Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	believe_v	faith_n	reveal_v	5,457	5	8.8529	5	true

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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

soul The things God hath prepared for us he hath revealed unto us by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 9 10. saying I am thy salvation I have done away thy sins I will remember them no more Heb. 10. 15. 17. The Spirit beareth witnesse to our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. Now the work of faith is to assent to the truth of this testimony and receive it Now to assent unto and receive a thing is not to manifest it for giving and receiving are two things as to declare a thing and to beleeve the Declaration are two things Ephes. 3 5. There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit these agree in one that our sins are forgiven There are three that bear witnesse on earth 1. the Spirit 2. water viz. dipping Baptisme 3. Bloud viz. the Sacrament of the Supper wherein Christs blood is shed and his body broken and these three agree in one that is they witnesse hold forth and declare the record which is that God hath given unto us eternall life and that this life is in his Son 1 Joh. 5. 7 8 11 12. By which ●t appears that faith is none of the three witnesses in heaven nor any of the three on earth If faith did justifie us would it not follow that faith were greater and more to be prized then love yet love is greater 1 Cor. 13. 13. We may more properly be said to be justified by the Scriptures the Word of God then by our beleeving for that is that which evidenceth to us our justification by Christ and happinesse by him for how could we know the safetie and happinesse of a beleever without the Word or that the world was made of things that did not appear but by the Word Heb. 11. 2 3. How could we try the spirits but by the Word of God which is more purer then our beleeving and I will rest upon that more then on my beleeving Psal. 119 42. 89. Sixthly we are not justified by our beleeving because all that are justified are justified before they beleeve which will appear if ye consider 1. The titles given to such persons whom Christ justified they are termed sinners enemies ungodly Rom. 4. 5. 5. 8. 10. The Scripture doth not call any that are beleevers ungodly they have their name from their better part therefore beleevers are called holy Saints living stones babes in Christ And therefore seeing they were justified when ungodly they were justified before they beleeved and therefore their beleeving did not justifie them Christ justified many by bearing their iniqnity he in taking away our sins made us righteous and this was our justification Isa. 53. 5. 6. 11. Rom. 5. 9. 2. If I am to beleeve I am justified and that all my sins are forgiven me is it true or false If it be true that I am to beleeve Isa 40. 1 2. then I was a justified man and free from all sin before I beleeved it and therefore I am to beleeve it because it 's true If it be not true and so is false then it seems I am to beleeve a lye and for me to beleeve I am justified when I am not is to deceive my self in beleeving that which is false Also if I am to beleeve I am justified when I am not justified that so I may be justified is to beleeve that which is false that it may be true which is unreasonable because neither faith nor unbeleef can make any thing true or false nor cause the being of that which had no being before Therefore when Christ by his Spirit and Word of truth declares and reveals to a soul that all his sins are forgiven and washed away in the blood of Christ c. it is a certain truth and it is the holy Spirit that bears witnesse because the Spirit is truth 1 Joh. 5. 6. Therefore seeing we are justified by Christ before we beleeved it we may not beleeve that faith in us was either a cause or a means or any instrument of it but onely a means of our receiving the knowledge of it and of our injoying the comfort of it And as for such as are troubled because they cannot beleeve as they think all that I can say to them is Use the means to know where life is wait upon God he cals one at the third houre and another at the eleventh thou knowest not but there may be life in the Son for thee it is there for thee if thou belong to the election of grace else not Also if if thou hungerest and thirstest after righteousnesse viz Christ Matth. 