Sense of his words and confining it without necessity to any other of less concern and weaker efficacy as most clearly that is which respects only the sins of other men But that which most strongly confirms this to be the special Sense of the Apostles words is to be collected from the Connexion of this Verse with the foregoing wherein he forewarneth the Jewish Christians to whom the Epistle is directed of a Fatal End that was near at hand and thereupon adviseth them what they should do to secure themselves in that event The end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer And above all things have fervent Charity among your selves for Charity will cover a multitude of sins Whether by the end of all things be meant the End of the world according to the common Interpretation and that said to be at hand in a certain Latitude of sence because it was now the last time the last hour the last days as was elsewhere frequently declared by himself and his fellow Apostles 1 Pet. 1.5 and 2 Pet. 3.3 Heb. 1.2 Jam. 5.3 1 Jo. 2.18 Jude 18. Meaning the last Age of the World whereof although the duration was not to be so short as might then be imagined from such words as these yet it was not to be long in the eyes of God with whom a thousand years are but as one day as he advertiseth them in his second Epistle Chap. 3.8 I say whether it be the end of the World or which is more probable to be the Apostles meaning the Fatal Destruction of the obdurate Jews their Nation Politie Royal City and Temple foretold by Christ himself and often spoken of by his Apostles which was then very near indeed This being the ground and occasion of the Apostles Exhortation to fervent Charity leads us to the most reasonable Interpretation of these latter words of the verse For Charity will cover a multitude of sins That is when the end of all things which is near at hand shall come fervent Charity added to and joyned with Repentance signified by the foregoing expressions of Sobriety Watching and Praying is the likeliest means to propitiate the wrath of God deserved by a multitude of sins and to save you from the formidable judgement of God which is to be expected I appeal to any indifferent Person whether this coherence of the Apostles words doth not determine his meaning to relate to the sins of the Charitable Person much rather than the sins of others For although it be no less true that the same Vertue of Charity will cover a multitude of sins in other men in such a sence as shall be declared afterward yet how that should be referred as by the Context in this place it is to the end of all things That is how Charity should cover a multitude of sins in other Persons when the end of all things is come is hard to conceive but easie enough to understand how it may then cover a multitude of sins in the Charitable Person as shall be shewed in its due place The most rational Objection against this Interpretation and Argument for the preference of the other Sense is raised from a parallel Text Prov. 10.12 Hatred stirreth up strife but Love covereth all sins And if the Apostles words seeming to be borrowed from that Sentence must receive the same Interpretation with that it must necessarily be understood of other mens sins by the two contrary effects of Love and Hatred set forth in that Text the one stirring up strife the other preventing it by covering the faults of other men by not taking notice of them or looking favourably upon them in order to a peaceable and friendly living with them But to this Objection it may be answered 1. That it is not evident that St Peter did intend any quotation of that Proverb there being no such intimation in the Apostles words as usually there is when any Text of the Old Testament is cited in the New by those words as it is written or other like not found in this place But to this Objection together with some others a fuller answer shall be made afterward § 2. The probability of this Sense being thus declared from the Context the Truth of it remains to be further confirmed from many other Texts of Scripture but I suspend the addition of them till I have answered the second Question viz. Supposing the sins spoken of in this Sentence to be the sins of the Charitable person the question is what 's meant by the word Covering or in what Sense they may be said to be covered by Charity The Answer to this Question is to be collected from the ordinary use of the same Phrase in other places of Scripture wherein it is frequently used to express the pardon or forgiveness of sin as Rom. 4.7 quoting Psal 32.1 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered So Psal 85.2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy People thou hast covered all their sins In these Texts I suppose no doubt can b◠made but that the Covering of sin signifies the same thing with the Forgiving So Neh. 4.5 Cover not their iniquities an◠let not their sin be blotted out i. e. let i◠not be forgiven And because Covering a◠thing is one way of hiding therefore ou◠Translators have rendred the same Greek word used in another Text of like signification by the word Hiding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 5.20 He which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a Soul from death and shall hide a multitudes