The true doctrine of justification asserted and vindicated, from the errors of Papists, Arminians,…The true doctrine of justification asserted and vindicated, from the errours of Papists, Arminians,…

7. Though therefore repentance be necessary to qualify the subject, yet we run into falsehood, ¹when we make it a cause of pardon of sin. And thus ignorant and erroneous people do: Ask why they hope to be saved or justified, why they hope to have their sins pardoned; they return this answer, Because they have repented, and because they lead a godly life: Thus they put their trust and confidence in what they have done. But the Scripture, though it doth indispensably command repentance in every one, yet the efficient cause of pardon is Gods grace, and the meritorious is Christs blood: And if repentance come under the name of a cause, it can be only of the material, which doth qualify the subject, but hath no influence into the mercy it self. We read Luk. 7. that Mary Magdalen had many sins pardoned her, because she loved much: But the Parable of a Creditor which forgave debts, that is brought by our Saviour to aggravate her ⟨p. 152⟩kindness, doth plainly show, That he speaks not of a love, that was the cause of pardon of her sin, but which was the effect of it, Gods love melting her heart, even as the Sun doth snow. The highest expressions that we meet with in Scripture, where pardon of sin seemeth to be ascribed to godliness, as a cause, is Dan. 4.27. Break off thy iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Here we would think, that if a man would on purpose hold, that doing of a good work, would be a proper cause to remove sin, he would use no other expression. But first it appeareth by the context, that Daniel giveth not this counsel in reference to Justification, and the pardon of his sin, so as to be accepted with God, but to prolong and keep off that temporal judgement, which was revealed in the vision, as appeareth by those words [If there may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.] And we have the like instance in Ahab, who prorogued his calamity by an external humiliation. Again, although the Vulgar translate it, Redeem thy sins, yet the Hebrew word doth properly signify, To break a thing, as we translate it, and although by a metaphor it be applied to redeem and deliver, yet that is always of men and persons, not things, especially it would be ridiculous to say, Redeem thy sins: so that the meaning is, That whereas before Nebuchadnezzar had by injustice and oppression done much rapine and violence;