5. thou art blessed and shall be saved Seventhly they that say they are justified by their beleeving know not what to stand to sometimes it is the act of faith justifieth them sometimes it is not the act but as it is a grace then not for the excellency of it but because God imputes it for righteousnesse then that there is a righteousnesse in faith it self We place justification in Christ alone by which means we are at a certainty And they that think otherwise if they please let them satisfie me in these few questions 1. Whether faith in the nature and power of it unacted do justifie or no if yea I desire to know how the power to beleeve apart from the exercise of it can be known to us 2. How it may fitly be called faith when there is no beleeving as there is not without the act seeing faith and to beleeve is one thing and whether the same light and power c. be not the same power by which we obey the rest of Gods commands and if it be how you can distinguish it apart from it's act and if it justifie as it is a grace unacted can you tell how and when you were justified and if it may abide in the soul one houre and not act why not two and so two seven yeers and whether then this opinion doth not imply that a man may have faith in him and be justified by it and yet he never beleeve nor know it And if Faith justifie in respect of the righteousnesse or meritoriousnesse of it whether it will not follow that we are righteous in our selves and so stand in no need of any righteousnesse in another and so need not live by faith in the Son of God seeing we have our righteousnesse in us If there be no merit no righteousnesse in the act of our beleeving but onely God is pleased to accept it for righteousnesse and reckon it so whether it will not follow that God esteemes and accepts of that for righteousnesse and imputes it for righteousnesse which is not so in it self and whether this is for his honour or no and whether it tends not to the dishonour of Christ that his righteousnesse in him is not sufficient and may not be that which justified those he dyed

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

3. 6. In this is our happinesse comfort and glory and even then when we cannot apprehend him yet were we in him Ephes. 1. 4. and so we are and ever shall be in him and one with him and are comprehended of him 1 Joh. 5. 20. Because I live saith Christ ye shall live also Joh. 14. 19. What Doctrine in Religion is more sweet comfortable more necessarie or profitable● yea or more honorable to the Lord Jesus Christ This is that which holds forth the love of God that sets the Crown upon his head and will not give his glory to another Isa. 42. 8. Jer. 4. 2. This will have Christ to be our life Col. 3. 4. p●ace Ephes. 1. 14. glory Isa. 45. 25. This is that that thrust us out of our selves our life our righteousnesse Rom. 10 3. T●t 3. 5. to his to live in him and caused us to say O Lord th●u ar● our righteousnesse Ezra 9 15. The Lord our righteousnes which life is most sweet and serviceable because this is sure and more spirituall In a word this makes Christ all in all Col 3. 11. and exalts him above all which is his place Psal. 89 19. And surely that which is the life of ou●●●els that upon which the eternall happinesse of our 〈◊〉 de●ends is not in any thing in us but that is Christ in him ● Cor. 5 21. 1 Cor. 1. 30. it lyes in him that so it may be 〈…〉 for us And that we might not live upon any thing within us faith is given that by it we may live out of our selves in another even the Lord Jesus where our life is Col. 3 ● 4. Surely if our life and happinesse had been infused in us we should have lived in our selves and not upon God Adam had his life in him and he lost it therefore it 's better for us that our life is hid in Christ in God Col. 3. 3 4. This is comfo●tab●e indeed 〈◊〉 God ●aith Comfort ye my people speak comfortably unto her tell her that her warfare is accomplished and her iniquity is pardoned c. Isa. 40. 1 2. This is good news from heaven indeed that this great work is finished it is not now to do neither for faith nor thee Ch●see that ye adde not nor detract from it if thou beest Christs , it 's thine apply it take comfort in it admire G●ds love free grace give God all the glory of it give none of it to faith nor to any thing else rejoyce in God and thy union with him witnesse to his truth and suffer for him serve and love and live and dye with him and his Objections answered We were not justified by Christ upon the Crosse because Christ rose again for our justification Rom 4. 24. If Christs resurrection did justifie us then it was not faith that justified us and seeing the resurrection of Christ was before we were born therefore before we beleeved Secondly the re●urrection of Christ did justifie him that justified us that is visibly declare him and those in him to be just for the resurrection of Christ did wonderfully declare him to be the Son of God in that he had power to raise himself from the dead by his infinite power Joh. 10. 