The Cure of Misprision, Section 16
Sect. 16.
And juſt ſo it fares with theſe men, they are no diſſemblers▪ yea they hate the hipocriſie of profeſſors, they doe not juſtify themſelves and deſpiſe others, like the Puritans, they are not factious, ſciſmaticall, ſingular, ſencorious, &c. they are not rebellious nor contentious like the Browniſts and Anabaptiſts, they pay every man his owne, and doe no man wrong, they love an honeſt man with their hearts, &c. And as touching their faith in Chriſt, they never doubted in all their lives▪ nor were they ever troubled in mind, as many ſcrupulous fooles are, and yet poore ſoules, they are wretched, and miſerable, and poore, and blind, and naked of all ſpirituall indowments. For (beſides that God preferreth the penitent Publican, that truſted in his mercy, before the proud Phariſee, that truſted in his owne merits, Luke 18.) what ſaith St. Auſtin moſt excellently. There is no true vertue, where there is no true Religion, and that conſcience which is not directed by the word, even▪ when it does beſt, does ill, becauſe it does it not in faith, obedience and love. Nor will God accept of any action, unleſſe it flowes from a pious and good heart, ſanctified by the Holy Ghoſt. Yea, civill honeſty, ſevered from true piety, humilitie, ſaving knowledge, ſincere love to God, true obedience to his word▪ juſtifying faith, a zeale of Gods glory, and a deſire to edifie and win others, God will neither accept nor reward, but account of their morall. vertues but as ſhining or gliſtering ſinnes, becauſe they ſpring from ignorance, infidelity, ſelfe love, and other carnall reſpects.
Yea thy beſt ſervices, as praying, and faſting, and receiving, and giving of Almes, &c. unleſſe they be done in faith, obedience to the word, and that God may have glory thereby, are no better in Gods account, then if thou hadſt ſlaine a man, or cut of a dogs neck, or offered ſwines blood, or bleſſed an Idol, as himſelfe affirmes, Iſay 66. 3. And many examples prove, namely, Caines ſacrificing, 1 John 3. 12. the Jewes faſting, Jſay 58. thoſe reprobates preaching in Chriſts name, and caſting out of Divells, Mat. 7. whoſe outward workes were the ſame which the godly performed. As for inſtance, Paul a Phariſee, was according to the righteouſneſſe of the Law unreprovable, yet if Paul had not gone from Gamaliels feet to Chriſts, he had never been ſaved. Two things are required in a good worke, the meritorious part to get Heaven, and the ſatisfactory part to eſcape Hell: Wherfore truſt not to thine own righteouſneſſe, for as yet thou art in thy blood, Ezek▪ 16. 6. And haſt to anſwer not only for thine originall guilt, (for we are all by nature as liable to Adams forfetute, as the heire is liable to his fathers debt) but for every thought, word, and action of thine from thine infancy, for untill thy ſinnes even drive thee to diſpaire of all other helpes, Chriſt can profit thee nothing as himſelfe affirmes, Mat. 9. 12. 13. Luk. 1. 53. Gal. 5. 1. to 7.
And the ſole perfection of a Chriſtian, is the imputation of Chriſts righteouſneſſe, and the not imputation of his owne unrighteouſneſſe. Rom. 10. 4. For as Chriſt was a ſinner, only by imputation of our ſinnes, ſo we are juſt, only by the imputation of his righteouſneſſe. Our good workes cannot juſtifie us▪ or deſerve any thing at all at Gods hands, it is only in Chriſt that they are accepted, and only for Chriſt that they are rewarded. Yea, the opinion of our owne righteouſneſſe, is ſo far from ſaving us, that it keeps us from being ſaved, as is evident by Marke 2. 17. and Luke 1. 53.