The sound believer, or, A treatise of evangelical conversion discovering the work of Christs…The sound beleever, or, A treatise of evangelicall conversion discovering the work of Christs…

but if that be the reason of the phrase, we may affirm our justification to be as well by love, and sanctification, and holy obedience, as by faith, because these are wrought in a justified person also.

but if that be the reason of the phrase, we may affirme our justification to be as well by love, and sanctification, and holy obedience, as by faith, because these are wrought in a justified person also.

Then no mans ministry nor the doctrine delivered §2by the faithful Ministers of Christ from out of the Scriptures, can be any ground of faith, for before faith no Minister of Christ can say to any man in particular, or any men in general, that they are already justified, and reconciled, and therefore believe it; but, to deny that doctrine which is opened out of the Scriptures by the Ministers of Christ, to be the ground of Faith, is expressly cross to the testimony of Scriptures, and the end of the Ministry, and of the messengers of Christ, who have the keys of office given ⟨p. 230⟩to them, that what they bind on earth, is bound in heaven; what they loose on earth, is loosed in heaven; whose sins they remit, they are forgiven, whose sins they retain, they are retained. Mat. 16.16. Joh. 20.23. Most excellent for this purpose is the Apostles dispute, Rom. 10. You need not go up to heaven, nor down to hell, to fetch Christ himself to tell you whether you shall be justified and saved. ver. 6, 7. For the word is nigh them, verse 8. that opens Christs heart unto thy heart. But what word might some say is this? Is it not the internal word of the Spirit only? The Apostle answers, It is that word which we preach: hereby you shall know whether you shall live or no; but what is that word Paul preached? is it not an absolute testimony that all your sins are already pardoned by Christ, and therefore believe it? No, but If thou believest with thine heart that God raised up Christ from the dead, thou shalt be saved, vers. 9.11, 12. What can be more full? yet consider tat one place more,