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
Not that any such Charity or Mercy can be found in a Sinner as is sufficient in it self to justifie him or expiate his sin in strictness of Justice or Merit but that by the Goodness and Mercy of God for Christs Sake it shall obtain this Effect in the last Judgment And as in this first Branch of the Text the word Mercy twice used doth plainly signifie the Mercy of God as well as the mercy of Man He shall have Judgment without Mercy i. e. from God that hath shewed no Mercy to men So in the second Branch the same word Mercy may have respect both to the Mercy of God as many Good Divines have interpreted it and to the Mercy of men It is Mercy in God rejoycing over Judgment or Justice that gives men Cause of Rejoycing and Mercy in men that by Divine Acceptance qualifies them for that Mercy of God This Sentence of St. James in both Parts of it stands fully confirmed by that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Representation of the last Judgment which is given by our Saviour Matt. 25. from the 21 ver to the end of the 41 ver Then shall he say to them on the Left hand depart from me ye Cursed into Everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels There 's Judgment without Mercy and the Reason of it follows For I was an Hungred and ye Fed me not I was Thirsty and ye gave me no Drink Naked and ye Clothed me not c. In as much as ye did it not to these little ones ye did it not to me That is ye shewed no Mercy for my Sake to them that needed it So is the first Part of the Apostles Sentence confirmed and exemplified by the latter Part of our Saviours They shall have Judgment without Mercy that shewed no Mercy The second Part of the Apostolical Sentence is likewise abundantly confirmed by the first Part of our Saviours Then shall the King say unto them on the Right hand come ye Blessed of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World For I was an Hungred and ye gave me Meat I was Thirsty and ye gave me Drink c. That is by his own Interpretation ver 40. In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of my Brethren being also your Brethren you have done it unto me Where 't is to be noted how the Mercifull Man hath not only his sins covered for which he might have been Condemned but is advanced to a state of Glory and Triumph in the Kingdom of Heaven So doth Mercy not only escape but triumph over Judgment In each part of this Description of the distributive Justice or Judgement of God in the latter day a common Synechdoche of the Part for the Whole must be understood that is in the Assignment of the respective Reasons of the contrary Judgements of Absolution and Condemnation For neither will Charity be respected as the only reason or condition of the Reward but therewith also all other Christian Vertues and Good Works especially that of an unfeigned Faith as the Root of them all Nor will the want of Charity or the Vices most contrary to it be the only reason of the Sentence of Condemnation but all other sins against the known will of God will be jointly respected in the awarded Punishment But since it hath pleased our Saviour who is himself to be Judge at that day to specifie these two opposite Practises as the only Instances of the reason of his future Judgement we have sufficient ground to conclude that they will be especially though not only considered by him in that Judgement The same Synechdoche of the Part for the Whole necessary to be understood in the words of our Saviour which we have last mentioned is no less necessary to be understood in all Promises of the same Reward to any particular Vertue or sort of Good Works of any kind Partly because no single Vertue that is sincere and genuine can exist without a Connexion of all other Vertues as hath been often notified in the Doctrine as well of Heathen as Christian Vertues And partly because no single Vertue in the want of the rest can be enough to qualifie a Man for the State of the Heavenly Life or render a Man so much as capable thereof Because that Life doth require as an Indispensible Preparative for it such a Principle of Divine Life or Holiness as comprehends the Habit and Disposition at least of all Goodness and as is perfectly inconsistent with a total privation of any Real Vertue So that if it were possible for a Man to have any such Vertue in him as Charity with a total privation of Sobriety Humility Temperance and Piety towards God he could not be capable of that Benefit or Reward which the Text speaks of that is of having all his sins covered or perfectly discharged from all Punishment at the last Judgement Although that single Vertue however imperfect and insincere might possibly abate the degrees of Punishment for the want of the rest as hath been intiâ—â—â—â—ed before But although in the promises of this reward to any particular Vertue or sort of Good Works there be a necessity of the foresaid Synechdoche yet in the Threatnings of Judgments to particular Vices there