Free thoughts upon these heads, of predestination, redemption ... etc.

speciAi
coLLeccioNS

OouqLas
LibRARy

queeN's UNiveusiiy

AT klNQSrON

kiNQSTON ONTARiO CANADA

/

FREE THOUGHTS

Upon thefe Heads.

' ^ Liturgical andC on-
ceived Prayer^

Of

^Predejiinatioriy

Redemption^

The Salvability of
the Heathen^

The Judaical Co-
< venanty

Juftification^

The Judge of Faith
and the Scripture ^
' Venial Sin^

Demonstrative

Preachings
The Authority of
Ok\ the haws of Men,
The Power of the

Magiftrate about

Religion,
SubjeBion to our

prefent^een.

By JOHNHVMFRET, Born in Ja;,. 1620. and Aged
now pall 89 Years.

Not intending a Common Place upon any of them
but to Hiy Ibmething only to fupply what is
wanting to be faid ; or, if faid already by him
to cultivate it, and fave all other new Editions/

London; Printed for T. Parlhurfi at the 3 Crowns in Cheapfide^ ard
Jonathan Robhfon at the Golden-Lion in St. Paui's Church-yard ;
and fold by J. Morphew near Stationers-hall. 171c. Price i s.

A Teftimooy to Mr. Humfrefs former Writings, by two of
his Brethren, Minifters, while living.

ToMr.y. R

IThirik by fiudying of the Scriptures, and things more than others have
/aid before you, you efcape the 'Temptations to Siding and Partiality:
And I think you. hit on many con/iderable Truths which many overlook, and
improve many vhich fome do lightly pafs over.

Richard Baxter.

I am of the fame Mind,

Tho. Manton, D.D.

To a Book of Mr. Humfrey\ entiturd, De JuJiificatioHe, printed
but lately. An. 1706; there is this Teftimony.

We have carefully read over that TraQ [of Mr, Hurafrey, and do judge
that he hath truly and rightly fl ate d the Controverfy^ and fo xoeU conftder^d
the Argument, as will be of goodVfe to the intelligent Reader.

Simon Ely,
John Chichefter.

To a former Book of the fame Subjefl, entitled. The Righteoufnefs of
Cod revealed in the Gofpel, printed in the Year 1597. ^he fame Bifhop
of Ely, Dr. Tatrich, has an Epiftle to the Book -, and Dr. Stillingfleet^
Bilhop of JVorcefler, a Letter to Mr. Humfrey, of Confent to it ^
2nd Dr. Stratford, Bifhop of Cfcf/^cK, another to him, which has thele
Words in it.

Mr. H. I have received peice-meal all your Bool, and read it over
with Profit and Pleafure. The great DoiJrine ofjujlificationis by youfla-
ted more agreeable to the Scriptures tUn J have met with in any other Au-
thor.

To

To the READER.

THE Title of this Book was left to be printed till the Uft^
mth A ff&re Leaf to it^ for an Epiftle of a Friend to
commend the Book ; hut it is judged modefier and better, upot$
Advicey to fll it up thf^ as it is on the other fide^ and to have
no Epipe, no Encomium^ no other Chara^er of Mr, Humfrey,
or Letters of Recommendation, but thofe from the Dead.

T. P.
J.R.

E R RA TA.

P Age 20. Line Jo. Vnmllmg^ (houldbe, Wlllmg'^ p. ii. 1. 31. Of it, (hould be,
0\ his Mining : p. 9. 1. 16. By the by, (hould be, by mi by i p. li. 1. 28.
the Interrogation-Point (hould be a Colon • p. 14. 1. 32. the Parenthetis (hould be
at Laiy, and at behyig a Colon; p. 33. 1. 16. To beifife, (hould be, to be his in
fe : p. 37. 1. 1. Accepwhrtj (hould be, by Acceptation. Mend the two firft Faults*
and the reft may pafs.

( o

O F

Predeftination.

PREDESTINATION I will underftand to be God^s
Counfel within himfelf, about chooling or refufing the par-
ticular Perfons he will bring to Salvation : And the firfl
Thing may be ask'd, is. What is the Objed of it ? This
Objeft is the Mafs of Mankind, as it contains theEleftand Repro-
bate, for out of it God choofes fome, and leaves others. I am
tender of faying more. I own a Decree of God to give Grace to the
Ele(a, but no Decree to deny it to others : For 1 diftinguifh be-
tween a not decreeing, and a decreeing not. To require of any to be*
licvc and repent, and decree not to give them that Grace to do it,
without which it cannot be done, is too hard forme to fay or think.
But to fay, there is a not decreeing^ or no decreeing as to fuch, be-
caufc not to believe^ and not to repent is nothing, and there needs
no Decree for that which is nothing, is foft, fit to fay, to
think, to believe. Now becaufe Election is faid to be before the
Foundation of the World, there are fome, and great Divines, will
have the Objedl to be Man confider'd before his Creation, and thefe
were called Sufralapfarians. But the mod: do make Man, Fallen, the
Objed: And as to thefe call'd Sublapfarians, when they go fo far as
to the Fall, Task, and why not Mankind Redeemed aKol 1 will give
ray Reafon for it, and it is this, becaufe Redemption is not any of
the Links that are in the Chain of Predeftination. It is not faid,
lyhont hepredejlinated^themhe created; and therefore is Creation pre-
fuppofed to Eleftion ; it is not neither faid, Whom he predeftina-
ted, them he redeemed •, and therefore is Redemption to be prefup-

A pofed

O )

pofed before Election alfo. He hath chofen us in him^ faith the Text ,•
and how can that be, I may ask, but upon this Prefuppofal f The
Cahinijls fay (not all, and not i) that Redemption is only of the
Ek^.- -B^-th« Strfpturefay^ not fo, for Chen it would fay, Tx>hom
■ he preMtin^d^ -^^m he- Ye^ccwed 5 biJt- it -fey94E-not. - Ek(^ion is
but of fome, but Creation and Redemption of all the World. And
as it is fo, what does hinder but we may make Man created, fallen,
and redeemed, the Mafs, Lump,, or CUy^ out of which the Potte?'
doeschoofe his FeffeU of Honour or Dilhonour as hepleafes. Not
that God decrees Man's Sin, or that his Decree makes them fin,
however the Met;j;phor be undej^ftood.

But forsfmuclvaiJ Jiee not
ihink it indifferfntla^ tb:me,.
Objcrf of Predeftrtiltion, ' or Man
fore the Foundation of the JVorld, and fo long as we may fpeak of it
after our human manner, as we can, feeing God's* fpeaking fo of
hlmfelf in Scripture does ^ygrrant it, I will fpeak accordingly tjie
bell to ]iis;'Hoaour I ^ ; able, in. our jAnalogkd Go:nc€ptions of
him. • "

Let us fuppofe, fpeaking with Reverence, fecundum mflrum coy^
cipiendi modu?n, that God intending to make LJie World, which conr
fifts of Animate and Inanimate Creatures, he determines among the
ABlroate-Eo majcea Man,, a middle Creature between Brutes and An-
gels, endued with Underftanding and Will. With Vndcrftandmg^
to rcfleft on himfelf and his Maker, and confequently, from what is
agreeable to his own Nature and God's, to know his Duty according
•to the Law of Nature j and with Wil^ to choofe orrefufe ^he doing
U at his Liberty. Let us fuppofe this firft as part of God's Decree
or Determination concerning Man, for we mull conceive of God's
Decree, (when it is but one fingle A6t altogether in him, that is, his
Will, oiHimfelf willing thefe things) in feveral Parts, as we can.

To proceed then, God's determining to make fuch a Creature^
that he may be happy if he will, in obeying the Law of his Nature,
or defiroy himfeU by Difobtdience, he does then confider (reve-
rently ftill fpeaking) which is beft for Man and his own Glory, that
the Ffclicity of this Creature be obtain'd in way of Merit^ox in a way of
Grace, There are two ways which the Scriptures (St. Paul efpecial-
ly) holds forth whereby that Men may be faved, the way of Works,
&nd the way of Grace •, that is, by the Tiefms of the Law, or
Terms of the Gofpel. And it is this God choofes, for ifl the one

his

his Righteoufmfs only would be Ihewn ^ but in the other his Mercy
alfo^ and the Myfteryof our Redemption and Salvation by Chrifl
depends uponir. But we are to know, the way of ^Tor/jj ori^in^l-
ly fhould have been by Mans perfotmirig of tlie Law of his Creatldri,
or Law of Innocency, which if he had kept, his Reward would have
beenofDetf. But the way of Cr^ce now is, fince the Fall (through
the Redemption of the World by Chrifl from that Law, as the
Rule of judgment, to a new and remedying one) by Faith and Re-
pentance only, which is accepted to Salvation through Ch"ft's M'e-
rits, and fo rewarded of Grace. And here then is a fecond Part of
God's Decree, to wit, the determining that Man's Salvation fhall
be in away of Grace, and not of Works. Itvs not of him that wil-
leth, nor of him that ruyinethy but of God that fheweth Mercy,
- Upon the Suppofition now of thefe two preceding Parts of God*i-
Decree or Determination concerning u% two things ire to be ccn-
ceived. The one is, that the Perraiflion of the Fall, and our Re-
demption by Chrifl;, mufl: necelTarily antecede (in the Nature of
the thingj the determining particular Perfons to be faved •, upoa
which account the Lutherans do fo grievoufly fall out with theCalvifiiJfs^
becaufe they^*affirm the Decree of Eledidn to be made without refpcift
to our Faith, or the Merit of Chrift, when the Scripture fays ex-
prefly, Cod hath chofen us in him. The other is, that Man being re-
deemed, and brought under a new Law, according to which he
mufl: be judged, it is necefljry that he have Power to perform the.
Condition of that Law, as ^dam had to perform the Law of Works,
which feeing none can without God's Grace, we are to conceive here,
that this Grace is purchafcd by Ghrifl:for all the World', whom he
hath redeemed, or that it does flow from him as the true Light and
Life, in regard to his Divinity, to every Man coming into it, enabling
him to live up to the Terms of this remedying Law, if he do but co-"
operate with this Grace, and rejed it not And here then is a thhcl
Part of God's Decree or Determination concerning ns, that having
determined Man to be a Creature endued with free Will, and yet to
be faved only in the way of Grace, and not in the way of Works,
there is no one but fhall have fo much A(rifl:ance from the Redeem-*
er,that if he be not himfelf wanting to it, he be may faved, andreap
the Benefit of his Redemption. .' ' 'V'

Whatfoever now does appear in the Execution of Gdd*s DecreeJ
is to be apprehended to be in the Intentipn. It is plain inSmpture,
that Man is created, falls, and we thereby become ail Sinners, and

B 2 li-

liable to Wrath ; lliat Chrift came therefore to redeem us, to die
foi u«, to n.akc SatUtadion fo- us, snd procure Pardon and Salvation
iiponConoition, which is tht Terms of the Gofpel j that the Gof-
pcl therefore is to be preached to all the World, which fome em-
brace, and a. converted^ and others not ^ Co that many , as Chrift
tells us, arc caUcd, butftrv chofen. By which Speech of his, it feems
that Eleftion, iii the Execution of God's Decree, comes after Vo-
cation, the Sinner's effectual Gonverfion being indeed adual Eledi-
on : Ahd though an Eceinal Decree as to us does import Time a
parte ante & a parte poft^ yet as to God there is no Time either pafl or
to come. So that whatfoever is done by God, the time when it is
done is to be look'd on, as it were, to that thing, the Beginning of
Eternity, though it has none, but is one continual, everlafting^
fiandirtg Now^ and there can be with him no other but aliual EWi'
oyt' Upon the Suppofition then of the three Parts fore-fpoken, of
God's Determination concerning Man, itmuftbe apprehended, that
God, who is infinite in his Attributes, foreknowing thofe to whom
he will give his Grace, whereby they are converted, believe, re-
pent, and perfevere ^ for the laft part of this Decree does determine
all them unto Glory, and leave the reft to Condemnation.

Having thus compleated a Conception of God's Decree of Prede^
ftination, (craving Pardon for the human rr^anner of expreffing the
fame) I will paufea little on the Matter, for to make fome Obfer-
vations upon it.

* For the firft and fecond part of the Decree, there is nothing, I
think, to be gainfay'd j infomuch as upon account of the fecond, I
hwe been fometimes prone to think, that when the Apoftle fpeaks
of EleSion of Grace, and God's fliewing Mercy on whom he wili^ he
may be underflood of an Ele-ftion of the Sort of Perfons, rather than
of Particular Perfons, that is, of fuch as feek to be faved in the way
of Grace, and not fuch as feek it in the way of Works, or the Lai9 ; for
therefore he tells us it is that the Jem are rejefted, who fought to
cftablifh their own Righteoufnefs, and the Gentiles faved by receiving
the Gofpel. The Choice of Jfaac and Jacob before Jfhmael and Efati^
as Children of the Proraife, and Types of fuch as are fo by Faith,
confirms the fame, they being perfonally named in regard to their
Polterity, and what was to befall them in their future Generations.
The Truth is, the Eleftion and Reprobation of the 9th, loth, and
Tith to the Romans, feems (as already intimated) to be only
God's choojing the Gentiles that believe in Ghrift, and feek Righte-
oufnefs

(5)

oufnefs by Faith for his People, and rejedling the Jews^ that tru^
fting on the Righteoufnefs of the Law^ believM not in him ^ which
yet includes Eledion to be of Faith, and not of Works, as to both:
When for the choofing one Jew to be of the Remnant^ or one Ghri-
ftian, and not the other, toSalvation, ic belongs not to Revelation,
but to the fecret Counfel of God ; though confequently that muft and
is to be underftocd. And yet I muft honeftly acknowledge
my Remembrance, ihat ^ugujiine (fomewhere when I read him)
fpeakingofthat Text, It U not of him that wiUeth or runneth^ gives it
this Meaning, Jtvsmt cf him that he wills and runs ; he wills and runs ^
andmujl dofo^ but it is not of himfelf^ or kis own Stren^th^ hut of Cod's
Mercy. It is of his Electing Grace, that one is made a VefTel of
Honour, and another of Diflionour.

For the third part of the Decree, I am refolutethat theDodrines
of Univerfal Redemption and Grace fufficient (as to the Adult,
froxime or remote^ immediate or mediate^ according to the Schools;
for all to be faved, fofar, that the Blame Ihall not lie upon God or
Chrift, but on Man's own felf, if he be notfaved, are to be main-
tained againft the World. And yet I will, for the Scripture's fake,
acknowledge, that when God will have all to be faved, fo as rhey
may, if they will, yet is there none that will, butfuch as are made
willing of unwilling, by a farther Grace, which is fpecial Grace,
and the Grace of God's Elect ^ for both thefe are confiftent, and
maintainable by God's Word.

For the fourth and laft part of the Decree, there are fome Di-
ftindions to be made. Diftinguifh firft between £/t^/ow and the
Decree of it. As we conceive of God after our human manner, we
muft diftinguifh between the Counfel or Determination of what he
will do, and the Ad or Acis in doing it, and confequently between
his determining to whom he will chufe to give his Grace^anU his adu-
ally choofing him in giving it. When the Scripture fpeaks of Ele.-
£kion before the Foundation of the World, that may be underftood
of the Decree, tho' Eledion it felf, which is ex lap/is^ be the fame,
or at the fame time with effedual Vocation, which is, exredem^tis c?
EvangeUzMt'vs^Xio, There is the Decree of Eledion (1 have but now
conceived) and Ele^ion it felf, as of Redemption^ andChrift's adual
redeeming us, whereof the one was from Eternity, yet the other in
its due Seafon. When Chrift fays, Many are called, butftw chofen^
the C'nofen (as before) feems to be taken out of the Called, and
bothfirft Evangcliz'd ^ that is, to have had the Gofpel preached to

them

(6)

thcra before Called or Chofen. Ekalon then is not only out ^f the
Created, Fallen, Redeemed, inregaid to all, but as to feme, oat of
the Evangelized and Called alfo ; N y, farther, Auxiliated, fo
as out of two who have common Grace, as is fufficient fortheoi
to believe and repent if they will i the one is left to himfel^
and he wills not, the other is cliofe to that further Grace
which is effectual, and he wills and does^ and is faved, and not
the other. Diftingulfh, Secondly, between God's decreeing to
fave a Perfon, and the adjudicadna; him to Salvation. Hcfaves
or adjudicates to Heaven none but fuch as believe and repent, and
fo live and die, but lie elefts whom lie will at his Pleafure. DiftinT
guilh therefore, Thirdly, of Predeflination as it is to Grace, or as it
is to Glory^ knowing well that he is, and raufl: be predeftinated to
both, that is, predeftinate to either. And for Predeflination
to Glory, it is certain, that as none are faved in the Execution, but
fuch now mentioned, fo is it, and mult be in the Decree. God does
forefee (fpeaking Hill in our human Manner) who will believe, re-
pent, and perfevere j and them, and no others, he decrees to Glo-
ry. But as for Predeflination to Grace, (the fi'. H Grace) he forefees
nothing more in one than another as the Caufe or Occajfion for the
Choice, yet choofes the one, and leaves the other. When our
Divines therefore difpuce fo warmly about Eledion, whether it be
Ahfolute or Conditional \ that is, whether it be of Works forefeen,
asfomefay, or of Faith forefeen, as others, or of both forefeen, or
that it is of neither forefeen, but of free Grace, which is fuppofed
Orthodox. They both fay what is true in diverfe Senfes. It is
nhjolute in regard to Grace, it is conditional in regard to Glory^ and
they may allbe pleafed to bear with one another.

