Neonomianism Unmasked, Part 2 · Debate 11
DEBATE XI. Of Union with Chriſt before Faith.
Neonom.
ANother Errour of his is, All the Elect are Actually Ʋnited to Chriſt, before they have the Spirit of Chriſt, or at all believe in him, even before they are Born; yea, and againſt their will. D. W. p. 90.
Antinom.
Your Terms are all Ambiguous, you ſeldom uſe a word of two or three Syllables, but you'l have him Bifrons like Janus; I pray produce your proof, and I ſhall ſee which way you look moſt.
Neonom.
The Title of a Sermon of yours is, Chriſt ours before gracious Qualifications. D. W. p. 91.
Antinom.
I own ſuch a Sermon, from Iſa. 33.6. and the deſign of it was to anſwer this Query,Dr. C. p. 432. How I may be aſſured my part lyes here, That my Sins were laid on Chriſt. The Apoſtle ſpeaks of full Aſſurance of Faith, and of coming to the Throne of Grace with boldneſs — I ſhew'd that it may be found out as the Lord hath chalked it out— in his Grace and Grant; not only when the Lord is pleaſed to hold out his Grace and Grant to a Man, but alſo upon thoſe Terms that he holds it out on, ſuch as the Terms of God are, or Conditions, if you will call them ſo. Sure I am; as the Conditions are, by which they may claim Intereſt in Chriſt; thoſe conditions being granted and found, the Soul may cloſe with the Grace of God; now all the difficulty lyes in this, whether the Lord propounds to Men, that there ſhall be no part in Chriſt, nor Grace by him till they find their Spirits, Souls and Bodies ſanctified throughout, or whether the Lord holds out the Grant of Pardon of Sin without thoſe previous Qualifications. And I ſay,D. C. p. 433. That the Grace of ſaying Iniquity upon Chriſt is applicable by Forgiveneſs of Sins to Perſons before there be ever the leaſt meaſure of Sanctification in Works; and being applyed by the Lords own Grant, there may be Safety and Security in applying the ſame by Faith, without regard to Sanctification in any meaſure.
That is, in reſpect of making Trial thereby, I ſeeing yet no Sanctification in Works to try by; it's certain ſuch Pardon is to be had, and that the Grace of Forgiveneſs is applicable before Works, or a Perſon capable of doing them, as to Elect Infants, and to the Dying Thief, and hath the ſame place in every Elect Perſon that doth believe, forgiveneſs is applied to him before he can exert any of the working Fruits of Faith, and being applied to him by God's Grant, it may be applied to himſelf by Believing; but becauſe you inſiſt on nothing in this Sermon that you particularly expreſs, I ſay no more of it now.
Neonom.
Sure you intend only to exclude Works, and not Faith. D. W. p. 91.
Antinom.
I do not exclude Works from a ground of Aſſurance, for I own when the Conditions are granted and found, [i. e. the Fruits of the Spirit in the Heart, the Soul may cloſe with the Grace of God by way of Aſſurance; but I ſay alſo, there may be an Aſſurance of Faith without particular reſpect to the ſaid Works; I ſay not that Works evidence not, but that there is an evidence beſides.
Neonom.
No, you tell us of dangerous Conſequences that muſt follow on it if Perſons are not united to Chriſt, and partake not of Juſtification before they believe; and addeth, There is not, I ſay, ſuch a thing as an uniting or knitting Power in Faith, as that Faith doth or ſhould become an Inſtrument to unite a Soul to Chriſt. Dr. C. p. 616.
Antinom.
My Diſcourſe was from 1 John 2. 1, 2. The main deſign of my Diſcourſe there is to prove, That Faith is the Fruit of our Ʋnion to Chriſt.
I ſhew'd that Chriſt himſelf frames and creates that very Faith in Perſons that come to him,D. C. p. 614. uniting them as Members firſt to him their Head. 2. I ſhew'd that a Branch muſt have Union with the Root before it can bring forth Fruit. Chriſt is the Vine, we the Branches, Faith part of the Fruit. Communion is a Fruit of Union, Faith is a Grace of Communion. Suppoſe that the Life ſpoken of is not in Perſons till they believe it is,Dr. C. p. 615. but this, That there is no Activeneſs of the life of Chriſt in the Perſon that is Elected, his Life is in Chriſt, and was in Chriſt, and reſerved in Chriſt till the time of believing, for him; and then doth the Elect Perſon become Active in Life, when Chriſt doth give him to believe Actually.
