ERS, THE REFORMEK 
 f'l !;L1C FOIlMULARIEh 
 
 CHURCH .OF • ^:.L \ 
 
 ,V:> Vf\: 
 
 .1' '" ^• I,! ' - 
 
 ,ier to liic A;^cii;..ihop of Ganr 
 
 p. StBJTECT OF TKIS CaNTEO'/ 
 
 KY A LAYMAN. 
 
 ^diy motic: 
 
 u/ii., Hi a! I 
 
 A«35 
 
 • 1 ' ) ■' 
 
 'i. WhiUun, 
 Oi' GOOb:v !■'-,- ii; •:.■ ^ 
 
 >{ Engianu . , ! 
 
 r^'Jiti-A. 
 
 ':-:!■■ J'-i^ff'h'^^^p' 
 
^•7 
 
 aS-. 
 
 from t^e feifirari? of 
 
 (profeBBor ^dmuef (Qliffer 
 
 in (glemort of 
 
 3ubge ^amuef (ttXtffer QSrecftinribge 
 
 ^amuef (ttliffer QBrecftinribge &ong 
 
 to t^ feifitari? of 
 
 (Princeton C^eofogtcaf -^entinarj 
 
 
\ FATHERS, THE REFOllMEllS, 
 
 AND THE 
 
 PUBLIC FORMULARIES, 
 
 f \ 
 THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, 
 
 IN HARMONY WITH CALVIN, • 
 
 AXD 
 
 AGAINST THE BISHOP OF LINCOLN; 
 TO WHICH IS PREFIXED 
 
 A Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, 
 
 ON THE SUBJECT OF THIS CONTROVERSY. 
 
 BY A LAYxMAN. 
 
 WITH A PREFACE, NOTES, AND AN APPENDIX, 
 
 BY AN AMEllICAN CLEKGrMAX. 
 
 '• Man, of his own naturo, is sinful and disobedient to God, WITHOUT 
 ANY SPARlv OF GOODNESS in liim, without any virtuous or godly mo- 
 lion." — Church of England. Horn. Wlutsim. 
 
 A ** We can by no means allow — that of our own nature we are WITHOUT 
 Any SPARK OF goodness in us, and that man has no ability ur dispo- 
 AWon whatever, either to faith or good works," — Dr. Toraliui', Jrishop of 
 lAncoln. 
 
 " To be impugned fi-om wiiliont, and betrayed from "WITUix, is certainly 
 the worst condition, that either Church or State can fall hi to : — Uic Church uf 
 T'Tiehind hus had experience of both." — JDr. South. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 rUBLISHED BY PHILIP H. NICKLIN AND A. SMALL. 
 
 1817. 
 
DlSTBICT OF PEyNSTLTAXIA, TO WIT: ^ 
 
 BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the twenty-fifth oP^ ^ 
 
 January, in the forty-first year of the Independence of the 
 
 [^SEAL.3 United States of America, a. d. 1817, Philip K. Nicklin, 
 
 of the said District, has deposited in this Office the title 
 
 of a Book, the right.\vhereof he claims as Proprietor, in the words 
 
 following-, to wit : • 
 
 *' The Fathers, the Reformers, and the Public Formularies, of the 
 Church of England, in harmony with Calvin, and against the Bishop 
 of Lincoln ; to which is prefixed a Letter to the Archbishop of Can- | 
 terbury, on the subject of this Controversy. By a Layman. With a * 
 Preface, Nolcs, and an Appendix, by an American Clergyman. 
 
 " Man, of his own nature, is sinful and disobedient to God, without 
 any spark of goodness in him, without any virtuous or godly mo- 
 tion." — Church of England. Horn. Whitsvn. 
 
 " We can by no means allow — that of our own nature we are with- 
 out any spark of goodness in us, and that man has no ability or dispo- 
 sition whatever, either to faith or good works." — Dr. Tomline, Bishop 
 of Lincoln. 
 
 " To be impugned from without, and betrayed from within, is cer- 
 tainly the worst condition, that either Chuixh or State can fall into : 
 the Church of England has had experience of both." — Br. South. 
 
 In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, 
 entitled, " An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing 
 the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and propri- 
 etors of such copies during the times therein mentioned:" And 
 also to the act, entitled, *' An act supplementary to an act, entitled, 
 * An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies 
 of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such 
 copies during the times therein mentioned," and extending the be- 
 nefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching his- 
 toricnl and other prints." 
 
 I). CALDWELL, 
 Clerk of the District of Pennsylvania- 
 
PREFACE 
 
 •TO THE AMERICAN EDlTIOxN. 
 
 <( ARE the doctrines of the Protestant Episcopal 
 Church in England and America, which are expressed in 
 the Thirty-nine *irticles, and the public Formularies, the 
 doctrine of Calvinism ?'* is a question much agitated on 
 each side of the Atlantic. In England many advocate 
 the afl5rmative of this question ; but in America those 
 who coincide with their European brethren on this sub- 
 ject are few, unless it be among the laymen, and hitherto 
 Jiave published nothing. A diiFerence of opinion liowe- 
 ver does exist, even among the clergy here; and if no 
 writer to support the Calvinism of the Church of Eng- 
 land can be found in our country, the lucubrations of our 
 American Lincolns may be unintentionally, but effec- 
 tually answered by the following English production. If 
 is written with ability and candour. It permits Calvin, 
 Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer, Jewell, the Articles, tlie Ho- 
 milies, the Liturgy, and Tomline, to speak for them- 
 selves. The doctrines of the Church of England and 
 of Calvin, on several of the most important points ia 
 theology, are compared in parallel columns; so that the 
 private Christian who cannot find time to read huge fo- 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 iios, may have a synopsis of the whole controversy, ami 
 jufli^e for liimseir. 
 
 TJiis book will not only be useful to all Episcopalians 
 >vIio will read it, but j>ossibly show some of the Presbyte- 
 rians in New- York, and elsewhere, who seem to be at va- 
 riance on the subject, what Calvinism is, in distinction 
 from several heterogeneous systems which have proudly 
 usurped the name. 
 
 The friends of ^f the doctrines of the Reformation'* 
 must desire that their opinions should be known and tho- 
 roughly sifted ; and tiiey are confident that the more men 
 study the philosophy of the human mind, the system of 
 Calvinistic doctrine, and the word of God, the stronger 
 V, ill be their conviction that all three perfectly harmonise, 
 indeed, it is impossible that the truth concerning the mind 
 of man, and the doctrines contained in the Bible, should 
 be at variance, unless two constitutions of the Supreme 
 Being may contradict each other : and it is no small ar- 
 gument in favour of Calvinism, that all the new discove- 
 ries in metaphysics which have been made from accurate 
 observations of the phenomena of mind, but evince more 
 riearly its complete agreement with the « testimony of 
 J'esus." 
 
 To eradicate if possible some prejudices injurious to 
 truth, which are excited at the sight of a few Calvinistic 
 words, it may not be improper to state, tliat Predestina- 
 Hon, when attributed to the Deity, is nothing more tlian 
 a previous purpose concerning his own actions. Before Je- 
 hovah performs any work, he determined to perform it. 
 He has predestinated all his oxvn actions. Who that has any 
 wisdom acts without some previous purpose to act ? Who 
 of our race is not a prcdestinurianySo far as he has know- 
 ledge, and conceives that he has power? A man whn 
 
PREFACE. V 
 
 should act without previous purpose, would be deemed ir- 
 rational, if not .in idiot. Who, then, can wish to con- 
 ceive of his God as acting without the predestination of 
 his own actions? From eternity, moreover, the Calvin- 
 istic system teaches, that the Deity predestinated his own 
 operations to be suited to the natures of the things on 
 which they were to terminate ; so that whatever work h© 
 determined to perform on the mind of man is performed 
 in sucli a manner as is consistent with the nature of an 
 intelligent, sensitive, voluntary, active creature. He de- 
 termined to govern matter by certain laws adapted to an 
 unfeeling, inactive, involuntary being ; and mind by such 
 laws as originate, and continue, freedom of agency. H<5 
 determined to constitute man, and to govern him, when 
 made, as a man, and not as a vegetable or mineral. 
 
 The hovi] foreknew what man would do in every state; 
 which state should exist in consequence of the perform- 
 ance of liis own predestinated actions ; and in full view of 
 all that should result from the free agency of man in such 
 a state, resolved to execute his determinations, and either 
 permit the sinful actions of the accountable, free, but cir- 
 cumscribed creature ; or excite him by a positive, unme- 
 rited influence, to that which is good ; so that in this way 
 he also ^^ foreordains whatsoever comes to pass.f He pre- 
 destinates his own actions, and forpordains all events., 
 even such as are inseparably connected with free human 
 agency. A previous ordainv^g of circumstances, by Jeho- 
 vah, is consequent upon his 'predestination of i\\?d fore- 
 ordination. 
 
 In the Calvinistic system these distinctions may be thus 
 applied. God determined to make aconjplex being, con- 
 sisting of a material body ; an animal soul, which is the 
 6cat of animal instincts,* and an immortal spirit^ which 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 should be so connected as to constitute one person, called 
 man. He (loterinined to locate fiim, when made in a state 
 which he had foreordained for him ; and he executed his 
 prc'letermlmite coinrsel in these particulars. The state 
 in whic!) man was Jtrst placed was one in whicii all na- 
 ture smiled around him, in which he had an innocent, in- 
 telli:?<Mit, affectionate partner, and in which the Deity so 
 re;i;uiat('d his spiiit as to secure the right operation of all 
 his fac:«ltips. For a time the divine foreordination of the 
 cir< umsiances of the first man was such, that Ite was not 
 tciiiptcd, tljHt lie knew his duty, and performed it. The 
 priinrval tioliness of Adam consisted in the operations of 
 an iUieiligtMit, voluntary, sensitive, active mind ; hut in- 
 nocent as he was when he came from the hand of his 
 Mciker, ti»e praise of his holiness was ascribable to the 
 divine pre lestination and foreordination. For wise pur- 
 poses, tills state in which he was preserved in innocence, 
 and excited to positive virtue, was changed for a second, 
 a state of trial. To do that which should produce this 
 state, Jehovah had determined ; and the state existed in 
 consequence of Jehovah's withdrawing his positive influ- 
 ence to holiness, and permitting (according to his predes- 
 tination) an unholy heing to tell a falsehood to tlie inno- 
 cent. The lie was assented to as truth ; the testimony of 
 liis Maker in the case was not remembered, the contem- 
 plated action of eating the interdicted fruit seemed de- 
 sirable; and thus, << being ieft to the freedom of his 
 own willf** he chose to transgress, and performed what 
 he chose. A divine interference, or prevention, in the 
 case, was n«)t predestinated, and of course, no circum- 
 stanc es cftcctuallv to prei lude the apostacy in a free agent 
 wcj <• loreorv'ainod. The state of probation having been 
 ordained, and Adam having been placed in it, the laws 
 
PREFACE. Vii 
 
 which the Creator had esUi''!?.s; ni in the empire of mind 
 were continuerl ; nor can any one prove tlia' the altiibutes 
 of the Most High required him to chan.Q;e them, an,> more 
 tljan the laws oF matter; so tliat Adam should not per- 
 form tlie act whic!) In- chose, or not choose to porfortn the 
 act which seemed aft'^'Cr^ble to him, or not perrrivo the 
 meaning of the proposiii.)n. ye shall not surely die , or re- 
 m^^niher at that momeri' the (if( lurativni of his Mak» r, in 
 the day thou eatest thereof thou shall surely die, or not JuJge 
 that the sorpent uttered the truth, or not feel such love 
 fnr Eve as should iie the motive for choosing a participa- 
 t!(«n with her in disoberiience. B> the- predtstination of 
 Ht^aven, the laws according to wliich the faculties «»f the 
 mind operate, werr t!io sume before the state of trial f om- 
 menced, and at the moment of tempt <tion, that now are 
 deducible from consciousness and observation. 
 
 One of these laws of mind is, that the will shall never 
 operate except in consequence of some motive. That which 
 we truly assign as the reason of any act of the will, (of 
 any volition, or choice), is the luotive to that act. Mo- 
 tives to volition are always some previous operation of 
 the mind ; such as a conception of something desirable, a 
 judgment that the contemplated action will afford plea- 
 sure, or is a duty ; 9, feeling ; or the remembrance of some 
 former sensation, or emotion, or determination. Of an 
 insulated operation of tiie will, wliich depended not upon 
 any previous act of some otiier faculty of the mind, no 
 one was ever conscious; and should any such volitions 
 spring up in the mind, the man, as an intelligent niortil 
 agent, would not be accountable for them. It is a law oF 
 mind, to which there are not so many exceptions as to the 
 physical law of gravitation, that the will sliall always be 
 dependent on, and regulated by, some one or more of the 
 
VUt 4>REFACE. 
 
 other faraltiesof the spirit. This philosophy of the ha- 
 man mind will explain the Calvinistic doctrine concern- 
 ing the will of man since the apostacy, of which many of 
 the foUowin]^ pages treat. 
 
 Neither the holy nor the unholy intelligent creature 
 has abilitij^ or is free to choose, of determine, or purpose, 
 or (in otiier words, which express the whole,) to will, in- 
 dependently of such motives as are suggested hy his un- 
 derstanding and his feelings. x\fter Adam transgressed, 
 the §ame facilities of mind which before subsisted, first 
 in a state of holiness, and then of trial, had their being 
 in a state of guilt, and such consequent misery as was 
 the infliction, in part, of the punishmrnt merited by sin. 
 The misery t)f this state consisted, in a great degree, in 
 the want of sucli positive gracious influences of Jehovah, 
 and of such confimunications of light to the understand- 
 ing as were the divine sources of man's original right- 
 eousness. In tlie same state into which Adam fell, all men 
 are born ; and in the same state they continue, until God 
 brings them into a state of saving illumination by his 
 word and spirit. While the natural man sees nothing 
 iovely in Jesus Christ, it would be as contrary to the uni- 
 versal laws of mind for him to choose Jesus Christ as 
 one altogether lovely, for his Saviour, as it would be con- 
 trary to the laws of matter for the stones on the surface 
 of the earth to ascend, unmoved, to the moon : and with- 
 out the counteraction or suspension of the laws of God, 
 one event would be as impossible, yea, as naturally impos- 
 sible, as the other. Until a fallen man has some right 
 operation of the understandings or some right feelingSi in 
 relation to that which the divine law pronounces good, 
 he is no more free in choosing that which is good in the 
 estimation of the same law, than he has liberty, if he 
 
PREFACE. IX 
 
 should think it possible and will it, to cease from thought, 
 or fly away in empty space. Yet so long as his under- 
 standing is darkness in relation to divine things, and so 
 long as his feelings are sinful, he is free to choose that 
 which seems good to him, but wliicli is really eviL Tiiis 
 doctrine of Calvinism is as philosophical as it is scrip- 
 tural. 
 
 The statement of another law of mind may be of ser- 
 vice to the reader of this volume; whicli is tiiis, that our 
 feelingSf whether pleasant or painful, whether they he sen» 
 sations or emotions, and whether they be passions or affec^ 
 lions, are all consequent upon some prior operation of some 
 other faculty than tliai of feeling. The consciousness of all 
 men of observation will evince this ; and witli one voice 
 they will declare, that they never love or hate, except in 
 consequence of the perception or conception of something 
 which to them appeared lovely or hateful. When we see 
 a beautiful lawn, hear melodious symphonies, smell the 
 fragrance of new mown hay, taste an orange, or touch 
 the soft vestment of the ti|nid hare, the pleasant feeling 
 which we have in each case, is dependent on the preced- 
 ing perception of the mind through one of the five bodily 
 senses; and without the act of seeing, hearing, smell- 
 ing, tasting, or touching, the feeling would not be expe* 
 rienced. Tliis is the true reason why it is naturally im- 
 possible, without the introduction of some other laws of 
 mind, or a miraculous counteraction of those which ex- 
 ist, (which we think is never wrought,) that the sinner 
 whose native condition is one of blindness to divine 
 things, should love the true God and Jesus Christ, before 
 he is brought into a state of gracious illumination by the 
 Holy Spirit. 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 To those who examine tliese laws it will be manifest, 
 that the faculty of feeling, sometimes called the heart, is, 
 in the natural onler of mental operations, which our 
 Maker has established, dependent on the understanding f 
 which includes those constituent parts of the spirit, called 
 the consciousness, the perception, the conception, the 
 judgment, the conscience, the reason, and the memory : 
 that the will in acting is dependent on the understanding 
 and the heart ; and that the finite cfficiencij which man 
 has, called by tlie Editors of Reid's works the faculty of 
 agency f is immediately dependent on the will, and through 
 it, nltimately on the heart and understanding. In the last 
 the moral destruction of man commenced ; for Adam had 
 no unlioly choice or feeling, until he had a wrong judg- 
 ment concerning Satan's proposition : and in the under- 
 standing must the rectification and i^generation also of 
 man commence^ or he will never become an intellectual, 
 holy, moral agent, under the regimen of that God who 
 is light. 
 
 Fhilada, Jan, 17, 181^; 
 
;^^ TO HIS GRACE 
 
 THE 
 
 MB1.ABCHBISH0P0FCANTEBBPEV. 
 
 Hy Loud, 
 
 ^«n<l this, J, use tg " e'e'e:?"! *"""• '^" ^» ^ " 
 
 J am aware thif if ; '*^ceive. 
 
 ?"- addressed th ..V h^'^^df '"/""'• ^'•"^ *<> ^e 
 >nf idual who has no! hi Liu 'IT:' "'! ''^^^^' "^ »» 
 e-ther personally or by nl^e "fluf S?^''""^" *" ^°''' 
 "-subject will either S;,, Tim V'""'"'' "^ 
 
 "'i::fP'''''.^^«'to,etheru:;ece3s y*^'"' ^P*'"'^^' o'" 
 •A 'le possession of f ho o ^' 
 
 "-n considered l^rntlr""?" "•''*"'-^* ^- -er 
 benevolent man i„ TXttl? ""^^^ -'^ 
 
xu 
 
 thren* feclinj^or expressin.i^ the most lively interest in the 
 discussion of an;' question, or the occurrence of any 
 event, which involves the welfare or injury of the Chris- 
 tian Church in i^cnernl, or of any considerable portion of 
 it in the nation to which he belon.^s. Here '* the rich 
 *f and the poor meet together,''^ invested witli similar 
 privileges, endued with similar sympathies, and laid 
 iin>!er similar obligations by « the Lord, the Maker of 
 them all." 
 
 If a fortress be assailed from without, and some of the 
 officers within, at the same time, whether intentionally or 
 inadvertently, pursue measures calculated to impair the 
 strength of the garrison and to advance the interests of 
 the foe, the governor will not I'efuse to listen to the sug- 
 gestions of the meanest individual on the subject of the 
 common safety. And wlicn the Church is in similar danger, 
 no situation is too obscure for any one to sound the alarm ; 
 nor on such a subject can any one be more properly ad- 
 dressed than the Primate of all England, next in autiio- 
 rity to the sovereign, the first spiritual governor of the 
 Church by law established, the official guardian of the 
 purity of its faith, as well as the regularity of its disci- 
 pline. 
 
 When I say the Church is in danger, I refer, not to its 
 civil establisiiment, but to its religious principles, not to 
 its ample revenues, but to its ancient doctrines, I mean 
 the Church as pourtrayed in the Articles, Homilies, and 
 Liturgy, in perfect C(msistence with which are the writ- 
 ings of its Fathers and Founders, as ought to be the 
 testimonies of all its subsequent ministers. And is there 
 not cause for this alarm of danger, when one of the 
 
 a 1 Cor. xii. 25, 26. b Prov. xxii. 2. 
 
Xlll 
 
 UisliOps, who has successively filled two Sees, and who, 
 by virtue of another office, occasionally occupies the pul- 
 pit in the largest Cathedral in the land, publicly avows 
 and maintains various principles in direct contrariety to 
 the explicit declarations of all the Public Formularies of 
 the Church ? When in addition to this, he labours by 
 every eftbrt of argumentation and every manoeuvre of 
 sophistry, to impose upon numerous passages in those 
 formularies a sense altogether different from <« the true 
 « usual literal meaning'' of the language employed in 
 them : when in defiance of the clearest evidence, he as- 
 serts the sentiments of the Compilers of those formularies 
 to have been contrary to what their own writings still 
 extant, as v/ell as the testimony of all contemporary his- 
 torians, prove them to have been; and moreover at- 
 tempts to asperse the characters of all who have held the 
 real doctrines of the Churcli, by representing them as 
 the followers of Simon Magus, and classing them with 
 the wildest heretics, and insinuating their resemblance to 
 the most abandoned profligates, that have infested tlie 
 Church in any age ? But tiiis has actually been done by 
 the present Bishop of Lincoln, in a late treatise, entitled, 
 *♦' A. Refutation of Calvinism." 
 
 A book that tends to originate or strengthen erroneous 
 opinions on any subject, is likely to be injurious in pro- 
 portion to the station, ciiaracter, and influence of its au- 
 thor. Multitudes believe, that « a saint in crape, is 
 *< twice a saint in lawn ;''^ and far greater danger to the 
 Church must be apprehended from the errors and mis- 
 representations of a Prelate, than from those of any theo- 
 logian of inferior rank. Where will the majority of 
 readers expect to find accurate statements of the true 
 a Pope. 
 B 
 
XIV 
 
 doctrincs of the Church by law established, if not in a 
 treatise composed by one of its own Bishops, professing 
 the warmest zeal for <« the preservation of this most 
 " pure and reformed part of the Christian Church"* 
 from the <^ attempts of schism and enthusiasm," which 
 his Lordship deems « more secret, but not less dange- 
 ** rous" than « the open attacks of infidelity and atheism" 
 — especially when they are informed, that three chapters 
 of this treatise include episcopal charges delivered at so 
 many triennial visitations by the right reverend author, 
 to the clergy of a very extensive diocese, and published 
 at their request P"^ This circumstance adds another alarm- 
 ing feature to the portentous aspect which this publica- 
 tion bears towards the interests of the Church. Many 
 readers will not afford cither the time or thought requi- 
 site for the examination of such a volume. They will 
 give his Lordship credit for being able to achieve what 
 he has not actually accomplished, will suppose that proofs 
 sufficient to support liis numerous unsubstantiated asser- 
 tions were ready at hand, if his Lordship had thought it 
 necessary to produce them, and will take it for granted 
 that the doctrine opposed, which in many points can be 
 demonstrated to be the true doctrine of the Church, does 
 really deserve that heretical and mischievous character, 
 with which it has been stigmatised by his Lordship. 
 
 I am not sensible of any impropriety in calling your 
 Grace's attention to tliis subject. It appears to me to 
 fail completely within your spiritual jurisdiction, and to 
 call for the exercise of, perliaps, a very delicate, but at 
 the same time a most useful and necessary part of the 
 archicpLscopal functions. 
 
 a Ref. p. 283. b Prcf. p. 4. 
 
XV 
 
 Whether the office of Metropolitan, as well as of Dio- 
 cesan Bishops, lias heen of merely human appointment, 
 or was established under the immediate direction of in- 
 spired Apostles, it is natural to conclude the institution 
 to have been designed for some important ends. There 
 are, oi* ought to be, no sinecures in tlie Church of Clirist. 
 Nor can the episcopal or archiepiscopal office bethought 
 to relate chiefly to the temporalities of the Church. Tl»e 
 principal objects of contemplation, must be its spiritual 
 concerns. And here it may not be foreign to the subject 
 to introduce an observation of Mr. Glsborne, on the oii- 
 gin and advantages of the different clerical orders in tlie 
 Church of England. 
 
 « It is now admitted," he says, "by the generality of 
 << Protestants, that no command was delivered cither by 
 << Christ or by his Apostles, assigning to the Christia» 
 " Church any specific unalterable form of government ; 
 « but that, while various offices, suited to the situation 
 *»' and exigencies of the new converts, were instituted at 
 *< the beginning (some of which, as that of Deaconesses, 
 *' liave long fallen into disuse), Christians were left at 
 <« liberty to adopt in future times such modes of ecclesi- 
 <f astical administration and discipline, as they should 
 «< deem most eligible in the circumstances under which 
 a they should find themselves placed. The advantages 
 " to be expected from the mode of government adopted 
 " in the establishment of our own country, are princi- 
 <' pally these. The distinction of orders in the Church, 
 *« bearing a strong resemblance to the gradations of 
 *< rank in civil life, provides friends and companions 
 « among the clergy, and the benefits which may result 
 « from their society ^nd example, not merely for tlie 
 
XVI 
 
 ^« inferior, but likewise for the highest classes in the 
 *< community.''* 
 
 That great champion of the Ecclesiastical Polity of the 
 Church, Hooker, reasons respecting its advantages, in a 
 similar manner. He considers it as a « principal com- 
 " moclity, that order (of Prelates) yieldeth, gr at least- 
 "< wise is of its own disposition and nature apt to yield ; 
 « Kings and Princes, partly for information of their own 
 ♦< consciences, partly for instruction what they have to 
 '* do in a number of most weighty affairs entangled with 
 *< the cause of religion, having, as all men know, so 
 »* usual occasion of often consultation and conferences 
 
 *< with their Clergy, There is no judicious man will 
 
 '< ever make any question or doubt, but that fit and direct 
 " it is fi;r the highest and chiefest order in God's Clergy 
 *• to be cn^)1oycd before others about so near and ncces- 
 " sary otllces as the sacred estate of the greatest on earth 
 *< doth require. For this cause Joshua had Eleazar | 
 »»' David, Abiathar; Constantine, Hosius Bishop of Cor- 
 ♦< duba; other Emperors and Kings their Prelates, by 
 *< wliom, in private, (for with Princes this is the most 
 " effectual way of doing good) to be admonished, coun- 
 ts selled, comforted, and if need were, reproved."** 
 
 But what success can be expected to attend the in- 
 struction, admonition, and reproof of Kings, Princes, or 
 Nobles, unless the Prelates who perform this useful, but 
 Hometimes unwelcome office, add to all their other quali- 
 fications an unbending firmness of moral integrity, an 
 eminent degree of *< simplicity and godly sincerity ?"c 
 Though a Bishop possess splendid talents, extensive 
 knowledge, and profound learning, it is difficult to^ima- 
 
 a Gish. Duties of Men, vol. i. p. 23, 4th edit. 
 
 b Hook. Eccles. Polit. book vii. sec. 18. c 2 Cor. i. 12. 
 
xvu 
 
 gine a greater blemish in his spiritual character, one 
 more irreconcileable with «< simplicity and godly since- 
 <« rity," more fully exposing liim to the censure of beinj?; 
 ^« double-tongued,'^* more completely incompatible with 
 the qualities requisite to constitute a sound casuist, than 
 a belief and avowal of sentiments and opinions inconsis- 
 tent with those which he has most solemnly and repeat- 
 edly subscribed, and by virtue of which subscription, he 
 first obtained and still holds all his preferments. 
 
 If it be the duty of Prelates in general to administer 
 all seasonable counsel, admonition, and even reproof, (o 
 the greatest personages on earth, it must more peculiarly 
 belong to a Metropolitan to observe, counsel, admonish, 
 comfort, and if need were, reprove the Bishops of the in- 
 ferior Sees. The Apostle of the Gentiles admonished one 
 of the first Bishops of the Christian Church to « hold 
 *« fast the form of sound words,"^ to «< take heed unto 
 <« himself and unto his doctrine, to continue in them." • 
 He also particularly exhorted him to make proper pro- 
 vision for the perpetuation of the true doctrines of 
 Christ by a succession of « faithful men who sliould be 
 *'< able to teach others also/'^^ Another Bishop of one of 
 the first Christian Churches was directed by the same 
 Apostle to pay particular attention to the qualifications 
 of those who might receive ordination at his hands, and 
 especially to tiieir profession and propagation of »« sound 
 << doctrine."^ The writings of this Apostle also contain 
 an exhortation to all the members of a primitive church 
 to admonish their Bishop to « take heed to the ministry 
 ^« which he had received in the Lord, to fulfil''^ all its 
 
 a 1 Tim. iii. 8. b 2 Tim. i. 13. 
 
 c 1 Tim. iv. 16. d 2 Tim. ii. 2, 
 
 e Tit. i. 5—9. f Col. iv. 17, 
 
 B 2 
 
XVlli 
 
 sacred and important duties. But if Bishops are to re- 
 ceivc admonition from Christians "over whom" they 
 << liave the rule,"^ much more should they be ready to 
 receive it from their ecclesiastical superiors, from those 
 Most Reverend Fathers whom the constitution of the 
 Church obli.^es them to regard as " over them in the 
 <« Lord."^ With particular reference to the Church of 
 Enj^land, the late Sir William Blackstone observes ; 
 " An Arrhbisliop is the chief of the clergy in a whole 
 *( province ; anci has the inspection of the Bishops of that 
 «< province as well as of the inferior clergy."*^ And what 
 can present stronger claims to all the vigilance of archi- 
 episcopal inspection, what can be more deserving of your 
 Grace's examination, and approbation or censure, as the 
 case shall be found to require, than the agreement or dis- 
 sonance of the principles maintained and propagated by 
 your suffragan Bishops with those of the public creeds 
 and formularies of the church ? 
 
 There is a custom in the established Church of Ireland, 
 which if seriously and conscientiously followed seems cal- 
 culated to produce great advantages. <« The Archbishops 
 <« visit the dioceses of their respective provinces every 
 »< third year. — -The Archbishop at-the time is invested 
 «< with all the canonical powers of the visiting Bisliop. 
 « — The Cliancellors and Archdeacons, as sucli, never 
 •« visit. But the Bishops visit every year; and in the 
 <^ third year they visit previously to the Archbishop's 
 << visitation, in order to prepare matters for his Grace's 
 « ease and satisfaction. — -He continues as long as he 
 « chooses at every Bishop's house.'^*^ 
 
 % Heb. xlii. r, 17. b 1 Thess. v. IC 
 
 c Comment, vol. i. b. i. c. 11. p. 380. 
 
 d Gisborne'd Duties of Men, vol. ii. p. 119. 
 
XIX 
 
 In such a triennial visitation a Metropolitan must gaiu 
 a large arquaintance with the state of the Clerg)' in the 
 various dioceses : but especially from the communica- 
 tions which may naturally be supposed to pass between 
 him and the. respective Bishops, during his continuance 
 at their houses, he can scarcely fail of acquiring a know- 
 ledge of tlieir real principles, and forming an estimate of 
 tlie excellences and defects of their episcopal characters. 
 The occurrences and intercourses of such a visitation 
 will lead to admonition, counsel, comfort, or reproof, ac- 
 cording to the various exigences of the respective cases. 
 
 It is said, " that Laud visited the province of Canter- 
 • « bury, which is the last English archiepiscopal visita- 
 •« tion.'^* Whether any violent proceedings of that ar- 
 bitrary and intolerant Prelate brought the practice of 
 visitation into disrepute, and caused it to be abandoned 
 by his successors, I know not, but take it for granted 
 they have had some weighty reasons for discontinuing 
 it. 
 
 But the duties of archiepiscopal vigilance, examina- 
 tion, and approbation, or censure, must ever retain their 
 obligation unimpaired by all the variations of time and 
 circumstances. And it is gratifying to reflect, that 
 whatever superintendence or controul may be exercised 
 by your Grace, there can be no ground for the least ap- 
 prehension of any thing like ecclesiastical tyranny or re- 
 ligious persecution. Every candid mind must approve 
 and unite in the liberal and manly sentiments avowed by 
 your Grace in the House of Lords, in the debate on a 
 bill lately introduced by Lord Sidraouth which tended to 
 restrict and diminish the privileges of the Dissenters. 
 
 a Gisborne's Duties of Men, vol. ii. p. 119. 
 
XXL 
 
 We must all deprecate legislative interference with the 
 right of private jiulgment in matters of religion. 
 
 But though no man can justly be compelled to join 
 any Christian Church, or to profess a belief in any par- 
 ticular system of theology., yet every one who becomes a 
 member of any Christian Church, and professes his cor- 
 dial belief of the doctrines contained in the creeds and 
 confessions of that Church, must be considered as liaving 
 voluntarily merged his private judgment in the judgment 
 of the Church. This observation is peculiarly applica- 
 ble to every Clergyman, and gains additional force in 
 Tiroportion to tlie superiority of his station. 
 
 It is justly remarked by the late Archdeacon Paley, 
 that « the single end we ought to propose by Church es- 
 <« tablishments is the preservation and propagation of 
 *( religious knowledge. Every other idea, and every 
 « other end, that have been mixed with this, as the 
 ^f making of the Church an engine or even an ally of the 
 <•' State ; converting it into the means of strengthening 
 ^^ or of diffusing influence ; or regarding it as a support 
 i< of regal in opposition to popular forms of government, 
 « have served only to debase the institution, and to in- 
 " troduce into it numerous corruptions and abuces."* 
 
 If the only legitimate end of ecclesiastical establish- 
 ments be the preservation and propagation of religious 
 truth, and this every real Christian, friendly to such es- 
 tablishments, will readily admit ; it follows, that the sys- 
 tem of religious truth intended to be taught must be 
 clearly stated and defined. Hence it has been forcibly 
 and conclusively argued by Mr. Gisborne, that " Arti- 
 <' cles of religion seem a necessary part of every ecclesi 
 
 a Mor. and Pol. Philos. vol. ii. p. 305, 6th edit. 
 
XXI 
 
 " astical establishment; as forming the only criterion by 
 <« which those teachers who hold the doctrines of the esta- 
 <« hlishment can be distinguished from those who do not. 
 fi The unlawfulness of requiring any subscription what- 
 *< ever, though not unfrequently asserted, can never be 
 ^< evinced. For if it be lawful to require of a person 
 '< wJio applies for an office in tlie state, or an employment 
 ♦< in private life, some proof of his possessing the quali- 
 <* fications necessary for discharging the duties of the 
 *• post, and an engagement that he will discharge them 
 '* faithfully while he continues to hold it: why is a simi- 
 *< lar proceeding in the case of ecclesiastical officers ne- 
 " cesssarily unlawful ? And when an office is instituted 
 <* for the purpose of inculcating certain doctrines, is it 
 «< not lawful and reasonable to require of those who volun- 
 *f tarily apply for admission into the office, an explicit 
 << declaration whether they believe the doctrines ? For 
 <« that belief is a qualification indispensably requisite to 
 << their fulfilling with integrity and effect the functions, 
 " with the discharge of which they desire to be in- 
 << trusted. "» 
 
 It is evident that the Clergy of the Church of England 
 have been aj)pointed for the purpose of inculcating the 
 doctrines contained in the formularies of the Church, 
 the Liturgy, Articles, and Homilies. To pretend, as 
 some have done, that these formularies contain no pre- 
 cise system of doctrines, but are equally adapted to the 
 subscription of the Arian and the Atlianasian, of the Ar- 
 minian and the Calvinist, is one of the grossest libels on 
 the Church in the power of ingenuity or malice to fa- 
 bricate. To represent the Articles as articles of peace, 
 and to maintain that subscription does not necessarily 
 
 a Dutlc?! of Men, vol ii. p. ?7. 
 
XXll 
 
 suppose, nor could ever have been intended to ensure, 
 the belief of every person who subscribes them in all tlie 
 propositions which they contain, or to allege that sub- 
 scription ought to be understood as implying assent to 
 them only so far as they arc consistent with the Sci-ip- 
 tures; this is w^orse tlian puerile absurdity, it is an un- 
 manly disingenuous evasion of their obvious design, ex- 
 pressed in the title which they bear: " Articles agreed 
 ** upon by the Archbishops, and Bishops, and the whole 
 " Clergy, — for tlie avoiding of diversities of opinions, 
 ** and for the establishing of consent touching true reli- 
 «« gion." The Church assumes, that its public formula- 
 lies are all consistent with the Scriptures, and every 
 Clergyman is supposed to have made, and every one, 
 deserving of the character he sustains, has made, a seri- 
 ous and deliberate examination, and arrived at the same 
 conclusion ; in consequence of which he " willingly and 
 « ex animo," subscribes the form required, wherein 
 ff he acknowledgeth all and every the Articles ; — being 
 *< in number thirty and nine; — >to be agreeable to the word 
 <^ of God." And this subscription is further declared by 
 the 36th Canon to be <« roR the avoiding of azjl am- 
 biguities." 
 
 But if the Articles of the Church may be lawfully sub- 
 scribed w ith such latitude of interpretation as to leave in 
 reality scarcely any determinate meaning at all, what 
 opinion must we form of such subscription, professedly 
 made ^« for the avoiding of diversities of opi- 
 
 « NIONS, AND FOR THE ESTABLISHING OF CONSENT 
 << TOUCHING TRUE RELIGION ?" Is it poSSlblc for the 
 
 most comprehensive charity to consider it as any other 
 than egregious trifling or solemn mockery? 
 
XXIU 
 
 If every Clergyman, or every Bishop, be at liberty to 
 preach or publish any religious sentiments he pleases, 
 whether consistent or inconsistent with the Formularies 
 of the Church, what real advantage arises from the ex- 
 istence and imposition of those Formularies ? Wherein 
 does the situation of the Clergy of the established Church, 
 in a religious point of view, differ from that of the Teach- 
 ers of the separate congregations of Dissenters ? 
 
 That very diflferent and even opposite sentiments are 
 held by Clergymen and Bishops of tlie Church ; that it 
 is impossible for the acutest ingenuity to frame any pro- 
 positions more contradictory to each other than the sermons 
 delivered in some churches are to the sermons delivered in 
 others ; and that tlie theological writings published by 
 the Clergy exhibit similar specimens of palpable contra- 
 dictions ; are facts too notorious to be denied or doubted 
 by any person possessed of a moderate acquaintance 
 with the productions of the pulpit and the press. Some 
 of these contradictory doctrines must necessarily be con- 
 trary to the Formularies of the Church, and those who 
 maintain them must be chargeable with disbelieving and 
 opposing Articles which they have solemnly subscribed, as 
 being, " all and every" of them, " agreeable to the word 
 « of God." And that this capital breach of clerical and 
 episcopal duty has been committed by the Bishop of Lin- 
 coln, his late treatise, already mentioned, appears to me 
 to furnish the most ample and undeniable proofs. 
 
 That the principles of the Church of England are 
 really in harmony with those of Calvin and Calvinists 
 in general, few persons, who shall take the trouble of 
 perusing the following sheets, will have the hardihood to 
 deny, and very few, if any, whose judgments are not 
 
XXIV 
 
 perverted by interest, will be so weak as to doubt. And 
 it is worthy of being remarked, that this is never doubt- 
 ed by those who have no immediate interest in the ques- 
 tion. Whatever be their own doctrinal attachments or 
 aversions, they consider the Formularies of the Church 
 of England as Calvinistic. This is the unanimous opi- 
 nion of all intelligent Dissenters, of every variety of the- 
 ological sentiment, from the pseudo- Calvinistic antino- 
 niiaii to the semi-deistical follower of Socinus or Priest- 
 ley. That the leading sentiments maintained by Calvin 
 were adopted by the first founders of the Church of Eng- 
 land, the framers and compilers of the Articles, Homilies, 
 and Liturgy ; that haying adopted Calvinistic sentiments 
 they cannot reasonably be supposed to have compiled 
 and imposed anti-Calvinistic Formularies; tJiat the For- 
 mularies compiled and imposed by them were then uni- 
 versally understood as expressive, « in the true usual 
 <f literal meaning," of the words and phrases employed, 
 of Calvinistic sentiments ; that the immediate successors 
 of the fiirst founders of the Church were firm believers 
 and strenuous defenders of the same principles ; that for 
 the first fifty years after the establishment of the reform- 
 ed Church of England it is scarcely possible to find half 
 a dozen divines witiiin its pale whg, opposed these princi- 
 ples : these assertions can be supported by the highest 
 degree of moral evidence of which such propositions are 
 susceptible, and several of them arc established beyond 
 all doubt in the following pages. In addition to the evi- 
 dence there adduced, it may be stated, that in the year 
 1629, sixty-seven years after tlie compilation of the 39 
 Articles, the House of Commons passed the following 
 vote : " We the Commons in parliament assembled do 
 << claim, protest, and avow for truth the sense of the Ar- 
 
XXV 
 
 *< tides which were established by Parliament in the 
 f< thirteenth year of our late Queen Elizabeth, which by 
 << the public act of the church of England, and by the 
 *« general and current expositions of the ministers of our 
 « Church, have been delivered unto us ; and we reject 
 « the sense of the Jesuits and Arminians and all others 
 t< wherein they differ from us." 
 
 Perhaps it may be pleaded, that since that period the 
 Church of England has undergone a most material 
 change; that though its creeds and confessions have 
 never been altered, yet the majority of both Clergy and 
 Laity have long ceased to hold Calvinistic sentiments, 
 and that the Church therefore ought not now to be con- 
 sidered as a Calvinistic Churcl>. 
 
 But nothing can be more fallacious than such a plea. 
 The maxim, ** defendit numerus,'' is not applicable here. 
 The moral quality of actions is not affected by the num- 
 ber of those who practise them. No multiplication of 
 examples can ever make that right which was originally 
 and intrinsically wrong. The injunction of Heaven is, 
 « Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil."* 
 
 It is not the defection of any number of persons, whe- 
 ther Clergy or Laity, from the genuine, original princi- 
 ples of the Church, that will justify any one, who does 
 not cordially embrace and believe those principles, in the 
 solemn declaration of assent and consent required of 
 every Clergyman as the sine qua non, the indispensable 
 condition of his admission to holy orders. The Articles 
 of the Church remain precisely the same as they were in 
 the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Common sense and com- 
 mon integrity require, that tlie sense in which they were 
 
 a Exod.xxUi, J. 
 
