The Scripture Gospel Defended, To the reader
TO THE READER. A POSTSCRIPT to the Second Book.
SInce the Writing of all that followeth, I have ſeen the New Edition of Dr. Criſp's Sermons: There are prefixed to it, twelve Reverend Names, Mr. Griffiths, Mr. Cockains, Mr. Chancys, Mr. Howes, Mr. Alſops, Mr. Nat. Mather, Mr. Increafe Mather, Mr. Knowles, Mr. Powels, Mr. Turners, Mr. Bures, & Mr. Gammons. The Preface is Mr. S. Criſpes invective againſt me, unnamed, with the Citation of ſome Preachers Words as contrary to mine.
I muſt deſire thoſe Conformiſts that will write the next friendly debate, and will charge Hereſy on the Non-Conformiſts, that they will lay the charge on none, but the guilty; and that they take not all whoſe Names are prefixed to be of the judgment of Dr. Criſpe (a Conformist): For I am paſt doubt, that Four or Five of them are againſt it. If you ask, why then did they give their Names to be hanged up like a Sign before the Door of a Houſe of Seduction, it's like they have ſomething more to ſay for it than I know of: But their Words ſhew you that they only teſtifie the Sermons to be the Drs. own. They are men of Peace, and inclined to gratifie others in atteſting a truth, and I ſuppoſe, intended not to promote untruth by it.
But I ſee the corrupting Deſign is of late, grown ſo high, that what ſeemed theſe Thirty Four Years ſuppreſſed, now threatn…th as a torrent to overthrow the Goſpel, and Chriſtian Faith, and to deny the tru… Office of Chriſt as Mediator and his Grace and Righteouſneſs, by ſeeming ignorantly to extol them▪ And Satan deſigneth to make us a common ſcorn to Papiſts and Malignants, by the palpable groſneſ… of ſuch mens undeniable Errours. And therefore I dare neither give them my Name, nor be ſilent in ſuch a common ſcandal and danger, while I can ſpeak and write.
It offendeth me that I muſt but briefly name their errours, inſtead of a large confutation of them, while the whole Scripture is againſt them; but I have done it oft largely, which they will not anſwer. And the Bookſellers will Print no Books that are large and inſenſible of our danger, think th…y are but few that need it.
One errour the Preface addeth to the hundred▪ which were it a truth, would carry the cauſe for them, and bring me to a recantation, viz. That Chriſt and the Elect are one and the ſame Perſon. It is not a Relative perſonality that is the queſtion; for ſo Chriſt himſelf had many Perſons, as one and the ſame man may have the Perſon of a Father, of a Husband, of a Maſter, of a King, &c. But it is Phyſical or Subſtantial Perſonality, which Mr. Criſpe ſaith, is more than natural, we being one Spirit, and Bone of his Bone, and Fleſh of his Fleſh▪ And if this be ſo, I ſhall grant that we are as righteous as Chriſt, and Chriſt now in Heaven (and n…t on the Croſs only) is guilty of all our ſins, and was indeed as they call him, the greateſt blaſphemer, hater of God, adulterer, &c. in the World.
But 1. If all the Elect be really many diſtinct Perſons, t…en, either Chriſt muſt be alſo as many diſt…nct Perſons, or not be the ſame Perſon with them a…l, or any of them. But the Elect are many diſtinct Perſons, and ſhall be ſo for ever: Peter was not Paul or John: They do not the ſame Acts: They be not guilty of the ſame numerical ſins: Every man ſhall anſwer for all that he hath done in the Body, and not for all that all others of the Elect have done. All the Elect ſhall not ſit on the twelve Thrones, as Ap…ſtles: All did not Preach the Goſpel as Paul did, nor Perſecute as Paul did: Overthrow diſtinct i…dividuation here or in Heaven, and how diſmal will be the conſequence? And here, will not each man have right to anothers Houſe, Wife, Food, Goods, if they are but one Perſon?
To be one in Spirit, is no more to be one Perſon, than ſeeing by the ſame Sun-light maketh all Lyes to be one Eye. For the Spirit is not our perſonality.
And if you make Chriſt to be many Millions of Perſons, where is his Ʋnity in himſelf, or with any.
2. If Chriſt and the Elect, be all one, and the ſame Perſon, then the Elect are really God himſelf: For the Perſon of Chriſt, is God: Theſe men are unfit to confute the Schools who have long maintained that the very human nature of Chriſt, is not a part of his Perſon, but an accident of it; becauſe he is but one Perſon, which is the ſecond in Trinity from Eternity, and is God (of which ſee Derodon de Suppoſito.) And if we are all one God, then God ſuffers when we ſuffer, and God judgeth himſelf when he judgeth us: May not Men pray to ſuch then, and Worſhip them as Gods, and Truſt in them as Gods? Is not this Idolatry worſe than Image-Worſhip, or than Anti-chriſtianity?
