offending in one thing were not unpunished, having been thrust out of heaven, and no sorrow could restore them again; what then should be said to us in this frail condition of sinful nature, in which dwelleth no good thing who offend by daily negligence of duties, or filthiness of deeds? Is it sufficient to turn away the vengeance of so great a God, to say, "I have erred," unless there be some other thing besides the sense of grief to help guilty and wounded nature; something which may defend this weak part of our repentance with a stronger safeguard, and may be sufficient to appease and reconcile offended Justice with a proportionable price, and which, so to speak, can contend with Divine Justice by opposing a righteousness equal thereunto? For, as the wound is infinite that is inflicted on our nature, so it is just that a remedy of the like nature should be applied, the strength and greatness whereof being infinite, may, by proportionable greatness, be suited to the Majesty offended; which verily consists, not in repentance, or charity, or any offices of ours, but is contained in Christ only, who is the only begotten Son of God. And because our faith only lays hold on him, and he cannot profit any but believers, therefore it comes to pass, that faith only, without works, that is, without any merits of works, completes all our righteousness before God.

14. Concerning the praise of repentance, the dignity and benefit, and peculiar office, thereof..

But you will say, To what purpose then is it to repent and to amend evil deeds? Or what shall be answered to these scriptures, which promise, in more places than one, the pardon of all sins to those that lament their sins, and are converted unto a better life?

I would have you take notice of this in the first place. When we attribute the virtue of justifying to faith, and in this case place it alone, being helped by no addition of our works, let no man so misunderstand, as if we drove away and banished all saving repentance, and other holy offices of duty and charity from every action of life.

For, if we openly confess the truth, what else is this whole life of godly men, but a continual repentance, and a perpetual detestation and condemnation of sin, whilst we are forced by the gospel, with daily groans to breathe forth this petition, "Forgive us our sins," as if we were conflicting in

a continual place of wrestling, in which sometimes we stand by the Spirit, sometimes we fall through the infirmity of the flesh, and sometimes we again make new repentance. Yet we always overcome and triumph by faith, obtaining the pardon of our faults, and we obtain true righteousness for ever. Therefore, away with impudent slanders; let just judgment be exercised, and let things be comprehended, each in their own places and bounds.

The

Pious tears, a serious deploring of former iniquities, and a just care of living a better life, with all other pious exercises, are things which we do not thrust away, nor put out of their place; only we search what is the place, what is the peculiar office of those things. And, in the first place, this should not be doubted of by any man-that repentance, as it is an excellent gift of God, so it brings forth fruits not to be repented of, according to its office. office or duty whereof I reckon to be twofold. The first is, that which duly detests the sins committed. The other, that which diligently endeavours the reformation of the life, from which follow both great praise and greater fruits, and also very great incitements to virtue. For he that being weary of his former wickedness, applies his mind wholly to amend his ungodly life by a future reformation, verily he has made a great progress towards salvation ; but he is not therefore, as yet, put into a certain possession of salvation, or because of that, taken up with the penitent malefactor into paradise. For it is one thing to weep for the things that one hath done amiss, and another thing to obtain the pardon of them. Verily, he that seriously purposes with himself to amend his life, I judge that he ought justly to be praised; but yet that is not enough, as I suppose, to turn away the anger of an offended God, to put away the heinous nature of sin, to procure a clear tranquillity of conscience, and to shake off the tyranny of death. For to obtain that victory we need another panoply, or complete armour, than repentance, or the forces of our virtues; for nothing that we can do is sufficient to bring this to pass, but only faith in the Son of God. And therefore, repentance with charity, and other offices of that kind, have a necessary connexion with faith; not that they may give form to this as to a dead matter, but that rather they may receive life and spirit from it. Not that faith hath need of these for justification, but that they themselves may be justified by the value received by faith in Christ;

which unless they were recommended upon the account of that faith, would all be abominable in the sight of God; and though they may be called works, yet cannot be called good works in God's account, unless they are supported by faith. Whence Augustine, admonishing not without cause, commands us to believe in Him that justifies the wicked, that our good works may be good works; for those deserve not to be called good, as long as they proceed not from a good root, &c.

