Certain select discourses on those most important subjects, requisite to be well understood by a catechist in laying the foundation of Christian knowledge in the minds of novitiates viz., First discourses on I. The doctrine of the two covenants both legal and evangelical, II. On faith and justification / by William Allen. Secondly, Discourses on I. The covenant of grace, or baptismal covenant, being chatechetical lectures on the preliminary questions and answers of the Church-Catechism : II. Three catechetical lectures on faith and justification / by Thomas Bray, D.D.

CHAP. V. Some few Objections answered.

I. SOME have thought Men may be Justified only by their Be∣lieving, even while they are Ungodly in their Lives; and have thought that Scripture, Rom. 4.5. will hear them out in such a conceit, which saith, He that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his Faith is counted for Righteousness. But they grosly mistake the Scripture, and deceive themselves. For that Text speaks of God's Justifying the Gentiles upon their sincere conver∣sion to the Christian Faith and Life, though they had lived in Gentilism, in all Ungodliness before, and until then, and though they should not work at all, as the Judaizers would have had them, in turn∣ing Proselytes to the Jewish way. But otherwise, it's flatly against the express Doctrine of the Gospel, and current of the Scriptures, for Men to hope to be pardoned by any Believing whatsoever, while they remain Impenitent; as every Man doth while he remains Ungodly. To justifie the wicked, is an abomination to the Lord. It's said that Christ made the Blind to See, and the Deaf to Hear, and the Dumb to Speak; as well as it's said, God Justifieth the Ungodly. But is any Man so senseless as to think that Christ made them to See, to Hear, and to Speak, while they remained Blind, Deaf, and Dumb? And if not, but that they know the meaning is, that Christ made those to See, to Hear, to Speak, which had been Blind, Deaf, and Dumb, before those Cures were wrought upon them; they might as well know also, that the meaning is, that God justifieth those upon their believing, which had been Ungodly until then, and not that he justifies them while they remain Ungodly.

II. Some alledge, that although the Faith which is alone, and with∣out the concomitant effects of it, Repentance, Regeneration, &c. doth not justifie; yet that Faith alone which doth produce such effects, doth justifie without the concurrence of these in the justifying Act. Which they illustrate by this Similitude. A Man sees with his Eye alone, though he doth not see with his Eye that is alone, or separated from his Body. In return to all which, let these things be consi∣dered.

1. They that go thus far, do grant that which will secure the No∣tion of the necessity of Repentance, Regeneration, and new Obe∣dience unto Justification. They grant we see such a necessity of these, as without which no Man can be justified, no not by Faith. In grant∣ing which, though we suppose them to err in their foresaid Notion, yet this makes their Error the less dangerous; because the presence

of Repentance, Regeneration, and Obedience, are no less necessary to Justification, according to this account, than they esteem them to be, who say they concur with Faith in the very act of Justification.

2. When they say, Faith alone is all that is necessary to the Justi∣fying Act, without the concurrence of any thing else done by us: By Justifying Act, they mean either God's Act, or Man's Act. If Man's Act, that's nothing but Man's performing the Condition upon which God hath promised to Justifie Men. If they mean God's Act, it is his imputing Mens performing the Condition of the Promise unto them for Righteousness. The only thing then in question will be, what it is which is a fulfilling of the Condition of the Promise of Justification, which God imputes for Righteousness? If they say, it is only the Assent of the Understanding unto the Truth of God's Testimony in the Gospel; or this Assent, together with a Reliance on Christ for Salvation: I have shewed before, that both these may be found in Men Unregenerate, and Unjustified: And that these two of themselves, without Repentance and hearty Obedience to the Laws of Christ, are not a fulfilling of the Condition of the Promise, and that consequently Men, without these, cannot be justified by any Faith whatsoever; and so not by Faith alone; unless they will call Repentance and Heart-Obedience, in conjunction with the foresaid Assent of the Mind and reliance of the Soul, by the name of Faith: Which if they will, we are agreed as to the Thing at least, if not to the Name, that we are justified by such a Faith alone. And yet I doubt not, that whenever Justification is promised to Believing singly and alone exprest, but that there the foresaid effects are comprehended under the name also, for the Reasons formerly given.

