A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many useful questions and cases of conscience are…A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many usefull questions and cases of conscience are…

Secondly, tis neither necessary nor possible that we have a a certain and infallible knowledge of the true Saintship and regeneration ⟨p. 270⟩of these particular persons whom we love, under the notion of Brethren and Saints. The Apostles themselves did once look upon and love some as Saints, who were no Saints, Judas, Simon Magus, Ananias, and Sapphira, and others of that kind. It is Gods own prerogative to know certainly the hearts of men. To require a certain knowledge of the Saintship of others, before we can say, we love the Brethren, doth not only strike at the mark of love, but at the duty of love, and makes the yoke of Christ heavy, yea unsupportable, and the very Evangelical commandment of love to be most grievous, yea impossible: And if the Antinomian objection hold good, no man on earth can perform acceptably this duty of Love, except he know the hearts of those whom he loves under the notion of Saints. If it be replied that the commandment of Christ is acceptably performed, when to my best knowledge and observation, and according to the best trial which one Christian is allowed by Christ to take of another, they are Saints whom I love under that notion, and that ti• not necessary to the acceptable performance of the duty of love, that I know infallibly such a one to be a true Saint: Then it will follow by the like rule and by parity of reason, that comfort and assurance may be had from this mark, I love the Brethren, although I cannot certainly and infallibly say, these whom I love are true Saints. For if I can be clear in point of the duty, and that my obedience to the new commandment of Christ, love one another, is acceptable to God, then may I also be clear in point of the mark or sign, this proposition, I love the Brethren, being a necessary consequent from that proposition, I have, through the grace of Christ, so far performed the duty of Love, as that it is acceptable to God in point of new obedience, and this leads me to a third answer.

Secondly, tis neither necessary nor possible that we have a a certain and infallible knowledge of the true Saintship and regeneration ⟨p. 270⟩of these particular persons whom we love, under the notion of Brethren and Saints. The Apostles themselves did once look upon and love some as Saints, who were no Saints, Iudas, Simon Magus, Ananias, and Saphyra, and others of that kind. It is Gods own prerogative to know certainly the hearts of men. To require a certain knowledge of the Saintship of others, before we can say, we love the Brethren, doth not only strike at the mark of love, but at the duty of love, and makes the yoke of Christ heavy, yea unsupportable, and the very Evangelicall commandment of love to be most grievous, yea impossible: And if the Antinomian objection hold good, no man on earth can performe acceptably this duety of Love, except he know the hearts of those whom he loves under the notion of Saints. If it be replyed that the commandement of Christ is acceptably performed, when to my best knowledge and observation, and according to the best tryall which one Christian is allowed by Christ to take of another, they are Saints whom I love under that notion, and that ti not necessary to the acceptable prformance of the duty of love, that I know infallibly such a one to be a true Saint: Then it will follow by the like rule and by parity of reason, that comfort and assurance may be had from this mark, I love the Brethren, although I cannot certainly and infallibly say, these whom I love are true Saints. For if I can be cleare in point of the duety, and that my obedience to the new commandement of Christ, love one another, is acceptable to God, then may I also be clear in point of the mark or signe, this proposition, I love the Brethren, being a necessary consequent from that proposition, I have, through the grace of Christ, so far performed the duty of Love, as that it is acceptable to God in point of new obedience, and this leads me to a third answer.