The Perfection of Justification, Title page – Dedication
THE Perfection of Juſtification maintained againſt the PHARISE: THE Purity of Sanctification againſt the Stainers of it: THE Unqueſtionableneſſe of a future glorification againſt the SADDUCE: In ſeverall Sermons.
Together with an Apologeticall anſwer to the Miniſters of the new Province of London in vindication of the Author againſt their aſperſions.
By John Simpſon, an unworthy publiſher of Goſpel-truths in LONDON.
Wiſdome is juſtified of her children,
Mat. 11.19.
LONDON, Printed by M. Simmons, for Hanna Allen, and are to be ſold at the Crowne in Popes-head-alley, 1648.
To the man truely ſpirituall in the knowledge of JESUS CHRIST.
WHereas I intended to have preſented theſe plaine and ſimple Sermons, to the patronage of ſome of my friends, who were pleaſed to owne and favour mee in my ſufferings; without any apology for my ſelfe, or any vindication of the truths which I have delivered. I am now by weighty reaſons enforced to alter my reſolutions: And my ſecond thoughts doe appear better unto me then my firſt. (foreign)
I have beene lately aſperſed by the hands of two and fifty who profeſſe themſelves the Miniſters of Chriſt; as a man heterodox and unſound in my principles, concerning the the Law and Juſtification by free grace. Wherefore it ſeemeth probable unto me, that if I ſhould bring my friends upon the Stage to patronize mee in a publique way, while I lye under the reproachings of ſo many, I ſhould wrong thoſe, whom I deſire in thankfulneſſe to reſpect and honour. And if I ſhould venter theſe Sermons into the world without any Apology for my ſelfe, I might prove more injurious to my ſelfe, then theſe can be unto mee. Beſides this, I doe apprehend that ſome tender-hearted Chriſtians when they ſhall read the name of the abuſed Author, now made infamous unto them by the hands of ſo many Subſcribers, may either be affraid to read what I have printed; or if they ſhall read it, an uncharitable prejudice may rob them of the fruit and harveſt of their reading.
For theſe and other reaſons, I have uſhered in theſe Sermons into the world with a ſhort Apologeticall anſwer to their Charge. And have made choiſe of thee as an Umpire and Judge between my accuſers and my ſelfe. And truely thou art the fitteſt man that I could ſingle out from the men of the world, to do me this ſervice of love; whether I looke upon my ſelfe, or my Antagoniſts.
Firſt, If I looke upon my Antagoniſts, thou art not within their gun-ſhot, or cenſure, and ſo thou canſt not not be damnified by me, 1 Cor. 2.15. The ſpirituall man judgeth all things, yet he himſelfe is judged by no man.
Secondly, If I looke unto my ſelfe, thou art the fitteſt, and only man for mee. For thou wilt not deale rigorouſly with me. Thou wilt juge mee by the law of love, liberty and clemency, Jam. 2.12. And when I ſeriouſly conſider what weakeneſſes, frailties and infirmities have diſcovered themſelves in my fleſh, even in thoſe things (whether in praying, preaching, or writing) wherein I deſire to be moſt ſpirituall; I dare not thinke of any other Judge. Thou wilt be more favourable then the Synod at Weſtminſter unto my way and manner of preaching and expreſſions, which I made uſe of five or ſixe yeares ſince; conſidering that I then had not beene many moneths in the Schoole of Chriſt. Thou wilt be more indulgent unto this booke which now ſheweth it ſelfe to the world, then the whole Aſſembly of Sion-Colledge Divines, conſidering, that at this time I have been but the time of an Apprentiſhip in the Schoole of my Saviour. I neede not make an Apology for my ſelfe before thee, to tell thee, that theſe Sermons were never intended for the Preſſe by the deliverer of them: but brought thither by the skilfull hand of one profeſſing the Art of ſhort-writing. Thou wilt willingly of thy ſelfe pardon the method and immethodicalneſſe of them, and repetitions in them; delig…ting thy ſelfe with the naked truths of Chriſt contained in them.
