A fuccinct and ſeaſonable Diſcourſe of the Occafi-
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
ſo meekness muſt carry you through them; if you avenge yourſelves, you take the cauſe out ofGod's hand into your own; but the meek Chriſtian leaves it to the Lord, and ſhall never have cauſe to repent of hisſodoing.
Ifthou have an upright heart withGod, a tender and mournful heart for fin, and thou ſuffer with meekneſs for righteouſneſs-fake, thou artone ofthoſe ſouls to whom that ſweet voice is directed in my text, Come mypeople, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee ; hidethyself, as itwere,fora little moment, untilthe indignation be overpast.
* *
A fuccinct and ſeaſonable Diſcourſe of the Occaſions, Cauſes, Nature, Rife, Growth, and Remedies of
MENTAL ERRORS
THE reverend author of the enſuing treatiſes, having in them, explained and defended ſeveral goſpel-truths , unto which divers things, in the writings of the reverend Dr.
Criſp, deceased, do ſeem very oppoſite; whereas fome ofus, who ſubſcribed a paper, the deſign whereofwas only to teſtify, thatwe believed certain writings of the doctor's never before published, were faithfully tranſcribed by his fon, the publiſher ofthem; which paper is now,bythe bookfeller, prefixed to the whole volume ; containing alarge preface, whichwe never faw
-tillafter the publication, together with all the doctor's former works thatwere publiſhedmanyyears before; and are hereupon, by ſome weak people, misunderstood; as if,by that certificate, we intended anapprobation of all that iscontained in that volume. We declare we had noſuch intention : As the paperwe ſubſcribed hath no word in it that gives any ſuch intimation :
But are well pleaſed theſe later writings are publiſhed (in referencewheretowe only certified our belief, which we fixedly retain, of the publiſher's fidelity) as they contain many paſſages inthem, that may, inſome meaſure, remedy the hard and hurtful conſtruction that many expreſſions were more liable to in the former; whereofthe doctor ſeemedapprehenfive himself, when, in the beginning of his diſcourſe on Tit, ii, 11, 12. he speaks
Aa2
) " thus: " [Beloved, I amjealous ofyou with an holyjealousy,"
1 Cor. xi. 2, 3 Left after the ſweetwooingofyou in in Chriſt's " name, that ye mightbeeſpouſeduntohim ; I fay, I am jea- " lous, and fear, leſt as the ferpent beguiledEve, through his
" fubtility, namely, bewitching her toa preſumptuous, licenti- " ous adventuring onGod's gentleneſs,while the taſted thefor- " bidden fruit ; toyour minds ſhould be corrupted from the " ſimplicity that isin him, namely, bypreſumingtoomuchupon
" him and adventuring to continue in fin, in hope that grace " may abound.
For the preventing ofwhichdangerous mifcarriage, which hathbeen thedangerouslotofmany thousands,
" I thought good to ſtep inwith this text, which Iamperfuaded " will prove a ſeaſonable warning toſome at leaft. "]
And this pious caution of the author herein, leſt he ſhould be miſua derstood, gives us ſome grounds to believe, that he intended them not inthe more exceptionable ſenſe.
'Tis beft, if an unwary reader receive hurt that he receives his healing alſo from the fame hand.
And whereas a paper was printed upon this occafion, foon afterthe publication of the doctor's works, wewillingly adopt ſomuchofit as is requifite to ourpreſentpur pole; which is tothis effect :
• Some who ſubſcribed this certificate, faw only the paper it- • ſelf, to which ſubſcription was defired; never having peruſed
• the works of Dr. Crifp.
The certificate only concerned the • fon, not the father ; and certified only concerning the fon,
• That they who ſhould fubfcribe it, believed him in this to deal truly ; that he was not a Falſarius; that he would not ſay that was his father's, which was not fo; a paper fo fober,
• ſo modeft, was (taken by itself) ſcarce refuſable by a friend.
