I receiued by your reuerend pastour Mr. Wilson, two of your papers, the first I call your Declaration, vizt. That a man is justifyed by fayth, and not before he beleeueth; the 2d I call your Pacification wherin your 327godly endeauour is to quiet and still those tumults, which your wisdom may foresee will arise in the Churches concerning Justification by fayth, as its concerned by some, and contradicted by others; now it was his desire and your own too as he intimated to me that I would read them ouer, and then come and speake with yow; which I did intend to do, the last Thursday, but that your being with the Gouernour kept me from the speech of yow; and had I had but time this weeke I had came to yow, but being hindred I thought it fit to send vnto yow my thoughts by way of wrighting, vntill we speake together, if so yow thinke fit; when I read the question in your declaration, I did woonder and greaue that I should liue to see the liberty of mens spirits, not only to deny so playne a truth, but that they should abolish the very forme of wholsom woords of truth which the apostle exhorts Timothy to keepe as well as the truth itselfe; in saying a man is justifyed without fayth, when the truth and forme of woords in scripture is that we are justifyed by fayth; and surely it hath not done me a little good to see your spirit contending for the fayth, once deliuered to the Saynts, Jude: 3: and seeking to preuent errours in there beginning; which I earnestly desire of god yow may still doe, both by woord and wrighting; yet its a great scruple in my thoughts (and I leaue it with yow to consider of) whether it will be most safe for yow to enter into the conflict with your pen (though the Lord hath made yow very able and fit for it) or if yow doe, whether then so largely; it being an easy thing for a sub till adversary to take aduantages at woords, or if yow doe wright more breefly, whether yow do not think it most meet to leaue them to the view of some of your freinds, before yow send them to him yow haue to trade withall; I confesse it would be a worke worth your labour, if yow could by woord or pen gather from them the full meaning of there minds wherein they differ from others, but otherwise I much question priuate duells with some kind of spirits; and therefore if yow should thinke it fit in your wisdom to forbeare wrighting for a while, I perceiue it would be most safe for yow; I would also intreat of yow not to send these papers as they are, in regard of some things I haue obserued according to my little time obserued in them; which I haue in faythfulnes yet in respect and submission to your better judgement sent herein vnto yow, not with a spirit to contradict, or to dispute it with yow, (for I am most vnfit) but with an humble desire that yow would be pleased to haue a few second thoughts of some passages, of which some seeme to me to be doubtfull and some others to swerue from the truth; perswading my hart of your sincere loue and respect and readines to see euery truth of Christ, and that if I doe mistake yow will out of your loue be ready to lend me better light; I shall not send yow my thoughts concerning all that which yow haue written, but according to my 328time, (which is but little, to be busied in matters of this nature,) I haue pickt out some things which I feare your aduersary may take aduantage at, or your freinds, offence at.

1. In your Declaration, your arguments are very weighty and strong and I wholly and gladly assent to all, only may it please yow to consider of these things which I gleane here and there.

1. In your 5 argument: your woords are out of the parable of the sower; A man must haue an honest and good hart, before the woord can haue any sauing effect; that is as I expound breefly, Before the woord woorke fayth to beleeue to Justification, the hart must be made honest and good, in preparation; which tho it be a truth which for the substance of I haue euer held and would not deny; yet an aduersary will or may take much aduantage vpon the starting of so deepe and doubtfull a question; and may keepe yow off from the pursuit of his errours, by pursuing yow for this, wherin he knowes many of your freinds that would stand by yow in other controuersies, will be agaynst yow in this; and so while yow are about to conuince them of errours, they will proclayme your selfe to hold foorth worse.

2: In your clearing vp that some woorke of god in vs may stand with free grace, yow haue this expression, that Adam did not only loose Gods Image, but himselfe and should haue dyed childles had not Christ purchased a repriuall or vniversall redemption: I grant an vniuersall redemption and saluation in your sence; yet whether Adam for sin should have bin annihilated as your woords seeme to imply, or dyed childles, is very doubtfull; for Adam like the great parlament man of the woorld stood as a generall person; so that as if he had stood all his posterity should not only haue had beinge but blessednes; so (it was the couenant) if he fell, his posterity should not only partake of being by him, but eternall curse and misery by him; for it was not the couenant doe and liue, Sin and yow and your posterity shall not haue a being, but yow shall dy and haue a miserable being.

