nor ever will have any true faith in Jefus Chrift. According to the doctrine of all the Antinomians, the elect are all justified before faith; as already has been obferved.

When these therefore fpeak of juftification by faith, they mean no more, than that faith gives us the comfortable evidences of that state of peace and favour with God, which we were in before: or that it enables our consciences now to pronounce the fame fentence concerning our ftate, which our Judge had pronounced before we were born.

I am fure I need no arguments to convince you, that thefe principles are diametrically contrary to the fentiments fet before you, in some of my former letters. All that is therefore needful to give you a furfeit of these Antinomian and Moravian tenets, is only to give you a very brief view of the fcripture doctrine with refpect to our juftification before God; and then, fet before you fome of the dreadful confequences, that muft neceffarily follow from the wild and extravagant, fcheme I am oppofing.

The fcriptures every where fhew us, that we are juftified through faith; that Chrift's righteoufnefs is received by faith; and that righteoufnefs fhall be imputed to us, if we believe. But no where do they make mention of our juftification as prior to our believing in Chrift. Thus we are taught, that the righteousness of God is by faith of Jefus Chrift, unto all, and upon all them that believe; that God bath fet forth Chrift to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteoufnefs for the remiffion of fins, Rom. iii. 22, 25. Now then can it poffibly be true, that we are juftified in the fight of God before we believe in Chrift; and yet interested in the righteousness of God by the faith of Jefus Chrift? Can it be true, that Chrift is our propitiation, and declares his righteousness for the remiflion of our fins, through faith in his blood; and yet that his propi. tiation and his righteoufnefs for the remiffion of our fins are applied to us before, and without any faith in his blood? The fcriptures teach us, that the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, Rom. i. 17. and that there is one God who fball justify the circumcifion by faith,

and uncircumcifion through faith, Rom. iii. 30. Can there be a greater inconfiftency and contradiction ima. gined, than is between the following propofitions, viz. That the beginning, the continuance, and the accom plishment of our actual intereft in the righteoufnefs of Chrift for our juftification is by faith, or that both the circumcifion and the uncircumcifion (that is, all men without difference) are juftified by and through faith; and yet, that the righteoufnefs of Chrift was actually imputed to us, and we are accepted as righteous in the fight of God, not only before we did believe, but before it was poffible for us to believe, in the Lord Jefus Chrift? The fcriptures teach us, that a man is juftified by faith, without the deeds of the law, Rom. iii. 28. that God imputeth righteousness without works, Rom. iv. 6. that we are juftified by the faith of Jefus Chrift, Gal. ii. 16. that we are juftified by his grace, Titus iii. 7. that we are faved by grace, through faith, Eph. ii. 8. that righte oufnefs is imputed to all that believe, Rom. iv. 11. and that we must be found in Chrift, not having our own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Chrift, the righteoufnefs which is of God by faith, Phil. iii. 9. But I fhould weary your patience, fhould I go on to enumerate quotations of this kind. This is the conflant language of the word of God. These wild notions of the Antinomians are therefore as repugnant to the whole tenor of the fcriptures, as they are to reafon and common sense.

I am aware, that they have an evafion at hand, by which they pretend to folve this difficulty: and that is, that our juftification by faith means no more than the manifeftation of our juftification to our own confciences; or an inward perfuafion and fatisfaction of our juf tified state. But this is too trifling, to deserve any feri. ous confideration. Is not faith, according to them, a perfuafion of our juflified ftate? And are faith and juf tification the fame thing? Are we justified by faith; and yet are we to confider faith as our juftification itself? If faith be a perfuafion of our intereft in Chrift and our actual falvation by him, and if juftification likewife be a perfuafion of our intereft in Chrift and our actual falvation by him, then faith is justification and juslification is

faith; the terms are convertible, and mutably imply each other: and confequently we can, with no propriety of expreffion, be faid to be justified by faith. This glofs of theirs is not therefore to explain fcripture; but to render it obfcure, inconfiftent, and unintelligible. There is nothing more plainly, exprefly, and repeatedly affirmed in fcripture, than that we are juftified by faith, and through faith: and that the righteoufnefs of Chrift becomes ours by or through faith: and if this means no more than that we have the knowledge, the manifeftation or perfuafion of our juftification by faith, then language can be no longer ufeful to convey ideas: for the words may be interpreted in any other fenfe, with as much propriety as in this, forced upon them by our Antinomian interpreters. If it be but the knowledge or perfuafion of our juftification, that is afcribed to faith, then we may as properly be faid to be elected by faith, to be created by faith, or to be redeemed by faith, as to be juftified by faith. For we have the knowledge or perfuafion of thofe things by faith, as well as of this: And the expreffion (fo underflood) is juft as abfurd and ridiculous in this case, as in the other.

