NEW CREATION BY REGENERATION, 12.5 faith and repentance, is not regeneration, nor do they comprise it in them. And I have extended this assertion beyond what some among us, so far as I can see, do so much as pretend unto, in their confused notions and sophistical expressions about morality, when they make it the same with grace. But whatever there maybe of actual righteousness in thesethings, they do not express an inherent habitual righteousness, which, whosoever denies, overthrows thegospel, and all the whole work of the Spirit of God, and of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sect. 18. But we muststay a while. This assertion of ours is by some not only denied but derided: neither is that all, but whoever maintains it, is exposed as au enemy to morality, righteousness, and reformation of life. All virtue, they say, is hereby excluded, to intro- duce 1 know not what imaginary godliness. But whether we oppose or exclude moral virtue or no, by the doc- trine of regeneration, or any other, God and Christ will in due time judge and declare. Yea, were the confes- sion of the truth consistent with their interests, the de- cision of this doubt might be referred unto their own consciences. But being not free to commit any thing to that tribunal, unless we had better securityof its free- dom from corrupt principles and prejudices than we have, we shall, at present, leave all the world to judge of our doctrine, with respect unto virtue and morality, by the fruits of it, compared with theirs, by whom it is denied. In the tnean time we affirm, that we design nothing in virtue and morality, but to improve them, by fixing them on a -.proper foundation, or engrafting them into that stock whereon alone theywill thrive and grow to the glory of God, and the good of the souls of men; neither shall we be moved in this design by the clamorous or calumnious outcries of ignorant or profli- gate persons. And, for the assertion laid down, I de- sire that thosewho despise and reproach it, would at- tempt an answer unto the ensuing arguments whereby it is confirmed; with thèse other which shall be insisted on in our description of the nature of the work of rege- iteration itself; and that upon such grounds and princi- ples as are not destructive of Christian religion, nor in- troductive of Atheism, before they are too confident of their success, Sect. 19. If there be in, and required unto regene- ration, the " infusion ofa new real spiritual principle into the soul and its faculties, of spiritual life, light, ho- liness, and,righteousness, disposed unto, and suited for the destruction or expulsion of a contrary inbred habi- tual principle of sin and enmity against God, enabling unto all acts of holy obedience, and so in order of na- ture antecedent unto them;- then it doth not consist in a mere reformation of life and moral virtue, be they never so exact or accurate. Three things are to be ob- served for the clearing of this assertion, before we come to the proofand confirmation of it: As, (1.) That this reformation of life which we say is not regeneration, or that regeneration doth not consist therein, is a ne- cessary duty indispensibly required of all men: for we shall take it here for the whole course of actual obe- dience unto God, and that according to the gospel. Those indeed, by whom it is urged and pressed in the room of regeneration, or as that wherein regeneration doth consist, do give such an account and description of it, as that it is, or at least may be foreign unto true gospel obedience, and so not contain in it one accepta- ble duty unto God, as shall afterwards be declared. But here1 shall take it in our present inquiry, for that whole course of duties, which in obedience towards God, are prescribed unto us. (2.) That the principle before described, wherein regeneration, as passively considered, or as wrought in us, consists, doth always certainly and infallibly produce the reformation of life intended. In some it doth it-more completely, in others more imperfectly, in all sincerely. For the same grace in nature and kind is communicated unto several per- sons in various degrees, and is by them used and im- Per inherentern Justitiam intellìgimussupernatural°donum gratia santifieamis, oppositumoriginali peccato, et is singnlis anima faculta obus repasan, et revovansillam Dei imaginera, qua per peccatum or. gisais fcedata ac dissipata fuit. Originale peceatum menteur sembri, implevit, Lac infusa gratia lamine calmo collustrat. Istad, cor hu- m obstination° et odio Dei au Divine Legismaculavit, bac infusa Justitia cor smaltii et amore boni accendile et inflammat. rastremo illud affectasomnes arqueipsum appetitum mealtime infects; her renovnta. Sánctitas id ordisem cogit perturbatus affectiones, et ipsum rebellera ConeupiscenviamDominio spolias, et quasi sub Jugum mirait. Daveu. ant. de Juste. ßabit. cap. a. Fides tanquam radix imbre susceptohares in anima solo; ut cum per lagers Dei vocali caperit surgent in ea rani qui fructus uper m forant Non ergo ex operibus radix Justifie, sed en radio, Jastitie frnctus, ope.. rum°remit. Origan lib. 4. in Epist. ad Roman,
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