is no necessity of any such Figure Because as there is no such necessary Connexion of all sorts of Vices as there is of Vertues some of which are contrary and inconsistent with some others so it is certain that any one Vice notwithstanding any freedom from others is enough to reader a Man liable to the Sentence of Condemnation As in Humane Justice one Capital Crime renders a man liable to death notwithstanding any possible Plea of Innocence as to other Crimes And one Mortal Disease will kill a Man notwithstanding any freedom from other Diseases So in the last judgement if a Man be able to plead as many will be that they were no Idolaters Whoremasters Theeves or other sorts of Criminals And that they are not guilty of starving any body or depriving them of their bread robbing or oppressing or casting into Prison or other like breaches of Charity no such Plea will hold before the Righteous Judge which will never change any thing upon a Man that he is not guilty of nor doth he instance in any such practice in this Monitory Description of his last Judgement He saith not ye robbed me of my Meat Drink or Clothing or ye wronged me by Violence or Fraud but ye fed me not when I was hungry ye clothed me not when I was naked ye relieved me not in my Necessities neither did ye visit or comfort me in my Distresses Go therefore ye cursed c. not for your Injustice or Injuries but for your Uncharitableness What could our blessed Lord mean by this negative manner of describing his future Judgement but to warn all People of that vulgar Deceit which they are so
Octob. 18. 1694. Imprimatur Gul. Stanley Procan Jos Beaumont Joh. Mountagu Jo. Eachard Joh. Covel A DISCOURSE UPON I Peter IV. VIII Wherein the Power and Efficacy OF CHARITY As it is a Means to procure the Pardon of Sin Is EXPLAINED and VINDICATED By the Reverend Mr John Whitefoot Sen. of NORWICH CAMBRIDGE Printed by John Hayes For William Graves and are to be sold by Samuel Oliver Bookseller in NORWICH 1695. TO All Good Christians whose Faith is made Effectual by CHARITY The AUTHOR Dedicateth this DISCOURSE Wishing Them Increase of that most Divine most Christian and most Spiritual Grace 1 Pet. 4. 8. And above all things have fervent Charity among your selves for Charity shall or will cover a multitude of Sins AS in the Ethnick Theology of the Greek Poets we read of a Famous Triade of Graces reported to be the Daughters of Jupiter So the Apostle St Paul makes mention of a certain Trinity of Christian Graces all special Fruits and Daughters of the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 13.13 And now abideth Faith Hope and Charity but the greatest of these is Charity And that may duely be esteemed the greater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or greatest of the Three in many respects besides that which the Apostle seems specially to aim at in that Text viz. That of continuance and duration in another Life after the Expiration of the other Two For Charity is a Vertue of the greatest Perfection that can be and most highly deserving the Name of Grace Gratia gratis data gratia gratum faciens As freely given as any other and most gratefull to God and Man This Charity is the Root Ground and Foundation of all Christian Piety as is intimated by the words of the Apostle Eph. 3.17 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Radicati Fundati That ye being rooted and grounded in love c. It is indeed the end and fruit of the other Two Faith teaches it Hope excites and cherishes it It is also of greatest Extent extending both to God and Man All Men our selves our Friends and Enemies Faith and Hope will be antiquated by possession sight and fruition but Charity is a thing that we shall carry with us into the other World where we shall improve and keep it for ever 'T is the end of the Commandment 1 Tim. 1.5 and the fulfilling of the Law Gal. 5.14 For all the Law is fulfilled in one word even in this Thou shalt love c. That one little Monosyllable Love is a perfect abbreviation of the whole Code and Pandects of the Divine Law The first and the great Commandment is this Mat. 22.37 c. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul with all thy mind and with all thy might And the Second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets He that truly loves God will not break any of his Commandments willfully and he that doth not love him cannot keep any of them 1 Jo 5.3 'T is this love that keeps us from transgressing the Law and so prevents sin and as I shall shew hereafter the same is usefull to cover sin and to procure the pardon thereof It keeps us from injuring or offending our neighbour and inclines us to forgive his offences against us 'T is the bond of perfection both of Nature and Grace of Humanity and Divinity A loving Disposition is that which we call Good Nature the most Ingenuous Noble and Amiable Whereas the want of it and especially the contraries to it an envious malicious peevish froward rigid cruel covetous and penurious mind is Ill