But here you object approved testimonies and examples, rehearsed out of the sacred oracles of divine scripture, in which, without any mention of faith, salvation is assuredly promised to them that repent, as in Ezekiel, ch. xviii. I desire not the death of a sinner, but that the wicked should turn from his way and live. There are set before us the examples of the Ninevites, of David, Manasseh, and others; and lest I should weary you, I will make a short collection of the whole matter. You say that "the prophets proclaim, and openly avouch, that there is no hope of salvation showed unto any, but only to those who are with their whole heart brought back from an unclean and wicked life to the practice of holiness," &c. And teach us “ that there is no other way at all, either to avert destruction, or procure salvation."*

There is one answer abundantly sufficient for all such objections. Namely, that there is indeed necessarily required a sincere reformation of heart and life, in those who are to obtain life. As in an heir, for whom there is appointed the possession of an inheritance to be enjoyed, there is necessarily required dutifulness towards his father; which dutifulness, nevertheless, when it is most exactly performed, is not any cause of obtaining the inheritance. And, in like manner, there is nothing that can be more certain, than that repentance and renovation do much commend the life of christians to God, yet it makes them not christians; neither does it so much commend the person of the penitent, as it is itself commended by the dignity of the man, who, if he is a christian, his repentance is approved. But, if he be an alien from the faith, the lamenting of sin does not at all profit for the obtaining of righteousness, neither does it take away sin. But, as you say, "Repentance has divine promises," and indeed I am not against your opinion in that, for God does not desire the death of a sinner, and

* Osor. De Just. lib. ii. p. 42.

promises also life to him that repents. That is right. But let us see how God promises it, and by pondering the circumstances of things, times, and persons, let us consider what is promised, and to whom, and what is the true cause of promising. Indeed the old law has dark promises, the gospel also has its own promises, as both covenants have likewise their own atonements. But what manner of promises has repentance in the old law? God promises life to them that return from their wickedness. What does he signify an eternal life, or a temporary peace and felicity of this outward life? If you answer an eternal life, I would then know what difference there will be between legal and evangelical promises? but when I stedfastly contemplate upon the nature and kind of both times and testaments in the holy word of God, and compare the virtue of one kingdom with the other, this seems to me to be the difference between Moses and Christ; that all his blessings and rewards, promised by God to those that lead their life according to the prescription of the law, go not beyond the bounds of a certain earthly blessedness and recompense. In which, notwithstanding, we think there are contained no small benefits of God.

For what could happen to any man in this mortal state, to which we are all of necessity subject, not only more desirable, but also of a larger extent by the wonderful power of God, than when you are, by the singular gift of God, placed in such a country, as by a wonderful fruitfulness, and plenty of all good things, excels all other nations whatsoever; you should then pass your life in it, being compassed about with the divine protection. That you may not only yourself live long in the land, which the Lord your God hath given you, but that it should also be well with your sons after you, through all generations. That you may maintain your state with dignity, and abundance of all the best things, that the adversity of common fortune may have no power over you, that no enemy may annoy you, no tempest may cloud your tranquillity, that no storm of evil things may shake you; that at home and abroad, whether you are in the field, or in your house, going out or coming in, all things may happen successfully to you, according to your heart's desire. And moreover, that God should bless all your wealth, and works of your hands, and that at no time the powerful providence of God should forsake you, unto the utmost bounds of the most aged life. Unto these add

the plenteous fruitfulness of the land, the incomes of fruits and corn, the continual increases of wealth, the constant fruitfulness of cattle, besides other very plentiful promises and blessings of the like kind, whereof there is a long catalogue described in the law, which are appointed for those who inviolably obey the most holy precepts of God, and turn from their sins to righteousness. All which promises, being by the prophets set before the penitent, seem to be of such a sort, that they either signify temporary rewards in this world, and mitigate outward punishments in this life; or if they are referred to eternal life, they do at least imply the faith of a Mediator, by a certain silent condition. And therefore, among divines there are learned and famous men, who rightly and learnedly prove, that the preaching of repentance belongs peculiarly to the gospel and not to the law. For the law preaches damnation to sinners. The gospel preaches salvation to the penitent. Therefore, when the Lord says, Return, and ye shall be saved-1 desire not the death of a sinner, &c. it is not the preaching of the law, which pronounces the sentence of condemnation without mercy; but it is the very voice of the gospel.

And this seems to me to be the chief difference between Moses and Christ, that he, being as it were a certain earthly Christ, procures an earthly liberty for the people, and sets before them the duties that are incumbent upon them in leading their lives; so all the doctrine and benefits of Christ are peculiarly and chiefly directed unto life eternal, and call us thereunto, especially from this world. But if we suppose that these legal promises should notwithstanding be referred to eternal life, yet, when they did not pass the bounds of that people only, and reached not to other nations, but to those peculiarly, who waited for the seed promised to them, therefore the promises of the law included faith, at least by a certain silent condition. Wherefore, as touching those legal promises, in which the holy prophets held out unto them that repented, and were converted, pardon and many other benefits, in these must be considered, not only what is promised, but also, to whom the promise is made; being such, as belonged not to others, but those only, who being descended from the seed of Abraham, were contained in the covenant, and had a right to the Lamb slain from the beginning. Therefore, according to the authority of Augustine, we ought always to look