things he is Lord for us, and the Captain of our salvation; as also in that He led captivity captive;' Ep. iv. 8. all which places, with many more, being testimonies to us, of the sufficiency of that righteousness which saveth us from the justice of the law and wrath of God. But you respect not this his manner of lording; but will have him be a Saviour, as he giveth laws, especially those you call indispensable, and eternal, the moral law. You would have him a Saviour, as he bringeth us back to the holiness we had lost. But this is none other than barbarous quakerism, the stress of their writing also tending to no other purpose.

But you tell us, 'That you scarcely admired at any thing more in all your life, than that any worthy men especially, should be so difficultly persuaded to embrace this account of justifying faith, and should perplex and make intricate so very plain a doctrine,' p. 222.

own account, by the law a sinner; hath already been shewed. And that they are not by God appointed for another purpose, is manifest through all the Bible.

1. In the type, when the bloody sacrifices were to be offered, and an atonement made for the soul, the people were only to confess their sins over the head of the bullock, or goat, or lamb, by laying their hands thereon, and so the sacrifice was to be slain. They were only to acknowledge their sins. And observe it, in the day that these offerings were made, they were 'not to work at all; for he that did any work therein, was to be cut off from his people.' Le. iv.; xvi.; xxiii.

2. In the antitype thus it runs; Christ died for our sins; Christ gave himself for our sins; he was made to be sin for us; Christ was made a curse for us.'

Yea, but (say you) What pretence can there be, that faith is the condition, or instrument of justification, as it complieth with only the precepts of relying upon Christ's merits;' that is, first, or before the soul doth other things.

Ans. I say, avoiding your own ambiguous terms, that it is the duty, the indispensable duty of all that would be saved, First, Immediately, now to close in by faith with that work of redemption, which Christ by his blood hath purchased for them, as they are sinners.

Ans. And doubtless they far more groundedly stand amazed at such as you, who while you pretend to shew the design of the gospel, make the very essential of it, a thing in itself indifferent, and absolutely considered neither good nor evil, p. 7. that makes obedience to the moral laws, p. 8. more essential to salvation, than that of going to God by Christ, p.9. that maketh it the great design of Christ, to put us into a possession of that promiseless, natural, old covenant holiness which we had lost long since in Adam, that maketh as if Christ, rejecting all other righteousness, or holiness, hath established only this, p. 10-16. Yea, that maketh the very principle of this holiness to consist in a sound complexion of soul, the purity of human And I add, If the jailor was altogether ignorant nature in us, a habit of soul, truly generous mo- of what he must do to be saved, and Paul yet bids tives and principles, divine moral laws which were him then, before he knew anything else, Believe first written in men's hearts, and originally dic- in the Lord Jesus Christ, and he should be saved,' tates of human nature.' All this villany against that then believing, even believing on Christ for a the Son of God, with much more as bad, is com-righteousness to justify and save him, must go prized within less than the first sixteen pages of first, and may, nay ought to be pressed, even then, your book. when the soul stands ignorant of what else he ought to do. Ac. xvi. 30—32.

But say you, 'what pretence can there be for thinking, that faith is the condition, or instrument of justification, as it complieth with only the precept of relying upon Christ's merits for the obtaining of it: especially when it is no less manifest than the sun at noon-day, that obedience to the other precepts must go before obedience to this; and that a man may not rely upon the merits of Christ for the forgiveness of his sins, and he is most presumptuous in so doing, and puts an affront upon his Saviour too, till he be sincerely willing to be reformed from them.' 223. p.

Ans. That the merits of Christ, for justification, are made over to that faith that receiveth them, while the person that believeth it, stands in his

* 'More groundedly,' with better foundation.

1. Because God doth hold it forth, yea, hath set it forth to be received by us, as such. Ro. iii. 23–27. 2. Because God hath commanded us by faith to receive it as such. Ac. xvi.

'But (you say) It is evident as the sun at noonday, that obedience to the other precepts must go before obedience to this, that is, before faith in Christ.'

Ans. This you say; but Paul said to the ignorant jailor, that knew nothing of the mind of God in the doctrine of justification, that he should first believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and so should be saved. Again, when Paul preached to the Corinthians, the first doctrine that he delivered unto them was, That Christ died for their sins, according to the scriptures,' &c. 1 Co. xv, 1—3.