 C 
 
XXVI 
 
 intended, imposed and understood then, be the sense in 
 \vhich they should be understood and subscribed now. 
 Lapse of time effects no change in religious truth. If in 
 any 'subsequent period it had been discovered that the 
 Reformers had been mistaken, that the Church was es- 
 tablished upon principles not strictly orthodox ; if any 
 passages in the Articles, Homilies, or Liturgy, taken 
 *i in the true usual literal meaning," had been found to 
 be « contrary" or not " agreeable to tlie word of God," 
 ought not such passages to have been altered or expung- 
 ed ? Or if those of the Clergy or Bishops, who enter- 
 tained such sentiments, had not sufficient influence to pro- 
 cure the omission or alteration of the obnoxious passages, 
 ought they not to have resigned their preferments, and 
 to have renounced all connexion with a Church, which 
 they must have considered as erroneous ? Would not this 
 have been more consistent with that integrity of moral 
 principle, which ought to characterise all Christians, 
 and especially all Deacons, Priests, and Prelates ; than 
 to continue subscribing, and requiring subscription, to 
 Articles, in " the literal and grammatical sense," after 
 that sense had been generally abandoned ? 
 
 The abandonment of the true sense of the Articles by 
 great numbers of the Clergy has he^n too evident to es- 
 cape particular observation. In the year 1675 the Earl 
 of Shaftetebury said in the House of Lords, — •" I am ex- 
 " tremely in the dark to find the doctrine of predestina- 
 <^tion in the seventeenth article to be owned by so few 
 <« great Doctors of the Church." The same fact was 
 stated in more general terms in the same House nearly a 
 century after, by the great Earl of Chatham. « We 
 « (said his lordship) have a Calvinistic Creed, and an 
 Armiuiaa Clergy." 
 
XXVil 
 
 But the Bishop of Lincoln leaves every preceding 
 writer, who has pleaded for Clerical Subscription on 
 any other tlian Calvinistic principles, far behind him* 
 He ph\inly and boldly asserts the Creed of tiie Church o^ 
 England to be anti-Calvinistic, and employs no small 
 portion of labour and sophistry to impose an. anti-Calvin • 
 istic sense on its Liturgy, Articles, and Homilies. Am- 
 ple proof of what the Bishop denies is contained in the 
 following sheets. But it is curious to observe, that the, 
 Calvinistic part of the Clergy, both in their preaciiing 
 and in their writings, frequently introduce various pas- 
 sages from the Formularies of the Churcli, as fairly and 
 fully expressing the sentiments they believe and main- 
 tain, without any addition, limitation, or commentary; 
 but that when the Bishop quotes the seventeenth Article, 
 to state his sentiments respecting predestination, he inter- 
 lards it with so many additions and limitations, as to con- 
 vey a very different notion c^ the subject from what the 
 Article itself, taken « in the true usual literal sense," 
 Would naturally convey to any unsophisticated mind. 
 
 Does not this mode of proceeding very much resemble 
 what in common life is called an evasion of the law, 
 which in various cases is deemed an aggravated offence, 
 and punished with douhle the penalty attached to a Uiore. 
 direct breach of it? It is like springing a mine under the 
 foundations of the Church ; and cannot but be regarded 
 by every true Churchman as more insidious, and likely 
 to be more pernicious, than an open attack. 
 
 If a j)arochial Clergyman has been deprived of his liv- 
 ing, and a Fellow of a College expelled from an Univer- 
 sity, for impugning the doctrine of one Article, shall tlie 
 doctrines really contained in other Articles be opposed 
 with impunity ? Does that which is heresy in a Priest, 
 
XXVlll 
 
 become orthodoxy in a Bishop ? Docs the guilt of of- 
 fences, either civil or canonical, diminisli in proportion 
 to the dignity and eminence of station of those by whom 
 they are committed ? 
 
 Can we wonder at the language of the enemies of the 
 Church on this subject? One of them says : " There is a 
 «« book, called the Bible, in which such and such doc- 
 <« trines are written as with a sunbeam. There is also 
 *^ an establishment, called tlie Church, which teaches the 
 <« self-same doctrines, and is the very echo of that book. 
 *•' This Bible is said, by the Clergy, to be of Divine au- 
 <« thority, and a revelation from God. And for the 
 <« Church, they tell us, it is the best and purest in the 
 ^< w^orld ,• and indeed, unless they thought it so, nothing 
 «< could justify their solemn subscription to its decisions. 
 « Yet how many of them open their mouths, and draw 
 <' their pens, agamst those very decisions to which they 
 (i have set their hands ! Can those of them, who do this, 
 *« really believe the Scriptures to be divine, and their 
 <»' Church to be in the right ? Does it not rather look as 
 *« if religion was no more than a state engine on the one 
 ii hand, and a genteel trade on the other ?"* 
 
 Another of them reproaches the Church in such strains 
 as these. « ^At one time, predestination is of high con- 
 <i sequence, and made an article of faith, and all free will- 
 « ers should be banished the land, or locked up in dun- 
 « geons, like w ild beasts ; which was the judgment of 
 *< the Bishops, in James the First's days,* concerning the 
 
 a Sloss on tlie Trinity, pref. p. 10. 
 
 b Independent Whi^, (not t!ie newspaper of that name,) vol. ii. p. 9. 
 
 c The date here assigned to this fact is apprehended to be incor- 
 rect. The advice mentioned was g^Lven in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. 
 Tlic particulars may be seen in Strype's Annals, kc. ch. xvii. p. '207. 
 
^< Arminians. At a different season, wlien prefermcnls 
 ^i ran high on the other side, as in King Chailcs the 
 /« First's reign, and ever since, Arminianism not only 
 <i recovers credit, but grows modish, and consequently 
 ^' orthodox ; whilst predestination becomes an old-fashion- 
 ^< ed piece of faith, and a sure sign of fanaticism. And 
 « yet it continues one of the thirty-nine Articles i and 
 '< yet it must not be believed ; and yet it must be signed 
 ^« and assented to with a sincere assent." 
 
 From the same quarter the Clergy are assailed wit!i 
 the following cutting expostulations : « Is tliere one of you 
 « that conforms to the genuine sense, or even to tlie words, 
 •'« of the Articles? Are not those Articles Calvinistical I 
 <i Where they not composed by Calvinists^ And arc yo!i 
 " not now, and have been long, Arminians ? And do you 
 *•' not write and preach against those who defend predes- 
 *< tination, which is one of your own Articles ? V/iil you 
 •'< say that Articles, will you say tiiat oaths, are to be 
 « taken in a sense different from the words, different 
 ^f from the meaning of those who composed them ? If 
 '•' you do, then you maintain that Papists, nay Mahome^ 
 •'« tans, may subscribe our Protestant Articles, and be 
 •■« still Mahometans and Papists. — iVhat subscriptions or 
 *■< declarations, or indeed wiiat other tics, can bind men 
 « who subscribe the direct contrary to what they believe I 
 « Subscribe the doctrines of Calvin, yet remain an- 
 <•' tagonists to Calvin ? Is this practice, this solemn 
 '< assertion of a falsehood, for the honour of .rcliglfin 
 « or of Churchmen ? Or is it not the direct method to 
 <•' harden men against truth and conscience, and to turn 
 «< holy things into contempt ? Yet you still go on to suh- 
 
 C 2 
 
XXX 
 
 " scribe those Articles ; still to disbelieve and contradict 
 ii them."a 
 
 Under the existing circumstances there is no room to 
 wonder at such observations. But ought not something 
 to be done by the Dignitaries of the Church to rescue the 
 Clergy at large from these censures ? Above all, does it 
 not behove the Primates to inquire into the causes of sucli 
 serious charges, and to take some effective steps towards 
 removing them ? 
 
 The conspicuous part which your Grace has taken in 
 the Society lately instituted, for educating the children of 
 the poor in the principles of the Church of England, for- 
 bids me to question your readiness to manifest equal 
 anxiety and zeal for the religious instruction and spiritual 
 edification of the adults of the community. But how are 
 Ihese objects provided for in the present state of the esta- 
 blished ministry? Such is the discordance between the 
 doctrines preached in different churches, and in some 
 cases even in the same church on different parts of the 
 day, by Clergymen who have all subscribed to the same 
 theological system, that a regular churchman, unless he 
 previously knows w!io will occupy the pulpit, cannot form 
 even a probable conjecture, whether he shall hear truth 
 or error, orthodoxy or heresy. 
 
 An observation long ago made by Dr. Waterland, on 
 tlie subject of clerical subscription by those who did not 
 fully agree with the doctrine of the Church respecting the 
 Trinity, is equally applicable to the subject more imme- 
 diately under consideration. <* If either State oaths on 
 «< t!je one hand, or Church subscriptions on the other, 
 'f once come to be made light of; and subtleties be 
 »• invented to defend, or palliate, such gross insincerity, 
 
 a Ind.Wh. vol iii, p. 403, 404. 
 
XXXI 
 
 « Vfe may bid farewel to principles, and religion will be 
 (' little better than disguised atlieism."* But every one, 
 at all acquainted with the state of the Clergy, knows 
 that in innumerable instances tljeir «< Chuch sub^crip- 
 " tions" have been "made" as "light of" as the gene- 
 rality of oaths taken at our custom-houses, which have 
 long been proverbial as so many unmeaning forms. But 
 what becomes of principles ? If, as has been justly ob- 
 served, every posture is an approximation to a shape^, 
 and every act an advance towards a habit, what fatal 
 effects may not such solemn acts of gross insincerity be 
 reasonably expected to produce on the moral sense of the 
 Clergy themselves ! And how is it possible for the Laity 
 to escape the mischievous consequences ? 
 
 Are there not too many, who commence the clerical 
 career by « subscribing willingly and ex animo" to cer- 
 tain Articles, as being « all and every agreeable to the 
 « word of God,"— which they have scarcely given them- 
 selves the trouble to read, or perhaps have read and dis- 
 believed and never intend to preach ?— Of such unworthy 
 sons of the Church, such antipodes of what Clergymen 
 ought to be, we may well say—-* 
 
 " Is this the path of sanctity ? Is this 
 
 *' To stand a way mark in the road to bliss ? 
 
 " Himself a wanderer from the narrow way, 
 
 *' His silly sheep, what wonder if they stray ? 
 
 " Go, cast your orders at your Bishop's feet, 
 
 " Send your dishonour'd gown to Mon mouth-street. 
 
 ** The sacred function in your hamis is made, 
 
 " Sad sacrilege ! no function, but a trade.** Cowpeh. 
 
 Happy for the Church, that amidst the too genera! 
 tlcreliction of principle, there are some to be founds 
 
 a First Defence of Queries, against Dr. Clarke, pref. p. 4. 
 
xxxu 
 
 among the various orders of the Clergy, who possess » 
 different character. It may surprise many persons to 
 hear those represented as the truest Sons of the Church, 
 who are so frequently stigmatised in the language of in- 
 vective, ridicule, and contempt. But let the matter of 
 fact at this very time be fairly and fully examined. 
 
 \yho among the Clergy are the most exact in fulfilling 
 «< the solemn promise and vow that was made in their 
 ff name at their baptism," and subsequently « ratified 
 *« and confirmed in their own persons,'^* to « renounce 
 «i the Devil and all his works, the pomps and vanity of 
 ^i this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh ?''^ 
 not only avoiding the grosser pollutions, the vulgar vices 
 of the world, but also refraining from the various gay 
 and fashionable expedients which perverse ingenuity has 
 contrived for murdering time and dissipating serious 
 thought ? Who are the most diligent in discharging the 
 duties of their ofiice public and private ? Who are most 
 ^< attentive to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine ; me- 
 *< ditating upon these things ; giving themselves wholly 
 << to them ; that their profiting may appear unto all ?"*^ 
 Who are most laborious in « preaching the word, instant 
 tt in season and out of season f'^ privately as well as 
 publicly «< reproving, rebuking, exiwrting with all long 
 *< suffering and doctrine ?" Who are followed by the 
 most numerous and attentive congregations ? Of whom 
 may it truly be said, as it was of our divine Lord, during 
 his ministry on earth, that « the common people heard 
 «< him gladl.r ?"* Whose preaching is most effectual « by 
 << sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the 
 
 a Confirmation Service. b Catechism. 
 
 c 1 Tim. iv. 13, 15. d 2 Tim. iv. i.\ 
 
 c Mark xii. 57". 
 
XXXlll 
 
 •< gainsayers"* — to " convert sinners from the error of 
 ^< their ways"^ — to << turn many to righfeousness"'^ — to 
 <* make men wise unto salvation, by faith in Christ 
 " Jesus ?''^ — .Who are the closest followers of tlie apos- 
 tolic exhortation, <« Be thou an example of the believers, 
 <* in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faitli, 
 " in purity ?"« Who possess the refined pleasure of bc- 
 Ijolding the most important practical advantages result- 
 ing from their labours — such as, the libertine become 
 cliaste, the drunkard sober, the avaricious liberal, tho 
 slothful industrious, the fraudulent honest, the censorious 
 candid, the liar a speaker of truth, the contentious peace- 
 able, the passionate meek, the proud humble, the mali- 
 cious benevolent ,* in a word, those who « were the ser- 
 " vants of sin, made free from sin, and become servants 
 (( of God, having their fruit unto holiness, and the end 
 " everlasting life ?"^ The answer to these questions, to 
 be consistent with truth, must be— Those who subscribe 
 THE Articles in « THE LITERAL AND GRAM- 
 MATICAL SENSE/' No person can attend their 
 ministrations, and observe the multitudes hanging upon 
 their lips, without contrasting the interest excited by 
 their sermons to the indifference discovered undei* those 
 of the generality of their brethren. And every unpre- 
 judiced observer finds himself surrounded by numerous 
 proofs, that their preaching does in fact answer the ends 
 for which the preaching of the Gospel was originally in- 
 stituted. 
 
 What sincere regret, then, must it occasion to every 
 true Churchman, that these firmest friends and most ac« 
 
 a Tit.i.9. b James v. 20. 
 
 c Daniel xii. 3. d 2 'i'im. iii.l5. 
 
 e 1 Tim. iv. 12. f Uom. vi. 20, 22 
 
f XXXiV 
 
 live promoters of the best interests of the Gliurch should 
 be discountenanced by any of those who ought to encour- 
 age them in their work, and to rejoice in the success of 
 their labours ! Yet such is the melancholy fact. The 
 pulpit and t!ie press, the episcopal charge, and the pri- 
 vate intercourse, have all been employed to raise preju- 
 dices against them, and bring them into general disre- 
 pute ; and the most pointed measures have been adopted 
 to contract the sphere of their exertions. But on this I 
 forbear to expatiate. 
 
 Let not your Grace be carried away witli the current 
 of anti-evangelical zeal, or becalmed into inaction by a 
 morbid apathy to any important sentiment. Let it not 
 be regarded as a matter of indifference, whether the ge- 
 nuine principles of the Church be maintained or dis- ^ 
 carded; whether the Laity who attend their parochial 
 churches be fed with <« the sincere milk of the word,"* 
 or starved on anti-christiaa semipagan husks; whether 
 tliey '< are taught as the truth is in Jesus,'*^ or are toss- 
 ed « to and fro and carried about with every wind of 
 « (h)ctrine.-'^ Much may be done by the authority and 
 exertions of a Primate, to banish the indifference, to 
 rouse the torpor, to shame the inconsistences, to correct 
 the mistakes, to quicken the diligence, to animate the 
 zeal, and to give a proper direction to the efforts, of the 
 various orders of the Clergy. And if the conversion of 
 one sinner from the eiTor of his way^ be productive of 
 such honour and happiness to him who is the instrument 
 of the important change ; wliat honour and happiness 
 must await tlie Primate, whose exertions shall be ren- 
 dered by the divine blessing, the means of accomplish- 
 
 a 1 Pet. ii. 3. b Eph. iv. 21. 
 
 c Ephts. iv. U d James v. 20. Dan. xii. 3 
 
XXXV 
 
 ing among the Clergy of a nation such a change, as can- 
 not fail of extending its beneficial influence through all 
 the gradations of society, from the palace to the cottage ! 
 May this honour and happiness be enjoyed by your 
 Grace! 
 
 May your Grace and all your Clerical brethren, 
 Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, both beneficed and un- 
 beneficed, " study to show yourselves approved unto 
 " God, workmen that need not to be ashamed, rightly 
 <^ dividing the word of truth ;"* may you «« in all things 
 ff show yourselves patterns of good works; in doctrine 
 « showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech 
 « thatH:annot be condemned ; that he that is of the con- 
 « trary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to 
 « say of you;'"* may you « u} all things approve your- 
 « selves as the ministers of God;"<^ so that, « when the 
 '< Chief Shepherd and Bishop of Souls shall appear,"^ 
 you << may have confidence and not be ashamed before 
 « him at his coming;"* but, being « found faithful stew- 
 ^« ards of the mysteries of God,"^ may every one of you 
 hear from his lips the approving sentence, « Well done, 
 " good and faithful servant''^— and « entering into the 
 <« joy of your Lord," receive from his hands « a crown 
 « of glory that fadeth not away!"^ 
 
 I am, my Lord, 
 
 Your Grace's most obedient servant, 
 
 r A LAYMAN. 
 
 April 30, 1812. 
 
 a 2 Tim. ii. 15. b Tit. ii. 7, 8. 
 
 c 2 Cor. vi. 4. d 1 Pet. ii. 25; v. 4. 
 
 e 1 John ii. 28. f 1 Cor. iv. 2. 
 
 g Matt. XXV. 21. h 1 Pet. v. 4. 
 
THE 
 
 FATHERS, THE REFORMERS, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Introduction, 
 
 The following work has been occasioned by 
 a recent publication of Dr. Tomline, the present 
 Bishop of Lincoln, entitled, " A Refui^tion of 
 '' Calvinism.'' Some persons will probably think 
 it a very presumptuous undertaking for an obscure 
 layman to controvert points of theology with a 
 dignitary of the church. But if what is advanced 
 be consistent with truth, it cannot be of much im- 
 portance from what quarter.it may proceed. 
 
 It is not intended to follow his lordship through 
 all the parts of his multifarious volume, in order 
 to show the complete failure of his pretended 
 ^' Refutation. '^ To expose the inaccurate state- 
 ments, to confute the erroneous, principles, to de- 
 tect the fallacious reasonings, to overturn the un- 
 founded conclusions, to repel the injurious accusa- 
 tions with which the work abounds, would require 
 a book twice as large as that of his lordship. 
 
 But it is necessary to animadvert a little on oi e 
 circumstance which will hardly admit of his lord- 
 
 D 
 
38 
 
 ship's exculpation from the charge of unfairness 
 and disingenuity. 
 
 ^^ The design of the work'' is stated in the pre- 
 face to be ^' to refute the peculiar doctrines of the 
 *' system of theology which was maintained by 
 ^» Calvin." Yet it is evident from the beginning of 
 the second chapter, and from various other parts of 
 the book, that the real object was to confute and 
 write down those who now pass under the general 
 denomination of Calvinists. If this was not the 
 real object, his lordship has travelled consideral^ly 
 out of his way, and might have spared his many 
 censorious reflections on << these modern Calvinis- 
 ^^ tic writers, these promoters of schism, these arro- 
 ^•' gant enthusiasts, who endanger the church by 
 ^' their active hostility, propagating with unremit- 
 •» ted zeal doctrines by which the credulity of un- 
 ^'» think^jig persons is imposed upon in the present 
 ^^ times.''* For notliing of this could be necessa- 
 ry to the refutation of writings composed and pub- 
 lished by Calvin above two hundred andlifty years 
 
 His lordship is not ignorant that the majority of 
 those persons who at present either assume or re- 
 ceive the appellation of Calvinists do not adopt 
 every sentiment held by Calvin, p. 568, 569. Yet 
 he pertinaciously insists on using the term as in- 
 cluding the belief of every opinion maintained in 
 the writings of that reformer. In justification of 
 this practice, he affirms, that '' its peculiar doc- 
 ^' trines considered as a system are so connected 
 *^ and dependent upon each other, that if you em- 
 <^' brace one, you must embrace all," p. 570. 
 
 * Pp 54, 76, 142, 253 
 
39 
 
 If this be merely a question about the propvicly 
 of applying the term Calvinism to any system 
 whicli does not comprise all the tenets espoused 
 by Calvin, it is a mere ^^ strife of words/^ and un- 
 deserving of further discussion. Only let it be ob- 
 served, that Dr. Tomline is not justified in this case 
 by the common use of terms of this description. 
 It may be questioned whether it is in his lordship's 
 power to specify a single instance of an appella- 
 tion derived from the name of any eminent writer, 
 especially a voluminous one, and used to denote a 
 theological system, whicli in its common accepta- 
 tion includes every sentiment maintained by the 
 theologian whose name it bears. 
 
 If this be necessary to constitute Calvinism, it 
 is easy to show a confession of faith framed by 
 Calvin himself which cannot be denominated Cal- 
 vinistic — a confession of faith drawn up by that re- 
 former to be presented to the French King on be- 
 half of the Protestants of Paris. 
 
 But in writing against the modern Calvinists, is 
 it not extremely disingenuous in his lordship, to 
 attribute to them tenets which he knows they dis- 
 avow, to represent them as responsible for conclu- 
 sions whicli they abhor, and to argue on the suppo- 
 sition of their holding principles which were never 
 held by Calvin himself, or by any persons called 
 by his name ? Can this mode of proceeding be 
 justified by his lordship's bare assertion, that 
 '' Calvinism will not admit of partial adoption ; 
 '' and that if you embrace one of its tenets you 
 " must embrace all ?" The absurdity as well as 
 disingenuousness of this polemical artiilce is too 
 evident to need further animadversion. 
 
#0 
 
 The comparison iu the sixth chapter betwceu 
 the Calvinists and some of the earliest heretics 
 must not be passed over entirely unnoticed. With- 
 out estimating Dr. Tomline^s capacity of discern- 
 ment far below the common standard, it is impos- 
 sible to attribute to any conceivable motive of fair 
 or candid controversy the plentiful shower of ab- 
 surdities and impieties discharged in that chapter 
 against the devoted objects of his lordship's theo- 
 logical hostility ; like so many Indian arrows, 
 ])arbed in order to lacerate where they enter, and 
 dipped in poison to insure the mortality of their 
 wounds. The whole compass of language fur- 
 nishes no terms too severe to be employed in the 
 reprobation of such weapons of episcopal warfare. 
 But veneration for the mitre forbids the use of any 
 language against a prelate, that could express half 
 the indignation which the perusal of that chapter 
 must necessarily excite in every ingenuous mind. 
 It is most devoutly to be wished, that every theo- 
 logian would study that ^^ charity'^ which ^^rejoi- 
 '' ceth in the truth.'' 
 
 While the modern preachers, writers, and pri- 
 vate Christians, whom his lordship is opposing, do 
 not coincide in all the sentiments contained in the 
 writings of Calvin, and while they tlisclaim the 
 reception of any principles of religion on his au- 
 thority, or that of any uninspired man ; they do not 
 in general refuse the name of Calvinists, as a term 
 of distinction, easily understood, and superseding 
 the necessity of those tedious circumlocutions which 
 must otherwise be frequently employed. Thepro- 
 priety of the term they consider as sufficiently sup- 
 ported by their agreement with the leading princi- 
 
41 
 
 pics adopted by that eminently great and good 
 man, notwithstanding their rejection of some tenets 
 which he thQUj2;!it necessary appendages, but which 
 they consider as unnecessary incumbrances of the 
 general system. 
 
 Dr. Tomline asserts, that the Church of En^- 
 land is anti-calyinistic. Perhaps the shortest 
 nietlu)d of overturning his lordship's position is by 
 establishing an opposite one. To effect this scarce- 
 ly any thing will be requisite but a selection and 
 comparison of extracts from different writings. 
 
 I shall therefore proceed, without further intro- 
 duction, to adduce passages from Calvin's Insti- 
 tutes of the Christian Religion, which contain hi:^ 
 gl^en^ments on Original Sin, Free Will, llegenera- 
 ^lioiT and Sanctilication by the Holy Spirit, Jusliti- 
 catiouj Faith, Good Works, Predestination a#cl 
 Election; and vvliich, I apprehend, also express 
 the sentiments of Calviuists in general on ti)esc 
 important subjects. In comparison with these will 
 be exhibited extracts from tlie Formularies of tiic 
 Church of England. And in contrast to the ex- 
 tracts from f)oth these sources, especially th;- laller, 
 I shall make some quotations from his lordship, 
 accompanied with a few observations. 
 
 1} 
 
n 
 
 CHAPTER n. 
 
 Of Original Sin, 
 
 CilURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 Original sin standeth 
 not in the following of Adam 
 (as the Pelagians do vainly 
 talk) ; but it is the fault and 
 corruption of the nature of 
 every man, that naturally is 
 ingendered of the offspring 
 of Adam, whereby man is 
 very far gone from original 
 righteousness, and is of his 
 own nature inclined to evil, 
 so that the flt\sh lusteth al- 
 ways contrary to the spirit; 
 and therefore in every per- 
 son born into this world, it 
 deserveth God's wrath and 
 damnation.— »^ri. 9. 
 
 We be, of ourselves, of 
 such earth as can bring forth 
 nothing but' weeds, nettles, 
 brambles, briar, cockles, and 
 darnel. Our fruits be de- 
 clared in tlie 5th chapter to 
 the Galatians. We have 
 neither faith, charity, hope, 
 patienc^^ chastity, nor any 
 
 Original sin is an heredita- 
 ry pravity and corruption of 
 our nature, diffused througIi.fa^ 
 all the faculties of the soul ;' 
 rendering us obnoxious to 
 the wrath of God, and pro- 
 ducing in us those works 
 which the Scripture calls 
 works of the flesh. 
 
 I'hese two things should 
 be distinctly observed : first, 
 that our nature being so en- 
 tirely vitiated and depraved, 
 we are^ on account of this 
 \ery corruption, considered 
 as convicted and justly con- 
 demned in the sight of God, 
 to whom nothing is accept- 
 able but righteousness, in- 
 nocence, and purity. 
 
 The other thing to be re- 
 marked is, that this depravi- 
 ty never ceases in us, but is 
 perpetually producing new 
 fruits, those works of the 
 flesh which we have already 
 
43 
 
 CHCRCII OF ENGIAND, 
 
 CALVIN^. 
 
 thing else that good is, but 
 of God ; and therefore these 
 virtues be railed there, the 
 fruits of the Holy Ghost and 
 not the fruits of man.' — *9. 
 Horn, on the misery of man, 
 p. 9. 
 
 Man of his own nature is 
 ^—only given to evil thoughts 
 and wicked deeds,>-^l Horn. 
 NVhitsun.* 
 
 described, like the emission 
 of flame and spares from a 
 heated furnace, or like the 
 streamsof water from an un- 
 failing spring. Wherefore, 
 those who have defined ori- 
 ginal sin as a privation of ori- 
 ginal righteousness, which # 
 we ought to possess, though 
 they comprise the whole of 
 the subject, yet have not 
 used language sufficiently 
 expressive of its operation 
 and influence. For our na- 
 ture is not only destitute of 
 all good, but is so fertile in 
 all evils, that it cannot re- 
 main inactive. — Instil. I. 2, 
 c. 1. s, 8. 
 
 The ninth article is so very explicit, that it 
 seems scarcely possible to misapprehend any part 
 of its meaning. For two hundred and fifty years 
 it has been understood to assert the total loss of 
 original integrity, and the entire corruption of hu- 
 man nature by the fall of Adam. It was reserved 
 for Dr. Tom line to discover that this expression 
 " man is very far gone from original righteousness'' 
 implies '' that original righteousness is not entire- 
 ly lost/' (p. aO.) In another work his lordship 
 states, that when the 39 articles were compiled 
 and subscribed in li'ie^, they '^ were drawn up ia 
 Latin only : but in 1571 they were subscribed by 
 
 * For a more full exposition of the doctrine of this chapter, see 
 Appendix. 
 
41 
 
 tlio members of both houses^ bo,th in Latin and 
 English, and therefore the Latin and English co- 
 pies are to be considered as equally auihentic.'^ 
 Consequently, we should avail ourselves of !)otb. 
 in order to ascertain the meaning with tlie utmost 
 possihle precision. The clause in the English ar- 
 ticle is so evidently at variance with the implica- 
 tion advanced by his lordship, that it is difficult 
 ♦ to conceive the possibility of such an inference 
 being deduced from it by any one not previously 
 interested in vrarping it from its real meaning. — 
 But the expression in the Latin is still more con- 
 clusive against him. " Ab originali jiistitia quam 
 longissime distef' — which, with all due submis- 
 sion, I venture to translate, '^ man is gone to the 
 farthest possihle distance from original righteous- 
 ness.'' Eut what degree of righteousness can l)e 
 possessed by those who are gone to the farthest 
 possible distance from it, remains for his lordship 
 to ascertain. If, after reading the foregoing im- 
 pli< ation, a person could feel surprise at any thing 
 advanced by his lordship, it would be at his as- 
 sertion, '' that this is the plain and obvious sense 
 of the passage.^' — The Bishop tells us, that '^ the 
 Assembly of Divines in the reign of Charles the 
 First proposed to omit the words * man is very far 
 gone from original righteousness/ and to substitute 
 for tliom, * man is wholly deprived of original 
 rigliteousness.' — And it is curious to observe, that 
 be imputes this proposal to an attachment '' to the 
 peculiar tenets of Calvin," and a wish ^^ to refoini 
 our articles according to the Calvinistic Cree<l." 
 But the above extract shows that Calvin did not 
 altogether approve of this definition ; and whether 
 the article required any alteration to conform it to 
 
45 
 
 the Calvinistic Creed, no reader of the passages 
 can be at any loss to decide. 
 
 Dr. T. further insists, that '^ the articles does 
 not pronounce with the Calvinists, that man of his 
 own nature can perform nothing but eviL^' If any 
 reasonable doubt could be entertained respecting the 
 meaning of the article, it must be entirely removed 
 by this passage from the Homilies which contains 
 tlie same sentiment, and nearly in the same lan- 
 guage here condemned as Calvinistic. 
 
46 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The Light of JVature insufficient. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 Have mercy upon all 
 Jews, Turks, infidels, and 
 heretics, and take from them 
 all ignorance, hardness of 
 heart, and contempt of thy 
 word ; and so fetch them 
 home, blessed Lord, to thy 
 flock, that they may be sav- 
 ed. — CoL Good Frid. 
 
 They also are to be had 
 accursed, that presume to 
 say that every man shall be 
 saved by the law or sect 
 which he professeth, so that 
 he be diligent to frame his 
 life according to that law, 
 and the lig]»t of nature. For 
 holy Scripture doth set out 
 unto us only the name of 
 Jesus Christ, whereby men 
 must be saved. — ,Srt 18. 
 
 St. Ambrose concludeth 
 in a few words, saying, He 
 that by nature would with- 
 stand vice, either by natural ' 
 will, or reason, he doth in 
 vain garnish the time of tLi3 
 
 CALVIN* 
 
 I do not deny that some 
 judicious and apposite ob-^ 
 servations concerning God 
 may be found scattered in 
 the writings of the philoso- 
 phers; but they always be- 
 tray a confused imagination. 
 The Lord afforded them, as 
 w^e have before observed, 
 some slight sense of his di- 
 vinity, that they might not 
 be able to plead ignorance as 
 an excuse for impiety, and 
 sometimes impelled them to 
 say things, by the confession 
 of which they might them- 
 selves be convinced. But 
 they saw the objects present- 
 ed to their view in such a 
 manner, that by the sight 
 they were not even directed 
 to the truth, much less did 
 they arrive at it. Just as a 
 man, who is travelling by 
 night across a field, sees 
 the corn sections of light- 
 ningextendingfor a moment 
 
4^7 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. CALVIN. 
 
 life,' and attaineth not the far and wide, but with such 
 very true virtues. — 1 Horn, an evanescent view, that so 
 oil good works, p. 28. far from being assisted by 
 
 them in proceeding on his 
 journey, he is re-absorbed in 
 the darkness of the night, 
 before he can advance a sin- 
 gle step.' — Jnstitut, I. 2. c. 2. 
 s. 18. 
 
 Dr. Tomline is of opinion, that ^^ the Gentiles, 
 through the natural suggestions of their own minds, 
 discharge the moral duties enjoined by the law of 
 Moses. '^ p. 8. — that »* the works of creation, and 
 the law written upon men's hearts, always suppli- 
 ed a ground for faith and a rule for practice. At 
 every period of the world, to fear Go(l and to work 
 righteousness? have been discoverable and practi- 
 cable duties. The virtuous Heathen, the obedient 
 Jew, and the sincere Christian, will all owe their 
 salvation to the precious blood of the Lamb slain.'' 
 p. 262. His lordship tells us, that ^' the Church 
 of England maintains, that wl'osoevcr at the great 
 day of final account shall be found to have lived 
 conformably to the will of God according to the 
 light afforded them, will be rewarded with eternal 
 happiness through the merits of the blessed Jesus, 
 and that the rest of mankind will be consigned to 
 everlasting punishment." p. 282. Buf where 
 •' the Church of England maintains" this, his 
 lordship has not informed us. How different is 
 his view of the state of heathens from that in the 
 above collect and article ! " He that bclieveth 
 shall be saved. But how shall they believe in 
 him of whom they have not heard ?" 
 
48 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Extent of Human Depravitjj. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGIAND. 
 
 All men are conceived and 
 born in sin (and that svhicli 
 is born of the flesh is flcsit), 
 and they that are in the flesh 
 cannot ph\ise God, but live 
 in sin, cominittinji^ many ac- 
 tual transgressions. — Bap- 
 tism of such as are of riper 
 years. 
 
 We have of our ownsel ves 
 iiothinii^to present us to God. 
 — 1 Ilom. on repentance, p. 
 S26. 
 
 These sentences (i^ood 
 people) unto a natural man, 
 seem mere absurdities, con- 
 trary to all reason. For a 
 natural man, as St. Paul 
 saith, understandeth not 
 the thin.qs that belon.i^ to 
 God ; ncitlier can he so lonj^ 
 as old Adam dwelletli isi 
 him. — 2 Horn, on certain 
 places of scripture, p. 225. 
 
 The Holy Ghost, in writ- 
 ing the holy scriptures, is in 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 Are all our industry, per- 
 spicacity, understanding, 
 and care so depraved, that we 
 cannot conceive or meditate 
 any thing that is ri.^ht in the 
 sight of God? To us, who 
 do not contentedly submit to 
 be stripped of the acuteness 
 of our reason, which we 
 esteem our most valuable en- 
 dowment, this appears too 
 harsh. But in tlie estima- 
 tion of the Holy Spirit, who 
 knows-'that all tiie thoughts 
 of the wisest of men are 
 vain, and who plainly pro- 
 nounces every imagination 
 of t!»e human heart to be 
 only evil, such a representa- 
 tion is consistent with the 
 strictest truth. If whatever 
 our mind conceives, agitates, 
 undertakes and performs, 
 be invariably evil, how can 
 we entertain a thought (jf 
 undertaking any thing ac- 
 
49 
 
 CHUIICII OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN, 
 
 nothing more diligent, tban 
 to pull down man's vain 
 glory and pride, which of 
 all vices is most universally 
 grafted in all mankind, even 
 from the first infection of 
 our first father Adam. — 1 
 Horn, on the misery of man, 
 p. 6. 
 
 Such is the power of the 
 Holy Ghost to regenerate 
 men, and as it were to bring 
 them forth anew, so that 
 they shall be nothing like the 
 men that they were before. 
 Neither doth lie think it suf- 
 ficient, inwardly to work the 
 spiritual and new birth of 
 man, unless he do also dwell 
 and abide in him. — 1 Horn, 
 JFhitsunday, p. 280. 
 
 Let as, throughout our 
 whole lives, confess all good 
 things to come of God, of 
 what name or nature soever 
 they be; notoftliese corrup- 
 tible things only, whereof I 
 have now last spoken, but 
 much more of all spiritual 
 graces behovable for our 
 soul ; without whose good- 
 ness no man is called to faith 
 or stayed therein.' — >2 Roga- 
 tion Honi, p. 296. 
 
 Again, St. Peter saitli, It 
 
 ceptable to God, by whom 
 nothing is accepted but ho- 
 liness and righteousness ? 
 
 Nor does the scripture 
 teach us, that our minds are 
 illuminated only on one day 
 so as to enable them to see 
 afterwards without further 
 trouble; for the passage just 
 quoted from Paul, relates to 
 continual advances and im- 
 provements. And this is 
 clearly expressed by David, 
 in these words, « With my 
 whole heart have I sought 
 thee : O let me not wander 
 from thy commandments."* 
 For after having been rege- 
 nerated and made a more 
 than common progress in 
 true piety, yet he still con- 
 fesses his need of perpetual 
 direction every moment, lest 
 he should decline from the 
 knowledge which he pos- 
 sesses. Therefore, in an- 
 otlier place, he prays for the 
 renewal of a right spirit, 
 which he had lost by his sin ;f 
 because it belongs to the 
 same God to restore that 
 which he originally bestowed 
 but of which we have been 
 for a time deprived. — Insti- 
 tut. L 2. c. 2. s, 25. 
 
 * Tsalm, cxlx. 10. 
 
 E 
 
 t Psalm, li. 10. 
 
50 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 is of God's power that ye be kept through faith to salva- 
 tion. It is of the goodness of God that we falter not in 
 our hope unto him. — 3 Rogation Horn, p. 297. 
 
 Dr. Tomline maintains, '' that every good affec- 
 tion was not eradicated from the human heart,'^ 
 and that ^' man did not hecome by the fall an un- 
 mixed incorrigible mass of pollution and depravity, 
 absolutely incapable of amendment/^ p. 3. — " That 
 there is some honesty, some goodness of heart in 
 the human race,'^ p. 14. — " That there is at least 
 a degree of righteousness in some men/^ p. 11. — 
 That '' a law given by a righteous and merciful 
 (rod proves the possibility of obedience/' p. 6. — 
 That " obedience is our 'practicable duty, or it 
 would not have been commanded/' p. 78. If this 
 be correct, the law contains no command that we 
 are incapable of obeying, and consequently we are 
 capable of perfect ohedience. For what is perfect 
 ohedience but the fulfilment of our duty as com- 
 manded by the law ? This, his lordship says, is 
 '' practicable, or it would not have been command- 
 ed.'^ Yet with a self-contradiction by no means 
 unusual for him, he says in another place, that, 
 " men, as they now are, are not capable of perfect 
 obedience ^'^^ p. 1/4. But if the law contains any com- 
 mands which men as they now are are not capable 
 of perfectly obeying, such commands are not prac- 
 ticable by them, and therefore, according to his 
 lordship's reasoning, can form no part of our duty, 
 but must be inconsistent with the character of a 
 righteous and merciful God. But a divine law, 
 holy, just, goody and absolutely perfect^ requiring 
 
51 
 
 only imperfect obedience, is too absurd a supposi- 
 tion to need any further remark. If his lordship 
 means that " man is not incorrigible or incapable 
 of amendment," by the grace of the gospel, the 
 observation is irrelevant to the present subject of 
 original sin, and is vrhat no Christian denies. If 
 his meaning be, that man can correct and amend 
 himself " by his own natural strength and good 
 works before the grace of Christ and the inspira- 
 tion of his Spirit,''^ which his argument seems to 
 require, notliing needs be added to prove this com- 
 pletely at variance with the doctrine of the Church. 
 
 • Art. 10 & 13. 
 
52 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 Grace necessary to Holiness, 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND, 
 
 Grant to us, Lord, we be- 
 seech thee, the spirit to 
 think and do always such 
 things as be rightful ; that 
 we, who cannot do any 
 thing that is good witliout 
 thee, may by thee be ena- 
 bled to live according to thy 
 will, through Jesus Christ 
 our Lord.— Co^ 9 after 
 Trill, 
 
 Of ourselves and by our- 
 selves we have no goodness, 
 help, nor salvation : but con- 
 irarywise, sin, damnation, 
 and death everlasting. 
 Which if we deeply weigh 
 and consider, we shall the 
 better understand the great 
 mercy of God, and how our 
 salvation comcth only by 
 Christ : for in ourselves (as of 
 ourselves) wc find nothing 
 whereby we may be delivered 
 from this miserable captivi- 
 ty, into the which wc were 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 Man neither rationally 
 chooses as the object of his 
 pursuit that which is truly 
 good for him according to 
 the excellence of his immor- 
 tal nature, nor takes the ad- 
 vice of reason, nor duly ex- 
 erts his understanding: but 
 without reason, without re- 
 flection, follows his natural 
 inclination, like the herds of 
 the field. It is therefore no 
 argument for the liberty of 
 the will that man is led by 
 natural 'instinct to desire 
 what is good : but it is ne- 
 cessary that he discern what 
 is good according to right 
 reason, that as soon as he 
 knows it he choose it, and as 
 soon as he has chosen it he 
 pursue it. To remove every 
 difliculty, we must advert to 
 two instances of false rea- 
 soning. For the desire here 
 intended is not a proper mo- 
 
5B 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 cast, tlirough the envy of tion of the will, but a na- 
 the devil, by breaking of tural inclination ; and the 
 God's commandment in our good in question relates not 
 
 first parent Adam. We are 
 all become unclean, but we 
 all are not able to cleanse 
 ourselves, nor to make one 
 
 to ^i^tue or righteousness, 
 but to condition ; as when 
 we say a man is well or in 
 good health. Lastly, thougli 
 
 another of us clean. We man has tlie strongest desire 
 are by nature the children after what is good, yet he 
 of God's wrath, but we are docs not pursue it. There is 
 not able to make ourselves no man to whom eternal fe- 
 the children and inheri- licity is unwelcome, yet no 
 tors of God's glory. We man aspires to it without the 
 are sheep that run astray, infiucnceofthe Spirit. Since, 
 but we cannot of our own therefore, the desire of Ijap- 
 power come again to the piness natural to man fur- 
 sheep-fold ; so great is our nishes no argument for the 
 imperfection and weakness, liberty of the will, any more 
 — 2rf Horn, on the misenj of than a tendency in metals 
 maiif p. 10. and stones towards the per- 
 
 fection of their nature argues liberty in them ; let us 
 consider in some other particulars, whether the will be 
 in every pas't so entirely vitiated and depraved, that it can 
 produce notliing but w'uat is evil ; or whether it retain any 
 small part urjinjured wiiich may be the source of good de- 
 sires. — Instiiut. L 2. c. 2. s. 26. 
 
 cnuRCH or England. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 St. Paul, in many places, 
 painteth us out in our co- 
 jours, calling us the chil- 
 dren of the wrath of God 
 wdien we be born: sajing 
 also, that we cannot think a 
 good thought, of ourselves ; 
 much less can we say well, 
 
 E 
 
 If we allow that men 
 destitute of grace liave some 
 motions towards true good- 
 ness though ever so feeble, 
 what answer s' i we give to 
 the apostle, - denies that 
 wearesuffi( .nt of ourselves 
 even to conceive a good 
 
5* 
 
 CIIUECH OF EXGLAJTD. 
 
 or do well, ourselves. — 1 
 Jlom. on the misery of many 
 p. 8. 
 
