EL EM EN O F CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY'. CONTAINING, PROOFS OF THE AUTHENTICITY AND INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES j A SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS j A BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS i A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE AND OF THE LITURGY OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLANDj AND A SCRIPTURAL EXPOSITION OF THE THIRTY-NINE ARTICLES OF RELIGION, GEORGE PRETYMAN, d. d. f.r.s. LORD BISHOP OF LINCOLN. DESIGNED PRINCIPALLY FOR THE USE OF YOUNG STUDENTS IN DIVINITY. G\e ovpe Tv»e-Vy 'T(\a'r\ \a^\C^Xvl•^£> . , ^\2) \o * c^ V\) i/v\r in'" ' ' JN rWO VOLITMES, VOL. IL LONDON: Printed for Cadell and Davies, Strand; RiviNCTONs, St. Paul's Church-yard ; White, Fleet- ffreet ; Hatcharo, Piccadilly} Lunn, Oxford-ftreet ; Deichton, Cambridge j fltid CiJOKt 'f fl»;/HANWELi, and Parker, Oxford. 17 99- s^' PART III. CHAPTER THE FIRST. OF THE ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE. THAT it was the pradiice, in the early ages of the Gofpel, to tranflate the Scriptures into the language of every country in which they were received, is evident from a variety of teftimo- nies i but the following paflage in Theodoret,who lived in the beginning of the fifth century, may be confidered as alone decifive : " We Chriftians are enabled to fiiew the powers of apoflolic and prophetic doctrines, which have filled all coun- tries under heaven ; for that which was formerly uttered in Hebrew is not only translated into the language of the Greeks, but alfo of the Ro- mans, the Indians, Perfians, Armenians, Scythi- ans, Sarmatians, Egyptians, and, in a word, into all the languages that are ufed by any na- VoL. II. B tion £ Of the Englijli [part iii. tion (a).^' — " For the facred Writ being the foundation of the Chriftian religion, upon which they built the whole fyflem of their morality and dodtrine, and which the Chriftians were obliged to read both in public and private, the feveral churches of the world could not be long without fuch tranilations as might be underftood by every bodyf^y." It is impoflible to afcertain the exad: time at which Chriftianity was introduced into this ifland ; nor do we know how foon there was a tranllation of the Scriptures into the lan- guages of its inhabitants. The earllefi of which we have any account, is a tranfiation of the Pfalms into the Saxon tongue by Adhelm, the firil bilhop of Sherborne, about the year 70^, Egbert, bidiop of Landisfern^ who died in the (a) Theod. ad Graec. Infid. Serm. 5. Vide Eufeb. Dem. Evan. lib. 3. cap. ult. and Ulfer. Hift. Dogm. Eoth the Old and New Teftaments were very accurately tranflated immediately from the Hebrew and Greek ori- ginals into the Syriac languages, before the end of 'the firft century. This antient verfion is held in very high efteem by the learned, and is ftill ufed by many of the Chriftians in the Eaft. In fome of the villages near Mount Libanus, Syriac is ftill the vulgar tongue. There is another Syriac verfion of the Old Teftament, made from Origen's Hexapla, about 600 years after Chrift, but that is not much efteemed, (h) Johnfon's Hift. Account of the Engllfti Tranfla- tlons of the Bible. 2 year CHAP. I.] ^ranJIdtioHS of the Bible. 3 year 721, made a Saxon verfion of the four Gofpels i and not long after, Bcde tranllated the whole Bible into that language. There were other Saxon verfions of the whole or parts of the Bible of a later date (c) ; and it appears indeed, that new tranHations were made, from time to time, as the languages of the country varied j but when the popes of Rome had eftabliflied their fpiritual tyranny in this as well as in other countries of Europe, they forbade the reading of thefe tranf* lations j and in the fourteenth century the com- mon people had been fo long deprived of the u(e of the Scriptures, that the lateft of the tranfla- tions were become unintelligible. W\c\Y\^ (d) therefore, who was a ftrenuous oppofer of the corruptions and ufurpations of the church of Rome, and from whom we are to date the dawn of the reformation in this kingdom, publiflied a tranflation of the whole Bible in the Englifli lan- (c) King Alfred, who died A. D. 900, tranflated the Pfalms, This tranflation was publiflied by Spelman, A. D. 1640, with the Latin tnterlineary text. (d) He was born in 1324, and died in 13B4. " Some writers have conceived that an Englifli tranflation was made before the time of WicklifFj and there are fome co- pies of an Englifli tranflation at Oxford, Cambridge, and at Lambeth, which Uftier afligns to an earlier period j but it is probable that thefe may be genuine, or corre<^ed, co- pies of WicklifF's tranflation." Gray. B % guage 4 Of the Englijli [part hi. guage then ipoken ; but not being fulHciently acquainted with the Hebrew and Greek lan- guages to tranflate from the originals, he made his translation from the Latin Bibles, which were at that time read in the churches. " So offenfive was this tranfiation of the Bible to thofe who were for taking away the key of knowledge, and means of better information, that a bill, we are told, was brought into the houfe of lords, 13 Ri- chard the Second, A. D. 1390, for the purpofe of fuppreffing it ; on which the duke of Lan- cafter, the king's uncle. Is reported to have fpoken to this effe(fl : ' We will not be the dregs of all, feeing other nations have the law of God, which is the law of our faith, written in their own language.' At the fame time he de- clared, in a very folemn manner, * That he would maintain our having this law in our own tongue againil thofe, whoever they fliould be, who brought in this bill' (e)^ The bill, through the influence of the duke, "was rejefted ; and this fuccefs gave encouragement to fome of WicklifT's followers to publidi another, and more corre(5V, tranfiation of the Bible. But in the year 1408, .in a convocation held at Oxford by archbifliop Arundel, it was decreed by a conftitution, " That no one fliould thereafter tranllate any text of {e) Lewis's Miflcry of tlieTranflations of the Bible. holy CHAP. 1.] Tranjlatiom of the Bible. 5 holy Scripture Into Engllfli, by way of a book, or little book, or trad; and that no book of this kind fliould be read, that was compofed lately in the time of John Wickliff, or fince his death." This conftltution led the way to great perfecution ; .and many perfons were punifhed fevercly, and fome even with death, for readmg the Scriptures in Englifh. In the reign of Henry the Eighth, William Tyndal (f), who was a favourer of the reformed dodrines, which were then making a rapid pro- grefs, was compelled by the Romifii priefts to leave England. After travelling for fome time in Germany, where he became acquainted with Lu- ther and other learned men, he fettled at Ant- werp, and with the affiftance of John Fry or Fryth (g) and William Roye (h), he tranllated the New Teftament' from the original Greek, and printed it, with fome fliort gloffes, or comments, without a name, at Hamburgh, or Antwerp, about the year 1526. This was the hrft printed edition of any part of the Holy Scriptures in the EngliQi (f) He was educated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, and became Canon of Chrill Church, foon after it was founded. (g) He was educated at Cambridge. He was burnt in Smithfield as a heretic, in July, 1552. (h) He fuffered death in Portugal as a heretic. B 3 language. 6 Of the EngUjh [part in. language. The impreffion was Tent over to Eng- land ; and the eagernefs which was generally (hown by the people, to read the Gofpel in the vulgar tongue, quickly excited alarm among thofe v;ho were devoted to the Romifh church. Sir Thomas More, lord chancellor, and Tonflall, bifliop of London, caufed all the copies they could purchafe or procure to be burnt (i) at St. Paul's Crofs; and the felling or difperfion of them was prohibited under heavy penalties. In the mean time Tyndal, with the affiftancc of Miles Coverdale (k)y un- dertook the tranflation of the Old Teftament, and publifhed the Pentateuch at Hamburgh, in the year 1530, with prefaces refledting upon the Engliih bifhops and clergy; and in the fame year he publiflied a more corre<5l translation of the New Teftament. In 1 531, he publifhed an Englifh verfion of the prophet Jonah, with a preface full of inventive againft the church of (l) ** A copy of this tranflation, fuppofed to be the only one remaining, was purchafed for Lord Oxford, who fettled ;^.20 a year on the perfon who procured it. Out of Lord Oxford's colledlion it was purchafed by Mr. Ames for >(^. 15, at whofe fale (1760) it was purchafed for ^.14. 14J. 6^." Gilpin's Cranmer. (k) He was made bifliop of Exeter by Edward the Sixth J but going to Geneva, in queen Mary's reign, he imbibed the principles of Calvin, and refufed to return to his bifliopric in queen Elizabeth's reign, Rome, CHAP. I.] 'Tranjlations of the Bible. j Rome, proving himfelf, as Lord Herbert calls him, " a witty, but violent, and fometlmes rail- ing difputant f/j." He was proceeding in the tranflation of the other book?, when he was feized and imprifoned by the emperor, through the influence of king Henry the Eighth and his minifters; and in the year 1536, hq was put to death at Villefont, near Bruffells, in confequence of a decree made in an alfembly at Augfbourg. In the year 1535, Miles Coverdale publifhed the firft Englifli tranflation of the whole Bible, and dedicated it to king Henry the Eighth. It was probably printed at Zurich ; and though it pafled under the name of Coverdale only, it is generally fuppofed that great part of the work was performed by Tyndal, before he was im- prifoned (m), and that his name was not men- tioned becaufe he was then under confinement. Thofe who were adverfe to any tranflation of the Scriptures, not daring operily to avow their principles fnj^ complained of the inaccuracy of WicklifT's (I) Life of Henry the Eighth, page 406. (m) It is faid that he had advanced as far as Nehe- miah, inclufive, when he was apprehended. The refl of the books were probably tranflated by Coverdale him- felf. (n) Even Sir Thomas More acknowledges, " Holy «Jo»Slors never meant, as I fuppofe, the forbidding of the B 4 Bible 8 Of the Englijh [part m. Wickliff's and Tyndal's traiillations, and on that ground objedted to the ufe of them ; but on the other hand it was contended by the friends of the reformation, that if thefe tranflations were erro- neous, care fl:iould be taken to pubhlli one more faithful. In