Apology for the Ministers Who Subscribed, Introduction
The Introduction.
HOly David, the man after Gods own heart, ſaid of old, My fleſh trembleth for fear of thee, Pſ. 119.120.and I am afraid of thy judgments. We would it were thus with all that pretend to any ſeriouſneſs in the Profeſſion of the Proteſtant Religion, at this day. But alas! where are ſuch to be found? where are they that are affected with the fear of God, as David was, and that are duly apprehenſive of the Judgments of God, which are actually upon, and ſeem to be yet further coming upon the Reformed Churches? Is it not viſible, that all ſorts of men turn to their ſeveral courſes of ſin, as the Horſe ruſheth into the battle. They run on in the ways of their own hearts, blindly and boldly without conſidering or fearing the iſſue. And who can wonder, that thoſe who have hardned their hearts from Gods fear, ſhould boldly venture upon ſin, eſpecially if they have got a ſtrong, but falſe perſwaſion, that they are The Temple of the Lord, the true, the beſt, and pureſt Church upon Earth, moſt highly in favour with God, and that their ſins are the ſpots of Gods children, which do not hurt them, and are well conſiſtent with his higheſt Love and Favour. The Scriptures of truth aſſure us, that when once Profeſſors of Religion have brought themſelves to this, then they can ſecurely lean upon the Lord, and ſay, is not the Lord amongſt us? none evil can come upon us. Though at the ſame time, the Lord ſaith, that Sion for your ſakes ſhall be plowed as a field, and Jeruſalem ſhall become heaps. Mic. 3.11, 12.We wiſh it be not ſo with us at this day. But when we look abroad into the World, and into the preſent ſtate of the Reformed Churches at home and abroad, and ſee, or hear, what lives Men generally lead, how they fight againſt God, and againſt one another; againſt God by tranſgreſſing all his holy, juſt, and good Laws, and by turning his Grace into Laſciviouſneſs: And againſt one another, by injuſtice and uncharitableneſs, by malice and envy, by lying and ſlandering, &c. We cannot but fear, that God is againſt us, and will fight againſt us, as we are againſt him, Levit. 26.23, 24.and fight against him. And it greatly encreaſes our fear, to ſee that thoſe, who pretend to greateſt ſeriouſneſs in Religion, have lately fallen out, and have been quarrelling together about ſuch a practical point of Religion as that is, Whether true Repentance is neceſſary before we can obtain from God the pardon of our ſins, through the alone ſatisfaction, and Merits of Chriſt. When God is loudly calling us to Repentance, for obtaining the pardon of our ſins, and we ſhould all be found in the practice of Repentance, in order to that end; we are like Madmen fallen to diſputing, Whether our Repentance be neceſſary, before we are pardoned, when we are pardoned, or after we are pardoned. And there are thoſe amongſt us, who have raiſed a great clamour againſt ſuch honeſt, and faithful Miniſters of Chriſt, as dare tell, and dare not but tell the People, that they muſt truly repent of their ſins, before they can obtain the pardon of them; although at the ſame time they aſſure the people, from the Lord, that God, for Chriſts ſake, will moſt certainly pardon them, immediately after they have repented. This is cried out againſt, as dangerous Doctrine, by a ſort of Religious People amongſt us, who will have it, that Repentance is only neceſſary after God hath pardoned us, but not before. And though to pleaſe theſe People, ſome Miniſters have openly granted, That Repentance, and pardon of Sin, are ſimultaneous in time, that is, they are not one before another for any ſpace of time, but are both together; only Repentance is firſt in order of Nature, by the grace thereof to diſpoſe, and prepare us for receiving our Pardon by Faith in Chriſts Blood: Yet this will not give them content, but they will have their Pardon before Repentance; and the Miniſters who preach, or write otherwiſe, ſhall be proclaimed to be Antichriſtian, Arminian, or any thing that Paſſion ſuggeſts. This, we ſay, greatly encreaſeth our fears; for to us it ſeems evident, that the hand of Joab is in this matter, that is plainly, that Satan has a wicked deſign, by this means, to keep the People from Repentance; and ſo from obtaining the pardon of their ſins, that the deſolating Judgments of God may come upon the Nation, and that we may be all deſtroyed together. And that Satan may not be diſcovered, he hath artificially diſguiſed himſelf, and appears on the Stage, transformed into an Angel of Light, pleading for the exaltation of the glorious riches of free grace, in the Juſtification of Sinners by the Blood of Chriſt, without all works of any Law whatſoever; and with great appearance of Zeal aſſerting. That the