3. If Chriſt and the Elect be one and the ſame Perſon, then Chriſt ſinneth when ever they ſin: And Chriſt ſuffered for his own ſin, even that which he by them committed: And then he pardoneth his own ſin; (or who pardoneth him)? But all this is falſe.
4. And it would follow, that all the Elect are Mediators to themſelves, and dyed for their own ſins, and pardon their own ſins, and juſtify themſelves, and believe in themſelves, and ſave themſelves.
5. And are all Chriſt's threatnings againſt himſelf, which are againſt us? Doth Satan overcome him, when ever he overcometh us? Is his Law made for himſelf, that is made for us? Doth he command a Father to correct Chriſt, when he commandeth him to correct his Children? Doth the Magiſtrate hang Chriſt when he hangeth a Malefactor, tho' Elect, (that ſinneth by ſurprize.)
6. Where there are divers Bodies, and divers Souls, and divers Ʋnderſtandings, and divers Wills, there are divers Perſons: But of all theſe, in Chriſt and us there is a diverſity.
I believe that the Ʋnion between Chriſt and the Glorified, will be neerer than we can well now conceive: But not ſuch as will make us one and the ſame Perſon with Chriſt. I have read in Phanatick Fryers, ſuch as Barbanſon, and Benedictus de Benedictis, and in Gibienf the Oratorian, of our Deification, and being Goded with God, and that it is the only perfection to know no being but God: And I have read of ſuch Heathen as Worſhipped Demon-Gods, that once were men. And it is the top of the now prevalent Bruitiſm, or Sadduciſm, to believe that all Souls are but one God, and as Candles that are individuate by the Oily Matter, when extinct, are all one in the common Air; and that there is nothing but God and Matter. But I hope few good Chriſtians will ſo far loſe the knowledge of themſelves, as to take themſelves to be the ſame Perſon with him that is God: Angels forbad John to Worſhip them, tho' he took them not for God. Do thoſe Churches exerciſe Diſcipline upon ſuch as are one Perſon with Chriſt? Do they Excommunicate Chriſt for ſin? No wonder that Dr. Criſpe chargeth David as ſpeaking untruth, for complaining of his ſin, and Gods diſpleaſure; tho' John ſays, He is a Lyar that ſaith he hath no ſin, and all God's Saints have profeſs'd Repentance; but I read not that Chriſt did ever Repent of ſin.
I doubt ſome will think that I feign Mr. Criſpe to ſay what he doth not, his words are theſe:
First, He accuſeth me as ſaying [To ſay our Union with Chriſt ſo makes us Fleſh of his Fleſh, that we are the ſame PERSON with Chriſt; this is ſo groſs, that I will not beſtow time to confute it.] He anſwers [Nor cannot as long as that Text is in our Bibles; we are Members of his Body, of his Fleſh, and of his Bones, Epheſ. 5— God ſaith, He that is joyned to the Lord, is one Spirit; which is more than a Political Member, or a Natural Member either.] I believe that it is more than Political, but not ſuch as maketh us one Perſon with Chriſt. Andrew Oſiander, is condemned by Proteſtants for feigning that the Eſſence of God is our Righteouſness. Neſtorius was condemned by General Councils, as ſuppoſed to feign Chriſt to have two Perſons: What would theſe Councils have judged of them that feign him to have Million of Perſons, or Millions, to be all one Perſon with him?
As to Mr. Criſpes Epiſtle, it calleth more for Pitty, than Confutation: He pretendeth out of his Notes, to tell what I Preached at Pinners Hall, Jan. 17. 1673. and Aug. 11. 1674. (ſo long ſince.) And he begins with a groſs untruth, that I ſaid, [A mans firſt believing is by external Arguments, not by the Operation of the Spirit, but his after believing is by the Spirit.] I do not believe that the man purpoſed to lye, but truſted h…s falſe Ears, and Notes. The World knoweth how voluminouſly I have written to the contrary: Never ſuch an Opinion came into my head: But contrarily I have copiouſly proved, that even common Faith, much more the firſt juſtifying Faith, is the work of Gods Spirit: My Catholick Theology, proveth it all at large. I doubt not but both firſt and ſecond Faith is by Scripture Argument; but never dream'd that it was not the Work of the Spirit: Indeed I find few of his accuſing Notes, that be not falſific…tious by his defective or patcht Recital.