the year 1535, Cranmer, who had been advanced to the fee of Canterbury two years before, and whofe endeavours to promote the caufe of the reformation were unremitted, had fuflicient intereft to procure a petition from both houfes of convocation to the king, requeft- ino- that he would allow a new tranflation of the Scriptures to be made. Henry confented ; and Cranmer, dividing an old Englifli tranflation of the New Teftament into nine or ten parts, dif- tributed them among the moft learned bifhops and others, requiring that they fliould return their refpedlive portions, correfted and amended, by a certain day. Every one fent his part at the time appointed, except Stokelly, bifliop of London, Bible to be read in any vulgar tongue ; for I never yet heard any reafon laid, why it were not convenient to have the Bible tranflated into the Englifh tongue." Such is the teiiiniony of this great man and profeflbd papifl, upon the general queftion of the rigl.t and expediency of a tranflation of the Scriptures, although he did every thing in his povver to fupprefs the tranflations which were ac- tually made. and c H A p . I . ] Tranjlations of the Bible. '^ and his pofif've refufal to have any concern in the bufinei's Icems to have put a flop to the work for the prefent. However, early in the year 1536, Lord Cromwell, keeper of the privy feal, and the king's vicar-general and vice-gerent in ecclefi- aftical matters, publiflied injundions to the clergy, by the king's authority, of which the fe- venth was, " that every parfon or proprietary of any parilh church within the realm, before Avi-r gufl the firft, fliould provide a book of the whole Bible, botli in Latin and alfo in Enghlh, and lay it in the choir, for every man that would to look and read therein ; .and (liould difcourage no man from reading any part of the Bible, either in La- tin or Englilh, but rather comfort, exhort, and admonilh every man to read it as the very word of God, and the fpiritual food of man's foul." In the year 1537, a folio edition of the Bible was printed by Grafton and Whitchurch, at Hamburgh or at Paris, more probably at Ham- burgh : it varied but little from Tyndal's and Coverdale's tranflation ; and the few emenda- tions and additions it contained were fupplied by John Rogers (0), who fuperintended the publi- (0) He was educated at Cambridge, and was the Jirft perfon who fuffered death on account of religion in queen Mary's reign. cation, to Of the Riiglijh [part II r. cation, and afllimed the name of Matthews; hence this is always called Matthews's Bible. A copy of this book was prefented by Cranmer to Lord Cromwell, with a requeft that he would ob- tain the king's permifiion for the free ufe of it among his fubje6ls; and there are two letters oi the archbifliop preferved by Strype, which flicvv that the royal licence was granted through the application of Cromwell. In the year 1538, an injunftion was publiflied by the vicar-g^neral, " ordering the clergy to provide, before a certain feftival, one book of the whole Bible of the largefl volume in Englifh, and to {^t it up in fome convenient place within their churches, where their parifliioners might mod commodiouily refort and read it (-p) ;" and in the fame year a royal declaration was alfo pub- liflied, which the curates were commanded to read in their feveral churches, informing the people, " that it had pleafed the king's majefiy to permit and command the Bible, being tranf- iated into their mother tongue, to be fmcerely taught by them, and to be openly laid forth in every parifh church fj;."— «« It was wonderful," lays Strype, " to fee with what joy this book of God was received, not only among the more (p) Lewis. (1) -Appendix to Strype's Life of Cranmer. learned. CHAP. I.] I'mnJIatlons of the Bible. n learned, and thofe who were noted lovers of the reformation, but generally all over England, among all the common people, and with what greedinefs God's word was read, and what refort there was to the places appointed for reading it. Every one that could, bought the book, and bu- (ily read it, or heard it read ', and many elderly- perrons learnt to read on purpole (r)y In 1538, Grafton obtained leave from Francis the Firfl;, king of France, through the intercef- lion of Henry the Eighth, to print an EngliOi Bible at Paris, on account of the fuperior fkill of the workmen, and the comparative goodncfs and cheapnefs of the paper. But this royal permif- fion did not prevent the inquifitors from fum- moning before them the French printers, the Englifh employers, and Coverdale, who fuper- intended the work j and the whole impreffion, confiding of 2,500 copies, was feized, and con- demned to the flames. Some few copies only were faved ; but the Englifh proprietors of this undertaking found means to carry with them to London the prefles, types, and printers. In 1539, Grafton and Whitchurch printed, at London, the Bible in large folio, under the di- redtion of Coverdale and patronage of Cranmer, containing fome improvement of Matthews's Cr) Life of Cranmer. tranilation ; 12 Of the Englij'h [part iir. tranHation; this is generally called the Great Bible, and it is fuppofed to be the fame which Grafton obtained leave to print at Paris. There were feveral editions of it, and particularly one in 1540, for which Cranmer wrote a preface, fhewing, that " Scripture fhould be had and read of the lay and vulgar people 1" herxe this edition of 1 540 is called Cranmer's Bible. In this year the curates and parilhicners of every parifh were required, by royal proclamatio:i, to provide themfelves with the Bible of tlie largeft Hze, before the Feaft of all Saints, under a pe- nalty of forty iliillings a month ; and ail oidina- ries were charged to fee that this proclamation was obeyed. A brief or declaration was pub- liflied to the fame effetft in the year 1541 ; but after that time the influence ot the popifli party increafed both in parliament and with the king, and Cranmer's exertions were fruftrated by the oppofition of Gardiner and other popifh bifhops. In the year 1542, it was enafted by the authority of parliament, " That all manner of books of the Old and New Teflament, of the crafty, falfe, and untrue tranllation of Tyndal, be forthwith abo- liflied, and forbidden to be ufed and kept; and alfo that all other Bibles, not being of Tyndal's tranllation, in which were found any preambles or annotations, other than the quotations orfum- 3 mary CHAP. I.] ^ranJJations of the Bible. 13 mary of the chapters, fhould be purged of tlie faid preambles or annotations, cither by cuttinig them out or blotting them in fuch wife that they might not be perceived or read ; and finally, that the Bible be not read openly in any church, but by the leave of the king, or of the ordinary of the place j nor privately by any women, arti- ficers, apprentices, journeymen, hufbandmen, la- bourers, or by any of the fervapts of yeomen or under ;" but, through the intereft of Cranmer, a claufe was inferted, allowing, " that every no- bleman and gentleman might have the Bible read in their houfes, and that nolple ladies, gentlewo- men, and merchants, might read it themielves, but no man or woman under thofe degrees j'* v/hich was all the archhilhop could obtain. In the fame year Cranmer propofed in convocation, . that there fhould be a revifion of the tranflations of the Bible ; but fo many difficulties were ftarted by Gardiner, and the propofal was fo feebly fup- ported by the other bifnops, that he was unable to accomplidi his objedl, and defifted from the attempt. In the year 1546, the laft of his reign, Henry ifTued a proclamation;, prohibiting the having and reading of Wicldiffs, Tyndal's, and Coverdale's tranflations, and forbidding the ufe of any other not allowed by parliament. Though in the reign of Edward the Sixth the reading reading of the Scriptures was encouraged by royal proclamations, adls of parliament, and by every other means, and there were many Impreffions (s) of the Englifli Bible, it does not appear that there was any new tranflation of the Bible, or even any confiderable correftion of the old ones, during the feven years and an half that excellent prince fat upon the throne j but it was ordered, that the Epiftles and Gofpels, and the Leflbns, both from the Old and New Teflament, fhould be read in Englifh in the churches, in the manner they now are. The terrors of perfecution, in the reign of queen Mary, drove many of our principal re- formers out of the kingdom; {everal went to Geneva, and there employed themfelves in making a ne\V tranflation of the Bible. The New Teftament was publifhed in 1557, and the remainder of the work in 1560. This Is called the Geneva Bible. It was accompanied with annotations, which were, as might be expected from the place where they were v/ritten, of a Cal- viniftical caft ; and therefore this tranflation was held in high efleem by the Puritans (t.) Soon (i) Eleven of the whole Bible, and fix of the New Teftament. (t) « Above thirty editions of tliis were publiflicd by the CHAP. 1.] TranJlatioHs of the Uible. i^ Soon after the acceffion of queen Elizabeth, a new tranflation of the Bible v/as undertaken by- royal command, and under the direftion of arch- bifhop Parker. Diftinft portions, fifteen at leaft^ were allotted to as many perfons, eminent for tlie queen's and ikhig's printers between 1560 and 1616^ and others were printed at Edinburgh, Geneva, Amfter- dam, &c. The New Tcflamcnt of this is faid to havs lx?en the firft Englilh edition of the Scriptures Vv'hich was divided into verfes. The Greek and Latin Bibles were not antiently -divided into chapters or verfes, at leaft not like thofe- now ufed, Stephen Langton, archbifhop of Canterbury in the reigns of king John and of king Henry the Third, is faid to have firft contrived the divi- fion into chapters ; others afcrihe the invention to cardi- nal Hugo, a dominican monk of the 13th century, who adopted alfo fubdivifions, diftinguifhed by the feven firft letters of the alphabet placed in the margin, as convenient for the ufe of the Concordance, which he firft planned for the Vulgate. About 1445, Rabbi Mordecai Nathan, alias Rabbi Ifaac Nathan, a weftern Jew, to facilitate the conduit of a controverfy with the Chriftians, introduced this divifion of chapters into the Hebrew Bibles, and re- fumed alfo the antient divifion into verfes numerically dif- tinguifhed by marginal letters at every fifth verfe, and from him the Chriflians received and improved the plan ; and Robert Stephens adopted the divifion into the New Teftament, of which he publifhed a Greek edition in 1551. Vide Proe fat. Buxtorf. ad Concord. Bibl. Hebraic. Morin. Exercit. Bibl. Pr*ef. ad Concord. Grasc. N. Teft, Fabricii Bibliothec. Graec. lib. 4, cap. 5. Prid. vol. i, book 5."