Nature Disingenuous and Hatefull Therefore the extream opposite to Love beareth the name of Wickedness in an Emphatical Sense in the Greek and Latin as also in our own and other Languages that have any Derivation from them So the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malitia malice are generally used And the Spirit of wickedness or the wicked Spirit is called by the name of Satan which signifies an absolute privation of all Love to God or Man together with the opposite to both consisting in his enmity to both But Charity is Goodness it self in the Common Sense of that Word and without it there is no such thing as Goodness truly so called And whereas there are divers sorts of Goodness noted by the ordinary distinction of Bonum jucundum utile honestum the pleasant profitable and honest Good Charity comprehends them all in the greatest Perfection nothing so pleasant both to the Lover and the Beloved nothing so Profitable to both nothing so Honourable 'T is the Perfection of Righteousness in the Sense of Holy Scripture where the word Righteous Mat. 6.1 some Copies read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousness for Alms. and Righteousness do most frequently signifie especially in the Psalms more than meer innocence or common Justice Nor is the Sense of them to be contracted into the short and scanty measures of the Cardinal Vertue in the Ethick Philosopher or the Definition of Justinian Justitia est constans perpetua voluntas suum cuique tribuendi Though even that might pass for a Definition good enough with a Christian Gloss borrowed from St Paul and our Saviours command Rom. 13.7 8. Render to all their due where Love is one and the chiefest of all made so by the Common Law of Nature and by the express Precept of our Saviour of loving our Neighbour as our selves which makes it a general debt so interpreted by the Apostle Owe nothing to any man but to love one another And if this Obligation of debt could be dispensed with or abstracted from this Act of Charity in men as it is in God it would have so much the more of Divine Perfection as being more free St Paul calls it Piety or Godliness 1 Tim. 5.4 St James makes it Pure Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To shew Piety at home he means Charity Ja. 1 27. Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherless and the widows in their distress And the same Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both Charitable and Godly It is the Energy Life and Perfection of Faith These are all Apostolical Titles vid. Gal. 5.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 2.18 21 26. I do not add the Scholastick Notion that it is the form of Faith because that 's liable to some Quarrel I shall conclude the present Encomium of this Grace in Three Words shewing that it is the most Divine the most Christian the most Spiritual Vertue 1. The most Divine For God is Love saith the most Loving and beloved Disciple twice over in one Chapter 1 Jo. 4.7 8 16. Beloved let us love one another for Love is of God And every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God He that loveth not
knoweth not God for God is Love And we have known and believed the Love that God hath to us God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him So did some of the oldest of the Greek Poets call the Supream Deity and the Original of all Beings by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Love And so Plato and his Disciples call the First Person in their Trinity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self goodness 'T is by this Vertue of Love that we are made partakers of the Divine Nature most eminently that being the Highest Perfection of the Image of God that we are capable of For God is Love not causally only but essentially Other Graces are from him Quicquid in Deo est Deus est but this is in him and whatsoever is so is himself Other Graces of Humility temperance and even those two mentioned by the Apostle together with this Faith and Hope do connotate something of imperfection incompetible to the Divine Nature But Love is Pure and Perfect Goodness Our English Name of God comes from Good And 't is observable from Exod. 34.6 where the name of God is proclaimed by himself most of the Royal Titles that make up the Dignity and Perfection of that Great Name are no other than a Comment upon this simple and Essential Attribute of Love The Lord passed by before him Moses and proclaimed The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping mercy for Thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin And 't is this Vertue of Love that makes us partakers of the Name of God in a qualified sense Homo homini Deus one man is a petty God to another as he is a Benefactor Such only were the Hero's and minor Deities of the Heathens Such as had been Eminent Benefactors to their Country in their Lives and were therefore Deified after their Death Such were all earthly Gods Kings and Princes