The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

And they were sanctified, and if made holy, then they were no more fornicators, or adulterers, as he fancies the doctrine of imputation leaves men, as to inherent righteousness, and it found them before effectual Calling, men of sedate, quiet tempers and constitutions, rational heads, bookish men, given only to study, never acquainted with self-emptying workings, loads of guilt pressing, dark desertions, violent and strong temptations, are fit men to take up Arms, against the most precious Gospel truths, riches of free Grace, imputed Righteousness, the blood of Atonement, cut off Christ in his Priestly work, and set up a Dagon of self-righteousness, a Castellian perfection, (imperfectly proved) Diana of mans free will (which we grant is free in part, when made free by Grace) and if this be the fruit men make of their learning and tempers, &c. we thank God for our temptations. If we had nothing else but self-righteousness and perfection to boast of, woe to our Souls; but blessed be God for our High-Priest, for imputed Righteousness, for the revealing of a Covenant of Grace. ⟨p. 255⟩What David said of the Covenant struck with him, This is all my salvation, and all my desire, 2 Sam. 23 5. the same say we; for take away imputed righteousness, the righteousness of God-man; take away the blood of Atonement, even the blood of that Sacrifice, God in our flesh; take away the Covenant of Grace, in which the free Grace of God is resolved to triumph over all the guilt, enmity, sins, lusts, hypocrisies, slavery, of the vessels of mercy, by pardoning, justifying, cleansing, healing, and yet be just; take away these, I say, then fare well blessedness, peace and comfort; and though I cannot say welcome, yet misery, wrath and sorrows will come, and they who can find another way to escape them, must be wiser than men or Angels are, yea, wiser than God himself. Pardon is a good word in the opinion of all men that think there is any sin, and no man will refuse it: Justification by imputed righteousness may be very well liked, by a lax, careless and vain Christian, who either in opinion will deny (as some) any inherent created righteousness or grace in us; or be their opinion what it will, do not much regard it, to find the work of Grace in them;

And they were sanctified, and if made holy, then they were no more fornicators, or adulterers, as he fancies the doctrine of imputation leaves men, as to inherent righteousness, and it found them before effectual Calling, men of sedate, quiet tempers and constitutions, rational heads, bookish men, given only to study, never acquainted with self-emptying workings, loads of guilt pressing, dark desertions, violent and strong temptations, are fit men to take up Arms, against the most precious Gospel truths, riches of free Grace, imputed Righteousness, the blood of Atonement, cut off Christ in his Priestly work, and set up a Dagon of self-righteousness, a Castellian perfection, (imperfectly proved) Diana of mans free will (which we grant is free in part, when made free by Grace) and if this be the fruit men make of their learning and tempers, &c. we thank God for our temptations. If we had nothing else but self-righteousness and persection to boast of, woe to our Souls; but blessed be God for our High-Priest, for imputed Righteousness, for the revealing of a Covenant of Grace.