— Gray. their 1 6 Of the EngliJJt [part hi. their learning and abilities j they all performed the work alligned to them, and the whole was afterwards revifed with great care by other critics. This tranllation was publifhed in 1568, with a preface written by the archbifliop ; and it is ge- nerally called the Bifliop's Bible, becaufe eight of the ' perfons originally concerned in it were bi- fliops. The Romanllls, finding it impoflible to keep the Scriptures out of the hands of the common people, printed at Rheims, in the year 1582, an Englifh New Teftament, tranllated from the Vulgate, but they retained in it many Eaftern, Greek, and Latin words, and contrived to render it unintelligible to common readers (u). The Old Teftament was afterwards publilhed at Do.uay, in two volumes, the former in 1609, and the latter in 1 6 1 o. In the conference held at Hampton Court, in 1603, before king James the Firft, between the Epifcopalians and Puritans, Dr. Reynolds, the fpcaker of the Puritans, requefted his majefty that a new tranllation of the Bible might be made ; alledging, that thofe which had been al- (v.) Fuller, in the ninth book of his Church Hiflory, f CHAP. II.] Liturgy of the Church of England. 21 of the church of Rome, to that purity of faith and fimpiicity of worfliip by which the cimrch of England is now diftinguifhed ; and we (hall find that it required the labours of the pious and learned of feveral fucceffive periods to bring our liturgy to its prefent ftate of excellence. Though Henry himfelf was by no means a fincere and uniform friend to the caufe of the Keformation, yet his refentment againft the Ro- man pontiff induced him to authorize many publications (a)^ which were calculated to ex- pofe the abufes and corruptions that had fo long prevailed ; and the feveral tranflations of the Bi- ble into Englifli, mentioned in the laft chapter, contributed greatly to enlighten the minds of men, and to prepare them for that important change, which took place immediately after his death. In the firfl years of Edward the Sixth, who was firmly attached to the principles of the reformed religion, in which he had been educated, the king and his council nominated Cranmer archbiihop of Canterbury, Ridley afterwards bifliop of Lon- don, and other eminent divines, to draw up a Li- {a) The King's Primer ; the Godly and Pious Inftitu- tion of a Chriftian Man ; a NecefTaiy Dodlrine and Erudi- tion for Chriftian Men, &c. &c, C 3 turgy 2 2 Liturgy of the Church of England, [partiii. turgy in the Englifli language for the general ufe of the church, free from thofe unfounded dodlrines and fuperftitious ceremonies which had difgraced the Latin liturgies. Thefe commif- fioners entered upon the work with the greatefl alacrity and zeal ; and when they had finifhed it, Cranmer prefented it to the young king, and in the end of the year 1548, it was ratified by par- hament, under the title of " The Book of Com* mon Prayer and Adminiftration of the Sacra- ments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, after the Ufe of the Church of Eng- land." It was the principle of Cranmer to proceed in the glorious work of Reform with moderation ; he cautioufly avoided the rejection of too much at once of what the people had been accuflomed to confider as parts of religion, not merely to pre- vent public ^commotions, but in order to pro- cure a gradual change in their opinions, rather than give a fhock to their faith. It was, how- ever, foon perceived that this firft attempt to eftablifli an Englilh liturgy upon the autho- rity of Scripture and the pradice of the primi- tive church was imperfed, and in fome refped:s liable to objedion -, and we find Cranmer, very foon after its publication, confulting fuch of the 4 i'ereigJ* CHAP. II.] LUurgyof the Church of England. 23 foreign divines (b) as were moft celebrated for their learning and difcretion, refpefting farther improvements. The portion of Scripture, v/hich was now daily read in the churches, and the zeal and diligence with which the genuine truths of Chriftianity were diffeminated among the people, opened their minds, and operated fo ftrongly upon their underftandings, that in about two years a general revifion of the liturgy was thought expedient, and commiffioners were appointed for that purpofe. The revifion was made witl; the utmofl care and judgment \ and the book, thus improved, was confirmed by parliament in the beginning of April 1552, and ordered to be ufed in all churches throughout the kingdom, from the feaft of All Saints following. In this " Second Book," as it is called, of king Edward, there were jnany additions and corrediions. Among the former were the fentences, exhortation, confefTicn, and abfolutiori at the beginning of the Morn- jng and Evening prayer, and the ten command- jnents in the communion fervice. The principal omiflions were, the ufe of ojl and the lign of the profs in confirmation, extreme undtion at the (h) Particularly Bucer and Martyr, who, through h« recommendation, were now divir)ity profeflbrs in Oxford and Cambridge, C 4 ^^f'^^' 1 4 Liturgy of the Church of England. [ p a r t 1 1 1 . vifitation of the fick, and prayers for the dead both in the communion and in the burial fer- vices, the ufe of the crofs and the invocation of the Holy Ghoft, and the mixture of water with wine in the celebration of the holy fupper ; and there were alfo feveral other alterations in the communion fervice. By thefe additions and al- terations, our public offices were, in all import tant points of dodrine, brought nearly to their prefent ftate. Soon after the publication of this book, king Edward died, and his fucceffor Mary, immedi- ately upon her Acceffion, caufed both the Itatutes to be repealed, which had authorized and dired:- ed the ufe of thefe two books, and reftored the Latin liturgies according to the popilli forms of worlliip. Early in the reign of queen Elizabeth, com^ niiflioners were again appointed to prepare an Engliili liturgy. Elizabeth had certainly not imbibed the fame pure fpirit of Chriftianity, which had direded the pious and enlightened Edward and the venerable Cranmer ; and it was at firft debated, whether the Firft or Second Book of king Edward (bould be made the bafis of the liturgy, which was now to be offered to parhament. It was decided in favour of the fecond book; CHAP II.] Liturgy of the Church of England, z^ book 5 and having entered upon their bufinefs in December 1558, they finlfhed it in tiie April following. This new book was immediately rati^ fied by a6l of parliament, which took effect on the day of St. John the Baptift 1559. The following were the mod conliderable circumftances in which it differed from the fecond book of king Edward the Sixth : Power was given to the ordinary to appoint the part of the church where morning and evening prayer fhould be read, the chancel having hitherto been the place commonly ufed for that purpofe ; proper firll leflbns were ap- pointed for Sundays, no diftinftion of that fort having been made in former liturgies ; in the litany, a fentence, praying to be delivered " from the bifhop of Rome, and all his deteflable enor- mities," was omitted, and prayers were added for the " queen's majefly," and " for the clergy and people;" and feveral alterations were made in the communion fervice and in the rubric, with a view to conclHate the Roman Catholics. " This comprehenfive plan, added to the queen's apparent attachment to ufages, that had obtained under the antient eflablilhment, induced many of the Roman Catholics to continue to join in the communion of the eftablifhed church. Even the Pope was ready to give his fandion to the liturgy. jt6 Litur^ of the Church of England, [partiii, liturgy, and to alTent to the ufe of the annmu- nion in both kinds, provided the queen would acknowledge his fupremacy ; and it was not tiU after a conformity of more than ten years that the Roman Catholics withdrew to feparate con- gregations (c).^^ This liturgy continued v^ithout any alteration, through the long reign of queen Elizabeth j but early in the reign of James the Firft, when the Puritans, who wpre now a numerous body, peti- tioned for a reform of what they termed abufes, ^he king appointed a conference to be held "at Hampton Court, between a felecft number of bifhops of the eftabliHiment, and the principal leaders arnong the diflenters, before himfelf as prefident, to hear what could be alledged for their non-conformity, and to judge whether an accom- modation between the parties would be pradii cable. The demands of the puritans were fap too unreafonable to be granted, and very foor^ fet afide the idea of agreement ; but their ob- jedlions might contribute to produce fome of thq following improvements, which were foon after made in the liturgy. In the morning and even- ing prayers a colled, and in the litany a particular interceflion, were appointed for the royal family ; {q) Shepherd's Elucidation. the c H A P . 1 1 . ] Liturgy of the Church of EiigJand. 