' The ſon's preface, ſome that ſubſcribed this certificate faw not, nor had any notice, or the leaſt imagination of its contents ; otherwise, the part of a friend had certainlybeendone,
• as well in adviſing againſt much of the preface, as in fub- • fcribing the certificate.
• For the works of this reverend perſon themselves, as itno •way concerned the ſubſcribing this certificate, to know what
• they were ; ſo from the opinion that went ofthe author, amongmany goodmen, that he was a learned, pious, good man, it was ſuppoſed they were likely to have inthem many
• good and useful things ; towhich it was only needful tothink them bis, not to think them perfect.
' We may, in ſome reſpect,judge ofbooks as ofmen; i. reckon, that though divers very valuable men havehad res
( 189 ) markable failings, yet that, upon the whole, 'tis better they' have lived, and beenknown in the world, than that they
•ſhould not have lived, or have lived obſcure.
The truth is (which we have oftenconſidered) that though 'thegreat doctrines of the Chriſtianreligiondo make amoſt co- 'herent, comely ſcheme, which every one ſhould labour to ' comprehend and digest in his mind ; yet when the goſpel firſt
•becomes effectual for the changing mens hearts, it is by God's ' bleſſing this or that paſſage which drops : The moſt diſcern
'not the feries and connection of truths at firſt, and too little •afterwards.
•Upon that view of Dr. Criſp's writings we have had fince *the publication, we find there aremany things ſaid inthem,
'with thatgoodfavour, quickneſs, and ſpirit, as to be very apt 'to make good impreſſions upon men's hearts ; and dojudge,
'that being greatly affected with the grace of God to finners •himſelf, his fermons did thereupon run much in that ſtrain.
•All our minds are little and incomprehenfive ; we cannot re- 'ceive theweightand impreſſion of all neceſſary things at once,
'but with some inequality; ſo that when the feal goes deeper 'inſome part, it is ſhallower inſome others.
• If ſome parts of Dr. Criſp's works be more liable toexcep- 'tion, thedanger of hurt therebyſeems, inſome meaſure, ob- 'viated in ſome other : As when he says, Pag. 46. Vol. I.
* Sanctification of life, is an inseparable companion with thejufti- 'fication of a person by thefree grace of Christ.
And Vol. IV.
'p. 93. That in respect of the rules ofrighteousness, or the matter ' of obedience, we are under the lawftill; or elsewe are lawless, to ' live every man asjeems good in his own eyes, which Iknow no ' true Chriſtian doessomuch as think.
' In like manner, whereas, in Vol. II. Serm. 15. andperhaps * elsewhere. thedoctorfeems tobe against evidencing ourjuftificationand union to Christ, by ourfanctification and new obedience : we have the truth of God in this matterplainly delivered byhim,
' Vol . IV. p. 36. when he teacheth, that our obedience is a com- 'fortable evidence of our being in Christ ; and on that, aswell as ، 'onmanyaccounts, neceffary.
'The difference between him, and other good men, ſeems to 'lienot somuch in the things which the one or other of them
'believe, as about their order and reference to one another ; 'where, it is true, there may be very material difference : But 'we reckon, that notwithstandingwhat is more controverfible
'in theſe writings, there are much more material things, wherein they cannotbut agree, and would have comemuch nearer
( 190 ) *each other, evenintheſe things, iftheydidtake ſomewords or terms which come intouſe on the one or the other hand,
•inthefamefenfe; butwhen one uſes aword in onefenfe, ano- ⚫ther uses the ſameword (or underſtands it, being used) in quite another fenfe, here ſeems a vaſt diſagreement, which proves, at length, to be verbal only, and really none at all :
•As let by condition, be meantadeserving cause, (in which cafe •it iswell known civilians are notwont to take it) and the one
• ſidewould never uſe it, concerning anygood act that canbe •done by us, or good habit that is wrought inus, inorder to •our preſent acceptance withGod, or final falvation.
