Heathen through Faith Must not Faith be at least present It 's impossible to exert an Act by a Thing when that Thing is not 2. Faith is enjoyned as an indispensible Means of Justification by Christ and complied with by All Converts to that End Act. 16. 30. Believe and thou shalt be saved Rom. 10. 9 10. If thou believe with thine heart thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth to righteousness not to Assurance only To be Justified was a Benefit which Paul and the other Converts had an Eye to in Believing Gal. 2. 16. We have believed That we may be justified by the faith of Christ. The Blessing of Justification is limited to a Believer and extended to such by such conditional and indefinite Clauses as these Rom. 4. 23 24. To us it shall be imputed for Righteousness if we Believe on him that raised up Christ from the dead Act. 10. 43. Whosoever Believeth in him shall receive Remission of Sins What a gross Notion would it create That Faith should be required by God in order to a Benefit and this Faith acted by the guidance of the Spirit as a Means to partake of that Benefit and this Benefit proposed and limited to all under an express respect to that Faith and yet that Benefit is ours before Faith hath a Being 3. The Gospel denounceth and declareth All Condemned till they do Believe It declares they are so and denounceth they shall be so Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth not on the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And ver 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already Here 's the Case of all Men by the Fall They are Condemned and under Wrath. Here 's the way of Relief A Christ believed on And they that believe their Condemnation is revers'd Here 's the Case of every Man that believeth not Wrath abideth on him The Condemning Sentence remains and Men are distributed into Condemned or Justified and this as Believers or Unbelievers Oh! that any can think all this Wrath that abides is no more than want of an Assurance that we are Justified Sure it 's more danger Joh. 8. 24. If you believe not you shall die in your sins Mark 16. 18. He that believeth not shall be damned Then they must be liable to Damnation whilst in Unbelief or they could not be Damned for Unbelief To be Condemned and Justified are Opposites at once none can be both Nor can God Justifie a Man whom he then and still Condemns 4. Unbelief is the cause why Men are barred from Justiâ—â—cation and remain obnoxious to Misery Joh. 5. 40. Ye will not come to me that ye may have life What undid the Jews Heb. 3. 18 19. They could not enter because of Unbelief And ch 4 6 7. And if Unbelief did not obstruct Life and a Right to it the Apostle would oddly inferr ch 4. ver 1 2 3. Let us therefore fear lest a Promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it c. for we which have believed do enter into rest How easily might I argue this Point from the Nature of Justification as it 's a judicial Act of God by a Gospel-Rule supposing Christ's Satisfaction As also from the immediate Effects of Justification which are all suspended as to Unbelievers God in all his Carriage not executing the Justifying Sentence on them but the contrary he leaves them many years Slaves to Sin and Satan void of his Spirit admitting them to no Communion with him rejecting their Prayers barring them from his Table suffering them to blaspheme and dishonour him he suffers them to remain Curses and Plagues to other Souls c. Doth God deal thus with the Justified What short of Hell is the Execution of the Curse if these be not Reader I leave it to thy self to judge whether all these things make Faith of no more use than to shew us the goodness of our state which we were as much possessed of before only we did not know it Is that all the change on believing which such great Expressions import Is our being now washed and justified 1 Cor. 6. 11. no more than we now know it Is Assurance all the motive we can honestly use with Sinners to believe Or the want of it all the Danger we have to threaten them with to any beneficial purpose against their abiding in Unbelief TESTIMONIES You have already heard the Assembly and the Congr of Elders at the Savoy Confes. chap. 11. a. 4. saying The Elect are not Justified until the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ to them See ch 1. Of the State of the Elect Where I cited this Lesser Catech. Q. What Benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this Life A. They that are effectually called partake of Justification Adoption c. You see that the Assembly do suppose our Calling to our being Justified and Justification is a Benefit flowing from it In the next Answer they tell us We are Justified by receiving Christ's Righteousness by Faith alone So not before Faith The New-England Synod p. 18. thus confute that Speech of the Antinomians viz. To say we are Justified by Faith is an unsafe Speech we must say We are Justified by Christ. The Synod fully prove this is false and add To say a Man is Justified before Faith or without Faith is unsafe as contrary to the language of the Scripture Dr. Owen in his Treat of Justif. p. 299. saith It must be remembred that we require Evangelical Faith in order of Nature antecedently unto our Justification by the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto us which also is the Condition of the Continuation of it This is as plain as can be and this he oft proves p. 306 c. The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistake Because God Justifies the Ungodly that is the Man who the moment before he believed to Justification was ungodly yea and who still remains ungodly in the Eye of the Law of Works needing daily Forgiveness by Grace therefore God Justifies him who continueth wholly ungodly fifty years after Because Christ alone Justifies as he whose Satisfaction and Merits are the only Righteousness for which we are Justified therefore he thinks there is nothing else present in our Justification not considering that God Justifies the Spirit Justifies the Gospel-Promise Justifieth in sences distinct from Christ And so doth Faith though not as what meriteth yet as what the Promise requireth in all whom God will Justifie for the sake of Christ's Merits Because it 's Christ the Object of Faith Justifies therefore Faith in that Object is not requisite to Justification though it 's as plain as the Word of God can speak it 's a Christ believed on which Justifies It 's not Faith without a Christ can do it and Christ without Faith will not do it but on
of Faith ch 14. a. 2. Declarat ch 14. a. 2. of Saving Faith By this Grace a Christian believeth to be true whatever is revealed in the Word for the Authority of God speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular Passage thereof containeth yielding Obedience to the Commands Trembling at the Threatnings and Embracing the Promises of God for this Life and that which is to come But the principal Acts of Saving Faith are Accepting Receiving and Resting upon Christ alone for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life by virtue of the Covenant of Grace Reader weigh this sound Account of Faith Which if it were regarded and no Essential part of it excluded when Faith is considered as a Condition of any Gospel-Benefit How much vain Disputes would be prevented as well as Danger to poor Souls And one would think no Man need prove That it is not Saving Faith when any Essential part of it is wanting And that it must be Saving Faith when we mention Faith as the Condition or Moral Instrument of any Saving Benefit ERROUR Saving Faith is nothing but our Persuasion or absolute Concluding within our selves That our Sins are pardoned and that Christ is ours Proved that this is Doctor Crisp 's Opinion The Doctor tells us pag. 493. The whole Essence of Faith is nothing else but the Echo of the Heart answering the foregoing Voice of the Spirit and Word of Grace Thy Sins are forgiven thee saith the Spirit and Word of Grace My Sins are forgiven me saith Faith And the Soul that can assume thus from the Spirit and Word of Grace hath the whole Essence of Believing When the Doctor pag. 107. puts a Man on examining his Faith he hath these words How do I know I believe in Christ He Answers Do I rest my Heart upon this Truth Do I receive it as a Truth that I do believe Or do I reject it and will not receive it Then I do not believe But if you sit down and rest upon this Truth and receive it and do in reality believe it then you may absolutely conclude Christ is yours And pag. 296. If the Lord I say again give to any to believe this Truth That it is his Iniquity the Lord hath laid on Christ God himself cannot charge one Sin on that Man And pag. 158. he makes the difference betwixt a strong and weak Believer to consist in the Degree of this Persuasion See more in chap. 10 11. Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not whether Assurance be attainable in this Life as the Effect of Faith 2. Nor whether a Sinner ought to apply yea doth personally apply the general Offers of Christ and Life by his own Compliance with the Terms of the Gospel For upon a true Acceptance of a whole Christ he is mine in virtue of the Gospel Promise which God will perform in giving Christ and Life to all that accept of him as he is proposed for our Acceptance 3. Nor whether a convinced Sinner hath at first a more especial regard to Christ's Priestly Offices and Sufferings as what are more sensibly fitted to his guilty State 4. Nor whether every thing recorded in the Scriptures must not be dwelt on with the same regard concern and assurance as the Essentials of the Covenant of Life 5. Nor whether Faith contain in it a reliance on Christ as the only Saviour and on his Satisfaction and Merits as what alone purchased our Pardon and Acceptance as well as it includes the realizing Assent to the Truth and unfeigned fiducial Consent to and Acceptance of a whole Christ in all his Offices All these I affirm The real Difference 1. Whether the whole Essence of Saving Faith consists in an Inward Persuasion or Assurance that our Sins are pardoned and Christ is ours This the Doctor affirms and I deny yea I deny that it is at all of the Essence of Saving Faith 2. Whether Saving Faith include not in its nature that powerful efficacious Assent to the Word and fiducial consenting Acceptance of Christ as Prophet Priest and King with a Reliance on his Merits and obediential Regards to God as the TRUTH above-mentioned doth express This the Doctor denies and I affirm The Truth confirmed 1. Faith is not an Assurance or Inward Persuasion That Christ is ours and our Sins are pardoned For 1. Men may have this Persuasion who do not savingly believe They in Mat. 7. 22. had this when they cried Lord Lord open to us Neither did the foolish Virgins seem without it Mal. 25. 1 2. Yea it's what the most profligate Sinners grow secure by to their own Destruction and this upon the general Word of Grace 2. Many true Believers have not this Persuasion let common Experience be consulted 3. Such as have had Assurance do by the Doctor 's Opinion fall into the Sin of damning Unbelief whenever they doubt their Interest in Christ and especially if they conclude that they have not this Interest A sad Doom on many pious Souls 4. This Persuasion should suppose an Interest in Christ and doth not give it It 's a false Conclusion That Christ is mine before he is so And must the great term of Life be a Lye We are to examine our selves whether we be in the Faith and so whether Christ be in us before we assure our selves that he is in us 2 Cor. 13. 