An Answer to William Sherlock, Chapter 4 · Section 4
SECT. IV.
According to the notion of theſe Men, Mr. Sherlock.men may, nay, must be united to Christ while they continue in their ſins; Mr. Shephard tells us expreſly: That Obedience doth not make us Gods People, or God our God; but he is firſt our God (which is only by the Covenant of Grace) and hence it is, that he being ours, and we his, we of all others are moſt bound to obey him: We are Gods People, and that by vertue of the Covenant, before we obey him. The ſame Author tells us: That we are united to Chriſt our life, not by Obedience as Adam was to God by it, but by Faith (that is, by ſuch a Faith of which Obedience is no part) and therefore as all actions in living things come from union, ſo all our acts of Obedience are to come by Faith, from the Spirit on Chriſts part, and Faith on ours, which make the union; The meaning is this, We muſt firſt be united to Chriſt by Faith, before we can do any thing that is good; before this union the beſt actions we can do are ſins, which is a plain demonſtration of the truth of this charge; becauſe according to this principle, we can do nothing but ſin, before we be united to Christ; hence theſe Men conſtantly place our Justification before our Sanctification, that we are first accounted holy by God before we are made ſo; now our Justification follows our union to Chriſt, and our Sanctification follows our Juſtification; and therefore we muſt firſt be united to Christ, before we are ſanctified, that is, before we are made holy: Hence we are told, that holyneſs is a remote end of vocation, but the next end is to come to Chriſt. And the ſame Author makes a ſpeech for Chriſt to a Sinner (more gracious than all the Goſpel invitations) though thou haſt reſiſted my Spirit, refuſed my grace, wearied me with thy iniquities; yet come to me, this will make me amends, I require nothing of thee elſe but to come.
We cannot indeed be united to Chriſt, whileſt we continue in our ſins,Anſwer. in the wilful Indulgence of them; neither can we be holy, whileſt we are ſeparated from Chriſt, and the influence of his Holy Spirit. Mr. Shephard ſets Faith in the firſt place, and then Obedience after it as a fruit thereof; and well he may do ſo, Ye are all the Children of God, by Faith in Christ Jeſus, Gal. 3.26. Faith makes us Gods People; Obedience, which comes after, proves us ſuch: Without Faith it is impoſſible to pleaſe to God, Heb. 11.6. and therefore without Faith it muſt be impoſſible to obey him: foreign, Faith is the beginning of life, ſaith Ignatius: Fides principium Chriſtiani eſt, Faith is the firſt principle, Epiſt. ad Eph.or mover in the new Creature, ſaith St. Ambroſe: Laudo fructum boni operis, In Pſal. 118. Ser. 20.ſed in Fide agnoſco radicem, I praiſe the fruit of a good work, but I acknowledge the root of it to be in Faith: So St. Austin: And a little after he ſaith,In Pſal. 31 That works before Faith are but, inania & curſus ceberrimus praeter viam, Vain things and a ſwift running beſide the way. Hence our Church in the 1. Homily of good works aſſures us, That Faith giveth life to the Soul, and that they be as much dead to God that lack Faith, as they be to the World, whoſe Bodies lack Souls; that without Faith all that is done of us is but dead before God, all good works are but ſhadows and ſhews of good things; that out of Faith come good works, that be good works indeed, and without Faith no work is good before God. I ſuppoſe Mr. Shephard cannot ſpeak more fully; it may ſeem harſh to ſome, that before Faith in Chriſt, there ſhould be nothing good in us, that our beſt actions ſhould be ſins: but if we look on a wicked Man, that is, a Man without Faith in the Scripture-glaſs, nothing can be plainer; take him at an honeſt calling, The plowing of the wicked is ſin, Prov. 21.4. Take him in ſacred or Devotional affairs, His Sacrifice is an abomination, Prov. 15.8. And ſo is his Prayer too, Prov. 28.9. Whatever his outward work or poſture be, To the unbelieving there is nothing pure, Tit. 1.15. The very mind and conſcience is defiled, and will be ſo till it be purified by Faith. Mr. Shephard places Juſtification before Sanctification; and what doth the Church of England do? It tells us in the 12. Article, That good works are the fruits of Faith, and follow after Juſtification, that they ſpring neceſſarily of a true and lively Faith. And in the 13. Article, That works done before the Grace of Chriſt, and the inſpiration of his Spirit, are not pleaſant to God, foraſmuch as they ſpring not of Faith in Jeſus Christ: Nay, in the cloſe of that Article, our Church ſaith of ſuch works, We doubt not but they have the nature of ſin. As for Mr. Shephards ſpeech for Chriſt, come in a ſenſe, that they have in ſome meaſure reſiſted his Spirit, refuſed his Grace, and wearied him with their iniquities; the inviting of ſuch is no more than that of our Saviour, which calls the weary, and heavy laden, to come to him for rest; in which all are concerned, except ſuch as can without Chriſt earn a ſanctity, or holyneſs at the fingers ends of Nature, and take a nap at home, in a preſumption of their own worthineſs and ſelf made righteouſneſs.
