Examination of Antinomianism, Treatise · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Touching ſin in the Conſcience of the Believer; The Doctrine of the Antinomians in this Point examined and found inſufficient to ſatisfie the Conſcience: The right way of ſatisfying the Conſcience, and of taking away the ſcruple of ſin, ſet down.
THe Prophet Iſaiah, cap. 53. 11. having ſet down this, That Christ ſhall Iuſtifie many, addeth this as a reaſon, For he ſhall bear their iniquities: A phraſe borrowed from the Levitical Prieſthood, in which the ſacrificed Beaſt did bear the iniquity of the party that brought it, his confeſſion was, that he had deſerved death by his ſin; yet now caſting himſelf upon the mercy of God, he deſired that the guilt of his ſin might be transferred and laid upon that ſacrifice, and by the Blood of it he might finde Atonement: So then, the meaning of that ſaying of the Prophet is, That Chriſt ſhall as a ſacrifice of expiation take upon him puniſhment due to the ſin of many: Thus by bearing the puniſhment doth he take away the ſin of his people.
This doth not pleaſe ſome, the Antinomian Doctors by name; The word iniquities is found in the 6. Verſe of the Chapter; And upon that Text, one of them, Dr. Criſp, doth contend much for this, That not onelyonly the puniſhment of ſin, but the iniquity it ſelf was laid upon Chriſt: Not the guilt only, but the fault it ſelf; His reaſon is, Becauſe otherwiſe it had been injuſtice in God to bruiſe hi…. I ſhould not much ſtick either at the Doctrine or the Reaſon, but that I finde, that the end of this for which they contend is not found; viz. To ſhew the reaſon, why it is ſaid in Jer. 50. 20. That the iniquity of Iacob (the Elect of God) is ſought for, but cannot be found; viz. Becauſe God hath conveyed their iniquities away from the ſinner, and laid them upon the Back of Chriſt; the which he ſeeketh to illuſtrate by him that to help a theef and deliver him from the danger of the Hue and Cry, conveyeth away out of the thiefs houſe the ſtoln goods, ſo that they are not found upon him; It is not we ſee for nothing, that theſe men depart from the received expreſſions of other Divines. Iunius reads that ſixth Verſe thus, Facit ut incurrat pena—The puniſhment of us all met upon him, anſwerable to Verſe 5. The chaſtiſement of our peace was laid upon him. The Genevenſes note is, The puniſhment of our iniquitie, and not the fault it ſelf: And Deodate ſaith, Not the tranſgreſſion nor the fault, but the Bond by which we were lyable to Gods Iuſtice, and the puniſhment of it, Chriſt being our ſurety. Ameſius ſaith, That the Imputation of our ſin could agree to Chriſt in none other ſenſe, then this, that he ſhould undergo the puniſhment due to our ſins: See his Medulla Theol. Par. 1. cap. 6.
But to let this paſs: Upon this truth and text, That God hath laid upon Chriſt the iniquity of us all, and that accordingly Chriſt hath born our iniquities; A queſtion is moved, How then cometh it to paſs, that ſin doth ſtill trouble and terrifie the Conſcience of many? To this Queſtion the Antinomians do Anſwer, That many do trouble themſelves needleſly; that there is indeed no ſin in the Conſcience of the Believer, but that men do put it in, and ſo vex themſelves without cauſe.
One of their Doctors out of that Text of Iſa. 53. 6. [The See Dr. Crisps Sermons upon Iſa. 53. 6.Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all] hath delivered theſe Doctrines: 1. That it is iniquity it ſelf, and not barely the puniſhment that is laid upon Chriſt. 2. This iniquity of ours is really tranſacted and laid upon him, truely, and not only by ſo thinking. 3. The laying of iniquity upon Chriſt, is the Lords own act, it is his prerogative alone to do it. 4. This act is not now to be done, but it is done already. 5. This grace of laying iniquity upon Chriſt, is appliable by forgiveneſs of ſin to perſons before the leaſt meaſure of Sanctification. Points of Doctrine in which we cannot readily ſuſpect any iniquity, at leaſt they might paſs with a favorable interpretation: But by the concluſions thence deduced, we cannot but ſee that there is a ſnake in the graſs: Hence he inferreth,
1. That the reaſon why believers walk in bitterneſs of Spirit, is becauſe they imagine ſin in the Conſcience; whereas indeed believers have no ſin at all, waſting their Conſcience, or lying as a burthen upon them.