freeneſs of Gods Grace in the Juſtification of Sinners by Faith in the Blood, Merits, and ſatisfaction of Chriſt, cannot poſſibly be maintained, unleſs it be denyed, that true Repentance is antecedently neceſſary to our obtaining the pardon of our Sins. It ſeems to us, that this is Satans Plot againſt us, and that he hath thus diſguiſed himſelf, the better to carry it on, and the more effectually to compaſs his deſign upon us: And this is the more probable; becauſe we find, that at the beginning of the Reformation Satan plaid the ſame game, when he perceived, that by our firſt Reformers preaching up Juſtification by Faith only, and not by Works, many People were induced to ſeparate from the Church of Rome, and embrace the Reformation; he endeavoured to make them believe, that ſince Sinners are Juſtified, and Pardoned by Faith only, and not by Works; then there was no neceſſity, that they ſhould repent of their Sins, in order to their obtaining the Pardon of them: And thus he thought, that though they had got their feet looſed out of one of his Snares, yet he ſhould ſtill keep them faſt in another, and lead them Captive at his will. That this is ſo indeed, and no Fiction of ours, is manifeſt from the Teſtimony of Biſhop Hooper, that bleſſed, faithful, and valiant Martyr of Chriſt; who, in the Reign of Queen Mary, was burnt alive, for the Proteſtant Religion, in a ſlow Fire, about the ſpace of three quarters of an hour; and ſealed the Truth of the Goſpel with his blood. This Man of God, in a Book of his Intituled, A Declaration of Chriſt and his Office, Printed at Zurich, in the Year 1547. Chap. VII th. handling the point of Juſtification, ſaith, This is certain. and too true, Let the whole Goſpel be preached unto the World; as it ought to be, Repentance and a vertuous Life with Faith, as God preached the Goſpel unto Adam in Paradiſe, Noah, Abraham, Moſes, Iſaiah, ſaying, Vae Genti Peccatrici, &c. (Iſa. 1.4, &c) John the Baptiſt, repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand: As Christ did, Repent and believe the Goſpel, Mark 1. and then of an hundred that come to the Goſpel, there would not come one. When they hear ſole (or only) faith, and the mercy of God to juſtify, and that they may eat all ments, at all times, with thanksgiving; they embrace that Goſpel with all joy, and willing heart. And what is he that would not receive this Goſpel? the fleſh it ſelf, were there no immortal ſoul in it, would receive this Goſpel, becauſe it promiſeth aid, help, and conſolation, without Works. But now ſpeak of the other part of the Goſpel, as Paul teacheth, Rom. 8.13. If ye live after the fleſh, ye ſhall dye; And as he preſcribeth the life of a Juſtified man, in the ſame Epiſtle, Chap. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. And Chriſt, Mat. 10. And Peter in the 2 Epiſtle and 1 Chap. This part of the Goſpel is not ſo pleaſant; therefore Men take the firſt liberty, &c. Thus that bleſſed Saint, who feared neither Man nor Devil, but in the true faith, and fear of God, ſet himſelf with a Divine courage and holy boldneſs, to oppoſe the Devil and all his Inſtruments, to deſtroy his Kingdome in the World; and on the contrary, to exalt the Name, and Glory of God, and to ſet up Chriſts Spiritual Kingdom in the hearts and lives of Men. Would to God! that we had many Hoopers amongſt us at this day; who ſaith again, in the ſame Chapter, not far from the beginning, Nothing maketh the cauſe wherefore this mercy (to wit of Juſtification) ſhould be given, ſaving, only the death of Chriſt, which is the foreign, the only ſufficient Price, and Gage for ſin. And although it be neceſſary, and requiſite, that in the Juſtification of a Sinner, contrition be preſent, and that neceſſarily charity, and vertuous life, muſt follow; yet doth the Scripture attribute onelyonly remiſſion of ſin unto the mercy of God, which is given onelyonly for the Merits of Chriſt, and received ſolely by Faith. Paul doth not exclude thoſe vertues to be preſent, but he excludeth the merits of thoſe vertues, and deriveth the cauſe of our acceptation into the grace of God onelyonly for Christ. If we could all be ſo wiſe and humble, as to learn of that holy Man, and to follow him, as he learned of, and followed Chriſt and his Apoſtles; we might yet defeat Satan, as to the foreſaid Plot that he is carrying on to ruine us. But alas! it grieves us to the heart, that ſome Miniſters, by not watching againſt that moſt ſubtile malicious enemy of God and Man, have ſuffered themſelves to be impoſed upon ſo far as to turn (foreign) Accuſers of the Brethren; who ſtand up for God and Man, in oppoſition to Satan, and faithfully tell the People, that they muſt, through Grace, truly repent of their ſins, in order to obtain the pardon of them.