Jn AF FEND IX to this fir fi Head.

rTpHere is nothing comes to pafs without God's Knowledge, or
JL againfl his Will ^ this is certain. There is therefore in God
a Fore-Knowledge and Predeflination of Things to come. When
he made Man, he endued him with Underftanding and Win, and
that Will free^ and not necelTitated by him. When there is free
Will then in Man, and Fore-Knowledge in God, with a Decree
fore -ordaining all Things that come to pafs, it muft be ask'd, how
they are to be reconciled ? For Anfwer to which, this already faid
muft be premifed, that Knowledge and Will, or whatfoever is at-
tributed

:( <-! )

tributed to God, from Analogy of thefe Faculties in Man, as they
are eminenter in the Divine Nature, they are one, even God him-
ielf: Fef whatfoe<^r4s-m Ged, is^ Ood, and are- iiicompreheufible
_asfuch tous^—Noi preiimun§th4fl-on our Gonceptiofls, which are
infinitely fhorc, whacfoever they be, that we can ha\^e of them,
we are neverthelefs to believe, that whatfoever God determines to
come to pifs, muft of NeccfTitydo fo. But if it be to be done by Man,
who has this Free Will, that Ncccffity is Necejfttas Confequentia,
not Confequentvs^ as the Schools fpeak ^ that is, a Logical Necef-
fity^ becaufe it follows argumentatively, that if it be' determined
it mnll be- i)Ut not^'*l*hyfical' NecefTity, thac this .Extermination
fhould Ph^UcaKy caufe jh^ A(9: fo as to conftrain JWan's Will to it,
but that it dill hath a Power to do the contrary, though the Ac^ will
mfallibly be done. For God does determine Things necelTary to be
done, neceflarily -^ and Things contingent, contingently ,• fo as no
more is to be faid but that the Fore-Knowledge or Decree of
God, and Man's Liberty, that is. Free Grace and Free Will are
to be reconciled in the Vfe • and it is not needful for us to enquire
any further than fo : That is. We are to fet our felves to believCj
to repent, and walk fincerely before God, in doing our Duty, as
if we had full Power to doit, which we all have fo far by Univer*-
fal Grace, that we may if we will. But if we will, and do, and
are efFecf^ually converted and faved, we are to attribute it yet ta
farther Grace, and give the Glory all to God. Thus muffc the
jirminiaYi and Calvmijl be reconciled ^ the way is, for One and the
fame Divine to become Both; namely, when he hath been C<?/'5'W->
fiical in his Dodtrine, to be uirminian in his Ufe.

O F

(8)

>i\

O F

Redemption.

S for this Head of Redemption, I am for a middle Way,
^ as Mr. Baxter was, and Dr. Davenant in his Book De moru
C/;ri/J;, which Arch-bp. t-^^^^r approv'd, and was byafs'd toward the
Univerfality of it. For feeing the Scripture is fo exprefs and fall
that Chrift dy'd for all^ that he tailed Death for every Man, that
he was a Propitiation for the 5^5 of the whole World; and that fo raa-
ny more Texts might amply be quoted, there is fome Senfe wherein
this Univerfality muft be maintained, or the Scripture be forfa-
,ken.

The Death of Chrift therefore may be confidered as it hath pur-
chafed Remiffion and Salvation on Condition, and fo it is for all,
and acknowledged (as Mr. Baxter notes) by Dr, Twifs. But the
ftrid Calmnifl will have more, that it redounds to purchafe the Con-
dition alfo, and the Redeemed therefore are only the Eled. This
Inference I dillike quite, and the Propofition, that Chrilt by his
Death (whereby he hath made SatisfaSion for our Sins) hath pur-
chafed the Condition alfo for any, Iqueftion.

For the Inference, If there was a double Redemption, one to pur-
cbale Pardon and Life on Condition, and another to purchafe alfo
the Condition, then would it be plain, that one was for all, and
the ether for the Eleft only. But Redemption is but one, though
that one may have a double Refpcd, and Dr. Davenant and Mr.
Baxter no doubt thought not any otherwife : that is, a Refpeft to
the whole World, or a Refpccl to the Eleft. As it refpefts all the
World, it does purchafe Remiffion and Salvation on Condition ;
asitrefpcds the Elcft, it does farther (as they muft hold) purchafe

for

.. , (9 )

forfuch the Condition alio. Upon this accouat therefore y?lth:thcm
it does not follow, that none are redeemed but the Ekd, becaufe
that tho' in the one refpect, as Chrill by his Redemption hath pur-
chafed alfo the Condition (fuppofing it fo) it was for the Eled : yec
in another refpect, as it hath purchafed Pardon and Life only on
Condition^ it is for the World ^ fo that in thefe diverfe Refpeds, all
are redeemed^ and alfo th€ Elect only. I will not wonder therefore
at thefe two Eminent Men, Mr. Baxter and h'lihop Daveyiant^ that
they affirni Redemption to be Vnive^fil and Special both, I thank
them for. thpir Pains, their great Pains, but in good earneft it is
an Inconfifi-ency I cao'not fully, but half approve.
■ 'lor as for ttie PropofiLion ic felf^ that Chrifl hath by his Death
purchafed the Condition for the Eled (that is, tha Grace which
elFedts their Faith d\^d Repentance, and fmcere Obedience, which is
the Condition that they may be eitedually faved) 1 have an Objedi-
on.3gainft it^ vvhkli. y ou.fhall have by. the by, that I think could not
beanfwered, even by them. . Tiie ftrict C.i.'z/i«i(/'^j agree with thefe
middle ones in the Fropofltion, and are peremptory, that if our
Redcmpdon be no more for the Eled than others, which is the pur*
chafing Remiflion and Salvation on Condition, and not the Conditi-
on it f^If, then docs our Salvation lie at Man*s own Free Will ^ fo
that tho' Chrift hach redeemed all, there may net be any one faved
for all that. An Allegation really inconfiderate, becaufe Redemp-
tion is fo dillinguifhed fiom Election, that it is no Link in its Chain,
and is to be fo dillinguifhed as cither of them to have their Bounds.
Redemption hath procured Pardon and Life upon Conditions and
there is^ its Bounds ^ and as fer the Condiaon, there is no Obligati-
on on Free Grr.ce, but God may difpofe it (he may give Faith)
where he pleafes, fo as it lies upon Election, not oa Man's Free
Will therefore but on God's, for him to give it unto one and noc
another: and thus Election takes care that P.edemption be not in

Tbefl'abUninsthe more, weareto confider, in thi? great Matter
of Election and Salvation, that God is to be acknowledged as Rector
and Lo/a both in it ^ and confequently thefe Divines that hold the
Death of Chrifl to be for all, in purchafing Pardon and Salvation on
Condition,, but that the Condition flows not from the Power of
Man's Free Will, nor directly.from Chrill's Pnrchafe, but from Ele-
ction,, do manifeftly give God his Glory, while they make him as
Lord, to give the Condition to his Elect ^ and as Rector, to judge

C of

( lo )

of them as of all the World according to that Condition.

For my Objection now againft the Piopofition I am to offer, it is
this, that inltead of what they fay zgainitVni'uerfal Redemption,
that it deflroys Free Grace, I muft tell them, that Redemption Spe-
cial does indeed do ic. For the Free Grace of Election we all know
to lie in this, that out of the Mafsof Mankind, who have no Merit,
one more than another, God does choofe whom he will for no Caufe
but his own Free Pleafure. Now if Chrift hath purchafed the Con-
dition for the Elect, then does God choofe them from the reft upon
Merit, the greateft Merit that can be, even Chrift's Merit ; and
when thechoofing the one that hath his Merit is the Reafon of his
Choice, and not the other becaufe withxjut it, this does deftroy the
Freenefs of Election altogether. This Objection is the firmer, be-
caufe the Calvinifis do all contend about Election, that it has no re-
fpectto Chrift's Merit and our Faith, but only as they are the Ef-
fect of it, that is, becaufe God does elect, choofe or determine
fometo befaved, therefore he fends his Son to procure by his Re-
demption their Salvation, and gives them Faith to that end : And
why do they ftand on this, that Chrift's Merits muft not be confi-
dered in Election, but becaufe Election is free, and fo free that there
muft be no Merit even from Ghrift to the Elect, as the Reafon why
he thoofes one and not the other. I need not add as to them, that
nothing without God, and done in time, as Chrift's Death was,
can be the Caufe of his Eternal Will. His Will is himfelf, and God
has no Gaufe.-

The Lutheran here contends with the Calv'mifi^ and ftands upon
that Text, Hehathchofenus inChriJl. The Prepofition ^ in Greek
fignifies through^ and when it is join'd with Chrift, through^ is
through his Merits. This appears (fay they) in a former Verfe of
the fame Chapter • He hath blefled us with all BUjfmgs^ Iv yv.rZ^ in
Chrifi • and in a following Verfe, Jn him, iv «, we have Redemption j
now when thefe Words, fJe hath chofenus in him, is in the middle
Verfe between them, and they won't underftand them as they mult
be undeiftood, the Lutheran is offended as if the Calvinifi would not
acknowledge the Truth when convinced. Hechoofesus, fays the
Calvinijl, thac we may believe and be holy, not becaufe we believe
and are holy • and becaufe he hathchofen us to Salvation, he hath
fenthisSonto redeem us (asbeforej as the means to procure Par-
don and Life, and Faith for his Elect, that we may be faved : But
the Z-«tkr<?« fays^ God choofes the Believer, and that the Redemp-
tion

( " )

tion of Chrill is the Caufe, the meritorious Caufe of our Election,
as well as of our Juftification or Salvation. Here is extream Op-
pofition : One fays. Election is the Caufe of Redemption ^ and
the other fays, Redemption is the Caufe of Election ^ a'nd who (hall
.find out a middle-way, or any thing towards it, between them ?
I pray give me leave, and what if 1 Ihall fay this, that tho' Chrift
by his Redemption hath purchafed no more for any but Pardon and
Life upon Condition, as it belongs to all 9 yet may we conceive
that he hath thereby fo pleafed the Father, as to obtain that there
Ihall be an Election, that he will give his Grace (the firft Grace) to
fome, that his Sons Obedience and Sufferings ftiall have their Ef-
fect ; but tho' he gives it, he will be free in the giving ^ he wili
give it to fome, but to whom he pleafes^ he gives it, but without
Obligation by that Redemption to give it to any one more than a-
nother. As we are all fain in Jdam^ we are all redeemed by
Chrift, and all alike in the fame Eftate ; no particular Man can fay,
Chrift hath merited for him more than for others, that for his Mtrit
he fhould be chofen, and have Grace given him, rather than the
other, but all lies on Free Grace, or God's Free Will perfedly,
and fo Univerfal Redemption and Free Grace do both ftand toge-
ther.

For my fpeaking now farther of Redemption : Redemption is a me-
taphorical Word, and to fpeak of it according to the Law of the
Jews^ or the Law of the Romans^ and fuppofmg a Captivity or Slave-
ry, to ask, what it is, who are the Captives, how they came to be
fo, whofe Captives, what is the Price that redeems us, when and
how, and to whom paid, and twenty fuch Quellions may be ask'd,
which any other may anfwer that will, it is not my Work? but if
this Qpeftion in general be ask'd, what Redemption is, and the A-
poftle fays it is Remiflionof Sins (In whom we have Redemptions even
Remijjionof Sins) I will tell freely my Thoughts of it, not that it
is, but that it hath obtained Remiflion j a Univerfai Conditional
Remiffion, which will be beft conceived by a Pardon at Law, an
Act of Grace or Pardon by an Act of Parliament : Suppofe the Na-
tion in Rebellion, and under the Guilt of Treafon, and the Prince
to grant a General Pardon, an Act pafles, and the whole Nario.i
is pardon'd: The Golpel-Covenant is fuch an Act of Paidon for
all the World ; and if you object, then all the World mull be fa-
ved, I anfwer. The Act muft be read, we muft fee how it is drawn,
and we find Conditions in it : All are paidoned indeed on Conditi-

C 2 , on.

( lO

on, but the G)fidltions muft be performed and pleaded forfuing
out the Act, and obiaining the Benefit of it.

There are none of us muft qucftion but the Gofpcl, together
with RemifTion of Sia, brings a Law (the Covenant of Grace is a
Paidon and Law) requiring Obedience in order to our Salvation.
He hath ihofenmin Chnjl^ that we fhouldhe holy : Me hath redeemed m
from Iniquity^ that we fhould he a peculiar People^ z,e.ilouj of Good Works :
We are his Wcrkmanftiip, and created unto Good-voorh in (or through)
Chrifl Jefuf. By ihefe Texts it appears, that to make us holy, or
fhac vve IhouM be holy, is the End (or one End) of Chrift redeem-
ing uf, and >etdid God create Man to this End, to be holy, he
made us to fei ve him, and he put his Law in Man's Heart to obey it %
and feciiig Holinefs was the End of his Creation, how can it befaid
the End of our Redemption? I know none have ask'd the Queftion,
and I muft take leave my felf to anfwer. The Law of Creation was
a Law of Innocency, requiring us to be fo holy as to be without Sin ^
and when that was broke^ and there v/as Sin committed , there could
be no Righteoufnefs according to that Law any more^ and there-
fore was it necefiary for Chrift by his Coming not only toattone
God in regard to the Sin, but to procure alfo another Law, and
fcch as through Grace may be performed, that foa Righteoufne^
(-call'd by Daniel an Everlajling Righteoufnefs) might be brought in
{when elfe there could, I fay, be none in the World) which toge-
ther with Remiffion of Sin is required to Life everlafting.

And forafmuch as to the end that Men may repent, believe and
be holy, Chrifr bath procured RemifTion and Salvation for all upon
that Condition, Vv'hich does encourage them to it, and is Che "Ufe
Chey fhould make of it, and God would have all to repent, tho'
none do but fuch as he chooies to give his fpecial Grace to them to
doit : We are not to think that none are redeemed but they that do
attain that End, no more than yon may argue, that when the
Scripture fays that God will have all to come to Repentance, and
the Acknowledgment of the Truth, that yet God indeed will have
n'^ne to repent, but thofethat doit: For God does ufe the Means to
all fo fir as is fit for him. to bring them to it. And when the Fault
lies on them, you muft not lay it on him, as if he wiHed it not. In
like manner hath Chrift done all he was to do, that Men 0iould re-
pent, believe, and be holy, in procuring this Encouragement, To
as for h:3paithe may be faid to have redeemed them from their Ini-
jjuity (andwheaail are fo redeemed, thofethat become godly are

more

( 'a )

more peculiarly fo) but all do not take the Encourageinent to do Itl
and fo the Fault does lie on themfelves, andnoconhim, nor on God
reithtr, that he does not give them all more Grace, becaufe he ads
herein as Dcminus ahfolutus in regard to particular Perfons, in
choofing freely whom he pleafes, without any Merit in themfelvc?,
or procured by Chrill, for any one more than anotlier, to give
them his fpecial Grace for their eifedual Salvation, v; hen he gives
but his common Grace to others thatclfcds it not.

Againft Univerfal Grace by Chrift you may fay. One Man ha?,
fuch a Bluffing, and not another, and Chrift hath procured it. I
anfwer, Clirift hath procured allBleflings (efpecially fpjritual ones)
both for him and for others, on the Condition which is required to
the obtaining them ; and the one has them and not the other, be-
caufe he performs the Condition, and not the other. Life (Life e-
ternal) isaBlefling, and procured or purchafed by Chrift for all on
Gondition, for whofoever believes and repents Ihall live. The Elcd
now perform this Condition and have Life, the R.eprob3te does not
and perifhes. Life herds the Blefling, and procured or purchafed
by Chrift \ but the Condition is not purchafed or procured (as be-
fore) Or if procured, procured only to be given, and tl.at by-
Free Grace to whom God will, but not procured to be given to this
Man and not that, or more to one than another. I may yet be more
eafy, and diftinguifh between what Chrift h^Lihpurchafediox Man-
kind, by his dying for us, and what he ^iwjiiClxecu ting his Fa-
ther's Will and Free Pleafure. It is reafonable that Chrift taking
onhimourFlefli, the Flefh of all, and dying for all, to hold than
what he hath purchafed with the Price of his Blood is for all, and
all alike i tho' what he does in Execution of his Father's Will, which
is free, be beftowed on one rather than another. And confequent-
]y, that what he asks his Father, be fuch as lie may ask for Peter
which he asks not for John^ and for his own Diicipies, what he prays
not for others. 1 pray not for th^ V/orld^ fays Chrift, he prays noc
for all 3 yet, that he died for the World, and for all, is exprefs in
Scripture. 1 fpeak it mainly in regard to Salvation for Sinners,
and Redemption to be for al), though Faith, Repentance, and the
Grace for Application be given by Chrift to fomeonly, not as Pur-
chafer, but Executor of his Father's Eletttion.

J}%

r 14 )

An JPPENDIX to this Seccf^d He Ad.

F Redemption be Univerfal, according to the Scripture, it is buli
_ reafonablc to believe the Grace of God, which is given for the
Application of it, to be Univerfal alfo : and Ijwill not queftion there-
fore bat as to thofe that have the Gofpel (faying nothing to the con-
trary neither as to others) that God does vouchfafe fo much Grace
to the Adult, that they may believe, repent, and be faved, if they
will •, and when they may if they will, who can deny thaUGrace to
be fo much as maybefaid necejfary, and fufficient ? ^ And yet if they
will, I acknowledge it to be of farther Grace, which we call f^ccial,
or the Grace of God's Eled. This Dodrine appears by thefe Scrip-
tures. God will have all to repent and be faved, 2Pef. 3.9. He
would, but Man will not, y^^f. 23.37. Whofoever will may come,
Rev.n. i'j. And yet none do come unlefs the Father draws him,
John 6. 44. The Command, irork out your Salvation, includes that all
have Power, and ye: is it God that mult work in us to will and to do, or
the Work will never be done, Thil 2. 13. By thefe Scriptures and
the like we may fee how Truths of Scripture are myftical, deep,
and to be founded by Faith •, for if I followed only my Reafon, I
confefs I fhould be apt to think otherwife, that feeing the Grace
Vvfhich is Univerfal reaches thus far, that Man may, if he will, it
feems enough ta^leave there; for if he will not (when he hath fo
much Grace thme may if he will) God is juff: to condemn him ,-
and if he will, he muft attribute it to this Grace, which is Univer-
fal, as that without which he could not have willed, and with it he
does both n'i// (f«^ ^(?, and is faved.

In the Council of 'frent, Father Paul in his Hillory of it, does tell
us of an Opinion broached by Ambrofias Catharinus, to this EfFeiff,
,(whofe Book I have feen) that there are forae lingular Perfons, as
J^aul, the Difciples, and the like, that God does take an extraordi-
nary Care of, fo as it is impoffible for them to fail of Salvation,
Afat. 2^.2^- and thefe only are the £/e(? (as John writes to the £-
J'M Lady^ unto whom this Grace which is fpecial doth belongj but
as for the Generality of Mankind, orChriftians, they have the Go-
fpel and the Grace of God, which is univerfal, and according to
cheir Improvement thereof, feme there be that are, and others that
are not converted by it, and favcd.

Unto

(15 )

Unto this Opinion, without mentioning that Author, there is an
ejccellent Perfon, Dr. Henry More^ who gives his Suffrage, in thefe
Words j " I do profefs I do verily think, that there is fuch a thing
" as difcriminating Grace (as they call it) in the World ^ and
" that to fuch a Difference for Good, that fome few of Mankind by
*' virtue thereof will be irrefiftibly faved ; but that the refl of the
" World are Probationers, that is. have Free Will, and are in a
" Capacity of being faved, fome greater, fomelefs, and that who-
" foever is damn'd, it is long of himfelf. For as Syracides faith,
" God hath no need of the wicked Man. Dr. Mors's Myflcry of
Godlimfs^ p. 502.