2. That our own performances, faith and repentance, have no hand at all in laying ſin upon Chriſt: Nor is there any other end of our Faith, ſave onelyonly to manifeſt what is done long ago by God and Chriſt.
3. That we may ſave all our care and fear, for the work is done to our hand: yea to think that we muſt take pains to get pardon, is a deceitful Imagination.
4. That our Righteouſneſs may hinder our cloſing with Chriſt, ſo may our ſinfulneſs, &c.
Not much unlike is the dealing of another of the ſame H… Dens Sermon entituled, The Man of Sin diſcovered.Society: Who having ſet theſe two truths; 1. That Chriſt hath taken away ſin out of the ſight of God by a ſacrifice, the effect whereof is Atonement and Peace. 2. That he hath taken ſin alſo out of the Conſcience, that ſo we might have the anſwer of a good Conſcience, and this is the effect of our Faith, Act. 15. 9. Hence he draweth this concluſion, That it is in effect the Doctrine of Antichriſt, the Man of ſin (whoſe deſign is to ſet up again what Chriſt hath deſtroyed) To perſwade any that ſin is not taken away out of Gods ſight, or out of the Conſcience, till the work of Baptiſm, and of Repentance: To ſay, That Baptiſm taketh away ſin out of the Conſcience; Or, that Repentance waſheth away ſin: That no forgiveneſs of ſin with God before Repentance: Nay he cloſeth up the diſcourſe with this ſpeech, Doth any declare Repentance to be a mean to obtain Remiſſion; It is a footſtep of Antichriſt.
Theſe inſerences being ſo diſſonant from the truth, give us cauſe to ſuſpect the grounds on which they are builded, and upon Examination we finde, that the Explication of the Points delivered is not ſound.
Touching the firſt man, Who from that text [God hath laid on him] grounded thoſe Points aforementioned, viz. That God hath laid upon Chriſt all the ſins of the Elect, and that therefore men do needleſly trouble themſelves by putting them again into the Conſcience; And that they ſhould reſt upon this aſſured ground, that all their ſins are ſo done away, that there is no need of Repentance and Humiliation for them: This man, I ſay, either did not throughly look into the text, to finde out the true meaning of that phraſe, or elſe did willingly neglect it as not fit for his purpoſe: For I deſire it may be ſeriouſly conſidered, whether that phraſe [The Lord hath laid upon him] doth intend any more then what St. Paul hath expreſſed in that verb foreign Rom. 3. 25. God hath ſet him forth, or pre-ordained him to be a propitiation, in which reſpect it is that he is called The Lamb of God, that taketh away the ſins of the World, i. e. The Lamb, the ſacrifice of Expiation which God hath appointed for that end: And ſo the words of the Prophet do give us this as the intention of God, that though we every one of us have gone aſtray, and ſo incurred the juſt wrath and diſpleaſure of God, yet doth not God lay the puniſhment of our tranſgreſſion upon our own perſons, but hath appointed him (the Lord Chriſt) to bear the puniſhment and ſatisfie the Iuſtice of God, ſo that we do make the fault, and he doth bear the blame. But now, as touching the mean and maner, how the fruit of this ſacrifice ſhall redound to us, whether abſolutely without any intervenient act of man, or conditionally in and upon mans recourſe to Chriſt; this is not determined in that text, but to be fought elſwhere. Conſequently, to that which he urgeth, That it is Gods own act to lay iniquity upon Chriſt, and that it is done long ſince: We may Reply, This is little to the point, the Pre-ordination of Chriſt in this office is Gods own act, man hath no hand in it; No, nor in the purchaſe of pardon, that is Chriſts own act: Both theſe are done long ſince, yet this hinders not, but that in the Application of it to man, which cannot be till man have a being, it hinders not I ſay, but that man may have his Act, as indeed he hath: The which is evident by that Analogy which holdeth betwixt the Type and the Truth; the ſins of the people were not laid upon the Sacrifice but by the hand of Man. God indeed appointed the Sacrifices for Expiation, and in that ſence may be ſaid, to lay the iniquity of the ſinner upon the ſacrifice; but beſide this, the man that brought the ſacrifice was to lay his hand upon it: And yet more evident is this in that Doctrinal Ceremony of the Scape-goat in Lev. 16. 22. Till the Prieſt by Confeſſion of the iniquities and tranſgreſſions of the people had laid them on him, the Scape-Goat did not bear them away. So that Man alſo hath his act in laying iniquity upon Chriſt, no leſs then God, not in the preparation of the price, but in the way of Application.
