A42457:169
An antidote against error concerning justification, or, The true notion of justification, and of…An antidote against errour concerning justification, or, The true notion of justification, and of…
An antidote against error concerning justification, or, The true notion of justification, and of justifying faith, cleared by the light of scripture, and solid reason, from several mistakes of the words, which misapprehensions prove the seeds of dangerous errors by ... Thomas Gataker ... ; to which is added, The way of truth and peace, or, A reconciliation of the holy apostles S. Paul and S. James, concerning justification by faith without works, Rom. 3.28, by works and not by faith only, Jam. 2, 21, 24, by Charles Gataker ...An antidote against errour concerning justification, or, The true notion of justification, and of justifying faith, cleared by the light of scripture, and solid reason, from several mistakes of the words, which misapprehensions prove the seeds of dangerous errours by ... Thomas Gataker ... ; to which is added, The way of truth and peace, or, A reconciliation of the holy apostles S. Paul and S. James, concerning justification by faith without works, Rom. 3.28, by works and not by faith only, Jam. 2, 21, 24, by Charles Gataker ...
London: printed by J.C. for Henry Brome, 1670
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And so I pas to a second argument, which may thus be framed: That faith which wicked, ungodly, irregenerate, unsanctified men, so remaining may have, yea and sometimes have had, cannot be justifying faith, nor the faith spoken of by the Apostle in this place. But this belief of the Gospel, that Christ is the Son of God, the Saviour and Redeemer of mankind, some have had, have known and believed it, who yet continued still, wicked, ungodly, irregenerate, unsanctified. and this cannot therefore consequently be the faith here spoken of. For the proof of the Proposition, I shall not so much insist or rest upon the necessary conjunction of this faith and repentance the one with the other, in regard of Gods ordinance; and tho by means of his appointment there is a necessary connection of Justification and Sanctification;1 which as some of the Schoolmen have observed, might otherwise have ben severed; so that justification might have ben, where sanctification were not, had God ben pleased so to dispose it. and sanctification might have ben without justification, if God had restored our first Parents to their original condition,2 freely remitting their offence without any satisfaction; as by his absolute power he might have done. for I dare not say as some do, that God may not as well without breach of his justice, remit a wrong done him by his creature and vassal, as a man may an injury offered to him by his fellow & fellow-servant, howsoever in his wisdom he hath decreed and determined to dispose things otherwise; which yet divine determination, disposition and ordinance were sufficient ground to make the proposition good. But the main stress of my proof I shall lay upon this, that therefore faith & repentance cannot be severed, faith and holiness cannot be sundered, in regard of the very nature and property, the condition and quality of this faith it self; for that this faith, whereby a man is justified, is an ⟨p. 46⟩holy habit, or disposition, and the act issuing from it, an holy act; termed therefore a most holy faith, Jude 20. nor in regard of the objects of it, because it is conversant and exercised about holy things, God, and Christ, and the goodness & mercy of God in Christ; but because it is an holy disposition in the soul, whereby the heart is purified,