§. VII.
Proof 5.Darkness and Light, Sin and Righteousness, inconsistent together. But Fifthly, This Doctrine is contrary to common Reason and Sense. For the two opposite Principles, whereof the one rules in the Children of Darkness, the other in the Children of Light, are Sin and Righteousness; and as they are respectively leavened and actuated by them, so they are accounted either as reprobated or justified, seeing it is [77]Abomination in the Sight of God, either to justify the Wicked, or condemn the Just. Now to say that Men cannot be so leavened by the one as to be delivered from the other, is in plain Words to affirm, that Sin and Righteousness are consistent; and that a Man may be truly termed righteous, though he be daily sinning in every Thing he doth; and then what Difference betwixt Good and Evil? Is not this to fall into that great Abomination of putting Light for Darkness? and calling Good Evil, and Evil Good? Since they say the very best Actions of God’s Children are defiled and polluted, and that those that sin daily in Thought, Word, and Deed are good Men and Women, the Saints and holy Servants of the holy pure God. Can there be any Thing more repugnant than this to common Reason? Since the Subject is still denominated from that Accident that doth most influence it; as a Wall is called White when there is much Whiteness, and Black when there is much Blackness, and such like; but when there is more Unrighteousness in a Man than Righteousness, that Man ought rather to be denominated unrighteous than righteous. If all daily sin, where is the righteous Man then spoken of in Scripture?Then surely if every Man sin daily in Thought, Word, and Deed, and that in his Sins there is no Righteousness at all, and that all his righteous Actions are polluted and mixed with Sin, then there is in every Man more Unrighteousness than Righteousness; and so no Man ought to be called righteous, no Man can be said to be sanctified or washed. Where are then the Children of God? Where are the purified Ones? Where are they who were sometimes unholy, but now holy; that sometimes were Darkness, but now are Light in the Lord? There can none such be found then at this Rate, except that Unrighteousness be esteemed so: And is not this to fall into that Abomination above-mentioned of justifying the Ungodly? The Blasphemy of the Ranters or Libertines.This certainly lands in that horrid Blasphemy of the Ranters, that affirm there is no Difference betwixt Good and Evil, and that all is one in the Sight of God. I could shew many more gross Absurdities, evil Consequences, and manifest Contradictions implied in this sinful Doctrine; but this may suffice at present, by which also in a good Measure the Proof of the Truth we affirm is advanced. Yet nevertheless, for the further evidencing of it, I shall proceed to the second Thing proposed by me, to wit, to prove this from several Testimonies of the Holy Scriptures.
[77] Prov. 17. 15.