But let us conſider, Mr. Sherlock.the whole progreſs of the Soul to a cloſure with Chriſt; the ſeveral ſteps to this are Conviction, Compunction, Humiliation, and Faith, which is the uniting Grace. Now if there be nothing of forjaking of ſin included in all this, then Men muſt be united to Christ before they forſake their ſins: Now, Conviction is a great ſenſe of the evil of ſin, and the evil after it, of its abominable & accurſed Nature, and the Judgments which follow it; and this is as it ought to be, Men muſt be awakened to ſee theſe evils, before they will reform their lives; Reform? nay, you are out, this is not the end of Conviction to reform ſin (that is a legal way) but Compunction is the end of it; well then, what is this Compunction? Why, Compunction is firſt a great fear of being damned, he ſees death, wrath, eternity near to him; next to this ſucceeds a great ſorrow and mourning for ſin, and that which perfects this Compunction, is a ſeparation from ſin; this is ſomething like, but by a ſeparation from ſin, you muſt not underſtand a leaving ſin, but ſuch a ſeparation as conſiſts with living in it; For it is nothing but a being willing, or rather not unwilling, that the Lord ſhould take it away; the Lord doth not wound the heart, that the Soul ſhould firſt heal it ſelf, but that it may deſire the Phyſician, the Lord Jeſus, to come and heal it: So that all he means by ſeparation from ſin, is to be content that Chriſt by an irreſiſtible power ſhould take away our ſins: By this Separation the Soul is cut off from the will to ſin, not from all (no, nor from any) ſin in the will, for that muſt be mortified by a Spirit of holyneſs, after the Soul is implanted into Chriſt. Now this is down right non-ſenſe, for he muſt be a ſubtil Man, who can diſtinguiſh between a will to ſin, and ſin in the will; and all that can be made of it is this, that this ſeparation is a willingneſs, or rather not unwillingneſs, that Chriſt ſhould take away our ſins againſt our wills; and therefore he tells us, That this Separation is no part of our Sanctification: The whole deſign of this Compunction, is to work humiliation in us, which is the work of the Spirit, whereby the Soul, broken off from ſelf-conceit and confidence, ſubmitteth and lieth under God, to be diſpoſed as he pleaſeth; this ſelf-confidence is any hope of pleaſing God, by Reformation, or Repentance, or any thing he can do. When Men feel this Compunction, the great danger is, leſt they ſhould ſeck eaſe, by Repentance and Reformation; if they can repent and reform, they have ſome hopes (as well they may if they do ſo) that this will heal their wounds, and pacify the Lord towards them, when they ſee no peace in a ſinful courſe, they will try a good one: But this is a dangerous miſtake; for while it is thus with the Soul, he is uncapable of Chriſt: For he that truſts to other things to ſave him, or makes himſelf his own Saviour, or reſts in his duties without a Saviour (that is according to this Author, all thoſe who repent and reform) he can never have Chriſt to ſave him: So that true Humiliation is this; when the Soul feels its own inability and unworthineſs, that it may lye under God to be diſpoſed of; that is, contented to be ſaved or damned, as ſhall pleaſe God; and when the Soul is at this paſs, it is vas capax, a veſſel capable of Grace: And now they are made thus hollow and empty by Humiliation, they are capable of receiving Chriſt, as an hollow veſſel is of receiving any thing. This is a new notion of our union to Chriſt, that it is a receiving Chriſt into us, as an hollow veſſel receives any liquor poured into it: This is a Philoſophical account of the nature of Humiliation, that a man muſt have ſuch a ſenſe of his inability to pleaſe God, that he ſhall never dare to be ſo prophane as to attempt it, but muſt leave repentance and reformation to carnal chriſtleſs men; and that he may be ſo ſenſible of his unworthineſs, that he ſhall contentedly ſubmit to God to be damned or