U^>^<Plt*^l^&J^^ 
 
 ; 
 
 > 
 
 r il[ffl 
 
 VfuH 
 
 
 5 
 
 ■frv- 
 
 f 
 
 >■ 
 
 *N 
 
 E 
 
 (/ 
 
 '' 
 
 2 
 
 IJUHr > *' 
 
 f 
 
 K 
 
 | 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 5 
 
 5 
 
 V < ■* ' : " ■* V,-. 
 
 "■ - ,'.'' ■ -: 73 .'V v- 
 
 
f 
 
 -7 
 
 / .^ 
 
 ■ 
 
1WA 
 
 *LJ>* 
 
y. 3- 19. 
 
 
7 
 
 '7u^? v - i ' u 
 
SeS *-• 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 Princeton Theological Seminary Library 
 
 http://archive.org/details/actofassociateprOOasso 
 
fjf &**)*»■«£ Wee**/***. , 
 
 2 . A* orJLc**-^ H^ (Lett****- «/ ' j/' 
 
 * ' jL'JZi*r *rLy~~* S+JX~. 
 
 ,/'/".-. 
 
 iff 
 
 — 1 — 
 
 - 6<6 
 
 — 3 - - 
 
 - 44 
 
 — A - 
 
 < 
 
 __,5 V &6 
 
 — *7 
 
 ~7~- 
 
 - Z^ 
 
 /L^et 
 
 5 z"^ 
 
» 1 1 
 
 m 
 
 ■ 
 
 •*v ..'...4* 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 ^VH 
 
 
 :-;®^,' 
 
 185? .•.'.;•• = H ^H 
 ■ I ■ 
 
 m 
 
 H HH ■ 
 
 Hi HBBJ ; >tv-^^' 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 ^^ 
 
 
A C 
 
 OF THE 
 
 ASSOCIATE PRESBYTERY, 
 
 CONCERNING THE 
 
 Dc&ine of Grace: 
 
 WHEREIN 
 
 The faid Doctrine, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and 
 agreeably thereto, fet forth in our Confejfion of Faith and 
 Catechifms, 
 
 Is ASSERTED and VINDICATED, 
 
 From the Errors vented and publifhed in fome Acls of the AJfem-« 
 blies of this Church, pafled in Prejudice oi the. fame. 
 
 WITH 
 
 An INTRODUCTION, 
 
 Discovering the Rife and Progrefs of the Oppqfition to the Doctrine or 
 Grace, and the Reafon of pqjjing and publifhing this Act, in Vindica- 
 tion of the fame. 
 
 EDINBURGH: 
 
 Printed by Neill and Company. 
 
 Sold by W. Laing, Edinburgh ; J. Duncan, Glafgow ; Morison anci 
 
 Son, Perth ; W. Knight, Aberdeen, and R. Nil col, Dundee. 
 
 M,DCC,LXXXIX. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Difcovering the Rife and Progrefs of the Oppofition to 
 the Dotlrine of Grace, and the Reafons of palling and 
 publifhing this Acl, in vindication of the fame. 
 
 OPPOSITION to the revelation of the Grace of God, is in- 
 terwoven with the corrupt nature of man. There is nothing, 
 wherein the univerfal depravation of the human nature more evi- 
 dently appears, than in defpiling and rejecting the grace of God, 
 which bringeth falvation to all men : For, by the plan of falvation, 
 as it is laid out and extended in the holy Scriptures, the greateft 
 revenue of glory redounds to God ; and therefore it is the great - 
 eft evidence of enmity in the linner, to flight the manifold wifdom 
 and unfpeakable love of God, that mines therein. It would feem 
 ftrange to one, who knew nothing of the corruption of the human 
 nature, that any mould refufe the choiceft bleffings, for this reafon, 
 that they are freely given, and becaufe it is the will of God that 
 they be freely received by thofe who are wretched, miferable, poor, 
 blind and naked : Yet fo it is, that finners, in thefe deplorable cir- 
 cumftances, have, in all ages, manifefted the warmefl oppolition to 
 the free grace of God through Jems Chrift, wherever it has been 
 revealed unto them ; and this has been the fpring of all the de- 
 generacy and apoftafy of the Church, both under the Old and Neiv 
 Teftaments. 
 
 When the Lord erecled the Jews into a National Church at 
 mount Sinai, the Moral Law, as it was there publifhed, and all 
 the Sacrifices and typical Ordinances which he inftituted among 
 them, were full of free grace and mercy, and were plainly defigned 
 to lead men off from all their own doings for life, unto the doing 
 and dying of the glorious MeJJiah as the only ground of their juftifi- 
 cation, and title to eternal life : But it is obvious from Scripture, 
 that the generality of the Jewijh Church contemned and rejected 
 the grace of God, difplayed in the types and fhadows, promifes and 
 prophecies of that difpenfation ; therefore the Lord gave them up to 
 their own hearts lu/is, and they wandered in their o%V7i counfels : And 
 fo, before their captivity, they fell frequently into idolatry, and 
 after it, placed the whole of their righteoufhefs in the mere out- 
 ward observance of the Ceremonial Law, together with their own 
 traditions, as is evident from the repeated charges laid againft the 
 Scribes and Pharifees by our Lord, when dwelling amongft us in the 
 days of his humiliation - 9 and accordingly the Spirit of God teftifies 
 
 agaimP- 
 
iv INTRODUCTION. 
 
 againfl the great body of the Jewi/Jo Nation, that being ignorant of 
 God's righteoufnefs, and going about to eftablifh their own righte- 
 oufnefs, they fa bmitted not themfelves to the righteoufnefs of God* 
 
 The fame legal fpirit appeared very early in the Chriftian 
 Church. The natural bias that is in the heart of man, unto juftifi- 
 cation by works of the Law, difcovered itfelf in the tenets and 
 opinions, which were taught and vented by the falfe teachers in the 
 very firft age of Chriftianity ; as is manifeft from feveral of the 
 Epijlles of Paul, where, in oppofition to thefe falfe teachers, the 
 doctrine of juftification by the fre e grace of God, or by faith with- 
 out the works of the Law, is largely infilled upon. And as this 
 fpirit oiLegalifm was at the bottom of all the errors that ever in- 
 felted the Chrilfian Church ; fo we find it runs through the whole 
 Myflery of Iniquity, that has been vented and maintained by Ro- 
 mifh Babylon, to the ruin of multitudes of precious fouls. 
 
 When the Lord was pleafed to bring about the Reformation of 
 this land from PopiJJj darknefs, it was by the means of preaching 
 the gofpel -doctrine of free grace, and juftification through the im- 
 puted righteoufnefs of the Lord Jefus Chrift. This was the founda- 
 tion and ground-work of the other fteps of reformation in the wor- 
 ibip, difcipline and government of the houfe of God : The Lord's 
 fervants being animated by faith's views of gofpel-grace, were bold 
 and valiant in fetting up and defending all the parts of Reformation, 
 according to the pattern fhewn in the Word of God: And thus 
 a nation was born at once, and a people brought forth in one day. 
 
 But the enemies of our Reformation, envying the flouriiliing flate 
 of this Church, were indefatigable in contriving ways and means 
 to fully her beauty, and to bring her again under the yoke of bon- 
 dage, from which me had been relieved by fuch a wonderful chain 
 of adorable providences. Accordingly, feveral years after the Re- 
 formation, Prelacy was introduced, and the Arminian fcheme, being 
 hatched abroad, and calculated to exalt the powers of corrupt na- 
 ture, loon met with a favourable reception, about the beginning of 
 the laft century, from the Prclatic party both in Scotland and Eng- 
 land ; who, as they were pointing plainly towards Rome, fo they 
 embraced the Arminian errors, as opening a more eafy pafTage to 
 that idolatrous Church. Not to fpeak of the keennefs, whereby 
 Laud's party in England propagated this doctrine, it is well known, 
 that the apoftate Prelates in Scotland at that time were mofl warm 
 and zealous defenders thereof ; as appears net only by the fevere 
 fentences pafTed by that Antichriilian court, the high commifjion, 
 whereof they were members, againfl many of the Lord's fervants 
 and people, particularly, the act. of bani/hment pafTed againfl that 
 eminent fervant of Chrift, Mr Samuel Rutherford, from his flock 
 at Anwoth to Aberdeen, for writing againfl the Armini ' ns at that 
 time; but alfo, by the juft cenfures palled by that memorable Af- 
 icmbly at Glafgow, amio 1638, againft thefe pretended Bi/hops, and 
 fettle other miniflers, who were deeply invoked in the fame defec- 
 tion ; 
 
INTRODUCTION.. v 
 
 tion : Where, befides many grofs fcandals and immoralities, it will 
 be found, that many of thefe men were depofed, and otherwife 
 cenfured, for teaching and venting Popijh and Arminiun errors ; as 
 may be feen from the tranfa&ions of that Aflembly, related in that 
 excellent Latin hiftory, entituled, Hijioria motuum in regno Scotice. 
 
 When the Prelates, who were the ftrenuous defenders of Armini- 
 anifm, were thus juitly cenfured in Scot /and, they fled into England; 
 where, befides their being the firjl Authors of the civil war, they 
 procured a large- Declaration to be fent unto Scotland, in the King 's 
 name, wherein that famous AJfembly 1638, is feverely condemned 
 in the whole of their conduct, and particularly, for inflicling cen- 
 fure upon Arminians. As this paper was juftly condemned by the 
 AJfembly that met at Edinburgh 1639, and afterwards by the Ejlates 
 of the kingdom, as a fcandalous libel upon this Church and Nation •, 
 fo by the Lord's blemng upon the reformation of this Church, which 
 he then brought about by his mighty arm, the open defenders of 
 Arminianifm durft not fet up their heads, during the whole time of 
 that reforming period, till abjured Prelacy was again re-impofed 
 after the Rejloration of King Charles II. 
 
 But, although the Arminia?i dodtrine had poifoned multitudes 
 both in Scotland and Englafid, by means of the Popi/h and Prela- 
 tic party of thefe times ; yet, as the errors, held by Arminius and 
 his followers, were condemned by the famous Synod that met at 
 Dort, anno 16 19, and by this Church, anno 1638, and by all the 
 divines of any reputation for foundnefs, both abroad and at home ; 
 fo, this pernicious fcheme being fo direclly contrary to the Scrip- 
 ture-doclxine contained in the ConfeJJicns of the reformed Churches, 
 few of the more fober and ferious in thefe lands were milled there- 
 by : Until, at length, a more refilled, and confequently, a more dan- 
 gerous, fcheme of Arminianifm was hatched and vented in England, 
 by Mr Richard Baxter ; which, as it came nearer to the legal terms 
 that fome time before had been ufed by divines of reputed ortho- 
 doxy, in explaining of gofpel-truth •, fo it quickly fpread, like an 
 overflowing Flood, among thofe of the Prejbyterian perfuaiion in 
 England, and gradually crept into many pulpits of Scotland, even 
 after the Revolution ; partly out of zeal againft the real Antmomiuns^ 
 and partly by reafon of the great noife raifed by fome minifters a- 
 gainft the preachers of the Doclrine cf Grace, as teachers of Anti- 
 nomianifm : And, by this means, the doctrine of the gofpel, quickly 
 getting the name of a new fcheme, became, almoll every where, evil 
 fpoken of. 
 
 When matters with refpedt. to dodtrine came to fo deplorable a 
 Situation in this Church, that they who taught the abfolut-j :ree- 
 dom of the Covenant of Grace, and the unlimited Grant, that God 
 hath made in his word, of Chrift and falvation with him, to the 
 world of mankind, and fuch like doctrines, were branded as vent- 
 ing a new fcheme of divinity ; it is no wonder that the Church of 
 Scotland fhould grow worfe and worfe, and be left, in the righte- 
 ous 
 
vi INTRODUCTION. 
 
 «us judgment of God, to an open affronting of the truth of the 
 gofpel, and consequently of Chrift himfelf, who is the fubftance of 
 it, by the Aflembly that met anno 171 7, when they difmifled 
 without cenfure a Profejfor of divinity, who had taught a fcheme 
 of Pelagian and Arminian errors mentioned and condemned in a 
 former AB of this Preibytery. And from that time forward 
 there is the warmed oppofition made to the Doctrine of Grace, 
 whenever it came upon the field, before the judicatures of this 
 Church, whereof there are fome lamentable inftanees condefcended 
 upon in the following AB. 
 
 From this fhort account of the rife and progrefs of the oppofition 
 to the Doctrine of Grace, may be gathered the great hazard 
 and danger that this Church and land are in of being over-run with 
 Paganifm and Infidelity : For though the Lord has been pleafed to 
 make gofpel-light break forth in fome corners of the land, yet in 
 many more places, the darknefs is no lefs remarkably increafed, 
 and oppofition to the truths of the gofpel is mightily abounding ; 
 yea the floodgates of legal and corrupt doctrine are fo wide opened, 
 particularly by many preachers and minifters that have lately entered 
 into the Church, as to threaten the utter extinguifhing of any beams 
 of light that have been mining amonglt us. 
 
 Many are the awful fymptonn and evidences of the danger we are 
 in this way. Such as (1.) The intolerable freedom that is ufed 
 with the holy Scriptures ; fome denying them in bulk ; others 
 wrefting them to their own deftruclion ; and others palling profane 
 jefts upon them \ whereby that word is fadly verified among us, 
 2 Pet. iii. 3.-- -There fh all come in the lafil days [coffers walhitig after 
 their own lujls. {2.) Socinian and Arminian Doctrine is now in fuch 
 general requeft, that fome have ventured openly to recommend 
 thefe principles, without being noticed by any of the judicatories of 
 the Church. Mr William WifJmrt, Principal of the College of Edin- 
 burgh, has recommended Dr Scougal's Life of God in the foul of 
 man, upon which Mr Whitejield's experiences are founded ; a book 
 calculated to lead off from faith in the righteoufiiefs of Chrift with- 
 out us, to a righteoufnefs within us, and inward fenfutions as the 
 ground of our pardon and acceptance before God. The faid Mr 
 IVifhart has alfo recommended Dr Whichcofs fermons unto young 
 minifters and Undents \ a book that is open and plain in favours of 
 the Socinian and Arminian fchemes. When a worthy minifter of 
 this Church recommended the Marrow of Modern Divinity, a book 
 <iefigned to vindicate the Doctrine of Grace, in oppofition to 
 the Antinomian and Neonomiau extremes, the AfTemblies annis 
 1720 and 1722 feverely animadverted upon It: Eut, when a fcheme 
 of Arminian and Socinian doSirine is now- recommended, the judicato- 
 ries take no manner of notice of it. Hence it follows (3.) That mi- 
 nifters have been encouraged to entertain their hearers with ha- 
 rangues upon moral fubjecls, without ever mentioning the peculiar 
 or fiipcrnatural truths of Chri/Uanity, or mewing the connection 
 
 that 
 
INTRODUCTION. vit 
 
 that is between the duties of the law and promifes of the gofpel : 
 And confequently, the people hear nothing from many of them, but 
 a fyftem of heathen philofophy intermixed with Arminian tenets, 
 inftead of the myfteries of the gofpel \ whereby multitudes have 
 been prepared for the blind reception oithatjlrong delujion at this 
 day, whereby they have believed a lie. 4. The molt part by far of 
 all the late writings, both upon the controverfy with the Dei/is, and 
 that with the Arians, fuppofe the Arminian principles as granted ; 
 fo that, in what is looked upon to be the fajhionahle reading of the 
 times, whatever hand the fludents turn unto, they mull fallen up- 
 on Arminian principles, as out of debate : And yet this dreadful 
 fnare is fcarce, if at all, taken notice of, or warned againfl by the 
 moll part of thofe to whom the inftruction of youth is now com- 
 mitted, nor yet by the Affemblies of this Church. 
 
 From what has been faid, it will ealily appear to the unprejudi- 
 ced, that the minifters of the Affociate Prejbytery were bound in du- 
 ty to God, and to the prefent and fucceeding generations, to pafe 
 and publifh the following acl concerning the Doclrine of Grace : 
 In regard, 
 
 1. The faid doctrine has met with a great deal of oppofition from 
 the prefent judicatories, as hath been hinted above ; and therefore* 
 when truth is controverted and oppofed, it ought to be tranfmitted 
 to the following generation with a folemn and peculiar tejlimony 
 unto it. 
 
 2. The Prefbytery having now, for feveral years, obferved with 
 regret, That Atheifm and Infidelity are upon the growing hand, oc- 
 cafioned by the free and open paffage which the judicatories have 
 made for the fpreading of Legal 'and Arminian doctrine; they judged 
 it their duty, without farther delay, to mint at witneffing for thefe 
 great truths, which have been fo particularly condemned and op- 
 pofed in their day, relating to the Freedom of Grace, both as to the 
 purchafe and application of redemption. 
 
 3. The Affembly 1720 and 1722, having adduced our Confef- 
 uon of Faith and Catechifms, to fupport the errors contained in 
 their a&s ; it is therefore neceffary to vindicate thefe our excel- 
 lent flandards from the injuries done them by thefe Affemblies. 
 
 4. As the government of the houfe of Chrilt is an hedge to the 
 doclrine (for while the purity of difcipline and government accord- 
 ing to ChrhTs inflitution is maintained, it will be an effe&ual 
 check upon all the errors that may be vented in prejudice of the 
 doclrine of bis grace ;) fo, upon the other hand, when the purity 
 of doclrine is corrupted, the purity of government cannot long fub- 
 fift ; of which the prefent judicatories give a fad and lamentable 
 inftance : Their Hated and tenacious oppofition to the Doclrine of 
 Grace ever fmce the year 1717, has opened the door to all thefe 
 corruptions and defections with refpect to the difcipline and go- 
 vernment of the Church, which have come to fuch a height at 
 this. day. 
 
 For 
 
viii INTRODUCTION. 
 
 For thefe and the like reafons, the Affociate Prejbytery appoint- 
 ed a committee of their number to prepare a draught of an a£i 
 concerning the Do&rine of Grace, vindicating and ajferting the f aid 
 doBrine, as revealed in the holy Scriptures, and, agreeably thereto^ 
 Jet forth in our ConfeJJion of Faith and Catechifms, from the errors 
 vented and puhlijhed in fome a&s of the Affemblies of this Church, 
 paffed in prejudice of the fame. And the faid draught having been 
 laid before the Prefbytery, after ferious deliberation and reafoning 
 thereupon, it was at a meeting of Prefbytery, at Edinburgh, Oclo- 
 ber 2 1 ft 1742, unanimoujly approven of ena&ed, and ordered to be 
 publijhed. The tenor whereof follows. 
 
 N. B. In this Edition, the feveral parts of the Aft are diftin- 
 guiihed by their refpeclive Titles, under Sections and Articles. 
 Some new Titles are added, and others are more fully expef- 
 fed, than in the firft Edition 1744, but what is fo added is in- 
 clofed in crotchets. 
 
 ACT 
 
Act of the Associate Presbytery, concerning 
 the DoStrine of Grace : 
 
 Wherein the faid Doctrine, as revealed in the Holy Scrip- 
 tures, and agreeably theretopfet forth in our Confejjion 
 of Faith and Catechifms, is afferted and vindicated from 
 the errors vented and publifhed in fome Acls of the 
 Affemblies of this Church, parTed in prejudice of the 
 fame. 
 
 AT Edinburgh, the twenty firft day of Oclober, one thoufand 
 feven hundred and forty two years. The which day and 
 place, the Mmifters and Elders, alTociate together in a prefbyterial 
 capacity, being met in Prefbytery ; and taking to their ferious 
 connderaticn, that though it has been the privilege of this Church, 
 ever iince the Reformation, to enjoy pure ftandards of doBrine, 
 agreeable to the holy Scriptures ; particularly, the large Confef- 
 Jio?i of Faith, exhibited to the Eltates of Parliament, anno 1551, 
 and by them ratified, anno 1560, and afterwards fworn to in the 
 National Covenant, together with feveral excellent Catechifms ex- 
 prefling the fame doctrine ; as alfo the Weftminjler Confellion of 
 Faith and Catechifms, now of public authority for many years, 
 as moil agreeable to the word of God, and in nothing contrary 
 to the received doctrine of this Church : And that though the 
 whole land ftands indifpennbly bound, by the oath of God, con- 
 fiantly to adhere unto and defend the doctrine contained in the Con- 
 feiuons of this Church, as God's undoubted truth, grounded oiily 
 upon his written word ; yet there has been a manifeft departure 
 from the faid purity of doctrine, as formerly profeffed in this 
 Church and land, particularly by the prefent judicatories of this 
 National Church, their tolerating and protecting the erroneous, 
 fupporting and countenancing error, and their palling feveral acls 
 in prejudice of, and contrary to the doctrine of the Grace of God, 
 contained in the forefaid Confeflions and Catechifms, agreeable 
 to the holy Scriptures ; whereby a God of truth is highly dif- 
 honoured, the gofpel perverted, the whole land involved in the 
 guilt of perjury and apoftafy from the Lord, and confequently 
 the falvation of multitudes of fouls manifeftly endangered : And 
 likewife conlidering, that the AffetJiblies 1720 and 1722, adduce our 
 Co7ifeJJion cf Faith and Catechifms, in fuptort of the feveral erroneous 
 propofitions contained in the acls of thefe AfTemblies, relative to 
 a book entituled, the Marrow of Modern Divinity; whereby a 
 
 B blot 
 
io AH concerning the Doblrine of Grace. 
 
 blot and (tain is caft upon thefe excellent ftandards, and many have 
 been poifoned with the legal doclrine contained in the faid acls, 
 and propagated through the pulpits of Scotland, under the mafk 
 and covert of being agreeable to the word of God, and the fore- 
 faid ftandards : 
 
 And, whereas this Prefbytery, when they enacted and publifhed 
 their Acl, Declaration and Ueftimony, for the DoEirine, Worfjip, Go- 
 vernment and Difcipline of the Church of Scotland, and againji fever al 
 Jieps of defection from the fame, both informer and prefent times, did, 
 upon the grounds and reafons contained in the faid acl, condemn 
 the errors vented by Mr Sim/on and Mr Campbell, which were either 
 not noticed at all, or but {lightly cenfured by the prefent judica- 
 tories *, but, by reafon of the great variety of other matters con- 
 tained in the laid acl, and that a judicial Teftimony was then ne- 
 ceflary without farther delay, the Prefbytery could not, at that 
 time, enter into fuch a particular enquiry into the feveral Acts 
 of AfTembly, that either darkened or directly impugned the Doc- 
 trine of Grace in the falvation of miners, as the importance of the 
 fubject did require ; therefore, they now find themfelves bound in 
 duty and zeal for the glory of God, the vindication of his truth, 
 as contained in the holy Scriptures, and agreeably thereto, pro- 
 feffed in the public ftandards of this Church ; as alfo for contri- 
 buting what in them lies, through grace, to put a flop to the fpread- 
 ing of legal and Arminian doclrine, wherewith the whole land is 
 like to be overflown, to the ruin of many precious fouls, who, by 
 the Lord's bleffing upon this mean of his appointment, may come 
 to be eftablifhed in the truth as it is in J ejus ; and farther con- 
 fidering, that all ranks are indifpenfibly obliged by folemn Cove* 
 jiant, iincerely, really, and conftantly, to endeavour, in their fe- 
 veral places and callings, the preservation of the reformed reli- 
 gion in the Church of Scotland, in Doctrine, Worfhip, Difcipline 
 and Government ; and, in like manner, the extirpation of herefy, 
 fchifm, and whatever fhall be found to be contrary to found doc- 
 trine, and the power of godlinefs ; having promifed and fworn by 
 the great Name of the Lord our God, that they mail continue in the 
 profeffion and obedience of the forefaid religion, particularly, (as 
 in the Acknowledgment of Sins, and Engagement to Duties) againfl 
 the errors vented by the Independents, Antinomia?ts, Anninians, 
 Socinians, Sceptics and Kraflians, to which may be added Neono- 
 viians : Therefore, for the above and other weighty reafons, 
 the AJfociate Prefiytery did, and hereby do, judge it their duty 
 according to the powers given them by the Lord J ejus Chrift, as 
 a judicatory of his houfe, to affert the truth from the holy Scrip- 
 tures, and our ftandards of doclrine, concerning the free grace of" 
 God, in the falvation of mankind loft ; in oppofition to the cor- 
 rupt doclrine vented in fome acls of Aflemblies, darkening and 
 enervating the fame. And to this they reckon themfelves the 
 more warranted and obliged, in regard that the falvation of fin* 
 ners is manifeftly endangered, by errors and miftakes anent the 
 
 nature 
 
A 61 concerning the Doclrine of Grace. 1 1 
 
 nature of faith and God's gift of eternal life unto the us, complete 
 fatisfa&ion of the glorious Surety, the abfolute Freedom of the 
 Covenant of Grace, and other important doctrines which are op- 
 pofed and fub verted by the A els of AfTembly after-mentioned. 
 
 Section I. [Concerning the injuries done to the Doctrine of 
 Grace, by the AfTembly 171 7.] 
 
 Although the judicatories (hewed fuch lenity towards Mr Sim- 
 /on, that much of the time of three feveral Aflfemblies, annis 17 15, 
 1 716, 17 1 7, was fpent in labouring to fcreen him from juil cen- 
 fure, notwithstanding his having vented fuch dangerous errors, 
 as fap the very foundation of all revealed religion ; yet, when the 
 doclrine comes upon the field, which tends to advance the free- 
 dom of grace, in oppofition to man's natural powers of performing 
 that which is fpiritually good, it meets with a condemnatory fen- 
 tence at once. For the AiTeinbly that met anno 171 7, that fame 
 day in which they difmifled the process againfl ProfefTor Simfon 
 in fuch a fuperficial manner, they condemn in the ftrongeft terms, 
 the following propofition advanced by the Prefbytery of Auchter- 
 arder, viz. 'That it is not found and orthodox to teach, That we 
 mujl forfake Jin, in order to our coming to Chrifl, and inflating us 
 in covenant with God ; for, the General AfTeinbly " declare their 
 " abhorrence of the forefaid propofition, as unfound and moft de- 
 " teftabhr Aft ic. AfTem. 1717. 
 
 The Prefbytery of Auchterarder were at that time endeavouring 
 to put a flop in their bounds, to the fpreading of Artninian and 
 Baxterian doclrine, which was then vented in many places of the 
 kingdom ; and therefore, they agreed on fome propofitions, anent 
 the freedom of grace, whereof the above was one, exprefling the 
 fenfe and meaning of our Coufejfion in oppofition to legal doctrine ; 
 and refolved to require fatisfaclion of young men, as to thefc 
 points, before they fhould be licenfed by them, in order to know 
 their foundnefs anent the doclrine profefTed in the Church of Scot- 
 land : Yet, the AfTembly did not only feverely cenfure the con- 
 duel of that Prefbytery, but condemn the above propofition in 
 the forefaid manner ; and this they did, even before calling that 
 Prefbytery, and hearing what they had to offer in fupport thereof : 
 And having condemned it, they then ordered that Prefbytery to 
 compear before the CommiJJion of Aifembly in Augufl thereafter, 
 and give an account of what they meant by the above propofition. 
 Accordingly, by acl 8. 1718, it appears that the laid Prefbytery 
 of Auchterarder compeared before the Commiflion, and fatisfied 
 them as to their meaning ; notwithflanding whereof " The Com- 
 " million did admonifh them, and difcharged them to life that ex- 
 " preffion in time coming ; and the brethren of Auchterarder did 
 '* engage to obferve this their prohibition. The General Afifem- 
 " bly approves of the aclings of the faid Commiflion in this mat- 
 " ter, and, for the vindication of the brethren of the Prefbytery 
 
 " of 
 
12 Ac~l concerning the Doclrine of Grace. 
 
 " of Auchterarder, they appointed thefe prefents to be printed 
 " among their public acls." 
 
 The Ajfociate Prejbytery cannot but with regret obferve the 
 manifeft and glaring partiality of the judicatories for many years 
 pall, with refpecl unto Doclrine : Shewing their difpleafure, in 
 feveral inftances, againft thofe who vented or publiflied any thing 
 in fupport of the Scripture Doclrine, concerning the freedom, of 
 Grace, in oppofition to the Neojiomian fcheme ; and, upon the other 
 hand, fcreening and protecting thofe, who have vented opinions 
 and tenets evidently favouring legal and Arminicm doclrine : And, 
 as this has paved the way for the other defections that prefently 
 prevail ; fo it is error in Doclrine, corruption in Difcipline, and 
 tyranny in Government, wherewith the prefent judicatories are juft- 
 ly loaded, that has now rendered communion with them raoft unfafe 
 for any that would deiire to cleave to the reformed and covenanted 
 principles, of the Church of Scotland. Was there any thing like 
 an equal warmth fhewn againft any, or all the errors vented by 
 Mr Simfon, as in the above cafe ? No, the AfTembly 1717, are at 
 a deal of pains in their acl to palliate and excufe them ; the worfi 
 they fay of them is, that they are *' expreffions that bear, and are 
 " ufed by ad ver fades in a bad and unfound fenfe." But, when 
 the above proposition comes upon the field, — although it has a 
 manifeft tendency to advance the freedom of Grace in the appli- 
 cation as well as the purchafe of Redemption, and was levelled 
 againft the legal doclrine of the times ; yet the AfTembly declare 
 their abhorrence of it, as unfound and mojl dttflable. 
 
 Now, if this proposition is to be abhorred, as unfound and mojl 
 detcjlable, namely, 'That it is not found and orthodox to teach, that 
 we mujl forfahe Jin in order to our coming to Chrifl, and injlati?ig 
 us in covenant with God; then, according to that acl of AfTembly, 
 it would be found doctrine to teach, That a finner mujl forfahe his 
 fn, in order to his coming to Chrifl ; or, which is the fame thing, 
 that it is a ?7ia?i , s duty to forfake his fin i?i order to his coming to 
 Chrift, but this is evidently contrary to Scripture : For, 
 
 (1.) Although it is the unqueftionable duty of the creature to 
 forfake and abandon whatever is forbidden by the law of his Crea- 
 tor •, yet, fince life and immortality are brought to light by the 
 gofpel, the law binds to the obfervation of that order and connec- 
 tion of duties which is laid out, in the word of grace ; and it is plain 
 that the firfl and leading duty, required in the law, upon the reve- 
 lation of the grace of God in the promile of the gofpel, is, to be- 
 lieve that report; for, without faith it is impofible to pleafe Gocj, 
 Heb. xi. 6. He that believeth on the Son hath everlafing life ; he 
 that believeth not the Son fhatt not fee life, but the wrath of God 
 ahideth on him, John iii. 36. Hence it follows, that according to 
 Scripture, every acl of the foul, as performed by a perfon before 
 faving faith, or coming to Chrift, is fin •, for whatfoever is not of 
 faith isfn, and therefore cannot be a forfaking of fin. 
 
Act concerning the Bodlrine of Grace. 13 
 
 (2.) As the above act of Affembly is contrary to the Scripture, 
 order and connection of duties, fo likewife it is contrary to that 
 order of gracious operatiofi held forth in Scripture: For, our for- 
 faking of Jin > v being a branch of true repentance, importing purifi- 
 cation of heart, and the exercife of love, which is the fulfilling of 
 the law) is in Scripture exprefsly declared to be a fruit of faith, 
 which faith is the foul's coming to Chrift ; and consequently to 
 maintain, that we mull forfake fin in order to our coming to Chrift, 
 is as much as to fay, we muft have repentance, purity of heart and 
 love, in order to our believing ia Chrift : Whereas, on the contrary, 
 the Lord hath declared in his word, Xh-dX faith worheth by love ; that 
 he purifies the hearts of his people by faith ; and has promifed, that 
 they fh all look upon him whom they have pierced, and JJjall mourn 
 for him. According to the Affembly 's doctrine, our forfaking of 
 fin, which is the removal of the foal's difeafe, muft be at leaf! com- 
 menced or begun, in order to our coming to him who is the rhy- 
 fician ; and that we muft repent of our fin, in order to our coming 
 to him who is exalted to give repentance as well as forgivenefs of 
 fins : Whereas the Spirit of God, in Scripture, has declared, that 
 God having raifed up his Son 'Jefus hath fent him to blefs us in turn- 
 ing away every one of us from his iniquities ; and that finners are 
 called and invited to look and come to Chrift for falvation both from 
 fin and wrath, and this without regard unto any previous qualifi- 
 cations in them. This coming is indeed inconfiftent with a refolu- 
 tion to go on in fin ; yet it is plain, that no finner can wafh him- 
 felf before he come to the fountain opened for fin and uncleannefs : 
 Whereas the Affembly have inverted this order, and have faid, up- 
 on the matter, that we muft be holy, or fo and fo qualified, in or- 
 der to our coming to Chrift, or having a vital union with him ; 
 which is the very foul of Neonomian and Arminian doctrine. Ac- 
 cording to Scripture, all gracious actings of the foul, (whereof the 
 forfaking of fin is an eminent one) flow from that virtue and influ- 
 ence, which is derived from Chrift the true Vine, and that in a 
 way of faith's union with him ; fince, without him, or feparate 
 from him, we can do ?iothi?ig: And therefore it is vain to pretend 
 to any gracious, evangelical or acceptable act, but by virtue of grace 
 and ftrength derived from Chrift, or until the foul come to Chrift, 
 and be united to him, as the living Root, and Fountain of all 
 gracious influence. 
 
 (3.) As forfaking of fin is no fmall part of conversion, fo the 
 above act of Affembly evidently tends to exalt man's natural 
 powers, and his own ability to convert himfelf, or prepare himfelf 
 thereunto ; and thus it greatly favours the Pelagian doctrine on this 
 head, exprefsly contrary to Scripture, which declares, that naturally 
 we are dead in trefpaffes and fins ; vjithcut fircngth, yea, that our 
 mind is enmity agauiji God. 
 
 Wherefore the Prefbytery did, and hereby do, upon the grounds 
 and reafons above mentioned, CONDEMN the following proposi- 
 tions, as unfound doctrine. (1.) That (notwithstanding the forefaid 
 
 gofpel- 
 
3 4 AEl concerning the Boclrine of Grace. 
 
 gofpel-order and connection of duties) mankind miners muft: forfake 
 their fins, in order to their coming to Chrift, and being initated in 
 covenant with God. (2.) That a natural man can of himfelf forfake 
 his fin ; or, that he can receive any ftrength from Chrift, to enable 
 him to forfake fin in a fpiritual and evangelical manner, until, by 
 the power of the Spirit of Chrift working faith in him, he come to 
 Chrift, is united to him, and thus created in Chrift Jefus unto good 
 works. (3.) That any good or commendable qualifications are re- 
 quired or expefied of finners, in the gofpel-call or offer, in order to 
 their coming to Chrift, and being inflated in covenant with God. 
 All which propofitions are contrary to the Doctrine held forth from 
 the holy Scriptures in our ConfiJJion of Faith, chap. ix. § 3. " Man 
 " by his fall into a ftate of fin, hath wholly loft all ability of will 
 " to any fpiritual good accompanying falvation ; fo as a natural 
 " man, being altogether averfe from that good, and dead in fin, is 
 " not able, by his own ftrength, to convert himfelf, or to prepare 
 " himfelf thereunto." And chap. xiv. § 2. where the principal acts 
 of faving faith are faid to be, " accepting, receiving, and refting 
 
 " upon Chrift alone for Sanctification," whereof forfaking fin 
 
 is a branch. 
 
 And the Preibytery acknowledge, ajfert and declare, That it is the 
 duty of all, upon the revelation of Chrift in the gofpel, and with- 
 out looking for any previous qualifications in themielves, infiantlj 
 to believe in him for falvation, both from fin and wrath ; and that, 
 in fo doing only, they will be made, in a gofpel manner, to mourn 
 for fin, forfake it, and live unto righteoufnefs : So that it is not 
 pojjible for any man, of himfelf, to forfake his fins, nor is it cotifijlent 
 with the Divine method of grace held forth in the gofpel, that a fin- 
 ner ihould receive ftrength and grace to forfake his fins, or actually 
 to exercife gofpel-repentance, until he is determined and enabled 
 by the power of the fpirit of faith, to look or come to Chrift, the 
 Prince and Saviour exalted to give repentance and forgivenefs of fins. 
 
 Therefore, upon the grounds and reafons forefaid, the Preibytery 
 exhort and warn all under their infpection, to be aware of every 
 doctrine that has a tendency to pervert the gofpel-ordcr in the man- 
 ner above condemned ; or to exalt corrupt nature unto an ability 
 r,f will to any fpiritual good accompanying falvation : As the above 
 doctrine, of forfaking our fin in order to our coming to Chrift, ma- 
 nifeftly doth -, in regard a natural man can no more forfake his fin, 
 or qualify himfelf for the grace of God, than the Ethiopian can 
 change his fkin, or the leopard his fpots, according to the doctrine 
 contained in the forefaid pafiages of our Confejfion, and in our Lar- 
 ger Catcchifm, ^32. 
 
 S E c T 1 o N II. [Concerning the Injuries done to the Doctrine of 
 Grace, by the Afifemblies 1720 and 1722.] 
 
 Opposition to gofpel-truth did farther appear, when, in the year 
 1720, the Afienibly took cccafion from the reprinting of a bock 
 
 entituled 
 
Acl concerning the Doclrine of Grace. 15 
 
 entituled, The Marrow of Modern Divinity, with a preface by a 
 worthy minifter of this Church, now deceafed, to give a more deep 
 wound to the gofpel-doctrine of free Grace ; by condemning feveral 
 precious and important truths, through the fides of that book, in the 
 5th Acl of the faid Affembly. And although , upon a reprefentatiott 
 given in by fome minifters to the Affembly 1721, laying open the 
 dangerous confequences of the faid acl, the AfTembly that met 
 anno 1722, afferted the truth, concerning fome points of doctrine, 
 in the exprefs words of our Confeffion and Catechifms, yet the faid 
 acl: of AiTembly 1720, not only Hands unrepealed, but its authority, 
 as a (landing aft in full force, is maintained and confirmed by Acl 
 7th Affembly 1722, entituled, Acl concerning Doclrine, confirming 
 and. explaining the ails $th and Sth cf the General Affembly anno 
 1720. In the faid acl, * The General Affembly finds, that the 
 ' faid Affembly 1720, in thefe Acts, had no deflgn to recede from 
 ' the received doclrine of this Church, nor by them have done in- 
 4 jury to truth, nor given countenance to error and confi- 
 
 * dering, that the brethren's defire, that the acl: 1720 mould be 
 1 repealed, is unjuft, the Affembly does refufe the fame.' And in 
 regard the faid act 1722 isexprefsly faid to be in vindication of the 
 above two Acls of Affembly 1^20, and for wiping off (what they 
 call) injurious afperfions, cajl upon them by the brethren, in their 
 reprefentation ; it plainly follows, that whatever truths may feem to 
 be afferted by the Affembly 1722, they can be underftood in no 
 ether fenfe, than will agree with the acls of Affembly 1720. 
 
 Wherefore although this Prefbytcry are far from putting that book, 
 entituled the Marrozv of Modem Divinity, or any other private 
 compofure, upon a level with our a-pprovenftandards of Doclrine ; 
 or to vindicate every exprefiion in that book, or any other private 
 writing, as abfolutely faultlefs : Yet, in regard the Affembly have 
 iingled out the faid book, of all ethers that have been publifhed, 
 and paffed fuch a peculiar fentence againff it, firitlly prohibiting 
 and difcharging all the minijlers of this Church to recommend the faid 
 book, and requiring theni to warn their people not to read or ufe the 
 fame ; though the difference between the Law and the Gofpel, and 
 between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace, as alfo 
 the true way of attaining gofpel-holinefs, be therein fet forth in a 
 very clear light. And likewife, in regard that many of the lefs 
 judicious may be impofed upon, to believe that all and every one 
 of the pofitions, condemned i* the forefaid Acls of Affembly, are 
 damnable herejies ; when the Affembly 1722 * do ffriclly prchibiD 
 1 and difcharge all the minifters of this Church to ufe, by writing, 
 4 printing, preaching, cateehiiing, or otherwife teaching, either pub- 
 1 licly or privately, thefe or any of thefe pofitions above menti- 
 4 oned (in their acV or what may be equivalent to them, or of 
 1 like tendency, under the pain of the cenfures of this Church, 
 
 * conform to the merit of their offence :' And ^farther, conlidering 
 that, under the colour of condemning the faid book, feveral impor- 
 tant and previous truths are deeply wounded, and the purity of 
 
 electrise. 
 
16 Act concerning the Doctrine of Grace. 
 
 doctrine contained in our Confeffion of Faith and Catechifms, ob- 
 fcured and perverted : Therefore, upon the above and other 
 weighty reafons, this Prefbytery judge it their duty, to endeavour 
 the prefer vation of the purity of doctrine, and that the fame may 
 be faithfully tranfmitted to fucceeding generations, by -vindicating the 
 profefTed principles of this Church from the injuries done them, in 
 the above-mentioned acls, and afferting the truth from the holy 
 Scriptures and our llandards of Doctrine, in oppoiition to the errors 
 and miftakes contained in the faid acls. 
 
 Article I, [Of the Injury done to the Doctrine of Grace, 
 under the Head of Univerfal Atotiement and Far don. ~\ 
 
 TnEfrf head of Doctrine, as clafTed by the AfTembly 1720, in 
 Xhziv jifth act, concerning a book entituled the Marroiv of Mo- 
 dern Divinity, is concerning the nature of faith *. But, becaufe of 
 the relation that there is between faith and the gift or grant that 
 God has made of Chrift unto mankind in the gofpel-promife, and 
 the dependency that faith has thereupon, it will be necefTary, in 
 order to the more diftinct opening up of the nature of faith, to take 
 notice firit of the injuries done to Truth by the forefaid AfTembly 
 1720, act 5. under the head of Univerfal Atonement and Pardon. 
 
 Under this head, the following pafTages are quoted by the Af- 
 fembly, Marrow, &c. p. 108. * Chrift hath taken upon him the 
 ' fins of all men.' The author's words are, * Chrift, as man's fivre- 
 i ty, — - — -according to that eternal and mutual agreement, that 
 
 ' was betwixt God the Father and him, put himfelf in the 
 
 ■ room and place of all the faithful, lfa. liii. 6. A?id the Lord hath 
 ' laid on him the iniquity of us all. Then came the law, as it is the 
 
 * covenant of works, and faid (N. B. Here the author cites Lu- 
 
 * ther's words 1 I find him a finner, yea, fuch an one as has taken 
 
 ' upon him the fins of all men, therefore let him die and fo 
 
 ' the law — ■ fet upon him, and killed him ; and by this means 
 
 1 was the juftice of God fully fatisfied, his wrath appeafed, and all 
 ' true believers acquitted from all their fins,' &c. 
 
 The next pafiage quoted by the AfTembly is p. 119. * The Fa- 
 ' ther hath made a deed of gift and grant unto all mankind, that 
 ' whofoever of them all fhall believe in his Son, fhall not perifh, 
 
 * ifc. i. e. (whofoever believes or is perfuaded that Chrift is his, 
 
 * for this muft be the fenfe, according to the former pafTages.) 
 
 * Hence it was that Chrift faid to his difciples, Go a/zd preach the 
 1 g°fp e ^ t0 e *very creature under heaven ; that is, go and tell every 
 1 man without exception, that here is good news for him, Chrifl is 
 ' dead for him* The author adds, and if he will take him and ac- 
 cept of his righteoufnefs, he ft, hall have him. Here the author brings 
 
 in 
 
 * The AfTembly condemned the doctrine of that book, under fix general heads, 
 «tf« I. Concerning the nature of faith. 2. Of univerfal atonement and pardon. 3. 
 Holinefs not necefTarv U> falvation. 4. Fear of punifhment and hope of reward, — not 
 allowed to be motives of a believer's obedience, 5. That the believer is not under 
 the law, as a* rule of life. 6. The fix Antinomian paradoxes. 
 
ASl concerning the BoSlrine of Grace. 1 7 
 
 in the fimilitude of a good king, caufing a proclamation to be made 
 through his whole kingdom, that all rebels and banifned men mall 
 fafely return home, becaufe, at the fuit and defert of fome dear 
 friend of theirs, it hath pleafed the king to pardon them. ' Cer- 
 
 * tainly (fays the author) none of thefe rebels ought to doubt, but 
 
 * hejhall obtain true pardon for this rebel/ton, and fo return home, 
 
 * and live under the ihadow of that gracious king.* Then follows 
 the quotation of the AfTembly, * even fo our good King, the Lord 
 ' of Heaven and earth, hath for the obedience and defert of our 
 
 * good brother Jefus Chrift, pardoned all our fins.' It is added by 
 the author, * and made a proclamation throughout the whole world, 
 
 * that every one of us may fafely return to God, in Jefus Chrift:. 
 
 * Wherefore (fays he) I befeech you make no doubt of it, but draw 
 ' near with a true heart infullajfurance offiith, Heb. x. 22.' The 
 AfTembly likewife quote p. 127, 128, where the author is exhort- 
 ing and encouraging lingers, to come to Chrift or believe in him, 
 notwithstanding of their fins and the aggravations of them, from 
 the Scriptures, This is a faithful faying and worthy of all acceptation, 
 th^i Chrift fefas came into the world to fave Jinners ; the whole need 
 not a phyfician, but they that arejick ; he came not to call the righte- 
 ous, but fnners to repentance. The AfTembly's judgment upon the 
 above pafTages, is as follows. * Here is afterted an univerfal re- 
 
 * demption as to purchafe, contrary to 'John x. 10. 15, 27, 28, 29* 
 f and xv. 13. and xvii. T'itus ii. 14. Corf. chap. iii. § 6. chap. viii. 
 
 * §. 8. Larger Cat. Ch 59.' 
 
 There is nothing in the above paffages, that in the leaft counte- 
 nances univerfal redemption as to purchafe, a docfrine vhich the 
 Prcfbytery rejects and condemns, as contrary to the Scriptures, and 
 places of our Confeflion and Catechifms quoted by the AfTembly. 
 Nor can the author of the Marrow be juflly cenfured for venting 
 any fuch error; for he plainly teacheth, through the whole of his be ok, 
 that Chrift reprefented, and fiuTered for none but the elect , as/>. 108. 
 
 * Chrift put himfelf in the room and place of all the faithful ;' by 
 which he underftands the eleft, as he exprefsly declares in the firil 
 fentence of his preface, ' J^fus Chrift, the fecond Adam, did, as £ 
 1 common perfon, enter into covenant with God his Father, for all 
 ' the elec~t that is to fay fays he) all thofe that have or fhaii be* 
 
 * lieve on his name,' whereas the U ni<v erf a lifts contend, that God, 
 in fending of Chrift. had no refpeel to fome, mere than to others, 
 but deftined Chrift for a Saviour to all mesx "like. 
 
 As the author has exprefsly declared himfeli for a particular re- 
 demption and reprefentacion ; 10 neither will the above p?.fib p res, 
 quoted by the AfTembly, bear the charge of an univei'fa.' .."ec'ei.vp- 
 tion as to purchafe. The fuft pafTage frcm the Marrow, p ' 08, 
 $ Chrift hath taken upon him the fins of all men,' is part ci ', £fa 
 tence quoted from Luther on the Galatians, and is fufficiently guard- 
 ed againft the charge of univerfal redemption as to purchafe, by 
 w T hat the author fays immediately before and after the faid paf- 
 fage, as above. As to the next condemned poiition, God the Fa- 
 
 C thtr 
 
1 8 At~i concerning the Doclrine of Grace. 
 
 ther hath made a deed cf Gift and Grant unto all mankind, that who* 
 foever of 'them all Jhall believe in his Son,Jhall not perijh hut have 
 everlafling life, will indeed bear a fufhciency of worth and merit in 
 the Sacrifice of Chrift, for the falvation of all men, and the remo- 
 val of all legal bars that flood in the finner's way ; and that Chrift 
 crucified, is the ordinance of God for the falvation of mankind, in 
 the ufe-making of which only they can be faved ; and confequent- 
 ly a full warrant to gofpel-minilters, to proclaim thefe glad tidings 
 unto every man, and a warrant to all and every one to believe 
 thefe glad tidings, with particular application to their own fouls : 
 But all this will not infer an univerfal atonement or redemption as 
 to pur chafe. Neither will the following words infer any fnch charge, 
 
 * Go and preach the gofpel to every creature under heaven, that 
 
 * is, go and tell every man without exception, that here is good 
 ' news for him, Chrift is dead for him, and if he will take him, 
 1 and accept of his righteoufnefs, he fhall have him.' It is manifeft 
 from the book itfelf, that the author's defign in quoting the above 
 paflage from Dr Pre/Ions Treatife of faith, is not to determine con- 
 cerning the extent of Chrift' s death, but to difcover the warrant that 
 finners have to believe in Chrift, namely, the unlimited offer and 
 free gift of Chrift to every man in the world, which neceflarily fup- 
 pofes, that Chrift crucified is the ordinance of God for falvation to 
 mankind, as diilinguiined from fallen angels •, and therefore the ob- 
 vious meaning of the expreilion muft be, tell every man that Chrift 
 is dead for him, i. e. for him to come to, or believe on, for falvation : 
 even as it might be faid to the manflayer of old, that the city of re- 
 fuge was prepared and opener him to fly to, that he might be fafe : 
 And this is what-the author of the Marrow, according to Scripture, 
 declares, that every man ought to be perfuaded of, namely, that 
 Chrii.t is the ordinance and gift of God, for falvation to him in 
 particular •, which is quite contrary to the doclrine of the Armini- 
 ans, who deny a particular perfuafion to be in faith, upon the free 
 offer in the gofpel, as to the perfon's own falvation. 
 
 Since then it appears, from the fenfe and meaning of the author, 
 that die above paffages cannot be interpreted, as favouring univer- 
 sal redemption ..s < fe, there muft be fomething elfe intend- 
 ed by the condemnatory fenteuce of the Aflembly. And it will 
 be o 1 jvious ; from the tenor and ftrain of the Aflembly 's Aft, that,, 
 under the mifapphed title of univerfal redemption as to purchafe, 
 they condemn the uni venal and unlimited offer of Chrift unto man- 
 kind finners as fuch. For, although the AfTembly 1722 feems to 
 own, that the Revelation of the Divine will in the word affords a 
 warrant to offer Chrift unto all, and a warrant to all to receive 
 him ; yet they can own that warrant, only in a confiftency with 
 their notion offait/i, that is, a warrant only for the elecl, or thofe 
 who are fo and fo qualified to receive Chrift; but they do not own, 
 that mankind linners, as fuch, however finful and miferable, have 
 any fuch warrant: And conieqiientlyj the "Revelation «f the Di- 
 vine wUl in the word, making fuch a gift of Chrift to the world of 
 
 mankind 
 
A5i concerning the Doclrine of Grace. 19 
 
 mankind tinners as fuch, — as affords a warrant to offer Chrift unto 
 all without exception, or to preach the gofpel to every creature, and 
 a warrant to all to receive him : and the fovereign grace that has 
 made this grant, or deed of gift, not to devils, but to men -, are en- 
 croached upon and injured by the A els of both Affemblies, Annis 
 1720 and 1722. 
 
 The Scripture exprefsly aiTerteth, John iii. 27. A man can re- 
 ceive nothing except it be given him from above ; and therefore the 
 receiving of Chrift neceffarily prefuppofeth a giving of him. There 
 may be indeed a giving of Chrift where there is no receiving, as 
 this is the great fin of the generality of the hearers of the gofpel, 
 who will not come unto him that they may have life : But, in no 
 cafe, could there be a receiving of Chrift for falvation, if there were 
 not a giving of him before ; or, which is the fame thing, a reve- 
 lation of him in the word, affording a warrant for tinners, as fuch, 
 to receive him. Now, this deed of gift, or grant made to all man- 
 kind in the word, is the very foundation of our faith, and the 
 ground and warrant of the minijierial offer, without which no mi- 
 nifter could have authority to preach the gofpel to every creature, 
 or to make a full, free and unhampered offer of Chrift, his grace, 
 righteoufnefs and falvation, to all mankind to whom they have ac- 
 cefs in providence. 
 
