An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches

Ans. True Believers have not determining efficacious Grace, to prevent all sin, nor all such sin as Noah, Lot, David, Peter did commit: And that sin deserveth an answerable desertion of God, it being a deserting him first so far: And though God pardon it, yet the desert is presupposed to the pardon; for it is desert of punishment that is pardoned.

§. 19. Quest. If a man were holy, (that is, an obedient Lover of God and Goodness) without Faith in Christ, would that save him?

Answ. 1. The Covenants of Grace requireth various degrees of Faith, according to its several editions and promulgations: It is not the same degree of Faith, as to the Objects extensively, which was required of Jewish Believers before Christ's Incarnation, as is now of us, nor the same degree that was required of all the rest of the World as of the Jews. 2. But such a Faith in God our Redeemer as that Law which men are under maketh necessary to Salvation, is necessary to Holiness: And to ask what God will do with a man that is holy without Faith, is to talk of a nonexistent Subject: There is no such man; for without Faith it is impossible to please God: for he that cometh to God must believe that God is, and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him, notwithstanding original and actual Sin, and the Law of Innocency condemning us; and therefore that he is under a pardoning and rewarding Law of Grace, Heb. 11. 6. No man can be sanctified without the Merit, Doctrine and Spirit of Christ, nor without that degree of Faith which ⟨p. 208⟩the Covenant which he is under requireth.