The Travels of True Godliness, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Shewing how True Godlineſs, after this Travelled towards the City Jeruſalem, near to which was a ſmall Village, called Religion, in which dwelt one Mr. Legaliſt, at whoſe Door he knocked; ſhewing the Cauſe alſo why he did not entertain him.
GOdlineſs having hitherto happily eſcaped with his Life, thought it now full time to leave thoſe Parts where he had Travelled up and down a great while, and ſuffered many hardſhips, being generally baſe…y ſlighted and contemned by all whereſoever he came, and to Travel into ſome other Countrey, amongſt People (if he could find ſuch) who were not ſo abominably wicked, however, not ſuch viſible and open Enemies, to him as others were: And he thought within himſelf, it might be his beſt way to bend his Courſe towards Jeruſalem, for hitherto he hath wandred up and down the Confines of Aſſyria, Edwna, Spiritual Sodom and Egypt, but ſo it fell out, before he entred into the Salem, he perceived a Village lying near the City, and the Name of that Town he underſtood was Religion, a place much frequented by all true Sioners (for ſo the Inhabitants of the City Jeruſalem are called▪) Now, he preſently made up thither, and being informed that one Mr. Legaliſt lived at the Towns end, near Mount Sinai, he reſolved to give him a Viſit, and immediately came to his Door, where with great earneſtneſs he knocked, and he being within, ſpoke to this purpoſe.
Legal. Who is at my Door?
Godli. Sir, a ſtranger to you, though your very good Friend, and one who would gladly have a Lodging in your Houſe.
Legal. What is your Name?
Godli. Sir, my Name is True Godlineſs.
Legal. I wonder much you ſhould ſay you are a ſtranger to me, whereas I have been ſo long time acquainted with you, and know you ſo well.
Godli. Sir, 'tis your great miſtake, for I am ſure you know me not, nor were you ever yet acquainted with me.
Legal. What, do I not know True Godlineſs, this is ſtrange; do not you and I converſe together every day?
Godli. Sir, I am not the perſon you take me for, there is one or two more who go ſometimes by my Name, and 'tis very probable you may be acquainted with one of them; pray what are his manners; what Doctrine I mean, doth he teach you, for by that I ſhall know who it is.
Legal. Why, Sir, he teaches me to keep the Commandments of God, to lead a Righteous Life, to do unto all men as I would they ſhould do unto me.
Godli. O, Sir, that is my Friend and honeſt Neighbour Morality, one that I love very well, and I am ſure 'tis your great Ignorance to take him for me; he will not ſay his Name is True Godlineſs, for though in ſome things we are a little alike, I teaching the ſame Doctrine you mention, yet we differ exceedingly in many things. Firſt, we herein agree; he ſaies, you muſt keep God's Commands I ſay ſo too. 2. He ſaies, you muſt be righteous, I ſay the like. And 3. That you muſt do unto all men as you would have them do to you, I ſay the very ſame, it being my Maſters own Doctrine.
Legal.
Why, wherein then, Sir, pray do you differ?
Godli.
He teaches you to ſeek for Juſtification by doing, but I only by believing; he by keeping the Law, or by living a ſober and honeſt Life, I by Gods Free Grace, through the Merits of Chriſt.
Legal.
What is that Friend you ſay, are we not required to keep the Law of God?
Godli.
No, Sir, you ought to keep it as far as you are able, though not as it is the Law of Works, but as 'tis the Law of Chriſt; but you muſt not look for Righteouſneſs and Juſtification, by your keeping ths Law in any ſence (it was on this very Block the Jews of Old ſtumbled, and were broken in pieces) becauſe you have ſinned, and daily do break the Law; and the leaſt tranſgreſſion thereof, expoſeth you to the wrath and curſe of God.
Legal.
I know I cannot perfectly keep the Law? but I will do (by the help of God) what I can; and wherein I through weakneſs do tranſgreſs, the Lord is merciful, and I truſt he will forgive me.
Godli.
Forgive you! Why he hath ſaid, he will in no wiſe clear the guilty, moreover, what the Law ſaith, it ſaith to them that are under the Law, that all mouths may be ſtopped, and the whole world become guilty before God.
Legal.
What do you ſay? will not God forgive me who am a penitent perſon? O what a horrible Doctrine is this! I believe he will not forgive the impenitent, and they are ſuch guilty ones only that the Scripture ſpeaks of.
Godli.
Miſtake not Sir, all are guilty, all have broke the Law, all are under ſin and wrath; 'tis not your Repentance will do; God will not forgive any man, let him be who he will, except he believes in Jeſus Chriſt, and takes hold of the Merits of his Blood, for as by the deeds of the Law no fleſh ſhall be juſtified, ſo God will not pardon your ſins, notwithſtanding your Repentance, as a ſimple act of his Mercy, unleſs you fly to him through Chriſt, who hath ſatisfied his Juſtice; for what you ſay renders Chriſts glorious undertakings void and unneceſſary; and ſo does caſt a great reflection upon the wiſdom of God in ſending his Son into the World.