 This deed of gift, or grant of Chrift in the word, unto mankind 
 iinners as fuch, is exprefsly fet forth in feveral texts of Scripture. 
 Ifa. ix. 6. Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given. John iii. 
 16. God Jo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son ; that 
 whofiever believeth in him fjould not perifh, but have ever lofting life. 
 Chap. vi. 32. My Father giveth you the true bread from Heaven. 
 Acts iv. 12. — For there is none other name under Heaven given among 
 7?ie?i whereby we mufl be faved. 1 John v. 11. *£hi$ is the record 
 that God hath given to us eternal If, and this life is in his Son. 
 Rev. xxii. 17. — Whojoever will, let him take of the water of life 
 freely. From which Scriptures the following truths are evidently 
 clear. 
 
 (1.) Although the purchafe and application of redemption be pe- 
 culiar to the eleel, yet the warrant to receive Chrift is common to 
 all, as they are finful men and women of Adam*s family, Prov. 
 viii. 5. Unto you, men, I call, and ?ny voice is to the fins of men. 
 
 (2.) The giving mentioned in the above texts is not to be under- 
 stood of a giving into pojfefjion, which is peculiar to them only who 
 believe ; but it is a giving by way of offer, whereupon one may take 
 poffeftion ; or fuch a giving as warrants a man to believe, or receive 
 the gift, and therefore muft be anterior to acfual believing ; even as 
 the manna behoved to be given, or rained down, before it could be 
 tailed or fed upon : And thus God gave his only begotten Son, that 
 •whofiever believeth onhimfhould not per if d, but have everlafing life : 
 From whence it follows, that Chrift is the Saviour of the world, 
 and his falvation a common falvation, Jude ver. 3. So that man- 
 kind loft have a common intereft in him, which fallen angels have 
 
 not; 
 
20 Act concerning the Doctrine of Grace. 
 
 not ; it being lawful and warrantable for us, not for them, to take 
 poiTeffion of Chrift, and the whole of his falvation. 
 
 (3.) The perfons to whom this grant and offer is made, are not 
 the eUEl only, but mankind coniidered as loft. For the Record of 
 God, being fuch a thing as warrants all to believe on the Son of 
 God, as appears from the above Scriptures, it is evident, that it 
 can be no fuch warrant, to tell men that God hath given eternal 
 life to the elcB ; as the offering of a gift to a certain feleB company, 
 can never be a warrant for all men to receive or take poffeiTion of it. 
 
 This will further appear if it is coniidered, that the great iin of 
 unbelief lies, in not believing the record, that God hath given us e- 
 tern.il I fe. Unbelief doth not confift in a mere difbelieving of that 
 proposition, that God hath given eternal life to the elecl ; fcr the 
 moll defpairing unbeliever may be perfuaded hereof, and their be- 
 lief of it adds to their anguiih and torment : But they do not fet to 
 their feal that God is true ; on the contrary, they make God a 
 liar, in not believing the record of God, even that he hath given 
 unto them eternal life in his Son Jefus Chrift ; as hereby they deny 
 the faithfulnefs of God in that record, and his being indeed in ear- 
 ner!: in that grant and gift of Chrift, made unto finners, as fuch, in 
 the gofpel : They (light and defpife the authority of a God of grace, 
 commanding them to give this anfwer of a particular applying 
 faith, unto the offer of his grace in his word, and his call to receive 
 the fa rh« ; and fo flying in the face of God's Record and Teftimo- 
 - defervedly periih in unbelief, feeing the kingdom and gift 
 o v. ri was brought near to them in the offer of the gofpel^ and they 
 wo. lid not take it. 
 
 The aBfove doftrine concerning the gift of Chrift in the word, 
 unto mankind finned, is likewiie from the holy Scriptures afferted 
 in our Confe;lion of Faith and Cateobi r iBs. particularly, Con. Chap, 
 vii. § 3. ' He freely oliereth unto nnners, life and falvation by Jefus 
 f Chrift •, requiring of them faith in him, that they may be faved, 
 
 * and prooiifing his Ifoly Spirit, to make them willing and able to 
 
 * believe.' "Where it is plain, that the offer of life and falvation, 
 is unto mankind, considered asj'nners; and that, therefore, linners, 
 as fuch, have a warrant to believe, or receive the unfpeakable gift 
 of God, according to the Scriptures quoted in the Ccnfefjior, Mark 
 
 xvi. 15, 16. Go ye unto all the world, and preach the gofpel to 
 
 every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, fhall he faved; hut 
 he that believeth not, fo all be damned. John iii. 16. God fo loved the 
 world, &x. And the fame doctrine is aifo taught, Larger Cat. Queft. 
 
 63- 
 
 Wherefore the Prefbytery did, and hereby do, for the -grounds and 
 reafons above mentioned, acknowledge, declare and ajfert, that God 
 the Father moved by nothing, but his free love to mankind ioft, 
 hath made a dc^d of gift and grant, of his Son Jefus Chrift, unto 
 mankind, in the word, that whomever of them all fhall receive this 
 gift by a true and lively faith, fhall not perilh, but hr.ve everlaft- 
 in'g life : Or, which is the fame th-ing, that there is a revelation of 
 
 the 
 
Aft concerning the Doblrine of Grace, 21 
 
 the Divine will in the word, affording a warrant to offer Chrift un- 
 to all mankind without exception, and a warrant to all freely to 
 receive him, however great finners they are, or hiive been ; and 
 that this gift is made to mankind only r and not to fallen angels -, 
 according to the doctrine held forth from the Scriptures and our 
 Confefiion above-quoted. 
 
 And the Prefoytery hereby rejeB and condemn the following te- 
 nets and opinions, contained in or coached under the forefaid a£ts 
 of Affembly. 1.) That the free, unlimited and univerfal offer of 
 Chrift in the gofpel, to finners of mankind, as fuch, is inconfiftent 
 with particular redemption; or, that God the Father his making 
 a deed of gift unto all mankind, that, whomever of them all ftiall 
 believe on his Son, ihall not perifh, but have everlafting life, infers 
 an univerfal atontment, or redemption as to purchafe. (2 .) That 
 this grapt or offer is made only to the eletl, or to fuch who have 
 previous qualifications commending them above others. Which 
 doctrines are quite contrary to the palTages of Scripture, and our 
 (Donfemon of Faith above -quoted. 
 
 ^rticle II. [Of the Injury done to the Doctrine of Grace,] 
 
 concerning the Nature cf Faith. 
 
 The AiTembly 1722 do only take notice of the definition of faith 
 in the Marrow, without mentioning the other palTages quoted by 
 the AiTembly 1720, and by them condemned under that head: 
 Which might feetn to give ground to apprehend that the Aflem- 
 bly 1722 had pafled from any vindication of what the AiTembly 
 1720 had done in condemning thefe and other palTages and quota- 
 tions, as contrary to the holy Scriptures, our Confefiion of Faith 
 and Catechifms ; efpecially when they fay, * That the faid paf- 
 ' fages are condemned only in fofar as they import the faid errone- 
 4 ous opinions,' ufcribed unto them. Yet, as truth was never, in 
 any age, condemned under the notion of truth, but of error : And, 
 whereas the title of the act. of AiTembly 1722 (hews that it is de- 
 signed for confirming as well as explaining the Act. 1720 *, and 
 that not only is there no honour done to condemned truth, by an ac- 
 knowledgment of an error in the management of the faid Aflfem- 
 bly 1720 ; but their act. continues to ftand in full force among 
 thole deligned for public ufe : Upon thefe and the like grounds, the 
 PrefbyteryjfW that the truth contained in thefe palTages, is not only 
 left bleeding, but has received a further wound by the faid AiTem- 
 bly 1722. Wherefore, though the Prelbytery do not find it expe- 
 dient to infill on every particular exprefiion or proposition, con- 
 demned by that AiTembly 1720 : Yet they judge it neceffary, for 
 the vindication of truth, and as a mean of tranfmitting it in its pu- 
 rity unto after ages, to take notice of fome of the propofitions con- 
 demned by the faid AiTembly-, particularly, page 118. ' There 
 
 * is no more for him [vix. man) to do, but only to know and be- 
 
 * lieve, that Chrift hath done all for h\m.' The pafTage relative to 
 
 this 
 
22 Act concerning the Doctrine of Grace. 
 
 this fubjecl: in the faid page ftands thus, * All the covenant that be- 
 
 ' lievers are to have regard unto for life and falvation, is the 
 
 * free and gracious covenant that is betwixt Chrift, or God in 
 \ Chrift, and them. And, in this covenant, there is not any con- 
 ' dition or law to be performed on man's part, by himfelf : No ; 
 
 * there is no more for him to do, but only to know and believe 
 
 ' that Chriit hath done all for him. Here you are to work no- 
 
 i thing, here you are to do nothing, here you are to render nothing 
 ' unto God ; but only to receive the treaiure, which is Jems Chrift, 
 
 i and apprehend him in your heart by faith ; fo mail you ob- 
 
 ' tain forgivenefs of fins, righteoufnefs and eternal happineis, 
 
 * not by doing, but by receiving. Nothing here cometh betwixt, 
 1 but faith, only apprehending Chrift in the promife.' Then the 
 following words, p. 119. which immediately follow what is above, 
 are particularly cited as erroneous : l This then is perfeel righteouf- 
 ' nefs (thefe words are here omitted by them, to hear nothing, to 
 ■' know nothing, to do nothing of the law of works, but) only to 
 
 * know and believe, that Jeius Chrift is now gone to the P'ather, 
 1 and fttteth at his right hand, not as a judge, but as made, unto you 
 
 * of God, IVifdom, Righteoufnefs, Sanclif cation and Redemption.' 
 
 The next paftage condemned by the AfTembly, is quoted by the 
 Author from Dr Preflon on Faith, Marrow, p. 120. ' For as 
 ' much as the holy Scriptures fpeaketh to all in general, none of us 
 
 * ought to diftruft himfelf, but believe that it doth belong parti- 
 
 * cularly to himfelf.' They alfo refer to feveral other pages of the 
 Marrow, without condefcending upon the expreffions that relate to 
 the nature of faith. But the doctrine contained in the above paf- 
 fages, and likewife in the pafTages referred to by the Aiiembly, 
 mfofar as they refpect the nature of faith, will be illuftrated by 
 what ihall be faid in vindication of the Author's account of jufti- 
 
 fying faith, as quoted by the AlTembly from p. 119. 1 Where- 
 
 1 fore as Paul and Silas faid to the jailor, fo fay 1 unto you, Be- 
 
 * lieve on the Lord fefus Chrifl a?id thou fialt be fuved, that is, be 
 1 verily perfuaded in your heart, that Jems Chrift isyours, and that 
 
 * you mall have life and falvation by him ; that whatsoever Chrift 
 ' did for the redemption of mankind, he did it for you.' The 
 judgment of the AfTembly 1720 upon this head, is as follows, 
 ' This Notion of facing faith appears contrary to Scripture, Ifa. 1. 
 
 * 10. Rom. viii. 16. ijohn v. 13. and to Cotifjf. Chap, xviii. § 1, 
 1 3, 4. and to Larger Catechifm, Queft. 81. 172. all which pa/Tages 
 
 * ihew, that afiuranceis not of the elTence of faith •, whereas the paf- 
 
 * fages cited from the Marrow, Is V. appear to aflert the contrary, 
 ' making that faving faith, commanded in the gofpel, a man's per- 
 ' fuafion that Chrift it his, and died for him, and that whoever hath 
 
 * not this perfuafion or aflurance, hath not anfwered the gofpel- 
 
 * call, nor is a true believer.' 
 
 The general AfTembly Anno 1722, in their 7th acT: confirming 
 and explaining the above acl of AfTembly 1720, vindicate the faid 
 a£t upon this head, and particularly condemn the Author of the 
 
 Marrow 
 
A 61 concerning the Dofirine of Grace. 23 
 
 Marrow for making that to be the juftifying adl: of faving faith, 
 
 * A man's being perfuaded that Chrift is his, and that he mall have 
 
 * life and falvation by him, and that whatfoever Chrift did for the 
 
 * redemption of mankind, he did it for him: And all the account 
 which that Affembly give of faith is as follows, ? That a belief 
 ' and perfuaiion of the mercy of God in Chrift, and of Chrift's abi- 
 ' lity and willingnefs to fave all that come unto him, is neceffary 
 
 * unto juftifying faith.' 
 
 The PreCbytery judge it their duty to enquire fomewhat particu- 
 larly into the nature of faith, above defcribed : in regard that a 
 right notion of the nature of faith, as revealed in the holy Scrip- 
 tures, and agreeably thereto, fet down in our ltandards of dodlrine, 
 is fo neceffary to the falvation of a finner, and that the fame has 
 been fo much darkened by the Affemblies of this Church. For al- 
 though the Affembly 1722 feems to refufe the charge of excluding 
 from the nature of faith its appropriating acl, yet it is impoflible to 
 vindicate them from it ; in regard they fpeak of no other affurance 
 in faith, but a perfuajion of the mercy of God in Chrifi, and of 
 Chrift's ability and willingnefs to fave all that come imto him, which 
 is a perfua^on that devils and reprobates may have. And, in agree- 
 ablenefs to this view of faith, they condemn the affurance which 
 the Author of the Marrow advanceth, when he makes that to be 
 the juftifying act of faith, * A man's being perfuaded that Chrift 
 
 * is his ; that he mall have life and falvation by him, and that 
 
 * whatfoever Chrift did for the redemption of mankind, he did it 
 
 * for him. Which (fay the Affembly) is contrary to the texts 
 
 * of Scripture, and paffages of our ConfeJJion and Larger Catechifm 
 1 cited by the Affembly 1720.' 
 
 But it will be obvious to any who confiders thefe places of Scrip- 
 ture, and paffages of our ConfeJJion and Larger Catechifm, quoted by 
 the Affembly, that they fpeak directly of the affurance offenfe, or 
 reflection ; whereby believers are certainly affured, that they are 
 in a ftate of grace, upon the evidence of thefe marks, which the 
 Lord has given of his own work in the foul ; and not of the affu- 
 rance which is in faith, in the direct acl thereof, and which is found- 
 ed upon the word allenarly. For the queftion here is not concern- 
 ing the prefent fate of the perfon, which he is called to examine, 
 according to the rules of God's Word : The believer being called 
 to examine himfelf, whether he be in the faith, that in the ufe of 
 appointed means, he may grow up to the full affurance of his be- 
 ing in a ftate of grace, which ftiall iffue in complete and eternal 
 falvation ; and the unbeliever, or natural man. being called to exa- 
 mine himfelf, that he may be fo far from believing that he is in 
 a gracious ftate, that he may be perfuadcci of the quite contrary, or 
 that he is at prefent in a itate of condemnation and wrath, fo as he 
 may be convinced of the neccifity of believing on the Son of God, 
 who is come to feek and to fave that which was loft. But the que- 
 ftion is concerning the nature of that faith, which all the hearers of 
 the gofpel are called unto, and wliich the Scripture plainly defcribes 
 
 f 
 
14 4& concerning the Doctrine of Grace. 
 
 to be a believing in God, and a trufting in his falvation, a receiving 
 of Chrift, a believing the record, that God hath given unto us eter- 
 nal life, that he will be our God, and that we fhall be his people ; 
 and to calling him our Father, our Hufband, our God, upon the 
 warrant of his own word of grace. Believers indeed may be fre- 
 quently in the dark as to the reality of their faith, and their pre- 
 fect laving poffeffion of eternal life ; and there is nothing in the 
 Marrow denying or cppofing this, yea, on the contrary, it is plain- 
 ly averted : But there is a great difference between the ajfurance of 
 our fttzte of grace, which refpects the ftate we are in already, and 
 the ajfurance of the promife of falvation ; or, an allured fuith of righte- 
 pufnefs and falvation in Chrift Jefus, as held forth to every iinner 
 of Adairfs race, to whom the gofpel comes, to be received and ap- 
 plied by them, for their own benefit ; according to that awful cau- 
 tion, Heb. iv. i. Let us therefore fear, leaf a promife being left us, of 
 entering into his reft, a?iy of you fhculd feem to comejbort of it, viz. 
 by unbelief, as is clear from the context. For, by this affurance 
 or perfuaiion of Faith, and confidence in a promiling God in Chrift, 
 we take poffeffion of falvation, as prefented to us in the promife, 
 and thus we enter into reft, Heb. iv. 11. But that affurance fpoken 
 of in the articles of our Confejjion of Faith and Catechifm, cited by 
 the AfTembly, is an afTurance that the faith which we have, is in- 
 deed the faith of God's elecl ; or, that we are in a gracious fate, the 
 iffue whereof mall be in full and complete falvation ; which affu- 
 rance is founded upon the evidence of the reality of our faith, by com- 
 paring it with the marks thereof in Scripture, the connection Hated 
 in Scripture between thefe evidences and falvation, and the teftimo- 
 ny of the Spirit, mining on his own work in the foul, and witnefling 
 tyith our fpirits, that we are the children of God. From all wiiich it 
 follows, that the paflages of Scripture and our ftandcrds, quoted 
 by the AfTembly, do by no means condemn the affurance which 
 is in the direcl acl of faith, or the appropriating perfuaiion of faith, 
 correfponding to the gift of Chrift in the gofpel to every linner 
 in particular. And lince the above Act of Affembly plainly doth 
 this, when it is therein exprefsly denied to belong to the j unify- 
 ing acl of faith, * A man's being perjuaded that jefus Chrift is Lis ; 
 4 and that he mall have life and falvation by him ; and that what- 
 * foever Chrift did for the redemption of mankind he did it for 
 1 him' It is therefore neceffary to vindicate this account of jufti- 
 fying faith, as agreeable to the holy Scriptures, and our flandards 
 of dotlrine ; while the excluding of an appropriating perfuaiion 
 from the nature of faith, tends effectually to fut that door of ac- 
 cefs unto the Lord Jefus, which God has ope?ied, by the grant that 
 he has made of Chrift in the gofpel to finners of mankind, in ex- 
 clufion of the angels that fell. 
 
 I. That the general nature o£ faith, as it is opposite to unbelief or 
 doubting, confifts in a perfuaiion of the reality of what is teftified, 
 is what cannot be well refufed ; and it can as little be reafonably 
 denied, that, where the Teftimony to be believed is a promife of 
 
 good 
 
Aci concerning the Botlrine of Grace. 25 
 
 good to be communicated, a man's faith of that Teflimony neceflarily 
 includes his believing the certain accomplishment of that promife to 
 him, and his confidence in the perfon who has given the promife, 
 that he will do as he has /aid. And it is no lefs evident, that when 
 an offer is made in a word of grace, to be received by froth, a per- 
 fon dees not by faith receive that which is offered, unlefs he believe 
 it is his, by virtue, or upon the warrant of that oifer made of it to 
 him. And fo, if a King mall make a proclamation of a pardon and 
 indemnity to rebels, and his fervants, by warrant from him, mall 
 fay to all the rebels in his kingdom, To you is this proclamation of 
 grace fent ; a man muft furely either believe the pardon of his own 
 crime of rebellion in particular, or elfe reject the King's proclama- 
 tion of grace. Neither will it avail that the man believes in ge- 
 neral, that there is a pardon proclaimed to rebels in general : This 
 they may believe who need it not, as being loyal fubjects ; and this 
 they may alfo believe who reject it, and continue in their rebellion. 
 Yet the particular perfuafion above-mentioned, is that which the 
 AfTembly here denies to belong to the nature of the juftifying aft 
 of faith ; and thereby do really turn juftifying faith into that Popiffj 
 general faith ahjuredhy our National Covenant ; or they make it 
 a faith to be built, in whole or in part, upon fomething wrought in, 
 or done by us ; whether our act of believing or repenting, or what 
 elfe, needs not here be infilled on. 
 
 That juftifying faith has in it an appropriating perfuafion, or a 
 man's being perfuaded that Chrift is his in particular, is further 
 evident from the following reafons. 
 
 (1.) When a man's confeience is truly awakened, and convinced 
 by the Spirit of God, as a Spirit of conviction, the man then fees 
 himfelfiu. particular bound under the curfe ; the law accufing and 
 condemning him in particular, faying, Thou hail finned, and therefore 
 thou art curfed : For, curfed is every one that continueth not in all 
 things which are written in the book of the law, to do them, Gal. iii. 
 10. And therefore faith, whereby the blood of Jefus is apprehen- 
 ded and improven for cleanfmg the confeience from guilt, and 
 looting that bond of the curfe, muft appropriate and apply Chrift, 
 as made a curfe for the finner in particular, to deliver him from 
 the curfe of the law ; otherways the gofpel -revelation and offer of 
 Chriit could not be found fuitahle to the man's particular cafe ; 
 neither would the free gift be found to be as full unto jufification, 
 as the offence through the law was unto condemnation; which were 
 contrary to Gal. iii. 13. Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the 
 law, being ?nade a cm f for us ; far it is written, curfed is every one 
 that hangeth on a tree. Rom. v. 18 — 21. Therefore, as by the of- 
 fence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation ,• even fo, 
 by the right eoufnefs of one, the free gift came upon all men to jujiiji- 
 caiion of life. For, as by one man's difobedience many were made 
 Jinners ; fo by the obedience of one Jhall many be made righteous. 
 Moreover, the law entered, that the offence might abound ; but where 
 Jin abounded, grace did much more abound : That as fin hath reigned unto 
 
 D death, 
 

 26 -del concerning the Botlrine of Grace. 
 
 death, even fo might grace reign through right eoufnefs unto eterna? 
 life, by Jefus Chriji our Lord. And here it may be obferved, that, 
 as a man having only a general faith of the law, as condemning 
 finners in general, will ealily reft in a general faith of the go/pel, or 
 of Chrift's willingness and ability to iave miners, or to fave them 
 that come to him. : So one brought by Divine convincing power to 
 a fpecial faith of the Law, as what particularly is directed againft 
 him for his condemnation, fuch a perfon's confeience cannot be fa- 
 tisfied, nor will it abfolve him, or he be purged from guilt, till he 
 has got the fpecial faith of the go/pel, or of the mercy of God in 
 Chrift, as reaching to him in particular ; or be made to believe in 
 particular for himfelf, that* Chrift is his, and that he fhall have life 
 and ful nation by him, 
 
 (2.) A man's being perfuaded that Chrift is his, is neceffary to 
 anfwer the call or offer of the gofpel, according to the deed of gift 
 or grant that God has made of Chrift in the Word. Now, falva- 
 tion is offered to every one in particular, that hears thefe glad tid- 
 ings, Ails ii. 39. The promife is unto you ; and therefore it is cer- 
 tain, that faith, which is the anfwer of the foul to the call of God 
 in the gofpel, muft lay hold on falvation for the perfon in particu- 
 lar. For, fuppofe that the offer of the gofpel be to all in general ; 
 yet, if a man is not influenced by the holy Spirit, to appropriate to 
 himfelf the common falvation, or what did lie before in common, in 
 the gofpel-offer, he cannot be faid to receive or clofe with Chrift as- 
 offered therein. Wherefore the Affembly, by denying this appro- 
 priating periuafion to be in the nature of faith, fly in the face of 
 the Scriptures of truth, Acls iii. 26. Unto you firfl, God having 
 raifed up his Son Jefus, fent him to blefs you, in turning away every 
 one of you fro?;: his iniquities, Ifa. xlv. 11. Look unto ??:e, and be ye 
 faved, all the ends of the earth. Which Scriptures, and many others 
 that might be quoted to this purpofe, plainly require an appropria- 
 ti?ig a£l of faith from every one, without which there can be no 
 anfwering the Teftimony of God therein revealed. Doth the Tef- 
 timony of God run out in fuch terms, U?ito you is the word of this 
 falvation fent ; the promife is unto you ; whofoever will, let him take ? 
 Then the act of faith, correfponding to fuch a Teftimony, muft cer- 
 tainly be an appropriating perfualion, Surely Jhall one fay, in the 
 Lord have 1 right eoufnefs. And this no way contradicls what is 
 frequently found, in the fad experience of the believer, who may 
 want the comfort of his faith for a long time, and have fad mix- 
 tures of darknefs and unbelief attending its exercife, fo as to doubt 
 of the reality of his faith, or that it is of a right kind. For ftill 
 doubting can no more be faid to be in the nature of faith, becaufe 
 it frequently takes place in the believer, by reafon of prevailing 
 unbelief and indwelling fin, than darknefs can be faid to be in the 
 nature of the Sun, becaufe he is fometimes eclipfed : for faith and 
 doubting are in their own nature oppojite : And therefore, though 
 a true believer is not at all times allured of his being prefently in 
 a Hate of grace, and capable thence to draw the conclufion, that he 
 
 fhall 
 
Acl concerning the Doctrine of Grace. i*j 
 
 {ball be faved ; but may wait long before he obtain this anurance, 
 according to our ConfelTion and Catechifms ; yet this fays nothing 
 againft that man's being perfuaded that Chrift is his, according as 
 Chrift is held out and made over in the promife unto him. And 
 further, if the AfTembly, by condemning the appropriating perfua- 
 fion of faith, thereby meant to limit and reftri£t the object of the 
 external offer of Chrift unto the elecl only, then this alfo is plainly 
 contrary to Scripture, Prov. viii. 4 . ' Unto you, O men, I call ; and 
 " my voice is unto the fons of men. ABs xiii. 47. I have fet 
 " thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou fhonldft be for falva- 
 ■" tion unto the ends of the earth. Mark xvi. 15. Go ye into all 
 " the world, and preach the gofpel to every creature." 
 
 From all this it is evident, that the faith of the operation of God, 
 muft anfwer and correfpond to the Teftimony and Record of God, 
 which is the foundation of it : So that, when he fays unto us as fin- 
 ners, i" am the Lord thy God, it is our duty to fay, 'This God is cur 
 God for ever and ever ; or, which is the fame thing, to be perfuaded 
 that Chrift is ours, and God, our God in him. This is farther evi- 
 dent if it is confidered, 
 
 (3.) What is the Lord's name revealed to us. We cannot but 
 deny his name without this appropriating perfuafion, that he is ours ; 
 for his name is Jehovah our Righteousness, the light of the 
 Gentiles. Thus he fpeaks to the whole vifible Church, I am the 
 Lord your God : Yea, his name is Salvation to the ends of the 
 earth. And, as he commands to proclaim his name, and preach 
 this gofpel to every creature ; fo the anfwer of faith, which corres- 
 ponds to this Teftimony and record of God as the foundation of it, 
 muft be, He is Jehovah my Righteoufnefs, my Light, my Salvation. 
 The Lord my God : Otherwife we refufe to own him by that name 
 hy which he has revealed himfelf to us, and do thus deny his name. 
 
