The Scripture Gospel Defended, Chapter 1
Chap. 1. Prefatory.
Ortho.
Sir, Having my ſelf, and the Congregation which I am Related to, been in danger of the Errours called Antinomian; I wrote to you, to intreat you, who have done ſo much heretofore, to Conquer and Extirpate thoſe Errours, to get the London Miniſters, to publiſh their Judgments againſt Dr. Criſpe's Book, and ſuch others, now Re-printed, and riſing up with re-newed danger.
Reconcil.
You did ſo, and I anſwered you; 1. That I thought it not ſeaſonable, till the acceptance and ſucceſs of that Book and ſuch others, made our danger ſo notorious and great, as would clearly juſtify our Confutation: I have written on that Subject ſo much already, 1. In my Confeſſion of Faith. 2. In my Apologies againſt Mr. Craud…n, Mr. Aaires, and others. 3. In my Diſputations of Justification. 4. In my Life of Faith. 5. In my Juſtifying Righteouſneſs, and there againſt Dr. Tully; and my laſt Animadverſions on Mr. Cartwright. 6. In my Cathol…ck Theol…gy, eſpecially the five laſt Chapters. 7. And in my Methodus Theologiae. All which, are unanſwered to this day, that I know not why I ſhould be forward to write much more: For they that will not read this that hath been ſo long written, are not like to read it if I yet write more.
And I am ſo fearful of ſtirring up the hidden ſpark of this miſchief, that having written Fourteen Years ago a ſhort Deciſion of a multitude of theſe Controverſies, I ſuſpended it, leſt it ſhould kindle New Oppoſitions.
2. And I told you, that we have now ſuch publick and dangerous Controverſies, about Royalty, Prelacy, Conformity, &c. that it is very unſeaſonable to make a noiſe of the Errours and Factions among the Tolerated, though they ſhould ſomewhat increaſe by advantage of our ſilence, till we ſee what publick ſettlement there will be.
3. And I confeſs, I have an opinion that accidentally the Books which you fear, will ſo effectually confute themſelves, that they will occaſion more good among ſober knowing Chriſtians, than hurt to the ignorant profeſſors, that will be toſt up and down with every wind of Doctrine. For, 1. The whole tenour of the Bible is againſt them. And will not Chriſtians read the Bible? 2. The Divine Nature on the Soul, and all Chriſtian Experience is againſt them. And will not Chriſtians know that Work and Doctrine of Gods Spirit in them?
For Inſ…ance▪ 1. Will they that are ſaved from Atheiſm ever believe that the moſt Holy God is the maker of ſins, yea, and m…de his own Son the greate… ſinner in the World, when the Devil himſelf cannot make one man a ſinner, but only tempt him …o be ſu…; yea, that God made himſelf (in the ſecond Perſon) a ſinner.
2. Will Chriſtian… eaſ…ly believe, that our Saviour came to del…ver us …rom ſin… by making himſelf worſe … becoming the greateſt ha…er of God a…d G…neſs, the greateſt Infidel, Atheiſt, Blaſphemer Murderer, Adulterer, Lyar, Thief, &c. in all the World, and conſequently like the Devil, hated of God, and having a Hell in himſelf? All Chriſtians believe that our ſins were laid upon Chriſt as to their penalty, that he was Vicarius poenae, that he ſuffered for us, the juſt for the unjuſt, to reconcile us to God, and that he was made for us, a Sacrifice for ſin, that we might be healed by his ſtripes, and waſhed in his Blood.
