§. 53. All Orthodox Christians hold the foredescribed Doctrine of Merit in sense, though not in words: For they that deny Merit, confess the [Rewardableness] of our Obedience, and confess that the Scripture useth the term [Worthy] and that [Greek or Hebrew] and [Greek or Hebrew] may be translated Meriting and Merit, as well as Worthy and Worthiness; and we think it fitter to expound such Scripture-words than to accuse and reject them: And they all confess, that man's Duty hath God's Promise of Reward, and that Holiness in its nature is suitable to the End or Reward, as disposing us to enjoy it, and is pleasing unto God and glorifieth him: And this is all the same thing in other words, which the ancient Christians meant by Merit. And to hear many godly persons at the same time, most earnestly extol Holiness, and desire that Preachers should convince the People that the Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour, and yet denying all Merit, and reviling all that assert it; this doth but show, that they understand not the word; and think others also misunderstand it: And so we are reproaching one another, where we are agreed and know it not: Like the Woman that turned away her Servant upon the Controversy, Whether the ⟨p. 295⟩House should be swept with a Broom or with a Besom; or the Physicians that let the Patient die, because they could not agree whether he should take a Potion or a Draught, a bit or a morsel, or take Amber, or Electrum or Succinum or Carib.
§. 53. All Orthodox Christians hold the foredescribed Doctrine of Merit in sence, though not in words: For they that deny Merit, confess the [Rewardableness] of our Obedience, and confess that the Scripture useth the term [Worthy] and that 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 and 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 may be translated Meriting and Merit, as well as Worthy and Worthiness; and we think it fitter to expound such Scripture-words than to accuse and reject them: And they all confess, that man's Duty hath God's Promise of Reward, and that Holiness in its nature is suitable to the End or Reward, as disposing us to enjoy it, and is pleasing unto God and glorifieth him: And this is all the same thing in other words, which the ancient Christians meant by Merit. And to hear many godly persons at the same time, most earnestly extol Holiness, and desire that Preachers should convince the People that the Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour, and yet denying all Merit, and reviling all that assert it; this doth but shew, that they understand not the word; and think others also misunderstand it: And so we are reproaching one another, where we are agreed and know it not: Like the Woman that turned away her Servant upon the Controversie, Whether the ⟨p. 295⟩House should be swept with a Bro•m or with a Besom; or the Physicians that let the Patient die, because they could not agree whether he should take a Potion or a Draught, a bit or a morsel, or take Ambar, or Electrum or Succinum or Car•be.