 Grant that by thy holy 
 inspiration we may think 
 those things that be good, 
 and by thy merciful guiding 
 may perform the same. — 
 Col. b after East. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 thought ?=^ What reply shall 
 we make to the Lord, who 
 pronounces by the mouth of 
 Moses, tliat every imagina- 
 tion of the human heart is 
 only evil ?f 
 
 Nor would there be any 
 consistency in the assertion 
 of Paul, that « it is God 
 winch worketh in us to 
 will,":!: if any will preceded 
 the grace of the spirit. — //i- 
 stitiit, I. 2. c. 2. s. 27. 
 
 Dr. Tomline gives it as bis opinion, that ^^ The 
 Ilnly Spirit points out the way to health, and truth, 
 and life ; but it rests with ourselves whether we 
 will follow its directions.'^ p. 62. Here again we 
 find great dissonance between the church and the 
 bishop. 
 
 • 2Cor. iii, 5. 
 
 I Gen. vui. 21. 
 
 ^ Phil. \\\. 13. 
 
55 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Doctrine of the Will. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGXAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 The condition of man, af- 
 ter the fall of Adam, is such, 
 that he cannot turn and pre- 
 pare hi mself by his own natu- 
 ral strength and ,^ood works 
 to faith, and calling upon 
 God ; wherefore we liave no 
 power to do good works, 
 pleasant and acceptable to 
 God, without the grace of 
 God by Christ preventing 
 us, that we may have a good 
 will, and working with us, 
 when we have that good 
 will.— .^rf. 10. 
 
 Because through the weak- 
 ness of our mortal nature we 
 can do no good thing with- 
 out thee, grant us the help 
 of thy grace, that in keeping 
 thy commandments we may 
 please thee both in will and 
 deed. — Col. 1 after Trin, 
 
 Stir up, we beseech thee, 
 Lord, the wills of thy 
 faithful people 5 that they, 
 
 The will therefore is so 
 bound by the slavery of sin, 
 that it cannot excite, much 
 less apply itself, to anything 
 good ; for such a disposition 
 is tUe beginning of a con- 
 version to God, which the 
 scriptures attribute wholly 
 to divine grace. — Institut, 
 I. 2, c. 3. s. 5. 
 
 When God commands us 
 to the pursuit of what is 
 right, all that belongs to 
 our own will is removed ; 
 and what succeeds to it is 
 wholly from God. The will 
 1 say is removed, not consi- 
 dered as a faculty, for iii the 
 conversion of a man, the 
 original properties of our 
 nature remain entire. I say 
 also, that it is created anew ; 
 not that the will then begins 
 to exist, but that it is then 
 converted from an evil one to 
 a good one. Tliis 1 affirm to 
 
56 
 
 CHUECU OF EJsGLAND. CALVIN. 
 
 plenteously brinj^in,^ forth be done entirely by God, 
 the fi'uit of good workvS, because, accordingto the tes- 
 raay of thee be plenteously tirnony of the same apostle, 
 rewarded. — Col, 25 after " we are not sufficient 
 Trin, even to think.'** Therefore 
 
 he elsewhere de( lares, not 
 merely that God assists the infirmitv of our will, or cor- 
 rects its depravity, but that he « vvorkethin us to will.'*y 
 Whence it is easy to infer, what I have before remarked, 
 that whatever good is in the will, it is the work of grace 
 alone. — Institut. 1,9.. c. 3. s, 6. 
 
 Br. Tomline says, " Our reformers, in framing 
 this (tenth) article, were cautious not to deny to 
 man all exercise of free-will in the formation of re- 
 ligious principle, or the discharge of religious duty. 
 They were too well acquainted with scripture, 
 and entertained too just notions of the character 
 ©f moral responsible beings, to intend any such 
 degradation of human nature.'^ p. 55. ^*To what 
 purpose would this advice ['•' Take heed how ye 
 hear,^' Luke viii. 18 ) be given, if men had not the 
 power of resisting the wiles of the devil, of sup- 
 porting the trials of persecution,- and of withstand- 
 ing the temptation of the riches and treasures of 
 this world?" '^ God gives to every man, through 
 the means of bis grace, a power to perform the 
 condilions of the gospel : — a power, the efficacy of 
 which depends upon the exertion of the human 
 will.*' p. 64. How must the writer of these pas- 
 sages hfive deceived himself, if he really believed 
 them to he consistent with the language of the 
 church as quoted above ! 
 
 • 2Cor.iii.5. t Philii.n. 
 
^7 
 
 CHAPTER VIL 
 
 Every grace a gift of God. 
 
 CHUKCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 God therefore, . for his 
 mercy's sake, vouchsafe to 
 purify our minds, through 
 faith in his son Jesus Christ, 
 and to instil the heavenly 
 drops of his grace into our 
 hard stony hearts to supple 
 the same. — 2 Horn, on cer- 
 tain 'places cf scripture^ p. 
 229. 
 
 All spiritual gifts and 
 graces come especially from 
 God. Let us consider the 
 truth of this matter, and 
 hear what is testified, first, 
 of the gift of faith, the first 
 entry into the christian life, 
 without the which, no man 
 can please God. For St. 
 Paul confesses it plainly to 
 be God's gift ; saying, Faith 
 is the gift of God. It is 
 verily God's work in us, the 
 charity wherewith we love 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 Since good volitions and 
 good actions both spring 
 from faith, it must be con- 
 sidered whence faith itself 
 originates. Now, since the 
 whole scripture proclaims it 
 to be the gratuitous gift of 
 God, it follows, that it is of 
 mere grace when we, who 
 are naturally and entirely 
 prone to evil, begin to will 
 any thing that is good. 
 Therefore the Lord, when 
 he mentions these two things 
 in the conversion of his peo- 
 ple, that he takes away from 
 them a stony heart and gives 
 them a heart of flesh, plainly 
 shows, that what springs 
 from ourselves must be re- 
 moved in order that we may 
 be converted to righteous- 
 ness, and that what suc- 
 ceeds in its place proceeds 
 
58 
 
 CHURCH or ENGLAND. CALVIN. 
 
 our brethren. If after our from himself. — InstituU L 2. 
 fall we repent, it is by him c, 3. s. 8. 
 that we repent, which reach- 
 eth forth his merciful hand to 
 
 raise us up. If any will we have to rise, it is he that 
 preventeth our will, and disposeth us thereto. If after 
 contrition we feel our consciences at peace with God 
 through remission of our sin, and so be reconciled again 
 to his favour, and hope to be his children, and inlieritors 
 of everlasting life; who worketh these great miracles in 
 us? our worthiness, our deservings and endeavours, our 
 wits and virtue ? Nay, verily, St. Paul will not suffer 
 flesh and clay to presume to such arrogancy ; and there- 
 fore saith. All is of God, who hath reconciled us unto him- 
 self by Jesus Christ. — 3 Rogation Horn* p. 297. 
 
 The bishop's opinion respecting faith is, that 
 ^^ it is the joint result of human exertion and di- 
 vine grace. ^^ p. 54. In another place he speaks of 
 baptism as '' imparting the Holy Ghost to those 
 who s\m\\ previously hB.YG repented and believed.^^ 
 p. 29. But what divine grace is exerted antece- 
 dently to any communication of the Holy Ghost? 
 
59 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 t/Vo Goodness without Regeneration, 
 
 CALVIJf. 
 
 In til is manner therefore 
 the Lord hoth begins and 
 completes the good work in 
 us : that it ma): be owing to 
 him that the will conceives 
 a love for w hat is right, that 
 it is inclined to desire, and 
 is excited and impelled to en- 
 deavour to attain it,* and 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 Almighty God, we hum- 
 bly beseech thee, that as by 
 thy special grace preventing 
 us, thou dost put into our 
 minds good desires : so by 
 thy continual help we may 
 bring the same to good ef- 
 fect Col. East. Day, 
 
 Almighty God, who seest 
 that we have no power of then that the choice, desire, 
 ourselves to help ourselves ; and endeavour do not fail, 
 keep us — inwardly in our but proceed even to the com- 
 souls that we may be defend- pletion of the effect ; lastly, 
 ed — from all evil thoughts that a man proceeds with 
 which may assault and hurt constancy in them, and per- 
 the soul. — CoL 2 Sun. in severes even to the end. — 
 Lent, Institnt, I, 2. c. 3. s. 9. 
 
 For it is very certain, that 
 where the Grace of God reigns, there is such a prompti- 
 tude of obedience. But whence does this arise but from 
 tlie spirit of God, who, uniformly consistent with him- 
 self, cherishes and strengthens to a constancy of perse- 
 verance that disposition of obedience which he first origi- 
 nated ? — Institnt, I, 2. c. 3. s. 11. 
 
60 
 
 CHURCH or ENGLAND. 
 
 Where the Holy Ghost 
 worketh, there nothing is 
 impossible: as may further 
 also appear by the inward re- 
 generation and sanctification 
 of mankind. When Christ 
 said to Nicodemus, " unless 
 a man be born anew of water 
 andthespiritjhecannotentcr 
 into the kingdom of God," 
 he was greatly amazed in his 
 mind, and began to reason 
 with Christ, demanding how 
 *« a man might be horn when 
 he was old.'' « Can he enter," 
 saith he, <« into his mother's 
 womb again, and so he born 
 anew?" Behold a lively pat- 
 tern of a fleshly and carnal 
 man. He had little or no 
 intelligence of the Holy 
 Ghost, and therefore he go- 
 eth bhmtly to work, and 
 asketh how this thing were 
 possible to he true ? Where- 
 as otherwise, if he had known 
 the great power of the Holy 
 Ghost in this behalf, that it 
 is he which inwardly work- 
 eth the regeneration and new 
 birth of mankind; he would 
 never have marvelled at 
 Christ's words, hut would 
 rather take occasion thcrc- 
 hy to praise and glorify God. 
 — The Father to create, the 
 Son to redeem, the Holy 
 Ghost to sanctify and rcge- 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 But howdoes theLord ope- 
 rate in good men to whom the 
 question principally relates ? 
 When he exerts his kingdom 
 within them, he by his spirit 
 restrains their will, that it 
 may not be hurried away by 
 unsteadyand violent passions 
 according to the propensity 
 of nature : that it may be 
 inclined to holiness and 
 righteousness,he bends,com- 
 poses, forms, and directs it 
 according to the rule of his 
 own righteousness : that it 
 may not stagger or fall, he 
 establishes and confirms it 
 by tlie power of his spirit. 
 For wliich reason Augus- 
 tine says, «« you will reply 
 to me, then we are actuated, 
 we do not act. Yes, you 
 both act and are actuated ; 
 and you act well when you 
 are actuated by that which is 
 good. Tiie Spirit of God 
 who --actuates you, assists 
 those who act, and calls 
 himselfalielper, because you 
 also perform something." 
 In the first clause he incul- 
 cates that the agency of man 
 is not destroyed by the in- 
 fluence of the sj)irit, because 
 the will which is g«uded to 
 aspire to what is good, be- 
 longs to his nature. But 
 the inference which he im- 
 
61 
 
 CHUr.Qll Olf E\GLAJiD. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 iierate: whereof the last, 
 the more it is hid from 
 our understanding, the 
 more it ought to move all 
 men to wonder at the fierce 
 
 mediately suhjoins, from the 
 term help, that we also per- 
 form some things, we should 
 not understand in such a 
 sense, as though he attrl- 
 
 andmightyworking of God's buted any thing to us inde- 
 
 Holy Spirit, which is within pendently : but in order to 
 
 ns. For it is the Holy avoid encouraging us in in- 
 
 Ghost, and no other thing, dolence, he so reconciles 
 
 that doth quicken the minds the divine agency with ours, 
 
 of men, stirring up good and that to will is from nature, 
 
 holy motions in their hearts, to will what is good is from 
 
 which are agreeable to the grace. — Institiit. L 2. c. 5, 
 
 will and commandment of s. 1*. 
 
 God ; such as otherwise of 
 their own corrupt and per- 
 verse nature they should ne- 
 ver have. « That which is 
 born of the flesh is flesh." 
 As who should say, Man 
 of his own nature is fleshly 
 and carnal, corrupt and 
 naught, sinful and disol>e- 
 dient to God, WIIHOUT 
 
 Let us hold this then as 
 an undoubted trutii which 
 no opposition can ever shake, 
 that the mind of man is so 
 completely alienated from 
 the righteousness of God, 
 that it conceives, desires, 
 and undertakes every thing 
 that is impious, perverse, 
 base, impure, andflagitious: 
 
 ANY SPARK OF GOOD- tiiat hislieart isso thorough- 
 NESS in him, without any \y infected by the poison of 
 
 virtuous or godly motioiif 
 only given to evil thoughts 
 and wicked deeds. As f(ir 
 the works of the spirit. 
 
 sin, that it cannot produce 
 any thing but what is cor- 
 rupt : and that if at any 
 time they do any thing ap- 
 
 the fruits of faith, cha- parently good, yet the mind 
 ritable and godly motions ; always remains involved in 
 if he have any at all in him, hypocrisy and fallacious ob- 
 they proceed only of the liquity, and the heart en- 
 Holy Ghost, who is the on- slaved by its inward per- 
 ly worker of our sanctifica- verseness. — Institute I. 2. 
 tion, and maketh us new c. 5. s. 19. 
 men in Christ Jesus.— -Such 
 
6^ 
 
 CHURCH or ENGLAND. 
 
 is tlie power of the Holy Ghost to regenerate men, and, 
 as it were, to bring them forth anew, so tliat they 
 shall he notliing like the men that they were before. 1 
 Jlom.for Whit. p. 279, 280. 
 
 Dr. Tomline says, ^^ we can by no means allow 
 the inferences attempted to be drawn from thera 
 (that is from the words of the ninth article) by 
 modern Calvinistic writers, namely, that ^ of our 
 own nature we are WITHOUT ANY SPARK 
 OF GOODNESS in us/ and that man has no 
 « ability or disposition whatever with respect 
 either to faith or good works. ^^ If these infer- 
 ences be really Calvinistic w hen drawn by modern 
 writers, can they be anti-Calvinistic when found in 
 the Homilies of the Church? — Here then we have 
 what is equivaUnt, or perhaps superior, to an ad- 
 mission from his lordsliij) himself, that in this in- 
 stance at least the Homilies are in harmony with 
 the Calvinisls. To compliment his lordship as 
 having displayed any polemical acuteness on this 
 occasion, would violate the obligations of truth. 
 What must we think of his professions of appro- 
 bation of the homilies and articles, when the doc- 
 trine contained in them, and even the language 
 used to express it, arc such as he ' can by no 
 MEANS ALLOW?' Speaking of the 3,000 converted 
 on the day of Penticost, Ids lordship says, " the 
 faith of those men was not sud<lenly communicated 
 by the supernatural operation of the Holy Ghost, 
 but was the natural and progressive efifect of what 
 they saw and heard,'' p. 23 ; and of the inhabitants 
 of Samaria; who were converted under the preach- 
 
63 
 
 ing of Philip, lie says, " The conversion of these, 
 persons also was owing to the exercise of their own 
 natural powers.^' p. S3. Is it possible to frame 
 positions more contradictory to the doctrine of the 
 Homilies? 
 
64i 
 
 CHAPTER IX, 
 
 The Author^ of Spiritual Life, 
 
 THUECH OF ENGLAXD. 
 
 CAIVIN. 
 
 Unless the Holy Ghost 
 liad been always present, 
 governing and preserving 
 the church from the begin- 
 n\x\^; it could never have 
 sustained so many and great 
 hrnnts of affiiction and per- 
 srcjition, with so little da- 
 mage and harm as it hath. 
 A?'d the words of Christ are 
 most plain in this behalf, 
 saying, tliat tJjc spirit of 
 truth should abide with them 
 for ever ; that he would be 
 \N ilh them always, (he mean- 
 eth by grace, virtue, and 
 ])ower,) even to the world's 
 end. Also, in Xhci prayer 
 \\\?A he made to his Father, a 
 little before his death, he 
 maketh intercession not on- 
 ly for himself and his apos- 
 tles, but indifferently for all 
 them that should believe in 
 
 And here it will be pro- 
 per to notice the titles by 
 which the scriptures dis- 
 tinguish the spirit, where 
 it treats of the commence- 
 ment, progress, and com- 
 pletion of our salvation. 
 First, he is called the spirit 
 of adoption*, because he wit- 
 nesses to us the gratuitous 
 benevolence of God, with 
 which God the Father hath 
 embraced us in his beloved 
 and only begotten son, that 
 
 he m 
 
 niy 
 ifffit 
 
 be a father to us, 
 
 and animate us to confi- 
 dence to pray, and even 
 dictates expressions so that 
 we may bold!}/ cry Abba, 
 Father. For tlie same 
 reason he is said to be tlic 
 earnest and seal of our in- 
 heritance;! because while we 
 are pilgrims and strangers 
 
 Rom. vili. 15. 
 
 t 2 Cor. i. 22. Eph. i. 13, 14. 
 
65 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CAXVIN. 
 
 Ilim through their worcls : 
 that is, to wit, for his whole 
 church. Again St. Paul 
 saith, If any man have not 
 the spirit of Christ, the 
 same is not his. Also in the 
 words following, We iiave 
 received the spirit of adop- 
 tion, whereby we cry, Abba, 
 Father. Hereby then it is 
 evident and plain to all men, 
 that the Holy Ghost was 
 givi'n not only to the apos- 
 tles, but also to the whole 
 body of Christ's congrega- 
 tion ; althougli not in like 
 form and majesty as he came 
 down at the feast of Pente- 
 cost. — ^ Horn, for Whitsuiu 
 datjf p. 282. 
 
 •< God give us grace (good 
 people) to know these things, 
 and to feel them in our 
 hifarts. This knowledge and 
 feeling is not in ourself. By 
 oui'self it is not possible to 
 come by it. — -Let us, there- 
 fore, meekly call upon that 
 bountiful spirit, the Holy 
 Ghost, which proceedeth 
 from our Father of' mercy, 
 and from our mediator 
 Christ, that he would assist 
 us, and inspire us with his 
 presence ; that in him we 
 
 in the world and resemble 
 persons dead, he infuses into 
 us such life from heaven, 
 that we are certain of our 
 salvation bring secured by 
 the divine faithfulness and 
 care. Whence he is also 
 said to be <« life because of 
 rightcousMC^s,"* he is fre- 
 quently called water; as in 
 Isaiah, " Ho every one that 
 tliirsteth, come ye to the wa- 
 ters."! Again, «<Iwillpo^r 
 water upon him that is 
 thirsty, and floods upon the 
 dry ground.'-^ To which 
 corresponds the invitation of 
 Christ, just quoted, "If 
 any man thirst, let him come 
 unto me.''§ lie sometimes 
 however receives this appel- 
 lation from his purifying and 
 cleansing energy: as in Eze~ 
 kiol, vvhere tlie Lord pro- 
 itiises clean water to cleanse 
 his people from their im- 
 purities. [J And because he 
 restores to life and vigour, 
 and continually supports 
 those whom ho h^^-th animat- 
 ed, with tlie oil of his grace, 
 he thence obtains the name 
 of <« unction. "5f Again, 
 becauce he daily qonsumes 
 the vices of our concupisence, 
 
 * Rom. viii. 10, 
 
 i Is. xliv. 3. 
 
 ij Ezek. xxxvi, 25. 
 
 F 2 
 
 f Is. Iv. 1. 
 
 § John, vii. 37. 
 
 «[ 1 John, 11.20. 
 
66 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 may be able to hear the 
 goodness oT God declared 
 ynto us to our salvation. 
 Ff)r, Nvilhout his lively and 
 secret inspiration, can we 
 not once so much as speak 
 the name of our mediator, 
 as St. Taul plainly testifieth : 
 no man can once name our 
 Lord Jcsiis Christ, but in 
 the Holy Ghost.— St. Paul 
 saitij, that no man can know 
 M l.at is of God, but the Spi- 
 rit of God. As for us, saith 
 he, we have received, not 
 the spirit of the world, but 
 the spirit which is of God ; 
 for this purpose, that we 
 might know the things that 
 be given us by Christ. — 
 
 He Iiath ransomed sin, 
 overcome the devil, death, 
 
 and inflames our hearts with 
 the love of God and the pur- 
 suit of piety, from these ef- 
 fects he is justly called 
 « fire."'* Lasly, he is de- 
 scribed to us as a fountain, 
 wlience we receive all tiic 
 emanations of heavenly rich- 
 es ; and as the hand f)f God, 
 by which he exerts his 
 po\A er ; because by the breath 
 of his power he inspires us 
 with divine life, so that we 
 are not now actuated from 
 ourselves but directed by ids 
 agency and influence : so 
 that if there be any good in 
 us, it is the fruit of ids grace, 
 whereas our characters, 
 without him, are darkness 
 of mind and jierverseness of 
 heart. — ImtituU 1, 3. c. 1 . s. 3. 
 
 and hell, and hath vi( torious- 
 
 ]y gotten tlie better hand of them all, tf) make us free and 
 safe from tiicm. And knowing tl»at,we be, by this benefit 
 of his resurrcrtion, risen witli him by our faith, unto life 
 everlasting ; being in full surety of our Ijope, that we shall 
 have our bodies likewise raised from death, to have them 
 glorifitd in immortality, and joined to his glorious body: 
 having, in the mean widle, this holy spirit within our 
 hearts as a seal and pledge of our everlasting inheritance. 
 By whose assistance we be replenished with all rightoous- 
 ness ; by whose power we sliall be able to subdue all our 
 evil aiTt'ctinns rising against the pleasure of God." — Horn, 
 on the resurrection, p. 265, 266. 
 
 * Luke iii. 16. 
 
67 
 
 CHURCH OF EK:G1AND. 
 
 « If any ji^ift we have, werewitli we may work to the 
 glory of God ami profit of our neijsjhbotir^ all is wrought 
 by his own and self-same spirit, which maketh his dis- 
 tributions peculiarly to every man as he will.'^— .3 Rogation 
 Horn. p. 299. 
 
 Dr. Tomline is of opinion ^^ that the graces and 
 virtues, on which salvation depends, are the joint or 
 common operation of the supernatural power of the 
 Holy Ghost, and of the natural powers of man.'^ 
 p. 42. Surely Dr. Tomline must consider the lan- 
 guage of the iOth article respecting the Church of 
 Rome equally applicable to the Church which pro- 
 nounces the Homilies to contain a w holesorae doc- 
 trine, and which, it cannot be denied, ^' hath erred 
 in matters of faith," if there be any truth la the 
 sentiment now quoted from his lordship. 
 
68 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 The Spirit applies the Word. 
 
 CHT7SCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CAIVIN- 
 
 In reading of God's word. This simple and external 
 
 hemostprotitethnotalwa^'S, demonstration of tlie divine 
 
 that is most ready in turning word ought indeed to be fully 
 
 of the book, or in saying of sufficient for the production 
 
 it without the book /but he of faith ^ ' 
 
 that is most turned into it ; structed 
 
 •^ if it were not ob- 
 by our blindness 
 and perverseness. But such 
 is our propensity to error, 
 that our mind can never ad- 
 here to divine truth, such is 
 ourdulness, that we can ne- 
 ver discern the light of it.^ 
 Therefore nothing is effect- 
 ed by the word without the 
 illumination of the holy spirit. Whence, also, it appears 
 that faith is far superior to human intelligence. Nor is 
 it enough for the mind to be illuminated by the spirit of 
 God, unless the heart also be strengthened and supported 
 by his \)0WQr.*^Institut I. 3. c. 2. s. 33, 
 
 that is most inspired with 
 the Holy Ghost ; most in his 
 heart and life altered and 
 changed intothe thing which 
 he readeth. — 1 Horn, on the 
 knowledge of scripture, p. 3. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGIiAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 We must beware and take Therefore, as we never 
 heed that we do in no wise can come to Christ unless 
 think in our hearts, imagine, we are drawn by the spirit 
 
69 
 
 CHURCH Of KXGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 or believe, that we are able 
 to repent aright or, to turn 
 effectually unto uie Lord by 
 our own might and strengtli. 
 For this must be verified in 
 all men, without me yc can 
 do nothing. Again, of our- 
 selves we are not able as 
 much as to think a good 
 ^ tl^ought. And in another 
 place, it is God that workcth 
 in us both tlie will and the 
 deed. For this cause, though 
 Hieremic had said before, 
 turn unto me, saith the Lord ; 
 yet afterwards he saitb,Turn 
 thou me, and I shall be 
 turned, for thou art the Lord 
 my God. And therefore, 
 tijat ancient writer and holy 
 father, Ambrose, doth plain- 
 ly affirm, that the turning 
 of the heart unto God, is of 
 God ; as the Lord himself 
 doth testify by his prophet, 
 saying, And I will give thee 
 an heart to know me, tiiat I 
 am the Lord : and they shall 
 be my people, and I will be 
 their God, for they shall re- 
 turn unto me with their 
 wliole heait.' — .1 Horn, on re- 
 pentance f p. 3S0, 331. 
 
 without any benefit to the bl 
 
 of God, so when we are 
 drawn, we are elevated both 
 in mind and in heart above 
 the reach of our own un- 
 derstanding. For the soul, 
 illuminated by him, receives 
 as it were new eyes for the 
 contemplation of heavenly 
 mysteries, by the splendour 
 of which it was before daz- 
 zled. And thus the human 
 intellect, irradiated by the 
 light of the holy spirit, ti»en 
 begins to relish those things 
 which pertain to the king- 
 dom of God, for which be- 
 fore it had not the smallest 
 taste. Wherefore, Christ's 
 two disciples* receive no be- 
 nefit from his excellent dis- 
 course to them on the myste- 
 ries of his kingdom, till he 
 opens th^^ir understanding 
 that they may understand 
 the scriptures. Thus, though 
 the apostles were taught by 
 his divine mouth, yet << the 
 spirit of truth"! must be sent 
 to them to instil into their 
 minds the doctrine wliich 
 they had hoard with their 
 ears. The word of God is 
 like the sun, shining on all to 
 who^n it is preached, but 
 ind. But in this respect we 
 
 L'lke xxiv. 25—31. 
 
 ■j- John xvi. 13. 
 
70 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 are all blhul by nature; therefore it cannot penetrate into 
 our mintl unless the internal teacher, the spirit, makes 
 v»aj for it by his illumination. — Institut. I, 3 c. 2. s, 34. 
 
 His lordship pronounces^ that " the impression 
 which the truths of the Gospel make upon the 
 minds of men depends upon the manner in which 
 they attend to them, that is, upon the exercise of 
 their own reason and free will.'' p. Itt, 15. How 
 different the language of the Church ! 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGIAND. 
 
 C ALT IX. 
 
 And this infection of na- 
 ture doth remain, yea, in 
 them that are regenerated ; 
 whereby the lust of the flesh, 
 called in Greek ^povm/xa a-ctf- 
 >'-o?, which some do expound 
 the wisdom, some sensuality, 
 some the affection, some the 
 desire of the flesh, is not 
 subject to the law of God. 
 And although there is no 
 condemnation for them that 
 believe and are baptised ; yet 
 the apostle doth confess, that 
 concupiscence and lust hath 
 of itself the nature of sin. — 
 Art 9. 
 
 O Lord, raise up (we pray 
 thee) thy powTr, and come 
 amcjng us, and with great 
 might succour us ; that 
 whereas through our sins 
 
 Thus therefore the chil- 
 dren of God are liberated by 
 regeneration from the servi- 
 tude of sin ; not that they 
 have already obtained the 
 full possession of liberty, and 
 experience no more trouble 
 from the flesh; but there re- 
 mains in them a perpetual 
 cause of contention to ex- 
 ercisathem ; and not only to 
 exercise them, but also to 
 make them better acquainted 
 with their own infirmity. 
 And on this subject all 
 sound writers are agreed, 
 that there still remains in a 
 regenerate man a fountain 
 of evil, whence continually 
 arise irregular desires which 
 allure and stimulate him to 
 the commission of sin. They 
 
71 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGiAND. CALVIX. 
 
 and wickedness we are sore acknowledge also,tliat saints 
 let and hindered in running arc still so afflicted with the 
 the race that is set before disease of concupiscence, 
 us ; tliy bountiful grace and tliat they cannot prevent be- 
 niercy may speedily lielp ing frequently stimulated 
 and deliver us. Col, 4 and incited either to lust, or 
 Sand, Advent, to avarice, or to ambition, or 
 
 toother vices. — Institute I. 3. 
 
 c, 3. s. 10. 
 
 But we esteem tliis to be 
 sin, that man feels any evil desires contrary to the divine 
 law ; and we also assert the depravity itself to be sin, 
 which produces these desires in our minds. We main- 
 tain, therefore, that sin always exists in the saints, till 
 they be divested of the mortal body ; because their flesh 
 is the residence of that depravity of concupiscence which 
 is repugnant to rectitude. — Institut, L 3. c, 10. s. 10. 
 
 But when God is said *< to cleanse his church"* from 
 all sin, to promise the grace of deliverance in baptism, 
 and to ftdfii it in his elect ; we refer these phrases rather 
 to the guilt of sin than to the existence of sin. In the 
 regeneration of his children, God does indeed destroy 
 the kingdom of sin in them, (for the spirit supplies them 
 with strength which renders them victorious in the con- 
 flict.) but it only ceases to reign, it continues to dwell in 
 them. Wherefore we say, that « the old man is cruci- 
 fied,"t tiiat the law of sin is abolished in the children of 
 God, yet so that some relics remain ; not to predominate 
 over them, but to humble tljom with a consciousness of 
 their infirmity. — Institut, I. S, c, 3. s. 11. 
 
 Dr. Toraline represents " sinless obedience and 
 unspotted purity in the elect'^ as a <" Calvinistic 
 notion." p. 51.— But till Lis lordship shall pro- 
 
 * Eph. V. 26, 27. t Ro'"- ^''^- ^- 
 
7S 
 
 duce authority sufficient to justify this insinuation, 
 he must not be surprised if those whom it so gross- 
 ly misrepresents should '^ not hesitate to pronounce'^ 
 it, as he has done their system, ^^talse and 
 groundless/' p. S60. 
 
73 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 The JS^ature and JS^ecessity of Good Works, 
 
 CALVII»r. 
 
 The scripture plan, of which we are now treating, con- 
 sists chiefly in these two thing's. The first, that a love 
 of righteousness, to wliich we have otiierwise no natural 
 pi'opensity, be instilled an<l introduced into our Iiearts : 
 the second, that a rule be prescribed to us to prevent our 
 taking any devious steps in the race of righteousness. 
 Now in the recommendation of righteousness, it uses 
 a great number of very* excellent arguments, many of 
 which we have before noticed on different occasions, and 
 some we shall briefly touch on in this place. With what 
 better foundation can it begin, tlian when it admonishes 
 ns that we ought to be holy, because our God is holyP^ 
 For when we were dispersed like scattered sheep, and 
 lost in tlie labyrintii of the world, he gathered us together 
 again that he might associate us to himsclf.f When we 
 hear any mention of our union with God, we sliould re- 
 member that holiness must be tlie bond of it : not that wc 
 attain communion with him by the merit of holiness 
 (since it is rather necessary for us in the first i)lace to 
 adhere to him, in order that being endued with his holi- 
 ness wc may follow whither he calls) but because it is a 
 peculiar property of his glory not to have any intercourse 
 wiih iniquity and uncleaiiness. Wherefore, also, it 
 
 * Lev. xix. 2, f 1 Pet. i. 16, 
 
 G 
 
CALVIN. 
 
 teaches that this is the end of our vocation, which it ts 
 requisite for us always to keep in view if we desire to 
 obey the divine call* For to what purpose was it that 
 we were delivered from the iniquity and pollution of the 
 world in which we had been immerged, if we permit our- 
 selves to wallow in them as loilg as we live ? Besides, it 
 also admonishes us, that to be numbered among the peo- 
 ple of God, we must inhabit the holy city Jerusalem ;* 
 which, he having consecrated it to himself, cannot With- 
 out impiety be profaned by impure inhabitants 5 whence 
 these expressions, " he shall abide in the tabernacle of 
 tiie Lord, that walketii uprightly and worketh righteous- 
 ness, &c."f because it is very unbecoming the sanctuary 
 Which he inhabits to be rendered as filthy as a stable. 
 
 And as a further incitement to us, it shows that as God 
 the Father hath reconciled us to himself in Christ, so he 
 hath impressed in him an image to which it is his will that 
 we should be conformed. Now, let these who are of opi- 
 r»ion that the philosophers have the only just and orderly 
 systems of moral philosophy, show me in any of their 
 works a more excellent ceconomy than that which I have 
 statedi When they intend to exhort us to the sublimest 
 -virtue, tfliey advance no argument but that we ought to live 
 agreeably to nature; but the Scripture deduces its exhorta- 
 tion from the true source, when it not only enjoins us to 
 refer our life to God, the author of jt, to whom it belongs ; 
 b»it> after having taught us that we are degenerated fi*om 
 the original state in which we were created, adds, that 
 Ciirist, by whom we have been reconciled to God, is pro- 
 posed to us as an example, whose character we sliould 
 exhibit in our lives. What can be required more effica- 
 cious than this one consideration ? indeed what can be re- 
 quired besides ? For if the Lord has adopted us as his 
 Sions on this condition, that we exhibit in our life an imi- 
 tation of Christ the bond of our adoption ; unless we ad- 
 dict and devote ourselves to Vighteousness> we not onl)^ 
 
 * Is* XXXV. 10, t Ps. xV. 1, 2. xiiv, 3, 4. 
 
« ALT II?. 
 
 Hfiost pcrfulioiisly revolt from our Creator, but also ab- 
 jure him as our Saviour. The Scriptuie derives matter 
 of exhortation from all the blessings of God wliich it cele- 
 brates to us, and from all the parts of our salvation. It 
 argues, that since God hath discovered himself as a Father 
 to us, we must be convicted of the basest ingratitude, un- 
 less we on our part manifest ourselves to be his children ; 
 that since Christ hath purified us in the laver of his blood, 
 and hath communicated this purification by baptism, it 
 does not become us to be defiled with fresh pollution ; that 
 since he hath united us to his body, we should, as his 
 members, solicitously beware, lest we defile ourselves 
 with any blemish or disgrace ; that since he who is our 
 head, hath ascended to Heaven, we ought to divest our- 
 selves of every terrestrial affection, and aspire thither 
 with all our soul ; that since the Holy Spirit hath dedi- 
 cated us as temples to God, we sliould usp our utmost ex- 
 ertions, that the glory of God may be displayed by us ^ 
 that we ouglrt not to commit any thing which, may pro-- 
 fane us with the pollution of sin ; that since both our soul 
 and our body are destined to heavenly incorruption and 
 a never fading crown, we ought to exert our most stre- 
 nuous efforts to preserve th^m pure and incorrupt, until 
 the day of the Lord.* These ])rinciples, I say, form tlie 
 surest foundations for a well regulated Iife| but nothing 
 resembling them can be found in tlie writings of tlie phi- 
 losophers, who, in the recommendation of virtue, never 
 rise above the natural dignity of man. 
 
 And this is a proper place to address those who have 
 nothing but the name and symbol of Christ, and yet 
 would be denominated Ciu-istians. But with what face do 
 they glory in his sacred name ? For none have any ac- 
 quaintance with Christ, but those who have obtained the 
 true knowledge of him from the word of the gospel. Now 
 
 * Rom. vi. 4. 8cc. viii. 29. Mai. I. 6. Eph. v. 1. 1 John iii. I. 
 Eph. V. 26. Heb. x. 10. 1 Cor. vi. 11. 1 Pet. i. 15. 19. 1 Cor. vi. 
 15. John XV. 3. Eph. v. 23. Col. iii. 1, 2. 1 Cor. iii. 16. vi. 19- 
 ^ Cor. vi. 16. 1 Thess. v. 23. 
 
76 
 
 CALVIX. 
 
 (he apostle denies that any have rightly ^< learned Christ,*' 
 who have not been taught that they must <* put off tlie old 
 man which is corrupt according to the ^ deceitful lusts, 
 and put on Christ."* Their knowledge of Christ then 
 is proved to be a false and injurious pretence, with what- 
 ever eloquence and volubility they may talk concerning 
 the gospel. For it is a doctrine, not of the tongue, but 
 of the life; and is not apprehended merely with the un- 
 derstanding and memory, like other sciences, but is then 
 only received when it possesses the whole soul, and finds 
 a seat and residence in the inmost affection of the heart* 
 JLet them therefore either cease to insult God by boasting 
 themselves to be what they are not, or show themselves 
 disciples not unworthy of Christ their master. We have 
 allotted the first place to the doctrine which contains our 
 religion ; because it is the origin of our salvation ; but 
 that it may not be unprofitabKto us, it must be transfus- 
 ed into our breast, pervade our manners, and thus trans- 
 form us nto itself. If the philosophers aVe justly in- 
 censed against and banish with disgrace from their so- 
 ciety those, who, while they profess an art which ought 
 to be a rule of life, convert it into a sophistical loquacity ; 
 with how much better reasoi\may we detest those sophists 
 who are contented to have the gospel on their lips, whilst 
 its efficacy ought to penetrate the inmost affection of the 
 heart, to dwell in the soul, and to affect the wiiole man 
 with a hundred limes more energy than the frigid exhor- 
 tations of the philosophers ! 
 
 But I do not require* that the manners of a Christian 
 should breathe nothing but the perfect gospel ; which ne- 
 vertheless ought to be the object both of desire and of pur- 
 suit. But»I do not so rigorously require evangelical per- 
 fection as not to acknowledge as a Christian one who has 
 not yet attained to it : for thus, all would be excluded 
 from the church : since no man can be found who is not 
 «tiU at a great distance from it; and many have hitherto 
 
 Eph, iv 
 
 On no 
 
CALVIN. 
 
 made but a very small progress, whom it would neverthe- 
 less be unjust to reject. "What then ? Let us set before 
 our eyes that mark, to which alone our pursuit must bo 
 directed. Let that be prescribed as the goal, towards 
 which we must earnestly tend. For it is not lawful for 
 you to make such a compromise with God, as to under- 
 take part of the duties prescribed to you in his word, and 
 to omit part of them at your pleasure. For in the first 
 ])lace, lie every where recommends integrity as a princi- 
 pal branch of liis worship, by wliich he intends a sincere 
 simplicity of heart, free from all guile and falsehood, the 
 opposite of which is a double heart, as though it had been 
 said, that the beginning of a life of uprightness is spi- 
 ritual, when the internal affection of the mind is unfcign- 
 edly devoted to God in the cultivation of holiness and 
 righteousness. But since no man, in this terrestrial and 
 corporeal prison, has strength suilicient to press forward 
 in his course with a due degree of alacrity, and the ma- 
 jority are oppressed with such great debility, that they 
 stagger, and halt, and even creep on the ground, and so 
 make very inconsiderable advances ; let us every one 
 proceed according to our small ability, and prosecute the 
 journey we have begun. No man will be so unhappy, 
 but that he may every day make some progress however 
 small. Therefore, let us not cease to do tiiis, that we 
 may be incessantly advancing in the way of t!ie Lordj 
 nor let us despair on account of the smallness of our suc- 
 cess : for however our success may not correspond to our 
 wishes, yet our labour is not lost, when this day surpasses 
 the preceding one : provided that with sincere simplicity 
 we keep our end in view and press forward to tiie goal, 
 not pi'actising self-adulation, nor indulging our evil pro- 
 pensities, but perpetually exerting our eiid( avours after 
 increasing degrees of amelioration, till we shall have ar- 
 rived at a perfection'of goodness ; which indeed we seek 
 and pursue as long r.s we live, and sliall then attain^ 
 when; divested of al! corporeal infirmity, wc shall be ad» 
 
 G ^. 
 
7S 
 
 CALYIX. 
 
 mittetl by Got! into complete communion with him.— //i- 
 stitut, /. 3. c. 6, s, 2 — 5. 
 
 The Formularies of the Church of England 
 would furnish passages in perfect unison with this 
 extract from Calvin on the nature and obligations 
 of the piety and virtue essential to the character of 
 a real Christian, But it would be superfluous to 
 adduce them, as the tendency of the system of the 
 Church to produce a virtuous and holy life, is not 
 disputed by any of the parties in this controversy. 
 This long extract from the Institutes is given in 
 order to exhibit the moral and holy tendency^ the 
 practical efficacy, of Calvinistic doctrines, as stated 
 hy that eminently good as well as great man. In 
 contrast to this quotation I cannot forbear introduc- 
 ing in this place a few passages from the sixth 
 chapter of Dr. Tomline's work. That chapter 
 bears the following title : — ^' Quotations from 
 THE Ancient Fathers of the Christian 
 Church, for the purpose of proving that 
 
 THE earliest HeRETICS MAINTAINED OPINIONS 
 
 GREATLY RESEMBLING THE PECULIxiR 
 TENETS OF CALVINISM.'; Of the pro- 
 priety of this title every reader will form his own 
 judgment. His lordship first quotes from Irenseus. 
 ^^ There being, therefore, three substances, they, 
 the Valentinians, assert, that the material (which 
 they also call kft-handed) necessarily perislies, as 
 being incapalle of receiving any breath of incor- 
 ruption ; that the animal (which they also call 
 right-handed) us being in the middle between the 
 spiritual and the material, goes the way to which 
 
TO 
 
 it inclines ; that the spiritual is sent forth, that it • 
 may be formed here in conjunction with the animal, 
 being instructed together with it. And this, they 
 say, is the salt and light of the world. For the 
 animal substance has need of sensible instructions. 
 For which reason they say, that the world was 
 formed, and that the Saviour came to this animal 
 substance, since it is endowed with free-will, that 
 lie might save it. (They further assert) that mat- 
 
 ter is incapable of salvation.'- '^ They say, 
 
 that they themselves, whatever material actions 
 they do, are not at all hurt, nor do they lose the 
 spiritual substance. Wherefore, those of them 
 who are the most perfect, do without fear all things 
 which are forbidden, of which the Scriptures af- 
 firm, that they who do such things shall not inherit 
 the kingdom of God.'' ■ After enumerating a 
 great variety of dreadful crimes, of which these 
 men w ere guilty, he adds, ^"^ And doing many other 
 abominable and ungodly things, they inveigh against 
 us, who, from the fear of God, are cautious not to 
 sin even in thought or word, as idiots and fools, 
 but they extol themselves; calling themselves per- 
 fect, and the elect seed." pp. 512, ;il3, 514. In a 
 note at the foot of this page, some of these prac- 
 tices are specified in a Latin quotation. I shall 
 translate part of it. " Without the least fear or 
 shame, they (the Valentinians) abandoned them- 
 selver to fornications, incests, adulteries, and all 
 the foulest lusts ; in consequence of a belief that 
 licentiousness and a life of the vile sensuality which 
 they practised, would not deprive them of the di- 
 vine grace and salvation." p. 514. 
 
