An Answer to William Sherlock, Chapter 3 · Section 3
SECT. III.
THeſe men pretend to learn a Religion from Chriſts Perſon, Mr. Sherlock.but this is at beſt to build Religion upon uncertain conjectures, or ambiguous reaſons; ſuppoſe them to be cautions, yet what aſſurance can they have, that their inferences are true; and as a reaſon of this the Author afterwards adds, There is not a natural and neceſſary connexion between the perſon of Chriſt, and what he did and ſuffered, and the ſalvation of Mankind, the Incarnation, Life, Death, Reſurrection of Chriſt were available to thoſe ends, for which God deſigned them; but the vertue and efficacy of them doth depend upon God's Inſtitution and Appointment; and therefore can be known only by Revelation: We cannot draw a Concluſion from the Perſon of Chriſt, which his Goſpel hath not expreſly taught, becauſe we can know no more of the deſign of it, than what is there revealed.
They learn from Chriſt's Perſon,Anſwer. but what, without the Goſpel? No, by no means; without this, they cannot, pretend not to know, whether there be ſuch a Perſon as Chriſt or no, or what are the Ends of his Incarnation, Life, Death and Reſurrection: Theſe depend upon God's appointment, and that is ſet forth in the Goſpel: But having the Goſpel as an outward Medium, they ſee Chriſt and many Myſteries in him, who is the Mirrour of divine Perfections, and the great Illuminator by his Spirit. But, ſaith the Author, they (ſuch is their intolerable preſumption) ſhape Religion according to their Fancies, and ſtuff it with an infinite number of Orthodox Propoſitions; none of which are to be found in expreſs Terms in Scripture, but are pretended to be deduced from thence by ſuch imaginary conſequences, from ſome little hints of things; and is not this unpardonable in thoſe men, who cry down Reaſon as a prophane and carnal thing, and yet lay the Foundation of their Religion on ſome little ſhews and appearances of Reaſon? To which I anſwer, The harſh Cenſure of Eccius made Ʋrban a German Divine cry out, O infaelicem Urbanum,Melch. Adam in vit. Urb. ſi Eccii calculo caelum datur & negatur! Miſerable were theſe Men, if they were to ſtand or fall by the Authors Judgment. Theſe Men, as the Author tells us, pag. 98. abound with Scripture, ſtuff their Books with it, and talk of little elſe; yet, alas! they ſhape Religion according to their Fancies: If they urge expreſs Scriptures, they conſider only the ſound of words. Pag. 2. If they urge Scripture-conſequences, they ſtand upon little hints and appearances of things; Reaſon they cry down as a prophane and carnal thing, and yet they found their Religion on little ſhews and appearances. Oh unhappy Men! But the beſt is, all this, to ſay no worſe, is but meer Accuſation; each of them can plead Not guilty to it, and ſay, as Ʋrban to Eccius, Hominis judicium audio, Chriſti tribunal expecto: They are Men who deſire to ſet every thing in its due place, Fancy below Reaſon, and Reaſon below Scripture; upon which laſt, as the unerring Rule they ſtand, like the Karaei among the Jews, ſo preciſely, that they are not willing to admit any thing in Matters of Religion which is not found there; according to that of Origen, Sicut aurum, quod fuerit extra Templum, non eſt ſanctificatum, ſic omnis ſenſus, qui extra Scripturam, non eſt ſanctus.
When men argue from the Nature of of God, Mr Sherlock.his Works and Providences, from the Nature of Mankind, and thoſe eternal Notions of Good and Evil, and the eſſential Differences of things; that is, from plain and undeniable Principles, which have an unchangeable nature, and ſo can bear the ſtreſs of a just Conſequence, this is carnal Reaſon.
I cannot imagine that they call or think it ſo:Anſwer. Principles of natural Theology carry a Divine Stamp on them; yet I conceive theſe in Diſcourſes, if taken within their proper Sphere of Natural Light only, may not wear that Crown ſet on the Head of the Goſpel, to be foreign, The miniſtration of the Spirit, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, 2 Cor. 3.8. Should a Man preach ſuch Principles only, without ſetting forth Chriſt and the regenerating Spirit, he would ſcarce be worthy to be called a Spiritual Evangelical Divine. But now the Author gives a Scheme of Religion deducible from an Acquintance with Chriſt's Perſon; I am glad that he owns any ſuch thing, and ſhall not have much to ſay upon it.