I need not excuſe the plaineneſſe of ſpeech and want of worldly …hetorick which is in them. In thy judgement, plaine preaching … not to plead for a pardon, but doth deſerve commendation. The phantaſticall preaching of ſome men of our times, with …, metaphyſicall … words, excellency of ſpeech and … cannot pleaſe thee, becauſe they are diſpl… to Chriſt, and derogate from the glory of his Croſſe, 1 Cor. 1.17. 1 Cor. 2.1. Thou knoweſt that theſe things are more uſefull for the ſpreading of m…ſterier of ungodlineſſe covertly and …, the publiſhing of the ſoule ſaving … of the Lord Jeſus, And a fitter dreſſe for the whore of errour and falſhood, then a cloath…g for the chaſt Virgin of Truth. That I may ſpeake … heart to thee, I know that thou wilt in all things be ſo favourable unto mee, that I am rather willing to humble my ſelfe at thy feete, then to juſtifie my ſelfe before men. I doe therefore willingly confeſſe, that I who am rather confident of thy …avour, then defirous to implore it, doe looke upon my ſelfe as the vileſt of thoſe who ever made any addreſſe unto thee; when I conſider my ſinſulneſſe, before I was convinced of ſinne, my unrighteous righteouſneſſe before I came into the light, and my praevarications and averſions from God, ſince I received his light. Auguſtine compoſed a ſmall booke, which hee called his Confeſſions: in which he doth ſpread forth his follies unto the world before his Converſion: But ſhould I ſet downe all the follies, vanities and wickedneſſe of my youth, a great volume would not hold them: And it is eaſier to write large volumes of them, then to bring them within the narrow limits and borders of an Epiſtle.
That I may therefore paſſe theſe by, as God hath paſſed them by in his grace, never to call them to his remembrance againſt meany more: I doe now acknowledge, that by the reaſon of variety of inward temptations; ſince I have looked towards Religion, I have beene in my owne apprehenſion a meere Proteus in Religion. I have beene zealous for the workes of the Law, that I might be made a righteous man, being ignorant of him who is the end of the Law for righteouſneſſe for every one that believeth: and was then as loathſome a ſinner to the eye of God, as I was a righteous man to the eyes of the world. I have ſuddenly lept from Phariſaiſme to the profeſſion of the Goſpel in a carnal way: and have then been ready to thinke that I could never be a true Goſpel-profeſſour, unleſſe I did take ſome liberty beyond the allowance which I now apprehend the Goſpel affordeth. I have beene ſo ignorantly inquiſitive after the knowledge of Ordinances, that I have doubted whether ever I ſhould be ſaved, dying ignorant of the Ordinonces, and Church-government of the Lord Jeſus. And looking for light, and finding darkneſſe and confuſion in theſe things, I have beene afterwards as ſpiritually mad and fooliſh in the undervaluing of them. There is ſcarce an errour to be thought of, but by the folly and curioſity of my nature, I have beene tempted to reach forth my hand unto it. I have rune over the bogges of Familiſme, but have not beene ſwallowed up in them; Yet that I may not be miſtaken in this relation notwithſtanding all this; By the grace of God I am what I am.
And though the world hath looked upon mee as an Heretique, I have ſeene my ſelfe ſo faſt in the armes of God, that I am confident, that neither men, Devills, Errours, ſinnes, nor temptations, ſhall ever be able to pull mee thence. I have beene dead by the law to the law, and am alive by the Goſpell. I have ceaſed from works, and yet am created to good workes. I am not under the Law, and yet in my minde I ſerve the Law of GOD. I can doe nothing, and yet can doe all things in CHRIST which ſtrengthneth me. And though I can doe all things, I am an unprofitable ſervant; I care not much what men can ſay of mee, ſeeing GOD doth daily aſſure mee in the Spirit of Chriſt, that I am his Sonne. It doth not too much afflict mee if any men refuſe to have fellowſhip with mee as a SAINT, ſeeing I have fellowſhip with the Father, and his Sonne JESƲS, and thy ſelfe, and have liberty in my Conſcience to have fellowſhip with all SAINTS.
My greateſt ſorrow, and moſt delightfull griefe at this preſent is this, That I am not more holy, being ſo ſtrongly aſſured by truth that I am happy. I hope that thou wilt further this worke of purity in mee by thy ſpirituall prayers preſented to the Throne of our FATHERS grace for mee; where I doe deſire that thou wouldſt know mee one with thy ſelfe, being one SPIRIT with JESƲS, though I cannot but ſubſcribe my ſelfe, The greateſt of SINNERS, and leſſe then then the leaſt of all SAINTS,
John Simpſon.