Adde this, that the words [Ʋs all] which he applyeth to ſinners (contending againſt the neceſſity of inherent Qualifications in any, to diſpoſe them and make them fit to receive the benefit of redemption purchaſed) theſe words, I ſay, are not Univerſal, but only in relation to the Church of God: So that till a man be of the Church, and in the Number of Believers, he may not include himſelf in the liſt of them to whom it doth belong. For why? If it belong to ſinners as ſinners, then to all ſinners: And ſo he will lay the Ground for an Univerſal Redemption, which I believe he doth not intend: If this Redemption belong not to all as ſinners, and yet the terms of the promiſe run in the Univerſal; then ſome act of Man ſanctified by the ſpirit of God muſt come in between, by which he may be included before he conclude for himſelf.
Truth it is, That no ſin may keep off the penitent ſoul from cloſing with Chriſt. And if in ſaying, that this grace is appliable by forgiveneſs of ſin to perſons beſore the leaſt meaſure of ſanctification; if he intend no more but this, that ſuch is the vertue and value of Chriſts Sacrifice, that no ſin how great ſoever can hinder the hope of Pardon in caſe he come in and apply himſelf to Chriſt, I know no man that will not ſubſcribe. No ſin may may keep off the Penitent; but till man be Penitent, no man may cloſe with Chriſt nor conclude to himſelf the Remiſſion of ſin: The reaſon hereof is, becauſe mens names are not ſet down in the Book of God: They muſt know, that the concluſion of Comfort is by the way of a practical Syllogiſm; in which alway the Aſſumption is the Teſtimony of the Conſcience, touching that work of Grace in the heart to which the promiſe is made: ex. gr. He that believeth in the name of the Son of God ſhall not periſh: If we confeſs our ſins, he is faithful and juſt to forgive us our ſins—Here is the Promiſe made to the Penitent believer; now ſaith the Conſcience, I do believe, I do confeſs my ſins, this is the Teſtimony of the ſanctified Conſcience, ſpeaking the work of the ſpirit upon the heart of man: Hence the concluſion of Comfort is, This promiſe is mine, My Portion is in it, and hence both peace and joy in the Holy Ghoſt.
