The Righteousness of God Revealed, Part – Publishers advertisement
COROLLARIƲM.
IN the Year 1684, I wrote four or five Sheets entituled, Two Steps toward obtaining my Liberty of Preaching, and a Third Step after, but both at that time without effect. I will ſuppoſe a Man Epiſcopally Ordained, and one that holds Communion with the Church. Such a Man yet cannot have a Living, or a Lecture (we know) without his Declaration of Aſſent and Conſent, and his Subſcription according to the Canons, with Conforming in all Things beſide: But there is nothing to hinder him the Preaching an Occaſional Sermon (Prayers being duly read) in any Church, only the want of a Licenſe to Preach. Unto ſuch a Licenſe in the Act of Ʋniformity, is required his Reading the Thirty Nine Articles, and Aſſent to them, before the Biſhop, and nothing elſe. A Canon need not be urged, it were unmerciful, when an Act connives. The Act indeed, as well as Canons, requires more to the Preaching as a Lecturer, or Beneficed Man; but no more to a Licenſe to Preach. The Uniformity Act requiring this, is bound up with the Common Prayer, and is made part of that Book. In the Preface hereof, there is a Clauſe to this Sence, That if any Doubts ſhall ariſe about the Ʋnderſtanding any Matter contained in the Book, the Perſon ſhall reſort to the Biſhop, or Archbiſhop, and he ſhall reſolve the ſame. That the Articles are of various and doubtful Interpretation, it is apparent by the Miniſters of diverſe Judgments, ſome Arminians, ſome Calviniſts, ſubſcribing them, and that with Allowance of the Church. If then ſuch a Man (as before qualified) ſhall make, or ſet down, his own Conſtruction of every ſuch Article as he ſcruples, and then in his reading the Article, read alſo his Sence of it, and it be ſuch as the Biſhop allows to be Orthodox, a Licenſe upon this Account, Salva Conſcientia, may be had. I cannot give an unfeigned Aſſent to theſe Articles, all, without a Liberty of Explication, but with one, I may: And upon that Suppoſition there is the Eleventh Article, Entituled, Of the Juſtification of Man, which concerns me, in regard to this preſent Book.
We are accounted righteous before God, only for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Christ, by Faith, and not for our own Works or Deſervings: Wherefore that we are juſtified by Faith only, is a wholeſome Doctrine, and very full of Comfort, as is more largely expreſſed in the Homily of Juſtification. Art. 11.
By the Words [Faith only] I underſtand what Paul means by [Faith without Works], that is, Faith in oppoſition to Works, that would make the Reward to be of Debt, and not of Grace; or to the Works of the Law, Works which the Law requires to Juſtification (which none have, and if any be juſtified at all, it muſt be therefore without them), not in oppoſition to Repentance and Evangelical Obedience: And though it be for Chriſt's ſake, or his Merits, not Ours, that he accounts us righteous, yet is our Faith, Repentance, and ſincere Obedience, the Condition upon which he does it, or rather the Righteouſneſs itſelf, which upon the Account of Chriſt's Deſervings he accepts unto Life everlaſting. So I have it in theſe mentioned Sheets.
J. H.
ERRATA.
PAge 9. l. 28. for First, r. Fifth. p. 11.21. for Meritory, r. Meritoriè. p. 14. l. 34. for its, r. it, with a Full-point. p. 15. l. 32. for Sated, r. Stated. p. 18. l. 26. in the Margin for that, r. by which. p. 31. l. 32. for rearum r. reatum. p. 27. l. 2. for Cauſe, r. Cauſe.
An ADVERTISEMENT from the Bookſeller.
THere are ſeveral Papers of Four or Five Sheets apiece, written formerly by this Author, called, The Middle Way, of Election, of Redemption, of Juſtification, of the Covenants, Law and Goſpel, of Perfection: As alſo Peaceable Diſquiſitions, which Treat, Of the Natural, and Spiritual Man, of Praying by the Spirit, of Preaching by Demonſtration of it, of Aſſurance, of the Arminian Grace, of the Poſſibility of Heathens Salvation, of the Reconciliation of Paul and James, of the Imputation of Chriſt's Righteouſneſs, with other Incidental Matters: One of which Middle Papers, that of Juſtification, was Reprinted two Years ſince, with the Quotation of what concerns that Subject, out of the other, and ſince that One Sheet (ſo called), and his Six Sheets laſt Year, called, Pacification, All which may be bound up together with this preſent Diſcourſe, for any that deſires them.
In that Book called Pacification, there is the Caſe of Non-Reſiſtance and Paſſive-Obedience Stated and Reſolved, the Doctrine whereof Abjured in the two former Reigns, is here in this King's Reign Recorded for a Memoriae Sacrum, to thoſe which are to come.
Whoſoever hath thoſe Six Sheets, they are deſired in Page 35. Line 20. to put in the word [not], which the Printer hath left out, to the contradicting the Scope of the Book.
T. P.
End of the text · John Humfrey, The Righteousness of God Revealed (1697)