cation is manifested to them by the spirit, on which they commence believers. And this scheme, how contrary soever to the BIBLE, was consistent with itself. But that scheme is new modelled. And now they say that in justifying faith, "we believe that to be true, which is not true before we believe it." This Mr. Marshal had said. And this saying of Mr. Marshal's, Mr. Wilson undertakes to vindicate, (p. 14.) pretending full assurance that the whole bible and all the Protestant world are on his side..

Mr. Cudworth was affrighted and shocked at the thought of " believing that to be true which is not true before we believe it, without any evidence from Scripture, sense, or reason," after I had shown the absurdity of it in the twelve Queries in my second Dialogue. He felt he could not answer my reasoning. He was afraid. He durst not look the point fairly in the face. He turned his eyes and buried himself in obscurity in the midst of a multitude of ambiguous words. And to pacify his credulous reader, says, that I misrepresent their scheme; when he at the same time, knew that I had represented it exactly as Mr. Marshal, a writer highly celebrated by all their party, had done. See his further defence, p. 246.

But Mr. Wilson is a man of courage; he thinks he can inaintain the point: he sees it must be done, or their whole scheme be given up. He has tried: he has doubtless done his best. And this is the very point now to be examined, viz. Whether in justifying faith "we believe that to be true which is not true before we believe it ?"

A position in itself so evidently absurd, that were it not made use of to deceive multitudes of precious souls, it would pot deserve the least attention of any man of sense. But matters being as they are, it is worth while to examine it. This position evidently lies at the foundation of their whole scheme. And if this single position is false, their whole scheme is false. For they all affirm that our sins are not forgiven before we believe they are forgiven. And that in the first direct act of justifying faith we believe they are forgiven. And therefore it is, and must be, a fundamental maxim with them, upon the truth of which their whole

scheme depends, that in justifying faith, we believe that to be true, which is not true before we believe it.

No writer I ever saw, has expressed the matter with such undisguised honesty and simplicity, as their celebrated Mr. Marshall, whose Gospel Mystery of Sanctification, they profess to value next to the bible. Let us therefore hear his own words; look into their plain and natural meaning, and state distinctly the point to be disputed.

Mr. Marshall's words are these, and the more we think of them, the more remarkable will they appear. "Let it be well observed, that the reason why we are to assure ourselves in our faith that God freely giveth Christ and his salvation to us in particular, is not because it is a truth before we believe it, but because it becometh a certain truth when we believe it; and because it never will be true, except we do in some measure persuade and assure ourselves that it is so. We have no absolute promise or declaration in Scripture, that God certainly will or doth give Christ and his salvation to any one of us in particular; neither do we know it to be true already by Scripture, or sense, or reason, before we assure ourselves absolutely of it; yea, we are without Christ's salvation at present, in a state of sin and misery, under the curse and wrath of God. Only, we are bound by the command of God thus to assure ourselves and the Scripture doth sufficiently warrant us that we shall not deceive ourselves, in believing a lie: but according to our faith, so shall it be to us. Matt. ix. 29. This is a strange kind of assurance, far different from other ordinary kinds; and therefore no wonder if it be found weak and imperfect, and assaulted with many doubtings. lieve other things on the clear are true, and would remain true, whether we believe them or no: so that we cannot deny our assent, without rebelling against the light of our senses, reason, or conscience. But here our assurance is not impressed on our thoughts by any evidence of the thing; but we must work it out in ourselves by the assistance of the spirit of God." Mystery, p. 173, 174. In this plain, honest declaration, which opens to

VOL. III.

difficult to be obtained, and We are constrained to beevidence we have that they

e New-York edition, page 157.
12

clear view the heart and soul of their whole scheme, these eight things may be observed.

1. In general: that "this is a STRANGE kind of assurance, FAR DIFFERENT from other ordinary kinds." In all other kinds of assurance, he observes, there are these two things. 1. What we believe" is true before we believe it, and whether we believe it or no." 2. "We are constrained to believe, on the clear evidence we have that they are true." But "this is a strange kind of assurance, far different from other ordinary kinds," in these two respects : 1. As we believe" that to be true, which is not true before we believe it; and never would be true, if we did not believe it." 2. As we believe "without any evidence of the thing."-" Any evidence from Scripture, sense, or reason." Herein the strangeness consists, and its difference from all other kinds of assurance in the universe.

