The Method of Grace in the Justification of Sinners, Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
An anſwer to Mr. Eyres nineteenth Chapter, wherein he endeavours to prove, that in the New Covenant there are no conditions required of us to inveſt us with a right and title to the bleſſings of it.
SECT. I.
MOſt of my work in anſwer to the things contained§. 1, in this Chapter is already performed: there being little throughout but what hath had its tryal in the foregoing Diſcourſe. Mr. Eyre, before he comes to Argument premiſeth two things (he might have ſaid three.) 1. What he meanes by the New Covenant. 2. What by a condition. Upon the former I ſhall animadvert nothing, having ſo largely already confuted it. This only I obſerve, that he calls the New Covenant an engagement, and that by word or promiſe: and diſtributes the Covenants of God into that of works, made with Adam: and that of grace made (not with men) but with Chriſt: and yet, not farre before placed the very eſſence of the Covenant in Gods eternal purpoſe of doing good to the Elect. To what he ſpeaks concerning a condition, I have nothing to adde more then what hath been ſpoken already. His definitions out of Dr. C…well, C…ok…, &c. I conſent to, if by caſus incertus he mean no more then that which is in it ſelf and in its own nature contingent. 3. He enformes us, that ſome by a condition mean no more then barely an antecedent. But that is an improper uſe of it: we take it in its moſt proper Law-ſenſe.
Come we then to the arguments: they begin §. 6 The firſt is this, In§. 2. all thoſe places wherein the nature or tenour of the …ew Covenant is declared, there is not any men…ion at all of the leaſt condition, Jer. 31. 33. Ezek. 36. 25, &c. Hoſ. 2. 18, 19, 20.
Anſw. This is anſwered already. In theſe and the like places, not the forme and tenour, but the quality, vertue and effects of the Covenant are deſcribed, 2. And ſo deſcribed as that a condition is plainly ſuppoſed: becauſe one effect of the Covenant is, to give ſtrength to fulfill it. 3. The tenour of the Covenant is elſewhere deſcribed as manifeſtly conditional for the word of faith which the Apoſtles preached is the New Covenant, 2 Cor. 3. 6. But the tenour of the word of faith which the Apoſtles preached is this, If thou believe thou ſhalt be ſaved, Rom. 10. 8, 9. Again, the promiſe by faith of Jeſus Chriſt is conditional. The New Covenant is a promiſe by faith of Jeſus Chriſt, Gal. 3. 22.
The ſecond Argument is this. All thoſe Covenants which God§. 3. made to prefigure this Covenant, were free and abſolute without any condition. Ergo, the Covenant it ſelf is much more ſo. The Antecedent Mr. Eyre proves, in the Covenant made with Abraham, Gen. 17. with Noah, Gen. 9. 11. with Phinehas, Num. 25. with David, 1 Samuel 13. 13, 14. Iſaiah 54. 3. Pſalme 89. 20.
Anſw. A Covenant may be called abſolute, either antecedently, when in its eſſentiall conſtitution it hath no condition, neither required, nor ſuppoſed, expreſſed nor underſtood. Or conſequently, when it becomes abſolute upon the performance of the condition. In this latter ſenſe I yield the Covenants mentioned to have been abſolute: In the former I deny it, becauſe the faith of the parties with whom thoſe Covenants were made, was ſuppoſed and in being, before thoſe promiſes were given them, and that as the ground and reaſon (though not the cauſe) of their being given them. This doth the Scripture teſtifie of every one of them, of Noah, Gen. 6. 18. with 7. 1. But with thee will I eſtabliſh my Covenant, for thee have I ſeen righteous before me in this generation. Whence he is ſaid to be heire of the righteouſneſſe which is by faith, Heb. 11. 7. Of Abraham, Nehem. 9. 8. Thou foundeſt his heart faithfull before thee, and madeſt a Covenant with him. See alſo Rom. 4. 13, 21, 22. Of Phineahs, Numb. 25. 11, 12, 13. Wherefore ſay, behold I give unto him my Covenant of peace—Becauſe he was zealous for hie God. Of David, Acts 13. 22, 23, 32, 33. compared, and therefore he (amongſt others) is ſaid by faish to have obtained promiſes, Heb. 11. 32, 33. Indeed faith was not in theſe Covenants propoſed to them as the condition which they were to performe: (it needed not they being believers before:) but when God promiſeth the ſame bleſſings (in ſubſtance) to a ſinful world, as he had before done to them, it is expreſly upon condition of the ſame faith, Romans 4. 12, 16, 23, 24. Galatians 3. 7, 9, 14. &c.
