The Rule of the Law Under the Gospel, Chapter 8
CHAP. 8.
Discovering the third proper ground of this opposition, which is affectation of licentiousnesse, and love of a lawles liberty, ioyned with hatred of holinesse, and the power of godlinesse.
AS pride attends ignorance, so an inseperable fruit of pride,Col. 2. 18. is vainly to be puft up by a fleshly minde, not holding the head: for pride resteth not in those low and humble principles of Christ, but not enduring Gods yoakes, nor the suit and service of Christianity, raiseth vaine reasonings against obedience, and plotteth new devises for more scope and elbow-roome than the Gospell alloweth them that must walke in the strait and narrow way to eternall life. And this righteous judgement of God hath overtaken this sect of men with whom wee deale: of whom, the Apostle affirmeth,2 Pet: 2, 19 that while they promise liberty, themselves are the servants of corruption.
I know that many that as yet know not the depth of Satan in this errour;Many too charitable, not seeing the depth and danger of this errour. nor are dived into the mysterie and mischiefe of these opinions, doe conceive more slightly of their tenents, and more charitably of their persons than there is cause; and some may thinke it were fitter they should fall of themselves, than be thrust downe by the hand and strength of others: and that the labour might have beene better bestowed against more dangerous persons, and fundamentall errours much more prejudiciall to the truth of the Gospell. But I wish such to consider whether any errour can be more pernicious than that which rejecteth all rules of holy, and strict walking with God? What will it availe us to contend for, or establish a faith which is dead, Iam: I, 26.severed from the life and fruites of holinesse? or what greater enemies can we deale against than enemies of righteousnesse, who are not onelyonly fallen from the abnegation of the knowne and received truth, but to the oppugnation of it: a fearefull fruite indeede of their declining: but men having once lost the way of truth, know not where they shall lodge.
And it will not be amisse to looke into their modell of new Divinity, and how cunningly they have molded the whole lumpe, and kneaded it together, that every peece and position of it may let themselves loose from all bands of duty and obedience. For,
1. They must not live in the presence of God,The confused lump of Libertinisme in 9 poysonfull positions. nor hold him in their sight as a God seeing their sinnes or actions, or displeased with the evill of them: and why now should they forbeare any sinne?
2. They must not acknowledge God a rewarder of his owne grace, or any good duty to which he enableth: and how then can they desire to doe good, or be good?
3. They must not see their sin a violation of the Law, nor as it is an enmity against God, nor as causing wrath to worke in them either humiliation for sinne past, or detestation of sin present, or feare of it for time to come.
4. Neither Gods will, nor their owne wills moves them not to forbeare any sinne: not the former, because they are free from all lawes; not the latter, because the will of man is turned against sin by vertue of inherent holinesse wrought by the spirit (which they disclaime) so as onelyonly the light of their mind may condemne it; and the unseemelinesse of it in a professour may restraine it, else they are loose to any.
5. They cannot be sick of evill motions, nor detest evill thoughts, nor watch against temptations, nor care for the purging of their hearts; for how can they sinne being born of God? or if they could, they are not to be countable for any sin, nor can God take notice of thē. Christs most innocent soul was vexed with the molestatiō of injected motions of evil, though instantly rejected, but these must not, they are so holy
6. They must not live by any rules,Lex Donatistarum. Quod vos lumus sanctum est, August. but by a wilde and spatious pretence of immediate, and enthusiasticall direction. Enemies are they to perswasion and exhortations; for because Christs perfections are their perfection. In vaine it is to perswade either for good thoughts into the minde, or good inclinations into the will, or good actions into the life. They desire not their hearts, nor wills, nor actions to agree with Gods law, for it is quite abolished. And much lesse doe they turne the precepts of God into prayers as the Saints ever used to doe. Oh with what violence must headstrong men be caryed unto unrighteousnesse, when the word as a bridle must not hold them in, nor check or controll sinne in the soule, to lessen either the power or practise of it?
7. They must not brooke any longer the difficulty of repentance, nor endure the paines of mortification, because they cannot deny …hemselves, nor must they ever remember sins past, as the Saints have done with much …uite, both … owne hum…liation, Deut. 9. 6. …. and for their excitation to gratitude and thankfulnes to God for mercy, as the Apostle 1 Tim 1. 12. 13.