When we conſider, Mr. Sherlock.that this heavenly Ambaſſador and Mediator is no leſs than the Son of God, by whom the Worlds were made, we may reaſonably conclude, that he came upon no leſs Deſign than of univerſal Goodneſs; for he can have no temptation to Partiality, as being equally concerned in the Happineſs of all men; and we cannot imagine, why he ſhould lay a narrower deſign of Love in the Redemption, than in the Creation of Mankind: When in the firſt Creation he deſigned all for Happineſs, that in this new and ſecond Creation he ſhould deſign only the Happineſs of ſome few, is to make him leſs good in Redeeming, than in Creating Mankind.
Chriſt in his Coming and ſatisfactory Sufferings had a reſpect to all Men,Anſwer. ſo far as to procure for them Salvation on Goſpel-terms, but he had not an equal reſpect to all; it being utterly unimaginable that he ſhould have as great a reſpect to thoſe in the Pagan World, who have no Chriſt, no atoning Sacrifice, no Promiſe of Life and Salvation revealed to them, as he hath to thoſe in the Church, who have all theſe glorious Objects evidently ſet ſorth before them: Greater Donations argue greater degrees of Love; or elſe, which is very hard to believe, God loves all Creatures alike, notwithſtaneing that he meaſures out his Goodneſs to them in a very various and different manner, to ſome more, and to others leſs. But becauſe the Author hath before laid down a good Rule, That the Virtue and Efficacy of Chriſt's Death doth depend on God's Institution and Appointment, and therefore can be known only by Revelation, I ſhall apply my ſelf only to the Scripture: There, as we find, he died that he might gather together the Children of God that were ſcatered, Joh. 11.52. He gave himſelf for his Church, that he might ſanctifie and cleanſe it, Eph. 5.26. He gave himſelf that he might purifie to himſelf a peculiar people, Tit. 2.14. He laid down his life for his ſheep, ſo as to bring them into his fold and make them hear his voice, Joh. 10.15, 16. He redeems ſome from among men, Rev. 14.4. And out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, Rev. 5.9. All which Scriptures do emphatically ſhew, that Chriſt had a ſpecial reſpect in his Death unto his own above others. But further; Chriſt by his precious Blood founded thoſe Evangelical Promiſes, of taking away the ſtony Heart, writing the Law in the Heart, and putting his holy Spirit there; but did he found them for all men? What, for thoſe whom God will harden, Rom. 9? What, for thoſe Pagans, who have not ſo much as the Law before them in the Letter, nor that Goſpel which is Vehiculum Spiritûs ſancti? How, or which way, or by what means can ſuch Promiſes be made good to them? How ſhall they be regenerate without the holy Spirit, or have that without the Goſpel? It is not at all credible; ſuch ſpecial Promiſes in the Covenant founded by his Blood, ſpeak a ſpecial reſpect to his own Elect. The Author's Reaſon from Creation cannot hold good: The lapſed Angels had their ſhare of Goodneſs in Creation, but none at all in Redemption: God, who is the Great Donor of his Son to the World, may give him with what Reſpects and to what Intents he pleaſes; and, if he have ſpecial purpoſes in it, no man may preſume to ſay, that he is partial or leſs good then he ought to be.
Chriſt's Death and Sacrifice for ſin ſeals the Covenant of Grace and Pardon to all penitent and reformed Sinners, Mr. Sherlock.and ſeals the irrevocable Decree of Reprobation againſt all others.
God's Decree of Reprobation may be taken two ways;Anſwer. either for an Act of Preterition, not giving men ſaving Grace, but leaving them to final Sin; or for a Decree of Damnation: In this latter God looks on Men as final Sinners, and reveils his Juſtice in their Condemnation: In the former he doth not look on men as final Sinners, but paſs them by and leave them to themſelves to become ſuch; and in this he ſhews forth his infinite Sovereignty in diſpenſing Grace as he pleaſeth.
This made the Divine Goodneſs ſo reſtleſly zealous, Mr. Sherlock.and concerned for the recovery of mankind; various ways he attempted in former ages, but with little ſucceſs; but at laſt God ſent his own Son our Lord Jeſus Chriſt into the world, to be the great Shepherd and Biſhop of Souls, to ſeek and to ſave that which was loſt.