5. And where hath God made this Proposition My Sins are laid upon Christ to be the Object of Saving Faith This Proposition is not God nor Christ nor any part of the Scripture unless you suppose a General Redemption and that to the actual Pardon of every Sinner And as the Word of Grace promiseth Pardon to none but a Believer so the Spirit speaks it to none but to the Believer as a Believer 2. Saving Faith includes the Essentials expressed in the above-mentioned Truth as Assent Trust Consenting Acceptance of Christ Reliance c. This appears 1. Faith can be no less than the Soul's Answer to the Call of God in our effectual Vocation And to this all those things are necessary 2 Pet. 1. 3. 2. The Scriptures describe Saving Faith by all these Acts It 's the Evidence of things not seen and Substance of things hoped for Heb. 11. 1. It 's a Receiving of Christ Joh. 1. 12. which must be as God gives him and that is a Witness a Leader and Commander of the People Isa. 55. 4. Acts 3. 26. to bless us in turning every one of you from his iniquity Rom. 15. 12. In him shall the Gentiles trust Isa. 44. 5. One shall say I am the Lord's and another shall subscribe with his Hand unto the Lord which express consent 3. Christ cannot be received as a Saviour nor as the Way of a Sinner to God if Faith include not these Great things He is not a Saviour if you exclude any of his Offices and as an intire Saviour we must receive him Mat. 1. 21. Can any Man receive
Sinner to perform The Judgment-Day is past and a State of Tryal is over when-ever this is proved These things I have premised that if possible I may remove the Mistakes which govern the Minds of some well-meaning people The Truth TRUTH I shall express it in the words of the Assembly The Grace of God is manifested in the Second Covenant in that he freely provideth and offereth to Sinners a Mediator and Life and Salvation by him requiring Faith as the Condition to interest them in him promiseth and giveth his holy Spirit to all his Elect to work in them that Faith with all other saving Graces and to enable them unto all Obedience as the Evidence of the Truth of their Faiâ—h and Thankfulness to God and as the way which he hath appointed them to Salvation Large Catech. Quest. How is the Grace of God manifested in the Second Covenant 1. Thou canst not but observe that the Assembly did judge 1. That though God hath provided a Mediator for Sinners yet they have no interest in him till they believe 2. That the Covenant is Conditional They scruple not to call Faith the Condition of our Interest in Christ and of Salvation by him 3. That Christ and Salvation are offered to all Sinners on the same Condition though God effectually enable the Elect to obey the Condition ERROUR The Covenant of Grace hath no Condition to be performed on Man's part though in the strength of Christ Neither is Faith it self the Condition of this Covenant but all the saving Benefits of this Covenant are actually ours before we are born Neither are we required so much as to believe that we may come to have an Interest in the Covenant Benefits Proved that this is Doctor Crisp 's Opinion The Doctor spends more than a Sermon to prove this And saith P. 81. There is not any Condition in this Covenant Mark what I say I know I shall go against the Strain of some c. P. 82. Observe I pray you and you shall plainly perceive that Man hath no Tye upon him to perform any thing whatsoever on his Part as a Condition that must be observed on his Part and there is not one Bond or Obligation upon Man to the fulfilling of the Covenant or partaking of the Benefits of it P. 84. He puts this Objection Though Works be not the Condition of the Covenant yet we hope you will yield Faith is the Condition of the Covenant He answers I must needs tell you directly that Faith is not the Condition of the Covenant But the Reader may suppose the Doctor only means there be no meritorious Conditions No he excludes all things wrought by Men or in Men as necessary to their Interest in the Covenant Blessings For he tells us P. 81. That after we are in Covenant with God he will bestow these things upon us as Effects of the Covenant And P. 83. The Covenant in the actual Substance of it is made good to a Man before he can do any thing i. e. from Eternity and in the Womb. Elsewhere he says Before our Eyes be opened c. P. 600. c. Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not whether God hath promised and Christ engaged in the Covenant of Redemption that the Elect shall believe and possess Christ c. This I affirm 2. Nor whether there be any Duty on Man's Part as a Condition of Christ's Undertaking or of the Certainty of the Things undertaken in that Covenant This I deny 3. Nor whether the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace be performed in our own Strength or be uncertain as to the Elect. This I deny 4. Nor whether the Performance of the Conditions move God to enact offer or appoint this Covenant whereby the Grace of Christ is applied This I deny and add That God enacted this Covenant before we were born and offers an Interest in it on its proper Terms to Men when Sinners 5. Nor whether the Performance of the Conditions of the Covenant be a purchasing Price or meritorious of the Benefits promised on such Conditions This I deny for Christ alone paid the Price and it 's the Covenant Promise gives the Interest in the Benefits to such as perform the Conditions 6. Nor whether the first Grace by which we are enabled to perform the Condition be absolutely given This I affirm though that be dispensed ordinarily in a due use of Means and in a way discountenancing idleness and fit Encouragement given to the Use of Means 7. Nor whether all the Conditions of the Covenant be of the same Use to the same Purpose or alike compleat Terms of the principal Benefits This I deny for Faith is supposed to all other Conditions and by Faith we are united to Christ c. 8. Nor whether upon Performance of the Conditions the Covenant Grant become not as absolute and the Right to the Benefit no longer suspended This I affirm for the Promise conveys the title as soon as the terms of the Grant are answered The real Difference 1. Whether the Elect have an actual Interest in the saving Benefits of the Covenant of Grace while they live in Unbelief This the Doctor affirms and I deny Of which see Chap. 10 11 12. 