ſaved, as he pleaſes: And now the Soul being thus hollow, is fit to receive Chriſt; and being grown careleſs of its Salvation, and indifferent whether it be ſaved or damned, (for it is impoſſible thus to ſubmit without being indifferent in ſome meaſure which God ſhall chuſe) it is a fit object for mercy; certainly it is a very hard thing to bring any man in his wits to this; and I find by this Author, that God is very hard put to it to humhle the Soul thus: For he is forced to irritate and ſtir up original corruption, to ſtir the dunghil (a very unfit office for an Holy Being) that ſo men finding themſelves ſenſibly, grow worſe and worſe, may deſpair of growing better, and leave off ſuch vain attempts, and ſit down humble under God: Nay, the Lord loads, and tires, and wearies the Soul, by its own endeavours, till it can ſtir no more; That is, when the Soul labours to repent and reform; the Spirit of God, which ſhould aſſiſt ſuch pious endeavours withdraws it ſelf; becauſe it knows the Soul would reſt therein without Chriſt: Now I know not, who ſuffers most by this: The ſinner who is thus humbled, or God who thus humbles him; for it muſt needs be as contrary to the holy merciful nature of God, to uſe ſuch methods of Humiliation, as it is to the proud heart of man, to be thus humbled: Thus you ſee that Humiliation hath nothing to do with repentance, and reformation of our lives.
The ſteps of the Soul towards Christ, Anſwer.are conviction, compunction, Humiliation, Faith: Now if there be nothing of forſaking of ſin in all this, then men muſt be united to Chriſt before they forſake their ſins: So the Author: But doth Mr. Shepherd allow of no kind of forſaking of ſin before union to Chriſt? Yes ſurely, There is, ſaith he, a ſeparation from ſin; ſo much ſeparation, as makes the Soul willing, that ſin ſhould be taken away: So much ſeparation, as is neceſſary to the Souls cloſing with Chriſt: He never thought that a man indulging his luſts, ſhould immediately come, and be united to Chriſt: No, every ſtep or degree, which he ſets in the Souls progreſs to a cloſure with Chriſt, proves the contrary, what need conviction, compunction, humiliation; If the Soul, wallowing in its luſts, might be united to Chriſt. But Mr. Shephard makes the end of conviction to be, not reformation of ſin, but compunction: But how doth he ſo? What, that there is no tendency at all in conviction towards reformation? No, he ſaith expreſly, that the next end of it is compunction. Sorrow for ſin is ſo called for in Scripture; that no man may deny it to be one of God's methods, by which he uſes to bring men home to himſelf: Neither is it imaginable, that ſin our old joy, unleſs in ſome meaſure it become our ſorrow, ſhould ever be reformed, as it ought, without compunction (ſaith Mr. Shephard) a ſinner will never part with his ſin: A bare conviction doth but light the Candle to ſee ſin; but compunction burns his fingers, and that makes him dread the fire: But Mr. Shephard (who places this compunction in a fear of wrath, ſorrow for ſin, and ſeparation from ſin) means by ſeparation, not a leaving of ſin, but a being willing, or rather not unwilling, that the Lord ſhould take it away, and that by an irreſiſtable power, and that againſt our wills. To which, I anſwer, touching irreſiſtable Grace, and that objection, as if we were made willing againſt our will, I have before diſcourſed: In compunction there is a leaving of ſin in ſome meaſure; the fear of wrath will make a man ſtart from it; ſorrow for ſin will make it ceaſe to be joy; ſeparation from ſin, ſo as to be willing to have it taken away, is a kind of withdrawing and departure of heart from it: But indeed in this compunction, there is not ſuch a leaving of ſin, as if we could be our own Phyſicians, and heal our corrupt natures, as if we could our ſelves reach that victory over the world and its luſts, which is the triumph of Faith, as if we could mortifie the deeds of the body, without that holy Spirit, which is