Where by all Faith undoubtedly is meant all the Faith that can be had without Charity and needs not to be restrained to the particular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or extraordinary Gift of the Faith of Miracles whereof he speaks in the former Chapter ver 12. To this Purpose St. James Chap. 2.22 saith Faith is made perfect by Works not excluding any sort of Good Works but specially treating of the works of Charity as appears by the Context from verse the 13. to the 18. And whereas he saith Faith is made perfect by Works he speaks not only of a Gradual Perfection or of the Consummation or Preservation of Faith or of the Ornament Demonstration or signal evidence of Faith as some would have it but of such an essential and formal Perfection as is necessary to the nature of Truth and sincerity of Faith as appears by that repeated Sentence both before and after these Words ver 17. Faith without Works is dead and ver 26. As the Body without the Spirit is dead so Faith without Works is dead also Whether by the Spirit he means the Breath as some take it because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritus sometime signifies no more or rather the Soul which is the most usual Sense of the word in Scripture the Meaning comes all to one signifying that an idle or fruitless Faith hath no more of Spiritual Life or Reality in it than a Body can have without Breath or without a Soul and therefore is no more a true and unfeigned Faith than a dead Carcass is a human Body Indeed the true justifying saving Faith in the practical Notion which is the only true Notion of it includes Charity together with all other Good Works as I have elsewhere largely shewed So that if Faith be necessary to the Covering or Remission of sin Charity is so too But the common Answer to these and all other Texts produced to evince the Necessity of Charity and Good Works to the Salvation of a sinner is that they prove only a necessity of Presence and Concomitancy or at most a necessity of Consequence not of Efficacy that is that this Necessity doth not respect the End or Effect of Faith in the Justification or Salvation of the Believeer but proceeds only from the common nature and principle of that Faith which is an effect of the Spirit of God the necessary Fruits whereof do consist in Love Joy Peace Long-suffering c. which distinct Vertues with their proper Works do not contribute any thing to the Effect of our Justification but are meer Concomitants or at most but gratefull Effects of that Faith which justifieth us Which useth to be illustrated by a Similitude borrowed from the natural and animal Life wherein the particular faculties of Seeing or taking hold of a thing by the Touch do necessarily imply such a common Principle of sensitive Life as doth also comprehend the powers and faculties of Hearing Smelling and Tasting yet none of these Faculties or any act of them do or can contribute any thing efficiently to the effect of Seeing Apprehending or laying hold of an Object So the Grace of Charity or Love to God and Man together with all those other Fruits of the Spirit which are mentioned by the Apostle and all the Effects and Works which do proceed from them are indeed necessary Concomitants of such a Faith as justifies or saves a Man but do contribute no more nor have any more Efficacy to this effect of Justification and Salvation than the distinct Faculties of other Senses do to the effect of Seeing This I take to be a true Account of their Sense that assert the Doctrine of Justification and Pardon of sin by Faith only as that imports a habit or act really distinct though not separated from other Christian Vertues In opposition to this Opinion contradicting the Doctrine which I maintain to be the Sense of the Apostle in this Text confirmed as hath been seen by many others I am engaged to prove that Charity and Good Works are necessary to the Justification of a sinner that is to the Remission of his sin not only by way of Concomitancy or joint Presence with Faith or consequent to it but also by way of moral Efficacy as a Condition or Means to obtain that Effect This I hope will be sufficiently done by the following Arguments this one postulate or conclusion which I suppose will not be denied being first granted me viz. That if any thing else beside the habit or act of Faith considered as really distinct from other Christian Vertues or Acts be effectual or available to the Remission of sin then Charity is or may be so in as much as that is one of the most Excellent of Christian Vertues most agreeable to the Nature of God and consequently most pleasing to him So that if that be not available to this End nothing else besides Faith can be so This Proposition being granted I argue as followeth 1. Argument If it be certain from Scripture and we be bound to believe that nothing which can be done by us besides such a Faith as is supposed to be really distinct though not separate from all Good Works can be of any Efficacy towards the remission of our sins then ought nothing else to be done by us towards that end because every such other act done to this end would by this supposition be perfectly vain and unreasonable and not so only but also contrary to our obliged belief And then to pray for the forgiveness of our sins that being an act distinct from Faith would be not only needless and useless but unlawful especially if it should be acted with any opinion hope or belief that such a prayer could avail us any