We take it for granted, that the whole World is divided into the
£le(i and Reprobate, and that no Reprobate, and none but the Eleft,
can be faved : But may not it be a Queflion ask'd, where either of
thefe are exprefly faid in Scripture ? Examine your f elves ^ prove your
ovonfelvesy Inoro you not Chrifi vs in you, unlefs ye be Reprobates i' May
not a Man examine himfelf, and find not Chrift tn him, but be re-
probate and unapproved, at prefent, and yet have Grace given here-
after, fo as to repent^ believe, and be faved,- I fay only, may no6
this be ask'd?

Of the Opinion therefore of Catharinus and Dr. More, my Genius^,
which leads me ftill into the middle-way of difputed Points, would
make me a ready and thankful Follower -, but yet it is the Scripture
alone that won't let me. Scripture is the Rule of my Faith, and
the very Truth of the Scripture, as I believe it, is as I have faid^
and Imuft but unfay and unbelieve to fay any more;

OF

•( i6)

OF THE

Salvability of the Heathen.

THIS is the next Head I fpeak of after Redemption^ becaufe it
follows from the VniveYfaUty of it. It is common with thofc
that are of the Z,^/;i Church, as. CypY'ian and ^ufiine^ to fay that
none out of the Ark or out of Rahdi-i Bvuf^\ tliams-^ none but Ghri-
Hians can be faved : But I am er.clining to. Juftin Martin^ Clemens
^kxcmdr'mus^ Eufebius, and fuch of the Greek Ciiurch', who have o-
tlier Sayings. For though I hold Communion with the Church, I
cannot really and truly, and in good carnell I cannot approve, or
aflent (as Truthj tobei* eighth At tide, in a litteral and gramma-
tical Conflrudioa of the Word Thoroughly in the Englijh^ and Omnim
in th^ Latin '^ feeing the Beginning, the Middle, and the End of the-
Athamfian CvetddoQS fentence every one that is not a Chriftian,
to be inevitably damn'd. But God forbid this fhould be fo, for the
Truth of Natural Religion, and the Goodnefs of God, is that I' am
more aflur'd of, than of the Greed of Mhanafms^ or the Compofure
of any other.

I have been long fenfible of my own Inclinations, and of other
Friends, whom 1 think like-minded with me, and to have the
lame Opinion of our decsr and blefled Lord Jefus Ghrifl, that he
is io good, as to be on^ thathaLh done, and docs- Kindneis, "and
batli Tnewh even faving Favour, to many whom yet he never told
of it.

I have more particularly taken heed to the Bifnop oi Salisbury ^ be-
caufe I fee in hisExpofition of the eighteenth Article heSoes can-
didly declare for this Opinion, but with Caution, which he hath
taken up on Truft from fuch as fay, a Heathen indeed is falvable,
btit only by uncovenanted Mercy. Thofe Authors tOt have faid
thus, may be wife Men, and made great by his Approbation; But

if

(I?)

if they bave fpoken dangeroufly, not diftinguilhing between the Pe-
culiarity of the Covenant as belonging to the Jexvs^ and the Cove-
nant of Grace it felf which belongs to Mankind^ and thereupon they
be out • I iiope this truly great and extraordinary Bifhop will be fo
humble, as not to refufe other Information from an infinitely in-
ferior, and lefs learned Perfon.

Believe it, good Reader, the Redemption of ChriH:, and the Cove-
nant obtain'd by it are of equal Extent : and for a Man to fay that
any may be fav'd by uncovenanted Mercy, is to fay they may be fav'd
without Chrift, and without Redemption ^ which to fay, is to br?.ng
the Curfe of that eighteenth Article upon him, and no avoiding it.

All Mankind as in yldamh Loins are under the Law of our Crea-
tion, the Law of Innocency, the Law of Works ^ and fince Adam's
Fall there is no Flelh living by that Law can be jultify'd. There is
a Neceflity therefore of that Deliverance frcm the Law which ChriH
hath wrought : But hov/ are we redeem'd and freed from it ? We
are all ftill under it as a Rule of Life, q-wad Ohedicnttam ^ but are
freed from it as a Rule of Judgment, quo.id Jujlificationem. That is,
we fliall not (Thanks to our Lordj be judg'd by this, but by ano-
ther Law which Chrift hath obtain'd for us, the Covenant of Grace,
according to the Condition whereof every mortal Man fliail be julti-
fy'd or condemned.

The Covenant in fhort is this, Believe and thou /halt he fav'd ; and
the Queftion thence arifes, which to us, who maintain a Heathen's
Salvabiiity, is indeed a hard Qjieftion, and one of as great Con-
cernment as any can be in the World, to wit. What is that Faith
which is the Condition of this Covenant ? For anfwer. It is to be
premis'd, There muft be the Knowledge of God, and that he is
merciful and good- This being known, it muft be believ'd, I mean
aflented to \ and being believ'd, we muft truft to it, and have
Affiance in God. Now then, that Faith which is the Con-
dition of the Covenant, is this very Truft in the infinite Mercy and
Goodnefs of God for partaking the Benefits of it ^ His Mercy for
pardoning all our Sins, and particularly the Failings of our Duty ;
and his Goodnefs then for accepting that Duty, however imperfect,
fo long as it islincere in his Sight • vthich the' we Chriftians are to
believe to be for Chrift's fake, it is enough the Heathen does be-
lieve to be for his Name's fake, that is, his own fake, his Mercy's
fake. There is Me)'cy with thee that thou m.tyjl he feared.

D Here

( i8)

Here then is the Covenant and the Condition of it, whereof this
whole World is capable, fo that the Fault fhall lie upon every Maa
enduM uich Reafon, hinifelf, ard not on his Mak:r, that he is not
fav'd. A Tvvll in God's Mercy tor the Pardon of their Faults, and
Acceptance of their Duty, that prevalently induces them to Repen-
nnce, and to ob:y him' in Sincerity, according to the Light they
have, is the Condition- The Apoftle futably cites this Text from
oneof I he Prophets, more than once ; The Jiiji /h.ill live by Faith,
The jnft xMan, tho' juit, moft jufl, cannot live but on God's Indul-
gence, and he mufl truft to it. jirijlides^ tho' Anjlides^ one that
fe^yeth God and mrhth Right eoufnefs^ muft find Mercy for Pardon of
his Sins ^ which is thro' Chvifl's Satisfadion^ tho he knov/s it notj
and Grace for the Acceptance thereof unto Life, or he could not be
fav'd.

ThisCondition^ it is true, no Man exviribus mturtecan perform :
But by the fpecial Grace of God, even a Heathen may, and fo
be fav'd. And why may not fuch a Man, by the Light of Nature
(Ccdpidewing what may he known of him) be converted^ as the Chrifti-
an by the Light of the Gofpel ^ and the one be eled, and internal-
ly called (not ex facienteipfoquod infe eji^ but ex Deo miferente cujus
'vult) as well as the other, it God pleafe i Here is Free Grace ad-
vanced, and no Pelagianrfm or Arminianifni induc'd by it. No,
but hereby verily is that Text made good. Who will have all Men to
bcf'V'd^ and come unto the Knowledge of the Truth ^ feeing he affords to
them fo much Light f according as they become capable) that if
ihey finccrely live up to it fhe giving Grace alfo for fome foto do)
they (hall efcape Damnation.

Having mentioned the more than ordinary valuable Judgment of
Bifhop Burnety 1 think fit to tranfcribe a fuller Account which I
took of it.

That excellent Perfon, when the eighteenth Article of the Church
pronounces an Anathema to all them who hold that any Man may be
fav'd hythe LaworSe^l he profeffeth, unlefs he be a Chriftian, which
feems to be the Senfe ot the Article, . diftinguifhes between the
Tv-crd By and In ; and he fays. To befavdby a Law or SeB^ fignifiei,
thai by the Virtue of that Law or Se^ fuch Men as follow it may be fav'd .'
JVhereas to be fav'd in a Lawor Scii, imports only^ that God may extend
lis Co)):paJJion to Mm that are engaged ■ in afalfe Religion. And this he
appears to own, as notcondsran'd by the Article. If the Bifliopor

( 19 )

1 fhould affirm, that a Man may be fav'd b/, or in, any falfs Relio
gion without Chi in, the Article indeed does curfe ns: But to fay
only that a Man may be of a falfe Religion, and yet psrdon'd and
fav'd thro' Jefus Chrifl, acknowledging fwith the Article) that
there is no Name under Heaven whereby he canhe fav'd^ but by him -^ we
are to be fatisfied as to the Intent of the Article, that iccurfcs us
cor. Beddes that, a Curfe. miftaken, and the Curfe cauf^lefs fluU
not come. The ingenious Bifhop proceeds: And f.-eing Faith ia
Chrifl is in the Gofpel requir'd as necellary to SaIva:ion, there is
no Qiieftion to be made (he faysj but that thofe that have the Go-
fpel preach'd to them, and believe not in him, mull be damn'd:
The Difficulty only is concerning thofe that never heard of the Chri-
ftian Religion. Here then the Bifhop diftinguifhes again of Men in
the Law^ and without the Law ^ according to the Apoflle, that isj be-
tween the Jew and the Gentile^ Chriftian and Heathen : And for
the laft, tho' they have not the Law wricten, they have it in their
Hearts, and fliall be judgM according to their Gonfciences. This is
fair, but feeing that Pardon of Sin is limired (as he fpeaksj to be-
lieving in Chrift, and Salvation is only thro' Ghrilt's Name according
to the Scripture, he difl:ingui(hes again thus: tt is on account of the
Death and Sacrifice of Chriji that Men are pardoned and fav'd -^ but it is
not fo plainly f aid that no Man can be favd unlsfs he hath an exprefs KnoW'
■ledge of this J together with a Belief of it- That is in effect the fame i
fay in my Difcourfe concerning the Qiiakers, that the Redemption
we have by Chrift, and the KnoA'ledgeof him, is not to be reckon'd
commenfurare -.'And yet it is but unwarily faid of him for too warily,
as one in the Water who feels not a Bottom for his FeetJ that Par-
don of Sin is pofitively limited to believing in Chrift. For here-
upon he is fo:c'd to mince his Speech thus. It is not fo plainly faid ■
Whereas Pardon of Sin is limitecl to a Believer in Chrift only as to
fuchas have had a Preacher, as is before underflood by himfe.f. It
is true that the GoI]:iel fays, He that believes not fJja'l be d.imnd; but
I reply, as the Apoftlefays, Ff^hatthe Law fpeaks^ it fpeaks to thofe
that are under the Liw: So the Gofpel fpeaks this to thofe that are
under the Gofpel, not to th€ Heathen. For the explicit Knowledge
of Chrift as the Gofpel reveals him, is not at all requir'd of an Hea-
then Man Cncr of InfantsJ no, not of any Manas neceifary to SjI-
vation, before Chrift came. Upon this Suppofition then^ that this
w notfo clearly faid in Scripture as the other, the Bifhop comes to ano-
ther Diftindion, which he fays is to be made, as that which will clear
cbe QidiUer ^nd all Di^culcies ia it. O 2 A

( ao )

'A great Difference (fays he, I will cite all his Words) is toi^
made between a Federal Certainty of Salvation ftcur'^d by the Promifes of
God and of this New Covenant of jefus Chriji^ and the Extent to which
the Goodncfs ani Mercy of God imy go. None are in a Federal State of
Salvation but Chrijii.ms : To them is given the Covenant of Crace^ and
to them the Promifes of Cod are made and offered, fo that they have a Cer-
tainty of it^ upon t'eir performing the Conditions that are put in the Prc^
mifes'^ all others are out of the Promife^ to whom the Tidings of it wasne-
2fer brought'

In this now which is faid by this v/orthy Bifhop, ther^ is thus
mach of Truth to be acknowledged and noted, That no Heathen or
Jew under their Difpenfations had, or could have fuch Certainty
on their turning to God (fo as to draw near to him in full ^ffuranceof
Taithj Heb. lO. 22.) that they fliould be accepted and faved, as
Chriftians have, orinay have, upon the Revelation of Jefus Chrift*
and for that reafon, if there were no other, the Difpenfation the
Chriflian is under is exceeding better than that of the Jews and Hea-
then. But for this fo able a Divine to take up this Dillindion of
Salvation by Covenant^ or by Vncovenanted Mercy ^ as fome are pleafed
with •, and then affirming that there is no Covenant of Grace, or
Proraife of Salvation upon Performance of the Conditions of it to
any but Chriftians, is too much upon Ttuft, for he is not one to for-
get or forfake the common Dodrine of the Covenants^ to wit, one
of Z^Fb>'J^5 belonging to the State of Innocency which Mankind brake5
and the other of Grace made with j4dam fallen, in the Promife of
the Woman's Seed, that is, of a Redeemer : From vVhence arifes a
Government of God by right of Redemption • and all Goverment
being by a Law, it is this that he and all his Pofterity are and mulb
be under for Life or Damnation. As for thofe then that hold or
are^wRvilling to hold a Saivability for the Heathen, and yet deny
their Salvation by Covenant, but talk of uncovenanted Mercy, they
do trip in plain Ground, upholding a Dodrinethat is miraculoufly
good and generous, but without a Foundation. For there is no way
nor ever was but one way, which is this, by the Covenant of Grace
(procured for us by Chrifl; of Salvation to any Man under Heaven.
As for thsm'whom God hath left m Darknefs ffays the Blfnop far-
ther, intending all the Heathen) they are certainly out of Covenant^
cut cf thefe Promifes and Declarations that are made in it, fo that they
have no federal Right to he faved^ neither can we affirm that they
fhall be fav'd; This I muH needs fay, I take to be fpoken without

fecond

( ai )

fecond Thoughts; and fomethingdoespafs fometimes unconfidered
from the rnofl: ftudied Perfon. There is no Man coming into the
irorldkk foin Darknefs, but he hath a Light within^ which if he
live up to, he is one of God's People, fays the Qiarkcr. There is no
Wan upon Earth that loves God liacerely can peiifii. The Quakcr3
Dodrine in this Point is moi e ordinable to Proof of the two. I will
fay more, there isno Man in the Earth, Heathen or Ghriftian, hue
he is a Subjed of the Covenant, the Covenant of Grace; and' God
is certainly his Governour by this Law, and fo is he under a Govern-
ment of Grace; and lo far I will fay too, that ifheobevs his Go-
vernour, anfwers that Law, or lives up to that Revelation of God's
Will which he hath, he is upon performing the Condition under the
Promife thereof accordingly, to be fav'd, and we may affirm that he
Ihall. I mufl yet fay farther (if it be farther) that there is no Man
on Earth that is fav'd but it mull be by the Covenant, the Cove-
nant of Grace, and Promife of ir.

Of this Covenant then, by which alone ail Men have been, and
mull be faved, and no otherwife but by ir, tho' k be one and tlie
fame in Sub/lance^ accordmg to our Divines, yet it is diverfe, and
iiath been threefold in the Mminijlrathn. One before the Law a
fecond under the Law, and a third under the Gofpel. It is objed-
ed now, A Heathen hath not Faith, which is the Condition of the
Covenant, and therefore he cannct be i^a Covenant, nor be faved.
Be that believes notfhail be d.imned. I anfrver, A Heathen hath noE
the Faith which is required under the third Adminiilration, a Be-
lief that Chrifl died for our Sins, and'rofe ag-.in for om Juflification
which is more than was required of the Jew under the Second .• Nor
hath theHeathen the Faith of the Jew : but he may have fuch a Faith
as thefe had before the Law, under the fir/l Adminiilration (which
indeed he is only under) that is, he has the Law of E, Hire Nature
writ in his Hearty as they had, to believe there is a God, and that he
will reward them that diligently feek him ; and alfo of Lapfcd Na-
ture to believe him merciful, to forgive his Sin upon Repentance
fo that fuppofingGod vouchfifing his Grace for him to do it, he is
in a Capacity of Salvation, And from hence may we take a true Un-
derftanding of the Apollle in thefe Words; But norvt's theRiohte-
oufnefs of God revealed from Faith to Faith. The Righteoufnei's of
God is the Righteoufnefs of this Covenant, which Pvighteonfnefs is
F-aith, and which Faith was ever on foot for Mens Salvation, in op-
pofiiion to mrks : And from Faith to Faithj is, from the Faith which

was

( " )

was fufficient under the firft and fecond, to tbat wiiich is now requi-
red further under the third and latter Adminiftration of it.

That God Is fo good to all Men, Heathen or Chrillian, and his
Grace foUniverfal, that no Man (hall be able to fay at the Day of
judgment tl]at the Fault was in Hifn^ but in Themfclves only, that
they are not favM, is that Dodtrine of the Quaker, which is never
-to be gainfdid by any confiderate Divine, but to be own'd for a ge-
gerous Truth, allowing them this candid and fair Conftruftion.

There is one Diftinftion therefore more, which the Bifhop wants,
and the Want hath put him out. It is this. That befide the two
Covenants of Works and Grace, which are generally acknowledged,
there is another Covenant (or rather another Confideration of the
latter J which feme call a Middle, fome a Political, fome a Peculi-
ar, fome a Subfeivient Covenant, belonging to the Jews, and now
.to us Chriltians alfo, who by the Partition-Wall being broken
dov;n are made one, and are therefore, as the Jews were, called
;by Peter^ a Chfen Generation, a Royal Prieflhood^ a Holy Nation^ a
JP iculj AT People y and arc {lid by Paul, to be grafted into their Olive^
that is, into the fame Covenant-Relation. When the Scripture then
ipeaksof the Gentiles, that they were without Cod in theTVorU, with-
out the Covenant, Aliens to it, and the like, we are to underftand ifi
all in regard to the Church-ltateof the Jews, and Covenant where-
by they had God for their God, and they were his People in a pe-
culiar manner, as the Pofterity of Abraham, and diftinguifhed from
all other Nations.

