Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	believe_v	faith_n	justification_n	2,510	5	8.9827	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91793	Justification by Christ alone, a fountaine of life and comfort, declaring that the whole worke of mans salvation was accomplished by Jesus Christ upon the crosse, in that he tooke away & healed all his, from all sinnes, and presented them to God holy without fault in his sight. And the objections against this are answered, for the consolation of such as beleive; & that they may not ascribe that which is proper to Christs preistly office, to their beleiving. / By Samuel Richardson.	Richardson, Samuel, fl. 1643-1658.; Kiffin, William, 1616-1701.	1647 (1647)	Wing R1408; Thomason E392_32; ESTC R201586	62,108	73

can be divided into parts he is not infinite the Divine Nature is incommunicable we are made partakers of the Divine Nature by union not by infusion It is no wonder that you ascribe all so to faith as you do if you think faith is God So you ask if God saves us without our being in Christ and whether God doth not love to see us in Christ rather then our of him I answer If God considered the elect to be in Christ Ephes. 1. 4. can you tell when God considered them out of Christ or can you tell in what place of Scripture it is said that the elect were ever out of Christ or that the elect by sin fell out of Christ or out of the love of God shew me the Scripture that say these things and I will say so too Ephes. 2. 4 5. Ob. When in Ephes. 2. 5. doth not import a difference in time Ans. But it doth for when we were dead then was the time that we were not alive Ephes. 2. 5. O● Evermore say the godly learned Schoolmen we call not the Papi●●s in put a difference between Gods decree and the execution of it Ans. So do we but not because they say so if the Scriptures be clear why call you in any at all we will not beleeve men therefore ●pare that labour when you write again We do not say we were actually justified from all eternity we say we were in the knowledge and love of God from all eternitie we say we were actually justified in time when Christ upon the Crosse presented us holy to God without spot c. Ephes. 5. 27. So you tell us that what ever appears in time appeared before God before all time therefore faith appeared then also This we freely grant and also tell you that all that did appear before God was not the cause means nor instrument of our justification Ob. Why is God said to be wroth with the same Ephesians whilest out of Christ Ephes. 2. 1 2. Ans. You abuse the Word of God for the Scripture doth not say that they were ever out of Christ or that God was wroth with them Ob. Tremble to say that God loved Paul with as great love when he persecuted the Church as when he preached the Gospel Ans. Let them tremble that teach such doctrine as you do or that say that persecution of the Saints is as good as preaching the Gospel I wonder if you did not tr●mble when you writ your Antidote against the truth in which you make God so changeable and love in God not to be finite in affirming there are degrees in love in God and sometimes more and sometimes lesse and that sometimes God was without any love at all for you say it was but a purpose of love not actuall love and that purpose and an act of love are immediately contraries It seems I was mistaken I thought a purpose of love could not be without love and that a purpose of love was love in act Consider Jer. 31. 3. Joh. 17. 23 24. Joh. 3. 16. Ephes. 2. 4 5. Rom. 5. 9 10. 1 Tim. 1. 14 15 16. Therefore concerning your distinction of Gods love of benevolence to the sinner before conversion and his love of complacency after conversion there is no light in it Shew me where I shall read this distinction of love in God in the Bible or else I shall be ready to beleeve it came out of the brains of dead mens souls from the impure fountain of the blind Schoolmen Ho●ever this ●ay sute with man I passe not but to refer this to Go●● to make him imperfect God loved me and gave himse●f for me Gal. 2. 20. I did not beleeve when Christ gave himself for me Ob. I wonder why you contend so for this expression that God loved the elect from all eternity seeing the Scripture for once calling it love cals it purpose choice counsell election predestination c. Ans. It 's no wonder we contend for it seeing there be many that deny it to be love A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Gal. 5. 