8. That they may hold their sinnes more securely, they free themselves from all feare of woe and judgement, and from all the strokes of God, or his word, and so by themselves dote in a false peace. For Gods hand cannot reach them, for he cannot be displeased with their sinnes, and much lesse temporally correct them: and thus they refuse all crosses, either as meanes of mortification, or of profiting in holinesse. Heb. 12. 7. Psal. 119 71. And they flye the stroke of Gods word, in a faithfull and free ministery, and cannot endure this legall preaching, as men that must hold their sinnes; but must not heare of them, nor beare reproofe of their iniquity.
9 To all these profane opinions,The extream danger of Libertines A rai…ing R…bsakey, whose papers I have in my hands, revileth our Ministers, & denounceth them ipso facto to stand accursed by the holy ghost, & excommunicate by S. Paul, for going about to establish and set up the golden calfe of their own sanctification. They be his own words. The Lord rebuke thee Satan. they disclaime all precepts, and practise of sanctification, and all increase in holinesse. They revile the Preachers that call and urge men by rules and motives to sanctification, as calling men backe to the justification of the Law. What a case now are these mē in? how can they expect heaven, that not only loose themselves from the holines of them that must be inhabitants there, but hate it, and resist it? whereby they cast themselves from the turret of perfection, farre below the state of nature. For though every naturall man is destitute of personall holinesse, and of the love of it; yet every naturall man will not disclaim, revile, or contest against it. 2 How can they justifie their calling, and out-boast all men in the assurance of their calling? Seeing there is no effectuall calling but unto holines. 1 Thes. 4. 7. God hath not called us to uncl…anes, but unto holines. And if every beleever be a Saint by calling, Rom. 1. 7.how can they be called that sever sanctification (that is the love and practise of holines) from effectuall calling? They onelyonly have received the grace of new creation, that are created to good workes, which God hath ordained to walke in, Eph: 2. 10. 3. How doe they frustrate the end of their adoptiō, which they pretend▪ for why are wee adopted to be sonnes, but to bee made conformable to the image of Christ? Rom. 8. 29.for can he be a sonne that beareth not the image of his father? That onelyonly was Cesars Coyne that carried Cesars superscription 4. May this loose conceit prevaile,The sacred office of Christs Priesthood violated. the maine office of Christs priesthood shall be in vaine, both in respect of his Sacrifice, and of his Intercession: his Sacrifice, because for this Cause he sanctified himselfe, that beleevers should be sanctified through the truth, Ioh. 17. 19 His intercession and prayer is that the elect may be sanctified, verse. 17. Father sanctifie them. Shall Christ as a Priest sacrifice himselfe, and make such earnest prayers for sanctification of beleevers? and is there no such thing, or if there be, may not we preach it, and vrge it? or can any libertine disavow and scorne it, but hee must also renounce & reiect the priesthood of Christ? I hope no man will cōceive these to be slight things which entrench upon the foundation. 5. But how comes it to passe, that they reading the scriptures, and in them so many, and so expresse and vnavoidable places▪ calling the saints not only to the study, and practise of holinesse, but also to growth and encrease in holinesse, that yet they should persist in this delusion;How they come to be blinded against so cleare a light. yea and defend it against so cleare a light? Surely because they will not submitt to Gods authority, but have pulled them selves from under his rule, he hath in justice put them out of his favour, and given them up to themselves, and to Satan to blinde them, who are so willing to bee blinded: and hee is cunning enough under a pretence of Christian liberty to hold thē in perpetuall chaines of spirituall bondage; else could they not seeke to elude so cleare places. As 1. cal us to holinesse, 1 Thes. 4. 16. 4. This is the will of God, even your sāctificatiō. 1 Pet. 1. 15. be ye holy in all maner of conversatiō, for it it is written, Be ye holy as I am holy. 2 Which call Gods people to increase in holinesse, 1 Thes. 4. 1. We exhort you to increase more and more, and this is a commandement given us by our Lord Iesus Christ. verse 2. 2. Pet. 3. last, But grow in grace, and in the knowledge, &c. 1 Cor: 15. 58. Be abundant in the work of the Lord. Rev. 22. 11 Let him that is righteous be righteous still, and let him that is holy be holy still. Is now the spirit of God idle in all these and the like precepts? or doth hee call men now to the justification of the Law? or is he idle in his exhortations to sanctification? or are wee so while wee urge men in the words of the same spirit?
