Sermon that whatever puts a Man into a state of Juftification and Pardon: puts a Man into a state of Salvation; and if X. this be true, it neceffarily follows, that the Conditions of our Juftification and Salvation are the fame: and if affent to the Truth of the Gofpel, and trust in Chrift as our only Saviour, be the only Conditions of our Juftification, then they are the only Conditions of our Salvation; and Repentance and Obedience are not Conditions of our Salvation: but if they be Conditions of our Salvation, then they are of our Juftification. And I will be bold to fay, that this hath as much of demonftration in it, as any thing in Divinity is capable of; and I wonder extremely how any Man, that confiders the Nature of the Gofpel-Covenant, can imagine that we fhould be made partakers of any Bleffing or Benefit promised in the Covenant, without performing the whole Condition of the Covenant. And now if any Man ask, Cui bono? To what end is all this? Suppofe it be. true, to what purpofe is it to awaken differences, and ftir up controverfies T about about these matters? In order to these Volume two Ends, which I take to be very con XII. fiderable. 1. That we may be able to answer the Papifts, who charge us with Solifidianifm; as if we were of this opinion, That if a Man do but truft in Chrift, that is, be but confidently perfwaded that he will fave him, and pardon him, this is fufficient; and confequently, he that is thus perfwaded, need not take any farther care of his Salvation, but may live as he lift. And I do not fee how this can be avoided; especially if this be true,which our Divines univerfally affert, That whatever puts a Man into a juftified ftate, puts him into a ftate of Salvation; I fay, I do not fee how this Charge can be avoided, unless we own Holiness and Obedience to be Conditions of our Juftification, as well as Truft in Chrift. I know no other middle way between Popery and Antinomianifm. But, 2. Which is more confiderable, Without this we can give no fatisfactory and reasonable account of our Re Sermon X. ligion to a Heathen. Suppofe a Hea-M then fhould fay thus, Your Religion gives a very good account of the corruption and finfulness of Mankind, and hath provided a very probable Remedy for the expiation of it, by the death of the Son of God: but this feems to me very unreasonable, and to contradict the most natural notions that we have of God's Justice and Holiness, that he fhould pardon men, as you say he does, tho' they do not repent of their fins, nor are refolved to leave them, nay, tho they be refolved to go on in a wicked courfe. Did ever any wife Prince pardon a Traitor upon thefe terms? But whoever fays that repentance, and a fincere purpose and Refolution of Obedience, are not the Condition of our pardon, fays that God will pardon men without Repentance, tho' they are not at all forry for what they have done, nor refolved to change their courfe for that is a Condition without which a thing cannot be; and if Repentance be not a Condition of pardon, a Man may be pardoned without it. And if this be true, Chriftianity is the most lewd and fenfe T 2 fenfeless Doctrine in the World. For Volume what can be a greater encouragement XII. to fin than this, to tell men that they may be pardoned without Repentance? That is, tho' they live in fin, and continue fo to do. Paganifin never taught any fuch thing. Nay, they may add farther, That this which you teach as the Doctrine of your Religion, feems exprefly contrary to your own Books, which you fay contain your Religion. Does not the Bible fay, that he that confeffeth and forfaketh his fin, fhall find mercy? And doth not this plainly imply, that Repentance is a Condition of pardon? Let the wicked forfake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Doth it not fay, that if you forgive not men their trefpaffes, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you? Can any words more plainly exprefs a condition than thefe do? How fhould we be able to defend our Religion against fuch an affault, unless we difclaim this Charge, and tell them plainly, and without a diftinction, That Our our Religion teacheth that Repentance and Refolution of Holiness and Sermon Obedience are Conditions of our Pardon and Juftification? I would to God men would confult the honour of Chriftianity, and when they hold any opinion, they would confider not the intereft of a Party, but the universal Concernment of Chriftian Religion. If we had to deal with fubtile Heathens, as the primitive Fathers of the Church had, we should fee a neceffity of laying afide fuch unreasonable opinions.. I would fain have any Man fhew any one clear paffage out of any of the ancient /Fathers and Writers concerning Chriftian Religion, which fays, That Truft in Chrift for Salvation is the only Condition of our Juftification, and that Repentance and Obedience are not; or that explains Juftification by Faith alone, in this fenfe. I know it is usually said, the ancient Fathers and Chriftians were ignorant of the Doctrine of Justification in a great measure, and knew very little of the Mystery of the Gofpel. I know not what they mean by Mystery: but I am fure they defined Chriftian Religion better, and gave a T3 more |