An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

and an ungenerate Man hath as much reason to hope, that he may be regenerate; and what becomes then of this evidence of Sanctification to prove our union to Christ, when Sanctification it self cannot be distinguished from an unsanctified state.

According to these Men, ¹we cannot distinguish a sanctified and an unsanctified man, an unregenerate man is under the reign of sin, and a regenerate man (as they describe him) is so too. Why so? He may be Carnal, Rom. 7.14. but not as the ungenerate, totally altogether Carnal, without any spark of Spiritual life in him; but partially only, in respect of the Relics of corruption abiding in him: He is Spiritual, so far as he is regenerate; yet Carnal, because he hath some corrupt flesh in him. This appears, because though regenerate, he is still to go on mortifying the flesh, and the flesh is yet lusting in him against the Spirit: The Babes in Christ are called Carnal, 1 Cor. 3.1. yet they were not unregenerate, but their regenerate Man is sold under sin, Rom. 7.14. He is so; but what, as Ahab, who sold himself to work evil? What, as the unregenerate are, who are willing Captives, ready to obey the desires of the flesh? no; but he is a captive against his will, he cannot wholly rid himself of those lusts, which lye as so many heavy chains upon him; so far as regenerate, he is a free-man, but because Regeneration is imperfect, he is yet a Captive: But their regenerate man may do those things ⟨p. 538⟩he allows not, nay, those things he hates, Rom. 7.15. Not that, as the profane, he does outward gross acts of sin, and wallows in them; but that the inevitabile malum, that unavoidable concupiscence, (though he disallow & hate it & all its progeny) will be stirring in his thoughts and desires; nay, and sometimes prevailing too. That the Apostle speaks of such unavoidable defects, is clear from the following words: It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me, vers. 17. which words can be only understood of unavoidable defects: But their unregenerate Man neglects duty, the good he would do he does not, vers. 19. not that he doth not do duties to God, but that the clog of corruption impedes him from doing them, in that pure and uninterrupted manner as he desires: He finds a Law in his Members warring against the Law of his mind, and bringing him into captivity to the Law of sin, which is in his Members, vers. 23. He hath a Divine Spiritual life in him, but because Regeneration is imperfect, the indwelling sin is still in him, struggling, though not reigning; by these things it appears, that there is a vast difference between a regenerate Man and an ungenerate: