Brief Exposition (Whitehead) n. 65

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65. BRIEF ANALYSIS. That no other salvation is believed at this day, than instantaneous salvation from immediate mercy, is evident from this, that an oral faith alone, at the same time a confidence of the lungs, and not with charity at the same time, whereby oral faith becomes real, and the confidence of the lungs becomes that of the heart, is believed to complete all the work of salvation; for if the cooperation is taken away, which is effected through the exercises of charity by man as of himself, the spontaneous cooperation which is said to follow faith of itself, becomes passive action, which is a frivolous expression. For what need would there then be of anything more than this instantaneous and immediate prayer, "Save me, O God, for the sake of the sufferings of Thy Son, who hath washed me from my sins in His own blood, and presents me pure, just, and holy, before Thy throne"? And this ejaculation of the mouth might avail even at the hour of death, if not sooner, as a seed of justification. That nevertheless instantaneous salvation, from immediate mercy, is at this day a fiery flying serpent in the church, and that by it religion is abolished, security induced, and damnation imputed to the Lord, may be seen in the work concerning The Divine Providence, published at Amsterdam in the year 1764 (n. 340).


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