The Scripture Gospel Defended, Part
To the TEACHERS of Dr. Criſpe's Doctrine.
THE laudable Converſations of many of you, ſhew, that you are not wholly v…id of Religi…n: B…t it's no thanks to your irreligious Doctrine. It is no wonder that ſuch men would caſt out Reaſon from Religion; for their Religion ſeemeth to be by meer inſtinct: But if it muſt be without Reaſon, it is hard that they will make it all againſt Reaſon. While Reaſon is eſſential to man, no wonder then if Religion meet with much Reſistance; and if, as one of Mr. Criſpe's Authors ſaith, (nigro Carbone notandus) That to cauſe one to believe in Chriſt, be as great a Miracle as Chriſt's Reſurrection, and as great an Inſtance of Almightineſs, as any Work that God hath made: No doubt, but it is a hard, and great, and ſpecial Work, and an effect of Omnipotency, or elſe it were no effect of God: For, omnis potentia eſt Dei eſt Omnipotentia. A Hand or tongue moveth not but by Omnipotency; but all that God doth, are not equal Inſtances or Demonſtrations of Omnipotency; nor are they all Miracles, and as great Miracles as the Reſurrection of Chriſt. Is not the Preaching of the Goſpel a means of mens believing? And is that as great a Miracle as Chriſt's Reſurrection, that is wrought by ſo rational a means, uſed by man? I am ſure St. Paul uſed not ſo much to prove the Truth of Chriſtianity from this Medium, [ſome believed it; ergo, it is true] as by the Reſurrection of Chriſt: Nor is every Woman or Mans Belief as good a Proof that the Goſpel is true: I would not have Infidels taught to ſay, If God damn me for not believing, it will be for not doing that which is as great a Miracle as Chriſt's Reſurrection, and as great an Inſtance of Almighty Power, as the making of Sun and Moon, and of the World: Overdoing is undoing.
But if the men that I oppoſe, be religious, I cannot deny but it muſt be by Miracle or Madneſs: Conſider and judge.
Is it any other to be for Religion, and to preach and labour, and ſuffer for it, if it have no Goodneſs in it, and will do no good, and muſt thus be believed? That is good that doth good. Dr. Criſpe is large and earneſt in telling us, that nothing that we do, muſt be done to do us any good, or give us the leaſt Gain or Advantage, nor must ſuch a Thought come into our hearts, that we ſhall be ever the better for it; for Chriſt hath already done all that we need. And if it do us no good, it doth good to none. To God it can do none; if we be righteous, what do we give him. Our goodneſs extendeth not to him, by adding any thing to him. Pſal. 16.1, 2. And to men it can do no good, if it can do none to our ſelves; for either thoſe men be elect, or not: If they be elect, all their good was perfected by Chriſt, as well as ours before they were born: And it will be as great an injury to Chriſt, to endeavour to do them any good, as our ſelves: And this either to their Souls or Bodies; for Chriſt hath purchaſed all good for both: Oh what an Antidote againſt Charity is here, and againſt doing good to all men, eſpecially to them of the Houſhold of Faith, and againſt feeding Chriſt in his Members!
But if they are not elect, theſe men ſay that Chriſt dyed not for them, to purchaſe them any good, and to do them good, is impoſſible; and what a Wrong would it be to Chriſt, for us to pretend to do men good without him, or his purchaſe?
But they ſay, we muſt do it in Thankfulneſs, for being ſaved already: But what good is in that Thankfulneſs, when it doth no good to God or man, to our ſelves or others? Is not this to truſt to works? All Acts with them are Works, and Thankfulneſs is an Act or Habit.
And if we are never the better for Love, Thanks, and Praiſes to God on earth, what the better ſhall we be for them in Heaven? What do theſe men preach for? What do they gather Churches for? And what do they exerciſe ſtrictneſs for, by thier ſelf deviſed terms of their Church-Communion? What do they write for and wrangle for, while they profeſs that it is not to do any good, to God, to themſelves, to the elect, or to the reprobate (which undenyably followeth)? I know you ſpeak for Faith, Prayer, and Holineſs, and I think you pray your ſelves: But to what end, Chriſt ſaith, ask and have, ſeek and find; Dr. Criſpe ſaith, ſeek not to find: O think not that you ſhall be ever the better for praying, or any thing elſe that you do in the greatest heigth of Piety. Is Prayer only a Thankſgiving? I knew an old Man (one Diſhforth, by Calverley near Bradford in Yorkſhire) who went among the Followers of Hacket and Coppinger, called, Grundletonians (from the Town where they lived): And going for Novelty among them, they breathed on him, and he came home ſo tranſported, that he left his former way of Praying in his Family, with Confeſſion and Petition, and did all by Extaſy, and Thankſgiving, and Praiſe, and ſo continued about a Fortnight, and then returned to Humility, and repented (himſelf and his Son were my Informers.)