they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benefactors Luke 22.25 So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used for a Prince and rendred by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth primarily signifie a Liberal Magnificent Benefactor I say therefore that Love is the most Divine Grace as having most of the Name and Nature of God in it On the contrary those Vicious Dispositions which are most directly opposite to Love are the most Satanical and Diabolical malice hatred envy c. 2. Charity is the most Christian Virtue most strictly charged by Christ himself by his special Command and signally expressed in his Singular Example Jo. 15.12 This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you The Pronoun my is Emphatical signifying the Special Weight that he puts upon this Commandment And this is the reason as St Hierom reports that was given by the Beloved Disciple St John when the question was put to him by his Auditors why he did so much in ulcate that Precept in his Preaching Filioli diligite alterutrum Little children love one another he answered quia est preceptum Domini because it was the Command of his Lord meaning the Special and Principal Commandment and that which being obeyed would secure the fulfilling of all the rest that concerned humane society and was most necessary for the Constitution and the Preservation of the Church Indeed all Societies are maintained by the common Cement of Amity nor can any subsist without it But the Christian Society was designed to be the most Perfect of any that was possible to be amongst men and therefore was necessary to be most strictly obliged to this Bond of Perfection And therefore This precept of Charity was by Christ perfected in the proper measures and significations thereof and to be extended to all Mankind without exception of enemies which by no other law of Heathens or Jews had been expressly required Amicos diligere omnium est inimicos solorum Christianorum Tertul. To love friends was a common acknowledged obligation and practice of all men but to love Enemies too was a pure Christian law Joh. 13.34 Mat. 5.44 A new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you He calls it a new Commandment notwithstanding it was as old as any other as old as Moses or Adam as to the matter and substance of it but almost antiquated by the manners of men and not well understood by the Jews and therefore was renewed by him who was the great Reformer of the world by his precept and example And this mutual love and amity was assigned by Him to be the badge and cognisance or mark of his Disciples whereby they should be known and distinguished from other People Joh. 12.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another And accordingly this was observed in the primitive times as the signal mark and distinction of Christians as is testified by Tertullian or Minutius Felix Vide inquiunt ut invicem se diligunt 3. Love is the most Spiritual Grace 'T is the first fruit of the Spirit in St. Pauls Catalogue Gal. 5.22 The fruit of the Spirit is Love c. And the rest that are added are no other then the known effects and symptoms of Love The fruits of the Spirit are Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Meckness c. 'T is the distinct character and proper attribute of the Holy Spirit as that name signifies the Third Person in the Blessed Trinity The three Primalities or signal properties noted in the Trinity of Persons are Power belonging to the Father Almighty Wisdome to the Son the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom are hid all the Treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 and Love to the Holy Ghost which is that which consummates the perfection of the Divine Nature rendring it infinitely good as well as great powerfull and wise And this Infinite Goodness is the flower and ultimate glory of the Divine Nature crowning his wisdom and power So that as the First Person in the Trinity may be esteemed the most Excellent in as much as it is the fountain and basis of the whole Deity and of all Being And the Second Person represented by the title of Wisdom called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ratio prima est substantialis is the first natural Emergency or advance of the same Being and therefore called the Son So the Third Person which is expressed by Love and is the immediate principle of all communication of Being and Goodness may in that respect be said to be flos gloria Deitatis the flower and glory and perfection of the whole Deity as the word Glory doth properly signifie the manifest ation and illustration of any Excellency CHAP. I. NOW the Text that I am treating of is an Exhortation to this most Divine most Christian most Spiritual Vertue emphatically expressed as a matter of greatest
