488 lames 2: II.. &e. Cleared and Vindicated. C H A r to us , that it was his Intent, or defigne to explaine & make known the way., how poor convinced finners , (landing under the fentence of the Law , come to be luftified before God , and to receive pardon of their fins. No facia queflion propofeth he to be difcuffed ; No fuch point of truth doth he lay clown to be cleared , or Vindicated. But his whole fcope & drift is to prefs the reaIl fludy of holinefs , in feveral points particularly fpoken to through the Epiftle. And in that fecond Chapt. from verf. 14. & forward ( as will ap- pear more fall); in the explication & vindication of the feveral verfes in parti- cular) he is particularly obviating that grofl'e triiffake of tome , who thought that a bare outward profeflion of the Gofpel Faith , orofChrillianReli- gion , was fuflîcient to fave them , and evidence them CO be iu a juftified -(late , and that therefore they needed not trouble themfelves with any ftudy of holinefs : A.nd therefore sheweth, that all fuch hopes of Salvation were built on the fand , for they had no ground to fuppofe, that they were truely ¡unified , & fo were in any faire way unto falvation , fo long as all their faith was no other , than a general affent unto the dotlrine of the Gofpel , & to truthes revealed , & not that true lively faith , -hold forth in the Gofpcl. whereby finners become juftified before God. Mr. Baxter tels Cath. Theol. part. z. n. 364. that St. fames having to do with fome , who thought that the bare profeff ion of Chrif ianity , was Chri fl ianity; 5 that faith was a rne?r a ffent to the Truth ; dr that to beleeve that the Go fpel it true, d9 tr:uf to be juflifed by Chrifi war enough to juflification without Holi- .nefs d7 fruitful Lives ; d5' that their fine barrennefr hindered not their juflifica- tion : jó that they thus beleeved ( perhaps rnisunderflanding Paul's Epifiler ) doth convince them , that they were rnifla {en ; di that when God f pale of luftification by faith without the works of the Law, he never weaned a faith that contai- neth not a refolution to obey him in whom we beleeve, nor that is feparatedfrom aflual obedience in the profècution : But that as we muff be juflif ed by our Faith againft the charge of being Infidels; fo tnnfl we be juj?;fled by our Gofpel perfonal ho- linefs , and fincere obedience , againfl the charge, that we are unholy & wic- ked , or impenitent or hypocrites, or el fe we shall never be adjudged to Salva.. pion , that it jufli fi'ed by God. Anf. (i) It is true, for it is manifefl , and undeniable , that ?amen had to do with fotr.e, who thought that the bare profeflìon of Chriflianity was enough & that an aflent unto the truth , was that faith that would prove juaitying & faving. But (z) it is not fo manifefl that James. had to do with fuch, as thought that totruft to be juflified by Chrift, was enough to juftifi- cation without holinefs & fruitful lives, & that their fin & barrennefs hin- .dered not their juflification: for whatever Mr, Baxter imagine, we finde not in Scripture, that juflification followeth lives, that is., that there is no juflification, before this fruitliilriefs of life appear: And himfelfufeth tofay; that in order to the firff juflification , this holinefs of life is not requifite-: And betide this, which he calleth the fun , we know no other.; unlefs he mean glorification. But then (3) as to glorification & final Salvation, we ,,grant ; that games hath to do with fuch , as thought a meer affent to the :.truth, without holinefs, wasfufcient hereunto; but that their beleeving .thus
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