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Second Argument, which is, That this is a Doctrine that the holy Scriptures, the Revelation that God has given us of his Mind and Will, by which alone we can never come to know how those that have offended God can come to be accepted of him, and justified in his Sight, is exceeding full in: Particularly the Apostle Paul is abundant in teaching that we are justified by Faith alone without the Works of the Law: There is no one Doctrine that he insists so much upon, and is so particular in, and that he handles with so much distinctness, explaining, and giving Reasons, and answering Objections.

Here it is not denied by any, that the Apostle does assert that we are justified by Faith, without the Works of the Law, because the Words are express; but only it is said that we take his Words wrong, and understand that by 'em that never entered into his Heart, in that when he excludes the Works of the Law, we understand him of the whole Law of God, or the Rule which he has given to Mankind to walk by; whereas all that he intends is the ceremonial Law.

Some that oppose this Doctrine indeed say, that the ⟨p. 29⟩Apostle sometimes means that it is by Faith, i. e. an hearty embracing the Gospel in its first Act, only, or without any preceding holy Life, that Persons are admitted into a justified State; but, say they, 'tis by a persevering Obedience that they are continued in a justified State, and it is by this that they are finally justified. But this is the same Thing as to say that a Man on his first embracing the Gospel is conditionally justified and pardoned.—To pardon Sin, is to free the Sinner from the Punishment of it, or from that eternal Misery that is due to it; And therefore if a Person is pardoned, or freed from this Misery, on his first embracing the Gospel, and yet not finally freed, but his actual freedom still depends on some Condition yet to be performed, 'tis inconceivable how he can be pardoned otherwise than conditionally: that is he is not properly actually pardoned, and freed from Punishment, but only he has God's Promise that he shall be pardoned on future Conditions; God promises him that now, if he perseveres in Obedience, he shall be finally pardoned, or actually freed from Hell; which is to make just nothing at all of the Apostle's great Doctrine of Justification by Faith alone: such a conditional Pardon is no Pardon or Justification at all, any more than all Mankind have, whether they embrace the Gospel or no; for they all have a promise of final Justification on Conditions of future sincere Obedience, as much as he that embraces the Gospel.—But not to dispute about this, we will suppose that there may be something or other at the Sinner's first embracing the Gospel, that may properly be called Justification or Pardon, and yet that final Justification, or real freedom from the Punishment of Sin, is still suspended on Conditions hitherto unfulfilled; yet they that hold that Sinners are thus justified on embracing the Gospel, they suppose that they are justified by this, no otherwise than as this is a leading act of Obedience, or at least as Virtue and moral Goodness in them, and therefore would be excluded by the Apostle as much as any other Virtue or Obedience; if it be allowed that he means the moral Law, when he excludes Works of the Law. And therefore if