And, beloved, I ground it further on this rule, which is an undeniable one, and for not attending whereunto we have had so many needless, groundless and unprofitable disputes in the world. The rule is this, that the Scripture doth often, yea, very usually put particular duties for all Religion, and therefore annexeth salvation to distinct graces. Sometime 'tis, He that believeth shall be saved; Elsewhere, He that calleth upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved; Here 'tis, He that doth the Will of God. Now all these and the like are complex & comprehensive Propositions, and contain more in them then they make show of (for God speaks much in a little,) acts and duties of Religion, being (as Moralists speak of their virtues, inter se connexae) linked together in a golden chain. Religion is not this or that piece, but the whole, which is usually expressed in a word, or sometime two, *as in that of Solomon, Fear God, and keep his Commandments; for this is the whole of man, Eccl. 12.13. So that if you could suppose a man to be a believer, and to be a believer alone, it would not save him, as the Apostle James saith, ch. 2.14. What doth it profit my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? No, no more then saying, Be ye warmed will warm any; or, Be ye filled will fill any; for faith without works is dead. And what is said of this may be said of the rest, so that when the Scripture speaks of salvation, as annexed to any one thing, it supposeth that to contain the rest. The reason is evident, for the graces of God as saving are not parted. There is no believing to salvation without repentance, nor no repentance to salvation without believing; there ⟨p. 11⟩is no calling upon the Name of the Lord will save, without departing from iniquity; nor can they savingly depart from iniquity, that call not on the Name of the Lord. 'Tis not any one thing, but things that pertain to the Kingdom of God, Acts 1.3. 'Tis not thing, but things that accompany, (or, as it may be better read, contain) salvation, Heb. 6.9. and he that takes one for all without all, will find it nothing at all. A part is no portion. The great fallacy with which Satan deludes many men, is that which Logicians call à bene compositis ad malè divisa; when he gets them to take Religion into pieces, and then takes one piece for Religion.
And, beloved, I ground it further on this rule, which is an undeniable one, and for not attending whereunto we have had so many needless, groundlesse and unprofitable disputes in the world. The rule is this, that the Scripture doth often, yea, very usually put particular duties for all Religion, and therefore annexeth salvation to distinct graces. Sometime 'tis, He that believeth shall be saved; Elsewhere, He that calleth upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved; Here 'tis, He that doth the Will of God. Now all these and the like are complex & comprehensive Propositions, and contain more in them then they make shew of (for God spcaks much in a little,) acts and duties of Religion, being (as Moralists speak of their vertues, inter se connexae) linked together in a golden chaine. Religion is not this or that piece, but the whole, which is usually expressed in a word, or sometime two, *as in that of Solomon, Fear God, and keap his Commandments; for this is the whole of man, Eccl. 12.13. So that if you could suppose a man to be a believer, and to be a believer alone, it would not save him, as the Apostle James saith, ch. 2.14. What doth it profit my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? No, no more then saying, Be ye warmed will warme any; or, Be ye filled will fill any; for faith without works is dead. And what is said of this may be said of the rest, so that when the Scripture speaks of salvation, as annexed to any one thing, it supposeth that to contain the rest. The reason is evident, for the graces of God as saving are not parted. There is no believing to salvation without repentance, nor no repentance to salvation without believing; there ⟨p. 11⟩is no calling upon the Name of the Lord will save, without departing from iniquity; nor can they savingly depart from iniquity, that call not on the Name of the Lord. 'Tis not any one thing, but things that pertain to the Kingdome of God, Acts 1.3. 'Tis not thing, but things that accompany, (or, as it may be better read, containe) salvation, Heb. 6.9. and he that takes one for all without all, will finde it nothing at all. A part is no portion. The great fallacy with which Satan deludes many men, is that which Logicians call à bene compositis ad malè divisa; when he gets them to take Religion into pieces, and then takes one piece for Religion.
- *The Apostle comprehends the whole counsel of God under repentance and faith, Acts 20.20, 21, 27. versescompared.
