when perfons do believe, that which was hid before, doth then only appear to them.

Refutation As the former error dangerously corrupts the doctrine of juftification, fo this corrupts the doctrine of faith; and therefore deferves to be exploded by all Christians.

That there is a manifestation, and discovery of the fpecial love of God, and our own faving concernment, in the death of Chrift, to fome Chriftians, at fome times, cannot be denied. St. Paul could fay, Gal. ii. 20, 21. Chrift loved him, and gave himself for him; but to say that this is the juftifying act of faith, whereby a finner paffes from condemnation and death, into the state of righteoufnefs and life; this I must look upon as a great error; and that for the following reafons:

Reafon 1. Because there be multitudes of believing and juftified perfons in the world, who have no fuch manifeftation, evidence, or affurance, that God laid their iniquities upon Christ, and that he died to put away their fins; but daily conflict with ftrong fears and doubts, whether it be fo, or no. There are but few among believers, that attain fuch a perfuafion, and manifeftation, as Antinomians make to be all that is meant in scripture by juftification through faith. Many thoufand new-born Chriftians live as the new-born babe, which neither knows its own eftate, or inheritance, to which it is born.

Vivit, et eft vita nefcius ipfe fuæ.

"Not conscious of its life, it lives."

A foul may be in Christ, and a justified state, without any fuch perfuafion, or manifeftation, as they here fpeak of, Ifa. 1. 10. and if any shall affert the contrary, he will condemn the greatest part of the generation of God's children. Now that cannot be the faving and justifying act of faith, which is not to be found in multitudes of believing and juftified perfons.

But manifeftation, or a perfonal perfuafion of the love of God to a man's foul, or that Chrift died for him, and all his iniquities are thereby forgiven him, is not to be found in multitudes of believing and juftified fouls.

Therefore fuch a perfuafion, or manifestation, is not that fav ing juftifying faith, which the fcripture speaks of.

That faith which only juftifies the perfon of a finner before God, muft neceffarily be found in all justified believers, or else a man may be justified, without the leaft degree of justifying faith, and confequently it is not faith alone, by which a man is juftified before God.

Reason 2. That cannot be the juftifying act of faith, which

is not conftant and abiding, with the juftified perfon, but comes and goes, is frequently loft and recovered, the ftate of the perfon ftill remaining the fame. And fuch contingent things are these perfuafions and manifestations: they come and go, are won and loft, the state of the perfon ftill remaining the fame. Job was as much a juftified believer when he complained that God was his enemy, as when he could say, "I know that "my Redeemer liveth." The fame may be faid of David, Heman, Afaph, and the greatest number of juftified believers recorded in the fcripture. There be two things belonging to a juftified state, (1.) That which is effential and infeparable, to wit, faith uniting the foul to Chrift. (2.) That which is con-. tingent and feparable, to wit, evidence, and perfuafion of our interest in him. Thofe believers that walk in darkness, and have no light, have yet a real, special intereft in God as their God, Ifa. I. 10. Here, then, you find believers without perfuafion, or manifestation of God's love to them; which could never be, if justifying faith confifted in a perfonal perfuafion, manifeftation, or evidence of the love of God, and pardon of fin to a man's foul. That cannot be the juftifying faith spoken of in feripture, which a justified perfon may live in Christ without, and be as much in a state of pardon, and acceptation with God, when he wants it, as when he hath it. But fuch is perfuafion, evidence, or manifeftation of a man's particular intereft in the love of God, or the pardon of his fins. Therefore this is not the justifying faith the scripture speaks of.

Reafon 3. That only is juftifying, faving faith, which gives the foul right and title to Chrift, and the laving benefits which come by Chrift upon all the children of God. Now, it is not perfuafion that Chrift is ours, but acceptation of him, that gives us intereft in Chrift, and the faving benefits and privileges of the children of God, John i. 12, "But as many as received "him, to them gave he power to become the fons of Ged; 66 even to them that believe on his name," So that unless the Antinomians can prove, that receiving of Chrift, and perfonal perfuafion of pardon, be one and the fame thing, and confequently, that all believers in the world are perfuaded, or affured that their fins are pardoned; and reject from the number of believers all tempted, deserted, dark and doubting Christians; this perfuafion they speak of, is not, nor can it be the act of faith, which juftifies the perfon of a finner before God. That which I think led our Antinomians into this error, was an unfound, and unwary definition of faith, which, in their youth, they had imbibed from their catechifms, and other systems, paf

fug without contradiction, or fcruple in those days; which though it were a mistake, and hath abundantly been proved to be fo in latter days; yet our Antinomians will not part with a notion fo ferviceable to the fupport of the darling opinion of eternal juftification.

Reafon 4. A man may be ftrongly perfuaded of the love of God to his foul, and of the pardon of his fins, and yet have no intereft in Chrift, nor be in a pardoned ftate. This was the cafe of the Pharifees, and others, Luke xviii. 9. Rev. iii. 17. therefore this perfuafion cannot be justifying faith. If a perfuafion be that which juftifies the perfuaded perfon, then the Pharifees and Laodiceans were juftified. Oh! how common and eafy is it for the worft of men to be ftrongly perfuaded of their good condition, whilft humble, ferious Chriftians doubt and ftagger? I know not what fuch doctrine as this is useful for, but to beget and strengthen that fin of presumption, which fends down multitudes to hell, out of the profeffing world: For what is more common amongst the most carnal and unfanc tified part of the world, not only fuch as are merely moral, but even the most flagitious and prophane, than to fupport them felves by falfe perfuafions of their good eftate? When they are afked, in order to their conviction, what hopes of falvation they have, and how they are founded? their common answer is, Chrift died for finners, and that they are perfuaded, that whatever he hath done for any other, he hath done it for them as well as others but fuch a perfuafion cometh not of him that called them, and is of dangerous confequence.

