may not be necessary to shew to what matters the confession here mentioned is to extend, as to the purpose for which the statement is adduced, it is sufficient to say, these words of St. Paul, most distinctly, clearly, and satisfactorily shew, that faith alone cannot justify, or, which is the same thing, effect salvation: it having been most undoubtedly proved, that justification before God cannot want any addition to effect salvation; it would be a mere quibble to say, justification is not salvation, therefore, let it be remembered once for all, wherever the word justify, or justification is used, it means that justification, which will be succeeded by salvation, unless otherwise expressed, such is the commonly received meaning of the word.

Calvinistic writers hold that Christ only is the meritorious cause of man's justification, and upon this principle carry their notions of justification by faith only so far as to believe, that nothing more is necessary for man to do to effect justification, than to have faith, not that faith which worketh by love, and inclines the mind and leads the man to follow the example of his Lord and Saviour, who was "without blemish and without spot," but a mere belief that Christ by his death and sufferings hath been the efficient cause of his justification, and that no other condition is annexed to his claim, or title to it, but this in

effectual and unprofitable faith. Admitting that Christ has been the efficient cause of man's justification, which no Christian can deny, and that faith is a necessary ingredient, or requisite, whereby man is to be a partaker, or admitted to receive the benefits which Christ by his death and resurrection has purchased for fallen man, and that Christ is the only meritorious cause of man's justification, be it so, that does not do away or affect other conditions, which are most clearly, and distinctly stated, and commanded by the Gospel of Christ, and which must be observed and complied with by man, as well as faith, and without which, it is impossible he can "work out his salvation with fear and trembling;" but by selecting certain texts of Scripture, and either by not duly considering the purposes for which they were written, or by not taking a just view of other texts, and by a due comparison of those that bear on the subject, and would assist in drawing a true and discriminating judgment upon the whole of such texts, they are led into the error they so strenuously espouse and propagate.

We will now quote a few of those texts, which the Calvinist has the greatest reliance upon, and after making a few observations upon them, quote other texts to shew where the error lies, and the utter impossibility, that man can be

justified, according to the words of Scripture, by faith alone.

Rom. iii. 28. "Therefore, we conclude, that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."

Ibid. iii. 31. "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid : yea we establish the law."

Ibid. iv. 4. "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

Ibid. iv. 5." But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

Gal. iii. 11. "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, the just shall live by faith."

Eph. ii. 8. "For, by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God."

Ibid. ii. 9. "Not of works lest any man should boast."

Ibid. ii. 10. "For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

No words in the whole of the New Testament have had more stress laid upon them by Calvinistic writers than those of the 28th verse in the 3rd chapter, and those of the 5th verse in the

4th chapter of Romans; to shew that faith alone justifies; both of which verses will admit of an easy solution, by considering the purposes for which they were written, which will shew that St. Paul did not intend they should have such construction put upon them: in the preceding part of the 3rd chapter, St. Paul was proving, that all men were under sin, and could not be justified under the law of Moses, which requires perfect obedience, he then goes on to state that "being justified freely," that is without the obedience which the law requires, "by his grace," that is through his favourable mercy to lost sinful man, "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God, to declare I say at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." After this statement St. Paul says, "Where is boasting then?" this question most clearly shews the object and intention the Apostle had in view: the Jews having at various times theretofore experienced the mercies and favours of God in a very especial manner, had high and lofty notions, and as God's chosen

Rom. iii. 24, 25, 26.

people considered themselves, that they had a right and title to salvation meritoriously from their works; St. Paul in this chapter was shewing, that Christ was not their Saviour only, but that of the whole world, and that salvation under, and through Christ was to be obtained by grace through faith, and extended to Jew and Gentile without distinction, and not from works as a debt, and thereby all boasting, which they had from works, was done away, he says, "It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay; but by the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude, that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law " St. Paul could not by these words mean wholly to exclude the law by which the distinction is made between good and evil, from what he has said in other places, "I had not known sin, but by the law i," and "by the law is the knowledge of sin," St. Paul must have intended that faith was to be the instrument, or condition whereby the curse of the law ("Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us ") by which all mankind were under condemnation was to be removed, or taken away: and when he says, "without the deeds of the law " must be understood,

h

h Rom. iii. 27, 28.

k Rom. iii. 20.

i Rom. vii. 7.

1 Gal. iii. 13.

m"Without the deeds of the law." These words seem to