enlightens it justifies it sanctifies and in this sence they tell you the Nature of Saving Faith Chap. 14. whereby they are enabled to believe to the saving of their Souls and by this Faith a Christian is enabled to believe to be true what-ever is revealed in the Word and from thence comes trembling at the Word and embracing the Promises of Life c. So that this contradicts not but confirms the Doctrine of the 39 Articles That all Works before Faith even Legal Convictions are no more than Sin it 's but the filthy Conscience-polluting Guilt of Sin which Thousands have and which do not dispose the Sinner to love God but to hate him nor to seek Pardon but to seek out a Righteousness of his own Neonom Dr. O. tells us p. 133. Of Justif There is nothing in the whole Doctrine that I will more firmly adhere to than the necessity of Convictions previous to true Believing D. W. p. 89. Antinom If he mean saving believing he must mean previous sine qua non not as a Preparatory Vertue but as Sin is previous to Pardon and thereby Guilt also whereby Sin pollutes the Conscience and is both sin and misery and this may arise from a meer natural stirring of the Law or by the preaching of it which is the Death of Sin the Wrath and Curse that attends it and this may and must arise from a common Faith for a Man is not convinced of any thing that he believes not But if he mean Saving Convictions they are good Fruits and wrought in Saving Faith This he intends here For he said just before Let no Man think to understand the Gospel who knows nothing of the Law God's Constitution and the Nature of things themselves have given the Law the precedency with respect unto Sinners for by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin and Gospel Faith is the Souls acting according to the Mind of God for deliverance from that State and Condition which it is cast under by the Law and he supposeth the State of a Man under meer Legal Conviction to be a State of Death and Condemnation Neonom He saith Displicency Sorrow Fear a desire of Deliverance with other necessary Effects of true Conviction P. 102. Antinom True Convictions i. e. Saving have such Effects but observe he is there distinguishing between common Convictions which before Faith are the common Condition of Sinners more or less which is the Death they lye under He saith Temporary Faith and Legal Conviction are the Principles of all Works or Duties in Religion Antecedent unto Justification observe now what he saith which therefore we must deny to have in them any Causality thereof and so he proceeds to shew what Affections and Duties in Religion may follow thence not that they are Gospel Vertues but rather solendida peccata and they I say are so far from disposing the Natural Man to Justification by Grace that they dispose him rather to seek Justification in himself by the Works of the Law till the Law comes to be Preached in true Spirituality in the Gospel and received by Faith And he saith P. 103. That Reformation of Life and these things are where real Convictions are but yet it must be said that they are neither severally nor jointly though in the highest degree either necessary Dispositions Preparations previous Congruities in a way of Merit or Conditions of our Justification Now is not this a Marvellous measure of Presumption and palpable Design upon your Reader to take the Imperfect Sence of a Man's Discourse to justifie your Errours when you must needs see the said Discourse is point blank against you I 'll hear no more therefore of your Allegations in this point out of Dr. O. Neonom Mr. Norton speaks of Preparatory Works between the Carnal Rest of the Soul in a State of Sin and Effectual Vocation Antinom I know of no such middle State for there is but two States that of Death and that of Life that of Light and that of Darkness but the Works done before Conversion he tells you are called Preparatory by way of meer Order which he saith all the Orthodox assert for that which is plainly first in Order and Nature must be said to be so all the Sin and Wickedness as well as the common Graces and Religion performed by an Unregenerate Man are all Antecedent to his Regenerate State But saith Mr. Norton It 's contrary to the Scriptures to say they are
Life as a Reward of work for this was the Tenour of the Covenant of Works but from Life received being dead in our selves by Nature and in respect of the Law Condemned Persons we must work not to obtain Eternal Life by working but having received Life from it to work Christ saith He is the Life the Resurrection and the Life Where 's the Man that can work without Life to work from Neonom But he understands this you 'l say only of External Duties but not of the Actings of Grace no I could shew you how he saith the same of all Graces Antinom You need not have troubled your selves with that Objection for I do intend all Graces and Duties for they must all be performed from a Principle of Life received and not for Mercenary Designs and Ends thinking that thereby we deserve any thing of the Lord for when we have done all we are unprofitable Servants Neonom He saith That is the proper Work that God hath given to Belleving D. W. p. 124. D. Cr. p. 326. not to effect any thing to the good of Man but only to be the witness of that good to the Spirit of Man and so give light to that which was hidden before Antinom You know my Opinion and it 's with other Divines That there is Justification in Heaven and Justification in a Man's Conscience and Spirit D. G. â— 3â—â— Justification in Consciences and Spirits of Men is the manifestation of that Act of God to a Man 's own Spirit by which a Man comes to know and consequently to rejoice in the Justification of God and so you may read the words Rom 5.1 Bring Justified by Faith i. e. through Faith having the Justification of God evidenced and manifested to our Spirits we have peace with God I contend not with them that say It Justifies Virtute objecti or Instrumentaliter So that I ascribeâ— all the Efficacy to Christ's Righteousness and not to the Act of Faith as a Quolifying Condition to Justifie sensu proprio as you and the Arminian's do and in that sence I spake against its doing us good that is in your sence of Justification Neonom He saith If you have more Ability than others in doing let it not come into your Thoughts D. W. p. 125. D. C. p. 429. as an Inducement to think better of your self as if you were more accepted of God or pleasing in his sight Antinom I believe it is or should be the Spirit of the best of God's Children that they prefer others above themselves Phil. 3. viz. That fear the Lord and think not that there 's any thing in them that makes them more accepted than others but that all that have true Faith are equally accepted in the Beloved and that Paul's Usefulness and Apostleship rendred him no more Justified than the meanest of the Disciples of Christ Calvin You see Mr. Antinom as he is for the exalting Christ so he speaks highly in the Commendation yea and usefulness of Holiness and good Works those diminutive Terms that he useth is in respect of Purchase obtaining Pardon or being qualifying Conditions for the bestowing of Benefits He holds Christ is the great Condition both of Grace here and glory hereafter tho' I confess I wish Mr. Antinom you had spared many Expressions for which I fear the Truth suffers from the ignorant and more learned of perverse Minds that make it their business to load the Doctrine of Free-Grace with all Scorn and Contempt and take all occasions to wound the Truth because of some rash or over-zealous Expressions used by you and others which it may be had you foreseen you would have prevented by not using them or had you printed your own Sermons you would not have sent to the Press Mr. Neonom I pray let us have this Doctrine delivered in your own Words and Expressions Neonom The Truth is this That though neither Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works do make any Atonement for sin or are in the least meritorious Righteousness whereby Salvation is caused or for which this or any Blessing becomes due to us by Debt yet as the Spirit of God freely worketh all Holiness and enableth to sincere Obedience and good Works so the Lord Jesus hath of his own Grace and for his own Merits promised to bring to Heaven such as are Partakers of true Holiness perform his sincere Obedience and do those good Works perseveringly Antinom You allow Christ the Honour of Atonement for Sin but how far I know not by what follows his Atonement reacheth not the Breach of the new Law Conditions but only so far as refers to Sins against the Old Law of which you will not allow Impenitency and Unbelief be a breach so that there must be some way in the new Law found out to expiate and appease God for them without Christ's Atonement Beside the Conditions of it it being only imperfect Obedience there will need nothing but the Performance of the constituted Condition which whether perfect or imperfect being performed as well as is required tho' sinfully imperfect leaves no place for Sacrifice or Atonement hence you allow Christ's Righteousness to have merited Blessings with the same Reserve which you are not willing to speak out viz. That Christ hath purchased and merited that we shall come under new and milder Terms with God or God rather with us We thank you no more than we do the Papists for saying Christ hath merited all and is a cause even as the Creation was of the Covenant of Works God's the Cause of all for he made all so Christ hath merited all that follows whatever new Laws and Conditions follow and upon which Terms Benefits become due to us you should have said to Mankind by Debt We may challenge the Priviledges of compounding with God upon such Terms as we like better than the former but our Failure in performing those Terms that Christ agreed for will bring us under new Arrearages to God And for your saying the holy Spirit worketh freely the said conditional Holiness it helps not which notwithstanding your setting aside the Word Merit is truly fo virtute compacti tho' not valoris intrinseci as much as Adam's would have been And as to the Spirit you ascribe the free giving and working of it you give no more to it than Adam had in the state of Innocency and not so much for God had given and wrought in Adam that Perfection and Strength of Grace whereby he might have stood if he would You say There is a Promise made by Christ of Glory upon Condition of their good Works and Perseverance Your Suggestion to us is of two Covenants of Grace procured by Christ for us One the Promise of the state of Grace and Justification provided we fulfil the Conditions of Faith and Repentance whereby we have the first Justification The Second Covenant is of a state of Glory upon condition of Perseverance in good Works which condition if we
Antinom What kind of Supposition Supposition of Duty Antecedaneous to it This is false Faith is a Saving Benefit and it 's not bestowed with a Supposition that any saving Duty is precedent to it So our Union to Christ Gift of the Spirit Justification yea the Grace of Sanctification it self are all Saving Benefits of the highest Nature Neonom 3. The Influences of the Spirit and God's Institutions have no Causality in our Salvation if men have nothing to do in order to be saved Antinom That is as much as to say If we save not our selves the Spirit cannot save us We must be our own Saviours first or the Spirit must make us our own Saviours that we may be saved I told you Adam had been saved by the Influences of the Spirit if he had been saved in his innocent state and it had never the less been a Covenant of Works Neonom On what account is it said That we believe to the saving of our Souls Heb. 10.39 And Repentance to Salvation 2 Cor. 7.10 1 Tim. 4.16 Antinom Those Expressions are Descriptions of true Faith and Repenrance given as to that 1 Tim. 4.16 We deny not that the Covenant of Grace hath many Exhortations Directions Encouragements to Duty but not antecedent to the Promise The General Promise is first participated of before any Duty is or can be performed and after participation of the Promise Consequent to it and Effects of it particular Duties and Promises do follow Neonom The Destruction of Sinners under the Gospel is still laid to not Doing John 5.40 Their not coming not turning and repenting Antinom Yea their blameable moral Inability and Perverseness is that which they are under the Condemnation for Falling upon them in their Apostacy and so their refusing a Remedy is part of their Condemnation under the Law And therefore our Saviour saith such Unbelievers are condemned already they remain under the Power and Sentence of the first Condemnation Neither is the Destruction of Sinners laid to their not doing but not believing in Christ Believing is opposed to Doing because God will not have us to be saved by Doing And when a Sinner comes he is not saved by his Act in Coming but by Christ to whom he is come Neither doth he come till he is saved by the Father's drawing him and Christ finding every Sinner before he comes shews that he is a lost Sinner and never comes to Salvation till Salvation comes to him Neonom If men have nothing to do for Salvation then Christ hath no Rule to judge them that live under the Gospel Christ proceeds on the difference of Men's Carriage and Tempers at the last Day Consider any Description of the last Day you 'll find God saves and damns with respect to men's Neglect and Compliance with the Gospel Antinom Your Argument seems to run thus Upon the same Terms that Man shall be judged at the last Day upon the same shall they be saved now But Men shall be judged by their Works at the last Day Ergo saved by Works now I deny your Major If that were true you might have some Pretence that the Covenant of Grace was a Covenant of Works There 's a great deal of difference between Christ's proceedings in the Covenant of Grace and the Judgment of the Last Day 1. Christ in Covenant of Grace comes not as a Judge to condemn the World but to save it 2. Christ first saves his Church and exerts his Offices in that Salvation first as Priest to make Atonement as Prophet to teach by his Word and Spirit as King to conquer and subdue their Hearts unto himself and all this is done before he rules and governs them 3. Christ in the Covenant of Grace acts not in his Regal Power as King of the World but as King to his Church his Mediatorial Offices are all exerted towards his Redeemed ones in order to the saving of them All final Unbelievers are judged as such as are under the Condemnation of the Law and their Sins only judged the more aggravated because of their refusal of a Remedy The Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from Heaven in Plaming Fire taking Vengeance upon them that know not God and those that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ The slighting and rejecting a Remedy offer'd is a ground of more severe proceeding in the way of Execution of the Sentence which the condemned Person lay under before How shall ye escape that neglect so great Salvation The Talents mentioned Matth. 25.21 24 28. refer only to the distinction that appears between Professors Some act from common Grace only some by special Grace Some are carried no further than common Grace will carry them and therefore bring not forth real Fruit unto God and are not in Christ Jesus have only common Graces and Gifts Neonom I could easily demostrate that if men have nothing to do in order to Salvation the Ministry of Christ and his Apostles is all Vanity and Falshood c. They are cold Pleadings with Sinners that are not backed with Life and Death Antinom It 's easie to demostrate that an unsaved Person can do nothing in order to Salvation and if they can the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles is false For Christ himself saith Without me ye can do nothing and we are sanctified in Christ Jesus and created in him to good Works and Christ worketh in us to will and to do All this is Salvation The first true Motive to a Sinner is the Salvation wrought by Christ already for Sinners in his Death and Satisfaction The Promise of Heaven is a Secondary Motive but is not to be brought as a Primary Motive The rendring Life and Death to working or not working is the preaching of the Law and of the Letter and makes the Gospel such a Law as is the Ministration of Condemnation And to conclude my Answer to the Proof of that Position That Sinners have much to do in order to Salvation And to prove it in the Negative I offer this Argument They that can do nothing in order to Salvation till they are saved have not much to do in order to Salvation But Sinners can do nothing in order to Salvation till they are saved Ergo a Sinner hath not much to do in order to Salvation in your Sence I leave you to consider of it and the Evidence of it for you cannot but apprehend the Demonstration that is therein for doing must be here understood effective Such Works you speak of as appears by what follows Neonom True Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works and Perseverance are the way to Heaven and so necessary to the Salvation of a Believer that without them he cannot be saved and continuing in them he shall be saved Antinom I find you make Holiness or Sanctification and Salvation two things whereas Sanctification is a part of Salvation True Holiness is the way to Heaven but it 's Salvation as well as the Perfection
that which the Spirit of the Lord reveals and manifests and gives to a Person or as it doth enter upon the Deed of Gift that the Spirit of the Lord doth bring to the Heart Possession is a good Evidence in Law they say it 's an eleven Points let a Man prove he hath Lawful Possession and he proves his Title good The Spirit indeed makes the Title good but Faith makes good the Entry and Possession so clears the Title to us though good in it self before Faith is nothing else but the receiving of Christ and that enters upon the Possession of him and thus I proceeded to apply this to our purpose as he hath mentioned Calvin I suppose you refer to what is spoken by the Apostle John Ep. 1. c. 5. where he tells of God's Records ver 11. This is the Record that God hath given us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son Now our Assurance that this Life is mine or thine in particular is the Spirits working by Faith whereby the Soul of a particular Sinner doth appropriate this Record or Deed of Gift to himself Faith doth two things whereby it arrives at Assurance 1. It is a Witness of the Truth of God ver 10. It Attests the Truth of this Record and Deed of Gift 1 John 5.9 10. 2. It receives and takes Possession of it and saith I have received the Son and I have Life Faith being a Receiving Act of the Soul as you your self acknowledge Mr. Neonomian Ver. 12. He that hath the Son hath Life c. This is so clear and plain from the Word that he who will deny it must deny the Scriptures John 1.12 Neonom Your Sermon p. 15. is to prove that Love to the Brethren Vniversal Obedience Sincerity c. are not signs by which we should judge our State Antinom I say they are signs that are not sufficiently satisfactory in themselves to full Assurance without this that proceeds from Faith for if you have never so many Signs 1. They may be true or they may not without a Witness of the Spirit to it though you declaim so much against it you cannot come to an Assurance but only to a probability and you have not a certitude of Judgment only an Opinion 2. If they be true you must believe them to be true or else you have no Assurance A Man hath no Assurance of the Truth if he believe it not and then how should you believe the Truth of your Signs but by the Truth of the Word revealed and believed The Word tells you your Obedience Love Sincerity must be so and so you believe the Word but in comparing your Qualifications with the Word and the descriptions given of them there you will find them fall so short that unless the Spirit assure you there is the Truth of Grace in your Hearts you will be as much at a loss as to Assurance as ever I propounded this Question How a Person may know in particular his own Interest in Christ Dr. Cr. p. 478 479. First I discovered the litigiousness and dubiousness of the way that many Persons go for the satisfying and resolving of this case I Instanced in three marks Universal Obedience Sincerity of Heart and Love of the Brethren and some have conceived that in the Discourse I have directly struck at the Heart of these particulars as if I did attempt the overthrow of them But mistake not I spake only of their Insufficiency that they are weak through the Flesh to give a Satisfactory Resolution of the great case depending they are of excellent use in their own kind Sphere and Orb but when they are set on work to do those things that are beyond their power Men do but entangle themselves instead of getting themselves loose I shewed as to Universal Obedience Dr. Cr. p. 480 481. according to propriety of Speech there is none of it in the World and as it is practised to this end it leaves the case very doubtful in respect of many Imperfections that attend and in respect of the purposes of the Heart which are many times extreamly corrupt and that there is so much in our Obedience common to Unbelievers and Hypocrites As for Sincerity which as the Apostle describes is Simplicity and Singleness of Heart towards God that we find the Jews that were Enemies to Christ's Righteousness had a Zeal for God and you know what Paul saith of himself what designs he had undoubtedly in singleness of Heart to do God Service And besides I shew how false and deceitful we find our Hearts upon Self-examination I spoke also as to Love of the Brethren which the Apostle John speaks so much of if we understand how the Apostle describes it 1 Cor. 13. And if a Man examine his Heart by these particulars I know his Heart cannot but tell him he is exceeding faulty in all these But I do not determine peremptorily that a man cannot by way of Evidence receive any comfort from his Sanctification and I will give you somewhat further for clearing my Judgment to you which I know is according to Truth viz. That the Spirit of the Lord must first reveal the gracious Mind of God to our Spirits and give us Faith to receive that Testimony of the Spirit and to sit down as satisfied with his Testimony before ever any Work of Sanctification can possibly give any Evidence But when the Testimony of the Spirit of the Lord is received by Faith and the Soul sits down satisfied with that Testimony of the Lord then also all the Gifts of God's Spirit do bear witness together with the Spirit of the Lord and the Faith of a Believer So that I do not deny the use of signs and marks in Sanctification you see as you suggest Neonom Sermon 16. He calls it the revealing Evidence of the Spirit and endeavours to prove this immediate Revelation Antinom That the Spirit is a Revealing Evidence and works immediately as it is the Spirit or Grace in all God's Children is not to be denied and yet works immediately by the Word and Means of Grace too and it works immediately so ordinarily I do not mean that it works immediately by way of extraordinary Revelation and Inspiration when it works in this kind But its way of ordinary working is mediately by the Word and immediately in the Word I put this Question Is there any Evidences in the World by which Persons may comfortably claim their Interest in the Priviledges of Christ Dr. Cr. p. 465. A. Yes there are two 1. The Revealing Evidence 2. The Receiving Evidence The Revealing Evidence is the Voice of the Spirit to a Man 's own Spirit saying Son be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee And this will overcome all Objections and till the Spirit of the Lord come immediately himself and speak this to the Soul all the World shall never be able to satisfie and resolve that Soul and till then all signs and marks
required to examine our selves but where lyes the Critical Point It 's in Christ being in us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 try or see by tryal whether Christ be in you how look after the true Evidence of it by finding out the thing it self i. e. Christ received by Faith and witnessed by his Spirit for Christ is in us these ways 1. By his Spirit 2. By Faith 3. By our Mystical Union I in them John 17. Now this Tryal is by Faith for it is thus Do we see the things that are Invisible But suppose you say the Tryal is by the Fruits of Faith we deny it not but we say they are not only here but to be understood therefore the place concludes not against us nor that place 2 Pet. 1.10 The Apostle there tells us We have all things that pertain to Life and Godliness through the Knowledge of him that hath called us to Glory and Vertue and if all things then Assurance too for it 's through great and precious Promises that we are partakers of the Divine Nature and through them as the Spirit is bestowed so it Comforts and Ensures Life and Salvation to us And as it works many gracious Vertues and Fruits in us so it excites and stirs us up to Encrease and Growth in Grace ver 5 6 7. And where these things are not it is a sign that a Man hath no true savour of Pardoning Grace lying under senlesness of the great Reason of Christ's Death and Satisfaction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Christ purging away of Sin i. e. by Sacrifice of his bearing of Sin of old so long ago and it 's no doubt but the real total absence of the Fruits of Faith is a sign there is no Faith if these things be wanting such an one is Purblind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or false-sighted thinks he is something when there 's nothing but the difficulty is this a Man saith he hath upon tryal these Vertues but is short-sighted he looks close to himself and passeth a wrong Judgment how shall he be convinced that he hath them not or he saith he hath them not how shall he come to be satisfied that he hath them Who must resolve these difficulties Is it not the Word and Spirit that must resolve it in believing Therefore the rather give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure and how is that done Why not in believing Doth not Faith make our Calling sure Is Election to be known any way but by believing And how is our Calling i. e. Invitation to believe How is that made good but by answering the Call For he saith doing these things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. making Calling and Election sure by getting a sure footing and standing in Christ by Faith you shall not fall or stumble so as to fall and an entrance shall be abundantly ministred the words are so an entrance into his Eternal Kingdom shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ministred to you Now Christ he is the Door and a Rich Entrance into his Kingdom ministred to every one that believeth so that the Crisis of our State that the Spirit of God puts us upon in both places is especially about our Faith in Christ which Faith is a Witness in our selves and the Spirit witnessing with it and all ways and means causing our Faith to witness and giving us Light and Evidence from the Word believed to see the Graces of God and Fruits of the Spirit in our Hearts Neonom This is the way whereby the Scripture Saints were assured They concluding their Justication by their Sanctification and a state of Peace by the Truth of Grace 1 John 3.14 ver 9. ver 18. Thus David Paul and other Saints concluded the safety of their state D. W. p. 165. Antinom This is one way but not the only or principal way The Apostle John tells often that Love if it be true and from a true Principle and Root is an Argument of our Regenerate state but that it may be known to be such it must be traced to the Head it being but a stream to see how it flows from the Love of Christ apprehended by Faith whereby we have our Radical hold and standing And as he saith ver 14. Hereby we know we are passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren Yet lest he should leave us in the dark and we should take false Love for true he tells us there is another Judgment to pass upon our Love before we can argue from it we must find that it flows from our perception of the Love of God in laying down his Life for us and from thence should proceed our readiness to lay down our Life for the Brethren ver 16. In this we know or are assured of God's Love in that he laid down his Life for us The Love of God believed gives the Original Ground of Assurance and is the greatest and the Touchstone to an other A Witness from Men from what is found in us is something but the Witness of God is greater 1 John 5.9 And the witness that he hath given to us in the Gospel concerning his Son testified by the Spirit and applyed by Faith is that Evidence upon which all firm Assurance is Radically Built And you shall plainly see that John doth not found our Assurance Radically upon Love but in Justifying Faith he saith ver 18. Let us be sincere in Love and I will tell you whereby you shall attain to good Assurance ver 19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this i. e. in what follows in this refers not to the foregoing Verse but to what follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often used as the Causal Particle for For in this we shall know or be assured that we are of the Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we shall perswade our Hearts it 's rendred well assure our Hearts bring our Hearts to Assurance by believing that whereby Condemnation is removed for saith he if this be not whatever Judgment we have of what is in our selves it may deceive us and God knows enough in us to condemn us for if our Hearts labour under unbelief and condemn us whatever we find in our selves will not give us peace and God is greater than our Hearts therefore we must assure our Hearts that way which will hold good in the Eye of God's Justice i. e. by Faith in Jesus Christ ver 21. and saith he if our Heart condemn us not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have chearfulness and boldness towards God and how is it possible that the Condemnation of our Hearts should be taken off but by believing and thereby perswading our Hearts But you will say it may be that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not used for to express our believing But I will shew you it is See Heb. 11.13 They all died in Faith having not received the Promises but saw them afar off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were perswaded of them
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
for God to say unto the Soul I am thy Salvaiion Is it not the ordinary Gospel Voice under the Old Testament and New Neonom It hardly carries its Evidence to a Soul that hath no Grace at all Antinom You say a miraculous Voice can hardly carry its Evidence to a Soul that hath no Grace at all It is well you put in hardly for you know it was carryed to Paul in a miraculous Voice and it 's a marvellous audacious Expression to say God can hardly carry Grace and Evidence of Grace to a graceless Soul no not so much as miraculously and cannot God give Grace and evidence in the same moment of time as to the Thief on the Cross and thousands more in the Word Neonom It 's a way too far Enthusiastick to be allowed in so stated a Case Antinom You had best say the Apostle Paul in the whole 8th Chapter to the Romans and 1 Cor. 2. and Eph. 1. and in divers other places was too Enthusiastick and therefore those portions of Scripture that speak of the Revelation and Witness of the Spirit and the Assurances of Faith not to be allowed I 'll assure you you are mighty Magisterial to take upon you the decrying the Witness of the Spirit at this presumptuous rate openly and before the World What account can you give of this another day Neonom It gives the Devil a great advantage against Sinners to live in Sin and against honest People if once they find cause to question this Voice Yea it sets up the Spirit against it self if any can boast of Assurance by this Voice when their state is justly challengeable by the Gospel as wanting all Sight of Gospel Marks Antinom If the Grace of God that brings Salvation unto Sinners is the casting out of the Devil out of the Heart and the witnessing Spirit a mortifying Spirit Teacher of Holiness and the greatest Enlarger of the Heart therein as Rom. 8.15 by how much the more it works as a Comsorter as the Spirit of Adoption bringing us into the Liberty of Sons of God and shewing to us that Christ is ours and we are his yea by how much the more he makes us to see by Faith in Christ and how much the less he makes us to see in our selves but still shews us our own Vileness and Ugliness Corruptions poorness of Duties even to the loathing and abhorring of our selves if then I say God is most glorified and his Free Grace Christ is most advanced and his precious Blood and his glorious Spirit to be loved and admired and we in the best and most Gospel-frame Then all that you have here spoken is Burlesque mingled with the Enmity of your Heart vented against the Grace of the Gospel and the Spirit of God Calvin I must confess I can't tell what to say of that saying The Witness of the Spirit by the Voice of the Gospel is giving advantage to the Devil I am sure it hath a dangerous Aspect But I pray Mr. Antinomian do you condemn Signs and Marks as altogether useless towards the gaining of Assurance that he inveighs at so heavy a rate Antinom No by no means I allow the Fruits of the Spirit to be of a marvellous use as to Confirming and Comforting of our selves and very satisfactory to others that our Saviour saith hereby shall all men know that we are his Disciples and as James saith we must be convinced of mens Faith by their Work or else we can't take them to be Believers Yea we expect of every one that we admit Church-members that they should give a Reason of the Hope that is in them according to the Rule of the Gospel This Mr. Neonomian is against he will Burlesque upon it as much as he doth now at the Witness of the Spirit Calvin Why it is not possible Mr. Neonomian Sure when you admit Members into your Congregation you are very strict in Examining of them upon the Fruits of Faith that you and all your Congregation may know so far as the Judgment of a rational Charity will go that they are Disciples of Christ tho' as those Signs may deceive a mans own self so others may be deceived in those that make Profession of them Neonom I know no ground to stand so strictly upon my Admission I think if men be not grossly Ignorant or openly Scandalous they may be admitted to all Ordinances I can't try them for their Perseverance which is the greatest Mark. Calvin But I read that the Churches in the Primitive Times were made up of those that were at least to Visible appearance sanctified in Christ Jesus Neonom But the times are altered now they were Converted out of Heathenism we are all Christians Calvin Aye such as they be such as your honest People which the Devil gets a great advantage against to perswade to live in sin because of the pardoning Grace of the Gospel for whose sake you would have the Doctrine renounced and another Gospel preached I see you do not set so much by Signs and Marks but only to set them up in opposition to the Witness of the Spirit Antinom I will give you my full sence of the Doctrine of Assurance The certainty of a Thing or Proposition can be founded but upon one of these two Bottoms either upon an Artificial or Inartificial Argument so called in Logick An Argument artificial gives me sensible or rational ground for what I am assured of and it argues Things from Causes Effects Subjects Adjuncts Dissentaneities wherein are diversa opposita c. But an inartificial Argument is founded on Testimony and according to the faithfulness of him that brings it it gives more or less ground of belief This is reckoned in Logick the weakest ground of Knowledge especially being Testimonium humanum that is brought it may be a probable ground of believing but is not an Infallible one and therefore the Judgment upon it usually goes no further than Opinion that which is of a Contingency But in Theology Testimonium Divinum Divine Testimony is the greatest ground of Certainty and Assurance in the World because he that speaks is unchangeably true faithful just and holy he cannot ly Now hence it is that what Testimony comes from God himself it is to be believed because it is so without reasoning any further and is the greatest ground of Assurance in the World therefore I affirm that the Witness of God in his Word and the Spirit in the Heart firmly believed is and produceth the greatest Assurance for firmness and durability in the World This is that which ought to ly in the bottom of all our Assurance this will hold above all in the hour of Temptation when all Signs and Marks sail tho our Faith may be sometimes shaken and our Comforts and Assurances eclips'd so that our Faith may hold but as far as a Hoping or Perswasion of a Probability of our State and Condition yet as Mr. Neonomian saith as the Evidence is
it self beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the Sons of God Dr. Owen of the Spirit p. 168. Sect. 9. The witness which our own Spirits do give unto our Adoption is the work and Effect of the Holy Spirit in us if it were not it would be false and not confirmed by the Testimony of the Spirit himself who is the Spirit of Truth and none knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 If he declare not our Sonship in us and to us we cannot know it How doth he then bear witness to our Spirits What is the distinct Testimony It must be some such Act of his as evidenceth it self to be from him Immediately unto them that are concerned in it i. e. those unto whom it is given He that Expounds Rom. 8.16 In Pool's Annotations see the Expos on Rom. 8.16 I think one of your Vouchers speaks admirably well to this matter The Spirit of Adoption saith he doth not only excite us to call upon God as our Father but it doth ascertain and assure us as before that we are his Children And this it doth not by an outward Voice as God the Father to Jesus Christ nor by an Angel as to Daniel and the Virgin Mary but by an inward and secret suggestion whereby he raiseth our Hearts to this perswasion That God is our Father and we are his Children This is not the Testimony of the Graces and Operations of the Spirit but of the Spirit it self A mans own Spirit doth witness to his Adoption he finds in himself upon diligent search and Examination some of the manifest Signs and Tokens thereof But this Testimony of it self is weak and Satan hath many wayes and wiles to invalidate it wherefore for more assurance it 's confirmed by a greater Testimony i. e. the Spirit it self which first works Grace and then witnesseth it he witnesseth with our spirits and seals it up to us This Testimony is not in all Believers alike nor in any one at all times it 's better felt than expressed He witnesseth to our Spirits so some read it by a distinct and immediate Testimony and he witnesseth with our Spirits so the word properly signifies by a conjunctive and concurrent Testimony Intelligit Paulus c. Paul means that the Spirit of God bears such a Testimony to us Mr. Calvin on Rom. 8.16 that he being our Guide and Master our spirit doth conclude Gods adoption of us is sure For our Spirits would not dictate this Faith to us of our own accord unless the Testimony of the Spirit go before and he shews us how for whilest the Spirit doth witness to us that we are the Children of God he doth also put this believing Confidence into our Souls that we have the boldness to call God Father And this is to be held alwayes as a Principle That we never pray to God in a right manner unless as we call him Father with our Lips so we are certainly perswaded in our Minds that he is such Paraeus also speaks the same and quotes the words of Chrysostom Si Homo Angelus Archangelus c. If a Man an Angel an Archangel promise any thing happily a man may doubt but if the Spirit of God the Supream Being which causeth us to pray and makes a Promise to them that pray and gives us a Promise bearing Testimony to us within our selves what room is there for doubting Faith is called an Evidence hence we learn that the nature of Faith stands not in doubting Mr. Perkins on Heb. 11.1 but in a Certainty and Assurance The Romish Doubting of the Essence of Faith is as contrary to true Faith as Darkness to Light Obj. But it seems Doubting is a part or Companion of Faith and who doubteth not Ans We do say so but what then we should not God commands us to Believe and not Doubt Again If Faith be the Substance of things hoped for much more is it a Substance to a Believer if it give those things a Being which are out of him much more doth it give a permanent Being to the Believer himself strengthning him to stand and continue in all Assaults Heb. 3.14 ERRATA's of the Second Part continued from pag. 83. PAg. 90. l. 6. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 93. l. 1. r. nakedly p. 94. l. 18. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 95. l. 10. r. Imputata ibid. l. 31. r. it is of Infinite p. 98. l. 3. r. our Confession ibid. 29. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 100. l. 24. r. we can never p. 104. l. 4. r. Person p. 107. l. penult r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 109. l. 12. r. one as well as the other p. 110. l. 28. del only p. 111. l. 23. r. It s the Law p. 112. l. 14. dele that for Ibid. l. 38. r. became p. 113. l. 15. r. tenure of it ibid. l. 17. r. is relating ibid. Marg. r. Pacti p. 117. l. 33. del in ib. l. 38. r. to Christ by Faith p. 118. l. 6. r. dependences p. 124. l. 22. r. parts p. 125. l. 9. r. Restipulating p. 130. l. 6. r. given it to me p. 135. l. 8. r. prusquà m p. 162. l. 11. for second r. the first Covenant p. 168. l. 2. r. promised mercy p. 169. l. 26. r. on the Serpent p. 173. l. 16. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ib. l. 26. r. get up your selves to such p. 190. l. 1. r. sincerity p. 222. l. ult r. were some of p. 223. l. 41. r. the same one p. 231. l. 6. r. Denyed p. 232. l. 27. r. it s not in being p. 234. Marg. l. 5. r. formâ p. 235. l. 7. r. that 's not so p. 237. l. 19. r. Vrsin Catech. p. 239 l. 1. r. ex fide per fidem p. 249. l. 5. r. Causa efficiens materialis p. 257. l. 8. r. tell you p. 259. l. 37. r. considering p. 275. l. 37. r. tendring p. 281. l. 16. r. Integrality ib. l. 32. r. but we must not p. 268. l. 22. r. as he is p. 293. l. 9. dele was by p. 296. l. 2. r. Retain p. 303. l. 38. del as ib. l. ult then to the. p. 218. l. 9. r. persevered You 'l say it may be he must believe his perseverance ibid. l. 14. r. to no more p. 329. l. 23. r. World p. 330. l. 21. r. inveighs against you at NEONOMIANISM VNMASK'D PART III. CHAP. XVI Of God's seeing Sin in Believers Neonom THere is a Grand Error Mr. Calvin which we would now deal with Mr. Antinomian about every one talks of it as very Gross and Notorious and that is this That God seeth no sin in believers tho' he see the fact neither doth he charge them with sin nor ought they to charge themselves with any sin nor be at all sad for it nor confess repent nor do any thing as a means of pardon no nor in order to assuring themselves of pardon even when they commit Murder
