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Repentance is not begunne before a saving faith, because then repentance should bee begunne in men, before they have any spirituall life in them.
The reason (they say) is good: because if repentance be begunne before faith in Christ, then is it begunne without it; and if it bee begunne without faith in Christ; then is it begunne without spi∣rituall life; for faith onely is the spiri∣tuall life of Christians.* 1.1
The Reason is not good, because it begs the Question: for it takes that for graunted (which is the point to be proved by the Text alledged) that faith in Christ is so the spirituall life of Christians, that there is no spiritu∣all life begun in Christians, before they beleeve in CHRIST by a saving faith; whereas the proofe out of the Epistle to the Galatians is onely of the spiri∣tuall life unto iustification and salva∣tion: For whereas the Apostle saith; In that I now live, I live by the faith of the Sonne of God. His meaning is not (as it must bee if the proofe be to pur∣pose;) in that I have had at any time by the preaching of the Word any be∣ginning of grace wrought in mee, any sight of sinne and sorrow for it; any be∣liefe of the Gospell, and inclination to repentance; any feare of God, or care to please him, or any worke of the Spi∣rit tending to salvation, I have had it by the faith of Iesus Christ; that is, I had it not wrought in me till I belee∣ved in Iesus Christ, my faith in Christ was the instrumentall cause to work it
But his meaning (as appeares by the sixteenth Verse; and the drift of the whole Epistle) is this: the ground I have
that I shall bee saved, and attaine to eternall life, is not, because I am an o∣beyer of the Law: for I am dead unto it, verse 19. (that is, I renounce it to iusti∣fication, and will by no meanes seeke to bee saved by it) but the hope and hold I have, is this, that I am a belee∣ver in Christ, and by this faith in the Sonne of God, I live in Gods sight, and by this onely, I claime title and interest unto Christ and all his benefits; and therefore, in that in this life, I have hope of a better life, I have it by faith in the Sonne of God.
I grant, that repentance cannot bee begunne in men, before they have some spirituall life wrought in them: but I deny that there is no spirituall life wrought in men at all, till they beleeve in Christ, and trust in him for salvation.
I acknowledge also, that there is not spirituall life enough, and sufficient to salvation wrought in men, when they are mooved by the Spirit, through the preaching of the Word, to feele their need of Christ, by reason of their sinfull and damnable estate, to mourne for it; to be weary & heauy loden with the burthen of it, to beleeve the Go∣spell, and to desire to bee saved: but
all these doe evidently argue, that some spirituall life is begunne in them, in whom all these graces that prepare un∣to faith in Christ are wrought: be∣cause the naturall man doth not conceive nor receive these things of the Spirit,* 1.2 nei∣ther doth flesh and bloud reveale them:* 1.3 and therefore being all wrought in men before they can beleeve in Christ (as hath beene shewed) and by the worke of the Spirit, through the preaching of the Word, (as must needs be gran∣ted:) therefore must they needs be ef∣fects of the Spirit, and consequently argue some spirituall life in those, in whom they are wrought: though as soon as they be wrought, faith in Christ be not wrought in them, and though they in whom they are wrought have not spirituall life sufficient unto salvati∣on, untill faith in Christ it selfe bee wrought within them.
Gal. 2.20.
1. Cor. 2.14.
Math. 16.17.