Let be •meantbyitſomewhat, that, bythe conſtitutionofthegoſpelcovenant, and in thenature of the thing, is requisite to our preſent and eternal well-being, without the leaſt notion of •defert, but utmoſt abhorrence ofany ſuch notioninthis cafe;
' and the other fide would as little refuſe it.
But what need is there for contending at all about a law-term, about the pro- *per, or preſent uſe whereof, there is ſo little agreement be- * tween them itseems best to ferve, and them it offends. Let it
" go, and they willwellenough underſtand one another. Again, let juftification be taken for that which is complete, entire,
'and full, as it reſults at laſtfrom all its cauſes andconcurrents ; 'and, onthe onehand, itwould never bedenied, that Chriſt's
*righteouſneſs juſtifies us at the bar ofGod in the day ofjudg- 'ment, as the onlydeserving cause; or affirmed, thatour faith, repentance, ſincerity, dojustify us there, as any cause atall.
•Let juſtificationbe meant only of being juſtified in this or *thatparticular refpect; as for inſtance, against this particular accufation, of never havingbeen abeliever : And the honeſt
* miſtaken prefacer would never have faid, O horrid ! upon its •being ſaid, Chrift's righteousness doth not justify us in this
'cafe: For he very well knows, Chriß's righteouſneſs will juf- 'tify noman that never was a believer.
But that which must ' immediately justify him against this particularaccufation, muſt
'be proving, that he did ſincerely believe ; which ſhews his • intereſt in Chriſt's righteousness, which then is the only de- •ſerving cauſe ofhis full and entire juſtification.
، 'There is anexpreſſion in Vol. 1. p. 46.
Thatfalvation is 'not the end of any good work we do, which is like that ofano- ' ther; we are to actfrom life, not for life.
Neither of which ' are tobe rigidly taken, as it is likely they were nevermeant in > the ftrict ſenſe.
For the former, this reverend author gives *ushimself the handle for agentle interpretation, inwhat he preſently fubjoins; wherehe makes the end ofourgood works
( 191 ) to bethemanifestation ofour obedienceandfubjection; thefetting •forth thepraise of theglory ofthe grace ofGod; whichſeen- 'to imply, that he meant the foregoing negation in a comparas
'tive, not in an abſolute ſenſe; underſtanding theglory ofGod tobe more principal; andſo, that by end, he meant the very
' ultimate end : Sofor the other, it is likely it was meant, that 'we ſhould not act or work for life only, without aiming and endeavouring that we might come toworkfrom life alſo.
• For it is not with any tolerable charity ſuppoſable, thatone would deliberatelysay the one or the other of theſe in the rigid fenſeofthewords; or that he would not, upon confideration,
•preſently unſay it, being calmly reasoned with.
For it were, in effect, to abandon human nature, and to fin against avery fundamental law ofour creation,not tointend our own felicity: itwere to make our firſt and moſtdeeply fundamental
*duty, inonegreateſſentialbranch of it, our fin, viz. To take 'the Lordfor our God : For to take himfor ourGod moſt effen- ! tially, includes our taking him for ourfupreme good; which *we all know is included in the notion ofthe last end; itwere
*tomake it unlawful to ſtrive againſt all fin, and particularly againſt ſinful averſion fromGod; wherein lies the verydeath of the foul, or the fum of its miſery ; or to ſtrive after perfect
'conformity toGod in holineſs, and the full fruition of him; whereinits final bleſſedneſs doth principally confift.
It were to teach us toviolatethe great precepts of thego- ' ſpel; Repent that yourfinsmaybe blotted out-Strive to enter
' in at the ftraitgate.-Workout your ownfalvationwithfearand 'trembling: To obliterate the patterns and precedents ſetbe- 'foreus in the gospel. We have believed in Jesus Christ, that ' we might bejustified.I bear down my body, left Ishould be a cast-away. That thou mayest fave thyself, andthem that hear thee.