thing in order to this end or that this end could any way be promoted by our Prayers But this is directly contrary to our Saviours Precept in that Form of Prayer which he hath taught us to use wherein we are directed to pray that God will forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And contrary to the advice of St. Peter to Simon Magus Acts 8.22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee Where also it is to be noted that the Apostle adviseth him not only to pray for the forgiveness of his sin but also to repent of it in order to the same end The same advice is given by the same Apostle to the Jews in the first Sermon which he made unto them after the reception of the Holy Ghost Acts 2.37 38. Having convinced them of their hainous sin in the murder of the Lord Jesus and made them sensible of it Now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles men and brethren what shall we do Then Peter said unto them repent and be baptizid every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins Where 't is observable that whiles two other things are prescribed by the Apostle to be done in order to the remission of sin viz. to repent and to be baptized no mention is made of Faith other then is included in those words be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ which do indeed necessarily imply the act of Faith But besides this Baptism which is one thing required to be done for the remission of sins Repentance also which is another thing is expressly required as necessary to this end not in that Text only but in an hundred others of both Testaments from whence it is that this remission of sin is mentioned as the signal effect of Repentance Mark 1.4 Luke 3.3 John is said to have preached the Baptism of Repentance for the Remission of sin And in the Conjunction of these two things the Sum of the Gospel to be preached to all Nations is comprised by our Saviour in St. Luke chap. 24.47 That Repentance and Remission of sin should be preached in his Name to all Nations Hence also is the same called Repentance unto Life Acts. 11.18 and Repentance to Salvation 2 Cor. 7.9 From which Texts it doth sufficiently appear not only that Repentance is necessary unto the Remission of sin and to Life and Salvation as a Condition or Causa sine quâ non but that it is also effectual and really available to these Ends For to call that Repentance unto Life and Repentance to Salvation which contributes nothing at all nor hath any manner of Efficacy to these Ends is an absurd Form of words And if the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto doth not signifie some kind of Efficacy or Qualification for these Ends it signifies just nothing But if it doth signifie any manner of Efficacy to this End one of these Things must needs be true either that Repentance is the same thing with that Faith which abstracts from Works as an Act really distinct from them all which is a plain Contradiction or that something besides Faith and really distinct from it is effectual and available to the Remission of sins which is the thing that was to be demonstrated Thus I have named two Things besides Faith which are generally necessary to Remission of sin viz. Prayer and Repentance Whereunto might be added the practice of Fasting Mourning Humiliation and Confession of sin as things frequently mentioned in Scripture with prescription to their use in order to this end I forbear to cite the particular Texts wherein these things are prescribed because they are all but appendages or parts of the general duty of Repentance Nor are these things necessary to this effect barely and only by their antecedent presence as meet and convenient preparatives for this Grace of Pardon but also by and in respect of such a Moral Efficacy and Prevalency as they are justly presumed to have by their declared acceptance with God which is all the Efficacy that can be reasonably attributed to Faith it self And if upon the stress of this Argument it should be said that Faith in the practical Sense as a living energetical operative habit doth include Repentance with all the proper fruits thereof the whole Question is yielded For then to say that Faith is available for the remission or covering of sin is to say that Repentance Prayer Charity and Good Works are so too which is all we contend for It being far from our meaning to exclude Faith from any necessary concurrence to this effect of Charity that is to say that Charity without Faith can cover sin For neither can Christian Charity be without Faith nor if it could would it be any wise effectual to this end The only thing that we assert is that Charity together with Faith and as a proper and most Excellent Fruit of it is available to this end And the summ of the Argument which we have here urged to confirm this Assertion is this 1. That if nothing but Faith can be available to this end then ought nothing to be done in order to it but believing And Prayer Repentance Humiliation and Confession of sin notwithstanding that in Scripture they be all prescribed as means to be used to this end are not only useless or needless but unlawfull to be practised with respect to this end Or secondly that if any of these things be available to this purpose so also is Charity This is our first Argument 2. Argument If Charity and Good Works of any sort be not available towards the obtainment of remission of sin Eternal Life and Salvation then do all promises of these Benefits made to the use and exercise of these means signifie nothing or at least they must needs lose all power and signification of Motives to any of these Duties For how can that be considered as a reasonable Motive to any act which doth no way promote it Whereas the General Design and end of all conditional Promises is to encourage perswade and move the Persons to whom they are made to the performance of those Conditions and Acts which are recommended by the respective Promises upon the hope of obtaining the promised Benefits by those means But this hope can have no foundation without the believing that the performance of those Conditions will be some ways effectual to the obtainment of these Benefits But if the performance of such Acts and Conditions must be believed to contribute nothing at all to the obtainment of these Benefits the forementioned Faith in the Promises which is the only foundation of the hope is utterly destroyed And by consequence the said Promises are deprived of all Vertue or power of Motives to the practices whereunto they are annexed 3. Argument All Precepts Exhortations and Counsels such as that in our Text to the practice of Charity or any other Christian Vertue beside Faith urged by such Motives as are no ways promoted by the Acts whereunto we are exhorted are vain and delusory Were such Precepts and Exhortations delivered simply and absolutely as only declarative of our Duty or designed only to move Men to their Duties as Testimonies of Gratitude or Thankfulness for those Benefits which we receive only by Faith as some late Divines would have them they would indeed be reasonable upon that account But when they are expressly urged as in this Text and many others they are to move Men to the Practice of particular Duties as means to obtain the proposed Benefits what can they signifie but a plain imposing upon us or abusing our minds and perverting our Faith supposing that the doing of those things whereto we are exhorted can nothing avail us to those ends What can such Exhortations signifie more then if a man should be perswaded to stretch forth his hands to behold the Glory of the Heavens or to open his eyes to hear the sweet Melody of Musick But the force of these Arguments is by many late Divines thought to
be sufficiently avoided by alledging that although it be true that Faith is the only thing that is effectual to Justification or remission of sin and that no other Act or Vertue can contribute any thing to this end yet neither are the forementioned Promises nor the Exhortations void or useless in reference to this effect 1. Because there is a Necessity of presence though not of efficacy of those other Acts and Vertues which are mentioned in the Promises and Exhortations And so Charity amongst other things may be a causa sine quâ non of Salvation and remission of sin in respect of its necessary presence together with Faith 2. Because the same things are necessary to the verification of Faith i. e. to manifest the Truth of it though they have no concurrent efficacy with Faith to the Justification or Salvation of the Believer 3. Because the practice of these Vertues is necessary or at least usefull for the assurance of a mans Justification Pardon of sin and Salvation though it be no ways effectual to any of those ends considered in themselves Heb. 6.10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed towards his name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister And 2 Pet. 1.5 10 11. And besides all this giving all diligence add to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity i. e. an universal Charity extended to all men as well as Christian Brethren Wherefore ye rather give diligence to make your calling and election sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in some Greek Copies and though these words are left out in our own and other Translations because they are so in ordinary Greek Copies yet the Sense of them is confessedly included in all readings for so an entrance shall be given you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And 1 Joh. 3.18 19. My little children let us not love in word nor in tongue but in deed and in truth And hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him So 1 Jo. 3.14 We know that we have passed from death unto Life because we love the brethren By these Texts and many more of like Sense it is evident that Charity is usefull to procure a mans assurance of those Benefits which are supposed to be obtained by Faith only Another verbal evasion of all the Arguments which are produced for the effectual concurrence of Charity and Good Works to the attainment of the great Benefits of final Justification and Salvation hath been vulgarly expressed by that trite saying of the Latin Father Bernard Bona opera sunt via ad regnum non causa regnandi Good Works are indeed the way to the kingdom of Heaven but not the cause of reigning Which words applied to the Doctrine by us grounded upon the words of the Apostle must have this Sense viz. That Charity is the way to obtain the covering or non-imputation of sin but no cause of it i. e a means but not a cause a very nice distinction to be considered further hereafter This I take to be a just account of the chief Answers that have been made to the premised Arguments from the Promises and exhortations of Scripture for the efficacy or validity of Charity and Good Works unto the remission of sin and the Salvation of a sinner Now in order to a sufficient reply to these Answers I