Thirdly, thus he argues. If there were any condition required§. 4. in the New Covenant to entitle us to the bleſſings of it, it would not be a Covenant of pure grace; To give a thing freely and conditionally are contradictories, works and conditions which men performe are their money, Iſa. 55. 1, 2.
Anſw. This is the Argument of the Quorum, without which nothing can be done. Many things we have already ſpoken from Scripture, Reaſon, Divines and Lawyers to evince the falſhood of it: ſomething more I will here adde (according to my promiſe) to the ſame purpoſe. 1. If every conditional promiſe be contrary to grace, then neither can God encourage us to any act of obedience by a promiſe of rewarding it, nor may we take encouragement to obey out of reſpect to the reward, without prejudicing the Grace of God. The Reaſon is, becauſe, do thus or thus, and I will give thee this or that, is a conditional promiſe: more then ſuch a forme of words we have not to prove that God ever made a conditional promiſe. But the conſequence in both the parts of it is groſſely falſe: for God doth make conditional promiſes to encourage us to obey his will: and we are to take encouragement from them for that end. For example, he promiſeth, Lev. 26. 3, 12. If ye walk in my ſtatutes and keep my commandments, and to them,—I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye ſhall be my people. Which, that it pertaines to Chriſtians as well as to the Jews, the Apoſtle expreſly teacheth, 2 Cor. 6. 16, 17, 18. And from thence inferres immediately, Chap. 7. 1. Having therefore theſe promiſes let us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſſe of the fleſh and Spirit▪ &c. The promiſes he mentions a…e Goſpel promiſes, therefore promiſes of grace. Yet out of reſpect to the good promiſed are we to come out and ſeparate from all filthineſſe of fleſh and Spirit: and God hath given us theſe promiſes for this end. Moſes rejected the pleaſures of ſin, becauſe he had reſpect to the recompenſe of reward, Heb. 11. 25, 26. So Paul, 2 Cor. 4. 16, 18. So Chriſt himſelf, Heb. 12. 2. Multitudes of conditional promiſes we have in the Goſpel: which therefore ſurely are not inconſiſtent with grace, Mat. 6. 14, 15. Joh. 14. 21, 23. Rom. 8. 13. Mat. 7. 7, &c. If a man promiſe another (to whom he hath no natural relation, but out of a meer deſire of his good) that he will make him heire to five hundred per annum, on condition he will go no more into an Alehouſe or into none of the Popes dominions: in ſuch a promiſe there would be found every thing which according to Scripture or Philoſophy (as we have ſhewed before, chap. 5.) is required to an act of grace, and yet the promiſe is conditionall. If Mr. Eyre ſhall uſe his old evaſion, and ſay, that in the places forementioned there is no propoſing of a condition, but onelyonly a declaring of the perſons, who ſhall enjoy ſuch and ſuch bleſſings: beſides what hath been ſpoken againſt it before, I ſhall onelyonly adde this, that then the ſaid places, and innumerable others like them, do not declare that faith or righteouſneſſe, or prayer, or any other duty, to which the promiſe is made, is any whit more acceptable to God then unbelief; or unrighteouſneſſe, or neglect of prayer: but onelyonly that the perſon beleeving, the perſon that keeps the Commandements of Chriſt, the perſon that prayeth, &c. is more acceptable to God, then he that doth not theſe things: which is ſuch a prodigious aſſertion, that till I know whether Mr. Eyr… will own it, I will not go about to confute it. 2. If the condition being performed (be it of what kind it will be) the thing promiſed do eo ipſo become a due dept, then is it unjuſt to make the full price of a thing, the condition of any contract. The reaſon is, Becauſe whatſoever becomes a debt by contract ſuppoſeth foreign repaſſum (as they call it) or an equality between that which I part with, and that which I receive for it: If then the full price be the condition another is bound to, then have I double as much as what I part with is worth. For if the condition had been the payment of ſix pence for what is worth a 100. l. the ſix pence being paid, it becomes by virtue of the contract, proportionable to that which is worth a 100. l. otherwiſe it could not make it a due debt. If then I have in ſix pence, what is proportionable to that I part with, then if the ſaid 100. l. had been the condition of the contract, I had had double as much as that I part with is worth: becauſe the ſaid 100 l. is in it ſelf proportionable: and againe it becomes proportionable, by being made the condition of the contract: ſo that it hath a double proportion of worth, to that I part with for it:
