A39674:939
Planelogia, a succinct and seasonable discourse of the occasions, causes, nature, rise, growth, and…
Planelogia, a succinct and seasonable discourse of the occasions, causes, nature, rise, growth, and remedies of mental errors written some months since, and now made public, both for the healing and prevention of the sins and calamities which have broken in this way upon the churches of Christ, to the great scandal of religion, hardening of the wicked, and obstruction of Reformation : whereunto are subjoined by way of appendix : I. Vindiciarum vindex, being a succinct, but full answer to Mr. Philip Cary's weak and impertinent exceptions to my Vindiciæ legis & fæderis, II. a synopsis of ancient and modern Antinomian errors, with scriptural arguments and reasons against them, III. a sermon composed for the preventing and healing of rents and divisions in the churches of Christ / by John Flavell ... ; with an epistle by several divines, relating to Dr. Crisp's works.Planelogia, a succinct and seasonable discourse of the occasions, causes, nature, rise, growth, and remedies of mental errors written some months since, and now made publick, both for the healing and prevention of the sins and calamities which have broken in this way upon the churches of Christ, to the great scandal of religion, hardening of the wicked, and obstruction of Reformation : whereunto are subjoined by way of appendix : I. Vindiciarum vindex, being a succinct, but full answer to Mr. Philip Cary's weak and impertinent exceptions to my Vindiciæ legis & fæderis, II. a synopsis of ancient and modern Antinomian errors, with scriptural arguments and reasons against them, III. a sermon composed for the preventing and healing of rents and divisions in the churches of Christ / by John Flavell ... ; with an epistle by several divines, relating to Dr. Crisp's works.
London: printed by R. Roberts for Tho. Cockerill, 1691
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
(1.) It is not true or tolerable to affirm, that there is no Sin in a Believer, 1 Joh. 1. 8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive our selves, and the truth is not in us. There's not a just Man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not, Eccles. 7. 20. In many things we offend all, James 3. 2. The Scriptures plainly affirm it, and the universal experience of all the Saints sadly confirms it. 'Tis true, the Blood of Christ hath taken away the guilt of Sin, so that it shall not condemn Believers; and the spirit of Sanctification hath taken away the dominion of Sin, so that it doth not reign over Believers; but nothing, except Glorification, utterly destroys the existence of Sin in Believers. The acts of sin are our acts, and not ⟨p. 356⟩Christ's, and the stain and pollution of those sinful acts, are the burdens and infelicities of Believers, even in their justified State. Dr. Crisp indeed, p. 270, 271. calls that objection (I suppose he means distinction betwixt the guilt of Sin and Sin it self) a simple objection, and tells us, the very Sin it self, as well as the guilt of it, passed off from us, and was laid upon Christ: So that speaking of the Sins of Blasphemy, Murder, Theft, Adultery, Lying, &c. From that time (saith he) that they were laid upon Christ, thou ceasest to be a transgressor. If thou hast part in the Lord Christ, all these transgressions of thine become actually the transgressions of Christ. So that now thou are not an Idolater, or Persecutor, a Thief, a Murderer, and an Adulterer, thou art not a sinful person; Christ is made that very sinfulness before God, &c. Such expressions justly offend and grieve the hearts of Christians, and expose Christianity to scorn and contempt. Was it not enough that the guilt of our sin was laid on him, but we must imagine also, that the thing it self, Sin, with all the deformity and pollution should be essentially transferred from us to Christ? No, no. After we are justified, sin dwelleth ⟨p. 357⟩in us, Rom. 7. 17. warreth in us, and brings us into captivity, ver. 23. Burdens and oppresseth our very Souls, v. 24. Methinks I need not stand to prove what I should think no sound experienced Christian dares to deny, that there is much sin still remaining in the persons of the justified. He that dares to deny it, hath little acquaintance with the nature of Sin, and of his own Heart.