Peaceable Disquisitions, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Of the Authors Calumniations of Dr. Owen, and ſome reply to them.
Having thus done with the Book, there are ſome paſſages require my reflection upon them, for the Doctors vindication. The Doctor is accuſed of Nonſenſe, of Contradiction, of Error. It is fit that ſome thing ſhould be ſaid in reference to the two latter, though it be but a rudeneſs to go about to anſwer any thing to the former.
For the firſt therefore I will ſay this only. If the Doctor hath expreſſed any thing darkly, that this Author cannot make ſenſe of it: ſuch a place, or paſſage as to him, is to go for nothing. That is all in civility to be ſaid of it.
For the ſecond, There is one inſtance I will mention about Election. The Doctor in one place of his Book, ſpeaking (I ſuppoſe) to a prophane perſon, yet preſuming on his Election, tells him, He cannot believe his Election any otherwiſe, but as God reveals it by the effects, that is, untill he believe, and repents he cannot conclude he is Elected. In another place ſpeaking (I ſuppoſe) to the tender ſerious Chriſtian, who is yet in trouble about his Election, he ſaies, He cannot juſtly doubt of his Election, until he be in ſuch a condition, as wherein it is impoſſible that the effects of Election ſhould be wrought in him. This the Author makes a contradiction: but it is only the diſtinguiſhing between theſe two things, A not concluding, and A concluding not, and the Doctor is cleared. The man who ſees not the effects of Election on his heart, and in his life, cannot conclude that he is elected (here is the not concluding, which ought to be): And the man that ſees them not, cannot conclude for all that, that he is not Elected, becauſe they may be wrought in him before he dies, (here is the concluding not, which muſt be avoided). So the one is rebuked, and the other ſupported (as they ſhould both be). Such are the Doctors contradictions.
For the third, which is the Doctors Errors, I muſt diſtinguiſh of Error. There is Human Error, Error common to man, It is the nature of man to be ſubject to mulake, to be deceived, to err, ſaies the Orator: and there are Pernicious Errors. This Gentlemans accuſations are of both ſorts.
For the former ſort, There is two or three places where this Author is very confident upon the Doctor for his ſaying that the Spirit is given to us in his Perſon as well as in his Effects, which methinks I cannot paſs, becauſe I do not know well whether the Error be in the Doctor, or in this Author, or in my ſelf. I am apt to think, that it is too much to ſay that the Spirit dwelleth perſonally in any man, though we are ſaid to be the Temples of the Holy Ghoſt: and that it is too little to ſay he is given only in his giſts, graces, or effects. I would ſay rather, that the Spirit is given it ſelf for theſe Effects. I look upon the Spirit of Chriſt to be given to us for a principle of life and union with our Head, from whom we have (through this Spirit) the communication of all ſaving influence unto a holy life. It is the received opinion that there is an habitual righteouſneſs infuſed by God in the ſoul for our juſtification according to the Schools, or according to our Divines, for our Regeneration; and that this is the principle of life and power in the ſoul unto holy operations. I muſt confeſs here I do not receive this Doctrine, I have it ſomewhere in my Mediocria, I think more cautiouſly, but I do really believe no infuſion of habits. I count that the Spirit by a motion on the Will, exciting it to act, does incline it to farther acts by the impreſſion which is made, and that the habit then is acquired by the iteration of thoſe acts and delight in them, or love to them, ſhed abroad in our hearts by the ſame Holy Ghoſt given to us. I do believe conſequently, that it is the Spirit it ſelf dwelling in us (as the Scripture underſtands its own expreſſion) which is that principle of life from whoſe conſtant ſecret and unperceptable aid, does proceed all thoſe actions which are holy and good, and acceptable to God. I do believe there is a time when Chriſt gives his Spirit to every one of his Elect, for uniting him to himſelf as his head, and that this union is effected immediately by that communication, and that through this Spirit all vital influence muſt be derived to us. I cannot frame my ſelf to ſay the Spirit is perſonally in us, but he is in Chriſts members as a principle of life and ſpiritual action, and as the formal band of that union which we have with him. Now ye are the body of Chriſt, and members in particular. As the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that body are one body; ſo alſo is Chriſt. I cannot tell well therefore how to brook ſome expreſſions as I find ſomewhere in this Author, and in another before him, that when the Scripture ſpeaks of our having the Spirit of Chriſt, and having it ſo as to be led by him, and if we have not the Spirit of Chriſt, we are none of his, they are willing to interpret the having Chriſts Spirit, to be only the being of his temper and and diſpoſition, which is the bringing down the Scripture to our ordinary converſe, and ſeems to me unholy. I hope theſe men do believe the Chriſtian faith, and do reverence his myſteries. And there are theſe three of them, The myſterie of the Trinity, The myſterie of the Incarnation, and the Myſtical Union between Chriſt and his Church. It is true that Chriſt is not a Natural head but a Political, as oppoſed to natural, but not as oppoſed to myſtical. He is a Political head as he governs us, and as we are in ſubjection to him: but he is alſo a Myſtical head, vouchſafing to us that ſpiritual influence which enables us to obey him. He governs us, and ſo is our head: but he governs us by his Spirit which is infuſed (though I think no habit be); and when we are lead by this Spirit, as there is Rule, there is Influence, and this Union muſt be Real and Myſtical, and not that which is Political only. Suppoſe a man wh…ſe head was high as the Heavens, yet ſo long as the ſame ſoul animates all the members, the feet as in the head, it is one man: Chriſt our head is in Heaven, and we on earth; yet as the ſame Spirit is in us which is in him, the head and members make one dy, nay in the words of the Scripture, one Chriſt. O Agrippa believeſt thou the Prophets? O thou Author of this Book againſt Dr. Owen, Believeſt thou theſe myſteries of the Chriſtian Religion? I know that thou believeſt.
For the later ſort, There is one place in his Book, where we have two of his pernicious errors together. The Doctor belike hath ſaid, that though a man ſhould reform his life, and be changed from vice to vertue, and that by hearing the word preached (This is the moſt I count he ſaies, and which may be exemplified in Herod, who heard John, and did many things), yet if there be not an habitual righteouſneſs infufed, it ſignifies nothing to regeneration. To this purpoſe is it only and altogether the Doctor ſpeaks. Hereupon this Gentleman breaks out and challenges him before his own party (as he ſpeaks) and before the world, for contradicting the Scripture [He that doeth Righteouſneſs is born of God], and then charges him with Pelagianiſm. He profeſſes he is in earneſt, and that this is rank Pelagianiſm, that the Doctor allows ſo much to be done without ſaving grace. I have the more reaſon to be moved at this, becauſe a certain perſon of quality, and of a ready judgement having this Author by him, turned me to this place, as if the Doctor was much to be blamed; when I muſt needs ſay, that this Gentleman hath no where expoſed himſelf ſo much in his Book as here, where he endeavours to expoſe the Doctor. There is no man that reads practical Divines, that lay down characters of the truly godly man, the ſound Believer, and how far the Hypocrite may go, but does know they ſpeak commonly as the Doctor does, and there are few, one would think, ſo inconſiderate or raw, but ſhould alſo know here how to diſtinguiſh ſo eaſily, as between the matter of what is done, and the manner of the performance. Good works may be conſidered quoad operis ſubſtamtiam, or quoad modum quo ordinaniur id vuam aevernam. There is no good act (no not the leaſt that can be done) is performed in that manner as it ought, or as it is required to be accepted in order to ſalvation, but a man muſt be born of God according to his text, and have the aſſiſtance of the Spirit: But for the matter of the work (or of our duty) this Author muſt conſider better, that the Regenerate and Unrepenerate are alike as to that. One can hear, and pray, and give alms, and abſtain from evil as well as the Other; and many times the veryeſt Hippocrite pretends moſt. Nay, what ſaies this Gentleman to Socrates, Ariſtides, Epimomdas, Plato, Plutark, Cato? What ſaies he to Almanzor that Mahomet in Einperor, whoſe life is ſet out by Sir Walter Rayleigh in a little Book for ſuch ſingular vertues, eſpecially as to his goodneſs and righteouſneſs, that I find him not paralleld by any Chriſtian. Will this Author cenſure Sir Walter for a Pelagian, for ſuch a narration? or will he make me one, if I believe it? Or will he come over here, and when he hath placed ſuch in a ſtate of Nature, and ſo out of a ſtate of Grace, will he allow an Heathen or Mahometan to be a regeherate perſon? Hath the Gentleman read Ruiz, or one ſuch a kind of Schoolman as he, all over? Let him ſee when they have denied againſt pelagius all ability in man to do any thing, even but to give an occaſion (which is active and not paſſive only) to infuſe in us their juſtifying grace, whether they are alſo ignorant of ſome ſuch diſtinction. It is no Pelagianiſm in the Schools, to ſay a man can do many things civily, morally good, through the power of nature, education, cuſtome, for company ſake, for glory: but it is ſo, to ſay he can do any thing without preventing grace, in order to his juſtification. There is no need therefore of ſuch vehemence, nor of any ſuch expreſſions he uſes otherwhere [I will deſire the Doctor to conſider whether the Father of lies be not the repreſentative of ſuch ſhameful Writers, as he is the example of]. Theſe kind of words are not well. There is a great deal of acrimony, I ſee, with a little truth mixt methinks, like the fire and hail that ran together in one of the Egyptian Plagues, in the Books of many late riſing adverſaries to this learned pious and reverend perſon. It were happy if the opprobrious words of the prejudicate, would make thewiſe mend their faults. It were well alſo if ſuch an inconſiderate confident piece of elation of mind (as here indeed is) be but repreſſed with the ſhame and bluſhes of another. Let the righteous ſmite me, it ſhall be a kindneſs, and let him reprove me, it ſhall be an oyle, and not break my head.