Animadversions on Mr. William Dells book intituled The crucified and quickned Christian. By Humfry Chambers, D.D. Pastor of Pewsy in the county of Wilts. Novemb. vicessimo, 1652. Imprimatur John Owen Vicecan. Oxon.

SECT. XIV.

Ʋses. NOw if we rightly understand this point, we may learn from it many ex∣cellent things.

4. (A) And first we may perceive the mistake of those who look for all the life of Christ in that humanity which was born of the Virgin, whereas Christ truly lived in Paul, and lives in all the faithful, and his very life is to be seen in them, as the life of the Soul is not confined to the Head, but disperses it self through all the Members, and is manifest in them in measure, as in the head in fulnesse.

5. (B) We may learn that Christ in a believer, is to him instead of all cred∣ted habits of Grace. Christ who is the true God, is all in all in a Christian; and so a Christian partakes of that righteousnesse which is Christ; of that wisdom, which is Christ; of that power, truth, goodnesse, &c. which is Christ; and Christ that dwels in believers, is truly all Grace to them. And herein they are like unto Christs humanity, unto whom the fulnesse of the Godhead that dwelt in him, was instead of all created Grace. Wherefore let us know, that the created habits of grace in a Christian, which the Schoolmen have invented and taught, and others have received from them, are nothing but the Empty notions, and Vain speculations of carnal and unbelieving hearts, ignorant of the true mystery of the Gospel. For Christ that lives in a believer, is all Grace to him; and thus the Apostle Paul expresly teacheth in 1 Cor. 1.30. where speaking of Christ, he saith, He is made unto us of God wisdom, righte∣ousnesse, sanctification, and redemption; and so a Christian hath that Wisdom, Righteousnesse, &c. which is Christ himself. And this grace which is Christ himself, is infinitely more high and holy, then all created habits of Grace, (C) and this is the only Grace that is acceptable to God, and that makes us accepted in it self, (D) and this is the only grace against which the Gates of hell cannot prevail; and the only grace that can make us meet for the Fathers Kingdom. And thus you see that Christ that lives in a believer is all grace in him, and all-sufficient grace for him.

3. (E) If Christ live in believers, then certainly whatever evils, and tri∣bulations, and persecutions are brought upon believers, by the World and the false Church, for the word of faith, they are brought upon Christ himself, and Christ himself is still persecuted in the flesh throughout all Ages and Ge∣nerations: and the faithful in all Ages are filling up the remainders of the sufferings of Christ in his body. For believers have all along suffered, and do still suffer from the World, because God is in them of a truth; and the evil done to them is against God himself, who dwells in them. And against this Rock have all the unbelievers dash'd themselves in pieces all along.

4. Christ who lives in believers, lives in them like himself, that is, like the Son of the living God, and so those in whom he lives,

• 1. He frees them from their own evil things, and
• 2. He confers upon them all his own good things.

1. He frees them from their evil things: And in reference to these, he lives in them as their Redeemer and Saviour; and so Christ within them abo∣lishes the Law, takes away sin, and destroyes death; for none of these things can dwell in his presence, in that soul wherein he lives. (F) For he is our new Law, to make void the Old; and he is our new Righteousnesse to take away sin; and our new life, to destroy death; and the Law, Sin, and Death can have no place nor power where Christ our new Law, Righteousnesse, and Life dwels and lives.

2. Christ living in believers, confers upon them his own good things (G) For Christ the Son of God hath nothing in himself, that is, in his Divine nature, which he will not communicate to our flesh, as he hath done to his own, ac∣cording to our place and use in his body; and so he communicates to all those in whom he dwells, of all the things of God, till at last he fill them with all the fulnesse of God. And thus is Christ glorified in his Saints, and admired in them that believe.

5. (H) If it be Christ the true God that lives in believers, then we learn hence what true justification is; and that is, to be so one with Christ by faith, that Christ himself may live in us, and we in him; that he may communicate his nature to us, and our nature may be taken up into his: for we cannot be Justified before God by our own living, but by Christs living in us his own life; and his righteousnesse which is the righteousnesse of God, must dwell in us e're we can be Justified before God.

(I) Lastly, seeing Christ himself lives in all true believers, let us all who professe our selves to be such, so live that Christ may be seen to live in us, more then our selves; that they that have known us may know us no more, but may know Christ in us; and that they that have communion with us, may acknow∣ledge Christ himself speaking, working, and living his whole life in us, in all self-denyall, humility, holinesse, love, resignation of our selves to the will of God, and in all diligence to do the work of God, and readinesse to suffer the will of God: for thus Christ lived in his own flesh; and thus also he will certainly live in ours, if he live there at all: and when Christ lives in our flesh, as he did in his own, something of his glory will be seen upon us.

Now such a Christian in whom Christ lives, and he lives not himself, how amiable would he be in the spiritual Church? but how unlike would he be to all the men in the world, yea, to the most Professors in that which is called the vi∣sible Church? but I proceed to that which follows.

ANIMADVERSION 14.

(A) MAster Dell should do well to name the men, who look for all the life of Christ in his humanity, and do not acknowledge that Christ lived truly in Paul; and doth live in all the faithful by his spirit. If none such appear, as I am confident there will not, amongst knowing Protestants; he might have saved his use of rectification, at least wise in respect of them.