I am ſorry that he hath wronged the Memory of ſuch good men as Mr. Fowler, and Mr. Cole, by telling the World how unſtudied, and yet how confident they have been in ſome points. But he did worſe in citing Dr Manton, that incurr'd their Cenſure for defending me in that very Pulpit, where he ſaith I Preach'd againſt ſuch accuſers as he; and was wholly of my judgment. And reciting ArchBiſhop Uſher, who peruſed my Confeſſion written againſt the Antinomians, and altered not a word in it, before I publiſhed it; I got him and Mr. Gataker to read it (and it was the laſt Work that Mr. Gataker did in the World, as his Epiſtle and his Sons ſhew.)
Had the Prefacer read but that one Book, my Confeſſion. written in 1655. and there the explications of the Co…troverſies, and the many ſcore plain Texts and Arguments, and the hundred Teſtimonies of Synod, and Proteſtant Divines, for the Doctrine which I defend; and ſpecially if he have read my Explication of all theſe Controverſies, in my Catohlick Theology, and Methodus, and Diſpute of Juſtification, and of Juſtifying Righteouſneſs; and yet h…d call'd for an anſwer to Mr. Cole or Mr. Fowler, I ſhould have told him that he, and ſuch as he, are too hard or deaf for me to anſwer.
But he impertinently citeth other men, that ſay, we are juſtified by Free Grace, and the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, and not by Works; as if he would falſly intimate that I deny it, when I neither truſt to, nor know any Righteouſneſs that is not meerly ſubordinate to the Rig…teouſneſs of Chriſt; and take his Righteouſneſs Habun…l, Active and Paſſive, to be the only and perfect Meritorious Cauſe of our Juſtification, and Salvation of Grace and Glory: And I wonder not, that Paul counted his own Righteouſ…eſs by the …aw to be dung in compa…iſon of being found in Chriſt, having his Righteo…ſneſs. But I abhor the opinion, that C…riſt's Righteouſneſs given us, is all without us, and none within us, when Chriſt dwelleth in us; as if 600 Texts of Scripture were all falſe, that ſpeak of the neceſſity of an inherent and act…ve Righteouſneſs. I abhor the opinion of any works neceſſary to Juſtification or Salvation, or to any common Bleſſings in the ſenſe of Paul; ſuch as make the reward to be of Debt, and not of Grace. I think few men living, are leſs tempted to magnify or truſt to any worth of th…ir own, than I am. I look not for a bit of Bread, or an h…urs Eaſe, or Life, or the Pardon, or Acceptance of one Duty, or of my Holieſt Affections (ſo faulty are they by their great Imperfection) but meerly from the Free Grace of God, and the Merits and Interceſſion of Chriſt. But ſhould I take all for Errour that this Preface reciteth as ſuch, and all for truth that Dr. Criſpe and ſuch men write; I ſhould look for wiſer men than him or Mr. Cole, to Anathematize me, rather as an Anti-Goſpeller, than a meer Antinomian. And I am the ſorryer for the prefixing of t…e Twelve Reverend Names, when I find by their Epiſtles that they had read this Preface, ſo full of falſe Citations and groſs Errour, and ſay not a word againſt it, nor againſt ſuch a Book.
Mr. Cockain, in his Epiſtle, directing it to them that live Godly in Chriſt Jeſus, t…lls them, that the Kingdom of God within them, ſhall never be ſhaken; and the Divine Nature that hath ſwallowed them up, ſhall for ever ſatisfy them with variety of Contentments. And is not that ours which is within us? And is this Kingdom and Divine Nature, nothing but that which Chriſt did without us, imputed to be done by us? And if this be no ſubordinate Righteouſneſs, what doth the word ſignify ſo many hundred times uſed in the Scripture?
Let them but grant Juſtification by Faith, and let them aſſign Faith what Office therein they can reaſonably imagine, without flat denying all Pauls Doctrine, and they will confute Dr. Criſpe. Say but that Faith is imputed to us for Righteouſneſs, and give not the lye to Paul, and ſure we ſhall be reconciled. But if they will tell us that by Faith, Paul meaneth not Faith, but Chriſt's Righteouſneſs; they muſt prove that they have more than a Papal Power to make God's Word, by making the Senſe, when God maketh but the Letter, before we can renounce the Scripture and believe them. And yet, if they will expound Imputation ſoberly, we ſhall grant them the matter (that Chriſt's Righteouſneſs is accounted to us of God, as the only Meritorious Cauſe of our Juſtification and Salvation) tho' we believe that by Faith, Paul meaneth Faith.
