IN a former treatise I declared, in the plainest manner I could, both my principles and practice; and answered some of the most important, as well as the most common objections to each. But I have not yet delivered my own soul. I believe it is still incumbent upon me to answer other objections, particularly such as have been urged by those who are esteemed religious or reasonable men.
These partly relate to the _doctrines_ I teach, partly to my _manner_ of teaching them, and partly to the _effects_ which are supposed to follow from teaching these doctrines in this manner.
I. 1. I will briefly mention what those doctrines are, before I consider the objections against them. Now all I teach respects either the nature and condition of _justification_, the nature and condition of _salvation_, the nature of justifying and saving _faith_, or the _Author_ of faith and salvation.
2. First, The nature of justification. It sometimes means, our acquittal at the last day¹. But this is altogether out of the present question: that justification whereof our articles and homilies speak, meaning present forgiveness, pardon of sins, and consequently acceptance with God: who therein, _declares his righteousness_ or mercy, by or _for the remission of the sins that are past_, saying, _I will be merciful to thy unrighteousness, and thine iniquities I will remember no more_.²
¹ Matthew xii. 37.
² Romans iii. 25.
I believe, the condition of this, is faith¹: I mean, not only, that without faith, we cannot be justified; but also, that as soon as any one has true faith, in that moment he is justified.
¹ Romans iv. 5. &c.
Good works follow this faith¹, but cannot go before it: much less can sanctification, which implies, a continued course of good works, springing from holiness of heart. *But it is allowed, that entire sanctification goes before our justification at the last day.²
¹ Luke vi. 43.
² Hebrews xii. 14.
*It is allowed also, that repentance¹ and _fruits meet for repentance_², go before faith. Repentance _absolutely must_ go before faith: fruits meet for it, if there be opportunity. By repentance, I mean, conviction of sin, producing real desires and sincere resolutions of amendment: and by _fruits meet for repentance_, forgiving our brother³, ceasing from evil⁴, doing good, using the ordinances of God⁵, and in general obeying him according to the measure of grace which we have received⁶. But these, I cannot as yet, term _good works_; because they do not spring from faith and the love of God.
¹ Mark i. 15.
² Matthew iii. 8.
³ Matthew vi. 14, 15.
⁴ Luke iii. 4, 9. &c.
⁵ Matthew vii. 7.
⁶ Matthew xxv. 29.
3. By salvation I mean, not barely, according to the vulgar notion, deliverance from hell, or going to heaven: but a present deliverance from sin, a restoration of the soul to its primitive health, its original purity; a recovery of the divine nature; the renewal of our souls after the image of God, in righteousness and true holiness, in justice, mercy, and truth. This implies all holy and heavenly tempers, and by consequence all holiness of conversation.
Now, if by salvation we mean, a present salvation from sin, we cannot say, holiness is the condition of it. For it is the thing itself. Salvation, in this sense, and holiness are synonymous terms. We must therefore say, _We are saved by faith_. Faith is the sole condition of this salvation. For without faith we cannot be thus saved. But whosoever believeth, is saved already.
*Without faith we cannot be thus saved. For we cannot rightly serve God, unless we love him. And we cannot love him, unless we know him; neither can we know God, unless by faith. Therefore _salvation by faith_, is only in other words, the love of God by the knowledge of God: or, the recovery of the image of God, by a true spiritual acquaintance with him.
4. Faith, in general, is, a divine, supernatural ἔλεγχος¹ of things not seen, not discoverable by our bodily senses, as being either past, future or spiritual. _Justifying faith_ implies, not only a divine ἔλεγχος, that God _was in_ Christ, _reconciling the world unto himself_, but a sure trust and confidence, that Christ died for _my_ sins, that he loved _me_ and gave himself for _me_. And the moment a penitent sinner believes this, God pardons and absolves him.
¹ Evidence, or Conviction.
And as soon as his pardon or justification is witnessed to him by the Holy Ghost, he is saved. He loves God and all mankind. He has _the mind that was in_ Christ, and power to _walk as he also walked_. From that time (unless he make shipwreck of the faith) salvation gradually increases in his soul. For _so is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground.――And it springeth up, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear._