X. CHAP. Christianity, and that the care and zeal either of parents or ministers could not so well be trusted for the preventing of death by procuring baptism for infants; especially with that reverence which the sacrament requireth it hath been agreed upon by the silent practice of Christendom to baptize all while they are infants. And this consent whoso infringeth, in the overt act of schism which he committeth, he involveth a presumption of heresy against himself. For what could move a man to such an outrage, who did believe that profession, which saveth a Christian, to include in it the sacrament of baptism? Wherein the covenant of grace consisteth. That the state of grace is forfeited by heinous sin. [James iii. 2; 1 John i. 8.] 9. And thus it remaineth evident, that it is a covenant of unspeakable grace on God's part, which His Gospel bringeth; notwithstanding that it requireth upon the condition of our salvation, that we live and die Christians. First, as tendering the assistance of God's Spirit, as well to undertake as to perform; and then, having performed, as tendering a reward which our performance cannot challenge: and both in consideration of Christ, Whose merits and sufferings are free, pure, mere grace, before all helps of grace which they have purchased for us. § 10. It is a thing prodigious and deplorable to consider, that they, who would be reformers of the Church, should notwithstanding all this think it no state of grace that can become forfeit by sinh. As if, because without daily sin Christians do not live, therefore that reconcilement with God were no reconcilement, that can become void by gross 71. and heinous sin. But till that, which hath been said of justification, and that faith which alone justifieth, be destroyed, there can be no pretence for so dangerous a doctrine. That, which is granted upon a condition, faileth with it. And it must be a secret which the Old and New Testament hath not revealed, that shall make good our title to heaven, though we make not good that Christianity which entitleth us to it. And, therefore, when St. Pauli is persuaded, that nothing "shall separate us from the love of God in Christ," Rom. viii. 38 [, 39]; he supposeth "us" to be such as he describeth all along the chapter afore: such as he found himself resolved X. [Rom. viii. to be, such as live "not according to the flesh, but accord- CHAP. ing to the Spirit." Of such he might well be persuaded, that nothing should "separate them from the love of God in 1.] Christ:" knowing the helps of God's all-sufficient grace to be promised all that so live; not to fail, till they receive them in vain. When St. John saith, that "he who is born of God sinneth not," because "the unction," which he hath from God, "abideth in" him, and "teacheth" him "all things," 1 John ii. 20, 27, iii. 9; he supposeth him, that is born of God, to be the son of God; who shall be no son of God, if he sin such sins as he means: and, therefore, he supposeth this "unction" to "abide in" him; which abideth not in them, that sin. When our Lord saith to the Samaritan, John iv. 14, that "whoso drinketh of the water which" He "shall give, shall never thirst any more:" He supposeth, that the water which He giveth is not vomited up again; He opposeth this water, so drunk, to the water of Jacob's well; [John iv. which did make room for thirst in time, whereas this water 6, 12.] so drunk shall spring up to life everlasting. All heresies have the superficial sound of some texts of Scripture, to set against the whole stream of Scripture, and the current doctrine of it. He, that considers, how much of the Old Testament that which I have said of justification involveth, will think it reason to measure the meaning of two or three texts1 by that; not to rack all the rest to the length of these. As for the sense of the Churchm; seeing the consent thereof is evident in the condition upon which we are justified, it is a part of madness for any man, that believes the unity thereof, to imagine, that any doctor that held with that unity can be 72 found to teach otherwise. St. Augustin" is remarkable. The stress lies upon him: and upon those books, the occasion whereof is to enquire, how it comes to pass, that so many that had attained to the state of God's grace do not die in it. § 11. But though I admire at the wilfulness with which this mistake is maintained, against all Christendom, old and of the con Misprinted "Whence" in the editions of both 1662 and 1680. See Epilogue, ibid. § 24, 28. See ibid. § 23. See ibid. § 45-49. n See ibid. § 46, 48. • Viz. his tracts De Prædestinatione Sanctorum and De Dono Perseverantiæ: Op. tom. x. pp. 779, sq.-See Epilogue, ibid., c. xxvi. § 24. The danger trary posi X. tion ac of it. CHAP. new, but those who follow Calvin; yet I value the danger of it to the salvation of him, that hath it, according to the opinion of justification which it is joined with. For if it come cording to the ground from an assurance of a man's predestination; as if such a one, being once justified, cannot incur the state of damnation by any sin taking that opinion for a heresy, I must needs take this for a position destructive to salvation. It is otherwise with those, that make repentance to go before justifying faith. For it is true, that, if a man have no ground that he is reconciled to God till his first conversion, he can have no ground that he is reconciled to God of any sin, that he falls into afterwards, till he have performed his repentance. And therefore they contradict themselves, if they imagine, that, being actually in the state of damnation, a man may have that trust in God which justifying faith signifies, before he turn from his sin by repentance. But the worse divines, the better Christians. And the truth, which they hold, suffereth not the venom of that opinion, which is indeed inconsistent with the same, to operate. CHAPTER XI. WHAT LAW OF GOD IT IS, THAT MAY BE FULFILLED BY A CHRISTIAN. OF What law of God it is, that may be fulfilled by BUT this resolution perfectly reconcileth two of those controversies, which we have with the Church of Rome about justification and the points annexed to it: that of the possia Christian. bility of fulfilling God's law, for a Christian; and that of satisfying for sin, and of meriting grace or glory, by the good works of a Christian P. For it is certain, that the law P See Epilogue, Bk. II. Of the Cov. of Gr., cc. xxxii., xxxiii. 