2. Whether God doth not offer the saving Benefits of the Covenant upon official Terms as believe and thou shalt be saved This I affirm and the Doctor denies 3. Whether the beneficial Privileges of the Covenant be not suspended on Terms of Duty as Doth not God forbear to pardon us till we believe This I affirm and the Doctor denies 4. Whether God doth engage to bestow the promised Benefits of the Covenant on all such who through Grace perform the Conditions This I affirm and the Doctor denies All may be reduced to this Whether our believing Confent to the Covenant of Grace be absolutely necessary by God's Command and Promise to our Interest in the saving Benefits of that Covenant This the Doctor denies and I affirm The Truth Confirmed 1. Each of the Benefits of the Covenant are offered to Men on condition and not absolutely in relation to God as his People is so Lev. 26. 3 12. If ye walk in my Statutes and keep my Commandments I will walk among you and will be your God and ye shall be my People That this refers to the New Covenant Relation is plain by 2 Cor. 6. 16. So is Union to Christ with a Communion in the Benefits proceeding therefrom Mat. 22. 2 3 9 10 11. They must come to the Wedding-Supper or have no share in it So is it of Pardon of Sin Acceptance to Life Adoption and Salvation Rom. 10. 9. If thou shalt confess with thy Mouth the Lord Jelus and shalt believe in thine Heart c. thou shalt be saved Rom. 4. 25. To whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord. Gal. 3. 7. They which are of Faith are the Children of Abraham See more of this in
our Believing he will not fail to do it Because we must in order to Assurance of Pardon believe our Sins are actually pardoned therefore our actual Pardon is the Object of the Faith by which we obtain Pardon and so he sets our Pardon instead of God Christ and the Gospel-Promises which are the Scripture Objects of Justifying Faith Because Faith is the Evidence of Invisible Realities still remaining Invisible therefore it 's whole Use is to manifest our Pardon before our Pardon hath a Being Object The Doctor lays great stress on Ezek. 16. 6 c. and very often builds this and other of his Opinions upon it Answ. He doth so and without the least Ground For 1. That Chapter doth not describe the Dealings of God with a particular Soul in order to Salvation but with Israel as a Political Body in a peculiar Covenant It shews how mean and idolatrous their Original was how graciously God singled them out and dignified them above the rest of the World by many Privileges and among the rest by making a Covenant of Peculiarity with them But this Covenant is not the Covenant of Eternal Life For ver 59. it was a Covenant they broke And ver 61 62. it 's called Thy Covenant as opposed to My Covenant Dare any Man say that all the Jews were Washed Quickned Justified c. Yet each of these were true of the whole Body in this Chapter See what a Character is given of their Temper and Carriage after all this is said of them and sure it cannot agree to a Justified Soul or a Soul decked with Grace See from ver 14. to ver 23. And had the Doctor considered this Chapter he would find most of his Opinions baffled on the same grounds as he thinks a Verse or two can serve him Ver. 3 4 8. In the day they were born they were unwashed unloved out of the Covenant Where is Justification c. from Eternity or from the time of Conception Ver. 23. When after they were washed and in Covenant God denounceth Woe woe unto thee for their wickedness May not Wrath then be preached to an elect Person Ver. 27 38 43. I 'll judge thee and give thee blood in fury and recompence thy ways upon thy head Doth Sin do a Believer no harm Is there no displeasure in God against the Elect for Sin When God saith Thou hast fretted me c. when v. 58. thou hast born thy lewdness and thy abominations can it be true That no Elect Person bears his own Sin Nor ought he to charge himself therewith Or doth not God charge him with it 2. Admit that the Birth of a Child was a resemblance of Israel's first becoming God's Covenant-People in Abraham or at Mount Sinai and admit that this People's becoming the Lord's were an Exemplar of every elect Person 's Recovery yet all that can be inferred is That an Elect Person is vile miserable and guilty when God comes effectually to call him When thou wert in thy blood I said unto thee Live But what 's this to Justification before Faith Doth God quicken a Soul before he wash it and doth not that Soul believe What Life can there be that excludes Faith A quickned Soul believes as soon as quickned and the Text shews you that it 's quickned before it 's washed A Digression concerning the Necessity of Repentance to Forgiveness The Doctor judging we are Justified before we Believe it 's no wonder he tells us we are forgiven before we confess sin p. 255 c. or repent But my business in