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ror ftript of all that plaufible Drefs with which it now again makes its Appearance. You will find that the Doctrine of Juftification was esteemed by all our excellent Reformers, as well as by Luther, Articulus ftantis vel cadentis Ecclefia, the Article by which the Church muft either stand or fall.And fhall we again build up those things which that glorious Army of Martyrs deftroyed? Shall we again revive Popery in one of its moft confiderable Branches?-Is not this to open the Door to other Popish Delusions and practical Errors, as Penances, Pilgrimages, a monaftick Life, Celibacy, and other Aufterities, to fupply the Defects of our fincere Obedience, and patch up a Righteoufnefs of our own to justify us? I wish there were not too much Occafion given for this Apprehenfion by fome in the prefent Times, who would fain be reputed Proteftants.*-You'll perhaps think me too fevere in this Difcourfe, but fearch into the Cause, as I have done, and you'll find it otherwife.

And why must this Hydra be digged out of its Grave, and revived? What Advantage can be hoped for by this Scheme? Were this Doctrine true, won't fincere Obedience, done from a Principle of spiritual Life and Holiness, and a Dependence upon Christ alone, to do all in us and for us, and to recommend us to the divine Favour, be accepted of God, as well as if it had been done in our own Strength, and with a View to establish our own Righteoufnefs? Will Chrift reject us at laft, for doing too much Honour to his infinite Merit, and to the rich and free Grace of God in him?— What if you should find your Reafoning, false and deceitful, when it comes to the great Trial? Dare

you

See, for Inftance, Mr. I aw's Chriftian Perfection, and Serious Call. Books that would be defervedly esteem'd and priz'd, were it not for this Popish Taint.

you venture your Eternity upon it, that in this Cafe you cannot be deceived?If the Reformation in general, and the most excellent Men for Learning, Sagacity and Piety, that the reformed Churches could ever boaft of, fhould be found on the Side of Truth at the Day of Judgment, in determining that we cannot be juftified on the Foot of a moderated Covenant of Works, or the easy Terms you plead for; what will become of all those who have built their eternal Hope on that Foundation; not only notionally, I mean, but practically?

But I have outgone my intended Limits, and fhall therefore only add (after my hearty Prayers that your Hope may be built upon a fure Foundation)-I am, with great Refpect,

Sir,

Your, &c.

LETTER XIV. Wherein the No. tion of a first Juftification by Faith, and a fecondary Juftification by fincere Obedience, is difcufs'd and confuted.

SIR,

OU must conclude I have spent my Time but idly, if I fhould yet be "unacquainted "with your Author's Meaning, and not fully un"derstand in what Senfe he fuppofes our fincere "Obedience to be the Condition of our Juftifica❝tion."It is fcarcely poffible that he fhould, with any Appearance of Plaufibility, offer any Thing new in Defence of thefe Principles, or that has not been often advanced, and often refuted, long before either you or 1 were born. And in particular, what you now propofe, is but the old Popify

Z

Popish Doctrine new vampt, which has been repeatedly anfwered by all our old Proteftant Wri

ters.

You tell me," your Author acknowledges, that "our firft Juftification is by Faith alone; that is, "God accepts us as being meet Probationers for "Salvation, upon our hearty Affent to the Truth "of the Gofpel, and our being heartily willing to "take Chrift's Yoke upon us, and obey him : "And this is the Juftification of which the Apostle "Paul fpeaks, that it is by Faith without the "Works of the Law.-But our fecondary Juftifica❝tion, or continued Title to the Favour of God, "is by our Works, or by a Course of fincere Obe"dience to the Gospel. Of this the Apostle James "fpeaks, when he tells us, that a Man is justified by Works, and not by Faith only.”

