hments that are to be in this world inflicted, for
disobedience to their earthly Soveraign, and those that shall be
inflicted in the world to come for disobedience to God, have need be
taught to distinguish well between what is, and what is not Necessary to
Eternall Salvation.
All That Is Necessary To Salvation Is Contained In Faith And Obedience
All that is NECESSARY to Salvation, is contained in two Vertues, Faith
in Christ, and Obedience to Laws. The latter of these, if it were
perfect, were enough to us. But because wee are all guilty of
disobedience to Gods Law, not onely originally in Adam, but also
actually by our own transgressions, there is required at our hands now,
not onely Obedience for the rest of our time, but also a Remission of
sins for the time past; which Remission is the reward of our Faith
in Christ. That nothing else is Necessarily required to Salvation, is
manifest from this, that the Kingdome of Heaven, is shut to none but
to Sinners; that is to say, to the disobedient, or transgressors of the
Law; nor to them, in case they Repent, and Beleeve all the Articles of
Christian Faith, Necessary to Salvation.
What Obedience Is Necessary;
The Obedience required at our hands by God, that accepteth in all our
actions the Will for the Deed, is a serious Endeavour to Obey him;
and is called also by all such names as signifie that Endeavour. And
therefore Obedience, is sometimes called by the names of Charity, and
Love, because they imply a Will to Obey; and our Saviour himself maketh
our Love to God, and to one another, a Fulfilling of the whole Law: and
sometimes by the name of Righteousnesse; for Righteousnesse is but the
will to give to every one his owne, that is to say, the will to obey
the Laws: and sometimes by the name of Repentance; because to Repent,
implyeth a turning away from sinne, which is the same, with the return
of the will to Obedience. Whosoever therefore unfeignedly desireth
to fulfill the Commandements of God, or repenteth him truely of his
transgressions, or that loveth God with all his heart, and his neighbor
as himself, hath all the Obedience Necessary to his Reception into the
Kingdome of God: For if God should require perfect Innocence, there
could no flesh be saved.
And To What Laws
But what Commandements are those that God hath given us? Are all
those Laws which were given to the Jews by the hand of Moses, the
Commandements of God? If they bee, why
|