Conditionality of the New Covenant — Argument 1

If we cannot be justified or saved till we believe, then faith is the condition on which those consequent benefits are suspended.

But we cannot be justified or saved till we believe. Ergo.

The sequel of the major is evident; for as was said before, a condition is the suspension of a grant, till something future be done. The minor is plain in Scripture (Romans 4:24): Now it was not written for his sake alone, that righteousness was imputed to him, but for our sakes also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe. [illegible] Quibus futurum est ut imputetur — to whom it shall come to pass, that it shall be imputed, if we believe. And (Acts 10:43): whoever believes on him shall receive remission of sins. (John 3:36): He that believes not shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him; with multitudes more. Now, Sir, lay seriously before your eyes such Scriptures as these, that promise salvation to believers, and threaten damnation to all unbelievers, as (Mark 16:16) does, and then give a plain and clear answer to this question: either the positive part of that text promises salvation absolutely to men, whether they believe, or believe not, and consequently unbelievers shall be saved as well as believers; and the negative part threatens damnation absolutely to sinners, as sinners; and consequently all sinners shall be damned, whether they believe, or believe not; or else if you allow neither to be absolute, but that none can be saved till they believe, nor any damned when they do believe — is not that a conditional promise and threatening?