 '^ Subdividing souls themselves, they say that 
 some arc by nature good^ and some bad." p. 514, 
 
80 
 
 ^'^ He (Ireuaeus) says, that one of tbe doctrines 
 of Simon Magus was, ^^ that those who trust in him 
 and HIS Helena should have no further care, and 
 that they are free to do what they like : for that 
 men are saved according to his grace, but not ac- 
 cording to just works. ^^ p. 515. 
 
 ^^ This man was glorified by multitudes as God, 
 and taught that he was the same person who ap- 
 peared among the Jews as the Son, in Samaria 
 descended as the Father, and would come to the 
 rest of the nations as the Holy Spirit ; that he was 
 the supreme power, that is, the Being who is over 
 all things, the Father. — This man led about with 
 him a woman of Tyre, a city of Phoenicia, a pro- 
 stitute whom he had purchased, called Helena, 
 saying that she was the first conception of his 
 mind, the mother of all things, by whom, in the 
 beginning, he had conceived in his mind to make 
 angels and archangels. — (Translated from the La- 
 tin note, p. 515.) 
 
 " He (Saturninus) first asserted, that there are 
 two sorts of men formed by the angels, the one 
 good, the other bad. 
 
 " They (the Valentinians) say, that some men 
 are good by nature^ and some had. 
 
 " TertuUian also says, that Saturninus main- 
 tained that man was created by the angels. ^^ — p. 
 515. 
 
 But we should ask his lordship, where can any 
 thing ^^ resembling" the unintelHgible jargon of 
 some of these quotations be found in the writings 
 of Calvinists ? Ho Calvinists assert any man to 
 be GOOD BY NATURE? Havc they not incurred 
 his lordship's censure for maintaining, in the lan- 
 guage of the Homilies, that << of our ow\n nature 
 
81 
 
 WE ARE WITHOUT ANY SPAKK OF GOODNESS IN US?^^ 
 
 Do Calvinists maintain, ^^that man wXs created 
 BY THE ANGELS ?^' What is there among Calvi- 
 nists ^^ resembling" TRUST IN SlMON MaGUS AND 
 
 HIS Helena, or an expectation of heina; saved 
 
 ACCORDING TO THE GRACE OF SiMON MaGUS or 
 
 any other man ? Does his lordship intend to 
 charge the Calvinists with the commission and 
 vindication of the ahominable crimes here imputed 
 to these early heretics ? If not, why are these 
 things introduced in this chapter of pretended re- 
 semblances ? If such an accusation be really de- 
 signed hy him, why has he not accompanied it with 
 something like proof? What is accusation with- 
 out proof, but mere slander? How incompatible 
 is the character of a false accuser with that of a 
 Christian Bishop ! Through what a diff'erent me^ 
 dium will the humblest of these, now despised, 
 teachers be hereafter viewed, who at the final 
 audit shall be acknowledged as having been the 
 instrument of ^^ turning'^ even one '' sinner from 
 the error of his way !'' My sincere wish on be- 
 half of his lordship is, that he may so " do the 
 work of an evangelist" as to have numerous seals 
 to his ministry, who shall be his ^^ crown of re- 
 joicing" in that day which shall ^^ declare every 
 man's >vork of w hat sort it is," 
 
CHAPTER XIL 
 
 Justification by Faith* 
 
 CHtaiCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 We are accounted righte- 
 ous before Goil, only for the 
 merit of our Lord and Sa- 
 viour Jesus Christ by faith; 
 and not for our own works 
 or deservinj^s. Wherefore, 
 that we are justified by faith 
 only is a most wholesome 
 doctrine and very full of 
 comfort, as more largely is 
 expressed in the homily of 
 justification. — JrU 11. 
 
 It is of the free grace and 
 mercy of God, by the me- 
 diation of the blood of his 
 Son Jesus Christ, without 
 merit or desoi'ving on our 
 part, that our sins are for- 
 given us, that we are recon- 
 ciled and brougi»t again into 
 his favour, and are made 
 heirs of bis heavenly king- 
 dom. — 1 Horn, on fasting, 
 p. 165. 
 
 Whose mediation (i.e. t!ie 
 mediation of Christ) was so 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 Let us first explain the 
 meaning of these expres- 
 sions, To BE JUSTIFIED IN 
 THE SIGHT OF GOD, TO BE 
 JUSTIFIED BY FAITH OR BY 
 
 WORKS. He is said to be 
 
 JUSTIFIED IN THE SIGHT OF 
 
 God, who in the divine judg- 
 ment is reputedrigliteous and 
 accepted on account of his 
 righteousness: for as iniquity 
 is abominable to God, so no 
 sinner can find favour in his 
 sight, ^s a sinner, or so long 
 as lie is considered as such. 
 Wiierever sin is, therefore, 
 it is accompanied with the 
 wrath and vengeance of God. 
 He is justified, who is con- 
 sidered, not as a sinner, but 
 as a righteous pei*8on, and 
 on that account stands in 
 safety before the tribunal of 
 God, where all sinners are 
 confounded and ruined. As, 
 if an innocent naan bp 
 
ai^ 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAIND. 
 
 CiLVI^. 
 
 acceptable to God tlie Fa- brought under an accugatiori 
 
 ther, through his absolute before the tribunal of a just 
 
 and perfect obedience, tliat judge, when judgment is 
 
 he took his act for a full sa- passed according to his in- 
 
 tisfaction of all our disobe- 
 dience and rebellion: whose 
 righteousness he took to 
 weigh against our sins; 
 whose redemption he would 
 have stand against our dam- 
 nation. — 3 Rogation Horn, 
 p. 297. 
 
 noceni e, he is said to be jus- 
 tified or acquitted before the 
 judge ; so he is justified be- 
 fore/ God, who, not being 
 numbered among sinners^ 
 has God for a witness and 
 assertor of his righteous- 
 ness. Thus lie must be said> 
 therefore, to be justified 
 BY WORKS, whose life discovers such purity and holiness 
 as to deserve tiie character of righteousness before the 
 throne of God ; or who by the integrity of his works can 
 answer and satisfy the divine judgment. On the otlier 
 band, he will he justified by faith, who being ex- 
 cluded from the righteousness of works, apprehends by- 
 faith i!ie righteousness of Christ, invested in which, he 
 appears, in the sight of God, not as a sinner, but as a 
 rigfiteous man. Thus we simply explain justification to 
 be an acceptance, by which God receives us into his fa-^ 
 vour, and esteems us as righteous persons. And we say^ 
 that it consists in the remission of sins and the imputa- 
 tion of the righteousness of Christ. — Institut, I, 3. c. 11. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLiU«^D. 
 
 CALVIK. 
 
 God sent his only son, out* 
 Saviour Jesus Christ, into 
 this world, to fulful the law 
 for us ; and by shedding of 
 his most precious blood, to 
 make a sacrifice and satisfac- 
 
 But with respect to th^ 
 present subject, when Paul 
 says, « the scripture fore- 
 saw that God would justify 
 the heathen througli faith,*'* 
 what can wc understaud but 
 
 • Gat iii. 8. 
 
81 
 
 CHURCH Ot ENGLAND. 
 
 tion, or (as it may be called) 
 amends to his Fatiier fur our 
 sins. — Homily of salvation, 
 P. 1. p. 12. 
 
 With his endless mercy, 
 he jfjined his most upright 
 and equal justice. His great 
 mercy he showed unto us, 
 in delivering us from our 
 former captivity, without 
 requiring of any ransom to 
 be paid, or amends to be 
 made upon our parts; which 
 thing, by us, had been im- 
 possible to be done. And 
 whereas it lay not in us that 
 to do, he provided a ransom 
 for us, that was the most 
 precious body and blciod of 
 his own most dear and best 
 beloved son Jesus Christ ; 
 who, besides this ransom, 
 fulfilled the law for us per- 
 fectly. And so the justice 
 of God and his mercy did 
 embrace together, and ful- 
 fil tl»e mystery of our re- 
 demption. — Christ is the end 
 of tlie law unto righteous- 
 ness, to every one tl>at bc- 
 lieveth. — Ibid. p. 13. 
 
 The apostle toucheth three 
 things specially, which must 
 go together in our Justifica- 
 tion. Upon God's part, his 
 great mercy and grace. Up- 
 
 CAIiVIK. 
 
 that God imputes righteous* 
 ness through faith? A.qain,, 
 when he says that God **jus- 
 tilieth the ungodly whicli be- 
 lieveth in Jesus,''* wiiat can 
 be the meaning but that he 
 delivers him by tiie blessing 
 of faith, from the condem- 
 nation deserved by his un- 
 godliness? He speaks still 
 more plainly in the conclu- 
 sion, when he thus exclaims, 
 «< wlio shall lay any thing to 
 the charge of God's elect ? 
 It is God that justifietb. 
 Who is he that condemneth? 
 It is Christ that died, yea, 
 rather that is risen again, 
 who alsomaketh intercession 
 for us."f For it is just as 
 if he had said, who shall 
 accuse them whom God ab- 
 solves? Who shall condemn 
 those for whom Christ in- 
 tercedes? Justification there- 
 fore is no other than an ac- 
 quittal from guiJt of him who 
 was accused, as though his 
 innocence had been proved. 
 Since, therefore, God justi- 
 fies us through the mediation 
 of Christ, he acquits us, not 
 by an ivdmission of our per- 
 sonal innocence, but by an 
 imputation of righteousness : 
 so that we who are un- 
 
 • Rom.ili. 26. iv.5. 
 
 I Ibid. viii. 33. 34. 
 
85^ 
 
 • 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGXAND. 
 
 CAL\IA\ 
 
 on Christ's part, justice ; 
 that is, the satisfaction of 
 God's justice, or the price 
 of our redemption, by tlie 
 offering of Iiis body, and 
 the slieddini^ of his blood ; 
 together with fulfilling of 
 the law perfectly and tho- 
 roughly. And upon our 
 part, true and lively faith in 
 the merits of Jesus Christ, 
 which yet is not ours, but 
 by God's working in us. — 
 Ibid, 
 
 It pleased our heavenly 
 Father, of his infinite mercy, 
 without any our desert or 
 deserving, to prepare for us 
 the most precious jewels of 
 Christ's body and blood, 
 whereby our ransom miglit 
 be fully paid, the law ful- 
 filled, and !»is justice fully 
 satisfied. So tlmt Christ is 
 now the righteousness of all 
 them that truly do believe in 
 him. He for them paid their 
 ransom, by his death. He, 
 for them, fulfilled the law 
 in his life. So that now, in 
 him, and by him, every true 
 Christian man may be call- 
 ed a fulfiller of the law." — 
 Ibid, p. 14. 
 
 All the good works that 
 we can do, be imperfect; 
 and therefore not able to de- 
 
 righteous in ourselves, arc 
 considered as righteous in 
 Ciii'ist. This is the doctrine 
 preached by Paul in the 
 xiiith ciiapter of the Acts : 
 "through this man is preach- 
 ed unto you the forgiveness 
 of sins : and by him, all 
 thatbelievearejustifiedfroni 
 all things, from which ye 
 could n(»t be justified by the 
 law of Moses. "^ You see 
 that after remission of sins> 
 this justification is mention- 
 ed as if by way of exi)lana- 
 tion : you see clearly that it 
 means an acquittal ; that it 
 is separated from the works 
 of the law ; that it is a mere 
 favour of Christ ; that it is 
 apprehended by faith ; you 
 see, finally, the intci'posi- 
 tion of a satisfaction, where 
 he says, that we are justified 
 from sins by Christ. Thus, 
 when it is said that the pub- 
 lican « went down to his 
 house justified,"! we can- 
 not say that he obtained 
 righteousness by any merit 
 of works. The meaning 
 therefore is, that after he 
 had obtained the pardon of 
 his sins, he was considered 
 as righteous in the sight of 
 God. — Instttut. I, S. c, 11. 
 s. 3. 
 
 Acts xiii. 38. 
 
 H 
 
 f Luke xviii. 14, 
 
m 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALV11<«, 
 
 feerve our justification : but 
 our justifiration doth come 
 freely by the mere mercy of 
 God. — 1 Horn, oj salvation^ 
 p. 13. 
 
 By grace are ye saved, 
 through faith, and that not 
 of yourselves ; for it is tlic 
 gift of God, and not of 
 works, lest any man should 
 glory. And, to be short, 
 the sum of all Paul's dispu- 
 tation is this ; that if jus- 
 tice (i. c. justification) come 
 of works, then it cometli 
 Hot of grace; and if it come 
 of grace, then it cometh not 
 of works. And to this end 
 tend all the prophets, as St. 
 Peter saith in the xth of the 
 Acts. Of Christ, all the 
 prophets (saith St. Peter) do 
 witness, that through his 
 name, all they that do be- 
 lieve in him, shall receive 
 the remission of sins. — St. 
 Hilary speaketh these words 
 plainly, in the ixth canon 
 upon Mattiiew, " Faith only 
 justifietli.'^ And St. Basil, a 
 Greek author, wiiteth tiius: 
 This is a perfect and whole 
 rejoicing in God, when a 
 man advanccth not himself 
 for his own righteousness, 
 but acknowledgeth himself 
 
 Paul certainly describes 
 justification as an accept- 
 ance when he says to thd 
 Epiiesians, «« God hath pre- 
 destinated us to the adoption 
 of children by Jesus Chrisi 
 to hiutself, according to the 
 good pleasure of his will, to 
 the praise of the glory of 
 bis grace, wherein he hath 
 made us accepted."* For 
 the meaning is tlie same as 
 when in another place we 
 are said to be "justified free- 
 ly by his grace."! ^"^ '" the 
 fourth chapter to the Ro- 
 mans, he first mentions an 
 imputation of righteousness, 
 and immediately represents 
 it as consisting in remission 
 of sins. <« David,'' says he, 
 *« describeth the blessedness 
 of the man unto whom God 
 itnputeth righteousness v\ ith- 
 out works, saying, Blessed 
 ai'e they whose iniquities are 
 forgivi^n."j: &c. He there 
 indeed argues not concern- 
 ing a branch, but the whole 
 of justification. He also 
 a(ldu( e^ the defination of it 
 given by David, wl»en he 
 pronounces them to be bless- 
 ed who receive the free 
 forgiveness of their sinsc 
 Whence it appears, that thie 
 
 Eph. 1.5,6. 
 
 t Rom. iii, 24. 
 
 ^ Eom. iv. 6— e. 
 
^7 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 to lack true justice and righ- 
 teousness, and to bo justified 
 by the only faitli in Christ. 
 And Paul (saith lie) doth 
 glory in tlie ct)ntempt of his 
 own lighteousness, and that 
 he looketh for the righteous- 
 ness of God by faith. These 
 be the very words of St. Ba- 
 sil. And St. Ambrose, a 
 Latin author, saith these 
 words: Tliis is the ordinance 
 of God, that they, whirh 
 believe in Christ, should be 
 saved without works, by 
 faith only, freely receiving 
 remission of their sins. 
 Consider diligently (adds 
 the homil)) these words, 
 without works, — ^by faith 
 only, — freely, — we receive 
 remission of our sins. What 
 can be spoken more plainly, 
 than to say, freely, without 
 works, by faitli only, we ob- 
 tain remission of our sins ? 
 — Second part of the Homily 
 of salvation, p. 14, 15. 
 
 Man cannot make himself 
 righteous by his ovyn works, 
 neither in part, nor in the 
 whole. For that were the 
 greatest arrogancy and pre- 
 sumption of man, that an- 
 tichrist could set up against 
 God, to affirm that a man 
 
 righteousness of which he 
 speaks, is simply opposed to 
 guiit. But the most decisive 
 passage of all on this point 
 is, wiiere he teaches us thai 
 the grand object of the mi- 
 nistry of the gospel is, that 
 we may <* be reconciled to 
 God/'* because he is pleas- 
 ed to receive us into his fa- 
 vour tlirongh Christ, *< not 
 imputing" our " trespasser 
 u)ito us." Let the reader 
 carefully examine the whole 
 context; for when, by way 
 of explanation, he just after 
 adds, in order to describe 
 the methodof reconciliation, 
 that Christ, <^ who knew no 
 sin,"f was <« made sin for 
 us," he undoubtedly means 
 by the term reconciliation 
 no other than justification. 
 Nor would there be any 
 truth in what lie affirms in 
 another place, that we arp 
 *< made righteous by the 
 obedience of Christ,":): un- 
 less w^e are reputed righteous 
 before God in inm and out 
 of ourselves. — Institute L q. 
 c. 11. s, 4. 
 
 But as many persons ima- 
 gine righteousness to be 
 composed of faitli and works, 
 let us also prove, before we 
 
 f 2 Cor. y. ^8, 19. 
 
 t 2Cor.v. 21 
 
 Bom. V. J P. 
 
88 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIX. 
 
 iniglit,b}'his own works, take 
 away and purge his own sins, 
 and so justify himself. But 
 justification is the office of 
 God only, and is not a thinj^ 
 which we render unto him, 
 but which we receive of him : 
 not which we give to him, 
 but which we take of him, 
 by his free mercy, and by 
 the only merits of his most 
 dearly beloved son, our only 
 redeemer, saviour, and jus- 
 iidev.'—lbiil p. 15, 16. 
 
 The true understanding of 
 this doctrine, we be justified 
 freely by faith witliout 
 works, or that we be justified 
 by faith in Christ only ; is 
 not that this our own act, to 
 believe in Christ, or this our 
 faith in Christ, which is 
 within us, doth justify us 
 and deserve our justification 
 unto us, (for that were to 
 count ourselves to be justi- 
 fied by some act or virtue 
 that is within ourselves.) — 
 So that, as Sr. John the Bap- 
 tist, althougli he were never 
 so virtuous and godly a man, 
 yet, ill this matter of for- 
 giving sin, he did put the 
 people from him, and ap- 
 pointed them unto Christ, 
 saying thus unto them, Be- 
 
 proceed, that the righteous- 
 ness of faith is so exceeding- 
 ly different from that of 
 works, tliat if the one be es^ 
 tablished, the other must ne- 
 cessarily be subverted. The 
 apostle says, «< I count all 
 things but dung, that I may 
 win Christ, and be found in 
 him, not having mine own 
 righteousness, which is of 
 the law, but that Avhich is 
 through the faith of Christ, 
 the rigliteousness which is of 
 God by faith."* Here you 
 see a comparison of two op- 
 posites, and an implication 
 that his own righteousness 
 must be forsaken by him 
 who wishes to obtain the 
 righteousness of Clirist. — 
 Wherefore, in another place 
 he states this to have been 
 the cause of the ruin of the 
 Jews, that « going about to 
 establish their own righ- 
 teousness, they have not sub- 
 mitted themselves unto the 
 righteousness of God."f If 
 by establishing our own righ- 
 teousness we reject the righ- 
 teousness of God ; then, in 
 oi'der to obtain the latter, the 
 former must doubtless be 
 entirely renounced. He con- 
 veys the same senjimen^. 
 
 • Phil. iii. 8. 
 
 Kom, X. 
 
CHURCH OF ENGLAKD. 
 
 CALVIxV. 
 
 hold, yonder is the lamb of 
 God w hich takcth away the 
 sins of tlie world : even so, 
 as great and as godly a vir- 
 tue as faith is, yet it putteth 
 lis from itself, aiid remittetli 
 orappoititeth iisnnto Christ, 
 for to have only by liim re- 
 mission of our sins, or jus- 
 tification, so that oui' faith 
 in Christ (as it were) saith 
 unto us thus. It is not 1 that 
 take away your sins, but it 
 is Christ only, and to him 
 only I send you for that pur- 
 pose ; forsaking therein all 
 your good virtues, words, 
 tlioughts, and works, and 
 only putting your trust in 
 Christ. — Homily of salva- 
 tio7i9 Part 11. p. 16. 
 
 God of his own mer- 
 cy, through the oiily me- 
 rits and deservings of Jiis 
 Son Jesus Christ, doth 
 justify ns. Nevertheless, 
 because faith doth directly 
 send us to Christ, for remis- 
 sion of our sins ; and that 
 by faith, given us of God, 
 we embrace the promise of 
 God's merry, and of the 
 remission of our sins (which 
 thing none other of our vir- 
 tues or works properly doth); 
 therefore Scripture useth to 
 
 when he asserts, that <'boast 
 ing is excluded. By what 
 law ? of works ? nay : but 
 by the law of faith."* 
 Whence it follows, that as 
 long as there remains tiic 
 least particle of rigliteous- 
 ness in our works, we retain 
 somecausefor boasting. But 
 if faith excludes all boasting, 
 the righteousness of works 
 can by no means be associat- 
 ed with the righteousness of 
 faith. To this purpose he 
 speaks so clearly in the 
 fourth chapter to the Ro- 
 mans, as to leave no room 
 for cavil or uncertainty. « If 
 Abraham (says he) were jus- 
 tified by works, he hath 
 whereof to glory. "f He 
 adds, *< but" lie hath «< not" 
 whereof to glory ♦* before 
 God." It follows, therefore, 
 that he was not justified by 
 works. Then he advances 
 anotI)er argument from two 
 opposites. << To him that 
 worketh is the reward not 
 reckoned of grace, but of 
 debt.":|: But righteousness 
 is attributed to faith through 
 grace. Therefore it is not 
 from the merit of works. 
 Adieu tjjerefore to tl>e fan- 
 ciful motion of those who 
 
 Rom. 
 
 t Ibid. iv. 2. 
 
 i Ibid. iv. 4 
 
CHUllCH OF ENGLAND. CALVIN. 
 
 says tl»at faith without works imai^iiiearighteousnessconi- 
 doth justity, And foras- pounded of faith and works, 
 mucli, that it is all one sen- — Institiit. L 3. c. 11. s* 13. 
 tnn( c in effect, to say, faith 
 
 withorjt works, and only faith, doth justify us | therefore, 
 the old ancient fathers of the church, from time to time, 
 ha\e uttered our justification with this speech, only faith 
 justifieth us : meaning none other thin.^ than St. Paul, 
 meant, when he said, faith witliout works justifieth us. 
 And because all this is brought to pass through the only 
 merits and deservings of our Saviour Christ, and not 
 through our merits, or through the merit of any virtue that 
 we Ijave within us, or of any work that comethfrom us; 
 therefore, in that respect of merit and deserving, we for- 
 sake (as it were) all together again, faith, works, and all 
 other virtues. For our own imperfection is so great, 
 throu.^h the corruption of original sin, that all is imperfect 
 that is within us ; faith, charity, hope, dread, thoughts, 
 words, and v, orks ; and therefore not apt to merit and 
 discern any part of our justification for us. And this form 
 of speaking use we in the humbling of ourselves to God; 
 and to give all the glory to our Saviour Christ, who is 
 best worthy to have it. — Ibid, Part IH. p. 17, 
 
 The Bishop's statement of the doctrine of Jus- 
 tification is not consistent with that given by the 
 Church in these passages. He says, p. 111. — 
 ^' Had there been such an unwearied observance'^ 
 of the law " in any one, it would have given him 
 a title upon the ground of strict justice, without 
 any grace or favour, to tlie sentence of justifica- 
 tion :'' and in the following page he adds, <^ Faith 
 Btands in the place of righteousness or uniform 
 obedience ; and through the mercy of God obtains 
 for the transgressor that justification as an act 
 of grace, which his own uniform obedience, had it 
 
91 
 
 taken place, would have obtained for him as a- 
 debt of justice." If his lordship means, '* that 
 this OUR OWN ACT, to helievB in Christ , or this 
 OUR FAITH in Christ, which is within us, doth 
 JUSTIFY us and deserve our justification unto 
 us," this is what the Homily expressly denies. — 
 If his lordsliip's meaning be any thing else, he 
 has been extremely unhappy in the language he 
 has used on this siihjcct. 
 
 If his lordship b»' really attached to the doctrine 
 of the Articles and Homilies, how can we account 
 for such observations as these ? ^- There are more 
 passages in the epistles, which attribute justijica- 
 tion and salvation to good works than to faith." p. 
 161. '' Men, as they now are, are not capable of 
 perfect obedience, but they are capable of endea- 
 vouring to attain it. Such an endeavour is their 
 indispensable duty; and although it may not in all 
 instances, and upon every occasion, be effectual, it 
 is humbly hoped that it may be sufficient to 
 
 RECOMMEND THEM TO THE FAVOUR OF GrOD." p. 
 
 174'. " the attainment of eternal happiness is 
 made to depend upon our own choice and exer- 
 tions." p. 65. " Our Saviour not only assigns 
 eternal life to those who have performed acts of 
 mercy to their fellow creatures, but expressly on 
 account of those acts^ In the New Testament, 
 " WORKS ARE clearly made the grand hinge on 
 which our justification and salvation turn." 
 — " Works are the grand turning point in the 
 matter of our salvation.'- p. 181. 
 
 The frequent assertion of St. Paul, that a man 
 is not justified by the works of the law, is repre- 
 sented by Dr. T. as referring solely to *^ the oh- 
 iservaiice of the rites and ceremonies of the Mosj^i?? 
 
93 
 
 dispensation.'^ p. 114', 115. He says^ '^ Wben 
 ever St. Paul, in speaking of justification, uses the 
 word works or deeds, lie invariabhj adds, " of the 
 law;'' he, frequently says, '' a man is not justified 
 by the works of the law ;" but not once does he 
 say '' a man is not jn^^tified by works." p. 120. 
 But had his lordship forgotten this passage ? ^* If 
 Abraham were justified by works, he hath where- 
 of to glory." Rom. iv. S, Here we find the 
 phrase '^justified by works/' not followed by the 
 words which his lordship asserts are " invariably 
 ADDED." The works denied to liave had any 
 share in Abraham's justification could not be 
 ^^ the rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic dispen- 
 sation" — and we are expressly informed in a sub- 
 sequent verse, that this refers to a period even an- 
 tecedent to the institution of circumcision. 
 
 His lordship says, " it is the doctrine of our 
 church that baptism duly administered, confers 
 justification." p. 147. Baptism may be duly admi- 
 nistered, and yet not be rightly received. Its 
 spiritual benefits are restricted in the 27th article, 
 to them *^ that receive \i rightly,^^ But in what 
 part of the Articles, Homilies, or Liturgy, it is said 
 to confer justification, his lordship has not thought 
 proper to state. Such an assertion as this requir- 
 ed proof. But his lordship is accustomed to as- 
 §eriion wiikout jpvoof. 
 
98 
 
 CHAPTER XIIL 
 
 Faith approjiriates Christ, 
 
 CHURCH or ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 A quick or lively faith — 
 is not only the common be- 
 lief of the articles of our 
 faith, but it is also a true 
 trust and confidence of the 
 mercy of God through oup 
 Lord Jesus Christ, and a 
 steadfast hope of all good 
 things to he received at 
 God's hand. — 1 ffom, on 
 faith, p. 20. 
 
 They (the Old Testament 
 saints) did not only know 
 God to be tlie lord, maker, 
 and governor of all men in 
 the world : but also they had 
 a special confidence and 
 trust, that he was, and would 
 be, their God, their comfort- 
 er, aider, iielper, maintainer, 
 and defender. This is the 
 Christian faith vvlHch these 
 holy men had, and we also 
 ought to have. — -2 Horn, on 
 faith p. 23. 
 
 But why do I use such an 
 obscure testimony? Paul in- 
 variably denies, tliat peace 
 or tranquillity can be en- 
 joyed in the conscience, 
 without a certainty that we 
 are "justified by faith."* 
 And he also declares, whence 
 that certainty proceeds; it is 
 " because the love of God is 
 shed abroad in our hearts by 
 the Holy Ghost;"tas though 
 he had said that our con- 
 sciences can never be satis- 
 fied without a certain per- 
 suasion of our acceptance 
 with God. Thence lie ex- 
 claims in the name of all 
 the pious, « Who shall se- 
 parate us from the love of 
 God, which is in Christ ?'*t 
 for till we have readied that 
 port of safety, we siiall trem - 
 ble with alarm at every 
 slightest breeze ; but while 
 
 • I^om, V. 1. 
 
 f Rom. V. 
 
 Rom. viii. 3J 
 
9^ 
 
 OHVKGH OP ^VaUkS-D. 
 
 CALVXK. 
 
 He that doth consider all God shall manifest himself 
 these things, and believeth as our shep!)crd, we shall 
 tl»em assurejily, as they are *< fear no evil."*— •J/isiiiii?. 
 to be believed, even from L S, c, 3 3. s. 5. 
 the bottom of his heart; 
 
 being established in God in this true faith, having a quiet 
 conscience in Christ, a firm hope, and assured trust in 
 God's mercy, through the merits of Jesus Christ, to ob = 
 tain this quietness, rest, and everlasting joy ; shall not 
 only be without fear of bodily death, &c. — 3 Horn, against 
 fear of death, }^, 61, 62, 
 
 * Psalm xxiij. 4- 
 
Qd 
 
 CHAPTER XIV; 
 
 Justification not merited by Man. 
 
 CHUKCII OF ENGLAND. 
 
 *< To fast, with this per- 
 suasion of mind, tliat our 
 fasting and our good works 
 can make us perfect and just 
 men, and, finally, bring us 
 to heaven; tiiis is a devilish 
 persuasion." — 1 Hoin, on 
 fasting, p. 168. 
 
 ** It" [namely, the para- 
 ble of the Pharisee and Pub- 
 liran] " is spoken to them 
 that trusted in themselves, 
 that they were rigliteous, 
 and despised others. Now, 
 because the Pharisee direct- 
 eth !)is works to an evil end, 
 seeking by them justifira- 
 tion, whicli indeed is the 
 proper work of God, with- 
 out our merits; his fasting 
 twi( e in the week, and all 
 bis other works, though they 
 were never so many, arid 
 seemed to the world never 
 so good and holy, yet, in 
 Very deed, before Ood, they 
 
 CALVIN, 
 
 The observation of Au- 
 gustine is strictly true, that 
 all, who are strangers to the 
 religion of the one true 
 God, however tiiey may be 
 esteemed worthy of admira- 
 tion for their reputed virtue, 
 not only merit no reward, 
 but are rather deserving of 
 punishment ; because they 
 contaminate the pure gifts 
 of God with tlie pollution of 
 their own hearts. For though 
 they are instruments used 
 by God for the preservation 
 of human society by the ex- 
 ei'cise of justice, continence, 
 friendship, temperance, for- 
 titude, and prudence; yet 
 they perform these goad 
 works of God very impro- 
 j)erly ; being restrained from 
 the commission of evil, not 
 by a sincere attacl»ment to 
 true virtue, but either by 
 mere amUittoiip or by etlt- 
 
96 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 are altogether evil and abo- love, or by some other irre^ 
 minablc.".^ — >Ibl(L \}. 169, gulardispositiou. These ac- 
 tions therefore being cor- 
 rupted in their very source by the impurity of their 
 hearts, are n(» more entitled to be classed among virtues, 
 than those vices which commonly deceive mankind by 
 their affinity and similitude to virtues. Besides, when 
 we remember that the end of what is right is always to 
 serve God; whatever is directed to any other end can 
 have no claim to that appellation. Therefore, since 
 they regard not the end prescribed by divine wisdom, 
 though an act performed by them be externally and ap- 
 parently good, yet being directed to a wrong end it be- 
 comes sin. — Institut. L 3. c. ±^, s. 3. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND, 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 Works done before the 
 grace of Christ, and the in- 
 spiration of his spirit, are 
 not pleasant to God, foras- 
 much as they spring not of 
 faith in Jesus Christ, neither 
 do they make men meet to 
 receive grace, or (as the 
 school authors say) deserve 
 grace of congruity : yea, 
 rather for that they are not 
 done as God hath willed and 
 commanded them to bedone, 
 we doubt not but they have 
 the nature of sin. — >ArL 13. 
 
 *< These works the apo- 
 stle calleth good works ; 
 saying, we are G(»d's work- 
 mansliip, created in Christ 
 Jesus to good works, which 
 God halli ordained that we 
 
 We lay it down therefore 
 as an undoubted truth, 
 which ought to be well 
 known to such as are but 
 moderately versed in the 
 Scriptures, that even the 
 most splendid works of men 
 not yet truly sanctified, are 
 so far from righteousness 
 in the divine view, that they 
 are accounted sins. And 
 therefore they have strictly 
 adhered to the truth, who 
 have maintained that the 
 Works of a man do not con- 
 ciliate God's favour to his 
 person ; but, on the con- 
 trary, that works are never 
 acceptable to God utdess 
 the person who pei-forms 
 them has previously found 
 
97 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 shoukl walk in tliem. And 
 yet his meaning is not by 
 these words to induce us to 
 have any affiance, or to put 
 any confidence in our works, 
 as by the merit and deserving 
 of them to purchase to our- 
 selves and others remission 
 of sin, and so consequently 
 everlasting life : for that 
 w eremere blaGphemyagainst 
 God's mercy, and great de- 
 rogation to the blood-slied- 
 ding of our Saviour Jesus 
 Christ. For it is of the free 
 grace and mercy of God, by 
 the mediation of the blood of 
 his Son Jesus Christ, with- 
 out merit or deserving on 
 our part, that we are recon- 
 ciled and brought again into 
 his favour, and are made 
 heirs of his heavenly king- 
 dom. Grace, saith St. Au- 
 gustine, belonging to God, 
 who doth call us : and tlicn 
 hath lie good works, whoso- 
 ever received grace. Good 
 works then, bring not forlh 
 grace, but are bi'ougiit forth 
 by grace. The wheel (saith 
 he) turneth round, not to the 
 end that it may be made 
 round ; but, because it is 
 first made round, therefore 
 it turneth round. So no 
 
 favour in his sight. And 
 this order which the Scrip- 
 ture directs us is religiously 
 to be observed. Moses re- 
 lates, that <* the Lord had 
 respect unto Abel and to his 
 offering."^ Does he not 
 plainly indicate that the 
 Lord is propitious to men 
 before he regards their 
 works? Wherefore tlie pu- 
 rification of the heait is a ne- 
 cessary prerequisite, in order 
 that the works which we 
 perform may be favourably 
 received by God ; for the 
 declaration of Jeremiah is 
 always in force, that the 
 " eyes of the Lord are upon 
 the truth."! And the Holy 
 Ghost hath asserted by the 
 mouth of Peter, which proves 
 that it is « by faith":(: alone 
 that the « heart is purified," 
 that the first foundation is 
 laid in a true and living 
 faith. — Institut. I, 3. c. 14. 
 .s. 8. 
 
 The grace througli w hich 
 our works are accepted, is 
 no other than the free good- 
 ness of the Father, with 
 which he embraces us in 
 Christ: when he invests us 
 with the righteousness of 
 Christ, and accepts it as 
 
 * Gen. iv. 4. 
 
 I Jerem. v. 3. 
 I 
 
 t Acts. XV. 9. 
 
98 
 
 ciiuRen or engxand. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 man doeth good works to 
 receive grace by his good 
 works, but because he hath 
 first received grace, there- 
 fore, consequently he doeth 
 good works. And in an- 
 other place, he [St. Austin] 
 saith : Good works go not 
 before, in him which shall 
 afterwards be justified ; but 
 good works do follow after, 
 when a man is, first, justified. 
 ' — Part 1. Horn, of fasting, 
 « Let them all come to- 
 gether, that be now glo- 
 rified in heaven, and let us 
 hear what answer they vviil 
 make in these points before 
 rehearsed, wliethertheirfirst 
 creation was in God's good- 
 ness, or of themselves. For- 
 sooth, David would make 
 answer for tliem all and say, 
 Know ye for surety, eventlie 
 Xord is God : he hath made 
 lis, and not wc ourselves. If 
 they were asked again, who 
 shall be thanked for their 
 regeneration? for their jus- 
 tification ? and for their sal- 
 vation ? whether their de- 
 serts, or God's goodness 
 only ? let David answer by 
 the mouth of them all at 
 this time, who cannotchoose 
 but say, Not to us, Lord, 
 not to us, but to thy name 
 give all the thanks, for thy 
 
 oiirs, in order that in conse- 
 quence of it he may treat us 
 as holy, pure, and righteous 
 persons : for the righteous- 
 ness of Christ (which, be- 
 ing the only perfect righte- 
 ousness, is the only one 
 that can bear the divine 
 scrutiny), must be produced 
 on our behalf, and judicially 
 presented as in the case of a 
 surety. Beiiig furnislied 
 with this, we obtain by faith 
 the perpetual remission of 
 our sins. Our imperfections 
 and impurities, being con- 
 cealed by its purity, are not 
 imputed to us ,* but are as it 
 were buried and pi-evented 
 from appearing in the view 
 of divine justice; till the 
 advent of that I»our, when, 
 tlie old man being slain and 
 utterly annihilated in us, the 
 divine goodness shall receive 
 us inti> a blessed peace with 
 tlie new Adam, in that state 
 to wait for the day of the 
 Lord, when we shall receive 
 incorruptible bodies, and be 
 translated to the glories of 
 the celestial kingdom. — In- 
 stitut, L 3. c, 14. s, 12, 
 
 If these things are true, 
 surely no works of ours can 
 render us acceptable to God ; 
 nor can the actions them- 
 selves be pleasing to him, 
 
99 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND, 
 
 CALYliV. 
 
 lovin.e; mercy and for thy 
 trutli's sake. If we should 
 ask again, from whence 
 came their glorious works 
 and deeds, which they 
 wrought in their lives, 
 wherewith God was so high- 
 lypleased and worsliipped by 
 them? letsomeother witness 
 he brought in to testify this 
 matter ; that in the moutli 
 of two or three may tlie 
 truth be known. Verily, 
 that holy prophet Esay bear- 
 eth record, and saith, O 
 Lord, it is thou of thy good- 
 ness, that hast wrought all 
 our works in us, not we our- 
 selves. And to uphold the 
 truth of this matter against 
 all justiciaries and hypo- 
 crites, which rob Almighty 
 God of his honour, and 
 ascribe it to themselves, St. 
 Paul bringeth in his belief: 
 AVe be not (saith he) suffi- 
 cient of ourselves once to 
 think any thing ; but all our 
 ableness is of God's good- 
 ness. For he it is in whom 
 we have all our being, and 
 living, and moving. If ye 
 will know furthermore 
 where they had their gifts 
 and sacrifices, which they 
 offered continually in their 
 
 any otherwise than as a 
 num, who is covered with 
 the righteousness r>f Christ, 
 pleases God and obtains the 
 remission of his sins. — Iti- 
 stitat. s. 13. 
 
 This tlierefore is a differ- 
 ent and separate qucstif)U, 
 whether, altiiongh works be 
 totally insuffi(ient for the 
 justification of men, they do 
 not nevertheless merit the 
 grace of God ? — Instltut, I, 
 3. c. 15. s. 1. 
 
 The Scripture sliows what 
 all our works are capable of 
 meriting, when it re[)resents 
 them as unable to bear the 
 divine scrutiny, because they 
 are full of impurity ; and in 
 the next place, what would 
 be merited by the perfect ob- 
 servance of the law, if this 
 could any where be found, 
 when it thus directs us, 
 " When ye shall have done 
 all these things whicli are 
 commanded you, say. We 
 are unprofitable servants;"'^' 
 because we shall not have 
 conferred any favour on 
 God, but only have per- 
 formed the duties incumbent 
 on us, for which no thimks 
 are due. Nevertheless, the 
 good works which the Lord 
 
 » Luke xvii. 10. 
 
100 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 lives to Amiglity God ; they 
 cannot but agree with Da- 
 vid, where he saith, Uf thy 
 liberal Iiand, O Lord, we 
 have received that we gave 
 unto thee. If this holy com- 
 pany, therefore, confess so 
 constantly, that all the 
 goods and graces wherewith 
 they were endued in soul. 
 
 Iiath conferred on us, he de- 
 nominates our own, and de- 
 clares that he will not onlyac- 
 cept, but also reward them. 
 It is our duty to be animated 
 by so great a promise, and 
 to excite our minds that we 
 « be not weary in well do- 
 ing,"^ and to be truly grate- 
 ful for so great an instance 
 
 rame of the goodness of of divine goodness. It is be- 
 God only ; what more can yond a douht, that whatever 
 
 be said to prove, tliat all that 
 is good Cometh from Al- 
 luigiity God ? — To justify a 
 sinner, to new create him 
 JVom a wicked person to a 
 righteous man, is a greater 
 act (saith St. Augustine) 
 than to make such a new 
 heaven and earth as is al- 
 ready made — 1 Rogation 
 Horn, p. 289, 290. 
 
 is laudable in our works, 
 proceeds from the grace of 
 God, and that we cannot 
 properly ascribe the least 
 portion of it to ourselves. — 
 Insiitut L 3. c. 15. 5. 3. 
 
 But, on tlie contrary, our 
 doctrine, without any men- 
 tion of merit, animates the 
 minds of the faithful with 
 peculiar consolation, while 
 
 we teach them that their 
 works are pleasing to God, and that tlieir persons are 
 undoubtedly accepted by him. And we likewise require 
 that MO man attempt or undertake any work without 
 faith ; that is, unless he can previously determine, with a 
 certain confidence of mind, that it will be pleasing to 
 God. — Insiitut, I. 3. c. 15. s. 7. 
 