3. They which say, we are justified by Faith alone, but not by that Faith which is alone, do distinguish, where the Scripture doth not distinguish: The Scripture no where saith, we are justified by Faith alone, as contradistinguished from Repentance, Evangelical Obedi∣ence, &c. The third Chapter of Rom. 28. and Tit. 3.5. are some∣times made use of to countenance their Notion; but to how little pur∣pose, hath been shewed already in the Treatise, which needs not be here repeated.

4. The Scripture is not only silent in the case, not any where affirming we are justified by Faith alone; but it expresly affirms the quite contrary. Jam. 2.24. Ye see then how that by Works a Man is justified, and not by Faith only. That this is affirmed in reference to our Justification before God, had been shewed before.

5. Faith and Repentance are a joint Condition upon which Justi∣fication is suspended, and are both constituted so by the same means, and that is by promise of pardon to such as do Believe, to such as do Repent, and by threatning the contrary to those that do not both. And if they are a joint Condition of the Promise of Justification, then Justification proceeds not upon either of them alone, but upon both together.

6. Whereas it is said in the Similitude, that a Man sees with his Eye alone, though not with his Eye which is alone, or when it is

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alone. I doubt this is no more true, than that which is intended to be illustrated by it. For Naturalists will tell them the contrary, That it is not the Eye alone, by which a Man sees, but that it is the Soul that sees by the Eye as its Organ. The Eye sees not when the Soul is departed, though it be not then alone. I confess, I cannot possibly conceive either how the Soul should not concur with the Eye, in the Act of seeing, when the Eye cannot see without it; nor yet that Re∣pentance should not concur with Faith, in the Act of Justification, so long as Men cannot be Justified by Faith it self without it, or in the absence of it, as they themselves grant.

3. This lies in the way of some; they cannot conceive how Justi∣fication by Evangelical Obedience, as well as Faith, should consist with the possibility of somes being justified by Believing, who yet may not live so long after, as to have an opportunity of doing good Works.

How rare Instances of this kind are, I shall not dispute: But doubt∣less, whenever Men so believe God's Promise of pardon through Christ upon their Repentance, and the necessity of their own Repen∣tance for the obtaining of it, as that they in VVill, and a fixed and lasting Resolution, become new Men, then they first believe unto Justification. And it is not impossible but that some may so believe, that may never after they do so have opportunity to be much active in External Acts of Obedience. But though this should so fall out, yet such are not justified without Evangelical Obedience as well as Faith. For,

1. These Motions and Acts of the VVill, are themselves Acts of present Evangelical Obedience.

2. They are in the Root and Cause, Evangelical Obedience future, and to come.

First, They are in themselves Acts of present Evangelical Obedience. For by these Motions and Acts of the VVill, Men do, whenever they take place, turn from Sin to God and their Duty, out of Hatred to that they turn from, and out of Love to that they turn to. And these Acts of the VVill, which consist in Affection and Resolution, are pro∣per effects and fruits of Faith in the Understanding, and Acts of Heart-Obedience in the sight of God, and a conformity of Soul to his de∣clared VVill and Commandment. And they may as well, and as truly be called VVorks, as evil Acts of the VVill may, such as are a love to evil, and desires and resolutions of perpetrating it: VVhich evil Acts of the VVill, are yet in Scripture called VVorks, and a work∣ing of wickedness, Psal. 58.2. Ye work wickedness in your Hearts, Micah. 2.1. He that looketh upon a Woman to lust after her, hath commit∣ted adultery with her already in his heart, Matth. 5.28. And envy, wrath, and hatered, which are Internal Acts of the Soul, are called VVorks of the Flesh, Gal. 5.19, 20, 21. And if such inward fixed Resolutions in Men, of obeying God in external Acts, if ever they have opportunity and a Call to it, did not pass in God's account for Obedience, and were not accepted instead of the Deed, when oppor∣tunity for the Deed is wanting, the best Man in the World could be

no Disciple of Christ, who doth not actually forsake all that he hath, and lay down his Life for him. Whosoever of you forsaketh not all that he hath, cannot be my Disciple, saith he, Luke 14.26, 33. Whereas Christ pronounceth the Poor in Spirit, Blessed; many of whom never became actually Poor for his sake, as not being called to it. But if they are Poor in Spirit, if they firmly resolve to become Poor, in forsaking all for Christ's sake, when called to it, these are capable of Blessedness in Christ's account, as well as those that suffer the loss of all for Righteousness sake, Matth. 5.3.