But to ſay that this believing ſhould give the firſt Being of that Life that ſhould be in Perſons, is to ſay, There is not that Life of the Elect Perſons in Chriſt before they do believe; if this be maintained, that there is no Juſtification at all belonging to Elect Perſons, till they do Actually believe in Chriſt, or Faith be the Inſtrument by which they are firſt united, dangerous Conſequences muſt needs follow. 1. That in ſome reſpect there will be a bringing to Life again the Covenant of Works, Do this and live, viz. for Perſons to do that they may live; but the Covenant of Grace, gives Life firſt, and from Life comes Doing, &c. But the words you refer to p. 616. For they are not there, nor do I find them elſewhere.
Neonom.
He denies the preſence of Faith, to this end he ſpends much time to prove that Chriſt is ours before we come to him, and that our not coming unto him doth not import a ſtate of diſunion with Christ. D. W. p. 614.
Antinom.
I ſaid, Let us ſuppoſe the coming in this place is ſpoken of believing, Ye will not come to me that you might have Life; it cannot follow, that although there be no Life till believing, therefore there can be no Union till believing: I ſay, If it poſſibly might be imagined, that there may not be Life from Chriſt till believing, yet it follows not that there muſt be believing before this Union; Suppoſe, I ſay, that there cannot be Life before there be believing, yet there muſt be Union before there can be Life fetched from Chriſt, —Faith being the Fruit born, as aforeſaid.
Neonom.
He ſaith, You may as ſoon conceive, that a Man is able to ſee whilſt he hath no Head, as think a Man can have Spiritual Eyes; whether the Eye of Faith to behold Chriſt, or the Eye of Mourning to lament ones Wickedneſs, before there be Actually the Preſence and Conjunction of Chriſt the Head to ſuch a Body. Dr. C. p. 104.
Antinom.
I ſay ſo, and will ſtand to it.
Calvin.
I wonder you ſhould find fault with that Divinity, or note down that Expreſſion for an Errour; you cannot ſuppoſe that there can be any living Act performed without Life, as the cauſe of it, which Life muſt be our Union to Chriſt, which according to the moſt Orthodox is, and muſt be before Faith it ſelf at leaſt, Naturâ.
Neonom.
He ſays, We partake of the Spirit by vertue of this Ʋnion.
Calvin.
Yes, how ſhould Members partake of the Spirit and Life that is in the Head, but by vertue of this Union, and yet the Spirit unites. A Branch engrafted partakes of the Spirits of the Root by vertue of an Union, and the Spirits unite and knit it.
Neonom.
He ſaith, God did not only decree to put ſuch Qualifications into them; but I ſay farther, That God gives Actual Poſſeſſion of this Chriſt, and that Chriſt takes Poſſeſſion of that Perſon before there be any Qualifications. P. 618.
Calvin.
I doubt not but Chriſt takes Actual Poſſeſſion of us ſaltem naturâ, before we have any holy Qualifications, but as to our Actual Poſſeſſion of Chriſt, it's better expreſt that we have it by Faith; although where there is Poſſeſſion there is relatum & correlatum.
Neonom.
The Queſtion is not, Whether God hath decreed the Ʋnion of the Elect? Nor whether this Ʋnion is agreed in the Covenant of Redemption? D. W. p. 92.
Antinom.
But it is, Whether the Elect have not a Union of Federal Relation in the Covenant, as you call of Redemption, as being a Seed in him, and Covenanted with in him, and he as a common Perſon repreſenting them, and undoubtedly is that Root or Head out of which all his Elect Seed or Members do ſpring.
Neonom.
Nor is it any Question, whether Chriſt's giving us the Spirit of Grace do begin this Ʋnion, and the Spirit given in order to Saving Operations produceth this Faith whereby the Ʋnion is Conſummated?
Calvin.
Well, well, if you own ſo much, what do you make a Controverſie of this Point; it ſeems you acknowledge the Union is begun with Chriſt giving his Spirit in order to Saving Operations, only you ſay it's conſummated by our Active cleaving unto Chriſt by believing, and he doth as good as ſay as much; he ſaith, There is no Activeneſs of this Life of Chriſt in the Elect, till they do believe, and in this ſence he will ſay the Elect are not united, viz. by Faith till they do believe; as for his Notion of the Elect being in Chriſt before calling, it hath been diſcours'd already, and let's not fetch things over again.
Antinom.
There is a Paſſive Recipiency, and there is an Active Recipiency;Dr. C. p. 98. there is a Paſſive receiving of Chriſt, and that is, ſo that Chriſt is received without any Hands; but in an Active receiving of him, he is not received without Hands. This paſſive receiving of Chriſt, is juſt ſuch a receiving of him, as when a froward Patient takes a purge, or ſome bitter Phyſick; he ſhuts his Teeth againſt it, but the Phyſician forceth his Mouth open, and pours it in down his Throat, and ſo it works againſt his will by the over-ruling power of one over him.
Neonom.
For my part I like not ſuch Similitudes, and it inſinuates that Men are ſaid to receive Chriſt againſt their Wills. D. W. p. 101. Dr. C. p. 612.And he ſaid too, That our firſt coming to Chriſt, is as a Coach is ſaid to come to Town, when it is drawn to Town.
Calvin.
You know his meaning by thoſe Similes, and they are not to run on four Feet; it's enough they ſerve to illuſtrate that part of Truth which they are uſed for. Mr. Antinomian means as you do as to Man's Will. There's nothing more contrary to a rebellious carnal Man, than the Graee of God; their Hearts are full of Enmity and Hatred to God and Truth; but yet he ſhews you often that God gives Gifts to the Rebellious. And here you ſee how he gives it, and what he gives; it may be he binds them with the cords of afflictions, and opens their Eyes to ſee their undone condition, pours into their Conſciences whole Potions of the Guilt of Sin, and the Laws Condemnation, whereby as undone Creatures, through Grace they become willing and ready to receive Chriſt, and he becomes precious to them by the ſame hand of his Spirit. If you ſhould pick up odd Similes out of Sermons, which it may be hath done good, and God hath bleſſed, you may expoſe many a good Man's Labours. See holy Cranmer's, and I think ſuch were were of famous Mr. Rogers of Dedham; and conſider the Spirit of God allows preaching Chriſt to be fooliſhneſs to the World: Therefore be very wary how you deſpiſe, reproach or redicule in theſe caſes, leſt in ſtriking pretendedly at Men and their weakneſs, you happen to give a ſlant Blow at the Spirit of God: For he tells you there is ſuch a kind of Recipiency of Chriſt, he inſtanceth in Ephraim, Jer. 31.18, 19. And in the like Dialect Elihu ſpeaks to Job, chap. 36.8, 9. If they be bound in Fetters, and held in the Cords of Affliction, then he ſheweth them their Works and their Tranſgreſſions, that they have exceeded. And in the Metaphor of a Coach or Chariot, the Spirit of God ſpeaks in the Sacred Scripture; and the Church ſaith to Chriſt, Draw me, and I ſhall run after thee.
Neonom.
The real difference is, 1. Whether the Elect are actually united to Chriſt before they are born? 2. Whether the Elect are united to Chriſt till they are effectually called, and truly believe?
Antinom.
That though there be not an active Union on our Parts but by Faith, ſo that it can't be ſaid properly to be a Conjugal Union by mutual conſent of Parties, yet there is a relative Union, ſuch as between Father and Child, where the Child gives not conſent to this relation; he is wholly paſſive in being brought into it. God from Eternity conſtituted and ordained Chriſt and all the Elect, to be as it were one Body, one Lump, wherein Chriſt is the Head, and they the Members; Chriſt the Root, and they the Branches: They are given to Chriſt, John 17. To be in Chriſt, Eph. 1. Being they are called his Seed, before they are called, John 10. His Seed, Iſa. 53.11, 12. Heb. 2.14. Brethren. Ver. 11. He that ſanctifyeth, and they they that are ſanctifyed, are foreign, i. e. as ſome add, foreign, or foreign, of Body or Lump. And by vertue of this Union it is that the Obedience and Satisfaction of Chriſt deſcends particularly unto them, and not to the reſt of Mankind.
Calvin.
The Learned Mr. Rutherford, hath as follows, The Faith by which as by an Inſtrument we are Juſtified,Rutherford of the Covenant. P. 208. preſuppoſeth three Unions, and maketh a fourth Union. It preſuppoſeth a Natural, Legal, Federal Union. 1. Natural, That Chriſt and we are not only both Mankind, for Chriſt, and Pharaoh, and Judas, are one ſpecie & naturâ, true Men, but one in Brotherhood, He aſſuming the Nature of Man with a ſpecial Eye to Abraham, Heb. 2.16. i. e. to the Elect and Believers; for with them he is Bone of their Bone, and is not aſhamed to call them Brethren, Heb. 2.11, 12. Pſal. 22.22.
