A discourse of the saving grace of God

(18.) It defaces Redemption by Christ, and leaves little or no place, or no necessity, either of Satisfaction or Merit, in his Obedience and Sufferings.

1. He did not merit Faith, or Regeneration, or Holiness, or Perseverance, for all, or for any particular Persons. They declare expressly, that it is foolishly said, that Christ procured Faith or Regeneration for any: Their Principles engage them to maintain this; for if he merited these for any, it would have been necessary that ⟨p. 89⟩these should have been wrought in some of the Redeemed; it would have been necessary, that some or other of them should be Believers, regenerate and sanctified, and steadfast unto the end; but all such necessity they deny, as inconsistent with that freedom of Mans Will which they contend for. It must not be under any necessity, either from the Decree of God or the Purchase of Christ: Faith, Repentance, Sanctification, Perseverance, must be mere Contingencies, in respect of those former Causes; or else they could not be free Acts in respect of the Will, their next Cause. Christ, by his Death and Merit, must not be the Author or Cause of these, though there be no Pardon or Life without them; so much must not be ascribed to his Merits, lest too little be left to Free-will.

1. He did not merit Faith, or Regeneration, or Holiness, or Perseverance, for all, or for any particular Persons. They declare expresly, that it is foolishly said, that Christ procured Faith or Regeneration for any: Their Principles ingage them to maintain this; for if he merited these for any, it would have been necessary that ⟨p. 89⟩these should have been wrought in some of the Redeemed; it would have been necessary, that some or other of them should be Believers, regenerate and sanctified, and stedfast unto the end; but all such necessity they deny, as inconsistent with that freedom of Mans Will which they contend for. It must not be under any necessity, either from the Decree of God or the Purchase of Christ: Faith, Repentance, Sanctification, Perseverance, must be meer Contingencies, in respect of those former Causes; or else they could not be free Acts in respect of the Will, their next Cause. Christ, by his Death and Merit, must not be the Author or Cause of these, though there be no Pardon or Life without them; so much must not be ascribed to his Merits, lest too little be left to Free-will.