But if they ſtill ſay, that by Faith is meant only the Object of Faith, and not the Act; could we but get them to forbear Anathematizing Men for being ſo Learned, as to underſtand Engliſh, we might yet hope at leaſt, to keep the flame of their Zeal out of the thatch within the Chimney; by telling them the difference between the Object of Faith, as ſuch, and the perſon that is the Object, otherwiſe conſidered. In real Exiſtence, Chriſt, tho' not yet believed in, is the ſole meritorious Cauſe: But it is only in eſſe cognito, that Chriſt is the Object of Faith. And School-Boyes that have no damnable Learning, may teach theſe confident men, that the Object as an Object believed, is the very form in ſpecie of the Act of Faith: It is an Act without it, but not this Act, viz. the Chriſtian Faith. As ſin in eſſe reall is damning, but in eſſe cognito objectivo, it is the form of the Grace of Repentance; ſo is it here. But if they will grant that by Faith is meant Faith, and not ſay that Paul condemneth Juſtification by Faith, as being but Juſtification by Works; let them but tell us, how it juſtifieth: I ſay not efficiently at all; but only as a meer receptive qualification: If they ſay as an Efficient Inſtrument, they give it much more than I do; and lay it on the Act or the foreign Credere, as they ſpeak: For, what elſe is the Inſtrument; I hope they mean not that Chriſt and his Righteouſneſs is but the Inſtrument: But of this, more after.
I thought it meet to have recited many hundred Texts of Scripture, which they directly contradict, which good Men ſhould rather believe than them: But if the Reader will peruſe my Confeſſion, he will find it there done already.
And I thought it neceſſary to commend the good Lives of many of them (excepting the Schiſm and Ʋnrighteouſness that Faction doth involve them in) leſt the Groſneſs of their Verbal Errours, which come from unskilfulneſs in Words and Methods, ſhould tempt many to judge of the Men by their Words, and Opinions; and ſhould harden the malignant to juſtifie all their hard Cenſures and Ʋſage of the Non-Conformiſts for their ſakes. And yet Mr. Criſpe is one of my ſharp Cenſurers, for charitably excuſing Men from leſſer Errours than his own (while he falſifyeth my Words about our difference with the Papiſts.)
I have ſaid oft, and long agoe, that I cannot be ſo harden'd againſt God's miraculous Judgments in New-England, on Mrs. Hutchiſon and Mrs. Dyer, and the Caſe of their Governour, and Mr. Wheeler, recited by Mr. Weld, in his Book, called, The Riſe and Fall of Antinomianiſme in New-England, as to depiſe thoſe with the Scripture, to bear Satan ſeeming an Angel of Light or Righteouſneſs. I once more counſel them that are prejudic'd againſt my Writings, to read Mr. Bradſhaw (an Independant) of Juſtification, Mr. Truman's Grand Propitiation, Ant. Watton de Reconciliatione, Mr. Gataker against Saltmarſh, and on Lucius and Piſcator. Ben. Woodbridge (the firſt Graduate of the New-England Colledge,) Mr. Thomas Warren, Mr. Hotchkins, Mr. Gibbons of Black-Fryers, his Lecture at Giles, Placeus in Theſ. Salmurienſ. Teſtardus, Codurcus; but above all, Vinc. le Blancks Theſes; and the Breme Divines, S. Charles Wolſley of Juſtification, and the foreſaid Book of Mr. Weld a New-England Congregational-man: The Subject of which, I ſuppoſe two or three of the Twelve Epiſtlers (the two Mr. Mathers, if not Mr. Chancy alſo) will give you a truer Account of, than Dr. Stubs (a man miſerable in life and death) did do.
Once more I conculde, that if Chriſt was one Perſon with the Elect, before they were men, he was one Pe…ſon with theſe that were no Perſons: If he were one Perſon with them, before their Converſion, he was one Perſon with Millions of wicked men, and ſlaves of the Devil, and the haters, and perſecutors of Himſelf, and of Holineſs. A…d ſeeing they hold that this Ʋnion is not diſſolvable, do they not feign him now in Heaven to be one Perſon with all the Elect wicked ſinners on Earth?
I ſtill ſay, I will not loſe my Charity as to the Perſons of theſe blind Zealots, and unskilful Talkers: But how conſcionably ſoever they live, it is no thanks to their ungodly unchriſtian Doctrine. If they prevail to make England believe that elect wicked Infidels are as righteous as Chriſt; and that it is impoſſible that any ſin ſhould hurt them, or that any Prayer or Duty ſhould do them any good, (the expreſs Words of Dr. Criſpe) and that to intend their own good by any, is to wrong the Free Grace and full ſalvation by Chriſt (with the reſt like this): I ſhould have more hope of the Turks and Heathens, than of that Land that receiveth and practiſeth theſe Principles, notwithſtanding Mr. Cokain's Benediction to thoſe that practiſe what this Doctor taught.
The God of Truth and Mercy, ſave a poor Nation from the extream Factions that run deeper daily into the guilt of Impenitency and doleful Diviſions; and let not ſober Peace-makers mourn in deſpair, over a hopeleſs Generation of ſelf-deſtroyers, as having laboured for Peace in vain.
Jan. 15. 1689/90