But now look upon the Antinomian ground of Comfort, and let even reaſon judge whether it can produce any true conſolation: God hath laid the Iniquity of Sinners upon Chriſt; God juſtified the ungodly: But I am a ſinner, I am ungodly, therefore the Benefit is mine. Is it not evident, that except all ſinners promiſeuouſly receive this benefit, there is no certainty of Comfort in the concluſion? If it may appear, as who doubteth but that it may appear, that there be many ungodly that never had nor ſhall have benefit by Chriſt; Is not the concluſion uncertain? True ſaith the Author aforeſaid, Names of particular perſons are not written in the word: But what hinders that thou maiſt not have part in Chriſt: the Pardon is to all theeves, may not each particular take his part? This general tender of free Grace is as ſufficient for ſatisfaction of mans Spirit as if his name were written. Well, But this Pardon is to all Theeves, is it not, if they will come in? And ſurely it is intended, that they come in as Penitents, not as perverſe rebellious Perſons, and till they come in thus, can they claim the benefit of the Kings pardon? And therefore whereas he addeth, Hath the Lord given thee an heart to come in, that thou fain wouldeſt have Chriſt if thou durſt, it is enough; He ſhould deny himſelf if he ſhould caſt thee off. This is a precious truth if rightly underſtood; But in his Intention it halteth: For beſides this, that when God giveth an heart to come in to Chriſt, he giveth an holy heart, an humble and penitent heart, an heart no leſs ready to take Chriſt for a Lord then for a Saviour: Nay indeed, more deſirous of this then of that: Not that he might merit favor by his ſervice; but out of the abundance of Love to Chriſt, he is much deſirous that Chriſt ſhould now be glorified by him (as formerly he hath been diſhonored) before himſelf be glorified by Chriſt. Beſides this, I ſay, the concluſion of comfort grounded upon the general tender of free-grace, is not by the Aſſumption, I am a ſinner, I am a theef: But by this, I do come in: Hereupon it followeth, that he may not caſt me off; And, this coming in, what is it, but to believe in the name of Chriſt, Joh. 1. 12. And what is that, but to reſt upon him for ſalvation. So then, the general tender of free-grace made to ſinners is conditional, as touching the benefit of Pardon, viz. If they come in and caſt themſelves upon the mercy of God in Chriſt, there is hope of Pardon. And indeed it may appear that this is that which the Doctor did intend, howſoever in the proſecution of the point his words did ſeem to drive farther; for thus he concludeth in one of his Sermons: So then, notwithſtanding any ſinfulneſs which thou findeſt in thy ſelf, thou maiſt boldly come to Chriſt and commit thy ſelf unto him as an All-ſufficient Saviour.
Touching the ſecond Author, who hath more covertly and more cautelouſly delivered himſelf, he ſets it down as a Doctrine of Antichriſt, to ſay, That ſin is not taken away out of the Conſcience till the work of Baptiſm and of Repentance. Particularly touching Baptiſm this he cenſureth as a Doctrine of the Man of Sin, That Baptiſm doth take away ſin out of the Conſcience, and out of the ſight of God: And well he may, if it be maintained in that ſenſe which he oppoſeth, viz. As an Ordinance which hath in it a vertue and efficacy of taking away ſins not derived from, and ſubſervient to the blood of Chriſt: In this ſenſe, if any do maintain any efficacy in that Sacrament, let him be Anathema. But if it be no derogation to the ſpirit, that the Miniſtery of the word is ſaid to have an effectual working power in the converſion of men, and cauſing them by Repentance to return to God: In as much as the efficacy of the Miniſtery is ſubſervient to the ſpirit, as the Inſtrument by which the ſpirit worketh, Why is it derogatory to the Blood of Chriſt, that the Sacrament hath an effectual power in this act of taking away ſin out of the conſcience; In as much as it is intended hereby to aſcribe no efficacy at all to it, ſave only as an Ordinance of application, yea, and this alſo ſubſervient to the ſpirit. The blood of Chriſt is that that taketh away ſin out of the Conſcience: But then doth it perform this ſpiritual cure when it is applyed; And the Sacrament is a mean of application: A mean, I ſay, by which the ſpirit applyeth the blood of Chriſt unto the Conſcience: In which reſpect, by a communication of Phraſes, it is ſaid, To waſh away Sin, Act. 22. 16. And God is ſaid to ſave us by the waſhing of Regeneration, Titus 3. 5. And Chriſt is ſaid to cleanſe his Church by the waſhing of water, Epheſians 5. 26. Not as if any vertue were in the Water, which Saint Peter denyeth, 1 Pet. 3. 