In the next place Mr. Eyre brings in his adverſaries as objecting§. 5. againſt this his third argument, and clearing themſelves from any impeachment of Gods grace, though they aſſert the covenant to be conditional. But in none of his objectionss doth he take notice of what he might very well ſuppoſe, would be principally inſiſted upon, for wiping off his aſperſions. As 1. That the Covenant of grace is not made with righteous perſons, but with ſinners, and enemies, and children of wrath: who if they had had their due, and the rich grace of God had not prevented, had been paſt all capacity of having any new terms of life and peace propoſed to them. 2. That the conditions required, are neither ſo much as is Gods due, nor yet ſo much as man was once able to performe: which the Apoſtle mentions as a glorious difference between the righteouſneſſe of the Law, and the righteouſneſſe of faith, Rom. 10. 5, 8, 9. God accepteth the heart, though in many things we ſin all. Therefore theſe conditions are ſuch as are indeed available for our good, through the acceptance of a gracious and mercifull governour (as Benhadads ſervants prevailed with the merciful Kings of Iſrael, when they ſupplicated for life with ſackcloth upon their loyns, and ropes about their heads, 1 Kings 20. 31, 32.) though they availe us nothing in the tryal of juſtice. But let us ſee Mr. Eyres objections.
Firſt he ſuppoſeth us objecting thus. We aſcribe no meritoriouſneſſe§. 6. to theſe conditions, as the Papiſts do unto works. His anſwer is. 1. The Papiſts aſſert no other works and conditions to be neceſſary to juſtification and ſalvation then we do. 2. They aſcribe no more meritoriouſneſſe to works then we do: for Mr. Baxter ſays, that the performers of a condition may be ſaid to merit the reward. 3. The condition required of Adam himſelf was not meritorious in a ſtrict and proper ſenſe.
Rep. 1. The firſt is a calumny. The Papiſts (ſome of them) diſpute, that it is a thing poſſible to keep the Law of God; and that facile & parvo negotio: they are Bellarmin…s words, d… J…ſtif. lib. 4. cap. 11. 2. The ſecond is a calumny: as Mr. Baxter (a man borne to reproaches) hath ſufficiently ſhewed in his admonition to Mr. Eyre. Reader, if thou art not read in the fathers, do but peruſe Ʋ …ſſ… Theſes. De bonor. op…r. merit. or Bp. Ʋſhers anſwer to the Jeſuits challenge; or any other Proteſtant, who replies to the teſtimonies of the fathers, which the Papiſts are wont to boaſt of; and thou wilt find that they do all juſtifie the ſenſe, in which the fathers uſe the word merit, though they diſclaime the terme, as Mr. Baxt…r alſo doth. The Fathers indeed intending no more thereby, then ſimply to obtain…. As when they ſay of the Virgin Mary. M…ruit …ſſe mater redemptoris. Shee obtained (this honour or priviledge) to be the mother of the Redeemer. Sine merito noſtro meruimus, we have obtained it without our merit, and the like. 3. The third (I confeſſe) is to me a very difficult queſtion, viz. Whether Adam in the ſtate of perfection did or could merit any thing of God? on the one hand I ſee the Apoſtle aſſerting roundly, that to him that work…th, the reward is imputed of d…bt, n…t of grac…, Rom. 4. 4. On the other hand I am not able to conceive how the creature can lay an obligation of juſtice upon his maker, Rom. 11. 35. Who hath firſt given to him, and it ſhall be r…compenſ…d to him again…? Nor am I certaine what life it was that was promiſed to Adam. Some Divines are of opinion that it was the ſame and …o other, which is now promiſed through Chriſt to them that beleeve: others (and particularly Mr. B…rr…g…s) are peremptory, that thea Goſp conver…. …er 3. pag. 43. Law to Adam, had onelyonly the promiſe of a naturall life to be continued. I ſhall wave all diſpute concerning it, and deliver my opinion in theſe foure concluſions.