I wonder that it is not ſo with all that think praying, hearing, reading, meditating, and Sacraments do no good: And all from a ſottiſh Expoſition of [Do this and live,] as if forbid doing any thing that we may live: And from an Ʋnchriſtian Conceit that Chriſt giveth us all that …e decreeth or purchaſeth, as ſoon as the Price is paid: And that becauſe he freeth us from the Law …f Works, and of Innocency, he maketh us lawleſs; or is a Kin… that hath no Laws, or Laws that are neither the Meaſure of Duty or Judgment, the keeping of which is no ſubordinate Righteo… neſs in tantum; becauſe it is n…t as Chriſt's, a purchaſing Price, and juſtifi…th not prim…rily n…r in totum: Or as if Chriſt comma…ed and …ave a Righteouſneſs which is no Righteouſneſs; and that becauſe all justifying is not making Righteous, therefore making Righteous is no Juſtifying, nor any part of it. Its a ſhame to ſtay to cite many …xts …gai…st theſe men, where the whole Bible, but eſpecially all Chriſt's own Preaching, and Parables, are ſo expreſly againſt th…m, that I admire with what f…ce th…ſe men pr…feſs to believe the Scripture. And I w…n…er not that ſome of them ſay, that all the w…tt… Word is a Covenant of Works, a…d o…ly the Spirits i…wa…d Work is the Covenant of Grace: And wh…n they tell us (as Criſpe, p. 242. Vol. 1. Ed. 1.) That for any hurt that ſuch ſins can do us, it is not poſſible, for Chriſt hath made ſatisfaction. I wonder why they preach againſt that which doth no hurt; and why t…ey excommunicate men for ſin; and why they ſcruple Perjury, Liturgies, Pariſh-Communion, or any Point of Conformity; yea, why ſome of them will ſuffer rather than conform, when it is impoſſible for any ſin to hurt them: Why do your hearers pay you for Preaching againſt a harmleſs thing? Why make you ſo much Complaint againſt Ʋnreforme…neſs? Sin doth God no hurt; it doth not the Elect any hurt by your Doctrine; for Chriſt hath ſatisfied and born all: And the Reprobate are uncapable of good, for want of ſatisfaction for them. I pray you do not ſpeak out this Doctrine to the World: If you do, I ſhall be glad that you are confined to your ſeduced ignorant Congregations. If you will tell the World, If you are elect, no ſin can poſſibly hurt you; whatever Murders, Adulteries, Perjuries you commit it is none of your ſin, but Chriſts: It cannot be his and yours too; and if not elect, you have no hope; and if you be elect, you will be never the better for praying, conſidering, charity▪ or any Act of Religion, or Juſtice, which you do, nor muſt once think to gain any thing by it: How many Converts is this like to make? And what would ſuch a Nation come to? I hope few of the publick Preachers that you call ſcandalous, preach ſo ſcandalouſly as this. I have one Requeſt to you, that if you, or any other be questioned by the judges for Murder, Adultery, Falſe-witneſs, Perjury, or Robbery, you will not ſay as Dr. Criſpe hath taught you [I am no Murderer, Adulterer, perjured Robber, &c. It is Chriſt that is ſuch a one, and not I; it cannot be my ſin, when he hath made it his]; for I doubt, neither the Judges or Jury well believe you: If you believe not we, ask the Judges, whether it be you or Chriſt that is the ſinner? I doubt it is you that will be hang'd.
If you ſay, [for what may not ignorance ſay] That it is not at the Bar of man, but of God only, that Chriſt is the ſinner, and not we: I Anſwer, Know you not that Judges and Princes are God's Officers, and that the Judgment is the Lords; and that what they do according to his Will, he doth by them: He doth not command Rulers to hang men for a ſin that is none of theirs. All mens Judgments are Nullities, that are againſt the fore-known Judgment of God. It is the King that puniſheth when the hangman executeth: God puniſheth men by Rulers, and doth it righteouſly.
I write all this, the rather becauſe Mr. Cokain, in his Preface, exhorteth Preachers to go on where the Dr. left: I humbly beſeech them firſt to read and believe, Mat. 5. & 6. and 7, 8. and 13.18.25. and all the Sermons and Parables of Chriſt; and not downright to give him the Lie, and call it exalting him: And for them that report that there are no ſuch Words in Dr. Criſpe, as I report, I wonder not while they think that lying can do them no hurt, and is not their ſin, but Chriſts.
And they that believe they are under no Law, may believe that they have no Tranſgreſſion, nor Chriſt for them, when they had never any. And to them that talk of inherent Righteouſneſs, as leſs neceſſary than God hath made it; I deſire them but to mark what Chriſt ſaith of it, and to remember that ſin is much of Hell, and holineſs of Heaven: And that Chriſt came to ſave his People from their ſins, as more righteous than the Scribes and Phariſees inh…rently, and to make them a peculiar People, zealous of good Works, and holy as God is holy; and to bethink them whether to diſgrace the Building, be to honour the Architect; and whether the …orth, or the worthleſneſs of the Work, more honour the Work-men; and whether the Cure of the Sick diſhonour the Phyſitian: And whether to ſay, that my Clock or Watch will go by artificial means, or only no longer, than the Work mans-Finger only moveth it, do more honour the Artiſt: And whether the Pſalms would ſo much call us to glorifie God for his Works, if all that is aſcribed to his Works, were taken from his Honour. The Lord teach us better to underſtand that Word, that maketh the ſimple wiſe, and not to ſet Chriſt againſt himſelf, and againſt his own Honours, Government and Laws,