21. But becauſe the Blood of Chriſt which hath that vertue in it is applied in and by the Adminiſtration of that Sacrament. And therefore for him to ſay, That if Baptiſm taketh away ſin out of the Conſcience, then hath not Chriſt finiſhed the taking away ſin by his one and alone offering; This, I ſay, is not to the purpoſe, in as much as beſide the paying of the price, there muſt alſo be an Application of it, otherwiſe the work is not done; A wound in the fleſh is not cured by the preparation of an effectual Plaiſter, but by the Application of it to the wound. Nor can there be any perfection to the creature, without the Application of this price, of this Plaiſter. This he was not ignorant of, and thereupon ſeeketh to make his advantage; for thus he argueth, Is there (ſaith he) any perfection to the Creature, without Application? Surely no, and yet Heb. 10. 14. By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are ſanctified; What he would hence conclude, I ſee not. Will he from the word [Hath perfected] conclude the Application already paſt, viz. From the very hour of Chriſts Paſſion? How can that be? Is there any here ſaid to be perfected by that one ſacrifice, but they that are ſanctified? Are any ſanctified but by the Communion of Chriſts ſpirit? Doth not this Communion preſuppoſe an Union? Is not that Union with Chriſt, ſealed to us in our Baptiſm? Sanctified perſons then are perfected by that one ſacrifice; Yet how perfected? All at once? Not ſo, But the ground-work of their perfect conſummation is laid in that one ſacrifice; And ſo laid, that in due time by the vertue and power thereof, without any other offering they ſhall be perfected. The true meaning therefore of them that ſay (if any do ſay it in thoſe terms) that ſin is not taken away out of the Conſcience, till by the Sacrament of Baptiſm it be taken away: Their meaning, I ſay, is no more but this, That till the Elect of God be really and actually united to Chriſt, they are not actually made partakers of that Remiſſion which was purchaſed for them by that ſacrifice. In which reſpect they do call upon Converts and Believers, as did Ananias upon Paul, Ariſe and be Baptized, and waſh away thy ſins. A text plainly proving, that Baptiſm hath ſome kinde of work and efficacy in waſhing away ſin; He Objecteth, That theſe words were ſpoken to a Believer; Conſequently, If Paul was already a Believer, and yet his ſins not waſhed away until he were Baptized: Then it will follow, that ſin is not alway pardoned to a Believer. But this Objection doth nothing hinder the Concluſion ſet down: Becauſe, Though Paul as a Believer had right to the benefits of Chriſt, by vertue of the Promiſe made to Believers; yet could he not have fruition of them till he had taken poſſeſſion of Chriſt by being incorporated into him; Faith is the hand of man to receive, but the Sacrament is the hand of the ſpirit to convey unto us Chriſt and all his benefits: Might not he have learned this out of that text, He that believeth and is baptized ſhall be ſaved, had he well marked it? If there be nothing added by Baptiſm to complete the ſtate of a Chriſtian, why is it enjoyned? I demand, Whether a Believer, ſuppoſe him to live and dye in the wilful neglect of that Sacrament, can be ſaved? Nay more, ſuppoſe him to have been an Alien, a ſtranger, or as Paul, a Perſecuter of the Church of God; but now a Convert as Paul was, nay a profeſſor and zealous Preacher of Chriſt; and ſo to have waſht away his ſins in the ſenſe that this man giveth of Ananias words (The ſenſe of thoſe words of Ananias which H. D. giveth is this, Break off thy ſins—It is a waſhing in converſation, ſc. To manifeſt to the world that thou art another man: And he noteth, That one waſhed in reſpect of Gods imputation, and waſhed in Conſcience in reſpect of manifeſtation and apprehenſion of the grace of God in Jeſus Chriſt, may yet be exhorted to waſh in reſpect of Converſation: By which it ſeemeth that there was no farther uſe of Baptiſm to Paul at this time, ſave only to manifeſt to the world that he was a Convert, which I ſuppoſe is ſo ſenſleſs a poſition, that it needeth no Refutation:) I ſay then, ſuppoſe a man thus to have waſht away his ſins, Can all this profit him to ſalvation, if he wilfully reject the Sacrament of Baptiſm? Can he by his profeſſion and Preaching obtain a part in Chriſt, and a pardon of this wilfulneſs? Surely, except the Church of God in all ages hath hitherto wanted light and ſight to ſee the true meaning of the words; that text of our Saviour, Ioh. 3. 5. reprehending Nicodemus for his backwardneſs in this Duty, is very clear and evident for the proof of the Negative, viz. That ſuch a man ſo wilfully rejecting the Sacrament, cannot plead his Faith, nor have entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven.