They were without God, that is, as he was to the Jews a Peculi-
ar Governor, but not without God as Univerfal Sovereign of Hea-
ven and Earth, and as Lord of Man thro* his Redemption by Jefus
Chrift. Is he the Cod of the Jews oniy^ is he not of the Gentiles ? Tea of
the Gentiles alfo. And how, withont the Covenant? That is,
.without the Covenant of Peculiarity. They were not in the Cove-
nant in that peculiar manner as the Jews were^ but as for the Cove-
nant it felf, the Covenant of Grace, of Life, of Salvation, or of the
Gofpe], it is Univerfal; and however revealed to any, whether Jew
.or Gtntile, Chriftian or Heathen, there are none can be out ot it,
Eor any Difference is to be made, but all are and were for ever fince
the Fall of y^^^w, and muft be under it. And tlio' the Gentile came
iiot to the Jew to hcciraimcifed, or the Heathen come not to us to
be batiifed, that is, to the Profeffion of this Covenant, they arc all
ijn.der the Verge of it in regard to Obligation, and Promife upon

the

the Condition ; fo that if any of them be wrought on hy the Spirit"
of God, and do inwardly enter into and keep ic (cho' they undcr-
ftanditnot) they are made Parrakers of the Benefic, the Privilege,
the Promifeof it, asw^il as we Chriftians- Tribulation nnd uinguijh
upn every Soul that doth Evil • but Gloyy^ Honour^ and Prace to every
Man that rvorketh Good, to tie Je.v frjl, and alfo to the Gentile : For
there is no ref^eCt of Perjbns with God. Rom. 2. lo, 1 1 . with Ad. 10.
3+1 35- ^/f^^ ^-'^^ J beheld^ and lo a grejt Multitude^ which no Mf,z
could number, of all Nations, and Kindreds, and People, and Tongues^
jiood before the Throne^ and before the Limb, clothed with white Robes*
and Palms in their Hands : uind cried with a loud Foice^ faying. Salva-
tion to our God, which fitteth u^on the Throne^ and unto the Lamb,
Rev. 7. 9, 10.

O F

*'fW')

O F

The Judaical Covenant.

THis Head is proper to come next, for there (as I have faid on
the Head preceding) is the Covenant of Works^ and the Co-
venant of CTr^ce. The Covenant of Works God made with Jdam
in his Integrity, being that Law which is written in all Mens Hearts,
and fo requires Perfedion, and for the leaft Tranfgreffion threatens
Death. The Covenant of Grace was made with Man in his Fain E-
itate, arrd requires Our Faitli, Repentance, and Sincerity only unto
Life; which being held forth under the Title of the Promijeto A-
d'iw, Abraham, David, and all during the Law, was ratified by the
Death and Blood of Ghrifl; the Redeemer under the Cofpel, and fo
promulgated to the Woild, to continue ftill of Force (and in that,
as in one regard, called New) as long as that lafls -^ Behold the Days
come, faith the Lord, when I will fnah a new Covenant, not according
to the Covenant I made with their Fathers in the day I took them by the
Band to lead them out of Egypt. Here we have an Old Covenant and
a New, and what are they ? The Old is that which God made with
the Jews (which is plain) even when Mofes lead them in the Wil-
derneis. The New is that which we have under the Gofpel, tho' it
may have happily another Admin ill ration_, when the Jews are called.
The Old Covenant then is not the Covenant of Works, for that
Covenant being all one with the Law of Nature, was made with all
Mankind in Jdim, and as written in our Hearts, mufl: be eternally
obligatory ; when the Old Covenant was made with the Jev.'s in op-
pofition to other Nations_, and as peculiar to them, is vanilhed, and
binds not : Neither is it the Covenant of Grace for the fame Reafon,
ito witj becaufe this concerns all People, and never vaniflies -, as alfo

becaufe

(^5)

becaufe the Covenant of Grace is the New Covenant, but the Ne/v-
is not the Old. In th.it he faith a mw Covenant he hath made the firjl
Old : Now that which decayeth and voaxeth old^ is ready to vanlf:) ar^^zy^
Heb.8. 13.

The Old and New Covenant indeed, fay our Divines ordinarily,
are both Covenants of Grace^ in Oppofition to th::t of Works, the
{ciS(\t\x\ Si'.hjlance^ but differing in iht Jdmlnifira:ioy.. Two, I fay,
as Old and New, in the Admiliifl; ation, but one and the fame Go-
venantof Grace ^ which yet is not eafy to be received, without the
Diftinftionofan v^andT/'f in the Cafe. ^ The Old Covenant maybe
a Covenant of Grace, or a Covenant of Works, or both , but not
the Covenant of Works, or the Covenant of Grace. There are fame
plead it is a Subfervient Covenant, as Camero: Some, that it is a
Mixi Covenant, as Ball: Some that it is a Covenant of Worh^ as
the Ley den Dlv^ines: The moll of our ovvnlate Divines do make it
a Covenant of Grace^ whereof one voluminous Author, denying
the other three Opinions, does yet fay, ic was fo difpenfed, as to
tender Life both upon the Condition of Faith and Works. But if
it propofed Life on Condition of pcrfeft Doing, it was a Covenant
of Works ^ if on Believing too, a Covenant mix'd, both of Works
and Grace*, and as perfeft Doing was urged only in Tendency to Be-
lieving, a Covenant Subfervient. And fo all fay true as to the main,
and yet none fo diftindly true, as to leave any enquiring Man
without fome Confufion in what they fay. There is one thing then
I apprehend will ferve much for the Enodation of many Difficulties,
in this Matter, and that is, to conceive aright what the Old Cove-
nant is : And there is another like it, to the fame purpofe ; to
know what Kind of Covenant that was.

For the former, what the Old Covenant is : We have hitherto
been feeing what it is not ^ but to underftand what it is, let me tell
you, that you mufl learn to feparate whatyf^o/>j did deliver to the
Ifradites^ from that which was in Promife to tlie Patriarchs, as lin-
gle by it felf^ and this is the Old Covenant. Or, Take that, and
all that whatfoever, and in what manner foever, that was added to
the Covenant of Grace, which Ahraham and the Patriarchs were un-
der^ and that abftracted therefrom, is I count the Old Covenant.
Let me yet fpeak more fully- Take Alrahanjj before he was Ninety
Years old, v.hei he ai firlt believed and that Faith was imputed to
him for R.ighteoufnefs, upon which he became the Father of the
faithful, wiiile as yet he was in Uncircumcilion (for the Law of

E Cir-

( '^6 ) .

Circnmclfion, which was after given in peculiar Reference to his Na-
tural Seed, the ^eny, in purfuance of chc Temporal Benediction, is
to be reckon'd as pre-ambulatory to the Law, and belonging to it)
and when you have paired away Ciicnmciiion, 2nd all thatwhich
/f/t>/t'5 commanded the Jtroj afterwards, from walk before me only, and
be ^erfe{} '• All this relt, this paired away from that, vvhatfoever it
be is, I fay, the Old Covenant, cr the Law, ft:ri(f^lytaken.

From hence, in the firft place, we have Light to diftinguifh be-
tween the Law taken Stri^ly and Lnrgcly ; in regard whereof we fhall
find the ApoHlefometimes proving the Righteonfnefs of Faith from
the Law being witnejfed by the Law and the Prophets : and another
time, fetting the Law and the Gofpel at the wideft Diftance and Op-
pofition. As the Law is taken comprehenlively for the Promife to
^braham^ (which is fundamentally the fame made to Mankind in fal-
len Mam) as well as the Covenant made with the^^eir^ (that is, for
the whole State they flood in who were under the Law, both by virtue
of the Covenant confirmed to their Fore-fathers, and by virtue of that
given by Afofts) the Law and Gofpel are confounded : As the Law '
Is taken ilriclly or precifely for the Old Covenant, or the Law of
Mofes with Circumcifion its Appurtenance^ that is, for all that
apart that wp, added to the Promife before-going^ and abltra-fled
there-from, ss'l have faid, fo are they diltinguifh'd, and their
Differences to be owned and maintained.

From this, in the next place^ we may undeiftandhow tht Jews
were under both Conditions of believing and doing. Of doin^ this
aid live ^ and o'^. believing alfo, that we may be faved. To wit, as the
Covenant of Grace was delivered to their Fore-fathers, andfooa
toot befeffe, itmufl needs hold forth Life to them on their Faith, as
well as to Jbrahamy their Progenitor, who received Circumcifion
asaSeal of Righteonfnefs thereby (or to come thereby) and not by
the Law, which as yet was not given. And as the Law was added
(as the Apoftle fpeaks) to this Covenantor Promife, it did tie the
Jews to a Performance of it, as a Condition of living by it, in fome
Senfe, as neither the Patriarchs before, nor we fince^ are under.

From whence yet, in the third place, we may enlarge our Light
farther, to fee how thisour Freedom or Deliverance from the Law,
does bring us Chriitians under the Gofpel, into fuch a State and Con»
dition, as the Patriarchs and thofe holy Men before ^i/r^/j^w were
in, to live according to the Lav/ of Nature, but yet fo as this Law-
Natural or Moral is in the Hands of Chrilt, and adminiftred with

Grace

( ^7)

Grace and the Spirit ; to wit, with Grace, in God's Acceptance of
cur Sincerity inftead of perfect Obedience, for the Redeemer's fike •
and vvkh his Spirit, in his AHiftance of us for the Performance.

From hence moicover wemay fee in the way, how the Covenant
of Grace which Jbraham had^ and all thefe holy Men that went be-
fore him, or that ever were, as well as we, (^r elfe they could not
have been faved) is yet called a New Covenant ; and that is, as the •
Lump is called a new Lump by the A poftic, i Cjr. 5. i. Becaufe, I
fay, that that which was addtdlG it by Mofes^ to wit, all which is pro-
perly the Old Covenant, is removed and purged away, as the Lea-
ven in the Jews Feafl, by Chrifl our PafTover, who hath been fa-
crific'd, and made for us that Expurgation.

For the latter thing to be conceived a-right^ what kind of Cove-
nant I take this to be, I am now in order to tell you, but without a-
ny Pretence of Singularity. The Old Covenant, as to me it llill
feenis, was a kind of Political Covenant, made with the Nation of
thejews^ as Princes Gompads are with their People, when they
firft fet up Government. God promifes them his Protefticn, that
he would lead them to a fruitful Land, overcome all their Enemies,
and then blefs them there with fuitable Bleffings, and they promife
him they will be ruled by him. This Day the Lord thy Godhath com-
manded thee to keep his Statutes. And this Day thoWl^jl avouched the
Lord to he thy God^ and to walk in his TVdys^ and to hear his Voice : ylnd
the Lard hith avouched thee this Day^ to be his peculiar People^ and to male
thee high above ail Nations^ as he hath profnis^d thee^ and that thou
fhouldji keep all his Commandments. So you have it in more Words,
Deut. 26. 16, 17, 18, 19.

To this end did God in fundry ways appear to Afofes, to their El-
ders, to them all in the Cloud and Fire, and then caufes a Taberna-
cle to be made for him, which was a keeping Houfe among them
where the Sacrifices and Offerings was hisProviflon, and the Pi lefts
his Servants, tiiat lived on him ; and unto that Tabernacle and Ark
they might repair for Counfcland Judgment. This People then be-
ing peculiarly under a Theocracy, wJvich Samuel in two Places docs
exprcfly fignify (at ieaft until the time oi Saul) fo that the Church
and Commonwealth of the Jews were but one, according to the A-
poftle, it is no wonder if Religion be made their Law, andfore-
quired of them, together with other Political Ordinances and Sta-
tutes, for their Happinefs or publick Peace, as a Nation.

E 2 From

From hence is it, that tho' their Law is not to be peculiarly judg'd
the Covenant of Works, or the Covenant of Grace, either of chs
two themfelves, yet may we exped, that it fhould rcpreien't botli
the one ird the other to them, becaufc in the Knowledge of both,
does the Bufinefs of Religion, and the whole of it, virtually conHIl.
In the Delivery of the*Moral Law, and that with Thunder end Light-
ning, and fuch Ten our as we read of it, they had a Repiefentation
of the Covenant of Nature or perfed Works ^ which <jm^ Fcediis is
dcubtlefs, incur fallen Eftate, a Miniflration of Wrath, or Law of
Sin and Death. In their Ceremonial Offerings, and Prieflly Ap-
pointments, tho' there was a Remembrance ftill of Sin, and fo
matter of Bondage and Fear, yet had they Types of Chrift, of re-
medying Mercy, and the Glory to come. Thefe Sacrifices were
brought diiecily as Mulds to their King, to deliver them from the
Danger of prefeat Punilhment, being Redemptions of their LiveSj
which tlfe they fhould have forfeited by his Laws, and ferved, as I
have faid, to the Maintenance of his Houfe, the Tabernacle, and
Temple, vjhich he was pleas'd to keep up amongfl them. Never-
thelefs, that does not hinder but God Almighty might make thefe
of farther life, for PvCprefentations of other Things, that is to fay ^
fpiritual^ and fo the Law be a Pedagogy, under a Temporal Difpen-
fation, leading many to Heaven.

This is certain, That the Covenants of Nature and Grace being
made with Mankind, are not Matters of Concernment only to the
j'eves, but to the whole World as well as to them, for Everlafling
Life and Death • and it is not to be conceived therefore, that either
cf them (hould receive any Deniment by the Covenant made with
tiiat particular Nation. This I fay (fays Paul in regard to the lafl)
that the Covenant confirm d before of God in Chrijl, the Law which
was four hur.dred and thirty Tears ajtcr cannot difannul^ that it f hould
r/iake the Fromife of ko effect^ Gal. i. 17. The Covenant of God in
Chrift is doubtlefs the Covenant of Grace ,• and that we fee a-toot in
ihe World before the Law, and before Abraham^ for feeing it was
confirmed to Abrah^yn^ it mult be in Being before onNeceflity j and
if it be notdifannufd by the Law, then cannot that, whatfoeverit
be, which is given by this Covenant, come to the Jexoshy th^ Law.
Jj there had been a Lawgiven^ that could haZ'e given Life^ -verily Righte-
cufnefs fhould have hien by the Law. But forafmuch as Eternal Life
2i?d Jultificatioa does come only by the Covenant of Grace, it fol-
lo?rs, that the Covenant made with the Jews muft needs be a Cove-
nant

(

^9 )

nant which conccrn'd their outward State, or political Welfare;,
as I have fjid, and that neither Salvation, nor Condemnation, as
to the Life to come, was the primary Intention, or die diied and
proper Effect of ir.

You may objeft, To what end thenferved the Law ? I anfwer with
the Aportle, It wcvs added kcaufe of TYanJgrejJlons. The Law entred
that the Offence might ahouiid. Again, By the Law comes the Know-
ledge of Sin, which tho' it was in the World before, Men were not
apt to impute it to themfelves wiihont a Law. The Law then was
for bridling the Jew from Sin, and tho' the Sadducean Jew that had
the Senfe of no Law but the external Commands- cf Mojes, and fo
was deterr'd from Sinning, and driven to Sacrificing only for avoid-
ing temporal Punilhment, yet that Jew who was one inwardly^ be-
lieving the Immortality of his Soul, and that he was under the Law
of Nature, as well as the Polity of ^'iofes^ and fo liable for every Sin
to Eternal Death and Judgment, was through Convidion of Sia
upon his Confcience, and that temporal Death he faw due to him in
the Beaftthat was facrific'd for himQexcited in the Senfe of his fpi-
ritual Eftate, to fly to the remedying Law of Mercy upon Repen-
rance, and Righteoufnefs upon Believing, which is the Subflance of
the Promife which God had given lo Jlr ah am and his Forefathers,
and has eftablifhed in the Blood of Chrift (whether the ordinary
Jew underftood it or not) according to the Gofpel. For Chrijl is
the End of the Law for Righteoufnefs 'j and the Law a School-majler to
drive us to Chrifl.

I will conclude. The Law taken at large, as I have faid already,'
that is, for all that which is contained in the Books of the Old Te-
ftament, msy be fuppofed to hold forth vvhatfoever is in the Cove-
nants both of Works and Grace : but the Law taken feparately from
either, as a third Covenant, cannot hold forth any other than the
external Government of God with Propriety over the Jews, and
thatconfiftinginthefetwo things, to wit, a hard Task of burden-
fome Duties, under the Danger of temporal Judgments ^ and a Re-
drefs from themi by Sacrifice : The one typified our Eflate accord-
ding to the Law of Works 5 and the other, the Grace that comes*
to us by Chrift Jefus,

O F

( so)

O F

uftification

e

UPon this great Article, notvvithdandingl have wrote fo much,
and fo often, I have yet to determine thefe two or three Que-
ftions, and the firfl is. Whether Chrilt obeyed for us, as well as
fuffered for us ? 0

Before I go to anfwer to it, rmufl: premife, that when we fpeak
of Chrifb's obeying or fufferingfor us, we underftand it againft the
Sociman, to be loco mflro, or w our Ji cad. Now to obey or fuffer in
our ftead, m.iy be taken either. In our /lead, that we may be look'd
upon as having obeyed and faffered in him ^ or, Inourjlead, that
we may not fuffer or obey as he. In the firfl; Senfe we mud not fay he
obeyed and fuffered for us, for it is repugnant to Truth : We have
not indeed obeyed and foffered in him ^ and if we had obeyed in
him, foas his perfeft Obedience were m fe imputed to us, there
would be no need of his Suffering, and none of our own Obedience :
Which two things are alledged in moft Books, and the more trite
and obvious, the more clear and irrefrngable. In thefecond Senfe,
the Queflion is to be ask'd, and I move it the rather, becaufe Mr.
Baxter has fdid it as currant with others, that tho' Chrijl fuffered that
roe might not fuffer^ yet he obeyed not th.it we might not obey: VVe mufl
add, 05 /;e, and I argue againft ir.

. It the Satisfadion God required of cur Mediator, and which he
made him, did confill both of his Aftive and Paffive Obedience too,
which Mr. Baxter holds as well as I, and no Satisfadion could be
made by Chiift, but in our behalf, then rauft he obey for us, as well
as fuffer for us on that account. I will fpeak it over more fully. If
he obeyed not for u^, thai we might not obey as he, then he obey-
ed

ed not in our ftead \ and his Obedience was no part of his Satis-
faftion : But feeing Obedience was due to him from Adam^ and Suf-
fer'iKg from Vs^ God in Juftice to his Law did require both from
cur Mediator to fitisfy him^ for Jie could not, or would not, and
it was fit be fhould not, be content and vvell-pleafed, but by a per-
fea fulfilling of it.

And now for making out this Obedience of his to free us frofi
our obeying as he (which is all one but to make out that he obeyed
in OUT (lead) it does appear by all the mofl fair and impartial Reafon
that can b^ from what xMr. ^ijxfernever denied, that Chrifc ha-
ving perform'd the Obedience which the Law required of us, as the
Condition of Life, he hath by that Obedience, as part of his Satis-
fa^ion made to God, procured for us a Freedom from that Obliga-
tion by a new Law, which Mr. Baxter judicioufly does call a Remedy-
ing Law ^ which hath other Conditions, according to the Perform-
ance thereof we fnall be judged, and lb jullified and faved. From
hence it is manifefl, thattho' we are not exempted by Chrift's O-
bedience from all obeying, we are delivered frosn being bound to
obey as he j which Obligation, had it remain'd in Force, muH have
excluded aliof usfrom Salvation.

