484 Of t flifying Faith. Vol. IL Chrift, for the Pardon of Sin, Or any thing w this effect, i will be molt ready publickly to acknowledge my Error : but if no body can do this, I !hall beg their Pardon if I do continue Rill of the fame mind I was. I have now donewith the Fourth thing I propounded i but before I _peak to the éwo Heads which remain, i muft remove an Objetion or two, that my former Dilcourfe may fem liable to. Objccion firff, To make Obedience a Condition of Pardon feems to take away the freenefs of God's Grace in pardoning Sinners. r. God's Grace in pardoning a Sinner is raid to be free, not becauf it is not fufpended upon any Condition ; for the Scripture tells us plainly, that it is upon the condition of Faith, and Repentance, and forgiving others, and the like : but it is free becaufe God was pleafed freely to give his Son to Die for our Sins, and to accept of his Sacrifice for the expiation of them, and to impofe cafie and reafo- nable Conditions upon us, in order to out enjoying of this Benefit 5 and upon fuch Conditions, data' they have nothing of Virtue or Merit, of any Natural or Moral Efficacy to deferve, or procure filch a Benefit as the Pardon of our Sins, for the fake of his Son, whom he gave to be a ranfom for us, to receive us to Grace and Mercy 5 and I think this abundantly enough to make our Juflification very gra- cious and free, ciao' not abfoiutely free from all condition. t. Our Salvation is Paid in Scripture ro be as free as our Juflification 5 we are faid to Le faved by Grace, as well as jijlified freely by his Grace. But will any Man fay, that we are faved without any Conditions, who reads thefe Texts? Fie that believed) on the San, path everlafling Life : lut he that believed) not the Son, (hall not fee Life. Melted are the pure in heart : for they _hallfee God. Except Jr repent, ye _hall all Unpile perifh. If ye walk after the ftefh, ye _hall die : but if thro' the Joirit, ye mortifie the deeds of the flefh, ye 'hall live. Without Holineß no Man fh ll fee the Lord. So that he who can underfiand how wemay be faved by Grace, tho' our Salvation be fufpended upon the Condition of Faith, Repentance, and HaJinefs; and Obedience of Life, may, if he pleafe, underhand howwe may be juftified freely by God's Grace, tho" it be upon the fame Conditions. So that if Men were not monfiroufly perverfe, it is impoilible they lhouldnot fee the weak- nefs of this Objection. . Objection the fecond. This is the Dollrine of the Papifts, that Obedience and good Works are a Condition of our Jollification. Anfw. a. i am for the Doftrine which is evidently contained in Scripture, who- ever hold ir. A Man ought not to be frighted out of the truth by any name. 2. But there is a wide difference between the Dofttrine of the Papifts about Ju- ftification, and this Do&rine. They fay that Obedience and good Worksare not only a Condition of our Juflification, but a meritoriousCattle of it ; which I ab- hor as much as any one. It is the Dohtrine of Merit that the Proteflants chiefly op pole in the matter of Juflification ; and if fame all() oppofe the Papifts about good Works being a Condition, I know no body that thinks himfelf obliged to hold every Opinion that any Próteftant bathmaintained againft the Papifts : and the like I fay to the Objt&ion of Socinianilm, and Arminianifm, and a hundred names more, if People think fit to falten them upon it. . And now I might compare this Marine with the contrary. All that may be Paid againft it is, that it diminilheth the Grace of God : but that I have lhewn it Both not ; but then it bath thefe Advantages. It is fo far as Í cati judge, (and mine own Judgment muft govern me) much more plainly contained in Scripture, and it is a Oo&rine more according to godlineß, it tends more to quicken Men to Obedience and a Holy Life, to believe that they cannot have their Sins otherwife pardon'd, than to believe that they may have their Sins pardon'd without Obedi- ence and a Holy Life ; and if Obedience be not a necelfary condition of Pardon, it is plain that Men may be pardon'd without ir. For Example, if a Man promife me a thoufand Pounds, only upon this Condition, that i wall believe him and croft him, but without any Condition of doing what he fhall command me, and he fhali declare thus much-tome 5 if I can truft this Man's word, I need not doubt but i _hall have the Sum promiif:d, tho' I fhould dffobey him in every thing that he commanded
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