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,…

But the weakness of these grounds hath been already demonstrated, and we have other Orthodox Writers speaking more consonantly to Truth, denying that future sins are forgiven, before committed and repented of. When Grotius had objected, That the Protestants Doctrine, was, Peccata condonari antequam fiant, That sins were forgiven before they were committed, Rivet in his [Greek or Hebrew], pag. 467 replieth, Imo id nos absurdissimum credimus, &c. Yea we think such a Doctrine most absurd, and the imputation of it to us, most unjust; For though (saith he) God decreed to pardon our sins from all Eternity, yet the execution of this is not from all Eternity. As God decreed from all Eternity to create the world, yet the world was not from all Eternity. Those that know God hath decreed from Eternity to pardon sin upon the condition of Repentance. Those that know God hath not decreed the end without the means, will never ascribe to themselves Pardon of ⟨p. 246⟩sin, without these exercises of Repentance. Thus the same Author in the same Book, pag. 533. Absurdum est credere, &c. It is absurd (saith he) to believe a Remission of sins, which are not yet committed, for neither in the Decree of God is there an actual Remission decreed without Repentance preceding Remission. To this purpose Perkins in his Book of Predestination, There is no actual Pardon (saith he) offered on Gods part to us, nor on our part received without Faith and Repentance. When Thomson in his Diatriba, had made mention of an answer formed by some Author, That in Justification all sins past, present and future were forgiven, and a justified person was bound to believe this; Bishop Abbot in his Answer, cap. 24. calls this incommodè dictum, an incommodious expression, and argueth against it.

But the weakness of these grounds hath been already demonstrated, and we have other Orthodox Writers speaking more consonantly to Truth, denying that future sins are forgiven, before committed and repented of. When Gr•tius had objected, That the Protestants Doctrine, was, Peccata condonari antequam fiant, That sins were forgiven before they were committed, Rivet in his 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, pag. 467 replieth, Imo id nos absurdissimum credimus, &c. Yea we think such a Doctrine most absurd, and the imputation of it to us, most unjust; For though (saith he) God decreed to pardon our sins from all Eternity, yet the execution of this is not from all Eternity. As God decreed from all Eternity to create the world, yet the world was not from all Eternity. Those that know God hath decreed from Eternity to pardon sinne upon the condition of Repentance. Those that know God hath not decreed the end without the means, will never ascribe to themselves Pardon of