given to Believers for that end: This were to render Chriſt, Faith, the holy Spirit unneceſſary to our Sanctification, and to render our ſelves like thoſe Pagans (of whom St. Auſtin ſpeaks) who would not be made Chriſtians, Quia quaſi ſibi ſufficiunt de bonâ vitâ ſuâ. Mr. Shephard ſaith,Enarr. in Pſal. 31. That this ſeparation from ſin cuts off the Soul from the will to ſin, not from all ſin in the will, which is mortified by the Spirit of Holineſs: Now this (ſaith the Author) is down right non-ſence; for he muſt be a ſubtil man, who can diſtinguiſh between a will to ſin, and ſin in the will: But, I ſuppoſe, no great ſubtilty is required to ſolve this; by a will to ſin is meant that act of the will, whereby it is carried out to ſin as its beloved Object; and by ſin in the will is meant that habitual corruption, which is there: In compunction there is ſuch a ſeparation from ſin, that the will is not in its acts carried out, as before, to ſin as its pleaſure, joy, and purſuit; but not ſuch a ſeparation from ſin, as if the habitual corruption in the will were mortified, as after Faith it is by the holy Spirit: But, ſaith Mr. Shephard, Huniiliation breaks off the Soul from ſelf-conſidence: after compunction men are apt to ſeek eaſe by repentance and reformation, to try a good courſe: but if they truſt in themſelves, or reſt in their duties without a Saviour; they are uncapable of Chriſt; that is, ſaith the Author, all thoſe who repent and reform, are uncapable of Chriſt: And muſt the world believe, that Mr. Shephard is againſt repentance and reformation? Surely, there is no reaſon at all for it, the thing is very plain, if a man will ſtand like the proud Phariſee upon his bottom; if with the Jews he will go about foreign, to make to ſtand his own weak cadaverous righteouſneſs, if he will repent and reform in his own ſtrength, and without coming to Chriſt the Fountain of Grace: Surely he is not, whilſt in this proud poſture, capable of Chriſt: Repentance and Reformation are good things, but they muſt be done in a good manner, they muſt not be made our Chriſt's or Saviours, they muſt not keep us off from Jeſus Chriſt, or make us ſay, as the Pagan mentioned by St. Auſtin did, Jam benè vivo, quid mihi neceſſarius eſt Chriſtus? I can live well already, what need have I of Chriſt? All that reformation, which is without Faith in Chriſt, is, as our Church ſaith of works without Faith, But dead before God: Nemo computet bona opera ſua ante fidem, ſaith St. Auſtin, If we would reform indeed, we muſt go to Chriſt by Faith: But, ſaith the Author, in this Humiliation of Mr. Shephards, a man must have ſuch a ſenſe of his inability to pleaſe God, that he muſt not dare be ſo prophane as to attempt it; and ſuch a ſenſe of his unworthineſs, as to ſubmit to God, whether he will ſave or damn him, he muſt in ſome meaſure be indifferent, whether he be ſaved or damned; but it is an hard thing to bring a man in his wits to this. To which, I anſwer, for the firſt, a ſenſe of our inability to pleaſe God, is a thing ſo neceſſary, that our Saviour tells Laodicea, that ſhe was wretched, and miſerable, and poor, and blind, and naked, and muſt have her gold, and raiment, and eye-ſalve, and all from him: If we think we can pleaſe God in our ſelves, & not in the beloved Jeſus Chriſt; or that we can pleaſe God, by walking in our own ſtrength, and not in the power of Grace, we do but deceive our ſelves, and our labour will be but in vain; it will fare with us, as it did with the man ſtoried of in one of the Jewiſh Rabbins, who in the night lighted his Candle, and it went out again, and lighted it again, and again, and still it went out: Our Lamps of a ſelf-made Sanctity and Righteouſneſs, though trimmed over and over, with our endeavours, will certainly go out, and at laſt we muſt reſolve, as he did, to wait for the Sun, to have all Grace come down to us in the healing Beams of the true Sun of Righteouſneſs, Jeſus Chriſt. And as for the ſecond thing, a ſenſe of our