As there are none therefore ever doubted to fay, that becaufe
Chrift hath born the Curfe of the Law, (the Law of IVorhs) or ths
conditionated Penalty thereof in our dead, it is a righteous thing,
as well as merciful with God, not to require the fjme of us : So is in
in regard that Chrill hath performed the conditioned Obedience
thereof alfo, that we fhould be freed from that likewife. God muft
have his Law fulfilled, or he will not be fatisfied : This hemighc
require of us ; but feeing Chrifl hath dene it for us, he is content as
to us, with what we are able to do, according to the Law of Cr.'wre.
And to put this Indulgence, or piece of Satisfadion on the acccunc
of his Obedience, is more congruous and reafonable, than on his
Death or Suffering.

A fecond Queftion is this : How is the Believer juftified by
Chrifl's Righteoufnefs ? I anfwer^ As the wmVo/7ci.'5 Cauie of our
Juflification. There is no body v;ill gainfay this.

The thiid then is, Whether the Righteoufnefs of Chrill be not
made oil^ by believing, and fo the trnnal Caufe alfo ? I anfwer.
No, becaufe it is not (it cannot be) made ours /w/t-, hut quo.td fru-
dus nut ejfedns. There are none fay or can fay it is ours but by Im-
putation, and when it is imputed to usfo far as to be ours in the

Ef.

•( r- )

Eff-eds or Benefits (as the Captive hath the Money gathdrM for hlvi
in his Freedom) it can be imputed no farther, orno otherwife, but
itmuftbe ours in it felf : And if Imputation will ferve, to be ours
in it felf, is more than needs.

Thar thing which is one Man's cannot be imputed to another, to
make ithi'w'n/^, or cannot be made by Imputation another's, fo as
to be his in the thing it felf, tho' it can b': inade h\s quoad effe^us^
ss to the partaking the Benefit. The Debt of Onefmms could not
be mide Paul's by Phikmon^s iFuiiutiKg i: to him, fo as r.o make P^u/
to have taken, or be accounted to have taken from Philcmo'/i what
■Omfimus did, but it could make him Debtor fo as to bffengag'd to
make him P.ccompsnfe, if he would not forgive it. Seeing then
that Imputation can do fo much and no more, the Imputation of
Chrift's Ri^hteonfntfs to us can make it ours no otherwife than
thus. He hath procured for us by what he hath done a Pardon and
Life upon our Believing : This Pardon and Life is re My the Belie-
vers in fe, he is pardon'd aiid faved, and the Righteoufiefs of Chriffe
is imputed to him as the meritorious Caufe thereof^ a.id upo!) that
account it may be faid to be, and is the Believeis relatively (and no
otherwife) in regard to thcfe Effeds-

As Chrift's Righteoufnefs now is ours, fo mnfi; Adam's Sin be
ours : j4s by one Man's Difobedience many were made Sinners ', fo by the
Obedience (if cne/hall many be made righteous. But how by that Difo-
bedience and Obedience? Why, by the Jmput.ttion of them to us.
This all fay, and how then made Sinners, and made righteous ?
Why, quoad effe&us. We are made rigliteous by the Obedience of
Chrilt imputed to us, not infe, but in the Effeds alseady declared,
and we are made Sinners by the Difobedience of ^dam imputed to
us in regard to thiseffed, that we are become mortal, and muft die
for it. By one Adan Sin entred into the World^ and Death by Sin. We
are not made Sinners fo as that the hriputation of Adam's Sin makes
K5 to have committed his Sin •, ABiona funt fuppofitoram : Weadtu-
alty committed it not. As for thofe tliat fay. We did actually fin
in Adam, becaufe we were in his Loins, they do make Imputation,
ar. to his Sin, to be another thing than Imputation as to Chrift's
Righteoufnefs, for none can fay we obey'd in him aftually, as being
in his Loins. q

Again, if all Men finned by eating the forbidden Fruit w^ith A-
dam^ then was it the Sin of Human Nature,- and feeing Chrift took
•pur Nature from the Virgin, who was in Adam's Lines as well as

we.

( 35 )

we, it follows, that be alfo finned in j4dam : Cut no Sin can be impu*
ted to Chrift, and j^dani's Sin therefore mufl be his own, not his,
nor ours but in the Effed. And feeing it is God imputes the Sin to
us, if the Sin it felf be made ours by the Imputation, then is God the
Author, he is made the Caufe of Sin, and fole Caufe of all the Ori-
ginal Sin which is in the World. And is not this an horrid thing for
any to maintain ?

To proceed farther, there is nothing I think fald in Scripture, or
can be faid, to be imputed to a Man which he has, unlefs for ano-
ther thing than what it is, as Faith is imputed to him for RightS'
oufnefs : Or for another End than that he Ihould have ir, as Sin is
imputed to him, to be puntfhed. Shimei curfed JDavid, and deflres
him not to impute ir. What is that ? Not that David (hould ac-
count he had not offended, but to pardon it. It follows, that for
a thing to be a Man's, is one thing, and to be imputed to him, is a-
notiier. To be iti fc is one thing, and to be his only, to an End, to an
ilfe, to a Benefit, or an Effedt, good or bad, is another. An Im-
putation m/e confequently is not to be maintained, becaufea thing
which is divers from another, cannot be the fame with that from
which it is divers. I think I need fay no more.

I know indeed how Davenant is here an AntagoniH", and he for
want of that Diflinftion, they had not then, of an Im.putation in
/e, and ([uo ad ejfeGf us ^ is put hard to it, when he is driven to make
the Believer and Chrift to be one Perfon^ and Chrift's Righteoufnefs
therefore pcrfonally his, and fo confequently ihQ formal Caufe (which
he would maintain) of our juItiScation. But I could wilh that ex-
cellent Dr. alive, for Re-con fideration j and I leave it to the An-
fwer above-given, only taking notice of thefe fpecial Words I find
in him ; Inchoata obedientia^ accedente peccatortim condonatione, perinde
'VaUt at que perfe&a Legis impJetio^ juxta illud Augujlini^ omnia faff a
deputantur, quando quicquid nan fit ignofcitur. Now if this judicious
Saying of his be Truth, that upon the account of Chrift's Merits, oui:
imperfeft Faith, or inchoate Obedience, perinde valet^ does ftand
us in thefame ftead as perfeift Obedience would (which is truly, I
think, and remarkably faid) then is there no need of Chrift's Righ-
teoufnefs to be made ours, or imputed to us, but only as to this ve-
ry Effed granted, that our inchoate Obedience fhall perinde valere^ as
a perfeft Righteoufnefs would to the Believer's Juftification.

If Chrift's Righteoufnefs were formally ours, there were no need
of rewarding our imperfed^ one, for then it would be of t^ftf, when

F now

(' J4 )

now it is but of Grace : And if God does reward our imperfed one
(which is undeniable in Scripture) there is no need of Chrifl's, but
for this meriting the Acceptance, that it may be fo rewarded. I
will fay the fame more at large; If God accepts our Faith, our Re-
pentance, and fincere tho' imperfect Obedience, and for Chrift's
fake^ or through his Merits, rewards it, fo as to pardon and fave
us, which is that we obtain by Chrid's Righteoufnefs, wliat need of
making it ours infe^iov the fame end, unlefsyou will have the fame
thing twice done.

As for the faying Chrifl and the Believer are one, it is true, that

Chrifi; and his Church is one Body^ but not one Perfon, And what

Body? Not ^ Natural Body, which having all its Members with the

Soul in them, makes a Perfon; but a MyJiicalBody^ which con fifts

of fuch Members as are all Perfons themfelves, divers anddiflind

from the Head, and one another. And tho' the Allufion be to the

Body Natural, the Qualities yet that are in.the Head, are not in the

Members. Chrift is fald to be made unto us Wifdom and Righteouf^

nefs^ yet his Wifdom is not ours, he Imws all things^ not we : Nor

bis Aighteoufnefs ours, he kmrv no Sin, we do. He, may be faid,

pnads that to us^ as he hath procured tor us. The Underlbanding

of a Man is in his Head, not in his Feet or Hands,- but yet are they

governed by it, and it is theirs^ for their Benefit : So is the Righte-

oulnefs of Chrift ours, and fo to be held ours, and no otherwife

ours, in this great Controverfy of Juftification.

Mr. Calvin, in his Injlitutions^ tells us, Chrift muft be ours firft,
and he being ours, that which is his, muft be ours ^ and fo his Righ-
teoufnefsis ours. But 1 muft fay, on the contrary, that what is
his, cannot be ours, becaufe it is his; as he cannot be «5, becaafe
he-. For how is Chrift hirafelf ours ? He is not ours as our Land, our
Houfes, our Money is ours, which one only can poflefs j but he is
ours, intheRelation wehaveto him. He is our Saviour, our Head,
our King, Prieft, Prophet, and fo he is others Saviour, Lord, as
ours. He is not neither ours, as now faid (which were morej foas
• that his Qiialities fliould be ours, his Wifdom, his Holinefs ours 5
for then we fhould h^ChriJledvmh Chrifi^ as the j4ntinomian fpeaks,
and be indeed Chrift's very Perfon. It is ftrange, that things fpo-
ken Myfucally in Scripture, fhould be Uk(.ms Naturally fpoken, and
fo underftbcd. But it is not fo, that Chrift is ours, but ours in-
deed only (as I have faid already j in the Relations we have to him,
and our Intereft in the Benefits procured for us (or arifing to

us)

(35 )

us) by them. Infiiort, As Chrifl himfelf is ours, in our Interert,
in his Benefits : So is his Righteoufnefs ours, and no otherwife, buC
in the Benefit we partake by it.

Not that I fhall be offended at any Brother, Miniller, or
other gcdly Chiiflian, who hath other Sentiments. I know than
CoYiterenus^ Cardinal, and our Fi/Jjer^ Bifhop, who was a Martyr
for Popery, acknowledge a double Righteournefs, which we attain
by Faith (efficienter^ as they fay): The one is an inherent Righte-
oufnefs J for when our Faith is found, it will produce Repen-
tance, fincere ObediencCj and a holy Life, which is Jujlhi.t inhe-
rem. The other is a Righteoufnefs of Free Gift, and imputed J^-
ftitia donata & ifuputata^ which is Chrifl's Righteoufnefs apprehen-
ded by Faith, (as they both hold, according to the Proteftants) fo
as to make it lours. And astotheQueftion then, which of the two
we mufl; truft to for Juflification (that is, with them, to make us
righteous, and to be accounted fo of God) it is the imputed Righte-
oufnefs (fay they; becaufe the Inherent is imperfect, and we cannot
truft to it. Now when two fuch Perfons as thefe were convinced
cy the Protejlants, fo as to receive this Dodrine from them, the
E*rc*"eftants themfelves have reafon to confider more thoroughly of
it, which I honeftly fay, in regard to Mr. Baxter and my felf, who
have our duTr^-ent Conceptions from them.

For my part, I Tiuft confefs I am not fo bold as to think, or be-
lieve, that the very Righteoufnefs of Chrift is mine (and much lefs
do I think that a Man's believing it to be his makes it his) for if I
did believe it mine, I fliould go to God ss having a perfed Righ-
teoufnefs to juftify me by the Law (the Law of Works) fo as to
liave a Right to it, and the Reward to be of Debt* but I dare noe
do fo • no, I cafl my "Telf on God's Mercy altogether, to pardon
all my Sins, through the Satisfadion of Chrift, and to accept of thac
Faith, and inchoate Obedience (the Failings done away by that
Pardon) through his Merits, for Righteouihefs, when otherwife I
iiave none to juftify me.

I believe, that by Faith we are inferted in, or united to Chrift-,
fo as to have an Intereft in him for the Communication of his
Spirit, and all Benefits we have by him. But I believe not, that
his Righteoufnefs does thereby become perfonally ours, fo as/or-
waUy to juftify us. If I am in an Error^ I befeech God's P-ardon, and
alfo his Mercy, that I may have his Righteoufnefs as mine, if others
bave it, who do humbly expeft only the Fruit, the Effedts, or Be-
nefit of it. F 2 I

( 36 )

I believe there is afreeGift of Righteoufnefs (donata & imputata)
m the fifth of the Romans^ call'd, the Gift by Grace, (ver. 15.) and
Gift of Righteoufnefs^ (vcr. 17.) and free Giftok^n \ but 1 think not,
with the molt of Proteftants, that it means Chrift's Righteoufnefs,
for by that it is fa id (ver. 18 J to come to us, and therefore not the
Gifc it felf i but 1 think indeed it means the Righteoufnefs of Cod
(which Paul's Mind is fo much uponj revealed in the Gofpel, in
Oppofition to Works of the Law (or perfeft Works) and is nothing
elfe but this Faith and inchoate Obedience even now mention'd, ac-
cepted for Righteoufnefs through the Merits of Chrifl ^ and fo are we
faid to hQ Righteous (v. 19.) by his Obedience. To be juftify'd with-
out a Righteoufnefs, is to be cloathed without a Garment : And fee-
ing there is no other Righteoufnefs we have but this, if we be jufti-
fiedat ail, wemuft be juftify'd by it.

The Law of Works is look'd upon as the Rule of Judgment by

of

Grace, or of the Gofpel, is^ I account, the Rule whereby we (hall be
VJdged- This Law or Rule requires of us to believe and repent, in
order to Remiffion and Salvation ; and when a Man believes and re-
pents, he performs this Law ^ and in that Performance he hath a
Righteoufnefs according to it, and God's accounting, judging, or
declaring a Man righteous, according to that Law whereby he is
Eobe judg'd, is his Juftification. This is fo plain and clear, that I
cannot but give notice, that it is the want of the Knowledge, or re-
ceiving hereof, is the Ground of all the Controverfy there hath been
on the Point, and that the receiving only the Rule muft put an End
to it.

Juiliffcation by Faith and Repentance, through the Righteouf-
nefs of Chrifl, as the meritorious Caufe of the Acceptance thereof,
for Pardon and Life: And JuftiPication by Chrift's Righteoufnefs,
through Faith and Repentance, as the Condition of having it impu-
ted, are like to make fo little Difference as to the Practice of a truly
godly Chriftian^ that 1 am not much concern'd who is for the one,
and who is for the other. They both alike truft to the Satisfadi-
on and Merits of Chrift alone, as I do for Pardon and Salvation •,
and when St. Taul fays, it is by Faith^ and St- James by Worh alfo that
wearejK/fr/yV, this faith and thefe Works both together (to re-
scucile the ApoHles themfeives) make a Righteoufnefs but imper-

fcft,

( ?7 )

feet, which is indeed none but Acceptation, and that through
Chrifl's Merits ; which Righteoufnefs therefore, tho' inherent, fee-
ing the Acceptation is from without, is of Grace neverthelefs for
being of fuch Worlds ; and what {hall hinder our Reconciliation?

I am really very tender of depriving any good Chriftian Friend of
the Comfort they have in imputed Righteoufnefs, provided they are
not deficient in inherent : But if their Trult in Chrift's Righteouf-
nefs makes them negligent *of their own, the Dodtrine is dange-
rous i which, for preventing Antinomianifm, made Mr, Baxter
Write againll it.

OF

( 3^ )

MB Y9ri3 b bivoiq f.

OF thp:

Judge of Faith and the Scripture*

IT is one chid Stumbling Stone oi \X^t Roman C^olick, that the
Fo^e and his Church is Judge of the Scripture ^ that is, of all
•Scripture Controverfy, concerning Faith and Worfiiip, and Reli-
gious Duty. They diftinguifh between a Rulc2Lx\d Judge, and they
do well. The Scripture is the Rule, not the Judge^ of Faith and
Manners. This is true, and when the Protejlants call it a Judge^
they mean no more than the Rule^ (they call it fo Metonymically^ as
containing the Mind of God, the Supreme Autocratorical Judge) by
which -we are to be goveyied in our Determinations. If we would
I^now what we are to believe^ that is, what DoCirine is true^ and
what we are to do, that is, what is our Duty, we go to the Rule, the
Word of God, and if we underftand that, we are determined. Now
for the underftanding that, though we do own a Subordinate, Au-
thoritative Judgment in the Minifters^ yet becaufe fallible in
their Interpretation, every Man mult read himfelf, and confider
and enquire of Books and Teachers y/ith Care, Study, and Prayer -,
and when he comes to be fatisfied in the Meaning, he is to believe
and praBife accordingly. Here is a Judgment of private Difcretion af-
ter all Information from Fathers, Doftors, Church or Minifters,
that mull be followed. And as there are fome that take the Scrip-
ture for the Judge, when it is but the Rule : So there are others that
take x}^€\xConjcisnce for the Rule, v*^hen it is but the Difcerner of the
j?Mle ; that is, the Judge, which may be Erroneous, when the Rule
is Infallible.

Ccnfcience is an j^B of the Vnderfianding, difcerning what Cod re*
quires us to believe or do : And that which it judges to be true, or our
Duty, is to be held foby us, To far as ihat we may not ad contra-
ry, for any Advantage, or Lofs, whatfoever. Indeed, if my
Judgment err, I am bound to lay down my £rror, but till I am con-
vinced.

(39)

vlnc^> I muft not a6: agaiufi; my Confclence. It is one thing ta'
do accordiytgto ?ny Confcience, and another t? go aga'mjiit^ when it is
erroneous : I fay not that I am bound to act according to my Confci-
ence\ when I err^ becaufs I am bound to find my Enor^ and leave it,
but I am bound never to go aga'mjh it. The Reafon at bottom here
lies in that School-Axiom, that j^fprmative Precepts binds Semper
only, but Negatives adSe?nper. I v/ill ufe no Words to explain it*
but fay with our Protejlants^ that it is Confcience^ for certain, that is
the final Judge of what we are to believe^ and what to do, according
to the Rule •• and that whatfoever v/e verily believe the JVordofGod^
(which is the Rule) does requires of us, it rauft be obligatory to e-
very Body. The Church or Minijlcrs are Helps to inform us, buC
that which obliges is Confcience ; that is^ the Word or IVill of God^
as ire underfland it, not as any others underftand it, lays the Obli-
gation on us.