this Digression is with Men of more Orthodox Principles who yet seem to be doubtful in this Point I shall therefore state the Point between these Wherein the difference is not 1. It is not VVhether Faith or Repentance be any part of the Meriting Righteousness for which we are Justified 2. Nor VVhether the Habits of Faith and Repentance be wrought at the same time and included in the Regenerating Principle 3. Nor VVhether Convictions of a lost State and some degree of Humblings and Sorrow are necessary to drive a Soul to Christ 4. Nor VVhether there must be an Assenting Act of Faith before there be any Exercise of Repentance under the power of the VVord which must be believed in some degree before it operate to these effects 5. Nor VVhether ingenuous Sorrow for Sin in the sence of actual Pardon be after that Pardon 6. Nor VVhether Repentance as it consists in Fruits meet for it as External Reformation a Fruitful Life and the like must follow Pardon it being against the Tenor of the Promise that Forgiveness should be suspended so long after a Man believes and repents with his heart 7. Nor Whether Justification be equally ascribed to Faith and Repentance For we are said to be Justified by Faith which imports that Repentance is but a disposing Condition and Faith the receiving Condition Repentance without Faith is unavailable as Faith without Repentance is impossible Faith seems to compleat all and in a manner comprehend all These things Orthodox Divines are agreed in The seeming Difference VVhether a sincere purpose of Heart to turn from Sin and Idols to God be absolutely necessary to Forgiveness of Sin The other parts of Repentance are excluded out of the Question by what you have read before And this is that part of it which the word lays a great stress on from hence Repentance is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 2. 8 c. A change of mind or purpose And Conversion refers to this as the principal part of it Proved that Repentance as it lies in a sincere purpose to turn from Sin and Idols to God is necessary to Forgiveness 1. The Repentance God so commands in order to Forgiveness can include no less than this Act. 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out And Act. 2. 38. Repent and be baptized in the name of Christ for the remission of sins To preach Repentance and Remission is Christ's Charge to his Ministers Luk. 24. 47. And none can doubt that before the Person of the Messias became the disputed Truth in the VVorld the chief Subject of God's message to Men was a Call to Repentance 2. Repentance is a Grace to which Pardon is promised and upon the working of it Forgiveness is given And Impenitency continues Guilt where-ever it reigns How much of the Bible must I transcribe if I quote all places that prove these Ez. 18. 30. Act. 3. 19. Act. 26. 18. To turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgiveness of sin c. Mark 1. 4. And preach the Baptism of Repentance for the remission of sins Luk. 13. 3. Except you repent you shall all perish Christ was exalted to give Repentance and Remission of Sins Act. 5. 31. Nay the Sin against the Holy Ghost is unpardonable because it 's impossible to bring the Committer of it to repentance Heb.
6. 16. Are all these things consistent with Pardon before Repentance Can I be subject to perish and pardoned at once Can God command Repentanee under a Promise of Pardon and yet suppose I must be pardoned before Is the turning of the Heart from the power of Satan to God urged and directed to this end that I may receive forgiveness and none follow my turning but all be before it 3. There 's no Saving Faith that includes not this purpose in it Can I fiducially consent to Christ and not intend to leave my wickedness Dr. Owen well proves That Justifying Faith cannot be without a purpose of heart to obey God in all things Treat of Justif. p. 40. And adds Neither is it possible that there should be any exercise of this Faith but where the Mind is prepared disposed and determined unto universal Obedience See the Assemblies and Elders Account of Saving Faith ch 9. 4. Without this Purpose we do not accept of Christ as the Way to God It would be strange that the great Term of Life should terminate in Christ who is the Means without any respect to God who is the End Whereas Christ is able to save such as come to God by him Heb. 7. 25. and others he will not save Act. 20. 21. God was not thus over-looked when Paul testified Repentance towards God and Faith towards Christ. And indeed without this purpose the Soul never answers God's Call and so must be Pardoned before effectually Called 5. We cannot receive Christ as King without this Repentance of Heart To receive him as King is to renounce all Usurpers and resolve Obedience to his Will And we must receive him as King or Lord or it is not the Christ we so receive Col. 2. 6. As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord. God gives him a Leader and Commander Isa. 55. 4. And so must we take him or never hope for Forgiveness by him 6. Without this purpose of Heart no Man accepts of Christ for Sanctification The Assembly and Elders at the Savoy tell us Conf. chap. 14. a. 2. That Saving Faith accepts of Christ for Sanctification I am sure God gives Christ to bless you in turning every one of you from his iniquities Act. 3. 26. And can that Soul believe to Forgiveness that thus receives him not Or can any one thus receive him who intends not to turn from Sin to Holiness 7. A resolved purpose to continue in Sin and Rebellion against God is Damning let Men pretend what they please I hope I need not prove but one of these Purposes must have place in every Heart when it is dealing with Christ about Salvation And I think I have proved That a Resolution to continue Rebels will bar any Man from a possessing of Christ. See chap. 10. 8. It 's not to be allowed that it should not be necessary to renounce our Sins with our Hearts in order to Pardon when it is necessary to renounce our own Merits or Righteousness Is the one opposite to Christ and is not the other so Will one make us backward to accept of Christ and will not the other do the same Is the one inconsistent with a true Approbation of a Saviour The other is no less For Christ is to save from the Power of Sin as well as the Guilt and he that submits not to him with a desire of both duely accepts him for neither I might further evidence this from the necessary fitness of Repentance for Pardon It is very unsuitable to the Nature and Government of God to pardon a Sinner that resolves to rebel and not to return This seems too low a Provision for his Honour c. Nay it would render our Faith a meer selfish thing and all our Compliance to be a meer concern for our own Impunity whiles Sin is still resolved and God's Dominion rejected and Christ's Design of restoring the Image of God slighted and opposed It were easie to shew that Repentance and Faith are so near to and inclusive of each other that one is put for the other and the Call to one is a Call to each The Judgment of others The Assemb Confes. ch 16. a. 3. say Although Repentance be not to be rested in as any Satisfaction for Sin or any Cause of the Pardon thereof which is the act of God's Free Grace in Christ yet it is of such necessity to all Sinners that none may expect Pardon without it You see though they justly exclude the Merit and Causality of Repentance yet they affirm and by many Texts prove the Necessity of it to Pardon and forbid any Expectation of Pardon without it And in their Directory of the Visitation of the Sick they advise a seasonable propounding of Christ and his Merits for a Door of Hope but it is to none but to every penitent Believer The Elders at the Savoy tell us ch 15. a. 5. There is no Sin so great that shall bring Damnation on them who truly repent which makes the constant Preaching of Repentance necessary Dr. Owen tells us That before the first Act of Justifying Faith there be Convictions Shame Fear Sorrow and other afflictive Passions and hereon a Resolution doth ensue utterly to abstain from Sin with sincere Endeavours to that purpose c. Treat of Justif. p. 299. he tells us That without this in the order of the Gospel an Interest in it i. e. Christ's Righteousness is not to be attained c. And again Justifying Faith includeth in its Nature the entire Principle of Evangelical Repentance so that it is utterly impossible that a Man should be a true Believer and not at the same instant of time be truly Penitent And therefore are they so frequently joyned in Scripture as one simultaneous Duty Yea the Call of the Gospel unto Repentance is a Call to Faith acting it self by Repentance c. And then tells us The First Act of Faith respecting the Grace of God in Christ is not conceived in order of time to precede its actings in Self-displicency Godly Sorrow and Universal Conversion from Sin to God See p. 300 301. These things Dr. Owen asserts though he ascribes no Causality of Pardon to Repentance Which will offend none who deny any Grace in Man to be a Cause of Forgiveness among whom I own my self See Mr. Anthony Burgess's Reasons for the Necessity of Repentance to Forgiveness True Doct. of Justif. lib. 1. p 157. Thus I have done with this Debate which lies I hope more in words than some unthinking Men imagine And the generality of Divines affirm as I do CHAP. XIII Of the Necessity and Benefit of Holiness Obedience and good Works with Perseverance therein REader Note that whatever is spoken in this Chapter of any Act of Grace except penitent believing refers not to the Forgiveness of Sin or the Sinner's Admission into a justified State The Benefits I here treat of are the not Forfeiture of Pardon the Possession of Heaven and some other particular Blessings
shall proceed to the Proof of the Truth which is comprehended under these Heads 1. Sinners have much to do in order to Salvation There be few Leaves in the Bible but argue this It 's the Scope of all the Revelations of God to Men since the Fall It 's true we have nothing to do in a way of Atonement or Purchace but it is as true we have much to do in order to our Participation of what Christ hath purchased We must repent that our Sins may be blotted out Act 3. 19. We must believe that we may be saved c. Our Lord is express if you know these things happy are you if you do them Joh. 13. 17. All Gospel-discoveries are made known for the Obedience of Faith Rom. 16. 26. And Christ will take Vengeance on all them who obey not the Gospel neither Christ nor Gospel will secure them 2 Thes. 1. 8. The Revelations of God to Men are not a bare Description of Duty and Benefits but an Injunction of Duty in a Connexion with Benefits Rom. 10. 9. If thou confess with thy Mouth the Lord Jesus and believe with thy Heart thou shalt be saved 2. I could shew there 's no one saving Benefit granted to a Sinner but on supposition of his Doing See much of this Chap. 8. 10 11 12. and Ch. 21 22. Christ never intended the Application of his Merits for our Privileges without ordering them as Motives to Duty on our Part. 3. The Influences of the Spirit of God and God's Institutions have no Causality in our Salvation if Men have nothing to do in order to be saved It 's plain that Salvation is ascribed to the Spirit and also to the Means of Grace Neither of them are the Atonement or Price of Salvation therefore they must save as they operate on the Soul in order to its Actings Rom. 1. 