Finally, with respect to the covenant of grace, salvation is not through obedience to the original law of God--for that is impossible--but through the fulfilment of evangelical precepts. The fulfilment, if not perfect, may be acceptable, for there are venial as well as mortal offences; and if, among men, friendship long exercised suffers not a man who stands upon his credit to break with his friend upon ordinary offences, we see the reason why God so often helps His ancient people in respect of that covenant, which they, for their parts, had made void and forfeited; and therefore how much more He obligeth Himself to pass by these failures and weaknesses which Christians endeavour to overcome, although they cannot fully do it.[387] Thorndike describes not so much salvation itself as the means of salvation. He nowhere endorses the dogma of Trent which confounds justification with sanctification; neither does he clearly distinguish between these two blessings. In his writings much may be found upon justifying faith, little upon justification as a distinct theological idea; and what little may be discovered is by no means explicit.[388] [Sidenote: ANGLICANS.--THORNDIKE.] Such is a very condensed account of Thorndike’s scheme of salvation by grace. Yet enough is seen to show the theological student how closely this Anglican Divine in some points touches upon the creed of the Romish Church, how now and then he even crosses the line; and the fact is made still more clear by his distinctions between matters of precept and matters of counsel,--by his notions of Christian perfection,--by his stating that the backslider’s recovery of God’s grace is a work of labour and time,--by his doctrine of the efficacy of penance,--and by the position, that there is a sense in which the works of Christians may be regarded as satisfying justice with regard to sin, and as meriting heaven.[389]