This man is not more out in the point of Baptiſm, then he is in the next point, touching Repentance. This doth he account a Doctrine of the Man of Sin, to ſay, That Repentance doth waſh away ſin; that Repentance is a mean to obtain Remiſſion; that there is no forgiveneſs with God before Repentancce. Touching that firſt Expreſſion, We do not ſay, that Repentance doth waſh away ſin in any other ſenſe but this, That there is no forgiveneſs of ſin to the impenitent. It is neceſſary as a paſſive Qualification. It hath no efficacy in procuring pardon or perfecting forgiveneſs, more then this, that it fitteth the perſon to receive it: And this is no Doctrine of the Man of Sin, it was the Doctrine of Moſes and the Prophets. True (ſaith he) it was ſo in the Old Teſtament, Contrition and Confeſſion went before Remiſſion; But in the New Teſtament, Remiſſion doth go before Contrition. This is ſoon ſaid, But how is it proved? What text of Scripture, what Argument from any text of Scripture? The worldly Tabernacle of Moſes, was it not a figure and patern of Heavenly things? May we not ſee, as the mercy of God ſhadowed forth in thoſe ſacrifices of Expiation, ſo the Duty of the ſinner expreſſed in thoſe Legal Purifications? To this he Anſwereth, That Contrition went before Remiſſion in our High Prieſt: He was bruiſed, broken, ſlain before any Remiſsion; This no man doubteth: But we demand, Whether, as then, Contrition was required of the People, before by their ſacrifice they could have Remiſſion: So now alſo, it be not required that Contrition be found in us before we obtain Remiſſion by the ſacriſice of Chriſt; At no hand will he endure to hear of this: Chriſt (ſaith he) confeſſeth our ſins, offereth for our ſins, maketh peace through his Blood, and calleth upon us to believe this Peace and Atonement made. This we deny not, But ſtill inſiſt upon this, Whether Contrition be not required of Believers in the New Teſtament, as well as of them in the Old Teſtament, to make them capable of Remiſſion; If not, What is there in the New Teſtament to anſwer to that figure? I finde it interſerted in a parentheſis, That Preiſt, ſacrifices and people, were all of them figures of Chriſt: What the meaning of it ſhould be, I cannot gueſs, except it be this, That Chriſt muſt be all, and do all: Upon him muſt lie no leſs the work of Repentance for ſin, then of ſatisfaction. Thus ſhall the burthen be increaſed to him, that ſo it may be caſed to the ſinner; had the Scripture revealed it ſo to be, we had received it; now we may not. Well it is that Chriſt hath done for us, what we could not, viz. He hath made ſatisfaction; It is not much if he require of us what we may well do, viz. To be truely contrite and penitent for our ſins. But (ſaith he) Faith which is the knowledge of Remiſſion muſt needs go before Contrition, elſe would it be ſin: For whatſoever is not of Faith is ſin, Rom. 14. 23. I might juſtly reply and ſay, Like point, like proof. Neither is juſtifying Faith the knowledge of Remiſsion; Nor doth that text of St. Paul ſpeak of juſtifying Faith. But this I ſay, That if Faith be the knowledge of Remiſſion, viz. fully paſt, and already in poſſeſſion, it doth rather take away Contrition then call for it: There is no place for ſorrow in Heaven; the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect, who are in full poſſeſſion of Remiſſion, do not now any more weep and ſhed tears for the ſins that they have committed. He addeth, We do not therefore believe Remiſſion, becauſe we repent; But therefore repent, becauſe we believe Remiſſion. I Anſwer, We do both; we believe Remiſſion, becauſe we do repent, not as if there were any merit in our repentance to deſerve it, but becauſe there is truth in God to perform his Promiſes: And we repent, becauſe we believe Remiſſion. Here note, That to believe Remiſſion may be conſidered either in the Promiſe or in the Performance: The Promiſe of Remiſſion is made for the Penitent, and Repentance required as a mean to fit men for it. Is not this evident by the Preaching of Chriſt and his Apoſtles, Mar. 1. 15. Act. 2. 38. and 3. 19. The performance of this promiſed Remiſſion doth preſuppoſe Penitency in the ſinner; yea and doth put him more upon it. So that, as of Faith there is one act that doth go before Remiſſion, and another act that doth follow after: So alſo of Repentance, there is ſomthing of it doth go before Faith, and ſomething alſo doth follow after.