 (4.) The command of God does farther evince this truth, that it 
 is the indifpenfible duty of every hearer of the gofpel thus to be- 
 lieve in the Lord Jefus Chrift, even to be verily perfuaded that Je- 
 fus Chrift is his. For, in the preface to the ten Commandments, 
 God makes over himfelf to finners as their God and Redeemer ; 
 And, as all the Commandments are directed to every one in parti- 
 cularj fo the frf Commandment, 'Thoujhalt have no other God? be- 
 fore me, requires every one to know and acknowledge the Lord to 
 be his God and Redeemer. On this head, we are taught, Larger 
 Cat. queft. 104. That our trufling in God is the fuitable exercife 
 of that acknowledging of him as the only true God and our God, 
 which is there required. And this is a clear evidence, that there 
 can be no trufting in God without faith's perfuafion of his being our 
 God : Whence, according to the Word of God and our received 
 ftandards, there can be no trifling in Chrift without faith's perfua- 
 fion that Chrift is ours, the great God our Saviour, Ifa. xii. 2. Be- 
 hold God is my falvation ; L will trufl and not he afraid. 
 
 (5.) The appropriating acl of faith is further illuftrated from the co- 
 venant-relation betwixt Chrift and the whole vifible Church, which in 
 
 Scrip- 
 
2 8 Ac~l concerning the Doctrine of Grace. 
 
 Scripture, is commonly fet forth under the fimilitude of a marriage* 
 relation betwixt hulband and wife ; as, Ifa. liv. i. More are the 
 children of the de folate, than tbe children of the married ivife ; where 
 the Church of the yews is faid to be married to the Lord : And 
 hence, apoftafy from his worihip, doclrine and laws, to which they 
 are bound by Covenant, is called adultery and whoredom, E'zek. xvi, 
 Hof. I. and in many other places. Thus we find, when the Lord would 
 reclaim a backfiiding Church from her defections and apoftafies, he 
 is pleafed, in a way of fovereign grace, to urge them thereunto 
 from the confideration of this marriage-relation betwixt him and 
 them ; as, yer. iii. I. Though thou haft played the harlot with many lo- 
 vers, yet return again unto me : and verfe 14, 'Turn, backfiding 
 children, faith the Lord, for I am married unto you. Now, the an- 
 fwer of faith which God challenges, is verfe 4. Wilt thou not y 
 from this time, cry unto me, my Father ; thou art the Guide of my 
 youth ? And, when he promifes to make his grace fufhcient for 
 them to this end, it is in terms of appropriation, verfe 19. — And I 
 faid, Thou fjalt call me, my Father, andjhalt not turn away from me : 
 And fo, when they a&ually turn to the Lord, they take up their 
 relation to him by covenant, as the leading motive of their return 
 by faith, faying, as in verfe 22. — Behold, we come unto thee for thou 
 art the Lord our God. Indeed, this appropriation of faith juft cor- • 
 refponds unto the promife or grant of grace made to the viiible 
 
 Church, as the echo to the voice, Zech. xiii. 9. / will fay, it is 
 
 my people : And they fiall fay, The Lord is my God ; and in this 
 way, the foul is betrothed u?ito him for ever, in right eoufnefs, in 
 judgment, in loving -hindncfs a?id in mercies. 
 
 II. The AfTembly moreover deny, that it belongs to the justi- 
 fying aft of faith, a man's being perfuaded that he fjall have life 
 and falvation by Chrijl : But there can be no true faith without this 
 perfuafion in fome meafure or degree. For, faith is a believing 
 the promife, and this is the pro?nife that he hath promifed us, even eter- 
 nallife : It is a believing the record, and this is the record. That God 
 hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Sen. Hence, this 
 perfuafion, That we f hall have life a?id falvation by Chrijl, is the 
 fame thing with a believing on the Son, or a refling on him for fal- 
 vation. It is evident that none can believe on Chriil, trull in him 
 or reft on him for falvation, without fome degree of perfuafion, that 
 they fhall have life and falvation by him, viz. a falvation from fin 
 as well as from wrath : And accordingly, we find the faints cf God 
 in Scripture, ezpreffing themfelves in the terms of this perfuanon ; 
 A£ls xv. 11. We believe that, through the grace of the Lord J'efus 
 
 Chrijl, we foall be faved ; Micah vii. 7. 1 will wait for the God~ 
 
 of my falvation : So that without this perfuafion, that we fhall have 
 life and falvation by Chrift, we do not fet to our feal that God is 
 true, nor give that anfwer of faith, which the Lord points out, as 
 the only fuitablc anfwer unto his call of Looking unto him for fal- 
 vation. 
 
 IIL 
 
Act concerning the Doflrine of Grace. 29 
 
 III. The third part of the defcription of faith condemned by the 
 Affembly is, "That whatfoever Chriji did for the redemption of man- 
 kind, he did it for you. But this branch of the perfuafion of faith 
 the Apoftle affirms, when he fays, Gal. ii. 20. — / live by the faith 
 of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himfelffor me. It is cer- 
 tain, that what Chrift did for the redemption of mankind, was his 
 obedience unto the death in their room : And this his doing and 
 fuffering is that furety-righteoufnefs, which, as the fecond Adam, 
 he has wrought for us, and for the fake of which the Lord is well 
 pleafed. Now this perfect righteoufnefs is brought near to every 
 one of us in the gofpel, even to the Ji out-hearted and far from 
 righteoufnefs, and is laid in Zion as the foundation of our acceptance 
 with God, and hope of eternal life and falvation ; fo that this per- 
 fuafion, that whatfoever Chriji did for the redemption of ?nankind, 
 he did it for us, mult, in connection with the former, enter into 
 the nature of that faith, which anfwers the call and revelation of 
 God in his Word : And accordingly, we nnd the faith of the ope- 
 ration of God correfponding herewith, expreffed, Ifa. xlv. 24. 
 Surely, fh all one fay, in the Lord have I righteoufnefs andflrength. 
 
 Upon the whole, the Affembly, by condemning the above de- 
 fcription of faith, have both condemned the Scripture-account of 
 the true nature of faith, and alfo the fcriptural order, in which 
 faith appropriates or clofes with its object : For the firfi thing to 
 be believed, or to be perfuaded of, upon the revelation of the 
 grant that God has made of Chrift unto mankind fmners in the 
 Word, is, That Chriji is ours ; upon which there will follow, accord- 
 ing to the meafure of faith, a perfualion, That we fhall have life 
 and falvation by him, and that whatfoevtr he did for the redemption 
 of nankind, he did it for us. 
 
 This account of the nature of faith, is the fame with what is 
 contained in our appro ven ftandards of Doclrine before the year 
 1647. Palatine Catechiim (taught in this and other reformed 
 Churches) Queft. ' What is true faith ? Anf. It is an affured affi- 
 t ance kindled in my heart by the Holy Ghoft, by which I reft 
 4 upon God, making Jure account that forgivenefs of fins, everlaft- 
 1 ing righteoufnefs and life, is bejlowed, not only upon others, but alfo 
 
 * upon ME, and that freely by the mercy of God, for the merit 
 ' and defert of Chrift alone.' Old Conf. Art. iii. * Regeneration 
 1 is wrought by the power of the Holy Ghoft, working in the hearts 
 ' of the elect of God, an ajfured faith in the Promife of God, 
 
 * revealed to us in his Word, by which faith we apprehend Chrift 
 
 * Jefus, with the graces and benefits promifed in him.' Unto 
 ivhich agrees the Catechifm of the famous Mr James Melvil, in the 
 anfwer to that queftion, What is Faith? Anf. ' It is my fure be- 
 
 * lief that God baith may and will fave me in the blood of Jefus 
 4 Chrift, becaufe he is Almighty, and has promifed fae to do.' 
 
 And it muft be obferved, that the real agreement and harmony 
 between the more ancient and liter way of defer ibing faith, is de- 
 clared, by the Ads of Affembly 1647 and 1648, receiving and 
 
 approving 
 
30 A6i concerning the Dotlrine of Grace. 
 approving the Weftminfler Confeffion and Catechifms, in which 
 it is exprefsly afferted, That the faid Confeffion and Catechifms are 
 in nothing contrary to the received doclrine of this Church : Which 
 they would not have faid, if they had not thought, that the de- 
 fining of faith, by a receiving and refting upon Chrift alone for fal- 
 vation, as he is offered to us in the gofpel, did imply that fiduci- 
 al a& or appropriating perfuafion, whereby they ordinarily defcribed 
 faith before that time. However, our Corfefjion and Catechifms are 
 clear enough upon this head, Conf. chap. xiv. feci;. 3. * Faith is 
 1 different in degrees, weak or ftrong, growing up in many to 
 
 * the attainment oi &full affurance, through Chrift :' (N. B. Faith 
 is here averted to differ in many, not as to affurancc, but as to the 
 fulnefs of amirance) and here they cite Heb. vi. 11. and x. 22. 
 which Scriptures fpeak of the aflurance of faith, and not of fenfe. 
 Larger Cat. queft. 72. * Juftifying faith is a faving grace, wrought 
 
 * in the heart of a finner, by the Spirit and word of God, where- 
 ' by he — not only affenteth to the truth of the promife of the 
 
 * gofpel, but receiveth and refteth upon Chrift and his righteouf- 
 1 nefs, therein held forth, for pardon of fin, and for the accepting 
 4 and accounting of His Perfon righteous in the fight of God for 
 ' falvation.' Which they found on Philip, iii. 9. and Ails xv. 11. 
 queft. 73. ' Faith juftifies a finner only as it is an inftrument, 
 
 * by which he receiveth and applieth Chrift and his righteoufnefs.* 
 Queft. 170. * By faith they receive and apply unto themfelves 
 
 * Chrift crucified, and all the benefits of his death.' Queft. 189. 
 
 * The preface of the Lord's prayer (contained in thefe words, Our 
 
 * Father which art in Heaven) teacheth us, when we pray, to draw 
 
 * near to God with confidence of his fatherly goodnefs, and Our in- 
 
 * tereft therein.' And Shorter Cat. queft. 86. * Faith in Jefus Chrift 
 
 * is a faving grace, whereby we receive, and reft upon him alone for 
 
 * falvation, as he is offered To Us in the gofpel.' Where it is 
 evident, that though the offer To Us be mentioned loft, yet it is 
 to be believed^/zr/?. 
 
 Wherefore, the Prefbytery did., and hereby do acknowledge, de- 
 clare and after t, That, in juftifying faith, there is a real perfuafion 
 in the heart of a finner, that Chrift is his ; that he Jhall have life 
 And falvation by him ; and that whatfoever Chrijl did for the re- 
 demption of mankind, he did it for him ; upon the foundation and 
 ground of the gift or promife of Chrift in the gofpel that is made 
 to finners of Adam's family, asfuch; and fo, there is in it a refting 
 upon him alone for the whole of this falvation. 
 
 And the Prefbytery do hereby rejecl and condemn, for the above 
 reafons, the following doctrines taught in the forefaid Acts of Af- 
 fembly; (1.) That faving and juftifying faith is not a perfuafion 
 in the heart, that Chrift is ours ; that we fhall have life and fal- 
 vation by him ; and that whatever Chrift did for the redemption 
 of mankind, he did it for us : (2.) That all the perfuafion in jufti- 
 fying faith, is only a belief and perfuafion of the mercy of God in 
 Chrift, and of Chrijl' s ability and williugnefs to five all that come 
 
 unto 
 
A61 concerning the Dodlrine of Grace. 31 
 
 unto him ; this being fuch a faith as Papijfs and Arminians can fub- 
 fcribe unto, in a confiftency with their other errors and hereues : 
 (3.) That one mx&. firjl come to Chrift and be a true believer, be- 
 fore he appropriate Chrift and the whole of his- falvation to himfelf, 
 upon Scripture ground and warrant ; whereby the true nature of 
 faving faith is fab verted : All which tenets and opinions are con- 
 trary to the Word of God, and the above paffages of our ConfeJJion 
 and Catechifms. 
 
 Article III. [Of the Injury done to the Do&rine of Grace, 
 under the head of Holinefs not neceffary to Salvation.'] 
 
 Under the odious title of Holinefs not neceffary to Salvation, — The 
 Aflembly 1720 cites the Marrow from page 150 to page 153, to 
 prove the Author's erroneous opinion (as they allege) vi%. That 
 holinefs is not neceffary to falvation. But the Author is in thefe pages 
 {hewing, that the believer is altogether delivered from the law as a 
 Covenant of Works; which appears from the Author's own words, 
 in anfwer to the queftion of Neophytus, How far forth am I delivered 
 from the law, as it is the Covenant of Works ? Evangelijla anfwers, 
 
 * As it is the Covenant of Works, you are wholly and altogether de- 
 
 * livered and fet free from it ; you are dead to it, and it is dead to 
 
 * you. — You are now under another covenant, to wit, the Covenant 
 i of Grace, and you cannot be under two covenants at once, neither 
 
 * wholly nor partly ; and therefore as, before you believed, you 
 1 were wholly under the Covenant of Works, as Adam left both you 
 
 * and all his pofterity, after his fall ; fo now, iince you have be- 
 
 * lieved, you are wholly under the Covenant of Grace. — You are 
 ■ now fet free, both from the commanding and condemning power 
 ' of the Covenant of Works. And therefore, though hereafter 
 
 * you do through frailty tranfgrefs any of all the ten Commandments, 
 
 * yet do you not thereby tranfgrefs the Covenant of Works ; there is 
 ' no fuch covenant now betwixt God and you. y Which dodlrine of 
 the believer's freedom from the Law as a Covenant of Works, is 
 fo far from denying that holinefs is neceffary to falvation, that it 
 eflablifhes the neceftity thereof in its own place, as iTiall be made 
 evident in confidering the paffages which are quoted by the Affem- 
 bly 1720, upon this head, in order to fix upon the Author that er- 
 roneous opinion, That holinefs is not neceffary to Salvation, viz. 
 p. 153. * If the law fay, good works mult be done, and the command- 
 
 * ment muft be kept, if thou wilt obtain falvation ; then anfwer 
 ' you and fay, / am already faved before thou camejl ; therefore I 
 
 1 have no need of thy prefencc, Chrifl is my Righteoufiefs, my 
 
 ' 'Treafure and my work. I confefs, law, that I am neither godly 
 
 * nor righteous, but yet this I am fur c of, that he is godly and right e- 
 *■ ous for me, page 185. Good works may rather be called a be- 
 
 * liever's walking in the way of eternal happinefs, than the way it- 
 ' felf.' The judgment of the Affembly is as follows, * This Doc- 
 
 * trine tends to flacken people's diligence in the 'fkidy of holinefs, 
 
 * contrary 
 
32 Acl concerning the Docirine of Grace. 
 
 * contrary to Heb. xii. 14. 2 Theff. ii. 13. Ephef. ii. io. Ifa. xxxv, 
 
 * 8. 'James ii. 10. Co?ifeff. chap. xiii. § 1. Larger Cat. Qiieft. 32. 
 
 * Confeff. chap. xv. §2.' 
 
 The General Ailembly 1722 allege, that the above paffage, 
 p. 153. ' Will plainly bear (the Author's) rejecting of the law, as it 
 
 * requires good works to be done (by a juftified perfon) and the 
 
 * commandments to be kept, in order to obtain falvation ; which 
 ' (fay they) is further ftrengthened by the following words (the 
 ' omitting whereof by the Affembly is complained of in the repre- 
 ' fentation) viz. For in Chrifl I have all things at once, neither need 
 ' / any thing more that is jieceffary unto falvation. Then, perfonal 
 
 * holinefs and good works, and perfeverance in holy obedience to 
 ' the law of God, are not 1 in the Author's opinion; neceffary unto 
 
 * falvation ; and a man may have all things neceffary to falvation, 
 ' though he be not yet a godly man : And therefore the Affem- 
 
 * bly have given no juft ground of quarrel ; feeing, though good 
 
 * works be excluded from being the ground of juftincation, yet they 
 ' are neceffary in the juitified, in order to their obtaining the en- 
 ' joyment of eternal falvation.' And to the fame purpofe, they 
 fpeak in vindication of the 8th acl: of Affembly 1720, enjoin- 
 ing miniiters to preach the doctrine of free juf if cation through 
 our bleffed Surety, the Lord J 'ej us Chrifl, received by faith alone; 
 and of the neceffdy of an holy life, in order to the obtaining of ever- 
 lafiing happinefs. In which recommendation, as the imputation of 
 Chrift's right eoufnefs unto us is omitted ; fo, as the laid Acl: ftands 
 in connection with the 5th, condemning the believer's plea of 
 Chrift's atlive obedience, in anfwer to the Law's demand of good 
 works for obtaining falvation^ it feems evidently to favour the er- 
 roneous doctrine, of fomething wrought in, or done by the linner, 
 as his righteoufnefs, in keeping the ?iew and gofpel law. Accord- 
 ingly the Affembly 1722, upon this head fay, * If they quarrel the 
 '■ phrafe, of obtaining everlafiug happinef, they may alfo quarrel the 
 ' Apoftle's expreilion, iCor. ix. 24, 25. and Phil. iii. 11, 12. For it 
 1 relates to the obtaining of enjoy meiit and pojfeffion, and not of right 
 ' and title to everlafting happinefs, which all juftified perfons have 
 
 * alieady attained.' And in the fame acl they affert, that it is of 
 dangerous tendency to teach, ' That the law acknowledged no 
 
 * works for obtaining falvation, but fuch as found a title to it be- 
 
 * fore the Lord : "Whereas (fay they) the law requires good works 
 
 * in order to the obtaining falvation, though they do not found a 
 ' title to it.' 
 
 The plain fcope and tendency of all this, is to countenance and 
 pave the way for the Arminian and Baxterian doclxine, — of the gof- 
 pel its being a new, proper, preceptive law with fanclion, binding 
 to faith, repentance, and other duties, which are confequential 
 to the entrance of fin, and the revelation of the grace of God in the 
 gofpel ; our perfonal obedience to which is neceffary for our ob- 
 taining everlafting happinefs : And though the Affembly owns that 
 the righteoufnefs of Chrift founds our title ; yet, according to them, 
 
 we 
 
Aft concerning the Doctrine of Grace. 33 
 
 we ourfelves are to work for the poffejjion ; as will further appear 
 from the expre£s words of the a£t of Alfembly 1722. * The Aflem- 
 
 * bly confidering, that there have at this time been publifhed feve- 
 ' ral poiitions and expreflions, of a pernicious and dangerous ten- 
 ' dency ; fuch as, [_That m the go/pel, properly fo taken, there are 
 ' no precepts, the commands of faith and repentance not excepted ; 
 
 * that holy obedience is not properly a federal or conditional mean, 
 
 * nor has any kind of caufality, in order to the obtaining of glory. '3 
 Where it is obvious, 
 
 ijl, That the Affembly holds it as a truth, that, in the go/pel, 
 properly fo taken, there are precepts, and that the commands 
 
 of faith and repentance are among that number. If the gofpel 
 
 be taken largely, for a fyftem of all. the Doctrines, Promifes, Pre- 
 cepts, Threatnings, and Hiltories, which any way concern man's 
 recovery and falvation ; then, no doubt, all the precepts which 
 belong to, or are deducible from the law of the ten Command- 
 ments, are contained in it ; many of which precepts, having 
 a manifefl connection with the entrance of fin, could not be 
 promulgated before the gofpel was revealed, fuch as, Faith, Re- 
 pentance, witnejjing for "Truth, and againjl the defections of the times, 
 and the like : But then, all thefe precepts are reducible to the Law of 
 the ten Commandments, though they had no due and proper objects, 
 nor occaficn of being exerciied in an innocent ftate. And therefore, 
 if the gofpel is taken Jlr icily and properly, as it is contr .diftincl: from 
 the Law, it is a promije, containing glad tidings of a Saviour, with 
 Grace, Mercy, and Salvation in him, to loft tinners of Ada??i's fa- 
 mily, according to Gen. iii. 15. " I will put enmity between thee 
 " and the woman, and between thy feed and her feed ; it fhall 
 " bruife thy head, and thou ihalt bruife his heel. I/a. lxi. 1, 2, 3. 
 " The fpirit of the Lord God is upon me, becaufe the Lord hath 
 " anointed. me to preach good tidings unto the meek ; he hath fent 
 " me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the 
 " captives, and the opening of the prifon to them that are bound; 
 " To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of 
 " vengeance of our God ; to comfort all that mourn ; to appoint 
 " unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty 
 " for afties, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praife for 
 " the fpirit of heavinefs •, that they might be called trees of righte- 
 " oufnefs, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. 
 " Luke ii. ic, 11. Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, 
 " which mall be to all people ; for unto you is born this day, in 
 " the city of David, a Saviour, which is Chrilt the Lord. Rom. x. 
 
 " 15. -How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the go- 
 
 " fpel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things. Gal. iii. 8. 
 " The Scripture foreseeing that God would juftify the Heathen 
 " through faith, preached before the gofpel unto Abraham, faying, 
 " In thee Ihall all nations be blefTed." And thus, when the gofpel 
 is taken in its proper fenfe, there are no precepts in the gofpel, and 
 consequently all precepts (thefe of Faith and Repentance not ex- 
 
 E cepted) 
 
24 d{t concerning the Doctrine of Grace. 
 
 cepted) belong to the Law ; which, according to the nature of it r 
 being a perfect and complete rule of all internal as well as external 
 ob dience, mult fallen the new duty upon us, the fame moment that 
 th-i gofpel reveals the new ohjetl. For it is evident, that, by the 
 law of creation, or of the ten Commandments, given to Adam in 
 paradife in the form of a Covenant of Works, Adam was bound to 
 believe whatever God Jhould reveal, and obey whatever he Jhould 
 command; fo that there never was nor can be an inftance of duty, 
 owing by the creature to the Creator, that is not commanded in the 
 moral Law, either exprefsly or by neceffary confeauence. And there- 
 fore, fince the Lord was pleafed to reveal his grace and good-will 
 in the gofpel, Faith and Repentance are required in the Law, as well 
 as other good works, according to the doctrine held forth from the 
 Scriptures in Larger Cat echifm, queft. 104. where, among the duties 
 required in the Jirji Commandment, we find, i Believing him, truft- 
 
 ' ing, hoping, delighting and rejoicing in him, being careful in 
 
 ' all things to pleafe him, and forrowful when in any thing he is 
 f oifended, and walking humbly with him.' And queft. 105. a- 
 mong the fins forbidden there are, * Mifbelief, diftruft, incorrigible - 
 ' nefs and hardnefs of heart,' or irnpenitency, according to the Scrip- 
 ture there quoted, Rom* ii. 5. But, after thy hardnefs and impenitent 
 heart, treafurefc up to thy felf wrath. 
 
 Befides, if the Law does not bind finners to believe and repent, 
 then Faith and Repentance, confidered as works, would enter into 
 the ground of our f unification before God : For the Scripture con- 
 siders all works properly done by us, as works of the Law, and, un- 
 der thai character, excludes them from the ground of our j unification 
 in the fight of God ; wherefore if Faith and Repentance are not 
 works of the Law, they are not excluded from, but mull belong 
 to the ground of our pardon and acceptance. And this doctrine is 
 the foundation of the Neonomian error, which eftablifhes the necef- 
 iity of another righteoufnefs, agreeable to a new gofpel Law, in 
 pur own perfons, beiides the righteoufnefs of Chrift, as the imme- 
 diate ground of our acceptance and confidence before God : And it 
 evidently lands in the Pelagian univerfal grace *, for if there be a 
 new Law, which was never given to Adam in innocency, Adam 
 never loft that grace whereby that new Law is to be obeyed ; and 
 if fo, he who gave that Law, according to them, behoved in juftice 
 to give new univerfal grace wherewith to obey it. 
 
 idly, In confequence of the above doctrine, of precepts in the 
 gofpel properly 10 taken, the faid act of Afifembly maintains, that 
 holy obedience is properly a federal or conditional rnecm, and has 
 fome kind of caufality, in order to the obtaining of glory. It can- 
 not but be matter of the deepeft humiliation to all the true lovers 
 of Zion, that ever fuch doctrine fliould be inculcate by the authori- 
 ty of the General AlTembly of the Church of Scotland, whereby fo 
 wide a door is opened to Arminian and Socinian errors, which, like 
 a flood, have overflown this Church and land. 
 
 This Prelbytery do cordially acknowledge and maintain the ne- 
 
 cejfty 
 
j4£1 concerning the DoSirine of Grace. 35 
 
 <efjity of holinefs and good works, in their proper place : That they 
 are neceffary, as an acknowledgment of God's Sovereignty, and in 
 obedience to his command, and as being the end of our election, 
 redemption, and effe&ual calling ; neceffary, as a part of that fal- 
 vation, which is begun here, and perfected hereafter ; neceffary, as 
 being expreflions of our gratitude, and as being a fpecial deiign of 
 Word and Ordinances ; that they are necejf.iry, for making our cal- 
 ling and, election fure : And, as is contained in our Confellion of 
 Faith, chap. xvi. § 2. — * Good works done in obedience to God's 
 ' commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively 
 1 faith ; and by them believers manifeft their thankfulnefs, ftrength- 
 
 1 en their aflurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profeffion of the 
 * gofpel, flop the mouths of the adverfr.ries, and glorify God.' But, 
 as the Author of the Marrow nowhere denies, but elfewhere plain- 
 ly alTerts, the necejjity of holinefs in the above or like refpecls (the 
 fore -mentioned paflages, condemned by the AfTembly, having a mani- 
 feft relation to the believer's plea againft the Law's demands of per- 
 fect perfonal obedience;) fo, from the -whole tenor of the AfTem- 
 bly's act, it is obvious, that they want to bring in our own holinefs or 
 good works, as having a caufal influence upon our eternal falvation, 
 and as a federal and conditional mean thereof; which tends to over- 
 throw the whole Scripture -doctrine of complete righteoumefs and 
 falvation, only in and through Jefus Chrilt our Lord. 
 
 Nor will it vindicate the AfTembly, that they fpeak of obtaining 
 the enjoyment and poffeffion of everlafting happinefs by a holy life, 
 but not a right and title to it, which they allow that all jufUfied 
 perfons have already attained. For the further clearing of which 
 matter it would be confidered, that, 
 
 1. The condemned paflages of the Marrow on this head, fpeak 
 not of falvation completed, or everlafting happinefs in heaven, but 
 of falvation commenced, or begun en earth-: For, in oppofition to the 
 Law, as a Covenant of Works, demanding works to obtain falva- 
 tion, the Author brings in the believer anfwering, I am faved al- 
 ready by the works and obedience of another , meaning falvation be- 
 gun, according to Eph. ii. 8, 9. By grace are ye faved, not of works. 
 
 2 Tim. 1. 9. He hath faved us, — not according to our works. Tit. 
 111. 5. Not by works of right eoufnefs which we have done, but accord- 
 ing to his mercy he faved us : And hence the Spirit of God (1 Tim. 
 ii. 10. 1 Pet. i. 9. J declares that believers, even in this I'fe, receive 
 the end of their faith, the falvation of their fouls, and obtain the fal- 
 vation which is in Chrifi Jefus. All thefe, and many other places 
 of Scripture, fpeak as the Author does, of falvation obtained already 
 in this life : For, (as is declared, 1 John iii. 36.) He that believeth on 
 the Son hath everlafling life, viz. in the beginnings and firft fruits 
 of it upon earth, as well as the title to it. Now furely we hold 
 our right to, and pojjejjion of this begun falvation, not by our works 
 or holy life, but by grace, as it reigns through the righteoufnefs of 
 Jefus Chrift unto eternal life : Yet this part of the Marrow, fpeak- 
 ing in fuch a ftrain, is condemned by the forefaid a<5t of AfTembly : 
 
 while 
 
2,6 A El concerning the DoSirine of Grace. 
 
 While the AfTembly's reftridling the term falvation, unto the com- 
 plete enjoyment of falvation, is plainly for the fake of that danger- 
 ous principle, That though our faith and good works are not meri- 
 torious, or the caufe of owx jujlifi cation, yet they are the caufe of 
 our eternal falvation, and a federal and conditional mean thereof. 
 Thus, 
 
 2. Whereas the forefaid aft of Auembly declares, That the ob- 
 taining of everlafting happinefs is to be meant of the obtaining the 
 enjoyment and pojfejjion thereof, and not of a right and title thereto ; 
 it will follow, in a confidence with this A6t, that it is found doc- 
 trine to teach, That we obtain the right to heaven and eternal life 
 by ChrhTs doing and obedience, but we obtain the pojfejjion of it 
 by our own doing or perfonal holinefs : But the Scripture afferts, 
 I Thejf.v.^. that we obtain falvation by our Lord Jefus Chrift. 
 Eph. i. ii. In whom alfo we have obtained an inheritance. Heb. ix. 
 12. He hath obtained eternal redemption Jor us. And whereas that 
 Scripture, I Cor. ix. 24. quoted by the Aflembly, feems to make 
 the incorruptible crown to be obtained by our running; it is to be 
 remarked, that the meaning can never be of the believer's obtain- 
 ing, not by faith, but by works ; for that word in the original iigni- 
 fies to receive or apprehend, and fo it is rendered in the words im- 
 mediately preceding, viz-. One receiveth the prize, and thus, So run 
 that ye may obtain, is, fo run that ye may receive the crown ; which 
 indeed agrees with the Scripture -notion of heaven, as it is a gift 
 freely bellowed upon the ground of Chrift's righteoufnefs, Rom. vi. 
 ult. *The gift of God is eternal life, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. 
 Luke xii. 32. It is your Father' 's good pleafure to give you the kingdom^ 
 And, as eternal life is freely given of God, fo it is dearly purchafed 
 by Chrift •, and not only the right and title to it, but alfo the poj- 
 fejjion of it is purchafed, and therefore called the purchafed pofli/fion, 
 Eph. i. 14. of which we have the earneji in this life, that is not 
 only a pledge, but part in hand. 
 
 Now, fince both part and whole, the begun and complete pof- 
 feffion are purchafed and obtained by the blood of Chrift : Who 
 that underftands the gofpel will venture to fay of any of them, 
 that they are obtained by our works or holy life, as properly a 
 federal and conditional mean ? Though without holinpfs none (hall 
 fee God, nor can any be partakers of the inheritance of the faints 
 in light, who are not made meet for it by fanclification and holi- 
 nefs of heart, and (in adult perfons) of life alfo, this being a great 
 part of that falvation whereof they are here pollened, being alfo 
 necenarily connected with, and preparative unto the full pofTefiion 
 of eternal life hereafter:) Yet, to fpeak in the terms of the fore- 
 faid a6t, teaching that we are to obtain the ponefiion of eternal life 
 in heaven by our works and holy life, and, at the fame time, con- 
 demning the expremon of being faved already by the works and 
 obedience of Chrih 1 , is far from having the appearance of ortho- 
 doxy. And at belt, what orange divinity would it be in heaven, 
 to fay, Though we cannot boait that we have obtained a right to 
 
 heaven, 
 
Ac~t concerning the Doctrine of Grace. 37 
 
 heaven, yet we have obtained the pojfejfion of it by our holy life ; 
 our title to this falvation we now enjoy, was obtained by Cbrijl's 
 obedience, but our pofTeffion of it was obtained by -jur own obedi- 
 ence! This language would found ill in heaven, and confequencly 
 it fhould found ill on earth •, for it is not the joyful found of the 
 gofpel, but the unpleafant found of life, as it were by the woiks of 
 the law : Whereas we find in Scripture, that the language of the 
 redeemed is, and will be through eternity, Salvation to our God, 
 which Jitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, Rev. vii. 10. and 
 
 chap. v. 9. Hhou waji fain, and y haji redeemed us unto God by 
 
 thy blood, &x. 
 
 As to the above palTages of the Marrow condemned by the Aflem- 
 bly, viz. ' I am already faved before thou cameji, therefore I have no 
 ' need of thy prefence ; for in Chrift I have all things at once, 
 
 * neither need I anything more that is neceffary to falvation ; 
 
 * Chrift is my righteoufnefs, my treafure, and my work. I con- 
 t fefs, O Law, that I am neither godly nor righteous, but yet this 
 
 * I am fure of, that he is godly and righteous for me.' Thefe 
 being the words of the great reformer Martin Luther, wherein he 
 exprefTes the perfection and extent of ChrhTs active obedience in 
 our room, anfvvering both the godlinefs and the righteoufnefs re- 
 quired in the law, and anfwering the law charge againft the be- 
 liever, as being neither godly nor ri htecus in himfelf, and in the 
 eye of the law; were never before quarrelled or condemned by any 
 Protejlant Church. Indeed, as the believer has no plea, in an- 
 fwer to the law's demand of fatisfuction to juftice for lin, but the 
 fufferings of Jefus Chrift our Surety ; fo he has no plea, in anfwer 
 to the law's demand of per feci obedience, for entitling him to eter- 
 nal life and falvation, but that which here .ftands condemned by 
 the AfTembly. For the law demands of every peribn a ?iature 
 perfectly innocent and holy, while demanding a life perfectly 
 righteous ; and, fince we have neither the one nor the other in 
 ourfelves, we muft have them both in Chrift, elfe we muft remain 
 under the condemnation of the law : Wherefore, as there is a per- 
 final holinefs of nature, and righteoufnefs of life, begun in every 
 true believer, which in all be carried on and perfected in the work 
 of fanclification ; fo there is in Chrift a perfect, complete ttolinefe 
 of nature and righteoufnefs of life, which is imputed to the miner, 
 in the moment of believing, for his juftification in the fight of 
 God; and confequently [Christ is godly and righteous for 
 mej is the only anfwer that the believer can give to the law's de- 
 mand of good works to be done, and keeping the commandments 
 for obtaining falvation ; according to Rom. iv. 5. "fo him that 
 worketh not, hut bclieveth on him that jujlifeth the ungodly, his 
 
 faith is counted for righteoufnefs. 1 Cor. i. 30. Bui of him are ye 
 in Chrift jfefms, who of God is made unto us wifdom, and righteouf- 
 nefs, and fanclification, and redemption. And Confeff. chap. xi. § 1. 
 ' Thefe whom God effectually calleth, he alfo freely juitifieth : — 
 6 Not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them ; — but by 
 
 ' imputing 
 
3 8 Acl concerning the Bodirine of Grace. 
 
 * imputing the obedience and fatisfaction of Chrift unto them/ 
 So that, if we have recourfe in the leaft to our perfonal holinefs, 
 as the ground, in whole or in part, of our enjoyment of grace here, 
 or glorj hereafter, we diihonour both the law and Lawgiver, 
 and rival it with the Son of God, by feeking to divide the glory 
 of our falvation with him. And now, whereas the act of AfTem- 
 bly above conndered teaches the necellity of perfonal holinefs and 
 obedience, as a federal and conditional mean, and as having fo?ne 
 kind of caufality in order to the obtaining of glory, it effectually cuts 
 off the believer's plea, of the perfect righteoufnefs of Chrift and 
 holinefs of his nature, imputed to the believer, in anfwer to the 
 law's demand of a holy nature and perfect righteoufnefs of life, 
 for juftification and title to eternal life. And as this is contrary 
 to our own CoJifcJJion of Faith, fo like wife to the doctrine, of other 
 reformed Churches, particularly, Palatine Catechifm, * %Zjf<fl' 
 
 * How art thou righteous before God ? Anf. The perfect y<rtfzV- 
 
 * fa&ion, righteoufnefs and holinefs of Chrift, is imputed and given 
 ' unto me, as if I had neither committed any fin, neither were 
 1 any blot or corruption cleaving unto me : — Not only the per- 
 
 * feci: righteoufnefs, but even the holinefs of Chrift alfo is imputed 
 ' and given unto me : — The fatisfaction, righteoufnefs and holi- 
 ' ne£s of Chrift alone, is my righteoufnefs in the fight of God/ 
 
 W heref ore, the Prefbytery do hereby declare and ajfert (i.) That 
 the gofpel, properly and ftrictly taken, as contradiitincl from the 
 law, is a promife containing glad tidings of a Saviour, with grace, 
 mercy and falvation in him, to loft finners of Adam's family ; 
 and consequently, all precepts (thefe of faith and repentance not 
 excepted) do in a ftrict and proper fenfe belong to the law. 
 (2.) That, as the fuffering of Jefus Chrift our Surety, is the be- 
 liever's only plea, in anfwer to the law's demand of fatisfaclion 
 to juftice ; fo the complete and perfect conformity of the Surety 
 to the law, in nature and life, is the believer's only plea, in anfwer 
 to the law's demand of perfect obedience. 
 
 And the Prefbytery did, and hereby do, upon the above grounds, 
 condemn the following tenets and opinions, (i.) That the gofpel ftrict- 
 ly taken, is a new, proper and preceptive law with fanction, bind- 
 ing to faith, repentance, and the other duties which are consequen- 
 tial to the revelation of the grace of God. (2.) That though the 
 righteoufnefs of Chrift only founds our title to eternal glory ; yet 
 it is our perfonal holinefs, or our own obedience to the new law, 
 upon which we obtain the poffefflon thereof. (3.) That our per- 
 fonal holinefs or good works have a caufal influence upon our eter- 
 nal falvation, and are a federal and conditional mean thereof ; in 
 which fenfe, the AfTembly's directing mini iters to preach the ne- 
 ceflity of an holy life, in order to the obtaining of everlafting hap- 
 pinefs, is of very dangerous confequence to the doctrine of free 
 grace. All which pofitions are contrary to the Scriptures and 
 panages of our Confejfion of Faith and Larger Catechifm above-cited. 
 
 Article 
 
Acl concerning the Dotlrine of Grace. 3^ 
 
 Article IV. [Of the Injury done to the Do&rine of Grace, 
 under the head of J Fear\of 'Punijhment, and Hope of Re- 
 ward, not allowed to be motives of a Believer's Obedience. 
 
 Under this head, the following pafTage is cited by the AfTembly, 
 for proof of this their charge againil the Author of the Marrow, 
 viz. page 181. * Would you not have believers to efchew evil, and 
 ' do good for fear of hell, or hope of heaven ? Anf. No indeed, 
 
 « for fo far forth as they do fo, their obedience is but flavifh* 
 
 And the AfTembly add, That * a great deal more to this purpoie is 
 ' to be ken, pages 175, 179, 180, 182, 183, 184. and appears con- 
 1 trary to Pfal. xlv. 11. Pfal. cxix. 4, 6. Exod. xx. 2. Jaifies i. 25. 
 ' and ii. 8, 10, 11, 12. 1 Tim. iv. 8. Col. iii. 24. Heb. xi. 6, 26. 
 
 * Rev. ii. 10. 2 Cor. v. 9, 10, 11. Heb. xii. 2, 28, 29. 2 Pet. iii. 14. 
 
 * Conf chap. xvi. § 2. and 6.' Moreover, the AfTembly, anno 
 1722, fay (in anfwer to the Reprefentation given in the former 
 year by twelve brethren) ' This part of the AfTembly 's act (viz. 
 
 * 1720) is unfairly reprefented, feeing they do not draw that infe- 
 
 * rence (viz. fear of punifhment and hope of reward, not allowed 
 1 to be motives of a believer's obedience) from that pafTage a- 
 
 * lone, but cite other pafTages, as page 175. and 179, where for 
 ' fear of punifhment and hope of reward, in exprefs terms, and in 
 1 general without exception, are removed from being motives unto 
 
 * the believer's obedience. To which (they fay) may be added, 
 « page 73. where he fays of believers under the Old Teftament, 
 6 That anfwerably as they believed, anfwerably they yielded obedience 
 ( to the Law, without fear of punifhment, or hope of reward. And 
 
 * page 216. cited in the following paragraph of the act, where he 
 ' exhorts the believer, to yield free obedience, without having refpe£i 
 1 either to what the Law f works either promifeth or threateneth ; 
 
 * but alfo, without having rejpeel to what the Law of Chrift either 
 6 promifeth or threateneth. And the AfTembly further complain of 
 ' the brethren, That, when they fay, they heartily approve of the 
 ' Author's pofition in this fenfe, viz. 'That believers are not to do good 
 'for hope of obtaining heaven by their own works and doings, (which 
 ' (fay the AfTembly) is a calumnious infinuation againil the ortho- 
 
 * dox doctrine) they do not declare themfelves, whether they allow 
 1 that a believer may and ought to be moved unto obedience by 
 
 * the hope of heaven, in any other fenfe, than that of a hope of ob- 
 
 * taining a right and title to it by his own works ; or if no regard 
 ' can be had to the promifed reward of the heavenly inheritance 
 ' by a believer in his obedience, without its being mercenary/ 
 But here it may be obferved, that the AfTembly do not treat the 
 brethren fairly, while they take no notice of what is faid in the an- 
 fwer given in to the Commifnon of the former AfTembly, unto the 
 queftion put to them on this head ; wherein they fhew their agree- 
 ment in principle with the Scriptures and ConfeiTion of Faith, and 
 
 with 
 
40 Acl concerning the Doclrim of Grace. 
 
 with renowned orthodox Divines, as to the motives of the believer's 
 obedience : Whereas the Affembly do infinuate, in the challenge here 
 given, as if there were ground to iiifpect the brethren of mantaining, 
 That#<9 regard can be had to the promifed reward of the heav nly inheri- 
 tance, by a believer in his obedience, without its being merce?iary ;• 
 while yet the brethren have in their anfwer to the 12th lottery, a- 
 niong other things, declared, ' That taking heaven for a ilate of 
 
 * endlefs felicity, in the enjoy raent of God in Chrift, we are fo far 
 4 from thinking that this is to be excluded from being a motive of 
 ' the believer's obedience, that we think it the chief end of man 
 
 * next to the glory of God and this indeed the believer is to 
 
 * have in his eye as the recompence of reward, and a noble motive 
 
 * of obedience.' 
 
 What the doctrine delivered by the Author of the Marrow, 
 upon this head, amounts to, may be clearly izen from the pages 
 quoted by the AiTembly, and is plainly this ; That legal mtrcenary 
 hopes, ought not to influence the believer's obedience, on the one 
 hand; nor fertile, fl.ivi/h, legal fears, on the other : Or that, on the 
 one hand, the believer is not to feek to be influenced to obedience, 
 by the fear of his failing under the eternal lojs of the favour of God, 
 and under his eternal difpleajure in hell-fire, contrary to that unal- 
 terable Mate of favour into which the believer is brought ; neither 
 is he to fear that even temporal punifhment mall be inflicted upon 
 him, in a way of vlndiclivs wrath ; both which are unfuitable to 
 that full affurance of faith of the Lord's unchangeable love, and of 
 a faving inviolable relation to him, which the believer is always 
 called to maintain and hold fart with ftedfaftnefs : And, on the o- 
 ther hand, That believer* are not to be influenced to obedience by 
 the hope of reward, or hope of Heaven as the reward any way due 
 to their obedience •, that is, either purchafed or procured, or to be 
 obtained, by any works of righteoufnefs done by them, and fo a 
 reward of debt, as if their works were either meritorious in them- 
 felves, or meritorious by paclion, which is inconiiftent with the 
 whole method of grace revealed in the gofpel, and particularly to 
 the lively faith believers are called to maintain, of their obtaining 
 Heaven and Glory, even the full poffeffion of eternal life, by grace 
 or free gift, and not by works. 
 
 As to what the law of Chrift promifeth or threatens, it is plain, 
 the fcope of the Author of the, Marrow is, That, though the belie- 
 ver is called to expecl to fhare of the difcipline of his Father's fa- 
 mily in the cafe of tranfgreffion, and to entertain a deep fenfe of 
 the awfulnefs of his Father's frowns and rods ; yet is he called more 
 and more to grow in the genuine fpirit and difpofition of the children 
 of God, fo as to have the love of his Father more and more the 
 motive of his obedience, rather than the fear of the rod : Even as 
 a child, though called to fear his father's difpleafure, yet is called 
 to fludy more and more to be impreiTed with a fenfe of his father's 
 love -, fo as he may be excited and influenced in his obedience by 
 the love of his father, and not the fear of the whip. 
 
 That 
 
Ac~i concerning the Doctrine of Grace. 41 
 
 That this is the declared meaning of the Author, is plain frorii 
 theie paflages quoted, and other places in the book : Particularly, 
 after it is laid page 174. * We do not therefore deftroy or condemn 
 
 * the law, becaufe we fay it doth not juftify :' Then page 175, 
 Neophytus is brought in fpeaking, * I do now in fome fmall mea^ 
 
 * fure believe, that I am by Chrift freely and fully jujlified and ac- 
 \ quitted from all my fins j and therefore have no need either to ef- 
 ' chew evil or do good for fear of punimment or hope of reward.' 
 Again, the like expreffion, which the Affembly points to page 179. 
 ftands thus in connection : page 178. at the clofe, \ Before a man 
 
 * do truly believe in Chriit he may fo reform his life, \3c. — Yet 
 
 * being under the Covenant of Works, all the obedience that he 
 
 * yields to the law is (page 179.) of — the bond woman, — ; 
 
 * works of a hond-fervant, that is moved and conllrained to do all 
 
 1 that he doth for fear of puni fhment and hope of reward. He 
 
 li pretends the ferving of God, whereas indeed he intends the fer- 
 
 * ving of himfelf, is an empty vine, and therefore muft needs 
 
 1 bring forth fruit to himfelf. When a man, through the hear- 
 
 ! ing of faith, has received the Spirit of Chrift, Gal. iii. 2. that 
 1 Spirit, (page 180;) according to the meafure of faith, writes the 
 
 * lively law of love in his heart, whereby he is enabled to work 
 4 freely, — without the coaction or compullion of the law ; ■ ■ 
 
 1 the love of Chrift carries him on, -freely and chearfully f 
 
 ' to keep the law, without fear of hell or hope of heaven.' 
 
 Thefe and the like paflages, plainly fhew, that the Author's fcope 
 is to guard againft a mercenary fertile fpirit in our obedience, act- 
 ing or bringing forth fruit to ourfelves. And to ftretch the Au- 
 thor's words further, as if they imported a direction or exhortation 
 to difregard the awfulnefs of the Divine threatenings and judg- 
 ments againft fin, exciting to Hand in awe of committing it ; and 
 the excellency of the recompence of reward, fo as not to be there- 
 
 . by animated in the obedience of love -, is contrary to the plain in-' 
 tent of the Author's reafoning. As, particularly, may be obferved 
 in his doclrine concerning the believer's reward, that it is in God 
 himfelf, even in the enjoyment of him who is the reward and in- 
 heritance : And that this reward is not the reward offervice done 
 
 ! by the believer ; and fo not the reward oifervants, but the inheri- 
 tance oifons, fecured to the believer, previous and without all re« 
 fpect had to his obedience as the price in whole or in part, or any 
 federal condition of the poffemon of it : So that he ought to have 
 this reward continually in his eye, to animate him in running for- 
 ward to the full poffemon ; not to obtain it, as the hire or reward of 
 his running, but to haften to it, becaufe it is freely made over unto 
 
 - him. And thus, confequently, as the believer ought to have in his 
 eye the depth of that mifery he has by grace efcaped ; and to re- 
 gard and deeply coniider the threatenings of that eternal wrath and 
 mifery, as they difcover what even his fins in themfelves deferve ; 
 that he may be thereby excited to adore the love of his Redeemer, 
 in delivering him from fo great a death, and to thankful obedience 
 
 F t® 
 
42 A& concerning the Doclrine of Grace. 
 
 to him for the fame, according to 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. So the believ- 
 er is alfo bound to lay to heart the threatenings of fatherly chajlife- 
 ttents, as they are evidences of his heavenly Father's deteftation of 
 fin, exciting him to abhor it the more \ and likewife as evidences 
 of his Father's love in correcling him for his profit, and declaring he 
 will do fo, that he may be a partaker of his holinefs. 
 
 Such views as thefe, the believer is called to take of what is promif- 
 ed and threatened. Neverthelefs, it is quite another matter, and con- 
 trary to the genuine exercife of the Chriftian as fuch, to be influenced 
 by the promife and threatening ; as if his obedience were the procur- 
 ing cauje, or proper federal ground or condition of his freedom from 
 the puniftiment, and enjoyment of the blefling : Seeing all boajiing is 
 excluded by the gofpel ; fo that the believer's fole and only plea is 
 the free, fovereign mercy of God in Chrift. Thus, the ground of 
 expectation before God, or of confidence in his fight (which is what 
 the Author of the Marrow has evidently in view) is furely not our 
 obedience, either to the Law of works or the Law of Chriji : And 
 therefore, the motive to obedience ought not to be any fertile refpeel 
 (which is evidently what the Author points to) either to what the 
 Xaw of Works or the Law of Chrijl, either promifeth or threateneth. 
 
 But, as the Affembly condemn the expreffions ufed in the Mar- 
 row ', without any diftinction ; fo by what they fay in their aft, they 
 give too evident ground to think, it is in the above-declared view 
 and fenfe of the words that they condemn them as erroneous ; and 
 that it is the fcope and defign of their act, to afTert a believer's du- 
 ty of yielding obedience, from a principle and upon the motives of 
 legal, fertile fears and hopes. 
 
 That this is the mind of the Affembly, is evident ; confidering r 
 That under this fame head, p. 22, 23, 24. of their act 1722, they 
 allow no other legal fervile hope of heaven, but the hope of obtain- 
 ing a right and title to it by our own works ; infinuating that no o- 
 ther regard to the reward in our obedience, can be reckoned mer- 
 cenary : And they affert, that the hope of obtaining the poffefjion 
 and enjoyment of heaven, by our obedience, is not mercenary. 
 
 This then, being the end the Affembly do aflign unto the obe- 
 dience of believers, vi-z. That it is in order to their obtaining eternal 
 life; their after doctrine in this act 1722, page 26. fhews, That 
 hereby they underftand, that the holy obedience of believers is pro- 
 perly a federal and conditional ?nea?i and caufe of their enjoying 
 that eternal life : And thus, they divide the glory of our enjoying 
 falvation between Chrift and the creature, as to the grou?id of the 
 hope thereof ; while they plainly fay, that believers are to be in- 
 fluenced in obedience by thefe hopes of heaven, which are, at leaft 
 in part, to be, founded upon their own obedience, as the proper fe- 
 deraLcondition thereof ; whereby the whole gofpel is perverted, and 
 another foundation laid, than that which God has laid in Zion : 
 And this doctrine is particularly contrary to thefe Scriptures Tit.iii. 
 4, $,6, 7. " But after that the kindnefs and love of God our 
 " Saviour toward men appeared, not by works of righteoufnels 
 
 « which 
 
AB concerning the Dodlrine of Grace. 43 
 
 u which we have done, but according to his mercy he faved us, by 
 " the warning of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft j 
 " which he fhed on us abundantly, through Jems Chrift our Sa- 
 u viour : That being juftified by his grace, we mould be made 
 u heirs according $0 the hope of eternal life. Rom, iv. 4, 5, 16. 
 " Now to him that worketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace, 
 " but of debt : But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him 
 " that juftifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteoufhefe. 
 " Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace ; to the end 
 H the promife might be fure to all the feed. And chap. vi. 23. 
 u The wages of fin is death : But the gift of God is eternal life, 
 " through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Chap. v. 21. That as fin hath 
 " reigned unto death/even fo might grace reign through righteouf- 
 " nefs unto eternal life, by Jefus Chrift our Lord. Chap. xi. 6. 
 " and if by grace, then is it no more of works ; otherwife grace k 
 " no more grace : But, if it be of works, then is it no more grace ; 
 " otherwife work is no more work. GaL iii. 3, II, 12, 13, 14. 
 " Are ye fo foolifh ? Having begun in the fpirit, are ye now made 
 " perfect by the flefh ? But that no man is juftified by the^law in the 
 u fight of God, it is evident : For, the juft fhall live by faith. And 
 " the law is not of faith : But the man that doth them ihall live in 
 " them. Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law, being 
 *' made a curfe for us : For it is written, curfed is every one that 
 u hangeth on a tree : That the blefling of Abraham might come 
 " on the Gentiles through Jefus Chrift ; that we might receive the 
 " promife of the Spirit through faith. Chap. v. 4, 5. Chrift is be- 
 " come of no effecl: unto you, whofoever of you are juftified by the 
 " law ; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait 
 u for the hope of righteoufnefs by faith, i^im. i. 9. Who hath 
 " faved us, and called us, with an holy calling : not according to. 
 u our works, but according to his own purpofe and grace, which 
 " was given us in Chrift Jefus, before the world began. Eph. ii. 
 " 9, 10. Not of works left any man mould boaft : For we are hifc 
 ** workmanfhip, created in Chrift Jefus unto good works, which 
 " God hath before ordained that we fheuld walk in them. Luke 
 *' xvii. 10. So likewife ye, when ye fhall have done all thefe 
 " things which are commanded you, fay, We are unprofitable fer- 
 u vants : We have done that which was our duty to do. Luke i. 
 " 74> 75* That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered 
 " out of the hands of our enemies, might ferve him without fear, 
 " in holinefs and righteoufnefs before him^all the days of our life : M 
 And to our ConfeJJlon of Faith, chap. xii. * All thofe that are 
 
 * juftified, God vouchfafeth, to make partakers of the 
 
 ' grace of adoption : By which they inherit the promifes, a& 
 
 4 heirs of everlafting falvation. Chap. xiv. § 2. The principal 
 
 * a6ls of faving faith are, accepting, receiving, and refting upon 
 
 * Chrift alone for eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace? 
 
 comparing the Scripture-proof there adduced, Atls xv. 11. But we 
 Jfdieve, that through the grate of the Lord Jefus Chrzfl we Ji hall he 
 
 Sated, 
 
44 -dtt concerning the DoSlrine of Grace. 
 