As for the Rom.m Opinion of God's appointing an External Judge
to deliver the Senfe of Scripture^ and that we muft follow that Senfe,
though againfl: our own Judgment f which their Opinion mufl come
to^) itdoesdeltroy Humane Nature, it unmans us of our Reafon,
it mufl make all of them wicked j that is, not to act by Confcience^
whenw/wf/j not of Faith is Sin. Befides, that it is an Inconfiderate, .
Captivated, Prefumptuous Opinion, becaufe it mufl imply, that
there is fome One Body^ either Single or CoUeciive, that is infallible, .
They mufl make their Pope or their Church infallible, or elfe their
Judgment will do no more to end Gontroveriies than every one's
own Judgment. And that the Roman Church may be Judge ^ fhe "
hath the Face to declare her felf to be infallible , that is, indeed to
take on her an Attribute of the alone Omnifcient God, which is
open Blafpheray, even one of the Charaders which the Benfl^ and
the W^^ore^ do bear in the Revelations.

There is one Text here fit to be mentioned. No Scripture is of any
ptivate Interpretation. From whence I fuppofe they may be apt
to fay to me, We mufl therefore go to the Fathers for the Interpre-
tation of the Scriptures ^ and if they vary, and there beany Contro-
verfy, then the Tope and Councils mufl decide it, but no private
Man may interpret any of them. This, let me tell them, is a Fun-
damental Miflake of the Place. In the Ai^s we read. That thofe of
Berea mre more mhle than them of Theflaionicaj for they fcarched
i^e Scriptures daily whether thofe Things v?ere fo. How could thefe
good Men now examine what wasdeiiver'd by Panl^ in comparing

Scripiurs

Scripture with Scripture, \inlefs they had the UCtoiipri'vateJud^Z
tnent of Vifcntion^ infeparable from every Body ? And how fhall
any of the Pope's Dodrines be unqueftionable, when that which
peter himfelf, or Paul^ did deliver, was fubjed to Examination by
the Scriptures ? I will therefore fay one thing here, what^ perhaps,
may feem flrange, it isthis. Let a Text of Scripture iiave the In-
terpretation of a Father^ otaPope, and many Popes^ and of a Coun-
cil and let the Doctrine be Orthodox, and confonant to the Ana-
logy of Faith, yet if that Interpretation be not the very Senfe of the
Place, that is, the very Meaning of the Writer^ and the PJofy Ghofi
thatinfpired it ^ that Senfe, whatfoever, and whofe-foeverit be, is
but a private Interpretation.

When St. Peter tells us. That all Scripture is by Divine Injpiration,
and the Menof God [pake as they were moved by the Holy Ghofi ^ there-
fore no Scripture is of private Interpretation^ what think we he does
intend ? Doth he here kt up an Infallible Succeffor ? No fuch Mat-
ter, but this he intends, that the true Interpretation ol Scripture
is that Senfe, which is the Meaning of the Spirit^ the Senfe of the
Boly Ghoft^ and confequently the very Mind of the Jpoflle, or Pro-
phet^ that wrote. That is, the u^uthentick Senfe is ihQ only Senfe,
and all other Senfes but this are private Mcrpretation^ which we
muft not follow. I will colkd from hence, that when Popes and
Councils ordinarily do take up the Interpretation of Scriptures
from Fathers^ or thofe before them, without queftionlng it, one
fingk judicious Man, who by long Study and Prayer beats out the
Senfe of fome Text, is more to be regarded (^as to that TcxtJ than
any Coumil^ Pope or FalUrs. And as fuch a one himfelf, fo long
as he believes that to be the very Meaning of the Holy Ghofl^ is bound
to follow itj and no other ^ fo is every one that is convinced by him
bound likevvife to the fame, whatfoever any Pope, Father^ or Coun-^
cily (hall fay to the contrary.

I know the Papifts do brag, and tell of what Advantage their
Church hath above ours^ in that if any Varieties of Opinion arife, they
may bcagreed^ by referring them to One Judge. But I muft tell a*
gain, there is no fuch Judge, God hath appointed no fuch One
Judge. In the Matter of Religion I am at God's Bar ^ and whatfo-
ever my Confcience tells me is God's Will, or God's Meaning, I can'e
depart from it. In Matters of my Eflate I can refer them to a Judge;
Iir.av part with my Eflate, but in the Matter of ^e//^;c« it is not fo,
l^au'r'part with my Soul, i cun't put my Salvation^ into any Man's

Hands

( 41 )

Hands todifpofe of according to his Difcretion ^ I am at God's Bar^
and I cannot appeal from him,- my Confcience to me is inftead of
God; ic is under him, the Difcemer of the Senfe, and there is none
but he is Xor^overit; none, whofe Controul it is, or canbefub-
jeftto, but His. As for P^ariety oi Opinions among Chri/tia^s, Iwii!
yet fay this, fo long as theCr^r^of the yi^ojlles^ and all Things necef-
fary to Salvation, are plain, I do not think the Danger of them fa
great, and fo neceflary to be prevented, as others do. Some f^arieties
in Opinion will not hurt God's Churchy any more than a Variety of
fhvKrs win hurt the Garden of a Man.

Having no more then to fay on the Point, I will, by way of Sur-
plufage, give fome Reafons which do move me^ that I cr.n never
come into their Church, though I believe nothing like to be fufiicienfi
to prevail with them to bring them out of k.

The firft is; the Vniverfal Headfhip which their Church challen-
ges to the Pope overall Chriltians in the World. An Office fo im-
poffible to be executed, that it is an aftonilhing Thing that ever the
Imagination of thofe Two wrefted Texts, Thou art Peter, and feed
wy Sheep J fhonld bring fo many to the Belief, that fo monftousa
Charge (hould be of Chrift's Appointmenr. Alas ! What Man,
unbiafied by Education, does not fee how Worldly Greatnef*:,
Wealth, Honour, and Domination, is the Bottom of this ? I will
fuppofe you one come from Ro'ne., and had feen the Triple Crown,
the Red Hats, the Grandeur and Glory of that Court-, I would ask
what think you of thefe Things ? What think you of them in Re-
lation to Cod? Is this, think you, his Sons Coat? What think you
of them in Relation to Peter? Is this the SuccefTor, and thefe the
Emoluments of a Fifherman ? Of one that went about Preaching the
Gofpel in Self-denial, and laying down his Life for it, without
feeking any Advantage butofhis own and his Hearers Salvation?
The Princes of the Gentiles exercife Dominion over them^ and they that
are great exercife Authority upon them. Jt/hall not be fo among you ;
but whofoever will be great among you, let him be your Minifler. And
whofoever will be chief among you y let him be your Servant. Even as the
Son of Man came not to he minijlred unto^ but to minifler.^ and give his
Life a Ranfom for many.

The fecond is, the Do^rine of Infallibility ., before named. If
the Pope be Vniverfal Pajlor, then muft the Law be fought at h'l/s
Mouth, and he be infallible. But if this indeed be fo; what means-
the Bleating of th( Sheep, and the Lowing of the Oxen, which I hear

G within

r 4^' )

within their Camp. What a wretched Piece of Sloth mnft here be
in their Church, that all Controverfics in their Schools, as of the Scotifii
and Thomijls, and in their Cloyjhn, as of the Framifcans and Do-
minlc.msy with the like, are not determined^ and all Parties fet at
Peace ?

The third is the Schiftn, the notorious Schifm of their Church. They
have defined the Church Catholick by a Number of thofe that are n-
juted imdcY the Pope, as Chrifi^s Vicar ; and whofoever are not within
thai Comtnunion, they rauft be out of the Churchy which is with them
out of the ^rh, where there is no Salvation. By this Definition
they have damped, and do damn all other Churches, and all other
Men and Women befides themfelves throughout the whole World.
l;pray now what was the Schifm of the Donatijls, but their confining
tht Church to themfelves in j^frick? And if the Venom oi Schifm lies
mainly in Vncharitahlenefs, what a Petty Evil was there in that fading
Schifm J in Comparifon of theirs that lafts fo many Generations ?

The fourth is their Churches Cruelty, for thefe Four Things do
hang one upon another. If the Pope will be the Vniverfal Head, and
Jnfalltbk, and the Single, Roman, Church be the Catholich, then let
any Do&rine be determined by a Council and Pope, it muft be made
thereby a Feint De Fide -, and if any Man do not receive it, he mud
be.accounted to be one out of the Faith, and a Heretick ; and if he
be foj their Cafuifis determine him to have no longer Right to E-
fpate. Goods or Life, but all nmit be confifcated, and he deliver'd
ovtr to the Secular Power to be deilroyed and burnt. Alas! now
*\'hat Man can number the cruel Shiughter oiThoufands, if not Milli'
onSj of Men and Women, otherwife innocent {Tuch as the Walden'
fesy and their Fellows) that have been executed by the Decrees of
Popes ? Who can look into their Int^wpAion-Houfes^ and fee what
relentlefs Severities, what Invention of Tortures, Racks, Im-
murings, and fuch Proceedings they ufe there, but his Heart will
bleed, and rife in Indignation againfc fach a Religion, as the very
vij'orft Religion, the moftcurfed Religion in the World was never
found to do the like ? While their demure Fathers of St. Vominich^
who pretend, under Chriflian Rome, to be Followers of the Lamb^
do prove indeed nolefsfell, favage, barbarous, and nolefs Leaches
of Blood, than were the Worfhippers of the Dragon, or the Dragon
feimfelf, while Rome was Pagan under the Ten Perfecutions. A»
ias ! liow many of their Refugees of France go about our Streets eve-
ry Day as Witneffes of what 1 am fpeaking, having fled from that

Religion

( 45 )

Religion there, whofe Mercies are but Extremity ^ whofe Dsllvs"
■ranee ^ Bamfhrnent ,• and whofe Zeal is a confum'mg Fire.

There are Two Things more I will not infill long upon, becaufe
they depend net on the former, and are exagitatcd fufficiently by
others. The one is the Idolatry of the Church of Rome^ particular-
ly in her Doctrine of JDaimons^ or Wcrfhip of dead Men and Wo-
men, as the Heathen did : And in the Adoration of the Hoji^
making God of a Piece of J5r^.7<^, whicli no Man but by going out:
of his Senfes can believe \ and if his Senfe be deceived in fuch a
Cafe, he can be fure of nothing elfe in the Earth. The other is the
Fooleries of their Church -^ particularly in the numberlefs Ceremonies^
and the Significritions thereof, which [he hath in her Worftiip, efpe-
cially alBiptifm^ and at the Jllafs: In her flrange, fond, and ba-
byifh Doing with her Images •, the cloathing and uncloathing them ^
the going a Pilgrimage to them ,• praying before them, and many
times to them : In their Saints Relicks^ and Abufe of fuch Things ^
in the Pope's divers forts of Blejjings imprelTed upon Trinkets^ which
they carry about them againft evil Accidents; their Holy Water ^
and Indulgencies^ which fignifies as little-, in their Legends and FaUes of
QQ}iniQxidt Miracles \ with a Multitude of fuch Tr^iwpery, as cannot
be reckoned up, without making cur ordinary Protejlauts to fmile,
if not laugh downright, when they ought rather to fetch Tears ouc
of the Eyes of the more Serious, to fee how the Ancient, Plain,
Primitive, Service of Jefus Chrijl^ and that Spiritual Worfhip that
is due to God^ is corrupted with fo much Superjlition^ and fimple
Peopleabufed with fo many Tricks, to delude them, and get their
Money. This their Way is their Folly ^ yet their Tojlerity ap^rcve their
Sayings,

G 2 OF

( 44 )

O F

Venial Sin.

I Have here but one Queftion to be ask'd, Whether a Proteltant
may allow the Diftinftion of Mortal and Venial Sin ? And how ?
I thus determine it.

Seeing all Venial Sin is Venial,not in its Nature, but through Mer-
cy ^ and Mortal Sin through God's Mercy is pardoned, theQue-
ftionis, What Difference here may be found between the one Sin
and the other, as will ferve for the Allowance of fuch a Diftinfti-
on ? For doing which, the Mercy of God (we mufl refled) in
pardoning Sin isdifpenfed by way of Covenant, which requires Re-
pentance in order to Pardon -, and we mult difbinguifh therefore of
Repentance, and of Sins requiring it.

There is a General and Particular KcYicntancQ^ and there are fome
Sins accordingly requiring the one only, and feme requiring both.
There are Sins pafs us often without our Notice, Sins of Infirmity
and of daily Incurfion, which are pardonable on our general Re-
pentance ^ when there are other Sins, known, wilful Sins, which
are not pardoned without particular Sorrow for them, and Amend-
ment.

And now hereby may the Diftindion of Venial and Mortal Sin be
made out and allowed : A Venial Sin being fuch, for which a gene-
ral Repentance thro' God's Goodnefs may fuffice ^ but a Mortal,
fuch, for which a particular Repentance, even by the Covenant of
GracCj is neceflary, as the Condition, to the Forgivencfs of it. The
one is, the other is not, (ftcundum Legem ordinariam) pardoned
without it.

O F

( 45 )

O F

PRAYER.

With Reference to Liturgical and Ex-
temporary Devotion.

Concerning Prayer, there are four things to be diftinguifhed,
and prefented: The Spirit of Prayer^ the Gift of Prayer ^
Praying in the Spirit •, Praying by it, or mih it.

The Spirit of Prayer I apprehend to be no other than the Spirit of
Grace and Regeneration, with the Connotation of its Operation on
tlie Soul, in regard to this Duty. There is no Chriftian, born of
God, without this, whereby he cries, Abba, Father^ as no Man
born after the Flefh, without his Breathing. There is no holy
Thought, Meditation, Defire after God, or Requeft that is accep-
table to him in Chrifl, but it is from this Spirit of Adoption or
Prayer. It follows then, that for as much as any gracious or rege-
nerate Man may ufe a Form if he pleafe, and fome fuch have and do
ufe a Form, and feme conceived Prayer, that it is a Conceit excee-
dingly extravagant, and no wife to be approved, to think that a
Liturgy, or Ufe ot a Form is inconfiftent with the Spirit of Prayer.
What godly Man could think fo, when they faw thofe holy Men and
Martyrs, Crmmer, Ridley, Latimer, Bradford, Rogers, Philpot,
faying their Prayers out of the Pfalter, and Blefllng God for the
Book of King Edward ,* / will pour upon the Houfe of Judah and Jeru-
falem the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication.

The Gift of Prayer, I account a natural or acquir'd, notinfr.fed A-
bility or Faculty of exprefling the Thoughts and AfFeftions wirh
Fluency or Readinefs in Prayer. It does depend chiefly, I think,
upon an Aptnefs of Memory, retaining the Sentences and very

Words

( 4« ) .

Words of Scripture, when others can retain the Scnfe only, toge-
ther with a warm Fancy, and Tongue that is voluble. In (hort, iE
isa ready Utterance, which muft be diftrnguifhed from the former
mentioned. I my felf knew, and remember a godly Perfon, a
Scholar, and filFd always with prefent Matter for Difcourfe in Re-
ligion, who in praying fometimes alone with me, did hum and hack
fo in his Prayer, as I never heard amy ; when yet, in the meaa
while^ I have b^en fo allured of the Grace of God, and Eminency of
that Grace in the Pcrfon, cf that Sinceiity in his Duty^ fuch an
humbling under Sin, Fervency in his Peticlons, melting under the
Senfeof God's Mercy and Pardon ^ and^ in a word, a Heart-'k felf
no lefs broken than thofe Words, that I cannot but be flitisfy'd^-
beyond doubt, for ever fincc, tiiat the Gift of Prayer is one thing,
and the Spirit of Prayer another.

Now forafmuch as the Gifts which God gives to any Miniflers, are
beftowed for Ufe, and the Edification of their People, if you could
fay, that a Liturgy, or Form of Prayer, does ftand in Oppofltioti
to that Provilion he hath made, and appointed for the Good of his
Church ^ that is, Gifts unto Men for the Work of the Miniflry : fo as
that Text of Paul^ The Afanifeflation of the Spirit is given to every
A'fan to profit veitbalij and that of Peter ^ uis every one hath received the
Oift^ cvenfo minifter the fame one to another^ were applicable in our
Cafe, I know no Argument any haveagainft a Liturgy, like to tnrri
religious Chriftians from it, as this : But we mud conlider, firft.
That the Gifts here fpoken of,- were extraordinary, that is, obje-
divelyand immediately infpir'd-, fo that it weretooppofe the holy
Ghoft, to forbid, hinder, or flint that Operation of his then, tho*
it was to be orderly exercifed. Whereas the Gifts that any have
now, are ordinary, the AITiilance, Help, or Operation of the holy
Spirit, being fubjsctive and mediate only, in the Ufe of our own
Reafon and Wit ^ that is^ of our own Parts, which are liable to
Defed, and may admit of Rule. And yet feeing the Spirit help*.
ing our Infirmities in our Prayers is denied of none, but to be foughCj
whether we pray by Heart or Book, the Churclvs impofing a Litur-
gy, and fetForm on the Minifter, is to be reverendly look'd upon
as cumulative, not deftruftive to his Gifts. There is the Gift of
Prayer to Minifters -as /«^/f, and as in Coyt junction: And when the
Common-Pray&rj which is a Compofitlonof their Gifts conjoined,
is performed in thePcir, the Minifter is left to the life of hislingle
■Gift in the Pulfn^ without any Prejudice of the one bv the other.

In-

(470

Indeed, if the Common Prayer be made a Napkin, to wrap up the
Talents of any, I will not juftify the Ahufe of that which hath its
life and Commendation, upon other Reafons. There are Diverfity of
Gifts^ but the fame Spirit.

Praying in the Sfirity I apprehend to be, Praying with the Quali-
fications which are wrought in us by the Spirit, and prefcribed by •
him in the Word, to make out Prayers acceptable to God. Praying
in the Spirit, fay Pradical Divines^ confifts not in a Copioufnefs of
Words, but Extent of AfFedion. The aduating of all does lie in
the Operation of the Spirit on our Hearts in this Duty. Wemul?:
prayalfo according to Cod's Will, which is another Qiialification in
Prayer ^ and when a Man does pray according to what the Spiric
hath direded in the Word, hemaybefaid, very appofitely, to pray-
in the Spirit. The feveral Qualifications requir'd in Prayer, as
praying in Faith, with Peifeverance, in the Name of Chiifl:, and the
like, which are in all praftical Books, belongs to Common Places,
and is not my intended Bufinefs.