(B) That Christ the true God, is instead of all created ha∣bits of grace, yea, that he is truly all grace unto believers, seems to be a position very dissonant from Scripture doctrine, and which, to my best remembrance, I never saw Printed, nor heard uttered until now. Paul fully distinguished the spi∣rit in believers, from the sanctifying graces of believers, which he calleth the fruits of the spirit, Gal. 5.22,23. and in divers places he teacheth, that the graces flow by way of creation from Christ through his spirit, 2 Cor. 5.17, Ephes. 2.10. and 4.24. Might the Scriptures be heard, I think, created graces and

Christ in believers, would not be opposed or confounded; but Christ dwelling in believers by his spirit be acknowledged, not to be all grace, but the fountain of all created graces in them; for of his fulnesse have we all received, and unto every one of us is grace given, according to the measure of the gift of Christ, Ephes. 4.7. That the Godhead which dwelt in our Saviour, was in him instead of all grace, as Mr Dell confidently affirmeth, needs proof before it be believed. The fear of the Lord, fiducial hope in God, and other holy graces, seem plainly, according to Scripture doctrine, to have been wrought habitually in our Saviours humane nature by the Spirit, which was given him without measure, Esay 11.2. and 61.1. Acts 10.38. It is quickly af∣firmed that created habits of grace in a Christian, are empty no∣tions and vaine speculations of School-men, and of carnal and un∣believing hearts. But doubtlesse, men of holy and believing hearts, have conceived that God in the Scripture, makes men∣tion of the habitual grace of righteousnesse, wrought by the Lord Christ in his people, Phil. 1.11. Eph. 4.24. as also the habi∣tual graces of faith and love, 1 Tim. 1.14. Acts 18.27. and of patience, James 1.4. and the like, flowing all from the Lord Christ, as the vine which hath the sap of all grace originally in himself: But that the Lord Christ is all grace to a believer, I never yet read in any Scripture. As to the place here produ∣ced by Mr Dell, as expresly teaching the same, sc. 1 Cor. 1.30. I find it not there said, that Christ is all grace to a believer; nor do I imagine how it should be convincingly argued from that text; which as far as I yet see, only setteth forth our Saviour as made by God to his believing people, the author and object of saving wisdom, the treasure of Gods righteousnesse unto justifi∣cation, the root of sanctification through his spirit, and the worker of the ful redemption of his people; All which may be granted, and is believed of those who yet believe that there is habitual operative grace, wrought by ••hrist through his Spirit, in his believing people, enabling them in some measure, unto every good work, acording to 1 Cor. 15.10.

(C) It is certain that our Lord Christ is the only ground of acceptation with God unto believers; but that he is the only acceptable grace to God, as Mr Dell here affirmeth, is never, as I

know, said in Scripture. Love acting towards the Saints, is pointed at as acceptable to God, Heb. 6.10. and called a grace, 2 Cor. 8.7. which yet certainly is not Christ.

(D) Questionlesse there is the grace of Gods eternal love, whereby we are saved; against which the gates of hell cannot prevail; which though believers are partakers of in Christ, yet is not the Lord Christ this grace, but the chief gift of it, John 3.16. and the 4^th 10.

(E) The third use made here by Mr Dell of his doctrine, standeth in full force for the comfort of believers, upon the ground of the doctrine, of Christs living in his people by his spi∣rit; as it is taught by those who see no footing for his doctrine in the Word of God; for they all know that Christ is afflicted in his members according to the Scriptures.

(F) If Christ being himself our new law within us, makes void the law of God without us, as old, as Mr Dels words in this place seem to import, then both the law of works and faith too, as it is outwardly dispensed; yea, the whole Scripture, as to the mandatory legislative part of it, is made void to believers; which whether Mr Dell will nakedly affirm, I know not; If he do, I doubt not but it will appear an anti-scriptural affirma∣tion, and an open road to a state beyond ordinances, and above duties; in which men are apt in a mist of imaginary perfection to lose their way to that real perfection of righteousnesse and blessednesse which believers enjoy in Christ Jesus, according to the Gospel, Col. 1.28.

(G) These words, as I conceive, in a sound Scripture sence may be admitted: for it is certain that our Lord Christ doth communicate himself wholly to believers according to their place and use in his body; and will do so, till at the last he fill them with all the fulnesse of God: yet is it not to be admitted for truth, that the divine nature is communicated to our flesh as it was to his own; that is to say, after the self same manner: If Mr Dell decline this sence of his words, I will not presse it, or the dangerous consequences of it upon him: If he own it, I see not how he can avoid the avowing of believers to be God, even as our Lord Christ is God; which I hope he will not af∣firm.

(H) It seems to me by these words, that Mr Dell either hath not learned, or (which I rather think) doth not like the Protestant doctrine of justification; justified by so many of our worthies against Popish advocates. Protestant Divines gene∣rally (having learned from the Apostle Paul, that Justification is verbum forense, a word taken from humane judicatories, and opposed to comdemnation, Rom. 8.33,34.) Do teach that we are justified freely by Gods grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. But Mr Dell here teacheth, that we are ju∣stified by Christs living in us his own life, and by his righ∣teousnesse, even the righteousnesse of God dwelling in us; which as I know it not to be down-right Popery, so I am sure it coasteth much nearer upon Popish, then upon Protestant; which I trust I may call Scripture doctrine, since it acknowledgeth the righ∣teousnesse whereby believers are justified, to be resident in their own persons; which is a position very wide from the apprehen∣sion of Protestants, who believe that we are justified freely by Gods grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Je∣sus.

(I) This exhortation directed to believers, as to the mat∣ter of it, is very sound and good: But I would ask, to what persons Mr Dell intends to give this exhortation? If to the per∣sons of believers, he would perswade us that there are none such, for he teacheth, that believers have lost their own persona∣lity, and are taken up into the nature and person of the Son of God, Sect. 11. (B) (C) And I believe M Dell doth not look upon the person of the Son of God, as one that needs his exhorta∣tion.