'Itwere to ſuppoſe us bound todo more for the falvation 'ofothers, than our own falvation. We are required to ſave
' others with fear, plucking them out of the fire. Nay, we were not (by this rule ſtrictly understood) ſo much as to pray for our own falvation; (which is adoing of fomewhat) when nodoubt, we are to pray for thefuccefs ofthe goſpel, to this purpoſe, on behalfofothermen.
It were to make all the threatenings of eternal death, and *promiſes of eternal life, we find in the gospel of our bleffed
* Lord, uſelefs; as motives to ſhun the one, and obtain the other: for they canbe motives noway, but asthe eſcaping
An Epistle to the Reader.
• of the former, and the attainment of the other, have, with 'us, the place and confideration of an end.
• It makes what is mentioned in the ſcripture, as the charac- •ter and commendation of the moſt eminent ſaints, a fault; as • of Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, &c. That theyfought the better
• andheavenly country ; and declared, plainly, thattheydid fo; •which neceſſarily implies their making it their end.
•But letnone be ſo harth as to think of anygood man, that ⚫he intended any thing of allthis ; if every paſſage that falls
• from us be ſtretched and tortured with the utmoſt ſeverity, •we ſhall find little todobeſides accuſing others, and defend- ⚫ing ourſelves, as long as we live.'
Afpirit of meekness and love will do more to our common peace, than all the diſputations in the world.
Upon the whole, we are ſo well aſſuredofthepeaceful, healing temper of the preſent author of theſe treatiſes, that we are perfuaded he deſigned ſuch a courſe of managing the controverſies wherein he hath concerned himself, as to prevent, on the one hand, injury to the memory of the dead; and, on the other, any hurt or danger to the living.
Nor do we ſay thus much of him, as if he fought, or did need any letters of recommendation from us ; but as counting this teftimony to truth, and this expreſſion of reſpect to him, adebt; to the ſpontaneous payment whereof, nothing more was requifite, beſides ſuch a fair occafion as the providence of Godhath now laid before us, inviting us hereunto.
JohnHowe, JohnTurner, Vin. Alfop, Rich. Bures, Nath. Mather, Tho. Powel.
Increase Mather,
An EPISTLE
to the READER.
Candid READER, CENSURE not this treatise of errors, as an error in my prudentials, inſending it forth at ſuch an improper time as this.
I ſhould never ſpontaneously have awakened fleeping controverfies, after God's ſevere caftigation of his people for them, and in the moſt proper and hopeful ſeaſon for their redintegration.
AndbefidewhatI have formerly ſaid, Ithink fithere to add,
An Epistle to the Reader.
Thatif the attack had been general, and not ſo immediately andparticularly upon that poit or quarter I was ſet todefend,
I should with Elihu, have modeftly waitedtill fome abler and more ſkilfulhand had undertaken the defence of this caufe.
If ever I felt a temptation toenvy the happiness of mybrethren, it hath been whilft I saw them quietly feeding their flocks, and myself forced to ſpend ſome part of my precious and moſt useful time (devoted tothe ſame ſervice) incombatingwith unquiet and erring brethren: but I fee I must not be my own chufer.
Notwithstanding, I hope, and am in ſome meaſure perfuaded, that public benefit will redound to the church from this irkſome labour of mine.
And that this ſtrife will ſpread no farther, butthe malady be curedby an antidote growing in the very place where itbegan : and that the Chriftian camp will not take a general alarm from fuch a ſingle duel.
Thebook now in thy hands conſiſteth of four parts, viz. 1 .
Ageneraldiſcourſe of the causes and cures oferrors, very necefſary at all times (eſpecially at this time) for the reduction and eſtabliſhment ofſeduced and ſtaggering Chriſtians ; and nothing of that nature having occurred to myobſervation among the manifold polemical tracts that are extant, Ithought it might beof ſome uſe to the churches of Chriſt, inſuch a vertiginous age as we live in; and the bleſſing of the Lord go forth with it for benefit and eſtabliſhment.