Two Things there are then more particularly, wherein I will
place this Operation : the one is. The Spirit doth many times pitch
the Heart upon thofe Objeds or Things which are moft fit for us to
ask. The other is. He then excites and enlarges our Affedionsa-
bout the fame. The Spirit alfo helpeth our Infirmities, for we know not'
what we fhould pray for as we ought , hut the Spirit it felf mahth Inter-
cejfionfor the Saints according to the Will of God. It is faid, that Sa-
tan entred Judas, when he went to betray his Lord j and Satan mo-
ved D^z/it/ to number the People: It appears froai hence, that Sa-
tan puts evil Thoughts into the Heart, and pitches them on Objeds
he tempts them 'with. The Spirit of God doubtlefs does no lefs in
the good Adions which heftirs up in God's Saints. He puts good
Thoughts in the Mind (fays a learned Church-man, as I remember)
and reprefentsThings to us. Or it were not elfe to be imagined, the
Apoftle fhourd fpeak exprelly what I have but now cited. And*
feeing therefore, thatthe Spirit doth not only move thcAffedions^
in relation to the Things the Heart is upon, in thofe Groans, which
are faidto be unutterable, but pitches the Heart (objedivcly I will
fuppofe) upon thofe Things, thofe very Things or Objeds them-
felves (fometimes at leaft) that are mofl fultable to our Wants
which he knows better than we, and moft agreeable to God's Will,
whether we regard his Promifes and IVord, or the Will of his Pro-
'Vidence, and what he is minded to effed, which he alone does

^ Know,,

(48)

know, and not we: It does feem, that the prefcribing a kt Form
to our Prayers, does put fome Hint upon God's Spirit, in one part
ot this Operation^ whicli is the fuggefting good Thoughts^ or the
good Things themfelves into our Minds, or pitching ours Hearts
upon the things he I^nows belt for every one, which the Miniller
knows not ^ and yet I dare not fay this is evil, feeing it is but for the
while, and puts no Itint to him in his Operation on the Affections,
exciting or enlarging them upon the Petitions the Church hath pre-
fcribed.

There are many Reafons in regard to the Minifter^ if he have no
Gift, or if he have, and have not Grace, left he be lifted up in the
Oftentation of it : And in regard of the People, under fome Gonlide-
rations, why a fet Form is more eligible, when in regard of the
humbly Godly, who are endued wich the Gift and Spirit both, I do
not fee any reafon, why a fluent Exprefllon, a raifed Voice, a Zeal
in the Delivery, a melting Soul-touching Phrafe out of Scripture,
with Newnefs and Variety of the fame, and the like Gircumftances,
which many times pierce the Heart, that is flat otherwife, and hath
need of all we can to quicken it, fhould anyway be derogatory (as
one would make it) to the found and wholiome Requeils otherwife
which a Man puts up to God in his Prayers.

And why indeed (let me ask) fhould not the Church be as rea-
dy toufe thofs Gifts which God hath given unto any, to excite the
People the more to their Devotion, as well as they are to make ufe
ot Organs, and Diverfity of Voices, in their choofing finging Men
and hnging Boys, to that purpofe? Tiie fame Ffalm in an Anthem,
hath another Operation on the Heart of a devout Conformift out of
the Mouth of a Quire, than it hath in a private Parlour. And if
a Nonconformift does find the like Experience as to an Extempore
Prayer, above anyCompofure, why fhould a religious Perfon fay
any thing again/]; it ? The Ufe of a Man's Gifcs In Prayer is but an
Organ of God's making, a warbling and holy Defcant upon the
plam Rcquefts of the Heart, to afFed it the more with them \ and an
Organ is the Ufe of thofe Gifts, as I may fay^ which are of Man's
making, or which Man hath given to the Church for the fame end,
to wiL, the enlivening our dull Affedions, while we are meditating,
praying, and pvaifing the Almighty.

Tnis Imuil lay With Faitlifuhicfs, yet not without two or three

Ciutions : The one is, Tiiat in Prayers the Church hath compofed,

we may humbly conceive, that the Spirit of God did pitch the

^ Hearts

( 49 )

Hearts of tliofe that were to join in their Gifts for the Compofure,
upon thofe Objects or Matter which is molt generally agreeable to
ourpublick Congregations, as it does the Heart of any fingle Mi-
nifter, upon thofe things as is moll agreeable to his VVlli for tlie
prefent Occafion. Another Caution is, that if a Minilter hath not
the Gifttoexprefs himfelf without Study, and does therefore take
Pains for his Prayer, as for Iiis Preaching, hav^inga Gift upon his
Pains and Study (tho* none elfe) that does equal, if not excel his
that hath thebeft without it, he may expeift the fame Affiftance on
his Study, that the Spirit fhould help his Infirmity, as to the put-
ling in his Mind ihofe things which are mod conducive for his Peo-
ple to receive, and mofl agreeable to his Will to give, as any other
may, who hath the readieft Gift to follow his preftnt Motions.
The Lil Caution is. That tho* a MiniHer fhouid tlierefore take
heed of drying up his Gifts, by one eonftant Form in the Pulpit,
where he hath Liberty, yet if any do, and his Miniftry be lefs grate-
ful to many, that's no ground fufficient for Separation from him ,-
becaufe all know, that he who prays with the laigeft Gifts of Pray-
er, does but offer a ftinted Form as to ihe Hearer's particular State,
and the ftinting the Objed docs not yet flint the Spirit in his Ope-
ration on the Affedions^ Praying always with all manner of Vrayer^
and Supplication in the Sprit.

Praying with the Spiiit, or by it, in the lad place, is that we
find in the Days of the Apoflles, when they had extraordinary Ad-
miniflrations of tiie Spirit, in Gifts that were miraculous, info-
much that they who fpake with Tongues, and fo preached and pray-
ed (fome of them, at leafl, I apprehend) underilood not them-
felves what they deliver'd, but every Man inwhofe Tongre they
fpake were edify'd^ and therefore we read of fome tliatdi'i mterpret.
Thofe were fuch, it is like, as had Skill in more Tongues ihn': heir
own ^ or elfe, in cafe there were none fuch, the fame miracUiOus
Power might enable fome for the Interpretation, as others to
fpeak. Thus praying with the Sprit is oppofed to praying with
the Vnderfianding^ and the Apoflle prefers praying with the Un-
derflanding before it ^ fo as no Perfon therefore need to brag of this
if he had it -^ and there is none but the millaken Enthufiafl now to
pretend to ir. / will pay with the Sprit ^ and I will pay with the Vn-
derjianding alfo,

H OF

(5°)

O F

Preachin

With Reference to St. TauVs Example.

^V EST,

WHat w if, to preach in the Demonflration of the Spirit, and of
Power ? Jnd are we Mimfters hound to preach as he did f

A NSW.
llnlefs it were an Apoftle that preached, who might preach from
prefent Revelation, or with the Miracle of the Holy Ghofl: falling
on the Hearers. To fpeak or preach in the Demonftrationof the
Spirit, by the ordinary Minifter, is to deliver the very Truth of the
Scripture, or the plain Senfe of the Spirit in Scripture, in Oppofici-
on to humane Conceit or Invention • fo long as it be bat found
Speech^ not to be reproved, according to the Talent God has given
him : And to fpeak fo, is to fpeak in Power ; becaufe a Man may
expcft that Affiftance of the Holy Gholl, to accompany fuch preach-
ing in Humility •, which he cannot, upon his feeking Praife, from
his prefumed Excellency, or enticing Words of Man's Wifdom.

O F

( 51 )

OF THE

AUTHORITY

OF THE

Laws of M E N.

THis is a Point concerns the Confcience, and is t!ierefore of
great Moment •, I will be plain and {hort in my Endeavour to
determine it. To fay, that the Laws of Men do not bind the Con-r
fcience at all, is too loofe ^ and to fay, that the Breach of every
LaOis a deadly Sin, is too rigorous. A Mean there is between thefe
Extremities (fays Mr. Hoo\er) if fo he we could find it out. I muft
confefs, I cannot fay I have read and obferv'd any who have ventu-
red to chaulkout this Mean, fo as I fhould gather any other Satisfa-
ction from it, but to make me content ray felf the better with my
own Sentiments.

The Magiftrate, I account with the Apoftle, is the Minijier of
Godtov the People's Good. If he command in order to that End,
I think his Commands ought to be obey'd, not only for fear of his
Sword, i)ut for Confcience fake. But if he commands any thing for
the People's hurt, or that which is evidently not for their Good, I
think his Command (if the Matter be not Sin) is yet to be obeyed
for Wrath fake., and fo not to be contemned ^ but I think not any
Obligation lies on the Confcience (if it can be avoided without
Contempt and Scandal) that it fliould be done. Wemuftdiftin-

H 2 guifh

( 50 .

"uifh here between the Authority that refides in thePer/b^, and the
Authority ct this or that his partictdar Command. I apprehend,
that when any Cpmraand or Law does require thtt which h Morally
or Civilly evil, every fuch Command or Law is really divefted of
Authority, and fo may be left undone, without Breach on a Man's
Cop.fcience ; yet if a Man be b ought to queftion about it, hemuft
fuffer, becaufe the Authority which refides ftill in the Perfon mull
befubmitted to, as to the Ordinance oi God. Hemuft not refijl^
that is exprefs •, and rather than relift, lie muft fuffer ; whereas it
he could avoid it without Refillance, lie was net bound in good
earneft either to do or fufier. Where we are not obliged ad agen-
dum, ad ptkndum, ([ays Grot ius) turn demum ubi pana evitari^ nijl
vi oppoftta non potefi. De Imp. Sum. Pot. circa Sacr. p. 98-

The Reafon of this at bottom lies here, and isfirni. Porvcr i-i
the Magiftrate, or Civil Power, which is the ground of Subjcdion,
does lie not in Might, Strength, or Force, but in Right. Potejlas
( fay Political Writers ) is jmj impcrandi. This Right, in the
Nature of the Thing, muft arrfc from the Grant or VM of the fu-
preme Lord, which is God's, without whofe Will (or that Grant
or Charter, which is an Ad of his Will) no Power can be derived
to any. Now that Grant or Will of God, which conftitutes any to
rule, or to be his Minifier, being for the People's Weal, (He is
the Minifier of God for our Good, fays the Text) it follows, that
whatfoever is not indeed for the People's Good, the Magiftrate is
not to command, becaufe it is God's Will he fhould command only
for their G'oo^. And if he command any Matter that is other^^fe,
that Command hath no Authority, as to the Confcience, at all, as
being without the Warrant of God's Will This is fuch Dodrine,
which is plain, and ftands on its own Bottom. He isthe Minifier
of God for thy Good, faith St. Paul, othertvife he is not God's Min'tjler,
and hath to other Purpofes none of God's Power. Dr. Taylor in his Ca-
fes, /. 3- p. 3S' ^iod necejfariam nonhabtt Conjim{fioncm cuw fine pub-
ltd commodij non potejl pracepi lege humana, faitii Suarez.^ from the
Schools.

One DiiHculty only there is, which is this ', Who lh%Il judge,
whether a Law be for the People's Weal or not ? I anfwer, the Ma-
giftrate mull judge as to tiie Making the Law, and we muft judge as
to our Obedience to it. My reafon is plain, becaufe God hath made
every Man the Judge of his own Adions, and confequently of all
Circumftances, whether they are agreeable or not agreeable to his

( 5? )

Will^ for his Forbearance or doing of them ^ h that it is itot ac-
cording to the Ref^hition of another's Confcience, but of bis own,
or the Judgment of private DifcretioK, he {hall be juftify'dj or not
j'jftify'd in his walking before him. Let a Law then be promulgated,
wherein a Man is concerned, I thus determine ^ If be deal upright-
ly, and in his Confcience does judge that the Law hgooci, I mean
good for the general (whether their temporal or fpiritual Good)
I do apprehend he is obliged in Confcience to obeying that Law Cat
leallfo far as his particular Obedience is conducive to that Good)
tho' the keeping it oxherwife be to his own Difadvantage or private
Lcfs. If he judges ic not good, I do fuppofe he may do well in Pru-
dence to be wary, and do perhaps as others do, and not run himfelf
into Harm's way. But really if he obferve it not, he is to make no
Confcience of ir, as if the Thing offended God, whether he does it,
or leaves it undone. And this is the very Mean^ I think, which is
to be fought, and hath been to feek, to wit. That the Laws or
Commands of the higher Powers does no iefs than bind the Con-
fcience (even in political and indifferent things) when he is the
Executioner of Cod's Will : But tho' tht outward Afan (out of the
C:ife of Sin) may be bound, the Confcience cannot be obliged, and
ought to be kept free fti'l^ when he is Executioner only of hisoir;j.
Human Law i (fays the forenam'd Dcdor and Eifhop) bind the Cor-
fcience of the Subjed:^ but yet give place to jufl and charitable Caufes :
f0nch are competent andfufficient, is not exprefly and minutely declared ^
but it is to be defimd by the Moderation and Prudence of a good Man.

To conclude, As God, our Sovereign Lord, hath given us the
Scriptures for a Rule of Religion, that when anything is required
of us to believe or pradlicc, as necelTary to God's Worfhip, or
our Salvation, we may, and are to try it by this Rule, and can be
obliged thereby no farther than we do judge it agreeable to this
Rule, the Word of God. And as in Morals he hath given us the
Law of Nature (which is God's Will, as the Scripture is) to be our
Rule to judge of Vertue or Vice, that we may avoid the one, ard
purfue the other : So hath he given to Man his Rule in Politicals^
(which is written in our fiefhly Tables, as the Law of Nature is)
whereby the Laws of every Commonwealth are to be made, try'd
and judg'd, the Lavv-giver being accountable to God, according as
he ads by it, and the People oblig'd in Confcience fo far to obey
his W^iil, as he commands agreeable to it, and this Rule or Law is
the Common Good. Things are religioufly good or evil, as they a -

gree

r 5+ )

gree or agree not with the Scriptures : Things are morally good or
evil as they agree or not with the Law of Nature; And thirsgs are
politically good or evil as they agree and agree not to the publick
Benefit. If the Subjs;d now, in fuch Matters that are Common-
weakh Matters, muft not judge, and be Judge himfelf of what is
commanded by Man, whether ic be agreeable or no to this Rule,
that is, whether as to his Praftice it be conducive or no to the
common Good, he is not only made a Slave^ but a. Brute to hii
Prince, which divefls him of Reafon^ and to argue for it, isabfurd.
S.ih'.s Po^uJi fuprcma Lex.

An APP EN DIX to this Head.

FRom the Determination upon this Head concerning Human
LawSj and our confcientious Obligation by them, there is a
ground tacitely laid to promote the pubfick Good, in a Matter of
ji,reatelt Concernment to the Nation. The Government of our
Land we know does lie in Parliaments, which are called and con-
vened to confult de arduis Regn't^ and fo to make or repeal Laws, as
in other Regards, fo in an efpecial Regard for the Redrefs of
Giievances.

There is now hardly ever any publick Grievance, but when it
comes to be complained of, there is the Intereft of fome private
Perfonor Perfons, which they call Property^ ftands in the way of tlic
Redrefs -, and here is then a Principle to be laid down, upon which
all Polity or Government hath its Foundation, to wit, that there is
'dVnivcYfale em'mens Dominutn^ in the fupreme Power of every Na-
tion, for the publick Intereft, that muft take place_, and put an End
to all Gonteft ^c' jure Privatorum. By JDominion^ the Politick Wri-
ters do not mean Empire, but fuch a Power as every Man hath over
his own Goods', that is all one as a Right of Pofleffion : And they
fay, there is a Dominion or Right in the fuprcrae Authority on
the behalf of the Common-wealthy which is fujuriour to that which
the private Man hath in whathe poftbfleth ^ fo that tho' there is a
Meum & Tuum between one private Man and another, there is none
between a private Man and the Publick. The Common-wealth
hatha Right in all, and the fupreme Authority, fwhich lies ina
Parliament) overall, for the common Good.

To this purpofe there is a Saying oiJntomnus^ Ti t« //« a-fjifimffvi^'
fi§ov ^S'i Til iJ-iKicun (rvy.(pk§eij ff^hat is n'}t profitable to the Bee-hive, is not

for

(55)

for the "Profit of the Bee, Cicero fliys the fame in other words, The
Emolument of the Publick muft be fought before the private j fo
that whatfoever Profit or Property (if you wiU focailit) that the
private Perfon en jovs, it mufL not be allowed, but refumed, if in be
to the Detriment of the Commonwealth, or if the Good of the Pub-
lick requires it. And this is a Principle to be held, as a Rule of
Confcience to every Parliament-Man, infomuch as in cafe any one
does vote againfl; the Redrefs of a publick Grievance, for faying a
private Lofs, he commits a Parliament Sin, and can have no good
Confcience, but in his fuperiour Regard to the Publick. He may
indeed have a Tendernefs and Pity for the private Man's Damage.
But if it proceed to the giving his Vote for maintaining the Grie-
vance^ fuch a Tity to the private Man, is to be mercilefs to his Coun-
try, and untrue to his Truft.

If any confcientious Man now fhall fcruple in the Cafe, there is.
one Inllance may fatisfy him ; and that is of the JjracUtes^ who
when they went out of Bgyp^ did, by theCommand of God, borrow
oi ihQ Egyptians their Jewels and Treafure, and carried it av/ay with
them. No doubt but thefe things were the Egypianh Property ;
but fo long as God's Dominion was fuperiour over theirs, and he
difpofed thereof, the Egyptian Property was vacated, andthe7/M(?-
Utes went away with their own. The Cafe is the fame here ^ a
publick Grievance is to be taken away, but the Property of fome
private Perfonsis pleaded for ir. The Anfwer is the fame • there
is a fuper-eminent Dominion in the Common- wealth over what the
private Perfon has, The Parliament does but do the Common-
wealth Right, and the private Intereft is at an End. If this Prin-
ciple be taken in as it ought, it will be as Seed fown in good
Ground, to bring forth Fruit for the Generation to come.

O F

( 56 )

O F T H E
Power of the Magiftrate about Religion.

^T'^'Here is a Book I wrote on thisSubje<fi again fl: Mr. Parker, (be-
X fore he was aBifhop) tlie young Leviathan that followed Hobs,
in giving to Kings a Power over the Confcience. A dangerous Po-
ficion, which having rebuked there, I will offer here as to the Di-
vinity Cafe, this Gontraftion.

There is a Difference to be held in the firft place between the Ma-
giflratt's taking Care of Religion^ and his compelling People to it.
No body can force another to believe any thing which he doth not,
and confequcntly not to pradife anything which is not be done- but
upon that Faith. There is a Difference again next, between the
compelling Men to their Duty, even in Religion, which is accor-
ding to their Confciences, and the compelling them to any thing
^^timy? their Confciences, whatfoeverit be in the World, efpecially
in Matters of fupernatural Revelation. To z^ againft a Man's
Confcience is Sin ^ but the Magiftrate cannot command a Man to
fin, Kondaturpotejlas ad malum. There is a Difference, laftly, be-
tween the not /omw^ any to a Thing againft their Confciences,
vv'Mch the Magiftrate muft take heed to do ^ and the reftYaining 'em
from doing things according to their Confciences, when they are
erroneous, and when if heletthem alone, they may bx'm^themfelves,
the Church or State^ to Detriment or Ruin. There is no Toleration
to be defir'd, or is defired of the fober Nonconformifl, but onefla-
ted, and fofar agreed to in the general, that the Articles of our Chri-
jlian Faith^ a good Life, and the Government of the Nation be fe-
cured.

o F

(57)

O F

Subjedlion to our prefent

QUEEN.