2 7 the forms of thankfgivlng upon fcveral occafions were then added ; the queflions and anfwers con- cerning the facraments were fubjoined to the catechifm ; and the adminiftration of private baptlfm was by the rubric exprefsly confined to the lawful minifler, Thefe and feme other ad-r ditions and improvements were made by the aut thority of James the Firil, and univerfilly adopt- ed, although they were not ratified by pariia- rnent. Charles the Firft, by his own authority only, made fome few unimportant alterations in the li- turgy; but in i66i, the year after the reftora- tion of Charles the Second, when the hierarchy had been broken down with the monarchy above fourteen years, and the Hturgy had been (en- tirely laid afide by puritanical ufurpers of the go- vernment, twenty-four commillioners, twelve of whom were epifcopalians and twelve prelbyte- rians, with nine affiftants on each fide, were ap- pointed by patent, and were enjoined " to meet at the mafler's lodging in the Savoy, and to take into confideration the feveral diredions, rules, forms of prayer, and things in the common prayer contained ; to revife the fame, comparing them with the moft antient liturgies ; to advife upon the exceptions and objedions that might be made, ^nd, if occafion IhQuld require, to make 2 S Liturgy of the Church of England, [ p A tt t 1 1 r. make fuch reafoiubie corredions and amend- ments, as they might judge ufeful and expedient for giving fatiffadtion to tender confciences and reftoring unity, but avoidiiig all unneceffary ab- breviations of the forms and hturgy fo long re- ceived in the church of England." Thefe coni- miflioners had feveral perfonal conferences at the Savoy, and feveral written communications pafled between them ; but they were unable to com.e to any agreement concerning the great points in dif- pute between the two parties ; they therefore rcfolved to inform his majefty, that " the church's welfare, unity, and peace, and his majefty's fatis- faftion, were ends upon which they all agreed, but as to the meam they could not come to any harmony." When it was found impoflible to frame a li- turgy, which Iliould be acceptable to all the per- fons of different religious perfuafions then fubfift- ing in the kingdom, the convocation, which met May the 8 th, 1661, took into confideration fuch improvements as were fuggefled by the epifcopa- lian commiflioners, and the following additions and alterations were agreed to ; the colledts for the Ember weeks j the prayer for the high court of parliaments the prayer for all forts and con- ditions of men; the general thankfgiving ; the colled for Eafter Eve s the coUeft, epiftle, and * gofpel CH A P . 1 1.] Littir^ of the Chunh of England. 2 9 gofpel for the fixth Sunday after Epiphany ; a new collect for the third Sunday in Advent ; the office of baptifm for thofe of riper years; the two pfahns prefixed to the leflbn in the burial fervice ; the forms of prayer to be ufed at fea, for the martyrdom of Charles the Firft, and for the reftoration of the royal family, were all ^ y/^ ,^^ added. There were alfo fevera] other lefs mate- ^ / 2 7^/5- rial additions; and through the whole fervice '^^*'<' '^f^fj ambiguities were removed, and various im-t-^e.'^ ch tX provements were made ; and in particular, the /iy^ie.h^^chi portions of the Epiftles and Gofpels were taken ^^^ /2 f- from the new tranflation of the Bible ; but the Pfalms, according to the tranllation of Cranmer's Bible, were retained. The book, in this flate, pafTed both houfes of convocation ; it was fub- fcribed by the bifliops and clergy; it was ratified by a(5b of parliament, and received the royal af- fent. May 1 9th, 1662. This was the laft revifal of the Book of Common Prayer, In which any alte- ration was made by pubhc authority. I Ihall conclude this brief account of the ori- gin and gradual improvement of our liturgy with the following jufl comm.endaticn of it by Dr. Comber, in the Preface to his " Com.panion to the Temple :" — " Though all churches in the world have, and ever had, forms of prayer, yet jione was ever bieffed with fo comprehenfive, fa cxaft, ^o Liturgy of the church of England, [partiu, exa(5t, and fo inoffenfive a compofure as ours, which is fo judicioully contrived, that the wifeft maj'^ exercife at once their knowledge and devo- tion, and yet fo plain that the moil ignorant may pray with underllanding ; fo full that nothing is omitted which is fit to be aiked in public, and fo particular, that it comprifeth moft things which we would alk in private, and yet fo fhort as not to tire any that hath true devotion. Its dodlrine is pure and primitive ; its ceremonies fo few and innocent, that moft of the Chriftian w^orld agree in them; its method is exadt and natural; its language fignificant and perfpicuous, moil of the words and phrafes being taken out of the holy Scriptures^ and the reft are the cxprcfllons of the firft and pureft ages, fo that whoever takes ex- ception at thefe muft quarrel with the language of the Holy Ghoft, and fill out with the church in her greateft innocence; and in the opinion of the moft impartial and excellent Grotius (who was no member of, nor had any obligation to, this ehurch) the Englifli liturgy comes fo near to the primitive pattern, that none of the reformed churches can compare with it. Whoever defircs to worfl^Jp God with zeal and knowledge, fpirit and truth, purity and fincerity, may do it by thefe devout forms. And to this end may the God of Peace give us all nicck hearts, quiet fpirit.'^. C H A P . 1 1 .] Liturgy of the Church of England. 3 1 iplrits, and devout affeflions ; and free us from all floth and prejudice, that we may have full churches, frequent prayers, and fervent charity ; that, uniting in our prayers here, we may all join in his praifes hereafter, for the fake of Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.*' PART III. CHAPTER THE THIRD. INTRODUCTION TO THE EXPOSITION OF THE THIRTY-NINE ARTICLES • F THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. We learn from the New Teftament, that thcfe who firtl embraced the Gofpel declared their faith in Jefus as the promifed MefTiah, in fimple and general terms (a) ; and there is no ground for fuppofing that the apollles required this de- claration to be made in any one particular form of words. No fuch formulary is transmit ted to us ; and had any ever exifled, it would probably have been recited or alluded to in the New Tef- tament, or in the early Apologies for Chriflianity. Every billiop was authorized to prefcribe a for- mulary for the ufe of his own church j and there (e) AfTxs, c, 8. V. 37. arc CHAP. III.] Introduction to the ExpofttioJT^l^ c . ^t are ftill extant in writers, who lived near t6 the apoftolic age, feveral abftrads of Chriftian faith, which, though they agree in fubftance, vary in expreffion. But when herefies gained ground, and deftroyed unifofmity of beHef among Chrif- tians, it became neceflary to have a pubHc llandard of faith ; and to this caufe we are to at- tribute the origin of Creeds. The defign of thefe creeds was to eftabhlh the genuine doclrines of the Gofpel iii oppofition to the errors v/hich thett* prevailed, and to exclude from communion with the orthodox church of Chrift all who held he- retical opinions. New diflenfions and contro- verfies continually arofe ; and we have to lament that, in procefs of time, " the faith, which was once delivered unto the faints," became cor~ rupted in the higheft degree ; and that thofe very councils, which were convened, according to the pra6tice of the apoftolic age, for the pur- pofe of declaring " the truth, as it is in Jefus," gave their fanftion and authority to the groliefi: abfurdities and moft palpable errors. Thefe cor- Tuptions, fupported by fecular power, and fa- voiired by the darknefs and ignorance of the times, were almofl univerfally received through a fucceflion of many ages, till at laft the glorious light of the Reformation difpelled the clouds which had fo long obfcured the Chriftian world. Vol. II. D At 34 IrttroduSfm to the Expofition [part iir# At that interefting period, the feveral churches which had feparated themfelves from the Ro- man communion, found it expedient to publidi confefSons of their faith ; and in conformity to this pradlice, Edward the S'xth (b), the firil proteftant king of England, caufed to be pub- lifhed, by his royal authority, forty-two "Articles agreed upon by the bifliops, and other learned and good men, in the Convocation held at Lon- don in the year 1552, to root out the difcord of opinions, and eftablilli the agreement of true Re- ligion." Thefe articles were repealed by queen Mary, foon after her acceflion to the throne. But queen Elizabeth, in the beginning of her reign, gave her royal affent to " Thirty- nine ar- ticles agreed upon by the archbifhops and bi- fhops of both provinces, and the whole clergy, in the Convocation holden at London in the year 1562, for avoiding diverfities of opinion, and for the eftablilhing of confent touching true Reli- gion." Thefe ai tides were revifed, and fome fmall alterations made in them, in the year 1571, fincc which time they have continued to be the criterion of the faith of the members of the (b) Henry the Eighth, in the year 1536, publifhed Articles of Religion, in v/hlch Ibme of the popifh doc- trines are difclaimed, but others are retained. Vide Bur- net's Reformation, book 3d, Church (BHAP. III.] of the Thirty-nine Articles. 55 Church of England. The articles of 1562 were drawn up In Latin onlyj but in 1571 they were fubfcribed by the members of the two houfes of convocation both in Latin and Enghfh, and therefore the Latin and EngHfli copies are to be confidered as equally authentic. The original manufcrlpts, fubfcribed by the houfes of convo- cation, were burnt in the fire of London ^ but Dr. Bennet has collated the oldeft copies now extantjand it appears that there are no variations of any importance. It is generally believed that Cranmer and Rid- ley (c) were chiefly concerned in framing the forty-two articles, upon which our thirty-nine are founded ; but Burnet fays, that " queftions re- lating to them were given about to many bi- fhops and divines, who gave in their feveral an- fwers, that were collated and examined very maturely ; all fides had a free and fair hearing before conclufions were made." Indeed caution and moderation are no lefs confplcuous in tliem than a thorough knoivledge of the Scriptures, and of the early opinions and practice of Chrif- tians. Bilhop Burnet, in his Hlflory of the Refor- (c) They followed principally the Augfbourg confef- fion, which was drawn up by Melanchthoij. D % mation, 2,6 Introdii^ion to the Expofttion [part iii^ mation (d), has preferved the forty-two articles pubhflied by king Edward the Sixth, and has pointed out in what refped they differ from the thirty-nine articles which are now in force (e). Thefe thirty-nine articles are arranged with great judgment and perfpicuity, and may be con- fidered linder four general divifions ; the five firft contain the Chriftian doftrines concerning the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft ; in the fixth, feventh, and eighth, the rule of faith is eftablifhed ; the ten next relate to Chriftians as individuals; and the remaining twenty-one re- late to them as they are members of a religious fociety. ■ But as all confeffions of faith have had a reference to exifting herefies, we fhall here find not only the pofitive doflrines of the Gofpel af- ferted, but alfo the principal errors and corrup- tions of the church of Rome, and moft of the ex- travagancies into which certain proteftant fedls fell at the time of the reformation, rejefted and condem'ned. Tlie articles in Englifli will appear in the courfe of the Expofition ; the following Is the Latin text : , (d) Colle£lions, N° 55.. vpl...2. -^.. ^ .