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. XVI. And the life I live (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) in the flesh.

This Paul speaks, to shew that the life he lived after he was a Believer, was not out of the flesh in the Religion of Angels, in strange Raptures and Revelations, and in high and wonderful things above himself, but that the life he lived in Christ, and Christ lived in him, was in the flesh (that is) in his humane soul and body. (A) There are a sort of People (which also have been Professors of the Gospel) so deluded by the Devil, that they say they live the life of Christ, yea a life far above Christ in the Spirit, and that they live im∣mediately in God, and have often visions of, and intercourse with Angels, whilst yet these very people live the life of sin and Satan, in the flesh, in all man∣ner of filthinesse, and uncleannesse, and loosenesse, and abominable pro∣phanesse.

(B) Wherefore (saith Paul) I live the life of Christ in the flesh, in this soul and body of mine: I live in the flesh, but not after the lusts and requiring of the flesh; but I live Christs life in my own flesh, in all righteousnesse, holi∣nesse, cleannesse, purity, meeknesse, goodnesse, love, patience, heavenli∣nesse; this is the life I now live in the flesh.

2. Note hence again, That the life of Christ is to fill a Christian; not his spi∣rit only, but his flesh; it is to fill his soul, and his senses, his inward and out∣ward

man; his thoughts, words, works, and his whole conversation; the life of Christ is to fill them all.

(C) The life of Christ is first communicated to the spirit of our minde; there it is first kindled and rooted; and from thence by degrees it spreads it self into the flesh; and to this the flesh is most unwilling; but at last the Spi∣rit overcomes the flesh, and leads it forth into its own righteousnesse and life.

Ʋse 1. (D) And hence we may learn, that our present natural life doth not hin∣der us, but that we may live a spiritual and heavenly life, or the very life of Christ in our flesh, if we be true Belivers: Wherefore Paul elsewhere speak∣ing of Believers, saith, the Father hath quickned us with Christ, and raised us up together with him, and set us in heavenly places in him, and that whilst we live a Natural life according to the body.

(E) So that here in this present world, we may partake of eternal life, and may live (not in notion but in deed) the life of the Spirit in the flesh, and the life of heaven on earth, and the life of the Son of God in our humanity, if we do not deprive our selves of so great happinesse through unbelief.

Ʋse 2. (F) Again, we may learn hence, That the life of the Son of God, is not to be confined only to that Humanity that was born of the blessed Virgin, which was the Head of the Elect, but that it extends it self to all true believers, in whom Christ lives as in his own flesh; as Paul saith, Christ lives in me, even in my flesh; which through this life of Christ in it, became Christs more then Pauls. So that the life of the Son of God is communicated truly to all the faithful, and is to be seen in their flesh in some measure, as well as in his in all fulnesse: as the life of the soul, in a man, is not confined to the Head, but di∣sperseth it self to all the members, and is truly manifest in them.

ANIMADVERSION 16.

(A) SEeing there are such a sort of people, as Mr Dell here de∣scribeth; How careful should the servants of God be not to take away old, and sure foundations, and give them new grounds to build upon. He should do well to consider how far he is from saying, that believers live the life of Christ, and that they live immediately in God; who saith that Christ liveth in be∣lievers as in his own flesh; and that the life of the Son of God was communicated to Christs flesh, instead of his proper humane life, and is likewise to be seen in all believers, as the life of the soul in a man is not confined to the heart, but disperseth it self to all the members, and is truly manifest in them; Is not the self same life of the soul in head and members? doth not every member live immediately in the life of the soul? If Mr Dell say that he disliketh not the profession of the men he pointeth at, for af∣firming

