1. When, though men make never so fair a profession of the Christian Religion in general, yet they deny or reject some of the main Articles of it. A sound belief of the Evangelical Truths, necessarily belongeth to Godliness: and though there is no Theological Truth, but is of great weight, and the denial of it is so far a coming short; yet there are some that are so Essential to Piety, that the denial of them undermines the very foundation of Christianity, and puts men off from the very foundation on which it is built; and yet there are those who glory in the name of Christians, and would be reckoned among the best, who hold such unhappy tenets as prove them to be none. The Apostle speaks of another Gospel, which yet he tells us is not an•ther, but only a perverting of the Gospel of Christ, Gal 1 6, 7. and he refers it to those that would bring in the Law over the head of Christ. It is certain that Christ is the only foundation of the Christian Religion, 1 Cor. 3.11. ⟨p. 28⟩and all true Godliness derives from him. Faith belongs to Godliness, both as the ground of our hope for Salvation by Christ, and as the root of our acceptable Obedience to him; we are therefore told, Heb. 11.6▪ Without faith it is impossible to please God. The Righteousness of Christ must be our Justification; they therefore who deny the Imputation of that to our Justification, deny the power of Godliness; and Christ is not only our Righteousness, but our Sanctification too, God hath made him so, — 1 Cor. 1.30. they therefore who hold a power in fallen man by himself to perform true Obedience to God, and that he needs not a new power and principle to be infused into him for it, deny Godliness; and Christ requires Obedience of his people, in conformity to his will, Joh. 14▪ 15. if ye love me, keep my Commandments; they therefore who pretend to a discharge from the Moral Law as a Rule, deny the power of Godliness: and many other like things might be instanced in.
1. When, though men make never so fair a profession of the Christian Religion in general, yet they deny or reject some of the main Articles of it. A sound belief of the Evangelical Truths, necessarily belongeth to Godliness: and though there is no Theological Truth, but is of great weight, and the denial of it is so far a coming short; yet there are some that are so Essential to Piety, that the denial of them undermines the very foundation of Christianity, and puts men off from the very foundation on which it is built; and yet there are those who glory in the name of Christians, and would be reckoned among the best, who hold such unhappy tenents as prove them to be none. The Apostle speaks of another Gospel, which yet he tells us is not an•ther, but only a perverting of the Gospel of Christ, Gal 1 6, 7. and he refers it to those th•t would bring in the Law over the head of Christ. It is certain that Christ is the only foundation of the Christian Religion, 1 Cor. 3.11. ⟨p. 28⟩and all true Godliness derives from him. Faith belongs to Godliness, both as the ground of our hope for Salvation by Christ, and as the root of our acceptable Obedience to him; we are therefore told, Heb. 11.6▪ Without faith it is impossible to please God. The Righteousness of Christ must be our Justification; they therefore who deny the Imputation of that to our Justification, deny the power of Godliness; and Christ is not only our Righteousness, but our Sanctification too, God hath made him so, — 1 Cor. 1.30. they therefore who hold a power in fallen man by himself to perform true Obedience to God, and that he needs not a new power and principle to be infused into him for it, deny Godliness; and Christ requires Obedience of his people, in conformity to his will, Joh. 14▪ 15. if ye love me, keep my Commandments; they therefore who pretend to a discharge from the Moral Law as a Rule, deny the power of Godliness: and many other like things might be instanced in.