Befides declarative or manifeftative juftification is not by faith alone, but by works alfo ; as the apoftle James largely fhews us, throughout the second chapter of his epiftle. It is therefore evident and certain, that where the fcripture fpeaks of our juftification by faith alone, without the deeds of the law, it cannot intend a mere declarative or manifeftative, but an actual fentential juftification; unless we would put the fcripture into higheft oppofition and contrariety to itself.

But it is now high time I fhould proceed to the fe cond thing propofed; which is, to confider fome of the horrible confequences, that muft neceflarily flow from this Antinomian scheme.

It muft follow from this doctrine of theirs, that there are many unbelievers, who are not in a state of condemnation, and are not the objects of God's wrath and difpleafure; though our Lord himself affures us, that he who believeth not, is condemned already; and hath the wrath of God abiding on him, John iii. 18. 36. For

there can be no greater repugnancy, than to be juftified and condemned at the fame time. And this may probably be Count Zinzendorf's meaning, in that odd fay. ing of his He that will condemn natural men, who neither have nor can have the Lord Jefus in their < hearts, meddles with an affair, that does not at all belong to him.' Redempt. of Man, p. 70.

It will alfo follow from hence, that there is no need of any care or pains, to get into a state of peace or favour with God. For why should I take pains to obtain, what I have already; or else what it is impoffible that I ever should have? It is enough, upon this fuppofal, to attend the Count's advice, page 29. Here one should do nothing, but quietly attend the voice of the Lord.'There can be no need to excite any to the use of means: but according to another direction of his, p. 90.

6

As

long as people purfue their finful courfes with pleafure, and do not fee their danger, one must have pa tience with them.'

.120.

It will likewife follow, that the more confidence the greatest finner in the world entertains, of the safety of his ftate by the merits of Chrift, the nore acceptable will he be to God; and the more will he promote his own happiness. Thus prefumption is fo far from being finful or dangerous, that it is our greatest duty and fafc ty. This confequence the Count feems to allow, page There is (fays he) no finner, to whom Satan has not loft all his claim. Ye whoremongers and thieves, ye revengeful and murderers, ye liars, and whoever ye are, ye fearful and unbelieving, that hear and read this, will ye be faved? Believe then, that Jefus has atoned and paid a ranfom for you all; and that you may experience it this very moment ; and know that ye have been healed by his wounds, and by his ftripes. Take the absolution, look upon him, believe and rejoice; arife, gird yourselves, and run.' How pleafing muft fuch doctrine as this be to bold, carelefs, impenitent finners I

It will moreover follow, that no man need to have any apprchenfiens of danger, from any courfe of finning, be he as bold in impiety, as daring and impenitent in his fins, as he pleafe. For if he be juftified already, and all

he has to do is to be perfuaded of it, and to take comfort in the reflection, his confcience may be eafy and pleasant. Or if he be not juftified already, he never will; and it is in vain to fright himself about it. He may therefore fafely agree with the Count, that ⚫ Sin is the most miferable and mean thing under the fun, not worth our thoughts. Sin has no right nor power, nor is it worthy of our leaft regards He need not fo 'much as look upon fin; nor think it worthy of one • caft of his eyes,' page 137. For it is alfo true, that finning is not the cause of rejection, according to the New Teftament,' page 16. What is the natural language of this doctrine, but an exhortation to finners to go on courageously in their fins, without care or fear? It will in like manner follow from this doctrine, that as there is no duty neceffary for our fafety, being justified before we were born, fo that there can be no duty but a perfuafion of our good ftate, neceflary for our comfort. This the Count fully acknowledges. There is (fays he) but one duty, which is that of believing,' page 193. Holiness is a nature; but not a duty, as 'morality dreams,' page 165. What foit of a world would there quickly be, if mankind could generally fuppofe themselves releafed from all duty, either to God, to our neighbour, or to ourselves!

You may perhaps imagine, that we are not to take an estimate of the Antinomians principles, from the Count's conceffions. But as their doctrines in the point under confideration, are the fame, fo the confequences from them all are the fame; whether they do fo readily fee, or fo ingenuously own thefe confequences or not. I hope by this time, you are convinced of the horrible inconfiftency of this fcheme; and even of its repugnancy to the very first principles of reason and common fenfe.

How extravagant is the pretence of the actual justification of a non-entity; of pardon to those who never offended; or of reconciliation to God, before there was any distance or alienation from him! But this was done in the eternal counfel of God. Very well! Let these Antinomians alfo publish for hiftorical truth, that the man Chrift Jefus was born of the virgin Mary, and suffered under Pontius Pilate, even before Adam was cre