9. And when men will confesse it is love as the Scriptures declare we will cease contending We beleeve also that all those expressions do hold forth love and are one with it And seeing you confesse it 's called love we earnestly intreat that you nor no other do deny it to belove for as Gods purpose and will is eternall and unchangeable so is his love God is love 1 Joh. 4. 16. Heb. 13. 8. So you ask where is life and where is peace till faith comes I answer It is where it should be it 's in Christ Col. 3. 3 4. Who is our peace Ephes. 2. 14. And when we beleeve we enjoy the comfort of our life and not till then So you object against this doctrine of justification by Christ alone what need we take care what we do if we beleeve he will not love us the better if we beleeve not he will not love us the worse then a man may dye without faith and yet be saved Ans. If this be all the Papists say as much against you for denying that men are loved justified or saved for their good works Say the Papists if our good works cannot make us to beloved or justified c. what need we take care to do good works if we do them God will not love us the better if we do them not he will not love us the worse if we dye without good works yet we may be saved Consider what answer you will give them and take it to your self for we say the same of faith So you tell us a story of a Mayd led away with this doctrine said boldly to you that she knew not how she could offend Jesus Christ by any thing she did unlesse we did know what she meant by the word offend we can say little to it seeing it may bear a good or a bad construction If she had said Whosoever was born of God sinneth not 1 Joh. 5. 18. and that she was born of God it may be you would have cryed shame of her And if she had said that which was not fit there was no necessity you should have made such an out-cry of it un●esse you did it to expose us and the truth we professe to contempt and hatred You m●ght have taken it in the be●●ence or passed it by We intreat you to consider whose work it is to be the accuser or the brethren the d●ct●ine of Christ is not the cause of the sins of men I● we cannot prove scores of errors and bla●ph●mi●s and tragicall eff●cts that flow from you Doct●ine and ●uch as pro●esse it blame m● ●o you appeal to the world f●r the truth of what you say I say i● they do not justifie you who will the world are blinde c. the naturall man cannot perceive the things that be of God the Saints who know and enjoy the truth will confesse with me

3. 17. because by faith we enjoy the presence of that which is not present nor seen as Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Secondly sin is in us yet are not we united to it it 's not I but sin that dwelleth in me Rom. 7. 20. If they were one then he could not truly say it 's not I sin and I are two things though sin dwelleth in me A man dwels in an house yet is not united to it so as to be one with the house so it 's here As for Joh. 6. 36. that declares who hath everlasting life viz. he that beleeves hath it but what is this to union with Christ or the time of union And although we say not that men have not life till they beleeve we say there is life in the Son for the elect before they beleeve and they shall have it See Joh. 5. 11. And as for Joh. 1. 12. declares that such as receive Christ are sons and they have right to the priviledges of sons which we grant Ob. Ephes. 2. declares that beleevers before they beleeved there was no difference between them and others for they were by nature the children of wrath afar off and unreconciled Ans. The same Chapter declares that they were made nigh by the blood of Christ v. 13. to 18 we are to consider what it was that made them nigh and reconciled them and when they were made nigh and reconciled this was effected by Christ upon his crosse See Col. 1. 21 22. And if we were not reconciled then why doth the Scriptures say they were Ob. For sin to be crucified and to be mortified is one and a part of sanctification Gal. 5. 22. Ans. We know that our old man is crucified with him c. Rom. 6. 6. 7. 24 25. Sin is a work of the devill c. Christ destroyed it upon the Crosse Christ hath made an end of sin Dan. 9. Psal. 103. 12. c. Ob. Justification by faith R●m 5. 