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Reafon 5. This doctrine is certainly unfound, because it confounds the diftinction betwixt dogmatical and faving faith; and makes it all one, to believe an axiem or propofition, and to believe favingly in Chrift to eternal life. What is it to believe that God laid our iniquities upon Chrift, more than the mere affent of the understanding to a scripture axiom, or propofition, without any consent of the will, to receive Jefus Chrift, as the gofpel offers him? And this is no more than what any unregenerate perfon may do; yea, the very devils themselves affent to the truth of fcripture axioms or propofitions as well as men, James ii. 19. "Thou believeft there is one God, thou doft well; the devils alfo believe and tremble." What is more than a fcripture axiom or propofition?" God laid the iniqui"ties of us all upon Christ," Ifa. liii. 6. And yet (faith Dr. Crifp, p. 296.) God cannot charge one fin upon that man that believes this truth, That God laid his iniquities upon Chrift. The affent of the understanding may be often given to a

fcripture-propofition, whilft the heart and will remain carnal, and utterly averfe to Jefus Chrift. I may believe dogmatically, that the iniquities of men were laid upon Chrift, and perfuade myself prefumptively, that mine, as well as other mens, were laid upon him; and yet remain a perfect stranger to all faving union and communion with him.

Reafon 6. This opinion cannot be true, because it takes away the only support that bears up the foul of à believer in times of temptation and defertion.

For how will you comfort fuch a distressed foul that faith, and faith truly, I have no perfuafion that Christ is mine, or that my fins are pardoned; but I am heartily willing to caft my poor fin-burthened foul upon him, that he may be mine; I do not certainly know that he died intentionally for me, but I lie at his feet, cleave to him, wait at the door of hope; I stay and truft upon him, though I walk in darkness, and have no light. Now let fuch doctrine as this be preached to a foul in this condition (and we may be fure 'tis the condition of many thousands belonging to Chrift) I fay, bring this doctrine to them, and tell them, that unless they be perfuaded of the love of God, and that God laid their iniquities on Chrift, except they have fome manifestation that their perfons were juftified from eternity, their accepting of Chrift, confent of their wills, waiting at his feet, &c. fignifies nothing; if they believe not that their particular fins were laid upon Christ, and are pardoned to them by him, they are ftill unbelievers, and have no part or portion in him. Whatever pretences of fpiritual comfort and relief the Antinomian doctrine makes, you fee by this it really deprives a very great, if not the greatest number of God's people of their beft and fweeteft relief in days of darknefs and fpiritual diftrefs. So that this doctrine which makes manifestation and affurance the very effence of juftifying faith, appears hereby to be both a falfe and very dangerous doctrine. And yet there is as much, or more, danger to the fouls of men, in their

Error. 3. That men ought not to doubt of their faith, or question whether they believe or no. Nay, that they ought no more to question their faith, than to question Christ.

Refutation. What an eafy way to heaven is the Antinomian way? Were it but as true and fafe to the foul, as it is eafy and pleafing to the flesh, who would not embrace it? What a charm of the devil is prepared in thofe two propofitions? Be but perfuaded more or lefs of Chrift's love to thy foul (faith Mr. Saltmarth) and that's justifying faith. Here's a fnare of the devil laid for the fouls of men. And then (2.) to make it faft

and fure upon the foul, and effectually to prevent the difco very of their error, tell them they need no more to doubt or question their faith, than to question Christ, and the work is done to all intents.

Now that this is an error, and a very dangerous one, will appear by the following reafons.

Reafon 1. The questioning and examining of our faith, is a commanded fcripture-duty, 2 Cor. xiii, 5. "Examine your "felves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your ownfelves," &c. And 2 Pet. i. 10. "Give diligence to make your calling "and election fure. Let him that thinketh he ftandeth, take "heed left he fall." I Cor. x. 12. The fecond epiftle of John, ver. 8. "Look to yourselves, that we lofe not the things which "we have wrought:" With multitude of other fcriptures, recommending holy jealoufy, ferious felf-trial and examination of our faith, as the unquestionable duties of the people of God. But if we ought to question our faith no more than we ought, to queftion Chrift, away then with all felf-examination, and diligence to make our calling and election fure; for where there is no doubt nor danger, there's no place or room for examinati. on, or further endeavours to make it surer than it is. How do you like this doctrine, Chriftians? How many be there among you, that find no more caule to question your own faith or intereft in Chrift, than you do to question, whether there be a Christ, or whether he fhed his blood for the remiffion of any man's fins?

Reason. 2. This is a very dangerous error, and it is the more dangerous, because it leaves no way to recover a prefumptuous finner out of his dangerous mistakes; but confirms and fixes him in them, to the great hazard of his eternal ruin. It cuts off all means of conviction or better information, and nails them fast to the carnal ftate in which they are. According to this doctrine, 'tis impoffible for a man to think himself fomething, when he is nothing; or to be guilty of fuch a parallogifm and cheat, put by himself upon his own foul, Jam. ii. 22. this, in effect, bids a man keep on right or wrong; he is fure enough of heaven, if he be but ftrongly perfuaded that Chrift died for him, and he shall come thither at laft. Certainly this was not the counsel Chrift gave to the self-deceived Laodiceans, Rev. iii. 17, 18, but instead of diffuading them from felf-jealoufy and fufpicion of their condition, whether their faith and fate were fafe or not, he rather counfels them to buy eye-falve, that is, to labour after better information of the true state and