according to his own doctrine, that they live the life of Christ, and that they live immediately in God, but only for some higher notions, wherein they soar above the pitch of his disco∣veries, and for walking unanswerably in regard of what they teach in common with himself; then he should do well to lay this seriously to his heart, whether it can possibly be said of any creature whatsoever in truth, that it lives immediately in God. It is true that every man, even the worst of men, do live and move and have their being in God, Acts 17.28. in this regard, that through the acting of Gods Almighty power in them, and towards them, they are acted unto life, motion, and being; yet so that they live, move, and be, not immediately in God, but in those natural principles which God works; and where∣by he works in them to live, and move, and be. And again, it is true that the humanity of our Saviour, through the grace of personal union, was immediately joyned unto God; yea, so far into God, that by communication of properties, his hu∣mane bloud was the bloud of God, Acts 20.28. and his humane life the life of God, 1 John 3.16. yet had the humanity of our Saviour a proper life of its own, distinct from the life of the Eter∣nal Word, which humane life he laid down for us: our Saviour had not been in all things made like to us his brethren, which is affirmed, Heb. 2.17. if he had not in his humane nature lived an humane life, immediately resulting from the union of his humane soul and body, as all other children of men do: If his humane nature had lived immediately in God, and so necessarily the life of God, it would have been, not only as it was, the nature of God, but the divine nature, which certainly it was not, being both passible, and mortal. Now if it be not true of our blessed Saviours manhood or humane nature, that it lived im∣mediately in God, how much lesse can this be truly affirmed of any other man or creature whatsoever? And when men are so far besotted with ignorance, and puffed up with spiritual pride, as to vaunt that they live the life of Christ, even the life of the eternal Word, and Son of the living God, and so live immedi∣ately in God, the life of God; it is no strange thing to me to see such lofty ones, who, if they be true to their most false princi∣ples, must needs own themselves, as divers of them have done,

to be God, though they have been professors of the Gospel, left by God in a way of righteous judgement under hellish dotage and delusion, to live the life of sin and Satan in the flesh, in all manner of filthinesse, and uncleannesse, and loosnesse, and abomi∣nable profanenesse; for the meek, God will guide in judge∣ment, and the meek he will teach his way, Psal. 25.9. Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect to the lowly, but the proud he knoweth afar off, Psal. 138.6.

(B) Can Mr Dell make this to consist with his own words in the former part of this book, sc. Sin hath its ful power in our humane life: And again, when he saith that when we are made members of Christs body, then life reigns in Christs flesh, as death in ours. If sin and death have full power, and do reign in our own flesh, how then, as Mr Dell here affirms, do we live Christs life in our own flesh? Is it not true that it is impossible that Christ and sin should live together in strength in the same flesh? that is elsewhere (and I think very justly) laid down by Mr Del for an unquestionable position.

(C) If the life of Christ be first communicated to the spirit of our mind, as Mr Del here affirmeth, and I believe, then I con∣ceive that it will necessarily follow, that our reason, judgement, prudence, &c. is refined and spiritualized unto new life, in which believers live unto God; which he seems unwilling to have men think to be so, in the former part of this Treatise, Sect. 11. (A). For doth not the minde of man denote his reason and rational faculties, which have not only an influential, but regulative power also over the whole man? And how can the life of Christ be communicated first to the reason and rational faculties, but by purifying, refining, and spiritualizing of them, that they may act under the spirit of Christ, for the dispersing of holinesse through the whole man, and so subjecting every inferiour facul∣ty in man, unto the holy will of God? I like his doctrine in this place very well, if he can make it consist with what he hath before affirmed, I should be glad to see it effected in consistency with Scripture doctrine.

(D) As our present natural life (by Mr Dels own confes∣sion) doth not hinder, but that we may live a spiritual and hea∣venly life, or the very life of Christ in our flesh, if we be true be∣lievers,

no more doth our natural personality which is founded in this our natural life hinder, but that believers according to the Apostle, may be quickned together with Christ, and raised up together with him, and seated in him in heavenly places. There seems therefore no cause, in relation to their union unto Christ, to deny their personality, as is done by Mr Del. Sect. 11. (B) (C).

(E) This in a sound Scripture sence, is no new or strange doctrine; for it is certain that God hath given to his people eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life, 1 John 5.11,12. Believers have eternal life begun in them through Jesus Christ the Son of God, in this life, and shall receive the perfection of it for ever; when Christ who is their life shall appear, and they shall also appear with him in glory, and in all fulnesse go into life eternal, Mat. 25.46.

(F) That the life of the Son of God is not confined to our Sa∣viours humanity, but hath an influence into all believers, for the quickning of them vnto God, is an acknowledged truth: But that the life of the Son of God is communicated to, and to be seen in the flesh of believers, as in the flesh of Christ, with a difference of measure only allowed between Christ and believers, is (as I take it) to ascribe Godhead to believers in measure as to the Lord Christ in fulness, which is new and strange doctrine in∣deed: I should be glad to see how Mr Del can avoid the infe∣rence; for I hope he will not hold to the conclusion. Was not the life of the Son of God so communicated to, and seen in our Saviours flesh by reason of the union of his natures, as that he was God manifested in the flesh? Is this to be affirmed of any other? I am very loath to conceive that he thinks so, though his words seem to speak so much.