I suppose they cannot loath discourses of duty;1 For as our Author tells us a little after, they make Obedience to Christ their husband, a conjugal act, and in order to that they must hear of duty; Only I take it, they had rather hear duty spread before them, in a plain Scriptural dress, than in curious speculations of mere humane reason: They would have duty inculcated, but not so perpetually, as to exclude the preaching up of that Divine Grace which enables thereunto, without this they despair of doing any thing aright; but saith the Author, It is very hard to find a proper place for Obedience in this new Religion; for this is not necessary at all, to our coming to Christ, and closing with him; nay, it is a great hinderance to it, for we must bring nothing to Christ with us, the marriage is consummated without it, and then we have less need of ⟨p. 96⟩it than before, for then we are adorned with Christs Beauty, holy with his holiness, delivered by his expiation, righteous with his righteousness, which gives us an actual right to Glory; we need no righteousness of our own to save us, which were to suppose a defect in the righteousness of Christ; unto which I answer, Though a man, with his arms of rebellion in his hands, cannot possibly, whilst in that posture, close with Christ; yet I take it, Faith, which espouses Christ, doth precede true Obedience: Without faith, saith the Apostle, it is impossible to please God. Heb. 11.6. Without saith, saith our Church in the Homily of good works, All that is done of us is but dead before God, although the work seem never so gay and glorious before man, even as the picture graven or painted, is but a dead representation of the thing it self, so be the works of all unfaithful persons before God, they do appear to be lively works, and indeed they be but dead, not availing to the everlasting life; they be but shadows and shows of lively and good things, and not good and lively things indeed, thus our Church excellently; which tells us what manner of Obedience we can bring to Christ: After our espousals to Christ by faith, Obedience ⟨p. 97⟩follows as a fruit and effect of Faith; though the Author fasten this opinion expressly on those whom he opposes, calling them in sport, intimate acquaintances of Christ; yet our Church tells us in the twelfth Article, That good works do spring necessarily out of a true and lively Faith:
I suppose they cannot loath discourses of duty;1 For as our Author tells us a little after, they make Obedience to Christ their husband, a conjugal act, and in order to that they must hear of duty; Only I take it, they had rather hear duty spread before them, in a plain Scriptural dress, than in curious speculations of meer humane reason: They would have duty inculcated, but not so perpetually, as to exclude the preaching up of that Divine Grace which enables thereunto, without this they despair of doing any thing aright; but saith the Author, It is very hard to find a proper place for Obedience in this new Religion; for this is not necessary at all, to our coming to Christ, and closing with him; nay, it is a great hinderance to it, for we must bring nothing to Christ with us, the marriage is consummated without it, and then we have less need of ⟨p. 96⟩it than before, for then we are adorned with Christs Beauty, holy with his holiness, delivered by his expiation, righteous with his righteousness, which gives us an actual right to Glory; we need no righteousness of our own to save us, which were to suppose a defect in the righteousness of Christ; unto which I answer, Though a man, with his arms of rebellion in his hands, cannot possibly, whilest in that posture, close with Christ; yet I take it, Faith, which espouses Christ, doth precede true Obedience: Without faith, saith the Apostle, it is impossible to please God. Heb. 11.6. Without saith, saith our Church in the Homily of good works, All that is done of us is but dead before God, although the work seem never so gay and glorious before man, even as the picture graven or painted, is but a dead representation of the thing it self, so be the works of all unfaithful persons before God, they do appear to be lively works, and indeed they be but dead, not availing to the everlasting life; they be but shadows and shews of lively and good things, and not good and lively things indeed, thus our Church excellently; which tells us what manner of Obedience we can bring to Christ: After our espousals to Christ by faith, Obedience ⟨p. 97⟩follows as a fruit and effect of Faith; though the Author fasten this opinion expresly on those whom he opposes, calling them in sport, intimate acquaintances of Christ; yet our Church tells us in the twelfth Article, That good works do spring necessarily out of a true and lively Faith:
- 1Answer.