- (e) Whoever wifties to fee a full account of every tiling which palled relati^ve 19 thefe articles, may confult Dr, Bennet's " EITay ori the Thirty-nine Articles." AMICULI CHAP. III.] of th "Thirty -nine Articles. 3 7. ARTICULI de qnibus convenii inter Ar elite ftfco- pos et Epifeopos ittriufque Provifici^, et Cie^'nm Univerfum in Synodo^ Londini, Anno 1562, fe- amdum co?nputationem Ecclejic-e Anglicana;^ ad tollendam opinionum dijfentionem^ et confenfiim in vera Religione firmandwn. Editi Aiithoritate ferenijim^ Regin^e. Londini, apud Johan- pem Day, 1571, I, De fide in facro-fan5}am Trinitatem, Unus eft vivus, et verus Deus, reternus, in- corporeus, impartibilis, impaffibilis, immenfag potentiae, fapientiae, ac bonitatis, creator et con- fervator omnium, turn vifibilium, turn invifibi- Jium. Et in unitate hujus divinie nature, tres funt perfonse, ejufdein effentiee, potentice ac ^ternitatis. Pater, Fiiius, et Spiritiis far^dus, %. De verboj Jive FiHo DeJ^ qui verm homo /ac- tus ejl^ FiLius, qui eft veibum patrr, ab zeterno a patre genitus, verus et 92ternas Deus, ac patri conlubftaniialis, in utero iieatse virginis, ex illius lubitantia naturam humaium airuiiipfit : ua ut (^Lite naturas, divina et humana, integre atque D 3 perfcde ^ 8 Intro duBion to the Expofiion [part ili,^ perfefle in unitate perfonse fuerint infeparablliter conjundlsE, ex quibus eft unus Cliriftus, verus Deus et verus homo, qui vere paffus eft, cruc^- fixus, mortuus, et fepultus, ut patrem nobis re- conciliaret, effetque hoftia, non tantum pro culpa originis, verum etiam pro oiiinibus adtualibus hpminum peccatis. 3. De defcenfu Chrijli ad Inferos. QuEMADMODUM Chriftus pro nobis' mortuus eft, et fepultus, ita eft etiam credendus ad Inferos defcendilTe, 4. De refurreBione Chrijfi. Christus vere a mortuis refurrexit, fuumque corpus cum carne, ofTibus, omnibufque ad inte- gritatem humanae naturae pertinentibus, redepit; cum quibus in ccelum afcendit, ibique relidet, quoad extremo die ad judicandos homines re- verfurus fit. 5. De Spirit u janBo, Spiritus fandius, a patre et fillo procedens, cjufdem eft cum patre, et filio effentice, majefta- tisj et gloria, verus ac asternus Deus, CHAP. Ill-] of the 'thirty-nine Articles. 3S^ 6. De divinis Scripttiris, qnodfufficiant ad faint em. ScRiPTURA facra continet omnia, quje ad falutem funt necefiarla, ita ut quicquid in ea nee legitur, neque inde probari poteft, non fit a quoquam exigcnduni, ut tanquam articulus fidei eredatur, aut ad falutis neceffitatem requiri pu- tetur. Sacrce Scriptur^e nomine, eos canonicos libros veteris, et novi Teftamenti intelligimus, d^ quo- rum authoritate, in Ecclefia nunquam dubita- tum eft. J^e nominibnSy et numero librorum facra Canonica Scriptura veteris Tejlamenti. Genefis. Exodus. Leviticus, Numeri. Deuteron. Jofuse. Judicum. Ruth. Prior liber Samuelis. Secundus liber Samue- lis. Prior liber Regum. Sccundus liber Regum. prior liber Paralipom. Secundus liber Parali- pom. Primus liber Efdrse. Secundus liber Efdrse. Liber Hefter. Liber Job. Pfalmi. Proverbia, Ecclefiaftes vel Concio- nator. Cantica Solomonis. IV. Prophetze Majores. Xn. Prophctai Miaores, D Alios 4o InircduSllcn to the Expofilion [part iii. Alios autem libros (itt ait Hieronymus) legit qtddem Ecclcfta^ad exempla vita^ etformandos mores : illos tamen ad dogmata confirmanda non adhibet, at- funt. Tertius liber Efdr^. Quartus liber Efdrse. Liber Tobize. Liber Judith. Reliquum libri Hef- ter. Liber SapienticC. Canticum trium puero- rum. Hiftoria Sufannae.. De Bel et Dracone. Oratio Manaffis. Prior liber Macliabeo-' rum. Liber Jefu filii Sirach. Secundus liber Macha- Baruch propheta. | beorum. Novi Teftamenti omnes libros (ut vulgo re- cepti Hint) recipimus, et habemus pro canoni- cis. 7. De veteri 'Tefi amenta. Test AMENTUM vetus novo contrarium non eft, quandoquldem tarn in veteri, quam in no- vo, per Chriftum, qui u'nicus eft Mediator Dei et hominum, Deus et homo, sterna vita humano generi eft propofita. Quare male fentiunt, qui veteres tantum in promifliones temporarias fpe- raffe confingunt. Quanquam lex a Deo data per Mofen (quoad ceraemonias et ritus) Chrif- tianos non aftringat, neque civilia ejus prjecepta in aliqua republica neceftario recipi dcbeant, nihilominus c H A p . 11 1 .] of the Thirty-nine Articles, 4? nihilominus tamen ab obedlentia mandatomm (quce moralia vocantur) nullus(quantumvis Chrif- tianus) eft folutus. •8. Detrihus Symbolis. Symbola tria, Nicasnum, Athanafii, et quod vulgo /Vpoftolorum appellatur, omnino reciplen- da Tunt, et credenda, nam firmiflimis Scriptura- rum teftimonlis probari poflunt. 9. De peccaio originali, Peccatum originis non eft (ut fabulantur Pelagiani) in imitatione Adami fitum, fed eft vitium, et depravatio nature, cujullibet homi- nis ex Adamo naturallter propagati : qua fit, ut ab originali juftitia quam longiffime diftet, ad malum fua natura propendeat, et caro Temper adverfus fpiritum concupifcat, unde in unoquo- que nafcentium, iram Dei atque damnationem meretur. Manet etiam in renatis ha^c naturae depravatio. Qua fit, ut afFedus carnis, Grsecc $fov>!,M.« o-apjtof (quod alii fapientiam, alii fenfum, alii affedlum, alii ftudium carnis interpretantur) legi Dei non fubjiciatur. Et quanquam renatis et credentibus, nulla propter Chriftum eft con- demnatio, peccati tamen in fefe rationem habere concupifcentiam, fatetur Apoftolus, 10. Be 4^ InimduBiou to the Expofilion [part iii. lo. I)e libera arhitrio. . Ea eft hominis poft lapfum Adas conditio, ut fefe naturalibus fuis viribus, et bonis opcribus, ad fidem et invocationem Dei ccnvertere, ac prie- parare non poffit. Quare abfque gratia Dei (quse per Chriftum eft) nos przeveniente, ut velimus, et cooperante, duni volumus, ad pietatis opera fa- cienda, quze Deo grata funt, et accepta, nihil va- lemus, II. De homiais jujiificatione. Tantum propter meritum Domini, ac Ser- vatoris noftri Jefu Chrifti, per fidem, non proptei opera, et merita noftra, jufti coram Deo reputar mur. Quare (bla fide nos juftificari dodrina eft faluberrima, ac confolationis pleniffima, ut in homilia de Juilificatione hoqiinis, fufius expli? catur. 12. De bonh operihus. Bona opera, qu^ funt fi^udtus fidei, et jufti ficatos fcquuntur, quanquam peccata noftra ex«. piare, et divini judicii feveritatem ferre non pof- funt; Deo tamen grata ftint, et accepta in Chrifto, atque ex vera et viva fide neceffario profluunt, ut plane ex illis, jeque fides viva cognofci poffit, fttque arbor ex firudu judicari. 13. A CHJLP. nr.] of the Thirty -nine Articles. ^.^ 13. Ds operibus ante jujlijicationem. Opera quae fiunt, ante gratiam Chrifli, et fpiritus ejus afflatum, cum ex fide Jefu Chrifli non prodeant, minime Deo grata funt, neque gratiam (ut multi vocant) de congruo mcrentur. Immo cum non funt fad:a, ut Deus ilia fieri vo- luit et pisecepit, peccati rationem habere non dubitamus. 14. De aperihus fupererogationts. Opera qu£e fiipererogationis appellant, nou poflunt fine arrogantia et impietate prsedicari. Nam iliis declarant homines, non tantum fe Deo reddere, quas tenentur, fed plus in ejus gratiam facere, quam deberent, cum aperte Chriftus di- cat ; Cum feceritis omnia qusecunque pr^ecepta funt vobis, dicite, fervi inutiles fumus, 15. De Chrijio, qui Joins efi fine peccatQ% Christus in noftra naturae veritate, per om- nia fimilis fadus eft nobis, excepto peccato, a quo prorfus erat immunis, tum in carne, turn in fpiritu. Venit ut agnus, abfque macula, qui mundi peccata per imriiolationem fui femel fac- tam, toUeret, et peccatum (ut inquit Johannes) in eo non erat : fed nos reliqui etiam baptizati, ^t in Chriftq regenerati, in multis tamen oftendir mus 44 InlroduEiion to the Expojiiton [part hi. mus omnes. Et fi dixerimus, quod peccatum non habemus, nos ipfos feducimus, et Veritas ' in nobis non eft. 1 6. De peccato poji Baptifmum. Non omnc peccatum mortale poft Baptif- mum voluntarie perpetratum, eft peccatum in Spiritum fandlum, et irremiftible. Proinde lapfis a Baptifmo in peccata, locus poenitentiae non eft negandus. Poft acceptum fpiritum fandum pof- fumus a gratia data recedere, at que peccare, de- nuoque per gratiam Dei refurgere, ac rellpifcere; ideociue illi damnandi iunt, qui fe quamdiu hie vivant, amplius non polTe peccare affirmant, aut Ifere refipifcentibus veni Euchariftia ex (acris iiteris probari non poteft. Sed apertis Scriptors verbis adverfatur, Sacramenti naturani evertit. CHAP. ni.J of the Thirty -nine Articles, ^f .evertit, et multarum fuperflitionum dedit occa- iionem. Corpus Chrifli datur, accipitur, et manducatur in Coena, tantum coelefti et fpirituali ratione. Medium autem quo corpus Chriftl accipitur, et manducatur in Coena, fides eft. Sacramentum Euchariftiie, ex inftitutione Chrifti non fervabatur, ^circumferebatur, eleva- batur, nee adorabatur. 29. De manducatiom corporis Chrijli^ et impios illud non mandiicare. Impii, et fide viva deftituti, licet carnaliter, et vifibiliter (ut Auguftinus loquitur) corporis, et fanguinis Chrifti Sacramentum, dentibus pre- mant, nullo tamen modo Chrifti participes effi- chmtur. Sed potius tant^ rei Sacramentum, feu Symbolum, ad judicium libi manducant, et bi* bunt. 30. De Jitraque fpecie. Calix Domini laicis non eft denegandus, utraque enim pars Dominici Sacramenti, ex Chrifti inftitutione, et prsecepto, omnibus Chrif- tianis ex jequo adminiftrari debet. 3 1 . De ttnica Chrijii ohlatione in cruce perfeSla. Oblatio Chrifti femel fafta, perfeda eft re- demptio, propitiatio, et fatisfaclio pro omnibus E 2. peccatis '52 hiirodii^wn to the Expoji'tkn [partiii* pecc^tis totius mundi, tarn origlnalibus, quam a(5lualibus. Neque prseter illam unicam, eft ulla alia pro peccatis expiatio, unde miflarum facri- ficia, quibus, vulgo dicebatur, facerdotem ofterre Chriftum in remiffionem pcenae, aut culpas, pro vivis et defundis, blafphema figmenta funt, et perniciofe impoftur^e. 32. Dc conjitgio Sac£rdotum. Episcopis, prefbyteris, et diaconis nullo maiidato divino pr^eceptum eft, ut aut cccliba- tum voveant, aut a matrimonio abftineant. Li- cet igitur etiam illis, ut cseteris omnibus Chrif- tianis, ubi hoc ad pietatem magis facere judica- verint, pro fuo arbitratu matrimonium con- trahere. 33. De excommunicatis vitandis. Qui per publicam Ecclefiae denunciationem rite ab unitate Ecclefise prsecifus eft, et excom- municatus, is ab univerfa fidelium multitudine (donee per posnitentiam publice reconciliatus fuerit arbitrio Judicis competentis) habendus eft tanquam ethnicus et publicanus. 