Various ways attempted!Anſwer. what diſtinct and ſeparate from Chriſt? Was not Chriſt in the firſt plot and deſign of our recovery? Was not he the Lamb ſlain, from the foundation of the world? Immediately after the Fall, he was promiſed in the Seed of the woman, and after that firſt Goſpel, the light was ſtill a breaking out in a ſucceſſion of Promiſes and Sacrifices: Various ways, ſaith the Author, were attempted to little Succeſs; what! was it to any ſucceſs at all? Was ever any one loſt ſon of Adam ſaved without a Chriſt, without a Satisfaction? No Chriſtian ears will endure ſuch an opinion; however, God having a deſign in thoſe ways, as the Author imports; why did not thoſe plots take effect, and ſave Chriſt the labour of coming in the fleſh? May it become his infinite wiſdom to attempt this and that, and at laſt light upon the right way? Or may it comport with his infinite power to be poſed and nonpluſt, and that in ſo great a concern, as Man's recovery? To think ſo, is, as S. Auſtin ſaith, To hazard the firſt Article of our Creed, Euchir. cap. 96.Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem: And, if in thoſe various ways there could be an obſtacle to the Almighty, what might it be? Was it for want of a ſatisfaction? No, according to our Author that was not neceſſary, God might have pardoned without it; or was it becauſe the corrupt obſtinate Will of man did fruſtrate thoſe deſigns? Very well, after that laſt greateſt deſign by Chriſt, may it not do the ſame? According to our Author, God as paſſionately deſirous, and reſtleſly jealous as he is in this matter, affords yet no higher than ſuaſory reſiſtible Grace; and let any judge, how reconcileable ſuch opinions are with infinite wiſdom or power, or indeed with the Scripture, which tells us, That he doth whatſoever he pleaſes: Pſal. 115.3. It's true, the great Grotius gloſſes on that place thus, Ideò homo libertatem habet, quia Deus voluit, which is true within the Text; but if that liberty be of ſo vaſt a latitude, that it may fruſtrate ſo great a deſign, as that of Salvation by Chriſt, the truth of the Text cannot poſſibly conſiſt.
Thoſe ſins, which are not expiated by the Sacrifice of Chriſt, as none are, Mr. Sherlock.till we repent and reform, ſhall certainly be expiated by the death of the ſinner.
I conceive that Chriſt expiated our ſins upon the Croſs,Anſwer. but that expiation avails us not, till it be applied by faith; He gave himſelf a ranſom for all. 2 Tim. 2.6. But all do not repent and believe, ſuch as continue in their hardneſs and unbelief cannot have the benefit of that ranſom, but fall into death eternal, ever ſuffering, but never able to ſatisfie or expiate their ſins.
If our Faith in Christ have reformed our lives, Mr. Sherlock.and rectified the temper of our minds, and made us ſincere lovers of God and goodneſs; though we are not acquainted with thoſe artificial methods of repentance, have not felt the workings of the Law, nor the amazing terrors of Gods wrath, nor the raging deſpair of damned Spirits; and then all on a ſudden, as if we had never heard any ſuch thing before, have had Christ offered, heard his woings, and made a formal contract and eſpouſal with Chriſt, and ſuch like workings of a heated fancy, and religious diſtraction; though our Converſion be not managed with ſo much art and method, we are never the worſe Chriſtians for want of it.
Certainly it is very ſad,Anſwer. ſaith a worthy Divine, That ſcoffing at the doctrines of repentance and humiliation, which was wont to be a badge of prophaneſs, ſhould be adopted into religion: The Author tells us a little before, Chriſt and his appearance were not deſigned to cauſe tempeſts and earthquakes in our minds; without ſuch artificial methods of repentance; ſaith the Author, our lives may be reformed, and minds rectified; but what ſaith the Scripture? Our Saviour preached up repentance. S. Paul tells us of a ſpirit of bondage, going before the ſpirit of Adoption. S. James would have ſinners be afflicted, and mourn, and weep, and to turn their laughter into mourning, and their joy to heavineſs, and to humble themſelves in the ſight of the Lord, that they may be lifted up: And what ſaith Reaſon? Sin of all things in the world, calls for ſorrow, ſorrow was made for ſin, if for any thing at all; ſin is ſo intimately in us, that it will not eaſily come out, being contracted with joy, it muſt be diſſolved with ſorrow: The hard heart, unleſs melted by the fiery Law, will not run into the Goſpel-mould; nor will the proud heart, unleſs bowed down under the weight of ſin and wrath, ever ſtoop under the Divine command; the new creature is not born without pangs, nor the inward Circumciſion, which cuts off the dear, but corrupt fleſh of the heart, done without ſome anguiſh; ſelf-judging uſhers in juſtification before God, and deſpair in our ſelves a lively hope in our Saviour: On all hands we are ſummoned to methods of repentance; the groaning Creation ſhames us into that poſture, and the indwelling ſin preſſes us into it; the broken Law calls for a broken heart, and the ſtorm of wrath black in the threatning, for a trembling one; a crucified Chriſt asks a mourning eye, and an exalted one gives it: Why the Author ſhould call theſe penitential acts, artifices, or effects of ignorance, or think them unneceſſary or improper, under the Goſpel, I ſee no juſt reaſon at all for it.