73 XI. Rom. viii. [Gal. ii. 8; Luke which God gave Adam in paradise, as having created him in CHA P. his original uprightness, can never be fulfilled by the grace, which the death of Christ tendereth, in this bondage under original sin. But if we speak of the new law, which the Gospel of Christ enacteth (St. James calleth it "the law of [James i. liberty," St. Paul, "the law of the Spirit of life"): it is evi- 25, ii. 12; dent by the premisses, that, if it be not fulfilled, "then is 2.] Christ dead in vain;" then do we receive His grace in vain, 21.1 and cannot be saved, but are still in our sins. For every covenant, every contract, is a law to the parties. And though God need not contract with His creature, which He may give law to at pleasure; yet, if He condescend to treat and to con74 tract with man, He intends not to abuse him by contracting for that, which cannot come to effect. Therefore He doth not contract with him upon condition that he shall not sin; who, born in original sin, sinneth daily but upon condition, that, if he fall into sin, he return by repentance; and, blotting out his former sin by "works meet for repentance," [Matt. iii. proceed in newness of life for the future. And, upon these. 8.] terms, the original law of righteousness in paradise doth not become void; but continueth in force for the regulating of the righteousness, which Christians are to live by and to aim at: whether or no enhanced in consideration of that great "grace of God, bringing salvation to all," which "hath ap- [Titus ii. peared" by the Gospel, above that measure which the original 11.] righteousness of paradise required, I dispute not yet. But the law of Moses, upon these terms, will be the reviving of the original law of paradise, as to the effect of attaining and holding the land of Canaan (a figure correspondent, as well to the earthly, as to the heavenly paradise), by that outward obedience, which the letter of the ceremonial and judicial law required. And, upon these terms, the thief upon the [Luke cross, dying in the state of grace, fulfilled God's law; fulfilling 43.] all that, which the covenant of grace required of him for his salvation in that estate. And if there be such a thing as repentance effectual to salvation upon the bed of death; which the rules of the Church do not warrant us to presume 4 See Epilogue, Bk. II. Of the Cov. of Gr., c. iii. § 9, c. vii. § 6, c. xxxii. § 1-6. r See ibid., c. v. § 5, 10; and Bk. I. xxiii. 40 XI. CHAP. of, though they oblige us not to despair of its: then he, who is effectually converted to God upon his last bed of death, hath fulfilled God's law. Of doing more than § 2. As for going beyond the law by works of supererogaGod's law tion; it is easy to see, that, according to the premisses, he, requireth. that cannot do what God's original law requires, cannot do more. But it is as easy to see, that some circumstances may conduce to the performance of our Christianity, that are no part of it; and therefore the vow of baptism binds not to them. If marriage stand with Christianity, what Christian is forbidden marriage? Yet single life is the safer way to perfection in Christianity". So is the profession of the clergy, and all the means of further retirement from the world than the taking up of Christ's cross signifies. And the [Matt. xix. grace, which our Lord and St. Paul after Him owns in them Mark x. 21; that do this, is not a peculiar temper of the body, obliging 75 Luke xviii. him, that hath it, to live single, and him, that hath it not, to vii. 7, ix. marry; but a singular zeal, to wave that, which God makes 15-18.] lawful for us, that we may the better come to His kingdom: [Matt. vi. which, when it proceeds with a "single eye," proposing to 22; Luke itself nothing of this world, but the means of attaining to the world to come; well may we be assured of God's help to perform it, by virtue of that promise, which the common Christianity challengeth, intending nothing but the effect of it. 12, 21; 22: 1 Cor. xi. 34.] Whether our Lord § 3. I do believe further, that we, who live under the Gospel, are tied to a higher degree of goodness than those law, or not. who lived under the Law were; as for the condition of con gave a new tinuing in the state of God's grace: and that this is the best reason for many actions of holy persons, sometimes not condemned, sometimes commended, in the Old Testament; which, notwithstanding, agree not with that perfection, which our Lord by His sermon in the mountain preacheth; to wit, that either they were accepted by God in that estate, or at See Epilogue, Bk. II. Of the Cov. See ibid., Bk. II. Of the Cov. of "See ibid., § 35-38; and Bk. III. c. xxxii. § 7-40: and Due Way of Composing Differences &c., § 23. See Epilogue, Bk. III. Of the Laws of the Ch., c. xxxii. § 24-40; and Due Way of Composing Differences &c., § 21, 22. |