Secondly, Those Acts of the Will, are, in the Root and Cause, Evangeli∣cal Obedience future, and to come: Because those Resolutions against evil, and for good, when they are of a fixed and lasting nature, (as they always are, when, together with Faith, they make Men capable of Justification) will certainly produce external Acts of sincere Obedience, as opportunity doth occur.

When the Tree is made good, it will bring forth good Fruit in the season of Fruit, if it be not cut down before. When the Heart is renewed in affection and resolution, the course of a Man's Life will certainly be answerable to it, if ever it have opportunity of shewing it. A good Man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things, Mat. 12.35. And God who knows the Heart, doth judge of, and estimate Men according to what they are in the inward frame of their Heart, and prevalent bent of their Wills. If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a Man hath, and not according to that he hath not, 2 Cor. 8.12. We judge of the Cause, by the Effects; of the goodness of Mens Hearts by the goodness of their Lives; to us the Tree is known by its Fruit: But God who is greater than our Hearts, and knows them better than we do, judges of the Effect by the Cause, and knows what a Mans Life will be, by what his Heart is, upon its first Conversion to him; and so confers on him the benefit of Justification, when the Foundation of a good Life is laid in the conversion and renewing of the Heart.

The Understanding of this Part of Discourse, will serve not only to satisfy the foresaid Doubt, but also to inform us what Evangelical Obedience is necessary to Justification in its beginning. Not but that actual Obedience in Life is necessary to the continuance of Justification, where Life is continued. And therefore we find that Abraham was justified by his after-believing, and after-obedience, as well as by his first; and so was Noah before him. Noah was a Righteous Man, and justified before he became heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith, by his believing and obeying God, in preparing the Ark, Gen. 6.9. Heb. 11.7. It was by Faith in God's Promise that Abraham left his Coun∣try to obey God at the first, and by that he was first justified, Heb. 11.8. And yet his believing God's Promise, so shall thy Seed be, which was not made till some years after, was imputed to him also for Righ∣teousness, Gen. 15.9. It was many years after that again, that by Faith he offered his Son Isaac upon the Altar, and yet by that he was

justified as well as by his first Faith and Obedience, Jam. 2.21. Pardon of sin, is our Justification from sin, Acts 13.39. And this we are directed by the Lord's Prayer, to pray for daily all our days. And the continuance of Justification is promised upon condition of con∣tinuance of Faith and Obedience to the Gospel, Col. 1.21, 22, 23. and a discontinuance of it threatned in case of disobedience, accord∣ing to the Tenour of the Parable, Mat. 18. from ver. 23. to ver. 35. By all which we may see what need there is for all Christians to work out, to work through their own Salvation with fear and trembling, to which they are earnestly exhorted, Phil. 2.22. and to run so, that they may obtain, 1 Cor. 9.24.

IV. Some to evil affect their own and others Minds with prejudice against Discourses of this nature, do suggest, That the laying so great a stress upon Duty, as to esteem any thing of it necessary to Justifica∣tion, save Believing only, doth derogate from the Glory of Christ's great Undertaking in the business of Man's Salvation; and that it is a trusting in our own Righteousness. But it will appear far otherwise, if they will but impartially consider in what sence, and upon what account such stress is laid upon Duty; which I shall open in two Par∣ticulars.

1. They that rightly understand themselves in this matter, do not look that any of their Duties, of what nature soever, should of them∣selves, as such, be available to their Justification or Salvation; but that it is for the sake of Christ, and upon account of his Undertaking for us, that God accepts and imputes for Righteousness to us, such Duty as Faith, Repentance, and Obedience is, and that he doth make promise of Justification upon Condition of these.