34. De traditionibus Ecckfiajlicis. Traditiones atque cseremonias eafdem, non omnino necelTarium eft efle ubique, aut prorftis 2 confimiles. "C H A P . 1 1 1 .] of tJie thirty -nine Ar ticks. t ■<5 confimlles. Nam iit varlje femper fuerunt, et mutari poffbnt, pro regionum, tcmporum, ct morum diverfitate, modo nihil contra vcrbuni Dei inftituatur. Traditiones, et c^remonias ecclefiafticas, qu:e cum verbo Dei non pugnant, ct funt authoritate publica inftituta?, atque probata, quifquis pri- vate confilio volensi et data, opera, publice viola- vcrit, is ut qui peccat in publicum ordinem Ec- clefi^e, quique Isdit authoritatem Magiftratus, et qui iniirmorum fratrum confclentias vulnerat, publice, ut c£Eteri timeant, arguendus eft. Qujelibet Ecclefia particularls, five nationalis, authoritatem habet inftituendi, mutandi> aut abrogandi casremonias, aut ritus eccleiiafticos, humana tantum authoritate inflitutos, modo pmnia ad cedificationem fia,ixt. •^i^. De Homiliis, ToMus fecundus Homiliarum, quarum fin- gulos titulos huic articulo fubjunximus, continet piam et falutarem docftrinam, et his temporibus neceffariam, non minus quam prior Tomus Ho- miliarum, quai editse funt tempore Edwardi fexti: Itaque eas in Ecclefiis per miniflros di- ligenter, et clare, ut a populo intelligi poffint, rccitandas effe judicavimus. E 3 Ds ^'.. r IntroduEiion to the Expqfition [part iiti De nominibus Homiliarum. Of the right uje of the Church. Againji peril of Idolatry. Of repairing and keeping clean of Churches, Of ^ood Works. Firfi, Of Fajling, Agnlt'ft Gluttony end Drunkmncfs. Againji excefs in Ap- parel. Of Prayer. Of the place and time of Prayer. That common Prayers and Sacraments ought to be minijired in a known Tongue. Of the reverent efiima- tion of God's Word, Of Alms-doing. OftheNati'jity ofChriJi, OfthePaJfionofChrift, Of the Re fur re ft ion of Chrif. Of the zvorthy receiving of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Chrifl. Of the Gifts of the Holy Ghof. Of the Rogation-days. Of the State of Matrix mony. Of Repentance. Againjf Idlenefs. Againji Rebellion, 3 6, De Epifcoporujn et Minifrprmn canfecratione. LiEELLus de confecratione Archiepifcoporurr.j et Epifcoporum, et de ordinatione Prefbytcromni et Diaconorum, editus nuper ternporvbus Ed- wardi VI. et authoritate Parliamenti illis ipfis temporibus confirmatuSj omnia ad ejufmodi con- fecrationem, et ordinationem neceliaria continet, et nihil habet, quod ex fe fit, aut luperftitiofumj aut impium : itaque quicunque juxta ritus illius lij^ri confecratij aut ordinati funt, ab anno fe- cundo CHAP. III.] of the Thirty -nine Articles, 55 cundo prsedifti regis Edvvardl, ufque ad hoc tempus, aut in pofterum juxta eofdem ritus con- fecrabuntur, aut ordinabuntur, rite atque ordine, atque legitime Hatuimus effe, et fore confecratos iet ordinatos. 37. De civil ibus Mapjiratibns. Reg I A Majeftas in hoc Angh^ regno, ac ceteris ejus dominiis, fummani habet potefla- tem, ad quam omnium ftatuum hujus regni, five illi ecclefiaflici fint, five civiles, in omnibus caufis, fuprema gubernatio pertinet, et nulli ex- ternai jurifdidioni efi; fubjecla, nee elTe debet. Cum Regime Majeftati fummam gubernationem tribuimus, quibus titulis intelligimus animos quorundam calumniatorum offendi, non damus Regibus noftris, aut verbi Dei, aut Sacramen- torum adminiftrationem, quod etiam Injunc- tiones ab Elizabetha Regina noftra, nuper editie, apcrtiffime teftantur. Sed earn tantum pr^ero- gativara, quam in facris Scripturis a Deo ipfo, omnibus piis Principibus, videmus femper fuilTe attributam : hoc eft, ut omnes flatus, atque or- dines fidei fuse a Deo com-miflbs, five illi eccle- fiaftici fmt, five civiles, in officio contineant, et contiimaces ac dclinquentes gladio civili coer- (feant, E 4 Romanus 5 6 IntroduBion to the Expofttion [partii!. Romanus pontifex nuiiam habet jurirdidionem in hoc regno Anglise. Leges regni pofl'unt Chrlftlanos propter ca- pitalia, et gravia crimina, morte punlre. Chriftianis licet, ex mandato Magiilratus, arma portare et jufta bella adminiflrai-e. 38. De illicita bonorum communicatione. Facultates et bona Chrlflianorum non funt communia, quoad jus et pofleffionem (ut quidam Anabaptiftse falib jadlant) debet tamen quifque de his qu« poffidet, pro facultatuni ratione, pauperibus eleemofynas benigne dif- tribuere. 39, De jurejtirando. QuEMADMODUM juramcntum vanum et te- merarium a Domino noftro Jefu Chrifto, et Apoflolo ejus Jacobo, Chriftianis hominibus in- terdidum effe fatemur: Ita Chriftianorum Re- ligioiiem minime prohibere ceniemus, quin ju- bente magiftratu in caufa fidei et charitatis ju- rare liceat, modo id fiat juxta Propheta; doc- trinam, in juftitia, in judicio, et veritate. Confirmatio Articulorum. Hic liber antedidtorum Articulorum jam denuo approbatus eft, per alTenfum et confen- fum Sereniflimse Regin^e Elizabeths Dominze noftr^e, .-CHAP. III.] of the T^hirty-nine Ankles. 57 noftrse, Dei gratia Anglise, Franci^e, et Hibernian Regin^e, defenforis fidei, &:c. retinendus, et per totum regnum Angli^e exequendus. Qui Ar- ticuli, et ledli funt, et denuo confirmati, fub- fcriptione D. Archiepifcopi et Epifcoporum fu- perioris domus, et totius Cleri inferioris domus. In Convocatione Anno Domini, 1571. PART III. A K EXPOSITION OF THE THIRTY-NINE. ARTICLES. ARTICLE THE FIRST : Of Faith in the Holy Trinity. THERE IS BUT ONE LIVING AND TRUE GODa EVERLASTING, WITHOUT BODY, PARTS, OR PASSIONS, OF INFINITE POWER, WISDOM, AND GOODNESS, THE MAKER AND PRE- SERVER OF ALL THINGS BOTH VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE; AND IN THE UNITY OF THIS GODHEAD THERE ARE THREE PERSONS OF ONE SUBSTANCE, POWER, AND ETERNITY, THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY GHOST. This firfl article aflerts the Being and Attri- butes of God, which are the foundation of all religion ; and it farther declares, that the God- head confifts of three perfons, which, though it appears to have made a part of the original re- 6 velatioa ART. I.] ExpofJionof the Thirty-nine Articks. «J^ velation to mankind, was fo far forgotten or ob- fcured, that it may be confidered as one of the charaderiftic doftrines of the Gofpel. The xiniverfal confent of mankind has ever been admitted as a ftrong argument in favour of the exiflence of a God. We learn from the hif- tory of former times, and from the obfervation of modern travellers, that in every country, and at every period, fdme idea of a fuperior Being, and fome fpecies of divine worfhip, have prevailed, ^' This," fays Dr. Nichoils, " is very good evi- dence of the reality of a fupreme being; and whether we ground it upon tradition, or uni- verfal principles of reafoning, it is a better foun^ dation to reft upon than the fanciful fpeculations of fome particular private perfons, who are more liable to be miftaken than the moil learned and wife men of all nations and all ages of the world, and who probably could not have all fallen into the uniform opinion of a divine Creator and Go- vernor of the world, unlefs he had been pleafed, fome time or other, in the early ages of the world, to have revealed it to them, which they readily ?it firft embraced, and afterwards tenacioufly ad- hered to, finding it fo highly agreeable to their reafon. It avails little to fay, that there may be a ftupid clan or two of barbarous people, who have very little of thefe notices 3 for the obfervation of 6o Expofitlon of the [part lfp« of fuch people's praftices and opinions may not have been exaftly enough made by thofe tradersr wUo have made thefe reports, for want of then* lingua, and by reafon of their fhort and imper- fed converfation with them ; or, however, were the obfervation true, the contrary opinion of a few ftupid people, who are almofb degenerated into beafls, is but a for>y pretence to fet up agalnil the judgment of to many civilized' na- tions, in fo many lucceffive ages of the w^orl^J, confirmed by the reafon of fo many wife and learned men, who have been educated in them (a).''' — " Thofe nations, of which thefe reports are given out, are fo extremel}' funk from all that is wife and regular, great and good, in human nature, fo rude and untracftable, and fo incapable of arts and difcipline, that if the rer ports concerning them are to be believed, and if that weakens the argument from the common confent of mankind on the one hand, it ftrengthens it on another ; while it appears that human na- ture, when it wants this impreffion, wants with it 2S\. that is great and orderly in it, and (hews a brutality almofl as low and bafe as is that of beafts (b)'^ But though all civilized nations have concurred in the belief of one or more (a) Nicholls's Commentary upon Art. [h) Burnet on the Articles. Gods, ART. I.] thirty-nine Articles. 6t\ Gods, there has been an infinite diverfity in the modes of divine vvorlhip; and the errors and abfurdities, with which all rehgions, except thofe of Mofes and Chrilt, have abounded, fully evince the weaknefs of the human intellect when un- affifted by revelation. Some few individuals, in the different ages of the world, have indeed re- jeded all belief in the exiftence of a God ; but v/e may generally trace the rejection of a Deity to the fource of pride or of profligacy i and even t^ie late public avowal of Atheifm^ by thofe who have ufurped -the governm-ent in a neighbouring country, originating from a philofophy falfely fo called, and accompanied by crimes unparalleled in the annals of mankind, cannot be confidered as in any degree affedling the argument arifmgfroni general confent, efpecially when it is remembered that this apoitacy from religion is clearly foretold in the holy Scriptures (c). But a more dired proof of the being of a God may be derived from the univerfe itfelf; we are not only confcious of our own exiftence, but we (c) Vide Mr. Kett's " Hiftory the Interpreter of Prophecy ;" a very interefting work, written with great elegance and judgment, and which I recommend to all who are defirous of becoming acquainted with the pro- phecies of the Old and New Teftameiit, efpecially thofe which relate to the prefent times. alfo 6a Expofttion of the fpART iiT^ alfo know that there exlfls a great variety of other things, both material and fpiritual. It is equally- inconceivable that thefe things fhould have ex- ifted from all eternity in their prefent ftate, or that they fhould have fallen into this ftate by chance ; and confequently as there was a time when they did not exift, and as it was impoffible for them to produce themfelves, it follows that there was fome exterior agent or creator to whom the world owed its beginning and form 3 that agent or creator we call God. " We read," fays bifhop Pearfon, '* the great artificer of the world in the work of his own hands, and by the exiftence of any thing we demonftrate the firfl caufe of all things (d)y And fmce it is abfurd to fuppofe that there are two prime caufes of all things, two fupreme governors of the world, or two felf- exiftent and independent Beings of infinite per- feftions, we are obliged to conclude that God is One. The Supreme Being, however, has not left this im.portant truth to the dedudion of human reafon only, but has confirmed and eftabliflied it by revelation. The unity of God is exprefsly de- clared in many palTages of Scripture ; " Hear, O ]frael, the Lord our God is one Lord f^ J." — '' Unto thee it was Iliewed, that thou mightefl: (d) Pearfon on the Creed, Art. i. (e) Deut. c. 6. V. 4. knovf Art. i»] Tliirfy-mne Articles. ^* know that the Lord he is God, there is none elfe belide him (f).'