But what Chriſtian can believe Dr. Criſpe and his Sectaries, that Chriſt took not only the puniſhment and guilt (reatum poenae) but all the very ſins themſelves of all the Elect, habitual and actual, privative and poſitive, of omiſſion and commiſſion, and ſo really became the moſt wicked man in all the World; and that lie ſaveth us from ſin, by becoming a thouſand times worſe himſelf, than any of us; when it cannot be proved that any one Devil had ſo great a hand in mans ſin, as to make all our ſins his own? And Dr. Criſpe well vindicateth God from falſe Imputation of that ſin to Chriſt, which was not his: But it is by Blaſphemy, making that his, which was never his, even the very ſins of all the Elect. 3. And do you think any Soul that hath the Spirit of God, and readeth and believeth the Scriptures can believe this Dr. that no ſin can poſſibly hurt the Elect, becauſe they are fully ſaved already by Chriſt? And that it is againſt Chriſt and his Grace, to intend our Salvation, or any good to our ſelves by any Duty we do, or to look to be ever the better for praying, obeying, believing, but muſt do all only in thankfulneſs, and for the good of others.
4. Do you think that a man (not to ſay a Chriſtian) can believe that the torments of the Stone, Gout, Collick, Convulſion, &c. are no hurt, or no caſtigatory Penalty? And that it is no hurt or puniſhment for an Elect Perſon to be under decays of Holineſs, increaſe of Sin, prevalency of Temptations, the terrours of God, and loſs of his Conſolations, and fears of Death: He that can believe all this, may believe Tranſubſtantiation againſt all the ſenſes of mankind. A Hundred of ſuch Inſtances may be named, which have ſo ugly a countenance, that men that loved their Souls, will be affrighted from Antinomianiſm, by the reading of them. And I further tell you, that too ſudden and eager diſputing againſt Hereſy, doth but engage men to ſtretch their wits to find out what to ſay to defend it, and to take thoſe for Enemys to God and them, who ſhame their folly.
And I muſt confeſs, that tho' I am much for Miniſters aſſociations and conſultations in order to Concord and mutual Edification; I am not much for the way of deciding doctrinal Controverſies by majority of Votes, remembring what Councils have done that way theſe 1300 Years, and how often either errour or unskilful deciſſions have the greater number; ſo that tho' now with us, they will conſent againſt errours; it may be taken for a precedent for erroneous pluralities, to Tyrannize or tread down truth hereafter.
Ortho.
But ſhall we therefore let Hereſy ſpread unreſiſted.
Reconcil.
No, But you will let it paſs uncured, whether you will or not: You let not ignorance, and pride, go unreſiſted: But if it were not uncured, there would be no ſuch Hereſies. If all the Miniſters in England ſubſcribe a deteſtation of groſs ignorance and pride, do you think it would cure them? Doth it cure Atheiſm, Infidelity, Drunkeneſs, Luſt, though all Preachers condemn them?
If you can prevail with theſe men, to read and conſider but one half of that which I have written on theſe Subjects, inſtead of reviling that which they never read or tryed, you will not need to call for more Confutations of them.
Ortho.
But a Confutation ſhort and newly publiſhed, will be read by thoſe that will not read Books old and large.
Reconcil.
I have ſtaid ſince your firſt motion, to ſee whether there be like to be any apparent neceſſity of any renewed oppoſition to this infection; and I acknowledge, that now ſome neceſſity appeareth to me, in the new and zealous attempts of the erroneous: But God in great mercy, hath raiſed up many that are fitter to oppoſe them, than I that in pain and languiſhing weakneſs, have time little enough to meditate on my approaching change. But becauſe the erroneous have learn'd of the tranſformed Angel of Light, and his pretended Miniſters of Righteouſneſs, to call their Errours, the Preaching of Chriſt, and Free Grace, and to ſay, that all they Preach not Chriſt, but the Righteouſneſs of man, that wrong not Chriſt as much as they; I ſhall by God's help attempt briefly to try, whether indeed they Preach Christ, or Preach againſt him; and whether they Exalt him, or Deny him; and whether they Preach up Free Grace, or as Enemies Reproach it. And I ſhall publiſh a brief Deciſion of the many Controverſies of Juſtification, which I caſt by theſe Fourteen Years, leſt I ſhould provoke any to revive the allay'd quarrels: But their new and earneſt Attempts, do now call it out, by telling us, that this evil Spirit is again at work, and calleth us to a renewed Defence of Truth.