1. There is a proportion between a ſpotleſſe, perfect, ſinleſſe righteouſneſſe, and the reward of a happy and an unafflicted life. That he, that never did any evil, ſhould never ſuffer any evil (unleſſe he become a ſurety for another that hath wrought evil) is but juſt. So much at leaſt is ſignified by the Apoſtles expreſſion, R…m. 4. 4. To him that worketh the reward is imputed of debt, not of grace. And the law of nature (the rule of naturall juſtice) written and acting in mens conſciences, in their excuſations and juſtifications of themſelves, for what they have well done, Rom. 2. 15. atteſts the ſame.
2. God, as author of his creatures being, and all his faculties and abilities, hath a right of abſolute ſoveraignty and dominion over him: by virtue of which he may juſtly challenge, the utmoſt ſervice the creature can performe, without engaging himſelf to give him a reward. It was therefore (I do not ſay of grace, but) o… his goodneſſe and bounty, that he would condeſcend to promiſe a re…ard to man for his obedience to the Law. This … …ay down as a conceſſion.
3. Gods promiſe of rewarding mans obedience▪ doth not make himſelf a debtour to man properly, but makes the life promiſed to become a debt. Life may be legally and in juſtice due, and yet God not a debtour: For there is d…bitum reale, as well as perſonale, ſuitable to the diſtinction of actions in the bU…pian. l. Action. Gen. ff. de oblig & Act.Law, into real and perſonal, the former per quam rem… ſtram quae ab …li… p…ſſi…r p…tim…s: though he be cJuſtit. l. 4. c. 6. §. omnium autem.…l…o jure nobis obligatus: of which they give dIbid. § aeque ſi ag…t.ſeverall inſtances. The latter, Qu… cum eo agim…s qui …ligatus …ſt n…is, ad faci…ndum aliquid, vel dandum: eInſt. eod. §. omnium a…temidque vel ex c…ntract… vel …x … l…ficio. Whence it is manifeſt, that an action purely reall, and not mixed with a perſonall (as ſometimes it is) ſuppoſeth no perſon to be, in juſtice, obliged as a debtour: and yet the thing a due debt. In like manner, life might have been given to Adam as a due debt; he being worthy of ſuch a reward: and yet God in promiſing it become a debtour to none but to himſelfe onelyonly.
4. Therefore Gods rewarding Adam (ſuppoſing him to have continued perfectly righteous) is an act of goodneſſe and faithfulneſſe, quoad exercitium, but an act of juſtice quoad ſpecificationem. That is, it was Gods goodneſſe to promiſe a reward of life to him, and his faithfulneſſe to execute it: but upon ſuppoſition that he deale in rewarding him, jure rectorio as a good and equitable Governour, 'tis juſt that he reward him with a life, as perfectly free from all mixture of evill, as his obedience was free from all mixture of ſin, Gen. 18▪ 25. That be far…e from thee to do after this manner, to ſlay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous ſhould be as the wicked, that be farre from thee: … all not the Judge of all the earth do right?
The next objection he thus propoſeth. The conditions required§. 7. of Ad…m were legall: but the conditions of the New Covenant are evangelicall. He anſwers. All conditions performed for life, are legall conditions: the precepts, both of Law and Goſpel have the ſame matter.