think it necessary in this place to say something by way of explication of the Question tending to the clearing of the true Sense and meaning of the Doctrine what is meant by that Efficacy which any act that can be done by men may have towards the remission of their sins their Justification and Salvation It is evident that all these things are the proper and peculiar Acts and Effects of God himself who is the agent of efficient cause of them all And therefore 't is impossible that any Humane Act should have any direct or immediate influence or efficiency upon these Effects Who can forgive sins but God And 't is God that justifies and saves actively And therefore all the Efficacy that can be in Humane Acts towards these effects can be no more than preparative or passive And what can that signifie more than that they are certain Dispositions and Qualifications of the Patient or Subject to receive these Effects of Divine Grace Nor can Faith it self have any other influence or efficacy upon these Effects any more than Charity Faith it self doth neither pardon our sin or contribute any thing to that Divine Act by which we are pardoned Neither doth qualifie or save us any otherwise then by making such a Change or Qualification in us whereupon this Grace of Justification to Life is freely given us of God But against this Explication of the Efficacy of Faith to the Grace of Justification it hath been alledged that Faith in Christ doth not justifie as an act or qualification found in us but as it hath a peculiar Vertue not common to Charity or any other Act of ours and that is of apprehending and receiving Christ or uniting us to him and so making us Partakers of his Righteousness imputed to us by means whereof we come to be Justified our sins Covered and our Souls saved Whereunto I answer 1. By allowing an union of Believers with Christ the common Saviour to be indeed the true ground and foundation of the Benefits which we receive by him And that this Union is not barely Relative or Political such as is betwixt a King Lord or Husband and their respective Subjects Servants and Wives Nor only Pactional imputed and founded upon the Promise or Covenant of the Gospel to them that believe in him but a true and real Union effected by the Medium of the Holy Spirit communicated to them that believe and are baptized into the Faith of Christ 1 Cor. 12.13 For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body and 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit ver 11. of the same Chapter But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God Rom. 8.12 If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his This Spirit of Christ is ordinarily called the Spirit of God abiding or dwelling in all true Believers whereby they are partakers of the Divine Nature as St. Peter speaketh as Christ also was 1 Cor. 3.16 1 Cor. 8.19 2 Pet. 1.4 though not in the same measure and manner Such a real Union there is between Christ the Head and all true Believers Members of his Body as there is between the head and members of a natural Body partaking of one and the
same natural Spirit Nor do we deny but that Faith is the first Act that disposeth a Man to the Receipt of this Divine Spirit dwelling in him whereby it may be said to effect or procure our Union with Christ whereby we partake both of the Nature and the Effects and Benefits of his Righteousness But the imputation of Christs Righteousness to us is no Scriptural Phrase but differs very much from that of St. Paul asserting not the Righteousness of Christ but Faith working by Charity to be imputed for Righteousness to them that believe Rom. 4.5 24. But if it be the act or habit of Faith which is imputed to us for Righteousness according to the express literal Sense of the Apostles words then 't is not the Personal Righteousness of Christ that is imputed to us for our Faith is no part of his Righteousness But because the Phrase of Christs Righteousness imputed to us hath been commonly used by Divines of very good Note amongst Protestants though no man can be obliged to admit it in a strict Sense it being not found in Scripture yet I think for Peace sake it should not be absolutely rejected much less with any reflections of Reproach or Disparagement to them that have used it but rather admitted in such a Candid Sense as it may fairly bear As if the Son of a Prince or some other Person of Great Merit and Favour with him should undertake to be Mediator for some Rebel that had justly incurred the Displeasure of his Prince and rendred himself obnoxious to the highest penalty of Law should of his own Good Will by the Appointment and Will of the Prince act or suffer something for and on the behalf of the Delinquent and thereby obtain by the Grace of the Prince a free Pardon for him under some equitable Conditions required of the Delinquent In this case the Merits Act and Sufferings of such a Mediator might in a reasonable Sense be said to be imputed to the Redeemed Person Such an Interpretation of this Phrase of Christs Righteousness imputed to us I think should not be quarrel'd but may fairly agree with the Scripture phrases of Propitiation Expiation and Attonement of Christ made for us and with the Discourse of the Apostle Rom. 5. from the 15 Verse to the end of the Chapter Other Senses there are of this Phrase insisted upon by some Divines which cannot be maintained without gross and absurd Consequences as hath been shewed by some that have lately written sharply