And particularly, we are truly ſorry, that the Authour of the Letter from a Minister in the City, &c. ſhould have medled in this matter, and that he ſhould become Accuſer of the Brethren, eſpecially of thoſe pious Young Men, who gave themſelves up to the work of the Miniſtry in difficult and dangerous times, without any viſible encouragement thereunto from any thing in this World; and alſo againſt groat viſible diſcouragements, both from the World, and the Devil. What have thoſe Younger Brethren done to provoke this Brother (who is himſelf alſo one of the younger ſort) to become their Accuſer? Some of us, who are Older than they, have known ſeveral of them theſe many years; and yet never knew any evil by them, nor heard any evil of them. Since we firſt knew them, it hath to us looked like a Token for good to his People in this Nation, that the Lord hath raiſed up ſo many young men, and hath ſpirited, and to ſuch a degree gifted them for the Miniſtry under ſuch diſcouraging circumſtances. But now after all that God hath done for, and by thoſe Brethren, notwithſtanding the preſence of God with them, and the bleſſing of God upon their Labours; up ſtarts one, who calls himſelf a Miniſter in the City, and accuſes them of being Corrupters of the pure Goſpel of Christ, of new vamping an Arminian Goſpel, and obtruding it on the People, Let. pag. 10.to the certain peril of their Souls that believe it. Yea, he raiſeth the Charge higher in pag. 13. and ſaith, That Judicious Obſervers cannot but already perceive a coincidency between their cauſe, and that of thoſe two Pests of the Church, Pelagius and Arminius; and do fear more, when, &c▪ Here is an high Charge indeed; but where is there any evidence for all this? One would think, that no Man, who pretends ſuch relation unto Chriſt, and ſuch ſeriouſneſs in Chriſtian Religion, as this Man doth, ſhould dare thus to accuſe his Brethren, and fellow-Miniſters, of ſuch horrid Crimes, without clear, and certain evidence, whereby he can prove them guilty. For if Men be ſuffered to accuſe one another of atrocious Crimes, without being obliged to prove their accuſation, no Man will be able to preſerve his Good Name, nor will it be poſſible for Men to live peaceably together in any Society, Civil or Religious. This Brother therefore ought to have been made to prove his accuſation, that the Churches might have been delivered from thoſe young Hereticks, if he had proved them to be ſuch: Or, if he had failed in his proof, that the Churches might know what ſpirit he is of, who hath kindled a Fire in the Church, by traducing the Miniſters of Chriſt, and falſely accuſing them of Hereſie.
But ſome may poſſibly ſay, Hath he not by his printed Letter proved them guilty of Arminian and Pelagian Hereſie? To which we anſwer, that no Man of Judgment, who reads it, can ſee any ſuch proof in it; nor indeed ſee juſt cauſe to harbour any ſuch Thought of them, if he but know the Men accuſed, have heard their Doctrine, and ſeen their manner of life; and if withal he underſtand what Pelagianiſm and Arminianiſm are.