2. Next, thou hast here the controverfies moved by my antagonist ; first, about the Mofaic law, complexly taken, which heboldly pronounces to be an Adam's covenant of works. And fecondly, aboutGod's covenant with Abraham, Gen. xvii. which he alſomakes the fame with thatGod madewith Adam in paradiſe; and affirm circumcifion (exprefly called a feal of the righteousness of faith) to be the feal of the faid covenant of works firſt made with Adam.
3. Finding my adverſary, in the pursuit of hisdeſign, running intomanyAntinomian delirations, to thereproach and damage of the cauſe he contends for, I thought it neceſſary to take the principal errors of Antinomianiſm into examination, eſpecially at ſuch a time as this,whentheyfeemto ſpring afreſh, tothe hazard ofGod's truth, andthe church's peace ; wherein
Ihave dealt with becoming modeſty and plainneſs, if haply I might be any way inſtrumental in my plain and home-way of argumentation, to detect the falſity and dangerous nature of thoſenotionswhich fome goodmen havevented, and preferve
VOL . IV.
Bb T
An Epistle to the Reader. the founder part of the church from ſo dangerous a contagion.
4. In the next place, I think it neceſſary to advertiſe the reader, That whereas, inmy firſtappendix under thathead of the conditionality of the new covenant, I have aſſerted faith to be the condition of it, and do acknowledge, that the word condition is variouſly uſed among Juriſts; yet I do not use it in any ſenſe, which implies or infinuates, that there isany ſuch condition in the new covenant, as that inAdam's covenantwas, conſiſting inperfect, perſonal, andperpetual obedience: or any thing in its own nature, meritorious of the benefits promiſed, or capable tobe performed by us in ourown ſtrength; but plainly, that itbean act of ours(though done in God's ſtrength) which must be neceſſarilydonebeforewe can be actually justified or ſaved; and ſo there is found in it the true ſuſpending nature of a condition ; which is the thing I contend for, when I affirm, faith is the condition of the new covenant.
How many ſenſes ſoever maybe given of thisword condition, this is the determinate ſenſe inwhich Iuse it throughout this controversy. And whoſoever denies the fuſpending nature. of faith, with respect to actual juſtification, pleads (according to my underſtanding) for the actual juftification of infidels.
And thus I find aconditiondefined byNavar.Johan. Baptist.
Petrusde Peruf. &c. Conditio eft fufpenfio alicujus difpofitionis tantifperdum aliquidfuturumfiat.
Condition isthe ſuſpenſion ofagrantuntil ſomething futurebedone. And again, Conditio eft quidamfuturus eventus, in quem difpofitio fufpenditur A condition is ſome future event inwhich the fulfilling of a grant is ſuſpended.
Once more, my reader poſſibly maybe ſtumbled at my calling faith ſometimes the inſtrument, and ſometimes the condition ofour juſtification, whenthere is ſo great a controverſy depending among learnedmen,with respect tothe uſe of both thoſeterms.
I therefore defire the reader to take notice, that I dive not intothat controversy here, much less preſume to determine it ; but finding both theſe notions equally oppoſed by our
Antinomians, who reject our actual juſtification byfaith either way, and allow to faith noother uſe, in our actual juſtification, butonlyto manifeſt to us what was done from eternity ; Ido therefore uſe both thoſe terms, viz. the conditionality and inftrumentality of faith, with respect unto ourjuſtification, and ſhew in what ſenſe thoſe terms are useful in this controversy, and are accommodate enough to the deſign and purpoſe for
AnEpistle to the Reader.
whichI usethem; how repugnantſoevertheyareinthatparticular, whereinthelearned contend about the uſe and application ofthem.
To be plain, when I ſay faith juſtifieth us as an organ or inftrument ; my only meaning is, that it receives, or apprehends therighteouſneſs of Chriſt, bywhich we arejustified; and ſo ſpeaking to the quomodo, or manner of our juſtification, I ſay, with thegeneral fuffrage ofdivines, we are justified inſtrumentallybyfaith.