of sins i. e. shall procure the Pardon of them as the words are commonly interpreted or shall obtain the Forgiveness of a multitude of sins in himself as the learned Grotius and Dr. Hammond interpret them agreeable to the fore-given sense of the same Words in our Text. The converting of a sinner from the errour of his Way is an eminent act of Charity whensoever it is industriously sought and intended whatever the success be Nor is there any appearance of Incongruity to say or suppose that to endeavour the Conversion of an other man and thereby to procure the Pardon of his sins should be available towards the obtaining of a pardon of sins in the charitable Procurer For if that Sense which I have given of the words of St. Peter be admitted to import a certain Truth as I doubt not to evince from many other Texts afterward the like Sense of this of St. James whether by him intended or not will necessarily follow to contain the same Truth The Converting of a sinner or the sincere and earnest Endeavour thereof being as before was said an eminent act of Spiritual Charity But for the probability of that Sense of St. James his words I must at this time refer the Reader to the Notes of the forenamed Doctor upon the Text because it would be too great an Excursion to undertake the Confirming
exactly the Merits and Circumstances of every mans case that is to be tryed before him and who will be Advocate as well as Judge for every sinner as far as his case will bear And therefore as in humane Judicature or Exercise of distributive Justice amongst men when a Criminal is to be judged although his case be such as can neither admit of a Justification nor yet of a Plenary Pardon yet it is thought no more than reasonable that some consideration should be had of the rest of his Life especially if there be any Good Evidence of any Special Laudable Actions done by him they may be considered toward the abatement of utmost severity in the Penalty where any such abutement is possible as in Punishments which are not Capital So though I cannot assure any man that it shall be so in the case of any Persons falling under the necessary Sentence of Condemnation yet I think there is some Reason to hope that he that hath shewed Mercy to Men in this Life though he be not saved may find some Mercy in the degrees of his Punishment And that not only upon the account of such an abatement of his Guilt as was before signified respecting his sins of omission but also with respect to his sins of commission That there will be some kind of Counterpoise or Ballance of Good and Evil Works in the Divine Judgement and execution of Justice is not in my opinion to be rejected as a meer Rabinical or Platonical conceit Mal poâ—se qui ne contre poise Is the French Prov. though it be so too but seems to be in some measure probable as it is agreeable to the nature of Justice exercised amongst men privately and publickly The Summ of what I have said in the Explication of that Sense of the Apostles words which I here maintain is this That Charity if it be sincere as the Fruit of an unfeighed Faith and Repentance will be available towards a plenary Covering or Remission of a mans sins at the last Judgement If it be not so yet it will procure him some Remission at least if not Exemption from temporal Punishment in this Life besides other positive Rewards ordinarily given to the practice of this Vertue and may also be available towards the Abatement of the Degrees of positive Punishment in the Life to come I say of Positive Punishment commonly called Paena Sensûs Pain or Punishment of Sense because the Privative Punishment Poena Damni the Punishment of Loss can admit of no degrees of Abatement For the loss of Eternal Life will be equal to all that are not saved and can be no other from the Nature of the thing though the sense and affliction of that Loss may differ much according to the different capacities Men were in to obtain that Life and the inequality of the Means thereof received and rejected or neglected For in this respect the Loss of Eternal Life will be more tolerable as our Saviour saith for Sodom and Gomorrah for Tyre and Sidon that never had the like means of Salvation though they were not excluded from all means or possibility thereof then it will be for Bethsaida or Capernaum And so it will be proportionably for all People under like Inequality of the means of Life neither is it possible for any Person that never had any such Means as some other had and therefore cannot be guilty of Rejecting or Neglecting them I say it is not possible for any such Person to fall under the same Degrees of that necessary Punishment of the never-dying Worm as that is supposed to signifie the anguish and torment of the guilty Conscience This natural punishment of the Afflicted or afflicting Conscience for the same Reason must needs be abated also to him that hath done some Good works of Charity in this Life because his Conscience cannot charge him at the same rate as it must needs do him that hath totally neglected them under an equal or larger Ability Whether the substance of this Interpretation of the Text either necessary or most probable must be left to the judgment of the Reader but that it is neither Popish nor Singular as some may be ready to charge it I must