Indeed ſaith this Author, Judas Repentance may go before Faith, i. e. before the knowledge of Remiſſion: But Godly Repentance doth follow after. I might reply, That is improperly ſaid to go before this Faith, when as this Faith doth never follow after. Doubtleſs if Faith be the knowledge of Remiſſion, it doth never follow upon Judas Repentance. But this I rather reply, That it was not a Judas Repentance that went before Remiſſion in the Old Teſtament; nor is it a Judas Repentance which the Apoſtle doth call for, to this end, that their ſin might be blotted out, Act. 3. 19. Nor can it with reaſon be denyed, but that he who ſaith, Repent and be converted, that your ſins may be blotted out—doth leave them to conclude, that unleſs they do repent their ſins ſhall not be blotted out: And again, that if they do repent, their ſin ſhall be blotted out; Conſequently, there is a Repentance which is required as a mean to obtain Remiſſion, and that by the warrant of Scripture-Text. And therefore it is no Doctrine of Antichriſt, not footſtep of the Man of Sin to declare Repentance as a mean of Remiſſion.
But now to return to the Queſtion propounded, viz. Whence is it, that ſin doth trouble and terrifie the Conſcience? I ſhould rather give this anſwer; The reaſon is, Becauſe ſin is not yet taken away out of the Conſcience by the Application of the blood of Chriſt. To ſay that there is no ſin at all in the Conſcience, when we feel the ſting and terror thereof, is it not in effect to ſay. No mote in the eye, no thorn in the fleſh, when we feel the pain and pricking of it? How doth it vex if it be not there? Doubtleſs while it vexeth it is not quite taken forth; nor is the rankling of it quite healed: The Indiſpoſition of the Body may adde to the diſtemper of the minde, till it be removed and cured by Phyſick: But when the body is in good order, and yet the Conſcience in ſpiritual diſtreſs; doth it not appear that ſin lyeth at the Door, and muſt be removed out of the Conſcience by the Application of the Blood of Chriſt? Application of the Plaiſter is no leſs neceſſary then the preparation of it. The Brazen-ſerpent ſet up cured none that would not look up to it: Nor doth Chriſt cure any that will not believe him. And how do we believe in him, if we do not apply our ſelves to him for remedy?
This application of the blood of Chriſt is wrought by the Minſtery of the Word and Sacraments; hence it is called The Miniſtery of Reconciliation; In which and by which God diſpenſeth his favors and comforts to them of his Houſhold: And by thoſe Ordinances doth he bring home the blood of Chriſt to the Soul and Conſcience of the worthy receiver.
And as in the Old Teſtament the guilt of ſin was not removed out of the Conſcience, till the ſacrifice appointed for this or that ſin was offered (which is not improbably aleaged as a reaſon why the ſin of David lay ſo heavy upon him, even becauſe he made no haſt to confeſs his ſin and to bring his ſacrifice, without which no Remiſſion) ſo in the New Teſtament, ſin is not removed out of the Conſcience, till by the Miniſtery of Reconciliation the blood of Chriſt be applyed to the Conſcience for the cure thereof: God hath appointed the Miniſtery for this end, and he will have his Ordinances honored, and workings of his ſpirit in them acknowledged. It is not for this cauſe that many who ſeek for Comfort with much importunity of prayer and ſupplication, yet are held off for a long time; Even becauſe they do not addreſs themſelves to God in his Ordinances? And here is that neceſſity and uſefulneſs of Baptiſm to take away ſin out of the Conſcience, which ſo much diſpleaſed the Antinomian Doctor, nor of Baptiſm only but of the Lords Supper alſo; yea of the whole Miniſtery of the Goſpel: Not as if the Word and Sacraments, or the Miniſtery that diſpenſeth them, had any power and efficacy in themſelves: But as hath been ſaid, becauſe theſe are the Inſtruments of the ſpirit in applying the blood of Chriſt, which alone is the remedy of our ſpiritual malady.