It is true, he boldly accuſes them of Arminianiſm and Pelagianiſm, and of preaching a new Goſpel; and to make the ſimple People believe that his accuſation is well grounded, he ſaies, that Judicious Obſervers perceive their cauſe to be coincident with that of Pelagius, &c. That they are reſerved, and do not yet ſpeak out upon ſuch and ſuch points, and that they hold ſuch things, as are utterly inconſiſtent with the Freeneſs of Gods Grace in Juſtifying Sinners, by the Satisfaction, and Merits of Chriſts Blood. Theſe things are often affirmed, or inſinuated, throughout the Letter; but none of them proved. A Monſter, or a Man of Straw, of his own making, is ſet up to repreſent the Brethren; and then he calls upon the People to come, and ſee with what a Spirit of Zeal he hews it all in pieces. This is a way of writing, that is taking with weak, well-meaning People; Let. p. 14, 15, 30.and his holding Repentance not to be neceſſary in order to the obtaining pardon of ſin, may be pleaſing to Satan, and very taking with Hypocrites; but no body of Judgment, and Underſtanding, can ever think, that this is the way to prove the foreſaid Accuſation in matter of fact. For our parts we have diligently conſidered every Paragraph of his Letter, and, in it all, cannot find one proof of the ſaid Accuſation: And after all, we believe in our conſciences, that the Brethren accuſed are innocent of the Crime he lays to their charge. Indeed, we know aſſuredly, that ſeveral of them are innocent thereof; and till the contrary be proved, and appear, we muſt think ſo of them all: We would have all Men to do ſo by us, in caſe we were falſely accuſed, and it is but juſt and reaſonable, that we do as we would be done by. If we ſhould happen to be miſtaken, as to any of the Brethren, whoſe cauſe we plead, we err on the ſafer ſide; 1 Cor. 13.5.for charity thinketh no evil. True Love will not ſuffer a Chriſtian heart to entertain a deliberate Thought of his Brother, that he is an ill Man, or an Heretick, without ſufficient evidence that he is ſo.
We have met with no ſuch evidence, either in the aforeſaid Letter, or any where elſe; and therefore we muſt ſtill think, that the accuſed Brethren are innocent of the Crime they are charged with: and that the Accuſer of them (if he be a good man yet) hath done a very ill thing in ſtandering the Lords Miniſters; and we heartily pray God to give him repentance, and forgiveneſs for Chriſts ſake.
And that the World may ſee, and that this Brother himſelf may ſee, how raſh, and unchriſtian a thing, he hath done, in accuſing the Brethren, as aforeſaid. We,
1. Here declare in general (before we come to examine the ſeveral particulars in his Letter, which relate to this matter) That we never were, and that we now are not, and that (we truſt in God) we never ſhall be Arminians or Pelagians: This we freely, and unfeignedly declare, as in the preſence of the Lord, to whom we muſt give an account of all our Actions.
2. And yet further, to remove all ground of ſuſpicion (if it be poſſible) of our corrupting the Goſpel in the point of Juſtification, we accept of the Teſt, propoſed to us by the Authour of the Letter, Pag. 29.and declare, That we will ſubſcribe, all thoſe Articles of the Confeſſion of Faith, which he hath there tranſcribed; together with the Paſſage out of the larger Catechiſm: We ſay, We will ſubſcribe them in the Aſſemblies own ſenſe. We add this limitation, becauſe the Authour of the Letter hath not taken into his Teſt, that part of the larger Catechiſm, *Queſtion, How is the grace of God manifeſted in the… ſecond Covenant.which declares, that God in the ſecond Covenant, requires Faith as the condition to intereſt Sinners in Chriſt: Nay, he denies Faith to be either condition or qualification, and will have it to be only the Inſtrument of Juſtification. But by Comparing the confeſſion of Faith with the Catechiſm, we find, that the Aſſembly held Faith to be both an Inſtrument, and a Condition: And therefore every honeſt Man that will ſubſcribe in the Aſſemblies own ſenſe, muſt ſo hold Faith to be an Inſtrument, as to be a Condition alſo. Now the Queſtion is, How Faith can be both an Inſtrument, and a Condition? To which we anſwer, That in our Judgement it is thus. Diſtinguiſh between a meer Phyſical Inſtrument, and a moral federal Inſtrument. Faith is not a meer phyſical Inſtrument; but it is a moral federal Inſtrument. Now a moral federal Inſtrument is the ſame thing with a federal Condition. Inſtrument and Condition, in this ſenſe, are but two words to ſignifie the ſame thing.
If this do not ſatisfie our Brother, but he will ſtill ſay, That the notion of an Inſtrument, and the notion of a Condition, are two diſtinct notions, and cannot both agree to the ſame thing, to the ſame faith. We anſwer,
1. If he will ſay ſo, we deſire the World to take notice, that it is he himſelf, who oppoſes the Aſſembly, and not we.
2. In behalf of the Aſſembly, we anſwer, That the notion of a moral federal Inſtrument, and the notion of a federal Condition, are not two diſtinct, but one and the ſame notion.
