02.03. Part 3

PART 3. IN this third Part 1 intend the Proof of the Impossibility of the Salvation of the Non-elect, upon the Supposition of a conditional Provision only, being made for their Happiness. The Author of The Ruin and Recovery of Mankind, allows, that they cannot obtain Life by the Law of Innocency, or Covenant of Works; because that requires Perfection of every Man, in order to it: If therefore, they secure their eternal Felicity, it must be by the Observation of a Law, which enjoins easier Terms and Conditions of Life, than that Law doth. I observe he cautiously avoids the Use of the Terms, a new and remedial, or milder Law, which have commonly been used about this Subject, by such Persons, with whom he agrees; particularly by Mr. Baxter, whose Track of Thoughts, he has very nearly followed, in what he delivers on this Subject, and in his Attempt to reconcile the Calvinists and Arminians. Since he means the same Thing, it is of very little Consideration, that he declines the Use of the Terms, perhaps he might have particular Reasons, which determined him, to make use of a somewhat different Mode of speaking, when he intended to convey to the Reader the very same Ideas. God forbid, that by a Change of the Mode of Language, we should be led to another Gospel, which is not another, no Gospel of Christ at all. I hope that such is our firm Regard to the free Grace of God, as the alone and entire Cause of Salvation, in Opposition to Works, perfect or imperfect, that we shall not be prevailed with, by a Representation of Works, as Causes of Salvation, in any Sense, tho’ in a different Dress, to part with the pure and unmixed Gospel of Christ. No surely, we shall be able to discover, when Works are represented, as having a casual Influence into Salvation, in what Language soever, such an Opinion is express’d. I have always apprehended, that Letters, Syllables, and Words, are perfectly indifferent Things, neither good nor bad, and that it is acting a very low Part, to object to Terms, which are only Signs of our Ideas, provided we are agreed about the Thought or Idea convey’d by those Terms: But yet we ought to deliver our Conceptions, especially in divine Things, by such Words as are properly expressive of our Ideas, and of the Truth itself. So that it is of some Moment, whether Faith shall be called a Condition of Salvation or not; because that Term is capable of a Construction, inconsistent with free Justification by the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ alone: And therefore it is necessary, that the Use of that Term should be laid aside.