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I am aware, that they have an evasion at hand, by which they pretend to solve this difficulty; and that is, that our justification by faith means no more than the manifestation of our justification to our own consciences, or an inward persuasion and satisfaction of our justified state. But this is too trifling to deserve any serious consideration. Is not faith, according to them, a persuasion of our justified state? And are faith and justification the same thing? Are we justified by faith, and yet are we to consider faith as our justification itself? If faith be a persuasion of our interest in Christ and our actual salvation by him, and if justification likewise be a persuasion of our interest in Christ and our actual salvation by him, then faith is justification, and justification is faith; the terms are convertible, and mutually imply each other; and consequently we can, with no propriety of expression, be said to be "justified by faith." This gloss of theirs is not, therefore, to explain Scripture; but to render it obscure, inconsistent, and unintelligible. There is nothing more plainly, expressly, and repeatedly affirmed in Scripture, than that we are justified by faith, and through faith; and that the righteousness of Christ becomes ours by or through faith; and if this means no more than that we have the knowledge, the manifestation, or persuasion of our justification by faith, then language can be no longer useful to convey ideas; for the words may be interpreted in any other sense, with as much propriety as in this forced upon them by our Antinomian interpreters. If it be but the knowledge or persuasion of our justification that is ascribed to faith, then we may as properly be said to be elected

by faith, to be created by faith, or to be redeemed by faith, as to be justified by faith. For we have the knowledge or persuasion of those things by faith, as well as of this; and the expression (so understood) is just as absurd and ridiculous in this case, as in the other.

Besides, declarative, or manifestative justification, is not by faith alone, but by works also; as the apostle James largely shows us, throughout the second chapter of his epistle. It is therefore evident and certain, that where the Scripture speaks of our justification by "faith alone, without the deeds of the law," it cannot intend a mere declarative or manifestative, but an actual sentential justification; unless we would put the Scripture into highest opposition and contrariety to itself.

But it is now high time I should proceed to the second thing proposed; which is, to consider some of the horrible consequences that must necessarily flow from this Antinomian scheme.

It must 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 displeasure; though our Lord himself assures us, that "he who believeth not is condemned already, and hath the wrath of God abiding on him:"-for there can be no greater repugnancy, than to be justified and condemned at the same time. And this may probably be Count Zinzendorf's meaning, in that odd saying of his: "He that will condemn natural men, who neither have nor can have the Lord Jesus in their hearts, meddles with an affair that does not at all belong to him."

It will also 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 impossible that I ever should have? It is enough, upon this supposal, to attend the Count's advice. "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, "As long as people pursue their sinful courses with pleasure, and do not see their danger, one must have patience with them."

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It will likewise follow, that the more confidence the greatest sinner in the world entertains of the safety of his state by the merits of Christ, the more acceptable will he be to God, and the more will he promote his own happiness. Thus, presumption is so far from being sinful or dangerous, that it is our greatest duty and safety. This consequence the Count seems to allow, "There is (says he) no sinner, to whom Satan has not lost all his claim. 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 saved? Believe, then, that Jesus has atoned and paid a ransom 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 stripes. Take the absolution, look upon him, believe and rejoice; arise, gird yourselves, and run." How pleasing must such doctrine as this be to bold, careless, impenitent sinners!

It will moreover follow, that no man need to have any apprehensions of danger from any course of

sinning, be he as bold in impiety, as daring and impenitent in his sins, as he please. For if he be justified already, and all he has to do is to be persuaded of it, and to take comfort in the reflection, his conscience may be easy and pleasant. Or, if he be not justified already, he never will; and it is in vain to fright himself about it. He may therefore safely agree with the Count, that "Sin is the most miserable and mean thing under the sun, not worth our thoughts. Sin has no right nor power, nor is it worthy of our least regards. He need not so much as look upon sin, nor think it worthy of one cast of his eyes." "For it is also true, that sinning is not the cause of rejection, according to the New Testament." What is the natural language of this doctrine, but an exhortation to sinners to go on courageously in their sins, without care or fear?

It will in like manner follow, from this doctrine, that as there is no duty necessary for our safety, being justified before we were born, so that there can be no duty but a persuasion of our good state necessary for our comfort. This the Count fully acknowledges. "There is (says he) but one duty, which is that of believing." "Holiness is a nature; but not a duty, as morality dreams." What sort of a world would there quickly be, if mankind could generally suppose themselves released 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 concessions. But as their doctrines in the point under consideration are the same, so the consequences from them all are the same; whether they

do so readily see, or so ingenuously own, these consequences or not. I hope, by this time, you are convinced of the horrible inconsistency of this scheme, and even of its repugnancy to the very first principles of reason and common sense.

How extravagant is the pretence of the actual justification of a nonenity; 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 counsel of God. Very well! Let these Antinomians also publish for historical truth, that the man Christ Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, and suffered under Pontius Pilate, even before Adam was created; that the day of judgment is already come; that all the children of God in the world are now actually shining in their robes of glory, and triumphing at the right hand of Christ; or, if you will, that I wrote this letter to you before the world began, or at least above seventeen hundred years ago. There is just the same

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foundation of truth in the one as in the other. all these things were as truly the objects of the divine counsel, as our justification; and in that respect, as actually true from eternity, or from the time of Christ's death, as that would be.

How inconsistent and absurd is the strange apprehension, that sinners are actually justified, reconciled to God, and instated in his favour, while yet habitually indulging their lusts, and going on boldly and impenitently in sin and enmity against God, as is the case of all men before conversion and faith in Christ! Are men's hearts and lives contrary to God, and yet God pleased with them at the same

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