1. is justification it self and not the manifestation of justification Ans. The 1. v. of the 5. Chap. belongs to the last ver. of the former Chap. and is to be read with it the misplacing the stops and cutting asunder books into Chapters and verses hinders the right reading and understanding of the words the division of Chapters and verses you know are but of late invention As I understand by the doctrine of the Scriptures the words are to be read thus Who was delivered for our ●ffences and raised again for ou● justification Therefore being justified By faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ And then the sence is this That we are justified by Christ and by faith we enjoy it the effect of which is joy and peace See pa 26. Ob. Without faith its imp●ssible to please G●d the word please signifieth a delight to him So Basil and Bud. c. Ans. This is answered before And seeing the Scriptures do declare that God's well-pleasednesse with us depends not upon our p●easing of him we are satisfied we regard no mans testimony we own no Doctors but Christ Ob. Can God approve of a greater thing without faith namely our persons and yet not approve of a lesser thing namely our actions without faith this is strange Ans. It 's not faith but Christ that makes our persons accepted and unlesse the action be according to the rule it is not accepted but condemned of God in them whose persons are accepted faith is a part of a good action and unlesse the other parts of the action as matter manner measure time end concurs the action comes short of the rule and so far it is ●in and is not accepted neither for Christ nor faith Our happinesse doth not consist in Gods acceptations of our acti●ns but in our union with him and in that our sins are not imputed to us Joh. 17. 23 24. Heb. 2. 11. Ephes. 5. 30. Psal. 32. 1 2. Ob. Our actions are accepted because our persons are accepted Gen. 4. Ans. It 's strange to me that you should say so Oh the horrible and tragicall effects that naturally flow from this doctrine Was not David a beleever before he fell so foully concerning the matter of Bathsheba and Vrijah And was not Peter a beleever when he denyed Christ and Peter and Barnabas when they dissembled Gal. 2. Many of the actions of beleevers are in some respect worser then the same actions in unbeleevers and God in his Word is so far from accepting them that he condemnes them as deeply as the actions of others If God accepts of mens actions because he accepts of their persons it will follow that when a man is a beleever his person is accep●ed and therfore all his actions after are accepted because his person is accepted So that after a man is once a beleever whose person is accepted he cannot sin in any of his actions or if he do sin his sinfull action is accepted We abhor to open such a gap for sin to enter If you speak even of the best actions of a beleever you cannot free them to be without sin for all our righteousnesses are as fili●y rags Isa. 64. Ob. The word reconcile declares that God is at enmity with us and us with him Re signifies again con signifies together ciliation to call or move to how is there a moving where there was never a removing how together of those who were never asunder how again unlesse there had been once an onenesse which was broken apieces Ans. Though the word signifie so yet it will not follow that God was ever at enmity with the elect Fury is not in me Isa. 27. 4. There are movings and removings in us who are changeable but it is not so in God because he is unchangeable love in him is unchangeable You confesse Gods essentiall purpose is like himse●f eternall and unchangeable c. God is love 1 Joh. 5. And although the elect did sin and so depart from God yet the Scripture doth not say that they fell from the love of God or that God hated the elect for their sin Consider Joh. 17. 23 24 Heb. 13 8. Rom. 5. 9 10. Ob. In saying God was never an enemy to the elect you make the fall of Adam in whom the elect are included a fiction you make the Story of the Gospel touching Christs sufferings a fable and Chri●ts passion a vanity and ye overthrow the nature of God whose purity cannot endure sin You deny many Scriptures that te●tifie tha● God was at enmity with the elect Ephes. 2. Isa. 63. 10 11 Levit. 26 40 41 42. Ezek. 16. 62 63. An. Alas alas here are many high charges and hard speeches indeed Jud. 13. 13. are not these raging w●v●s of the Sea that look bigge and rise high and fall as suddenly into meer fables for no such thing will follow that we professe We say what the Scriptu●es

