torious Caufe fhould be a Formal Caufe, and that in the 11th. Article, no mention is made of a Formal Caufe, it remains, that the Merit of Chrift spoken of in the Article, is ei ther an efficient Canfe of Mans Juftification, or elfe none at all. And the fame is likewife manifeft from the Churches Homily referred to in the Article, in which we read Part 2. Par. 4. as follows, "You fhall understand "that in our Juftification by Chrift it is not "all one thing, the Office of God unto "Man, and the Office of Man unto God.

66

Juftification is not the Office of Man, but "of God; or Man cannot make himself righteous by his own Works, neither in 66 part, nor in the whole; for that were the "greateft Arrogancy and Prefumption of "Man that Antichrift could fet up against "God, to affirm, that Man might by his own Works take away and purge his own Sins, and fo juftifie himself. (What can well be more plain, unless it were expreffed in the very Language of the Schools, then, that God is here affirmed, and Man denied, to be the efficient Caufe of his Juftification?" But Juftification is the Office of God only, and 66 is not a thing which we render to him, "but which we receive of him,not which we give to him, but which we take of him

"by

"by his free mercy, and by the only merits "of his most dearly beloved Son, our only Redeemer, Saviour and Juftifier Jefus "Chrift. Here the free Mercy of God, and the Merits of Chrift are put together as Caufes of the fame kind, and who is ignorant that the free Mercy of God is an efficient Cause only of Juftification fo that the true understand"ing of this Dotrine, We be freely justified by Faith without Works, or that we be ju ftified by Faith in Chrifi only, is not, that "this our own Act to believe in Chrift, or "this our Faith in Chrift, which is within us doth juftifie us, and deferve our Juftifi"cation, (for that were to count our felves to be juftified by fome Act or Vertue with"in our felves.) The Act or Vertue here mentioned being fet in oppofition to the Merits of Christ, which are an efficient Cause, 'tis in effect, as if it were faid, The Merit of Christ only, and not any Act or Virtue of our own whatsoe ver, is the efficient Cause of our Juftification.) "But the true understanding and meaning hereof, is, that although we hear Gods "Word and believe it,and although we have "Faith, Hope and Charity, Repentance, "Dread and Fear of God within, and do

ક

never fo many Works thereunto, yet we "muft renounce the merit of all our faid

"Virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity, and "all other Vertues and good Works, which "we either have done, fhall do, or can do, "as things that be far too weak and unfuf "ficient and imperfect to deserve remiffion "of our Sins and our Juftification, and "therefore we must truft only in Gods Mer

cy, and that Sacrifice which our High "Prieft and Saviour offered upon the Crofs. (Lo here again Chrifts Merits and Mans are fet one against the other, which would be impertinent, if they were not spoken of the fame fort of Causes, but of Caufes different in kind, and a meritorious Caufe is an efficient Cause, as was feen above.) The Merit of Chrift then in the 11th. Article of our Religion, is not to be understood of the Formal Cause of Mans Juftification or Righteousness, but of the efficient Cause thereof; in respect of which, I affert it to be moft truly faid, that, We are justified by Faith only, because by it alone Chrifts Merits are applied to us.

SECT.

SECT. XII.

Neither by the Light of Nature, nor by the Law of Mofes, without Christ could ever any, either few or Gentile, be eternally fav ed, and come to Glory, but through him both of them might. The Chriftian Religi on is in many respects preferable to the Law of Nature, and the Law of Mofes. The Injunction of the Judaical Ordinances, Rites, and Ceremonies had a farther Tendency then the exacting of meer Obedience.

I.

Ince the ultimate End of creating Man was that he might be eternally happy through the perfect Love of God for ever (Sect. 4.) it plainly follows, that, inafmuch as no man fince Adams Fall, can attain to the perfect Love of God, but through Chrift, (Sect. 9. and 11.) There is none other Name under Heaven given among Men, whereby we must be faved, Acts 4. 12.

2. For though fome few do by nature (i. e. the Light of natural Reafon) the things contained in the Law (viz, the Moral, for the Gentiles could not by the Law of Na. ture obferve the Ceremonial Law of the M 2 Jews)

.

Jews) Rom. 2. 14. by being brought through a ferious Confideration of the glorious Structure of the World, more especially of Man himself; and of Gods Providence in preferving and governing all things, to adore the Divine Majefty, to pray to him, and to praife him as the Author of all Good, and thence contract an habitual Love to him above the Enjoyment of the vain Pleafures of the World. And albeit many by the Law of Mofes have not only obtained the habit of Charity, but have alfo acquired an high degree and measure thereof, yet in that neither Jew nor Gentile could ever without Chrift attain to the perfect Love of God, Sect.9.and 11.)'tis clear,that through Christ they must do it, if ever they arrive at eternal Blifs.

3. Which most bleffed State, forasmuch as God is no respecter of Perfons, but in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him, Acts 10.34,35. and that he who habitually loves God above all things, is Righteous, (Sect. 11.) every one, who

Love departs this Life with an habitual

Love to God, fhall at length obtain. For feeing all must appear before the Judgment Seat of Chrift, that every one may receive the things done in his Body, according to that he

hath