Concern Above all things have fervent Charity among your selves And then urged with a strong argument or motive drawn from a special Effect and Consequent thereof For Charity shall cover a multitude of sins The Design of my present Discourse is chiefly upon this particular Argument or Motive which being well understood and firmly believed may be enough to save me the labour of adding many more found in other Texts some of which have been briefly touched in the foregoing Chapter and all or most of them amply set forth by others Dr. Is Barrow especially by a late worthy Person in his excellent Sermon upon the Subject of Charity Whereas that particular Argument which is alledged in this Text though it may have been mentioned by others hath not to my knowledge been so distinctly and largely discussed as the Weight and Efficacy of it seems to deserve There being no argument or motive to the practice of this Vertue more like to prevail with persons sensible of the multitude and danger of their sins than this if it may be admitted in the Sense hereafter declared For this is most notoriously known to have been the greatest and most effectual Motive to that one common and eminent branch of this great Vertue that hath in vulgar Speech monopolized the name of Charity viz. that of Alms and Beneficence This one simple Motive specified in this Text hath I believe prevailed more to this effect in all parts of Christendom with all sorts of Persons in their life time and at their death than all the rest And this especially with such People as being much sensible of their sins have desired to verifie the truth of their Repentance by bringing forth fruits worthy of it Amongst which there is none to be compared to the works of Charity Though indeed there be many other Fruits worthy of repentance in a just sense but not equal to this Such are all acts and works of extraordinary Devotion all practices of Pennance and Mortification which the Apostle calls judging of our selves 1 Cor. 11.31 And Revenge proceeding from a Godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7.11 The Schoolmen from the Latine Fathers especially St. Cyprian express them by the word Satisfaction an innocent word if rightly interpreted These are such as do chiefly consist in Fasting Watching and Afflicting the body by abstinence from lawfull Injoyments with various expressions of penetential Sorrows for sin and Subjugation of carnal lusts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle calls keeping under the Body and bringing it under subjection 1 Cor. 9.27 Not sparing the Body Col 2.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bodily Exercise he calls it elsewhere and acknowledges it to be profitable though but a little in comparison of true Godliness 1 Tim. 4.8 Hereunto belongs all that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard usage of the Body practised by the Asceticks in the ancient Church especially in the East where the severities of Monastick Life began and most prevailed in their course Diet hard Lodging and Clothing of Sackcloth and Haircloth The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Humicubation lying upon the ground c. which things have been over-acted and still are in the Greek and Roman Churches These things being cleared from that Superstition which they are liable to in the kinds and measures of them as also from such Hypocrisie as was practised by the Pharisees and is notorious in the later Ages of the Church are not to be rejected or denied to be proper and reasonable fruits and testimonies of Repentance as exercise of Self discipline and judging our selves that we may not be judged 1 Cor. 11.31 There are a multitude of Texts in the Old Testament wherein such Afflicting of our selves in testimony of repentance are not only approved but expresly enjoyned by God himself Lev. 16.29 31. cap. 23.27 32. Numb 29.7 Ezr. 8.21 Isa 58.3 as may be seen in the Texts quoted in the Margin many others that might be added And that this was no point of meer Jewish and Ceremonial Discipline may be confirmed from the Examples before quoted particularly from St. Paul in his own practice and the approbation of it in the Corinthians 2 Cor. 7.17 and the express precept of St. James Cap. 4.9 Be afflicted and mourn and weep Such affliction as naturally agreeable to the affection of Sorrow whiles we are mixt Creatures consisting of Body as well as Soul may be either imposed for satisfaction of Scandal and testimony of Repentance or voluntarily undertaken and practised by true Penitents to express before God their Humiliation and Godly sorrow But none of these things are in their kind such worthy fruits of Repentance or so acceptable to God as the special exercises of Charity Because none of them have any such intrinsick Goodness in them as is opposite to the Evil repented of or can be reasonably presumed to balance it none so available as Charity for the remission or expiation of the sin pardon that Word for the present which I shall interpret afterward in such a Sense as will appear to be nothing prejudicial to the Expiation by the Blood of Christ Charity is â—herefore most acceptable to God because most beneficial to Men and most agreeable to his own natural and essential Goodness Therefore doth God prefer Mercy which â—s but a branch of Charity before Sacrifice and all manner of outward Worship not Ceremonial only but also Moral and Natural as of Prayers and Praises Vid. Isa 1. v. 11. to the 19. To relieve the oppressed to judge the fatherless and to plead for the widow are named for things so acceptable and prevalent with God that he promiseth an intire pardon of the grossest sins to all them that joyn these things with the Essential duties of Repentance expressed ver 16. Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine Eyes cease to do evil learn to do well seek Judgment relieve the Oppressed judge the Fatherless plead for the Widow Come now let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow though they be like crimson they shall be as wooll that is the deepest dye and stain of them shall be quite taken out But of this more hereafter Come we now to the express Doctrine oâ— the Apostle in the words of the Text Charity doth will or shall cover a multitude of sins Such a variation of Lection iâ— found in the Greek Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alià s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the difference is not considerable Now concerning the nature of Charity with the Extent and various Effects thereof Though I might presume them to be so well known to any Reader that will be capable of understanding the future Discourse designed to be as plain as I am able to make it as makes it unnecessary to give any large Description thereof yet do I not judge it altogether needless to give any Account at all of it
Briefly then Charity or Love relating to our Neighbour as by the express words of the Text it doth is not to be confined to that one eminent Branch thereof which consists only in Alms or works of Beneficence because these are things which possibly may be done without any true Charity as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13.8 Though I give all my goods to feed the Poor and have not Charity which Supposition were absurd if it were simply impossible it profiteth me nothing Vain-glory carnal and worldly Ends and Interest may utterly destroy the notion and vertue of Charity in such Works And 't is possible for a man to exercise some acts of pretended Charity to such ends as are utterly repugnant to the Nature of it as when they are done of purpose to corrupt the Minds and Manners of them upon whom they are bestowed to entice them to Iniquity and to serve the ends of the Donor to the prejudice of the Receiver And where none of these things are designed a man may yet be otherwise as destitute of true Charity as the Devil is and as much tainted with those Viciosities that are most contrary to it Malice Envy Pride Cruelty c. and yet seem to be Charitable in his Alms. On the contrary a true and acceptable Charity may exist without them I mean without the outward Works and that only in case of Inability to afford them or want of Objects to receive them for otherwise the Disposition and Preparation of mind to afford them according to Ability and opportunity is in separable from any true and real Charity This possible Mistake grounded upon a vulgar use of the Word being prevented I say That Charity in the due extent of its Notion comprehends all the Good and excludes all the Evil that our Neighbour is capable of receiving from us or that we are capable of intending or extending to him Charity signifies all the benefit that is reasonably desirable from one Man to another All that can profit or reasonably please him all that can any way better his Condition present or future The Acts of it are as various and numerous as are the needs or capacities of advantage and benefit by our Neighbour in any kind To conclude Rom. 13.10 Charity imports an aversion or declining of all manner of Evil to him in Thought Word or Deed all Mis-affection to him all Mispeaking of him or to him and all Misdoing And not only all sorts of Injuries but all Unkindnesses inward of will and affections and outward of words actions and gestures He that desires any more Particular Character of this Vertue may find it set forth in that known Chapter of St Pauls first Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 13. And all that most exactly abridged by that General Precept of our Saviour of doing to others as we would be done to only the word do is therein to be extended as well to thoughts and words as to any sort of outward actions agreeable to the common use of the same word in our Language applied to thoughts and words as well as deeds whilst we say we do think and we do Love and we do speak Col. 3.17 Whatever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus c. Indeed thoughts and words are the most Peculiar of Humane Acts. This Precept I say in the due extent of it rightly interpreted by the Rules and Measures of a reasonable will which only can be understood in the sentence is the most Perfect Rule of Humane Equity that can