But inour controversy with the Antinomians where another different queſtion is moved aboutthe quando, or time of our actual juſtification; there I affirm, that we are actually juſtified atthe time ofour believing, and not before ; and this being theactuponwhich ourjuſtification is ſuſpended, Icallfaith the conditionofourjuſtification.
This, I defiremaybe obſerved, leſt, inmy uſeofboth theſe terms, my reader ſhould think either that I am not aware ofthe controverſydepending about thoſe terms; or, that I do herein manifeſt thevacillancy ofmyjudgment, as if I leanedſometime to one ſide, and ſometime to another.
I ſpeaknot here adidem, as they do inthat conteſt ; butwhen I call it a condition ofjuſtification, mymeaning is,that no man isjuſtified until he believe.
And when I call itan instrument, my meaning is, that it is the righteouſneſs ofChriſt, apprehended by faith, which doth juſtifyuswhenwe believe. And so I findthegeneralityof ourdivines callingfaith ſometimes acondition, and ſometimes an instrument of ourjuſtification, as here Ido.
And iftherebe any expreſſion my reader ſhall meet with, which is leſs accurate, and may be capable ofanother ſenſe ; I cravethat candour from him, that he interpret it according to this my declared intention.
5. Lastly, Ihave added totheformer, aſhort, plain, practical ſermon, topromote thepeaceand unity ofthe churchesofChriſt, andtoprevent their relapſe into paſt follies .
In all theparts ofthis diſcourſe, I have ſincerely aimed atthe purityandpeace ofthechurchofGod; andhe greatly mistakes, that takes me for a man ofcontention.
It is true, I am here contendingwith my brethren, but pure neceſſity brought me in, andanunpleaſingirkſomneſs hath attended me through it; and an heartydefire, andſerious motion for peace, amongst all the profeſſed members of Chriſt, ſhall cloſe and finiſh it.
Let all litigations of this nature (at leaſt in this criticaljuncture) beſuſpendedbycommon conſent, ſince they waſte our time,
Bb2
An Epifile to the Reader. hinderour communion, imbitterour ſpirits, impoverish practical godliness, grieve the ſpirit ofGod, and good men, make ſport for our common enemies, who warm their own fingers at the fire of our contentions; and place more trust in ourdividing lufts, than they do in their own feeble arguments, or caftrated penal laws, to effect our ruin.
It is my grief(the Lord knows) to see the delightful communionthe faints once enjoyed, whilstthey walkedtogether under the fame ordinances ofGod, now diffolved inſuchafad and ſcandalous degree, by the impreffions of erroneous opinions, madeboth upon their heads and hearts.
I do therefore hearti. lyjoin with Budaeus in his pious wiſh *, " That God would
" give his people as much conftancyinretainingthe truths they once received, as theyhadjoy and comfort attheir firſt reception of them."
I muſt, on thisoccafion,declaremyjuſt jealoufy thatthenon-improvementofour baptismalcovenantun-
to the great and folemn ends thereof, in our mortification, vivification, andregular communion with the church ofChrift, into which fociety we were matriculated by it, is, at thisday, puniſhedupon profeſſors inthose fiery heats, and fierce oppofitions, unto which God ſeemeth to have penally delivered us at thisday.
For my own part, itis my fixed reſolutionto provoke no goodman if I can help it.
But iftheirown intemperate zeal ſhall provoke them, in pursuit of their errors, to deftroy the very nature ofGod's covenantofgrace with Abraham, and his feed, and I have a plain call (as here I had) at once to defend
God's truths, andmypeople's foul against them, I will earnestly contend inthecauſe of truth, whillt Ican move my tongue, or make use of the pen of the ſcribe.