him so that not to have a word to speak for himself that his Mouth should be stopped except it be in impleading all that ever he had done as making against him far more than for him And I came to the third thing to shew how all things even the most blameless Works after renovation are loss and dung For illustration sake You must distinguish between that which is the Spirits in Works after renovation and the whole Work after we have done it and now followed what he rehears'd c. Where I shewed that tho' the Motions and Assistances of the Spirit be pure and holy without Scum in the Spring yet by that time they are mixed with our manifold Corruptions in doing and have passed through the Channels of our corrupt Hearts the whole Work becomes polluted and filthy as pure Water passing through a Dunghil c. And this I evinced from James who saith that whosoever fulfills the whole Law of God and yet offends in one point is guilty of all And Paul saith Rom. 7. When I would do good evil is present with me and complains thus O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death and he doth not fly to his good Works but to Christ a Refuge against all I thank God through Jesus Christ Object But ought we to refrain therefore from doing righteousness Answ It follows not but therefore we must refrain from glorying in it or stroaking ourselves for our righteous doings rather take shame to ourselves when done and so glory only in the Lord And tho' good Works as done by us are but dung in themselves and in God's eye yet must we be careful to maintain them Tit. 3.6 and David Psal 16.2 3. confesseth that his goodness extendeth not to God but to the Saints It 's no good plea that because a Man cannot be wholly clean therefore he will be more filthy than needs because your Child will be dirty do what you can yet shall be therefore go and â—owl in the Gutter like a Swine Calv. I perceive the sense of Mr. Antinomian fully for he saith 1. That the Graces of the Spirit come clean from the Fountain 2. That when they come into the Channels of our corrupt Hearts they become mixt with the dirt and filth of them 3. That thence our best Duties and Services become polluted 4. That thereby they are not pleadable for righteousness before God 5. We have no cause to boast ourselves after Duties to stroak and commend ourselves as if we had done a great matter but to go off from Duty with humiliation and shame 6. That all or any compared with the Holiness and Purity of God in respect of our coming short of what is required the mixture of sin working in us makes this Duty and Work done as it is in it self considered to be but dung Now Mr. Neonomian what do you think or say of your Duties when they are done when you have spent a day in Fasting and Prayer would you not at the end of the day desire the Lord to pardon the Iniquity of your Holy Things your Wanderings Vain Thoughts stirring of manifold Corruptions would you not say as Daniel ch 9.18 We do not present our Supplications before thee for our Righteousness but for thy great Mercies Ought we not to abhor Ourselves and Duties in Dust and Ashes and say Lord if thou mark the Iniquities of our best Duties they are enough to condemn us for ever to Eternal Wrath How often is this spoken and thought by the best of God's Children Or would you go off the Duty like the proud Pharisee commending and stroaking yourself for what you had done saying at last in your Heart I have Pray'd well this day Preach'd well tho' there was some Imperfections yet there was as much as God requires of me to the fulfilling the New Law I have performed the Condition and God must accept it for the sake of my Evangelical Righteousness Antinom I answer an Objection Some will say That God often shews his Approbation of good Works which he could not do if they were all Dung Dr. C. p. 232. Sol. I Answer whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin but to a Believer all things are clean So thro' this Faith in Christ the whole Filth and Dung of our Works is extracted by Christ and he presenting the same purged by himself alone they become accepted with God Rev. 3.4 but simply the Works themselves as done tho' never so well are abhorred of God and Christ never takes them to purge them till we our selves wholly renounce them by counting them Loss and Dung and that Acceptance procured by Christ imports only a liking that God takes to them no Efficacy in themselves Calvin You see Mr. Antinom saith That tho' simply and in themselves as works performed by us they are by reason of Imperfection and mixture of Corruption to be accounted Loss and Dung but yet as we are in Christ and perform them in Christ by Faith they have acceptance with God thro' his Merits Satisfaction and Intercession it is in him alone that both our Persons and Services are accepted with God our Spiritual Sacrifices which are our Duties we be here speaking of are said to be acceptable to God but how By Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 and certainly in themselves and out of Christ they are no better than Dung we are made accepted both to Persons and Services only in Jesus Christ Antinom Object It s granted Originally and per se the best Righteousness obtains nothing but rather charges with a new account yet Instrumentally it obtains what is desired being well qualified as before mentioned Answ If it be no more then I heartily desire that we should heartily say and express as much that the people may clearly understand and remember so much and be guided Explicitely to the Fountain it self Christ alone for certainly whilst Christ is supprest and these Instruments are reached out without relation to Christ who only fills them with all that runs thro' them they are but mere empty Pipes and dry Channels tho' never so curiously cut out Dr. C. p 236. Calvin And is not this great Truth and Gospel Mr. Neonom Your carping at this Doctrin plainly shews that you set forth for another Gospel I perceive wherever any thing exalts the grace of God and the Righteousness of Christ you strike at it as standing in your way and this under a pretence of advancing Holiness in the way of Legal Worthiness You also deal most unjustly and disingenuously with this good Man in falsly representing him and in not acquainting us with these things whereby he fully declares his meaning and adjusts it agreeable to the Analogy of Faith Now because you Expose the Doctor so much for what he saith of the graces of the Spirit of God being once mixed with our Corruptions in a Duty This Duty in it self at best is as Dung ceaseth to be the
Christ is made our Sanctification and all that Holiness in us that is accepted it 's not only in and for his Righteousness but it 's performed in the Life and Power of Christ our Sanctification therefore he saith 1 Cor. 1.30 that what we are we are in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification c. Neonom Or is that filthiness which renders Saints the excellent of the Earth Psal 16 2. Antinom Doth not David say ver 2. My goodness extendeth not to thee the original words if you understood them is fuller as to the sense intended tho' shorter than the Translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Goodness is not to thee or nothing to thee and the LXX have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast no need of my Goodness Do you say Is that Filthiness which renders the Saints Excellent I had thought it was the Grace of God Christ's Righteousness and the Inbeing in Christ that had rendred them Excellent not their own Works Neonom The Imitators of Christ Antinom Scholars that Write after another may make very sorry work mere Scribling that the Master tho' he finds reason in himself to accept would if he did not tear it all to pieces Neonom Was not this it for which Caleb was said to have another Spirit and upon account whereof we must love the Godly as begotten of God Antinom Was Caleb's Works his Spirit or his Works flow from his singular Spirit his Spirit was a Spirit of Faith thro' which he did so great things in Christ Jesus and so the Works were accepted Heb. 11. The Foundation Reason of our Love to the Saints is Christ loving them and their Relation to Christ every one that loveth him that begat loveth him that is begotten of him and by this we know we love the Children of God when we love God 1 John 5.1 2. Neonom Is it not pleasing to God to which he hath made so many promises and for which he commends Moses David c. Antinom As God is not pleased with any Persons so with no Works out of Christ neither hath made any promises to any such out of Christ all the best Works are cast forth as Filth and Odious if done out of Christ Neonom Calling them a peculiar People it s no small thing that Christ is so pleased with his Spouse Antinom They are peculiar because purchased and have peculiar Blessings and Privileges and bring forth peculiar Fruits in Christ Jesus John 15.5 6. without me ye can do nothing and if a Man abide not in me he is cast forth as a Branch that is withered and any Work that is done out of Christ is but Dung as 1 Cor. 3.12 13. If a Man in Christ build Hay Stubble his Works will be burnt and he suffer loss tho' he may be saved Christ is pleased with his Spouse his Church because he hath loved it and washed it in his own Blood and therefore she is Comely but as for what she is in her self and as to her Works in themselves and done out of Christ she is but Black as the Tents of Kedar c. Sol. 1.5 Neonom Can that be Dung which is a Meetness for Glory an Honour to God and Credit to Religion Antinom Our Meetness for Glory is all from Grace there 's nothing that flows from our selves no Work done out of Christ can contribute to any Meetness all our Meetness is in Christ Jesus as made unto us Righteousness and Sanctification and we grow up in him in all things as for our relation unto Men we say with the Apostle they are profitable to Men and be a means that they Glorifie God on our behalf but God hath no direct Honour by them if not performed by Faith in Christ Neonom How can that be Acceptable to God in Christ if it be Filthiness Antinom Good Works are good in their kind but comparatively and in themselves because of the mixture of Sin and Corruption they are in the sense of the Spirit of God but Filth you may as well say how can Paul be Acceptable to God thro' Christ who saith In me dwelleth no good thing Must Persons and Actions be free from all adhering Corruption by reason whereof they in themselves are Abominable to the pure Eye of God before they be made Acceptable to God thro' Jesus Christ This is like your constant Doctrins Persons and Actions must be good first before they have benefit by Jesus Christ Neonom Wickedness will never be Accepted with God for Christ sake tho' imperfect Goodness shall Antinom No imperfect Goodness can be Accepted as Righteousness with God for Christ sake Christ never so much as purchased that any of our best Graces or Works should be Accepted as our Righteousness and it cannot be Accepted unto Holiness out of Christ and the Doctor never said our good Works wrought by Faith in Christ are Dung so as not thro' Christ to be Accepted unto Holiness but imperfect Works are no more our Righteousness for Acceptation with God than Wickedness neither in their Nature for Christ's sake Neonom Read what is spoken of Sincerity and Vprightness will it agree with what 's Mortal Poison Antinom Moral Sincerity and Uprightness may and so is all out of Christ Neonom What a Reproach is it to Christ to call his Life in us and the beginning of Glory by this Title Antinom The Life of Christ in us is by the Faith of the Son of God and we are Crucified with Christ to all that 's done by us and therefore account it Dung and Dross in comparison of all done by us and Works give us not Title to Glory tho' Grace begins it Neonom Nay to make his Triumphs in us so low as that all he hath improved his Members to is mere Filthiness Antinom The Triumph of Christ in us is the casting down Imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledg of God and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ Neonom It 's well if the Scriptures can escape clean if all the Works of the Spirit are thus debased when they pass thro' Men. Antinom The Scriptures are clean in themselves as from the Spirit but the Works done by us are not Scripture tho' they be in some measure conformed thereto Neonom But I less wonder that Doctor Crisp should speak thus of the Righteousness of the Saints as in them when he saith the Enemies of Christ may have Sincerity and singleness of Heart towards God P. 450 451 452. Antinom Doth not he prove that Paul in his Unregenerate Estate was blameless as to the Law 's Righteousness Phil. 3.6 and what Paul did against the Churches he verily thought that he ought to do it Acts 26.9 Was not this Sincerity at least in his apprehension had he not an Eye in what he did to the Glory of God The Jews also had a Zeal for God Rom. 10. but you wrong him
the Works of it and therein is a Neonomian and the rather because by that Rectoral Rule of Government which he hath usurp'd to himself and the Rule of Sin he hath judicially Sentenced all his Opposers to the Name of Antinomians or Abetters of them Insomuch that all our first Protestant Reformers and any known by the Name of Calvinists fall under his severe Censure as Ignorant Setters up of the Name of Christ and his Grace against his Government I thought it meet to call in the long-ago deceased Doctor also under what Name or Title soever he is pleased to call him whom he carries about to scare Children with and as a Trophy of his pretended Triumph that he might be made speak and the World may hear what he hath to say for himself and be acquainted how he is abused and that he may be hereafter permitted to rest quietly in his Grave and not used as Wickliff was i. e. Burnt for an Heretick so many Years after be hath been dead In a Word Shall we stand still with our Fingers in our Months in such a Day of Peace and Liberty while we are Brow-beaten or wheadled out of the great Fundamental Points of Eternal Life and Salvation which in all Ages of Antichristian Tyranny have triumph'd over the smartest Persecutions through the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of his Testimony in the Faith and Patience of the Saints who have not loved their Lives unto Death in the Heroick Defence of them against the very same sort of Opposition And who I pray will harm us now if we as strenuously defend the Truth as it is audaciously attack'd Have any of us suffered to the spoiling of our Goods in the Defence of Truth of a subordinate and subservient Nature to these and shall we suffer all this in vain and cast our selves tamely at the Feet of such a confident Invader of our most choice and precious things in the World yea our very Life in Christ What is it that affrightens us Doth the Scripture Law or Learning terrify us If so little a Foot-man can run us out of Breath how do we think to contend with Horses Dragooners I mean if they should come And if in the Land of Peace we are wearied what shall we do in the Swelling of Jordan If Popery should ever over-run us again which God forbid and we should be called to bear Testimony to these Truths at Fire and Paggot as the Famous Martyrs have done It 's to be feared now that many Protestants would provide for their Safety by flying to the Neonomian Asylum But to conclude however we shrink from the despised Truths of Christ shuffle and cut with him and sometimes huff and bounce at him or some Truth of his I am fully assured the God of Glory and all Grace who hath hitherto preserved the pure Doctrine of his Gospel not only from the impure Mixtures of Pretenders to Holiness the crafty Methodists of Satan as an Angel of Light but also from his open Rage as a roaring Lion will continue yet to maintain it against all the bâ—ting Winds of False Doctrine That Christ hath his Fan in his Hand and will thoroughly purge his Floor and that if any Man lay any other Foundation than what is laid which is Jesus Christ and continues so to do his Root shall be Rottenness and his Blossom go up as Dust I. C. Some of the Paradoxes contained in the Neonomian Scheme 1. SINS of the Elect are not forgiven immediately upon nor meerly by Christ's Enduring Sufferings but there were by Divine Appointment to interpose a Gospel Promise of Pardon the Work of the Spirit for a Conformity to the Rule of the Promise in the Person to be pardoned and a Judicial Act of Pardon by that Promise on the Person thus conformed to the Rule thereof 2. The Gospel hath another Sanction to the Preceptive Part of the Law than the Covenant of Works had Though nothing be abated in the Rule of Sin and Duty yet Blessings are Promised to Lower Degrees of Duty and a continuance in a state of Death with a Barr to the Blessing are not threatned against every Degree of Sin as the Covenant of Works did 3. This Change of the Sanction supposeth the Death of Christ and his honouring the Law by his perfect Obedience wherein God hath provided for his own Glory while he promiseth Life by Forgiveness to Imperfect Man and yet insists on some Degrees of Obedience to which of his meer Grace he enableth us 4. The Degrees of Obedience the Covenant of Redemption secures to the Elect tho' the Grant therein is pleadable only by Christ as the stipulating Party for us and our Personal Claim depends upon the Gospel Covenant whereof Christ is Mediator 5. The Gospel-Sanction determins as certain a Rule of Happiness and Misery as the Law of Works did tho' it be not the same for while it promiseth a Pardon to all believing repenting Sinners and declares a Barr to Pardon to the Impenitent Rejecters of Christ and Gospel-Grace it fixeth true Repentance and Faith unfeigned to be the Terms of Pardon 6. When it promiseth Heaven to the sincerely holy persevering Believer it fixeth sincere Holiness and Perseverance in Faith as the Terms of possessing Heaven 7. Hence the use of Faith and Holiness as to those Benefits is not fron the Conformity to the Precept but their Conformity to the Rule of the Promise 8. Our applying Christ's Righteousness and relying on it would no more Justifie us than our Holiness would Save us were it not for the Gospel-Promise God will justifie for Christ's sake all such as believe 9. God in dispensing Gospel-promised Blessings doth judicially determine a Conformity to this Rule of the Promise When he forgives he judicially declares a Man hath true Faith when he admits to Heoven he judicially declares a Man sincerely holy and persevering 10. The Wedding-Garment Matth. 22.11 is true uniting Faith 11. Forgiving Adopting Glorifying and Conveyance of every Gospel-Benefit given on God's Terms are Judicial Acts of God as a Rector if not he doth blindly and promiscuously dispense them without any regard to our being Believers 12. With respect to what is declared the Gospel is a Law of Faith 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 13. The Merits of Christ are the Cause of this Gospel-Ordination his Righteousness Imputed is the Cause for which we are Justified and Saved when we do answer the Rule of the Gospel 14. The Righteousness of God Phil. 3.9 principally intends the Gospel Holiness of a Person justified by Christ's Righteousness both which by Faith in Christ all his Members shall be perfect in 15. The Grace of God is hereby stated as free as is Consistent with his Government and judicial rectoral Distribution of Rewards and Punishments THE Ancient Gospel
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
the Promise of Life in Christ pleadable 2 Tim. 1.1 9. Neonom And our Personal Claim depends on the Gospel-Covenant whereof Christ is the Mediator Antinom So the Covenant of Redemption is not the Gospel-Covenant but neither is there any Claim to be made by it but another that interposeth between the Second Covenant and us We are not entitled at all to this new Covenant-Blessing by Christ but by our own Obediance you mean in performance of the Conditions of this Covenant you say How To defend from the Old Law Prosecution that there may be no Interruption but our New Law may have quiet in allowance of our Imperfect Obedience Christ Mediator with you is but as the Angel that defended Paradice so Christ stands and defends the New Law that no exception may be taken at its proceeding in Justification by Imperfect Obedience This is to make the Lord Jesus Christ the Minister of Sin to offer up himself a Sacrifice to procure an imperfect Righteousness for a Covenant Condition For in all Imperfections of Obedience there 's a mixture of Sin And is not this to make Sin good in its own Nature And implicitly to assert it can do us no hurt in the lower Degree it coming in as an Allay to the strictness of the Covenant of Works There 's a necessity of it as to the very formal Nature of it in the Condition For otherwise it would be a perfect Condition and then exclude us from all Blessedness as you say Neonom 4. This Gospel Sanction determines as certain a Rule of Happiness and Misery as the Law of Works did though it be not the same Antinom To determine Rules of Sin and Misery as your frequent Expression is is to make the Gospel to approve of Sin and Misery and it 's great Design and Business to send Men to Hell Take your way of Expression in what Sence you please it 's so Unscholar-like that a School-boy should be whipt for it 2. I tell you the Gospel hath no Law Sanction at all of its own but it only establisheth the Sanction of the Law by way of Promise to all saved ones Christ is the End of the Law to them and as to those that are not saved the Law takes it's Course upon them they come not under the Efficacy of the Gospel at all 3. In the whole you have said you have affirmed the Gospel to be a Covenant of Works as it 's your usual manner Neonom While it promiseth Pardon to all believing repenting Sinners and declares a Barr to pardon to the impenitent Rejecters of Christ and Gospel Grace it fixeth true Repentance and Faith unfeigned to be the Terms of Pardon So when it promiseth Heaven to the sincerely holy persevering Believer it fixeth sincere Holiness and Perseverance in Faith at the Terms of possessing Heaven Antinom 1. I would fain know whether the Gospel offers not Pardon unto unbelieving and impenitent Sinners Not that they should continue unbelieving and impenitent but that they should believe and repent For the Promise of the Gospel is an Offer and Tender of Forgiveness unto Sinners and it 's preached to them as such to perswade and encourage them to believe and whether this Promise be not before Faith to work it if not the Sinner hath no ground to believe For where there 's no Promise there 's no ground to believe 2. If it declare a Barr to all present impenitent ones and Rejecters of Christ it is preached in vain for all are so till they receive Christ by Faith 3. Whether Faith and Repentance be not included in the Promise of the Gospel I say They are All Gifts of Grace belong to the Promise of Grace but Faith and Repentance are Gifts of Grace Tâ—e Scripture is express in it Now then I argue First That Faith and Repentance belong to the Promise to the same Promise that gives forth Pardon and therefore are no Conditions they are Benefits they are Life in Christ and there 's none can have them but such as are in Christ And therefore Pardon is not promised to Faith and Repentance as things distinct from the Promise but Pardon is promised together with Faith and Repentance to the Sinner The Spirit of God only gives us to understand that they are to go together Pardon is rather the Conndition of Faith and Repentance and much more having a causal Influence thereunto then Faith and Repentance of Pardon 2. The Gospel doth not fix Faith and Repentantance as Conditions of Pardon in your Sence i. e. Working Conditions to entitle us to Christ for we are pardoned and justified freely and though there be Faith and Repentance upon giving forth of Pardon yet Faith Repentance and Remission of Sins are given in the same Promise to the Ungodly to Persons that were even till now Impenitent Rejecters of Christ 3. But you go on with your Mystery First The Sinner must be qualified with Faith and Repentance before he is reconciled to God in a way of Pardon and when he hath that he is to come on upon another Covenant for possessing of Heaven Now there must be sincere Holiness and Perseverance to qualifie him for Heaven The Promise of Heaven it s upon other Conditions What a Sad Case is a poor Sinner in if he make a shift to scramble by his imperfect Conditions into Covenant He is like every Day to be turned out again And when he hath done the best he can yet he must never believe that he shall go to Heaven till he lies a dying It were happy for him to be knock'd on the Head when he is in a good Frame lest he should lose all again and put to begin to go through all his imperfect sincere persevering moral Righteousness believing he knows not what For if he falls into Sin he must conclude his Perseverance is at an end you must enform us what Degrees of Sin in our imperfect Obedience may be admitted before we conclude that our Perseverance is at an end and then though you say Happiness will come upon Perseverance in imperfect Holiness I suppose then perfect Holiness is that which qualifies us for perfect Happiness and is the Condition of it Therefore we must arrive at it in this Life that so we may have the Condition before the Promise Are not these miserable Chimera's for Protestants Neonom Hence the Vse of Faith and Holiness to those Benefits is not from their Conformity to the Precept but their Conformity to the Rule of the Promise Antinom Now we come to the Whirligig that is the Mystery of the Scheme 1. We would know whether there be any difference between Conformity to a Rule and Precept in a Law And 2. What is the Rule of the Promise Is it not with you the Precept If it be not how is Conformity to it Obedience 3. The Promise is not properly a Precept as such tho' the Gospel-Promise is the Ground and Reason of all Gospel-Precepts but not Precepts of
Promises And how can any Man conform to the Precept in your Sence and not expect and have from thence the Use of the Benefits Yea and not look upon it as Federally following therefrom 4. I would fain know what gave the Use of the Benefit in the Covenant of Works For you say this determines the Rules of Happiness and Misery in the same manner Was not the Use of Adam's Faederal Holiness as to Happiness from Conformity to the Precept Where was the Rule of the Promise there Either it must be in the Precept or the Promise it self or in the Connexion of Promise and Precept Have I hit it now It 's sure the Connexion is the Rule of the Promise Now how is that a Rule of the Promise but in Conformity to the Precept and then it 's Conformity to the Rule of Precept and not of Promise Or is it possible to come with a Conformity to the Connexion between the Precept and Promise Now all the Intricate Harangue is only to tell us in the Clouds that Faith applying the Lord Jesus Christ will not justifie us but as it is a working Condition to which the Promise is annexed Neonom Yes it follows our applying Christ's Righteousness and relying on it would no more justifie us than our sincere Holiness would save us were it not for this Gospel-Promise That God will justifie for Christ's sake all those that believe Antinom The Business here that is the Kernel of this Nut is that Faith doth not Justifie us by applying Christ's Righteousness in the Promise by vertue of Christ's Righteousness it self imputed but by its own Vertue as being a Righteousness it self whereby it answers the Promise as a Condition upon which it is made As for Faith's receiving Christ and his Righteousness it serves thereby to barr the Old Law But Christ's Righteousness hath nothing to do here it 's our own Faith and Repentance is the Righteousness in their Conformity to the Rule of the Promise and that 's Latin for the New Law Here are great Mysteries more than Paul understood and all the Apostles any other than to reckon them another Gospel and vain talking And truly as for your comparing Christ and Holiness in the matter of Justification under the Umbrage of your Invented Rule of Promise is perfect Stuff It amounts but to this at best That if God had not promised Justification there had been none at all neither by Christ's Righteousness nor by ours But how came this Promise Do you not say Christ purchased it as an conditional Grant Neonom Hence by Gospel Grace there 's a great difference between imperfect Faith and utter Vnbelief between sincere Holiness and formal Profaneness or Wickedness true Love to God and prevailing Enmity c. By the Law of Works nothing was Holy but what was perfectly so c. But read the Bible if thou doubtest whether there is not a true Faith Holiness Love c. which be short of Perfection Antinom I thought we should have had a greater Instance of the Grace of God than in giving us a worse Condition of the Covenant than Adam had You should have told us what Perfection here you mean I suppose it must be only of Parts that it may be a Gospel Foederal Condition which must be imperfect and it must be mingled with Sin or else it will not answer the Rule of the Promise Now you will not allow it must answer the Rule of the Precept for there 's nothing abated of it but it must chop in between the Precept and Promise as the Gospel Condition in a way of Imperfection So that without Sin our Holiness is nothing Foederally We must take heed it become not perfect Holiness for if once it comes to that we fall under the Law of Works This were to begin in the Spirit of Imperfection and end in the Flesh of Perfect Holiness And this is the sad Condition of the Saints in Heaven that they are fallen under the Covenant of Works Again you do here not a little insinuate what I know lies in your Breast that there is no specifick difference between Grace and meer moral Endowments and it appears so upon all your Hypotheses For you declare there ought to be such and such Qualifications to entitle a Man to the Promise of Grace or Grace in the Promise before he hath the Promise And as to your Exhortation to the reading of the Bible c. I must tell you I have read the Bible several times and hope to read it and meditate on the Word of Grace contained therein as long as I live But if that be the true Doctrine of the Gospel which you have delivered in this Book I am utterly at a loss for my Salvation which I would be loth to be now at last after so many Years Satisfaction And let the World take notice that I do believe your Gospel to be another Gospel such as Paul speaks of and accurseth Gal. 1.8 9. Neonom God in dispensing of Gospel-promised Blessings doth judicially determine a Conformity to this Rule of the Promise When he forgives he judicially declares a Man hath true Faith When he admits into Heaven he judicially declares a Man sincerely holy and persevering Antinom This is plainly as much as to say God dispenseth the Gospel-Promise Judicially in the same way as a Law of Works He looks whether or no we have fully performed the Conditions and upon finding of them he judicially gives the Promise i. e. In a way of Reward to the Works performed Whether they be Perfect or Imperfect it 's no matter the Reward is of Debt and not of Grace And in this way Pardon is given upon Imperfect Faith and Repentance And thus Heaven is given Judicially for persevering Holiness Here 's not a bit of Enquiry whether they have Christ or no he is a Cypher in the matter of our Salvation No Papist can utter more gross Divinity But this is a strange way of Dispensation of Gospel-Benefits First to determine a Conformity to the Rule of the Benefit As for Example In dispensing Faith for that 's a Promise God determins judicially a Man hath a Conformity to the Rule before Faith Again Is Forgiveness a judicial declaring a Man hath true Faith Or doth this judicial Declaration go before Pardon and Justification If so a Man hath always true Faith before he is justified and pardoned what absurd Consequences will follow thereupon And what can this be but a declared Judgment that he is de Congruo deserving Pardon And I think ex Condigno too before he is pardoned and upon the same Terms are the persevering Saints at last admitted to Glory Neonom As upon a View of his Guests he cast out him that had not the Wedding-Garment viz. True uniting Faith so by keeping out the Foolish Virgins c. Can any think that Forgiving Adopting Glorifying or the Conveyance of every other promised Benefit given upon God's Terms are not Judicial Acts
under a Pretence of bearing Witness against Error into these Practices of Subscribing to your Book meerly to put a Countenance upon the gross Errors that you would vend among the People and that you might the better slurr and brand some Faithful Ministers of Christ in this City with the odious Name of Antinomians and the Preaching the Doctrine of Free Graâ—â—â—s our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles have done with Antinomianism and have in your Pulpit at Publick Lectures and at Publick Houses made it your business to blow up a Flame of Contention in this Town as if no Man was to be esteemed Sound and Orthodox in Gospel-Truths but your self and such as will dance after your Pipe and think all others ignorant Setters up of the Name of Christ c. 3. That in your Writing in decrying of what you would charge upon such that you call Antinomians you take Dr. Crisp and set him up as a pretended Butt a Man dead many Years since an holy Man as you own falsly representing unto the World as to his Sence and Meaning almost in every thing that thro' his sides you might wound the Doctrine of Free Grace I assert your way is very unreasonable to ground a Polemical Opposition and fasten a Charge of Error upon to Excerpt Expressions here and there from Popular Sermons not printed by himself but from the Notes of Sermon Writers How liable the true Words and Expressions of the exactest Men are to mistake and abuse Dr. Crisp Printed nothing all the Sermons reprinted were Printed from Sermon-Notes taken after him in Preaching I need not to insist on to evince common Experience is evidence enough Moreover considering that this is the way the worst of Men have always taken to expose Religion to encourage and seed Atheism and Profaneness in the World Not to name Edward's Gangrena our present time gives an ample Example in that late Pamphlet call'd the Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence or the Foolishness of their Teaching You may see how the Sentences taken out of the Sermons of the Reverend Mr. Rule and of divers other Presbyterians doth look when separated from the main Sence intended by them I say I do highly disapprove of this Sermon-hunting Trade as a most disingenuous way unless a Sermon be Preached and Printed by the Author to establish a manifest Error and the whole Sermon or Sence of the said Author be impartially represented and argued 4. That the more to insinuate your self and Doctrines for Truth into the Minds of Christians sound in their Principles that they might think you mean nothing by your Uncouth and Equivocating Expressions and to deceive the less Intelligent as you call most Divines that are not of your Perswasion you grosly abuse the two Reverend Assemblies with Dr. Owen and Mr. Norton quoting them for Asserters of your Errors in places where they speak or dispute directly against the Principles that you assert Now what is this but to Ape a Deceiver at least 5. That you that have subscribed solemnly the Doctrinal part of the 39 Articles should so palpably and openly go about to overthrow some Foundation-Principles therein contained as Imputed Righteousness and Justification only for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith and not for our own Works and Deservings and that we are justified by Faith only Article 11. And that Principle asserted in the 13th That Works done before the Grace of Christ and the Inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasing to God forasmuch as they spring not from Faith in Jesus Christ neither do they make Men meet to receive Grace c. The Contrary Doctrine to both these Articles under whatever Evasions and Prevarications you seem to abscond your self you make the great Business of your Book not only to insinuate but manifestly enough to assert and endeavour to prove viz. 1. In that it appears to be your Design to blast the whole Doctrine of Imputation whatever you pretend both of Imputation of our Sins to Christ and of the Imputation of his Righteousness unto us 2. That you make it your great Business to set up and establish a Covenant of Works boldly asserting the Gospel to be a Law with Sanction of Rewards and Punishments and that the conditional part thereof are Imperfect Works and that we are justified by those Works as a Subordinate Righteousness to the Righteousness of Christ and that Faith it self is concerned therein but as an Act in the same manner as Repentance and other parts of imperfect sincere Obedience tho in a little kind of Precedency Your Book also is full of many other Errors that have dependence on these Capital Ones which for Brevity sake I will not now rehearse besides your many Inconsistencies Contradictions Equivocations False Insinuations illiterate absurd and unsound Expressions that render your Book very Offensive to sound and solid Minds Antinom These things which you speak of I have already found and have made a little Inspection into and Discovery of unto him in Discourse even now wherein I took the boldness to open the lower Venter of his Morbid Body of Divinity in order if we can agree upon it to a thorough Dissection Neonom You both of you go upon great Mistakes and are led to censure my Book from Prejudice especially Mr. Antinomian because the principal Scope of it is to lay open his Errors And as for those things which you call Inconsistencies Contradictions absurd Expressions c. they are Terms of Art which the Learned understand such as The Rule of Promise The Rule of Sin and The Rule of Happiness and Misery c. If you once come to see how fully and rightly I have stated the Truths and Errors mentioned you will be of another mind Calvin Nay it 's very just and meet to give your Book an impartial Examination that we may have a full and clear Understanding of your Scheme how you state and defend the Points therein contained and if you will consent thereto we will appoint some place where we may meet from Day to Day at a certain Hour where we will dictinctly debate the Material Points that you assert as either Truths or Errors Neonom I highly approve of it But where shall this be with most Conveniency upon all Accounts Antinom Why may it not be Mr. Calvenist at your Calvinian Society I suppose you debate Theological Questions there most of all and there are many worthy and learned Gentlemen attend there frequently to very much purpose Calvin I like your Motion Mr. Antinomian and will undertake that both of you will have a very candid and welcom Reception there Neonom I have but one Objection and that is seeing Mr. Antinomian moves for this place I fear it smells too much of Antinomianism Is there liberty to take a Pipe of Tobacco now and then to clear an ill Scent out of the Throat Antinom Yes yes else how do you think we could be able to endure the
look upon this as a Justification of this Child it being a declared Sentence of God concerning it's standing in his Favour and unchangeable Love 2. The Text is particular in the Reason of this Declaration to Rebecka ver 11. that we may see that God accomplish'd his purpose of Election in the applying of the Grace thereof without Works not so much as upon the Account of Faith as a Work because the Children were not capable of doing Good or Evil the Application of his distinguishing Love could not be upon that Account viz. Of any Condition found in them nor could the Foresight of any such thing in them be the Cause of God's Purpose in Election and shews it's one and the same Righteousness that an Infant and Adult Person is Justified by Neonom Because an Eldest Son is an Heir in the Womb therefore an Elect Person who is in time to he Adopted is an Heir in the Womb. Calvin There 's a Difference between an Heir and Adoption If you know there is an Elect Person in the Womb as Rebecka did he is a more sure Heir to Heaven than ever any great Man's Son was to an outward Estate And as to Adoption that may not be till some time after For that is the Grace of Sonship It 's one thing to be a Son and another to have the Grace of Sonship And is the calling them the Sons of God manifestly taking them into the number and endowing them with the Priviledges of the Sons of God The Relation of an Heir and the state of Adoption admit of different Considerations The State of Adoption is the grown state of an Elect Person he is put into Possession of the Estate and all Priviledges sit together with Christ in Heavenly Places as a Coheir And thus we are the Children of God by Faith Gal. 3.26 The Spirit bearing Witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God and so Heirs ex abundanti Joynt-Heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 Let us now hear what our approved Calvinists say in this Point that speak most particularly and distinctly to it Speak Dr. Amesius Dr. Ames The Transaction between God and Christ was a certain previous Application of our Redemption and Discharge to our Surety and to us in him which hath the Nature of a certain efficacious Pattern to that Secondary manner of Application which is compleated in us so that this is the representation of that this is produced by vertue of that Now it 's inferred hence That our Freedom from Sin and Death was not only determined in God's Decree but also granted and communicated to us in Christ before it is perceived by us Chap. 24. § 3. Mr. Rutherford pray speak you wrote against Antinomianism Sane priusque electus credit c. Certainly before an Elect Person doth believe the Wrath of God and all the Effects of his Wrath are removed from the Persons by vertue of Christ's Satisfaction Exercit. Apologet. per gratiâ p. 45. Mr. Pemble That God doth actually love the Elect before they are Regenerate or can actually believe may appear further by these Reasons 1. Where God is actually reconciled there he actually loveth for Love and Reconciliation are inseparable but with the Elect before they are converted and believe God is Actually Reconciled Ergo he loves them before Faith and Conversion The Minor is evident because before they are Born a full Atonement and Satisfaction is made for their Sins by Christ and accepted on God's part whereupon all Actual Reconciliation must needs follow 2. God did Actually Love the Elect before Christ's time when Actual Reconciliation was not yet made much more therefore after the Atonement made 3. Justification Effectual Vocation and Faith are Fruits of God's Actual Love c. De gratiâ fide p. 22. Chamier Persuasissimum est c. We are most fully perswaded that our Sins are forgiven before we believe for certainly we deny Infants to act Faith and yet their Sins are forgiven them And although it be true that our Sins be forgiven before we believe i. e. before we know it as Actual Believers we do believe the Remission of our Sins because this is proposed to us yea promised to us in the same words which we relye upon by Faith and it 's Sealed by the same Spirit whereby that word is Truth Panstr Tom. 3. lib. 13. c. 10. Antinom I think I see Mr. Baxter appear in this Cause though I suppose he is seldom in this Society Calvin I pray let us hear Sir what you say to this Point Mr. Baxter The Anabaptists bring Eph. 2.3 against Baptism of Infants and say Because they are by Nature Children of Wrath the Promise belongs not to them Ans What though we are by Nature Children of Wrath doth it follow that we may not be otherwise by Grace the state of Wrath goes first in order of Nature and whether in order of time also is not worth our disputing but may not a state of Grace immediately succeed Jeremy was Sanctified in the Womb and John Baptist and the Infants that Christ Blessed were all by Nature Children of Wrath and yet by Grace were in a better state As they come from old Adam they are Children of VVrath but as they receive of the Grace procured by the Second Adam so they are not Children of wrath If a Prince should Entail some Honours upon all your Children you might well say by Nature or as they were your Children they were not Honourable or Noble and yet by the Favour of the Prince they might be all Honourable from the VVomb The Godly at Age may say that they are still by Nature Children of wrath even when they are sure they are Children of God by Grace and they use in their Confessions to say That we by Nature are Enemies to God Fire-brands of Hell R. Baxter of Inf. Bapt. p. 110 111. Calvin I would willingly hear what the Learned and Judicious Mr. J. Cotton saith Mr. J. Cotton in Answer to that Objection made by the Anabaptist against Infant Baptism Faith comes by Hearing Ergo Infants have not Faith Ans It is no Extraordinary thing which Christ speaks concerning Infants when he saith Except you receive the Kingdom of God as little Children c. and they cannot receive it without Christ nor without Faith in Christ and yet received not Christ nor Faith by their own immediate Hearing of the Word and for the second thing which you make Essential to Union with Christ viz. a Heart fitly disposed to apprehend and receive Christ be not unwilling to understand that which is Truth The Heart is fitly disposed by Faith to apprehend or apply Christ when Faith is begotten in the Heart for by this Gift of Faith begotten in us Christ apprehends us and by the same Gift of Faith the Heart is fitly disposed to apprehend Christ even in Infants for when Faith is wrought in Infants the Heart is quickned with Spiritual Life and made a
by the offering of Christ without Spot to God This spotless Sacrifice whereon he bore Sin and was not defiled And hereby the Conscience of Sin i. e. the Guilt of Sin which is no other than Sin charged upon the Conscience is taken away and thence the Levitical Services could not make any perfect as pertaining to Conscience but it 's the Blood of Christ that sprinkles from an evil Conscience Heb. 10.22 2. A condemning Conscience without which we stand but loathsomly before God yea while for want of Faith we apprehend God deals with us out of Christ we are very loathsom and all our Works and Services dead God loaths and abhors them Is not the Vertue of Christ's Blood compared to a Fountain to wash us in and intended especially of Justification and Pardon and the Saints to betake themselves to it under the Notion of it's cleansing Vertue in that Sence 1 John 1.7 Rev. 1.5 Guilt of Sin then is as great a Pollution as belongs to Sin It 's no other than Sin lying upon the Conscience with an Accusation 1 John 3.20 21. Greg. Nysson saith He bore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Filth of our Sin Dr. O. p. 42. Again Wherever Sin is to be purged out by Sanctification it is to be rid away by Justification but all Filth is to be rid by Sanctification that indwells Now it is manifest that the cleansing Vertue of the Blood of Christ applyed by Faith is the first Gospel-effectual Means of Sanctification and it must be the great Cause of Mortification wherein we are planted together in the likeness of his Death Rom. 6. And what did Christ in his Death but destroy the Body of Sin by carrying it away 2 Tim. 1.10 He hath by carrying away sin abolished Sin and Death slain the Enmity that lay in Hatred of God Pravity and Dominion of sin Whence was it that David was cleansed from Blood-guiltiness Was it not from it's being laid on Christ Was it not that very Filthiness of his Sin Psal 51.14 Doth he not pray to God to be washed throughly from his sin and to be cleansed from it Was not that by the Application of the Blood of Christ Doth he not mention all his Pravity Original as well as Actual from which he would be purged as with Hyssop and made whiter than Snow And wherein lies this Washing Is it not in respect of sin not in respect of Punishment he mentioneth not he explains what he means it is that radical Washing ver 9. Hide thy Face from my Sins and blot out mine Iniquity i. e. From the Face of God's Justice Then follows the Creation of a clean Heart He gave himself for us to redeem us from all Iniquity Tit. 2.14 There is no Pravity Defilement Pollution of Sin what-ever that is so but because of it's contrariety to the preceptive part of the Law must first have it's Foundation of cleansing from Christ's bearing of it away and this Faith applying purifies the Heart from the indwelling Macula in us Whence that Promise Ezek. 36.25 The clean Water there is the Spirit working in Application of the Blood of Christ and therefore Gospel-cleansing lies chiefly in Application of Promises 2 Cor. 7.1 Neonom He took care his Body should not see Corruption Acts 2.3 he would much more abhor to take in our Pollution He was holy harmless undefiled c. Antinom All this we say over and over that he bare Sin but was not defiled with Sin nor corrupted in his Nature but the Spirit of God is not to be believed See Christ's taking away of Sin by Atonement is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.3 Neonom It was Condescension enough that he agreed to be treated as a Sinner But how odious is it to load him with Sin it felf To spit that in his Face that the worst of Men abused him with and it would justifie his Persecutors who punished him if he was really the Person your Principles renders him to be Antinom The Spirit of God renders him to be the Person that my Principles renders him to be It saith he bore our Sins in his Body on the Tree the Lord laid Iniquities on him he was made Sin for us and yet how dare you reproach the Spirit of God in such a manner To say that it 's an odious thing To say be bore the Load and Weight of all the Sins of the Elect that it is spitting in the Face of Christ doing that which the worst of Men did to him and justifying his Murderers I am surprized with great horrour to hear such things out of the Mouth of a Man that is called a Gospel Minister I pray God give you Repentance and lay not these things to your Charge But Sir you have here declared your defiance of the Date of the Imputation of our Sins to Christ and yet would pretend you hold that Doctrine by saying God laid the Punishment of Sin only upon Christ The meer Punishment of Christ I must tell you was not the bearing our Sin for the bearing the Punishment was the payment of the Debt and was his Righteousness which is Imputed unto us if Imputation of our Sins to Christ lay in nothing else they were not Imputed at all to him Punishment was laid upon him and he bore it by way of Suffering in his Humane Nature and was that Righteousness that is Imputed to us in Justification the Argument against you is this That which is Imputed to us was not Imputed to Christ but Punishment of Christ to Satisfaction for our Sins is his Righteousness Imputed to us Ergo not the Imputation of our Sins unto him If your rooted prejudices will suffer you to consider I pray weigh well that Argument you will have more by and by But you still say if Christ bore Sin he must be polluted with Sin Ans It argues not that Sin was his by perpetration or Infusion but only by Imputation they were our Sins by Perpetration and Inhesion which he bore by Imputation The Spirit of God tells us he was a Sinner in one respect and no Sinner in another as the Church of Smyrna was Poor in one respect and Rich in another Omnia diversa natura sua abstractâ sunt opposita as Poverty and Riches Sin and no Sin tamen eidem attributa ratione tantum dissentiunt as a Man may be Rich and Poor Wise and Foolish in divers respects And as to the filthiness of Sin it could not stain him he remained untouched in his Holy Nature but yet I must tell you as bearing Sin by the Sacrifices caused a Typical Uncleanness insomuch as the Bodies were Burnt without the Camp and they that Burnt them and gathered up the Ashes became Unclean such a Judicial uncleanness was Jesus Christ our Sacrifice under wherein he answered those great Types and we are not without ample proof of it especially from Heb. 13.11 Neonom Arg. 2. Had he been Esteemed the very Transgressor his
chargeable for them and Imputed to him Hence 3. If they bear their own Sins till they Actually Believe there must be an Hatred of God to such Persons till they Believe Actually which is Death and a Person may perform a Vital Act in a state wherein he is Actually Dead and at the same time 4. This must follow that there 's Believing before Union with Christ and then there must be some other Root from which this Fruit of Faith doth spring and it 's said Heb. 12. expresly Christ is the Author of our Faith I have received this Principle meerly for the vindication of the Glorious Priviledges which are proper and peculiar to Christ alone and therefore refer the being of Faith it self to Christ to this end I deliver that Elect Persons have a participation and share in Christ himself even before they do believe neither would I thereby diminish the Prerogative of Believing for there are glorious things done by Faith in Believers God hath honoured it above all meer Creatures in the World he hath made it the Conduit-pipe for the conveyance of all Peace and Comfort nay of all that strength which believers have all their Lives no Faith no Comfort no Faith no Peace of Conscience no Faith no Pleasure to walk with God The Soul lyes in Darkness while in Unbelief But still that which is proper and peculiar to Christ alone is not to be ascribed to Believing D. Cr. p. 616 617 618. Calvin Mr. Neonom We shall be the better able to take our measures if you will be pleased to state this Point aright and tell us what we may receive for undoubted Truth and what is to be Anathematized for Errour in your Judgment Neonom I 'le tell you then first what is Truth Truth The Atonement made by Christ by the Appointment of God is that for which alone the Elect are pardoned when it is applyed to them D. W. c. 3. p. 15. Antinom Pray Sir give me leave to make my Remarks as you dictate because my Memory is but short 1. You grant then that there is a compleat Atonement wrought finished and accepted by God if so there is a Fundamental Life of Justification laid up and reserved for them in Christ 2. That this precedes their Actual Justification by Faith 3. That this influenceth to Justification by Faith and is objective to Faith and Meritorious of Faith and of the Work of the Spirit working Faith Neonom But the Elect are not immediately pardoned upon Christ's being appointed to suffer for them nor as soon as the Atonement was made Antinom The Question is Whether there is not upon Christ's Atonement Pardon with God that he may be feared Or whether there be not a Life laid up for them in Christ which needs no addition to it There is a difference between Pardon and Pardoned one is the Abstract and the other the Concrete We say where there is Atonement for any there is Pardon but it follows not that because there is Pardon for any that therefore they are pardoned there may be a Pardon Sealed for a Traytor by the King and yet he not pardoned but the Law proceeds against him till the Pardon is sent down and read in Court So the Pardon is certain and finished for all the Elect but they have not the particular Pardons taken out nor pardoned till they believe Neonom Nor is that Act of laying Sins on Christ God's forgiving Act by which we are personally discharged Antinom I doubt you are too presumptuous to prescribe to God which shall be his forgiving Acts and which not if God's laying Sin on Christ be not of a pardoning and forgiving Nature to us I know not what it was did he not do it as a God pardoning Iniquity Transgression and Sin was it not his casting our Iniquities behind his Back And is it not this Act of God which reacheth every Elect Person unto Actual Pardon and Forgiveness Yea are we not Justified by this Act of God apprehended and applyed by Faith For is not an Act of God removing Sin from us and laying them on a Surety a Pardoning Act. Calvin I pray Sir deliver your self more distinctly for you do darken and confound things extreamly Neonom I will tell you what is not in Dispute between us in diverse particulars that you may not take up a wrong sense 1. The Question is not Whether Christ made a full Atonement for Sin Antinom Give me but the right scent of you which is hard to keep you make so many banks and turns and I will follow you as close at the Heels as I can You grant Christ made full Atonement for Sin there 's Pardon in that Atonement without Question for all God's Elect. Atonement always carries Pardon in it as its formal Nature or else it 's no Atonement Neonom 2. Nor whether that shall in time be applyed to the Elect for their Actual Remission as the Effect of it D. W. p. 16. Antinom Then there is Atonement wherein is Pardon eventually certain i. e. shall certainly be applyed and being applyed is actual Remission as the Effect therefore this Atonement is the Remission as the Cause and as the Object to be applyed Neonom 3. Nor whether we be so far Released thereupon as that God can demand no Atonement from any who shall submit to the Gospel way of Application of it Antinom It seems then if they will not submit to the Gospel way of Application God can demand some other Atonement from them I never understood before that the Suffering of the Damned was Atonement for where there 's Atonement God is at last appeased but he will never be appeased toward the Damned 2. You said but now that the application of the Atonement to the Elect in time should be I understood you certain but now you make it only conditional in case of their submission to the Gospel way of Application Neonom Nor 4thly Whether the Law be answered and God's Honour so vindicated thereby that the Sins of Men cannot hinder an Offer and Promise of Forgiveness and Life Antinom There 's a great Theological Intriegue here we must endeavour to unravel it What do you mean by answering the Law is it by Active or Passive Obedience or both and for whom for some absolutely or conditionally you tell us of a conditional Atonement and such an Atonement the Scripture is a stranger to 2. You would have us to understand the end and use of Atonement is to fence and secure God against his Law that so he might be at liberty to save Men this is to make an Atonement to Sin and not for Sin your suggestion is that God cannot in Honour offer Life and Salvation till his Law be vindicated i. e. I suppose he took out of the way and abolished that Law so another Law more practicable might be set up in the room of it this is a fine way of vindicating a Law to Abrogate it Neonom Nor whether
transferring of Sin from us to Christ and this being done before Christ made Atonement we are discharged not for the Atonement of Christ nor by any Act of Forgiveness for the sake of this Atonement I need not add that by this Notion Heathens may be in a pardoned State and there 's no need of the Gospel or Knowledge of Christ to bring them out of a state of Wrath. Antinom I hope by this time you have pretty well spent your Powder and Ball. I told you before when we spake of laying Sins on Christ we understand his offer to bear them the Charge and Imputation laid on him and the payment he made of our Debt all which is the Atonement for bearing of our Sins was an Essential part of it as shedding his Blood was of the Payment this payment and bearing Sin was in the Eye of God from Eternity as if already done hence the Patriarchs were Actually and Personally Justified by it and doth it follow that they were Justified without Christ's Atonement And whereas you talk of God's Acts of Forgiveness you should tell us what you mean if Immanent there 's but one Act of Forgiveness there 's no new Acts arise in God and it was the Promise of Eternal Life before the World began Tit. 1. If you mean a Transient Act it 's but one viz. the performance of that Promise to Christ our Surety and Head and to us in him Virtually and Fundamentally 1 John 5.11 This is the Record that he hath given us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son and from him derived to us terminates in and upon us by the same Effectual Grace of God in Christ towards us so that the same Forgiving Act of God terminates in Christ and in us and therefore you must allow our Life of Forgiveness first in Christ and then bestowed upon us in and through him whereby we are as Sinners brought in to him and receive of his fulness both for Justifying and Sanctifying Grace Whereas you say Heathens by this Notion may be in a pardoned state you foist in another term to impose upon us as if we had said that immediately upon laying Sins on Christ all the Elect were in a pardoned state there 's none can be in a pardoned state before a being natural nor before a being Spiritual at least beginning but what hinders but that the Eternal Life which is given me should be in Christ before I was Born and inferrs not that therefore when I come into the World there will be no need of Gospel or Knowledge of Christ to bring me out of my Natural Estate into Christ See Colos 1.25 26 27. Ephes 3.3 4 5 6. And are not Gentiles as well as Jews pardoned through Christ Neonom The Assemblies at Westminster and the Savoy are both against you Antinom They say in a manner but as we do if you distinguish between a Forgiveness in Christ and Forgiveness bestowed between Impetration and Application Justification and Justified Neonom I will shew you your mistake Mr. Antinomian because it was God's Act to appoint Christ to suffer for our Sins that we might in his way and time be discharged therefore you think we are immediately discharged by that Act. Antinom You take greatly upon you to tell what I think and makes me think contrary to what I have exprest you take upon you to make me speak what you please and to think what you please I take you to be a fit Man to be a Guide was there nothing but God's appointing Christ to suffer for our Sins was there not God's accepting of his Sufferings for us Was not Christ Justified from the Sins of the Elect for when he rose was there not a Radical Justification of all the Elect in Christ If there had not been so they could never have been personally Justified but you would have Christ only purchase our Justification by something else but I must believe and say that he wrought out our Justification which being in him is the same that we do partake of and that our Discharge is begun and carried on in Christ and is compleated in him and received by Faith in his Blood Neonom Because Christ's Atonement is the Sole Meritorious Cause of Forgiveness therefore he thinks God suspends not Forgiveness till he works any thing else in the Soul which he made requisite to our being Forgiven though not as a Meritorious Cause Antinom No you mean Christ shall have the Honour of being the Meritorious Cause but it is that way of Justification intended that Christ hath merited that though we have broken the Law and cannot be Justified by it that a new way of Justification should be set up not through his Blood but by something else a peculiar qualification that shall make us meet to be forgiven that there may be some reason found in the Sinner why he should be forgiven this is now the new Divinity to sham off the Satisfaction of Christ from the Justification of a Sinner and you think you have been very kind to Christ to say this new Qualifications are not Meritorious Causes but Christ's Suffering was though they must stand afar off and look on upon a Justification by something else Calvinist I think as you said Mr. Antinomian's Ambiguity lyes in the word Discharge concerning which you must distinguish there 's liberatio in Christo liberatio à Christo though Mr. Antinomian hath abundantly cleared himself as to his Intention and Meaning but you Mr. Neonomian are so harsh in your Censures that nothing but the worst Interpretation of his words can be admitted by you My Opinion is that as Christ bore our Sins by Imputation so he made full payment of our Debt and had a Discharge so far as concerned himself and us represented by him and in him and hence through this Discharge and the perfection of the New Nature in freedom from all Original and Actual Sin and perfection of all Righteousness our Eternal Life which God hash given us is fully and compleatly in him both for Grace and Glory I say fully Fundamentally Originally and as in a Fountain or Root and of this fulness we do receive even Faith the first Vital Act and by Faith all discharge in Justification and all conformity to him in Sanctification through the operation of the Spirit of Holiness so that it was impossible but Christ must be discharged bearing our common Nature and standing in our stead and that we were in our measure discharged in him but it is also as impossible that we should be discharged personally and in ours till we had our Personal Beings and were first in that State and under that Wrath in some regard from which we were to be delivered and brought into the New Nature by Reconciliation and Actual Union on our part and till then we are Prisoners of the Law without God without Hope Aliens to the Covenant of Promise This account I trust may give both
satisfaction and I think it 's that which is generally received as the Truth of the Gospel by the Orthodox I think those Testimonies Mr. Neonomian brought for your Extream do all in a manner say as I have said they do not so deny the discharge of the Elect before believing as to deny Christ's discharge and the Elects in him so far as they were capable nor do they assert our discharge in Christ so as to affirm our Personal discharge before Faith The Assembly saith thus The Lord Jesus Christ by his perfect Obedience and Sacrifice of himself which he through the Eternal Spirit once offered up to God hath fully satisfied the Justice of his Father and purchased not only Reconciliation but an Everlasting Inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven for all those which the Father hath given to him Assembl Confess c. 8. 5. Here are two things that Christ hath done satisfied for our Sins and over above purchased a great Estate he could not have done the latter had he not done the former and he hath the Grant or Covenant Deeds in his Hands the Lambs Book of Life wherein the Names of all that are given him are Recorded and Enrolled and this is Life which he now hath the dispensation of in his due time through the Gospel and therefore they further say § VIII To all those to whom Christ hath purchased Redemption he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same c. The Catechism and Savoy Confession say the same in effect in every thing and so doth Dr. Owen When the Lord Christ dyed for us and offered himself a Propitiatory Sacrifice God laid all our Sins on him Isa 53.6 1 Pet. 2.24 Then he suffered in our stead and made full satisfaction for all our Sins as appears Heb. 9.26 c. 10.14 He whose Sins were not Actually and Absolutely satisfied for in that one Offering of Christ shall never have them Expiated unto Eternity Notwithstanding this plenary satisfaction yet all Men continue equally to be Born by Nature Children of Wrath Dr. Owen of Justification 305 This old Nature Christ never Purchased and Redeemed but intended always to pull down and destroy for the whole Nature is under Wrath and we cannot be in a state of Life till we be in the New Nature and be Created in Christ Jesus What the Lord Jesus Christ paid for us is as truely paid as if we had paid it our selves And what he underwent and suffered he underwent and suffered in our stead but yet the Act of God in laying our Sins on Christ conveyed no Actual Right and Title to us i. e. immediately for all our Actual Right is founded on it and flows from it therefore he adds They are not immediately thereon nor by vertue thereof ours or esteemed ours personally and in possession because God hath appointed something not only Antecedent thereunto but the Means thereof viz. Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to us I shall add the state of the Question how the Learned Dr. Prid. states the Question de satisfact D. Prid. Praelect 19. p. 297. de satisfact Christi Vtrum Christus filius Dei B. Virginis Justitiae Divinae non commutativae sed distributivae Judiciali tam premiativae quam vindicativae verè h. e. non praecariò impetrativè tantum aut metaphoricè sed reipsâ meritoriè integrè non omittendo aliquid qui stricto Jure fieri debuit satisfecerit tam agendo quam patiendo quicquid saluti nostri erat requisitum Hic affirmamus Orthodoxi cum nostris Art 31. obliquè negant Papiculae subdolè labefactant Remonstrantes Sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apertè toto Impetu oppugnant Anabaptistae Familistae hisce omnibus Acutiores Astutiores Sociniani hanc positionem confirmat variis Argumentis Irrefrigabilibus adversariorum objectionibus responsa dedit Christ satisfied the Justice of God not Commutative but Distributive and Judicial as well Remunerative as Vindicative not Precariously or by way of Impetration only or Metaphorically but Really Meritoriously and Fully not omitting any thing that in strict Justice ought to be done whatever was requisite to our Salvation Christ by his Obedience and Death did fully discharge the Debt of all those that are thus Justified and did make a proper real and full satisfaction to his Fathers Justice i. e. for all them that should believe Assemb Confess c. 11. § 3. And Mr. Neonomian I must not forget to tell you that there is nothing more frequent than for mistaken Men to tell others how much they are mistaken as you do tell Mr. Antinomian about the Scape-Goat Neonom I say he mistakes the Type of the Scape-Goat because the Scape-Goats carried their Sins into the Wilderness who expressed Faith and Repentance by laying Hands on it and confessing Sin therefore the Sins of Men are taken away by Christ while they continue Impenitent and Vnbelieving Calvinist You may see how in this matter you speak after the Socinian for they give this Interpretation of this Type for though the Confession of Sin over the Head of the Scape-Goat or Sacrifice did hold forth Faith and Repentance yet there 's a difference between an Act Typifying God's Imputation of Sin unto Christ and an Act testifying our Faith concerning God's Imputation of Sin to Christ Norton against Pinch p. 49. So Ainsworth There 's nothing more plainly holds forth Christ's bearing away our Sins to be remembred no more So Dr. Prid. Quemadmodum etiam Hircus iste Azazel sive Emissoâ—is habuit imposita super caput ipsis populi peccata Levit. 16.21 22. Haud alitèr Christo contigit quem proposuit Deus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsius Rom. 3.25 Prid. de satisf As that Azazel or Scape-Goat had the Sins of the People laid on his Head and so was sent into the Wilderness Lev. 16.21 22. so Christ was dealt with whom God set forth for a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to shew forth his Righteousness Rom. 3.25 which those Sacrifices did manifestly point out however they fell short in themselves yet in relation to the Antitype they were not only Expiatory but also Satisfactory whence the satisfaction wrought by the Antitype is the more strongly argued Praelect de satisf Mr. Norton We may distinguish between the being of Justification and being Justified between Justification in the Abstract and Justified the Concrete that being without the receiving Subject this considered together with the receiving Subject viz. the Believer's Justification considered in the Abstract Sence and in it self in which sence it signifies Remission of Sins and Righteousness to Acceptation prepared though not yet conferred on the Elect hath before Faith a Being not only in the purpose of God but also in the Covenant between the Father and the Son and the Mediator and in the purchase of Christ this truth held forth in the Gospel makes the object of Faith and thus the Object is before the
Act. Orthod Evan. p. 214 215. Mr. Perkin's speaks Christ is first Justified Acquit of our Sins and we Justified in him On Gal. 3.16 Dr. Ames Our Freedom or Discharge liberatio nostra from Sin and Death was not only determined in the Decree but also granted and communicated to us in Christ before it 's perceived by us Rom. 5.10 11. Medul c. 24. The sentence of Justification was conceived in the Mind of God by the Decree of Justifying Gal. 3.8 2. It was pronounced in Christ our Head when risen from the Dead 2 Cor. 5.19 3. It 's vertually pronounced from the first relation which results from Faith wrought in the Heart Rom. 8.1.14 4. This Sentence is expresly pronounced by the Spirits witnessing with our Spirits our Reconciliation to God Rom. 5.5 C. 1. C. 27. § 9. Mr. Rutherford There is a Justification in the Mind of God Eternal and a Justification in time terminated in the Conscience of a Believer Exercit. Apologet. per gratia p. 45. He wrote against the Antinomian and therefore this Testimony you have no pretence to refuse Dr. Twiss speaks and saith The Righteousness of Christ was ours before we did believe ours I say in respect of Right because in the Intention both of the Father and the Son it was performed for us though not in respect of Possession and Enjoyment Vind. Grat. l. 1. p. 2. § 25. N. 5. p. 197. DEBATE IV. Of the Elects ceasing to be Sinners from the time their Sins were laid on Christ Neonom GEntlemen now we are come together again as we are wont to make Discovery of Truth and Error I am willing we should be very clear in this Point of Imputation For I will assure you as it 's usually understood I cannot digest it It 's the Foundation of this Antinomian Error therefore I would propound this following Question to be discussed at this time Q. Whether the Elect cease to be Sinners from the time their Sins were laid upon Christ Calvin This Question is the same with the last and it 's resolved in the Resolution of that viz. So far as the Elect are discharged by the Satisfaction of Christ so far they cease to be Sinners Neonom You are mistaken it is not the same Question there is difference between being discharged of Sin in a way of Justification and ceasing to be Sinners in respect of Sanctification Calvin Ay if that be your Meaning Do you charge Mr. Antinomian with that Errour That the Elect never sinned since Sin was laid on Christ Neonom Ay that I do and will make good my Charge too Calvin Say you so then I have no more to say Mr. Antinomian answer for your self Antinom He saith what he pleaseth of me for he hath aâ— inveterate Spirit against me However I am willing to hear â—â—at he saith I pray Sir declare your Charge in express Terms that you will not start from and then prove it Neonom I must premise some things first and then tell you what 's Truth that you may the better know the Errour and judge of it Antinom I had rather you would fall down-right upon the Errour for your way is to make long Speeches and Explications of things that others know as well as you Calvin Pray let him take his own way sometimes the furthest way about is the nearest way home they usually say Neonom I premise two things The First That Men are Sinners or not Sinners in divers respects 2. As to the Filth or Obliquity of Sin with respect to this they are more or less Sinners according to the Degree of their Innocence and Holiness D. W. p. 22. Antinom There is nothing in Sin but is Filth and Obliquity God looks upon it all as so as it stands in opposition both to Justification and Sanctification and it consists in it's Contrariety to the Moral Rectitude of the Law and the Duty required by it where there 's no Law there 's no Sin Those Actions that are gross Sins in Men are no Sins in Bruits because they are not under a Moral Law And for Degrees of Innocency I know none though there be of Holiness Neonom 2. With some as to the Guilt of Sin which refers to the Sanction of the Law against Offenders with respect to this the Offenders are more or less Sinners as they are forgiven or not forgiven Antinom With some What mean you by that some I judge they are Neonomians by the Glimpse you give of them You say the Guilt of Sin is no more than this that a Man is bound over to be punish'd whether right or wrong and a poor Creature that is tryed for Murder is guilty because he is to be hanged I thought always that he was obliged to be hanged because he was guilty and if the Law finds not the Fault upon him he is never guilty Is it Sence to say a Man is guilty being Whipt Burnt in the Hand or being Hanged never unless he hang himself Obligation to Punishment or the Punishment it self is no Sin it 's but an Effect of it founded in the Law I do not understand more or less Sinners in respect of Guilt as forgiven or not forgiven for in the sence of Guilt whether the Fault be more or less Forgiveness takes all off and all Sinners stand equally upon that account before God A Believer here on Earth is as fully forgiven as a Saint in Heaven Justification admits not of Degrees But it may be you distinguish Sinners in respect of Guilt into Forgiven and not Forgiven as Men are more eminently Sinners before Justification than after Neonom As to the Charge of the Fact which was sinful neither after-Sanctification nor Pardon will deliver a Transgressor from having been a Sinner the Fact was his Antinom I told you already the Charge of any one with sinful Fact which the Party had done makes him guilty it is a Fault and tho it be true that the Physical Act cloathed with it's moral Pravity was done by him yet God forbid that Pardon and imputed Righteousness should not deliver him from being a Transgressor I pray Is David now a Murderer and Noah a Drunkard You would seem to speak some great Thing but you thought safest to change the Tense and say from having been Neonom The first and last denominate a Man a Sinner most properly Antinom i.e. The Filth of Sin and the charge of a sinful Fact and they are near a Kin for a sinful Fact is Filth and the Filth of Sin is a sinful Fact and that 's a Fault and a Fault charged and proved or confess'd is Guilt so that it's Fault or Guilt for they are reciprocal denominates a Sinner Neonom The Second denominates a Man punishable but not a Sinner Formally Antinom This 2d is Guilt of Sin which say some is a Relation to the Sanction of the Law We say Guilt refers to the preceptive also and is Fault You say to the Sanction only and therefore I say no
him P. 47. Antinom It would take up deservedly some Paper to shew the Error and Sophistry of what you have spoken The Summ is that you deny Christ to be a publick Person and that all that Grace and Fulness that is in him by reason of the Hypostatical Union of both Natures and that Unction without measure which he received was only to qualify him singly and for himself as an Individual Person and not to be conveyed and communicated unto us and therefore none of his Fulness is received by us that the Spirit not his Spirit Neither do we live by vertue of our Union to him as a Root Head Fountain but if we partake of the Divine Nature as the Apostle Peter Eph. 2. ch 1. saith We are made Gods If we partake of the Vertues of Christ we rob him and they are no more in him You abuse the Similitude of Husband and Wife used by the Apostle Eph. 5. and would make it run on Four Feet You consider not that Adam and Eve at first was the true Type the Apostle aims at to represent Christ and his Church by Eve being taken out of Adam had her Nature in him first and was created out of him and so was Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bone You must distinguish between the Individual Person and Qualification of the first Adam and his publick Capacity Headship and common Nature he had a peculiar distinct Person and Habits belonging to it as such but he had also a common Nature communicable to his Wife and to his Posterity by Propagation not only Eve's Nature but ours was in him radically And therefore the Prophet Malachy saith that God made but one at first Mal. 2.15 though he had the residue of the Spirit and could have made more as he did in the Creation of Angels but therefore one that he might seek a Seed of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now this Seed of God was found in the Seed of the Woman that was made out of Man and was but one as Adam was made but one common Person so Christ and the Church his Wife is made out of him created in him as Eve was and have a Nature common in Christ And doth it follow that because Adam had the common Nature to Eve and his Posterity 1. That his Individual Qualities were communicated taken from him and given to Eve Was Adam turned into Eve Was Adam's Wisdom Holiness his Natural or Moral Vertues taken from Adam and given to her or them The common Nature of a Genus is communicated and propagated by Individuals without robbing the Individual Mankind is propagated daily by Individuals yet those Individuals lose nothing of their proper Adjuncts If Men were not Strangers to Logick and Natural Philosophy and ordinary Terms of Law they would not make so much ado about this common Nature of Christ which in him is Mystical and Transcendent I shall not here enlarge but enquire what is the Opinion of the Protestant Divines Calv. Dr. Davenant I pray speak in this matter what your Sense is Dr. Davenant on Col. 1.19 1. There was in Christ a fulness of habitual Grace neither take we this to be Infinite seeing it was a created Qualitas and inhered in the mind of Christ which also was a Creature it could not be infinite but by fulness of Grace we understand all those Perfections to which the Nature of Grace doth extend it self 2. We consider why Christ ought to have a fulness of Grace 1. E Debito congruitatis it was due to him in a way of meetness by reason of his Union to the Word 2. It was meet that which was nearest to the influencing Cause should partake most of the Influx 3. There was Debitum necessitatis It was necessarily due from the Supposition of the End by reason of the Habitude or relation of Christ himself to the Humane Nature for Grace was conferred upon him not as a private Person but as an universal Principle from whom it is transfused into other Men you say it 's not by Transfusion p. 47. All things ought to be full and in an oneness The Evangelist shews that Grace is diffused to us Eph. 4.7 And on Colos 2.10 1. To be compleat in Christ 1. Is spoken from the Effect Christ is not only perfect in whom dwells all the Fulness of the Godhead but he makes us perfect and compleat we having all things in him and his Doctrine necessary to Salvation 2. The Second Reason is taken from his Office Christ is the Head As to the first We have perfect Wisdom right Knowledge of the Doctrine of the Gospel John 17.13 1 Cor. 2.2 2. We have compleat Righteousness for Satisfaction to the Law of God and for our Sins 3. In Christ we have Sanctification or inherent Righteousness For what is Sanctification other than the washing away of our Errours and Vices whereby we are set at a distance from God and the Susception of Gifts and Graces whereby we may draw nigh to God in his Service And this is done as we stand united to Christ by his Spirit Rom. 1.4 ch 8. 9. In eo non ex eo aut per eum solummodo In him not from him or by him only but he saith We are compleat in him to give us to understand that we have that foresaid Wisdom Righteousness and Holiness not as we behold Christ as existing far from us but as we are incorporated in Christ as we have Christ abiding and dwelling in us and we have this Grace from Christ not the Stream from the head Fountain for it 's not needful that he that will drink of a Fountain should go into the Fountain But it 's otherwise here for we cannot receive of Christ's Fulness unless we are in him As the Old Adam is in us as the cause of Corruption and Death so the New Adam dwells in us as the Cause of Righteousness and Salvation So we are said to be in Christ to dwell in him to abide in him John 15.4 5. Whatever therefore Men hope or please themselves with of Grace Righteousness Sanctification or Glorification it will prove a meer Mock and Dream if they be not in Christ and Christ in them And now Christ is in us and we in him when we are united to our Head and grafted as Branches into the Vine by the Bond of the Spirit and Faith wrought by the Spirit in our Hearts Rom. 8.9 John 3.36 Calv. Speak to this Point Dr. Horton In that Text Rom. 8.2 There are three Terms before us There 's Life the Spirit of Life there 's the Law of the Spirit of Life 1. By Life we are to understand the Grace of Holiness and Sanctification not that which is inherent in our Nature being regenerate but the full and perfect Holiness which is in the Humane Nature of Christ as the proper Subject of it this is the Fountain from which there is a continual flowing of Grace to all that are truly
Preaching And let us consider a little the Nature of it Condition comes under several Considerations 1. Logical and there it 's Conditio conditionans or Conditio conditionata It 's more Ordinis aut Relationis respectu Ordinis It ariseth from a Priority and Posteriority of things All things can't be at once but one thing must be before another and here one thing is the condition of another respectu temporis there is Conditio relativa and so all Arguments are mutual Conditions one of another and consist è mutuâ alterius affectione and here is not Prioritas temporis sed nature Pater est conditio Filii or rather Paternitas relata affectio est causa filietatis correlata affectionis There is Conditio Axiomatica which ariseth from a Contingent Axiom or necessary and either connex because they 're mostly express'd Conjunctione connexivâ si And so there is also Conditio in dispositione Syllogisticâ ex dependentia inter conclusiones premissa There is also Law-Conditions Dr. Cawel saith It is a Rate Manner or Law annexed to Men's Acts or Grants staying and suspending the same and making them uncertain whether they shall take effect or no. And Papinian saith Conditio dicitur cum quid in casum incertum qui potest tendere ad esse aut non esse confertur This is a general Account of a Condition as arising out of a Contingency the effect depending upon an uncertain Cause And a Learned Lawyer saith A Condition is a Restraint or Bridle annexed and joyned to a Promise by the performance of which it 's ratifyed and takes effect and by the Non-performance of it becomes void Such a Condition I perceive you and Mr. Flavel will have Faith to be a Condition upon which the Promise is made and the Performance suspended by the Disposer till the said Condition be performed Conditio adimpleri debet priusque sequatur effectus Now this being your Condition I say it 's Foederal It 's Conditio Foederalis and let it be in value less or more it makes a Covenant of Works and is cloathed with all the Logical Notions of Condititions besides The Logical Conditions are in all things ex necessitate dependentiae mutuae rerum and a Man can't move a Hand or Tongue without them Even Brutes and all inanimate Beings as well as Men they belong to the whole Fabrick and Constitution of created Beings But a Foederal Condition belongs only to rational Beings and it 's related to the Promise ex pacto in a way of Merit and the Promise belongs to it by way of Debt And in this Sence the Apostle always decries the Law or any Law to have to do with our Justification he affirms that it 's always of Grace and never of Debt upon the least Consideration whatever of our Performance and Qualification And this is the Condition that I contend against and say That neither Faith or any other Gracious Qualifications or Graces of the Spirit are Foederal Conditions or Conditions of the Covenant of Grace My Arguments some of them in brief are these That which is a Gift of the Promise of eternal Life is no condition of it but Faith is a gift of the Promise Ergo. For the Major it 's clear for one thing can't be another eodem respectu tempore The Condition and Promise are Opposita they are Foederalia relata and therefore Contraria affirmantia a Father can't be a Son in that respect as he is a Father As to the Minor it 's out of all doubt by Divine Testimony See John 17.3 Eph. 2.8 To know Christ by Faith is Eternal Life and this Life of Faith is the Gift of God Hence Faith that is the Benefit promised is not the condition of it A Promise or Gift of the Promise cannot be the Condition of it self 2. That which would make the Promise a Debt and the Gift of it a Reward of Debt is not to be allowed But to make Faith a Foederal Condition of the Covenant of Grace would make the Promise to be Debt and the Reward a Reward of Debt Therefore Faith is not to be allowed to be a Condition of the Covenant For the Major it will stand with invincible strength from the Apostle Paul's Divinity and Logick Rom. 4.4 Believing and working are opposed as working and not working as Contradicentia It 's vain and frivolous to shift by evasive Interpretations and all that 's said to that purpose is easily wip'd off For the Minor That putting Faith in as a Federal condition would make the Promise a Debt The Performance of any Work or doing any Act as a Federal Condition let it be never so small the promising Federator becomes indebted thereby to bestow the Benefit promised on the Confoederator ex obligatione foederali and therefore a Debtor Now the Apostle will not allow any thing of this in the least Measure In those places where the Apostle opposeth Faith to Works he speaks of such Works as contain perfect and perpetual Obedience such as God required of man under the Law but not of those Works which comprehend that Obedience which God requires of us who believe in Christ Racov. Catech. c. 9. Therefore your Doctrine of Conditions is Socin 3. That Doctrine which will make all the Graces of Sanctification or gracious Qualifications Federal Conditions is not to be admitted But to say Faith is a condition of the Covenant in the Sence pleaded for will bring in all other Graces as well as it's self Ergo this Doctrine is not to be admitted for there is as much reason that all of them be allowed to be Conditions as that Faith should and therefore I see you and your Party bring in Repentance and other Graces together with Faith and say Our eternal Life is given unto us at the last upon conditional Meetness for it But the Scripture no where speaks of our Justification for or by Repentunce Love Patience Mortification of Sin c. not so much as once in the Sence that it speaks of Justicfiation by Faith And therefore Faith justifies not in it's qualifying nature which it hath in common with other Graces of the Spirit God never intended our strictest Holiness and highest degrees of Grace should be our Justifying Righteousness before God or Federal Conditions of the Covenant of Grace 4. That any Act of ours should be a Federal Condition of the Covenant of Grace destroys the very Nature of it Rom. 11.6 Eph. 2.8 9. Tit. 2.5 Rom. 5.17 18. Isa 55.1 2. 1 Cor. 2.12 Rom. 3.24 as it stands in opposition to the Covenant of Works it can't be distinguished otherwise from the Covenant of Works for the Condition of the Covenant of Works was as small as any thing imagining the Ability was given before the Condition was required He should have had persevering Grace in the Promise had he outstood this Temptation Now the formal difference between the Covenant of Works and Grace was in the Condition
that in the Covenant of Works the Righteousness which was the Condition was in Man himself that was to be Justified In the Covenant of Grace the conditional Righteousness is in another Not only the Promise but the Condition is freely given and is in another If we must provide the Condition nay if it must be inherent in us though wrought by God it makes our Covenant-standing no otherwise than the first and old Covenant-standing Besides the Design of God in the Covenant of Grace is not only to save graciously so he doth save Elect Angels but to save mercifully to take them into Covenant with him that not only are without good Qualifications but such as are most sinful and miserable and not to qualifie them with meriting or dignifying Righteousness first but to save them so that neither they themselves nor God himself will see any Federal Conditions of Righteousness in them The design of Grace is to save the Creature in the highest Degree of Abasement in himself and far from boasting or seeing any reason in himself to do it 6. The great and Evangelical Promulgations of this Covenant of Grace was always in absolute Promises and no mention made of Federal Conditions in us Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 36.25 Hos 2.18 19 20. See Zanch. upon the place He doth not say If thou wilt repent I will receive thee into favour and betroth thee but absolutely Tom. 5. fol in Hos p. 4â— 55. I will betroth thee It is therefore a most absolute Covenant wherein God without any Condition doth promise that he will receive his People into Favour and save them The first Promise to Adam was absolute and was not those repeated Promises of it to Abraham and the Patriarchs absolute The forenamed Author speaking of the Covenant made with Abraham Gen. 17.7 notes that this Promise is altogether free absolute and without Condition because in the Words of the Covenant we find no Condition 7. That which is a New Covenant Condition to some saved ones is to all for it 's not to be supposed that the New Covenant hath divers sorts of Conditions but faith or Evangelical Obedience cannot be a condition to some Ergo not the condition Minor It cannot be the condition to saved Infants nor Ideots but it is not to be doubted but God saves many of them by the Covenant of Grace 8. If Jesus Christ himself be the Sole Condition of the New Covenant then Faith nor no other Grace of the Spirit is not the condition The Spirit it self is not the foederal condition of the Covenant but promised to work Faith and Holiness in us But Christ is the only condition 1. His Righteousness is our Condition in Satisfaction of the Law both as to Active and Passive Obedience Rom. 10.4 He is the Condition in whom it is through whom Eternal Life is conveyed to us 1 John 5.11 He is the condition through whom all the Benefits flow Eph. 1.3 Redemption Forgiveness ver 7. He is the Condition of all Good in him through him and by him we have 1 Cor. 1.30 Reconciliation Col. 1.21 Of him we have our Faith Heb. 12. beg That Christ is the only Foederal condition of the Covenant is so clear and plain a Truth thoroughout all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament that he must deny the Sun in the Firmament that denies this Truth Christ himself is the Sole Condition of the Covenant 1. It 's impossible any thing else should be the Condition c. 1. There 's nothing else can reconcile Sinners to God in bearing Sin and Curse he only was our Condition for Reconciliation 2. There 's nothing else pleadable with God 1. Christ can plead nothing else in his Intercession but his own Righteousness 2. We can plead nothing else with God not our Faith or Obedience when be come before God in Prayer Dan. 9.18 3. Our best Holiness cannot have any satisfying Vertue for Sin committed II. Christ must be the only Condition that the Covenant of Grace might be free to us That Grace might be free Grace III. He that is the Condition of bestowing the Spirit which works Grace is the condition of all Grace that ensues but Christ is the condition of the bestowing the Spirit Ergo He hath purchased this Gift he sends the Spirit it is his Spirit he had it for this end without measure Neonom I will tell you what is intended by the Benefits of the Covenant A. The Good Things or Priviledges promised to such as by Grace are enabled to comply with the Terms of the Covenant especially whatever is Essential to our Felicity D. W. p. 56. Antinom I pray to what doth that Grace that doth enable a Man to comply with the Terms belong Is it any Priviledge or Benefit of the Covenant Or hath he it out of Covenant And what is that Benefit that he hath in changing his Heart in turning him from Darkness to Light Is not this the performance of the Promise of Eternal Life What condition have you to Premise to this Gift of God You talk of the Grace of God enabling a Sinner to comply just as if he were to keep his Old State and the Grace of God did only help and assist him by some Moral Perswasion I pray tell me 1. Is not the first Life of Grace a good Thing and Priviledge What in us is the condition of it 2. Nay Is not the Preaching of the Gospel a good Thing and Priviledge And doth not Faith come by Hearing You should make Hearing a condition of the Covenant for every Duty to be performed Antecedaneous to another in Order thereunto or as a Means for it is it's condition but not a Federal condition dressing Meat is such a condition to the eating of it making a Suit of Cloaths to the putting it on c. Neonom It 's needful that I acquaint you wherein the conditions of the Covenant of Grace differ from conditions in the Covenant of Innocency or Works as vulgarly called for both lye in doing something though not the same thing nor to the same end p. 56. Antinom We are like to have Excellent Doctrine now here 's a plain declaration that the Covenant of Grace is a Covenant of Works though it 's not the same individual thing and something else designed but it lyes in doing Neonom 1. The conditions of the Covenant of Grace are performed by the Grace of Christ freely given to Sinners The conditions of the Covenant of Innocency were performed by a strength due to and inherent in our Innocent Nature D. W. p. 57. Antinom To say the conditions of the Covenant of Grace are performed by the Grace of Christ freely given to Sinners and that any Act of ours is a condition I affirm to be a contradiction 1. Whatever is freely given to a Sinner is no part of a Federal condition as such but of a Promise 2. That which is to be ascribed wholly as to all its Good to