 Saved, even as they. Co?if. chap. xx. feci. i. * The liberty which 
 
 * Chrift hath purchafed for believers, confifts in their yielding 
 
 ? obedience unto him, not out of jlavi/Jj fear, but a child-like love 
 f and willing mind.' 
 
 From thefe and the like Scriptures and paflages of the Confeffion 
 it evidently appears, That true fpiritual obedience flows from, and 
 is influenced by faith's view of the love of Chrift ; catting out that 
 fear of wrath and punifhment which necefTarUy hath torment in it ; 
 " ifohn iv. 1 8. There is no fear in love •, but perfect love cafteth 
 " out fear : Becaufe fear hath torment. Verfe 19. We love him 
 f becaufe he firft loved us. Pfal. xxvi. 3. Thy loving kindnefs is 
 " before mine eyes : And I have walked in thy truth :" And, 
 that on the other hand, it is not influenced b}^ any fervile legal hope 
 of reward, or any view of a legal or /tv&rtf/ connection between the 
 obedience and the enjoyment or pofTemon of the inheritance, which is 
 by promife alone. Neither is there the leaf! countenance given to 
 the oppofite doctrines, by thefe Scriptures, where the everlafting in- 
 heritance is expreffed under the notion or by the title of reward -, 
 feeing this reward (being infinite) can only be purchafed by an in- 
 finite price, even that price given by Emmanuel : And this reward 
 is declared to be given to us, not of debt, but of grace ; not to him 
 that worketh, but to him that worketh not, but believeth on him 
 that juftifieth the ungodly ; and to be the gift of God through Jefus 
 Chrift our Lord. Thus, the believer, in his refpect to this recom- 
 pence of reward, is called to act, not for life as the reward of his 
 fervice, but from the faith of his certain enjoyment of that life as 
 the reward of the fervice of the new Covenant-head ; and the more 
 he thus views it, the more fhould and will he be animated to cheer- 
 ful obedience. 
 
 Wherefore the Prefbytery, for the necefiary vindication of truth, 
 manifeftly injured by the faid acts of AfTembly, did, and hereby do, 
 ajfert, maintain and declare, 
 
 1. That it is a precious gofpel-truth, That believers, being heirs 
 of the heavenly inheritance, and having it not by the law, but by 
 free promife, through Jefus Chrift ; ought not to be influenced in 
 their obedience, by the hopes of obtaining the porTeffion and en- 
 joyment of the inheritance, by any works, of rightecufnels or obe- 
 dience done by them. 
 
 1. That, as they ftmuld be moved to obedience from the con- 
 sideration of the excellency of the heavenly inheritance, even of 
 God in Chrifl as their inheritance and exceeding great reward, 
 and by many other motives ; fo, particularly, they are to be 
 influenced by this motive, That they have got the begun porTef- 
 fion of this inheritance, and have the full poffeilion thereof fecured, 
 by rich grace and free promife, through Jefus Chrift -, being made 
 heirs of God, and joint -heirs iuiih Chrifl. 
 
 3. That, though the believer ought to entertain an holy awe 
 
 and dread of the majefty of God, and of the awfulnefs of his 
 
 fhreatenings and judgments, both temporal and eternal, againft fin 
 
 , and 
 
Aci concerning the Doclrine of Grace. 45 
 
 and finners ; and to confider from them what even his fins in them- 
 felves deferve : Yet, he is not called to be moved or excited to 
 obedience to the precepts of the law (either as it is a Covenant 
 of Works, or as it is a Rule of Life) by the fear of his falling into 
 hell, for omitting duty or committing fin : But is ever called fully 
 to believe his infallible fecurity from going down into that pit, 
 through the ranfom which God has found out ; fo as through the 
 firm and lively faith of this his fafety in a State of favour with 
 God, to have his heart more and more filled with that love which 
 cafteth out tormenting fear, and will be natively exercifed in 
 chearful gofpel-obedience to all the Lord's commandments. 
 
 4. That, though believers ihould remember and ferioufly con- 
 fider, that there is difcipline in their Father's family ; and believe 
 that they may expecl it, when they tranfgrefs his law, and keep not 
 his commandments : Yet, as this difcipline is instituted on account 
 of remaining corruption in them -, fo, the consideration thereof ought 
 to excite them more and more to improve the blood of Jefus Chrifi 
 by faith, for draining and mortifying this corruption ; and particu- 
 larly, for fubduing and removing the legal bias and difpofition, 
 which is the Strength of fin in them ; that thus, they may be more 
 and more made to ferve in newnefs of fpirit, and not in the old- 
 nefs of the letter. 
 
 And the PreSbytery do, in like manner, condemn the following 
 pofitions, as dangerous, unfound and erroneous : 
 
 1. That there is a legal conneclion inftituted, between the obe- 
 dience of believers, and their enjoying rewards, with efcaping pu- 
 nishments, temporal or eternal ; or, that the Lord deals with them 
 in this matter upon Law terms ; and that their hopes of enjoying 
 the one, and efcaping the other, are to rife and fall according to 
 the meafure of their obedience. 
 
 2. That a perfon's being moved to obedience by the hope of 
 heaven, cannot be faid to be mercenary, in any other fenfe than that 
 of a hope of obtaining a right and title to it, by his own works : 
 And, that a believer ought to be moved to obedience, or, to ef- 
 chew evil and do good, by the hopes of his enjoying heaven, or 
 any good temporal or eternal, by his own obedience, as the federal, 
 
 conditional mean, and caufe thereof. All which pofitions are 
 
 contrary to the above-cited, and many other Scriptures and paf- 
 fages in our Standards. 
 
 Article V. [Of the injury done to the Doclrine of Grace,] 
 under this Head, 'That the Believer is not under the 
 Law as a Rule of Life. 
 
 The ASTembly 1720, attempting to prove againfl the Author 
 of the Marrow, his maintaining the forefaid error, viz. 'That the 
 believer is not under the Law as a Rule of Life, relate fome paSTages 
 out of his book, and then cite a number of pages. The paflages 
 related are three ; the laft whereof, together with the pages only 
 cited, not being again repeated in the Act 1722, we Shall confider 
 
 them 
 
4.6 Act concerning the Doctrine of Grace. 
 
 them in the Jirji place. The third paffage then in abl 1720, is ta- 
 ken from p. 216. of the book, vfas. * You will yield obedience to 
 ' the law of Chrift, not only without having refpect to what the 
 
 * law of works either promifeth or threateneth ; but alfo without 
 
 * having refpecl: to what the law of Chriji either promifeth or 
 
 * threateneth : And this is to ferve the Lord without fear of any pe- 
 
 * nalty which either the law of works or the law of Chrift threatens. 
 
 * Luke i. 74.' This being the paffage that affords the Affembly 
 the moft plaufible pretence for charging the Author with main- 
 taining, That the believer is not under the law as a rule of life, it is 
 eafy to fee how ftraitened they were to prove their point, and how 
 impracticable it was for them to do fo, without doing injury to 
 truth. For this paffage relates not properly to obedience, but to 
 the motives of the believer's obedience ; and fo it belongs to, and 
 is noticed upon another head. But, as here it is adduced to prove, 
 that the Author denies the believer to be under the law as a rule 
 of life, it feems to be very far from anfwering that end. For, 
 in the paffage itfelf, the Author is owning, that the believer mould 
 yield obedience to the law : And though it could be proven, that 
 he is unduly cutting off all regard to the promife or threatening ; 
 yet, while he is not rejecting the co?nmand, but maintaining the 
 regard the believer ought to have thereunto, and owning the obli- 
 gation he is under to yield obedience ; the faid paffage will never 
 prove his maintaining that the believer is not under the law as a 
 rule of life, but the quite contrary ; fince here his fcope is not to 
 fpeak of the law, but the* fa?iclion, and to fhew what a pure re- 
 gard the believer ought to have to the command, though promifes 
 and threatenings both were cut off, and confequently to the law it- 
 felf, as a rule of life. But the wrong done to the Author, by at- 
 tempting (though in vain) to prove the forefaid error againft him, 
 were the lefs to be noticed, if, at the fame time, the moft precious 
 gofpel-truths were not wronged and wounded, as appeareth in what 
 follows. 
 
 The Affembly 1720, on the fame head, cite pages 5, 153, 180, 
 156, 157, 163, 199, 209, 210, of the Marrow, as alfo proving 
 againft the Author, his denying the law to be a rule of life 
 to the believer ; and both there, and in the clofe of the Act, they 
 condemn thefe paffages, as contrary to the holy Scriptures, and our 
 Confeffion of Faith. But, as it would be tedious, and is needlefs, 
 to repeat here the paffages contained in thefe pages ; fo, any that 
 pleafe to confult them, may not only fee how egregioufly the 
 Author is wronged by that Act, but alfo may be filled with aftonifh- 
 ment to behold, how far the General Affembly of the Church of 
 Scotland has been left of God, to condemn fo many precious truths^ 
 manifeftly founded on the Word of God, and moft agreeable to 
 *>ur Confeftion of Faith and Catechifms. 
 
 But farther, the Affembly 1720, pretending to prove againft 
 the Author of the Marrow, his maintaining the forefaid error, viz. 
 ^hat the believer is not tinder the law m a rule of life ; are fo far 
 
 from 
 
ASt Concerning the Doclrine of Grace. 47 
 
 from doing it, that, for proof, they cite and condemn thefe words, 
 page 250. As the law is the Covenant of Works, you are wholly 
 and. altogether fet free from it ; and page 151. Ton are now fet 
 free both from the commanding and condemning power of the Cove- 
 nant of Works. Thefe words, fays the Affembly 1722, * are con- 
 
 * defcended upon as a part of the proof againlt the Author, of his 
 
 * maintaining this erroneous tenet, That the believer is not under 
 c the law as a rule of life;' and then they declare, * that it was 
 ' not the meaning nor intention of the faid Acl, in the leaft to in- 
 1 finuate, that Believers in Chrijl are under the law as a Covenant of 
 
 * Works, or that they are obliged to feek jujlif cation by their own 
 
 ' obedience. And, the Affembly appoints, that thefe two (fore- 
 
 ' faid) pajfages Jhall not he underjiood as a proof of the forefaid er- 
 
 * ror, in any other fenfe, than as, the Affembly did apprehend, that 
 
 * the Author underftood by the Covenant of Works, the Moral Laio 
 1 jlri&ly and properly taken, as it appears he does (fay they) in 
 ' other places of the book ; as particularly, page 7. he fays, That 
 
 * indeed the law of works fgnifies the Moral Law ; and the Moral Law 
 1 jlri&ly and properly taken, Jignifies the Covenant of Works.* Now, 
 the injury which by all this is done to truth, appears in the fol- 
 lowing particulars : 
 
 (1.) They find fault with the Marrow for afferting, that the 
 Moral Law is ftrictly and properly the Covenant of Works, and that 
 as fuch, the believer is wholly and altogether fet free from it •, as 
 if his fpeaking in this manner did afford any proof of his maintain- 
 ing that the believer is not under the law as a rule of life : Where- 
 as, in our Larger Catechifm, queft. 93. What is the Moral Law ? 
 The anfwer given is a ftricl: and proper definition of the Covenant 
 of Works, from which the faid Catechifm, in anfwer to queft. 97. 
 afferts, that believers are delivered, fo as thereby they are neither 
 juflified nor condemned ; which is the fame, in other words, with 
 their being neither under the command of it to be juflified, nor 
 under the threatening of it to be condemned thereby. Hence, the 
 Affembly by that a&, inftead of fixing the forefaid error upon the 
 Author of the Marrow, have but further condemned the truth as 
 expreffed both in that book and in our Catechifm ; pretending that 
 the gofpel-doclrine, delivered in that ftrain, tends fome way or 
 other to loofenefs, or to loofe the believer from his obligation to the 
 law as a rule of life. 
 
 (2.) As they charge an erroneous fenfe upon the Marrow, with- 
 out being able to prove it ; fo, their own wrong fenfe and errone- 
 ous opinion upon this matter, is too evident in that a& ; as there- 
 in they make thefe two propofitions to be one and the fame, viz. That 
 believers in Chrijl are not under the Law as a Covenant of Works, and, 
 That they are not obliged to feek jujlif cation by their own obedience, 
 Thefe two propofitions they make alternatives, and of the fame im- 
 port : But, if they be the fame, then the believer is no otherwife 
 freed from the Covenant of Works after he is a believer, than he 
 trxs before when m znbelief; for then, he was as little obliged to 
 
 feek 
 
48 Acl concerning the Doclrine of Grace. 
 
 feek justification by his own obedience, as he is now ; and confe- 
 quently, he Was as much delivered from the Law as a Covenant of 
 Works, before he believed as face. Yea, according to this errone- 
 ous polition, the believer is no more delivered from the Law, as a 
 Covenant of Works, than the unbeliever, who is as little obliged 
 to feek justification by his own obedience as the believer is. Here 
 then is a grofs perverting of the truth, relating to the command of 
 the Law as a Covenant of Works ; of which our leSTer Catechifm 
 fpeaks in this maniier, When God created man, he entered into a Co- 
 venant of Life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience : For, 
 inStead of this, the form of that Covenant is altered by the faid act 
 of Aflembly, from man's being obliged to perfeB obedience, which 
 was the condition of that Covenant, and of life by it, to his being 
 obliged to feek life andjujlification by his obedience •, which is not 
 at all the proper form of the Covenant of Works, but a confe- 
 quence from it, and fuch, as the Covenant of Works might have 
 been fulfilled without regarding it. F or, by feeking, here muft be 
 understood either aiming at, or claimizig justification by our own 
 obedience: But now, if Adam had performed that perfect obedi- 
 ence therein required, he would have been juftified, though he had 
 never fought or aimed at his own juflif cation by it, but merely 
 aimed at the glory of God his creator ; and though he was to have 
 life by or for his obedience, yet he could never feek or claim life 
 and justification by it, till once he had performed it perfectly. 
 
 So dangerous then, is the altering the words of our Standards 
 by any fuch untenable glofs, that this in particular will be found 
 full of grofs error. For, if believers in Chrift their not being un- 
 der the Law as a Covenant of Works, is the very fame with their 
 not being obliged to feek juflif cation by their own obedience; it will 
 •plainly follow, that all the children of men now, efpecially fuch as 
 are under the outward difpenfation of the gofpel, are delivered from 
 the command of the Law as a Covenant of Works, equally with 
 the believer, becaufe none of them are obliged to feek justification 
 by their own obedience : And if they be not under the command of 
 the Covenant of Works, how can they be under the curfe of it ? 
 "Where no Law is, there is no tranfgrefjion, and where no tranfgrcf- 
 flon, there is no penalty : Moreover, where none of thefe are, there 
 is no need of Chrifi v s obedience, either active or pamve in their room, 
 and fo no need of a preached gofpel : This new way then which the 
 Affembly takes to explain the old truth, tends to deftroy both Law 
 and Gofpel. But it is plain, that though the Law or Covenant of 
 Works be a broken, yet it is a perpetually bindhig Law; and though 
 the finner be an hifolvent debtor, yet the debt, both of obedience 
 and fatisfa&ion, lies upon his head, as long as he is under the Law, 
 and not under Grace, through union to Chrift the fecond Adam, 
 ' who came to pay that double debt ; from which believers in Chrift 
 are alone free, through the imputation of his Law-fulfilling and Ju- 
 ftice-fatisfying Righteoufhefs unto them. 
 
 - The 
 
AEl concerning the DoSlrine of Grace. 49 
 
 The proper form of the commanding power of the Law, as a Co- 
 venant of Works, lies in the connection between perfo?ial obedience 
 and eternal life : And this connection flill Hands in that Law under 
 which the unbeliever keeps himfelf by his unbelief; which there- 
 fore Hill binds him, both under the forfeiture of life which the Law 
 promifed, and under an obligation, to that obedience which had this 
 life promifed to it. This keeps all the lapfed race of Adam un- 
 der an obligation, not to feek juftincation by their own obedi- 
 ence, but to defpair of life and juftincation by the Law, and to 
 expecl death and condemnation by it, according to the fentence 
 thereof panned againfl them, Gal. iii. 10. This ftanding connect 
 tion between (bedience a?id life, and difobedience and death, in 
 that Law of Works which they are under, holds them prifon- 
 ers to the Law and Tuftice of God, as long as their debt to both 
 is not paid. This connection then, makes the unbeliever flill lie 
 under the condemning power and curfe of the Law •, where- 
 as, if he were not flill under the precept, he could not be under the 
 penalty of that Covenant. This alfo makes him need to feek 
 life and juftincation by the obedience of Chrift ; for, if he were 
 not under the forefaid binding obligation of the Law, both as 
 to the do and die of it, he would not need to feek juftincation 
 to life, nor falvation from death, by the doing and dying, the obe- 
 dience and fatisfa&ion of Jefus ChriJL But, the acl: of AfTembly 
 1722, does fo much cloud and darken this truth, that it plainly fup- 
 pofes none are under the Law as a Covenant of Works, except thefe 
 that are under an obligation to feek juftincation by their own obe- 
 dience : And this being an obligation none at all are under, whether 
 believers or unbelievers, the common and valuable privilege of cdl 
 the hearers of the gofpel, in their being obliged to feek juftincation 
 only through the obedience and fatisfaction of Jefus Chrift, is thus 
 quite fiibv tried, and at the fame time, the great diftinguifhing pri- 
 vilege of believers, in being not under the Law but .under Grace, is 
 by this aft, quite overthrown and turned to nothing. 
 
 The faid AJembly owns, in their acl:, that it is a precious go- 
 fpel -truth, That believers are free from the Law as it is a Covenant of 
 Works : And hence, fome may allege that it is a ftrained confe- 
 quence, from their alternative, viz. That they are not obliged to feek 
 juflifi cation by their own obedience, to infer their deflroying the be- 
 liever's privilege, and making him no happier than the unbeliever. 
 But, that their meaning is not wrefled, is plain from their condemn- 
 ing, in the fame a£t the following pofition, viz. That the Law, as to 
 believers, is really divejled of its promife of life and threatening of 
 death : For hence it is evident, that they keep the believer both un- 
 der the commanding and condemning power of the Law, equally 
 with the unbeliever: Becaufe if the Law, as to the believer, be not 
 really divefled of its Promife of eternal life ; then the 'i eliever is 
 under the commanding power thereof, fo that his obedience as fuch, 
 hath the promife of life : An thus, he muft have another Law -title 
 to life and eternal falvation, th n Chrift's obedience. And, if the 
 Law, as to the believer, be not really divefled of its threatening of 
 
 G death ,* 
 
jo Ail concerning the 'Doclrine of Grace* 
 
 death ; then, the believer is under the condemning power thereof, fo 
 as his fin and difobedience, even after he is in a juftified ftate, brings 
 him under a legal obnoxioufnefs to eternal death : Wherefore, by 
 his obedience he muft have a right to life and justification, accord- 
 ing to the Law ; and by his difobedience, he mult come under con- 
 demnation and death, according tot he fame Law : And co.riequent- 
 ly, he is not at all delivered from the Law as a Covenant of Works; 
 fo as to be thereby neither juftified nor condemned : Which is di- 
 rectly contradictory, both to the Scriptures of truth, and to our 
 Confeflion of Faith and Catechifms. 
 
 This doclrine is not cnly highly injurious to the revelation of 
 the grace of God, concerning the believer's privilege ; but it is alfo 
 difhonouring and difcrediting to the righteoufnefs of Chrift our 
 Surety : While, notwithstanding his doing, upon which alone the 
 believer's legal title to eternal life Hands, and his dying, upon which 
 alone his legal fecurity from eternal death ftands \ yet, the believer, 
 by this corrupt doclrine, is kept both under the do and die of the 
 Covenant of Works : Under the do, bccaufe the Law hath Hill the 
 promiie of life, even as to him, and the die, becaufe the Law hath 
 ftill the threatening of death, even as to him : And fo he hath 
 neither legal fecurity for life by Chrift's doing, nor legal fecurity 
 againft death by Chrift's dying. Thus, by this act of AfTembly, 
 the believer is condemned to remain ftill under that old Law, If 
 thou doejl, thoufbalt live, and, if thou doefi ?iot, thoujhalt die ; not- 
 withftanding all that Chrift hath clone and fullered for him. 
 
 It will not falve the matter that the AfTcmbly adds, after the 
 forefaid condemnatory words, thefe following, viz. If by the Law 
 they underfiand the Moral Law, the Rule of Life. For as this, when 
 connected with "the forefaid condemned pclition, feems imintclli- 
 gible ; fo, if it have any meaning at all, it muft import their making 
 the Moral Law, as it is a Rule of Life to the believer, to have a 
 jyromife of life and a threatening of death ; or to be a Law giving life 
 to them upon their obedience, and denouncing death and damnation 
 to them upon their difobedience : Which feems a turning the Go- 
 i'pel to a Law ; or the Law, as a Rule of Life in the hand of Chrift, 
 to a Law or Covenant cf IV oris, fpeaking life to the doer, and 
 death to the tranfgrefTor : And fo the matter comes ftill to the 
 lame iffiie, though they would feem here to explain what they con- 
 demn. 
 
 And that the believer, according to the Aftembly, is fall kept 
 under the Law, as a Covenant of Works, will further appear, if it is 
 confidered ; that, though they feem to deny, that believers in Chrift are 
 under the Law as a Covenant of Works •, yet, while they alfert, 
 that the Law as a Rule of Life, which the believer is under, is a 
 Law that is not diverted of a promife of life, and a threatening of 
 death, (which, according to our Confeifion, is the proper notion of 
 the Law, as a Covenant cf Works-,) they likewife maintain, that 
 holy obedience is properly a federal or conditional mean, and has 
 feme kind of caufality ', in order to the obtaining of gloiy : From 
 
 which 
 
At~i concerning the Doclrine of Grace, 51 
 
 which it plainly follows, that believers are ftill kept under the Co- 
 vena/it of Works ; in regard that, according to them, the believer's 
 obedience has ftill the promife of life, and his difobedrence the 
 threatening of death ; and in regard they likewife make th,eir 
 holy obedience to be properly a federal or conditional mean, in or- 
 der to their obtaining eternal glory. But, whatever Law they will 
 have the believer under, as a Law of life or death, it is plain that 
 the believer is under no fuch Law ; feeing, as the Apoftle fays, Gal. 
 iii. 18, 21, 22. If the inheritance be of the Law, it is no more of pro- 
 mife For, if there had been a Law given which could have gi- 
 ven life, verily righteonfnefs Jhould have been by the Law : But the 
 Scripture hath concluded all under fn ; that the promife, by faith of 
 fefus Chrif, might be given to them that belieie. 
 
 Therefore the Prefbytery did, and hereby do, acknowledge, ajfert 
 and declare, in cppolition to thefe forefaid ac~fo of Aifembly 1720, 
 and 1722, upon this head : 
 
 (1.) That, whatever the Law, as a Covenant of Works, promi- 
 feth or threatens, in itfelf, and as to them that are under it; yet the 
 Law, as to the believer, is really divefied of the promife of life and 
 threatening of death : And that the believer holds his legal right 
 and claim to eternal life, only by the peifocl obedience of Chrijl to 
 the Law in his room; and hi; legal iecurity from eternal death, 
 only by the complete Saiisfaf/ion of Chrijl to the Juftice of God, 
 in the threatening of the Law ; and not by any Law having pro- 
 mife of life to his own obedience, or threatening of death to his 
 difobedience : For, zvherefn abounded, grace did much more abound ; 
 that as fin hath reigned unto death, even fo might grace reign through 
 righteonfnefs unto eternal life, by j'efus Chrijl our Lord, Rom. v. 20, 
 21. 
 
 (2.) That, as the Moral Law doth for ever bind all, as well juf- 
 tified perfons as others, to the obedience thereof: So, to affert that 
 the Moral Law, ilrielly and properly considered, as a Covenant of 
 Works, is what the believer is wholly ajtd altogether ft free 
 from, will never prove agoinft the afferter thereof, that he main- 
 tains the believer is not under the Law as a Rule of Life. And, to 
 the fame purpofe, the Pre&ytery maintain, That as the Law is a 
 Covenant of Works, believers are wholly and altogether fet free from 
 it, fet free both from the commanding and condci?ining power there- 
 of; or, as our Larger Catechifm exprefTes it, delivered from the Mo-* 
 ral Law as a Covenant of 'Works, fo as thereby they are neither jujlifi- 
 cd nor condemned : And that, from the maintaining of this truth, 
 it will no ways follow, that the believer is not under the Law as a 
 rule of life. 
 
 (3.) That, though it be the duty of all who hear the gofpel, to 
 feek after life and putin* cation by the obedience of Chrift, and not 
 by their own ; yet, while through unbelief they do not fo, they re- 
 main under the Law as a Covena?it if Works, both in its commanding 
 and condemning power ; and that it is the peculiar privilege of true 
 believers in Chrifl, to be free therefrom. 
 