be given in words comprehending also the utmost Perfection of Christian Charity Having now premised this brief Description of the Vertue of Charity I come to the Particular Argument or Motive whereby it is urged by the Apostle in this Text. Charity shall cover a multitude of sins And here I am to speak by way of Explication and Confirmation By way of Explication I shall make these three Inquiries First Whose sins they are which the Apostle means will be covered by Charity Secondly What 's meant by the covering of sins Thirdly What sort of sins will be covered by Charity and under what Limitations After I shall have given a Competent Explication of the Proposition in the resolution of these Questions I shall Confirm the General Doctrine from other Texts of Scripture with some Allegations of Reason and then answer some Objections like to be made against that Interpretation of the Text which I shall pitch upon and against the General Doctrine thereby asserted CHAP II. § 1. I Am to begin with the first Question viz. Whose sins they are which will be covered by Charity And here I find Interpreters differing some understancing the sins of others to whom the Charity is extended which is the sense accepted by most Protestants and some Pontificians And some the sins of the Charitable Person which for the Reasons hereafter to be advanced seems to me most probable and specially intended by the Apostle in this Text. Some also taking in both senses not without reason because so the Sentence is undoubtedly true Charity especially if it be servent will cover a multitude of sins both in the Charitable Person as shall be afterward confirmed and in other men to whom it is exercised And so both Senses are but distinct Verifications of the same words taken in the greatest amplitude of signification and containing in each Sense a strong motive to enforce the preceding Exhortation Above all things have fervent charity for c. Wherefore although I do in my own judgement prefer the second Sense as most specially intended by the Apostle and that is the main Argument and Design of my Discourse yet I shall not wholly neglect the other Sense importing a special Effect and Branch o◠that Charity which is here recommende◠to all Christians with the promise o◠declaration of so great a Reward as the covering of a multitude of sins in him than hath it which is that Sense of the word◠that I insist upon not only as the stronges◠Motive to enforce the Exhortation but also as most agreeable to the Context i◠this place I. This Sense if it may be allowed in the matter of it to express a certain truth as I doubt not to prove past all doubt from other Texts affords a Motive to the inforcement of the Apostles Exhortation so much more strong and effectual than the other Sense as the covering of a multitude of a mans own fins is a greater Benefit to him than the covering of any multitude of other mens sins can be and therefore the hopes of it must needs be most prevalent with any man that hath not more Charity for his Neighbour than he hath for himself Whereas therefore the scope of the Apostle in these words as appears by that Causal Particle For is only to press the foregoing Exhortation it seems not reasonable to abate the strength of his Argument by excluding the most perswasive
to serve him for the time to come in his own Person and then to bring over all Israel with him to the Obedience of the King 2 Sam. 3.10 And that the Practice of this great vertue of Charity in other Instances as well as this of endeavouring to Convert sinners from their evil Ways is the best Means of Satisfaction to God or appeasing his Wrath for sin may appear by these two Reasons 1. Because it is in it self most pleasing and acceptable to Him as most agreeable to his own Goodness 2. Because it tends to the procuring of much Glory to his Name as otherwise so by the Thanksgiving of many engaged by the Benefit of Charity extended to them redounding to the Glory of God 2 Cor. 1.11 4.15 If a Man hath incurred the just Displeasure of any Man what better means can be used to recover his Favour than by doing of such things as he knows to be most pleasing and acceptable to him or if he hath any way Dishonoured him what better Satisfaction can be done him towards the repairing of that Injury than by Endeavouring to promote his Honour effectually some other way CHAP. III. HAving thus sufficiently illustrated that Sense of the Text which seemeth to me most probable I am sensible of the Necessity of a further Confirmation thereof Wherein I think this Demand should not be denied me by any Indifferent Judge namely That if the Doctrine collected from this Interpretation be proved to be True and sufficiently Confirmable from other Scriptures this Interpretation hath a fair advantage of Preference before the other from the before noted Scope of the Context and the far greater Validity of the Argument thus understood to enforce the Exhortation that precedes it And therefore towards the better satisfaction