that your doct●ine doth contradict the Scriptures and contain many mistakes As that sin was not crucified with Christ that the elect are sometimes in Christ and sometimes out of him that faith takes a man out of the state of damnation that God doth not love the el●ct before they beleeve that there are degrees of love in ●od c. And such strange doctrines you teach quite besides the Scriptures and such as the Bible never knew and ●ends very much to the dishonour of Chri●● and obscure the Gospel and to f●ll the Con●cience instead of joy and peace with much troub●e ●ear and sorrow Whereas the summe and substance of the doctrine we or rather the Scriptures teach is onely to exal● Ch●ist alone and abase man and all that he can do for his salvation we trample upon it in affirming ●one of his best wo●ks can cause God to love or ●ccept of him ju●●ifie or save him a●l spirituall b●essings are freely given without our wo●ks no man can make himself righteous or hol● by any thing he can do onely Chri●●s righteousnesse is that which ●ade us righteous and that sin cannot deprive us of Christs righteousn●sse and that we are and ever shall ●emain holy and blamel●sse in the sight of God by Christ who fulfi●led all right●●u●n●ss●●or us the elect his righteou●nesse and ●a●ct●fication is theirs we are compleat in him and incomple●● in our selves there is no perfection in this li●e in the flesh and yet we are without fault before the throne of God therefore no sinners because as Christ is so are we in this wor●d Therefore we are all fair without spot Consider well these Scriptures Isa 53 5 6 11. 1 Pet. 1. ●4 Ephes 5. 27 30 Co● 1. 22 Esb 1. 7 Rev 1 5 Col. 1. 14. Heb 1. 3 He● 10. 14. 1 Joh. 1. 7 8 9. 10 R●m 8. 33 Mat 3. 15. 1 Cor 1 30. 2 〈◊〉 5 21. Col. 2. 10. Rom. 7. 18. ●4 〈◊〉 14 5. 1 Joh. 4. 17. S●ng 2. ●0 47 He that knows the meaning of these knows a great mystery and lives in the comfort of it and will not be beaten from it what ever men say of it Is not Christs perfection the ground of all our happinesse And doth not justification imply freedom from sin Men are either sinners or no sinners I desi●e to know if he that is a sinner be not under the curse Gal. 3. 30. and how he that stands ju●●ified by God from all sin stands accountable to him for any sin if Justice be satisfied what is therein heaven against him To conclude inasmuch as the former part of this Treatise was finished and much of it Printed before I knew of your book I●efer you to it for a fulle● Answer If you or any deny what I have said to be true let them Answer this I am resolved to Answer them till I dye If they will answer my Reasons and Scriptures I will do so to theirs I will oppose all phanatick e●husiasmes and phantastick dreams of mens brains which will very much abound in this age Oh that all that fear the Lord would be so wise as to search the Scriptures and reject all mens Writings and Interpretations which appear not in the Word of God I will stand to the triall of the Word of God come let us lovingly try it out if you will oppose Justification by Christ alone which is the doctrine of fre● grace I doubt n●t but I shall take all your props and superstructu●es easily down to the end that Christ may appear to be as he is all in all Co● 3. 11 That G●d may be all in all ● Cor. 15. 28. Some beleeved the things that were spoken and some beleeved not Act. 28. 24. FINIS Ioh. 17. 29. Heb. 9. 22. Heb 9 14. Ioh. 1. 14. Ioh. 17. 22 23. Heb 10. 20. Act. 20. 28. 2 Cor. 5. 16. Dan. 9. 24 25 26 27. Ioh. 17. 1. 1 Cor. 1 30. Isa. 63. Psal 89. 19. Hebr 10. 1 Ioh 3. 5. Gal. 3. 13. Isa. 53. Hebr. 9. Eph. 5. 25. Mi● 7. 19. Psal. 103. 12. Psal. 32. 1. Isa. 44. 22. Isa. 43. 25. Ier. 31. 34. Song 4. 7. Song 2. 10. Rev. 14 5. Eph. 5. 27. 1 Ioh. 4. 17. 1 Ioh 3 5. H●b 9. 28. 1 Ioh. 1. 8 9. Col. 1. 20. 22. 2 Cor. 5. 21. 1 Ioh. 1● 7. Isa 53. 11. Rev. 1● 5. 1 Ioh. 3. 5. 2 Cor 5. 21. Dan. 9. 24. Ioh. 19. 28 30. Rev. 1. 5. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Col. 1. 13 14. 21. Col 2. 13 14. ● Cor. 5. 21. Eccl 1. 2. Isa 50. 11. Ioh. 14. 18. Col 3 3. Heb. 13. 5. Mal. 3 6. Eph. 1. 4. Ioh 14. 19. Isa. 42. 8. Ier. 4. 2. Col. 3. 4. Ephe. 1. 14. Isa 45. 25. Rom 10. 3. Ti● 3. 5. Ezra 9. ●5 Col 3. 11. Psal 89 9 2 Co● 5 21. 1 Cor 1 30. Col. 3. 3 4. V●e Is● 40 1 2. Vse O●j 1. Rom. 4. 24. Ans. 1 Co● 15 4. 〈…〉 18. ● Cor. 15. 15. 〈◊〉 2. 1 Cor. 15 17. Ans. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ● 9 11. Act 1. 15. ●o 32 Act ●6 22. 1 Cor 25 4. Ioh. 18. 32 Act 2. 24. Matt. 20. 19. 16. 21. 1 Gor. 15. 17. Rom. 1. 4. 2. 3. Eph. 1. 5 6. Gal. 4. 5. Luk. 22. 29. Eph. 2. 14. Col. 1. 1 C●r 15. 23. Io●. 12. 49. 〈◊〉 ●4 33. 〈◊〉 10. ●8 O●j 3. H●b 7. 21. 〈◊〉 1. 1 2. Ans. H●b 7. 25. Heb 12. 24. 〈◊〉 11. 4. 〈◊〉 19. 28. 30. Heb 10. 14. H●b. 10. 11 12 Isa. 53. 5. 1 P●t 1. 24. Matth 3. 17. Mal. 3. 6. 1 Ioh. 5 7. Obj. 4. Ans. Act. 4. 12. 1 Pet. 1. 19 20. Rom. 3. 25. 2 Cor 5. 19. Ps●l 32 12. O●j 5. Ans. 1. H●b 10. 10. 12. 14. Heb 9. 22. 26. Rom. 5. 11. to 24. Rom. 3. 25. Heb. 10. 14. 1 Ioh. 2. 1. Rom. 3. 33 c. O●j 6. Matth 6. Ans. 1. Heb. 10. 26. Heb. 10. 