 (4-) 
 
52 Acv concerning the Dotlrine of Grace. 
 
 (4.) That, though all unbelievers do remain under the Law as a 
 Covenant of Works, both in its commanding and condemning pow- 
 er ; yet r.one of them are obliged to feek j unification by their own 
 obedience ; but on the contrary, it is the great duty of all the hear- 
 ers of the gofpel, and alfo their ineftirnable privilege, to feek juflifi- 
 cation only through the obedience and fatisfaction of Chrift. 
 
 And the Prefbytery do hereby likewife condemn thefe following 
 pofitions, which are countenanced by the forefaid acts of AfTembly 
 upon this head. 
 
 (1.) That the doctrine of the believer's . being freed from the 
 Law as a Covenant of Works, whether in its commanding or con- 
 demning power, is a doctrine of licentioufnefs \ tending any way to 
 free the believer from obligation to the Law, as it is a rule of life. 
 Do we make void the lazv through faith ? God forbid ; yea, we cjla- 
 blifh the law. 
 
 (2.) That the believer his not being under the Law, and his not 
 being obliged to feek life by his own obedience, are propofltions of the 
 fame import ; as if unbelievers, under a gofpel-difpenfation, were 
 equally Tree from the commanding power of the Law, as a Covenant 
 of Works, with believers ; fince they are not obliged to feek juftin- 
 cation by their own obedience any more than believers. The 
 PrePoytery, therefore co?idemn this doctrine, as highly prejudicial to 
 the truth relating both to the Law, and the Gofpel ; and to the 
 dijlingui/hhig privilege of the believer in Chrift, his being not un- 
 der the Law but under Grace. 
 
 (3.) That the Law, as to believers, is veiled with a promife of 
 life and threatening of death ; fo as their obedience is properly a 
 federal or conditional mean, in order to their obtaining eternal glory. 
 
 (4.) That unbelievers, in their being under the Law as a Cove- 
 nant of Works, are obliged to feek juflification by their own obe- 
 dience. All which pofitions are injurious to truth, and oppofite 
 
 to the Scriptures and our Ccnfefuon of Faith and Catechifms. 
 
 Article VI. Concerning the Injury done to the Doctrine 
 of Grace, under the Head of (what the AfTembly calls} 
 Thefx Antinomian Paradoxes. 
 
 The AfTembly, in their aforefaid act, anno 1720, condemn the 
 diflinction which the Author of the Marrow makes ufe of, for rid- 
 ding marches between the ftate of an unbeliever, who is condemned 
 already by the fentence of the broken Law, and the flate of a be- 
 liever, for whom there is no condemnation ; and for mewing, in what 
 fenfe the believer in Chrift is bound to obey the Law, and in what 
 fenfe he is delivered from it. 
 
 The Author, for this purpofe, diftinguifheth between the Law as 
 it is the Law of Works, which he explains to be the Law confidered 
 as a Covenant of Works ; and the Law as it is the Law of Chrift '; 
 by which he underftands the Law confidered as a rule of obedience 
 
 in 
 
Jcl concerning the Dodlrine of Grace. 53 
 
 in the hand of Chrift, who hath as their Surety, fulfilled the righ- 
 teoufnefs of the Law, as a Covenant, in their room and ftead. 
 
 For what reafon the AfTembly condemns this diftintftion, it is 
 hard to conceive. Can it be thought, that an AfTembly of the 
 Church of Scotland^ denies any difference between the Law as a Co- 
 venant of Works, and the Law as a Rule of Duty ? If this foundation 
 be deftroyed, What can the righteous do, who falleth feven times a- 
 day? For, according to this doctrine, when he falls into any, even 
 the leaf! fin, he falls under, and becomes liable unto the heavy fen- 
 tence of the Law of Works, Curfed is every one that continueth not 
 in all things 'written in the book of Law to do them. The reafon is 
 plain, becaufe, according to the AfTembly 's act, the Law, even 
 with refped to the believer, frill retains its Covenant form ; con- 
 trary to Scripture, Rom. vi. 14. Rom. vii. 2, 3, 4. and to the Con- 
 fellion of Faith, chap. xix. § 6. 
 
 The AfTembly, in the condemnation of this diflin&ion, do, Jim- 
 pliciter, condemn fix propofitions, called by them, Anti?iomian Pa- 
 radoxes ; the mofr of which are the exprefs words of the Holy 
 Ghoft in Scripture, and fo mult needs have a found fenfe. If the 
 AfTembly had dealt with that candour, which might have been ex- 
 pected from a court of Chrift, they would have told in what fenfc 
 the Author admits, and in what fenfe he re/ecls thefe propofitions 1 
 But, feeing the AfTembly has neglected this, it is proper to take a 
 view thereof in the words of the Author, pages 198, 199, 200, 
 201, 202, 203. 
 
 There, Neophytus craves of Evangeli/la, his judgment concern- 
 ing the following propofitions: (1.) That a believer is not under 
 the Law, but is altogether delivered from it; (2.) "That a believer 
 doth not commit Jin ; (3.) That the Lord can fee no Jin in a believer > 
 (4.) Th at the Lord is ?iot a?igry with a believer for his Jins ; (5.) 
 That the Lord doth not chaftife a believer fir his Jins ; (6.) 'That a 
 believer hath no caufe, neither to cojifefs his Jins, nor to crave pardon 
 at the hands of God for them ; neither yet to fajl, nor mourn, nor 
 humble himf elf before the Lord for them. 
 
 Unto this Evangeli/la anfwers, in the words following ; ' Thefe 
 
 * points, which you have now mentioned, have occafioned many need- 
 
 * lefs and fruitlefs difputes ; for, in one fenfe, they may all of 
 
 * them be truly affirmed ; and, in another fenfe, they may all of 
 ' them be truly denied. Wherefore, if we would clearly underfland 
 ' the truth, we muft diftinguiih betwixt the Law as it is the Law 
 
 * of Works, and as it is the Law of Chrift. Now, as it is the Law 
 ' of Works, it may be truly faid, That a believer is not under the 
 
 * Law, but is delivered from it, according to that of the Apoftle, 
 ' Rom. vi. 14. Ye are not under the Law, but under Grace ; and 
 
 * Rom. vii. 6. But now we are delivered from the Law. And if 
 
 * believers be not under the Law, but are delivered from the Law, 
 
 * as it is a Law of Works, then, though they fin, yet do they not tranf- 
 
 * grefs the Law of Works ; For where no Law is, there is no tranf- 
 1 grejfion, Rom* iv. 15. And therefore, faith the Apoftle John, Who- 
 
 * foever 
 
54 . Aft concerning the Doclrine of Grace. 
 
 foever ahideth in him Jinneth not, I John iii. 6. that is (as I con- 
 ceive) whofoever abideth in Chrift by faith, finneth not againft 
 the Law of Works. And, if a believer iin not againft the Law 
 of Works, then can God fee no lin in a believer, as a tranfgreilion 
 of that Law ; and therefore it is faid, Numb, xxiii. 21. He hath 
 not beheld iniquity hi Jacob, neither hath he Jeen perverfenefs in 
 Ifrael. And again it is faid, Jer. 1. 20. At that time the iniquity 
 of lir&elf j a// be fought for ', and there jh all be none ; and the Jins of 
 Judah, and they Jh all not be found : And in Cant. iv. 7. Chrift 
 faith concerning his Spoufe, Behold thou art all fair ; my Love ; 
 and there is no f pot in thee. And if God can fee no lin in a be- 
 liever, then aiTuredly he is neither angry, nor doth chaftife a be- 
 liever for his fins, as a tranfgreiTion of that Law : And hence it 
 is, that the Lord faith, concerning his own people, that were be- 
 lievers, 1/a. xxvii. 4. Anger is not in me; and again LJa. liv. 9. 
 the Lord fpeaking comfortably to his Spoufe the Church, faith, 
 As L have /worn, that the waters cf Noah fhall no more go over 
 the earth ; fo have Lfworn, that L will no more be wroth with thee, 
 nor rebuke thee. Now, if the Lord be not angry with a believer, 
 neither doth chaftife him for his fins, as they are any tranfgrefhon 
 of the Law of Works ; then hath a bjliever neither need to con- 
 ffs his lins unto God, nor to crave pardon for them, nor yet to 
 faji nor mourn, nor humble himfelf fcr them, as conceiving them 
 to be any tranfgreilion of the Law, as it is the Law of Works. 
 Thus, you fee, that if you confider the Law in this fenfe, then all 
 thefe points follow ; according as you fay our friend Antinoniifta 
 hath endeavoured to perfuade you. 
 
 * Eut if you doconlider the Law, as it is the Law of Chrift, then 
 they do not fo. but quite contrary. For, as the Law is the Law 
 of Chrift, it may be truly faid, that a believer is under the Law, 
 and not delivered from it, according to that of the Apoftle, 1 Cor. 
 ix. 21. Being not without Law to God, but under the Law to Chnjl ; 
 and according to that of the fame Apoftle, Rom. iii. 31. l)c zee 
 then make void the Law through faith ? God forbid ; yea, (by faith) 
 we ejlablifh the Law. And if a believer be under the Law, and 
 not delivered from it, as it is the Law of Chrift •, then, if he fin, 
 he doth thereby tranfgrefs the Law of Chrift : And hence I do 
 conceive it is, that the Apoftle John faith, both concerning him- 
 felf and other believers. 1 John i. 8. Lf we fay we have no Jin, we 
 deceive ourfelves, and the truth is not in us : And lo faith the A- 
 poftle Jajnes, chap. iii. 2. Ln many things we offend all. And if 
 a believer tranfgrefs the Law of Chrift, then doubtlefs, he feeth 
 it ; for it is faid, Prov. v. 21. That the ways of man are before the 
 eyes of the Lord, and he po?idercth all his goings : And in Heb. iv. 13. 
 it is faid, All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with 
 whom we have to do. And if the Lord doth fee the fins that a 
 believer doth commit againft the Law, as it is the Law of Chrift, 
 then doubtlefs, lie is angry with them ; for it is faid, Pfal. cvi. 40. 
 That becaufe the people vceni a whoring after their own inventions, 
 
 1 there- 
 
Ac~i concerning the Doclrine of Grace. 55 
 
 ' therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled againjl his people, info 
 
 * much that he abhorred his own inheritance: And in Deut. i. 37. 
 
 * Mofes faith concerning himfelf, The Lord was angry with him. 
 1 And if the Lord be angry with a believer for his tranfgreiling the 
 ' Law of Chrift, then alTuredly (if need be) he will chaflife him 
 « for it } for, it is faid, concerning the feed and children of Jefus 
 
 * Chrift, If they forfake my Law, and walk not i?i my judgments, 
 4 then will I vijit their tranfgrefjions with the rod, and their iniqui- 
 1 ties with fir ipes : And, in 1 Cor. xi. 30. it is faid, concerning be- 
 
 * lievers,ybr this caufe (namely their unworthy receiving of the 
 
 * Sacrament) many are weak andjickly among you, and many feep. 
 4 And if the Lord be angry with believers, and do chaflife them 
 
 * for their fins, as they are a tranfgreftion of the Law of Chrift ; 
 
 * then hath a believer caufe to confefs his fins unto the Lord, and 
 1 to crave pardon for them ; yea, and to faft, and mourn and bum- 
 6 hie himfelf for them, as conceiving them to be a tranfgrefiion of 
 
 * the Law of ' Chrift.' 
 
 From the above quotation it is plain, like a fun-beam, in what 
 fenfe the fix propofitions called A?itinomian, are either true or fa If e, 
 according to the Author ; and how neceffary the above diftinclion, 
 of the Law into the Law of Works and the Law of Chrifl, is, for 
 clearing the true fenfe of the above propofitions, which are moftly 
 fcriptural. But, the AfTembly, by condemning the above diftinc- 
 tion, have overclouded many precious truths; which cannot mifs 
 to iffue in a jumbling Law and Gofpel together, and the bringing 
 of believers under a lpirit of bondage unto fear, from which they 
 are delivered by the grace and fpirit of the gofpel. 
 
 Neither have the AfTembly, in their explicatory acl, 1722, of- 
 fered any thing of moment, either fcr the clearing up of truth, or 
 for their own neceffary vindication ; as will appear if we confider, 
 (1.) That the Author of the Marrow, page 267, cited by the acl of 
 AfTembly 1722, page 23, head vi. is there fpeaking of the diftinc- 
 tion betwixt Law and Gofpel ftriclly taken, both which have their 
 proper ufes, even to the believer ; but he is not fpeaking one word 
 of the believer's not being, in any fenfe, under the Law of Works, 
 or of his being under any Law. (2.) The AfTembly, in their faid 
 acl, 1722, for their own exoneration, fay, that the AfTembly 1720, 
 do only condemn the above diftinclion of the Law, into the Law of 
 Works and the Law of Chrift, as it is applied by the Author, (viz. 
 of the Marrow,*) for defending the fix Antino?nian Paradoxes : From 
 whence it neceffarily follows, that thefe fix points of doctrine are 
 condemned by the AfTembly, according to the fenfe put upon them, 
 by the Author's applying to them that diftinclion of the Law, into 
 the Law of Works, and the Law of Chrijl ; or, as the Author ex- 
 plains himfelf, the Law as a Covenant and the Law as a Rule of Obe- 
 dience. And thus, thefe following precious truths of the everlafting 
 Gofpel, lie buried under the condemnatory fentence of the General 
 AfTembly of this National Church, for above twenty years back- 
 ward. 
 
56 Ac~l concerning the Doclrine of Grace. 
 
 if, That believers are not under the Law as a Covenant, but are 
 altogether freed from it ; though they are flill under it as a Rule of 
 Obedience. 
 
 idly, That a believer doth not commit fin, as it is a tranfgreihon 
 of the Law of Works ; but, when he lins, he tranfgreneth the Law, 
 confidered as a Rule of Holinefs in the hand of a Mediator. 
 
 $dly, That God fees no iin in a jultified believer, under the co- 
 Tert of the perfect righteoufnefs of Chrifl, as a trarifgrellion of the 
 Law of Works ; though he Hill fees and marks it, as a tranfgreihon 
 of the Law ofCbrift. 
 
 qtbly, That the Lord is not angry with a believer for his fins, 
 with a vindiclive wrath ; but with a fatherly difpleafure. 
 
 $thly, That the Lord doth not chaitife a believer for his fins, as 
 an implacable enemy, with Law-vengeance ,• but with the rod of a 
 Father, not for their deflru&ion but for their reformation. 
 
 6thly, That though the fins of believers, coniidered as tranfgref- 
 iions of the Law or Covenant of Works, do deferve eternal death ; 
 and though they are even many ways aggravated above the fins of 
 others : Yet, feeing their fins, coniidered as tranfgreflions of the 
 Law or Covenant of Works, were laid over upon Chrifl ; therefore a 
 believer, when he fajls and mourns for, and confejfeth his fins, 
 ought to view them as laid over upon the Surety, purging away 
 their guilt by his blood : And, in the faith of remiliion and for- 
 givenefs through the righteoufnefs of Chrifl, and of his deliverance 
 from the commanding and condemning power of the Law of 
 "Works, thereby ; he is to fafl and mourn for, and confefs his fins, 
 as to his concern with them in his juflified eflate, not as violations 
 of the Law of Works, but only as violations of the Law in the band 
 of a Mediator, and, as committed againfl, and dishonouring unto 
 his reconciled God and Father in Chrifl. 
 
 Thus, by the doctrine of the forefaid acl, the foundation of all 
 evangelical obedience is overturned, — the wells of Salvation, out of 
 which we mould draw water with joy, are ftopt ; and we are fent 
 back to the Law as a Covenant, to feek righteoufnefs, life and com- 
 fort. Wherefore, in order to clear and maintain the foundations 
 of gofpel-obedience, and the fprings of the believer's confolation ; 
 the Prefbytery did, and hereby do, acknowledge, affert and declare, 
 
 if, That the diflinclion, as explained in the Marrow, is good 
 and fcriptural, viz. That there is a wide difference between the 
 Law as a Covenant of Works, and the Law as a Rule of holy Obe- 
 dience. 
 
 idly, That a believer in Chrifl, is neither under the command- 
 ing nor condemning power of the Law, as a Covenant of Works ; 
 although he be flill under the Law as a Rule of Obedience in the 
 hand of a Mediator. 
 
 $dly, That God feeth not iniquity in Jacob, or in true be- 
 lievers, as it is a tranfgreihon of the Covenant of Works ; but only, 
 as it is a tranfgrcfhon of the Law in the hand of Chrifl, who bore 
 .our fins in his own body on the tree. 
 
 4 thly 9 
 
A81 concerning the Dotlrine of Grace. 57 
 
 ^thly, That though the elec~l, by nature, be children of wrath 
 even as others ; yet, through the death and fatisfa£tion of Chrift, 
 the Lord's vindiclive anger is turned away from, fury is not in him 
 againft any foul that is come to the blood of fprinkling : And yet, 
 he may and will be angry with his dear children, fo as to vifit 
 their iniquity with the rod, and their tranfgrejjions with Jlripes ; 
 but, becaufe he will not take his love from Chrift, nor break his 
 covenant with him, therefore not with them, who are his feed. 
 
 $thly, That when a believer fajls, mour/is for and confejfeth his 
 fins, he ought not to do it in a legal way, as one ftanding under a 
 Covenant of Works, either as to its precept or penalty ; but he ought 
 to do it with the hand of faith upon the head of the great Sacrifice 
 and Atonement, as one whofe perfon and duties are accepted in the 
 Beloved : And thus he ought tofaft, mourn for and confefs his fins, 
 before his reconciled God and Father ; believing that God, accord- 
 ing to his promife, is merciful to his unrighteoufhefs, and will re- 
 member his fins no more. 
 
 Moreover, the Prefbytery did, and hereby do, condemn and rejeEl 
 the following erroneous and dangerous pojitions, taught by the Af- 
 fembly : 
 
 if, That believers are under the Law, and not altogether freed 
 from it, as a Covenant of Works. 
 
 2dly, That, when a believer fins, he fins againft the Law of 
 Works, and therefore muft be liable to the penalty thereof. 
 
 $dfy, That God feeth iniquity in believers, as it is a violation 
 of the old Covenant of Works, made with Adam in innocency ; 
 and consequently, that he fees it with an eye of vindiclive juflice ; 
 notwithftanding the fatisfaction of Chrift, and their being under 
 the covert of his Law-magnifying Righteoufnefs. 
 
 ^thly, That, when God is angry with believers for their fins, he 
 purfues them upon the footing of the Law of Works ; or, which 
 is the fame thing, with the fame anger wherewith he purfued the 
 Surety, when he was made a curfe for them. 
 
 $thly, That, when God corrects his children, he does it in his 
 vindiclive or revenging wrath, and not in a way of fatherly chaf- 
 tifement. 
 
 6thly, That when a believer fa/is, mourns for, confejfeth, and 
 feeks pardon of fin ; he is to view himfelf, as guilty of the violation 
 of the Law of Works, notwithftanding his being dead to the Law, 
 through faith in Jems ChrifL 
 
 S E.c T 1 o n III. Concerning the Obligation of Obedience unto 
 the Law, and the Evangelical Grounds thereof. 
 
 Having thus elTayed to vindicate the BoBrine of the Grace of 
 God, from the injuries done to it by the acls of AJfembly 1720 and 
 1722 ; and alio, the obligation of the holy Law as a rule of obedi- 
 ence every where aflerted through the foregoing a£t of Preibytery : 
 Yet, becaufe of the ftrong propenfity of corrupt nature, to turn 
 
 G 'the 
 
58 A61 concerning the Loclrine of Grace. 
 
 the grace of God into licentioufnefs ; therefore, the Prefbytery 
 judge it expedient to conclude this their acl, by fhewing that the 
 holy Law, as a Rule of Duty is flill obligatory under the gofpel;. 
 yea, that the go/pel yields firoiiger and more powerful incitements 
 to obedience, than any thing which the Law itfelf, abftradtly con- 
 fidered, can afford. 
 
 Article I. [Concerning the Obligation of Obedience ta 
 the Law. 
 
 That the holy Law, as a Rule of Duty is flill obligatory under 
 the Gofpel, will appear from feveral confiderations]. And, 
 
 1. This will appear from the epithets given unto the Law, un- 
 der the difpenfation of the gofpel. Sometimes it is called the Law 
 of Chrift •, as in Gal. vi. 2. Bear ye one another s burdens, and fo ful- 
 fil the Law of Christ; John xiv. 15. If ye love me, keep my 
 
 Commandments; 1 Cor. ix. 21. Being not without law to God, 
 but under the Law to Christ : Which expreffions do plainly in- 
 timate, that the Law of the Creator is now iflued forth to us, in 
 the hand of a Mediator ; and that we, in our obedience, are to eye 
 the authority of God in him, becaufe God's name is in him : And 
 indeed, by proclamation from the excellent Glory, we are enjoined 
 to hear him, or to receive the Law from his mouth, as the great 
 Lawgiver and King whom God hath fet upon his holy hill cf 
 Zion. It is agreeably to this, that the Moral Law is called the 
 Royal Law, James ii. 8. For the whole Law, and every article 
 thereof, carries upon it a flamp of the Royal Authority of this 
 King of Saints •, and all the Royal Seed of this great King, have 
 it engraved upon the tables of their hearts, by the power of his 
 Spirit. 
 
 2. The Law is given upon Evangelical, and, confequently upon 
 everlafiing grounds, which can never be antiquated or aboliihed ; 
 for Exod. xx. 1, 2. God /pake all thefe words, faying, I am the 
 Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, 
 out of the houfe of bondage. It is worthy of notice here, by what 
 arguments the Lord enforces obedience to the Moral Law : The 
 iirft is, his infinite Grcatnefs and I?7i?nut ability ; he is the great 
 Jehovah, who is being itfelf, and who gives us our being, both 
 in nature and grace ; fo that he has an abfolute fovereignty over 
 us, as the potfherds which his own hand hath made : But this ar- 
 gument alone is fo awful, that it is ready to difmay and drive us 
 finners away from God ; therefore he next draws us under his 
 fweet and gracious government with bands of love, by difplaying 
 himfelf as a*God of love, grace and mercy in Chrift, when he adds, 
 I Jehovah am thy God, in the neareft, fweeteft and ftrongeft re- 
 lations. And this comprehend ve promife, as it is fet in the front 
 of the whole Law ; fo it is annexed to many of the precepts in par- 
 ticular, as in Levit. chap, xix. Obedience to the Law is next en- 
 forced* 
 
jicl concerning the Botlrine of Grace, 59 
 
 forced, by the glorious work of man's redemption through Jefus 
 Chrift, typified by the redemption of Ifrael from their Egyptian 
 bondage : And all this our LefTer Catechifm well exprefiech. in 
 the following words, ' That becaufe God is the Lord, and our God, 
 * and Redeemer; therefore we are bound to keep all his com- 
 ' mandments.' So then, the Law of God, as it ftands in relation 
 to a Covenant of Grace, being founded upon go/pel ground ' , it 
 muft be of perpetual obligation. This will further appear, if we 
 confider that, 
 
 3. The end of Chrift' s coming was not to deftroy the Law but to 
 fulfil and eftablijh it, Matth. v. 17. He hath fulfilled it as a Cove- 
 nant, by his own perfona! obedience as our Surety ; and having 
 thus redeemed us from the hands -of our enemies, he gives forth the 
 Law, as a perpetual rule of obedience to us ; that we, being deliver- 
 ed by him out of the hands of our enemies, might ferve him with- 
 out fear, in holine£s and righteouihefs before him, all the days of 
 our life. To the fame purpofe is that -of the Apoftle, Rom. iii. 31. 
 Do we make void the Laiv through faith P God forbid ; yea, ive ejla- 
 hli/h the Law. It is true indeed, Chrift has for ever freed believers 
 from the yoke of the Ceremonial Law ; and alfo, from the com- 
 manding and condemning power of the Moral Law, as a Covenant, 
 rigoroufly exacting obedience, as the condition of life, and forbidding 
 fin under the pain of eternal death, without affording ftrength for o- 
 bedience : Yea, through the grace of the gofpel, both our perfons and 
 imperfect obedience are accepted in the Beloved. But yet, Chrift 
 would not have it fo much as enter into the thoughts of any that 
 profefs his name, that he came to dijfolve the obligation of the Law, 
 as a Rule of Life ; which appears in the forecited Matth. v. 17. 
 'Think not that I am come to deftroy the Law or the Prophets ; I am 
 not come to deftroy but to fulfil : On the contrary, he came to efa- 
 hlifb the obligation of it to the end of the w^orld : For, (fays he, 
 verfe 18.) Verily I fay unto you, till heaven a?id earth pafs, one jot 
 vr one tittle Jhall in no wife pafs from the Law, till all be fulfilled. 
 And thus he vindicates it from the corrupt glories of the Scribes and 
 Pharifees, in his Sermon on the Mount, wherein he difcovers its ob- 
 ligation, extent and fpirkuality. 
 
 4. Obedience and conformity to the holy Law, is one of the 
 -great ends of our redemption by Jefus Chrift : For Tit. ii. 14. He 
 gave himfelffor us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and 
 purify unto himfelf a peculiar people %ealous of good works. And 
 the Apoftle Peter tells, that Chrift hath redeemed us from our vain 
 converfation, not with filver or gold, or fuch corruptible things, but 
 with his own precious blood. Wherefore, they dreadfully counter- 
 act the very deiign of the death of Chrift, and of the reign of 
 grace through his righteoufnefs, who imagine that the Doctrine of 
 Grace patronizes a lawlefs liberty in the way of fin : For Chrift 
 died not to procure a liberty tofn, but a libertyfromfn ; Accord- 
 ing to Dan. ix. 24. He came tofinijh the tranfgrefjion, and to make 
 
 &n end of fins, 1 John iii. 5. Te knew that he w$i manifefted to tale 
 
 away 
 
6o Act concerning the Doclrine of Grace. 
 
 away our fins. Verfe 6. Whofoever abideth in him fmneth not : 
 
 Whofoever ffineth, hath not feen him, neither known him. 
 
