There is, moreover, required on our part, faith and
repentance; without which we can have no advantage by it, or interest in
it. But he seems to understand by that expression, “notwithstanding our
sins,” though we should live and die in our sins without faith, repentance,
or new obedience; for he supposeth it sufficient to manifest the folly of
this assertion, to mention that declaration of the mind of Christ in the
gospel, that “without holiness no man shall see God.” I wonder whether he
thinks that those who believe the satisfaction of Christ, and the necessity
thereof, wherein God “made him to be sin who knew no sin, that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him,” do believe that the personal
holiness of men is [not] indispensably necessary unto the pleasing and
enjoyment of God. If he suppose that the satisfaction of Christ and the
necessity of our personal holiness are really inconsistent, he must be
treated in another manner: if he suppose that although they are consistent,
yet those whom he opposeth do so trust to the satisfaction of Christ, as to
judge that faith, repentance, and holiness, are not
indispensably necessary to salvation, he manifests how well skilled he is
in their principles and practices. I have always looked on it as a piece
of the highest disingenuity among the Quakers, that when any one pleads for
the satisfaction of Christ or the imputation of his righteousness, they
will clamorously cry out, and hear nothing to the contrary, “Yea, you are
for the saving of polluted, defiled sinners; let men live in their sins and
be all foul within, it is no matter, so long as they have a righteousness
and a Christ without them.” I have, I say, always looked upon it as a most
disingenuous procedure in them, seeing no one is catechised amongst us, who
knoweth not that we press a necessity of sanctification and holiness, equal
with that of justification and righteousness. And yet this very course is
here steered by this author, contrary to the constant declaration of the
judgments of them with whom he hath to do, — contrary to the common
evidence of their writings, preaching, praying, disputing unto another
purpose; and that without relieving or countenancing himself by any one
word or expression used or uttered by them. He chargeth [them] as though
they made holiness a very indifferent thing, and such as it doth not much
concern any man whether he have an interest in or no; and I know not
whether is more marvellous unto me, that some men can so far concoct all
principles of conscience and modesty as to publish such slanderous
untruths, or that others can take contentment and satisfaction therein, who
cannot but understand their disingenuity and falsehood.