justification, wherein if they had died, they should have been saved; who yet were not saved: which persons surely, when they were in that good state, (admitting them, according to St. Augustine's supposal, to have been in it,) were as capable of knowing their salvation as any other man can be; yea, St. Augustine himself (considering that accidere cuiquam quod potest, cuivis potest, what was another man's case might be his, there being no ground of difference) could not be more sure of his own salvation at any time than such persons were at that time according to St. Augustine's judgment therefore, no man could know that he should be saved, (his salvation depending on perseverance, which in his opinion not being given to all, must as to our knowlege, whatever it might be in respect to God's decree, be contingent and uncertain)—it follows, I say, on his suppositions, yea he expressly affirms it; lib. ii. de bono Pers. Itaque, says he, utrum quisque hoc (perseverantia) munus acceperit, quamdiu hanc vitam ducit, incertum est: whether any have received this gift of perseverance while he leads this life, is uncertain.' Wherefore St. Augustine* could not be assured of his own salvation; and therefore (according to these men's sense) he was no believer, no Christian; which I suppose yet they will not assert, though it be so plainly consequent on their own position. I might, 4. ask of them, if a man should confess ingenuously, that although he did hope for mercy from God in that day, yet that he was not assured of his salvation, whether such a person should be rejected from Christian communion, as no believer. It seems, according to their notion of faith, he should; since by his own (in this particular infallible) judgment, it is notorious that he, as being no believer, hath no title unto, or interest in, the privileges of Christianity but this proceeding would very much depopulate the Church, and banish from it, I fear, the best (the most humble and modest, yea the wisest and soberest) members thereof.

6

:

But so much I think suffices for the removal of that new harsh notion, to say no worse of it.

+ There is another more new than that, devised by some,

*Aug. Ep. 121. ad Probam. + Vid. Ames. Med. lib. i. cap. 27.

(who perceived the inconveniences of the former notions, yet, it seems, did affect to substitute some new fine one in their room,) which if it be not so plainly false, yet is, it seems, more obscure and intricate: it is this; that faith is not an assent to propositions of any kind, but a recumbency, leaning, resting, rolling on, adherency to (for they express themselves in these several terms, and others like them) the person of Christ; or an apprehending and applying to ourselves the righteousness of Christ; his person itself, and his righteousness, as simple incomplex things; not any proposition (that they expressly caution against) are the objects, say they, of our faith: they compare our faith to a hand that lays hold on Christ, and applies his righteousness; and to an eye that looks on him, and makes him present to us; and by looking on him (as on the brazen serpent) cures us. But this notion is so intricate, these phrases are so unintelligible, that I scarce believe the devisers of them did themselves know what they meant by them; I do not, I am sure: for what it is for one body to lean on, or to be rolled on another; what for one body to reach at, and lay hold on another; what it is to apply a garment to one's body, or a salve to one's wounds, I can easily understand: but what it is for a man's mind to lean on a person, (otherwise than by assenting unto some proposition he speaks, or relying on some promise he makes,) to apply a thing, otherwise than by consenting to some proposition concerning that thing, I cannot apprehend or reach; there is not, as we noted before, any faculty or operation of a man's mind, which answers the intent of such notions or phrases. Let me put this case: suppose a great province had generally revolted from its sovereign, whereby the people thereof had all deserved extreme punishment suitable to such an offence; but that the king, moved with pity, and on the intercession of his only beloved son, (together with a satisfaction offered and performed by him,) should resolve to grant a general pardon to them, on just and fit, and withal very easy terms; and that, for the execution of this gracious purpose toward them, he should depute and send his son himself among them to treat with them, by him declaring his merciful intentions toward them, with the conditions, on compliance wherewith, all, or any of them, should be par

doned their offence, and received into favor; those conditions being, suppose it, that first they should receive and acknowlege his son for such as he professed himself to be, (the king's son indeed, who truly brought such a message unto them from his majesty ;) then that they should seriously resolve with themselves, and solemnly engage to return unto their due allegiance; undertaking faithfully for ever after to observe those laws, which the said prince in his father's name should propound unto them. Suppose farther, that the prince in pursuance of this commission and design, being come into the country, should there send all about officers of his, enjoining them to discover the intent of his coming, what he offered, and on what terms; withal, empowering them in his name to receive those who complied into favor, declaring them pardoned of all their offences, and restored to the benefit of the king's protection, and all the privileges of loyal subjects: suppose now that these officers should go to the people, and speak to them in this manner: The king makes an overture of pardon and favor unto you, on condition that any one of you will recumb, rest, lean on, or roll himself on the person of his son, (rest on his person, not only rely on his word, that you are to understand,) or in case you will lay hold on and apply to yourselves his son's righteousness, by which he hath procured of the king his father this mercy and favor for you, (not only being persuaded that he hath performed thus much for you, this is not enough ;) do you think these messengers should thus well express themselves, or perform their message handsomely and with advantage? Should not they do much better, laying aside such words of metaphor and mystery, to speak in plain language; telling them that their king's son (by plain characters discernible to be truly such) was come among them on such an intention; that if they would acknowlege him, and undertake thereafter to obey him, they should receive a full pardon, with divers other great favors and advantages thereby? The case is apparently so like to that which stands between God and man, and doth so fully resemble the nature of the evangelical dispensation, that I need not make any application, or use any more argument to refute that notion I shall only say, that I conceive these new phrases, for such they are, not known to ancient Christians,

nor delivered either in terms or sense in Scripture; for the places alleged in favor or proof of them by Ames, one of the first broachers of them, (all, we may presume, that they could find anywise seeming to favor their notion,) do not, as, if time would permit, might easily be showed, import any such thing, but are strangely misapplied-that, I say, these phrases do much obscure the nature of this great duty, and make the state of things in the gospel more difficult and dark than it truly is; and thereby seem to be of bad consequence, being apt to beget in people both dangerous presumptions and sad perplexities: for they hearing that they are only or mainly bound to have such a recumbency on Christ, or to make such an application of his righteousness, they begin (accordingly as they take themselves to be directed) to work their minds to it; and when they have hit on that posture of fancy, which they guess to suit their teachers' meaning, then they become satisfied, and conceit they believe well, although perhaps they be ignorant of the principles of the Christian faith, and indisposed to obey the precepts of our Lord. Sometimes, on the other side, although they well understand, and are persuaded concerning the truth of all necessary Christian doctrines, and are well disposed to observe God's commandments, yet because they cannot tell whether they apprehend Christ's person dexterously, or apply to themselves his righteousness in the right manner, as is prescribed to them, (of which it is no wonder that they should doubt, since it is so hard to know what the doing so means,) they become disturbed and perplexed in their minds; questioning whether they do believe or no. Thus by these notions (or phrases rather) are some men tempted fondly to presume, and other good people are wofully discouraged by them; both being thence diverted, or withdrawn from their duty whereas what it is to believe, as Christians anciently did understand it, and as we have assayed to explain it, is very easy to conceive; and the taking it so, can have no other than very good influence on practice, as both reason (as we have insinuated) shows, and the Scripture largely and plainly affirms. But let thus much suffice for the inquiry concerning the genuine nature and notion of faith proper to this place, (that faith by which in this

text we are said to be justified :) the other particulars I cannot so much as touch on at this time.

I end with those good prayers of our church:

O Lord, from whom all good things do come, grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good; and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same, through our Lord Jesus Christ.' Amen.

Almighty and everlasting Lord, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command, through Jesus Christ our Lord.' Amen.