before the Exercise of true Gospel Repentance Repentance is turning from Sin to God and this must be by Faith for none can come to God but by him Repentance and Faith do become necessary and useful by Vertue of the Promise in the way of Salvation but by no means in the Nature of Foederal Conditions God never constituted them in such a Covenant Order Neonom In the Covenant of Works the meer Work gave an Interest in the Reward as it was Obedience to the Precept by a Sanction which had Goodness but no such Grace in it Antinom It 's a gross mistake that Adam's Obedience would have Merited from Intrinsick Value or Worth it was ex pacto and whatever condition of the Creature-Performance the Legislator puts into the Covenant let it be less or more perfect or imperfect it 's all one they do ex pacto make the Benefit promised a Debt and this I will maintain against all the Neonomians in the World Neonom Vpon these accounts I shall never fear that Conditionality of the Covenant of Grace should turn it into a Covenant Works till I see it proved that God can promise and apply no Benefit purchased by Christ to a poor Sinner upon a condition of an Action he commands and freely enableth the Sinner to perform The Judgment Day is past and a state of Tryal is over whenever it is proved Thus much for Removal of Mistakes Antinom And poor confident Man I can but pity you to see how miserably mistaken you are All that you have said is so far from turning your Law of Imperfection into a Covenant of Works that it proves it to be a Covenant of Works against all the World What God can do is one thing and will do is another I am sure he hath made no other Foederal Condition of the New Covenant than Jesus Christ himself and his Righteousness and when the Judgment Day is come and it may be through Grace before during the state of Tryal as you call it you will be glad to throw away all your conditions and hold Christ alone as the only Foederal condition of Life and Salvation And let me tell you again that you forget it not That God never promised or applyed any Benefit to the most Perfect and Innocent Creature upon the condition of any Action he commands but what he freely enableth the said Person so commanded to perform and hitherto you have given us no Specifick difference between the Covenant of Works and Grace it 's only in degree that this is worse in condition and we are all together without strength to perform it Neonom Having premised these things to remove Mistakes I will tell you the Truth which I will express in the words of the Assembly D. W. p. 58. Q. 32. How is the Grace of God manifested in the Second Covenant A. The Grace of God is manifested in the Second Covenant in that he freely provideth and offereth to Sinners a Mediator and Life and Salvation by him requiring Faith as the condition to Interest them in him promiseth and giveth his Holy Spirit to all his Elect to work in them that Faith with all other Saving Graces Antinom In the first place you should have observed that they speak only of the manifestation of the Grace of the Covenant and no distinct Covenant from that of Redemption 2. They make not Faith a Condition of the Covenant of Grace but only of Interest Reception or Participation of the said Covenant With them 't is no more than modus recipiendi or participandi which is generally called the Instrument and therefore explain themselves thus Quest 73. How doth Faith justifie a Sinner in the sight of God A. Not as if Works or any Grace of Faith or any Act thereof were imputed to him for his Justification but only as it is an Instrument whereby he receiveth and applyeth Christ and his Righteousness 3. I made no Question but that it was that Fly that you catch'd at and watch'd for The Word Condition was then but a very small inconsiderable Word that none made any great matter of as importing no more than the Connexion of the Congregrative connex Axiom whose band of Connexion is the Conjunction Si And this conditional Connexion may fall upon any things that have necessary or contingent dependency one upon another whereby they have a mutual Affection or Dissatisfactions one to another and I call it a relative Condition and all things may come under it which way soever they look The Affirmation of this Proposition Si sit homo est animal If the Antecedent be true then the Consequence is true If John be a Man then he is an Animal and the Negation is Non si Johannes sit homo sit animal and though both antecedent and consequent may be false yet the It may be a true Proposition by vertue of the Connexion As if a Man be a Lyon he is a Four-footed Beast So if Judas be saved he did believe It 's a true Proposition tho' Judas never did believe nor was saved neither was there any Covenant of Grace made with him So that such a Proposition as this importeth no Covenant-Condition unless it be foederal over and above If the Devils shall be saved Christ died for them It 's true as a connex Proposition because there 's no other Name given under Heaven by which any Sinner can be saved But neither parts of this Proposition is true for Christ died not for them nor shall they be saved So here if a Sinner partake of Christ it 's by Believing because believing is his Participation and giving and receiving are relata and is no more a Condition here than Faith is to Holiness As thus If I believe I shall bring forth Fruits of Faith and it will be a Condition the other way if I bring forth good Fruits then I believe So that this sort of Condition attends the Expression of all sorts of Relations and Dependencies either Logical Mathematical Natural or Theological But when the Word Condition is carried further to denote a Foederal Bond or Obligation it becomes a big-bellied Word as you have phrased it and is always a distinguishing Character of a Covenant of Works And that the Assembly intended no other than a Relative Condition not a Federal I can give you many grounds from themselves Neonom But I will give my Reasons why they must understand a Federal Condition For 1. They judge that though God provided a Mediator for Sinners yet they have no Interest in him till they believe Antinom They by Interest mean Claim of Interest and Participation which we have by Faith and there Faith is no more a Condition than my hand is to the receiving a 1000 l. When it 's brought it 's only a Relative Condition Where there 's giving there is receiving but if there be any Condition on one side more than another it 's in the giving side which in nature and causality hath the
absolutely in relation to God I know not Doth not God offer absolutely Is he provoked to offer Grace from any thing out of himself Sure he offers absolutely and from himself though he offer upon condition or makes Conditions in his Offer And how that comes in as his People is I know not I take the whole put together not to be Sence But I will extract your Argument as well as I can If each Benefit of the Covenant is offered to Men upon condition and not absolutely in relation to God then there are Conditions in the Covenant of Grace to be performed by us before we can have the Benefits But each Benefit of the Covenant is offered so c. Ergo. Here I deny the consequence of the Major first for there are conditions of Offer and conditions propounded in Offer mean them if you please God's propounding the Grace of the Covenant-condition is no ground of Proof that therefore there are conditions to be performed by us before we receive the Benefit For the Duty required and Good thing promised are but both of them Benefits and the leading Duty it may be the greatest and the greatest Exemplification of the Grace of the Promise Here is connexion then of Benefits as to Relation and Order and therefore I deny your consequence That Promises conditionally made do inferr necessarily foederal conditions distinct from the Benefits Minor also deny'd for each Benefit of the Covenant is not offered conditionally as the making a new Heart the Gift of Faith the uniting Power and Efficacy of the Spirit whereby we are inserted into Christ as our Root before we can bring forth the Fruit of Faith As to the places mentioned I say First That the Covenant of Grace as dispensed under the Old Testament was vailed and covered two ways 1. By Types and Ceremonies 2. By a Legal Ministration in Denunciations Conditions Promises of Temporal Blessings whereby they were carried on to Duty but yet in the Sacrifices they had some sight by Faith of the Absoluteness and Freeness of the Grace of God in the Promise and it 's evident the unconditionality of the Promise tho' it was manifested sometimes to the Patriarchs and Prophets yet was mostly under a Cloud as in a cloudy day the Sun may now and then break out with marvellous Brightness and Splendor when for the generality a Legal Darkness clouded and obscured the Grace of God In other Ages the Mystery of the Covenant was not made known and revealed so as now Eph. 3.5 But as to Lev. 26.3 12 it makes nothing against us for God doth but by his Commands and Promises bring them into participation of the Covenant of Grace For what is Faith and Obedience but the Gifts of his Grace And it 's he who through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant works in us the things that are well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ Heb. 13.21 And this was the way of his working with them being under this Tutorage differing little from Servants till the time appointed of his Father Gal. 4.1 2 4. And accordingly you see Lev. 26.3 the Promise of Encouragement is Then will I give you rain in due season And likewise as he promiseth outward Blessings so Spiritual Priviledges His Ordinances and Presence among them in them ver 12. Not that their walking in his Statutes was the condition of his being a God in Covenant for he chose them before they chose him And God saith ver 13. notwithstanding these conditional Promises I am the Lord your God that brought you out c. Likewise as the Promises were mostly of outward good things Temporal and the continuance of his Ordinances so performance of these were connected to their external Conformity to his instituted Worship they were to be a separate and peculiar People sequestred from other People unto his pure Worship and Ordinances and to that Sence doth the Apostle apply this place 2 Cor. 6.17 For he presseth Purity in Church-fellowship in the foregoing Verses by divers Arguments and among others this of Leviticus That God expected such Purity of the Church of the Old Testament much more of them and hence presseth Separation in external Church-fellowship and Ordinances and then as they have the Blessings of Ordinances they will have the Blessing of God's Visible Presence Whereas I said before Benefits are connected A Duty Benefit to a Priviledge to be as motives to Performance the Spirit working with the Word There may be Commands Directions Motives to Duty in the Word and none of these make Duty antecedently necessary and conditional to our being in Covenant but all consequently necessary being a Series of connected Benefits flowing in after we are taken in to Covenant As to Matth. 22.2 3 9 10 11. you say Coming to the Wedding Supper was a Condition of having share in it You say in your Preface to that place that the Garment is Vniting Faith You should have said Putting on the Garment is the Garment Is the coming to Christ or putting him on the Wedding-Garment or Christ himself and his Righteousness so is it of pardon of Sin and acceptance to Life Coming to the Wedding-Supper was not the Condition that gave Right but the Invitation Coming is a priviledge which the People that are invited to receive the Gospel have whom Christ by the Power and Efficacy of his Grace working with the Word compels and constrains overcoming their Rebellious Hearts As to that place of Rom. 10.9 you have as much Reason to inferr thence that Confession is a Condition as well as Faith the great Antecedent Condition there mentioned is Hearing by which Faith comes As for Rom. 4.25 Gal. 3.7 they all shew but connexion of Covenant-benefits all absolutely given in the Promise of Eternal Life Pardon and Faith Faith and Holiness Grace and Glory all sounded upon one Condition of the Covenant the Lord Jesus Christ Neonom I pray By what Justice then do you say the first Grace is absolute It 's Injustice to add new Terms to any of those Benefits if they be ours by the Covenant as absolute before Antinom I see you will stand upon Terms with God and will have him stand upon Terms with you But God never made any such Terms as you dream of Blessed be his Name Neonom If the Covenant be not Conditional as to the disposing of Benefits it would follow 1. That all to whom the Offers are made have an Interest in them or it is not a serious Offer no nor a true Offer as not containing a real and natural Connexion between the Benefit and the Duty D. W. p. 63. Antinom I must take notice of your shifting in your Antecedent what do you put in as to the Disposal of Benefits the Disposal of Benefits is the Performance of the Promise your Condition ought to lie before the Disposal of Benefits If you mean an adjusted Order in the disposal of Benefits you multiply Conditions to the end of the
baptize Infants I would desire no stronger Argument to manage against Infant-Baptism than your Principle of Conditionality of the Covenant And as for the Lord's Supper it holds forth Christ's Body freely given and his Blood freely shed for us and that his Blood was a Seal and Ratification of the New Covenant where-by it becomes a Testament Neonom 1 Pet. 3.21 Baptism that saves us is not the putting away the Filth of the Flesh but the Answer of a good Conscience towards God i. e. Vpright consent of Heart to the Vow and Profession Antinom The Words are thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To what was Baptism an Antitype Was it not to the Waters of Noah that saved Persons by bearing up the Ark when the rest of the World were drowned What condition was there of God's saving those Eight Persons And to bring it home the Apostle tells us the mere Element in Baptism and external Administration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the washing away External or Levitical Uncleanness as it was used by the Jews but as it signifies the Blood of Christ reaching to the purifying of the Conscience from Guilt Heb. 9. 10. and thence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ as it signifies the carrying or washing away our Sins by the Blood of Christ and our rising again wherein we were fundamentally Justifyed and the application of both by Faith whereby our present Sence of God's Wrath and Condemnation is removed To talk that it signifies a Vow or upright Consent is very Jejune against the Stream of Interpreters Neonom An Elect Person known by Revelation to be so while unregenerate is not entitled to the Lord's Supper Antinom He that hath that Revelation I suppose will have something more revealed But in the mean time I wonder why you that stand upon such strict moral Qualifications for an Interest in Covenant-Benefits and so sparing of Gospel Grace stand upon so slight Terms for admission to the Lord's Supper and are so lavish of Covenant-Benefits upon such easie Terms I am sure you may know some of them are not Regenerate without Revelation Neonom Vnbelief and whatever Sins are contrary to the Terms of the Covenant are the only hinderances to a Sinners Interest in the Benefits of the Covenant and by these we are said to reject and refuse the Covenant The Scripture lays Men's want of Forgiveness on their Vnbelief as the culpable cause c. Antinom Then the great Business of the Covenant of Grace is to save Sinners and give them Life being dead in Sin and Unbelief and the Gift of God is eternal Life begun in Remission of Sins and Faith in Christ's Blood which God gives freely unto those that are altogether uncapable to perform any Conditions for it he gives these Gifts to unbelieving rebellious ones And if Unbelief should hinder these Gifts of God's Grace there 's none could be saved And as Unbelief doth not hinder Fundamental Covenant Right which they have by Christ's Imputation so it hinders not God's Application when he will work for then nothing shall hinder You seem also to hint as if some Sins were more venial than others and some more consistent with your Moral Conditions of the Covenant of Imperfection and know that no culpable Cause shall hinder the Forgiveness of those for whom Christ died Neonom The Gospel-Promise being the way which Christ appoints to dispense saving Benefits to Believers must have the same Rules with the Covenant of Grace Antinom Yea for the Covenant of Promise and the Covenant of Grace are the same and saving Benefits are dispensed only by way of Gift which is performance of the Promise and no other way Neonom The Gospel is his Testament and a Covenant cannot be a Disposition contrary to this Gospel Antinom The Covenant of Grace is a Testament because confirmed by the Death of Christ and there 's no adding to it if it were but a Man's Testament and last Will as the Apostle saith and therefore there 's no bringing in any after-terms or conditions of it And the Gospel is a Declaration of this Promise and Seal and addeth no further Terms Neonom This Promise tells us 1. That there is a Promise of the first Grant made to Christ for the Elect and by vertue of that Promise the Elect do consent to the Covenant Antinom Promise and Grant are in a manner one and this made to Christ for the Elect it's better to the Elect in Christ but that will do for the present and by vertue of that Promise the Elect do consent I suppose you mean the first Consent which you will sometimes have the Condition of their receiving benefit by the Promise I hope it 's this a great Benefit and absolute Gift of the Promise and of this then there 's no Condition but Christ by your own Consession Neonom 2. That Gospel or Covenant is the means whereby that Faith is wrought Antinom Very good then the Covenant is the condition of Faith and not Faith of the Covenant Neonom This Gospel commands and by the Power of the Spirit works that Faith in order to saving Benefits which Benefits it promiseth to such as do believe and no other D. W. p. 66. Antinom I thought but now you were got above your Covenant of Imperfections but I find you are working down again These Conditions are heavy bulky things they will weigh a Man down do what he can And is Faith wrought only in order to saving Benefits How often shall I tell you it 's one of the principal saving Benefits of any Grace wrought in us And Faith is promised to Unbelievers else they would never have it Neonom This Gospel invests Believers in those saving Benefitt Antinom And it invests Unbelievers in the saving benefit of Faith and therefore the Gospel is the condition of Faith Neonom It secures the perseverance of Believers in the true Faith and the necessary Effects and thereby secures those Benefits as unforfeited Antinom Then they are not under an uncertain Trial all this Life that it is not determined whether they shall be saved or no as you suggested Neonom But Christ never bequeathed or promised in the Gospel a Pardon or Salvation to Vnbelievers Antinom That 's a Riddle Was it not in Christ's Testament to save Sinners to justify the Ungodly Did he not pray for them that should believe Doth not the Gospel tell us He came not to save righteous but to bring Sinners to repentance that he came to seek and to save them that are lost Doth not Christ say He is the Resurrection and the Life and that we are quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins c. The main Tenure of the Gospel If it be as you say there 's none should be saved for if Men are not saved by vertue of the Promise they will never be saved What a miserable Condition are all in if believing and promising Mercy be not bestowed upon
Unbelieving Sinners Neonom Nor the continuance of that Pardon or Salvation but upon supposition that this Faith perseveres And if the Gospel-promise say no such thing I am sure the Covenant did not p. 66. Antinom What Christ bequeathed he purchased but it seems all was done but upon condition of perseverance We must stand upon these uncertain conditions all our Days it would be some comfort if we could come to some certainty of our Pardon and Salvation after we are over the first brunt but we can't be sure we are pardoned or that we shall be saved till the last Gasp and if we happen to fall in the mean time our Pardon is gone Neonom The Account of the Covenant which seems most for it's Absoluteness implies this conditional Connexion of the required Grace and the promised Benefits Antinom Now all our Foederal Conditions are dwindled away into conditional Connexions only It is well some places seem to be for the Absoluteness of the Covenant if there be but one Text that is really for it I think we are bound to believe it But you say they imply a conditional Connexion God forbid that conditional Connexions should he turned out of the World if they should all things must be returned into the first Chaos and this would be a conditional Connexion and this Connection is between the required Grace and promised Benefit If you had said Bestowed Grace it had been more proper Or said Required Duty There 's no body hath so little Sence as to deny Cause and Effects Subjects and Adjuncts Arguments of all sorts in the Covenant of Grace in that free absolute Covenant and among the Gifts of it there is Christ and all his Effects the Spirit and its Effects Faith and it's Effects Adjuncts and Contraries This we call Relative Conditions or else things must cease to have a Being But that which we deny is Moral Foederal Conditions to be performed by us Such as these we say there 's none In the Covenant of Grace there 's no required gracious Act that is such a moral condition of any promised Benefit Neonom The places that seem to be for an absolute Covenant are Jer. 31.31 32 33. Heb. 8.10 11 12. Heb. 10.16 17. Jer. 32.40 Ezra 11.19 20. There be others that relate to the restauration of the Captivity Antinom You name Ezra 11. for one and Ezra hath not so many Chapters I suppose it 's an Erratum but I find it not among the Errata's As for the rest you insinuate as if they referr'd only to the return of the Captivity Neonom Yes I 'll pitch upon one Jer. 31.31 c. This is quoted Heb. 8.10 12. and ch 10.16 17. To understand this we must consider 1. Whom is this Covenant made with 2. What can be inferr'd from this Scheme of the Covenant 1. It 's made with the House of Judah and Israel not the Men in present being but Men to be hereafter It 's after those days I will make it so that it was after the Mosaick Covenant was to expire ver 32. D. W. p. 67. Antinom Hence then you refute your self in saying that it referr'd to the Restauration of the Captivity for then the Mosaick Covenant was in it's full force Neonom And it could not be the only Covenant of Grace for that had it's Being from the Fall and the sincere Israelites lost not the advantage of it Gal. 3.17 Antinom The Covenant of Grace had it's Being before the Fall and from the Fall it had it's Promulgation then was that first revealed state of it before it was the Mystery that lay hid in God But observe that as it was then manifested it was absolute as to us The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents Head There was no condition mentioned nor rationally supposed to be implied but Christ And it 's to be observed that this Covenant-promise was made before the Sentence was pronounced upon our Fallen Parents which Blessing was the Curse of the Serpent denounced Now as this promulgated Covenant had it's being from the Fall so it continued as the Covenant of Grace and Salvation to all the Faithful under the Old Testament The Lamb slain from the Foundations of the World or before them was looked upon as the only Foederal Condition which was exemplify'd by Sacrifices early begun in Adam's Family and continued till the Messiah came Now indeed this Covenant in the Epistle to the Hebrews is not meant in the Essential Nature of it but in the vailed state of it under the Mosaick Administration which is called by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graven in stone 2 Cor. 3.6 7. and opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the Gospel unvailed Ministration which is said therefore to be New because of the full and clear Discovery that was made by the Revelation of Christ in his Coming and Ministry which was not before And in the same Sence Mount Sinai and Mount Zion is opposed in Heb. 12. And what was seen by this last Ministration It was that Christ Jesus was the Summ and Substance of the former Ministration 1. That it was a Covenant of Free-Grace the Promise given upon the condition of Redemption by the Blood of Christ which appeared to be the true intent of all the Sacrifices 2. That though so much was conditionally required yet no Duties could expiate sin or reconcile us to God And the Reason of those Duties are given us as truly though then not so fully seen was the performance of the Covenant-condition vertually in Redemption typified by Redemption out of Egypt Exod. 20. In a word the Covenant of Grace stood vailed under the Mosaick Pedagogy which stood in a conditional Command under the Sanction of Rewards and Punishments mostly Temporal and under Types and Figures Now this ministration of the Letter stood under a double Faultiness which clouded the Glory and Beauty of the Promise First A Typical and Shadowy Administration in Sacrifices by which the great condition of the Covenant was pointed at as being not yet come and Symbolically only express'd to their Faith The other Fault was the Moral Mount Sinai Vail which called for Duty as it were in the way of Foederal Condition caused them to perform Duty as under a Spirit of Bondage and in a mercenary manner through the Encouragement of Temporal Rewards and fear of Temporary Sufferings and a seeming Attribution of Demerits to the Performances And therefore the Apostle shews that the Faultiness lay here also Heb. 8.9 Not according to the Covenant I made with their Fathers c. Because they continued not in my Covenant they could not be saved by those Legal conditional Performances but by an absolute Covenant couched under that conditional Ministration being saved even as we for the Law and Legal Ministration it was weak through the Flesh Rom. 8.3 And you speak very truly that the true Israelites never lost the Spiritual Advantage of the Covenant of Grace by reason of
how that Fruit shall grow without the Influence of the Root Unless you will say a Branch out of Christ can bring forth Fruit. I will not undertake to tell how long the Union made by the Spirit is before Faith appear but I am sure Faith cannot so much as arise into the first Act without the Sinners Union and Spiritual Communion so far as to have from the Root but as to his active and apprehended Union it can't be before Faith Neonom You think because all Grace after Vnion comes from Christ as our actual Head therefore Christ by his Spirit can work no Grace in us as our designed Head Antinom I know not how you put that Paradox upon me or what you mean by it very well I can but guess at it by your other Notions all that I can say to it is that Christ works Grace as our Actual Head That Christ Works Grace in us as a designed Head is a Riddle for so Grace must be wrought in us before we are in Christ Neonom You think because God Soveraignly decreed what Benefits he would bestow therefore he hath as our Ruler stated no rectoral Method of bestowing those Benefits Antinom I never thought God to be any other than a God of Order and that he is wise in all his ways and holy in all his Works and always thought that as God hath decreed to us all Covenant-Blessings so he hath provided the best method and way for bestowing them most to the Honour and Glory of his Free-Grace Neonom Because the Covenant is everlasting as to future therefore you judge there can be no Condition on man's part nor remembring that the Covenant secures our perseverance in performing those Conditions Antinom Because the Cnvenant is eternal before the World began I judge it was compleat and that the Condition was as ancient as the Covenant and the Security both in Condition and Promise as ancient Neonom Dr. O. in his Treatise of Justification p. 264. saith That Christ undertook that those who were to be taken into this Covenant should receive Grace enabling them to comply with the Terms of it fulfill it's Conditions and yield Obedience which God required therein How frequently doth he assert That our Interest in the Benefits of the Covenant depends on our Answering the Terms of the Gospel 270 30◠351. And so Mr. Norton Calvin Dr. Owen shews what Christ undertook as Sponsor Praes Fidejussor 1. To answer for all the Sins of those who are to be and are made Partakers of the Benefits of it 2. That those who are to be taken into Covenant by their Actual embracing it should receive Grace enabling them and whatever Christ undertook God promised and this Grace of Compliance is no other than what Christ procured undertook and God promised To say that the Promises are Conditions one of another is to say no more than that they stand in an order of Application and i◠a constituted relation one to another And these are all the Terms the Doctor means and that he doth mean so and not in your Sence is manifest by noting other Notions of these things two of which he rehearseth wherein I am sure your Notion is comprized at length and breadth He tells us what some say we owe to the Death of Christ the Procuratum of the New Covenant and that he suffered what God appointed he should not that the Justice of God required any such thing c. as in their stead but what by a free Constitution of Divine Wisdom and Soveraignty was appointed and hereon God remitted the Terms of the Old Covenant and entred into a New Covenant suited unto Reason c. These are Faith and sincere Obedience c. Others say The whole Righteousness of Christ is imputed to us so far as that we are made Partakers of the Benefits thereof And that the way of the Communication of them unto us is by the New Covenant which by his Death the Lord Christ procured For the Conditions of the Covenant are establisted in the Covenant it self whereon God will bestow all the Benefits and Effects of it upon us which are Faith and Obedience Wherefore what the Lord Christ hath done for us is thus far accepted as our Legal Righteousdess as that God upon our Faith and Obedience with respect thereunto doth release and pardon all our Sins Upon this Pardon there is no need of any positive perfect Righteousness unto our Justification or Salvation but our own personal Righteousness is accepted with God in the room of it by vertue of the New Covenant which Christ hath procured So is the Doctrine hereof stated by Cursellaeus and those that joyn with and follow him as I take it you do This Doctrine he refutes As for what you quote from Mr. Norton Orth. Evang. p. 172. it 's not to the purpose His Design is to prove the Gospel is preach'd in an Indefinite Proposition which is not to our purpose you quote Mr. Norton in the wrong place Look ch 10. p. 227. The Application both of Grace and Glory and all the good of the Covenant of Grace are free to us though conditioned unto Christ Free Grace excludes not Christ's Merit but Man's Merit Obj. Faith is a Condition though not of it self yet of Salvation and that in the Elect themselves Therefore the Application of Salvation seems not to be free in respect of the Elect. A. A Condition is either a Condition properly so called i. e. an Antecedent Condition or a Condition improperly so called i. e. a Consequent Condition A Condition properly so called is a Law or Observation annexed to a business the performance whereof lyeth upon the Covenant and accordingly the business becomes valid or null Such a Condition was Works in the first Covenant If Faith were such a Condition there would soon be an end of the Covenant of Grace yea the Covenant of Grace were indeed no Covenant of Grace A Condition improperly so called or a consequent Condition is such a Condition whose performance by the Covenantee is absolutely undertaken for and irresistibly wrought by the Covenanter and not left in Suspence upon the Covenantee to be performed by his own strength Faith is a consequent Condition not an antecedent Condition So as this Proposition I will give Eternal Life to the Elect if they believe is equivalent unto this I will out of my absolute Will give unto the Elect Eternal Life because I will out of my absolute Will give unto the Elect to believe Particula si 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si feceris hoc vives Particula si non est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in si credideris Buc. loc 21. q. 3. Obj. Repentance and new Obedience are necessary to Salvation Luke 13.3 Heb. 3.13 Therefore the Application of the good of Election is not to be free in respect of us A. Good Works which is also true Repentance are necessary as the way appointed of
Iniquity the Lord hath laid on Christ God himself cannot charge one Sin on that Man and he makes a difference between a strong Believer and a weak to consist in the degree of his Perswasion Dr. C. p. 158. Antinom This was a Use that I made upon that Point of laying Sin on Christ If God have laid our Iniquity upon Christ then whosoever thou art to whom the Lord will be pleased to give the believing of this Truth that the Lord hath laid thine Iniquity on Christ that laying thine Iniquity upon him is an absolute and full Discharge to thee that there neither is nor can be any Iniquity for the present nor for hereafter that can be laid to thy Charge and then follows what he hath rehearsed And if this be not true Doctrine that every Believer that by the Grace of God sees his Sins laid on Christ hath a full pardon of all Sins past present and to come so that Sin shall never be charged on him for Condemnation before God I am to seek for the Doctrine of the Gospel I quote that place Rom. 8.33 to me a very full Proof And I do affirm that the Degrees of our Faith doth stand in the Degrees of the sight of Christ's Glory and the Perswasion we have in our Hearts of our part in him And I do not say That he is no Believer that hath not this perfectly far be it from me to say so there are that are Believers that are weak in the Faith and there are Believers that are strong in the Faith the more the Light and Glory of the Gospel shines in the true Intention of God to his People the more shall they return to their rest the more shall they have Joy and Gladness Why may not a Believer then say as David did The Lord hath been very bountiful to me that I may return to my rest God hath done every thing in Christ and taken away all things that can disturb my Peace and Comfort Dr. C. p. 158. Calvin I pray Mr. Neonom let us have your Description of Saving Faith Neonom I shall express it in the Assemblies Words ch 14. A. 2. D. W. p. 72 73. By this Grace a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word from the Authority of God himself speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular Passage thereof containeth yielding Obedience to the Commands trembling at the Threatnings and embracing the Promises of God for this Life and that which is to come But the principal Acts of Saving Faith are Accepting Receiving and resting upon Christ alone for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life by vertue of the Covenant of Grace Gentlemen weigh this Account of Faith well which if it were regarded and no essential part excluded when Faith is considered as a Condition of any Gospel-benefit One would think no man need prove that it is not saving Faith when any Essential part of it is wanting and that it must be saving Faith when we mention Faith as a Condition Antinom That Reverend Assembly do here express the Essential Parts of Faith and something more as the Effects of it I take it not to be intended for a Definition wherein only Essentials are put but a Description that takes in Subjects Adjuncts Effects c. The Definition is first given A. 1. That the Grace of Faith is whereby the Elect are enabled to believe to the Saving of their Souls After they proceed to shew the Causes of it the Word and Spirit and after that its several ways of Acting and it's Effects They do in the shorter Catechism give a briefer Account of it which may be more properly called a Definition Quest 86. What is Faith in Jesus Christ Answ Faith in Jesus Christ is a Saving Grace whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for Salvation as he is offered to us in the Gospel And if you please to turn to Quest 31. you shall see what they mean by receiving and resting There they say Effectual Calling is the work of God's Spirit whereby convincing us of our Sin and Misery enlightning our Minds in the knowledge of Christ and renewing our Wills he doth perswade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the Gospel And in the Larger Catechism you have a full Description of Faith as Justifying Quest 72. wherein there is the Genus of it a saving Grace the principal efficient Cause the Spirit the Causa ministrant the subservient efficient Cause the Word Both Causae procreantes The Subject in whom it is wrought a sinful miserable and lost Creature really so and in his own Eyes And then you have the Material Cause the truth of the Promise of the Gospel In the Confession wherein it's more largely express'd it's whatever is revealed in the Word this is the Objective part of it and Material The Form of Saving Faith is an Impression wrought upon the Soul from the proper Efficacy of the Spirit by the Word according to the acceptable Nature and Evidence thereof The Truth must have Goodness in it because we believe many things that we fear and are averse to The Word works objectively upon the Understanding perswading it to assent and set to it's Seal that the Word is Truth and from the Goodness in that Truth it perswades the Will to embrace because Voluntas sequitur ultimum dictamen intellectus and the consenting of the Will is an Effect of the assenting of the Understanding Hence then it 's not barely believing without Ground but upon some Authority In the Confession 't is said For the Authority of God himself speaking in the Word which is believing on Christ believing in God from whence follows an awful Reverence and Regard to his Word as also the resting and depending of the Soul thereon And when it 's determined to the Grace of Justification it 's as in the Larger and Shorter Catechism it receiveth Christ and his Righteousness in the Promise and resteth thereon for Pardon of Sin Justifying Grace through the Righteousness of Christ is the Object and that which it aims at is the accepting and accounting of a Mans Person Righteous in the sight of God for Salvation which is fuller express'd in the Confession shewing what saving Faith in the largest Sence designs viz. accepting receiving and resting upon Christ alone excluding all other Foederal Conditions for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life by vertue of the Covenant of Grace Now you see how clearly they make Faith a Perswasion and that it doth all objectively by taking in the Truth and receiving it for the Understanding receiveth and embraceth by being perswaded it takes in the Light of Truth and the Will embraceth by being perswaded and the great procatarctick Cause is the Covenant of Grace Now I see you have a clean contrary Notion of making it a Condition and moral Instrument i. e. A moral Condition of the Covenant and so a Work and as such
to reach the End of the Covenant which I utterly deny for that would destroy it's own Nature and Use and also the Covenant of Grace it self Neonom The Question is not whether Assurance be attainable in this Life as an effect of Faith D. W. p. 74. Antinom A Perswasion of Truth and certainty thereof is Assurance and so far as I do believe there is this in the Act of Faith though a weak Faith hath Doubtings attending but not therefore commendable And there can be no Faith without some degree of Perswasion concerning the Truth of the Object You speak here of an Assurance which must be reckoned of the highest Degree of Perswasion and therefore you deal not fairly to change your Terms from Perswasion to Assurance There is a two-fold Assurance the Plerophory of Faith and an Assurance that I have true Faith which is Spiritual Sence and Argumentation from it's Nature and Effects one is by the proper direct Act of believing the other by reflex Acts of the Soul upon it self Neonom Nor whether a Sinner ought to apply yea doth personally apply the general Offers of Christ and Life by his own Compliance with the Terms of the Gospel for upon a true acceptance of a whole Christ he is mine in vertue of the Gospel-promise which God will perform in giving Christ and Life to all that accept him as he is proposed for our acceptance Antinom You are very dark and obscure in what you here speak 1. By Personal Application I understand particular Application and so it 's your Sense that a Sinner ought to make a particular Application of the general Offers of Christ and Life in the very Act of believing and so far I joyn with you and that his thus believing is his Compliance the Gospel's Work being perswading my Compliance is to be perswaded and there 's nothing else expected which you call Terms the Terms is that we put in no Terms but accepting Christ freely offered And you say he is yours in vertue of the Gospel-Promise you must intend in the vertue of the Gospel-Promise believed or else you have no right but as you had before believing an Intentional Right only if it be a claimable Right it 's in a Promise believed for whatever Right is real in the Promise none will plead any but what he believes And it is in vertue of the Promise to give Christ and Life to many that do not yet accept of him For it 's the vertue of the Promise to give Life to dead Sinners that they may actively and comfortably receive and accept him Neonom Nor whether a convinced Sinner hath a more special Regard at first of the Priestly Offices and Sufferings as what are more sensibly fitted to his guilty state Antinom I understand not what you mean by Priestly Offices as if Christ had more Priestly Offices than one Christ doth exercise his Priestly Office in the state of Humiliation and Exaltation but I have not seen any before that ascribes to Christ two Priestly Offices And if you mean Justifying Faith it 's Office is to lay hold on and apply the Person of Christ in his Priestly Office Neonom Nor whether every thing recorded in Scripture must be dwelt on with the same regard concern and assurance as the Essentials of the Covenant of Life Antinom You mean here Faith as to the general Nature of it you do not distinguish it from Faith in the Justifying Nature all along Neonom Nor whether Faith contain in it a reliance on Christ as our only Saviour and on his Satisfaction and Merits as what alone purchased our Pardon and Acceptance as well as it includes the realizing Assent to the Truth and unfeigned fiducial Consent to acceptance of a whole Christ in all his Offices All these I affirm Antinom You acknowledge then that Faith contains in it 1. A Reliance on Christ as an only Saviour How can this be without some perswasion A rational Man never rests and leans upon a thing that he hath not some ground of Perswasion that it 's strong enough to bear him 2. You own it includes a realizing Assent to the Truth and this is a very high Perswasion of a Truth with a particular Application of it to a Man's self as belonging to him 3. You say there 's an unfeigned Fiducial Consent to and Acceptance of Christ and all his Offices This is strong Confidence when the Soul is so far perswaded of the reality of the Tender of Christ made in the Promise that he doth not only take him but with boldness questions not but he hath the Son and hath Life in this very Act of Believing You say we rely on Christ's Satisfaction and Merits as what alone purchased our Pardon and Acceptance This is true in a true Sence but we easily see what you mean by what you speak before Neonom The real difference is whether the whole Essence of Saving Faith consists in an inward Perswasion or Assurance that our Sins are pardoned and Christ is ours This you affirm and I deny Yea I deny that it is at all of the Essence of Saving Faith D. W. p. 75. Antinom What I said and you charge for my Errour I stand to it and have made it appear to be Truth I said the whole Essence of Faith is the Eccho of the Heart answering the Voice of the Spirit and Word of Grace and thereby it 's the Obedience of Faith The Soul believes and closeth with Truth according to the nature of it and in such a manner as is required You wrong me to say I used the Words Perswasion or Assurance I said If you receive Truth and in reality believe it and rely upon it you may conclude that Christ is yours and this is now a Conclusion made upon my believing too I pray would you not say so to a poor Sinner If thou dost believe on the Lord Jesus with all thy Heart thou shalt be saved and you ought to conclude you shall be saved And this is a perswasion of my state upon believing Calvin Mr. Neonom It 's indeed a marvellous thing that you should say and unsay a thing in the same Breath to own Faith a reliance on Christ that it carries a realizing Assent to the Truth and an unseigned Fiducial Consent and now to say Perswasion is not at all of the Essence of Faith Neonom I said it contained and it included it I said not they were of the Essence Antinom This is just like your wonted way of Dodging How doth Faith contain and include these things As in a Box which contains and includes things of a Specifick Nature different from it self Well we will attend your Proof Neonom The second thing in difference is Whether Saving Faith includes not in it's Nature that powerful efficacious Assent to the Word and fiducial consenting to acceptance of Christ as Prophet Priest and King with a Reliance on his Merits and obediential Regards to God as the
