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

ters.

You tell me," your Author acknowledges, that "our first 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 Gospel, and our being heartily willing to

take Chrift's Yoke upon us, and obey him: "And this is the Juftification of which the Apoftle "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 Courfe of fincere Obe"dience to the Gofpel. Of this the Apostle James "fpeaks, when he tells us, that a Man is juftified "by Works, and not by Faith only."

Sir, you can't be infenfible, that this Plea is utterly inconfiftent with the Evasions before of fered. 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 Apoftle'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 Apoftle Paul fpeaks is by Faith alone. All other Pleas for the Scheme which I oppofe must 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 secon dary Juftification to be found in the Scriptures. I

look

look upon it as an arbitrary Diftinction, coin'd to ferve a Purpofe, 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 fecond, 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 fubtil 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 Reafon 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 Texts of Scripture, and invent fome arbitrary Diftin&tions, to obviate the Difficulties that lie in their Way.- -This is plainly the Cafe before us. It does not look reafonable to the Papifts, to the Socinians, to the Arminians, and to the Neonomians, that our Obedience fhould be wholly excluded a Part in our JuftificatiIt is true the Scripture does in Multitudes of moft plain and familiar Expre flions, in the most exprefs and strongeft Language, utterly exclude it.

on.

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But

But there must be one unnatural Construction or another forced upon these 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 support the finking Caufe. It were a fufficient Anfwer to all these 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 Diftinction 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 fecond.

I have obferved fomething of this to you, upon another Occafion, in a former Letter; and you must bear with me, if you here meet with fome Repetition, in order to fet the prefent Cafe in a true and proper Light.-By Virtue of the Righteousness 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 jufifieth the Ungodly, his Faith is counted for Righte oufnefs. Even as David alfo defcribeth the Bleednefs of the Man unto whom God imputeth Righte oufness 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 imfute Sin. By Virtue of this Juftification 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 saved from Wrath thro' him. For if when we were Enemies,

we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son; much more being reconciled, we fhall be faved by his Life. By this Juftification we are made righteous in the Sight of God. Rom. v. 18, 19. By the Righteoufnefs of one the free Gift came upon all Men unto Juftification of Life. For as by one Man's Difobedience many were made finners; fo by the Obedience of One fhall many be made Righteous.By this Juftification we have the Adoption of Children. Joh. i. 12. As many as received him, to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God'; even to them that believe on his Name. By this Juftification we have the Spirit of Adoption, Peace with God, and a joyful Prospect of our eternal Inheritance. Rom. v. 1, 2. Therefore being juftified by Faith, we have Peace with God thro' our Lord Jefus Chrift.-and rejoice in Hope of the Glory of God. By this Juftification we are fanctified, and receive needed Supplies of Grace. Heb. x. 10. By the which Will we are fanctified, thro' the offering of the Body of Jefus Christ once for all. Rom. v. 17. For if by one Man's Offence Death reigned by one; much more they who receive Abundance of Grace, and of the Gift of Righteousness, shall reign in Life, by one Jefus Chrift.— -By this Juftification, we are fecured of Perfeverance in Grace, against all Charges, Accufations, Perfecutions, and malignant Endeavours of Hell and Earth to the contrary. Rom. viii. 33. 35. Who shall lay any Thing to the Charge of God's Elect? It is God that juftifieth.-Who shall separate us from the Love of Chrift? Shall Tribulation, or Difirefs, or Perfecution, or Famine, or Nakedness, or Peril, or Sword? -And in a Word, by this Juftification we are intitled to, and fhall finally be poffeffed of eternal Glory. Rom viii. 30. Whom he justified, them be alfo glorified.

And now, Sir, what is there left for your fecondary Juftification to do? We have God himself, Pardon, Peace, with all the Benefits, Comforts and Privileges of the Children of God in this Life, and eternal Glory hereaft, bestowed upon us, or made over to us, in Confequence of what you call the first Juftification. Your fecondary Justification muft therefore be a mere imaginary Thing, an unaccountable Fiction; which hath as little Foundation in the Nature of Things, as it has in the Word of God.

I may add to this, that our Continuance in a juftified State is by the fame Means by which we were firft juftified. It is true, Believers (as well as others) are daily finning, in Thought, Word, and Deed; and there may therefore appear fome Difficulty in conceiving how our once being justified by Faith can fecure to us a Remiffion of future Sins. It cannot be supposed that our Sins are actually pardoned, before they are committed; or our Guilt cancell'd, before it was contracted. How then can one fingle Juftification ftand us in ftead, through a future Scene of Sin and Guilt, and intitle us to eternal Glory, notwithstanding a repeated Forfeiture of the divine Favour, and notwithstanding our renewed Deferts of God's Wrath and Difpleafure?This deferves fome particular Confideration. I fhall therefore endeavour, in a few Words, to folve this Difficulty, before I proceed diftinctly to confider in what Manner our Juftification is continued.

Let it then be obferved, that as the meritorious procuring Caufe of our Juftification, with all its Benefits of Grace here and Glory hereafter, was at once compleated; the Body of Chrift was offered once for all, and by his Obedience unto Death he brought in everlafting Righteoufnels: So the Believer, upon his first being actually interested in the

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