 Dr. Tumlinf is of opinion, that ^^ to represent 
 every human deed as an actual sin, and deserving; of 
 everlastin*; punishment, is not only unauthorised by- 
 Scripture, hut is also of very dangerous conse- 
 
 Gal. vi. 9. 2 Thess. iii. 1! 
 
101 
 
 cjuenees.^' p. 17:5. Does this passage refer to 
 •* works which are the fruits of faith, and follow 
 after justification?'^ Then his lordship's accusa- 
 tion of <^ a strife of words and perverse disputing," 
 p. 183. may well be retorted on himself — for by 
 whom is such a representation ever made? But 
 does the passage refer to '^ works done before the 
 grace of Christ?" Then tiie representation here 
 censured by his Lordship is precisely that of the 
 Articles and Homilies. 
 
102 
 
 CHAPTER XY. 
 
 Good Works in their proper 'place. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 Albeit that good works, 
 which are the fruits of faith, 
 and follow afterjustification, 
 cannot put away our sins, 
 and endure the severity of 
 God's judgment : yet are 
 they pleasing and acceptable 
 to Qod in Christ, and do 
 spring out necessarily of a 
 true and lively faith ; inso- 
 much, that by them a lively 
 faith may be as evidently 
 known, as a tree discerned 
 by the ivi\\i.~-Jlrt. 12. 
 
 As tlie good fruit is not 
 the cause that the tree is 
 good, but the tree must first 
 be good, before it can bring 
 forth good fruit; so the good 
 deeds of men are not the 
 cause that maketli man good, 
 but he is first made good by 
 the spirit and grace of God, 
 tliat effectually worketh in 
 him, and altcrvvards he 
 
 They allege that justifica- 
 tion by faith destroys good 
 works. I omit all observa- 
 tion on the characters of 
 these zealots forgood works, 
 who thus calumniate us. Let 
 them rail with impunity as 
 licentiously as they infect 
 the whole world with the 
 inipurity of their lives. They 
 affect to lament, that while 
 faith Is so magnificently ex- 
 tolled, works are degraded 
 from their proper rank. — 
 Wliat if they be more en- 
 couraged and established ? 
 For we never dream either of 
 a faith destitute of good 
 works, or of a justiiication 
 unattended by them : this is 
 the sole difference, that while 
 we acknowledge a necessary 
 connexion between faith and 
 good Works, we attribute 
 justification not to works^ 
 
108 
 
 CHITRCH OP EFfGlAND. 
 
 CALVIW. 
 
 bringetli forth good fruit. — 
 2 Horn, on alms deeds, p. 236. 
 
 The right and true Chris- 
 tian faith is, not only to be- 
 lieve, that holy scripture 
 and all the aforesaid articles 
 of our faith are true ; but 
 also to have a sure trust 
 and confidence in God's 
 merciful promises, to be 
 saved from everlasting dam- 
 nation by Christ : w hereof 
 doth follow a loving heart to 
 obey his commandments.*— 
 For how can a man have this 
 true faith, this sure trust and 
 confidence in God, that by 
 the merits of Christ his 
 sins be forgiven, and he re- 
 conciled to tlie favour of God, 
 and to be partaker of the 
 kingdom of heaven by 
 Christ, when lie liveth un- 
 godly, and denieth Christ 
 in his deeds? — 3 Hoin, of 
 salvation f p. 18. 
 
 Very liberal and gentle is 
 the spirit of wisdom. In 
 his power shall we have suf- 
 ficient ability to know our 
 duty to God. In him shall 
 we be conforted and encou- 
 raged to walk in our duty. 
 In him sliall we be meet ves- 
 sels to receive the grace of 
 Almighty God : for it is he 
 
 but to faith. Our reason for 
 this we can readily explain, 
 if we only turn to Ciirist, 
 towards whom faith is di- 
 rected, and from whom it 
 receives all its virtue. Why 
 then are we j ustified by faith ? 
 Because, by faith we appre- 
 hend the righteousness of 
 Christ, which is the only- 
 medium of our reconcilia- 
 tion to God. But this you 
 cannot attain, without at- 
 taining at the same time to 
 sanctification. For he « is 
 made unto us wisdom, and 
 righteousness, and sanctifi- 
 cation, and redemption."* 
 Christ thert^fore justifies no 
 one whom he does not also 
 sanctify. For these benefits 
 are perpetually and indis- 
 solubly connected, so that 
 whom he illuminates with 
 his wisdom, them he re- 
 deems ; whom he redeems, 
 he justifies; v\hom he justi- 
 fies, he sanctifies. 
 
 Butasthepresentquestion 
 relates only to righteousness 
 and justification, let us in- 
 sist on them. We may dis- 
 tinguish between them, but 
 Christ contains both insepa- 
 rably in himself. Do you 
 wish then to obtain righ- 
 
 » 1 Cor. i. 30, 
 
104 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 that ptirgetli and purifieth 
 tlic mind, by liis secret work- 
 ing. And he only is present 
 every where by his invisible 
 power, and containeth all 
 thin,^s in his dominion. He 
 lighteneth the heart, to con- 
 ceive worthy thoughts of 
 Almighty God : he sitteth in 
 the tongue of man, to stir 
 him to speak his honour. 
 He only ministereth spiritual 
 strength to the powers of our 
 soul and body. To hold the 
 way which God had pre- 
 pared for us, to walk rightly 
 in our journey, we must ac- 
 knowledge that it is in the 
 power of his spirit, which 
 helpeth our infirmity. — 3 
 Horn, for Rogation week, 
 p. 299. 
 
 CAXYIN. 
 
 tec us n ess in Christ ? You 
 must first possess Christ,' 
 but you cannot possess him 
 without becoming a partaker 
 of his sanctification, for he 
 cannot be divided. Since 
 then the Lord affords us the 
 enjoyment of these blessings, 
 only in the bestowment of 
 himself, he gives them both 
 together ; and never one 
 without the other. Thus we 
 see how true it is, that we 
 are justified not without 
 works, yet not by works ; 
 since union with Christ, by 
 which we are justified, con- 
 tains sanctification as well 
 as righteousness. — Institute 
 L 3. c. 16. s. 1. 
 
 The Bishop tells us, that ^' if we believed that 
 good works were not the appointed condition of 
 our salvation, we should of course become indif- 
 ferent to the character of our actions.'' p. 17^. — 
 The compilers of the Articles and Homilies seem 
 not to have been apprehensive of the doctrine of 
 salvation by grace having any such tendency. His 
 lordship also maintains, " that there is no neces- 
 sary connexion between faith or belief and good 
 works." p. 130. Rut how can he reconcile this 
 with the above quotations from the Church ? 
 
105 
 
 t umCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 True failli will show forth 
 itselfjaiulcaniiotloni^heidle: 
 I'or, as it is written, the just 
 man doth live by his faith ; 
 he never slcopcth, nor is 
 idle, when he would wake 
 and be well occupied. And 
 God, by his prophet Jeremy, 
 saith, that he is a happy and 
 blessed man wiiich hath faith 
 and confidence in God : for 
 he is like a tree set by the 
 waterside, and spreadeth his 
 roots abroad towards the 
 moisture, and feareth not 
 heat when it cometh ; his 
 leaf will be green, and will 
 not cease to bring forth his 
 fruit : even so, faitl»ful men 
 
 It is also exceedingly false 
 that the minds of men are 
 seduced from an inclination 
 to virtue by our divesting 
 them of all ideas of merit.*— 
 Institutl. S. c. 16. s. 2. 
 
 Besides if men require to 
 be stimulated, no man can 
 urge more forcible arguments 
 than such as arise from the 
 end of our redemption and 
 calling ; such as tlie word of 
 God adduces, when it incul- 
 cates, that it is the greatest 
 and most impious ingrati- 
 tude, not reciprocally to 
 " love him who first loved 
 us ;"^ that « by the blood 
 of Christ our consciences 
 (putting away all fear of ad- are purged from dead works 
 Tersity) will show forth the to serve the living God;"f 
 fruit of their good works, as tliat it is a horrible sacri- 
 occasion is offered to do lege, after having been once 
 them. — 1 Ilom, on faith, purged, to defile ourselves 
 p. 21. with new pollutions, and to 
 
 St. Paul therefore teach- profane that sacred blood ; 
 eth, that we must do good that we have been " deliv- 
 
 works, for divers respects. 
 1. To show ourselves obe- 
 dient children to our heaven- 
 ly Father, &c. 2. For that 
 tlicy are good declarations 
 and testimonials of our jus- 
 tification. 3. That others, 
 scing our good works, may 
 
 * John iv. 10, 19. 
 § Luke i. 74, 75. 
 
 ered out of the hand of our 
 enemics,":j: that we " might 
 serve him without fear, in 
 holiness and righteousness 
 before him all the days of 
 our life;"§ that we are 
 « made free from sin,"|| 
 that with a free spirit we 
 
 ^ Ibid. X. 29. 
 
 t Ileb. ix. 14. 
 II Horn. vi. 18 
 
106 
 
 CHURCn OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 the rather by them be stirred 
 up, and excited, &c. — Horn, 
 of fasting, Part I. 
 
 The just man falleth seven 
 times, and riseth again. — ► 
 Thoui^h the godly do fall, 
 yet they walk not on pur- 
 posely in sin ; iliQ-s stand not 
 still, to continue and tarry in 
 yin ; they sit not down like 
 careless men, without ail fear 
 of God's just punishment for 
 sin ; but, defying sin, 
 through God's great grace 
 and infinite mercy, tliey rise 
 again, and fight against 
 sin. — 2 Horn, on certain 
 places of sciiptiiref p. 226. 
 
 might " become tlic ser- 
 vants of righteousness ;"* 
 << that our old man is cruci- 
 fied," that " we should walk 
 in newness of life." Again, 
 « If ye be risen with Christ, 
 (as his members indeed are) 
 seek those things which are 
 above,"! and conduct your- 
 selves as pilgrims on the 
 earth, that you may aspire 
 towards heaven, where your 
 treasure is. That " the grace 
 of God hath appeared, 
 teaching us, that denying 
 ungodliness and worldly 
 lusts, we should live sober- 
 ly, righteously, and godly, 
 in this present world ; look- 
 ing for that blessed hope 
 and the glorious appearing 
 of the great God and our Saviour.":!: Wherefore << God 
 hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation 
 by Christ."§ That we are <« the temples of the Holy 
 Ghost,"|| which it is unlawful to profane. That we are 
 not darkmss, •< but light in the Lord,"^ whom it becomes 
 to « walk as children of the light;" that <« God hath not 
 called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. For this 
 is the will of God, even our sanctification, that we should 
 abstain from fornication :"** that our calling is a holy 
 one, which should be followed by a correspondent purity 
 of life. If That we are «< made free from sin,":j:^ that we 
 might " become servants of righteousness." Can we be 
 incited to ciiarity by any stronger argument than tliat of 
 
 • Rom. vi. 4, 6. 
 § 2 rhess. V. 9. 
 51 Kph li. 21 ; V 8. 
 ft I Pet. i. 15. 
 
 t Col. ill. 1. t Tit. iii. H. 
 
 I) 1 Cor.ii. 16, 17: vi. 19, 
 *• I rhess. IV. 3» 7. 
 44 Horn. vi. 18. 
 
107 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 John, " If God so loved us, we ought also to love one am 
 otiier ? In this tlie children of God are manifest, and th6 
 children of the devil;"* hereby the children of light, by 
 their abiding in love, are distinguished from the children 
 of darkness. Or that of Paul, that if we be united to 
 Clirist, we are members of one body, and ought to afford 
 each other mutual assistance ?f Or can we be more pow- 
 erfully excited to holiness, that when we are informed by 
 John, that "every man that hath this hope in him, puri- 
 fieth himself, even as God is pure ?":[: Or when Paul says, 
 <« ll;iving tlierefore these promises, (relative to our adop- 
 tion.) let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the 
 flesh and spirit ?"§ or tlmn when we hear Christ propos- 
 ing himself as our example, that we should follow his 
 steps ? — Institut L 3. c. 16. s. 2. 
 
 These few instances, indeed, I have given as a speci- 
 men ; for, if I were disposed to pursue every particular 
 passage, I sliould produce a large volume. The apostles 
 are quite full of admonitions, exhortations, and reproofs 
 to <•' furnish the man of God to every good work," and 
 that without any mention of merit. But they rather de- 
 duce their principal exhortations from this consideration, 
 that our salvation depends not on any merit of ours, but 
 merely on the mercy of God. As Paiil, after having very 
 largely shown, that we can have no hoj)e (if life but from 
 the righteousness of Christ, when he proceeds to exlior- 
 tations, beseeches us by that divine mercy with which we 
 have been favoured. || — Institut /. 3. c. IC. s. 3. 
 
 * John iv. 11. f 1 Cor. xii. 12. i 1 Jahn iii, 2. 
 
 § 2 Cor. i. 7. II Rom. xii. 1. 
 
108 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Predestination and Election. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 The true church is an uni- 
 versal congregation or fel- 
 lowship of God's faithful 
 and elect people, built upon 
 the foundation of the apos- 
 tles and prophets, Jesus 
 Christ himself being the 
 head corner stone. — Homily 
 for Whitstuiday, p. 283. 
 
 Predestination to life is the 
 everlasting purpose of God, 
 whereby, before tl»e foun- 
 dations of the world were 
 laid, he hath constantly de- 
 creed by his counsel, secret 
 to us, to deliver from curse 
 and damnation those wliom 
 he hath chosen in Christ out 
 of mankind, and to bring 
 them by Christ to everlast- 
 ing salvation, as vessels 
 made to honour. Whore- 
 fore, they which be endued 
 with so excellent a benefit of 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 Another passage from this 
 apostle will still more clearly 
 express my meaning. <« He 
 hath chosen us (he says) be- 
 fore the foundation of the 
 world, according to the good 
 pleasure of his will, that we 
 should be holy and without 
 blame before him :"^ where 
 he opposes tlie good plea- 
 sure of God to all our merits 
 wiiatsoever. — Institut, L 3. 
 c. 22. s. 1. 
 
 To.,render the ])roof more 
 complete, it will be useful 
 to notice all the clauses of 
 tiiat passage, which, taken 
 in connexion, leave no room 
 for doubt. By the appella- 
 tion of the elect or chosen, 
 he certainly designates the 
 faithful, as he soon after de- 
 clares : wherefore, it is cor- 
 rupting the term by a shame- 
 
 Eph.i, 4, 
 
10() 
 
 CHUKCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 (jO(1, be called according to 
 God's purpose by Ills Spirit 
 working in due season : tiiey 
 through grace obey the call- 
 ing : they be justified freely: 
 they be made sons of God 
 by adoption ; they be made 
 like the image of his only 
 begotten Son Jesus Christ : 
 they walk religiouslyin good 
 works, and at length, by 
 God's mercy, they attain to 
 everlasting felicity.-.;3ri. 17. 
 Once more : God, of his 
 mercy and special favour to- 
 wards them whom he hath 
 appointed to everlasting sal- 
 vation, hath so offered his 
 grace especially, and they 
 have so received it fruitfully, 
 that although, by reason of 
 their sinful living outwardly, 
 they seemed before to iiave 
 been the children of wrath 
 and perdition ; yet now, the 
 Spiritof God mightily work- 
 ing in them, they declare by 
 their outward deeds and life, 
 in the showing of mercy and 
 charity (which cannot come 
 but of the Spiritof God, and 
 his especial grace), that they 
 are the undoubted children 
 of Grod, appointed to ever- 
 lasting life. And so, as, by 
 their wickedness and ungod- 
 ly living, they showed them- 
 selves according tothe judg- 
 
 CALVIX. 
 
 ful fiction to pervert it to tlic 
 age in which the gospel was 
 published. By saying that 
 they were elected before the 
 creation of the world, he pre- 
 cludes every consideration 
 of merit. For what could 
 be the reason for discrimina- 
 tion between those who yet 
 had no existence, and whose 
 condition was afterwards to 
 be the same in Adam ^ Now 
 if they are chosen in 
 Christ, it follows not only 
 that each individual is cho- 
 sen out of himself, but also 
 that some are separated from 
 other,* for, it is evident, all 
 are not memljcrs of Christ. 
 The next clause, that they 
 were «« chosen that they 
 might be holy," fully refutes 
 the error which derives elec- 
 tion from foreknowledge ; 
 since Paul, on the contrary, 
 declares that all the virtue 
 discovered in men is the ef- 
 fect of election. If any in- 
 quiry be made after a supe- 
 rior cause, Paul replies, that 
 Cod thus *< predestinated,'^ 
 and that it Vvas « according 
 to the good pleasure of his 
 will." This overturns any 
 means of election whicli 
 men imagine in themselves ; 
 for all the benefits conferred 
 by God for the spiritual life, 
 
110 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 ment of men, which follow 
 the outward appearance, to 
 be reprobates and castaways; 
 so now, bv their obedience 
 
 by their merciful and tender 
 pity, (wherein they show 
 themselves to be like unto 
 God, who is the fountain and 
 spring of all mercy,) they 
 declare openly and mani- 
 festly to the sight of men, 
 that they are the sons of 
 God, and elect of him unto 
 salvation.' — -2 Horn, on alms 
 deeds, p. 235, 203. 
 
 he represents as flowing from 
 this one source, that God 
 elected whom he would, and, 
 before they were born, laid 
 unto God's holy will, and up in reserve for them the 
 
 grace with which he deter- 
 mined to favour them. — In- 
 stitut, I. 3. c. 22. s, 2. 
 
 Wherever this decree of 
 God reigns, there can be no 
 consideration of any works. 
 The antithesis, indeed, is not 
 pursued here; but it must be 
 understood, as amplified by 
 the. same writer in another 
 place : « who hath called 
 us with an holy calling, not 
 according to our works, but according to his own purpose 
 and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the 
 world began,"* And w^e have already shown that the fol- 
 lowing clause, " that we should be holy," removes every 
 difficulty. For say. Because he foresaw they would be 
 holy, therefore he chose them, and you will invert the or- 
 der of Paul. You may safely infer then. If he chose 
 us that we should be holy, his foresight of our future ho- 
 liness w as not the cause of his choice. For these two pro- 
 positions, that the holiness of the pious is the fruit of 
 election, and that they attain it by means of works, are 
 incompatible with each other. Nor is there any force in 
 the cavil to which they frequently resort, that the grace of 
 election was not God's reward of antecedent works, but 
 his gift to future ones. For, when it is said that the faith- 
 ful were elected that they should be holy, it is fully implied 
 that the holiness they were in future to possess had its ori- 
 gin in election. And what consistency would there be in 
 asserting, that things derived from election were the causes 
 of election ? 
 
 * 2 Tim. i. 9. 
 
Ill 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 A subsequent clause seems furtlicr to confirm wliat lie 
 had said, <« according to his good pleasure which he i)ur- 
 posed in liimsclf."* For the assertion that God purposed 
 in himself, is equivalent to saying that he considered no- 
 thing out of iiimself, with any view to influence his deter- 
 mination. Therefore he immediately subjoins, that the 
 great and only object of our election is, " that we sliould be 
 to the praise of divine grace." Certainly tlie grace of 
 God deserves not the sole praise of our election, unless 
 tliis election be gratuitous. Now it could not be gra- 
 tuitous, if in choosing his people God himself considered 
 what would be the nature of their respective works. 
 Tlie declaration of Christ to his disciples, tlierefore, is 
 universally applicable to all the faitiiful : "Ye have not 
 chosen me, but I have chosen you ;"t which not only 
 excludes past merits, but signifies that they had nothing in 
 themselves to cause tkeir election, independently of his pre- 
 venting mercy. This also is the meaning of that passage 
 of Paul, <* Who hath first given to him, and it shall be 
 recompensed unto him ^ain ?'':t^ For his design is to show, 
 that God's goodness together anticipates men, finding 
 nothing in them either past or future to conciliate his fa- 
 vour to them. — Institut. L 3. c. 22, s. 3. 
 
 We must therefore come to that more select people, 
 whom, Paul in another place tells us, " God foreknew,"^ 
 not using this word, according to the fancy of our oppo- 
 nents, to signify a prospect, from a place of idle observa- 
 tion, of things which he has no part in transacting, but in 
 the sense in which it is frequently used. For certainly, 
 when Peter says that Christ was " delivcred"l| to death 
 *i by the determinate council and foreknowledge of God," 
 he introduces God not as a mere spectator, but as the au- 
 thor of our salvation. So the same Peter, by calling the 
 faithful to whom he writes, "elect according to the fore- 
 knowledge of God,'-<[l properly expresses that secret pre- 
 
 • Eph. i. 9. t John xv. 16. i Rom. xi.^55. 
 
 § Rum. xi. 2. }! Acts ii. 2J. ^ 1 P«;t. i. «• 
 
CAXYIX. 
 
 destination by which God has marked out whom he vvouUl 
 ns his children. And the word purpose, whicli is added as 
 a synonymous term, and in common speech is always ex- 
 pressive of fixed determination, undoubtedly implies that 
 God, as the author of our salvation, does not go out of 
 himself. — Institut. L 3. c. 22. s. 6. 
 
 But the discriminating election of God, which is other- 
 wise concealed within himself, he manifests only by his 
 - ailing, which may therefore with propriety be called the 
 lestification or evidence of it. « For whom he did fore- 
 know, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the 
 image of his Son. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, 
 them he also called : and whom he called, them he also 
 justified,"^ in order to their eventual glorification. — 
 Though by choosing his people the Lord has adopted 
 them as his children, yet we see tliat they enter not on 
 the possession of so great a blessing, till they are called ; 
 on the other hand, as soon as they are called, they im- 
 mediately enjoy some communication of his election.—^ 
 On which account, Paul calls the spirit received by them, 
 both « the spirit of adoption, and the seal and earnest of 
 the future inheritance;"! because, by his testimony, he 
 confirms and seals to their hearts the certainty of their 
 future adoption. — Institut. L 3. c. 24. s, 1. 
 
 Dr. Tomeline states his opinion on Predestina- 
 tion in the following manner : ^^ Predestination to 
 life is not an absolute decree of eternal happiness 
 to certain individuals, but a gracious purpose of 
 God, to make a conditional offer of salvation to 
 men, through the merits of Christ.'^ p. 206. While 
 the objects of ^^ Predestination to life'^ are describ- 
 ed in the Article, as " those whom God bath cho- 
 sen in Christ out of mankind, and constantly de- 
 creed to bring by Christ to everlasting salvation/' 
 
 * Rom. viii. 29, 30. f Rom. viii. 15, 16. 
 
113 
 
 — Ills lordsliip describes tliem as '' those to whom 
 God decreed to make known the gospel of (Jhiist.'^ 
 p. Sfi6. He then introduces a question, '' Are all 
 to whom the gospel is made known predestinated to 
 life?^' and, inconsistently with himself, answers it 
 in the negative. For, if " predestination to life'^ 
 be '' a purpose to make a conditional offer of sal- 
 vation to men througli the merits of Christ;'^ p. 
 S66. and if '^ salvation has been offered to all to 
 to whom the gospel has been made known, since 
 its first promulgation ;-' p. 193, how can we avoid 
 tlie inference, that " all to whom the gospel is 
 made known are predestinated to life?*' The ab- 
 surdity of this inference proves some fallacy in tiie 
 premises. If^ as the Article asserts, " those which 
 be endued with so excellent a benefit of Grod,'' as 
 " predestination to life,'' do <• at length by God's 
 mercy attain to everlasting felicity ;" then " pre- 
 destination TO life" must be something more 
 
 than " A GRACIOUS purpose to make a CONDI-. 
 
 TiONAL OFFER OF SALVATION," — and cau be no- 
 thing short of '^ AN absolute decree of eternal 
 happiness to certain individuals." 
 
 Heylin, v/ho is frequently quoted by Dr. Tom- 
 line, was a violent anti-Calvinist ; yet hovv different 
 is his interpretation of the 17th Article from the 
 unnatural and inconsistent exposition given by his 
 lordship ! 
 
 '' Predestination to life is defined in the 17tli 
 Article ; in which definition there are these things 
 to be observed: 1. That predestination doth pre- 
 suppose a curse, or state of damnation, in whicli 
 all mankind was presented to the sight of God. 
 S. That it is an act of his from everlasting; he- 
 cause from everlasting he foresaw that misery into 
 
 K «- 
 
114j 
 
 which wretched man would fall. 3. That lie 
 ibunded it, and resolved for it, in the oian and 
 mediator Christ Jesus, both for the purpose and 
 performance. 4. That it was of some special ones 
 alone; elect, called forth, and reserved in Christ, 
 and not generally extended unto all mankind. 5. 
 Tuat, being thus elected in Christ, they shall be 
 brought by Christ to everlasting salvation. And 6. 
 That this counsel is secret to us : for though there 
 bi' revealed to us some iiopeful signs of our elec- 
 tion and predestination to life, yet the certainty 
 thereof is a secret hidden inGod/^ — Life of Laud. 
 Jntrod, 
 
115 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 The Comfort of Predestination. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 As the i^odly consideration 
 of predestination and our 
 election in Christ is lull of 
 sweet, pleasant, and un- 
 speakable comfort to godly 
 persons, and such as feel in 
 themselves the working of 
 the Spirit of Christ, morli- 
 fj ing tlie works of the flesh, 
 and their earthly members, 
 and drawing up their mind 
 to higli and heavenly things; 
 as well because it doth great- 
 ly establish and confirm their 
 faith of eternal salvation, to 
 be enjoyed through Christ, 
 as because it dotli fervently 
 kindle their love towards 
 Goi\.—-Jirt, 17, 
 
 The certainty of it, indeed, 
 we are to seek here ; for, if 
 we attempt to penetrate to 
 the eternal decree of God, 
 we shall be ingulfed in the 
 profound abyss. But when 
 God has discovered it to us, 
 we must ascend to loftier 
 heights, that the cause may 
 not be lost in the eflfect. 
 For what can be more absurd 
 and inconsistent, when the 
 Scripture teaches that we are 
 illuminated according asGod 
 has chosen us, than our eyes 
 being so dazzled with the 
 blaze of this light as to re- 
 fuse to contemplate election? 
 At the same time I admit. 
 
 that in order to attain an as- 
 surance of our salvation, we ougiit to «»begin with the 
 woid, and that with it our confidence ought to be satis- 
 fied, so as to call upon God as our Father. For some 
 persons, to obtain certainty respecting the counsel of 
 God, « which is nigh unto us in our mouth and in our 
 
116 
 
 CALviy. 
 
 heart,'** preposterously wish to soar above the clouds. 
 Su( h temeriry therefore should be restrained by the so- 
 briety of faith, that we may be satisfied with the testi- 
 mony of God in his external word respecting; lus secret 
 giace ; only the channel which conveys to us such a co- 
 pious stream to satisfy our thirst, must not deprive the 
 fountain head of the honour which belongs to it. — Institut, 
 L 3. c. 24. s. 3. 
 
 While the Article represents this doctrine as 
 agreeably only ^* to godly persons,'^ Dr. Tomline 
 insists, that '' The proud and sklfish nature of 
 man falls an easy victim to the fascinating; doctrines 
 of election and grace.'' p. -^83. Dr. T. does in- 
 deed say, in reference to his statement of Precles- 
 tination, ^' this godly consideration of Predesti- 
 nation and our Election in Christ is full of sweet, 
 pleasant, and unspeakable comfort." But it has 
 been shown that the doctrine of Predestination, as 
 stated by him, is completely at variance with the 
 doctrine of the Church. While the Article states, 
 that ^' it (the godly consideration of Predestination 
 and Election in Christ by godly persons) doth 
 greatly establish and confirm tjjeir faith of eternal 
 salvation'' — his lordship's gloss on this part of it 
 is, that ^^ their faith of eternal salvation is greatly 
 established and confirmed from a consciousness of 
 their own obedience and religious walking in good 
 works." p 267. 
 
 * Duet. xxs. U. 
 
117 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 The Muse of Predestination, 
 
 CAXVIX. 
 
 When miserable man en- 
 deavours to force his way 
 into the secret recesses of 
 divine wisdom, and to pe- 
 netrate even to the highest 
 eternity, that he may dis- 
 cover what is determined 
 concerning him at the tri- 
 bunal of God ; then he pre. 
 
 CnUECH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 So, for curious and carnal 
 persons, lacking the Spirit 
 of Christ, to have continu- 
 ally before their eyes the 
 sentence of God's predesti- 
 nation, is a most dangerous 
 downful, whereby the devil 
 doth thrust tliem either into 
 desperation, or into wretch- 
 
 K'sness of the most unclean clpitates himself to be ab- 
 living no less perilous than sorbed in the profound of 
 desperation. — Art, 17. an unfathomable gulf: then 
 
 he entangles himself in 
 numberless and inextricable snares; then he sinks him- 
 self in an abjss of total darkness. For it is right that 
 the folly of the human mind should be thus punished 
 with horrible destruction, when it attempts by its own 
 ability to rise to the summit of divine wisdom. This 
 temptation is 'the more fatal, because there is no other to 
 which men in general have a stronger propensity. For 
 tliere is scarcely a person to be found v>hose mind is not 
 sometimes struck with this thought, Whence can you ob- 
 tain salvation, but from the election of God ? and what 
 revelation have you received of election ? If this has 
 
118 , 
 
 CALVIN. . 
 
 once impressed a man, it either perpetually excruciates 
 the unl)a]>y being with dreadful torments, or altogether 
 stupifies him with astonislnnent. Indeed, I should de- 
 sire no stronger argument to prove how extremely erro- 
 neous the conceptions of such persons are, respecting 
 predestination, than experience itself; since no error can 
 affect the mind, more pestilent than such as disturbs the 
 conscience, and destroys its peace and tranquillity to- 
 wards God. Therefore, if we dread shipwreck, let us 
 anxiously beware of this rock, on which none ever strike 
 without being destroyed. But though the discussion of 
 predestination may be compared to a dangerous ocean, 
 yet in traversing over it tl»e navigation is safe and se- 
 cure, and I will also add pleasant, unless any one freely 
 wishes to expose himself to danger. For as those who, 
 in order to gain an assurance of their election, examine 
 into the eternal counsel of God without the word, plunge 
 themselves into a fatal abyss ; so they w ho investigate it 
 in a regular and orderly manner as it is contained in the 
 word, derive from such inquiry the benefit of peculiar 
 consolation. — JnstUut. I, 3. c. 2i. s. 4. 
 
 In attempting to explain away this part of the 
 lyth Article, his lordship gives us another defini- 
 tion of Predestination somewhat different from that 
 already cited from him. ^' What is this sentence 
 of God's Predestination ? It cannot be the sentence 
 of Predestination we have been consideping, by 
 which God purposed and decreed to save all who 
 shall believe and obey the gospel.'^ p. 267- But 
 his lordship has not advanced the shadow of an 
 argument to show that the word Predestination, 
 in this part of the Article, ought to be understood 
 in a different sense from what it bears in the be- 
 ginning of it. And the meaniog of it there is too 
 
119 
 
 clear to need any further elucidation. But who- 
 ever peruses his 'orclship's treatise with an expec- 
 tation of finding its assertions supported by clear 
 proofs^ and its positions established by solid arga- 
 mentS; will meet with little but^disappointmcnt. 
 
ISO 
 
 CHAPTER XiX. 
 
 The Use of the Promises. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 Furthermore, we must 
 receive God's promises in 
 such wise as they be gene- 
 rally set forth to us in holy 
 Scripture : and in our do- 
 ings, that will of God is to 
 be followed, which we have 
 expressly declared unto us 
 in the Word of God.— 
 .irt. 17. 
 
 Two things are chiefly to 
 be respected, in every good 
 and godly man's prayer; 
 his own necessity, and the 
 glory of Almighty God. 
 Necessity belongeth either 
 out wardly to the body, or 
 inwardly to the soul ; which 
 part of man [i. e. the soul], 
 because it is much more 
 precious and excellent than 
 the other, therefore we 
 ought, first of all, to crave 
 such things as properly be- 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 For though faith in elec- 
 tion animates us to call up- 
 on God, yet it would be 
 preposterous to obtrude it 
 upon him when we pray, or 
 to stipulate this condition : 
 O Lord, if I am elected, 
 hear me; since it is his 
 pleasure that we sliould be 
 satisfied with his promises, 
 and make no further in- 
 quiries whether he will be 
 propitious to our prayers. 
 This prudence vrill extri- 
 cate us from many snares, 
 if we know how to make 
 a right use of what has 
 been rightly written ; but 
 we must not inconsiderately 
 apply to various purposes, 
 wliat ought to be restricted 
 to tiie object particularly 
 designed, — InstiUit, I, 3. c. 
 2i..5. 5. 
 
CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 lon,^ to tlie salvation tliercof : as, the gift of repentance ; 
 the gift of faith ; the gift of charity and good works ; re- 
 mission and forgiveness of sins, kc. and such otlicr like 
 fruits of the Spirit. — 3 Horn, on prayer ^ p, 198. 
 
i2^ 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Baptism and Regeneration. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAXD. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 Sacraments ordained of 
 Christ, be not only badges 
 or tokens of Christian men's 
 profession ; but rather they 
 be certain sure witnesses, 
 and effectual signs of grace 
 and God's guod will towards 
 us, by the which he doth 
 work invisibly in us, and 
 doth not only quicken, but 
 also strengthen and confirm 
 our faith in Iiim. — Art. 25. 
 
 What meanest thou by 
 this word Sacrament ? — I 
 mean an outward and visible 
 sign of an inward and spi- 
 ritual grace. 
 
 What is the outward and 
 visible sign in baptism ? — 
 Water. 
 
 What is the inward and 
 spiritual grace ? — A death 
 unto sin and a new birth 
 unto righteousness. — Cat. 
 
 Baptism is a sign of re- 
 generation or new birth, 
 
 In the first place, it is ne- 
 cessary to consider wliat a 
 Sacrament is. Now I think 
 it will be a simple and ap- 
 propriate definition, if we say 
 that it is an outward sign by 
 which the Lord seals in our 
 consciences the promises of 
 his good will towards us to 
 support the weakness of aur 
 faith, aud we on our part 
 testify our piety towards him, 
 in his presence and that of 
 angels, as well as before men. 
 It may however be more 
 briefly defined in other 
 words, by calling it a testi- 
 mony of tlie grace of God 
 towards us, confirmed by an 
 outward sign, with a recip- 
 rocal attesfation of our pie- 
 ty towards him. Whichever 
 of these definitions you 
 choose, it conveys precisely 
 the same meaning as that of 
 Augustine, which states a 
 
123 
 
 CHLRCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 whereby, as by an instru- 
 ment, tbey that receive bap- 
 tism RIGHTLY are grafted 
 into the Church.— Jlrt. 27. 
 
 We call upon thee for 
 these persons, that they 
 comini^ to thy holy bai)tism 
 may receive remission of 
 their sins by spiritual re- 
 generation. — Baptism of 
 liersons of riper years. 
 
 Let us only trust to be 
 saved by his death and pas- 
 sion, and to have our sins 
 clean washed away through 
 his most precious blood ; 
 that in the end of the world, 
 when he shall come again 
 to judge both the quick and 
 the dead, he may receive us 
 into his heavenly kingdom, 
 and place us in the number 
 of his elect and chosen peo- 
 jde.— 2 Horn, on the passion, 
 p. 261. 
 
 sacrament to be <* a visible 
 sign of a sacred tiling," or 
 " a visible form of invisihle 
 grace." — Instifat, I, 4. c. 
 1 i. s. 1 . 
 
 He quotes from Augus- 
 tine respecting baptism : — • 
 " The wasliing of regene- 
 ration is common to all ; but 
 the grace itself, by which 
 the members of Christ a»'c 
 regenerated with their head, 
 is not common to all. — 
 s. 15. 
 
 Wherefore wc may cer- 
 tainly conclude, that the 
 office of saci-aments is 
 the same as that of God's 
 word, which is to offer and 
 present Christ to us, and in 
 him the treasures of hea- 
 venly grace. But they 
 avail or profit nothing un- 
 less they are received by 
 faith. — s. 17. 
 
 Baptism is a sign of ini- 
 tiation, by which we are admitted into the society of tiie 
 Church, that, being engrafted into Christ, we may be 
 numbered among the children of God.- — Institut, I. 4. c. 
 15. s. 1. 
 
 All those who are clothed with the righteousness of 
 Christ are also regenerated by the Spirit, and of this re- 
 generation Vv'e have an earnest in baptism.* — s. 12. 
 
 Dr. Tomline says,—^^ The holy right (Bap- 
 tism) by which these invaluable blessings arc 
 
 Rom. vi. 1, 4j &c. 
 
i2h 
 
 ^^ communicated is by St. Paul figuratively called 
 ^^ Regeneration or New Birth. Many similar 
 '* phrases occur in the New Testament, such as 
 ^* ^ born of water and of the Spirit, begotten again 
 ^^ unto a lively hope, dead in sins and quickened 
 ^^ together with Christ, buried with Christ in bap- 
 '* tism, born again not of corruptible seed, but of 
 ^' incorruptible :' these expressions all relate to a 
 '* single act once performed upon an individual. — 
 ^^ The word Regeneration therefore is in Scrip- 
 ^^ ture solely and exclusively applied to the one 
 ^* immediate effect of baptism once administered, 
 ^* and is never used as synonymous to the repent- 
 " ance or reformation of a Christian, or to express 
 ** any operation of the Holy Ghost upon the hu- 
 '' man mind subsequent to baptism.'^ p. S% 86. 
 
 Here his lordship evidently confounds, what 
 the Church has so clearly distinguished, the out- 
 ward AND VISIBLE SIGN witll the INWARD AND 
 
 SPIRITUAL GRACE, the washiug of baptism with 
 
 SPIRITUAL REGENERATION, and loSCS Sight of the 
 
 limitation of the benefits of baptism to those '' that 
 ^' receive it rightly.'^ If baptism be ^« a sign of 
 <* Regeneration,'' how can it be Regeneration itself? 
 as is here asserted. If it be an '* inward effect pro- 
 ^^ duced by the Holy Ghost through the means of 
 <^ baptism,'' in the case of every person that is 
 baptised, as his lordship fully implies p. O."?, and 
 by adopting as his own the quotation p. SO, ex- 
 expressly maintains, how can the benefits of this 
 Sacrament be confined to those *• that receive it 
 ^^ rightly?" ' 
 
 But the Bishop's notion of Regeneration is so 
 completely at variance with every Scriptural re- 
 presentation of that important subject, has an as- 
 
i25 
 
 pect so unfavourable to the promotion of real piety, 
 leads to such an erroneous estimate of ^' attention to 
 ^' the outward acts of religion''* as of greater value 
 than ^' purity of mind and singleness of heart/'* 
 and so directly tends to inspire delusive hope and 
 false confidence in persons who, though baptised 
 like Simon Magus, are like him still " in the gall 
 ^' of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity," and 
 therefore need, as much as any heathen can need, 
 ^< the washing of regeneration and renewing of the 
 ^^ Holy Ghost ;" that I trust the reader will excuse 
 my digressing a little to notice, in a very brief 
 manner, one or two of the confident assertions by 
 which this notion is attempted to be supported. 
 
 His lordship adopts as his own the following 
 passages from two authors respecting the ancient 
 use of the term Regeneration. 
 
 '* And the Christians did in all ancient times con- 
 •^ tinue the use of this name for baptism ; so as that 
 ** they 7iever use the word regenerate or born 
 ^' agaiiif but that they mean or denote by it 
 "'• baptism."! 
 
 ^^ Regeneration in the language of the Fathers 
 ^^ coMsfaw% signifies the participation of the sa- 
 *' crament of baptism. "f 
 
 For the correctness of these assertions his lord- 
 ship has made himself particularly responsible bj 
 declaring in his preface, 5> that he has ^' carefiilhj 
 ^^ examined nearly seventy folio volumes — of the 
 ^^ Fathers of the first four or five centuries — and 
 
 * Refut. p. 283. 
 
 t Wall's Hist of Inf. Rapt. Int. Sect. 6. 
 
 ♦ Dr. Nicholls on Com. Prayer. 
 § P^ge 5. 
 
 < L 2 
 
i2Q 
 
 ^.^ extracted from tbcm whatever related to the sub- 
 ^^ je< »s in question.'^ 
 
 Persons who b«'lieve, with the Church of England 
 that *^ Holy Scripture containeth all things neces- 
 << sary to salvation/'^ and attach n(i iraportance in 
 religion to ^' whatsoever is not read therein nor 
 ^< may be proved thereby/*'* however they may 
 venerate the piety and zeal of the Fathers, cannot 
 consider their writings as any authority in faith or 
 practice. But as many rpaders perhaps will take 
 it fi>r granted that his lordship is accurate as to the 
 luaiier i)i^ fact, let me request their attention to the 
 following quotations. 
 
 Clemi:>jt of Alexandria, speaking of an unchaste 
 woman, says, she *Mives indeed in sin, hut is dead 
 ^' to the comma!)ds ; but beroniing penitent, as if 
 ^* born agahi by conversion of life, she has regene- 
 ^•' ration of life ; the old sinner indeed being dead, 
 ^^ but she who has been horn hij repentance having 
 *^ entered into life again, ^^'\ 
 
 EusEBius culls the renovation of the world at 
 the last day " the regeneration of all things. ''f 
 
 Basil the Great says, that the Stoics introduce 
 innumerable corruptions and regenerations of the 
 world. § 
 
 On the expression of our Lord, (Matt. xix. 28.) 
 " Ye which have followed me, in the regeneration 
 *' when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of 
 '^ his glory, ye also shall sit ni)on twelve thrones;" 
 
 ♦ Art. 6. 
 
 + O/cv dL\i4yi)iynb*io-A xat* t«v £7r/r§c<J)HV tk ^/8 TraKiyyiVimtv i^^i fa>«c' 
 nSvi)itviai: fj-iv t;): wcpi-^f tkc Tr-i-XttiA^, it' ^lov 6i 7rupi\6ii(r»i uvfjn t»c 
 K*rci T>!V /uiTuvjiAv yivvnO(i<r>ii . — Clem Alex, sub fiii. liij. 2 Stromal. 
 
 i Tav oKov 7rA)jyyi'.'i<na.v.- K'\!,(.-h. Praep. Evan^. lib. 15. cap. 11. 
 