3. Suppoſe they were two diſtinct notions, yet the ſame thing, the ſame faith, in different reſpects, is capable of two diſtinct notions: But ſo it is, that Faith may be conſidered under two different reſpects.
(1.) Faith is conſidered with reſpect to Chriſt himſelf, and his Righteouſneſs; and ſo it hath the notion of an Inſtrument, whereby we receive Him and His Righteouſneſs, and apply them to our own Souls.
(2.) Faith is conſidered with reſpect to Juſtification it ſelf, or the Act whereby God Juſtifies us for the ſake of Chriſt, and his Righteouſneſs; and ſo it hath the notion of a Condition, upon which God Juſtifies us, for the ſake of Chriſt, and his Righteouſneſs.
In this reſpect, Faith cannot have the notion of a Phiſical Instrument; for a Phyſical Instrument, as ſuch, hath a Phyſical Cauſality; but our Faith cannot have a Phyſical Cauſality upon Gods Act, whereby he Juſtifies.
Let it be conſidered, that both our Catechiſms, larger and leſſer, affirm Juſtification to be an Act of God. Now how an Act of ours, ſuch as Juſtifying Faith is, can have a Phiſical Cauſality, and Influence, upon the producing of an Act of God, is above our comprehenſion. Sure we are, that if any Man will maintain ſuch an Opinion, he aſcribes more to Faith in the point of Juſtification, than we dare do. We ſhould rather think, that the Inſtrument, which God uſes in producing his own Juſtifying Act, is his own Goſpel-promiſe of Pardon and Juſtification to the penitent Believer, for the ſake of Chriſt, in whom he believes, Acts 10.43.
Object. But doth not the ſecond Article of the II Chap. of the Confeſſion of Faith, ſay expreſly, that Faith is the alone Inſtrument of Justification?
Anſw. 1. And ſo ſay we too: It is the alone Inſtrument, the alone moral federal Inſtrument, or the alone receptive, applicative Condition.
2. Diſtinguiſh between an Inſtrument immediate, and mediate.
Now Faith is not ſaid to be the alone immediate Inſtrument of Juſtification, nor do we conceive how it can ſo be in a phyſical ſenſe; becauſe it hath no immediate phyſical influence upon the producing of Gods Juſtifying Act. But Faith may be ſaid to be the mediate Inſtrument of Juſtification, becauſe it is the immediate Inſtrument whereby we receive Chriſt, and his Righteouſneſs; & hoc poſito, this being done, this Inſtrumental Means being uſed, and this Condition being performed, Chriſt and his Righteouſneſs being received by Faith, as the Inſtrumental Means of that reception, God himſelf, for Chriſts ſake, juſtifies us by his Law of Faith.
This ſeems plainly to be the ſenſe of the Aſſembly, as appears by their ſaying in the paſſage of the larger Catechiſm, quoted by the Letter, That Faith Justifies a Sinner, onelyonly as it is an Instrument, by which the Sinner receiveth, and applieth Christ and his Righteouſneſs. Mark the Expreſſion, They do not ſay, that Faith Juſtifies only, as an Inſtrument whereby God Juſtifies the Sinner; but onelyonly, as an Inſtrument whereby the Sinner receives, and applies, Chriſt and his Righteouſneſs.
If the Authour of the Letter have any other Notions of Faith's being a Phyſical Inſtrument, much good may they do him; but let him not think to impoſe them upon us, or upon the Words of the Aſſembly: We take their Words in the ſenſe they are capable of, without ſelf contradiction. For we have more reſpect for that Reverend, and learned Synod, than to put a ſenſe upon their Words, they are not fairly capable of, or that ſhall make them ſpeak Contradictions. Therefore as they hold Faith to be both an Instrument, and a Condition, ſo do we: We hold it ſo to be an Inſtrument, as that its being an Inſtrument, ſhall not hinder it from being a Condition: And ſo to be a Condition, as that its being a Condition, ſhall not hinder it from being an Inſtrument. This we take to be the plain and native ſenſe of the Aſſembly; and in this ſenſe we heartily aſſent to their Words. But ſo doth not our Authour; for in the 9th. and 25th. Pages of his Letter, he ſaith, that Faith is neither Condition, nor Qualification; but a meer Instrument: Whereas the Aſſembly ſaith expreſly, both that Faith is a Condition, and alſo, that it is an Instrument. Therefore he contradicts the Aſſembly: and doth not take their Words in their plain and native ſenſe: For had he ſo taken them, as we do, and always did, what reaſon had he to make ſuch a clamour; and with what Conſcience did he tell the World that his Brethren, the Non conformiſts (eſpecially the younger ſort of them) were dangerouſly erroneous in the Fundamental point of Juſtification?
Is it a light matter with him to traduce the faithful Miniſters of Chriſt? For our parts, we durſt not have done ſo by him, or any of his Conſorts, without as clear evidence as a matter of fact, of that nature, is capable of, and without producing our evidence too; which he hath not done in his Letter, nor is it poſſible to be done; for the matter of fact is moſt certainly, and evidently falſe. And we would yet hope, that he will have a better opinion of his Brethren, and be ſorry for the wrong he hath done them, when he ſhall underſtand that they are far from being the Men he affirmed them to be; and that they willingly accept of the Teſt, which he himſelf offers, in order to an Agreement; not as if they had changed their Judgments, upon the reading of his Letter (which is more likely to make Proſelytes of weak well meaning Women, than of Men of underſtanding) but becauſe they were of the ſame Judgment before, and now declare it, that the World, and he, may ſee how injurious he hath been to his Brethren.
But though we are willing to agree with him, in the foreſaid Articles of the Aſſemblies Confeſſion of Faith; yet it is upon Condition, that he will aſſent to the Aſſemblies Words, in their plain, and genuine ſenſe aforeſaid, as we alſo do: And that this ſhall not be accounted an agreement with him in all the reſt of his Letter. For we hope, by the help of our God and Saviour, never to agree unto many things in his Letter; becauſe they are neither conſiſtent with the purity of Faith, nor with the ſincerity of Love.
We are indeed willing that it ſhould be known, to the real and right Antinomians, that he is none of them; if he will ſtand to ſeveral Paſſages in his Letter; particularly, to what he writes in the end of the 4th, and in the 5th. Pages, again in the end of the 23d., and beginning of the 24th. Pages; as alſo in Page 40. Line 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. And for our parts, if he would be conſistent with himſelf, and not contradict what he there owns for Truth; we ſhould be willing and ready, as we have occaſion, to vindicate him from being an Antinomian in Principle; but we cannot acquit him from being an Antinomian in Practice, ſo long as it is written in our Bibles, [Thou ſhalt not bear falſe witneſs againſt thy Neighbour:] And ſo long as he approves of thoſe Paſſages in his Letter, whereby he has falſely accuſed, and traduced his Brethren, and repreſented them to the World, as Arminians, and Pelagians, and Preachers of a new Goſpel.
It is none of our buſineſs to perſwade any Body to believe, that he is a real Antinomian in Principle; but it is to Vindicate our own innocency, by wiping off thoſe moſt falſe, and ſoul Aſperſions, he hath caſt upon the Lords Miniſters; and to correct ſome of thoſe groſs miſtakes, that occur up and down in his Letter; and to let People ſee, that ſome have been too forward to receive for truth many things which he hath preſented them with in his Letter.
This is that, which we deſign in Animadverting upon his Letter, and our Method in doing it, ſhall be,
First, In the firſt Chapter to conſider of the Occaſion, and Deſign of his Letter.
Secondly, In the ſecond Chapter, divided into ſeveral Sections, to refute ſome of his Doctrinal Errors againſt the purity of Faith.
Thirdly, In the third Chapter, to ſhew that we cannot approve his ridiculous way of Converting Unbelievers, and bringing them to Faith in Chriſt.
Fourthly, In the fourth Chapter, to refute his Calumnies, and falſe Accuſations of Chriſts Miniſters, againſt the ſincerity of Love.
Lastly, In the fifth Chapter, to adviſe Chriſtian People to try before they truſt, and not to ſuffer themſelves to be impoſed upon, and lead into errour by the bold, unproved Aſſertions and Dictates of any Preachers, or Writers whatſoever.