divine Writer. (3.) Such Obedience as that Law requires of us, which is the Rule of our Behaviour, is neceffary to our Juftification by it: That Obedience is our Duty, and nothing more; if, therefore, imperfect Works only, are required of us in order to our Acceptance with God; perfect Works are not our Duty, or we are not required to practise perfect Holinefs; and if we are not obliged by the Law to perfect Works, then imperfect Works are the whole of our Duty; and we cannot be accounted Offenders, we have done what is our Duty to do, and, confequently, there is no Place for Remiffion, because Pardon neceffarily fuppofes Sin, either in a Defect of per+ forming Duty, or in acting contrary to it: And if there is no Place for Remiffion, Boafting cannot be excluded.

Farther, if the Law, which is the Rule of our Conduct, requires an imperfect Obedience only, in order to Juftification, I fhould be glad to know, what Degrees of Imperfection it allows of, what Sins, and what Number of Sins may confift with Juftification by it. Whether, if a Man fhould happen to be guilty, thro' any violent Temptation, of Diffimulation and Lying, of Adultery and Murder, of Vanity and Pride, of murmuring against God, and telling him to his Face, that he does well to be angry with his Difpenfations, even unto Death, of fwearing and curfing with a Denial of Chrift, or of Inceft: I fay, I fhould be glad to know, whether these and fuch like Enormi

ties may confist with Juftification by our own Works, according to this Law, whether, it allows of fuch Imperfections; (I bless God, not with the leaft Defire to practife them, but) because I have a great Veneration for the Memory of fome Perfons, who were guilty of thefe Vices, and fhould be exceeding forry, to have it prov'd, that they were not accepted with God, or juftified in his Sight. If the Law requires no other Obedience in order to Juftification, than what may confift with fuch Actions, it is eafy to prove, that these Actions are not Sins: For the Law requires no more as Duty, than it requires to Acceptance by it except a Man may be accepted and juftified for what he does, tho' he does not his Duty; and if a Man may be accepted by his own Works, who does not his Duty, no Danger attends the Violation of the Law, because the Law enjoyns that as Duty, which it will difpenfe with the Omiffion of, in the Business of Juftification. 'Tis juft the fame, as to Acceptance with God, if a Man fails in the Performance of his Duty, or punctually performs it. The Man who is imperfect in his Obedience is approved and rewarded for his Services, and if another Man could perfectly perform his Duty, it is impoffible, that he should enjoy any fuperior Advantages.

4. We cannot be juftified by our Obedience to any Law, according to which we are rightly deemed Tranfgreffors. The Reason is very evident; if we fulfil not a Law, which is

the

the Rule of our Converfation, we are Sinners, and must be fo accounted according to that Law; and if on Account of a partial Obedience only to the Law, we really are, and must be reputed Offenders; we cannot be accounted righteous by or according to that Law, unlefs the Law requires one Kind of Righteousness as Duty, and accepts of another in our Juftification, which it is abfurd to imagine for the Lawgiver must then account us righteous, without that Righteoufnefs he requires us to practife. And, confequently, if God commands perfect Holiness of us, he cannot ef teem us righteous in our own Obedience, if it is partial only and incomplete. We must be that in his Account, which we are in Fact, if his Judgment is according to Truth; righteous, if we have wrought fuch Righteousness as he demands of us in his Law; but unrighteous, if we have not. The neceffary Confequence of which is this, that if God commands, or has made perfect Holine's our Duty, he cannot accept and juftify us, if our Obedience is defective and imperfect, viz. on Account of that Obedience. This is perfectly agreeable to the Reafoning of the Apostle on this Subject. He concludes upon the Impoffibility of the Juftification of any Man by the Works of a Law, from hence, viz. every Man being a Sinner, and to be proved fuch by the Law: If therefore, there is any Force in his Reasoning, we muft conclude, that no Man can be justified by any Law; according to which every Man,

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by Reason of his defective Obedience to it, is rightly denominated a Tranfgreffor. And, therefore, if there is any Law given, by which Men may be juftified, thro' their Obedience to it; by that Law, it can never be proved, that they are Sinners. And if there really is fucha Law given, whereby Men cannot be convicted of Sin, then that Law commands not perfect Holinefs; unless we will maintain, that Men are finlefs and perfect in their Obedience. Once more: If by this Law, supposed to be accommodated to the prefent State of human Imperfection and Weakness, Men may be juftified, on Account of their own Works, in Obedience to it; then it demands or requires not perfect Holiness; fo far from it, that no unfit Action, which hinders not our Juftification, can truly be accounted criminal. If, therefore, a Man that commits Adultery or Murder, or any other unfit Action, may notwithstanding be justified by that Law, or by his own Works, performed in Obedience to it; by that Law he cannot be proved to be a Sinner; nor can fuch deteftable Actions ever be proved criminal by that Law. The Abfurdity, therefore, of this Diftinction of Works, is very great, plain and evident; and as it has no Foundation in Revelation, it hath not in Reason; it is no other than a Figment, a Dream, or a foolish Invention of Men, to evade the Force of the Apoftle's clear and nervous Reasoning on this important Subject.

5. If Men are juftified in the Sight of God by the Works of a Law, then Christ died in vain, or there was no Neceffity of his Death; that ftupendous Tranfaction, anfwers no important End, refpecting God as a Judge, nor the Law, nor Men. For if we may be justified by our own Obedience to a Law, then we cannot be accounted Sinners by that Law; and if we are not Tranfgreffors, or reputed fuch, no atoning Sacrifice is required, in order to Peace and Reconciliation; God hath nothing against us, as our Lawgiver, and Judge; his Law charges us with no Offence, pronounces no Threatning against us, nor is the Juftice of God difpleafed with us, and, confequently, no propitiatory Sacrifice was needful to be offered for us, to fecure our Pardon, to make Reconciliation, and effect our Recovery from Ruin; because no Danger can attend thofe, who are accepted with God on the Foundation of their own Works. For that Obedience which juftifies, cannot fubject Men to Condemnation and Death; that Obedience which entitles Men to Heaven, cannot reasonably be supposed to deferve Hell; on Account of any Imperfections attending it, however great, or many they may be. If it is faid, that the Death of Chrift was neceffary to fatisfy the perfect Law of God, which we have violated, and to redeem us from the Curfe of that Law. I anfwer, (1.) If God can approve of Imperfection, he may difpenfe with the Want of a perfect Obedience. (2.) Then the Justice and Righteousness