 § Avu^as (pQo^eti KovfAH Kcf.1 7r*\<) >eN^<*f .— Bssil. M. Horn. 3. 
 
1^7 
 
 AuGUSTiNK says, '^ by regeneration in this 
 ^* place he undoubtedly means the final resur- 
 «« iTction.''^ 
 
 The same Father, in another part of his works, 
 referring to tlie same expression of our Lord, says, 
 by the word regeneration he *' unquestionahly in- 
 *^ tended the resurrection of the dead ; for thus 
 " our body will be regenerated by incorruplioii 
 ^^ as our soul has heen regenerated by faith. ^'f 
 
 And in another place, *• the renovation of the 
 •^ !)0(ly which will take place at the resurrection 
 <^ our Lord calls regeneration. '^I^ 
 
 Jkrome on the same passage says, ^* in the re- 
 .V generation, that is, when the dead shall rise from 
 *^ corruption to incorruption.'*^ 
 
 Theophylact says, ^' hy regeneration under- 
 *^ stand the resurrection. ''|| 
 
 Theophanes says, '* the 2;eneral resurrection, 
 ^^ which he called regeneration, as begetting us 
 '' again and restoring us to our primitive state.*'T[ 
 
 Origen and Bernard** furnish instances of a 
 similar application of the term, in passages too 
 Ions; to be inserted here. 
 
 DiONYSius the Areopagite says, that ^^ holy 
 ^^ souls, who during the present life are liable to 
 
 • Rcf^eneralioncm hoc loco, ambigente nnllo, novissimam resur- 
 rectioiH m vocat Auifust. ad l^ela^. epist. lib. 3. cap. 3. 
 
 ■\ Q.iod ait, in regcneratione, procul tlubio mortuorum resiirrec- 
 tion'^in nomine voluit regeneratioiiis intelligi ; sic eninn c^iro ncstra 
 regenerabiiur per incorruptionem, quemadmoduai est anima nostra 
 regenerata per fidem — De Civit. Dei, lib. 20. cap. 5. 
 
 \ Corporis remn'ationem, quae fiet in resurrectione, regenerationem 
 vocat Dominiis — De Peccat. &c. lib. 2 cap. 7. 
 
 § In rcgeneraiione, id est, quando mortui de corruptione resurgent 
 incomipti. — Hieron.in Mattli. lib. 3. 
 
 II Uu-Ki-yyiVio-tnv tuv ctvu^airiv voti. Theophylact. in eund. loc. 
 
 ^ iv TH Kitvn ctyATAcru, »v 7rA\fyyiV{(riu.v iK'XXiriv, at stv&ic avetyiy- 
 
 yxTo-v ny.cL^t »«/ m ro etpj(^xiov f^irxynTAy. Theophan. Homil. 41. 
 
 •• O'.'gen. in Matt. orat. 9. 
 Bernard, de bonis dcserend. 
 
1S8 
 
 ^^ fall into evil, shall in the re^^eneraflon be re- 
 '^ moved to a stale of immutability and perfect 
 '^ conformity to God.''* 
 
 EprPHAKius, speaking of the human body under 
 the image of an earthen vessel, and the Creator 
 under the character of a potter, says, that '^ in the 
 ^« regeneration he will restore the vessel by a re- 
 ^' resurrection to its former beauty. ^'f 
 
 Basil of Caesarea, speaking of the reception of 
 PauFs prcacliing at Athens, says, ^* they laugh 
 ^^ extremely at us, when we speak of the end of 
 <^ this world and the regeneration of life. ''J 
 
 Athanasius says, " In tlie regeneration we 
 '^ shall all rise again as one raan.''§ 
 
 Isidore of Pelusiura says, " I can prove from 
 ^^ all the sacred Scriptures, that the Jewish state 
 " is come to an end, and shall have no regenera- 
 " tion,^'\\ 
 
 The word ai^ymy.n?, a cognate of the verb avctyev- 
 v*« used by the Apostle Peter, and perfectly syno- 
 nymous with 7rct\tyyiviri:t, IS slso found itt the writ- 
 ings of the Fathers. 
 
 Gkegory of Nazianznm says of the Holy Spi- 
 rit, tiiat '* he effects the spiritual regeneration,^^^ 
 
 Cyril of Jerusalem says of Christ, ^' on the 
 ^^ fortieth day after his regeneration from the 
 ^* dead, he ascended to the Jerusalem above."** 
 
 • Ev rn TTAXiyyiViritL t»v iVt to arfHTrrov i^ac-l ^fOtiStrstTiiv fxirarct^iv. 
 — Dionys. Areopag-. de- Hic-rarch. End. cap 7 
 
 I" Ivu etvdic (V TH Tru^iyytttvidi avaa-KivaiTH to et,yyos iv rn etVttTTctff-ii 
 i7( Tuv ttp^AiAv (petiSfornret — ''iplph. Haeres. lib. 37 
 
 + Tlifi eruvrtkiiA; th KOcrfAH t»tk **/ TraLXiyytviTta. atuvoc. — Bas. Csesar. 
 Horn. 1. 
 
 § Ev Tw TTAXiyyiniTiit TTuvrtc a>c its AvSfdTres eLTravta-rcLfxiBst. — Athaii. 
 Quaes.. 24. iid .^iiiioch. 
 
 jj TldKtyyiyta-iAv ax «A^"- — Tsidor. Pelus. Epist. 17. lib 4 
 
 ^ i^hfjUH^yiiTnv TTViujuATiKw AYiiyivv)i<riv .—Gvegov. Niiz Orat. 44. 
 
 •* Mint na-a-'jpxicoVTct n/uipxc rue 6k viKpegv avxyiVVHa-ieDt 61S mf AVm 
 
 Uf\(cxKnfxjLHh.uhu^i.^Cyriil Hieros. Orat.de Simeon. 
 
l;3y 
 
 That words expressive of Regeneration are fre- 
 quently used hy the Fathers in reference to Bap- 
 tism, is readily conceded ; and Chrysostom gives 
 the following reason for such an application of the 
 figure. '' Because Baptism is said to be a sym- 
 " hoi, or sign, of a death and a resurrection, there- 
 ^' fore it is also called regeneration. For as he 
 '' who rises from the dead appears to be born 
 ^' again, so he who is regenerated in baptism, 
 ^' having first died in the water, being thus i-aised 
 '^ out of it by the power of the Spirit, is said to be 
 •^ regenerated ; the immersion resembling a burial, 
 ^' to the person baptised, and the ele\^tion of the 
 '^ head at the pronunciation of eacli divine name, 
 " and the ascent out of the water, resembling a 
 ^^ resurrection by the Spirit.''* But that the Fa- 
 thers restricted the use of the word regeneration 
 to the Sacrament of Baptism, the foregoing quota- 
 tions demonstrate to be an assertion contrary to 
 fact. We find it also applied by them to a state of 
 repentance, — to a state of faith, — to the resurrec- 
 tion of the body, — to the renovation of the world 
 after the final conflagration, — to the commence- 
 ment of a new period of duration after the end of 
 
 * ^TTit Kxi B-a.vu.rii Kcti oLVATita-mi <rufJiCoKov hiyzTAi tivai rro Bx7r'ftT//,a» 
 //o }tot.l Avctyivvy^crii kaMith-I. ilTTrtf yct^ o a.vt^a,fA.svoc f/.£Tct t;v S-itVATcv, 
 ciV^tS yiVicr&tn i'cKii arceg o ev ra ^a.Trriory.A'Ti *r«t^evva'^«vc?, coa-Tnp ivnTroBa- 
 
 Vm 7rpOTǤ5V TO) vS'ctTt, UTOOi iKllSiV TH SuVA/Uil T8 ITV il) fA CLT i AVl^AfAiVOC ^ 
 
 uvuyiVVAff-^dLt Kiyireti, th^ /utv KXTad^va-icoc iv tu^h 'rit<piis tcb 0a.7r<Ti^cfA.eyi» 
 ytyvc/niViig, t«? S* Avctviva-icix, th? kaB' ejt«r»v i7riKKn<riv, koli thc AVoSti rue 
 yiyvoy.ivm iKiidiV, iV ra^ii uva.rat.o-iCDg //* Tts 7rvivy.ot.T0c y:yv:juiVHQ. — Chry- 
 sost. Cat. ill Joh. iii. Chrysostom here alludes to the mode of bap- 
 tism practised by many Christians in ancient times, which was by a 
 descent into the water and an immersion of the body under water 
 three times, either in allusion to the sacred Trinity, or in reference 
 to our Lord's continuance three days in the sepulchre. See Suicer. 
 Tlies'.Hir. on the words Avot.J'uri; and Kcl^xS'uo-i^ — also on the words 
 Avayivviio-ic and Uu.Kiyyivi<j-ia. — to which I am indebted for this and 
 the foreg-oing quotations from the Fathers. 
 
130 
 
 the present world, — to the permanent state of sin- 
 less perfection to be enjoyed by the Saints in Hea- 
 ven. 
 
 Wiiat then can we think of the Bishop's 
 ^^ carefully examining nearly seventj^ folio vo- 
 *^ liimes — of the Fathers — and extracting from 
 ^^ them what related to the subjects in question'' 
 — and as the result of this careful examination 
 confidently assuring the public^ that '^ regenera- 
 ^^ tion in the language of the Fathers constantly 
 '' signifies the participation of the Sacrament of 
 '' Baptism^' — and ^^ that they never use the word 
 " regenerate but that they mean by it baptism P^^ 
 In the preface his lordship says, ^' I desire it to be 
 '^ understood that I have not selected'^ from the 
 writings of the Fathers " what suits my own pur- 
 " pose, and suppressed w hat would have made 
 ^^ against me.'^ It belongs to his lordship to ac- 
 count for the inconsistency of this declaration with 
 the matter of fact. The most charitable supposi- 
 tion that offers itself, and a supposition, if correct^ 
 the least discreditable to the learned Prelate, is, 
 that this tedious examination of the Fathers was, 
 partly, conducted by the assistance of some per- 
 son employed to read them to'liim ; and that these 
 nnfavourablc passages happened to be read at some 
 drowsy moments, when his lordship was availing 
 himself of the privilege allowed by an ancient 
 critic* to authors engaged in works of considera- 
 ble length. 15ut every sincere friend of his lord- 
 ship will ujiite in advising him, before lie hazards 
 any more general assertions respecting the Fathers, 
 10 examine their seventy folios over again. 
 
 • opera in lon^o fas est obrepere somnum. 
 
 Horat. Art. Poet. 
 
131 
 
 lu a passage, which his lordship quotes with ap- 
 probation,^ we are told that '^ Reii;eneration, as 
 ♦^ often as ^tis used in the Scripture Books, signifies 
 ^^ the Baptismal Regeneration. There is but one 
 " word which answers to this in the New Testa- 
 ^' ment, and this is uctxiyyiVicriA, and that UAKiyyiVici^xo.- 
 '^ fers to Baptism, is plain, by having the word 
 •^ x^Tfov joined with it.'^ — " According to his m» rcy 
 " he saved us, /;* a^t/js 7rct^/>>sv«^/4f, by the washing 
 ^^ of Regeneration. — Tit. iii. 5.'' But such an ob- 
 servation is little better than trifling, while the 
 New Testament contains so mnny other expressions 
 which clearly relate to the same subject. Here is 
 nothing but assertion that xj^t^pcv must refer to the 
 water of baptism, assertion unsupported by the 
 least proof. 
 
 Snppose any one were to argue in this manner : 
 '' To regenerate, as often as it is used in the Scrip- 
 •^ ture Books, signifies, not the administration of 
 " any outward and visible sign, but the communi- 
 ^^ cation of some imcard and sjnritual grace, 
 '• There is but one word which answers to this in 
 ^' the New Testament, and this is uyaymcice : and 
 ^' that ctvxyivvdLa> refers not to Baptism, is plain, by 
 " the only sacred writer who uses it neither nicn- 
 ^^ tioning that Sacrament, nor even glancing at it by 
 ^^ the most distant allusion, throughout the chapter 
 ^^ where the word occurs.^' ^^ Blessed be the God 
 ^^ and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, ac- 
 '^ cording to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us 
 ^* again (*v*>€vv«cr*c regenerated us) unto a lively 
 " hope, by the, resurrection of Jesus Christ from 
 ^' the dead. Seeing ye have purified your souls 
 
 • Refut. p. 81. 
 
13:2 
 
 '' in obeying the truth through the Spirit, unto uu- 
 '' feigned love of the brethren ; see that ye love 
 ^' one another with a pure heart fervently : being 
 '^ born again (rtv^>e>svv«/-c£i/s/ being regenerated) not 
 *^ of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by ths 
 '' word of God which liveth and abideth for ever.''^ 
 1 submit to every understanding, whether an exami- 
 nation of the whole context can discover the most 
 distant allusion to justify the application of the tertn 
 Regeneration pleaded for by his lordship, and whe- 
 ther this reasoning respecting the use of the word 
 rtvci^evv^a. bc uot ffiorc just than the above remark 
 quoted and adopted by his lordship on the word 
 rrctxiyyiVKTict, It is acknowledged by the same au- 
 thor, p. 81. that ^^our Saviour indeed made use of 
 '' the like expression before the Apostle to Nico- 
 i^ deraus, ' Except a man >e/y;,e«v ^tvaSEv be born again, 
 ^« ^ he cannot see the kingdom of God.' — John iii. 3. 
 ^^ But what he means by being born again, he ex- 
 ^' plains, ver. 6, by directing it positively to bap- 
 ^' tisra : * Except a man be born of water and of the 
 ^'' Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God/ ^^ 
 But here again we require some proof that these 
 words ought to he understood in a literal ^nse, be- 
 fore we can admit the assertion that our Lord '* di- 
 " rects" the phrase horn again " positively to bap- 
 '^ tism.'^ As well might his lordsliip contend, as 
 many have done, that when our Lord said, " Except 
 ^^ ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his 
 ^' blood, ye have no life in you ;'' he '* directed'^ 
 his meaning " positively'^ to the other Christian 
 Sacrament. But not to multiply arguments, we 
 are sure these words could have no such meanings 
 
 * 1 Pet. i. 3, 22, 23. 
 
133 
 
 as they were spoken in the present tense before 
 the Lord's Supper was instituted. With equal 
 plausibility might we understand the prediction, 
 that the Saviour would *^ baptise with the Holy 
 ^* Ghost and with fire/** of a baptism with real, 
 material fire. Tlie absurdity which such an inter- 
 pretation involves^ is not to be removed by sup- 
 posing it to have been literally accomplished on 
 the day of Pentecost in the " cloven tongues,'^ 
 which descended on the heads of the Apostles ; 
 for they were not tongues of real fire ; they only 
 resembled it — a^^ep ^yfo? — ^^*like as of fire.'' And 
 if sucli expressions as — " eating the flesh and 
 " drinking the blood of the Son of man"« — and 
 ^' baptising with the Holy Ghost and with fire" — 
 be justly understood as figurative of spiritual pri- 
 vileges and blessings, what good reason can be 
 assigned against a similar interpretation of the 
 phrase " born of water and of the Spirit ?" The 
 suspension of all sight and enjoyment of the king- 
 dom of God on a participation of the Sacrament of 
 Baptism, — is a notion that ill becomes a Protestant 
 Bishop^ a Bishop of the Church of England in the 
 nineteenth century. But it is time to return from 
 ^ihis digression. 
 
 * Matt, iii.ll. 
 
 M 
 
134^ 
 
 CUAPTER XXI. 
 
 The Sentiments of the Fathers of the Protestant 
 Ej)iscopal Church, 
 
 Sufficient evidence has now been adduced to 
 enable the reader to form a decided opinion on the 
 Calvinism or anti-Calvinism of the Church of Eng- 
 land. A collation of these two classes of extracts 
 cannot fail of producing, in every mind not blinded 
 by prejudice or perverted by interest^ the strongest 
 conviction that the doctrines inculcated by the 
 founders of this Protestant Church were^ in the 
 main, the very same that were taught by the Re- 
 former of Geneva. 
 
 This conclusion is capable of still further confir- 
 mation. The Liturgy, Articles and Homilies of 
 the Church are not the only works of its Founders 
 that have descended to the present times. There 
 are other monuments of their iheology, some com- 
 posed by them individually, some the fruits of com- 
 bined labours. To these writings Dr. Tomline 
 seems not inclined to appeal. He assumes, that 
 neither the Homilies nor any of the Formularies 
 of the Church contain any thing in favour of Cal- 
 vinistic doctrines, and from this assumption derives 
 what he calk a " negative argument," that " the 
 ^' authors were not Calvinists.'' Some of them his 
 lordship has named. " If our great Reformers, the 
 f< authors of these Homilics; Cranmeb^ Ridley, 
 
135 
 
 '^ Latimer^ and Jewell, had themselves, as is 
 '' sometimes iiretended, held Calvinistic opinions, 
 '' is it to be believed,'" &c. p. 587, 588. 
 
 The principles adopted by the two first of these 
 Prelates are largely displayed in the famous Cate- 
 chism, sometimes called King Edward's Catechism, 
 because published in the reign and uniler the au- 
 thority of Edward the Sixth ; sometimes Bishop 
 Ponet's, because he was partly concerned in its 
 compilation ; and sometimes Dr. NowePs, because 
 it was republished by him in the reign of Eliza- 
 beth. There is reason to conclude that Cranmer, 
 and there is direct evidence that llidiey, weie 
 concerned in furnishing materials for it. Both 
 these prelates cheerfully subscribed to the truth 
 of its contents, and promoted its subscription and 
 public sanction by the convocation. It was thea 
 published by the King's authority for general use, 
 and all schoolmasters were commanded to teach 
 it to their scholars. The doctrines established 
 in the reign of that Protestant Prince were, under 
 the government of his successor, denounced as im- 
 pious and heretical, and both these illustrious 
 Prelates were burnt at the stake for their resolute 
 adherence to the principles of the Reformation. 
 A printed paper published by Ckanmer contains 
 the following passago. •* If the Queen's Highness 
 " will grant thereunto, I, with Peter Martyr, and 
 ^^ other^ four or five which I shall choose, will, 
 " by God's grace, take upon us to defend, not only 
 '' the Common Prayers of the Cliurch, the minis- 
 •* trationofthe Sacraments, and other rites andcere- 
 '^ monies, but also all the doctrine and reli- 
 <• GiON set out by our Sovereign lord, King Ed- 
 " ward the Sixth, to be more pure, and according 
 
136 
 
 '* to God's word, than any other that hath heeu 
 •^ used in England these thousand years." Biit 
 of " the doctrine and religion set out by King Ed- 
 <• ward/' the Catechism enjoined upon all his sub- 
 jects, and commanded to he taught by all schoolmas- 
 ters, could not but be considered as an essential part. 
 Equal attachment to the doctrines taught in this 
 Catechism was evinced by IIidley in his imprison- 
 ment and a short time before his martyrdom. " I 
 -'• hear say/*' said he, " that the Catechism which 
 '^ was lately set forth in the English tongue, is 
 "•'^ now in every pulpit condemned'' — that is, after 
 the return of Popery under Mary — ^' Oh devilish 
 *^ malice! Satan could not long suffer that so great 
 '' light should be spread abroad in the world." — 
 I shall present the reader with a few brief ex- 
 tracts. 
 
 *^ As many as are in this faith steadfast, were 
 ^« forechosen, predestinated and appointed to ever- 
 <• lasting life, before the world was made. Wit- 
 '' ness hereof, they have within their hearts the 
 •^ spirit of Christ, the author, earnest, and unfail- 
 ^' able pledge of their faith. Which faith only is 
 ^* able to perceive the mysteries of Grod ; only 
 •^ brings peace unto the heart ; only taketh hold 
 '^ on the righteousness which is in Christ Jesus. 
 
 '• The first, principal, and most proper cause of 
 •^ our justification and salvation is the goodness 
 '' and love of God, whereby he chose us for his, 
 '^ before he made the world. After that, God 
 *' granteth us to be called, by the preaching of the 
 ^» gospel of Jesus Christ, wiien the Spirit of the 
 '* Lord is poured into us : by whose guiding and 
 '' governance we be led to settle our trust in God, 
 *^ and hope for the performance of his promise. — 
 
137 
 
 '^ From the same spirit also cometh our sanctifica- 
 '' tioii ; the love of Gotl and of our neighbour^ jus- 
 " tice and uprightness of life. Finally, to say all 
 '' in sum ; whatever is in us or may be done of 
 '^ us, honest, pure, true, and good ; it altogether 
 ^^ springeth out of this most pleasant rock, from 
 ^^ this most plentiful fountain, the goodness, love, 
 '^ choice, and uncliangeable purpose of God. He 
 •»' is the cause : the rest are iho, fruits and effects. 
 
 " Not by the worthiness of our deservings were 
 " we either heretofore chosen, or long ago saved ; 
 ^* but by the only mercy of God, and pure grace 
 ^* of Christ our Lord : whereby we were in him 
 '^ made to do those good works, that God had ap- 
 '* pointed for us to walk in. And although good 
 •• works cannot deserve to make us righteous be- 
 •• fore God, yet do they so cleave unto faith, that 
 '^ neither faith can be found without them, nor 
 "• good works be any where found without faith. 
 
 " iis for the sacrii^ces, cleansings, washings and 
 ■*^ other ceremonies of the law; they were shadows, 
 '' types, images, and figures, of the true and eter- 
 i^' nal sacrifice tiiat Je.^us CJjrist made upon the 
 ■■'^ cross : by whose benefit alone, all the sins of all 
 '* believers, from the beginning of the vv^orld, are 
 ^« pardoned, by the sole mercy of God, and not by 
 '' any merits of their own. As soon as ever Ad un 
 '^ and Eve had eaten of tiie forbiilden fruit, they 
 •^ both died ; that is they were not only liable to 
 •^ the death of the body, but they likewise lost the 
 " life of the soul, which is righteousness^. — Hence 
 " that plague, that seminary and nutrimf^nt of all 
 ^f sin, with which mankind is infected; which is 
 '' called Original Sin." 
 
 M 2 
 
1^8 
 
 Hear the co^icession of Dr. Heylin respecting 
 these and other passages of this Catechism. They 
 are, he says, *• fully consonant to the true genuine 
 " seni-e and proper meaning of all, hut more espe- 
 ^' cially of our niuth, tenth, thirteenth, sixteenth, 
 ^^ and seventeenth Articles, then newly composed. 
 *' So that whatsoever is positively and clearly af- 
 ^•' firmed in this Catechism, of any of the points 
 ^^ now controverted, may he safely implied as the 
 *^ undoubted doctrine of our Church and Articles."* 
 But how can any reader of this Catechism doubt 
 that its compilers were Calvinists, without believ- 
 ing them to be hypocrites ? 
 
 Latimeii has left two volumes of sermons, 
 chiefly practical, but which contain declarations 
 of theological sentiments, too numerous and expli- 
 cit to leave any doubt in the mind of a candid rea- 
 der what were the doctrines embraced by this ve- 
 nerable Bishop. A few passages must suffice as 
 specimens of hundreds that it would be easy to 
 adduce. 
 
 '^ Our forefather Adam wilfully ate of the apple 
 ^' forbidden. Wherefore he was cast out of the 
 ^» everlasting joy in Paradise, into this corrupt 
 '^ world, among all vileness : whereby of himself 
 " he was not worthy to <lo any thing laudable and 
 ^^ pleasant to God: evermore bound to corrupt af- 
 ^' fections, and b«*astly appetites ; transformed into 
 ^^ the nnchanest and variablest nature that was 
 *< made under heaven : of whose seed and dispo- 
 ^' sition, all the world is lineally descended. In- 
 <^ somuch that this evil nature is so diffused, and 
 *' shed from one into another, that at this day there 
 
 • Hejlin*s Miscell Tracts. 
 
139 
 
 '* is no man or woman living, that can of themselves 
 '^ wash away these abominable vilenesses ; and so 
 '^ we must needs grant of ourselves to be in like 
 '^ displeasure unto God, as our father Adam was. 
 ^•' By reason hereof, we be, of ourselves, the very 
 " children of the indignation and vengeance of 
 "^ God : the true inheritors of hell, and all work- 
 •• ing towards hell. Which is the answer to this 
 " question, made to every man and women by 
 •^ themselves, What art thou?^' 
 
 " This our nature, David, the holy king and 
 '^ prophet (Icscribeth with few words, saying, Lo, 
 '' in iniquity 1 am horn, and in sin hath my mo- 
 '• ther conceived me. He doth signify by his 
 '' words, what he had inherited of his parent 
 *• Adam; namely, sin and wickedness. And he 
 *• speakelh not of himself only, but of all man- 
 '' kind. He painteth us out in our own colours ; 
 *^ showing, that we all are contaminate, from our 
 'i birth, with sin ; and so should justly be fire- 
 ^-' brands in hell, world without end. This the 
 'i holy prophet showed in these words to put us 
 '^ in remembrance of our own wretchedness ; to 
 " teach us to despair of our own holiness and 
 ^' righteousness, and to seek our help and comfort 
 ^' by that Messias whom God hath promised to 
 '' our forefathers. — Another scripture signifieth to 
 '^ us, further, what we be of ourselves, of our own 
 '^ nature : for it is written, All men are liars. — 
 '' Therefore man is not clean ; but full of false- 
 'i hood and deceit, and all manner of sin and 
 " wickedness ; poisoned and corrupt with all maa- 
 ^^ ner of uncleanness." 
 
 " Here we may see, how much we be bound 
 " and indebted to God, who has revived us from 
 
140 
 
 ^' death to life, and saved us when we were damn- 
 '^ ed/' or under the sentence of condemnation; 
 ^^ which great benefit we cannot well consider, un- 
 ^' less we do remember what we were of ourselves, 
 *^ before we meddled with him and hi« laws. And 
 ^^ the more we know our feeble nature, and set 
 '^ less by it, the more we shall conceive and know 
 *^ in our hearts wliat God hath done for us : and 
 " the more we know what God hath done for us, 
 ^^ the less we shall set by ourselves, and the more 
 ^^ we shall love and please God. So that, in no 
 *'^ condition, we shall either know ourselves or 
 ^' God ; except wc do utterly confess ourselves 
 ^^ to be mere vileness and corruption.^' 
 
 ^' Preachers can do no more but call : God is 
 ^•' he that must bring in. God must open the 
 ^^ hearts, as it is in the Acts of the Apostles. — 
 ^^ When Paul prejiclied to the women, there was 
 •^ a silk- woman, whose heart God opened. None 
 ^^ could open it, but God. Paul could but only 
 '^ preach; God must work; God must do the thing 
 ^» inwardly." 
 
 ^•' Except a man be born again from above, lie 
 ^^ cannot see the kingdom of God. He must have 
 " a regeneration. And what is this regenera- 
 
 ^^ TION? It is NOT TO BE CHRISTENED IN AVATER, 
 
 ^* as these firebrands would have it. How is it to 
 "be expounded tlien? St. Peter shovvetli, that 
 ^^* one place of Scripture declareth another. St. 
 ^' Peter saith, And we be born again. How ? not 
 " by mortal seed, but by immortal. What is this 
 ^^ immortal seed? By the word of the living 
 '^ God ; by the word of God, preached and open- 
 " ed. Thus cometh in our new birth.'' 
 
 " St. Paul saith, Be strong in the Lord. We 
 " must be strong by a borrowed strength: for we^ 
 
»^ of uurselves are loo weak arid feeble. There- 
 *• fore let us learn^ where we shall fetch our 
 *' strength from ; name'^jr, from above. For we 
 ^^ have it not of our own selves. '' 
 
 " I pray you note this ; we must first be made 
 •^ good, before we can do good. We must first 
 ^^ be made just, before our works jilease God. 
 '^ For, when we are justified by faith in Christ, 
 ^^ and are made good in him; then cometh our 
 *^ duty, tliat is, to do good works, to make a de- 
 *' claration of our thankfulness." 
 
 '^ But you will say, Seeing we can get nothing 
 ^' with good works, we will do nothing at all ; or 
 ••' else do such works as shall best please us ; seeing 
 "^ we shall have no rewards for our well-doings. I 
 ^^ answer, We are commanded, by God's word, to 
 ^^ apply ourselves to goodness every one in his 
 ^' calling : but we must not do it, to the end to 
 ^^ deserve heaven thereby. We must do good 
 ^^ works, to show ourselves thankful for all his 
 ^^ benefits which he hath poured upon us ; and in 
 ^* respect of God's commandment : considering, 
 '^ that God willeth us to do well, not to make a 
 ^' merit of it ; for this were a denying of Christ, to 
 '^ say, 1 will live well and deserve heaven. This 
 ^^ is a damnable opinion. Let us rather think 
 ^^ thus : T will live well, to show myself thankful 
 ♦^ towards my loving God, and Christ my Re- 
 '' deemer." 
 
 '^ Our sins let us and withdraw us from prayer. 
 '^ But our Saviour maketh them nothing. When 
 ^^ we believe in him, it is like as if we had no sins. 
 '^ For he changeth with us ; he taketh our sins and 
 ^^ wickedness from us, and giveth us his holiness, 
 '^ righteousness, justice,, fulfilling of the law 5 and 
 
lis 
 
 ^* so, consequently, everlasting life. So that we 
 ^* be like as if we liad done no sin at all. For his 
 *• righteousness standethrjas in so good stead, as 
 '•'■ though we of ourselves had fulfilled the law to 
 '* the uttermost.'^ 
 
 " All faithful and true Christians belive only in 
 ^* his death. They long to be saved, through his 
 •^ passion and blood-shedding. This is all their 
 ^•' comfort. They must know, and steadfastly be- 
 ^» lieve that Christ fulfilled the law; and that his 
 *•' fulfilling is theirs. ^^ 
 
 ^^ He was a lamb undefiled, fulfilling the law for 
 ^^ us to the uttermost ; giving us, freely as a gift, 
 " his fulfilling to be ours ; so that we are now ful- 
 " fillers of the law by his fulfilling. So that the 
 *^ law may not condemn us, for he hath fulfilled it : 
 ^^ that we, believing in him, are fulfiUers of the 
 '^ law, and just before the face of Grod.'' 
 
 ^' If thou art desirous to know whether thou art 
 ^^ chosen to everlasting life, — begin with Christ, and 
 ^^ learn to know Christ, and wherefore he came ; 
 ^^ namely, that he came to save sinners, and raak^ 
 ^^ himself subject to the law, and a fulfiUer of the 
 ^^ law, to deliver us from the wrath and danger 
 •^ thereof. U thou knowest Christ, then thou mayst 
 ^^ know further of thy election." 
 
 ^^ God knoweth his elect, and diligently wateh- 
 ^^ eth and keepeth them, so that all things serve to 
 '^ their salvation. The nature of fire is, to burn all 
 ^^ that is laid in it : yet God kept the three young 
 '' men in Babylon that they burnt not. And Mo- 
 ^^ ses saw a bush on fire, but it burnt not. So false 
 ^' doctrine burneth as the fiiHi ; it corrupteth. But 
 " God kept his elect, that they were not corrupted 
 " with it I but always put their trust in one everliv- 
 
143 
 
 *^ ing God, through the death of Jesus Christ our 
 *^ Lord.'^ 
 
 " Whoever thus helieveth, mistrusting himself 
 ^^ and his own doings, and trusting in the merits of 
 '' Christ, he shall get the victory over death, the 
 " devil, and hell ; so that they shall not hurt iiim, 
 ^' neither all their powers be able to stand against 
 " any of those who are in Christ Jesus. '^ 
 
 '^ Who is a just man ? He is just that believeth in 
 '' our Savour. For, as you have heard before, 
 '^ those who believe in Christ are justified before 
 '^ God : they are clean delivered from all sins, there- 
 '^ fore may be called just; for so they are in the 
 ^' sight of God. Such, saith the prophet, he hath 
 " never seen forsaken of God.'^ 
 
 " This is now an exceeding comfort to all Chris- 
 ^^ tian people : for they may be assured, that when 
 << they believe in Christ, and Christ taketh their 
 *^ parts, there shall be nothing, neither in heaven 
 '^ nor in earth, that shall be able to hurt them, or 
 •* let them of their salvation.'' 
 
 The writings of Bishop Jewell contain similar 
 sentiments. I shall only give one extract from his 
 Exposition of the Epistles to the Thessalonians : 
 " God hath chosen you from the beginning. His 
 '* election is sure forever. The Lord knoweth who 
 « are his. Yoa shall not be deceived with the 
 '^ power and subtilty of antichrist. You shall not 
 '^ fall from grace. You shall not perish. This is 
 " the comfort which ahideth with the faithful, 
 " when they behold the fall of the wicked ; when 
 " they see them forsake the truth, and delight in 
 '^ fables; when they see them return to their vo- 
 " mit, and wallow again in the mire. When we 
 ^' see these things in others, we must say, Alas, 
 
114 
 
 ^Mhey are examples for me, and lamentable ex- 
 ^^ amples. Let him that standeth take heed that 
 '^ he fall not. But God hath loved me, and hath 
 ^^ chosen me to salvation. His mercy shall go be- 
 ''. fore me, and his mercy shall foJloAv in me. His 
 <^ mercy shall guide my feet, and stay me from 
 *^ falling. If I stay by myself, I stay by nothing ; 
 ^* I must needs come to ground. — He hath loved 
 ^^ me : he hath chosen me ; he will keep me. 
 ^^ Neither the example nor the company of others, 
 ^^ nor the enticing of the devil, nor my own sensual 
 ^^ imaginations, nor sword, nor fire, is able to sepa- 
 ^^ rate me from the love of God, which is in Christ 
 ^' Jesus our Lord. This is the comfort of the faith- 
 ^^ ful. Whatsoever falleth upon others, though 
 ^' others fall and perish, although they forsake 
 ^' Christ and follow after antichrist, yet God hath 
 " loved you and given his Son for you. He hath 
 ^? chosen you, and prepared you unto salvation, 
 ^^ and hath written your names in the hook of life. 
 ^^ But how may we know that God hath chosen us ? 
 ^^ how may we see this election ? or, how may we 
 ^^ feel it? The apostle saith. Through sanctification 
 ^^ and the faith of truth : these are tokens of God's 
 '* election. — This (namely the. Holy Spirit) com- 
 " forteth us in all temptations, and beareth witness 
 '^ with our spirit that we be the children of God ; 
 ^' that God hath chosen us, and doth love us, and 
 '^ hath prepared us to salvation ; that we are the 
 ^^ heirs of his glory ; that God will keep us as the 
 ^' apple of his eye ; that he will defend us, and we 
 " shall not perish." 
 
 The reader can now be at no loss what to think 
 of Dr. Tomline's insinuation ; '' If our great Re- 
 " formers, the authors of these Homilies, Cran- 
 
115 
 
 '^ MEU, liiDLEY, Latimeii, aii(l Jewell, liad tlicm- 
 ^' selves^ as is sometimes irretended, held Calviii- 
 '^ istic opinions/' &c. The extracts here adduced 
 require no addition^ explanation, or comment, to 
 give this jirctence^ as his lordship calls it, all the 
 force of demonstration. 
 
 The mari^inal notes and contents, inserted in the 
 Bihles published by authority in the rei2;n of Ed- 
 ward the Sixtli, and that of Elizabeth, contribute 
 additional evidence to the same point. 
 
 Ill ^^ The Great Bible,'' published in 1549. prin- 
 cipally under the direction of Archbishop Cranmer, 
 we find siicli sentiments as these : '^ Our election is 
 ^* ^^y grace, and not by works. Few are elect or 
 '^ chosen. We are elect of God the Father, through 
 '^ his good w ill before the construction of the world, 
 ^' that by the grace and merit of Christ we should 
 ^' have health, serving all men by charity. The 
 ^^ elect cannot be accused, forasmuch as Godjus- 
 ^' tifieth them. The predestinate are saints, or 
 '* holy people, made like to the image of the Soa 
 '* of God, and called, justified, and glorified by him. 
 ^^ God had predestinate, before the making of the 
 ^' Avorld, for to redeem us by the blood of his Son, 
 '* for to save and make us his children by adoption^ 
 " according to the purpose of his will." 
 
 " The Bishops' Bible" was published in 1568, 
 principally under the care of Archbishop Parker. 
 1 shall quote but four of the notes. 
 
 On Rom. iii. SO. '' He includeth here the whole 
 '^ law, both ceremonial and moral ; whose works 
 " cannot justify because they be imperfect in all 
 " men." 
 
 On Rom. x. 4. '' Christ hath fulfilled the whole 
 " law ; and therefore; whosoever believeth in him 
 
 N 
 
146 
 
 ^^ is counted just before Gotl, as well as he had M- 
 ^' filled the whole law himself." 
 
 On Rom. xi. 35. '^ By this the Apostle de- 
 ^^ clareth, that God, by his free will and election, 
 ^^ doth give salvation unto men, without any deserts 
 *' of their own." 
 
 On 2 Pet. i. 10. ^^Give diligence to make your 
 ^^ calling and election sure — " " Albeit it be sure 
 ^^ in itself, forasmuch as God cannot change ; yet 
 '' we must confirm it in ourselves by the fruit of the 
 ^^ Spirit : knowing that the purpose of God calleth, 
 '^ sanctifieth, and justifieth." 
 
 " The Quarto Bible," printed first in 1576^ went 
 through several editions in the same reign. The 
 notes are too numerous and explicit to leave any 
 doubt respecting the sentiments of the Prelates con- 
 cerned in their publication. 
 
 On Matt. xi. 26. '' Faith cometh not of man's 
 ^^ will or power ; but by the secret illumination of 
 " God; which is the declaration of his eternal 
 ^^ counsel." 
 
 On Matt. XXV. 3*. '' Hereby God declareth the 
 <^ certainty of our predestination ; whereby we are 
 *^ saved, because we were chosen in Christ before 
 ^' the foundations of the world." 
 
 On Matt. XXV. 3j. '^ Christ meaneth not that 
 ^^ our salvation dependeth on our works or me- 
 *< rits ; but teacheth, what it is to live justly ac- 
 '^ cording to godliness and charity ; and that God 
 ^^ recompenseth his, of his free mercy, likewise as 
 ^^ he doth elect them." 
 
 On Mark xiii. 22. " The elect may waver and 
 " be troubled, but they cannot utterly be deceived 
 " and overcome." 
 
14^7 
 
 Luke xxiii. 3;7. ^^ The Christ, the chosen of 
 '' God.'^ — *^ Whom God hath heforc all others ap- 
 •^ pointed to he the Messias. Olhervvise, the Serip- 
 ** ture calleth them the elect of God, whom he 
 *^ hath chosen; before all beginning, to life ever- 
 ^^ lasting.'' 
 
 " The Argument/"' prefixed to the Epistle to 
 the Romans, remarks , ^^ The great mercy of God 
 *^ is declared towards man, in Christ Jesus, whose 
 ^^ righteousness is made ours by faith. For when 
 ^^ man, by reason of his own corruption, could not 
 ^•' fulfil the law, yea, committed most abominably 
 ^* both against the law of God and nature ; the in- 
 •^ finite bounty of God ordained, that man's salva- 
 " tion should only stand in the perfect obedience of 
 ^^ his Son Jesus Christ." 
 
 On 2 Cor. iii. 3. " The hardness of man's heart, 
 " before he be regenerate, is as a stone table. 
 ^^ Ezek. ii. 19, and xxxvi. 26. But being regene- 
 '^ rate by the Spirit of God, it is as soft as flesh ; 
 " that the grace of the gospel may be written in it^ 
 '^ as in new tables." 
 
 On Gal. i. 7' — '^ What is more contrary to our 
 ^^ free justiiication by faith, than the justification by 
 " the law or our works ? Therefore, to join these 
 '^ together, is to join light with darkness, death with 
 ^^ life^ and doth utterly overthrow the gospel." 
 
 On James ii. 14. — ^^ St. Paul, to the Romans 
 ^^ and Galatians, disputeth against them which at- 
 ^^ tributed Justification to works ; and here St. 
 " James reasoneth against them whicli utterly 
 •' condemn works. Therefore Paul showeth the 
 *^ causes of our Justification, and James the eifects. 
 '' There it is declared how we arc justified ; here 
 '^ how we are known to be justified. There works 
 
148 
 
 ^^ are excluded^ as not the cause of our Justitlca- 
 " tion; here they are approved^ as effects proceed- 
 ^^ ing thereof. There they are denied to go before 
 ^* them that shall be justified; and here they are 
 '^ said to follow tliem that are justified.'^ 
 
 Siaiilar sentiments were espoused and maintain- 
 ed by all the advocates for the Reformation in the 
 Church of England in the reign of Elizabeth. No 
 inconsiderable testimony to its genuine doctrines 
 is furnished by Br. William Fulke, Master of 
 Pembroke Hall, aud Margaret Professor of Divi- 
 nity in the University of Cambridge. About the 
 middle of the reign of that princess, this learned 
 divine published The Text of the New Tes- 
 tament, AS translated from the Yulgate 
 Latin by the English Catholics at Rhemes, 
 AND THE Version from the original Greek, 
 commonly used in the Church of England, 
 in parallel columns, with an Exposition of 
 numerous Errors in the Catholic Transla- 
 tion, AND A Confutation of many of their 
 Arguments, Glosses, and Annotations. This 
 elaborate work was dedicated to the Queen, and 
 went through several editions in the course of a 
 few years. 
 
 In commenting on the expressions, of our Lord 
 respecting the man who '' fell among thieves which 
 " stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, 
 ^^ and departed, leaving him half dead :''* the 
 Catliolics say — ^^ Here is signitied, man wouiuled 
 <^ very sore in his understanding and free will, 
 ^^ and all other powers of soul and body, by the 
 •^ sin of Adam : but yi^i, that neither understand 
 
 * Luke X. 30 
 
119 
 
 ^^ in*^, nor free will, nor the rest were extin,£;uisii. 
 '' ed in man or taken away.'' In support of this, 
 they refer to the decisions of a Council held in the 
 year 529. 
 
 Dr. FuLKE replies ; '^ Against t!)is vain col- 
 ^^ lection by allegorj^, the Scri[)ture is plain, that 
 ^^ we are all dead in sin hy the sin of Adam. — 
 '' Rom. V. 12. Eph. ii. 1, 5. Coi. ii. 13. The 
 *' Council Arausicanuin, which you quote, (belike 
 *^ to prove that the freedom of will is not lost in 
 •• xVdam,) saith; ^ it is so inclined by tlie sin of the 
 '^ • first man, and attenuated, that no man after 
 '' ' could love God as he ou£;ht, or work that whicli 
 " ' is good for God's sake, except the grace and 
 '' ' mercy of God prevented him.' And if by those 
 •^ words you think there is any life left unto it, in 
 •• cap. 22. the Council saith, ' No man iIxVTII any 
 
 •^ ' THING OF HIS OWN BUT LIES AND SIN.' And 
 
 " in cap. 21. ' Nature by Adam lost, by Christ 
 '' ' is repaired.' And whereas you seem to leave 
 '' some ii e, justice, and frc^doui of will in man, 
 "^ which by Christ is recovered, increased, healed, 
 ••and enabled; — thus we read in the seventh 
 •• chapter, the title of which is, ' That we are not 
 *^ ' apt to think any thing of ourselves, as from 
 *' ' ourselves ;' — ' if any man do hold, that a man 
 •^ ^ by the force of nature can tliink any good 
 '^ ' thing, which pertaineth and is expedient to 
 ^' ' eternal life, or that he can choose either to be 
 " ' saved, that is, to consent to the preaching of 
 '' ' the gospel, without illumination and inspiration 
 ^' < of the Holy Ghost, which giveth to all men the 
 iif< sweetness, in consenting and believing the 
 '' ' truth, he is deceived with an heretical spirit, 
 '' ' not understanding the voice of God; saying in 
 
 N 2 
 
150 
 
 ^^ ' the gospel, Without me ye caa do nothing ; 
 *^ ^ and that of the Apostle, Not that we are apt 
 " ^ of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, 
 ^^ ' but our sufficiency is of God/ And touching 
 '' understanding, the Apostle saithj The natural 
 " man understandeth not those things that be of 
 " the Spirit of God ; for they are foolishness unto 
 ^' him, neither can he know them because they are 
 '' spiritually discerned. So that neither the will 
 " nor the understanding have any heavenly life in 
 " them.*' 
 
 From the Apostle's conclusion, that " it is not 
 "'^ of him that willeth nor of him that runneth, but 
 " of God that showeth mercy ;"* — the Catholic 
 Expositors argue, " that God's grace is the prin- 
 *^ cipal cause, and men's free will the secondary 
 '^ cause, of their willing or working any good to 
 ^' their salvation.'' 
 
 Dr. FuLKE replies ; '* our election, calling, and 
 
 '^ first coming to God, lieth wholly in God's mer- 
 
 ^' cy, and not either wholly, or principally, or any 
 
 " thing at all, in our own will or works. But 
 
 •^ whom God elected before time, he calleth in 
 
 •Mime by him appointed, and of unwilling, by 
 
 ^' his grace maketh them willing to come to him, 
 
 '• and to walk in good works unto which he hath 
 
 ^' elected them. So that man hatli no free will, 
 
 ^' until it be freed ; man's will worketh nothing in 
 
 <^ our conversion, until it be converted : man hath 
 
 *< no power to change his will unto better, except 
 
 ^' it be given of God. August. Retract, lib. i. cap. 
 
 " 2S « It is free yet not good, it is free yet not 
 
 [^ ' souttd; it is free yet not righteous. And by 
 
 ♦ Rom. ix. 16. 
 
151 
 
 '^ "' liow much the more it is free from goodness, 
 '' ' rectitude, soimdiiess, and rii^bteousness, by so 
 ^« * Hiuch the more is it bound by the deadly sla- 
 ii i very of wickedness, perversiMiess, infirmity, 
 ^' ^ and iniquity. For he who committeth sin is 
 " ^ the slave of sin, and by whatever a man is held 
 ^' ^ in bondage, to that he is a devoted slave. — 
 ^^ ^ While sin reigns, therefore, he has free will, 
 ^^ ^ but free without God, not free under Grod, that 
 ••' ' is free from righteousness, not free under 
 ^^ ^ grace, and therefore most corruptly and sla- 
 ^* ^ vishly free, because not freed by the gratuitous 
 " ^ gift of God who showeth mercy.' — Fulgent, de 
 -'•' incarnat. et grat. cap. 19.'' 
 
 . On this passage, " Not the hearers of the law 
 "^ are just before God, but the doers of the law 
 " shall be justified ;"* the Rhemish Annotators 
 observe, ^' This same sentence — is the very 
 •• ground of St. James's disputation, that not faith 
 '• alone but good works also do justify. Therefore 
 '' St. Paul, howsoever some perversely construe 
 *' his words in other places, meaueth the same as 
 " St. James. And here he speaketh not properly 
 *• of the first justification, when an infidel or ill 
 <• man is mude just, who had no acceptable works 
 •^ before to be justified by, of which kind he spe- 
 ^' cially meaneth in other places of this epistle, 
 ^^ but he speaketh of the second justification or in- 
 <^ crease of former justice, which he that is in 
 f God's grace daily proceed^th in, by doing all 
 '^ kind of good works, which be justices, and for 
 " doing of which he is just indeed before God." 
 
 * Rom. ii. 13. 
 
i52 
 
 Dr. FuLKE replies ; '^ This sentence is not the 
 ^^ groiuitl of 8t. James's disputation, that faith void 
 '* of good works doth not justify, and that good 
 ^* works also justify or declare a man to be just, 
 " For the Apostle here speaketh not of faith, but 
 ^^ of the law. The Law^ justifieth only the doers 
 ^' and perfect observers thereof; Faith justifieth the 
 "'^ believers. Neithcrdoth St. Paul speak hereof any 
 " means whereby a man i« justified, butshoweth that 
 ^^ no transgressor of the law can be justifted by the 
 ^^ Law, hecause the Law justifieth none bnt the 
 ^^ doers thereof; whieh seeing no man doth per- 
 ^•' fectly, no man is justified by the works of the Law, 
 *^' as lie saith expressly Rom. iii. 20. Gal. iii. 11. 
 ^' As for your distinction of the first and second 
 "^ Justification before God, it is but a new device, 
 ^' not tl^reescore years old, utterly unheard of 
 '^ among the ancient Fathers. For wliom God 
 ^"justifieth by faith without works, he also glori- 
 ^^ fieth. Rom. viii. 30. x\nd that which you call 
 ^* the second justification, or increase of justice, is 
 ^* but the effects and fruits of Justification before 
 '* God, and a declaration before men that we are just. 
 ^^ And so meaneth St. James, that Abraham, who 
 ^^ was justified or made just, before God, through 
 ^^ faith, was also justified or declared to he just, 
 
 ^f before men, by works. We acknowledge all 
 
 ^^ good works of Christian men to be tlie gifts of 
 ^' God, the fruits of Justification, tlie notes of 
 ^^ Election, the way wherein all Christians must 
 ^^ walk unto salvation; but seeing that they are 
 ^^ nnperfect, they are not able to make just in the 
 ^' sight of God.'' 
 
 On the words of the Apostle James, ^^ Ye see 
 ^^ how that by works a man is justified and uot by 
 
153 
 
 • riiitli oiily;*'-^- the Catholics say, ^^ This propo- 
 »* sition of speech is directly opposite or conlra- 
 "• dictory unto that which the heretics hold. Tlic 
 •^ lieretics say, Man is not justified hy good works, 
 '• but by faith only. — The Fathers indeed use 
 •• sometimes this exclusive only, but in far other 
 *• sense than the Protestants, &c/*' 
 
 Dr. FuLKe replies ; ^^ This proposition is not 
 ^^ directly opposite ov contradictory to that which 
 ^^ we hold, no more than those two sayings of 
 ^•Christ; *' The Father is greater than I,' ^^^^ 
 "• ' I and the Father are one.^ No more is this 
 •• saying of St. James ; ^ Abraham was justified 
 ^^ ^ by works,^ contrary to that which St. Paul 
 ^^ saith, that he ' was justified by faith without 
 ^^ • works. ^ For both these sayings are true in 
 '•' divers respects, and we believe both : for where 
 •^ the respect is not the same, there is no opposi- 
 '^ tion or contradiction. — In St. Paul it signifieth 
 ^^ to be made just by God's imputation. In St. 
 ^^ James it signifieth to be declared just, as well 
 '' before men as in the sight of God. — Yon say, 
 ^^ ' There is a difference between the first justifi- 
 ^^ ^ cation and the second/ This difference will 
 ^^ never discharge the Apostles of contradiction, — 
 ^^ so long as you mean both these justifications to 
 ^^ be before God in one acception of the word jus- 
 ^< tification. Beside, that the Scripture teacheth 
 << but one Justification unto glorificatiou and salva- 
 ^» tion, which is that you call the first. — The Fa- 
 ^^ thers you confess do sometimes say, we are jus- 
 '' tified hy faith only, but they have a far other 
 '^ meaning than we ; and then you say they ex- 
 
 James, ii, 24. 
 
151^ 
 
 "' elude this and tliat, which is true, for onlij faith 
 *'jiistif?jing excludeth all those things. — A few 
 *• sentences of the Fathers I will rehearse, that 
 '* their meaning may appear to be clearly as ours 
 ^^ is against all your cavils. Origex, in epist. ad 
 •^^ Rom. lib. iii. cap. 3. ^ The Apostle saith, that 
 the justification of faith alone doth suffice, so 
 that he which believeth only, is justified, al- 
 though ye have fulfilled no work : wherefore 
 it standeth us upon, that take in hand to de- 
 fend the Apostle's writing to be perfect, and 
 all things therein to stand with good order, to 
 inquire who hath been justified by faith only 
 without works. Therefore, for example sake^ 
 I think this thief is sufficient, which being cru- 
 cified with Christ, cried to him from the cross, 
 Lord Jesus, remember me when thou comest 
 into thy kingdom. Neither are there any 
 good works of his described in the Gospel; but 
 for this faith only, Jesus said unto him. This 
 day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.' — 
 ^' Where it is to be noted, that although this thief 
 ^^ had no good works of his going before faith ; yet 
 ^^ proceeding of faith, he had as many, as the time 
 ^^ and case, wherein he was, permitted ; namely, 
 *^ the fear of God, acknowledging of his sin, in- 
 *^ vocation, reprehension of his fellow, &c. Hila- 
 ^< Rius, in Matt. can. 8. ^ It moved the Scribes, 
 ^^ * that sin was forgiven by a man ; for they beheld 
 ^^ ^ a man only in Jesus Christ, and that to be 
 " < forgiven by him, which the law could not re- 
 ^^ < lease ; for faith only doth justify.' Here you 
 " see justification by remission ef sins : the like 
 '^ assertion he hath can. 21. Gregory Nazian- 
 ^^ ZEN afflrmcth the same, Or. 3S, de modest, in 
 
155 
 
 '^ clcscept. : and, in Cat. de reb. suis, speaking in 
 '' the person of the Publican that prayed with the 
 " Pharisee, saith, ' Works shall not save me ; but 
 '' ^ let thy grace and thy mercy drop upon me, 
 '' ^profane man; which only hope, O king, thou 
 ^^ ^ hast given to miserable sinners.' Here you 
 " see grace and mercy the only hope of sinners. 
 ^^ Basil, de Humil. Horn. 51. saith ; ^ This is a 
 " ' perfect and full rejoicing in God, when a man 
 '' ' doth not boast himself of his own justice, but 
 '' ' knovveth himself to be void of true justice, and 
 " ' to be justified by only faith in Christ.' St. 
 ^' Ambrose, among a great number of places, hatli 
 •^ these words in 1 Cor- cap. i. ' It is so appoint- 
 '' ' ed of God, that he which believeih in Christ 
 '* ' shall be saved without w^orks, receiving for- 
 •• ' giveness of his sins by faith alone.' St. Chry- 
 '^ sosTOM also oftentimes aflSrmeth the same 5 and 
 ^^ speaking of Abraham, he saith in Ep. Gal. cap. 
 " iii. ' If he before the time of grace were justi- 
 '^ ^ fied by faith, and that when he fiourished \\\ 
 " ' good works, much more we.' In Tim. Horn. 
 ^' 3. he saith, ' if thou trust unto faith, why bring- 
 '^ ' est thou in other things, as though faith alone 
 ^^ ^ sufficed not to justify?' Jerome against the 
 '^ Pelagians, lib. i. saith ; ' We are just when we 
 '' ' confess ourselves to be sinners; and our justice 
 " ' consisteth not of our own merit; but of God's 
 '^ ^ mercy.' " 
 
 It will be obvious to every attentive reader, that 
 the principles maintained by the Bishop of Lincoln 
 are, in several instances, much more in harmony 
 with the tenets inculcated by the Rhemish antago- 
 nists of the Reformation, than with the doctrines 
 defended by this able advocate of the Church of 
 
156 
 
 England, which w^vg then universally considercil 
 as the gtenuine doctrines of the Church. I shall 
 only notice in particular, that his Lordship's senti- 
 ments respecting an entrance into a justified state 
 by faith, and continuance in it by works,— respect- 
 ing justification in this world, and justification in 
 the world to come, — appear to me to be precisely 
 the same, though conveyed in a little different 
 phraseology, as those of the Catholic xlnnotators 
 respecting a, first and second justification, and in- 
 crease oi justification, so completely refuted by 
 Dr. Fulke. 
 
 That the genuine doctrines of the Church of 
 England Avere such as I have asserted, we have an- 
 other eminent proof in the sanction given to Fox's 
 Martyrology by the Spiritual Governors of the 
 Church in the reign of Elizabeth, and by that 
 Princess herself. 
 
 The production of a few passages from that work 
 will place this beyond all reasonable doubt. 
 
 '' As touching the doctrine of election — Three 
 " things must be considered. 
 
 " First, What God's election is, and what is the 
 " cause thereof. 
 
 '^ Secondly, How God's election proceedeth in 
 ^' working our salvation. ' A *^ 
 
 '' Thirdly, To whom God's election pertaineth 
 " and how a man may be certain thereof. 
 
 '' Election is the free mercy and grace of God, 
 '^ in his own will, through faith in Christ his Son, 
 ^^ choosing and preferring to life such as pleasetli 
 
 ^' In this definition of electioti, first go before the 
 ^^ mercy and grace of God, as the causes thereof; 
 " whereby are excluded all works ^f the law^ and 
 
1.57 
 
 '' merits of deserving, whether tliey go before faitli 
 ^' or come after. In that this mercy and grace of 
 'i God in this definition is said to be free ; thereby 
 '^ is to be noted the proceeding and working of God, 
 ^' not to be bounded to any ordinary place, succes- 
 *• sion of chair, state or dignity of person, worthi- 
 '' ness of blood ; but all goeth by the mere will of 
 '^ his own purpose. — It is added, in his own will. 
 '' By this falleth down the free will and purpose of 
 >^ man, with all his actions, counsel, and strength 
 ^* of nature : according as it is written, It is not of 
 '^ him that willeth, nor of him that runneth ; but of 
 '' God that showeth mercy. So we see how Israel 
 '^ ran along, and yet got nothing. The Gentiles later 
 ^' began to set out, and yet got the game. So they, 
 '^ who came at the first hour, did labour more ; 
 '^ and yet they, who came last, were rewarded with 
 " the first. The working will of the Pharisee 
 " seemed better ; but yet the Lord's will was rather 
 ^* to justify the Publican. The elder son had a bet- 
 ^' ter will to tarry by his Father, and so did indeed ; 
 " and yet the fat calf was given to the younger son 
 " that ran away.'' 
 
 " Whereby we are to understand, how the matter 
 ^* goeth, not by the will of man ; but by the will 
 '• of God, as it pleaseth him to accept ; according 
 •^ as it is written. Who were born, not of the will 
 "'• of the flesh, nor by the will of man, but of 
 " God. 
 
 '' God's mercy and free grace bringeth forth 
 '' election. Election worketb vocation, or God's 
 '^ holy calling. Which vocation, through hearing, 
 " bringeth knowledge and faith of Christ. Faith 
 '^ through promise obtaineth justification. Justifica- 
 ^^ tion, through hope, waiteth for glorification. 
 
 O 
 
158 
 
 ^^ Election is before time. Vocation and faith 
 ^^ come in time. Justification and Glorification are 
 ^' without end. 
 
 " Election, depending on God's free grace and 
 *' will, excludeth all man's will, blind fortune;, 
 '^ chance, and all peradventures. 
 
 ^' Vocation, standing upon God's election, ex- 
 ^^ cludeth all man's wisdom, cunning, learning, in- 
 *' tention, power, and presumption. 
 
 " Faith in Christ, proceeding by the gift of the 
 '' Holy Ghost, and freely justifying man by God's 
 " promise, excludeth all other merits of men, all 
 " condition of deserving, and all works of the law, 
 " both God's law and man's law, with all other 
 ^•' outward means whatsoever. 
 
 '' This order and connexion of causes is dili- 
 ^' gently to be observed, because of the Papists, 
 'i who have miserably confounded and inverted 
 ^^ this doctrine ; teaching, that Almighty God, so 
 '' far forth as he foreseeth man's merits before to 
 «^' come, so doth he dispense his election. As 
 ^' though we had our election, by our holiness that 
 ^^ followeth after ; and not rather have our holiness 
 'i by God's election going before ! 
 
 " If the question be asked. Why was Abraham 
 '' chosen, and not Naehor? vvhy was Jacob cho- 
 ^^ sen, and not Esau? why was Moses elected, 
 '' and Pharaoh hardened ? why David accepted, 
 ^^ and Saul rejected? — it cannot be answered 
 <^ otherwise but thus — Because it was so the good 
 '' will of God. 
 
 " In like manner, touching vocation, and also 
 '^ faith. If it be asked why this vocation and gift 
 ^' of faith was given to Cornelius the Gentile, and 
 '' not to TertuUus the Jew? why the beggars by 
 
159 
 
 '^ tlie highways were called, and the bidden guests 
 '' excluded ? we can go to no other cause, but to 
 " God's purpose and election ; and say, with Christ 
 '' our Saviour, Even so. Father, for so it seemed 
 '' good in thy sight. 
 
 '• And so for justification likewise. If the ques- 
 *^ tion be asked, why the Publican was justified, 
 ^* and not the Pharisee? why Mary the sinner, and 
 '* not Simon theinviter? why harlots and publicans 
 ^^ go before the scribes and pharisees in the king- 
 ** dom ? why the son of the free woman was re- 
 " ceived, and the bond woman's son, being his 
 " elder, was rejected ? w by Israel, whicli so long 
 ^' sought for righteousness, found it not ; and the 
 ^^ Gentiles, which sought not for it, found it? we 
 '' have no other cause hereof to render, but to say, 
 " with St. Paul, Because they sought for it by 
 ^^ w^orks of the law, and not by faith ; which faith 
 '^ Cometh not by man's will, but only by the elec- 
 " tion and free gift of God. 
 
 ^^Wheresoever election goeth before, there faith 
 ^^ in Christ must needs follow after. And again, 
 ^' Whosoever believeth in Christ Jesus, through 
 '^ the vocation of God, he must needs be a par- 
 '^ taker of God's election. 
 
 " Whereupon resulteth now the third note, or 
 f^ consideration ; which is, to consider, whether a 
 " man, in this life, may be certain of his election ? 
 
 '' Although our election and vocation simply in- 
 '' deed be known to God only in himself, a priori; 
 " yet notwithstanding, it may be known to every 
 ^' particular faithful man, a posteriori ; that is, by 
 *• means ; which means is, faith in Christ Jesus cru- 
 '^ cified. And therefore it is truly said, De elec- 
 
 <• TIONE JUDICANDUM EST A POSTERIORI I that is 
 
160 
 
 •• to say, We must judge of election by that which 
 ^^ conieth after : that is, by our faith and belief in 
 '* Christy which certifieth us of this election of God. 
 "' For albeit that election be first certain in the 
 '^ knowledge of God ; yet in our knowledge, faith 
 ^' only, that we have in Christ, is the thing that 
 -' giveth to us our certificate and comfort of this 
 •^ election. — Election first known to God, and last 
 '^ opened to man.'*- 
 
 Now I appeal to the judgment of any one at all 
 acquainted with the Cahinistic controversy and the 
 general principles of liuman action, whether it be 
 within any supposable bounds of credibility, that 
 the circulation and perusal of a book containing 
 sentiments like these should be actively promoted 
 h^ persons unfavourable to what are called Calvi- 
 nistic doctrines. But the most direct measures 
 were adopted by Queen Elizabeth and by the 
 Bishops and Clergy in Convocation to promote the 
 reading of it among all classes of people through- 
 out the nation. 
 
 Strype, in his Annals, informs us, that '^ this 
 ^' History of the Church was of such value and 
 '' esteem for the use of it to Christian readers, and 
 ^' the service of our religion reformed, that it was, 
 •»' in the days of Queen Elizabeth, enjoined to be set 
 •• up in some convenient place, in all the Parish 
 '' Churches, together with the Bible, and Bishop 
 '• Jewell's Defence of the Apology of the Church 
 ^- of England : to be read, at all suitable times, by 
 '' the people, before or after service.'' 
 
 In such high estimation was this book held among 
 the Bishops and Clergy, that the Convocation 
 
 ♦ Fox's Acts and Monuments, ivi. 292, 293. 
 
161 
 
 assembled in St. Paul's Cathedral in the year 
 1571, under Archbishop Parker, enjoined, in their 
 canons : 
 
 That every Archbisliop and Bishop should have 
 in his house the Bible, of the largest edition, then 
 recently printed in London, and the complete His- 
 tory entitled Monuments of the Martyrs, (meaning 
 Fox's Martyroloi^y,) and some other religious books ; 
 and that those books should be placed, either in the 
 hall, or in the principal dioiiig-rooai. for the use of 
 their servants and strangers. 
 
 That every Dean should take care that the books 
 now mentioned should be purchased and placed in 
 his cathedral church, in such a situation, that they 
 might be conveniently heard and read by the vicars 
 and minor canons and other ministers of the 
 Church, and by strangers and travellers. 
 
 That every Dean, Prebend and Canon residen- 
 tiary should purchase those books for his servants, 
 and place them in some convenient situation, either 
 in his hall or in his dining room. 
 
 That every Archdeacon should have in his house, 
 both the other books, and particularly this Ma- 
 tyrology.* 
 
 * Quivis archieplscopus, et episcopus, habeblt domi sux Sacra 
 iViblia, in amplissimo volumlne, uti naperrime Londini exctisa sunt; 
 et plenam illam histoi-iam, quse inscribitur MO^sfu^iENTA maktthcm : 
 et alios quosdam libros ad relig-ionem apoositos. Loceutur auiem isll 
 libri, vel in aula, vel in grandi ccrnaculo ; tit et ipsorum famulis, et 
 advenis, usui esse possint. 
 
 EosDEM 1X1.0S LIBROS, qvios proximc diximus, decanus quisquecura- 
 bit enr-.i, et locari in ecclesia sua cathedrali, ejusmodi in loco, ut a 
 vicariis, et minoribus canonicis, et ministris ecclesise, et ab advenis, 
 et peregrinis, commode audiriet legi possint. 
 
 EosDf,:\i LiBKos iLLos decanus, et primarius quisque residentiarius, 
 qnos appellant ecclesise dignitates, emeni sue quisqne famulitio ; eos- 
 que, opportune aliquo in loco, vel in aula, vel in cccnaculo, locabunt. 
 
 Quivis archldiaconus babbit, domi suae, et alios libros, et nomina- 
 tim eos, qui inscribuntur, monumenta MARxniuM, 
 
 O 2 
 
16^ 
 
 I have somewhere heard or read of a sopiust who 
 endeavoured to persuade a company of several per- 
 sons, that there was no such thing as motion. None 
 of the party made any reply, hut one of them pre- 
 senlly rose from Ids seat, and walked ahout the 
 room during the remainder of the speech ; thus 
 more than answering the fallacies of the speaker, 
 by an actual exhibition of that wlueh he was repre- 
 senting as destitute of reality, a mere illusion of the 
 imagination. The foregoing quotations must be 
 considered in a similar light by every intelligent and 
 impartial reader. They furnish an actual exhibition 
 of that which Dr. T. denies to exist. Tlie con- 
 formity of sentiment between our English Fathers 
 and Reformers, and the Reformer of Geneva, is so 
 general, unequivocal and striking, that it is difficult 
 to conceive the possibility of a doubt of it arising 
 in the mind of any reader, who is capable of under- 
 standing the passag^is wltich have been quoted, and 
 is nat interested in misrepresenting tlie matter of 
 fact. Any mam wha denies or doubts it n)ay as 
 Well doubt or deny that Ca^lvinistic opinions are to 
 be found in the writings of Calvin himself. To 
 doubt or deny en^.n the reality of motion would 
 but little heighten. the climax of absurdity. 
 
 The more any one examines and reflects upon Ids 
 Lordsiiip's Book, the more marvellous and unac- 
 countable, it appears. Let us only suppose, that 
 some waggish, and not very scrupulous, enemy of 
 the Church had formed the design of giving it a se- 
 cret wound, and at the same time playing off', what in 
 the dialect of the town would be called, a hoax 
 upon the public : is it easy to conceive of any method 
 more adapted to the aliainment of such an object 
 tlian the com position and publication of a book. 
 
163 
 
 caricadiring and vilifying the genuine doctrines of 
 the Liturgy, Articles and Homilies, asserting some 
 of the most opposite and heterogeneous principles to 
 be really those of the Ecclesiastical listahlishment 
 and of its venerable Fathers and Reformers, and 
 exhibiting the most tlutiful sons and best friends of 
 the Church in the present day as advocates of here- 
 tical tenets and encouragers of licentious conduct? 
 Yet such is the true character of this volume of his 
 Lordship, whom nevertheless we cannot suspect of 
 being otherwise than ^^ serious in a serious cause," 
 or of entertaining the most distant design of hos- 
 tility to the Church, to which he lies under the 
 strongest obligations to cherish and manifest the 
 warmest attachment. 
 
 If the doctrine of the Church and of its first 
 founders and their immediate sficcessors had been 
 anti-Calvinistic, how could we account for the fact 
 having been so totally misrepresented by writers of 
 all parties? Bayle quotes the testimonies of two 
 Catholics— SeuUingius said, "In England Calvin's 
 ^' Institutions is almost preferred to the Bible itself. 
 ^' The pretended English Bishops enjoin all the 
 ''■ Clergy to get Ihe book almost by heart, never to 
 '' have it out of their hands, to lay it by them in a 
 <* conspicuous part of their pulpits ; in a word, to 
 " prize and keep it as carefully, as the old Romans 
 "are said to have preserved the Sibylline oracles.'^ 
 Stapleton gives the following account : " The In- 
 ^' stitutions of Calvin are so greatly esteemed ia 
 " England, that the book has been most accurately 
 " translated into English, and is even fix''d in the 
 " parish churches for the people to read. More- 
 "' over in each of the two Universities, after the stu- 
 ^' dents have finished their circuit in philosophy, as 
 
16^ 
 
 ^^ many of them as are designed for the ministry are 
 <• lectured first of all in that hook.'^ 
 
 Even Heylin, the friend of Laud, and the avowed 
 adversary of Calvinism, £;ives a similar testimony. 
 Referring to the reign of Elizabeth, — " Predestina- 
 ^' tion, and the points depending thereupon were re- 
 ^^ ceived as the established doctrines of the Church 
 ^' of England.— The books of Calvin were the 
 ^^ rule, by which all men were to square their writ- 
 ^' ings : his only word, like the ipse dixit of Pijtlia- 
 '' goras, was admitted for the sole canon to which 
 '' they were to frame and conform their judg- 
 '^ ments. — It was safer for any man in those times 
 " to have been looked upon as an Heathen or Pub - 
 •^ lican, than an anti-Calvinist/^^ 
 
 In the year iQ^^ a Latin oration was addressed 
 to King James the First at Woodstock by Dr. John 
 Pridcaux, then Vice Chancellor of Oxford and af- 
 terwards Bishop of Worcester, — in which he de- 
 clared to His Majesty, that " within the nine years 
 •^ then last past the University of Oxford had sent 
 " forth seventy-three Doctors in Divinity, and more 
 •^ than one hundred and eighty Bachelors in Di- 
 ^' vinity, that in his oiBcial capacity he had been 
 *^ concerned in conferring those degrees, and could 
 " confidently affirm respecting those theologians, 
 '^ that'they were not favourers of Armenian ism. ^' 
 
 One of Dr. Tomline's worthy predecessors, the 
 Author of the Preface to the Liturgy which has 
 been so greatly admired, Dr. Saunderson, who 
 adorned the see of Lincoln in the reign of Charles 
 the Second, appears to have held Calvin's theology 
 in higli estimation. ^' When I began (says he) to 
 
 * Life of Laud. 
 
165 
 
 ••' set myself to tke study of divinity as my proper. 
 ^' business, Calvia^s Institutions were recommended 
 •^ to me, as they were generally to all young sclio- 
 " lars in those times, as the best and perfectest sys- 
 " tern of divinity, and the fittest to be laid as a 
 •^ groundwork in the study of this profession. And 
 •^ indeed my expectation was not at all deceived in 
 '^ the reading of those Institutions." This Prelate, 
 in a treatise entitled Pax Ecclesise, speaks of some 
 polemical artifices practised by the anti-Calvinists of 
 those days. Two of these instances of what he calls 
 '' the manifold unjust and uncharitable cunning of 
 '* the Armenians to advance their own party/^ it 
 will not be amiss to state in his own words. 
 ^^ Bragging out some of their private tenets, as if 
 ^^ they were the received established doctrine of the 
 '' Church of England ; by forcing the words of 
 '' Articles, or Common Prayer Book, to a sense which 
 '^ appeareth not to have been intended therein.'' — 
 '' Seeking to derive envy on the opposite opinions ; 
 ^' by delivering them in terms odious, and of ill 
 '^ and suspicious sound.'' — If Dr. Saunderson had 
 been endued with a spirit of prophecy, and intended 
 to describe a work of one of his anti-Calvinistic 
 successors, what language could he4iave used more 
 truly characteristic of the polemical lucubrations of 
 Dr. Tomline? 
 
 Where could the doctrines of the English Re- 
 formed Church be reasonably expected to appear 
 in their most genuine form, during the lives of its 
 first founders and their immediate successors, if 
 not in the two Universities? But the doctrines now 
 denominated Calvinistic were most distinctly and 
 decidedly maintainod both at Oxford and at Cam- 
 bridge. Of the trutli of this assertion there exists 
 
166 
 
 proof sufficient to convince any person who is not 
 obstinately deteiiDined to resist the strongest evi- 
 dence. I shall content myself with citing a few of 
 the Theses maintained at Oxford by those who 
 took the degree of Doctors in Divinity, in the 
 reigns of Elizabeth and James the First. 
 
 '' Aet.Theses and Questions are always (before 
 ^' they are either admitted, printed, published, or 
 '' disputed on) propounded to a general Convoca- 
 ^^ tion of the whole University, and by them parti- 
 " cularly allowed, voted, and then recorded in the 
 '' University Register^ for a testimony to poste- 
 ^' rity, as orthodox, and consonant to the esta- 
 " blished doctrine, faith, and articles, of the 
 '^ Church of England. So that the whole Univer- 
 •^ sity's judgment is comprised in them, as well as 
 ^' theirs that give them.'^^ 
 
 Electorum certa est salus, utperire non possint. 
 The salvation of the elect is certain, so that they 
 cannot perish. 
 
 Doctrina prcedestinationis olim tradita ah Su- 
 gustinOf et nostris temporibus a Calvino, eadem 
 est. 
 
 The doctrine of predestination anciently taught 
 by Augustine is the same that has been taught in 
 our times by Calvin. 
 
 Prcescientia Dei (eferno decreto omnia ordinan- 
 tis non jiugnavit cum arbitrii libertate primis pa- 
 re ntibiis concessa. 
 
 Prvnne Anti-Arm. 
 
167 
 
 The foreknowledge of God, who ordains all 
 things by an eternal decree, did not clash with the 
 freedom of will granted to our first parents. 
 
 Tota salus electorum est mere gratuita. 
 The whole salvation of the elect is purely gra- 
 tuitous. 
 
 An, qui in Cliristo sunt^perire 'possiint ? — JV^p^g*. 
 Whether those who are in Christ can perish? 
 —Denied. 
 
 An fideles possint, certa fide, statuere remissa 
 esse peccata P-^-Aff. 
 
 Whether it is possible for the faithful, with an 
 assured faith, to conclude tliat their sins are for- 
 given ?— Affirmed. 
 
 J\*on est liber um arbitrium. 
 The will is not free. 
 
 Sancti non possunt excidere gratia. 
 Saints cannot fall from 2:race. 
 
 Ayi homo possit se prmparare ad gratiam red- 
 pie n da m ? — JSi*eg. 
 
 Whether man can prepare himself to receive 
 grace ? — Denied. 
 
 An homo possit scire, se habere gratiam P — Aff. 
 Whether it he possible for a man to know that 
 he has grace ? — Affirmed. 
 
168 
 
 Jin electio sit ex prcevisis operibusP — J\*eg, 
 Whether election be from works foreseen? — 
 Denied. 
 
 An, Deus autor peccatiy juxta reformatorum 
 sententiam, statuatur ? — JVe^. 
 
 Whether the doctrine of the Reformed makes 
 God the author of sin ? — Denied. 
 
 An gratia regenerationis possit resisti P — JV*eg, 
 Whether the grajce of regeneration can be resist- 
 ed ? — Denied. 
 
 •in voluntas, in prima conversione, habeat se 
 tantmn passive P' — Aff. 
 
 Whether the will, in the beginning of conver- 
 sion, be merely passive ? — Affirmed. 
 
 An semel justificatus semper maneat justijica- 
 tusP^Af. 
 
 Whether a person once justified remains always 
 justified ? — Affirmed. 
 
 An voluntas humana resisiere possit- gratice I)ei 
 efficaci P — JVe^. 
 
 Whether the human will can resist the effica- 
 cious grace of God? — Denied. 
 
 An, post Adami lapsum, libertas ad bonum sit 
 prorsus amissa P — Aff, 
 
 Whether, since the fall of AdaW; freedom to 
 good be entirely lost? — Affirmed. 
 
169 
 
 ^in emnes bajHlzatl sintjustiJicatlP — ^Yeg. 
 Whether all haptised persons are justified ? — 
 Denied. 
 
 An ipse actus jidei nobis impiitetiir pro jiistitia 
 legis sensu propria ? — •A^^^. 
 
 Whether the act of faith itself he imputed to us, 
 in a proper sense^ for the righteousness of the law ? 
 — Denied. 
 
 An fides et fidei justitia sint propria electorumF 
 
 Whether faith and the righteousness of faith be 
 peculiar to the elect? — Affirmed. 
 
 Similar positions were also maintained in the 
 reign of Charles the First. 
 
 An Prcedestinatio sit ex prcevisa fide vel operi- 
 husP — JW^. 
 
 Whether Predestination he from foreseen faith or 
 works ? — Denied. 
 
 An Prcedestinatio ad saliitem sit mutahilisP — 
 
 Whether Predestination to salvation be mutably ? 
 —Denied. 
 
 An fides, &emel habita, possit amitti P — JSTeg. 
 Whether faith, once possessed; can be lost ? — 
 Denied. 
 
 An efficacia gratice pendeat a libero infiuxu ar- 
 hitrii P — JSTeg, 
 
 P 
 
170 
 
 Whether the efficacy of grace he dependent on 
 the free influence of the human will ? — Denied. 
 
 •In arbitrium humanum deter minet gratiam du 
 vinam f — ^^eg. 
 
 Whether the human will determine the grace of 
 God ? — Denied. 
 
171 
 
 CHAPTER XXIL 
 
 Conclusion. 
 
 I HAVE now closed the evidence intended to be 
 adduced of the Harmony of the Doctrine of the 
 Fathers^ Reformers and Public Formularies of the 
 Church of England with the system maintained by 
 Calvin. To adduce all that could be collected 
 would require many volumes. It is proper to re- 
 mark, that the conformity of sentiment, between 
 our English Fathers and lleformers and the Re- 
 former of Geneva^ really extended further than has 
 here been stated. Several of their writings contain 
 proofs of their coincidence with Calvin in what are 
 generally considered by anti-Calvinists, as the most 
 objectionable of his opinions ; though, like him, 
 they refrained from introducing those points into 
 Articles of Faith^ intended to express the grand 
 doctrines in which all the Ministers of the Church 
 were expected to agree. And the quotations here 
 adduced have been selected with a direct view to 
 the design of the present work, which is to show 
 the Harmony of the Fathers Reformers and Public 
 Formularies of the Church of Eugland with Calvin, 
 in those principles which have been adopted by CaU 
 
i^ 
 
 iiinists in general and usually tlenominated Calvi^ 
 liistic. 
 
 I cannot conclude without reminding the reader 
 of the narrow ground that I have taken, and re- 
 marking, that many of the tenets avowed by the 
 Eisliop appear to me as irreconcilable with the plain 
 decisions of Scripture, and with just practical views 
 of human nature, as with the Formularies of the 
 Church ; and on the other hand, without pledging 
 myself to the propriety of every expression in the 
 numerous quotations here addticed against his Lord- 
 ship, that many of the sentiments, which he op- 
 poses, are such as in my apprehension cannot be 
 rejected, without rejecting or misinterpreting various 
 passages of the Sacred Scriptures. But this ground 
 of discussion, except so far as it may have been in- 
 cluded in the foregoing extracts, I leave to the oc- 
 cupation of persons capable of doing it ample jus- 
 tice. I will add, however, that many of the prin- 
 ciples impugned by his Lordship are those in which 
 WicKLiiFE and Zuingle, Luther and Calvin, 
 Melancthon and Beza, Cranmer and Ridley, 
 Latimer and Jew ell, with a host of excellent 
 predecessors and successors, notwithstanding their 
 minor ditferences, were all agreed : — Principles, 
 which in every age of the Church have been 
 made instrumental, by the divine blessing, in tlie 
 moral and spiritual regeneration of men : — Prin- 
 ciples, which have arrested some of tiie most aban- 
 doned profligates in their career of iniquity, — 
 'Nvhich have exchanged the justest apprehensions of 
 future vengeance for well grounded confidence in 
 the divine mercy, — wiiich liave animated the hu- 
 man breast with the purest and most exalted piety, ^ — 
 
173 
 
 wliicli have inspired the heart with the most disinter- 
 ested, ardent, ami expansive philanthropy, — which 
 liave adorned the life witli every virtue, — which 
 have alleviated present sufferings with the prospect 
 of endless enjoyments, — which when the eyes have 
 been closing on the scenes of earth have opened 
 them on the beauties of paradise, and while the 
 body has been sinking amidst the swoonings of 
 death have caused the spirit to beat high with the 
 pulsations of immortality : — Principles, which at 
 this hour are calling forth the noblest energies of 
 Christians of various denominations, forming unions 
 and prompting exertions unexampled and unthought 
 of in past ages, —-exertions that bid fair to realise 
 the apocalyptic vision of <•• an angel flying in the 
 midst of Heaven,'^* to circulate the word of life in 
 every language, to instruct the ignorant and reform 
 the vicious in every land. 
 
 For the freedom with which I have animadvert- 
 ed on some of the positions of the learned Prelate, 
 I make no apology. I trust I have not forgotten 
 that the suhject of my animadversions is the work 
 of a Scholar, a Gentleman^ and a Protestant Bi- 
 shop — though I am constrained to add, a work 
 which contains passages sufficient to justify a suspi- 
 cion, whether his Lordship may not sometimes 
 have experienced a momentary oblivion of the ob- 
 ligations resulting from those characters. What- 
 ever be the respect due to rank or function, the 
 claims of truth are paramount to every other con- 
 sideration ;t and ought never to be compromised 
 
 * Rev. xiv. 6. 
 
 t Amicus Plato, amicus Socrates, sed magis arnica Veritas. 
 P 2 
 
171 
 
 or waved^ even in appearance^ by complimentary 
 concessions or apolo2;ips. If the charges of mis- 
 take, misrepresentation, and inconsistency, here 
 brou^^ht against his Lordship, be incorrect and 
 grouiulless, no apology ought to redeem them 
 from the censure which in that case they justly 
 deserve. But if these charges jiave been esta- 
 blished, or if they can be established, something 
 more than apology is due from his Lordship, to 
 the Public, to liis Clergy, to his Metropolitan, and 
 aVr-vc all, to the Supreme Master whom he pro- 
 fesses to '• serve with his spirit in the Gospel of 
 ^•' his Son," for having written and published such 
 a Book. 
 
 I shall now conclude with expressing my sincere 
 desires, " that it may please Almighty and Ever- 
 (( lasting God, \vho alone worketh great marvels, 
 i* to send down upon all Bishops, Priests and 
 ^' Deacons the healthful Spirit of his grace, — to 
 " bring into the way of truth all such as have 
 ^^ erred and are deceived, — to illuminate them with 
 ^f the knowledge and understanding of his word, — 
 ^^ to replenish them with the truth of his doctrine, 
 ^< and to endue them with innocence of life, that 
 '( both by their preaching and living they may set 
 " it forth and show it accordingly ; to give them 
 <' all those heavenly graces that are requisite for 
 '^ their high trust, that his Avorii may prosper in 
 <^ their hand, that they may be made blessed in- 
 ^< struments of advancing his truth; that heresies 
 ^« and false doctrines may not disturb the peace of 
 " the Church; but that all the congregations com- 
 << mitted to tlieir charge, bearing meekly his word 
 ^< and receiving it with pure affection^ may be led 
 
±75 
 
 '^ into tljc way of truth, and hold the faith in unity 
 •< of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in rightcous- 
 " ness of life ; that truth and justice, brotherly 
 '^ kindness and charity, devotion and piety, con- 
 '^ cord and unity, with all other virtues, may be 
 '' the stability of our times, and make this Church 
 " a praise in the earth.''* 
 
 ^ * Morn. Prayer — Litany — Prayer for Ember Weeks — Prayer for 25 
 Oct. — Prayer for all conditions — Praver for 5 Nov. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 The Calvinistic Doctrine of Original Sin Stated- 
 and Defended, 
 
 The Doctrine of Original Sin is of such cardinal im- 
 portance in the system of Christianity, that it is deeply 
 to he regretted it should not be generally understood.—* 
 With the hope of casting some light on the subject, and 
 with the design of rendering this little volume still more 
 valuable, it has been determined to subjoin, in this ap- 
 pendix, the sentiments of an American Divine. 
 