Reader, I ſmall appeal to thee, ifthou be wife and impartial, Whether any man that underſtands the covenantofGod renewed with Abraham, (which is thegrand charter, bywhich we and our children holdand enjoy the moſt invaluable privileges) can endure to fee it diſſolved and utterly deſtroyed, by making it an aboliſhing Adam's covenantofworks; and ſtandby as an unconcerned ſpectator, when challenged andprovoked to ſpeak in defence thereof.
Is there any thing found inGod's covenantwith Abraham, Gen. xvii. to made it an aboliſhed covenant ofworks, which * Utinam tam confertis manibus compertam comprehenfamque veritatemfemel retinerepoffemus quamprotinus agnitamfeftivis culis hilares exofculamur.
An Epistle to the Reader.
dothnotas injuriouſly bear upon, and ſtrike at the very life of the covenant ofgrace, inthe laſt and beſt edition of it, under whichthewhole church ofGod now ftands ? What is thatthing
(Iwould fain know) inGod's covenant with Abraham ? Is it the promiffory part of it, " I will be a God unto thee, and to " thy feed after thee ?" Gen. xvii. 7. God forbid: for the ef-, ſentialand ſweetest part ofthe newcovenantis contained inthat promite, Jer. xxxi. 33. Heb. viii. 10. Yet thou wilt find myAntagoniſt here forced to affert, God may become a people'sGod inſpecial manner, by virtue of the abolished covenant ofworks; andſuch he makes this covenant to be .
Ordoes the reſtipulation Abraham and his were here required tomake untoGod, even to walk before him, and be perfect, doth this make it an Adam's covenant of works ? Surely no.
For as God there requires perfection ofAbraham,ſo Chrift requires the fame perfection ofall new covenant-federates now,
Matth. v. 48. " Be ye perfect, as your Father which is in hea66 ven is perfect ; " which is altogether as much as everGod required ofAbraham and his, inGen. xvii. 1.
Take perfection inwhatſenſe you will, either for a poſitive perfection, confifting in truth and fincerity; or a comparative perfection, confifting in the growth and more eminent degrees of grace ; or a Superlative perfection, which allnew-covenant-federates ſtrive
after here, Phil. iii. 12, 13. and ſhall certainly attain inheaven, Heb. xii. 23. In this alſo the covenantwith Abraham, and with us, are truly and ſubſtantially one and the fame.
Ordoth my mistaken friend imagine, thatGod required this perfection of Abraham, and his, as in the firſt covenant he required it from Adam and all his ? viz. to be performed and maintained in his own strength, under penalty of the curſe.
But now, though Chriſt command perfection, yet what duty lies inany command, anſwerable ſtrength for it lies in thepromife? Very well, and was it not ſothen ? Compare the command, Deut. x. 16. " Circumciſe therefore the fore-ſkins of 16 your hearts," withthe answerable gracious promiſe to enable them ſo to do, Deut. xxx. 6. " The Lord thy God will cir- " cumcife thy heart, and the heart of thy feed, to love the " Lord thy God."
Or laftly, Did circumcifion, the ſign and feal added toAbraham's covenant, make it anAdam's covenant of works ? That's equally impoſſible with the former: for no man, but ſuch a daringman as I am concerned with, will dare to ſay, that afeal of the righteousness offaith (as circumcifion was, Rom. iv. 11.) canmake the covenant, to which it is affixed(and which Ihave
The INTRODUCTION.
ſhewn in all the other ſubſtantial parts, the very famewith that weare now under) tobecome anAdam's covenant ofworks.
Theſe things I havehere ſuper-added, toleaveas little as pofſible behind me to be an occaſion of further trouble and contention.
Let all ſtrife therefore, in ſo plainacaſe, be ended: contentious ſpirits, are not the moſt excellent ſpirits among Chriſtians.
Fire (and ſo contention) is more apt tocatch in low built thatcht cottages, than inhighbuiltcaſtles andprincely palaces : the higherwego, ſtillthemore peace. The highest regionis moſt ſedate and calm.