unworthineſs, ſo as to ſubmit to God, whether he will ſave or damn us; it is no ſuch ſtrange thing to me, that poor finners ſhould lye proſtrate at Gods feet, acknowledging their worthineſs to be for ever condemned, and Gods Soveraignty in diſpenfing Grace as he pleaſes; it is no more but only to ſubſcribe to that of the Apoſtle, He will have mercy, on whom he will have mercy; and whom he will he hardneth, Rom. 9.8. Theodorus Cornhertus, though in his life he had writ againſt Calvin and Beza, in the point of Predeſtination, yet at his death profeſſed to God, Se animam ſuam à Deo poſſidere, quam Deo integrum ſit, pro ſuo beneplacito, ſervare vellet an reprobare, ſibi nil eſſe quod conqueratur: Either we have power in our hands to work true Faith in our ſelves, to regenerate our own hearts, or not 5 if we ſay, we have ſuch a power in our ſelves, how ſhall thoſe Scriptures be ſalved, which tell us, That God begets us of his own will, James 1.18. That he worketh the will of his own good pleaſure, Phil. 2.13. That the regenerating ſpirit bloweth where it listeth, Joh. 3.8. That faith is not of our ſelves, but the gift of God, Eph. 2.8. How ſhall Gods Royal Prerogative, which is to make a new heart, to take away the ſtone of it, to ſprinkle the clean water, to put his Spirit into men, as we have it, Ezeck. 36. ever be preſerved inviolate? It cannot be, but if, as becoms us, we fay, that God is the great Worker of regenerating Graces in us; how can we do leſs than lye proſtrate at his feet and pleaſure for it? The caſe is very ſhort, either Gods will muſt depend on Mans, or Mans will muſt depend on Gods; and one would think it very reaſonable, that Man, a Creature, a meer Receiver ſhould depend on him who is a God and great Donor of all. The Fathers in the ſecond Arauſican Council, Can. 4. determine thus: Si quis, ut à peccato purgemur, voluntatem nostram Deum expectare contendit, non autem, ut etiam purgari velimus, per Sancti Spiritus infuſionem & operationem, in nos fieri confitetur, reſiſtit ipſi Spiritûi Sancto: You ſee they make Mans will hang upon Gods, and not è contrà: This ſubmiſſion to Gods will is not, as if we might be indifferent whether we were ſaved or damned; but that we muſt lye at Gods feet, humbly confeſſing our deſert of eternal damnation on the one hand, and the Soveraignty of Gods free Grace on the other: And that ſuch a man is in his wits, hear the judgement of learned Biſhop Reynolds, Sinful. of ſin 262.That man, who can in ſecret and truth of heart willingly, and uncompulſorily ſtand on Gods ſide against ſin, and againſt himſelf for it, giving God the glory of his Righteouſneſs, if he ſhould condemn him; and of his unſearchable and rich mercy, that he doth offer to forgive him; I dare pronounce that man to have the Spirit of Chriſt; for no man by nature can willingly and uprightly own damnation, and charge himſelf with it, as his due portion: Thus he: But, ſaith the Author, I find God is very hard put to it, to humble the Soul thus: For he is forced to stir up original corruption, which is a very unfit office for an holy Being. To which, I anſwer; God is too high to be put into an office, and too wiſe to do that which is unfit; yet in Scripture we find him withdrawing from, and hardening of men: The Church cries out, O Lord, why haſt thou made us to err from thy way! and hardened our hearts from thy fear? Iſai. 63.17. Nevertheleſs God doth what he doth in a juſt decorum, in a way congruous to himſelf; ſo that his Holineſs, or any other Attribute ſuffers not thereby; and withall in a way profitable to men: When God left good Hezekiah to fall, I doubt not but it was ſo far profitable to him, as it did humble him for the pride of his heart: when he withdraws and leaves the humbled ſinner to the ſtirrings of inward corruption, it hath a very merciful iſſue; if it carry him out of himſelf to Chriſt: The very withdrawings of the Spirit, are by it ſelf made uſe of, to make the ſinner haſten out of himſelf to Chriſt.