^ — " He is God in Heaven above, and upon the earth beneath ; there is none elfe (g)'* — " I am the firfl:, and I am the lafl ; and befides me there is no God (k).'^ — *' We know that there is none other God but one 0";."—" There is but one God (jJ^—Wq therefore, cannot but agree to the firfl afTertion in this article, in oppofition to the fmful prefump- tion of atheifts, and to the falfe polytheifm of the heathen, that there is one, and but one LIVING AND TRUE GoD. St. Paul, in his Firfl Epiftle to the ThefTalonians, applies the epithets, " living and true" to God ; " Ye turned to God from idols to ferve t/ie living and true God (k).^* And the prophet Jeremiah fays, " The Lord is the true God, he is the living God (l).'' He is the living God, that is, *' he hath life in him- {t\i(m);'' he is felf-exillent, deriving his being from no exterior caufe; ** In him we live (n)J* ' — " He giveth life to all things (oy\ He is the fountain and origin of life to all the animated part of the creation ; he is the true God, as dif- (f) Deut. c. 4. V. 35. (g) Dcut. c. 4. V. 39. (h) If. c. 44. V. 6. (i) 1 Cor. c. 8. v. 4. (j) I Tim. c, 2. V. 3. (k) I ThefT. c. i. v. g. (I) Jer. c. 10. V. 10. (?n) John, c. 5. v. 26. (n) Ads, c. 17. v^ 28. (oj A6I5, c. 17. V. 25. tinguilhed €■4- Expofition of tlii [part tilt, tinguifhed from the vain gods of the Gentiles. " This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God (p).^^ The article next flatesj that God is ever- lasting ; that is, that he has exifted from all paft eternity, and will continue to exift to all fu- ture eternity (({). The fupreme Creator of all things mufl necefTarily have exiftedyro;;^ all eter- nity, lince he could not have caufed his own ex* iftence ; and he mufl continue to exifl to all eter- nity, fince a being cannot ceafe to be, when there is no fuperior by whom his annihilation, or any alteration in him, can be produced, and when there is nothing in his own eflence which is fub- jedl to change or decay. We may rely upon the truth and certainty of thefe conclufions, but at the fame time we mufl: acknowledge that our ca* pacities can by no means comprehend how a being exifl:s necefTarily, independently, and eter- nally (r). God is in feveral paflages of Scrip- ture f/)j John, c. 5. V. 26. (q) /Eternum proprie dicitur, quod neque initium ut elTet habuit, neque cefTare unquam potell efTe. Origen. Or. Periarch. cap. 3, {r) " It is to obferved," fays Dr. Clarke, « that the Scripture, as it does not much infift upon proving to us the being of God, but rather always fuppofes that to be already known by the light of nature, fo alfo, when it mentions any of the natural attributes of the divine ef- fenccj ART. I.] Thirty-nine Articles. 65 ture filled eternal and everlafting: " The eternal God is thy refuge (s)r — " Haft thou not heard that the everlafiing God fainteth not, neither is weary (tjT — " Now unto the King eternal. Im- mortal, invifible, the only wife God, be honour and glory, for ever and ever (n)'^ — " According to the commandment of the everlafting God (x).** And in the Revelation of St. John, the eternity of God is thus defcribed : " I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, faith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty (y)'' To fuppofe that God is circumfcribed by body, confifts of material parts, or is liable to paflions, would be fo utterly inconfifient with our ideas of infinite perfedion, with our notion of a Being who is equally prefent every where, and who is free from every poffible defecl, that fence, it does not ufually enlarge upon the proof or explica- tion of them, but generally makes mention of them oc- cafionally only, and as prefuppofmg them beforehand well known hymen's reafon.'* Vol. 1. Serm. 5. To which, may be added, the tradition of the revelations to Adam and the early patriarchs, and the evidence from prophe- cies and miracles continually before the people to whom the Old Teftament was immediately addrefTed. (s) Deut. c. 33. V. 27. (tj If. c. 40. V. 28. (u) I Tim. c. I. V. 17. (x) Rom. c. 16. v. 26. (y) Rev. c. I. v. 8. Vol. II. F we 66 Espofition of ike [part hi. we muft without hefitatlon pronounce that God is V/ITHOUT BODY, PARTS, OR PASSIONS. *' God is a fpirit (z), and a fpirit hath not flelh or bones (a).'' — " God is not a man that \t fliould lie, neither the fon of man that he Ihould repent (b).'" When, therefore, the Scrip- tures fpeak of the face, eyes, ears, and hands of God, or of his grief, jcaloufy, anger, and other mental emotions, we are to confider that fuch- language is only accommodated to the under- {landings of men ; and that thofe properties and qualities do in fadl by no means belong to the Supreme Being. We can form no conception of the agency of a pure fpiritual fubftance, and therefore, in fpeaking of God, we are under the neceffity of uiing terms derived from ourfelves, and which we cannot but know to be in reality inapplicable to him. God having created all things out of nothings and given to them their various and refpedive powers, and being able to change, annihilate, and difpofe of every thing in the univerfe, in any manner which he pleafes ; and no fubftance, ei- ther animate or inanimate, material or imma- terial, being capable of refilling or impeding his will, it follows that the power of God is infinite. (z) John, c. 4. V. 24. (a) Luke, c, 24. v. 39. (b) Numb, c, 23. v. 9. ART. I.] thirty -nine Articles. 6y ** In thy hand, O God, is there not power and might, fo that none is able to withftand thee (c) ?" — " The Lord of Hofts hath pur- pofed it, and who Ihall difannul it ? his hand is ftretched out, and who (hall turn it b3ick(dj ?" — " He worketh all things after the counfel of his own will C^J'' — " With God all things are poffible 09-"—" With God nothing (hall be impoflible (g)^'' — " He doth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the in- habitants of the earth, and none can fi^ay his hand, or fay unto him. What doft thou (AJ ?** — " The Lord appeared unto Abraham, and faid unto him, I am the Almighty God CiJ-'' — "The Lord God omnipotent reigneth C^J-'' — But though with the holy patriarch we confefs that " God can do every thing f/J," we muft re- member that omnipotence itfelf does not ex- tend to C()ntradi(5lions or impoffibilities; " God cannot lie (m)^' inafmuch as that would be (c) 2 Chr. c. 20. y. 6. (d) If. c. 19. v. 27. (e) Ephcf. c. I. V. II. (f) Mat. c. 19. v. 26. (g) Luke, c. I. V. 37. (h) Dan. c. 4. v. 35. (i) Gen. c. 17. V. I. (k) Rev. c. 19. v. 6. (I) Job, c. 42. V. 2. (m) Heb. c. 6. v. 18. Impoflibile eft ei mentiri ; et impoflibile iftud non infirmitatis eft, fed virtutis et majeftatis, quia Veritas non recipit mendacium, nee Del virtus levitatiB errorem. Ambrofe. F 2 contrary ^S Expofttion of the [part iii. contrary to his perfedl nature ; nor can he recal paft events, which is manifeftly impoffible (n). When, therefore, we fay that the power of God is infinite, we mean that God is able- to perform all things, which do not imply in themfelvcs con- trad idion or impoffibility. The wifdom of God is inferred from the ge- neral eonflrudion and government of the world. In which an attentive obferver cannot but fee evident marks of defign, and in which all things are admirably adapted to their refpeftive ends and purpofes : " O Lord, how manifold are thy works; in wifdom thou haft made them allfoj." We cannot form an idea of wifdom fuperior to that v/hich is thus difphiyed ; nor can we con- ceive how the wifdom, or any other attribute of the Deity, fhould be circumfcribed by any boundary or limit ; and therefore we conclude with the royal pfalmift, that '' the wifdom of God is infinite (p)''' The infinite wifdom of God may alfo be con- fidered as including the knowledge of all events, paft, prefent, and future, and of the thoughts, motives, and intentions of all his creatures. This (n) Mova yap aura uai Gsoj rspi^eTar, Agatho apud Ariflot. (o) Pf. 104. V. 24. (p) Pf. 147. V. 5. knowledge. ART. I.] Thirty -nine Articles. 69 knowledge, without reftridion or exception, feems neceflarily to belong to the Creator of the Uni- verfe, from whom every power, property, and relation is derived : " Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world (q)'' — " He that planted the eai-, (hall he not hear ? he that formed the eye, fliall he not fee ? he that teacheth men knowledge, fhall not he knowfr_^ ?" — " Neither is there any creature that is not manifell in his fight i but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him, with whom we have to do(s)" — "The Lord fearcheth all hearts, and underftandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts f/j." — " The Lord is a God of knowledge (u)y — " O the depth of the riches both of the wifdom and knowledge of By infinite goodnefs is meant a difpofition to communicate every poffible degree of happinefs to all created beings, of which their nature is ca- pable. That this attribute belongs to God is evi- dent from his general government of the world, and particularly from his dealings with man- kind. It has pleafed God to place men in a Hate of probation, and to endue them with free (q) A as, c. IS. V. 18. {r) Pf. 94. v. 8. (s) Heb. c. 4. V. 13. (t) I Chr. c. 28. v. 9. (u) 1 Sam. c. 2. V. 3. (x) Rom. c. 11. v. 33. F 3 agency. # 7© Expojition of thi [part III. agency, which is efTential to refponfibllity ; he has furnilhed them with the means of attaining every degree of happinefs confident with the charader of free and accountable beings ; he has given them laws as rules of their condudt ; he has propofed the moft powerful and animat- ing motives to obedience ; and he has promifed his afliftance to thofe who fincerely endeavour to perform his will. Since then every thing which God has made is good ; fince he has provided for the prefervation of all things, for their pro- per continuance and well-being; fince he has beftowed many noble endowments, and a great variety of comforts and bleffmgs, upon his ra- tional creatures in this world ; and fince he has voluntarily, and upon eafy conditions, offered them everlafling happinefs in a future life, to which no human merit could have the remoteft claim, furely we may pronounce that the good- nefs of God is infinite, " boundlefs as his uni- verfal works, and endlefs as the ages of eter- ^^^y (y)'' — " The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works (zj." — " O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good ; for his mercy endureth for ever (aj.'