concerning this Point This Explication of the Question what is meant by that Efficacy which any act that can be done by us towards the Remission of our sins or our Justification can have being premised and cleared from the most usual Objections against it I proceed in my Reply to the fore-mentioned Answer to the Arguments for the Confirmation of the Doctrine in hand drawn from the Promises and Exhortations of Scripture as followeth To the First part of that Answer alledging only the necessity of Presence of Charity and Good Works together with Faith in order to the obtainment of the Benefits propounded as a sufficient Account for the use of those Motives contained in the said Promises and Exhortations I reply by demanding whether the Charity and Good Works supposed to be necessary do concurr to the Qualification of the Person that is to receive these Benefits or not If they do concurr as any Part of the Qualification of the Person for the Receipt of those Benefits it cannot be denied by the Explication of the forementioned Question but that they are as truly available to the Obtainment of those Benefits as Faith or any thing else can be If they do not concurr as any Part of Qualification for these Benefits the bare necessity of their Presence upon any other account can be no reasonable ground of Exhortations to such Actions in order to the Advantages thereunto promised Nor can those Advantages or Benefits be any reasonable Motives to such Actions whiles they are supposed to contribute nothing at all to the Obtainment of them And consequently the only design of propounding those Motives to such Actions would be utterly frustrate For all Exhortations Counsels or Advices to any Act or Practice do include this general Supposition to common Understanding that the things advised or exhorted to are of some Use and Validity to the End that is propounded either by removing some Impediment or by some kind of Causality or other else the Advice is altogether vain and a Man should be never the nearer his End by following it And therefore it hath been said that although Charity and Good Works be in themselves of no Validity or Efficacy to the Covering of sin Justification or Salvation of a sinner nor do contribute any thing towards the Obtaining of these Benefits yet they have the nature of a Causa sine quâ non that is of something without which a thing is not to be effected or gained but if that Something hath no manner of Causality at all in it it cannot be called a Causa sine quâ non without a real Contradiction in the Terms For to be a Cause without which a thing cannot be and yet to have no manner of Causality in reference to the Effect is to be a Cause and no Cause But suppose the design of the Holy Ghost in the forementioned Promises and Exhortations had been as we really suppose it was to instruct men what they should do or what things possible to be done by them would be available to the ends propounded I demand how such a Design could have been expressed more significantly then it is by the Terms used in the Exhortations and Promises alledged And as for the bare necessity of presence of Charity and Good Works together with Faith in the Persons which are to be justified and saved that 's no more then is equally true of the faculties of Life Sense and Reason there being a perfect necessity of the presence of all these things to the act of Faith which is supposed to be the only thing that justifies a man But would it therefore be reasonable to exhort men to take care to preserve these faculties in order to their Justification or might the Promises of Pardon of Sin Life and Salvation be reasonably annexed to such a care of preserving these Faculties upon the bare account of their necessary presence or concomitancy with a justifiing Faith Now where it hath been said that Charity and Good Works are necessary to the verification of that Faith by which we are justified i. e. to declare and manifest the truth of it but have otherwise no concurrent Efficacy to the Justification of the Believer and that is a sufficient account of the reasonableness of all Promises made to the habit and exercise of this Vertue as also of the Exhortations before mentioned I answer that if indeed these things be necessary to the verification of that Faith that justifies us so
as to constitute and make up the Truth and Validity thereof and thereby to declare the Efficacy thereof the Question is really yielded And these things must be acknowledged to have a concurrent Efficacy to the forementioned Effect which is all that is contended for But if by the verification of Faith no more be meant then a bare manifestation of the truth of it by the Signs and Fruits of it that is the same thing with the former allegation concerning the necessity or usefulness of these things for the Assurance of a mans Justification or Salvation But whether this be the true intent or only meaning of the Promises and Exhortations made to these Practices I appeal to the Judgment of any Unprejudiced Reader that shall review and consider the express Terms and Forms of Words used in them When we pray for the Forgiveness of our sins must this be the only Meaning â—r not that God will be pleased to forgive us upon any consideration of our Prayers but that he will give us an Assurance that he hath forgiven us I appeal to the Conscience of any of them that make this Allegation to serve an Hypothesis which they have unwarily espoused whether this hath been or is their