17 18. Thirdly Christs resurrection did and doth declare us to be just who beleeve in him because we beleeve in him that is the Son of God also Christs resurrection doth justifie all them who declare him to be the Son of God that in so doing they witnesse to the truth 1 Cor. 15. 15. But the Apostle saith if Christ had not risen they had been in their sins 1 Cor. 15. 17. therefore Christs blood did not take away their sins The Apostles words is to be understood it had been so if Christ had not been the true Messias the Son of God he had not been he that could have taken away sin if he had not risen seeing the Prophets and Scriptures declare that the Christ the Son of God should not onely be crucified but also rise again the third day Psal. 16. 9. 11. with Act. 2. 25. to 32. and 26. 22. 1 Cor. 15. 14. he must rise again the third day Joh. 18. 32. Therefore it was not possible that Christ should be holden by death Act. 2. 24. Also Christ said that he would rise again the third day Matt. 20 19. and 16. 21. And if he had not risen he had been a false witnesse and not he that could take away sin and if so they had been still in their s●ns and their faith vain to beleeve a lye and this is the scope of the Apostles words 1 Cor. 15. 17. But seeing Christ did rise again he must needs be the Son of God and the true Messias declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holinesse by the resurrection from the dead Rom. 14. Because else he could not have raised himself from the dead as he did Therefore it must follow that seeing that he did rise again they were not in their sins because he had jus●ified them in washing their sins away in his own blood Rev. 1. 5. In as much as Christs satisfaction was sufficient it was impossible but it must be effectuall and could not be in vain but it had been in vain if notwithstanding the payment of that price it had been still due and we in our sins and what were they the better for to have their sins layed upon Chri●t if notwithstanding they were still in their sins yea and how were they layed upon him if they were never taken from us or taken from us and layed upon us again and how was all things accomplished and finished if our justification were not finished all had done us no good If Christs merits were not of greater merit then satisf●ction for sin and so our justi●ication how could we be said to enjoy sonship and glory by his satisfaction seeing to forgive and pardon a traytor is one thing and to confer glory and honour upon him is another so that we may be said to be adopted and glorified by his merits because all the grace and glory we shall enjoy is given for Christs sake by vertue of his mediation and consequently by his merits Ephes. 1. 5 6. Gal. 4. 5. Luk. 22. 29. Ep●e 2. 14. Col. 1. And although I see not that Christs resurrection is a part of our justification yet unlesse he had risen again we should have been so far from enjoying everlasting life that we must have lyen in the grave as appears 1 Cor. 15. 23. Many contend whether we be justified by Christs active or passive obedience all that Christ did for mans salvation was nothing else but obedience as may appear J●h. 12. 49. and 14. 33. his dying also Jo●. 10. 18. By

speaks concerning Adams fall and Christs sufferings and death c. they are not ●●ctions but reall things and unlesse Christ had dyed we had perished in our sins We were in sin and under the cur●e we were children of wrath viz the curse not only in appearance but we were so in deed in truth so Christ was made a cur●e for us not in appearance but in deed and in truth He was ●o made under the Law that so he might free us from under it Christ not onely revealed love for seeing men can revea● love each to other without dying much more could ●●d bu● also free us from the curse of the Law wherein we we●● 〈◊〉 therefore Christ did dye So that in the 〈◊〉 God and Ch●●●●s death ●ay our e●ernall happinesse ●nd this do●trine doth w●ll agree with what we contend for We ●ay 〈◊〉 paved a full price and satisfied the Law to the 〈◊〉 neither 〈◊〉 we 〈◊〉 God accepts of any sinfull action nor 〈◊〉 any sin Gods pu●i●● hares ●in in beleeve●s as wel● as in othe●s now wh●●h way doth this doctrine destroy the nature or the 〈…〉 of God We deny ●o ●criptures at all we onely deny such interpretation of them as are not warranted in the Scriptures Also you presume above what is written in that you have no Scripture to warrant your exposition We intreat you to tell us in what place of the Scripture we shal read that God was ever at enmity with the elect either before or after conversion You say that till conversion comes God is as well at enmity with the elect as they are with him The Scriptures you alledge to prove it do not say so nor do we know where to read these words in the Scripture but to consider what the Scriptures you bring say Eph. 2. saith no such thing there is the word wrath but this is answere● before Isa. 63. 