3: in your discouery of Justice in justification the glory of which god aimes at as well as of his mercy; yow haue this expression, God could not be just, vnles he should make a sinner close with Christ for justification by fayth; (which is thus far true, because tis his reuealed will to haue it soe, and hence tis just it should be soe) yet your proofe is doubtfull because else Esau might accuse god of justifying Jacob, vnjustly, vnles god had this to stop his mouth; Jacob did beleeue, Esau would not: Answ: 1: This answer beares a colour of Arminianism, which I beleeue your soule abhors; 2: this seemes to make fides, qua opus to concur to the satisfaction of Justice, or at least to be part of the matter of our justification, which you know diuines dispute agaynst; 3: in such 329a way of reasoning why might not Esau reply vpon the Lord agayne, and say he is an accepter of persons, in that when they were both alike, he should giue Jacob power to beleeue, and would not giue any vnto him:

4: in the 9 Arg: That the couenant of grace to wright his lawes in our harts; yow expound to be the law of Fayth. Answ: This is true, in part; but the cheefe meaning of the promise seemes rather to be of our conformity in our renewed Image to the morall law; which god promiseth to wright in our harts, as he writ the law it selfe in tables of ston:

5. In the last argument, as god and man concur to be the meritorious cause of Justification, god and the woord of man to be the instrumentall causes of it, so god and the fayth of man concur as the formall cause of justification. Answ: 1. this seemes to make fayth no instrumentall cause of our justification but god and the woord: 2: Diuines haue disputed it out, that as infusion of grace is the forme of Sanctification so Imputation of righteousnes and grace is the forme of Justification; and then how can god and fayth be the cause of it:

In your Pacification: me thinkes I see the sweetnes of your spirit inclining and deuising for peace and truth if possible; but herein many things (all I cannot name vnto yow) are very doubtfull to me; which I hope yow will see into, and see also a good hand of prouidence that your papers are not sent, as yet:

1. Your 7 Propositions deserue much scaning. Ile note 3 of them only.

Your 2 prop: That all the woorkes of god done in time are but the manifestion of god or declaration of his eternall counsell or manifestation of his Attributes. Answ: Ens primum et ens a primo, differunt tota spec: hence tho the Attributes and counsells of god are manifested in and vpon the creature, as Lux non videtur nisi in opaco; yet it cannot be properly sayd that they are the very manifestation of gods Attributes and counsells; for as Opticks obserue of Light that its not seene vnles it be in opaco; yet we cannot define the Body to be the manifestation of light, tho light be manifested vpon it.

Your 5 prop: Election is of gods free grace, without respect of any thing in the creature; Answ. Tis true nothing in the creature can be a motiue cause or condition of election, antecedenter; but yet it may be and is the effect of election, consequenter; for we are elected not because we were holy, but that we might be holy. Eph: 1:5: hence in that sence god hath a respect to what he will woorke in the creature, according to his free election; for I could neuer tell how to auoyd the dint of Arminian arguments till Dr. Twisse helped me with more cleere light to see his coordination of homo condendus, conditus, lapsurus et rediturus to be the objectum praedestinationis; so that 330god in election hath respect to the creature beleeuing: i. e. that shall be made to beleeue by him:

Your 7. All the Elect are righteous holy and the sons of god in Christ from all eternity: Answ. Not actually, for then how could they be children of wrath by nature? but intentionally only in gods decree and purpose.