2. It preſuppones a Legal Union between Chriſt and them that God made; the Debtor and Surety one in Law, and the Sum one, ſo far as he laid our Debts on Chriſt, Iſa. 53.6. 2 Cor. 6.21.
3. It preſuppones an Union Federal, God making Chriſt our Surety; and to Aſſume not only our Nature in a Perſonal Union, but alſo our State, Condition, and made our Cauſe his Cauſe, our Sins his Sins; not to defend them — but to ſuffer Puniſhment for them, and our Faith makes the fourth Union betwixt Chriſt and us, whether Natural, as betwixt Head and Members, the Branches and Vine-tree; or Myſtical, as that of the Spouſe and Beloved Wife; or Artificial, [as the Foundation and Building;] or mixed, as that of the Imp and Tree; or Legal between the Surety and Debtor, Advocate and Client; or rather a Union above all hard to determine, for theſe are but Compariſons, and this Chriſt prays for, John 2.23. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.
And ſomething to this purpoſe Mr. Norton Norton p. 292.ſpeaks, The Efficacy of this Relation ſprings from its Foundation, which is firſt by the Abſolute Grace of God in Election, and thence flowing down in the Promiſe according to the Merit of Chriſt, by the Effectual Operation of the Spirit. Needs muſt the River of Life be full, ever overflowing and quickning that ariſeth from and is maintained by ſuch Fountains.Norton p. 287. And he ſhews the form of this Union, 1. In the Tertium wherein it is. 2. The Bands on Chriſt's part and the Believers. 3. The manner as to the Tertium's. 1. Sameneſs of Spirit, He that's joined to the Lord is one Spirit, 1 John 4.13. Rom. 8.9. 2 Pet. 1.4. 2. One Myſtical Body, 1 Cor. 12.12, 13. The third, A Spiritual Marryed Eſtate, Eph. 5.32. Iſa. 54.5. Ch 62.4. 4th. A State of Glory, John 17.22, 23. See more.
But you will ſee all along how he makes Chriſt firſt in this Perſonal Union to Chriſt by the Spirit and Faith.
Dr. Ameſ. Ameſ. Med. lib. 1. c. 26.Receptio reſpectu hominū eſt vel Paſſiva vel Activa, Phil. 3.11. The Paſſive is the Reception of Chriſt, whereby the Spiritual Principle of Grace is Ingenerate in the Will of Man, Epheſ. 2.5. This Grace is the Foundation of that Relation, whereby a Man is united unto Chriſt, John 3.5,
Neonom.
I'll tell you what I take to be Truth in theſe Points, Every Man is without Christ, or not united to Chriſt until he be Effectually called; but when by this call the Spirit of God enclineth and enableth him willingly to accept of Chriſt as a Head and Saviour; a Man becomes united to him, and partaker of thoſe Influences and Priviledges, which are peculiar to the Members of Jeſus Chriſt. D. W. p. 90.
Antinom.
I except againſt what you have aſſerted, in theſe Particulars.
1. You ſay a Man is not united to Chriſt before Effectual Calling, thereby I underſtand you, that he is not united to Chriſt in any ſence, whereas I affirm he is united to Chriſt before Effectual Calling in the Senſes which M… R…therford doth aſſert, before mentioned.
2. I underſtand you mean that in Effectual Calling a Man is not united to Chriſt till he doth Actually accept of Chriſt the Head by an Act of Faith, whereas the Head unites the Members to it ſelf before they can reach up to the Head.
3. You make Union to be the ſame with Communion, and to conſiſt in a participation of Priviledges.
Now as to the ſecond thing, That in Effectual Calling there is a compleat Union with Chriſt before the Act of Faith, I do affirm, upon theſe Reaſons.
1. From the utter Impotency of the Soul without and before Union with Chriſt to any good Act, for Union ſtandeth in indiviſibili; it's a conjunction of two in one, an half one is none: if we put forth an Act of Faith to lay hold on Chriſt before we be compleatly united to him, we put forth a good Act, and bring forth good Fruit before we be in him, and before we be good Trees; but we cannot bring forth good Fruit before we be good Trees; and we cannot be good Trees before we be in Chriſt, Mat. 7.18. John 15.4, 5. Therefore we do not put forth an Act of Faith before we be ſo compleatly united to Chriſt, ſo united to Chriſt as to live by him, John 11.26. Whoſoever liveth and believeth in me ſhall never dye, &c.