10 11. there is the word enemy which is to be understood God was so in some acts of his dispensation The text saith he fought agai●st them so he appeared to be their enemy Levit. 26. 40 c. God did walk contrary to them yet it will not follow that he did so from any enmity or hatred he had to them for then he ●oved them and owned them for his people as appears v 45. c. I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hands of her ene●ies ●er 12 7. then they were dearly beloved As for the word pa●ified Ezek 16. 62 63 When I am pacified towa●ds th●e that is when I shall let thee know that thou art a son or daughter of my eternall love if you compare the 4. last verses together i● will appear he spake of their knowledge of his love for he saith I will est●b●ish my C●venant with thee and 〈◊〉 know ●h● Ianth L●●d th God ver. 2. with Joh 14 20. An● howsoever God may hide himself and seem angry and handle them roughly yet he loveth them not the worse for that Jer. 31. 20. even then he loveth them dearly As appears J●h 17 23 24. At that day ye shall kn●w I am in he Fath●r and 〈…〉 and I 〈◊〉 you Joh. 14 20. he saith he is the same yesterday and to day and f●r ever Hebr. 13. 8. if y●u please to beleeve him I am the L●●d 〈…〉 Mal. 3. 6. ●e never changeth Fu●y is not 〈…〉 I●a 27. 4. Therefore your br●ther was very much mi●●ake● to think there was anger in God against the elect till he was pacifie● O● I● G●ds enmity had not concurred with Eves enmity ag●●●●t h●m she had not in all like●ihood eaten the forb●dden fruit Ans. The fall was not from any enmity in God against her but God would by that means bring about his glory See Ephes. 1. 6. to 12. Rom. 3. 19. Ob. God is a God of wrath to us till faith in Christ comes Ephe 2. Rom 5. 1 2. it is as evident as evident may be that by faith in Christ God is reconciled to us and we to him Ans. I wonder ye are not afraid to sa● so seeing the Scriptures say no such thing as we have already proved Read me what you say in the Bible either in the Old Testament or New and I will Print my Recantation if you cannot I would intreat you to Print yours Oh that you did but know what you ha●e done For in that you deny any reconciliation to be before we beleeve you deny that Chri●t hath reconciled any upon the Crosse which is contrary to many plain and expresse Sc●iptures As Ephes. 2. 13 14 16. with Col. 1. 14. 20 21. 2. 13 14. Ephe. 5. 25 26 27. c. Also in ascribing our reconciliation to faith in whole or in part ye sleight our Lord Jesus Christ and trample upon him in making him but a half Saviour So also you say that faith is a cause of justification do not our eternall happinesse depend upon our reconciliation and justification and do you ascribe these and the like to faith Ob. But God is not pleased with the elect till they beleeve Rom. 9. 25. Ans. By my people we are to understand those that I have declared to be mine in a speciall and peculiar manner I have owned them and they are mine by profession So the Nation of the Jews were called the people of God as Isa. 5. 13. because God had owned them to be his people which were not my people before In this sence as appears v. 26 27. but in another sence the earth and all in it is his and in respect of choice and ●ove the elect were ever his Ephes. 1. 4. 2 Tim. 1. 9. Ob. I say then actually God cannot be said to be reconciled to man while man is not reconciled to God Ans. We say that we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Rom. 10. 9 10. 2 Cor. 5. 18 19. What Christ did was actuall Will it not then follow upon your grant that the elect were then reconciled And seeing Christ dyed before we beleeved it will follow we were reconciled before we beleeved Notwithstanding we grant that no man can know or be assured that he is one of them that is justified and shall be saved untill he beleeves And whereas you ask what conversion that is that is without calling We answer None at all neither is any man called in this sence untill he beleeve We grant with you that what was done before the world concerning our salvation was onely in Gods decree purpose and love Ob. Faith brings us into Christ Ephe. 2. 8 9. Joh 6. 37. Joh. 3. Ans. You do but say so the Scriptures do not sa● as you would have them say faith brings us into Christ so you say that faith is a part of Christ But if it be so I would gladly see that proved Also you say that faith is a part of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4 5. The Divine Nature is God if God