is a false Conclusion that Christ is mine before he is so and must the great Terms of Life be a Lie We are to examine our selves whether we are in the Faith or not 2 Cor. 13.5 Where hath God made this Proposition My sins are laid on Christ Vnless you are for general Redemption the Word of Grace promiseth Pardon to none but a Believer and the Spirit speaks to none but a Believer Antinom In all things we receive of Gift there must be a right of Donation first if we take before it 's given it 's Theft and unless I am perswaded that the giving Hand is reached out I can't receive We have our first Earnest for Blessedness in the Perswasion of Faith in the very Act of it and it 's Non sence to talk any way of partaking of Christ but by the Spirit and Faith And he that in an Act of believing at first finds Christ in the true Perswasion of Faith doth not nor cannot say of Christ he is his before he is so The Soul cannot be too nimble for Christ and if he that believeth not makes God a Liar what are those that perswade to Unbelief That Faith in it's very Act is an Evidence is no hinderance to the Trial and Examination of our selves by the Fruit of Faith besides And though the Proposition in the Gospel be an indefinite Proposition yet the Application by Faith in a Sinner ought to be particular and fiducial or else the Faith of Believers will be no more than that of others that believe only that Christ came to save Sinners and if the Promise of Pardon were not to Sinners as such it were not Pardon and if a Man upon Trial must first find by Signs that he doth believe before he lay claim to Pardon Sinners would be in a sad condition But this is the comfort that as the Promise of Pardon is the great Encouragement to believing so believing it self is the receiving and perceiving of it And the Soul saith or should by Faith He loved me and gave himself for me At the sight of Christ it saith My Lord and my God If the Lord speak to a Believer in believing by his Word and Spirit Thy Sins are forgiven it 's not said so to one that is a Believer first Relata are simul naturâ The Promise of Paternity is not a Promise or Gift to one that 's a Father first nor Sonship to one that is a Son first God promiseth himself to be a Father to them that are Loammi And how gross is that Assertion That the Spirit speaks it to none but to a Believer as a Believer Doth not the Spirit speak Peace before we receive it by an Act of Faith Doth not this cause us to believe it 's the Light causeth the Eye to see It 's the Light shining into the dark Unbelieving Heart that perswades the Heart it 's God that saith to the Soul I am thy Salvation before we can believe it Neonom The Second thing that I will prove is that Saving Faith hath the Essentials expressed in the above-mentioned Truth as Assent Trust Consenting Acceptance of Christ Reliance c. Antinom You said before that Inward Perswasion of the Pardon of Sin was no Part of Saving Faith And said in the next that it contained Assent to the Word Fiducial Consent and Acceptance of Christ A Man therefore may understand you that tho it contained it yet it was not of it's Essence Now you seem to say these are Essentials if you do not you hide your self again in the Word Include If you say These be Essentials which you name we say so too but allow not yours c. and all these Essentials are in the Word Perswasion Assent is the Perswasion of the Understanding Consent the Perswasion of the Will to the Truths and good things propounded the Promise whereby the Soul relies upon Christ therein for himself particularizeth Christ and all Blessings to himself as his and now go on and prove all that you said before to be false Neonom You are mistaken I will prove my Position true and then see where your Errour will be 1. Faith can be no less than the Souls Answer to the Call of God c. Antinom We say it is so and he bids us believe but it 's not Faith as such for all Obedience is an answer to the Call of God Neonom The Scripture describes Saving Faith by all these Acts it 's the evidence of things not seen Substance of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 Receiving of Christ John 1.12 Isa 55.4 Acts 13.26 Rom. 15.12 Isa 44.5 Antinom This we say it is Evidence and Substance of things at a distance is a full Perswasion of them according to the Nature of them such a Perswasion as carries the whole Soul forth to God to rest and rely upon him having Union with Christ thereby bringing him in all his Excellencies into our Souls and taking him for our own Doth a Man believe any good thing promised and doth not he catch at it for himself if he have any savour of it If the Promise of Pardon present it self to us doth a Man believe till he appropriate it to himself saying It is mine though an unworthy Sinner If a condemned Prisoner hears a Pardon is come out for some he may believe that but till he believes he is one it 's no Comfort to him tho there may be hopes at least he is in it Neonom Christ can't be received as a Saviour without these Antinom It 's very true he is never received as such till I receive him as my Saviour and believe him to be so in some measure and this I am bound to do to receive him by confident Perswasion and resting upon him Neonom A Faith without these Essentials could never produce those great Effects as are ascribed to Faith to purifie the Heart Acts 15.9 to be a shield against Temptations Eph. 6.16 works by Love Gal. 5.6 sanctifies us Acts 26.18 By Faith we are risen with Christ Col. 2.12 Antinom It 's certain that no Faith can do it but such as makes a particular Application by a perswasion of the Love of God or Interest in Christ Pardon of Sins and Reconciliation to God through him that can produce the Effects spoken of this will purifie the Heart from an evil guilty Conscience to serve the Living God this will be a Shield against the most Mortal Darts of Satan that he shoots at our state by bringing in Law Condemnations Hereby Love to God is produced in the Soul and we Act towards God and our Neighbours in Love hereby we are brought to true Obedience such as the Law required at first for the Principle to Love the Lord our God with all our Hearts Soul and Strength and therefore the Apostle saith Love is the Sum of all Obedience as our Saviour said It 's the fulfilling of the Law through this Grace of the Spirit for by receiving Forgiveness of Sin we
have an Inheritance among them that are Sanctified Pardon believed is the Root of Sanctification and this cannot be without it for by Faith we are risen with Christ we are planted in the likeness of his Death and Resurrection and Faith in this Point of Christ's Resurrection is that which sets us above the Charge of Sin and Condemnation By the Resurrection of Christ Preached we are begotten to this lively believing hope and we are risen with him through this Faith of the Operation of God hence the Body of Sin is destroyed Death abolished Life and Immortality brought to light Christ by his Resurrection being discharged and justified from the Iniquities of us all which were laid upon him and which he bore in his Body upon the Tree Neonom An Inlightned Regenerate Soul cannot Act towards Christ when he is first presented to its view below these Instances Antinom No it 's the sight of Christ and taste of Christ that carries him forth to all Duties of Sanctification he having Christ in all his fulness he hath done with all his Conditions all his Righteousness is filthy Rags A Soul truely instated by a lively Faith is far above padling with his own little poor sinful Duties as conditions between him and Christ he can serve Christ obey him and his Commandments are not grievous to him neither will he think they have any such Vertue in them as to give him Right to Christ in any way of Foederal Conditionality Neonom His mistakes are because Faith is the Evidence of things unseen i. e. it assents unto unseen realities therefore he thinks that our Faith is nothing but our assent Antinom I think I understand the Import of those words as I have told you but I shewed you it 's such a work of the Spirit and Word whereby the Heart Ecchoes to the Word by such perswasion of the Truth whereby Christ and the Truth is as it were formed in us and your selves can give no account of Faith that reacheth the Essentials thereof but what we have done from the Word of God Neonom Because the Word of Grace promiseth Justification unto all true Believers therefore an assurance of my being Justified is believing whereas I must first be a Believer in order to Pardon before I justly can or ought to believe that I am pardoned Antinom The word Assurance is a word you Impose it was not in the words you alledge against me what is it the Gospel would have us believe if it be not Forgiveness of Sins Acts 13.38 Be it known unto you that through this Man is preached unto you forgiveness of Sins and by him all that believe are justified c. What do they believe It 's Forgiveness of Sins and in this Act of Faith is the Justification by Faith in that they believe forgiveness of Sins and as they are weakly or strongly perswaded through the Spirit of Grace working the Promise upon their Souls In Justification by Faith Faith is not nor cannot be before it but they are Relata quae mutua alterius constant affectione Popish School Divines do dream that Faith is a Quality cleaving in the Heart Luth. on Gal. c. 3. v. 8. without Christ This is a Devilish Errour But Christ should be so set forth that thou shouldest see nothing besides him and shouldest think that nothing can be more near unto thee or more present within thy Heart than he is for he sitteth not Idly in Heaven but is present in us C. 2. I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me And here likewise you have put on Christ Faith therefore is a certain stedfast beholding which looketh upon nothing else but Christ the Conqueror of Sin and Death and the Giver of Righteousness Salvation and Eternal Life this is the cause that Paul nameth Jesus Christ so often in his Epistles almost in every Verse but he setteth him forth by the Word For otherwise he cannot be comprehended but by the Word This was lively and notably set sorth by the Brazen Serpent for Moses commanded them that were stung to do nothing else but stedfastly behold the Brazen Serpent they that did so were healed Read with great vehemency this word me and for me and so inwardly practise with thy self Id. on Gal. 2.20 that thou with a sure Faith maist conceive and print this me in thy Heart and apply it unto thy self not doubting but thou art of the number of those to whom this 〈◊〉 belongeth Also that Christ hath not only loved Peter and Paul and given himselfe for them but that the same Grace also which is comprehended in this me as well appertaineth and cometh unto us as unto them When I feel and confess my self a Sinner through Adam's Transgression why should I not say that I am made Righteous through the Righteousness of Christ especially when I hear that he loved me and gave himself for me This did Paul most stedfastly believe and therefore he speaketh these words with so great vehemency and full assurance which God grant unto us in some part at the least who hath loved us and given himself for us What is Faith The first part of Religion whereby from Knowledge I believe in God Yates Divin The first Act of Faith is passive in receiving what God gives Here may we justly say it is a poorer and meaner Act to believe than to love nay rather Passion than Action for we are first apprehended of God before we apprehend him again Phil. 3.12 This Grace is most freely Graced that it might the more frankly reflect all on God again No doubt Faith receives a full discharge makes it not we rather by Faith receive an Acquittance Sealed in the Blood of Christ than the Blood of Christ to make our own Works Meritorious which we may offer to God in payment for our selves Here lyes the Errour of Papists even in Faith iâ— self and other Graces If God will â—â—t bear half the Charges by his Co-operation Man shall undertake to Merit his own Glory and fulfill the Royal Law so abundantly that he shall have something over and above Works are the Effects of Sanctification Sanctification is the Effect of Justification P. 23. The Object of the Understanding is Truth of the Will Goodness Temble of Grace and Faith P. 111. Faith is an Assent to the Truth and Goodness of Divine Revelation wherefore we affirm that this Faith is an Act of the Understanding and of the Will both together approving and allowing the Truth and Goodness of Divine Things In which Asserâ—ion you are to note that we do not make the habit of Faith to be inherent in two Faculties but we affirm the subject is but one and the same viz the Intellectual Nature for I take it with divers of the Lerrned that these Speculations about the real distinction of Faculties in Spiritual Substances of Angels and Souls of Men are but meer subtilties in the Schools without any true ground in
is the chiefest thing to which Faith is directed which is the Promise of God whereto by believing we assent and this Promise is chiefly that wherein he Promiseth that he will through Christ be favourable and merciful to us and although there be many Promises in Scripture are offered unto us yet this one is the chiefest for whose sake the rest are performed unto us unto which all other Promises are to be referred The common Object of Faith is the Word of God but the chiefest Object is as is rehearsed p. 58. He proves it to be a firm Assent from Acts 10.20 and Rom. 4.10 And yet he saith it Conflicts with many Doubtings DEBATE X. Of the Free Offer of Christ to Sinners and of Preparatory Qualifications Calvin WE have discoursed several Points in our late Meetings I suppose you have had pretty good satisfaction in all material things you have charged Mr. Antinomian with for Errour I hope you cannot charge him with more Errour Neonom But I can I have a whole Cargo yet behind and this is one among the rest that he saith That Christ is offered to Blasphemers Murderers and the worst of Sinners that they remaining ignorant unconvinced unhumbled and resolved in their purpose to continue such they may be assured they have a full Interest in Christ and this by only concluding in their minds upon this Offer that Christ is theirs D. W. p. 81. Calvin I hope he offers Christ to them then in all his Salvation as he is revealed in the Gospel that he gave himself for us to Redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works Tit. 2.14 And if he doth so I know not why he may not offer Christ as such to the worst of Men I know no other way to make them better But what were his words Neonom I need give no Proof of it it is a declared Point which he oft strives to prove that all the Elect are actually united to Christ before they believe But of this in our next Discourse D. W. p. 81. He saith Is not Vnbelief a barr to have a part in Christ A. It is a Barr to hinder the manifestation of Christ in the Spirit but it 's not a Barr to hinder one from having a part in Christ D. C. p. 110. Antinom He leaves out part of the very Sentence I spake I said It is not a Bar to hinder the manifestation of Christ in the Spirit on whom God doth bestow A Sinner being passive in the Work of Grace God breaketh all those Bars of Brass when Christ manifests himself in the Spirit by Converting Grace mark how my words refer plainly to Gods Act and not to ours I proceeded thus It is true that you nor I can say by Experience that Christ is our Christ untill we believe as long as we continue in total unbelief we cannot conclude to our own Spirits that Christ is ours But unbelief mark my very words is not simply a Bar to the bestowing of Christ to such a Person he bestows him without any regard to belief or unbelief i. e. as a reason of bestowing him if unbelief should be a Bar to hinder Christ from being bestowed upon Persons where is the Person upon whom Christ should be bestowed There 's no Person under Heaven considered simply as ungodly under the Notion of ungodlidess but he is considered as an unbeliever Calvin You must needs grant this to be true that a sinful state is not a Bar to the power of God in working Grace upon the Heart he speaks altogether in respect of the Act of God upon the Soul where he works and nothing can lett or hinder Neonom But he seems to insist on Mens coming to Christ and closing with him D. W. p. 82. He saith No consideration in the World can so aggravate a Mans condition would he make his condition as bad as the Devils themselves yet if there be but a coming there can be no consideration in the highest pitch of sinfulness for Christ to reject him D. C. p. 206. D. C. 206. Antinom I said Suppose a Person be dead in Trespasses and Sins Eph. 2.2 c. The Lewdest Person that can be imagined and continuing so to this very instant now before the Lord without any change and alteration until now by this Text John 6.37 It appears so manifest that if the Lord do but grant and if the Lord hath put a willingness and readiness of Spirit into this Mâ—n that Christ he would have if it might appear he might have him If his Heart do but say I would have him all that sinfulness though to this instant continued in is no Bar in the World and after follows the words mentioned by him after which I added For you must know Christ is well acquainted with all the Objections the Heart of Man nay the Devils can make against the freeness of his Grace and Life by him to save a labour therefore in this one passage I will in no wise cast him out Christ at once answers all the Objections that could be made and I dare be bold to maintain in the Name and Stead of Christ let a Person but say and lay down this for granted Come he would Cheist he would have rather than his Life let this be granted for a Truth mark well these words I speak not of a Luâ—â—icrous Hypocritical say so I will be bold with Christ out of this passage to Answer a Thousand Objections I will in no wise cast him out i. e. I will upon no consideration that can be imagined or conceived D. C. p. 207. I know the Objections are very many and strong in respect of such a Person to whom the Lord hath given a willingness and desire of Spirit to close with Christ yet dare not do the thing but let them be what they will let me tell you the Lord hath sent me at this time to proclaim Liberty to the Captives that are in this sad bitter and to your own thinking desperate condition liberty God hath given thee and if thou wilt come freely nothing in the World shall hinder thee Calvin I profess Mr. Neonomian I wonder what kind of Gospel you would have that you call this Errour Neonom He saith Whatever thou art suppose a Drunkard a Whore-master a Swearer a Blasphemer a Mad-man in Iniquity couldst thou but come to Christ I say come only come it is no matter if there be no alteration in thee when thou dost come to Christ D. C. p. 202. Antinom These words were in the same Sermon and before I spake the words above rehearsed I only in all supposed that a Sinner saw no alteration in himself till the time of the Call to come to Christ the drift of this Discourse was principally to take off Objections from such as willingly would come to Christ and dare not D. C. 203. I shew'd there are two sorts of People that are given
whole use depends on Gods Ordination Antinom I wonder you 'l ground your denial upon such a weak Reason for would not Adam's Merits have depended on God's Ordination And doth not Christ's Merits depend on God's Ordination Neonom Nor whether a Soul may neglect to accept of Christ as Prophet Priest and King because they feel not that degree of these Humblings and Convictions which they desire and expect Antinom But being you set them a digging in the Rock of their own Hearts for the Pearl of Great Price you should tell them how deep it lyes before they are likely to find it for all these Convictions and Humblings are before they come at Christ you put them upon hard Service unless you tell them when they are convinced enough and humbled enough and why do you use the word neglect for as long as they are upon the work you assign them they wait for you to offer Christ to them and you tell them it 's better to stay longer and there 's reason for it according to your Hypothesis if some degrees of Humblings must be had to fit them for Christ then more degrees will make them more fit Neonom Nor whether these Preparatory Qualifications be the Work of the Spirit by common Grace This I affirm Antinom So then they may dig and not find the Mine and spend all their days in Common Grace and never find Spiritual Grace now here you fully declare your self that Common Grace is the Condition of Special Grace What a Work is here with Conditions Neonom Nor whether their immediate Influence I mean of Preparatory Qualifications be to prepare the Soul for a true consenting Acceptance which it is hereby less averse to and more disposed for This I affirm Antinom I know not what sence to put upon this but the Papists Congruity and that common Grace is a degree or a qualifying condition of Saving Grace and that Common and Special differ not Specifically but Gradually only which to me is gross Divinity Sancta Clara tells us thus De habitâ prima gratiâ Actuali Communis recepta Sententia Scholar est c. Certainly it is the common and received Opinion of the Schools that with the help of the first preventing Grace we may obtain further helps by acting and endeavouring yea the first habitual justifying Grace and in some measure deserve it de congruo i. e. of meetness fitness and aptitude and it 's the common Opinion of all the Doctors as to after-helps in respect of the first Grace and he faith He takes Scotus's Judgment instead of all as the best in that he saith Repentance is a meer disposition to habitual Grace And amongst such as he quotes for his Opinion he brings the 13th Article of the Church of England Artic. 13. Of Works before Justification Works done before the Grace of Christ and the Inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant to God for as much as they spring not of Faith in Jesus Christ neither do they make Men meet to receive Grace or as the School Authors say deserve Grace of Congruity yea rather for that they are not done as God willeth or commanded them to be done we doubt not but they have the Nature of Sin which he would wrest to his sence that although Works before the Faith of Christ or the first Actual Grace are excluded as meritum ex congruo by the said Article exceptio firmat regulam in oppositum yet he saith Other Works according to the said Article done as Fruits of Faith may in some measure dispose and de congruo deserve promereri gratiam Justificationis which Opinion he would make Augustin to be of And whereas it 's said in the said Article We doubt not but they have the Nature of Sin he would palliate it thus saying Non dicunt talia simplicitèr esse peccata sed potius participare quod sine omni dubio est terminus diminuens i. e They say not that such are simply Sins but do partake of Sin which without all doubt is a Term of Diminution i. e. the word rather or else they would have said that they were Sins without Restriction You see what Jesuitical Evasions here are to establish your Qualifications which you and the Papists are so fond of whereas these first Reforming Protestants say Non disponunt hominem ad receptionem gratiae but the rather we doubt not but they have the Nature of Sin yet you will say they prepare for true Acceptance and make the Soul less averse and more disposed to it whereas the quite contrary mostly appears that those that become meerly morall and leave off the practice of some gross Sins and do some good Works from that Principle are usually the most averse and least disposed to the Grace of God of the two Neonom I shall shew you wherein the Real difference is 1. Whether coming to Christ is an inward Perswasion that Christ is mine This you affirm and I deny Antinom You abuse me in charging me with speaking what you would fasten upon me for I spake distinctly of these two things first of coming to Christ and then of knowing that Christ is mine by my being come to him but yet I say that this coming to Christ ought to be by a particular perswasion that Christ is offered to me as a Sinner freely offered to me without any consideration of any Qualification and this perswasion every Believer hath less or more Dr. Twiss distinguisheth between fides in Christum fides de Christo Faith in Christ and Faith concerning Christ being ours the first is this coming to Christ for Life the other our Perswasion and sweet Sense of the Love of God in Christ Neonom 2. Whether Christ is offered to Sinners with a design that they may conclude they have a Saving Interest in him before they are Regenerated by the Spirit and savingly Believe Antinom The Design of offering Christ to Sinners is that they may receive the offer freely and immediately and that when they are come to Christ they should know this Faith was not of themselves or did spring out of any Natural or Moral Qualification but from Christ the Author of it and from their Union to Christ Jesus which I take to be a Saving part in him and that they cannot believe without a Saving part in Jesus Christ before they believe He having blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ of which Faith is none of the least And Dr. Twiss saith Faith being one proper Effect only of a Saving Interest though not claimable by them till they believe Justitia Christi sicut Christi est c. The Righteousness of Christ as it is Christs and performed by him so it 's ours as wrought for us juris ratione and before Faith as Meritorious of Efficacious Grace for the working of that Faith Lib. 1. p. 2. § 25. For if without Christ they can do nothing then they cannot believe without part
which Life must be our Union to Christ which according to the most Orthodox is and must be before Faith it self at least Naturâ Neonom He says We partake of the Spirit by vertue of this Vnion Calvin Yes how should Members partake of the Spirit and Life that is in the Head but by vertue of this Union and yet the Spirit unites A Branch engrafted partakes of the Spirits of the Root by vertue of an Union and the Spirits unite and knit it Neonom He saith God did not only decree to put such Qualifications into them but I say farther That God gives Actual Possession of this Christ and that Christ takes Possession of that Person before there be any Qualifications P. 618. Calvin I doubt not but Christ takes Actual Possession of us saltem naturâ before we have any holy Qualifications but as to our Actual Possession of Christ it 's better exprest that we have it by Faith although where there is Possession there is relatum correlatum Neonom The Question is not Whether God hath decreed the Vnion of the Elect Nor whether this Vnion is agreed in the Covenant of Redemption D. W. p. 92. Antinom But it is Whether the Elect have not a Union of Federal Relation in the Covenant as you call of Redemption as being a Seed in him and Covenanted with in him and he as a common Person representing them and undoubtedly is that Root or Head out of which all his Elect Seed or Members do spring Neonom Nor is it any Question whether Christ's giving us the Spirit of Grace do begin this Vnion and the Spirit given in order to Saving Operations produceth this Faith whereby the Vnion is Consummated Calvin Well well if you own so much what do you make a Controversie of this Point it seems you acknowledge the Union is begun with Christ giving his Spirit in order to Saving Operations only you say it 's consummated by our Active cleaving unto Christ by believing and he doth as good as say as much he saith There is no Activeness of this Life of Christ in the Elect till they do believe and in this sence he will say the Elect are not united viz. by Faith till they do believe as for his Notion of the Elect being in Christ before calling it hath been discours'd already and let 's not fetch things over again Antinom There is a Passive Recipiency and there is an Active Recipiency Dr. C. p. 98. there is a Passive receiving of Christ and that is so that Christ is received without any Hands but in an Active receiving of him he is not received without Hands This passive receiving of Christ is just such a receiving of him as when a froward Patient takes a purge or some bitter Physick he shuts his Teeth against it but the Physician forceth his Mouth open and pours it in down his Throat and so it works against his will by the over-ruling power of one over him Neonom For my part I like not such Similitudes and it insinuates that Men are said to receive Christ against their Wills D. W. p. 101. Dr. C. p. 612. And he said too That our first coming to Christ is as a Coach is said to come to Town when it is drawn to Town Calvin You know his meaning by those Similes and they are not to run on four Feet it 's enough they serve to illustrate that part of Truth which they are used for Mr. Antinomian means as you do as to Man's Will There 's nothing more contrary to a rebellious carnal Man than the Graee of God their Hearts are full of Enmity and Hatred to God and Truth but yet he shews you often that God gives Gifts to the Rebellious And here you see how he gives it and what he gives it may be he binds them with the cords of afflictions and opens their Eyes to see their undone condition pours into their Consciences whole Potions of the Guilt of Sin and the Laws Condemnation whereby as undone Creatures through Grace they become willing and ready to receive Christ and he becomes precious to them by the same hand of his Spirit If you should pick up odd Similes out of Sermons which it may be hath done good and God hath blessed you may expose many a good Man's Labours See holy Cranmer's and I think such were were of famous Mr. Rogers of Dedham and consider the Spirit of God allows preaching Christ to be foolishness to the World Therefore be very wary how you despise reproach or redicule in these cases lest in striking pretendedly at Men and their weakness you happen to give a slant Blow at the Spirit of God For he tells you there is such a kind of Recipiency of Christ he instanceth in Ephraim Jer. 31.18 19. And in the like Dialect Elihu speaks to Job chap. 36.8 9. If they be bound in Fetters and held in the Cords of Affliction then he sheweth them their Works and their Transgressions that they have exceeded And in the Metaphor of a Coach or Chariot the Spirit of God speaks in the Sacred Scripture and the Church saith to Christ Draw me and I shall run after thee Neonom The real difference is 1. Whether the Elect are actually united to Christ before they are born 2. Whether the Elect are united to Christ till they are effectually called and truly believe Antinom That though there be not an active Union on our Parts but by Faith so that it can't be said properly to be a Conjugal Union by mutual consent of Parties yet there is a relative Union such as between Father and Child where the Child gives not consent to this relation he is wholly passive in being brought into it God from Eternity constituted and ordained Christ and all the Elect to be as it were one Body one Lump wherein Christ is the Head and they the Members Christ the Root and they the Branches They are given to Christ John 17. To be in Christ Eph. 1. Being they are called his Seed before they are called John 10. His Seed Isa 53.11 12. Heb. 2.14 Brethren Ver. 11. He that sanctifyeth and they they that are sanctifyed are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. as some add 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Body or Lump And by vertue of this Union it is that the Obedience and Satisfaction of Christ descends particularly unto them and not to the rest of Mankind Calvin The Learned Mr. Rutherford hath as follows The Faith by which as by an Instrument we are Justified Rutherford of the Covenant P. 208. presupposeth three Unions and maketh a fourth Union It presupposeth a Natural Legal Federal Union 1. Natural That Christ and we are not only both Mankind for Christ and Pharaoh and Judas are one specie naturâ true Men but one in Brotherhood He assuming the Nature of Man with a special Eye to Abraham Heb. 2.16 i. e. to the Elect and Believers for
I will name no more of them for the present Antinom The Assembly is full on this Point that our Union to Christ is before the Act of Faith Shorter Catechism Q. 29. How are we made Partakers of the Redemption purchased by Christ A. By the Effectual Application of it to us by his Holy Spirit Q. 30. How doth the Spirit apply to us the Redemption purchased by Christ A. By working Faith in us and thereby uniting us to Christ in our Effectual Calling The Spirit first comes as a Bond of Union and works Faith to Unite by its Act in the first Union by the Spirit we are passive made new Creatures new Born receive Spiritual Life In the second we are Active put forth lively Acts and lay hold on Jesus Christ and all Gospel Grace And if the Confessions say we are United to Christ by his Spirit and by Faith as you acknowledge then there is a Union by the Spirit which is effective of that which is by Faith You say my mistake is in thinking all Grace is wrought by Christ as an Actual Head you mean Grace comes not at first from Christ as our Head but as a designed Head therefore you find fault with my founding our Union on Christ as our Head Where I say P. 104. Christ is the Head of his Church i. e. the Fountain of all Spiritual Sense and Motion A Man cannot have Spiritual Eyes of Faith unless he have this Spiritual Head c. I am not alone here for Mr. Norton and others make Christ as our Head the Fountain and Spring of all Spiritual Life and Motion Evan. P. 249. The Person of Christ Mediator is the first Saving Gift actually applyed to any Elect Person The motion of the Spirit upon the Soul is from Christ the Head See p. 250. DEBATE XII Of Justification by Faith Neonom VVE having formerly discussed the Doctrine of Justifying Righteousness I desire we may now enquire into the Nature of Justification by Faith for Mr. Antinomian hath this Errour among the rest That the whole use of Faith in Justification is only to manifest that we were Justified before and Faith is no way necessary to bring a Sinner into a Justified State nor at all useful to that end D. W. p. 103. Antinom I must hear your proof Sir before I enter upon my defence Neonom You put this Objection Is not believing required unto the Justification of the ungodly Answ An ungodly Person after he is Justified doth believe but you will say it is an Act of Christ by Faith Answ Then Christ doth not Justifie alone c. Nay I say more Christ doth Justifie a Person before he doth believe c. He cannot believe that which is not but he is first Justified before he believes then he believes he is Justified Dr. C. p. 85. Antinom My words were these An ungodly Person after he is Justified doth believe But you must understand it it is not the Faith of the Person that doth simply and properly Justifie but it is that Christ in whom he doth believe he believeth on him that Justifieth the ungodly It is he that Justifieth that is Christ It is not believing that justifieth mark well that Phrase he that justifieth Justification is an Act of Christ not an Act of Faith How often is it said it 's God that Justifieth Justification is an Act of God and not of ours Faith is an Act of ours it 's God by his Grace efficiently Justifies and imputeth the Righteousness of Christ we are materially and objectively Justified by the Righteousness of Christ and by that alone and this I say is before a Sinner believes efficiently because the Object must be before the Act of the Recipient Organ A Man sees because there is Light to see which illuminates the Organ especially such a Light as takes off a privation of sight and restores the Habit so that Justification in regard of Application must be before believing the first Application in ordine naturae saltem is to an ungodly Man eo nomine that he may believe who is thereby made to believe that he may be Justifyed for in Justification we are both Passive and Active as Maccovius saith Calvin Mr. Norton Norton p. 214. hath this Objection If we are Justified by Faith then Faith is in order before Justification and consequently the Act is before the Object whereas on the contrary the Act depends on the Object and not the Object on the Act to this Effect Bellarmine Answ 1. We distinguish between the Being of Justification and our being Justified i. e. between Justification as taken in an Abstract Sence viz. without the receiving Subject thereof viz. a Believer and a Justification taken in a Concrete Sence i. e. together with the Believer Justification considered in the Actstract Sence taken simply and in it self which signifieth Remission of Sins and Righteousness to Acceptation prepared for though not yet conferred upon the Elect hath before Faith a Being not only in the purpose of God but also in the Covenant between the Father and Mediator and in the purchase of Christ This Truth held forth in the Gospel makes the Object of Faith and thus the Object is before the Act. The Grounds of this distinction or distinguishing between Justification actually procured and actually applyed Justification was in God's Decree before Faith P. 315 316. before Sin yea from all Eternity Gal. 3.8 Rom 3.25 The Actual procuring of Justification as considered in it self gives a Being to Justifying Faith Justification is compared to a Garment our being Justified to a Garment put on Justification of the Elect is absolutely and actually procured for them by Christ's Satisfaction before Faith Col. 2.14 The Hand writing of Ordinances cannot be limited to the Ceremonial Law only because it had respect unto the Gentiles then Living to whom the Ceremonial Law belonged not God hath declared his Acceptation of Christ So Calvin on the place P. 216. whereby he hath actually procured Justification for the Elect before Faith It is no small part of the Ministry of Reconciliation That God Imputed unto Christ the Sins of the World of the Elect before they did believe and will not impute them unto the Elect 2 Cor. 5.18 19. This great Gospel Truth is of special use to beget Justifying Faith in the Heart of a Sinner The same the Apostle confirms concerning their Reconciliation Rom. 5.10 That it was wrought for them when they were Enemies i. e. Unbelievers Here is a Twofold Reconciliation mentioned one at the Death of Christ before Paul or the Romans some of them at least were Believers the other at Conversion The first Reconciliation though it was vertually wrought before by the Lamb slain in God's Appointment and Acceptance togethr with his own consent from the beginning of the World Rev. 13.8 yet it was not Actually wrought until the Death of Christ for this Satisfaction sake God Imputes not Sin unto the Redeemed for he
is Actually and Absolutely procured for the Elect before Faith and shall infallibly be applyed to them all in time seemeth to reach the Scope intended by the Godly Learned whose Spirits have more particularly laboured to hold forth the whole Truth in this precious part of Soul-Reconciling Doctrine and Soul-Supporting Mystery of the Gospel To say That we are Justified by vertue of a singular Promise in the Court of Conscience and in our own Persons in which sence the Scripture constantly saith We are Justified by Faith is not that I know of affirmed by any And for this he quotes Chamier Cham. Tom. 3. lib. 12 13. Sect. 18. Nobis persuasissinum est remissa esse peccata antequam Credidimus We are verily perswaded that our Sins are forgiven before we believe for we deny that Infants do believe And Perkins Perkins on Gal. 3.16 who saith Christ is first Justified i. e. Acquit of our Sins and we Justified in him And Dr. Ames saith The Transaction between God and Christ was a certain previous application of Redemption and our discharge unto our Suâ—ety Ames Medul lib. 1. c. 24. § 3. and unto us in him which to that secondary Application to be performed in us hath the respect of a kind of Efficacious pattern so that that the Application to him is the Representation of this Application to us and this is produced by vertue of that And he saith § 3. Hence our discharge liberatio nostra from Sin and Death was not only established in God's Decree but also in Christ and granted and communicated to us in him before it could be perceived by us Rom. 5.10 11. Hence the Father and the Son are said to send the Spirit to the performing of this Application John 14.16 and 16.7 And in the Chapter of Justification Am. Med. c. 27. §. 9. He tells us what the sentence of Justification is 1. It was in the Mind of God as it were conceived by him by his Decree of Justifying Gal. 3.8 2. It was in the Christ our Head pronounced when he rose from the Dead 2 Cor. 5.19 3. Virtually pronounced in that first relation which ariseth from Faith ingenerated in the Heart Rom. 8.1 4. Expresly pronounced by the Spirit witnessing with our Spirits our Reconciliation with God Rom. 5.5 Hence it appears that the Doctrine of our Justification before Faith is not an Errour but a Great and Glorious Truth and it is no prejudice to the Doctrine of Justification by Faith but the Foundation Ground and Reason of it neither is it any Door opened to Licentiousness an unbeliever having no more Confirmation or Encouragement to persist in Sin thereby than by the Doctrine of Election which gives none but as Mr. Norton saith It 's no small part of the Ministry of Reconciliation that God Imputed to Christ the Sins of the Elect before they did believe and will never Impute them unto the Elect. Neither is my speaking of Faith's taking hold of Christ's Righteousness and saying That it brings not Christ's Righteousness to us but presupposeth it given and granted such an absurdity as you would make it For Dr. Ames saith very distinctly Justifying Faith precedes Justification it self as a cause of its Effect but Faith apprehending Justification necessarily presupposeth and follows Justification as the Aâ—â— doth the Object about which it is Conversant and this I take to be the true Notion of Justification That Great Man for Holiness and Learning Chamier saith I deny that Faith is the cause of our Justification for then our Justification would not be of Grace Cham. Parstrat Tom. 3. l. 13. c. 10. Sect. 18. but of our selves but Faith is said to justifie not because it effecteth Justification but because it is effected in the Justified Person and in another place he saith Faith doth neither merit obtain or begin our Justification Lib. 22. c. 12. Sect. 5. and Sect. 9. for if it did then Faith should go before Justification both in nature and time which may in no wise be granted for Faith it self is a part of Sanctification now there is no Sanctification but after Justification which really and in its own nature is before it I think Sir I have cleared my self sufficiently from the Charge of Errour in this Point viz. That our Justification is in being before Faith And now Sir before we proceed to the other part of your Charge concerning the manner of Faith's Justifying let us hear your Arguments against Justification in any sense going before Faith Neonom One Real Difference between us is Whether we are Justified before we believe Which I deny for 1. We are Justified by Faith is the common Language of the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.1 Gal. 2.16 D. W. p. 105. Antinom We own it and say too that we are Justified by Faith and this doth not prejudice but confirm what we assert Neon Faith is enjoyned as an effectual means of Justification by Christ Antinom We deny not that Faith required in the Gospel and wrought by the Spirit is as an effectual means of Application of Justification but therefore it follows not that it 's in being before That which is not in being cannot be applyed Neonom The Gospel denounceth and declareth all condemned till they do believe Antinom The Gospel declares only their state of Condemnation under the Law the Gospel properly condemns not and we own that every one by nature is a Child of Wrath and in the sense of the Law is a condemned Person and every one is shut up under the Law as the Apostle saith till Faith comes his New-Covenant Blessedness belonging to him is not yet made manifest nor is his Nature and State changed Neonom Vnbelief is the Cause why men are barred from Justification and remain obnoxious to Misery Antinom It is God that justifies and no Sin can barr God's Act of free Mercy in pardon of a Sinner in the Pardon of Unbelief as well as of other Sins when God will justifie It 's very absurd to say Sin barrs God's Act of Pardon It 's true Unbelief influenceth a Sinner as to his own Acts and will be charged upon him as his Fault and will aggravate that Condemnation which he hath under the Law because from his own corrupt Will and Affection he will not receive Pardon and Life that is offered in the General and Indefinite Tender thereof made in the Gospel And therefore Christ saith John 5.40 Ye will not come to me that you may have Life Heb. 3.18 19. They could not enter by reason of unbelief Unbelief on our part doth keep us from Christ but hinders not on God's part that effectually draws all the Elect justifying of them and working Faith in them Rom. 8.29 30. Eph. 1. The whole Unregenerate state is a Barr till God break it by Regeneration which is a free Work of Grace as Justification is an Act of Grace and must be found where-ever a Sinner is Justifyed by Faith and that in