Note: This Miniſterial Application is only to the worthy Receiver; And none ſuch doth the Text of Scripture acknowledge, but him who being truly humbled and grieved for his ſin, for this and that ſin in particular, doth judge himſelf: And then by Faith looking up to Chriſt on the Croſs (as did Iſrael look up to the brazen ſerpent) and reſting upon the paſſion of Chriſt, as the only ſatisfaction of Gods juſtice, deſireth to be purged in his Blood: And in teſtimony of his Faith in the blood of Chriſt doth draw near to the Ordinance of Application, that therein he may be made partaker of the blood of Chriſt, to purge his Conſcience, and quiet his minde: And here is the neceſſity of Repentance, without which no Remiſſion (the ſecond point of Antichriſtianiſm in the Antinomians account) Not as if Repentance hath any efficacy of a meritorious, yea or of an efficient cauſe; but becauſe Faith neither ought, nor indeed can cloſe with Chriſt, and draw vertue from him for the purging of the Conſcience, but when it ſelf is lodged in a penitent ſoul: The Reaſon is, Becauſe, ſo muſt the promiſe of pardon by Chriſt be receiv'd by man as it is tendred to him: And this is not to the ſinner as a ſinner, but to the ſinner as humble and penitent, as before was ſhewed.
So then the Anſwer of the Queſtion returns to this, Sin doth yet terrifie the Conſcience, notwithſtanding that Chriſt on the Croſs hath ſatisfied for it, and ſo obtained reconciliation for the ſinner: Becauſe otherwhiles men are not careful to ſeek for the Application of Chriſts blood to themſelves, in the Ordinances appointed. What wonder if Iſrael dye of the ſerpent bitings, if they will not look up to the Brazen ſerpent: ſo here, if men neglect the means of remedy, what wonder is it if they lie and languiſh.
Object. But even they that have often ſought to God in theſe Ordinances; yea and with much care have prepared themſelves for the worthy receiving of the ſacrament, yet do not finde that peace of Conſcience which is expected.
Sol. It may be ſo, But do they withal reſt upon it as an Ordinance of the ſpirit to apply the blood of Chriſt, and ſo to ſeal unto the ſoul the Aſſurance of peace and pardon? Do they I ſay reſt in it; or do they expect to receive their Aſſurance by ſome irradiation and immediate revelation of the ſpirit? This is the error of ſome; Others are careleſs in their walking afterward: They forget that Caveat of the Pſalmiſt, The Lord will ſpeak peace to his people: But let them not return again to folly, Pſa. 85. 8. What wonder if the re-admiſſion of ſin into the ſoul, renew the ſting and terror of Conſcience. Satan re-entring brings ſeven other ſpirits worſe then himſelf: Hence commonly the terror afterward is greater then before: Impoſſible it is that the ſoul ſhould finde ſweetneſs inſin, deſire it, delight in it: And the Conſcience not fear and tremble at the thought of Hel, and the wrath of God.
Corol. To cloſe up all: Is the Conſcience terrified? See the way to finde remedy, and how thou maiſt provide for comfort. Not in the Antinomian way, viz. by a violent perſwaſion of this, That thy ſin was long ſince laid upon Chriſt in the day of his Paſſion; But by ſeeking for the Application of his blood in the Word and Sacraments. Prepare thee for the worthy receiving of them, by renewing thy Repentance: By Faith look upon Chriſt in the Sacrament, hear him ſpeaking in the word, as the aſſured remedy of all ſpiritual diſeaſes and diſtreſſes: carefully watch againſt future Tentations; take heed of relapſing into ſin: Remember that as Chriſt hath joyned theſe two Petitions, Forgive us our Treſpaſſes, and Lead us not into Tentation; ſo hath he bound up the comfort of the former, in the cautelous obſervation of the latter: Whoſo doth not watch againſt Tentation, loſeth all comfort of Remiſſion.