 5. All the followers of Jefus Chrift are exprefsly charged to re- 
 member the Law of Mofes ; even after the a&ual rifing of the Sun of 
 Righteoufnefs, in his incarnation, and after his faving manifeftation 
 in their fouls : For it is promifed, Mai. iv. 2. But unto you that 
 fear my name J> hall the Sun of Right eouf?icfs arife, with healing in his 
 wings, andyejhall go forth and grow up as calves of the fall : And 
 then it follows, verfe 4. Remember ye the Law of Moles my fervant, 
 which I commanded unto him in Horeb, for all Ifrael. Where, by 
 the Law of Mofes, we are not to underftand the Cerenionial Law, 
 which being the fhadow of good things to come, did evanifh at the 
 exhibition of the Son of God in the flefti : But it is that Law of 
 Mofes, which was publiuied by God on mount Sinai ; that Law 
 which was written by God's finger on Tables of Stone, and laid up 
 in the Ark, to be preferved there, as a binding Rule of Obedience 
 upon all, unto the end of the world. Such a regard had Chrift un- 
 to this Law, and the honour of it, that he not only fulfilled the 
 righteoufnefs thereof as a covenant, by his holy obedience ; but in 
 his example, hath left us a pattern of all gofpel-holinefs : And he re- 
 quires of all who are called by his name, that they depart from 
 iniquity, that they mould follow hi?n, and be holy as he is holy ; 
 and declares that, except their faith in him bring forth the fruits of 
 obedience unto his Law, their faith is dead : Accordingly, at the laft 
 day, their faith in him will be tried by the fruits thereof, Matth. 
 xxv. 34,-45. 
 
 Thus it appears, that the grace of the gofpel doth no way diffolve 
 the obligation of the Royal Law, as a Rule of Obedience ; but that 
 on the contrary, it doth efablifh and fweeten the fame. Now that 
 which fweetefis it to believers is, that it is the Law of Chrijl ; it is 
 his Commandments, and therefore not grievous ', his yoke, and 
 therefore eafy ; his burden, and therefore light. The Law was 
 given by him upon mount Sinai ; he was in the midft of that Ge- 
 neral Afiembly of Angels, convened at the publication of the Law, 
 even he who afcended up on high, and led captivity captive : Hence 
 is that expreflion, Gal. iii. 19. It was ordained by Angels in the hand 
 of a Mediator. It was ordained by Chrift authoritatively, and by 
 Angels ininifterially. Chrift is the great Mediator, through whofe 
 hand the Law is tranfmitted to us ; and this ferves wonderfully to 
 fweeten it : For he not only flays the enmity between God and 
 man ; but he alfo reconciles the Law to Jinners, and reconciles f?i- 
 ?iers to the Law. There is mutual enmity between the Law and 
 every finner, by nature : The Law accufes, curfes and condemns 
 the linner ; and the finner is. not fubjecl: unto the Law, neither in- 
 deed can be, becanfe it is oppofite unto his lulls. 
 
 Now Chrift, as he reconciles God and man ; fo he reconciles the 
 Law to the finner, and the finner to the Law. (1.) He reconciles 
 the Law to the fnner, that believes in him ; for againjl fuch there is 
 m Liw. Gal. v, 23. Rom. viii. 1. There is no condemning Law 
 
 no 
 
Acl concerning the Dotlrine of Grace, 61 
 
 no purfuing Law, Rom. viii. 32, 33. Though the Law, as it is in 
 the hand of an abfolute God, is an enemy unto the finner out of 
 Chrift, condemning and purfuing him, Gal. iii. 10. Yet fo foon as 
 he is in Chrift, it neither condemns nor purfues him, but it becomes 
 a friendly counfellor, to direct him in the way of duty ; and as fuch, 
 it fays, This is the way walk ye in it. (2.) As Chrift reconciles the 
 law to the finner ? fo he reconciles the heart of the Jinner to the law, 
 infomuch, that he delights in the law of the Lord, after the inward 
 man ; he efteems all God's Commandments concerning all things, to 
 be right ; and is ready to fay with David, how love I thy law ! 
 Pfal. cxix. 97. Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footjleps Jlip 
 not, Pfal. xv ii. 5. 
 
 And all this Chrift fweetly effectuates upon the finner in a day 
 of power, by the execution of his feveral offices, as a Prophet, Prieft, 
 and King. As a Prophet, he interprets and opens up the law in 
 its purity and fpirituality ; he opens our eyes, to behold wondrous 
 things out of his law. As a Prieft, he fatisfies juftice for our fins, 
 covers our obedience, perfumes our fervices, and procures our ac- 
 ceptance by the fweet incenfe of his interceflion. And as a King, 
 he tranfmits the Law to his fubjects with the ftamp of his authority, 
 as he is the great God our Saviour, and as God is in him a reconcil- 
 ed God, proclaiming his name, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful 
 and gracious, long-j uffering, and abundant i?i goodnefs and truth. 
 Exod. xxxiv. 6. 
 
 Article II. [Concerning the Evangelical grounds of obe- 
 dience to the Law.] 
 
 Thus the Law, in the hand of a Mediator, or as it ftands . in 
 fubordination to the grace of the gofpel, is not to be considered as a 
 rule of acceptance for juftification ; but as a rule of obedience and 
 fanctification : By which obedience we teftify our gratitude, and 
 glorify God. And here, 
 
 1. Our obedience to the Law is to proceed upon evangelical prin- 
 ciples. Now, the leading principle of obedience to the Law, is faith 
 in Jefus Chrift ; hence, all true obedience is called the obedience of 
 Faith. The Spirit of life that is in Chrift Jefus, enters into the 
 dead foul, and works faith in it, whereby it is united to Chrift as a 
 Head of influence ; and then the life it lives is by the faith of the Son 
 of God. I live, fays Paul, yet not L, but Chrijl liveth in me. All 
 a&s of obedience in believers are acts of the life of Chrijl in them. 
 All acts of obedience, performed by an unbelieving finner, are but 
 dead tvorks : Whereas the believer, having the life and fpirit of 
 Chrift in him, prefents himfelf a living facrifice to God, which is 
 our reafonable fervice. 
 
 2. Gofpel-obedience to the holy Law, proceeds upon evangelical 
 motives ; namely, the confideration of the matchlefs grace, love and 
 mercy of God, manifefted in Chrift. Faith, viewing the excellency 
 of God's loving-kindnefs. the height and depth, the breadth and 
 length whereof pafleth all knowledge ; the foul thereupon cries out, 
 
 Lord 
 
62 Aft concerning the Doclrine of Grace. 
 
 Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? What Jhall I render unto the 
 Lord for all his benefits toward me ? As God's lovfc to us moved 
 him to do all that he hath done for us, in the work of redemption ; 
 fo, that faith, which worketh by love, makes the foul a&ive to d® 
 all for his glory and honour. 
 
 3. Gofpel-obedience is influenced by evangelical a ffetl ions, fuch as 
 love, delight, zeal, filial fear, and the like \ according as the A- 
 poftle fpeaks, Gal. v. 6. Faith worketh by love. Faith, as was faid, 
 discovers the tranicendent love of God in Chrift : And, as one fire 
 kindles another.; fo the love of God, apprehended by faith, both 
 kills the enmity of the heart, and kindles a flame of love there to- 
 ward God in Chrift, that many waters cannot quench, and all floods 
 are not able to x drown ; and this love powerfully influences obedi- 
 ence to the holy Law, If ye love me, fays Chrift, keep my com?na?id- 
 vients. Who Jhall fe par ate us, fays the Apoftle, from the love of 
 Chrift ? The love of felf influences the obedience of the legalift; but 
 the love of Chrift conftrains the believer : And this love begets de- 
 light, a ready mind, and fervency of fpirit in ferving the Lord, 
 Pfal. cxix. 35. Rom. xii. 11. 
 
 4. Gofpel-obedience is performed to a Gofpcl-end ; which is the 
 honour of Chrift, and the glory of God in him : For God will have 
 all men to honour the Son, even as they honour the Father ; and 
 thus it is that, as in Rom. xiv. 8. We live unto the Lord, doing all 
 to the honour of Chrift, and the glory of God in him. Chrift is 
 called the Alpha and Omega, the Firjl and the Lajl ; fo ought he to 
 be unto us, in the whole of our obedience, the Beginning and the 
 Ending of all we do. The unregenerate finner acts from himfelf 
 and for himfelf, according to Hof. x. 1. Ifrael is an empty vine, he 
 bringeth forth fruit to himfelf: Self is the fit ft principle and laft end 
 of all that he doth •, and therefore, in all his doings, he is wholly re- 
 jected of God. But, with the believer as fuch, Chrift is the firft 
 principle of his life of holinefs, and his laft end therein : He only 
 muft bear the glory of what he has wrought for us, and of what 
 he works in us or by us, in a way of doing or fuifering, Rev. v. 12. 
 
 To conclude, As obedience to the holy Law of God, was indif- 
 penfibly required of innocent man -, by an obligation necefiarily a- 
 rifing from the very nature of the Creator and creature, and theef- 
 fential relation betwixt them : So, mankind having finned, and 
 come fhort of the glory of God, the whole difpenfation of the free 
 grace and love of God through Jefus Chrift, is juft calculate for re- 
 storing fallen man unto a capacity of glorifying God, in time and 
 eternity, by obedience unto the eternal and holy Law : " He hath 
 " chofen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we 
 " fhould be holy, and without blame before him, in love," Eph. 
 i. 4. " Jefus Chrift gave himfelf for us, that he might redeem us 
 " from all iniquity, and purify unto himfelf a peculiar people, 
 w zealous of good works,'' Tz>. ii. 13, 14. " Herein is my Father 
 * l glorified (fays he, John xv. 8.) that ye bear much fruit :" And 
 £q, he muft prefent the Church unto himfelf a " glorious church, 
 
 " not 
 
Acl concerning the Doctrine of Grace. 63 
 
 ** not having fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing,'' Eph. v. 27* 
 Thus, gofpel-obedience is of fuch importance unto the difpenfation 
 of grace, that it is a principal end whereunto the fame is eflentially 
 fubfervient, and whereunto it only is effectual: So that, according 
 to the believer's experience and improvement of the free grace 
 and love of God in the gofpel ; accordingly he will necefiarily, 
 through the whole aim at, and prefs forward unto a glorifying of 
 God, by perfect conformity unto his holy Law. But the peculiar 
 encouragement and accefs we have unto holinefs, under the dif- 
 penfation of grace, lies in this ; That gofpel-obedience mull be per- 
 formed, not to juflify our per Jons, but to honour, glorify and declare 
 our gratitude to him who jujlifes us freely by his grace, through 
 the redemption that is in Chrift Jefus. 
 
 Now, man being at firft married to the Law as a hufband, he 
 hath a ftrong propenfity to cleave to this hufband, and to feek life 
 and falvaticn by doing the works thereof : And it is only the power 
 of efficacious grace, that can bring a iinner to renounce that firft 
 hulband, and to take on with that new and better hufband, who is 
 raifed from the dead. Yea, after the foul is actually married to 
 Chrift, through the remaining legality of the heart, it is ready, at 
 every turn, to call a fquint look back unto its old hufband, the Law 
 of Works. Of this the Apoftle complains, Gal. iii. 3. — Having be- 
 gun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfecl by the Flefh ? that is, do ye 
 imagine to attain perfection in holinefs or fanctification, by returning 
 back to the Law, and the Works thereof, for righteoufnefs and life ? 
 
 There are therefore fundry legal ends, that mould be carefully a- 
 voided, whether in our Covenanting, or in any other acts of obedi- 
 ence : As, 
 
 1. W r e mufl not perform the duties of the Law for righteoujnejs 
 end jujlification ; for this is to blot out that name of Chrift, Jer« 
 xxiii. 6. The Lord our Righteousness : Nor, 
 
 2. To give unto God a recompence or requital for his mercies. 
 It is indeed the higheft ingratitude, not to acknowledge him as our 
 Benefactor, but we can never recompence him ; becaufe the creature, 
 that hath its being and its all from him, can never give any thing 
 to him but what is his own : If thou be righteous, what gavejl thou 
 him, or what receiveth he of thine hand ? Job. xxxv. 7. And there- 
 fore, it well becomes us to acknowledge, when we have done all, 
 that we are unprofitable fervants, and that our goodnefe extendeth 
 not unto him. 
 
 3. We muft not imagine that, by our acts of obedience, we make 
 God amends for the difhonour done to him by our difobedience \ 
 nor that thereby we make any atonement and propitiation for our 
 fins : For this were to put our obedience in the room of Chrift our 
 enly propitiation. 
 
 4. Neither muft we imagine that, by our obedience and duties, 
 God is moved to befiow his mercies upon us : For, whatever God 
 beftows upon a Iinner, is of mere grace and mercy, not for any 
 works of righteoufnefs done by us. 
 
 5. We 
 
64 Acl concerning the Doclrine of Grace. 
 
 5. We muft not imagine, that our obedience to the Law doth 
 any wzyfx our title to eternal life ; or that it is any federal, condi- 
 tional mean, in order to our pojfejfing eternal life. This indeed 
 were to lay another foundation than that which God hath laid in 
 Zion : For both f our title to eternal life, and our a&uai poffejfwn 
 thereof at the end of the day, do lean wholly upon our union with 
 Chrift by a faith of God's operation ; and another foundation can 
 no man lay. All our hopes and expectations of life and falvation, 
 muft be founded upon God's Covenant of grace and promife, efta- 
 bliflied in the fecond Ada?n ; the condition of which was fullilled 
 by him, the Covenant-head, in his obedience unto the death. Thus, 
 David goes into eternity upon this blefled bottom, finging that fong, 
 1 Sam. xxiii. 5. Although my houfe he not Jo with God, yet he hath 
 made with me (viz. in Chrift my new Covenant-head) an everlafiing 
 Covenant, ordered in all things and fur e : For this is all my falvation, 
 and all my defire. Now, 
 
 Faith acting upon this Covenant of rich and free grace, has a 
 manifold influence upon our obedience to the Law : Which may 
 be cleared in confidering, 
 
 Article III. The Connection betwixt God's Covenant of 
 Grace and our Covenant of Duties, and the influence 
 the one has upon the other. 
 
 The Covenant of Grace which is made with, and ftands fall in 
 Chrifl our glorious Head, lays us under much further obligation to 
 duty and fervice, than the Covenant of Works, even while it flood 
 in the firft Adam. We are more conftrained to obedience under 
 the former, than ever Adam, in a ftate of innocency, was under the 
 latter : And our obligation to vow and pay our vows, to covenant 
 and perform, or keep our Covenants of duty and fervice to God in 
 Chrift, is yet more ftrengthened and furthered ; by our being under a 
 fuller and clearer difpenfation of the Covenant of Grace, than what 
 thefe had who lived under the Old-Teftament, or the dark legal 
 difpenfation of this Covenant of Grace. How the obligation is 
 ftrengthened, and what influence the Covenant of Grace hath upon 
 our Covenants of Duty, fervice and obedience, may appear in the 
 following reffecls. 
 
 Firfl, In refpecl of life ; which Chrift came to give, and to give 
 more abundantly, John x. 10. Our life being in the fecond Adam, 
 fecured or hid with Chrift in God; the more of this is communica- 
 ted to us, the more are we in cafe for lively fervice, and bound to 
 devote the life that comes to us by the death and life of Chrift, 
 unto the obedience of him who died for us ; that we who live 
 ihould not henceforth live unto ourfelves, but unto him who died 
 for us, and rofe again, 2 Cor. v. 15. 
 
 Secondly, In refpeft of light ; which fhines more brightly in the 
 gofpel. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the 
 face of Jefus Chrift, given there, to inform the mind, transform the 
 
 heart, 
 
 4 
 
Acl concerning the Do&rine of Grace, 65 
 
 heart, and reform the life, 2 Cor. iii. 18. obliges us to walk as chil- 
 dren of light, Eph. v. 8. The more we fee in gofpel-light, how 
 Chrift. hath faved us by fulfilling the Law perfectly for us as a Co- 
 venant of Works, the more we are conftrained to glorify him by 
 our conformity to the Law as a rule of duty and obedience, Gal. ii. 
 19. 2c. Rom. vii. 4. 
 
 Thirdly, In refpecl: of liberty : Spiritual liberty, as well as fpiri- 
 tual life and light, is greater and more glorious, by the more plen- 
 tiful efFufion of the Spirit in the gofpel-difpenfation of the Covenant 
 of Grace, than what we could have had either by the old Covenant 
 of Works, or the old legal difpenfation of the new Covenant, 2 Cor. 
 iii. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 17. If the Son make us free, then are we free 
 indeed, 'John viii. 36. This is a freedom that loofes us from fin, 
 and binds us to duty, Rom. vi. 17, 18. Pfal. cxvi. 16. 
 
 Fourthly, In reipecl of love and gratitude ; to which nothing leads 
 us fo much, as the difplay of the grace and love of God to us in the 
 new Covenant. This love kills our enmity and begets love, fo 
 that the love of Chriit. conilrains us to his fervice, 2 Cor. v. 14. 
 Being drawn powerfully with bands of love, we run cheerfully the 
 way of his Commandments. 
 
 Fifthly, In refpect of joy ; which the knowledge of the joyful 
 found of the gofpel brings in more plentifully, even joy unfpeak- 
 able and full of glory. This joy of the Lord is our ftrength, en- 
 couraging us to walk in the light of his countenance, Pfal. lxxxix. 
 15, 16, 17. and joyfully to devote ourfelves and our fervice to him. 
 
 Sixthly, In refpecl: of hope. For, as the gofpel opens the door of 
 faith, that we may enter into Chrift, and clofe with him for fanc- 
 tification as well as righteoumefs -, and fo be in cafe for the duties 
 of holinefs outwardly, having the heart purified by faith to the ex- 
 ercife of grace inwardly : So the gofpel opens the door of hope, even 
 the hope of heaven and eternal life, at the end of our courfe of goi- 
 pel-obedience. By the Gofpel of Chrift, of his death and refur- 
 rection, we are begotten to a lively hope of being like him, by fee- 
 ing him as he is ; and every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth 
 him/elf, even as he is pure, 1 John iii. 2, 3. 
 
 Seventhly, In refpecl; of power, or divine virtue and efficacy ; 
 whereof efpecially the gofpel-difpenfation of the new Covenant is 
 the channel. It is faid to be the power of God unto falvation, to 
 every one that believeth ; — for therein is the right eon f fiefs of God re- 
 vealed, from faith to faith, Rom. i. 16, 17. Thus, as it is the Reve- 
 lation of Grace reigning through the righteoumefs of Chrift unto 
 eternal life, it is the organ of the power of God unto our falvation ; 
 and fo it has not only a moral argumentative influence upon holi- 
 nefs, but alfo a phyfical and powerful operative influence, drawing 
 us with bands of love unto his fervice, and pulling down the ftrong 
 holds of fin which Hands in oppofition thereunto, 2 Cor. x. 4, 5. 
 
 Eighthly, In refpecl of the promife of the Covenant of Grace ,• as 
 it is a Covenant promifing all grace, both habitual and aclual, E%eh. 
 iLixvi. 25, 26, 27. Grace for performing every duty required in 
 
 I the 
 
66 ASl concerning the Doftrine of Grace. 
 
 the precept of the Law, is given forth to us in the promife of the. 
 Gofpel : And, as we cannot fet about vowing or revolving to 
 perform any duty commanded in the Law, without the grace 
 promifed in the Golpel, fo the grace here promiied, is to be ap- 
 prehended and depended upon by faith, as the great encourage- 
 ment to vow and refolve upon obedience, faying with David, Pfal. 
 cxix. 1 06. / have f worn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy 
 righteous judgments. As we have here the promife of the Spirit in 
 the plentiful effuiion thereof, to make us fruitful in holinefs, I/a. 
 xliv. 3, 5. the promife of irrength, to walk and run in the way of 
 the Lord, Ifa. xl. 29, 31. the promife of recovery, in cafe of fai- 
 lures and decays, Hof. xiv. 7. the promife of perfeverance to the 
 end, in a courfe of gofpel -obedience, jfer. xxxii. 40. 1 Pet. 1. 5. 80, 
 having thefe and the like promifes, that by thefe we may be par- 
 takers of the divine nature, we are encouraged to clean fe our [elves 
 from allflihinefs of the fief j and fpir it, per feeling holinefs in the fear 
 of God, 2 Cor. vii. 1. 
 
 Ninthly, In refpecl of the authority enjoining obedience upon us, 
 and calling us to devote ourfelves and ourfervice to him. Though 
 this authority is originally the fame that enjoined obedience upon 
 man in the firft Covenant \ yet it appears to us, in the gofpel glafs, 
 more amiable and lovely, by its being not the authority of an ab- 
 folute God, but of God in Chrifl x reconciling the world to himfelf. 
 While God is related unto us, as our God and Redeemer, we are 
 } aid under the ftrongeft obligations to duty and obedience-, accor- 
 ding to the import of the preface to the Ten Commandments, 
 " That, becaufe God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer ; 
 " therefore we are bound to keep all his Commandments." 
 
 'Tenthly, In refpecl of the furniture we have in our new Cove- 
 nant-head, the Lord Jefus Chrifl. Having in him righteoufnefs 
 for acceptance, and frrength for amftance, in every duty, and par- 
 ticularly in folemn vowing of obedience to him, Ifa. xliv. 3, 4, 5. 
 the Spirit of all grace being above mcafure in our glorious Head, 
 for our ufe and behoof : We are called to be frGng in the grace 
 that is in Qhrifi 'Jcfus, 1 Tim. ii. 1. to be jlrojig in the Lord, and 
 in the power of his might, Eph. vi. 10. by whom flrengthening we 
 can do all things, Phil. iv. 13. This furniture we have always in 
 him, as our new Covenant-head, and always accefs to the benefit 
 of it by faith, the proper language whereof is, Surely in the Lord 
 have I righteoufnefs and frength, Ifa. xlv. 24. And as without 
 this faith, it is impofliblc to pleafe God by any duty or fervice \_ 
 fo by this faith, we are in cafe to pleafe God, and ferve him fpi- 
 ritually and acceptably. There is no comparifon between the fur- 
 niture we once had in the firft Adam, and this furniture we have- 
 in Chrifi ; which is no lefs than all the fulnefs of the Godhead 
 dwelling in him, fo as we alfo are complete in him, Col. ii. 9, 10. 
 A?id of his fulnefs have all we received, and grace for grace, John i. 
 1 6. according to his promife, My grace is fufficient for thee ; for 
 my frength is made perfeEt in. weaknefs, 2 Cor. xii. 9. As therefore 
 
 we 
 
Acl concerning the Doflrine of Grace. 6y 
 
 we are called to work out our own falvation with fear and trembling ; 
 for it is God which worketh in us both to will and to do, of his good 
 pleafure, Phil. ii. 12, 13. and tofanftify our/elves, becaufe he is the 
 Lord that fanclifes us, Lev. xx. 7, 8. So, as for the great work of 
 covenanting to ferve and obey him, we may with humble confi- 
 dence fet about it, in the faith of this new Covenant furniture we 
 have in Jefus Chrift-, faying, as it is in Pfal. lxxi. 16. / will go 
 in the Jlrength of the Lord God ; / will make mention of thy righte- 
 onfnefs, even of thine only. 
 Extracted— 
 
 JOHN POTTS, Pr.Cls. 
 
 The following extract from the Difplay of the Seceffon 
 Teftimony, Vol. I. page 187. may be added here, to 
 illuftrate what is taught concerning the Appropriation 
 of Faith, in the preceeding Act, Seel:. 2. Art. 2. 
 
 The Afibciate Prefbytery do teach, in their Act concerning the 
 Doclrine of Grace, — that this perfualion is competent to a perfon, 
 in the language of juftifying faith, vi%. " Jefus Chrift is mine, I 
 " mail have life and falvation by him ; and whatsoever Chrift did 
 " for the redemption of mankind, he did it for me" Thus, faith 
 immediately terminates upon a prefent fpecial intereft in Chrift, 
 "Jefus Chrijl is mine ; as to which, it proceeds upon the prefent re- 
 velation and offer of him in the gofpel, looking out to that, — with- 
 out looking back to any divine purpofes or .intentions : And accord- 
 ing to the myftericus order of grace, the Lord gives truth to this 
 fpecial intereft, at the time of faith's applying Chrift to the foul; the 
 perfon being actually inverted with his juftifying righteoufnefs, and 
 accepted in the fight of God on that account, — which never be- 
 comes true in the cafe of any, till the moment of believing. In the 
 next place, it is quite infeparable from the faith of this fpecial in- 
 tereft in Chrift, and muft lie in the fame act of faith,— to believe 
 eternal falvation by Chrift ; If jail have life and falvation by him. 
 Now this faith of a fpecial faving intereft in Chrift — muft likewife 
 by the fame acl, in this due order, terminate upon a fpecial intereft 
 in all his redeeming work ; whatfocver Chrijl did for the redemption 
 «f mankind he did it for me. 
 
 As to which laft article, we may obferve, — that it is entirely 
 different from a believing, that Chrijl intentionally died for the per- 
 [on in particular : As this faith is the fame, upon the matter, with 
 the faith of eleclion ; which, however attainable it be, can noway 
 belong to faith asjujlifying. But when Chrift with his whole fal- 
 vation is applied by faith, upon the ground of the gofpel-cffer and 
 call •, then whatfoever he did for the redemption of mankind, doth 
 therein actually terminate upon the perfon,— and is believed fo to 
 
 do* 
 
68 Act concerning the Do6lri?ie of Grace. 
 
 do. Wherefore as to the plea of juftifying faith, [whatfoevef 
 Chrift did for the redemption of mankind, he did it for me~\ ; the 
 meaning is not, for me, by a foregoing purpofe and intention: But 
 the meaning is, for me by a following iffue and termination thereof 
 upon me ; through the gofpel-offer and call, embraced by faith. 
 
 As when a traveller is entertained in a houfe upon his way, — he 
 eats what is fet before him, without any queftion ; juft upon feeing 
 that, in its nature, it is every way fuitable and fufficie?it for his 
 need, — and that he is freely invited to the ufe thereof. And his 
 very eating of the food implies a concluding that all the prepara- 
 tion of it was for him ; becaufe the preparation of it terminates 
 in him, by the food itfelf doing fo : Which yet is entirely different 
 from his being otherwife informed and believing, — that the food 
 was intentionally provided and made ready for him, before he faw it. 
 
 ACT 
 
■ 
 
 Hi 1 1 H H9HHI 
 
 
 P 
 

*% ^t* V<&*^Jt k^><J%L^ 
 
 . 
 
 %noyi^>^M^?^vM^i<? 
 
 \