The objections are light and windy, as the opinion it selfe is.
1 Object. That beleevers are carried by an inward principle of new creation: a good tree cannot chuse but bring forth good fruite, without all these outward motives.
Answ. The principle of good fruit is within the sappe in the roote, but there be externall helpes, without which it will never be produced; as the Sun, the soyle, the ayre, the shewers, the gales of winde. So a beleever, a tree of righteousnesse, hath an inward principle flowing from his root, which is Christ, without whom he can doe nothing; but it is fruitfull by meanes not to be neglected, because they are of his owne appointing, and wherin he wil make us fruitfull. 1 Cor: 15. 10. By the grace of God I am that I am: and his grace was not in mee in vaine; but I laboured, though not I, but grace in me.
2 Object. God spirit is all in all, and doth all in us, and we have nothing to doe.
Answ. God leadeth beleevers by his spirit into good workes, and produceth holy acts in them, but not without use of meanes. For 1. he puts the Law into their hearts: 2. transformes them by obedience into the image of the word: Rom. 6. 12.3. He still prompteth and suggesteth according to the word, in the things of Gods glory and worship; the spirit incites to the use of the meanes of grace, of the holy ordinances, to the pleasures and delights of Gods house, and such things as uphold our spirituall being.
3 Object. But Christ is our righteousnesse, and sanctification; what use of any righteousnesse or holinesse of our own?
Answ. Christ is not the righteousnesse of justification to any person that is not washed, and sanctified, 1 Cor: 6. 11. 2. None can be righteous by a righteousnesse infused from Christ, but thence floweth an inherent righteousnesse renewing our nature: for he gives us a godly nature, 1 Pet. 1. 2.and purifieth our soules by the spirit: and thence issueth an externall righteousnesse of life, which is an evidence of our justification by faith:Ioh. 4. 14. for he that doth righteousnesse is righteous.
4 Object. But what can be added to perfection? If we be not compleat in Christ, there is defect in his merit; and they that drinke of his waters thirst no more: and wee can desire no more than wee have in Christ.
Answ. But that perfection here to which nothing can be added, is the dreame of waking men, contrary to the Scriptures, contrary to the practise of Saints, whose studie was and is to increase more and more. Contrary to their experience, the best of whom complaine, that they have not yet attained, nor never shal, till that perfect come. Contrary to their prayers, and vehement desires after further grace. Contrary to the nature of true grace, which is still desirous of more. For it is not possible, but that they which have tasted how good the Lord is: 1 Pet: 2▪ 2.should desire the sincere milke of the word to growe by it.
2 The Saints have not so drunke as yet, that there remaineth no thirst after Christ▪ for there is a twofold thirst.Sitis duplex, vel Indigentiae totas…s, Coposioris fruitionis. The former is of totall indigency, or a whole want of Christ; and this is satisfied in the beleever, that hee shall never so miserably thirst againe. The latter is a thirst after a more plentifull fruition of Christ and his spirit, and graces; and this is never fully satisfied in this life, but the privation of the former thirst, is the generation and position of this latter. Revel. …2. 17. Let him that is athirst come.
5. Object. But we are called to the liberty of the Gospell, and are free from all compulsion of Lawes, and from all other rules than the motions of the Spirit: for where the spirit of God is, there is libertie. 2 Cor. 3. 17.
Answ. What kinde of liberty this is, we have seene already, which is not from the rules and direction of the Law, for the Apostle saith not, that wee are called to libertinisme, or a freedome from obedience to doe what we list,Our libertie here is not from the rule of the Law; but from the rule of sinne. as being without the reach of the Law; but a freedome from the rule, and command of sin, and a sweete peace and ease in in the soule, not grounded on rejecting the commandements, but rather upon a free and sincere regard and love of them. Thus David professeth, that hee will walke at libertie, not because hee will cast off the precepts, but because hee did seeke the precepts. But we have stayed long in discovering 1. the ignorance, 2. the pride, 3. the profane licentiousnesse of this schisme: wee must proceede to that which followeth.