I will now instance more largely, in one, who, in the Fervour of his Zeal, Preached at Pinners-Hall-Lecture, and after printed a zealous ignorant Sermon, against such of us, as judge not as confusedly and erroneously as himself; when I had avoided Preaching on any such Subject, and Printing what I had long before written on it, lest I should revive the Strife; and yet he is known to be a worthy virtuous Man.
⟨p. 56⟩I will give you yet another Proof, that such may be serious godly Men, who Preach a Doctrine, quoad Verba, Heretical or Anti-evangelical. The Renovation of an unsanctified Soul, requireth a Change so great, on all our Faculties, as must turn a mere natural man into a spiritual; and give a man a new End, new Principles, and a new Heart and Life; and this by Divine transforming Influence: But to cure one of these Erroneous Men, there needs not so a great Renovation, but only the better informing of an ignorant mans Judgment, that was carried away by Education, Prejudice▪ the Veneration of his chief Teachers, and the weakness of his own dull undistinguishing Mind; yea, perhaps, the Cure of his Ignorance, in Grammar or Logic, in some one word, may make him Orthodox.
Could you but get out Prejudice and Ignorance, so far, as to teach these men but Two or Three Distinctions, in all likelihood, it would cure them, E.G.
1. To distinguish between a Surety antecedent, and subsequent.
2. To distinguish between the Righteousness of Christ, given or imputed to us in se it self, (one mans Accidents made another's) and his Righteousness given us in its Effects and Benefits, reputed the sole meritorious Cause.
3. Between Justification by Efficiency, (principal and instrumental) and justifying us constitutively, (as Matter and Form) justifying by Grant in Law, or by Evidence, or by Witness, or by an Advocate Defence, or by Judicial decisive Sentence, or executely; and these, as supposing actual or legal Accusations.
4. Between the Law or Covenant of Innocency ⟨p. 57⟩with Adam; the Mediatorial Law or Covenant to Christ; the Common Law of Grace, made with Adam and Noah; the Covenant of Peculiarity with Abraham; the Political Law of Mos•s to the Jews; and the Law or Covenant of Christ, of Grace, of Faith, by which Christ doth Govern, and will Judge his visible Church.
I will now instance more largely, in one, who, in the Fervour of his Zeal, Preach'd at Pinners-Hall-Lecture, and after printed a zealous ignorant Sermon, against such of us, as judge not as confusedly and erroneously as himself; when I had avoided Preaching on any such Subject, and Printing what I had long before written on it, lest I should revive the Strife; and yet he is known to be a worthy vertuous Man.
⟨p. 56⟩I will give you yet another Proof, that such may be serious godly Men, who Preach a Doctrine, quoad Verba, Heretical or Anti-evangelical. The Renovation of an unsanctified Soul, requireth a Change so great, on all our Faculties, as must turn a meer natural man into a spiritual; and give a man a new End, new Principles, and a new Heart and Life; and this by Divine transforming Influence: But to cure one of these Erroneous Men, there needs not so a great Renovation, but only the better informing of an ignorant mans Judgment, that was carryed away by Education, Prejudice▪ the Veneration of his chief Teachers, and the weakness of his own dull undistinguishing Mind; yea, perhaps, the Cure of his Ignorance, in Grammar or Logick, in some one word, may make him Orthodox.
Could you but get out Prejudice and Ignorance, so far, as to teach these men but Two or Three Distinctions, in all likelihood, it would cure them, E.G.
1. To distinguish between a Surety antecedent, and subsequent.
2. To distinguish between the Righteousness of Christ, given or imputed to us in se it self, (one mans Accidents made anothers) and his Righteousness given us in its Effects and Benefits, reputed the sole meritorious Cause.
3. Between Justification by Efficiency, (principal and instrumental) and justifying us constitutively, (as Matter and Form) justifying by Grant in Law, or by Evidence, or by Witness, or by an Advocate Defence, or by Judicial decisive Sentence, or executely; and these, as supposing actual or legal Accusations.
4. Between the Law or Covenant of Innocency ⟨p. 57⟩with Adam; the Mediatorial Law or Covenant to Christ; the Common Law of Grace, made with Adam and Noah; the Covenant of Preculianity with A•rah•m; the Political Law of Mos•s to the Jews; and the Law or Covenant of Christ, of Grace, of Faith, by which Christ doth Govern, and will Judge his visible Church.
