Of justification four disputations clearing and amicably defending the truth against the unnecessary oppositions…

But Sir, you have drawn me so near the difficulty which perplexeth me, that I will now open it to you. How to avoid the Intercision of justification, is a question that hath long troubled me: not on any of these terms proper to my own judgement; but how on your Grounds, or any Orthodox Divines it will be avoided. I would know 1. whether we are Guilty (not only facti, sed poenae) of every sin we commit? or of such sins as Davids, before Repentance? if not guilty: then what need of Pardon, of daily praying Forgive us our Debts, or of a Christ to procure our Pardon? If we are Guilty, how can that consist with a justified state? Reatus est obligatio ad Pernam. The least sin unpardoned, makes obnoxious to condemnation and Hell: He that is obnoxious to them, is not at present justified. Here I am much puzzled, and in the dark. In my Aphor. I have slightly touched it, but so as doth not quietare intellectum. I deny the Intercision of universal Justification. Yet I dare not say but that a Believers sins may be unpardoned till he Repent, Believe and seek pardon. And I dare not think, that Christ teacheth us to pray only for pardon in ⟨p. 396⟩sorrow conscientiae, or only of the temporal punishment, nor only for continuance of what we had before. But how to make personal universal uninterrupted Justification consist with the Guilt of one sin, or with one sin unpardoned, here is the knot. Our British Divines in Dort synod. Act. de Persever. Thes. 5. pag. 266. say, that Believers by such sins Reatum mortis incurrunt. Prideaux Lect. 6. de persev. pag. 80. saith, they do reatum damnabilem contrahere, sic ut saltem demeritorie, licet non effectivè, Jus ad regnum caelorum penitus amittant: (This distinction doth no good: for we pray not, Forgive us our trespasses, i. e. that they may not deserve Death) Mr. Burges of Justif. Lect. 27. pag. 242. thinks, They have an actual Guilt obliging them to eternal wrath not absolutely, but conditionally till they take the means appointed of God for their pardon: for God doth not will to them salvation while they abide in that state. Mr. Reynolds (Life of Christ, pag. 404.442, 443, 496.) saith, that they certainly incur Gods displeasure and create a merit of Death, and deserve Damnation, but de facto bring it not.

But Sir, you have drawn me so neer the difficulty which perplexeth me, that I will now open it to you. How to avoid the Intercision of justification, is a question that hath long troubled me: not on any of these terms proper to my own judgement; but how on your Grounds, or any Orthodox Divines it will be avoided. I would know 1. whether we are Guilty (not only facti, sed poenae) of every sin we commit? or of such sins as Davids, before Repentance? if not guilty: then what need of Pardon, of daily praying Forgive us our Debts, or of a Christ to procure our Pardon? If we are Guilty, how can that consist with a justified state? Reatus est obligatio ad Pernam. The least sin unpardoned, makes obnoxious to condemnation and Hell: He that is obnoxious to them, is not at present justified. Here I am much puzled, and in the dark. In my Aphor. I have slightly touched it, but so as doth not quietare intellectum. I deny the Intercision of universal Justification. Yet I dare not say but that a Believers sins may be unpardoned till he Repent, Believe and seek pardon. And I dare not think, that Christ teacheth us to pray only for pardon in