But what be these other precepts? Not Baptism, nor the supper of the Lord; for these you say are, as poor and inconsiderable, as that of coming to God by Christ, even all three, things in

Much more then, being we shall be saved from Now, as here we are

themselves neither good nor evil, but of an indif- | ners, Christ died for us. ferent nature; they must be therefore some more NOW justified by his blood, weighty things of the gospel, than these positive wrath through him.' Ro. v. precepts. But what things are they? It is good said to be justified by his blood, that is, as his that you tell us, seeing you tacitly forbid all men blood appeaseth the justice of God; so again, it upon pain of presumption, and of doing affront to is said that this blood is set forth by God for us Jesus Christ, that they rely not on the merits to have faith in it, by the term of a propitiation. of Christ for forgiveness till they be sincerelyWhom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (or willing to perform them first; yet I find not here a sacrifice to appease the displeasure of God) one particular precept instanced by you: But through faith in his blood. To declare at this perhaps we shall hear of them hereafter, therefore time his righteousness, that he might be just, and now I shall let them pass. You tell us farther, the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.' Ro. That such a reliance (as that of acting faith, first, iii. 25, 26. on the merits of Christ for justification) is ordinarily to be found amongst unregenerate, and even the worst of men,' p. 223.

Ans. This is but a falsehood and a slander, for the unregenerate know him not; how then can they believe on him? 1 Jn. iii. 1. Besides, the worst of men, so far as they pretend religion, set up your idol in their hearts, viz. their own good meanings, their own good nature, the notions and dictates of their nature, living that little which they do live upon the snuff of their own light, the sparks of their own fire, and therefore woe unto them.

But you add, How can it be otherwise, than that that act of faith must needs have a hand in justifying, and the special hand too, which distinguisheth it from that which is to be found in such persons.

Ans. 1. There is no act of faith doth more distinguish true faith from false, and the Christian from the painted hypocrite, than that which first lays hold on Christ, while the person that hath it stands in his own esteem, ungodly; all over like yourself, being fearful and unbelieving Re. xxi. 8. despisers, who wonder, and perish. Ac. xiii. 40, 41.

2. And this faith, by thus acting, doth more subdue sin, though it doth not justify as subduing, but as applying Christ's righteousness, than all the wisdom and purity of human nature, or the dictates of that nature that is found in the whole world. But you add farther: What good ground can men have for this fancy, when as our Saviour hath merited the pardon of sin for this end, that it might be an effectual motive to turn from it?'

Ans. Although you speak this in great derision to faith when it worketh right, yet know that therefore (seeing you would hear it) I say, therefore hath our Saviour merited pardon, and bestowed it on men freely, and bid them believe or receive it, and have it; that thereby they might be encouraged to live to him, and love him, and comply with his commandments. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sin

Again, As we are thus justified by blood in the sight of God, by faith in it, so also it is testified of his blood, that it sprinkleth the conscience of the faithful, but still only as it is received by faith. But from what is the conscience sprinkled, but from those dead works that remain in all that have not yet been justified by faith in this blood. Now if faith in this blood doth sprinkle the conscience, and so doth purge it from all dead works, then must faith go first to the blood of Christ for justification, and must bring this home to the defiled conscience, before it be delivered from those dead works that are in it, and made capable of serving the living God. Ro. v. 7—10; iii. 24, 25. He. ix. 14; x. 19—22.

But you say, 'you will never trust your discursive faculty so long as you live, if you are mistaken here,' p. 224.

Tell not me of your discursive faculty: The word of God is plain. And never challenge man, for he that condemneth your way to heaven, to the very pit of hell, as Paul doth, can yet set forth a better.

Second, I come now to the second thing, viz. the doctrine of the imputation of Christ's righteouswhich you thus expound.

ness,

It consists in dealing with sincerely righteous persons, as if they were perfectly so, for the sake, and upon the account of Christ's righteousness,' p. 225, 226.

Ans. 1. Any thing but truth; but I would know how sincerely righteous they were that were justified without works? Or how sincerely righteous they were whom God justified as ungodly? Ro iv. 3—5.

2. Your explication of the imputation of Christ's righteousness makes it respect our works rather than our persons: 'It consists (say you) in dealing with sincerely righteous persons, as if they were perfectly so:' That is, it justifieth their imperfect righteousness first, and so secondarily their persons for the sake of that.