WHereas there were many that could not fubmit to take the
Oath of Fidelity toK. WiUtam^ and join in the AlTociation 5
and there are fomethat fwear Allegiance to^;?;^^, as Qiieen ds fi-
<f?o, yet cannot come to an Acknowledgment of WilUatns or her
Right ; and all fuch Doubts depend upon the fole Queltion about
King James's confcionable Exclufion, whether it be juflifiable or
no, upon the account of that Scripture, Rom. 13. i, 2. It is ne-
ceflary the ApoHle's Words be taken into Confideration, which are
thefe. Let every Soul be fuh]eci unto the higher Towers., for there ts m
Power hut of God : The Towers that he are ordained of God. Whofoever
therefore refijieth the Fower^ reftjieth the Ordinance of God, and they that
refifi^ fliaU receive to themfelves Damnation.

For examining the Cafe there are two Diftin(aions here to be
known : To offer more, were to confound, not edify. One is,
between Sv.h]e^ion and Obedience. It is Dr. Feildh Diftindion ^ and
thofe that are for Non-refiftance and Paflive Obedience, gainfay it
not. We are not always to obey the higher Powers, neither when
they command what God forbids, or forbid what he commands ;
unto which, by the word Tajftve^ they aflcnt. But we are always
(fay they) to be in Subjection, and never rife up to deliver our
felvcs from them. As to this point then of Subjdhon the Cafe is to
be argued. Diftinguifh we therefore, in the fecond place, between
thefe two things, which certainly are different, the Powers which
j^re^ and the Powers which are Not, Underftand it right, to wir,

I th€

( 5S )

the Powers that are, and the Poweis that are not thzTomn that
are- or mt thofe which theApoftle mtansor intends m the Text.
Th^s Diftinftion is certain, clear and plain to the Intelligent, and
efFeaual to our Purpofe. The Powers, the higher Powers, m the
Text the sdijou i-.67ioj^ are the Powers that Be. This is cxprefsj that
thePomrs that Be, are the Powers in th'.- Text, the Powers that are
of Cod^ the Ordinance of God, and they that refifl: them, fhall re-
ceive to themfelves Damnation. Let this be granted to thefe de-
voutly loyal Men \ but then mufl they grant to me again, what
can'c be deny'd by any, that as for the Powers that are mt in the
Text that is, the Powers that are, not the Powers that Be : As they
are not in the Text, they are not the Powers which are of God,
not the Ordinance of God: And they that refill fuch (and not the
Powers that >B0 Ihall not receive to themfelves Damnation;

Now there is one Queflion to be ask'd, which alone will refolve
the whole Cafe at Stake, and that is this^ What is the true Mean*
ing of the o} hcu i^^alou^ what is really and in good earneft (fo as
the Confcience may reft upon it) that which is meant by the Powers
that Be ? 1 anfwer, the Pomrs that k, are the Powers according to
the prefent Conftitution. There are fome higher Powers (or
Kings) whofe Government is abfolute, and fo abfolute, as that the
Subjcds have no Liberty of Perfon, or Property in Goods by their
Conllitution. But as for others ordinarily, there is to be fuppofed
an Original Contraa:,which gives the People fuch Liberty andRights^
and the governing Powers fuch a Prerogative, as extends fo far, and
110 farther than the Compad allows. And this appears (as I have
been {hewn in our old chief Law-Books), by confequence, tho' no full
preferved Record thereof be of it ; for the Law could not main-
tain the People in any Rights againft their Sovereign, by virtue of
ourConftitution,if that Conftitution were not fuppofed to be made
bv fuch an original Agreement with him.

" There is therefore two things to be confidered, the Totejtas and
'TormaRegim'mis^ the Poirerand the Form in fuch Governments. In
regard to the one, the higher Powers are the Ordinance of God^
v^ith Paul ^ in the other, the Ordinance oi Man, mthPeter. The
Form is of'^Men. The People between themfelves, or with their
Governor, agree what the Government (hall be, and then the Pow-
er flows from God, to rule fo, and no otherwife, but according to
that Form \ which is all one as the Conftitution. Potefta^ eft a Deo^
but Forma ab homimbas, fays the moft learned Bp, Andrews. If then

(59)

the higher Powers for the Adminiftration rule not by that Form,
but defignedly and refolutely^ and not by a Slip and Inadverten-
cy depart from it, the Power a Deo, the Poteftas fails them, and
they do cadere de Jure, fall from their Righc to our Subjeciicn.

I do remember therefore, that at the time when the Prince of
Orange was yet in Holl.md, but preparing for his coming into Eng-
land, I being upon occafion admitted into the Prefence of King
Jama alone, to fpeak with him, after fome Words about the Dan-
ger and fad Effects of War, and ray Dedre of the Prevention, his
Majefty was willing I fhould fpeak freely, and I faid thus to him, If it
pleafe Your Majefty,! would advife you to fend prefently over to the
Prince, to know what he would have, and to tell him, That what-
foever he would have, you will grant it him, if it be reafonable,- and
that you will call a Parliament immediately, to judge whether it be
reafonable or no. We proceeding farther, came to fpeak about
Liberty of Confcience, which he was for, to bring in Popery, and
I, in good earneft. I ufed thereupon^ as near as well may be re-
membred, thefe very words ^ If I were your Majefty, Irvouldhavz
Liberty of Confcience, (I would have it) but if you will have that,
youmuft part with your difpenfing Power (becaufe we would have
had that (I count) by a Law^ and not by his difpenfing with the
Law) for if you will aflume a difpenfing Power (faid ij you take
a Power over the Laws, and you change your Government from Re-
gal to Defpotical, and they will fight with you ; and they fight for
the Government, and you againft the Government. I fpake with the
beft Elocution I had, and he heard me to the End. And then he ftepc
one Step backward, and faid, ryisntyou bavefpoken^ you have honej}-
ly f^okcn^ and confcientiou/ly fpokm, but you are out-, I am a King, be
hut a Frince, therefore he would not fend to him. And then going
on, he fpake of the Prince fairly, as an excellent General, but as
much concern'd, (fays he) Hs cojyia for my Crov:n ; and no Alan
is fo Defpotical as be -^ telling me, that he fware againft being Statd-
holder, and yet he wss ; and falling to fpeak about Liberty of Con-
fcience again, he exprefs'd himfelf very fluently, till hedifmifs'd me,
which he did condefcendingly, and took what I faid in good part.
Having faid this therefore to his Perfon, to have faved him in his
Throne, I may fay the fame as freely in Print. A difpenfing Power,
indefinitely maintain'd, is a Power over the Laws: A Power over
the Laws fubverts the Government *• A Change of theGovernmens
sbfolves the Subject from his Allegiance. And is this alone my

I 2 Jiid^j-

( 6o)

Judgment? No, but of our Lawyers. Rex fuh Deo & fuh Lege,
U'ii Bra^on : No, but of our Nation alfo, as appears by this Voce
of their Rep-efent 'tives in the Houfcof Commons^ Jan. 28, 16^1,

Hijolvedy That Ki>!g James the Second hav'mg cyidtavoured tofuh'
vert the Cor.fritution of the Kingdom^ by breaking the Origin tlCom^aCl
httvpttn King and People^ and by yidvics of Jefuits. and o.hcr wick'
ed PerfonSy violated the fundamental Laws ^ and having withdrawn hint'
felf, hath abd'c.ited the Government., and thereby the Throne is vacant.

The Goveinment thus forfeited.^ by his breaking the Original
CoDtrad, and by his going then away, abdicated -aKo, according to
that Vote, a Convention is called, and the Supreme Fowev Perfonal
ceafing, it defcended into thnt our Politicks call Real, that is, ie
by Efcheat (to ufe Hooker's Word) fell on the Community or Peo-
ple •, Not for them to govern, (I muft fay) but to fet up a Govern-
jment ; which is, in truth, a greater Power than that of Parliafnent :
For a Parliament makes Laws for the Adminijlration only of
the Government : But a Convention f reprefenting the forty Counties)
might make thofe as they agreed for the Conjiitution. The Confti-
tutionof a Government, we are to know, is the Agreement of the
People in fetting it up, and there are three things go into it.
The firf|; thing they muft agyee in, is what Kind of Government it
{hall be ^ . and this our Convention thought fit to be the fame as it was^
a Monarchy^ but Mixt, Legal, Parliamentary, fo as to be ftill a
Tree State i not to be violated by the Monarch. The fecond thing,
§8^ what, or Vvho the Perfonsfhall be that govern^ and thefewere
foon determined. King William and Queen -^^J^, and after them
our prefent Queen ^ and fo far they went. The third thing they
iiiufi: agree in, -is. What Extent their Government fhall have, or
what Qualifications fhall be put on it, which, what they be, are
10 be read in the Ad. And here may fome, who love their Coun-«
jtry, bs ready hereafter to bethink the Opportunity this Conven'
■Hon hath flipt, in not declaring more fully the State hereof, and in
putting no farther Limitations on it, of the like great Moment as
' s;his one is, that no Papift fhall reign over us. For upon account
iiereof, the i^^wo^er Family being of the Proteftant Line, is tofuc-
ceed^ and their Title to the Throne ftands good thereupon, but not
on equal foot with th.e Queen's, for tier's is exprefly eftablifh'd
iby the Conjiitution it fielf, the Adt of the Con^imtion^ fo as no Prince
can have a Title more, manifeft and unconteflable upon Earth.
But this Gonftitution now leaving the People at Liberty after her,

to

( 6i )

to have: chofe what Government or Govern6rtliey pleafed, an Ad:
of Parliament is paflLd under William^ to confine this Liberty, and
fettle the Throne in that Fdmiiy ^ which Aft is a Law indeed of
the Adminifiratioii, not Conflttution^ yet llrengthened by a Statute
under Eliz^abctb^ which makts fuch an A»^ to bind the Defcent of
the Crown ^ and aiOr^^byche Oath, for; the SuccelTion, which being
enjoin'd by thefupreme Authority^ doeioblige thofe to take it that
yet have not, and leaves nofcrupletoany, unleisthis in hand, in
reference to tlie mentioned Text of the Romans , and K'Og James's
DepoHtion.

Having thought therefore long on the Matter, 1 have pitcht on
this as the fundamental Expofition . of the Place, that thQ Pomrs
that Be, are the Government, or Governors, ofevery Country, ac-
cording to its Conftitution : And confequently that the Subjedion
or Non-refiftance that is required of God, as due to the higher
Fowers, is a Subjedion no other but according to the fame. The
Scripture, it is certain, does not go about to prefcribe to, alter of
meddle with the Governments ot Nations^ but it fuppofes a Go-
vernment in every Councry, and commands Subjeftion and Hon-
rcfiftance to the Government th^ft is. We overturn ail, if we
preach othervvife than thus. Evangelium non ahoUt Tolitids.

And now then let it come to the Government of our Nation •
for we_know, (and none pretend more than the Loyalillto ftand
by it) n's,a.(TtKeiA voy-r/j,, a Government regulated by the Laws, and
thofe no other than fuch as the People themfelves yield to the ma-
king by their Reprefentatives in Parliament • that is, Qu^^a Tjulgm
elegerit ^ which renders it a Free State^ that is ever to be maintain-
ed. It is called a Legal and Regal Monarchy^ becaufe it is a Go-
vernment by the Statutes of the PvCalm, and not according to the
Will of the Lord. And fuch be?ng the Conftitution of our Great
BYttaWy the Cafe, by the Precedent of King y^ww, is refolved, that
if any King hereafter (for of our Queen we have no fear) Ihajlrule
fo, as really defigning (that if he be not hindred, he will effed itj
ta change the Government, or Mnw/ier of the Kingdom^ as the Scrip-
ture exprelTes it, from Legal to Arbitrary, from Regal to Defpoti-
cal, and it ihall pleafe God to give the People, who arc free Sub-
)e^s, the happy Means of a Deliverance, they do not refift in this
Gafe, or rife up againft the Pomers that he^ the Powers in the Text,
the Powers that are of God, the Ordinance of God •, but the Pow-
ers not in the Te.xt, the Powers tliat are nol of God, the Powers

which-

(6a )

which are not the Ordinance of God, and it being indeed arifing
in defence of, or for the Government, and not againjl the Govern-
ment, and no refifting the Powas thit be, they fhall not receive to
themfelves Damnation. This is the Cafe of the Revolution.

IE is objedled by the confcientious Non-juror, that the Church
in her Homilies ; all her chief Divines and Bifhops, in their Books
and Sermons, have conftantly preached up Non-refiftance and Paf-
five Obedience, which is all one v/ith Subjedion to the higher FoW'
ers commanded by the Apollle. And this indefinitely is true, buE
the 5«tjf^/o»muft be underftood to be to the Jpojlles higher Powers,
the Powers that be, the Powers in the Text, the Powers (I have faid)
according to our Conftitution : And as for any Powers that are o-
therwife, and fo not in the Text, neither they nor the Apoftle ever
required Subje^ion. This Anfweris fatisfadory, and I have fome-
thingtofaymore, for Cafes may fallout (Tays J??7/ow, that moft judici-
ous and excellent Prelate j even in Chriflian Kingdoms, where People
may plead their Right againji the Prince, and not be charged with RebeL
Hon. If a Prince /hall go about to fub]e[t his Kingdom to a Foreign
Realm, or change the Form of a Common-wealth from Jmpery to Ty-
ranny. This Inftance has he, as I before. I will add, that Barclay
and Jmif^eus, (thofe chief French Authors) who maintain their
King's Authority to be inviolable, do themfelves admit of fuch,
and thefe very Exceptions, Si Regnum alienct, fi Rempublicam everte-
Ys conetur. And yet there is no Cafe for all that, fay they, where-
in we may take Arms againft the King, becaufe iii fuch Cafes the
King does Regis Perfonam exuere : And what is that, but in fuch
Cafes he isjoot the higher Powers in the Text^ (or the Powers of
the Apoftle) to whom Non-refiftance is required. There are fe-
veral other Cafes Crotius reckons up, but this is beyond my Line ;
and forafmuch as the End in a People's fetting up a Governour is
greater, (that is, of more Importance) than ihQ Means ^ the Ar-
gument for the People againft the Prince, in fuch Cafes, is irre-
fragable.

For all this, to maintain Non-refiftance, it is pleaded by fome^
Ihatthe Princeof Orange came, and was invited to other Ends, and
not to depofe King James; only he went away, abdicated, and kit
the Government upon our Hands. Very pert, and in fome meafure
true •, but had he done nothing, and was nothing done, to make
jiimfear to ftay ? When the Prince came with Forces, and the Na-
iionioia'd wiih him, to deliver themfelves from Popery and Arbi-
trary

(65)

trary Power by his Means ,• and a Convention (which reprefents
the whole People j fee up another King, and recali'd not him, which
is, in Fad and Deed, all that is in Refinance and Depofition ^
>vhatanidle thing is it, to maintain it unlawful to refift, or take up
Arms, in any Cafe, againfb a King (even in fuch a one as makes
him none^ and yet ilabbber, and juftify our Revolution.

There are two Reafons now for fpeaking of this Point. The
one is, becaufe there has been of late a great flir made by a Sermon
preach'd on this Subjed before the Queen, I fuppofe as innocently
as loyally meant, but brought into Difpute • and it is meet, that
all fcrupulous good Perfons fhould be fatisfy'd about the Govern-
ment. The other is^ to the end that thofe whom it pleafes God
hereafter to put over us, for to govern, may not be tempted by
Love of their People, or Liberality of Parliaments, to make fuch ufe
of their raifed Strength as our Neighbour Kings have done, to go
out of the Circle of our Brittfh Conftitution .- Efpecially knowing
that the Spirit of the Nation, and the Confcience of it alfo, toge-
ther with the Form of Government, is fuch, as not to bear, that
under King James we Ihould be Va^ifis^ and under any Succeflbr, bs
Slaves,

There

(H )

THcre falling out here a blank Side to fpare, I ivill fill it with
foui 2 Quotations, whichlpurpofely ojnitted (to avoid fwd-
lin^j inths due place. BarcUius ah amtti Re^num ({ay^Grotius)
ft Rc:x hofiili animo in totim populi exitium, foratur • ^od comedo^ con-
ftjlere. enim fimul mn poffunt voluntas imperandi, & voluntas perden-
di^ De jure Bel. 1. i. c. 4. Quid ergo? JSJulline cafus incidere pof-
funt ({^ys Barcl.ty himfelij quihuspopulo in Reg cm arma capere j^^^
juo Ikeat ? Nulli eerie fiamdiu Eex- manet • Duos autem cafus invenioj^
quibus RexUx rege r.on Regernfacit;. Adverfus. Monarchomacos, 1. 3/
c. 16. As for our Bilfon^ he fets himfelf, de Indujlria, to maintain
the Prince's Authority againft the Pope, and yet in defending the
Proteftants in their Stirs in G^rmany^ France^ Scotland, J wiU not
fiays he) pronounce all that refill to he Rebels. Cafes may fallout^ as
I have cited two of them, and then he further fays, In thefe and O'
ther Cafes that might be named^ if the Nobles and Commom pin toge*
ther^ to defend the ancient and accuflomed Liberty^ Regiment , and Laws^
they may not he accounted Rebels. In his Book fand exceUent Book^
of the true Difference hetrveenChriflian Subje^fion^ and Vnchrifiian Re-
bellion^ p. 520. In fine, the Pope may not depofe Princes; but
the whole Realm may defend their Rights againft them, according
£c this eminent Bifhop's Judgment ,• / deny'd (fays he) that Bi/hops
'had Authority to prefcribe Conditions to Kings when they crewn'd thent^
hut J never deny^d that the People might preferve their Foundation-Free"
dom^ and Form of their Coynmon-veealth^ tvhich they fore-priz,td when
they confented to have a King^ p, 521. There being yet a Line or
two to hi], I will fet down this Saying, becaufe I like It, tho'itbe
an Overplus, and not to this, but to other good Purpofe : Qu<&e:c
jure nati'.r^'c dependent iis Princeps ctiam tenetur^ quia licet fit dominus a-
liorunif fubditus tamen efi natur^^ & civis mundanus, Arnifasus de
Juue.Majeftatis Principum Temper inviolabile, i. i.o g.

F 1 N I S:

i^^.olnhl