in it's own Nature and needs a continued flux of Supply as our Graces in Sanctification As thus a Traytor pardoned by the King is not unalterably pardoned but shall be kept by the King's Care in a pardoned state Neonom Or whether God hath decreed that the Elect shall certainly believe and so be justified Antinom But hath he decreed that the Elect shall never be justified in any Sence before they believe or that Faith should be wrought as a qualifysng Condition for Justification Neonom Nor whether true Faith be an infallible sign of Justification Antinom But you make it nothing else to us if it justifies as a Condition if your Condition doth not foederally merit the Promise it 's nothing to God but an infallible Sign whereby he sees when to justifie us and to us that we are justify'd by him And what is this better than a manifestation you making it only a manifesting Condition You 're excellent good to multiply Whethers to no purpose You might bring in a 1000 Whethers more and say it 's not the Question Whether it be further to the East or West Indies nor whether Brittain be an Island or Continent Neonom I 'll come to the Point and tell you the Truth Tho' Faith be no way a meritorious Cause of a Sinners Justification yet God hath promised to justifie all such as truly believe Antinom That 's true so he hath promised to Sanctifie and glorifie them Neonom And requires Faith as an Indispensible Qualification in all whom he will justifie for Christ's merits Antinom This now is to the purpose now we see how Faith justifies as an indispensible Qualification a greater Condition than was laid upon Adam a thousand-fold For a clearer understanding the Justification of a Sinner by Faith Norton Evang. p. 110. let these Three Acts be considered the one looked at to succeed the other in Order not in Time First God actually imputes the Active and Passive Mediatory Obedience of Christ unto a Believer Rom. 4.6 therein God is freely given Secondly The Soul having before in order of Nature not in Time received Christ as its Head and Saviour by the same Faith receiveth his Obedience as the matter of it's Righteousness herein the Soul is taking Rom. 1.17 Ch. 6.11 Gal. 3 13. Thirdly God hereupon in the Court of Conscience Judicially declares and pronounceth the Sinner to be righteous and to have right unto Eternal Life by vertue of the Promise John 5.4 Rom. 3.22 30. By this Act of Grace the Person of a Sinner is Justified in himself really yet not inherently but imputatively c. Faith acknowledges 1. That we are Justified for the Righteousness sake of another viz. Christ God Man 2. Acknowledgeth our Justification is free 3. Renounceth our own Righteousness You see the Justifying Nature of Faith is Metonimically ascribed to it as the Eye is said to be the Light of the Body because it lets in the Light so Faith as the Spiritual Eye sees the glory of Christ as the Ear lets in the Justifying Promise declaratory Hence it 's said this is Life Eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent which is to acknowledge him by Faith as he is revealed Mr. Norton tells you We are justify'd by Faith alone i. e. Faith as it is justifying is not a work Rom 4.5 Nort. Evang. p. p. 208. 2 Because we are not justified by our own Righteousness i. e. The Righteousness whereof we are the Subjects 3. Because we are justified by the Righteousness of another sometimes called God's Righteousness whereof God is the Ordainer and whereof he who is God-Man is both the Worker and Subject 4. Because we are justified by a Righteousness that 's made ours by Imputation not by Infusion but as Abraham was justified 5. Because we are justifyed by a Righteousness that is actually procured before we believe our Righteousness is compared to a Garment which we put on by believing Rev. 19.8 Rom. 13.14 Gal. 3.27 yet Faith never took stitch in it Calvin That Faith justifies not as a Qualifying Condition is manifest 1. Faith as a Quality is a Work of the Law The Law commanded Faith a leading Duty in it But no Man is justified by the works of the Law Rom. 3.28 So Wolleb Willet This Proposition we are justified by Faith understood legally with the Papists is not true but blasphemous but understood correlatively is true Vosin Cat. p. 2. Q. 63. 2. That which cannot stand with Grace in Justification cannot have any Influence on Justification as such but for Faith to have any causal Influence as a Work on Justification is inconsistent with Grace The Minor is prov'd Eph. 2.8 Ergo. 3. That which gives no more to Faith in the business of our Justification than to other Works of Sanctification cannot be true but to make Faith to Justifie as a Qualification gives no more to Faith than to other Works of Sanctification Ergo. The reason is because the Scripture doth peculiarly attribute our Justification unto Faith and in a way of Opposition to all Works of Sanctification Rom. 3.28 Gal. 2.16 Chap. 3.11 4. If you say That Faith justifies only as an antecedent Condition not at all meritorious Virtute eompacti then it 's no more a Condition than our coming into the World or Acts performed by us before Faith and it gives no more to Faith than to the Works of Nature as Worldly carnal Sorrow Legal Repentance and such moral Acts as carnal and unregenerate Men daily perform such as you call your Preparatory disposing Conditions and they are the cause of Faith as much as Faith of Justification and consequently the causes of Justification Causa causae est etiam causa causati and are in in eodem genere causarum 5. Whatever justifies as a Foederal Condition is meritorious but Faith justifying as a qualifying Condition upon which Life is promised justifies as a Foederal Condition The Major is true in the account of all for the Condition need not to be adequate to the Reward in Intrinsick Value tho' it be never so small yet upon Performance of the Condition the Reward is due Debt And indeed all Conditions in Contracts and Covenants are proper meritorious Causes by vertue of the Compact and Agreement made between the Covenanters For the Minor If it justifies as a qualifying Condition it must justifie as a Foederal Condition or meer Antecedent Condition And if you say as an antecedent Condition it 's at best but Causa sine qua non which we call No Cause 6. The Scripture doth sufficiently explain it self in what it says of Justification by Faith when it says we are redeemed saved justified by Christ by his Blood by his Death c. That the Spirit of God when it says we are justified by Faith intends not any Moral or Physical Causality in Faith as a Qualification but only by vertue of it's Object Mr. Bradford the Holy Martyr reasoneth thus
to God Calvin A Man doth not walk about without his Arms therefore he goes upon his Arms and Hands Neonom Arg. 5. We cannot receive Christ as King without this Repentance of Heart Calvin Nô nor without Faith neither what trifling is here Neonom Without this purpose of Heart no Man accepts of Christ for Sanctification Calvin Therefore you 'l say Christ justifies us by Infusing Righteousness by making us Righteous inherently for which he declares us Righteous an old decryed Popish Errour Neonom A Resolved purpose to continue in Sin and Rebellion against God is Damning let Men pretend what they please Calvin I say more there 's no Venial Sin every Sin is Damning in its own Nature and a Sin repented of without Forgiveness is Damning and the very Repentance of a Natural Man which you would have Conditionate him for Grace is Damning Neonom It 's not to be allowed that it should not be necessary to renounce our Sins with our Hearts in order to Pardon when it is necessary to renounce our own Merits or Righteousness Calvin We reckon it our Duty under the highest Obligation of preventing Grace and great and precious Promises and from the greatest Sence of Duty to renounce our Sins with all our Hearts but dare not do it in a way of Qualification of our selves for Forgiveness least we should make those Repentings and Humblings our Merits as the Papists do whereby Christ profits them nothing and under pretence of Holiness they lose their Righteousness pretend to renounce one Idol and set up another Neonom I will tell you how the Assembly and Dr. O. are of my Mind Calvin You may spare your self the labour for they are point blank against you and so are all Protestants that are not tainted with the Doctrine of the Jesuites Neonom I think there 's never a Barrel the better Herring of you come let 's be gone DEBATE XIII Of the Necessity and Benefit of Holiness Obedience and Good Works with Perseverance therein Calvin HOW do you Mr. Neonomian are you well methinks you look a little Moody Neonom It would disturb any Orthodox Man's Spirit to see how Errour prevails I profess I am almost weary of this Club if this be your Calvinian Club I do think I must betake my self to some other you know where I shall find more soundness in Doctrine Calvin O pray Mr. Neonomian let not Disputants be angry with one another Disputation should be for Information of the Judgment not for the gratifying Pride and Passion put another Question it may be we may agree in that Neonom I will try you once more and if you boggle there Fare you well Gentlemen note that whatever I shall speak now of any Act of Grace except Penitent Believing referrs not to the Forgiveness of Sins or the Sinners Admission into a Justified Estate The Benefits that I here speak of are not the Forfeiture of Pardon the Possession of Heaven and some other Particular Blessings as Increase of Peace Returns of Prayer D. W. Antinom I find now you clapt two Conditions into one why had we not these Conditions twisted together before Methinks you incommoded your self in not doing it yesterday for vis unita fortior but you reckon Faith and Repentance reach no further than the first Justification I think the Catholicks are of your Mind for that 2. You talk of forfeiting Justification the meaning in English is falling away from Grace Neonom Some Mens Brains had need be taken out and washed in Vinegar for there 's no making them understand it were well that you were better studied in Terms of Art Calvin Prethee Mr. Antinomian sit down and hold thy Peace a while you 'll never leave till you have put the Gentleman into a Fustion fume and then we shall lose his good Company pray go on Mr. Neonomian Antinom I smell him where he will be Calvin Nay not yet neither Neonom I tell you then if I may be permitted to speak what an Errour this Antinomian holds He saith 1. Men have nothing to do in order to Salvation 2. Nor is Sanctification a way of any Person to Heaven 3. Nor can the Graces or Duties of Believers no nor Faith it self do them the least good to prevent the least Evil. 4. Nor are they of the least use to their Peace or Comfort 5. Yea though Christ be explicitely owned and they be done in the strength of the Spirit of God 6. And a Believer ought not to think he is the more pleasing to God by any Grace he Acteth or Good he Doth 7. Nor may Men expect any Good to a Nation by their Humiliation Earnest Prayer for Reformation of a People Calvin Now Sir you have a Rowland for your Oliver here 's a long and strong Inditement laid in against you I wish you a good delivery Mr. Antinomian Antinom As I take it there 's about seven things you charge me with I pray make your Proofs per partes I shall be abler to give my Answer Neonom You have told us seeing all things are setled by Christ for us of free Gift I say all we do is for Christ himself and not for our selves Christ comes and brings Justification loving Kindness and Salvation What needs then all this Travel for Life and Salvation seeing it is here already But seeing we get nothing by it c. D. W. from Dr. Cr. p. 41 42. Antinom By this you prove that Men have nothing to do in order to Salvation Gentlemen I must crave your patience to hear that part of my Discourse that you may judge of it It was upon John 14.16 I was saying D. Cr. p. 41. How near hath Christ made the way unto the Father Thus near that he that believeth shall be saved Let me be bold to tell you you are in as full a state of Justification before God Now mark I was speaking of passing from one state to another in Justification and do you not remember what he said That whatever he should speak now referring to any Act of Grace except believing penitently referrs not to Forgiveness of Sins and now he alledgeth what I said upon that account to prove a change about Sanctification You are in a true State of Salvation you that are Believers are as those that are already in Heaven D. Cr. p. 41. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Such a near way Christ is yet still people will be Cavilling where are good Works all this while What justified by Faith alone Saved by Christ alone Let me tell you If Christ be the way of Justification and only Federal Condition of Eternal Life i. e. of all Salvation in Faith and Holiness then Works are not the way except they be Christ but must we not work Yea but for other purposes the Lord hath propounded other Ends not meriting your Salvation for which you are to work ye are bought with a price that 's done therefore glorifie God
should have excepted some and reserved them for good Works but as to those Essential how comes it that a Man can have no more than is of a contingent Proposition the Judgment whereof is Opinion Neonom Nor whether it be the Influence of the Spirit that we are Holy Obedient and enabled to every good Work D. W. p. 125. Antinom Nor would it have been the question if Adam had persevered in the performance of the Conditions of the Law Covenant he would have done all by the Influence of the Spirit Neonom Nor whether it is for the sake of Christ's Merits and Incense and of Free Grace that any Grace or Duty of ours is rewarded or becomes the means of any Benefit these I affirm Antinom Yes for it was through these Merits and Grace that God would suffer us to try for Life in another Covenant of Works he might have taken the advantage of our breaking of the first Covenant as he did upon the Fallen Angels but Christ hath Merited and Grace hath been so far free as to set up another Covenant of Works that we may try for it once more as for your affirming or denying it signifies not much Men that are used to speak always with Mental Reservation will resolve Cases of Conscience like the Oracle of Apollo that you 'll come from them as wise as you went Neonom Nor whether any Holiness internal or external any Obedience Work or Duty do at all Merit the Promise or is the Meritorious Cause of Righteousness for which any promised Mercy is bestowed this I deny Antinom It seems you abdicate the word Merit but if it be an Honest Reward as due Debt it is as good the Catholicks will bate you the word if you allow the thing though you put a Fools Coat upon it Neonom I own that all is of Gift though given in an Order suitable to our condition in a state of Tryal Antinom So was Creation and Created Holiness in Adam and God's taking him into Covenant in an Order suitable to his Condition in a state of Tryal but you see what his Tryal came to We are miserable if our state in Grace be such a state of Tryal Neonom Nor whether the Law be a Rule of Duty This I affirm and you too though you deny any Threatning or Promise to back God's Law as to the Elect. D. W. p. 126. Antinom We affirm it to be not only a Rule of Duty but to stand in full force as to all its Promises and Threatnings that it still promiseth Life to perfect Obedience and threatens Death to the least Disobedience in all without distinction therefore we deny not Threatnings and Promises to back God's Law as to the Elect. Neonom Nor whether the Elect ought to be Holy and will be Holy this you own but you place it wholly on the Decree and Christ's Care Antinom Gentlemen observe now after all this noise he owns that I say the Elect ought to be Holy and will be Holy but saith I place it wrong can I place it better than on Christ's Care I think in all our Fears and Doubtings we should cast all our Care upon him by believing his Truth and Faithfulness in the Promise because he careth for us and hath said He will never leave nor forsake us I desire to have no better Security for Holiness and Perseverance in it than the Love of God and the Care of Christ is this a fault Neonom You deny that God hath required as it indispensibly necessary to our Inheriting any Blessing promised to the Elect. Antinom In your sence I do and if you stand so much on those Terms I shall justly call them into question so far as is necessary in my sence by works you here chiefly understand as I take it works after Faith and Repentance are such Works indispensibly necessary to the Inheriting any Blessing promised to the Elect Is not Union with Christ Faith c. Blessings promised to the Elect What Works was done before and after the Saving Union with Christ if they were indispensibly necessary how could Infants be saved And how do they Inherit Blessings that Repent and Believe just before they go out of the World And how came the Thief upon the Cross to be Saved Neonom You judge Christ hath done all for us and enjoineth nothing for us to do in order to any good thing Antinom He hath done all in the way of Covenant Condition and doth not admit us to be Rivals or Partners with him in our best Works and how can I think that he enjoineth us nothing when I own we ought to be Holy and shall be Holy From what should it be but from Christ's Commands and Care to furnish us with Rules Principles and Strength to be Holy Doth he not work in us to will and to do Neonom Nor whether a Penitent Believer shall be saved if he die before he hath time for further Obedience Antinom Then your indispensible Necessity falls to the ground and it seems the first Law of Grace will save a Man and the second is not indispensibly necessary nay it may be a kindness to die upon the fulfilling the condition of the first Law by Faith and Repentance before he comes to run the risk of fulfilling the Condition of the second Law by persevering Works lest he lose all again I am glad I have done with your Whethers let 's come next to your Neithers for we are as wise as we were before about our Question Neonom I 'll tell you then the real difference Whether Faith and Repentance be indispensibly required that we may be Justified for the sake of Christ's Righteousness Antinom Gentlemen do but take notice how fond he is of his first Justification by Works which we dispatcht t'other day and do declare we are not Justified by Faith and Repentance in your Sence and that to be justified by Faith and Repentance as Conditionating Federal Qualifications though Merited by Christ is downright Popery whether you call such Conditions Merits or no and therefore in affirming it you assert Popish Doctrine and that will stand to though all the Divines in Town affirm it with you and if what 's done already will not be enough we 'll have t'other touch upon that Point when you please Neonom It 's whether Holiness or sincere Obedience and Perseverance are the Way to Heaven and are required of the Elect as the Conditions of their obtaining Salvation Antinom You should have told us what you mean by a Way whether the first way or second Remote or next Antecedent or Consequent Conditions what Salvation you mean whether the Salvation of Justification Sanctification or Glorification there 's as much reason good Works should qualifie us for the Salvation of Sanctification as for Justification and Glorification how comes it to pass that all Salvation is not obtained the same way If we must obtain Salvation by good Works we must do good Works before we are
of Heaven Holiness is the way to Heaven as Childhood and then youthful Age is to Manhood in the full Stature Grace it 's a growing unto that Perfection we shall have in Glory but it 's not part of a conditionating way to Heaven foederally Heaven is bestow'd on Sanctify'd ones upon as free a Promise as Justification and Sanctification and we say it 's our Business in Christ the Way Neonom I shall give you divers Arguments against your Position 1. It 's not saving Faith that is not Operative D. W. p. 132. Antinom The Eye is the most sensible part in the Body as to the Sense of Feeling yet doth not see conomine By vertue of Feeling Faith brings forth Fruits but it doth not justifie by it's Fruits Faith brings forth Fruits but it doth not justifie as Fruitful for that would bring us under a Covenant of Works Neonom Obedience good Works and Perseverance preserve us from contrary Evils Paul kept his Body under 1 Cor. 9.27 Antinom They have their usefulness in their kind but we are kept from Evils by the Grace of God and not by our Works Grace also preserves us in them and not they preserve us What Paul saith he did he did for the Gospel-sake 1 Cor. 9.23 from a Gospel-Principle the Love of God arising from the sight and sence of the Grace of God in the Gospel and for this end the Glory of God in the Promise And he said By the Grace of God I am what I am not ascribing Foederal Efficacy to inherent Graces or Duties Neonom Gospel-Constitutions shew that it contains Promises and Threatnings 2. It shews persevering Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works as necessary to Salvation Antinom It is one thing what a thing contains and another what it is A House contains Tables Libraries Beadsteds Men and Women but a House is not therefore a Table Library Bead-stead a Man or a Woman The Covenant of Grace sets up a Government a Glorious King hath Laws Directions Precepts but it is not either of them Whatever the Covenant hath and is inseparable from it doth not argue the Covenant to be the same A wise Man is inseparable from Wisdom as such yet is not Wisdom A Rational Man hath Reason yet that Man is not Reason Neonom Most of the Promises and Threatnings that refer to the state in the Bible are Evangelical Promises and Threats D. W. p. 133. Antinom Christ in the Bible speaks two ways by way of Precept and backing them with Threats and Promises 1. As King of Nations and Governour of the World So he deals with Men as he will deal with them at last in a way of a Covenant of Works Christ also governs his Church where he hath his peculiar Right of Legislation and his Government is double 2. As to his Mystical or Visible Body his Spiritual Rule is according to the Tenure of the Covenant of Grace His Government in respect of the mixt and politick State must be also mixt because of Hypocrisie Christ's Government of his Churches as Visible Polities and Societies is a mixt Government having in his House Vessels of Honour and of Dishonour Many are led to external Conformity by his Precepts and Commands legally submitted to only having not received Evangelical Principles Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis Precepts and Promises of the Gospel work no otherwise with them than by a Spirit of Bondage and come to them no otherwise than in the Tenure of the Covenant of Works And thence the Lord Jesus Christ speaks in that manner to whole Societies and Churches both under the Old Testament and under the New As to the Seven Churches of Asia where there were many formal out-side Professors that never received the Truth of the Gospel in the love of it he tells them what they must expect in that mercenary and bondage-way of Profession without Life and Love wherein they did walk yet he governs them as Politick Head of his Church they having given themselves to his Government at least in an outward Profession according to which he deals with them And therefore the Apostle tells us the Law is not made for the Righteous Man in respect of it's Threats and Denunciations but for the Lawless Disobedient Ungodly c. or for any thing contrary to sound Doctrine which is according to the Glorious Gospel of the blessed God 1 Tim. 1.10 11. The Precepts and Commands of Christ therefore have a double Aspect Evangelical and Legal as they are received by his Visible Subjects Some receive them from Law-Principles some from Evangelical Neonom Gospel-Constitution contains Promises and Threatnings which affect all of us as a Rule of Righteousness and Misery by these God governs and Men's Hopes and Fears should be directed by these as a Rule You not observing this have opened a Door to all Licentiousness Your whole Scheme implies that Christ doth not distribute Blessings and Punishments by any Rule that refers to the actings of Men. D. W. p. 133. Antinom This is a round Assertion That the Gospel-Constitution is a Covenant of Works That Constitution that affects all as a Rule of Righteousness and Misery is a Covenant of Works of the severest Nature But you say the Gospel-Constitution is such Ergo a Covenant of Works For that which affects as a Rule of Righteousness and Misery on the Penalty of non-attainment to that Rule and God deals with Men thus by Hopes and Fears that Men may be govern'd by them as they find their Righteousness or fall into their Misery is such an Account of a Gospel-Constitution that I question not but to find as good in Seneca and among many of the Heathen Moralists And if that be my mistake that I understand not such a Gospel-Constitution I must declare I know no such Gospel-Constitution as yet Neonom If that Covenant of Grace be conditional and Faith and Repentance are necessary to Forgiveness the Substance of it must be granted Antinom i. e. If the Covenant of Grace be a Moral Law and Faith and Repentance be the Moral Conditions to Forgiveness the Substance must be granted and it will be so indeed you will still be leaping in and out of Covenant from Righteousness to Misery and from Misery to your miserable Righteousness and between your Hopes and Fears falling short of the Righteousness of God you will fall deplorably into eternal Misery But in what Body of Ethicks do you find a Rule of Misery treated of I think it is no where treated of but in the Neonomian Theology no more than the Rule of Sin which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neonom Most Promises and Threatnings in the Bible that referr to the state of Souls are Evangelical Promises and Threats and are not the Sanction of the Law of Innocence but of Gospel-Grace Antinom The whole Word of God contains but Law and Gospel and all matters of Duty commanded referr to the one or to the other and all Duties enjoyned
them to such an end as you ascribe to them 4. Lastly You despise therein the Lord Jesus in giving that which is his place alone to your Graces and Duties Neonom All Promises and Threats in the Word directed as Motives to Obedience are foolish if we must not intend obtaining our own good by our Obedience Antinom Are they so You are not the first that hath reckoned the Gospel Foolishness and reproached the Grace of God God hath chosen these foolish things to confound such Wise Men as you are that can undertake to teach Christ a better Gospel c. Neonom How are they Arguments with the Will if we must not aim at Advantage in doing Duty Antinom It is one thing to have advantage by Gift and another thing to have such an Eye to it as to look upon our selves as Earners of it by our Work A Child that knows his Father hath settled an Inheritance upon him and will provide for him till he is of Age to take Possession is there no Motive to him to be dutiful to his Father but an intending more gain and advantage to himself Must his Father pay him for every Errand he runs and Job of Service he doth Must he look upon himself as Earning and Deserving his Dinner every day and for every Duty and Service his Father must say Oh! thank thee my Son I will remember this Service to give thee advantage for it Or else this Child will be sullen and dogged and say What pâ—ofit is there in serving my Father Such Christians as these you would make Neonom Christ calls with such Motives Mat. 11.28 Ezek. 18.32 1 Pet. 5.2 4. Antinom Mat. 11. He Invites Sinners to come to him for rest he would give it them he says not Go to your Works and Duties for Rest I am not against your taking all Motives from Christ and the Riches of his Grace but I am against Burning Incense to our own Drags as you would have us Thaâ— place of Ezekiel you mention is nothing to your purpose for turning and living there is the same thing And whereas you say What influence hath such pleas As 1 Pet. 5.2 4. 1 Tim. 2.12 Colos 3.34 Peter calls himself a Partaker i. e. by Faith of the Glory to be revealed and he chargeth other Elders to feed the Flock and take the Charge not by constraint but freely and willingly and not mercenarily but as he himself was taught by Christ Lovest thou me feed my Sheep and he saith When the chief Shepherd shall appear you shall receive a Crown of Glory which he hath purchased and promised not which they earned and gained by their working So Paul fought and ran 2 Tim. 4.7 8. not expecting to receive a Crown as due to him for Fighting and Running but as by Faith beholding it purchased for him and ensured to him in the Promise therefore he says It 's a depositum laid up for him even before his running and so for all other Believers as well as he he expected not to make an additional advantage to what he saw laid up for him already or thereby to make it surer than the Promise had already made it and as for other places where Duties are called for and ensuing Benefits promised it 's but a Connexion of the Promised Grace in the Covenant under something different Notions of particular Commands and Promises whereas Duties there are Promises and Gifts of Grace and both together Grace upon Grace from the fulness of Christ not that one hath in it a vertue to gain the other which the Spiritual Man understands and Christ dispenseth Grace in the Word of his Grace in this manner more humano which is of use to the weak many times when he teacheth them to walk as Ephraim by the Conduct of a Spirit of Bondage whilst they labour under weak and staggering Faith but such a frame and weak Understanding of the Truth ought not to be commended as a Vertue and such Weaklings are to be brought as soon as may be to more solid Understanding and higher Principles to act from and more Noble Aims and Designs to the Glory of God in Christ Neonom The Spirit of God approveth of Holy Mens regard to their own advantage Antinom Yes for the whole Gospel is a Sinners advantage or else it were sad and they must see it or else they will never embrace it but they are to see all this advantage is founded in Christ and conveyed by Promise and Free Gift to the Praise and Glory of God Eph. 1.6 7 8 12 19 20. Neonom Moses Heb. 11.26 had respect to the recompence of reward and this is given as the very cause why he esteemed the Reproach of Christ above the Treasures of Egypt Antinom I have given an account of that place already it 's said by Faith Moses did what he did by Faith refusing the World chusing and esteeming Christ his great Treasure and greater than all Riches and Honours even the Reproach and Cross of Christ for in believing he Eyed Christ himself who was his to be the great recompence of Reward he had enough to carry him through all difficulties having Christ and God in Christ and this was the reason of his Perseverance for he endured as seeing him that is Invisible he did not see him that is Invisible as a Reward of his Perseverance but he endured because he saw him Neonom Paul governed himself by these regards 1 Cor. 9.17 24. 2 Cor. 4.16 17. Antinom Paul made it his business in preaching the Gospel to obtain the Ends of the Gospel but he doth anticipate all that you would gather from his Discourse 1 Cor. 9.17 for ver 16. he saith For though I preach the Gospel I have nothing to glory of and when he speaks of his Reward ver 18. truely it is as much as to say I look for none for my Work sake not so much as from Men my Reward is that I make it without Charge that as it comes freely from Christ so also from me he much less had any Mercenary Expectations of Reward from God c. And ver 23. and all he doth for the Gospel sake that he might be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his participation of the Grace of the Gospel was as much as he looked for therefore he would not run at uncertrinty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by Faith in the Promise as looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of his Faith Heb. 12.2 As to that place 2 Cor. 4.16 For which cause we faint not what is the cause It 's in the verse preceding 14 15. The Spirit of Faith was the cause Whereby knowing that he that raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us also by Jesus for all things are for your selves that the abundant Grace might through the Thanksgiving of many redound to the Glory of God for which cause we faint not viz. from the abundant Grace apprehended by the Spirit of Faith and looking at things
not seen thence it comes to pass that the present Afflictions are light and shall be succeeded with an Eternal weight of Glory it 's an instance of the abundant Grace redounding towards him for the inward and outward Man for things Temporal and Eternal Neonom Were doing for Life and an Eye to gain by service such a legal and wicked thing as some represent it sure the Blessed Jesus would have admonished his Disciples and not answered them as he doth Mat. 19.28 29. Antinom This Arguing would well enough become a Papist but it is strange at this time a day from the Mouth of a Protestant but it 's easie to see the Devil is at work to betray us again into our Spiritual Egypt our Mouths hang too generally after the Leeks and Onions of their Corrupt Doctrine Now we must go to work upon the Terms of the Old Law for Life not Finalitèr as aimed at and travelled to as terminus ad quem taken for Glory but for Life as a Premium of our Works That this is intended by you clearly appears by the Application that you make of this place of Scripture as if it Justified the Doctrine of Merit The Disciples hearing our Saviours discourse concerning a Rich Man and how hard it is for him to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven they were amazed and said Who then shall be saved Peter hence concludes then surely poor Men may better be saved we are poor enough and have lest all for thee what shall we have And there is no doubt but something as yet remained in them of that legal Spirit as prevailed in and among the Jews expecting or enquiring after some proportionable Reward to their Sufferings which Spirit was not fully removed from them till after the Resurrection of Christ and sending down of the Spirit when they came clearly to see the Grace of Christ in the Gospel but it was not Christ's time yet to remove all Clouds and Obscurities from the Doctrine of the Gospel he did it not in his own Ministry it was to be the Work of the Comforter the Spirit as peculiarly belonging to his Office after Christ's Ascension As yet they had not askt any thing in his Name neither did Christ in the platform of Prayer teach them so to do as yet they were strangers to the Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Christ as yet they looked that the Kingdom of Christ would immediately be a Temporal and External Now the answer of our Saviour imports these things 1. That none shall lose any thing by following him though in parting with worldly advantages 2. That those Blessings that he bestows upon his true Followers are of another Nature than they expected they were of an Eternal Nature ver 29. and of a Spiritual Nature Mark 10.30 For their outward Enjoyments should be with Persecutions shewing how much the Cross and Reproach of Christ as in the Opinion of Moses is to be preferred before the greatest worldly Emoluments 3. He shews them though he abundantly Rewards his Followers yet they ought not to serve him as such that were led by that Principle to serve for Life and Glory as for Wages but they must do all for his own Name sake they must not act from a principle of intending advantage but for Christ's sake for the Love of his Person and for the sake of the Love that he hath shewed us 1 Cor. 3.20 21 22. The Lord knows how vain the Thoughts of his best People is apt to be as if they must by their Duties Earn something of God but there must be no glorying in Men and there 's no need of it for all things are yours already the Means of Grace the World Life Death things present and to come ye are Christ's and Christ God's Neonom Your Argument from the Vanity of proposing our own Gain by Labour and Duties because all is fixed and given already is to make the Decree an effectual means to overthrow the Government of Christ and brand all his Offers to Sinners with Weakness and Falsehood should not poor Sinners pray as they can apply the Word with an Eye to Conversion Should they not Believe and Repent with an Eye to Forgiveness and Escaping of Wrath Why else should God encourage them with an Offer of these upon such Terms D. W. p. 157. Antinom You go upon many Mistakes 1. You talk absurdly of God's Decree overthrowing his Government as if the Decree succeeded God's Government of the Creature that which overthrows a thing comes after the thing overthrown so God's Decree in its proper Nature as a Constituting Immanent Act must succeed his Government 2. Why should not God's Acting in a way of Free Grace be consistent with his most right and just way of proceeding in Government seeing the whole Gospel Revelation asserts that it is so and that therein lyes a great part of the Gospel Mystery which Natural Men and Carnal Reason will not receive 3. Is it any way absurd to say it's vain to propose our own gain by Labour and Duties when the Spirit of God hath expunged the Efficacy of Works as to procurement out of the Covenant of Grace Works are our Price and Money God saith We are to buy without Price and Money Isa 55.1 2. And saith Why do you spend Money for that which is not Bread i. e. Spend your Duties and Labours and get nothing by them Because you make Money of them and reckon you make advantage of them and pay a valuable consideration for the good expected and will not receive it as of Free Gift you will have all for the Money of your Duties and hence you labour and have not that which satisfieth you ask and labour for things to spend upon your own Lusts as the proud Pharisee did 4. You mistake in judging the Offers of the Gospel is in a way of Government it 's in order to Christ's gracious Rule and Government under which Unregenerate Sinners are not till through Grace they are translated into the Kingdom of Christ 5. You wickedly suggest that unless God intend that poor Sinners in their Unregenerate Estate should do some Duties whereby they might gain Life and Salvation God is chargeable with Weakness and Falshood this I take to be an ill Inference all the Offers of Grace must be upon Condition of Works or else God is chargable with Weakness and Falshood 6. You grosly mistake my Discourse or willingly pervert my Sence and Meaning I do not say but poor Sinners at their first believing are very apt to lay too great a stress upon their Duties as if thereby they obtained a Title to Life and Salvation or mâ—de a considerable addition to what Christ hath done and procured for them this legal Spirit I endeavour to take them off from that they should serve God more under the Conduct of the Grace of Adoption Rom. 8.14 15. And therefore say Except you fall to the performance of Duty without such Conceits
of what shall accrue to you thereby Dr. Cr. p. 149. you are not Persons yet come to have that common Spirit and dead to the old Spirit as becomes Christians Such Believers are acted more by a Spirit of Bondage than the Spirit of Adoption The Apostle saith They that are lead by the Spirit are the Sons of God and therefore so far as they are lead by the Spirit act not mercenarily 7. But to let pass your perverting my Sence you will have me to intend Works answering the Call of God to the Unregenerate and you say to this purpose they must be encouraged by Rewards of their Works Were it not rather to charge God as you say when he shall offer them upon the account of their Duties when the Spirit of God tells us they can perform none being Spiritually dead and that which they suppose they do cannot please God Rom. 8.8 therefore cannot obtain any thing from him You say must they not strive to Believe and Repent with an Eye to Forgiveness and Escaping of Wrath I say Not with an Eye to their Works of Believing and Repentance but to the receiving of Forgiveness and Escaping Wrath. Neonom By your Scheme the Elect may be idle and the Non-â—lect do best when they despair for there 's Connection between these Benefits and these Graces and Duties Antinom I pretend not to the making Schemes of the Gospel-Mysteries calculated to carnal Reason as you do I leave that to you that pretend to be so skilful in it But in answer to what you inferr I say I preach not to Men as Elect or not Elect but unto Sinners and I call them to look for the advantage of Life and Salvation in Christ and not in their Duties But yet as I told you I call them to Duty and to the acting of it from higher and nobler Principles than you do not from such a slavish mercenary servile Spirit as you would have them to act from And I think the Doctrine of Free-Grace is no ground of Idleness or Despair but the contrary the greatest Encouragement to Service and preservative against Despair in the World unless it be to such Scheme-makers as you be who charge God with Weakness and Falsehood unless he save Sinners in a way of a Covenant of Works And there 's no such Connection between Graces and Benefits as you plead for Neonom And so the Non-elect are in the same case with Devils there being no serious offer to them nay their Case is worse than Devils for these Offers are made to them with no design but to encrease their Condemnation Nay every Sin of theirs is a Sin against the Holy Ghost i. e. Every Sin is alike that unpardonable Sin and not only that Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Antinom This is the Arminian Plea for Universal Grace and what is this but the smoak of the Bottomless Pit I say Who art thou O Man that repliest against God You come now to prove your Charge of God for Weakness and Folly But if the Non-elect be in as bad a Case as Devils is God guilty of Weakness and Falshood A wiser Man than you did not think so when he said God made all things for himself the wicked for the day of evil Prov. 16.4 Neither was the Apostle Paul of your mind as plainly appears by Rom. 9.18 19 20. But let me return upon you Will you say that it was unrighteous with God to leave a part of Mankind under Non-election to eternal Life and Salvation What will you charge God with for leaving part of the Angelick Nature under it 2. You talk of an Offer to the Non-elect and that Offer you say must be serious and if it be not offered upon such a Condition as they can perform But I pray where 's any Offer of Grace in the Gospel to the Non-elect at all as such And shew me any Graces given or Gospel Duties required of the Non-elect or Benefits promised to the Non-elect upon their performance of Graces and Duties It would not be serious indeed to call for Graces and Duties or promise Life unto them or saving Benefits upon Performance of the said Duties after the Non-election was declared to them Now you will not own there can be any serious Offer made unless the Condition be equally performable by Elect and Non-elect and both be alike in the next Capacity of Salvation or else they are in the same case with the Devils And what it they be as eventually as unlikely to believe and be saved as the Devils why will you be presumptuous to charge God May not God have Mercy on whom he will and harden whom he will without giving an Account of any of his matters And what if the Non-elect be in as bad a case as the Devils is God bound to be any better to them than the Devils For say you God must offer to the Non-elect with the same Mind and Purpose of saving Non-elect as well as of saving the Elect or else God is not serious in his Offers I deny that Gospel-Offers are made to Elect or Non-elect but to Sinners as such and it 's made indefinitely that the Election might obtain and the rest are blinded Rom. 11.5 6 7. as it was with the Elect and Non-elect Jews so it is with the Elect and Non-elect of all Mankind And see there what God saith and that seriously At this present time saith God there is a Remnant of Jews to be saved but according to the Election of Grace What will you say but a Remnant How comes it to pass that the Offer was made to them that belonged not to the Election You 'll say God was not serious in his Offer to them when it was said Acts 3.4 Vnto you first of the Nation of the Jews God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities If the Non-elect in this Nation cannot perform Works say you upon the condition of which they may have the Promise God deals falsly with them Whereas the Spirit of God gives us another Account of these things why notwithstanding this general and indefinite Offer but a Remnant was saved viz. The Election had obtained it ver 7. For saith he if it be by Grace then it is no more of Works nor of him that willeth or runneth but of God that sheweth mercy otherwise Grace is no more Grace but if it be of Works then it is no more of Grace otherwise Work is no more Works 7. What then Israel hath not obtained what he seeketh for or applying it to many Professors or others under a Gospel-Ministry such and such hath not obtained what they pretended to seek after but the Election hath obtained it The Grace of God not Works became efficacious through the Election And what became of the Non-elect You 'll say God mockt them No go you on to mock God with your carnal Reason and hearken
first before you undertake to be a Corrector of others it 's not worth our time to attend your Amendments Neonom Let me only tell you what those Divines in the Preface to Mr. Flavel 's Book against Antinomianism which they approve of inform us That to say Salvation is not the end of any good Work we can't and we are to act from Life and not for Life were to abandon the humane Nature Antinom I suppose you quote your Authority the rather because that you think the Preface was drawn up to expiate for a Fault some of them had committed and was well school'd for But I pray let us a little examine whether those Gentlemen be not mistaken in denying that Position That we are not to act for Life but from Life For the first part I am mistaken if they will deny That all Gospel-acting is from Life In natural things Life is always presupposed to all Motion and Acting A dead thing cannot nor is expected to move and act As in the natural Man so in the Spiritual and as he must have Life so he must be alive unto God in Christ that acts he must act from him by vertue of him through the Power and Influence of his Grace through the Operation of his Spirit from Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and knows there 's no acceptable Duties or Graces but to be acted from Life as the Fountain and Spring of them and indeed the first Adam acted from Life I pray make a thing act if you can that hath not Life to act from 2. As for acting for Life the true meaning ought to be adjusted That Life should be our End and Aim is not to be doubted according to a right Understanding of it Christ propounds himself as Life unto poor Sinners and saith I am the Resurrection and the Life And so he is the Life unto a Believer He that hath the Son hath Life Now it must be understood when we speak of Working for Life we speak of a considerate sedate regular Acting and Working Not Acting and Working as one that is scared and affrighted with the danger of Life death lying inevitably to his Apprehension before him not as scrambling to save himself in the Water from drowning Now a poor Sinner awakened under the Law and seeing a little Glimpse of Gospel-hope through Grace shining into his Heart it may be bestirs himself with all his might and ascribes much to every Duty he doth But we speak here of what the true Spirit and Disposition of a Christian is he ought to arrive at by Faith the Question is Whether he works for Life A. I say He doth and he doth not 1. He makes Life his subordinate Aim and End But 1. He that hath Christ by Faith doth not work as if he had not Christ already 2. He doth not work for Life so as to entitle himself unto Life some work for this end as if he had not Life already He sees by Faith that he is Christ's and that all things are his whether Life or whether things present or to come 3. He doth not work for Life so far as to think thereby to keep himself alive or maintain himself in a Covenant-state so as by his Works to continue his Justification any more than to get it at first 4. He doth not work for Life in a way of remunerative Justice no not for the continuance of Life in a way of Remuneration For indeed herein lies only the difference between a Legal and Gospel-Spirit If the Spirit that acted the first Adam before the Fall I speak not of a Legal Spirit since the Fall and the true Spirit of a Believer in Christ be compared together for Adam then acted from Life already given he acted not as having no Life but acted for the continuance of Life upon the account of the working Conditions enjoyned and expected Life by way of Remuneration i. e. the continuation of Life Now such working for Life as this we must reject and such is intended when-ever we say we must not work for Life It 's not to be understood as if the Spiritual Man had not a sanctified rational End in all his Actings which we say is for the Glory of God in Free Grace for Christ in whom his Life is he acts from the Life that is in Christ and he is carried forth to it and in it He is created in Christ Jesus to good Works that he should walk in them looking unto Jesus Heb. 12. And looking upon all things as his in Christ his Business is to live unto Christ 1 Cor. 1.30 31. ch 3.22 23. To me saith Paul to live is Christ and to die is gain i. e. I shall come to a further Enjoyment of Christ Theology is defined to be the Doctrine of living unto God so that in living unto God and to God in Christ a Christian hath all things that appertain to Life and Godliness through the knowledge of God our Saviour 2 Pet. 1.3 Christ is our Alpha and Omega of him and through him and to him are all things to him be Glory for ever and eaer Rom. 11.36 Now what need all this great ado about working for Life shewing the danger of this Doctrine that it teacheth to abandon Nature and supposeth us to do no more than other Men and it makes all Motives useless c. Whereas if Men will not have perverse Minds they must own and acknowledge the same things that they oppose unless they will deny their own Reason But when a Spirit of Contradiction prevails there is nothing but Quirks Sophisms and Equivocations can take place with Men. And notwithstanding all your Noise and Authority to work for Life in the true Sence it is to act as by and under a Covenant of Works it 's to work for Life as Wages and to gain a Right and Title thereby and such a Principle will abandon the Grace of the Gospel It will teach to violate all the Precepts and Principles of the Gospel it will elude all the Promises and lay a Man under the full Rigour of the Law and will never be any effective Motive to acceptable Duty It is a Fault it self that lies under the blackest Mark and of as dangerous Consequence as any the Gospel cautions us against and warns to take heed of seeking the establishing our own Righteousness That true Gospel Discourse of Worthy Mr. Vink at the Morning-Lecture will tell you better things on 2 Tim. 2.19 wherein he shews That Gospel Grace is the best Motive to Holiness He saith Our business is to enquire after what we propound in our Obedience If it be to expiate for my past Offences or to merit undeserved Favours it must needs be abominable in the sight of God being the highest act of Pride or Presumption that can be imagined let our Works be what they will though the best are but filthy Rags if they be offered unto God by way of Barter or Exchange they
are meer Darkness and Riddles To clear up this I say the Spirit of the Lord is mainly sent into the World by Christ for this very purpose to speak personally and particularly to the Hearts of Men to satisfie them of their Interest in Christ That this was the main business of the Spirit the Scripture shews and holds out nothing more 1. It maybe cleared from the very Attribute or Title which our Saviour gives to the Spirit of the Lord John 14.16 c. 16.7 8 9 14. The Comforter this is he by way of Eminency and the Title imports That the Satisfaction and Resolution concerning Interest in Christ is the Work of the Spirit What is the occasion of all the Trouble of Spirit in tender Hearts P. 467. God hath forsaken me saith one My Sins are gone over my Head saith another c. What will now chear up the Heart of such a Person It is that God will not lay thy Sins to thy Charge c. If the Comfort of a Person consists in the Assurance of Pardon then the Spirit cannot be a Comforter except it satisfie as to clearing up this Truth Thy Sins are forgiven 2. Besides this bare Title you shall see the Spirit hath this particular Office as that wherefore Christ doth testifie the Spirit doth come John 14 26. The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name and he shall teach you these things Chap. 16.13 When the Spirit of truth is come he shall guide you into all Truth Ver. 14. He shall glorifie me he shall receive of mine and shew it unto you Mark those words you see then wherein the comforting Faculty of the Holy Ghost lyeth in receiving of Christ's and shewing those things to Persons which things are the Glorious Excellency of Christ in Justification and Forgiveness Acts 13.38 39. And more fully of his Office to convince the World of Sin and Righteousness John 16.8 9. And a Person is convinced of Righteousness when Christ's Righteousness in Justification is cleared up unto a Person And whereas the Spirit may be conceived to Comfort only in general Dr. Cr. p. 469. There is a difference between the Administration of Christ and that of the Spirit of Christ Christ came into the World to Merit Salvation and Comfort Men in general for though he merited Comfort in particular to be applyed by the Spirit yet still in his Ministration he did run upon general terms for the most part But the Spirit is sent in Christ's room to come to every Man's Spirit particularly by himself and speak that within a Man's self that Christ by the Ministry of the Gospel speaks but in general to Men therefore he saith If I go not away the Comforter cannot come And now I shall shew that the evidencing particularly unto a Man's Spirit concerning his Interest in Christ is the proper Work of the Spirit of God Rom. 8.14 15. and 1 Cor. 2.9 10 11 12 13. Ephes 1.13 14. These places I opened and applyed to the matter in hand clearly proving the Evidencing Office of the Spirit Obj. But suppose I hear such a Voice here is the Doubt How shall I know it 's the Voice of the Spirit Dr. Cr. p. 473. If the Word did bear witness to this particular Voice of the Spirit then I should be satisfied c. Sol. Let me not be mistaken That it is true the Spirit of the Lord never speaks to the Heart of any Believer but he always applies according to the Word of Grace Revealed and the Voice of the Spirit and if the Word of Grace be in the Soul as they go always together in the Faithful they will agree as Face answers Face in a Glass but yet beware that you make not the Credit of the Voice of the Spirit depend upon the Word barely considered In brief therefore as it is the Testimony of God's Spirit speaking indeed according to the Word Dr. Cr. p. 475. that must satisfie us that we are the Children of God so it must be the same Spirit must assure us that he is the true Spirit of God and not of Delusion But still I say this Spirit of the Lord speaks always to Persons concerning their Interest in Christ according to the Word of Grace and it is most certainly true that every Voice in Man speaking peace being contrary to the Word of Grace that Voice is not the Voice of the Spirit of the Lord yet it is only the Spirit of the Lord can satisfie the Spirit of a Man in this thing that it is his own Testimony and not a Spirit of Delusion You may understand the Word in a double sence either for the Word of the Law or else for the Word of Grace in the Gospel Now mark when we say it is the Spirit of God bearing witness with our Spirits according to the Word that we are the Sons of God it 's not the Word of the Law that agrees in this with the Voice of the Spirit the Word of the Law speaks nothing but Curses The Word in which the Spirit of the Lord speaks to his People is the Word of Grace and the Word of Grace is no more but this as to the Sum and Substance of it in this or such like Expression thereof God was in Christ Reconciling the World unto himself not Imputing their Trespasses Neonom You see the Spirits Voice according to the Word is no more than according to the general account that Christ came to save Sinners And also if any Sinner have this inward Voice that Voice is according to the Word whether he be a Regenerate Person or no. D. W. p. 162. Antinom The Gospel Declaration is indefinite we say it 's the peculiar Work and Office of the Spirit to bring home the Promise in particular it 's not any thing but the Spirit can appropriate the general Promise particularly to any one I said also that the Spirit of the Lord doth both speak and likewise give to Men to Credit and Receive what he speaks Dr. Cr. p. 477. All the Righteousness that ever man did meer man since the Fall Dr. Cr. p. 482. was never able to say upon good grounds such a Person is a Child of God Nay to go higher the very Word of Grace is not able to speak peace to a Soul till the Spirit of the Lord will speak When the Spirit of God will be silent the Word of Grace shall not speak any thing if the Spirit blow the Trumpet makes a found but if it blow not the Trumpet makes no sound at all As the Spirit of the Lord will speak in the Word of Grace so the Melody of the Word will Ravish the Ears and Hearts of Believers but if the Spirit himself will be silent there is no Musick in the Word of Grace it self No man under Heaven can say God is my Father with Propriety but by the Spirit of Adoption Calvin Mr. Neonom I know
not any just Exception you can have against this Divinity there being so clear Evidence for what is here delivered from the Word of God Neonom He saith Faith is the Eccho of the Heart to the Voice of the Spirit Calvin In the Continuation of Pool 's Annotations one of your Vouchers hath this on 1 John 5.10 He that truly believes hath the effectual Impress of this Testimony upon his Soul What is that but the Eccho of it speaking the same thing Neonom He means that Faith doth not evidence our Pardon as it is a Grace wrought in the Soul by the Spirit or a holy Qualification but only as it doth assent to and rest in this inward Voice D. W. p. 163. Antinom No he doth not place this Evidencing Nature of Faith which he speaks of in it as an Act or Qualification for as such it evidenceth no more than any other Grace but Faith hath a peculiar evidencing Nature in it because it is a receiving Grace he speaks not now of Assent it takes Possession of the Promise And would not you have Faith to be assenting to and resting on the Voice of the Spirit in the Word what would you have it be nothing at all Neonom He seems to own that Sanctification is some Evidence Antinom He doth so as was observed before Calvin I pray what is your Sence concerning the way of attaining Assurance Neonom Truth The ordinary way whereby a Man attaineth a well-grounded assurance is not by immediate objective Revelation or an inward Voice saying Thy Sins are forgiven D. W. p. 160. Antinom I judge by this Negation you set by these things from Assurance as having nothing to do ordinarily in it 1. That no Voice is heard any way by the Soul Thy Sins are forgiven that is not to be believed by a direct Act of Faith 2. That Forgiveness of Sin is not revealed to a Believer by the Word of Promise believed 3. That the Spirit of God hath nothing to do in bringing the Soul to appropriate and apply the general Promise particularly to his own Soul So that here as to our believing Forgiveness of Sin neither the Spirit nor the Objective Revelation of the Gospel nor indeed Faith it self in it's receiving Nature hath any thing to do but only as a Sign and Mark set upon the Soul Neonom But when a Believer is examining his Heaert and Life by the Word the Holy Spirit enlightens the mind there to discern Faith and Love and such other Qualifications which the Gospel declareth to be the infallible Signs of Regeneration And he adds such Power to the Testimony of Conscience for the Truth and In-being of these Graces as begets in a Soul a joyful sense of it's comfortable state and some comfortable Freedom from those Fears which accompany a doubting Christian And according to the Evidence of these Graces Assurance is ordinarily strong or weak Antinom I observe now though you would let the Spirit have no hand in the Evidence of Faith yet you need its help to enlighten about Signs and Qualifications I pray how doth the Spirit enlighten here Is it by any objective Revelation or by any inward Dictate or Intimation And cannot the Spirit as well enlighten the Mind to behold Christ in the Promise by an Act of Faith as to behold Faith and Love in our selves 2. You will not admit the Declaration of the Gospel received and embraced by Faith to evidence but that it seems the Heart and Life must be examined by the Word as a Rule So that Assurance must be wrought by the Word as a Law not as a Gospel so far as you are come up to a Conformity to the Rule not a Testimony of your Interest in the Grace of the Gospel 3. You had need have the Light of the Spirit to find an infallible Sign in you too though they be declared in the Gospel Hypocrites pretend to them and you cannot tell whether you are any better than a Hypocrite without an infallible Voice of the Spirit according to your Doctrine for you must know that you shall persevere in those Qualifications and it 's impossible for a Man to be assured till Death or can be assured of his Perseverance till then all other Signs will signifie nothing without an Infallible Witness 4. You must have a Power added by the Spirit to the Testimony of Conscience that it may witness the Truth and In-being of Graces What 's the Reason it cannot witness the Truth of our In-being in Christ and add a Power to our Faith to believe even unto Assurance 5. All this Examination Illumination of the Spirit Gospel-Declaration c. may at last beget a joyful Sense or a reconciled State you say but according to you it cannot be Assurance because you cannot yet try by Perseverance the Soul is in a little hopes it 's in a probable way to Salvation but cannot be assured he is in a sure state or shall certainly be saved because he must continue his Justified State by his Works and therefore it 's impossible for him to try and find so far as to Assurance because he hath not persevered you 'l say it may be He must believe his Perseverance and be assured of it by Faith then I say there 's as much ground to believe and be assured by Faith of all our Salvation 6. You speak not of an Assurance in all you have said but of some comfortable Freedom from Doubtings i. e. upon some probable Grounds This amounts to more than Opinion at last the only Judgment of a contingent Axiom and you tell us elsewhere our State here is but of Tryal not decided therefore there can be no Assurance at all in this Life 7. You do well to add at last that according to the Evidence of these Graces Assurance is ordinarily strong or weak And may not that Assurance be so which we call the Assurance of Faith May it not be strong or weak according to the Evidence that Faith gives in being strong or weak Faith But now go on to your Whethers and Neithers Neonom I will shew you wherein the difference is not D.W. p. 164. Antinom So you may and enumerate all things in the World by Sea and by Land besides It is not whether the Sun be the Element of Fire nor how many Regions in the Air nor whether Spirits are material nor whether Anima be ex traduce c. Neonom It is not whether the Spirit witnesseth by his Miraculous Operations to Christ and the Gospel which is a Truth and the meaning of many of the Texts which you quote Antinom I do not know that we were like to stumble there for we speak only of the Spirits witnessing in its ordinary way and so are all the Texts to be understood so far as they have been applyed to our purpose Neonom Nor whether the Spirit as a Worker of Grace in the Heart be an Earnest of Glory and Witness to our state
strong or weak so our Assurance is strong or weak Now that Faith still carries with it a Hypostasis or Demonstration of the thing believed grounded upon the Certainty Truth and Infallibility of God I am fully satisfied from that Portion of Scripture that evinces it undeniably Heb. 11.1 And as now for other grounds of Comfort and Assurance which arise from the Visibility of the Grace of God and the Fruits of the Spirit in the Heart and Life I highly value them as subordinate grounds of Comfort and Confirmation in Assurance these are seen by the reflection of the Soul upon it self being able in regenerate man to reason in a spiritual manner from Causes Effects Subjects and Adjuncts c. which he finds in himself according to the Rule of the Word of God This I call Experimental Assurance and this is that which is so long attaining to and when it is had may be lost again in a great measure as Comfort therefore And because many Believers take this to be all the Assurance they must look for and their Teachers tell them so therefore they go mourning all their dayes and are only supported by what degrees of Assurance is in their Faith which they take not to be any and their Teachers tell them that Faith hath nothing of Assurance in it but do suggest as if it were but the roving of the Mind in uncertainties and Probability and that it is Presumption for them to believe to Confidence and Assurance though the Spirit of God doth command and encourage it again and again and that doubting is rather their Vertue than Sin whereas so much as there is of Doubting mingled with their Faith so much there is of Sin and Unbelief In true Faith there is the Promise more or less believed i. e. the Truth and Goodness because a Promise reached forth a Truth which carries Goodness in it to us-ward is received the â—eason of which reception is the certain Truth and Faithfulneâ—â— of him that promiseth Hence there is believing a Word and believing a Person Hence believing hath three things in it according to the Apostle Heb. 11. 1. The Object falls not under the measure of Sense and Reason therefore called Things not seen and Things hoped for 2. There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. an express Image Heb. 1. of the things not seen and hoped for brought to us in the Promise 3. There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Demonstration or Argument of the Reality and Certainty of those things and intention of bestowing them taken from the Truth and Faithfulness of him that promiseth Faithful is he that hath promised Now that God hath promised in general and indefinitely to save Sinners and that he is able and willing to perform it in his time and to whom he pleaseth may be a common Faith only and such as the Devils have But for a Sinner to take up with the Promise for himself is the work of the Spirit peculiarly Because there is no man spoken to by Name in the Promise which advantage Abraham had and the want thereof must be supplyed by the Spirit 's â—aying to the Soul more or less plainly This Promise belongeth â—nto thee whereby the Soul is enabled to exert fiducially a believing the Promise and staying on the Promiser for himself And here lyes the difficulty of Believing and the usual workings of Unbelief It 's a marvellous thing to me Mr. Neonomian that you can have the Impudency to quote the Assembly for your Assertion Confess Ch. 18. viz. That there is no other grounds of Assurance but Signs and Marks Whereas they say so expressly That a Believer may be assured in this Life that he is in a State of Grace and this Certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable perswasion grounded on a fallible Hope but an Infallible Assurance of Faith founded on the Divine Truth of the Promises of Salvation the inward evidence of those Graces unto which those Promises are made the Testimony of the Spirit of Adoption witnessing with our Spirits So that they make three grounds of Assurance 1. The infallible Assurance of Faith 2. The inward Evidences of Graces 3. The Witness of the Spirit of Adoption When you quoted this place you had either forgot what you had wrote or you quote it retaining the Assembly first least it should be brought against you There are three great Graces spoken of by the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.13 Faith Hope Love Mr. Caryl on Job 13.13 And the Scripture holds forth an Assurance in reference to every one of these First The Assurance of Faith Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true Heart in full assurance of Faith This Assurance of Faith hath a double respect 1. To our Persons 2. To our Services that in both we are pleasing to God Secondly There 's an Assurance of Hope Heb. 6.11 Faith hath an Eye to the Truth of the Promise Hope to the Good of the Promise and the Assurance of Hope is that we shall certainly receive that Good Thirdly There 's an Assurance of Love 1 Joh. 4.48 Perfect Love casts out Fear How is Love made Perfect and how doth it cast out Fear v. 17. Herein saith he is love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of Judgment because as he is so are we in the World i. e. As his Love is sincere to us so is ours to him according to our measure even in this life and this gives us boldness our Assurance that all shall go well with us in the day of Judgment so this Love casteth out all fear of Condemnation in that day which Fear where it remains hath Torment than which nothing is more contrary to Assurance In perfect Love there is no Torment because there is no Fear and there is no Fear because there is an Assurance of the Love of God in this love the Soul doth repose rest and delight it self There is a Fourth thing spoken of which is a full assurance of Vnderstanding This is Clearness of our apprehension about the things which we do believe and upon which we fasten by Faith and Love The Light of the Understanding shining upon the Mysteries of the Gospel and mixing with our other Graces bottoms the Soul upon the strongest Foundation and raiseth it up to the highest Pinnacle of Assurance We may say of Assurance in reference to these four Graces as Philosophers do of the Heavens in reference to the four Elements That they are neither of the four Elements but a Quintessence of a fisth Essence So we may say of Assurance it is neither Faith nor Hope nor Love nor Knowledge but it is a fifth thing sublimated and raised either out of or above all those i. e. when Assurance is raised to the highest pitch that it is a full Assurance from whence our Joy is full all a Christians Sails are filled being under a full gale and having fair weather Rom. 8.16 The Spirit
from his first Charge I doubt not but that our Sins were all at once laid on Christ Paul's Sins were on Christ in the heighth of his Rebellion and Persecution and Christ came upon him effectually to convert him as the Fruit thereof even in the midst of his Rebellion He saith the grace of laying sin on Christ is applied to sinners while they are departed from God and is the cause of the gift of Converting-grace plain Instances whereof were Saul and the Jaylor whom the Covenant-grace took hold on in the heighth of their Rebellion But all this reacheth not the Proof of your Charge which you call Error here Neonom But he saith God hath not one Sin to charge upon an Elect Person from the first moment of Conception to the last moment of Life no nor Original Sin is not to be laid upon him the Lord hath laid it on Christ already D. W. p. 171. from D. Cr. p. 364. Antinom You have been harping on this string already I shall only repeat my words as spoken D. Cr. p. 364. I said it is true an elect person not called is never able to know individually of himself that he is such an one that God hath nothing to charge upon him because till calling God gives not unto persons to believe and it 's only believing which evidences to men of things not seen Things that are not seen they are hidden and secret and shall not be known I mean the things of God's love to men shall not be known to particular men till they do believe But considering their real condition in foro Dei the Lord hath not one sin to charge an elect person with from the first moment of his life till the last minute of it there is not so much as original sin the ground is the Lord hath said it on Christ already See Rom. 8 1 Joh. 1.7 Heb. 16.14 Was there by one act the expiation of sin and all at once that were committed from the beginning of the World to the end thereof how comes it to pass that this or that sin should be laid upon elect persons when they were laid upon Christ long before I deny not but according to the sense of the Law and in foro conscientiae they are charged and sin is laid to their charge but I speak of their real standing in the Eye of God's Justice their sins were laid on Christ and carried away by him Neonom He saith It 's a Voice of a lying Spirit in your Hearts that saith that you that are believers have yet Sin wasting your Consciences and lying as a Burden too heavy for you to bear c. D. W. p. 171. from Dr. C. p. 298. Antinom The Voice is not of the true Spirit and therefore must be of the lying Spirit 1. If he lye under Conscience walâ—ing Sin it seems to be a lying Spirit that tells him he is a believer 2. If he be a real believer and sin lye so heavily upon his Conscience it 's a sign that his Faith is very weak that it hath not reached the Blood of Christ to the purifying of his Conscience and that he lyes under the Spirit of Bondage quite contrary to the Spirit of Adoption Neonom He saith Was not David a justified Person and did not he bear his own Sin After several things he answers I must tell you all that David speaks here he speaks from himself and all that David speaks from himself was not truth Antinom Why do you not tell those several things My Answer to the Objection as to the sum of it was this I know this Objection seems unanswerable as in several passages Asaph speaks to that purpose and in that particularly where he saith Hath God forgottâ—n to be gracious Hath he shut up his loving-kindness And will he be gracious no more First I would fain know whether now under the times of the Gospel there be not many tender-hearted religious People that cry out of their own Sins and the weight and burden of their own Sins upon their own Spirits as well as David I must tell you all that David said from himself was not truth And is it truth when a sincere-hearted believer through the power of temptation and infidelity â—alls into despairing Expressions Did Asaph speak well in these Passages to charge God that he had forsaken him for ever David might mistake then that God should charge sin upon him and it may be he might charge sin upon himself without any Warrant or Commission from God to do it And doth not Asaph upon recollecting himself in that Psal 77.10 acknowledge that to be his Infirmity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Sickness or Spiritual Disease that I should think or speak at this rate of God And are you so offended that I say it was Asaph's mistake It was by some mistake that those words were said to be David's when Asaph's Doth not the Spirit of God in Asaph say that it was not only his mistake but sin of infirmity Calv. I think you have given a sufficient Answer to that Allegation of his I pray let 's hasten as much as may be Neonom I must confess I have not much to say against the Answer But he saith Before a believer doth confess his sin he may be as certain of the pardon of it as after confession D. W. p. 172. from Dr. C. p. 213. Antinom Speaking of Christ's free welcom to all comers this Objection among others was spoke to But must not he confess first Dr. C. p 213. and be afflicted in his Soul before he can think he shall be received if he come For answer I said 1. I deny not but acknowledge when a believer sins he must confess his sins and the greatest end and ground of this confession is that which Joshua speaks concerning Achan Josh 7.19 My Son confess thy faults and give glory to God A believer in the confession of sin gives glory to the great God of Heaven and Earth and that must be the glorious end of confession of his sin that God may be owned as the sole and only Saviour Except we do acknowledge Sin we cannot acknowledge Salvation we cannot acknowledge any Vertue in the Works and Sufferings of Christ Christ might have saved his labour and never come into the World all that Christ did couâ—d not be acknowledged to be of worth to us if there had not been sin from which Christ should save us He that doth indeed confess his sin doth indeed confess he had perished if Christ had not died for him nay he confesseth that nothing in the World but Christ could save him 2. I grant that a believer should be sensible of sin i e of the nature of sin But my main design is to shew you that Confession of Sin is not the procuring Cause of the Pardon of Sin A believer i. e. a true believer may certainly conclude even before confession of sin that reconciliation is made
find it otherwise c. Answ There is not one Fit of Sadness in any Believer whatsoever but he is out of the way of Christ to which I add as follows which he mentions not I mean in his Fits of Sadness in respect of his jealousness of his present and future State he is out of the way of Christ he enjoys not him as he ought while he is in such fits therefore the Apostle puts Believers upon rejoycing always Phil. 4.4 There is matter of nothing but joy in him while theâ—e is mournings in Believers there is meltings in those mournings and more joy in mourning of a Believer than in all the mirth of a wicked Man Believers weep for joy according to the Proverb and never mourn more kindly than when they see the joy of the Holy Ghost in the freeness and fulness of the Lord Christ poured out upon them there is never any more kindly mourning for sin than that mourning when the Soul is satisfied of forgiveness of sins I say the Soul is first satiâ—fied with forgiveness of sins i. e. it ought to mourn in the faith of forgiveness if the mourning be kindly and of a Gospel-nature before there is that real kindly mouring in those that are Believers Gentlemen I crave your Pardon that I give you the trouble of hearing me repeat so much of my former Discourses but I am fain to do it for my vindication he having so rent and tore my Sermons in sunder on purpose to expose them and my Name yea I wish that were all that it be not the very Gospel-grace itself that he bears such a spleen to else sure he would never make such a scorn of solemn and serious Truths of Christ Neonom I shall not spare you for your Whining you say God doth no longer stand offended nor displeased though a Believer after he is a Believer sin often Dr. C. p. 15. Antinom I was shewing from John 14.6 that Christ is the way the only and effectual and infallible way from all the wrath of God to all that do receive him 1. From the affection of Wrath Let me tell you would to God you could receive it according to the manifest evidence of Scripture God doth no longer stand offended with a Believer tho' a Believer after he be a Believer doth sin often And where is the Believer that doth not sin often when he hath once received Christ and unto them God saith Anger is not in me Isa 47.4 and Isa 53. He shall see of the travel of his soul and he shall be satisfied i. e. pacified The travel of the Soul of Christ makes God such amends for the sinfulness of all Believers that he can no longer stand offended and displeased with them if God remain offended with them there is yet some of their sinfulness to be taken away Except God will be offended where there is no cause to be offended which is Blasphemy to speâ—k he will not be offended with Believers for I say he hath no cause to be offended with a Believer You must understand always quoad Deum as to God he being satisfied because he doth not find the sin of a Believer to be the Believer's own sin but he finds it the sin of Christ i. e. by way of Imputation so I always mean He was made Sin for us he laid the Iniquities of us all upon him the Blood of Christ cleanseth us from all Sin he bear our Sins in his own Body on the Tree but if he bear our Sins he must bear the displeasure for them nay he did bear the Displeasure the Indignation of the Lord and if he did bear the Indignation of the Lord either he did bear all or but a part if he did not bear all the Indignation of the Lord then he doth not save to the uttermost those that come to God by him Heb. 4. I say not to the uttermost because here is some offence some indignation left behind and for lack of taking of this indignation upon himself it lights and falls upon Believers so that you must say Christ is an imperfect Saviour and hath left some scattering Wrath behind that will light on the head of a Believer c. Calvin I pray Mr. Neonomian what is the Truth in this Point It is you must set us right and shew us all our Mistakes Neonom Truth The Sins of Believers have the loathsomness of Sin adhering to them which God sees and accounts the committers guilty thereby D. W. p. 170. Antinom What do you mean by the loathsomness of Sin Is not Sin in all its respects loathsom and is it not loathsom as it is contrary to the preceptive part of the Holy Law Is there any fine sweet precious part of Sin Did not Christ bear Sin of the deepest die most loathsom Sins Is it any otherwise loathsom than as a Transgression of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this was that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Christ took away 1 Joh. 3. But how not that they were subjectively removed from us but that the inherency of them in great measure remains in us and God knows it but before the eye of Justice all sin of a Believer as he stands under the Sanction of the Law is taken away i. e. as to the Condemnation and Wrath that belongs unto him he is freed from it by the Blood and Satisfaction of Christ Neonom And they ought to charge themselves with it so as to stir up themselves to repentance and renew their actings of Faith on Christ for forgiveness Antinom They ought to be always sensible of and humbled for the constant indwelling and frequent breaking forth of their Sins and Corruptions but always beginning in the Faith of the Blood and Satisfaction of Christ and therefrom exercise Repentance and Humiliation or else their Humiliation and Repentance will not be of a right nature nor attain a right end and we own such Actings of Faith and Repentance ought often to be renewed by the best of God's Children Neonom Nevertheless they ought not thereby to fear their being out of a justified state Antinom Therefore to believe they are in a justified estate and not to cast off the spirit of adoption and betake themselves to a spirit of bondage and if they ought to believe their justified state then they ought to believe their freedom from condemnation for a justified state and a state of condemnation are the highest in opposition indeed privantia the one totally expels the other Neonom They must not fear their justification further than their faults give them just cause of suspecting that sin hath dominion over them and that their first believing on Christ was not sincere Antinom As to suspicion of the truth of believing our way is not to charge sin upon ourselves as lying under the Wrath of God for it this will work in us the highest despair or such degrees of unbelief as tend thereto but in case of such
to the purpose you have answered it all yourself in your second Whether viz. That God doth not upon new Crimes judicially charge the Christian with those Sins he had pardoned before tho' he may present to his view some former Sins for his further Humblings And so he doth those new Crimes you speak of God presents them to this view for his further Humblings And I will add in order to the quickning his Addresses to the Throne of Grace in the Faith of Forgiveness and drawing forth and enlarging his Heart in the Love of the Lord Jesus in sense of his Love seeing much is forgiven him Neonom Humiliation Confession Sorrow for Sin new Resolutions and looking to Christ for Healing are the Duties of Saints upon new Faults in order to repeated Acts of Forgiveness c. Antinom That these are our Duties at all times even when we fall not into notorious Relapses we deny not even when and whilst we live in the Faith of our present Pardon and Forgiveness and upon our Relapses our Recovery is by the same Faith which carries us forth to performance of these Duties in order to the mortifying Corruption and giving glory to God in all his Attributes for strengthning Power against Sin and Joy in the Holy Ghost which comfort in believing in restoring of Joy and Gladness in the sense of our Justification and Salvation by Christ is the Forgiveness intended Neonom If a Man were thrice stung must he not thrice look to the brazen Serpent D. W. p. 176. Antinom No doubt of it the brazen Serpent was a Type of Christ and looking to it was the Type of a Sinner's Faith When a Sinner hath Christ in Justification his Life is in him and he must live by the Faith of the Son of God God renews the Expressions and Manifestations of his free Pardon unto Believers from time to time accordingly it 's received by Faith to our daily healing and comfort the vertue of Christ remains the same it 's our Faith is repeated Neonom Believers ought to be more assured of Pardon and joyful after the renewed Acts of Repentance and Faith D. W. p. 177. Antinom They ought not to take up their assurance from their own Performances but from the free Grace in the Promise received by Faith and ought not to suspend Faith till they have repented and humbled themselves this were to pray and repent in Unbelief which makes it all vain and void Neonom It 's otherwise against that wise Order which God hath stated for a due Reverence to him Numb 12.14 Antinom God hath no Order of due Reverence to him established in the Covenant of Grace but Paternal and that 's by a Spirit of Adoption as a Son honoureth his Father and there 's none of this without Faith in the Fatherly Love and Compassion of the Father God hath nowhere ordered that his Children should put themselves into the Hands of his severe Justice when they have sinned and conclude themselves unjustified for a considerable time before they look to Christ for healing they that were stung in the Wilderness did not go to use a great many Medicines first but were immediately to apply themselves to the brazen Serpent for healing So should Believers upon all their falls Miriams being shut out of the Camp seven days was no Argument that God had not forgotten her before the seven days were up God makes some of his People in their falls Examples to others as to outward Afflictions of which they had in the days of the old Testament a more penal Aspect and more Judicial than we ought to make them to have in the days of clearer Gospel-grace as I can make appear divers ways Neonom The People of God have had those sad Fits which you condemn when Sin greatly breaks out they do well become them Paul calls a contrary frame under Guilt a being puffed up 1 Cor. 5.2 Antinom You basely slander the Doctor in making as if he were an Enemy to the serious Gospel remorse of God's Children from a right Principle and due Frame as we have made appear 2 Paul nowhere calls Faith in pardoning Mercy a puffing up that 's from a Spirit of Security and Insensibleness which we have in the Acts of Sin and after till the renewing our Acts of Faith 3. Paul nowhere commends a guilty Frame or Sadness meerly from Guilt But 2 Cor. 7.10 in the Case you mention absolutely condemns such sadness and sorrow as you commend as such which is contrary to true godly Sorrow Sorrow from Guilt only is according to the World and works Death Neonom Consider God remits or binds in Heaven according to what his Church doth justly on Earth either the Pardon of the Non-repenting Offender is suspended or Censures are vain D. W. p. 178. Antinom God's remitting or binding in Heaven is variously understood not to enlarge now upon it I do not apprehend that a justified Person falling into Sin and censured justly by a Church is therefore unjustified before God if so he is fallen from Grace in the highest sense Nor if he be a Hypocrite and in his Hypocrisy be reconciled to the Church in his Hypocrisy that therefore he is justified in Heaven or in foro Dei no I distinguish between forum Dei and Ecclesia a Man may be righteous before God and not before the Church vice versa but I apprehend to bind in Heaven what the Church doth justly on Earth is to confirm and bless his own Ordinances to their designed end and purpose either to the bringing home a lapsed justified Person or to discover him to be a Hypocrite and therefore they shall not be in vain Neonom Need I give you David 's experience Psal 32.3 5. When I keep silence my bones waxed old Antinom That place is impertinently quoted if you read the whole Psalm you will find that it begins with the true Gospel-blessedness of a Believer and after tells you what a miserable condition he was in when he fell under guilt and acted not faith concerning his justified and pardoned state the frame he speaks of as contrary to his sadness was a frame of Faith and Prayer and what was his faith acted upon but on the forgiveness of his sins as Ver. 1 2. Neonom The Assembly and Congregational Elders do both declare God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified D. W. p. 178. Antinom The Assembly saith Christ by his Obedience and Death Assemb Confess c. 11. s 3. did fully discharge the Debt of all those that are thus justified and did make a proper real and full satisfaction to his Father's Justice on their behalf And they say in Answer to that Question Larger Catech. Q. 70. What is Justification A. Justification is an Act of God's free Grace unto sinners in which he pardoneth all their sins therefore them that shall be committed as well as those that are committed already accepteth their persons righteous