A true convert gets assurance, thus: the word of God teaches, John i. 12, That he who receives Christ and believes in his name, is a child of God; but I receive Christ and believe in his name, therefore I am a child of God. Again, the word of God teaches, Acts iii. 19. that he who repents and is converted, shall have his sins blotted out; but I repent and am converted; therefore my sins are blotted out. Once more, the word of God teaches, Acts xvi. 31. that he who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved; but I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ; therefore I shall be saved. This is the "ordinary" way of getting assurance. And the things believed are true before we believe them: and we believe only in exact proportion to our evidence.

But in "this strange kind of assurance," a sinner who as yet is impenitent, unconverted, has not received Christ, nor believed in his name, but is "under the wrath and curse of God," believes his sins are forgiven; not because they are, for they are not; not because he has evidence they are, for he has none; but full evidence to the contrary: but, say they, because God has commanded him to believe that they are forgiven, and promised that if he believes they are forgiven, they shall be forgiven. That is, God has commanded him to believe what is not true, and promised that if he believes

that which is not true, it shall become a truth.

Not that that

text in Mat.

to our faith so shall it be to us." ix. 29. speaks a word about " this strange kind of assurance :" for it does not. The thing the two blind men believed was true before they believed it: and they were constrained to believe by clear evidence; viz. That Christ was able to open their eyes. See ver. 27, 28. No. This kind of assurance is so strange, that it is not so much as once required, commanded, exhorted to, or recommended in the bible; nor any thing like it. Nor indeed is there any thing like it in the universe. For it is in truth "a strange kind of assurance, far different from other ordinary kinds." But to be more particular; and that even those who are of the weakest capacity may not only think, but be quite certain, that we do not misunderstand this author, so very highly celebrated by gentlemen of the first rank on that side of the question, observe,

2. The thing to be believed is a supposed fact, which has no existence, viz. " that God freely giveth Christ and his salvation to us in particular." Which he says, " is not true before we believe it." But pray, what does he mean by God's giving Christ and his salvation to us in particular?" We of ten read in the bible of the gift of Christ, but every thing taught in the bible relating to that grand and glorious affair, is true before we believe, and whether we believe or no. For instance; is it not true, whether we believe it or not, that God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life? John iii. 16. And are not those words true, whether we believe them or not, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son? 1 John v. 11. And again, were not those words true, whether the Jews believed them or not, my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven? John vi. 32. Yes; beyond all doubt all these things are true, and every single sentiment implied in them is true, has been true above these thousand years, and will remain true, whether we believe them or not. And indeed this is the case with all the truths contained in the bible; yea, with every single truth in the universe. They are true before we believe them, and whether we believe them or not.

What then does Mr. Marshall mean, by God's " giving Christ and his salvation to us in particular?" Which, he says, " is not true before we believe it." Not that giving of Christ we read of in the bible; but something essentially different. He plainly means giving us in particular a saving interest in Christ and his salvation: granting us pardon, justification, and a title to eternal life, while impenitent and unconverted. This is plain from what he considers as opposite thereto. "Yea, we are without Christ's salvation at present, in a state of sin and misery, under the wrath and curse of God." Which words determine his meaning with the utmost certainty. So that the fact to be believed to be true, is this, that we have a saving interest in Christ, are delivered from “the wrath and curse of God," are pardoned and entitled to eternal life and indeed this is no more than Mr. Wilson, and all others in his scheme, hold that we do believe, in the first direct act of justifying faith; and without which they all affirm our faith is not saving. Mr. Wilson affirms this over and over again, perhaps an hundred times, through both hist volumes. Particularly, p. 145, he defines justifying faith in these words: "Justifying faith is a believing the remission of sins with special application to a man's self.-Now ob

serve,

3. Mr. Marshall says, "this is not true before we believe it." But had it been declared, expressly or implicitly, in the word of God, it had been true before we believe it, and whether we believe it or no: for this is the case with every declaration in the bible. But Mr. Marshall is so open, frank, and honest, as to own that it is not taught in the word of God. "We have no absolute promise or declaration in Scripture, that God doth or will give Christ and his salvation to any one of us in particular. Yea, we are without Christ's salvation at present, under the wrath of God."Therefore,

4. The thing to be believed to be true, instead of being true before we believe it, is false. Yea, is known to be false, is owned to be false, is publicly declared before the world to be false. Instead of our having a saving interest in Christ, we are under the wrath and curse of God." And therefore this honest man, in perfect consistence with himself, declares,