346 The Life of Faith. we are jufiified. No menare bound by God on pain of dam- nation tobelieve a lye, nor damned for not believing it. 3. Af- furance of perfonal pardon, is the happinefs but of few true Chrifiiansin thislife And whetuit is, it is only an effeet or confcquent participating of Faith : 'See Mr. Hickman on this lobje&. Errour 31. 7be meaning ofthat Article of our Creed [I le- lieve the rcrnfon offins] is, I believe that my own fins are for- given to me perfonatly. Contr. Though worthyMr. Perkins, and other ancient Di- vines have too'much countenanced this exudation, it is falle. The meaningof that Article is but this [Ibelieve that afuftcient prrovifonfor pardon is made by Cbriif, both for fins before regene- ration, and after.fault which ¡ball be repented of ; and that a pardoning Covenant is made to ail, ifthey will repent and believe; and to me of well as others, and I accept of that gracious offer, and truft in that Covenant in Cbrift.] Its dangerous mifexpounding Articles ofthe Creed. Errour 32. At leaft it is an all ofDivine Biief tobelieve that I am elect,_and jufîified, andfhall be faxed. Contr. Many have been agreat fcandal or fnare to harden the Papifis by affcrting this. But the truth is, it is but a ra.. tional conclufionfrom two premifes;. the one ofwhich is of Divine Revelation, and the other ofinward experience ; and all that is capableof being a controverfic to the judicious, is only de nomine, whether logically the conclufion be to be denomi- nated from the more debile of the premifes, or from both by participation, as being both an ad of Faith, and of Reafon, fe- cundum quid, and of neither ftmplicíter. But it is commonly concluded, that the more debileof the premifes mufi denominate the conclufion : And it is certain de re, that the conclufion can be no more certain than it. Objet.. But when the Scripture-faith, He that believethfleas be Paved; it is equipollent to this, [IJohn believe,andthetefore Irfhail be faxed,]: Anfsn. A groll deceit. That I believe, is,no where in the Scripture Ifit be, doth the Scripture fay, that all men believe, or only force ? If force, doth it name them, or notifie them by any thing but the marks by which theymilli find it in them - tibvcs a, Objefit
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