18. 2 Cor. 5. 19. Psal 51. 9. 12. Obj. 7. Ans. Rom. 8 33. 〈…〉 8. ● 〈…〉 16. 6. Iam. 7. 17. 〈◊〉 11. to ●4 Isa 53. 5 6 2 Cor. 5. 21. Song 4. 7. 1 〈◊〉 4. 7. 〈◊〉 3. 9. Ioh. 16. 16 17. Obj. 8. Ans. Eph 1 7. Psa 51. 12. Obj. 9. Ans. Eph 2 3. Rom. 5. 18. Gal 4. 4. 5. Gal. 4. 26. 31. Rom. 7. 1. c. Rom 3. 19. Rom 6. 14. Gal. 3. 19. Rom. 10. 4. Rom. 7. 4. Eph 2. 15 16. Col. 2. 13 14. Rom. 7. 6. Ioh. 8. Rom. 7. 1 to 7. Rom. 6. 6 7 ● Deut. 27. 4. Gal 3 10. Gal 3. 13. 14. Heb 9. 25. 26. G●l 5. 1. Heb. 10. 14. Esay ●3 6. 2 Cor 5 21. Heb. 2. 14. Rom. 5. 18. 19. Heb. 2. 11. 1 Cor. 12 12. Gal. 2. 20. Rom 6. Ephes 2. 5. 6. Ephes. 2. 12. to 17. Rom 7. 6. Act ●3 ●9 48. Esay 50 10. Rom. 10 3. Dan 19 8. Esay 1● 10. Col. 3 11 1 Cor. 15. 28. Rom 6. 14. 15. Rom. 3.

JUSTIFICATION BY CHRIST ALONE A Fountaine of life and comfort Declaring that the whole worke of mans salvation was accomplished by Jesus Christ upon the crosse in that he tooke away healed all his from all sinnes and presented them to God holy without fault in his sight And the Objections against this are Answered for the consolation of such as beleive that they may not ascribe that which is proper to Christs Preistly Office to their beleiving Isa. 53. 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall beare their iniquities Joh. 19. 28. 30. Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled he said it is finished and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost Col. 21. 22. In the body of his flesh through death to make you holy and unblamable and without fault in his sight Rom. 5. 9. Being justified by his bloud Cant. 4. 7. Thou art all faire my love there is no spot in thee By Samuel Richardson LONDON Printed by M. S. are to be sould by Hannah Allen at the signe of the Crowne in Popes-head-Alley And George Whitington at the Anchor neere the Royall-Exchange 1647. TO ALL THAT LOVE THE LORD JESUS In SINCERITY and truth Heires of the purchased Possession in Christ Jesus Who hath loved us and washed away our sins in his owne blood Grace and Peace be multiplyed DEarly beloved brethren These are the last times wherein iniquity abounds and the love of many waxeth cold so as wee are ready to misconst●re and take all things in the worst part from God or man For want of love The times are perilous I cannot but desire you before I goe hence That yee keepe your selves pure from the error of the wicked and from Idoles and to love one another And that you may the better doe it 1. Keepe to and hold fast the wholesome Pattern of sound words which are expressed in the holy Scriptures 1 Tim. 6. 3. and 4. 6. For if yee come once to forsake the words and exp●●ssions of Christ you will quickly lose the Truth of Christ and receive error instead of Truth I cannot but beleive when the Apostle condemnes preaching Christ in wisdome of words 1. Cor. 2. 17. 8. 24. He mainely strikes at holding out the Truth in strange curious words which tend to render men excellent a man of great parts and incomes so this also suites with the fleshly humors of the hearers and to pussell their understandings as Circumlocution Intrinsicall c. Which is no other to the common people then a strange Language which they understand not Also to take heed that you deny not the truth of the Letter of the Scriptures as the manner of some is nor so to rest in the letter as to come short of the sense and meaning of it If the first be admitted we may burne the Bible For if it be not true what shall wee doe with it If some of it be false why not the rest also And then who can tell what is truth And so we● vent●●● our soules upon uncertainties this is dishonourable to Christ and uncomfortable and to be abhorred by all and is the onely way to bring in and defend all errors on the other side if wee affirme that the minde of God is so expressed in the letter in so many words as he that can reade may see it is to deny any Interpretation of Scripture and to deny them to be a Mystery But without controversie great is the Mysterie of godlinesse and he that observes the variety of expressions in Scripture concerning one thing may well confesse that unlesse the holy Spirit reveale to us the deepe things of God wee cannot knowe them therefore take great heed you receive not any thing for truth unlesse for the substance of it it clearly appeare in the Scripture which is to be our Rule both for Doctrine and manners Some place justification to be onely in the Conscience but wee place it onely in Christ where it is and to whome it belongs Justification consists in takeing away of sinne and none but Christ can doe that justification acceptation are one For without justification there is no acceptation and seeing wee are accepted in Christ wee are justified in him If our justification be a spirituall blessing as it is then it is in Christ where all spirituall blessings are Blessed be God who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in Christ Ephes. 13. Where our redemption and righteousnesse is there is our justification for righteousnesse and justification are one and this wee have not in our selves but in Christ who is made unto us of God wisdome righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30. In whome wee have redemption Col. 1. 14. Our justification is a part of our compleatnesse Therefore where wee are compleate there we are justified but wee are not compleate in our selves but in him Col. 2. 10. If all things on which depends our happynesse were accomplished Joh. 19 28. then was our justification also for without that no man coulde be saved This mystery of Christ is a great mystery oh meditate and dive as deep as you are able into this mystery the benefit will be great and sweet The more I am exercised herein the more I see into it and injoy justification by Christ alone and more clearely see our beleiving cannot justifie us yet I deny no● but the power to beleive i● from the Spirit which is the life of motion in faith the life of faith is the life of Christ as I have treated else where what faith is and what it doth and wherein it differes from presumption c. God hath given faith to his to know assent and beleive the Truth Heb. 11. 3 Acts 28. 24. To incourage us to goe to God for all wee need Acts 26. 18. To inable us to suffer for Christ Heb. 11. To conquer enemies Ephes. 6. 16. To make our afflictions easie to beare to in able us to obey Rom. 15. To cleave to God Acts 11. 23. To his word Psal. 119. 30 31. To hope in his mercy Psal. 147. 11. To depend upon Jesus Christ alone for life and salvation what more necessary and usefull in this life then faith There is a light in faith and as our blind eyes and da●ke understandings are inlightned Ephes. 1. 18. and 5. 13. so accordingly wee are filled with the fulnesse of God Ephes 5. 19. Fulnesse of knowledge is that perfection wee are to presse after Phil. 3. 12. 17. Col. 2. 2. 4 12. This sight shewes us our justification to be in Christ alone And the seeking a further measure of knowledge is a seeking to be justified Gal. 2. 17. Because this knowledge is that which justifieth our Consciences Also wee confesse that he that beleives not hath no knowledge of any justification all that are without faith they are visiblely in a perishing state there is not the least appearance to the

contrary no man may apply salvation to such as beleive not nor may they apply any to themselves such as beleive not have no injoyment of God no true peace no evidence of life no right to Baptisme or the Supper they cannot see the mystery of the Truth He cannot honour God nor love the truth nor suffer for it Yet faith cannot satisfie justice nor merit the pardon of the least sinne only Christ can doe that And that exposition that gives most glory to Christ and least to man I beleive is the truth and that which occasioned me to write at this time For since my Booke intitled the Saints Desire hath been published I have received severall Objections against what I have write in Page 147. Namely That wee are justified by Christ alone and not by our beleiving Some affirme the contrary their Reasons with an answer I here present to your considerations Because I am perswaded I have written the truth that the contrary opinion is dishonourable to our Lord Iesus Christ in that they ascribe not their justification to him alone but to something else namely their beleeving You know this Doctrine I contend for is the Doctrine of free Grace in the knowledge whereof you finde sweetnesse because the works of your salvation is finished by Christ Whose workes are all perfect This glads your hearts and keeps your soules from fainting this removes all objections that otherwise would discourage us this is the Fountaine that cannot be drawn dry that ever flowes with sweet strong consolation full of Spirit and life where our soules may drinke freely at all times and be refreshed with this marrow and fatnesse That all is finished My desire is that they into whose hands this shall come would consider seriously what I have written and know that no man is to be beleived upon his bare word therefore search the Scriptures whether these things be so or no if any thing I have written be not according to