take leave to challenge whiles I find that this Sense of the Words hath neither been received by all Papists nor rejected by all Protestants Some of the Pontificians baulking this Interpretation as Estius Tirinus and others which I insist upon do give the same which is given by most Protestants namely That Charity will cover the sins of other Men not the sins of the Charitable Person in such a Sense as is hereafter to be declared And some Eminent Protestants do admit that other Sense which I prefer as most probable And that not only in this Text but also in that of St. James wherein the same Phrase is used Jam. 5.20 He which converteth a sinner from the Errour of his ways shall save a Soul from Death and shall hide a Multitude of sins The origiginal Words are the same in both Texts and are thus Paraphrased by a Learned Doctor of our own Church Dr. Hammond It is a most excellent glorious Work which he hath wrought the Effect of which is that God will free him on whom this Change is wrought from Death eternal and perhaps from present temporal Death through Sickness fallen upon him for that sin vid. v. 15. And besides he will accept and reward the Charity of him that hath wrought that good Work with the free Discharge of whatsoever sins he hath formerly been guilty of but hath now repented of See the same Authors Annotation upon the Text. This Sense is agreeable to the words of the Prophet Daniel Dan. 12.3 They that turn many to Righteousness shall shine as the Stars for ever viz. in Heavenly Glory which necessarily implyes a Remission of their sins And why the zealous Endeavouring to convert sinners from the Error i. e. evil of their Way should be available to procure the Covering of a multitude of sins in him that makes it his care and study so to do a very good Reason may be given from the nature of the Act which imports one of the best Testimonies of Repentance that can be In that Penetential Psalm wherein David sues to Almighty God for the Pardon of his gross sins of Murder and Adultery he urges this as a Motive towards the obtaining of his Request Psal 5.13 Then will I teach Transgressors thy Ways and sinners shall be converted unto Thee And surely no greater Reparation can be made by sinfull man to Almighty God for the dishonour done to his Majesty by his own sins than when the penitent sinner together with his own Hearty repentance and amendment of Life shall endeavour also as much as lies in his power the Conversion of other sinners unto God So did Abner design to make his peace with King David after his professed Enmity and Rebellion first by Promising
to the Ability of the Giver signified by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth indeed import something of a true and real Purification of the Heart as it is an effect of Charity which is the best Fruit of an unreigned Repentance whereby the soul is cleansed from the guilt and pollution of sin For there are two Parts of Repentance the First is to cease to do Evil and the Second to learn to do Well As 't is described by the Prophet Isay Chap. 1. v. 16 17 18. A Text which I am to urge afterward as a pregnant Confirmation of the Doctrine asserted in this Discourse John the Baptist preaching the Baptism of Repentance for the Remission of sins presseth this upon his Auditory that they should bring forth Bruits worthy of Repentance So did St. Paul in all places where he preached Acts. 26.20 exhorting them to repent and turn to God and do Works meet for Repentance such indeed are all manner of Good Works and Abstaining from Evil And works of Mercy and Alms-giving being most eminent amongst Good Works are by a common Synechdoche of the Part for the Whole put for all Good Works And the whole business of Repentance is sometime described by them as shall be shewn from several Texts of the Old Testament which remain to be quoted in their due place But as to the Sense of that Speech of our Saviour which I am yet speaking of it seemeth to agree with that of St. Paul Tit. 1.15 Vnto the Pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their Mind and Conscience is defiled Where St. Paul speaks of all sorts o◠Meats and other Creatures of God as our Saviour doth in this Speech declaring the Use of them to the Pure i. e. to all penitent Believers opposed to them that are defiled and unbelieving whose Mind and Conscience is defiled with sin unrepented of are pure The only Difference of these two Sayings seemeth to be this That whereas St. Paul speaks of a general Purity our Saviour expresseth the same thing Synechdochically by a particular eminent Instance of Good Works supposed to proceed from a common principle of Sanctification Purity of Heart To conclude my Animadversion upon the Text that which our Saviour means is as if he had said to go about to cleanse the Body without regard to the Soul is vain and unprofitable But on the contrary the Soul being cleansed by Repentance testified by such an eminent Fruit of it as is the giving of Alms supposed to be considerable in their Measure and proportionable to the Ability of the Giver all things not forbidden by God are clean and free to be used without fear of Pollution and with confidence of his Blessing If this be not the Meaning of our Saviour in this obscure Text. I know not what it should be But if it be so it plainly and fully confirms the Doctrine which I have in hand viz. that Charity is a special and effectual means for the Covering of sin which is all one with the Cleansing from the Guilt of it But some Protestant Expositor prejudiced against this Doctrine have utterly changed the Sense of our Saviour in this Speech which they will not allow to be designed by him for any Direction or Declaration of the means of Cleansing men from the Guilt of sin But to be spoken Ironically in reference to a common Opinion and Doctrine of the Jews See Dr. Lightfoots Horae Hebr. viz. that Alms is equipollent to all the precepts of the Law and enough to purge away sin and save from Hell and this Sentence to be cited from them by way of Irrision and Reprehension rather then with Approbation and so not to be uttered as his own words or meaning but this Interpretation seems to be forced as having no other Foundation then the Prejudice of the Authors against the Doctrine which we are treating of confirmed by this and the forementioned Saying of our Saviour I shall add but one Text more out of the New Testament viz. that of St. Paul Hebr. 13.16 To do good and to distribute forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased Where I shall not insist upon the Latine Translations which may seem more expressly to favour our Doctrine by the words promeretur vulg placatur vel conciliatur signifying God to be appeased reconciled and made friends by works of Charity But content my self with our English Translation most literally agreeable to the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is well pleased Which word doth as truly though not so expressly confirm our Doctrine as any of the Latine Words forementioned used by Learned Interpreters do For whatsoever Good Works God is truly pleased with must needs be profitable to the averting his Displeasure from the Person that doth them if he be any ways liable thereto and whatsoever tends to the Averting his Displeasure tends equally to the Averting the Punishment of sin which is the Sense that I assert of St. Peters phrase of Covering of sins Nor can God be well pleased with any Action of a sinner till he be in some measure at least reconciled to him and disposed to the Pardon of his sin Other Texts out of the New Testament will be alledged afterward in Answer to the Objections against the Doctrine At present I shall only add a few more of equal Authority out of the Old Testament beginning with that of Solomon Prov. 14.21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth but he that hath mercy on the poor happy is he The English Annotation upon this Text commonly attributed to the Assembly of Divines is remarkable in these words He that will not give to the poor shall be punished as a sinner although he takes nothing from them or because it is the Propriety and Priviledge of Charity to cover a multitude of sins Jam. 5.20 and 1 Pet. 4.8 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth may be also and is by some interpreted shall be found a sinner all his sins shall be reckoned unto him and he shall be punished without any mitigation So 1 Kin. 1.21 I and my son shall be sinners that i◠shall be proceeded against as offenders sin will be imputed unto us Where we find the same Interpretation of the Text in St. Peter which is given by us allowed by these Annotators who are far enough from all suspicion of favour to any Popish Doctrines Notwithstanding the same Interpreters do give the other Sence of St. Peters words only in their Notes upon that place making them to relate to the sins of others thereby making peace But this Interpretation is grounded only upon the parallel Text of the Proverbs cited by them and as they think by the Apostle which Objection hath been answered before Now the forementioned Sence of the first Branch of the Text Prov. 14.21 given by the Annotator doth determine the second by way of opposition to the first to
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
make use of Texts and Sayings in the Old Testament in a different Sence from that which did belong to them there As in Mat. 2.15 and 23. 2 Cor. 8.15 and elsewhere frequently And this Answer I take to be sufficient for this first Objection against our Interpretation of St. Peters words 2. Objection But another main Objection and that which is most like to be insisted upon against this Interpretation is that it seems to favour the Popish Doctrines of Merit Satisfaction and Justification by Works and to be repugnant to the Evangelical Doctrine of the most full perfect and sufficient Expiation and Satisfaction for the sins of the whole World made only by the Sacrifice of Christs death and applied only by Faith The covering and pardon of sin is the Effect of Gods grace granted only upon the consideration of Christs death upon condition of a true Faith in him wrought by the Spirit of God through the hearing of the Gospel Answer To this Objection I answer 1. That although some Papists interpreting this Text as I do may be found to alledge it among other Texts for the confirmation of some of the Doctrines mentioned in the Objection yet neither is this Sense vouched by all Interpreters of their Profession nor can any of those Doctrines be further evinced or confirmed