1 Conclusion: That Justification is not as tis commonly taken an act of god absoluing the creature from sin, for that was done before in gods eternall counsell: But a Declaration of it by a woorke in and vpon the creature in time, being righteous before in Christ: and for this purpose yow quote diuerse scriptures, which I thinke not needfull to answer: Answ: 1: There is a 3 fold Justification as it appeares to vs; 1: intentionall in gods decree and secret purpose of election; 2: purchased Justification, which was perfected by on offring of Christ in Redemption: 3. actuall or communicated Justification, which is in vocation and so continues while sin and life continue; now tho I grant God did justify the sinner intentionally from before all woorlds, 2: and that a man was righteous before he had a being, that is meritoriously; yet I see not any ground how it can be sayd a man was actually justifyed or righteous before he beleeued, or how actually clothed with Christs righteousnes, (which garment was made for him in redemption) before he put on the garment by fayth; the considering of this distinction is a thread to lead out of many errours; 2: In your Declaration, yow shewed that fayth did more then declare a man to be justified, but here yow make it only a declaratiue cause of it: 3: Its granted that fayth doth declare our Justification, but it doth more also, which God would haue joyned not separated: 4: To make fayth a declaratiue cause or euidence of our justification, will not bring any pacification (which is your scope) for my selfe haue bin told and tis generally professed, that a man must see his Justification before fayth can declare it, and when it doth declare it tis but a candle in the sun: but I desire yow to consider the arguments yow produce:

Rom: 1:17: The righteousnes of god is reuealed by fayth; 1: Euery act of fayth declares a man righteous: Resp. There seemes to me to be 2 things included in these woords of this verse: 1: that not fayth but the gospell reueales a righteousnes: i: a purchased righteousnes for all them that beleeue; 2: that this righteousnes is not only declared but obtayned and applyed by fayth, and so a man is actually justifyed.

The same answer will serue for this too.

If our pardon should be in time then there should be a change in god: Answ: The frame of the whole woorld was not actually made when he intended to make it for then it should be ab aeterno; and yet the actuall making of it doth not make any change in god, or in his counsell; so tho a man be not actually justified ab aeterno, but intentionally only; yet our actuall justification in time doth not make any change in god or his counsell, but rather establisheth gods vnchangeable counsells, in that he is as good in deeds as in his intentions; the execution of gods counsells cannot make gods counsells changeable; amor beneuolentiae toward the elect is long before amor complacentiae, which is in time.

I perswade my selfe when yow consider what hath bin said will appeare to your selfe of no great weight: for our title to Justification and acceptance, is giuen vs at on instant and for euer; but the fruition of our justification especially in foro conscientiae is oft renewed; Justification is on continued act on gods part all our life time, and hence we may be oft, nay euery day and moment really pardoned, as well as declaratiuely.

To this I answer; take 2 beleeuers in Christ they are not more justified on then the other; no farther then on hath more sins pardoned then another; but a hypocrite and a beleeuer, the on may be and I am sure is not only declaratiuely but really more justified then the other, both before god and men.

To the 6 I answer this place of Mary having much forgiven her prooues euidently that loue justifies and consequently woorkes as well as fayth; because these declare and that sometimes more euidently then fayth (as some thinke) that a man is justified.

Answ. Not only declare them to be couered, but be a means to lead to Christ wherby they may be actually couered.

The summe of the verse is this, that Abell offring his sacrifice in fayth, was manifested to be a righteous person, by some speciall token of acceptance (some thinke fire from heauen) which is a good argument that woorkes of new obedience flowing from fayth may euidence a mans justification by speciall notice from god but cannot prooue that a man by fayth is only declard to be righteous:

This is your 3 conclusion and proofes: now the 4 Conclusion: wherin you say fayth puts vs not into Christ, nor Christ into vs, seeme to crosse the whole current of scripture, which without manifest wresting cannot be gainsayd; I need not name them; and the proofe of it that fayth is only an euidence of things not seene; that is not any description, but rather encomium fidei, as Erasmus and Ames notes against the Papists who place justifying fayth only in the mind: and tis true it is an euidence of them but that is not all.

In gods eternall counsell fayth repentance Christ creation prouidence all things are together, and seeme vnico intuitu; thus I haue in my accustomed playnnes which I hope yow will beare with, sent yow my present weake thoughts of your notes; which yow may please to consider of and make vse of as whether to send so large answers of your mind or noe; I am in very great hast. The god of all grace and peace Hue and dwell with yow, and still giue yow a hart to contend for the fayth once deliuered to the Saints. Yours in the Lord Jesus