16. 1. Cor. 1. 21. And this must be as it answers the way appointed for our Participation of Life 4. On what account is it said that we believe to the saving of our Souls Heb. 10. 39. and Repentance to Salvation is the Expression of the Spirit of God 2 Cor. 7. 10. What Sence can be affixed to these and the like Phrases as they are opposed to their Contraries as destructive if Men do nothing towards their Salvation See Jam. 2. 14. Can Faith save him Yea and I may ask 5. What meaneth the Holy Ghost when he saith In so doing thou shalt save thy self and them that hear thee 1 Tim. 4. 16. Sure the Argument is not strong if it be true we can do nothing for Salvation 6. The Destruction of Sinners under the Gospel is still laid on not Doing they are condemned by the Law but they remain condemned and their Ruine is fixed and so they are twice dead for want of doing somewhat Ye will not come to me that you might have Life Joh. 5. 40. How oft is the Ruine of Souls laid on not Turning not Repenting c. 7. If Men have nothing to do for Salvation then Christ hath no Rule to judge them who lived under the Gospel I hope none will say the judicial Sentence will pass on Men as elected or not elected Doth it agree to the Proceedings of that Tribunal at that Day to say Thou shalt be damned because thou wert not elected Is this the Account the Scripture gives Doth it not proceed on the Difference in Mens Carriage and Tempers See the Parable of the Talents They who improved their Talents were saved he that hid it in a Napkin was therefore damned Mat. 25. 21 24 28. Consider any Description of the last Day and you 'll find God saves and damns with a Respect to Mens Neglects and Compliance with his Gospel 8. I could easily demonstrate that if Men have nothing to do in order to Salvation the Ministery of Christ and his Apostles the Ministery most apt and most blessed to Souls to this very day is all a Vanity and Falshood they are cold Pleadings with Sinners that are not backed with Life and Death Remove saving Benefits and undoing Dangers from being Arguments to Compliance with the Will of Christ and any Man may read the Success of such a Ministery and to use these Arguments to persuade Men to repent and believe if we have nothing to do for Heaven is a manifest Falshood and Trifling It 's awful to consider how inconsistent some Mens Application is with their Doctrine though it 's well their Uses to the Unconverted have so much Truth in them 2. True Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works and Perseverance are the Way to Heaven and so necessary to the Salvation of a Believer that without them he cannot be saved and continuing in them he shall be saved This might be evidenced by many Reasons 1. It is not saving Faith which is not operative to these Effects It ceaseth to be true whenever it wholly fails of purifying the Heart and working by Love Many affirm That all Graces are seminally in Faith as in their Principle Such must grant that as Faith justifies us at first in receiving and relying on Christ so it continues to justifie us by continuing those Acts and exerting it self in those other Operations which are essential to its Nature And thus some expound Jam. 2. 20 24. 2. Obedience good Works and Perseverance preserve us from those contrary Evils which do subject Men to Condemnation I keep my Body under least by any Means when I have preached to others I my self be a cast-away 1 Cor. 9. 27. I shall add to this in some following Heads 3. The Gospel-Constitution doth by its Promises and Threatnings make Persevering Holiness Obedience or Good Works the necessary way to Heaven These are not only a Natural but a Moral meetness for Heaven That this Point may be clear I shall 1. Shew that the Gospel-Constitution contains Promises and Threatnings which affect all of us as a Rule of Happiness and Misery it 's so to the Elect yea Believers as well as others 2. That by this Constitution Persevering Holiness Sincere Obedience or Good Works are necessary to Salvation 1. The Gospel-Constitution contains Promises and Threatnings which affect all of us as a Rule of Happiness and Misery By these God governs Men and Mens Hopes or Fears should be directed by these as their Rule Dr. Crisp not observing this hath run into those Mistakes which open a door to all Licentiousness though he intended it not His whole Scheme implies That Christ doth not distribute Blessings or Punishments by any Rule that referrs to the Actings of Men. I have proved the contrary chap. 8 c. For if the Covenant of Grace be Conditional and Faith and Repentance are Necessary to Forgiveness c. the Substance of this must be granted But I add a few Reasons more 1. Most of the Promises and Threatnings in the Bible that referr to the State of Souls are Evangelical Promises and Threats They are not the Sanction of the
And tells us P. 612. Our first coming to Christ is as a Coach is said to come to Town when it is but drawn to Town I shall make no further Remark on this than tell thee the Doctor distinguisheth not between what we are abstracted from the Spirit 's Influence and what we are by the Spirit 's Influence VVe are passive in effectual Vocation as that is God's Act on us but even then no Violence is offered to the VVill for the Mind dictates what it chooseth freely Under this healing VVork and that passiveness is not our coming to Christ but by the Effect of God's Act on the Mind and VVill we consent to the Call and that is our first coming and thereby we receive Christ and not before He is not forced on us but accepted from a Light that commends and a VVill that desires him VVhereas we come not a step whiles we do refuse and reject him Though I wonder why he speaks of