No, saith God, if Christ and heaven will not satisfy
them, hell must devour them. God hath more places than one in which
to put sinners: if they do not like heaven, hell must be their
residence; if they do not love Christ, they must dwell for ever with
devils.
PERVERSION OF THE TRUTH. Let those that name the name of Christ
depart from the iniquity that cleaveth to opinions. This is a sad
age for that: let opinions in themselves be never so good, never so
necessary, never so innocent, yet there are spirits in the world
that will entail iniquity to them, and will make the vanity so
inseparable from the opinion, that it is almost impossible with some
to take in the opinion and leave out the iniquity that by craft and
subtlety of Satan is joined thereto. Nor is this a thing new and of
yesterday; it has been thus almost in all ages of the church of God,
and that not only in things small and indifferent, but in things
fundamental and most substantial. I need instance in none other for
proof hereof, but the doctrine of faith and holiness. If faith be
preached as that which is absolutely necessary to justification,
then faith fantastical, and looseness and remissness in life, with
some, are joined therewith. If holiness of life be preached as
necessary to salvation, then faith is undervalued and set below its
place, and works, as to justification with God, set up and made
copartners with Christ's merits in the remission of sins.
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