Sir, you can't be infenfible, that this Plea is utterly inconfiftent with the Evafions before offered. We are therefore now to hear no more of your former Diftinctions, that the Apostle Paul refers to legal, and not evangelical Works, when he excludes all Works from having any Part in our Juftification. We are to hear to more of the Apostle's referring to the ceremonial Law, when he opposes the Law to Grace, and tells us, that if Righteoufnefs come by the Law, then Chrift is dead in vain. You now acknowledge, that the Juftification of which the Apostle Paul speaks is by Faith alone.All other Pleas for the Scheme which I oppofe muft confequently be given up; and it must be put upon this fingle Iffue.-I fhall now therefore proceed to confider, whether this Foundation will bear the Weight which you are putting upon it.

'Tis worthy of Confideration, that there is no. thing of this new Distinction of a first and a secondary Juftification to be found in the Scriptures. I

look

look upon it as an arbitrary Distinction, coin'd tò ferve a Purpose, and to help out a tottering Scheme, which could no other Way be fupported. I he Apostle Paul, it is true, fpeaks of our Juftification in one Refpect, and the Apostle James in another, as I have formerly obferved to you: But each of them retain one invariable View of their Subject, and continue the fame Idea of the Juftification about which they treat. There is not a Word fpoken by either of them, of a first and second, of an original and additional Juftification. Indeed the Scriptures know nothing at all of this Diftinction. The Children of God learn nothing of it from their own Experience. And you must pardon me, Sir, if I muft demand fome better Foundation of my eternal Hope, than the subtil Inventions of fuch Men, who would establish and vindicate their Principles by new and unfcriptural Doctrines of Religion, -which have no Foundation at all, but their own teeming Imagination. This is the common Source of all the Errors which obtain among us. Men of Learning and Parts, fufficiently apprehenfive of their own Capacities, instead of an humble subjecting their Reason to the Wisdom of God in his Word, are first for forming Schemes which appear to them most reasonable; these they take for Principles; and then they must force fome Construction or other upon the most oppofite Text's of Scripture, and invent fome arbitrary Diftinctions, to obviate the Difficulties that lie in their Way.

This is

plainly the Cafe before us. It does not look reaMonable to the Papifts, to the Socinians, to the Arminians, and to the Neonomians, that our Obedience fhould be wholly excluded a Part in our Juftification. It is true the Scripture does in Multitudes of most plain and familiar Expre fhions, in the most exprefs and strongest Language, utterly exclude it.

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But

But there must be one unnatural Conftruction or another forced upon thefe Texts of Scripture to make them confiftent with their Scheme, which they take for a Poftulatum, whatever is faid in the Scripture to the contrary. When this Refuge fails, the prefent Diftinction is coined, to fupport the finking Caufe. It were a fufficient Answer to all thefe Pretences, to fay, The Foolishness of God is wifer than Men, and the Weakness of God is ftronger than Men. And he that feemeth to be wife in this World, let him become a Fool, that he may be wife.

But I have this further Objection against the Difinction you mention, that it is not only a human Device, without any Appearance of Scripture-Warrant; but it is utterly inconfiftent with the Scripture Doctrine of Juftification.-There is fo much afcribed, in the Scripture, to what they call our first Jufification, as leaves no poffible Room for a second.

- I have obferved fomething of this to you, upon another Occasion, in a former Letter; and you must bear with me, if you here meet with fome Repetition, in order to fet the present Cafe in a true and proper Light.-By Virtue of the Righteoufnefs imputed to us, and received thro' Faith, we have a free Pardon of all our Sins. Rom. iv. 5, 6, 7. To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that juftifieth the Ungodly, his Faith is counted for Righte oufnefs. Even as David alfo defcribeth the Blessednefs of the Man unto whom God imputeth Righte oufnefs without Works, faying, Blessed are they whofe Iniquities are forgiven; and whofe Sins are covered. Bleed is the Man to whom the Lord will not impute Sin. By Virtue of this Justification we are freed from the Wrath of God, and actually reconciled to him. Rom. v. 9, 10. Much more then being juftified by his Blood, we shall be faved from Wrath thro' him. For if when we were Enemies,

we