Stars have the ſtrongest influencewhen in conjunction. Angels(though legions)havenowars amongthem ; and as willinglygodown, as up the ladder, without juſtlingeach other. Andthe moſt highGod is theGodof peace; let us alſo be the children of peace. And I do aſſure the perfons with whom I contend, that whilst they hold the head, andare tender of the church's peace, I can live incharity withthemhere, andhope to livein glorywith themhereafter.
Iremain, reader, thine and the truth's friend
JOHN FLAVEL.
THE
INTRODUCTION.
FINDING, byfadexperience, whatIbefore justlyfear ed, that errors would be apt to ſpring upwith liberty(tho' the reſtraint of juſt libertybeing a practical error in rulers, can never be the cure of mental errorsin the ſubjects ;) I judged it neceſſary, at this ſeaſon, togive a fuccinct account oftherife, cauſes, and remedies of ſeveral mistakes and errors, under which, even the reformed churches among us, as wellas others, dogroan at thisday.
Iwillnot ſtay myreader longupon the etymology andderivations oftheword.
We allknow thatetymologies arenodefinitions: yet becauſe they caſt ſome light upon the nature of the thing we enquire after, itwillnotbe loſt labour toobſerve, that this word ERROR, derives itſelf from three roots in the Hebrew language.
(1.) The firſt * " word primitively ſignifies todeviateor de- " cline from the true ſcope or path," as unſkilful markf-men,
אטח Charta, a Scopo aberravit.
5 The INTRODUCTION.
or ignorant and inadvertent travellers uſe to do. The leaſt variation or turning aside from the true rule and line, tho' it be butanhair's breadth, preſently becomes an error. We read,
= Judg. xx. 16. of 700 Benjamites, who could every one fling ſtones atan hair's breadth, and not miss,
אטחיאלו Heb.and This, by a metaphor, is appliedto the mind orjudgment of man; and denotes the warpings thereof from the noterr. ſtraight, perfect, divine law or rule, and is usually tranflated bythewordfin.
(2.) Itisderived from another word alſo, which ſignifies to wander invariable and uncertain motions : You find it in the titleof the 7th Pfalm, Shiggaion of David, a wandring ſong, or afong of variable notes and tunes, higherand lower, ſharper and flatter.
In both the former derivations it ſeems to note ſimple error, through mere weakness and ignorance. But then, (3.) In itsderivation from athird root†, it ſignifies not only toerr, but tocauſe others to err alſo; and ſo ſignifies a ſeducer, or one that is active in leading others into a wrong way; and is appliedinthatſenſe, tothe prophets in Ifrael,who ſeduced the people, Ezek. xiii. 10. TheGreek verb πλαναω, takes inboth theſe ſenſes, both togo astray, and, when put tranſitively, tolead or cauſe others togo astray with us. Hence is the word πλανήτης, planets, or wandering ſtars; the titlegiven by the apoſtle Jude, ver. 13. tothe falſe teachers and ſeducers of his time.
An error then is anydeparture or deviation in our opinions or judgments from the perfect rule of the divine law : andtothis all men, by nature, are not only liable, but inclinable.
Indeed man, by nature, can do nothing else but err, Pfal. lviii. 3. He goeth astray as soon as born ; makes not one true ſtep till renewed by grace, and many falſe ones after his renovation.
The life of the holieſt man is abook with many errata's ; but the whole edition of awicked man's life, is but onecontinued error : he that thinks he cannot err, manifeſtly errs inſo thinking. The Pope's ſuppoſed and pretended infallibilityhath made him the greatdeceiver of the world. A good man may err, but is willing to know his error; and willnot obſtinatelymaintain it,whenhe once plainly difcerns it.
Error and hereſy, among other things, differ inthis : hereſy is accompanied with pertinacy, and therefore the heretic is ἀκοκαλάκριος, felf-condemned ; his own confcience condemns
חנש העט * Tagna in Hiph.
Shaga