Mr. Shephard ſaith, Mr. SherlockThat true Faith is the coming of the Soul, not unto duties of Holineſs (which is obedience properly) but unto Chriſt, Which notion of our union to Chriſt is ſuch, that according to it, wicked men, who live in ſin, may be united to Chriſt: But the Scripture places the formal nature of our union to Chriſt in a ſubjection to his Authority, and obedience to his Laws; an holy life muſt not only follow our union to Chriſt, as an effect of it; but muſt at leaſt in order of nature go before it; becauſe by this we are united to Chriſt: We are not real members of Christ, till we ſincerely obey him, till our minds are transformed into his Image. Our union to Chriſt is more or leſs perfect according to our attainments in true Piety and Virtue: The firſt and loweſt degree of Ʋnion to Chriſt, is a belief of his Goſpel, which in order of Nature muſt go before Obedience to it: But yet it includes a purpoſe of obeying it; and in this ſence we must be united to Christ before we can be holy, becauſe this belief of his Goſpel is the great principle of Obedience, as our Saviour tells his Diſciples: Abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bring forth fruit of it ſelf, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me, Joh. 15.4. But then our Ʋnion is not perfected without Obedience: This makes us the true Diſciples of Chriſt, when we are fruitful in good works, as he adds in verſ. 8. Herein is my Father glorified, that you bring forth much fruit, ſo ſhall you be my Diſciples; A belief of the Goſpel, and a purpoſe of Obedience is all can be expected from beginners; but this doth not give an actual title to all the promiſes of the Goſpel, unleſs we actually obey it: But when in the ſtrength of this Faith, we conquer the world and the fleſh, and improve all opportunities of doing good: This makes us the Diſciples of Chriſt indeed, and heirs of Glory. Nothing can be a greater diſhonour to our Saviour, nor a greater contradiction to his Goſpel, than to affirm, that wicked men, while they continue ſuch, are actually united to Chriſt, and thereby have an actual right to pardon and eternal life: St. John underſtood not this Doctrine, when he told us: God is light, and in him is no darkneſs at all: If we ſay, we have fellowſhip with him, and walk in darkneſs (live in any ſin) we lye and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as God is in the light; then have we fellowſhip one with another, 1 Joh. 1.5, 6, 7. This doctrine doth not only take away the neceſſity of Holineſs, in order to our Ʋnion to Chriſt; but deſtroys the neceſſary obligations to Holineſs and Obedience for the ſuture, and ſo thruſts Holineſs quite out of the Christian Religion: Our Ʋnion to Chriſt is perfected, while we are unholy; and when we are united to Chriſt, there is leſs need of Holineſs than before: For now the merit of Christs death is imputed to us, to remove the guilt and puniſhment of ſin; and his actual obedience is imputed to us, to make us righteous, and to give us an actual right to glory: So that if men will obey Christ out of a principle of good nature and thank fulneſs, they may, but according to this notion there is no neceſſity of it, becauſe they are delivered from wrath, and have a right to eternal life without it.