That we may learn Patience that excellent Grace Rom. 5. Tribulation worketh Patience 7. That Faith may be tryed the tryal whereof is better than Gold Jam. 1. 8. That we may be weaned from the World prize and long for Heaven more therefore through many Tribulations we must enter into Heaven Acts 14.22 These and many more great Reasons may be assigned for the Afflictions of God's Children and not to be reckoned to be for Sin in your sense Mr. Calvin in his institutions is very large on these things and saith l. 3. c. 8. s 6. In ipsa tribulationum acerbitate Patris nostri Clementiam erga nos benignitatem recognoscere convenit quando ne tum quidem desinit salutem nostram promovere affligit nos non ut perdat aut perimat sed potius ut a mundi damnatione liberet In the very bitterness of Affliction it is our Duty to own and recognize the tenderness and bounty of our Father because then he ceaseth not to promote our Salvation for he afflicts not that he may kill or destroy us but rather to deliver us from the condemnation of the World From the Doctrin of Justification by Christ's Righteousness we gather 1. To condemn the proud Papists Dr. Vsher Theol. p. 195. that seek Justification by their own Works and Righteousness inherent in themselves 2. There 's no comfort to a Christian's Soul like this 1. The Assurance of the Sufficiency of our Redemption Rom. 8.33 God having accepted his Son's Righteousness for us will not hold us any longer trespassers but he disables his own Justice from making any further demand 2. Hence there is nothing comes upon the Saints from God's Revenging Justice but all our Corrections are Medicinal from God's fatherly love to purge out that Sin out of our Nature which he hath already pardoned to our Person DEBATE XIX Of the Beauty of Sincere Holiness Neonom I Am now come with a Charge of a Monstrous Error upon Mr. Antimonian I believe it will stink in your Nostrils as soon as I name it it is this That the greatest Holiness in Believers tho' wrought in them by the Holy Ghost is meer dung rottenness and filthiness as in them D. W. p. 196. Calv. I pray let us hear his own words for the Apostle Paul speaks to that purpose Phil. 3.9 Neonom Aye but the Apostle Paul doth not mean as he doth he hath perverted the Apostle's words to a wrong sense He saith Know that the Motions and Assistance of the Spirit be Pure Holy and without Scum in the Spring to wit itself yet by that time these Motions and Assistances have passed the Channels of our Hearts and been mixed with manifold Corruptions even the whole Work becomes polluted and filthy and filthiness alters the property of the pure Motions of Christ's Spirit c. Dr. C. p. 232. Calv. Do you charge this for Error Antinom If you please Sir you shall have my whole sense the sum briefly of what I spake I was preaching from Phil. 3.8 9. I opened that Text according to the sense of the best Interpreters and I shewed that the Apostle 1. demolisheth all glittering and rotten Materials wherewith he had and others still do erect a fortress of security and a place of delight Dr. C. p. 226. 2. He declares his end in so doing that he might lay a sure Foundation and build upon it with other Materials than Hay and Stubble p. 227. Now I shewed that which he cast away was all things not only what he was or could do before he received Christ but even all things whatever also he hath been able to do since he received Christ tho' assisted thereto by the Spirit of Christ as Beza well observes As concerning the Apostle's end for stripping himself naked of his most specious Works in general it is to be cloathed with white Robes even the Garment of Salvation but more especially he declares his end 1. It 's for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ i. e. of Christ's Excellencies known to the knowledge of which I could never come till all I was and am plainly appeared loss and dung my own Righteousness was a thick Film over my Eyes that I could not see Christ's Worth 2. A gaining and winning Christ is a second end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as long as his own Obedience was in request with him and seemed any thing better than dung in his eye he could never get Christ 3. That he might be found in him i. e. at the great day of appearance That this is the meaning is plain by the Apostle's own expounding himself not having mine own Righteousness and my Doctrin That things even the most blameless walking according to God's Law not only before but after conversion or receiving Christ is truly counted loss and dung by a Paul's Eye and such an one will be willing to suffer the loss thereof as dung Those places were brought in proof Isai 64.6 Luke 17.10 And I shew'd this determination was not to be of some things only but of all not only things directly against the Precept but all Civility Morality the exactest obedience with the highest assistance of the Spirit and straightest aim at a right end c. must be counted and sentenced but as loss and dung But let me not he mistaken here I do not say that the Motions themselves of the Spirit as his nor the Ends and Enlargements of the Heart as his or the Ends aimed at as prescribed must be thus accounted or sentenced but the whole Work as done and when done by a sanctified person thus assisted and qualified when such a person looks at the Work so done by him he must see nothing but meer loss and dung 1. Loss because that he forfeits Life and Bliss on Earth and Heaven there is sin enough in it if God had nothing else but what he could pick out of the best Work to lay to his charge I mean in regard of the desert of such a Work in itself considered under the notion of such loss must it be lookt on And as Dung also which comprehends the causality of such loss in these Works All things of ours even the best are of this nature I say therefore all our Righteousness at best is such a menstruous Cloath in Goâ—'s eye and so certainly in it self Let us consider what it is to suffer the loss of all things 1. There is a Passive Suffering the loss of all things when a person is violently bereft of all 2. There is an Active or Voluntary Suffering the loss of all i. e. he was contented to take shame to himself for his best Actions and account himself worthy to be cast out and destroyed and to be his own Judge to pass not only the Sentence of Confiscation of all but of Condemnation on his Person saying O wretched Man that I am c. and so to stand stripp'd stark naked of all things and all Pleas they can afford
Spirits and becomes our own our Flesh being like the Viper's Stomach that turns the wholsomest Food into Poison See what Excellent Mr. Beza saith in his Confess Chap. 4. Art 19. It is not to be allowed that Works are a cause of Salvation in the whole or any part for if it were so certainly there would be but a Crazy Foundation of our Salvation We must of necessity acknowledg that the Water and Foundation from which it flows are akin because the most thick Darkness yet remains in our Understandings it would come to pass if God should in his strict Justice enquire into the best Works of a Man there could be no other thing determined of them but that they be the mere pollutions of God's gifts as it often falls out that a River otherwise clear and limpid is infected with the Filth of a Jaques thro' which it runs Rom. 7.15 23. Psal 142.2 Now what think you of this For my part I verily believe that Doctor C. took his very way of Expressing and Illustrating these things from this very place of Mr. Beza Now unless you will condemn this Learned and Approved Divine for Errour in this point I see not that you can accuse this Antinomian as you call him I will shew you the Opinions of a Divine who I hope you dare not call unstudied and unlearned it 's of the famous Doctor Tuckney in his Sermons upon this Text of Phil. 3.8 He saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things which includes more than all that was before mentioned If you ask what I Answer according to our Divines whom I am not ashamed of or of their Judgment All his own Inherent Righteousness and best Works after Conversion his labouring more abundantly than they all his Conversion of many Souls his holy and unblameable Conversation Omnia quae hunc Christianus Apostolus ago habeo as Zanchy upon the Text which he sufficiently makes out to be here included both from the Universal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being intended to Express more than was before Expresses of his Morals and Zeal before Conversion and from the Present Tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now that he is Converted he Judges so of all that he was and is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostom and by what he saith Vers 9. c. And to throw you quite on your Back I will shew you a passage in the Assembly's Confession which you would not see Chap. XVI of Good Works Sect. V. When we have done all we can we have done but our Duty and are unprofitable Servants and because as they are good they proceed from the Spirit and as they are wrought by us they are defiled and mixed with so much Weakness and Imperfection that they cannot endure the Severity of God's Judgment Yet notwithstanding the Persons of Believers are accepted thro' Christ and their Good Works also are accepted in him c. Now Sir Seeing the Doctrin which you so Peremptorily call Errour is so clearly proved to be Truth let us hear what you have to say in stating and defending your Judgment and I pray Mr. Antinom do you Whip the Top with him Neonom Truth Tho' the present sincere Holiness of Believers be not perfect according to the Precepts of the Word nor valuable by the Sanction of the Law of Innocency nor any Attonement for our defects and â—e still need Forgiveness and the Merits of Christ for acceptance thereof yet as far as it prevails it 's Lovely in it self and pleasing to God and is not Dung or Filth Antinom We shall divide your Canon into Two parts the Negative and Positive you tell us what it is not and first Note That you change the Terms for the Doctor speaks of Works performed by us when a Duty is performed and becomes a Compositum of the pure Graces of the Spirit mixed with the Corrupt indwelling Motions of our own Hearts and hence he distinguisheth between Grace flowing from the Spirit which is purely Holy and Grace acted and performed by us through the assistance of the Spirit therefore we must keep you to the Doctor 's Terms viz. to our sincere Works or sincere Holiness taken in that sense This being premised 1. You tell us these Works are imperfect and not according to the Word therefore so far sinful for whosoever keeps the whole Law and offendeth in one point is guilty of all James 2.10 And so I say of any Duty if it fail in one point it 's chargeable with breach of the whole Law so the Duty is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Dung and Filth 2. You say it 's not valuable by the Law of Innocency that 's said before for what is not according to God's Precept is Condemned by God's Law by every Law of God it 's so far from Valuableness it stands under a Sentence of Condemnation God never accepted or owned Imperfect Obedience as suâ—h and in it self neither is it consistent with his pure Nature so to do 3. You say it cannot make Attonement If it stand for Acceptable Righteouseness and Holiness it must make Attonement for its Defects and sinful Pollutions the High Priest was to make Attonement for his own Sins before he could be accepted so in this Case that Righteousness that cannot Attone for its own Sins if there be any cannot be Acceptable to God but you say this Righteousness cannot make Attonement for its Sins therefore in it self can never be Acceptable to God Posit 1. You say we still need Forgiveness and the Merits of Christ for Acceptance of these Works 1. Then I say they are Sinful or else would not need Forgiveness 2. They need the Merits of Christ and therefore not Acceptable Righteousness in themselves they are as Dung and Stink in the Nostrils of God the best Works in themselves are such whatever is not capable in it self to make it self Acceptable in the sight of God if it have no relation to another Righteousness it Stinks and is Abominable in the Nostrils of God 3. You say so far as it prevails its lovely i. e. not at all of it self Observe still what we say No good Work of a Believer prevails to Acceptation of us and if not it prevails not at all and that which prevails not to Acceptation is not lovely in it self for nothing is lovely to God but what he Accepts and hence you conclude it is not Dung or Filth but from what you your self have said it can be no other than Dung whatever cannot be Accepted of God without Forgiveness and the Righteousness of Christ to make it Acceptable is in it self and out of Christ Dung But I perceive what you aim at that it is a Righteousness that comes in for a share with Christ and in part it prevails to Acceptation tho' not altogether and here you fall in with the Council of Trent as in all your Doctrin That the Grace of Justification and Acceptance
is not only the favour of God and by the Merit of Christ but that our Works prevail in some degree Neonom I will tell you wherein the difference lies 1. It is not whether Holiness or the best Acts of a Saint be such or so perfect as to Attone for his Sin or procure a State of Pardon Antinom This is a strange kind of talking about a Saint's good Works Attoning or Procuring a State of Pardon as if there could be a Saint before he is in a State of Pardon And as for those Works that need Attonement and cannot make Attonement for themselves they are in themselves but pitiful Menstruous Rags Dross and Dung for Non Acceptation with God makes all Works such tho' seemingly never so good Neonom Nor whether our Holiness can make us Accepted with God without Christ Antinom Then it is not worth a Pin in it self without Christ Neonom Nor whether the Holiest Action of the Holiest Saint is such as not to need Forgiveness Antinom That which needs Forgiveness is Sin and therefore Filth but according to you The Holiest Action of a Holiest Saint is such according to your self Ergo. Neonom Nor whether by the Sanction of the Law of Innocency Sincere Holiness could be accounted Holiness All this I deny Antinom There could be no other Holiness counted Holiness by the old Law but Sincere Holiness but imperfect Sincere Holiness was not accepted there nor in and by it self in any other Law or Gospel as such Neonom Nothing under that Law but perfect Conformity to the Precept was Holiness whereas Gospel Grace makes a great difference between true Holiness tho' imperfect and wha't formally Wickedness between Sincere Love and Enmity Sincere Faith and Vtter Vnbelief Antinom If perfect Conformity was the Holiness of the old Law required it 's an Argument that nothing will serve the grace of the Gospel but a Holiness answerable to it in perfection and whatever difference you make to be between imperfect true Holiness and formal Wickedness I tell you the formal difference between perfect Holiness and imperfect is Sin for this Imperfection lieth in Sin a coming short of Moral Perfection can lie in nothing but in some degree or other of Sin But is it the Gospel makes the difference between Virtue and Vice Sure it s the Law doth that Neonom The real difference lieth here whether the sincere Holiness of a Believer's Heart and Actions be really Dung and Rotteness This the Doctor affirms and I deny D. W. p. 198. Antinom The Doctor affirms That the Works Services or Performances of a Believer being full of Imperfection and mingled with Sin are not acceptable to God but thro' Faith in Jesus Christ and compared with the pure Holiness and Justice of God and the Righteousness of Christ and his Holiness in which he stands are and ought to be accounted by him as Loss and Dung. Neonom Whether sincere Holiness so far as it prevails in our Hearts and Actings be truly lovely in it self and pleasing to God according to the grace of the Gospel and is not Dung. This I affirm and the Doctor denies Antinom The Question is Whether Holy Works performed by the best Men be not Polluted with Sin and whether they can be truly lovely and pleasing to God in themselves out of Christ according to any grace of the Gospel and therefore are not as Dung This I deny tho' you affirm and a Thousand more Neonom What is spoken of Holiness of any meer Man on Earth since the fall is spoken of sincere Holiness for perfect Holiness none had Antinom What hath been spoken of Holiness that God hath accepted is of true Holiness i. e. Sanctification in Christ Jesus Sincerity may be where there 's no true Holiness Paul had Sincerity in his supposed Holiness he verily thought he did God good Service in persecuting the Churches good ends and meanings which a Carnal Man may have in his Mind are not enough to make an Action good Neonom I have room but to Expostulate Antinom Because you cannot find a good Argument to bring in you might have had more room if you would and it would have been more for your Honour so as you had served Truth in it but go on with your Expostulation Neonom Is that Dung which is the effect of Regeneration in the Soul and Actings Antinom You should have said the Effect of the Spirit for Regeneration it self is not an Efficient but an Effect and that which is the Efficient of Regeneration is so also of all the Vital Acts in a Regenerate Person now we have told you before that the pure graces of the Spirit passing thro' the Corrupt Channel of Man's Heart becomes in a Duty like defiled Pudled Water and such Duty in it self only considered is as Dung in the sight of God and ought to be accounted so by us Neonom Is that Dung which is so often honoured with the Name of the Spirit it self and called the Spirit of Love Prayer c. Antinom You should have named the places where our Works are called by the Name of the Holy Spirit of God as for the Spirit of Love that is the disposition of Love and as to the Spirit of Prayer where it 's taken for the Spirit 's helping our Infirmities it is spoken of as distinct from our Prayers themselves Neonom Is not that more Lovely which is called the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Antinom The Divine Nature there is the Spirit of Christ received by Faith for it 's given in many great and precious Promises and whatever of Divine Nature we receive it is of God and in conformity to and participation of Christ all which is pure as flowing from the Spring but when it comes to be Exerted and put forth by us in our Duties becomes impure and mixed with the Corruptions so the whole Duty in it self is but an Unclean thing Neonom How Amiable must that be which is the New Man after God's Image Eph. 4.24 Antinom Take the New Man Created after God distinctly considered as it comes from God it 's a pure Creature but this hinders not but the Regenerat Man is made up of the Old and New Man and all his Actions and Duties partake of both and therefore polluted for Paul said the Old Man hindred him from doing good when he would for then Evil was present with him the same may be said of the New Heart Ezek. 18.31 The Law in the Members is warring against the Law of the Mind in every part and faculty of Soul and Body Neonom Are those Works Dung to which we are Created in Christ Jesus Eph. 2.10 Antinom We are created in Christ Jesus unto good Works to be performed in Christ Jesus so far as we are in Christ Jesus and our Works in Christ Jesus they are not Dung neither doth the Doctor say they be but when performed out of Christ in ourselves and in themselves they are but as Dung
this Society the Overseers of my Will with this Proviso That if Mr. Neonomian do refuse or do not well and truly execute this my last Will and Testament in the agreed Judgment of this Society that then the whole Trust shall devolve upon the said Society which I doubt not but they will endeavour faithfully to perform Calv. Mr. Neonom Will you accept of this Executorship Neonom I do not know what Power he hath to dispose of the Goods of other Men I take it to be great presumption in him if not dishonesty to dispose of other Mens Proprieties seeing he renounceth them all Antinom Sir I crave your Pardon I must confess Mr. Calvin he hath given me a just Rebuke for when we met in the Eutopian Fields finding me Anonymus he was so courteous as to lend me or rather impose upon me the Name of Mr. Antinomian during my short Converse here he having two Names himself he could lend me one for a little while which as you see for Conversation sake I have made use of with an Intention to return it yea in the mean time did declare and did plead it against all Men that it was Mr. Neonomian's Propriety and therefore I now return it to him accordingly Neonom No no Sir I gave you that Name as your Propriety it best expressing your Opinions Antinom Then Sir you 'l grant I have Power to bequeath it in my last Will and I bequeath it to you Calv. But by your favour Sir it 's a judged Case and therefore you have not Power to bequeath it if you borrowed it it 's Honesty to return it before you depart Neonom What do you mean by a judged Case Calv. I mean that Mr. Neonomian hath before this Society sufficiently given us to understand that his Opinion is that the moral Law is vacated and a new Law brought into the room of it Antinom And more than that there are certain Divines in this City great Friends to this Society that have excepted against his Principles as highly Antinomian Therefore take it as your own by Law Vale. Antinomus Exit Anonymus Calv. Now Sir your great Antagonist is withdrawn I shall deal plainly with you and briefly sum up the Heads of these things wherein it hath manifestly appeared by the foregoing Debates that you have given abundant cause of just offence by your late Writings 1. That you have unjustly charged and misrepresented Dr. Crisp by your self owned to have been a holy Man 2. That you have falsly stated those things which you call Truths and Errors 3. That you have vented your own erroneous Tenents and endeavoured to prove them agreeable to the Articles Confessions and our Orthodox Protestant Writers by perverting their Sense or misapplying what they say when as they are most repugnant to you 1. As to the said Doctor you charge him unjustly with those things which are directly false I shall give an Instance or two of it You say this is one of his Errors chap. 1. that he saith That if the Elect should die before they believe yea when they are under the Dominion of Sin and in the Practice of the grossest Villanies they are as much the Sons of God and justified as the Saints in Glory Whereas he expresly denies the truth of this Charge in his Vindication he makes of himself against some who in his Life-time had reproached his Doctrin and Ministry as you do now p. 637. They say that I should affirm that if an elect Person should die a Whoremonger and Adulterer c. in all kind of Prophaneness he shall be saved He appeals to his Hearers whether ever they heard him Preach any such Doctrin and declares it a gross notorious and groundless Slander And his following words are I said before and say again That there is no elect Person suppose him to be capable and come to years shall die before he is called i. e. before the Lord give Faith to this Person to believe and in some measure frame him to walk by the Spirit according to the Rule of the Gospel The second false Charge is Chap. 2. Err. 2. That he should make Christ the real Blasphemer Murderer c. and that he was so accounted of the Father Whereas he asserts and vindicates the Innocency of Christ's Person he saith only that Christ was accounted a Transgressor from a real Transaction or Imputation of our Sins to him in which Doctrin the Scriptures are most full and express 3. You charge this Error upon him Chap. 10. That Christ is offered to Blasphemers Murderers and the worst of Sinners that they remaining ignorant unconvinced and resolved in their purpose to continue such they may be assured they have a full Interest in Christ and this only by concluding in their own minds upon this offer that Christ is theirs That Christ ought to be offered to the vilest of Sinners and they invited to come unto him is sound Gospel-truth tho' you condemn it for an Error And is it possible a Man of Conscience can slander a Man whom he owneth to be holy with such a notorious Falshood That he should assert that Christ is offered to Men that they remaining ignorant unconvinced and resolved in their purpose to continue such might be assured of their Interest in Christ concluding only in their minds that Christ is theirs this we have proved to be a notorious Slander Many other Falshoods have been proved 2. As for Misrepresentations they run thorow the whole Book 1. Of Dr. C. that you may abuse and expose him 2. Of other noted Writers and Confessions you have horridly misrepresented them to serve your turn in asserting Error and condemning of Truth In misrepresenting Dr. Crisp you have either perverted his meaning and partially rehearsed his Expressions or else condemned what Truth he asserts and defends as great Errors As to the first we have sufficiently made it manifest in some Instances in the first part and it hath abundantly been proved in the whole progress of our Debates And here it is not amiss to add a word or two to what is said to your Error in the sixth Debate that you make a great Cry and Noise about viz. That Dr. C. should say That Christ while he bore Sin and was under the Punishment thereof was the Object of God's abhorrence The Doctor 's words are p. 180. All that hatefulness and loathsomness of Sin is put upon Christ that he stands as it were the abhorred of the Father for a time 1. You leave out as it were 2. You improve this to a hatred of the Person of Christ and a separation of his Natures upon his using the word Separation as Exegetick of forsaking both Scripture Expressions concerning Sin and Christ 3. You hereby manage your design of beating down the Doctrin of Christ's bearing God's Wrath and Curse for us as you do the Doctrin of his bearing Sin 4. As to the word abhorred upon a diligent Enquiry we find it to
be a Scripture Expression concerning Christ yea and of Christ under his Sufferings of Wrath and Curse for Sin for tho' God never hated his Person in the highest of his Suffering neither is it necessary any Judge passing Sentence on the worst Criminal should hate his Person yet his Father dealing with him in a judicial way by the eye and hand of Justice in this present state and standing under the Charge of Sin and thereby cloathed as it were with filthy Garments is said to be as it were abhorred of God and it s not only included in the word forsaken the Syriack word Sabactani and taken from Psal 22. where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used signifying dereliquit deseruit and so rendred by the LXXII and the Evangelist Abhorrere being used by Classick Authors in the sense of being averse to a state or condition Cic. Abborret ab auribus vulgi it s not agreeable to the Peoples Ear abhorrere a nuptiis to be averse to Marriage and from that aversion to turn away from it or a Person in it so God having purer Eyes than in his Justice to behold or endure Iniquity forsook and turned away as it were abhorring his Son standing under the charge of Sin in that state and condition And accordingly as Christ considered in this respect and state of Guilt and Condemnation is brought in prophetically by the Prophet speaking those words Psal 22. and are actually applied to himself by himself on the Cross Mat. 27.46 So we see in another famous Prophecy of this same state of his Suffering this word Abhor is used by our Interpreters most properly Psal 89.38 Thou hast cast off thou hast abhorred thou hast been wrath with thine Anointed The Hebrew hath it with thy Messias and the 72. hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred abhorred Sign sprevit reprobavit aspernatus est and by the 72. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast contemned or despised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dereliquit absecit deseruit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sprevit Resâ—â—nt reprobavit aspernatus aversatus est abhoruit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exconduit Furere percitus And it 's observable that three such highly significant words should he here used in one Verse as expressive of the unspeakable weight of God's Wrath and Curse that lay upon him Thou hast deserted thou hast abhorred thou hast dealt in fury of wrath with thy Messiah In Dr. Abbot's Defence of the Reformed Catholick p. 428. we have the following Passages The Prophet saith The Lord did lay upon him our Iniquities the Lord would break him and make him Subject to Infirmities that we may understand that God did not only leave him to the hands of Men but himself counted him with sinners by the bearing of our sins and therefore dealt with him himself accordingly So that he had cause to cry out Thine Indignation lieth borâ— upon me and thou hast vexed me with all thy storms Lord why abhorrest thou my Soul and hidest thy Face from me thy wrathful Displeasure goeth over me and the Fear of thee hath undone me Yet as touching the Person of Christ we acknowledge that he was excepted from Sin In the Margin he qoutes Psal 89.38 applied to Christ by Athenas Interp. Psal by Arnob and Hierom. on Psal 87. As to the rest of the Mis-representations of the said Doctor which wâ—â—â— take up too much Time and Paper to rehearse I refer you to the particular Debates And as to your charging the Truths that he affirms and insists on for Error I shall mention briefly some principal ones under the next Head As to the second thing in which just Exceptions lie against your Book we have this to charge That you have not in all that is material fully and rightly stated Truths and Errors For 1. You have not rightly divided Truth from Error but confounded them one with another 2. You have condemned Truth for Error and asserted Error to be Truth 3. You have stuffed your Positions with ambiguous Words and Terms that instead of stating you have perplexed them and so that when you seem to speak one thing it 's most apparent you mean another Let me but give a few Instances of many that are more largely and particularly demonstrated in the Debates 1. According to this threefold falseness you state Truth and Error in your 1 2 3 4 5 6 Chapters in the Doctrins of Christ's bearing our Sins and Punishment for them 2. In the Doctrin of Imputation of Christ's Righteousness you plainly deny it to be any other than as to Effects which is no Imputation at all That there was no change of Person betwixt Christ and us That he suffered not in our stead That Spots remain in justified ones as they stand justified before God and therefore not perfectly justified and then imputed Righteousness must be imperfect C. 7. 3. You condemn it for an Error to say The Covenant of Grace as to us is not conditional and that Faith is not a Federal Condition of it And to say The Covenant of Grace was made between the Father and Son as the second Adam and with the Elect in him Or that this Covenant-Transaction is pleadable by us If all this be Error what Truth is there in the Scripture and the Assembly C. 8. p. 53 58. 4. You condemn this for an Error to say Christ is to be offered to the worst of sinners before they are willing to deny themselves and renounce all their Sins and Idols C. 10. p. 81. 5. You insinuate a Condemnation of all Union to Christ before an Act of Faith C. 11. p. 91. 6. You insinuate Perswasion not to belong to the Nature of Faith C. 9. p. 73. and make Faith and Repentance to justifie as qualifying Conditions C. 12. p. 102 114. 7. You insinuate a Condemnation of this great Truth asserted by our Lord Jesus Christ himself That he is the Way Truth and Life in Justification Sanctification and Glory Joh. 14.6 C. 13. p. 121. 8. The Sum of what you design in C. 14. is to condemn this great Gospel-Truth for Error that a Believer is not to work from Life but for Life p. 153. 9. You condemn all Ways of Assurance besides By-Signs and Marks found in us among which Perseverance is the greatest Here you condemn Assurance arising from the direct Act of Faith and immediate Witness of the Spirit by it self or in and by the Word C. 15 160 161. 10. You charge that great Truth to be an Error That God sees no Sin in justified ones C. 16. p. 170. And to say that Sin cannot hurt them in a way of condemnation C. 17. p. 181. And that the Afflictions of God's People are Effects of God's Vindicative-Justice and his Displeasure against their Persons C. 18. p. 150. 11. You condemn the Protestant true Acceptation and Interpretation of Phil. 3.8 9. C. 19. p. 196. 3. To these I shall name
these admired Principles of yours famous at Rome as some Instances of the third thing 1. That every Sin is not Damnable Pref. p. 6. 2. That the Moral Law is vacated its Sanction being changed ibid. 3. That the Eternal Condition of Men is not eternally decided in this Life but they are in a state of tryal here for Eternity p. 55. See to reconcile these three Heads of Doctrin to the Assembly and reconcile the first to the larger Catechism Q. 152. What doth every Sin deserve at God's hands A. 1. Every Sin even the least being against the Sovereignty Goodness and Holiness of God and against his righteous Law deserveth his Wrath and Curse both in this Life and that which is to come and cannot be expiated but by the Blood of Christ 2. Reconcile the second to Confess c. 19. 5. The Moral-Law doth for ever bind all therefore its Sanction remains if you know what Sancire is as well justified persons as others to the obedience thereof and that not only in regard of the Matter contained in it but also in respect of the Authority of God the Creator who gave it neither doth God in the Gospel any way dissolve but much strengthen this Obligation Who is the Antinomian now 3. Reconcile the third rotten ill-worded Principle to the Assemb c. 17. § 2. The Perseverance of the Saints depends not upon their own Free-will but upon the Immutability of the Decree of Election flowing from the free and unchangeable Love of God the Father upon the efficacy of the Merit and Intercession of Jesus Christ the abiding of the Spirit the Seed of God within them and the Nature of the Covenant of Grace from all which ariseth the certainty and infallibility thereof With what Conscience can a Man solemnly subscribe these Articles Confessions and Catechisms and yet assert these Principles But you ascertain our Estate here only by doing you say you can shew that there 's no one Saving benefit granted a sinner but upon supposition of doing p. 230. It 's not given him to will or do but upon supposition of doing nor to be justified or persevere but upon supposition of doing So the Whole and the Certainty of a Believer's State depends wholly upon doing he is under a perfect Covenant of Works and his State is a State of Tryal for Life upon his doing as Adam's was but a worse and hath more to do and is less able Lastly As to the great fundamental Principle on which your New Scheme is founded viz. That the Gospel is a New Law with Sanction tho' I hope I have spoken enough to convince you of the Unsoundness of it yet because I would not be wanting in any thing wherein I may contribute to your further Illumination I will only present you with one remarkable Piece of Protestant Antiquity in this Point And it is An Article in the Confession of the Holy Doctrin which was proposed to the Assembly of the Council of Trent in the Name of the Illustrious Prince L. D. Christopher Duke of Wirtenberg and Count Montbelgard Jan. 24. Anno Dom. 1552. Concerning the Gospel of Christ. ALtho' many Precepts of the Law of God are contained in the Writings of the Evangelists and the Apostles and Christ himself teacheth that we are not to render Evil for Evil nor to look upon a Woman to lust after her and many other Precepts of the like nature Yet we must not think that the Gospel of Christ is a New Law whereby as the Fathers of old under the Old Testament were saved by an Old Law so Men now under the New Testament are saved by a New Law For unless thou understand the word Law generally for Doctrin as the Prophets several times are wont to use the word Law certainly the Gospel of Christ properly is no Law as Paul is wont to use the word Law but is good and joyful Tydings concerning the Son of God our Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Expiator of our Sins and Appeaser of the Wrath of God our Redeemer and Saviour Neither are the Precepts of the Law which are contained in the Apostolick Writings a New Law but an Explication of the Old Law according to the mind of the Holy Ghost which are not darkly contained before in the Writings of the Prophets but are repeated in the Ministry of the Gospel of Christ that the Severity of God's Law and the Corruption of our Nature being plainly laid open we might be excited to enquire after and embrace Christ revealed in his Gospel and that we should be acquainted by what Rule our Life of Faith in Christ should be directed Wherefore if we ought to speak properly concerning the Law of God and the Gospel of Christ even as we are not to make Christ a New Law-giver seeing he hath not made a New Law nor erected a New Politick Kingdom on Earth so neither is the Gospel to be turned into a New Law which offer Eternal Salvation to the performers thereof But we think that it is most certain that there is one and the same Natural and Moral Law both of the Old and New Testament and Eternal Salvation is not to be had by Men under the Old or New Testament for the Merits of the Works of the Law but only for the sake of the Merits of our Lord Jesus by Faith Christ rehearseth out of Isaiah his Office Luke 4. for which he was sent into this World saying The Spirit of the Lord is upon me in that he hath anointed me he hath sent me to Preach the Gospel to the Poor c. Here Christ teacheth that it is not his proper Office to give a New Law which might terrifie and slay miserable sinners but to Preach the Gospel that might quicken and comfort them See Gal. 4.4 5. Acts 15.10 11. They quote Austin That People who received the Old Testament Augustinus contra Adimantum Manichei discipulum c. 3. was held under certain shadows and figures of things before the coming of our Lord according to that wonderful and most exactly ordered distribution of times Yet in it there was so great a Predication and Fore-publication of the New Testament that no things may be found in the Evangelick or Apostolick Discipline altho' lofty and Divine Precepts and Promises which were wanting to those ancient Books I here conclude only adding the Exceptions of some Ministers against your Doctrin and Principles The Substance of some Exceptions made by divers London Ministers against Mr. Dan. Williams's Book Entituled Gospel Truth stated and vindicated 1. WE find Truth and Error is not rightly stated in several Particulars chap. 2. c. 5. c. 7. c. 8. c. 12. c. 16. c. 18. c. 19. and in other places 2. Under a colour of opposing some old Antinomian Errors which we from our Hearts abhor he falls in with them in their main Principle of vacating the Sanction of the moral Law as appears Pref. p 6 7. and Lib. p. 131 135. and in
in him upon which accounts he is fitly called the Covenant 7. This Covenant is Conditional in respect of the Justice of God and the Law of Works for Grace being to be magnified in a Salvation by way of Mercy the Subjects of it were such as had broke God's Righteous Law and offended Justice and such who were never able to fulfill this Law by perfect Obedience therefore it was Incumbent on the Mediator to make Reconciliation by coming between the Justice of God and the Elect to stand in their stead and to fulfill all Righteousness on their behalf 8. Again the Conditionality of the Covenant may be considered to be in Christ as he is the men way of conveyance of all good things from God to us all Blessings come in and through Christ to us all Union and Communion that God hath with us and we with him is in and through Jesus Christ there is no other Name for it given under Heaven and he is become the Living and Dispensing Fountain of all Grace and Glory the Way the Truth and Life John 14. 9. Upon a due consideration of the Federal Conditions there will result an appearance of two sorts of Promises not differing Specifically but modo quodam and respectively only some that refer most immediately and directly to the Elect and others that have their Aspect more immediately on Jesus Christ As to the first sort they are to the Elect as such and therefore to Christ the Head of them and the First-born among many Brethren and so the Promise of Eternal Life is made unto him and them As to the second sort which are Rewarding unto Christ and the Crowning him with Glory and Honour though they primarily respect Christ yet fall down from his Head to the Skirts of his Garment and become a Joy Comfort and Crown to all the Elect what other can such be As seeing his Seed and prolonging his Days and the prospering of the good pleasure of the Lord in his Hand 10. Divines differ about the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace we are of their Opinion who think that in accurate speaking that the Covenant of Grace hath no Conditions properly so called in respect of us A Condition properly so called in the matter of a Covenant is such an Action which being performed gives a man a right unto the reward Such a Condition in the Covenant of Grace cannot he exacted of us it s very plain because a right to Life cannot come upon any action of ours but only upon the righteousness of Christ seeing he was for us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Righteousness of the Law he fulfilled it perfectly and left nothing at all to be required justly of us to the gaining a right unto our selves Wits ad Foed cum Elect. p. 195. § 9. The Nature of the Covenant of Grace is Absolute and a Covenant of Promise notwithstanding all the Conditionality contained in it and that must be understood in these respects 1. In respect of the Original Proposer of this Covenant it came from the free and absolute Will Grace and Purpose of the Father 1 Tim. 1.9 and ver 1. This Covenant was not purchased no not by Jesus Christ the Covenant it self Christ in it and all the Glory of it lay in the Eternal Councel of Gods Will and became the purpose thereof and accordingly transacted with Jesus Christ and in him with all the Elect as their Representative 2. Hence it was free and absolute as to the Elect personally considered the whole of the Foederal Conditions lay upon their Head as Undertaker for them 3. The Covenant and Grace thereof is free and absolute and not conditional and suspended upon the unstable will of man Between God the Father indeed and Christ as the second Adam the transaction of the Covenant was wholly conditional Yea he undertook not only for his own works but for ours True indeed it is that when we believe it is we only that believe and when we work it is we that work but our working is not the cause of his Grace but his Grace is of our working Dr. Reynolds Works last Edit p. 923. If the Covenant be considered as it is applyed actually unto the Elect in time this is done absolutely in bestowing the Gift of the Promise to dead Creatures in whom there is an absolute impossibility of performing the least entitling Act to the Promise and therefore there can be nothing freer than Life to a dead Creature neither doth Life given entitle to action that 's very absurd to say but it 's a Principle of Action but Life and such a Life and all the Effects of it proceeds from the same Gift and this is Eternal Life 4. Hence all those Promises that contain the Promulgation of the Covenant in it's Oâ—iginal Nature and as respecting us express the Tenure of it as most free and absolute as it was revealed to Adam Abraham David and in the Gospel-Dispensation since Christ 4. The Absoluteness of this Covenant appears as to us in that all the Federal entitling Conditions contained in it is to be found in another and not in us nor wrought in us for whatever is wrought in us is from free Gift and of Promise and must have some condition performed by another as Federal before we can partake of it Therefore there 's nothing in us before or after Conversion that doth belong to the Federal Condition all our Gospel Obedience is to be referred to the Promise and is built upon it therefore it 's absolute because both Christ the Condition and all the good things promised are freely bestowed upon us 11. For the better understanding of the Nature of the Covenant of Grace Medium est vox communioris significationis quam conditio non omne medium est conditio licet omnis conditio fit medium sed medium ad aliquid obtinen dum ex contractu vel foedere illud demum est conditio Dr. Twiss we must distinguish well upon the Nature of Conditions There are two sorts of Conditions Conditions Federal and Conditions of Connexion or Dependance of things one upon another Federal Conditions are Terms agreed on in Covenant-contract between the Parties covenanting whereupon the Promises made become due by Reward and Debt And this supposeth that the Terms proposed be accepted before it become a Covenant A Covenant is not forced and therefore if the Covenant of Grace were made upon conditional Terms with Sinners it could not be a Covenant-Agreement consummated till they had first accepted the Terms 2. It always supposeth there is a Power and Ability in the Party on whom the Covenant-Condition lies to be performed previous to the Proposal of the said conditions otherwise they would be vain and absurd Hence to assert Faith or Obedience to be the Federal Conditions doth unavoidably throw Men into the Arminian Doctrine of Free-Will and of a Natural Power in Man to provide for his Salvation in the performance of