them that they let that goe My whole scope and aime in these few lines is to prove that we are justified by Christ alone who is our justification and that wee are not justified by any thing that is in us 2. That faith or any thing in us is not a cause meanes or condition required to pertake of the Covenant of Grace justification or salvation but onely fruits and effects of the Covenant Thirdly That the elect were ever in the love of God did ever so appeare to him just and righteous in and by Christ We have known and beleived the love that God hath to us God is love and he that dwells in love dwelleth in God and God in him The God of love so unite all the hearts of his people to his truth and one unto another that so we may walke in the truth and live and die in love Your fellow servant and brother in the Fellowship of the Saints who keepe the commandements of God the faith of Jesus Samuel Richardson TO THE HOLY SPOUSE OF JESUS CHRIST WHO ARE subject to him in the obedience of the Gospel Grace and Peace be multiplyed Dearely beloved brethren AS there is nothing that fraile man is more lyable to then in the things of God to mistake and call darknesse light and light darknesse so by how much the more spirituall any Truth is by so much the more men are apt to fall short of the knowledge of the glory of it and to intermingle with it something of their owne as that which may make it commendable and beautifull in their eyes And above all others that which this smale insueing Treatise speakes of Namely Justification by Christ alone Without having respect either to any thing in the creature or done by the creature This favouring so much of pure grace in respect of the love of God and that Covenant which lies between Christ and God as that the poore creature man knowes not how to owne or receive it And truely it must be no lesse nor no other power put forth by God to cause the soule to be beleive this then was put forth in raising up Christ from the dead Ephe. 1. 18. And truly amongst those who are the beloved ones of our Lord Jesus who have a like share intrest in him as their life peace There is an aptnesse in men to miscarry in the knowledge of this rich grace of God Some being apt to conceive that there is no Justification of a creature in no sense before and without faith and so make Faith a joynt-partner with Christ in the businesse of Justification For indeed this is to me a certaine truth that whatsoever gives a being to a thing must needs be a part of that thing which it gives being to and therefore if there be no Justification in no sense considered but as it hath respect to faith It is much to be feared That that opinion claimes a great share of that glory which is peculiar to Christ Jesus alone That the Scripture holds forth justification by faith in a sense is very cleare but yet under no other consideration but by way of evidence Heb. 11. 1 2. And as it respects the taking away of sin from off the Conscience For indeed the debt is paid by the bloud of Christ alone and wee are therefore said to be justified by his bloud Rom. 5. 9. For indeed as Christ Jesus our Lord hath paid the debt The Lord having laid upon him the iniquities of us all So doth he declare this satisfaction and acceptation of us in Christ by faith That being the eye of the understanding whereby the soule comes to see the great things which God the Father hath prepared for them Beloved these are the last times wherein it behooves you to beg with much earnestnesse strength from the Lord that he may put straight stepps to your feet that you may walke to his praise exalting him alone as your life and glory Which was the maine end of the Author presenting these few lines to your consideration wherefore read it carefully and noble B●rean like try all things and hold fast that which is good And it shall be his desire who desires nothing more in this world then your growth in the knowledge of Christ Jesus and your walking as the children of the light That the God of all grace may cause all grace to abound in you to his owne glory So prayeth hee That is yours in the Lord in all services of duty and love WILLIAM KIFFEN JUSTIFICATION BY CHRIST ALONE REVELATIONS 1. 5. Unto him that hath loved us and washed away our sins in his owne blood THese words contain the virtue fruit and effectualnesse of Christs death and the benefit priviledge and happinesse of the sonnes of God by it In these words wee are to consider 1. The persons whose sinnes Christ washed away and they were all those who were given to Christ Jo●. 17. 29. 2. What is he that washed their