Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the moral law and the covenants, from the…Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the morall law and the covenants, from the…

If weakness were all the ground of this controversy, the danger were not so great. Or, 2ly, If the end and ⟨p. 32⟩aim they had, were only to put men off from glorying in themselves, to deny the concurrence of works to the act of justification. If their desire were that men should not (as Michal) put an image in Davids room, so neither that Christians should put their works in Christs stead, thus far it might be excusable: but then their books, and their aims cannot be reconciled. Or, If, 3ly, their main drift was only to show that good works follow a justified person, and that they do not antecede; here would be no opposition: but they deny the presence of them in time. Or, 4ly, If the question were about preparatory works to justification and conversion; though (for my part) I think there are such, with those limitations that hereafter may be given to them: this also were not so heinous. Or fifthly, If the dispute were only upon the space of time between a profane mans profaneness, and his justification, or the quantity of his sorrow; these things were of another debate. I do acknowledge, that the Christian Religion was matter of offence to the Heathens, in that they taught, Though a man had never been so wicked, yet, if he did receive Christ, he should be pardoned; and how soon this may be done, it is as God pleaseth: but there is an alteration of the mans nature at that time also; and Chrysostom, indeed, hath such a passage upon that Scripture, The righteous shall live by faith, Rom. 1. by faith only a man hath remission of sins; Now (saith he) this is a Paradox to humane reason, that he who was an adulterer, a murderer, should presently be accounted righteous, if he do believe in Christ: but this differs from the Antinomian assertion, as much as heaven from hell. So it's related in Ecclesiastical history of Constantine the Great, that when he had killed many of his kindred, yea and was counselled also to murder his own son, repenting of these heinous crimes, asked Sopater the Philosopher, who succeeded Plotinus in teaching him, Whether there could be any expiation for those sins? The Philosopher said, No: afterwards he asked the Christian Bishops, and they said, I, if he would believe in Christ. This was feigned, to make our Religion odious.

If weaknesse were all the ground of this controversie, the danger were not so great. Or, 2ly, If the end and