Rep. Repentance towards God, and faith towards the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, were neither required in the Law given to Adam, nor in that given to Iſrael; Gal. 3. 12. 2. The conditions required of Adam, were as much as juſtice it ſelf could exact of him: The conditions required of us are ſuch, as nevertheleſſe juſtice might condemn us: and availe us nothing, but in Gods gracious and mercifull acceptation, Jer. 3. 1, 12. Thou haſt played th… …rlot with many l…vers, yet return again to me … and I will not cauſe mi…ng…r to fall …pon you, for I am m…rcifull ſaith the Lord. Hence thirdly, perfect ſinleſſe obedience, of it ſelf commended man unto God (his equitable Governour) as worthy, not onelyonly not to be puniſhed, but to be rewarded ſuitably to his nature: (that it did not merit of God, ſo as to lay an obligation of juſtice upon him to reward it, is meerly by accident; becauſe of the infinite diſtance and ſupremacy of God over man.) But faith and repentance do onelyonly diſpoſe us to be enriched, enlivened and perfected by the fulneſſe and ſufficiency of another, even the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: even as poverty may be ſaid to commend one to a liberall man, inaſmuch as it diſpoſeth him to be a fit object for liberality to exerciſe it ſelf upon. And this is intimated in the place which Mr. Eyre quoated but now, Iſa. 55. 1, 2. if his expoſition of it be true. viz. the conditions which men performe, are their money, for v. 1. it is ſaid, come buy wine and milk, without money and without price, which coming, is ſaith; and this faith, as it is the condition upon which we partake in the bleſſings promiſed, is therefore metaphorically called a buying (and thus farre forth it agrees with legall conditions;) but as it is a buying without money or price, it ſuppoſeth the ſaid bleſſings to be freely given (as Rev. 22. 17. it is expounded) and thus farre forth it is oppoſed to legall. This I put here, becauſe I had forgot to do it in its right place, which was, §. 4.
Thirdly, he ſuppoſeth us thus objecting. Evangelical conditions are more facile and eaſie then legal were.
His anſwer is. There can be no condition imagined more facile and feaſable then Adams was, viz. to abſtaine from the fruit of one tree.
Rep. 1. Our Divines are not wont to place the whole of the condition required of Adam in that one precept of not eating the forbidden fruit, any otherwiſe then ſymbolically: for as that tree had the nature of a Sacrament, and the not eating of it, a viſible profeſſion of vniverſall ſubjection unto God: ſo the eating of it was a viſible and univerſal renouncing of his authority, and of that obedience which Adam owed him. 2. The objectors (who they are I know not) have (I preſume) this ſenſe. 1. That if we compare the nature of the acts, it is farre eaſier to beleeve, then to keep the law, and this is certaine: for de facto multitudes beleeve, who never kept the Law perfectly. 2. That it is an eaſier way of ſalvation to be ſaved onelyonly by committing our ſelves to Chriſt in his way, that he may ſave us, then to have the whole care and burthen of ſo great a work upon our ſelves: this alſo is true; becauſe in this way our ſalvation is ſure: in the other it was uncertaine, even when man was righteous (as the event proves ſadly) and unto ſinners impoſſible 3. That the commands of Chriſt are nothing ſo grievous to be borne, as thoſe given to the Church before his coming, this alſo is undoubted, Act. 15. 10. 4. That faith in exercitio, or to beleeve, is farre eaſier to us, through the ſtrength of God enabling us, then it was to Adam to keep himſelf in that ſtate of righteouſneſſe in which he was made: for it is God which enables us to performe thoſe acts which himſelf hath made the conditions of our intereſt in his covenant. So (will Mr. Eyre ſay) Adams ability to keep the Law, was given him of God. True. But 1. Not of grace, but ut naturae debita (as we maintaine againſt the Papiſts) as due to his nature, out of that common goodneſſe, which furniſhed every creature in its kind, with thoſe principles and abilities which were neceſſary to them for the attaining of the reſpective ends to which they were created: which if they had wanted, the work of God had been imperfect, and unlike himſelf: but the creature had been in no fault 2. The uſe and improvement of thoſe abilities was left to Adams free will, ſuppoſing that common concourſe of divine providence, without which no creature can move, in its kind, toward its own end. But to quicken us when we were dead, and reſtore loſt abilities: yea, to vegetate and maintaine them againſt contrary principles and inclinations from within, and oppoſitions from without, is ſuch ſpecial grace as Adam in that ſtate received not.
Some other reaſons Mr. Eyre adjoyns: but he tells the Reader, that he hath mentioned them before (more then once or twice) and I alſo have anſwered them before: and therefore ſhall referre the Re…der thither, and ſo paſſe on to his twentieth chapter.