Still the Author goes on with this charge,Anſwer. That wicked men, who live in ſin, may be united to Chriſt. Mr. Shephard holds, that we are united to Christ by Faith: And are Believers wicked men? they receive Chriſt, whole Chriſt, as their Prophet to teach them, their Prieſt to ſatisfie for them; their King to rule them: and upon account of this receiving, they are the ſons of God, Joh. 1.12. And are they wicked men for all this? they have the promiſe of pardon and juſtification, Act. 13.39. The promiſe of the Spirit, Joh. 7.38.39. The promiſe of eternal life, Joh. 3.16. And may we call them wicked men? If wicked men may be intitled to ſuch promiſes, there is no need at all of Holineſs or Obedience: But, ſaith the Author, an holy life muſt not only follow our Ʋnion to Christ: But at leaſt in order of nature go before it, becauſe by this we are united to Chriſt. To which I anſwer; Without doubt that Faith, which in Scripture phraſe doth come to Chriſt, receive Chriſt, put on Chriſt, and feed upon Chriſt, muſt needs unite to him; and of this Faith, Obedience, or an holy Life is not a part, but a fruit; all thoſe worthies, Heb. 11. Firſt believed; and then by that Faith produced all thoſe acts of Obedience there recorded: Firſt, We are married to Chriſt by Faith, and then we bring forth fruit unto God, Rom. 7.4. And in that fifth Chapter of John quoted by the Author: Firſt, there are branches in Chriſt by Faith, and then there is holy Fruit brought forth: An holy Life muſt needs preſuppoſe Faith, it flows out of a pure heart, and the heart cannot be ſuch without Faith: It is a conformity to the Divine Rule, and that Rule cannot be aſſured to be ſuch but by Faith: It is levelled at the Glory of God, and the ſingle eye, which looks at that great end, is Faith; without which the whole Body of our Works is full of darkneſs: Now if Faith unite to Chriſt, and precede Obedience or an holy Life; then it is evident, that Obedience or an holy Life do not go before our Union to Chriſt, but follow after it: But, ſaith the Author, our Ʋnion to Chriſt is not perfected without Obedience. Hence our Saviour ſaith, Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much Fruit, ſo ſhall ye be my Diſciples, Joh. 15.8. To which, I anſwer; Our Union to Chriſt is not indeed perfect before Obedience, as to its Fruit and Conſequences: but it is as to its eſſentials; for the Believer in the very inſtant of believing hath a true title to the promiſes of pardon, of the Spirit and of eternal Life: So that ſhould he immediately, and before any one act of Obedience depart this Life, he ſhould undoubtedly, and without any ſcruple enter that bleſſed Region, where are the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect; as for that place, Joh. 15.8. where our Saviour tells them, That bearing of fruit they ſhould be his Diſciples, it is parallel to that place, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my Diſciples, Joh. 8.31. In both they were Diſciples before: In that Joh. 8.31. they were Diſciples before that period of life, unto which their continuance in the word extends it ſelf; or elſe their diſcipleſhip muſt have been adjourned to the other World: And in that Joh. 15.8. they were Diſciples before their bearing of fruit, for they could not bear fruit without being branches in Chriſt; and Branches they could not be without being Diſciples: when there fore our Saviour ſaith, ſo ſhall ye be my Diſciples, the meaning only is, that by their fruitfulneſs they ſhould give a real proof and demonſtration, that they are indeed true Diſciples and Branches of Chriſt. But, ſaith the Author, This Doctrine deſtroys the obligations to holyneſs, and thruſts holyneſs out of the Chriſtian Religion; our union to Christ is perfected while we are unholy, and when we are united to Christ, there is leſs need of holyneſs than before, for now the righteouſneſs of Chriſt is imputed to us. To which I anſwer, As to that, that our union to Chriſt is perfected while we are unholy: If by unholy, be meant only before a holy life, Believers before that are ſo perfectly united to Chriſt, as to have a true title to the promiſes of Pardon, the Spirit, and Salvation: If by unholy, is meant a wicked Man, no wicked Man is united unto Chriſt; this would be a diſhonour to our Saviour, a contradiction to the Goſpel; ſuch a one walks in darkneſs, and cannot have fellowſhip with God, who is Light, as St. John ſpeaks: But a Believer (who before an holy life is united to Chriſt) is not, muſt not be called a wicked Man. As to the other, That when we are united to Chriſt, there is no need of holyneſs, becauſe of the righteouſneſs of Chriſt imputed to us. I anſwer, That before I have proved, that this aſſertion, that imputed righteouſneſs makes holyneſs needleſs, is but a Popiſh calumny, and without any ground at all.