But observe a few things from this explication. 1. This concludeth that a man may be sincerely righteous in God's account, WITHOUT the righteousness of Christ; for that is to be imputed to such, and none but such.

2. This concludeth that men may be sincerely | if it lay not hold of, and applieth not that righte righteous, before Christ's righteousness is imputed: For this sincere righteousness is precedent to the imputation of Christ's.

3. This concludeth that a man may have true, yea saving grace in great and mighty action in him, before he hath faith in the righteousness of - Christ. For if a man must be sincerely righteous first; then he must not only have that we call the habit, but the powerful acts of grace.

Besides, if the righteousness of Christ is not to be looked to first, but secondarily; not before, but after we be made sincerely righteous; then may not faith be thus acted if a man should have it, until he be first a sincerely righteous person.

4. This concludeth that a man may be brought from under the curse of the law in God's sight, before he have faith in the righteousness of Christ, yea before it be imputed to him: for he that in God's account is reckoned sincerely righteous, is beloved of his God.

5. This concludeth that a man may be from under the curse of God, without the imputation of the righteousness of Christ: For if a man must be sincerely righteous in God's account without it, then he is from under the curse of God without it.

6. This doctrine teacheth farther, that Christ came to call, and justify the righteous, contrary to his express word. In short, by this account of things, first we must be healed, and then the plaister comes.

Yea, so confident is this man in this his assertion, that he saith, It is not possible any other notion of this doctrine should have truth in it,' O this Jesus! This rock of offence! But he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

p. 226.

But blessed be God for Jesus Christ, and for that he took our nature, and sin, and curse, and death upon him: And for that he did also by himself, by one offering purge our sins. We that have believed have found rest, even there where God and his Father hath smelled a sweet savour of rest; because we are presented to God, even now complete in the righteousness of him, and stand discharged of guilt, even by the faith of him: yea, as sins past, so sins to come, were taken up and satisfied for, by that offering of the body of Jesus, we who have had a due sense of sins, and of the nature of the justice of God, we know that no remission of the guilt of any one can be, but by atonement made by blood. He. ix. 22. We also know that where faith in Jesus Christ is wanting, there can be neither good principle, nor good endeavour. For faith is the first of all graces, and without it there is nothing but sin. Ro. xiv. 23. We know also, that faith as a grace in us, severed from the righteousness of Christ, is only a beholder of things, but not a justifier of persons, and that

ousness which is in Christ, it carrieth us no farther than to the [faith of] devils. We know that this doctrine killeth sin, and curseth it at the very roots; I say we know it, 'who have mourned over him whom we have pierced,' Zec. xii. 10. and who have been confounded to see that God by his blood should be pacified towards us for all the wickedness we have done. Eze. xvi. 63. Yea, we have a double motive to be holy and humble before him; one because he died for us on earth, another because he now appears for us in heaven, there sprinkling for us the mercy-seat with his blood, there ever-living to make intercession for them that come unto God by him. If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins.' 1 Ju. ii. 1, 2. Yet this worketh in us no looseness, nor favour to sin, but so much the more an abhorrence of it: She loveth much, for much was forgiven her.' Lu. vii. 47. Yea, she weeps, she washeth his feet, and wipeth them with the hairs of her head, to the confounding of Simon the pharisee, and all such ignorant hypocrites.

[The Bible the only measure and standard of truth.]

But I pass this, and come to the twentieth chapter, which is to learn us by what measure and standard we are to judge of doctrines; and that is by the design of Christianity as stated, you must know, by Mr. Fowler. Wherefore it will be requisite here again, that a collection of principles and doctrines be gathered out of this book, that the man that hath a short memory may be helped the better to bear them in mind, and to make them, if he shall be so bewitched by them, instead of the Bible, a standard for truth, and a rule for him to obtain salvation by.

First then, he must know that the principle by which he must walk must be the purity of the human nature, a divine or God-like nature, which yet is but an habit of soul, or more plainly the moral law, as written in the heart, and originally the dictates of human nature, a generous principle, such an one as although it respects law, yet acts in a sphere above it; above it as a written law, that acts even in the first principles of it, p. 7–10.

Second, He must know, that the holiness Christ designed to possess his people with, is that which we had lost in Adam, that which he had before he fell, that natural old covenant Christ-less holiness, p. 12.

Third, He must put a difference between those laws of the gospel that are essential to holiness, and those positive precepts that in themselves are indifferent, and absolutely considered neither good nor evil; but must know also that of these positive

precepts, he alloweth but three in the gospel, but | Christianity, we may conclude are most true and three that are purely such; to wit, that of coming genuine,' p. 229. to God by Christ, the institutions of baptism, and the Lord's supper, p. 7—9.

Fourth, He must hold for certain, that the faith which entitleth a sinner to so high a privilege as that of justification, must needs be such as complieth with all the purposes of Christ's coming into the world, whether at present it understands them or not, and it is no less necessary it should justify as it doth so, p. 222.

Fifth, He must know, that a man may not rely upon the merits of Christ for the forgiveness of his sins, before he have done other good works first,

p. 223.

Sixth, And that the right explication of the imputation of Christ's righteousness is this, that it consisteth in having to do with persons that are sincerely righteous, p. 225. For it is not possible for Christ's righteousness to be imputed to an unrighteous man, p. 120.

Ans. The holiness which you so often call the design of Christianity, being by yourself said to be that which we had lost, for this one sentence is it on which your whole book is built, p. 12. whatsoever doctrine or doctor it be that asserts it, both that doctrine is of the devil, and that doctor an angel of darkness, or rather a minister of Satan, become as a minister of righteousness. For where is it said in all the whole book of God, that ever the Lord Christ designed, yea made it his errand from heaven, to put us again in possession of the holiness which we had lost? Yet this you affirm, and tell us the business of your book is to prove it. But blessed be God, your shifts are discovered, and your fig-leaves rent from off you, and the righteousness or holiness so much cried up by you, proved to be none of the holiness of the gospel, but that which stood with perfect ignorance thereof. I might speak to what yet remains of falsehood, in the other part of this chapter; but having overthrown the foundation, and broken the head of your Leviathan; what remains falleth of itself, and dieth of its own accord.

These things, with many like to them, being the main points by this man handled, and by him asserted to be the design of Christianity, by these we must, as by a rule and standard, understand how to judge of the truth of doctrines. And, What you say of modes or forms, and sticklers saith he, seeing the design of Christianity is to for little trifles, such as place their religion in make men holy, (still meaning from principles of mere externals, you may fasten them where of due humanity, and by possessing us again, with the they belong: Yet I tell you the least of the comoften repeated holiness which we had lost,) what-mandments of Christ is better than your adamitish soever opinions do either directly, or in their evi- holiness. dent consequences, obstruct the promoting of it, are perfectly false,' p. 227, 228.

Ans. Thus with one word, as if he were Lord and Judge himself, he sendeth to the pit of hell, all things that sanctify or make holy the hearts of men, if they oppose the design of his christianity. But what if the Holy Ghost will become a principle in the hearts of the converted, and will not now suffer them to act simply and alone upon the principles of pure humanity; or what now if faith will become a principle to act by, instead of these that are originally dictates of human nature? Or what if a man should act now as a son, rather than simply as a creature endued with a principle of reason? I question here whether these things thus doing do not obstruct, put by, yea and take the way of his pure humanity, dictates of human nature, and instead thereof act and govern the soul by and with their own principles. For albeit, there be the dictates of human nature in the sons of men, yet neither is this nature, nor yet the dictates of it, laid by Jesus Christ as the truly christian principles in his. But you add:

'Those doctrines which in their own nature do evidently tend to the serving of THIS design of

* Take the way,' occupy the place.-ED.

|

[The necessity of a sound foundation.]

Your twenty-first chapter tells us, if we will believe you, how we shall judge of the necessity of doctrine, to be embraced or rejected; also you say, it giveth us a brief discourse of the nature of fundamentals: But because your discourse of them is general, and not any one particularized, I might leave you in your generals till you dealt more candidly, both with the word of God and your abused reader.

First, Indeed you tell us of primary fundamentals. 'Such, as without the knowledge and belief of which it is impossible to acquire that inward righteousness and true holiness which the christian religion aimeth at; but the particulars of these, say you, I shall not enumerate, because (as will appear from what will be said anon) it is not needful to have a just table of them,' p. 234.

Ans. Deep divinity! (1.) They are such as without the knowledge and belief of them, it is not possible we should acquire your true holiness; and yet for all that, it is not needful that we be told what they are, or that we should have a just table of them. (2.) But if they be things necessary, things without the knowledge of which it is impossible