2. To prove this doctrine unscriptural, That “Faith alone is the condition of justification,” you alledge, That “Sanctification, according to scripture, must go before it:” To evince which, you quote the following texts, which I leave as I find them: _Go, disciple all nations――teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded them._¹ _He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved._² _Preach repentance and remission of sins._³ _Repent and be baptized every one of you, for the remission of sins._⁴ _Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out._⁵ _By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified._⁶ You add, “St. _Paul_ taught _Repentance toward God, and faith toward our_ Lord Jesus Christ⁷; and calls _Repentance from dead works, and faith toward God, first principles_.⁸”
¹ _Matthew xxviii. 19, 20._
² _Mark xvi. 16._
³ _Luke xxiv. 47._
⁴ _Acts ii. 38._
⁵ ♦_Acts iii. 19._
⁶ _Hebrews x. 14._
⁷ _Acts xx. 21._
⁸ _Hebrews vi. 1._
♦ “C.” replaced with “Acts”
You subjoin, “_But ye are washed_, says he, _but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified_. By _washed_ is meant their baptism; and by their baptism is meant, first their sanctification, and then their justification.” This is a flat begging the question; you take for granted, the very point which you ought to prove. “St. _Peter_ also, you say, affirms, That _baptism doth save us_ or justify us.” Again, you beg the question: you take for granted what I utterly deny, viz. That _save_ and _justify_ are here synonymous terms. ’Till this is proved, you can draw no inference at all; for you have no foundation whereon to build.
I conceive these and all the scriptures which can be quoted to prove sanctification antecedent to justification, (if they do not relate to our final justification) prove only (what I have never denied) that repentance, or conviction of sin, and fruits meet for repentance, precede that faith, whereby we are justified: but by no means, that the love of God, or any branch of true holiness, must or can precede faith.
3. It is objected, Secondly, That justification by faith alone, is not the doctrine of the church of _England_.
“You believe, says the writer above-mentioned, that no good work can be previous to justification, nor consequently a condition of it. But God be praised, our church has no where delivered such _abominable_ doctrine.” _Page 14._
“The clergy contend for inward holiness, as previous to the first justification――this is the doctrine they universally inculcate, and which you cannot oppose without contradicting the doctrine of our church.” _Page 26._
“All your strongest persuasives to the love of God, will not blanch over the deformity of that doctrine, that men may be justified――by faith alone――Unless you publicly recant this _horrid_ doctrine, your faith is vain.” _Page 27._
“If you will vouchsafe to purge out this _venomous_ part of your principles, in which the _wide, essential, fundamental, irreconcileable difference_, as you very justly term it, mainly consists, then there will be found so far no disagreement between you and the clergy of the church of _England_.” _ibid._
4. In order to be clearly and fully satisfied, what the doctrine of the church of _England_ is, (as it stands opposite to the doctrine of the _Antinomians_, on the one hand, and to that of _justification by works_ on the other) I will simply set down what occurs on this head, either in her Liturgy, Articles or Homilies.
“Spare thou them, O God, which _confess their faults_: restore thou them that are _penitent_, according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord.”
“He pardoneth and absolveth all them that _truly repent_ and _unfeignedly believe_ his holy gospel.”
“Almighty God, who dost forgive the sins of them that are _penitent_, create and make in us new and contrite hearts; that we _worthily lamenting our sins_ and _acknowledging our wretchedness_, may obtain of thee perfect remission and forgiveness, thro’ Jesus Christ our Lord.” Collect for _Ash-Wednesday_.
“Almighty God――hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them that with _hearty repentance and true faith_ turn unto him.” _Communion office._
“Our Lord Jesus Christ hath left power to absolve all sinners who _truly repent_ and _believe_ in him.” _Visitation of the sick._
“Give him unfeigned _repentance_ and stedfast _faith_, that his sins may be blotted out.” _ibid._
“He is a merciful receiver of all true, _penitent_ sinners, and is ready to pardon us, if we come unto him with _faithful repentance_.” _Commination office._
Infants indeed our church supposes to be justified in baptism, altho’ they cannot then either _believe_ or _repent_. But she expresly requires both _repentance_ and _faith_, in those who come to be baptized when they are of riper years.