fire t. VI. Of Sanc`fcation. gg bath' certainlymade fincereobedience to be theco.ndi- tion of our - falvation. And they have endeavoured to new-model the Proteftant doEtrine, and to interpret theholy Scriptures inaway agreeable and fubfery;ent to this their only Pure foundation ofholinefs. But I hope to thew, that this their imagined fure foundation of holinefs was never laid by the holy God; but that it is rather an error in the foundation, pernicious to the true faith, and to holinefs of life. I account it an error efpecially to be abhorred and detefted, becaufe we are fo prone to be feduced by it and becaufe it is an error whereby Satan, transform- ing himfelf into an angel of light, and patron of ho- linefs, hath greatly withftood the gofpel in the apoft- les times, and ftirre.d up men to perfecute it, out of zeal for the law and hath lince prevailed to fet up and maintain Popery, whereby the myfteryof iniqui- ty worketh apace in thefe days, to corrupt the puri- ty of the gofpel among Proteftants, and to heal the deadly wound given toPopery by preaching the doc- tine of juftification by faith without works. One thing afferted in the d refion againif this foundamental error, is, that it is a way of jalvation by the works of thelaw, and not by the faith of Chrift, as revealed in the gofpel; though the maintainers of it would have us believe, that it is the only way of the gofpel ; that fo we may not doubt of its power and efficacy for our juftification, fanClification, and our whole falvation. Their reafons are, becaufe the law, as a covenant of works, requireth us to do all its commandments perfectly, that we may live ; whereas they plead only fora milder condition of fin- cere doing, that we may live. And they plead not for doing duties, as obliged thereunto by the authority of the law given of God by Mofes, but only in obe- dience to the commands of Chrift in the gofpel. Neither do they plead for falvation by fincere obe- dience withoutÇhrift, but onlybyChrift, and through N
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