Aristotle doth rationally conclude, That it is a greater injustice to deny a little thing deposited, then a great sum ⟨image 5⟩that we are indebted for, because he that depositeth any thing in our custody, trusteth in us as a faithful friend; the other expecteth only justice from us. Now of all points of Divinity, there is none that with more profit and comfort we may labour in, then in that o• Justification, which is styled by some, articulus stantis & cadentis ecclesiae, The Church stands or falls, as the truth of this is asserted, and a modest, sober vindication of this point from contrary errors, will not hinder, but much advantage the affectionate part of a man, even as the Bee is helped by her sting to make honey. Gods way of Justification is for the truth of it above natural reason, and therefore there is required a supernatural Revelation to manifest it: Insomuch that the Divine Authority of the Scripture is in nothing more irradiant, then in the discovery of this glorious way of our Justification. But it hath been a stumbling block, and a rock of offence to many mens hearts, who look for a Philosophical Justification, or righteousness of works, either wholly issuing from our free will (as they suppose) or partly from it, and partly from the grace of God, and on this hand, have erred the Pelagians, Papists, Arminians and Socinians: But while the Orthodox have been diligent to keep this fountain pure from the filth those Philistines daily threw in, There arose up another error on the right hand, which the Apostle Paul in his Epistles doth many times▪ Antidote against, viz. such a setting up of Free-Grace in Justification, that should make the Law as to all purposes useless, and while it extolleth privileges debases duties; That as the Arminians on the one side, think it most absurd that the same thing should be officium requisitum & donum promissum, a duty required on our ⟨image 6⟩part, and yet a gift promised on Gods part; So on the other side the Antinomian cannot at the same time see the fullness of Grace, only in blotting out our sins, and yet at the same time, A necessity of repentance, without which this Justification could not be obtained. Hence it is they fix their Meditations and Discourses upon the promissory part of the Scripture, not at the same time attending to the preceptive part.
Aristotle doth rationally conclude, That it is a greater injustice to deny a little thing deposited, then a great summe ⟨image 5⟩that we are indebted for, because he that depositeth any thing in our custody, trusteth in us as a faithfull friend; the other expecteth only justice from us. Now of all points of Divinity, there is none that with more profit and comfort we may labour in, then in that o• Justification, which is stiled by some, articulus stantis & cadentis ecclesiae, The Church stands or fals, as the truth of this is asserted, and a modest, sober vindication of this point from contrary errors, will not hinder, but much advantage the affectionate part of a man, even as the Bee is helped by her sting to make honey. Gods way of Justification is for the truth of it above naturall reason, and therefore there is required a supernatural Revelation to manifest it: Insomuch that the Divine Authority of the Scripture is in nothing more irradiant, then in the discovery of this glorious way of our Justification. But it hath been a stumbling block, and a rock of offence to many mens hearts, who look for a Philosophicall Justification, or righteousnesse of works, either wholly issuing from our free will (as they suppose) or partly from it, and partly from the grace of God, and on this hand, have erred the Pelagians, Papists, Arminians and Socinians: But while the Orthodox have been diligent to keep this fountain pure from the filth those Philistims daily threw in, There arose up another error on the right hand, which the Apostle Paul in his Epistles doth many times▪ Antidote aga•nst, viz. such a setting up of Free-Grace in Justification, that should make the Law as to all purposes uselesse, and while it extolleth pr•viledges debases duties; That as the Arminians on the one side, think it most absurd that the same thing should be officium requisitum & donum promissum, a duty required on our ⟨image 6⟩part, and yet a gift promised on Gods part; So on the other side the Antinomian cannot at the same time see the fulnesse of Grace, only in blotting out our sins, and yet at the same time, A necessity of repentance, without which this Justification could not be obtained. Hence it is they fix their Meditations and Discourses upon the promissory part of the Scripture, not at the same time attending to the preceptive part.