Legal.
How do you make that appear?
Godli.
Do you not ſay you'll do what you can to keep the Law; and wherein you tranſgreſs, God will through his Mercy forgive you; now if God doth accept of your obedience in keeping the Law, and forgive all your deviations, as a ſimple act of his Mercy, and that hereby you are juſtified and accepted by him, why then did he ſend Jeſus Chriſt into the World to die the curſed death of the Croſs? For if by this way Righteouſneſs and Salvation is attainable, it is evident Chriſt is dead in vain; for could not God have done all this if Chriſt had never come? Thou art a wretched creature, and therefore look to Chriſt, or thou art undone.
Legal.
Why do you tell me of Chriſt? do you take me to be a ſinner like other men? Am I as this Publican? I have all my daies lived a holy and blameleſs life,A great Legaliſt ſpake thus not long ſince. and therefore ſhall be juſtified.
Godli.
I am aſhamed of you; you have 'tis evident a ſlight eſteem of Chriſt.
Legal.
Nay Sir, do not miſtake me neither; I do not think my Righteouſneſs juſtifies me any otherwiſe, than through the Merits of Chriſt.
Godli.
Sir, you erre exceedingly; 'tis not your perſonal Righteouſneſs, no, not through Chriſts Merits, that does Juſtifie, but the perſonal Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, received by Faith alone. Alas now you diſcover indeed what a great ſtranger you are to me; you are one of thoſe Juſt men it ſeems that never went aſtray, or righteous ones that Chriſt came not to call. Alas, I alwaies do declare and teſtifie that all men muſt periſh without Faith in Chriſt.Mark 16.16. Doth not the text poſitively ſay, He that believeth not ſhall be damned. John 3.33.He that hath the Son, hath Life; and he that hath not the Son, ſhall not ſee Life, but the wrath of God abides upon him. Acts 4.12.Sir, there is no other Name given under heaven whereby men can be ſaved.1 Cor. 3. Another foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jeſus Christ.
Come let me into your houſe, and I will expel theſe dark Clouds, and teach you another kind of Doctrine; I will help you to be holy, and not to depend upon it; to be righteous, but not to truſt in it; I will lead you to ſay, In the Lord have I righteouſneſs; and that he is made unto us of God righteouſneſs, &c. I tell you plainly I cannot ſpeak peace to you; but if I come into you, you muſt turn out of your houſe thoſe helpleſs and unprofitable ſervants you have got.
Legal.
What Servants would you have me turn out?
Godli.
Why, you muſt turn Moſes out. Do you not read, he was not to abide in the houſe for ever? Mr. Miſsbelief, and Good Opinion, and Self-righteouſneſs you muſt turn out. Nay, in a word, you muſt alſo remove your Dwelling further off from Mount Sinai; for look about you, be gone quickly, for I ſee dreadful Flaſhes of Lightning, the Mountain ſeems to be all on fire; and heark don't you hear it Thunder, Legaliſt? God is angry with you Sir, there is no ſeeing of his face, but through a Mediator.
Legalist,
What muſt I turn holy Moſes out of doors?
Godli.
I Sir, that you muſt; don't you remember, that thoſe who ſaid they were Moſes's Diſciples, caſt out the poor blind man that received my dear Maſter? 'Tis not Moſes nor Elias, but Jeſus only that muſt dwell with you: Nay, and you muſt caſt out Blind Zeal, Ignorance, and Legal Heart too, for theſe are dangerous Fellows! and in their room I will place; True Zeal, Right Faith, Broken Heart and Good Ʋnderſtanding. Nay, Sir, and let me tell you, if you do not, and that quickly, expel theſe out of your Tabernacle, you will be undone, and periſh in your ſins; for notwithſtanding your great hopes of Heaven, they will ſoon thruſt you down to Hell; for Publicans and Harlots go into Heaven before you.
Upon this he began to be very angry, and gave True Godlineſs, hard words, calling him Libertine and Antinomian, one that True Godlineſs does as little love as he: Moreover, Mr. Legaliſt told him, that he was ſure that he whom he had already received into his houſe was True Godlineſs; and, ſaieth he, you are but an Impoſtor, and in a great rage bid him be gone from his door: Upon this, Godlineſs perceiving Mr. Legaliſt was ſo wedded to his own Opinion, that there was no hopes of getting entertainment in his Houſe, he left him, and travelled a little further into the Town; being told one Mr. Formaliſt lived not far off: whereupon he reſolved to go directly to his Houſe.
Sad caſe, moſt Noble Prince! what travel ſtill
From place to place, and yet is there none will
Thee embrace? what, not in ſuch a Town?
Doth Legaliſt thus baſely tread thee down?
Nay of all men I ſee there's cauſe to fear,
He never will, Bleſt Prince! to thee adhear:
What ſlighted by Profeſſor and Prophane!
Where's then the man who will thee entertain?
Some men are blind, and therefore periſh do;
And thoſe who think they ſee, theſe periſh too.