A65285:1135
A Body of Practical Divinity
A body of practical divinity consisting of above one hundred seventy six sermons on the lesser catechism composed by the reverend assembly of divines at Westminster : with a supplement of some sermons on several texts of Scripture / by Thomas Watson ...
London: printed for Thomas Parkurst, 1692
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.
Position 4. Justification is inamissibilis, it is a fixed permanent Thing, it can never be lost. The Arminians hold an Apostasy from Justification: To day justified, to morrow unjustified; to day a Peter, to morrow a Judas; to day a Member of Christ, to morrow a Limb of Satan; a most uncomfortable Doctrine. Indeed justified Persons may fall from degrees of Grace, they may leave their first Love, they may lose God's Favour for a time, but not lose their Justification. If they are justified then they are elected; they can no more fall from their Justification, then from their Election. If they are justified then they have Union with Christ, and can a Member of Christ be broken off? If one justified Person may fall away from Christ, then all may, and so Christ should be an Head without a Body.
Position 4. Iustification is inamissibilis, it is a fixed permanent Thing, it can never be lost. The Arminians hold an Apostasie from Iustification: To day justified, to morrow unjustified; to day a Peter, to morrow a Iudas; to day a Member of Christ, to morrow a Limb of Satan; a most uncomfortable Doctrine. Indeed justified Persons may fall from degrees of Grace, they may leave their first Love, they may lose God's Favour for a time, but not lose their Iustification. If they are justified then they are elected; they can no more fall from their Iustification, then from their Election. If they are justified then they have Union with Christ, and can a Member of Christ be broken off? If one justified Person may fall away from Christ, then all may, and so Christ should be an Head without a Body.
Use 1. See from hence, that there is nothing within us could justify us, but something without us, not any Righteousness inherent but imputed: We may as well look for a Star in the Earth, as for Justification in our own Righteousness. The Papists say we are justified by Works. But the Apostle confutes it, Not of works least any man should boast, Eph. 2.9. But the Papists say, The Works done by an unregenerate Man indeed cannot justify him, but works done by a regenerate Man may justify. This is most false, as may be proved both by Example and Reason: