Several Discourses Concerning the Terms of Acceptance With God: in Which I. the Terms Themselves Are Distinctly Laid Down; as They Are Proposed to Christians in the New Testament. and Ii. Several False Notions of the Conditions of Salvation Are Considered

Several Discourses Concerning The Terms Of Acceptance With God by Benjamin Hoadly. This 18th-century collection comprises sermons that analyze the Terms of Salvation proposed in the New Testament and critique common false notions about justification. Hoadly argues that acceptance with God is not earned by faith alone, external performances, or deathbed sorrow, but requires a sincere renunciation of past sins, perseverance in holiness, and a universal obedience to God’s will as revealed in Scripture. He sets out four core propositions regarding what Christians must do to be accepted: forsake sin, practice sincere virtue, forgive others, and live righteously, with restitution where appropriate. The work surveys problematic ideas such as relying on faith without works, or on external rites, and insists that the Gospel standard is an active, ongoing transformation of life. He discusses topics such as repentance, the example of the thief on the cross, the power of charity to cover sins, and the relationship between Christ’s merits and human duty. The Preface indicates the author’s intent to awaken true religion and practical piety.