and Damnation; yet (fuch was the Tenderness of his Nature) God could not but provide Means of Salvation for us. For we deferv'd his Wrath and Damnation, only becaufe we were Sinners; and as long as we continued fo depraved, Happiness was impoffible to us. But fince our Nature could be renew'd, and the Dominion of Sin could be rooted out (the contrivance and perfecting of which glorious Change was the Effect of Divine Wisdom) therefore we became Objects of Pity, that is (for infinite Goodness can't reftrain it felf) of fervent Love. I fhall make no farther Enlargements at prefent; because any Perfon of ordinary Understanding may improve what I have briefly fuggested. The Third Propofition (God help us) is evidently true, as daily Experience teaches us. But fee the Eleventh Question of Turretin's Locus Nonus, Numb. 21. P. 705. The Fourth Propofition. See the Third Paragraph of Bishop Pearfon on the Tenth Article, and the Two firft Questions of the Locus Nonus of Turretin's Syftem. TH The TENTH ARTICLE. Of Free Will. HE condition of man after the fall of Adam is fuch, that he cannot turn and prepare himself by bis own natural strength and good works to faith and calling upon God: wherefore we have no power to do good works pleafant and acceptable to God, without the Grace of God by Chrift preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us when we have that good will. For For the better understanding of this and fome following Articles, 'tis neceffary to obferve, that the Phrafe good works may be used and taken in very different Senfes. Those Works which have no Degree of Imperfection in them, are in their own nature strictly good, and may well bear the Severity of God's Judgment; it being impoffible for him to impute Guilt, where there is no Defect. And fuch Works as thefe, fuch frictly good Works, 'twas poffible for our first Parents to perform before their Fall: And it had been alfo poffible for us in like manner to perform fridly good Works, had we been preferved in our primitive Integrity. But alas! by reafon of our Original Corruption and Depravity of Nature, 'tis become impoffible for us, in our present Circumftances, to perform any Works thus ftrictly good. For in spite of our utmost Endevors, fome Degree of Imperfection does and will cleave even to our best Actions; and confequently all our present Works are in their own Nature, in fome Refpect or Degree, ftrictly evil; according to the known Rule of the Moralifts, Bonum ex caufa integra, malum ex quolibet defectu. And therefore none of our prefent Works can in themfelves bear the Severity of God's Judgment, who muft needs impute Guilt, where there is notorious Defect. For in a Moral Confideration all Defect is materially finful. But then thofe Perfons, who can claim a Share in our Savior's Merits by the Terms of the Gospel Covenant, that is, fuch as are juftified by Faith in him, may perform fuch Works, as are, tho' not Strictly, yet imputatively good; that is, fuch Works as God is pleased to regard, accept and reward as good F 3 good for the fake of Chrift, by whofe all-perfect Righteousness the Defects of juftified Perfons are fupplied, and by whofe moft precious Blood their Guilt is washed away. As for the Works of others, viz. thofe who are not in a State of Juftification by Faith (either be cause they are not fo much as enter'd into Covenant with God by Baptism; or because, tho' they have been baptiz'd, yet they have not a justifying Faith, viz. a Faith working by Love) they do, and muft of Neceffity continue in their own Nature Strictly Evil; and confequently they are Sins. So that even those Works which are good in Appearance, fuch as the Relief of the Oppreffed, Temperance, Juftice, &c. and which we may call, either (for the Reafon above mention'd) Speciously good Works, or Works comparatively good (becaufe they are lefs Evil, and approach nearer to the Rule of Action) thofe very Works, I fay, thofe fpeciously or comparatively good Works, which either an Infidel, or a bare formal Profeffor of Christianity may perform, are in Reality Splendida peccata, Acts of Vice under the Difguife of Virtue. For fince none of our Actions can be ftrictly good; and Actions perform'd by fuch Perfons cannot be imputatively good; therefore tho' they are speciously or comparatively good, yet by reafon of that Imperfection which muft needs cleave to them, becaufe 'tis not done away thro' Chrift, they are strictly evil, that is, Sins. I hope, I have express'd my self so clearly, that the Reader throughly understands the foregoing Diftinctions and Terms, upon which a great deal depends. I proceed therefore to the Confidera tion of the Article it felf. This Article contains Two Propofitions. 1. The Condition of Man after the Fall of Adam is fuch, that he cannot turn and prepare himfelf by his own natural Strength and good Works to Faith and Calling upon God. 2. We have no Power to do good Works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the Grace of God by Chrift preventing us, that we may have a good Will, and working with us, when we have that good Will. The First Propofition. The Phrafe good works does in this Propofition manifeftly denote Works that are only Speciously or comparatively good. This being premifed, fee the Fourth Question of the Locus Decimus of Turretin's Syftem. In the Second Propofition, tho' the good Works are faid to be pleafant and acceptable to God, yet the Church does not mean that they are strictly good, and confequently pleasant and acceptable to him in their own Nature: but he manifeftly means Works imputatively good, towards the Performance of which God's preventing and affifting Grace is undoubtedly neceffary. This being premised, the Second Propofition(whichis the neceffary Confequence of the First, and is therefore connected by the illative Particle wherefore) is treated of by Limborch in the Eleventh and Twelfth Chapters of his Fourth Book, and Dr. Whitby in his Appendix to the Sixth Chapter of the Second Epiftle to the Corinthians, down to Secondly, to explain as far, &c. The ELEVENTH ARTICLE, Of the Juftification of Man. W E are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Savior Jefus Chrift by faith, and not for our own Works or defervings. Where"fore that we are justified by Faith only, is a most wholsom Doctrine, and very full of comfort, as more largely is expreffed in the Homily of Fuftification. This Article contains Four Propofitions, 1. We are not accounted righteous before God for our own Works or Defervings. 2. We are accounted righteous before God only for the Merit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Chrift. 3. We are accounted righteous before God, only for the Merit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Chrift by Faith. 4. That we are juftified by Faith only, is a moft wholfom Doctrin, and very full of Comfort, as more largely is expreffed in the Homily of Juftification. Our Church exprefly refers to the Homily of Juftification for a more full Explication of the Doctrin of this Article. And what the Church cals the Homily of Juftification, is the Third Homily in the Firft Book, entituled, Of the Salvation of all Mankind. For in the faid Homily the DoArin of Juftification is declared and established; nor is there any other Homily which bears the Title of Juftification. That Homily of Salvation there |