Arg. 2.
In our Regeneration we are meerly Paſſive, our Faith is not then Active, but in our Regeneration we are compleatly united to Chriſt; Ergo, we are compleatly united to Chriſt before the Act of Faith. The major is proved from Eph. 2.1, 2, 3. Dead Men are Paſſive to Regeneration, and Dead Men we are till we are Regenerated. The Minor is proved from the joint concurrence of Regeneration, Converſion and Union with Chriſt, which are all wrought together ſimul & ſemel.
Arg. 3.
If we be united firſt to Chriſt by an Active Faith, then an Active Faith is the cauſe of our Union with Chriſt, but an Active Faith is not the cauſe of our Union with Chriſt, therefore by an Active Faith we are not firſt united to Chriſt.
Min.
If Active Faith were not the cauſe of the Union of the Humane Nature of Chriſt with the Divine, then it is not the cauſe of our Union with Chriſt; but Active Faith is not the cauſe of the Union of the Humane Nature of Chriſt with the Divine: Ergo, Maj. No other cauſe can be aſſigned of our true Union with Chriſt, than of the Union of our Nature with the Second Perſon, viz. Divine Aſſumption, Iſa. 42.1, 6. As the Divine Nature aſſumed ours, John 1. ſo the Perſon of Chriſt takes us to Myſtical Union with him.
Arg. 4.
If our Union with Chriſt be firſt by an Act of Faith, then it is by a Work of ours, (though a Work of Grace) but it is not by a Work of ours: Ergo, Min. If it be by a Work of ours, it is not of Grace, but it's of Grace. Ergo, Maj. Rom. 11.6. Theſe are Mr. Cotton's Arguments.
Neonom.
I'll anſwer your Arguments another time, pray hear mine now to confirm the Truth.
1. The Scriptures expreſly affirm, Ʋncalled, Ʋnconverted ones to be ununited to Chriſt; Eph. 2.12. Rom. 16.7. Rom. 11.17.
Antinom.
It's true in reſpect of the Union in Effectual Calling, but yet not in reſpect of their Hidden, Federal, and Relative Union, which Mr. Rutherford ſpeaks of.
Neonom.
2. The Spirit of Chriſt, and Faith in him, are the things whereby God hath ordained us to be Ʋnited with Chriſt, 1 Cor. 12.12, 13. Epheſ. 3.17.
Antinom.
We grant it in reſpect of our Union to Chriſt in Effectual Calling.
Neonom.
I ſee you will throw off all my Arguments by Mr. Rutherford's unhappy diſtinction of Ʋnions; therefore I will name no more of them for the preſent.
Antinom.
The Aſſembly is full on this Point, that our Union to Chriſt is before the Act of Faith. Shorter Catechiſm.
Q. 29. How are we made Partakers of the Redemption purchaſed by Chriſt?
A. By the Effectual Application of it to us by his Holy Spirit.
Q. 30. How doth the Spirit apply to us the Redemption purchaſed by Chriſt?
A. By working Faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Chriſt in our Effectual Calling.
The Spirit firſt comes as a Bond of Union, and works Faith to Unite by its Act; in the firſt Union by the Spirit we are paſſive, made new Creatures, new Born, receive Spiritual Life. In the ſecond we are Active, put forth lively Acts, and lay hold on Jeſus Chriſt, and all Goſpel Grace. And if the Confeſſions ſay we are United to Chriſt by his Spirit, and by Faith, as you acknowledge, then there is a Union by the Spirit, which is effective of that which is by Faith.
You ſay my miſtake is, in thinking all Grace is wrought by Chriſt as an Actual Head; you mean Grace comes not at firſt from Chriſt as our Head, but as a deſigned Head; therefore you find fault with my founding our Union on Chriſt as our Head. Where I ſay, P. 104. Chriſt is the Head of his Church, i. e. the Fountain of all Spiritual Senſe and Motion: A Man cannot have Spiritual Eyes of Faith, unleſs he have this Spiritual Head, &c. I am not alone here, for Mr. Norton and others make Chriſt as our Head, the Fountain and Spring of all Spiritual Life and Motion. Evan. P. 249. The Perſon of Chriſt Mediator, is the firſt Saving Gift actually applyed to any Elect Perſon. —The motion of the Spirit upon the Soul is from Chriſt the Head. See p. 250.