an
approbative way (as being conformable to his command, and agreeable to
the holiness of his nature) yet we are assured from his word that moral
rectitude in its very summit can never render one acceptable in his
sight in a justifying way, _for by the works of the law shall no man be
justified; not by works of righteousness that we have done_, &c. Rom.
iii. 28. Gal. ii. 16. Tit. iii 5. So though good works or gospel
obedience, and true holiness be absolutely necessary unto salvation, (as
being the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith in every
believer) the greatest saint being the best moralist, yet there are no
ways meritorious of man's salvation; no, this depends upon God's eternal
purposes, Rom. ix. 11. Eph. i. 4.--We find it often said in scripture,
that it shall be rendered to every man _according to his works_, Rom.
iii. 6. Rev. xxii. 12 &c. but never for their works; yea works (though
otherwise materially good in themselves) in an unregenerate man become
sinful before God, _for whatsoever is not of faith is sin_, Rom. xiv.
23. although the omitting of them be more dishonouring to him, Rom.
viii. 8. Psal. xxvi. 5. Matth. xxiii. 23. See Conf. chap. xvi. Sec.
2,3,7.--And so Luther, Calvin, Diodati, Beza, Perkins, Fisher, Flavel,
Owen, Simson, Binning, Dickson, Gray, Rutherford, Durham, Gillespie,
Guthrie, Renwick, Pool, Henry, Halyburton, Boston, Marshal and many
others.

(2.) They are antipodes to reason, and strike eminently against the very
nature of God's covenant, for according to the tenor of the covenant of
works, nothing but perfect, personal and perpetual obedience can merit
(if any thing in a degenerate creature may be so called) and can any
reasonable man look his own conscience in the face and say, that he is
the person that can perform this. Again, if we betake ourselves unto the
covenant of grace, reason itself might blush and be ashamed once to
suppose, that the blood of the immaculate Son of God stood in any need
of an addition of man's imperfect works, in order to complete salvation.
See Catechising on the Heidelberg catechism on question lii. page 180.
Blackwall's _ratio sacra_, page 17, &c.

(3) They must be very dangerous, soul-ruining and Christ dishonouring
errors, for it might be counted altogether superfluous for a person to
come to a physician for a cure, while he is not in the least suspicious
of being infected with any malady: So in like manner, can it be expected
that any so