from this Text so understood then it may be from other Texts before alledged for the Confirmation of the Doctrine against which the Objection is made Nor is the free grace of God or the sufficiency of that Expiation or Satisfaction which was made by the death of Christ any more abated by this Doctrine than it is by that which all the forementioned Texts import 2. The words Merit and Satisfaction are known to have been familiarly used in reference to Good Works by the most ancient of the Latin Fathers and particularly by St. Cyprian one of the most Primitive in a Catholick Orthodox Sense Both the words are Innocent in the Sense of the Fathers though they have been perverted by the Schoolmen And Justification by Works is certainly as true in St. James's Sence as 't is false in St. Pauls The late Controversies that have been concerning these Points do not so much respect the words as the extravagant Sense that hath been put upon them by the Schoolmen who have intangled and corrupted a great part of Christian Doctrine by their misinterpreting the Fathers determining the simplicity of their Popular Expressions by their own Capricious and Litigious Conceits into such Dogmatical Sense as was never thought of by the Antients But in the particular Controversies about Merit Satisfaction and Justification by Works there hath been so much of Logomachy or word-bate as might in my opinion be fairly compromised or accorded by Judicious Arbitratours whose minds were free from all prejudice but that against Contention and Division and were more zealous for Unity and Concord than for disputable and opinionative Truth But for to undertake that task in this place would not be reasonable That all Pardon of sin is founded upon the Expiation or Propitiation made by the Bloud of Christ and granted or obtained only by the Free Grace of God is not denied by any Sect or Party of Christians that I know of Although some Differences have been about the Conditions of this Grant For to say that this Grace is granted without any Condition or Qualification of the Receiver is in my Judgment to deny a great part of the Scriptures as well of the New Testament as of the Old destructive as well of the New Covenant as of the Old no more Antinomian than Anti-evangelical Doubtless it is of Free Grace that God will pardon a sinner upon any Condition Nor is it possible for us to do any thing sufficient to make Satisfaction for our sins or to merit the Forgiveness of them in rigor of Justice because all that is in our Power to do is no more then our Duty if God requires it And all that we do is much less And as the duty of Well doing in the utmost Extent is a just Debt of Thankfulness at least if not of Preceptive Obligation to Almighty God to whom we owe our selves and all that we have or can do So the Punishment we are liable to for neglecting our Duty or acting contrary thereunto in our Evil doings is another Debt by our Saviours account signified to us in that Form of Prayer which he hath taught us to use Forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors Mat. 6.12 But it is altogether unreasonable one Debt can be discharged by the Payment of another especially when the Payment falls so much short of the old Debt as it doth in any thing we do Besides that upon a due account Charity it self and every Good Work that can be done by us doth increase our debt to God because it cannot be done without his Grace Nevertheless God of his Free Grace hath promised the Remission of sin upon certain Conditions declared in his Word amongst which this of Charity is one that by a common Synechdoche of a Part for the Whole includes all the rest And whereas in the New Testament Faith in Christ is more commonly propounded as the Condition of Justification importing the Remission of sin it is to be considered that this Faith is so far from excluding Charity that it is expressly said to include it by St. Paul himself the supposed Author of the Doctrine of Justification by Faith without Works Gal. 5.6 For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be to be understood in a Passive sense as most commonly it is elsewhere in Scripture and in other Books and as it is here rendred by the Syriack Translator and so meaning that Faith is actuated perfected and made effectual by Love or in the Active sense as our English Translation gives it signifying the Efficacy Energy or Operation of Faith only The Meaning of the Apostle by the Addition of these Words can be no other then to limit and distinguish the nature of that Faith which is available to Justification from an hypocritical dead and ineffectual Faith which is altogether invalid availing nothing at all to the Effect of Justification The Active sense of the Word as well as the Passive serving to declare the true Nature and Notion of a Justifying Faith to be Energetical and Practical i. e. producing such effects of the Will as are agreeable to the entire Object of it that is to the Authority of Christ his Doctrine and Precepts as well as such as respect only the Effect of Redemption or Expiation of sin by his Death And such is the necessity of this Charity by the Doctrine of the same Apostle that he elsewhere saith Though I have all Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing 1 Cor. 13.3