You then undertake to shew, that confessing our sins, is a condition of justification, and that a confidence in the love of God, is not a condition. Some of your words are, “This, good Sir, give me leave to say, is the greatest nonsense and contradiction possible. It ♦is impossible you can understand this jargon yourself, and therefore you labour in vain to make it intelligible to others. You soar aloft on eagle’s wings, and leave the poor people to gape and stare after you.” ♦ “it” replaced with “is” This is very pretty, and very lively. But it is nothing to the purpose. For we are not now speaking of justification: neither have I said one word of “the condition of justification” in the whole tract to which you here refer. “In the next place (say you) if we are saved (finally you mean) only by a confidence in the love of God.”――Here I must stop you again; you are now running beside the question, on the other hand. The sole position which I here advance is this: true believers are saved from inward and outward sin by faith. By faith alone the love of God and all mankind is shed abroad in their hearts, bringing with it the mind that was in _Christ_, and producing all holiness of conversation. IV. 1. I am now to consider, what has been lately objected, with regard to the _nature_ of saving _faith_. The author last mentioned “cannot understand how those texts of St. _John_ are at all to the purpose.” _1 John iii. 1._ _Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of |God|._ And chapter iv. 19. _We love him, because he first loved us._ I answer 1. These texts were not produced in _the appeal_, by way of proof, but of illustration only. But 2. I apprehend they may be produced as a proof, both that Christian faith implies a confidence in the love of God, and that such a confidence has a direct tendency to salvation, to holiness both of heart and life. _Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of |God|!_ Are not these words an expression of Christian faith? As direct an one as can well be conceived? And I appeal to every man, whether they do not express the strongest confidence of the love of God? Your own comment puts this beyond dispute. “Let us consider attentively and with grateful hearts, the great love and mercy of God, in calling us to be his sons, and bestowing on us the privileges belonging to such.” Do you not perceive, that you have given up the cause? You have yourself taught us, that these words imply “a sense of the great love and mercy of God, in bestowing upon us the privileges belonging to his sons.” The apostle adds, _Beloved, now are we the sons of |God|; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is._