of some prejudiced Readers whose Objections shall be considered in due place it will be necessary to shew the undeniable Truth of this Doctrine from other Texts of both Testaments which for their Number are far more than are absolutely necessary for the Confirmation of any Doctrine Nor should I think it reasonable to quote so many of them as I shall do were it not that by the same Labour I hope not only to demonstrate the Truth of this Doctrine but also to promote the Practice of the Apostles Exhortation upon this singular Motive added to many others which fall not within the compass of this Text. I say that by the many Texts by which I hope to make it appear that Charity to our Neighbours for Gods sake and with respect to his Will and good Pleasure is so much conducible to the Pardon of our sins the Practice of this Vertue will also appear more advisable to them that are least disposed to it than perhaps hath been formerly considered or understood by them And whereas most of the Texts which I shall alledge to this Purpose do seem to speak of a full and final Remission of all sins at the Day of Judgment I suppose it will be easily yielded by the Argument from the Greater to the Less that if Charity be available for Deliverance from the Eternal punishment of the Life to come it may well be concluded it may also avail for a Redemption from Temporal punishments in this Life which are justly to be feared or for an Abatement The first Argument which I shall produce for the Truth of this Doctrine shall be taken from those Texts which speak of such an Act of Charity as is more commonly understood in this Text namely That whereby we Cover the sins of others by Forgiving them their Trespasses against our selves And the express words of our Saviour Mat. 6.14 15. are that if ye forgive men their Trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you but if ye forgive not Men their Trespasses neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you By which Text it appears plainly that the Truth of that Sense of St. Peters words which I plead for is no other then a just Consequence of the other more commonly received That if it be true that Charity will cover a Multitude of sins in other Men it will also procure the same Effect to the Charitable Person that is cover a Multitude of sins in him he that forgives shall be forgiven And in another Evangelist we find our Saviour expresly directing us to this Work of Charity for the same End namely that our sins may be forgiven Mar. 11.25 When ye stand praying forgive if ye have ought against any that your Father which is in Heaven may forgive you your Trespasses But if you do not forgive neither will your Father which is in Heaven forgive your Trespasses That which our Saviour himself directs us to do for this End may it not be done by us to that End And is it not confidently to be believed to be Effectual and Available thereunto And is not the same Effect as manifestly implyed in that Prayer which our Saviour hath taught us Forgive us our Debts i. e. our sins as we forgive our Debters i. e. them that trespass against us Luke 11.4 Where the Particles As in the one Evangelist and For in the other do signifie the same thing namely A Motive used by our Saviours direction to promote the Effect of our Petition confirmed by an express Promise Luke 6.37 Forgive and ye shall be forgiven Add to this from the beginning of the same Sermon of our Blessed Saviour Mat. 5.7 Blessed are the Mercifull for they shall obtain Mercy and as Mercy in us is a Branch of Charity so the Covering or Pardon of sins is an eminent Part of that Mercy that is to be obtained thereby These Sentences of our Blessed Saviour together with divers others to the same Purpose I suppose might be alluded to by St. James in that Saying Jam. 2.13 For he shall have Judgement without Mercy that hath shewed no Mercy and Mercy rejoyceth against Judgement Mercy in the Text comprehends all works of Charity as well in the latter as in the former Clause They that would have the latter Clause to be understood only of the Mercy of God triumphing over his Justice seem not to consider the Context before and after these Words which apparently speaks of such Mercy and Charity as is to be exercised by Men toward their Brethren which being also the undoubted Meaning of the Word in this Verse the plain sense of the whole Verse can be no other than this that the Unmercifull man shall find no Mercy in the day of Judgment On the contrary that Mercy or the Mercifull man shall have his Judgment so tempered with Mercy as to give him cause of Rejoycing in that Day for Deliverance or Salvation from the Judgment of Condemnation or the Fear of it This Goodness or Mercy found in Men if it be true and sincere being the Effect of Gods Grace doth dispose and fit Men for Divine Mercy Mercy in the Person to be judged qualifies him for the Mercy of the Judge
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
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