any first coming against our VVills when his Principle is that we are united to Christ at latest in the Moment of Conception in the VVomb CHAP. XII Of Justification by Faith with a Digression about Repentance TRUTH I Have spoken of Justifying Righteousness chap. 7. Though Faith be no way a Meritorious Cause of a Sinner's Justification yet God hath promised to Justifie all such as truly Believe and requires Faith as an indispensible Qualification in all whom he will Justifie for Christ's Merits declaring That Unbelief shall not only hinder Mens knowing that they are Justified but that it is a bar to any Person 's being Justified while he continues an Unbeliever Reader Note 1. There is a Righteousness for which a Man is Justified This is only Christ's Righteousness This is the Foundation of the Promise and the Merit of the Blessing promised Nothing can add to it or mingle with it it 's sufficient and alone sufficient to satisfie Justice atone for Guilt and merit Acceptance and Life 2. There 's to be considered what the Condition of the Person is whom this Mercy is promised to He is one that hath this Grace of true Faith and exerts it into Act. This Grace is also required and commanded as indispensibly necessary to the Participation of Forgiveness Christ's Righteousness shall not be imputed to this use unless we believe And nothing shall hinder our Title to this Benefit if we do believe in Christ for the Promise is inviolable And this Faith being a Conformity to the Rule of the Promise some call it a Subordinate Righteousness not meaning any Righteousness for which Sin is forgiven for it 's Christ's Righteousness alone for which God Justifies us but it 's our answering that Rule by which Christ applieth his Righteousness for our Remission and a Right to Life and his Promise is the Ground of our Title Having premised these things for Explication of the Truth I proceed ERROUR The whole use of Faith in Justification is only to manifest that we were Justified before and Faith is no way necessary to bring a Sinner into a Justified State nor at all useful to that End Proved that this is the Dr's Opinion The Doctor p. 85. puts this Objection Is not Believing required to the Justification of the Ungodly Answ. An ungodly Person after he is Justified doth Believe But you will say It is an Act of Christ by Faith Ans. Then Christ doth not Justifie alone c. Nay I say more Christ doth Justifie a Person before he Believes c. He cannot believe that which is not and if he be not Justified before he Believes it he believeth that which is false but he is first Justified before he Believes then he believes that he is Justified The Doctor then asks But what doth Faith serve for He answers It serves for the Manifestation of that Justification which Christ put upon a Person by himself alone P. 86. We do not Believe that we may be Justified but because we are Justified P. 578. God doth add never a tittle of Pardon it self more to him that is a Believer than to that Person not yet converted to the Faith c. P. 597. I say Faith as it takes hold of Christ's Righteousness it doth not bring this Righteousness of Christ to the Soul but doth only declare the Presence of that Righteousness that was there even before Faith was He in that Page denies Faith to be so much as an Instrumental Cause of Justification In very many places he declares We are not Virtually but Actually Justified before Faith If thou ask when he thinks the Elect are Justified The Doctor tells us It 's from Eternity at Christ's death and the latest time is before we are born See p. 101 255 361 362 616 c. See more ch 1 2 3 11. Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not Whether Faith or any Grace be a jot of the meriting Righteousness for which we are Justified 2. Nor Whether Faith or any Grace add any thing to the Value of Christ's Merits These I deny yea I add That if Christ's Righteousness could be applied for Pardon to the vilest Sinner before he Believes it would Justifie him but God hath declared it shall not be applied to Unbelievers 3. Nor Whether we are Justified the same moment as we truly Believe in Christ and the Blessing is not suspended for any time longer This I affirm because God Justifies us by the Promise as his Instrument and this Promise declares that he will Justifie him that Believes It 's a Christ truly Believed in doth Justifie us and a Christ so Believed on cannot but Justifie us 4. Nor Whether an elect Person once Justified shall by Christ's care be kept in a Justified state 5. Nor Whether God hath decreed That the Elect shall certainly Believe and so be Justified 6. Nor Whether True Faith be an Infallible Sign of Justification These four last I do affirm Wherein the Real Difference is 1. Whether we are Justified before we Believe This the Doctor affirms and I deny 2. Whether the Use of Faith in Justification be only to manifest our Justification which we personally had before This the Doctor affirms and I deny and add That Faith Justifies us by receiving Christ and therein answers the Ordination of God who hath promised to Justifie the Believer by the Application of Christ's Righteousness in this gracious Effect of it upon the guilty Soul The Truth Confirmed What I have said chap. 1. Of the State of the Elect and chap. 11. Of the Necessity of Faith to Union with Christ and chap. 3 4 10. render Enlargement needless Yet I shall add 1. We are Justified by Faith is the common Language of the Holy Ghost Rom. 5. 1. Gal. 2. 16 c. What is it to be Justified by Faith if we are Justified before Faith It contributes to our being Justified or words express nothing in a case of the highest moment Rom. 3 20. God justifieth the Circumcision by Faith and the