 Calvin maintains, that the faculties of man before 
 and after the apostacy are the same. In this all enlight- 
 ened men agree. But what is a mental faculty? How 
 many faculties shall we enumerate ? Will a knowledge 
 of these enable us more clearly to understand the doctrine 
 of Original Sin ? On these enquiries perhaps it is pos- 
 sible to satisfy the reader. 
 
 *' A MENTAL TACULTY is that inherent part of the 
 constitution of the mind by which it performs any dis- 
 tinct operation. A mental operation is any thing 
 which the mind doeSf by any one of its faculties, or by 
 the co-operation of several of them. The human mind 
 has ten constituent faculties, which are, the faculties of 
 consciousness, perception, conception^ judgment, con- 
 
178 
 
 science, reasoning, feeling, memory, volition and effi- 
 ciency. By the existence of these we may account for 
 every mental operation. 
 
 Tlie Faculty of Consciousness is that part of the original 
 constitution of the mind by which, without any reasoning 
 on the subject, every man has knowledge of his present 
 mental operations. 
 
 The Faculty of Perceptiou is that part of the original 
 constitution of the mind by which it has knowledge, 
 through the instrumentality of the five senses, of exter- 
 nal objects." Of course our perceptions may be divided 
 into five classes, or departments, which comprehend our 
 perceptions through the eyes, the ears, the organs of 
 tasting, the olfactory nerves, and the organs of touch. 
 It is an established law in the government of human 
 minds, that there shall be no perceptions, while we are 
 awake, but through our bodily organs. It is the mind 
 ^vhich sees, hears, smells, tastes, and touches : and it is 
 according to the law just stated, that the immortal spirit 
 is enabled to hold converse with matter, a substance un- 
 like itself. By a figure of speech which puts the cause 
 for the effect, some operations consequent on perception, 
 are called perceptions, « I perceive thou art in the gall 
 of bitterness," said Paul, wiicn hejuctged, from the words 
 which he had heard, tliat Simon was still an unrenewed 
 man. « Hereby jjcrceive wc tiie love of God, because he 
 laid down his life for us," that is, by what we have seen 
 and heard of the death of Christ, we have some just ap- 
 ])rehension of tlie love of God <« I perceive that thou art 
 a prophet," said the woman of Samaria, when ahe judged 
 from her perceptions, or from hearing and seeing Jesus, 
 that he- was a prophet. <* 1 perceive^* said Paul, •< that 
 in all things ye arc too superstitious;" when strictly 
 
179 
 
 speaking, from seeing the images and devotions of tlie 
 Athenians, he came to the judgment tliat tlicy were ex- 
 ceedingly superstitious. Indeed, when we are said to 
 jyerceive any thing hut such an ohject as is presented to 
 one or the other of our five senses, it is hy a metonymy. 
 
 The Faculty of Conception is that part of the original 
 constitution of tlie mind hy which we liave knowledge of 
 things which are not perceived by the senses. This is 
 the most important faculty of the understanding, and has 
 itself very commonly been called by that general term.^ — 
 It is by this part of our constitution that we have an 
 idea, a notion, a conception, an apjjrehension, or an under- 
 standing, of any subject not material. By this we have 
 knowledge of time, space, quantity, state, faculty, power, 
 virtue, vice, goodness, liberty, and of thousands of simi- 
 lar things. We perceive only things present and real, 
 but we conceive of things absent, and of things as being 
 in one place which we believe to be actually in another. 
 When we have an apprehension of a distinction, we are 
 said to discern; but when we conceive of images, espe- 
 cially of things which are not in existence, we are said 
 to imagine; and the faculty itself receives the name of the 
 imagination, just as the same person from sustaining 
 two diifercnt relations, is called a husband and a fatlicr. 
 « We may conceive what is intended by the names of 
 Mary and Mediator ; but if we conceive of the Virgin 
 Mary as being a Mediator between her son and sinners, 
 it is, in the opinion of every Protestant, an act of the 
 imagination. The most common operations of the mind 
 in this way, are lliose in which w^e conceive of two or 
 more things as united or blended, which we have per- 
 ceived in their separate state. Thus, we have perceived 
 the head of a woman; and t^e body of a fish ; we may 
 
180 
 
 conceive of them as united in such a manner as to consti- 
 tute one living animal ; and then, we imagine a mermaid. 
 Any mental operation may be an object of conception ; 
 but no act of mind can be the object of perception. 
 
 *< The Faculty of Memortj, is that part of the original 
 constitution of the mind by which it has present know- 
 ledge of its past mental operations. Tlie operations of 
 the memory, are either voluntary or involuntary. An 
 involuntary act of the memory is called remembrance, and 
 a voluntary one reminiscence, or recolleciion, Wiiile it is 
 the business of consciousness to take cognisance of pre- 
 sent mental operations, it is the office of memory to re- 
 call the past, and thereby perpetuate the influence of 
 consciousness. We are said by an ellipsis to remember 
 other objects than our own mental acts, when they are 
 objects of which we have had some previous knowledge; 
 because without memory we could have no subsequent 
 knowledge of them. Thus, one who says, " I remember 
 my departed father's face," conceives of such a face, as he 
 once perceived, and remembers the perception ; as w'ell as 
 the judgment that the conceived f ice is precisely like 
 that which he perceived his father to have. 
 
 <« The Faculty of Judgment is that part of the original 
 constitution of the mind, by which-' it decides that any 
 proposition is true or not true." The operations of this 
 faculty are either Constitutional, Reflective, or Acquired, 
 Constitutional judgments are such as result directly from 
 the constitution of the mind, and are involuntary. Every 
 proposition which is truly called self-evident or an axiom, 
 is the object of such an act of judgment; and men will 
 assent to it from the very make of their minds and the 
 laws which our Creator has established for their govern- 
 ment, so soon as they understand the proposition. Thus 
 
181 
 
 a constitutional judgment, that the things which wc per- 
 ceive by our senses actually exist, is inseparahly con- 
 nected with the perception of tliose objects. « That I 
 exist" is a constitutional judgment, which invariably 
 follows an act of consciousness ; and every one wlio is 
 conscious of any operation of mind, assents to the state- 
 ment, that he who is conscious has a being. Other simi- 
 lar judgments relate to the truth of such propositions as 
 these — Every effect has an adequate cause — The whole 
 is greater than a part — ^and a thing cannot exist and 
 not exist at the same time. Reflective judgments result 
 from the mind's looking in upon itself. Should I state 
 to an intelligent Christian, who is strong in faith, giving 
 glory to God, this proposition, "you love God," he 
 might modestly say, " I conceive of the object of supreme 
 affection, God, and of the mental operation of loving 
 him ; and am conscious that I do love him ; therefore I 
 jitdge your proposition to be true." >yhen we judge from 
 reflection, it is customary to say we knorv a statement 
 to be correct, or just. Acquired judgments include all 
 other operations of the judgment^ and are thus denomi- 
 nated because we learn to form them. Many of these 
 are dependent on some previous constitutional or intui- 
 tive judgment. The most important of our acquired 
 judgments, are those whicli are called acts of faith. The 
 propositions which are the objects of faith are always 
 matteris of testimony, God testifies, that he who believetli 
 shall be saved, and that the wicked shall be turned into 
 hell : when I judge that these statements are true, or 
 that the facts shall be according to the assertions, I am 
 said to believe the truth contained in them. 
 
 The Faculty of Reasoning is that part of the original 
 constitution of the mind, by which it arranges, combines, 
 
 Q 
 
18S 
 
 compares, and abstracts its own judgments, in such a 
 manner as to deduce from known propositions one pre- 
 viously unknown. To infer judgments is the great de- 
 sign of this faculty. 
 
 The FaculUj of ConsciencCf called also the Moral Faculty^ 
 is that part of the original constitution of the mind by 
 wliich it performs, involuntarily, mental opperations 
 of a religious character. It is employed about moral 
 actions, and induces all mankind to speak of right and 
 wrong, of justice and injustice, of obligation and guilt. 
 From the operations of this faculty they say, yon ought, 
 or ymi onght not, you should, or you should not ; they ask, 
 « are you not afraid ?" and they accuse or justify one 
 another. Conscience approves, or disapproves of moral 
 actions. It is a law of our intellectual nature, that con- 
 science shall operate in dependence on some other opera- 
 tions of the mind, and should approve or disapprove, 
 according to our conceptions of a law, judgment that we 
 are subjected to it, our opinion of the Law-giver, our 
 apprehension of duty, and our exercise of memory on 
 these subjects. Hence, conscience would be inoperative 
 without knowledge. 
 
 The Facility of Feeling is that part of the original con- 
 stitution of the mind by which it experiences cither 
 pleasure or pain. The operation of every faculty of the 
 mind except this has an object. But here tlie action is 
 intransitive, and the verb expressive of it will admit 
 only such substantives to follow it as appertain to neu- 
 ter verbs. If we feel it is always a feeling, of some 
 kind. The operations of this faculty may be divided 
 into sensations and emotions. Here another law of our 
 mental nature is to be had in remembrance; that we 
 never feel but in consequence of some previous operation 
 
188 
 
 of the mind. All those feelings which are dependent on 
 perceptions by the five senses are called sensations ; and 
 all other feelings are called emotions. Emotions again, 
 may be divided into affections and passions. Affections 
 arc all the pleasurable emotions of the mind ; and pas- 
 sions, all those that are painful. 
 
 Any one of the operations of these eight faculties may 
 be a motive, in consequence of which the mind shall will 
 the performance of some action. 
 
 The Faculty of Volition, or the will, is that part of the 
 original constitution of the mind by which it chooses, 
 determines, resolves, purposes, or wills to perform, or 
 not to perform, any contemplated action. 
 
 The Faculty of Efficiency is that part of the original 
 constitution of the mind by which it performs those ac- 
 tions which have been determined by the will. By this 
 faculty the mind acts, not only on the body, but on its 
 own constituent members. This efficiency in us any 
 one may be conscious of, who will reflect, that it is one 
 thing to will an action, and another thing to obey the will 
 in performing that action. 
 
 These ten faculties Adam possessed before and after 
 the fall ; and these are essential to the constitution of 
 every one of his reasonable, accountable offspring, in 
 every condition. A man possessing all these may be lo- 
 cated in as many different states as shall have been fore- 
 ordained. In every state we predicate of man a certain 
 degree of liberty, and power. We have carefully avoided 
 confusion of terms, and design never to use faculty and 
 poxver as synonymous, until we have at least one name 
 for each discinct object of contemplation. 
 
 Liberty or Action consists in such a connexion be- 
 tween the faculties of volition and efficiency, that a man may 
 
perform what lie wills. So far as a man may effect what 
 he wills, so far he is free in his agency. 
 
 Liberty of Volition, or freedom of will, consists in 
 such a connexion hetween the will and a sufficient motive, 
 that a man may will upon the presentation of the motive. 
 Hence man has no such freedom of will that he can choose 
 without motives, or independently of all knowledge, judg- 
 ment, conscience, and feeling. Hence also, a man can- 
 not will from such thoughts and feelings, whether they 
 be holy or unholy, as he has not ; any more than he can 
 see what is not to be seen. 
 
 Liberty or Thought is predicated of any faculty of 
 tiie understanding, precisely so far as a connexion is es- 
 tablished between that faculty and our voluntary effi- 
 ciency. Thus, if God has fixed it as a law of mind, that 
 when I will to read an author to myself, the will shall so 
 act (through my fiiculty of agency,) on my perception 
 that I shall sec tlie words, and on my conception that I 
 shall understand their meaning, then I am free to read. 
 So far as the Father of spirits has subjected the memory 
 to any voluntary action upon it, so far man is free to re- 
 collect. If your judgment will perform its office in con- 
 sequence of your exertion to make it active, you have li- 
 berty in judging. But to read a language which he has 
 not learned, to recollect in all cases in which he wills it, 
 and to judge without subjection to his conceptions, no 
 man is free. Yet of every faculty we affirm, that it al- 
 ways acts without being acted upon by a physical im- 
 pulse, or an extri^neous physical necessity. 
 
 Mental Power, or ability to do any action, implies 
 Kot only the existence of the requisite faculty, but every 
 thing else which is essential to the performance of that 
 action, in conjunction with that faculty. Liberty may exist 
 
185 
 
 where mental power is not. This may be illustrated. 
 A man is at liberttj to read ir he choose to read ; but he 
 has 110 power to read, before he actually chooses, unless 
 reading be an involuntary act. And since the volition to 
 read is requisite to constitute power in this case, every 
 thing essential to that volition is also included in the 
 power of reading. Indeed, a sufficient motive appre- 
 hended, a volition to perform some contemplated action, 
 and the faculty of efficiency dependent on that volition, 
 always enter into tlie true notion of poxver to perform a 
 voluntary action. Again, the mind is so constituted that 
 man has liberty to will if he sees cause, or has a motive 
 present to him ; but he has no power to will without the 
 actual presentation of a competent motive. 
 
 It will be obvious to every reader that the Liberty and 
 Power of which the human mind is the subject are always 
 finite. Man may xvill many things, which God has not 
 given him power to perform. He may resolve to act, 
 and not find his faculty of agency in motion. 
 
 The way is now prepared to enter into an investigation 
 of the apostacy and its consequences. Adam was a mo- 
 ral agent, and so is every one who has the faculties and 
 liberty requisite for acting in an intelligent, voluntary, 
 conscientious manner, in relation to a law qf conduct ^ io 
 which he has been subjected by his Maker. He is ac- 
 countable so far as he is the subject of liberty. All in- 
 animate beings are subject to the laws which Providence 
 has prescribed for them ; and their operations, excepting 
 in case of some supernatural interference, are conform- 
 able to those laws. All the conformity of physical ope- 
 rations to physical laws is, to the Divine Mind, certain 
 and NECESSARY. Moral agents obey, or disobey, the law 
 imposed for the regulation of their conduct, according to 
 
 Q 2 
 
186 
 
 their volitions; and to the Divine Mind, all their actions 
 are certain and yoluivtarT. The Lord « dcclareth the 
 end from the heginnin,^, and from ancient times the tilings 
 tliat are not yet done," so that there can be no uncertain- 
 ty, or imperfect knowledge of futurity, with him. He 
 gave Adam all the faculties, and all tliat liberty, which 
 were requisite for a moral agent. For a time his state 
 was such, that no delusi>e objects were present to his 
 senses, no false report sounded in his ears, and his mind 
 was graciously kept from conceiving folly and mischief. 
 His understanding was occupied by the instructions of his 
 divirip teacher; and liis feelings were continually exer- 
 cisrd about worthy objects. Every thought, every sen- 
 sation, every emotion, every volition was right, in the 
 Lord's sight, and he always obeyed the determinations of 
 his will. His activity was all consistent with his own 
 good and his Father's glory. His state, however, was 
 not immutable ; nor did his nature exalt him above the 
 possibility of being tempted. In one fatal moment he 
 transgressed the commandment of his Sovereign ; and he 
 transgressed as freely as he had before obeyed. The 
 questions occurs. How came Adam, in the first instance 
 of disobedience, to exert his finite efficiency, or agency, 
 contrarj to the divine law? I answer; that he 7villed 
 to eat of the forbidden fruit; and God still affording him 
 liberty, or supporting in their due relation to each other 
 his faculties of volition and agency, he performed what 
 he willed to perform. Jlction followed volition according 
 to the established laws of human mind, which Jehovah 
 did not deem it expedient to suspend. In the full view 
 of all consequences, and from the united influence of all 
 his perfections, God determined in this case not to snap 
 thecliain of mental cause and effect, and thus destroy the 
 
187 
 
 moral agent. He might indeed have separated Adam's 
 faculty of agency from that of willing, but had he done it 
 he would have suspended those laws by which he had 
 resolved to govern tiie empire of mind ; and would have 
 degraded the lord of this lower world from the rank at 
 first given him, while the trial intended would not been 
 made. 
 
 If then Adam exerted his efficiency against the di- 
 vine commandment from choice, the question arises, 
 " how came he to choose to perform an act of disobedi- 
 ence ?" We reject the unphilosophical and horrible doc- 
 trine of some who wish to be thought Calvinists, that 
 God created in him, or produced by a physical efficiency 
 exerted upon his will, an independent, insulated, unholy 
 volition. \ye have so learned neither Calvin nor his 
 Divine Master. The will of man, it has been already 
 remarked, never acts, except in consequence of some 
 prior operation of the mind. I may be conscious, or may 
 remember, or may conceive without being able to account 
 for these acts in any otiier way, than by saying, that 
 God has given me the requisite constitution of mind for 
 doing these things ; but if / will, choose, or determine, it 
 is to be accounted for, by saying, «* it seemed good to me 
 to determine; I perceived something, or remembered, or 
 conrei\ed, or felt something, which proved a sufficient 
 motive for my choice ; or I thought it would be desirable 
 for me to will the performance of some action." Adam 
 chose to eat of the forbidden fruit because of some mo- 
 tive. Perhaps he conceived that it would render him 
 wise ; or had such a perception of the fruit as was follow- 
 ed by a pleasing sensation; or judged that he should not 
 die, since Eve did not appear to have suffered the threat- 
 ened curse ; or imagined that he had misunderstood the 
 declaration of his Creator 3 or desired to please his part- 
 
188 
 
 ner ; or perhaps all these constituted a complex motive for 
 his choice, and therefore he chose to eat, and risque the 
 consequences. At any rate, we know, whatever the 
 temptation was, that it appeared to be good to him, at 
 the time, to will wliat he did will. Some of his thoughts 
 or feelings were such as to prove the occasion of a cri- 
 minal operation of the will. 
 
 Since, however, all the mental operations of our first 
 parents were, for a time, perfectly nglit, how came any 
 of them to be wrong. In attempting to give a satisfac- 
 tory reply, we state, that there were evil angels in exist- 
 ence, wlio were voluntary, malicious beings, possessing 
 a circumscribed liberty. One of tliese, called the old 
 Serpent, desired to deceive and destroy man. He was 
 permitted to make an effort, and for this purpose to as- 
 sume a suitable form. Satan's will to lie was not disse- 
 vered in this case from his faculty of doing what he 
 willed. Having power and liberty, he stated a false 
 proposition to our fust mother, saying, «ye shall not 
 surely die ; for God doth know that in the day ye eat 
 thereof, then your eyes shall be opened ; and ye shall be 
 as gods, knowing good and evil." Our mother had 
 never heard a lie before, and possibly did not know that 
 there was any such being as a liar, or the Devil, in ex- 
 istence. She gave credit to the voice of the Tempter, 
 when she should have accounted his speech to be false, 
 because it was contrary to the declaration of her Creator, 
 whom she had no reason to distrust. She sinned in that 
 very moment in whieh she first began to doubt the vera- 
 city of God, and to desire fruit which he had interdicted. 
 To this sin of thought, desire, and choice, she added that 
 of touching and tasting the forbidden fruit. In that very 
 moment, God made her acquainted with good lost and 
 
189 
 
 coil acquii'cd ,• for it was an immediate punishment to be 
 left under a delusion which induced her to present the 
 fruit to her husband. Hitherto he had never known 
 the wiles of the deceiver, and was as unconscious of the 
 actual temptations of the Devil upon his mind, as we are. 
 But !ie listened to the proposals of Eve, through whom 
 Satan now spoke, with some desire to partake with her in 
 the illicit acquisition of dreadful knowledge ; and sin be- 
 ing once conceived in his heart began to multiply sinful 
 thoughts, like a race of vipers. The lie being told in his 
 hearing «< ye shall not surely die," he conceived the 
 meaning of ti»c proposition, and finally believed it to be 
 true. Jehovah did not think it proper to cut off the 
 connexion between his external organs of hearing and 
 the mental faculty of perception : neither did he now 
 exert any gracious influence over him, to bring to his 
 remembrance his former convictions of his Maker's 
 truth. It was the will of God to place Adam in this 
 very state of probation. So long as he continued innocent 
 and good, he was a free moral agent under the imme- 
 diate influence of the Holy Spirit, who regulated, in a 
 way suited to his faculties, all the operations of his 
 mind. His goodness before the apostacy was the result 
 of his own immediate efiiciency, but of the Spirit's ^dti- 
 mate, moral government; for there is no being, except 
 God, who is independently holy. While thiis under the 
 propitious government of God, he was not put to the 
 proof. His holiness was a proof of God's sufficiency to 
 make a creature holy and happy ; but no evidence that 
 even an innocent creature is able to preserve himself in 
 a state of purity and felicity. God determined, for wise 
 reasons, to prove his creature, man; and he put him there- 
 fore into a state of trial, which is called a state of pro- 
 
190 
 
 hatiouf because in it he was to be proved, and receive 
 either approbation or disapprobation. The state of proba- 
 tion was constituted by God's ceasing to exert a positive 
 influence on man's mind, so as to prevent all erroneous 
 perceptions, notions, judgments and feelings which might 
 be the motive to a wrong volition, and lead to a sinful 
 action ; while at the same time the Devil in Eve's case, 
 and Eve in Adam's case, were permitted to present a 
 a false statement to the mind. In this state, which was 
 calculated to ivy our first father, was proof made of the 
 creature man ; and he exhibited how imperfect an inno- 
 cent creature is, and how dependent upon the gracious 
 government of God; for << our first parents, BEING 
 LEFT to the freedom of their own will, through the temp- 
 tation of Satan, transgressed the commandment of God, 
 in eating the forbidden fruit, and thereby fell from the 
 estate of innocency wherein they were created." Hav- 
 ing made man capable of action, and having given him a 
 finite liberty, the Deity was under no obligation, even 
 to his own Attributes, to exert a positive influence 
 over him, to make him always remember his duty and 
 act aright. It was not inconsistent with the perfections 
 of his nature to leave a creature, possessing a finite and 
 dependent efficiency, in such circumstances as would 
 manifest that even a hnly creature must depend on some 
 higher being than himself for his continuance in holiness; 
 and that all goodness in others is derived from the God- 
 head. He did leave man to himself, and to the influence 
 of Satan's suggestions ; and he fell. While all the facul- 
 ties of the mind of Adam were kept under the immediate 
 influence of the Divine Mind, every mental operation was 
 such as pleased God ; because it was intelligent, conscien- 
 tious, and voluntary conformity to his law. But when 
 
191 
 
 God, to prove man, brought the same faculties into a 
 state of probation, such mental operations were perform- 
 ed as incurred his righteous displeasure. When the 
 positive influence of the Deity was not afforded, then, as 
 in the absence of the Sun, thick darkness per\adcd the 
 moral world. If this representation bo true, then " God 
 is light, and in him is no darkness at all :" and then, 
 God is no more the author of sin, tlian the Sun is the 
 efficient cause of the blackness of midnight. 
 
 In the moment of rebellion the state of probation was 
 changed for one of sin and misery. In this state our first 
 parents continued unt 51 by the mercy of God they were 
 brought into a state of salvation by a Redeemer^ and 
 thence translated into the state of glory. In the state 
 which was immediately consequent upon the fall, are all 
 the children of Adam born : and in the same, like him, 
 do they continue, until the word and Spirit bring them 
 life, from the dead. 
 
 Siiv, in the language of the holy Scriptures, compre- 
 hends every tiling in a moral agent, which is displeas- 
 ing to God, defective in the estimation of the law, and 
 opposed to the divine nature. 
 
 Some are pleased to define sin, in such a manner as to 
 exclude every thing but actual transgressions. Others 
 make it consist wholly in a wrong act of the will. AVe 
 have no objection to their definition but this, that it is 
 not consonant to the language of the Bible. If they 
 clioose to affirm that nothing shall be called sin, but an 
 actual volition which is contrary to the law of God, we 
 affirm, that many things are offensive to God and de- 
 structive to the souls of men, which they do not allow to 
 be sin. << The thoughts of the wicked are an abomina- 
 tion to the Lord." Pro v. xv. 26. We affirm that sin " is 
 
19;^ 
 
 any transgression of the law," and it is also (< any want of 
 conformity unto'* tlie revealed will of Heaven. A moral 
 defect, a neglectof duty, on innate depravity, an injurious 
 thought, we denominate sin. Any thing in the nature of 
 a moral agent which separates him from the holy God, 
 any action which is forbidden, any moral impurity, or 
 deficiency, is represented by the same general word. 
 Sin is taken in this extensive sense in the declaration 
 that " by one man sin entered into the world ;" for tlie 
 apostle did not intend to convey merely the truth, that 
 positive crimes have entered into the world by one man ; 
 but that through Adam every moral evil had entered; 
 and especially that depravity of man which is the cause 
 of actual transgression. At any rate, we have as good a 
 right to define the meaning of the words which we use as 
 other teachers, and we wish to be understood to assert 
 that by one man entered into the world all the moral evil, 
 and its consequences, wl)ich subsist in the family of Adam. 
 David says, « in sin did my motlier conceive me ;" in 
 wliich place the word sin is applied to a fallen statCf and 
 not to a moral action. Ps, li. 5. Solomon says, « the 
 thought of foolishness is sin." Prov. xxiv. 9. Not to per- 
 form a vow, which is lawful in itself, and not to believe 
 in Jesus Christ, is sin. Deut, xxiiL 21. and John xvi. 9. 
 Indeed the neglect of any duty is as much sin, as the 
 violation of any positive precept; and all wickedness, im- 
 purity of thought, irregularity of desire, is as much sin 
 as a rebellious operation of the will. 
 
 That estate of mind too, in which man acts and is 
 treated like a sinner, is called a state of sin. Such a state 
 as this was produced by Adam's conduct in departing 
 from God. After he had sinned, such was his situation 
 in relation to God; that it was natural for him to perceive 
 
19^ 
 
 indications of God's anger ; to conceive of his Maker as 
 his enemy ; to judge that his own case was hopeless; to 
 infer from several considerations that all attempts at fu- 
 ture obedience would be useless; to remember his trans- 
 gression with selfish regret; to reason against the divine 
 goodness ; t<> hate the Divine Providence wiiich brought 
 him into a state of trial : to feel some resentment against 
 his partner ; and to justify liimself, while he chose to es- 
 cape from the presence of the Lord. Had he been left in 
 this state, without any exhibition of the gospel ; he would 
 as naturally have hated, dreaded, feared and condemned 
 the Lord, as do the devils, to whom hope never came. 
 The change of character wliicli had taken place was in 
 Adam; and unless Jehovah had chausjed too, so as to fa- 
 vour iniquity and have fellowship with transgressors, it 
 was impossible Adam should not have felt opposition to 
 his Maker so long as he conceived himself to be an ob- 
 ject of disapprobation and punishment.. It would have 
 been natural for all beings possessing his faculties, and 
 existing in the state in which he did, after they should 
 have transgressed, to have thought, felt, willed and acted 
 as he did, and thus to have experienced a change of their 
 mental nature ; so as to become « by nature, children of 
 wrath." 
 
 From the apostacy of our first parents resulted imme- 
 diately the most unhappy effects in relation to themselves. 
 The Lord is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. He 
 will not be contemned, nor mocked, with impunity. 
 When some of the angels sinned, he thrust them from his 
 presence and confined them in chains, under darkness, 
 against t)ie judgment of the great day. God is a holy 
 God, and this is his honour among all celestial beings, 
 
 R 
 
Shall lie then in favour of man, sufter his character to be 
 abused;^ and his government subverted ? 
 
 He scrupled not to eat, 
 
 *' Against his better knowledge ; not deceived, 
 
 " But fondly overcome with female charm. 
 
 *' Earth trembled from her entrails, as again 
 
 *' In pangs : and Nature gave a second groan ; 
 
 *• Sky lour'd, and muttering thunder some sad drops 
 
 " Wept at compleating of the mortal sin 
 
 « Original.'* 
 
 No sooner had the first pair become sinners, than God 
 began to inflict the punisliment which they merited. 
 He withdrew his kind and gracious presence, so that he 
 was no longer in their hearts the God of love. No 
 longer would he hold friendly communion with them, 
 and afford \\um heavenly knowledge. From the moment 
 of the fall he began to treat them as a Father, angry 
 with his children. He caused their consciences to 
 accuse them, and filled their minds with the painful 
 emotions of fear and shame. Immediately upon eating 
 the forbidden fruit, by which they contemned the first 
 external ordinance of religion, our guilty progeni- 
 tors died a spiritual deatli. They were separated from 
 God ; the divine life in them ceased, and they were de- 
 prived of the true knowledge, and love of God. They 
 died also in a legal sense, for they were no longer alive 
 to the blessings of perfect obedience. Tliey came under 
 sentence of condemnation, and their well founded liopes 
 of eternal life by the law were all extinguished. Indeed, 
 all possibility of life by the law was now at an end for 
 ever ; and any other way of life was unknown, till God 
 revealed it. As a further testimony of his displeasure. 
 
195 
 
 God caused their bodies to become the abode of diseases 
 and pain : so tiiat they began to die, in tlie most literal 
 sense. They were made mortal from the moment of 
 transgression ; and the ground, the irrational creatures, 
 and even the material heavens, were cursed on account 
 of rebel man. Now the earth began to produce thorns, 
 briers, and vegetable poisons : tlie animals, harmless 
 before, began to prey upon one another, and thunders, 
 storms, and tempests occupied the atmosphere. All the 
 disorders of the animal and material world are designed 
 to afflict man, in testimony of Jehovah's displeasure 
 against all sin. But alas ! the effects of the apostacy 
 were not confined to our ancestors and the inferior works 
 of God. One sin ruined the world. We feel its effects; 
 we groan under its curse : for 
 
 The apostacy of Adam has introduced sin into all the 
 generations and individuals of his posterity. By one 
 man sin entered into the world of mankind ; and death by 
 sin ; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have 
 sinned. All men might have become sinners, as our first 
 parents did, by a personal fall, and would have done so, 
 had they all been created in a state of innocence, and had 
 they entered on a state of probation, under the same lia- 
 bility to temptation. But they become sinners in a dif- 
 ferent way, and without ever having personally known a 
 state of innocence and probation. From the moment of 
 the general apostacy, God concluded^ the whole human 
 family in unbelief: or he shut up all, as rebels who need 
 to be pardoned ; and who, if saved at all, must be saved 
 by grace. That all men are made sinners through Adam, 
 
 • Rom. xi. 32. 
 
196 
 
 need not be proved, since the Holy Spirit testifies in the 
 plainest, and most positive lanii^uage, that « by one man's 
 disobedience many were made sinners," that « by the 
 offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemna- 
 tion," and in another place,* that « in Adam all die 5" 
 but it is requisite that the fact should be explained, 
 and the doctrine defended against the objections of un- 
 believers. 
 
 In explanation we allege, 
 1. That the Creator has established such an order 
 among all his productive creatures, that the offspring 
 resembled the parent. This we find to be a law in the 
 vegetable and animal kingdoms. Poisonous seeds pro- 
 duce poisonous trees and fruits, instead of esculent 
 roots. Men do not gather grapes of thorns, nor figs 
 of thistles. Each kind of grain bears the same, so 
 that you do not expect tares from wheat, nor wheat from 
 tares. In like manner the fishes, birds, and quadrupeds, 
 all that live in the earth, air, or sea, procreate an off- 
 spring like their parents ; and of Adam after his fall, 
 we read, that he <« begat a son in his own likeness." It 
 was according to the established course of God's govern- 
 ment, and the nature of things, tliat Adam's children 
 should be neither saints, nor angels-, nor devils, but men 
 in a degraded condition, men who enter at birth into a state 
 of sin and misery. If any one complains of this as un- 
 just, he might with as much propriety blame his Maker, 
 for not causing the lioness to bring forth a lamb. It is 
 notorious that God has established a connexion between 
 all kinds of parents and their posterity ^ and if any one 
 
 * I Cor. XV. 22. 
 
197 
 
 is wiser or more just than the great God, let him call 
 his Maker into judgment; and ascertain whose counsel 
 shall stand. 
 
 « Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ? 
 not one.^ AVhat is man that he should he clean ? and 
 he which is born of a woman, that he should he righ- 
 teous.f Tiiat which is born of the flesh is flesh.":}: That 
 which proceeds from degraded, depraved human nature, 
 possesses no higher character than tliat of its original. 
 From the analogy wliich subsists between God's works, 
 it might have been expected, that if the first man fell 
 into a state of sin and misery, all his children would 
 have been born in that same fallen condition. Had 
 Adam been produced in heaven, and afterwards sent to 
 this world to reside, on account of sin, it would have been 
 expected that all his ciiildrcn should Ijave been born in 
 this world, and not in the celestial regions. Hence, after 
 he becameearthly and sensual, his offspring became earthly 
 and sensual too. I'he fall of the whole human race, 
 therefore, with their progenitor, was according to the 
 established course of nature. We allege 
 
 2. That many of God's creatures suffer tlirough the 
 misconduct of others. We know this to be a fact, which 
 frequently occurs under the providential government of 
 God. It is not unrighteous in him to suffer such re- 
 sults to take place; for there is no unrighteousness with 
 God. Who does not know, that when the merciless man 
 abuses his beast, the irrational creature of God experi- 
 ences pain through the rational ? This poor beast of 
 burden is under the care of God, who is not insensible to 
 
 • Job xiv. 4. t Job XV. 14. John iii. 6. 
 
 R 2 
 
198 
 
 the happiness even of the ravens and young lions ; and 
 yet he suffers, for the present, the injurious master to 
 abuse one of Jehovah's sensitive charge. 
 
 Under the same all-wise providence, if a wicked man 
 should smite the good, or slander them, they might feel 
 pain, which no man can prove that justice or goodness 
 requires the Lord to prevent. Should an agent squander 
 his employer's estate, or sliould servants, or repn^senta- 
 tives prove unfaithful, the injured would suffer through 
 the injurious. Should one, without any negligence or 
 fault on his part, become connected with a partner who 
 should prove worse than Job's wife, he would suffer; and 
 should parents neglect their duty, their children might 
 feel the miserable effects of their misconduct through life. 
 Every body knows that under the government of the Su- 
 preme Being, the natural defects, and diseases of parents 
 may be entailed on their posterity. But who for all this 
 dare accuse his G d of mal-administration ? It it is not 
 unjust in God to have cursed the ground, and to have 
 aflSicted the brute creation for man's sake ; if it is not 
 unholy in Providence to suffer a man to injure his horse, 
 or a parent his child, or a man his neighbour, who can 
 prove that it is unjust in God to im4)licate the whole hu- 
 man race in Adam's transgression ? We may dispute, 
 but we had hitter be \\ise. What wciuld our remon- 
 stranc rs rffcc t ? The fact that all men suffrr, and all 
 men die, is snffirient to prove that God imj)uted the sin 
 of Adam to his v\hoIe rare. He determined that on ac- 
 count of the sin of the progenitor of the human rare, he 
 would treat them all like sintiers, that he would hold them 
 all liable to punishment, as a suitable indication of his 
 hatred of every sin. The Lord imputes Adam's «in to 
 
199 
 
 all men, just as he imputes Clirist's rigliteousncss to all 
 believers. He neither believes nor affirms, that a renewed 
 person actually has rendered that obedience to the Law 
 which Christ rendered ; but he determines to treat the 
 renewed person as if Christ's actions and sufferings had 
 been his own; endured and performed by himself. In 
 like manner, the Lord neither believes nor affirms, that 
 all of Adam's children performed the action which Adam 
 did, except by him as their representative ; but he deter- 
 mined to treat them all as if they had actually apostatis- 
 ed. He does treat them in this manner ; for they were 
 in him as all the brandies of a tree were in the root; and 
 as all the grain whi( h is ever to spring from a kernel of 
 corn, may be said to be in tliat kernel. We proceed to 
 allege, as an answer to all objections. 
 
 3. That since Adam apostatised, the imputation of his 
 sin is favourable to mankind. The fall of man is a mat- 
 ter of deep lamentation ; for had Adam obeyed during all 
 his state of probation, as the public head of the whole 
 family, all would have been confirmed in knowledge, 
 righteousness and true hcdiness ; and thus would have 
 been saved through the righteousness of the first Adam. 
 Since, however, Adam did not prove the occasion of our 
 being entitled by covenant right to eternal life, the im- 
 putation of his sin is so far from being prejudicial, that 
 it is advantageous to us. That all may understand this 
 proposition, let us suppose it were yet to be decided, 
 whether the individuals of our race were to fall or not. 
 It would then remain to be decided, concerning each one, 
 whether a Saviour should be provided for him or not. 
 This being uncertain, every man would need, after trans- 
 gression, the provision of a Saviour in particular for 
 himself, and a revelation to acquaint him with that pro- 
 
vision. Suppose that children, who were to stand or fall for 
 themselves, had been exposed to sui li temptations as our 
 first parents experienced, and, in addition, to the perni- 
 cious example of fallen Adam and Eve ; is it not certain, 
 that every cliild of Adam's race would have been more 
 likely to apostatise than his proj^enitors were ? 
 
 Had we come into the world without the imputation of 
 Adam's transgression, we should have been under tlie 
 covenant of works, and then every man, with more dis- 
 advantages than the perfect first man, would have ob- 
 tained eternal life only by sinless obedience. Had he 
 sinned he would have been for ever excluded from the 
 hope of everlasting bliss, because the new covenant which 
 offers salvation by grare, could not have existed, could 
 not liave been proposed upon any other supposition than 
 this, that the whole world was guilty before God, and 
 therefore in need of grace. It is only the imputation of 
 Adam's sin to the whole world which prepares tiie way 
 for this introduction of the gospel of the new covenant to 
 tlie whole world. If men existed here, in the same state 
 in which Adam did before the fall, tlie Lord would say to 
 them, ♦* be perfectly obedient and live." It would be 
 improper that they should hear one, word of a Saviour 
 until they had fallen, for should they hear of a Saviour 
 conditionally provided, their state of probation could not 
 be a complete one, since they would know in innocence 
 that sin was not without remedy; and then would they 
 nr)t have so many motives to perseverance in holiness as 
 Adam, w ho knew not before the fall, tliat there was any 
 possibility of pardoning transgression. Since, then, no 
 man, after Adam's offence, could have been certain of 
 heaven by his own perseverance for ever in the perff)rm- 
 ance of duty, 1 repeat it, that the imputation of Adam's 
 
301 
 
 sin to all men is favourable to them, bcraiise it introduced 
 them at once to « a better covenant." The old covenant^ 
 the way of salvation by law, made nothiiiji; perfect; no, 
 not the first pair : but the bringing in of a better covenant, 
 which secures to sinners salvation throui^h Jesus Christ, 
 did secure perfection to all who are included in it. The 
 law could not save one, who had the fairest opportunity, 
 and the most reasonable probation ; but the gospel w ill 
 save a great company, which no man can number. — 
 Thanks be unto God, then, that he resolved to treat us 
 as men who might be saved by believing on the all-sufli- 
 cient Jesus, and not as beings ignorant of any way of 
 eternal life but that of sinless perfection. Instead of re- 
 quiring us to enter into a state of probation as Adam, 
 the Lord graciously declares, that he will consider the 
 probation of our father as the trial of all men ; and will 
 now freely bestow on them righteousness through a Re- 
 deemer. He no longer says, work roR eternal life, but 
 receive it, in my Son, who has merited it for you. 
 
 The Lord's judgment is according to truth ; and he 
 judges that one trangression is such an accursed evil, that 
 it ought to blast all the fair prospects of a race of men, 
 if their natural head and representative is guilty of it. 
 So great and glorious is our God, and so horrible all 
 disobedience to him, that he displays his indignation 
 against one transgression in relation to an external ordi- 
 nance of worship, by inflicting pain not only on man in 
 general, but upon all the sensitive beings which belong 
 to man's dominion. Because God gave the br«ites for a 
 possession to Adam, he was pleased to make them, with 
 the earth, and air, manifest the divine displeasure against 
 rebellion. Yes, cursed is the very ground, because of 
 siji. Thorns and thistles it must bring forth, until the 
 
restitution of all things. How great then should be our 
 indignation against every thing which is displeasing to 
 our Maker ! What sorrow should we feel that any of our 
 rare should have merited the wrath of God ! It is no 
 thanks to us, that one of our sins docs not ruin a world ; 
 for had the covenant of works been made with us, as it 
 was with Adam, this would have been the result. No 
 human being ran foresee, or imagine, what mischief 
 might spring from one case of iniquity, were not the jus- 
 tice and the grace of God to prevent it from taking its 
 natural course. Wtll, then, may we repent and humble 
 ourselves before (he Lord ; for if he should execute full 
 vengeance on each transgressor, who would not be 
 damned ? 
 
 We cannot repent for Adam's sin, but we may hate it ; 
 and in like manner may hate every object which is of- 
 fensive to God, and which separates us from the perfect 
 enjoyment of him. Any thing in my body or soul which 
 inclines, or tempts me, to perform actual sin, is latent 
 sin, is innate or acquired depravity of our nature. Any 
 thing in man's state, or condition, which seduces him 
 from God is hateful ; and is a testimony of the divine 
 hatred of iniquity. Job repented of his own sinful ac- 
 tions ; but of himself, yea, of himself considered as a pol- 
 luted moral being, he said, " I abhor myself." Our 
 f« first father hath sinned ,'' wherefore the Lord hath 
 f' profaned the princes of the sanctuary ;"* as a mani- 
 festation of his displeasure: but in mercy he says, " 1, 
 even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgi'essions for 
 mine own sake." Let us then come before tlie Lord, 
 saying, « behold, we were shapen in iniquity, and in sin 
 
 • Isa. xliii. 27,28 
 
20S 
 
 did our mothers r onreive us. We acknowledge, O Lord^ 
 our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers ; fiu* we 
 have sinned a.^ainst thee. Do not abhor us for tliy 
 name sake ; do not disgrace the throne of thy glory ; re- 
 member, break not thy covenant \^ith us : and thine shall 
 be the glory, for ever. 
 
 THE END. 
 

 BUJ 
 
 I'auj 
 
 HELIG^GA 
 
 n\ JOHN CAiA 
 
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 BY JOHN ALLEN. 
 iraes, 8ro. Price g 8 lioaMsi.^B ! •; 
 
 itkbliS proposes to pubi; 
 
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