Since the Fall, we say, all our Duties that are acceptable to God, or available to us, become so through Christ, and for his sake. And therefore, so long as we attribute and ascribe the benefit we expect upon our Repentance, and sincere Obedience, or Belief, unto Christ, and to his great and worthy Undertaking for us; we are far from dero∣gating from the Glory of it, and from trusting in our own Righteous∣ness, in that Notion in which Mens trusting in their own Righteous∣ness is condemned in Scripture, or any otherwise than as our Duty is made a Condition, without which we shall have no part in Christ, nor be qualified for Glory.

2. When we lay such stress upon Repentance, Obedience, &c. as a Condition, or part of a Condition of the Promise of Justification and Salvation, as without which we say, we cannot be Justified or Saved by Christ's Undertaking for us; yet then, this stress is laid, and depends upon the Will and Appointment of God, by which these Duties are thus made the Condition, and not on the intrinsick worth or value of the Duties themselves simply considered, without reference to God's Ordination, appointing them to that use. For if God had

not made a New Covenant, promising pardon for Christ's sake to such as do Repent, and Acceptance and Reward to such as sincerely Obey him, they would have had no sufficient ground to have been confident of Pardon, Acceptance, or Reward, though they should have Repen∣ted, and so Obey'd. And the reason is, because Men are not Justified in the Eye of the Natural or Moral Law, upon any such account as that is. So that all the stress which is laid on Duty by them that rightly understand their Duty in this matter, doth terminate partly in Christ's Undertaking for them, and partly in God's Institution, and Appoint∣ment, who hath made his Promise of Justifying us for Christ's sake so, as that he hath made our Duty of Repentance, and sincere Obedience, a necessary Condition of it. And he that trusteth to be Pardoned, Accepted, and Rewarded for Christ's Sake upon his Repentance, and sincere Obedience, because God hath promised that he shall; trusteth in God, and in the fidelity of his Word and Promise. And in doing so, what more stress doth he lay upon Duty in this kind, than they that trust to be Justified and Saved upon their Believing? For their Be∣lieving is matter of Duty, as well as their Repenting and Obey∣ing: And their Believing would no more have entitled them to the benefit without the Promise, which gives them that Title, than other Acts of Duty would do. And other Acts of Duty do entitle to the same benefits as fully as Faith itself doth, where there is promise of the same benefits annexed to them, as Faith hath: And that they have, I have shewed before. So long then as the stress which is laid on Duty, terminates in Christ, and in God's Will and Appointment in the New Covenant, and is regulated by his Word and Promise, there is no danger of overcharging Duty.

It's true indeed, if we should expect that Duty should do that for us, which is proper only to Christ, as to expiate our sin, or the like; we should sinfully overcharge it, as the Pharisaical Jews did their Sacrifices and other Legal Observances, in expecting remission of Sin by them, without Christ's Atonement: Which Righteousness of theirs, is for that cause called their own Righteousness, which was by the Law, as being no method of Justification of God's appointment, but of their own devising, which in that respect, was indeed but as filthy Rags, and loathsome to God. But this is not the case with Prote∣stant Christians, who lay no such stress upon Duty, no not upon Faith itself; but do acknowledge that all the power and virtue it hath to justifie, depends wholly upon, and is derived from the Will and Ordi∣nation of God in Christ, Joh. 6.40. and 1.12. Ephes. 2.8. And we say the same of Repentance, and sincere Obedience also. And a con∣fidence of being saved in a way of Duty upon such terms, is represen∣ted in Scripture, as trusting in the Righteousness of God through Faith, in opposition to ones trusting in his own Righteousness, Phil. 3.9. so far is it from trusting in our own Righteousness, or from dero∣gating from Christ in the Glory of his Undertaking for us.

And now for a Conclusion: It would be considered, whether such as are educated in Christianity, are not hardlier brought to live as becomes the Gospel in point of Practice, than to believe that Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners: and that he Died for them, and Rose again: And whether there is not cause to fear, that very many more such do eternally miscarry through neglect of the former, than for want of the latter: And if there be, as doubtless there is, then Practical Discourses among such must needs be highly necessary, however some of weak minds, thirst more after Discourses Consolatory upon account of Believing only. Which may serve instead of an Apology for writing this Discourse. Saint Paul charged Titus to affirm this [constantly] that they which have Believed, be careful to maintain good Works, Tit. 3.8.