own Sense in their Prayers for the Pardon of their sin Which is no other then if a Criminal petitioning a King for his Pardon should thereby intend not to obtain it but only to be assured that it was granted When our Saviour promiseth that if we will forgive Men their Trespasses our Heavenly Father will also forgive us our Trespasses is that his only Meaning that our Forgiving others shall be to us a sign and evidence that we are forgiven but no Means to obtain that Forgiveness When we are exhorted to Repentance for the Remission of our sins which was the common Doctrine of the Prophets of John Baptist our Blessed Saour and his Apostles and particularly of St. Peter in answer to the Question of the Jews what they should do to be saved Acts 2.30 was this their Meaning not to teach Men to repent to that end that they might be saved and their sins be forgiven them but that they might be assured that their sins were forgiven them I desire any Indifferent Reader that is not pertinaciously bent to maintain a Prejudice against all Appearance of Reason to apply this Meaning to the Promises Exhortations and Assertions of Scripture which have been before alledged to this Purpose and then to judge whether all or any of them be to be interpreted to this Sence And if they be I demand why the same promises of Justification Salvation c. made to the act of Faith may not or should not admit of the same Interpretation as some of the Antinomians have contended viz. that Faith it self contributes nothing at all to any of these Effects or Benefits that are thereunto promised or is any Means or Condition of obtaining them but only a sign or means to assure us of our Interest in them Lastly I demand whether any thing possible to be done by us doth serve to qualifie us for the Reception of those Benefits by the Grace of God or be of any Validity or moral Efficacy towards the Obtainment of these Ends If not then Faith can be of no more Efficacy to this purpose then Charity But if any Act or Condition that is possible to be performed by us be any ways effectual or available to these Ends why may not Charity especially as a fruit and effect of Faith be conceived to have a concurrent Efficacy with Faith or subordinate to it agreeable to the many promises of the same Benefits made to Charity and Good Works as well as to Faith And seeing that it is and must be ever acknowledged that it is only of the free Grace of God that Faith is accepted as any condition qualification or means of obtaining these Benefits Seeing also that Charity in the proper nature of it is the most Excellent and most Divine Vertue most conformable to the nature of God himself and therefore said to be the greatest of the three Christian Graces 1 Cor. 13.13 Is it not very reasonable to believe that such a quality most Divine expressing both the Nature and Image of God and being also the Effect of his own free Grace should be accepted as part of that disposition in us that qualifies us for his Favour and Reconciliation merited only by the Expiatory Sacrifice and Obedience of his Son always acknowledged by our Faith in him renouncing all confidence in any thing that we can do as acceptable upon any other account then of his Meritorious Meciation Other reasons are given by Modern Divines of the Protestant Party concerning the necessity of Charity and Good Works exclusive of this we contend for alledging that these things are necessary necessitate praecepti non medii i. e. necessary parts of our Duty in obedience to the Law or Will of God not necessary means of Salvation or obtaining the Benefit of remission of our sins necessary to be practised in order to the pleasing of God the Glorifying and Honouring of his Name to express our Thankfulness to him for all his Benefits especially for his Free Grace of Redemption and Justification procured by the merits of Christ As also necessary to adorn our Holy Profession the Honour of Christ and his Gospel to give Good Example and avoid Scandal c. All which are without Exception to be acknowledged for just Reasons of our Duty But do fignifie nothing to the Question in hand in as much as they do not severally or jointly make any reasonable account either of the promises of Pardon Eternal Life and Salvation to the performances of these Duties or of the Exhortations to the practice of them urged by such Promises These Reasons are indeed just Motives to the Duties of Piety and Charity and urged as such in other Texts of Scripture But of a different sort and nature from those which are propounded in the Promises and Exhortations alledged by us These Reasons with others of like import exclusive of that which is urged by us alledged as the only account of the necessity of Good Works do utterly destroy and make void the validity of the Motives in the forementioned Promises And here with as little disparagement as may be to the Author I think it lawfull for me to mention the great dissatisfaction not to say Scandal which I long since took from the common outlandish Catechism set forth first by Zachary Vrsin and afterward by David Paraeus Anno D. 1623. who intitles the third part of his Book wherein he undertakes to give an account of the necessity of Good Works and all the practical part of Christian Religion de Gratitudine of Gratitude or Thankfulness to God for our Deliverance from the misery of the Natural State and our Liberty recovered by Christ which are the titles of his two former parts This General Title and Account of