between Papifls, Armin. Luther. and Calvinifts. rtrngfaith that is, for Remiffron offin, and Reconciliation withGod,it is me, rl cited by faith. But the other folution I nlere approve, and it feet-neck "more agreeable toScripture : to wit, that even hetriflion of fm it (elf " andReconciliation with God, are given freely, no Merit of ours going " before, and that neither by faith nor repentance we do merit the gift " of this grace: For underftanding of which, Note, that Faith bath nor "of it felt any efficacy as it is our ad, toRemit or Reconcile ; but all «the Vertue proceedeth from the obje t it Pelf, that is, thrift; wbofe . " Vertue and Merit Gott bath determined to apply toa firmer for his ju, 44 ftifìcation by faith in liim : And what I fay of Faith, I fay of Repen- " tance, and other difpofitions, as in .the example of them that looked ',to the Brazen Serpent, Whowere healed by looking': not that looking <: as it was an at of the eye had fuck a healing force 5 but theefficacy fC was from the Serpent, which God had appointed for the cure: So "tve fayof Faith,whichbath not in its nature andfrom its entity any power " to Remit and Reconcile, but as the Vertue of thrift: loth ibis in be- "lievers: And fo I anfwer, that If Faith juftified as anact and of it felf, c< jollification were not free; But fo it dotti not, but is a Medium by 't Gods good pleafure, by which the Vertue ofChrift Jaftifieth believers t "therefore faith or repentance) make it not .lets free. E.g. I give a "Beggar a gift: Fle puts forth his hand and taketh it :.Ifone tell me, "Thou gaveft it not freely, becaufehe took it, or elfe had not had it, it " were a ridiculous objetlion : For putting forth the hand Both not of " it felt bring him a gift t elle every time that he puts forth his hand it " would bring in a gift : But it is fromthe vertue and bounty of the giver. "So is it as to faith and the difpofitions by which the venue of Chrift, «and the free mercy ofGod do give Remiflion and Reconciliation to be- " lievers and difpofed perlons: fo that it taketh not away Chrifts Merit, " nor maketh Grace lefs free that faith or thefe difpofitions are affected. L. I know not howmuch men may mean worfe than they freak t but theft words are fucb as the heft Proteftants uf. R. They are the words f tranflated) of the aforefaidFr,Trdeia tfitst and Cardinal on Rom. 3. pag.157i 158j 159. But ftill remember, that by 3ufiification they mean the holy effeci of the spirit on the foul; and indeed by Remiffion of fin, they molt com- monly mean the deftroying or mortifying fin within us, and ceafing to commit the alt : And they are dark and confufed in thefe matters. L. But do notPapifts hold fergivenefs of defer-01,d punifhment? R. Yes : but they bring it in aiforderly, and onother occafons : But if they did not; how could they hold, that any fin paff from our child- hood-till Converfion is Remitted or pardoned? For the Ati is paff as Cotin'.as done, & fatlum infeltumOri non poteff : and fo fuchpaft fins can have no remiffion, but forgiving the penalty, and healingthe effects. And wrangling Pa/Uit confider not that this is the Remi/on that Prote- flants mean, who call their kind ofRemion by the name of mortiffcati- an: And fo we endlefly quarrel about words, through our unhappy im- perfeEtion in the art of (peaking, and words being arbitrary figns, the world is come to no agreement of their fettle. L.. Tors confefr then their tonfufedDoctrine, andyon tántiot excùfema= ny oftheirDottor, from grofs error herein. R. No, nor many honett pious perlons that go for Proteftants: What PapUs have more plainly fubverted theGofpel by their Doctrine on there 'fubjer ts, than manyof thole called Antinorriians have done by the con- trary extream? And who Can juftifie all the fentences and pheafes ófma= O d ny 2bÁ
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