2 5ufiif ing Faith, the Cauf s, Obje5, dinarily effe& in true Believers, who improve it, and grow in its exercife in a due manner. Many great Divines at the firfl Reformation, did (as the Lutherans generally yet do) thus make the mercy of God in Chrih, and thereby the forgivenefs of our own fins, to be the proper Obje& of Juflifying Faith, as finch; whole Effence therefore they placed in a fiducial Trull in the Grace of God by Chrifi declared in the Promifes, with a certain unwavering Application of them unto our felves. And I fay with Tome confidence, that thofe who endeavour not to attain here- unto, either underhand not the nature of Believing, or are very negle&ive both of the Grace of God, and of their own Peace. That which enclined thofe great and holy Perlons fo to ex- prefs themfelves in this matter, and to place the Effence of Faith in the highefl Sling of it, ( wherein yet they always included and fuppofed its other A &s) was the hate of the Confciences of men with whom they had to do. Their Con- teft in this Article with the Roman Church, was about the way and means whereby the Confciences of convinced trou- bled (inners might come to ref and peace with God. For at that time they were no otherwife inhruted, but that thefe things were to be obtained, not only by works of Righteouf- ne f which men did themfelves in Obedience uuto the Com- mands of God, but all() by the hri& obfervance of many Inventions of what they called the Church ; with an Alcri- ption of a (range Efficacy to the fame Ends, unto miffatical Sacrifices, Sacramentals, Abfolutions, Pennances, Pilgrimages and other the like Superhitions. Hereby they obferved that the Confciences of men were kept in perpetual difquietments, perplexities, fears and bondage, exclufive of that Reh, Af= furance, and Peace with God through the Blood of Chrift, which the Gofpel proclaims and tenders. And when the Leaders of the People in that Church had obferved this, that in-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=