The Growth of Error, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Radicated Prejudices againſt Goſpel Doctrines, the Cauſe of Error. This ſeen in the Oppoſition Man makes to Chriſt's Righteouſneſs for Juſtification.
II. ANother thing that occaſions Error, is a Radicated prejudice againſt Goſpel Doctrines, as their Tendency is to Exalt God, Depreſs man, and engage him to Acts of greateſt ſelf-denyal.
The Holy Ghoſt, having with much clearneſs, ſhown the inſufficiency of Mans beſt Righteouſneſs for Juſtification, and his inability to think a good Thought; or do the leaſt good Work; and, that the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, who is God-Man, can alone juſtify a believing Sinner, and the Omnipotent Spirit alone enable us to believe; theſe Doctrines, though they are a diſplay of the manifold Wiſdom of God, of the Glory of his Holineſs, Juſtice, and Mercy, and an illuſtrious Evincement of the ſatisfaction, and Merit of the Death and obedience of Chriſt, God-Man, as alſo of the Powerful Operation of the third Perſon in the Bleſſed Trinity; yet, becauſe they lay us low, diſcovering the Imperfection, Inſufficiency, and Vanity of our own Endeavours; they reject theſe Truths, expoſing them, as if hereby a Door had been open'd to let in all manner of Vice and Licentiouſneſs; and rather than they will ſubmit themſelves to the Righteouſneſs of God, or be owing to the power of the Holy Ghoſt, they'll venture firſt to publiſh that the believing in God the Son, and in God the Holy Ghoſt, is not neceſſary to Salvation, and at length go on to deny the Perſonality both of Son and Spirit.
As Adam, on the Fall, inſtead of ſeeking unto God, leaned to his own underſtanding, and ſtrength; ſo it hath been ever ſince, the way of his Off-ſpring. In the Old Teſtament inſtances of Mens Glorying in their own Power, and performances, are innumerable; and the Apoſtle Paul aſſures us in the New, that this was the way of his Kindred the Jews: And ever ſince thoſe days it hath been the general method of Hereticks to truſt in their own Righteouſneſs, and deſpiſe others.
This they found to be a Notion, as plauſible, as it was to their Corrupt Minds agreeable; and becauſe the Orthodox, who preſſed a Holy Life and Converſation as neceſſary to Salvation, could not put their own Obedience into the place and room of Chriſt's, it hath been the common practice of the Erroneous to reproach them as Enemies to Holyneſs and Mortification; as tho' they held, that we might live as lewdly as we liſted, and die as we lived, yet in the end obtain Salvation through the Death and Righteouſneſs of Chriſt.
And, as this was the burden of their Writings; in like manner, 'twas the care of the moſt Eminent Hereſiarchs, to give an agreeable Exemple, by which means Multitudes of the weaker, but more zealous ſort were enſnared to embrace their Errors. And tho at this time the Profeſſors of Arminian and Secinian Errors have in this reſpect degenerated, and thereby have loſt the advantage of this pretence; yet Socinus. and after him Slichtingius, with many others, valued themſelves upon the Holineſs of them of their way, which they aſſign'd to the hower and Influence of their Principles.
However, theſe Gentlemen not being able intirely to craſe thoſe Idea's, which at firſt were implanted in their Souls, about the Holineſs and Rnighteouſneſs of God, cannot but profeſs to believe, that there is no Juſtification to be had in the ſight of God w…o it a perfect Righteouſneſs, and to the end they may the more eaſily quiet an awaken…d Conſcience, without the Imputation of Chriſt's Righteouſneſs, they either hold that the Law of Works is Aboliſhed, and a New Law Erceled: A New, a mere eaſie Law, ſo ſiam…d, and ſquar'd to their corrupt Natures, as to make their Defective Obedience a perfect Goſpel Righteouſneſs, fully anſwering the New Rule they have invented: Or, affirm. That their Faith, though it falls ſhort of the Law, is nevertheleſs, counted by God, for a compleat Performance of it, as a late Author, ſuppoſed to deny the Divinity of Jeſus Chriſt, hath expreſſed it in his Reaſonableneſs of Chriſtianity, who ſaith, The Law of Works, is that Law, which requires Perfect Obedience, without any Remiſſion or Abatement. — The Language of this Law is, Do this, and Live, Tranſgreſs and Die. P. 20.— Thoſe that Obey are Righteous; thoſe that in any part Diſobey, are Unrighteous, and muſt not expect Life, the Reward of Righteouſneſs. But by the Law of Faith, Faith is allowed to ſupply the Defect of full Obedience, and ſo the Believers are admitted to Life and Immortality as if they were Righteous. P. 22.— The Moral Law (which is every where the ſame, the Eternal Rule of Right) obliges Chriſtians and all Men every where, and is to all Men the ſtanding Law of Works. But Chriſtian Believers have the Privilege to be under the Law of Faith too; which is that Law whereby God juſtifieth a Man for Believing, though by his Works he be not Juſt, or Righteous, i. e. though he come ſhort of Perfect Obedience to the Law of Works. God alone does, or can juſtifie, or make juſt thoſe, who by their Works are not ſo; which he doth, by counting their Faith for Righteouſneſs, i. e. for a compleat Performance of the Law. So far this Learned Author, who, in Oppoſition to the former, that deſtroys the Old, and invents a New Law ſo framed, as to turn our Defective into a Perfect Obedience; doth, firſt, by Reaſons Invincible, Eſtabliſh the Law of Works in all its Parts: and then adds a New Law unto it, and God's Gracious Eſteeming our Faith, as fully anſwering the Law of Works, and ſo ſtretcheth our Defective Faith to the utmoſt length of Perfect Obedience. As the one brings down the Law to our Imperfection, the other raiſes our Imperfection to the ſame height with the Law: But ſo long as the Law of Works remains in its Strength, there can be no New Rule brought down to make Sin ceaſe to be Sin, or turn a Defecrive into a Perfect Obedience. And ſo long as the All-knowing God Judges of things as they are, Imperfect Faith can never paſs, at his Tribunal, for a Compleat Performance of the Law, there muſt be then a Perfect Righteouſneſs fully anſwering the Law of Works, or no Juſtification. And it's more eaſie, as well as more conform to Holy Scripture, to believe, That the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, which conſiſts in a full Performance of the Law of Works, is given to all that have Faith, and by Donation is really made theirs, and being really theirs, may be juſtly eſteem'd to be theirs, and they juſtified by it.
But theſe Men, if not miſtaking, yet ſurely miſrepreſenting the old Doctrine, as covered with innumerable Abſurdities, do not only drive their Admirers off from Examining it, but ſo ſill their Minds with Prejudices againſt it, as to make them willing to take up with any thing, rather than with the Truth, eſpecially in a Caſe ſo pleaſing, becauſe ſomewhat of their own is made their Juſtifying Righteouſneſs.