* (y) Clarke, vol. i. Serm. 14. (x) Pf. 145. V. 9. (a) ?{. 136. V. I. Upon ART. I.] ^thirty-nine Articles, 7 1 Upon thefe grounds we believe that God is OF INFINITE POWER, WISDOM, AND GOOD- NESS. As the v/orld could not have exifted frotti eternity, or have caufed its own exlftenee, it muft have derived its being from God i and that God was the maker of all things, both VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE, is repeatedly aflerted in Scripture : " In lix days the Lord made hea- ven and earth (b).''-^^'- In fix days the Lord made heaven and earth, the Tea, and all that in them is (c).'* — " Thou haft created all things, and for thy pleafure they are and were cre- ated (d).'" — " By him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, vi- fible and invifiblef^^." — God, having created all things, continues to preferve them in a ftate fuitable to the purpofes for which they were defigned, and by his fuperintending providence he conftantly governs the univerfe he created. Nothing can happen without the direftion or permiflion of that Being who is the fource of all power ; he appointed and fupports the general courfe of nature; and he interrupts it by his particular interpofition, whenever it feems good to his infinite wifdom : **^ God giveth to all life, (b) Ex. c. 21. V. 17. (c) Ex. c. 20. V. II. (dj Rev. c. 4. V. 11. (ej Col. c. i. v. 16. F 4 and 7 2 Expqfition of the [part iii7 and breath, and all things (f)'' — " He is before all things, and by him all things conlifl: (^^^.".— " How could any thing have endured if it had not been thy will^ or been preferved, if not called by thee (h) V — " Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou haft made heaven, the hea- ven of heavens, with all the hoft; the earth, and all things that are therein ; the Tea, and all that is therein; and thou preferveft them all f /;."—-" Where," fays bifliop Pearfon, *' the continued confervation of the creatures is in equal latitude attributed unto God with their firft produdiion; becaufe there is an ab- folute necefiity of preferving us from re- turning unto nothing by annihilation, as there was for firft beftowing an exiftence on us by creation. God doth fuftain, uphold, and con- ftantly preferve all things in their being which they have (k)y — Thus God is not only the MAKER but alfo THE PRESERVER OF ALL THINGS, BOTH VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE. We now come to the latter part of this article, in which the gofpel doftrine of the Trinity, or of three perfons (I) in the Divine Effence, isaflerted. (f) AcSts, c. 17. V. 25. (g) Col. c. I. V. 17. (h) Wifdom, c. II. V. 23. (i) Neh. c. 9. v. 6. (k) Pearfon, Art. i. (I J Tertullian, the oldeft Latin father extant, ufes the word Perfom, as applied to the Trinity. The word ufed by tlie Greek fathers is vwoo'ra(ris and 7r§oau7rov, That ART. I.] Thirty -nine Articles . 75 That nearly all the pagan nations of antiquity, in their various theological fyftems, acknow- ledged a kind of Trinity in the divine nature, has been fully evinced by thofe learned men, who have made the heatlien mythology the fubjeft of their elaborate enquiries. The ahnofl univerfal prevalence of this dodrine in the gentile king- doms muft be conhdered as a ftrong argument in favour of its truth. The dodlrine itfelf bears fuch ftiiking internal marks of a divine original, and is fo very unlikely to have been the inven- tion of mere human reafon, that there is no way of accounting for the general adoption of fo fm- gular a belief, but by fuppoiing that it was re- vealed by God t6 the early patriarchs, and that it was tranfm.itted by them to their pofterity. In its progrefs indeed to remote countries, and to diftant generations, this belief became depraved and corrupted in the higheft degree; and he alone " who brought life and immortality to light," could reftore it to its original fimplicity and pu- rity. The difcovery of the exiftence of this doc- trine in the early ages, among the nations whofe records have been the beft preferved, has been of great fervice to the caufe of Chriftianity, and completely refutes the affertion of infidels and fceptics, that the fublime and myfterious doc- trine of the Trinity owes its origin to the philo- fophers t4 Expq/tthn ofilis [p A R t i ir. fophers of Greece. " If we extend," fays Mr. Maurice, " our eye through the remote region of antiquity, we fhall find this very ''do\5Lrine, which the primitive Chriftians are faid to have borrowed from the Platonic fchool, univerfally and immemorial ly fiourifhing in all thofe coun- tries, where hiftory and tradition have united to £x thofe virtuous anceftors of the human race, who, for their diftinguifhed attainments in piety, were admitted to a familiar intercourfe with Je- hovah and the Angels, the divine heralds of his commands." The fame learned author juflly confiders the two firft verfes of the Old Teftament as con- taining very flrong, if not decifive, evidence in fupport of the truth of this doftrine : " Elohim, a noun fubftantive of the plural number, by which the Creator is exprefled, appears as evi- dently to point towards a plurality of perfons in the divine nature, as the verb in the Angular, with which it is joined, does to the unity of that nature : In principio creavit Deus ; with ftrid; attention to grammatical propriety, the paflage (hould be rendered. In principio creavit Dii ; but our belief in the unity of God forbids us thus to tranflate the word Elohim. Since, there- fore, Elohim is plural, and no plural can confift: of lefs than two in number, and fmce creation 3 can ART. r.l llmty-n'im Articles. *j^ can alone be the work of Deity, we are to under- lland by this term fo particularly tifed in this place, God the Father, and the eternal Logos, or Word of God, that Logos, whom St. John, fup- plying us with an excelknt commtnt u'pori this paffage, fays, was in the beginning with God, and who alfo was God. As the Father and the Son are exprel'sly pointed out in the lirfl v'erfe of this clmpter, fo.is the third perfon in the blelTed Trinity not lefs decilively revealed to us in the fecond : * And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.' Calaiio renders this paf- fage, Spiritus Dei motabat ; but, as Dr. Patrick rightly obferved, this is not the exa6t meaning of the text, for the original verb tranflated movedy fliould be rendered, brooded upon the wa- ter, incubavit, as a hen broods over her eggs. Thus we fee the Spirit exerted upon this occa- fion an adive effedual energy, by that energy agitating the vaft abyfs, and infufing into it a powerful vital principle." " Elohim fccms to be the general appellatiort by which the triune Godhead is coUedively dif- tinguiflied ia Scripture ; and in the cohcife hif- tory of the creation only, the exprcffion Bura Elohim, the Gods created, is ufed above thirty times. The combining this plural noun with a verb in the- lingular would not appear fo re- markable. 76 Expofition of the [parti 11. markable, if Mofes had uniformly adhered to that mode of expreffion ; for then it would be evident that he adopted the mode ufed by the Gentiles, in fpcaking of their falfe gods in the plural number; but by joining with it a An- gular verb or adjeftive, reftified a phrafe that might appear to give a direft fandion to the error of polytheifm. But in reality the reverfe is the fad; for in Deuteronomy, c. 37. v. 15 and 1 7, and other places, he ufes the fmgular number of this very noun to exprefs the Deity, though not employed in the auguft work of creation ; Dereliquit Eloah; facrificaverunt d^emoniis, non Eloah. But farther, Mofes himfelf ufes this very word Elohim with verbs and adjedives in the plural. Of thisufage Dr. AUix enumerates two, among many other glaring inftances that might be brought from the Pentateuch ; the former in Genefis, c. 20. v. 13. Quando errare fecerunt me Deus; the latter in Genefis, c. 0^^. v. 7. Quia ibi revelati funt ad eum Deus ; and other infpired writers ufe it in the fame manner in va- rious parts of the Old Teftament (m). It muft, therefore, to every reader of refledion, appear exceedingly lingular, that when Mofes was en- deavouring to eftablifh a theological fyftem, of (m) Job, c. 35. V. 10. Jof. c. 24. V. 19. Pf. X09. V. I. Eccl, c, 12. V. 3. I Sam. c. 7. v. 23. which ART. i.]^ Thirty-nine Articles. yj which the unity of the Godhead was the leading principle, and in which it differed from all other fyftems, he fliould make ufe of terms diredly implicative of a plurality in it; yet fo deeply was the awful truth under confideration im- preffed upon the mind of the Hebrew legiflator, that this is conftantly done by him ; and indeed, as AUix has obferved, there is fcarcely any me- thod of fpeaking from which a plurality in Deity may be inferred, that is not ufed either by him- felf in the Pentateuch, or by the other infpired writers in various parts of the Old Teftament. A plural is joined with a verb fingular, as in the paffage cited before from Genelis, c. i. v. i. A plural is joined with a verb plural, as in Genefis, ^- 35' ^' 7- * ^"^ Jacob called the name of the place Bethel, becaufe the Gods there ap- peared to him.' A plural is joined with an ad- jeftive plural, Jofh. c. 25- v. 19. * You cannot ferve the Lord, for he is the holy Gods.'' To thefe paffages, if we add that remarkable one from Ecclefiaftes, * Remember thy Creators in the days of thy youth,' and the predominant ufe of the words, Jehovah Elohim, or, the * Lord thy Godsy which occur a hundred times in the law (the word Jehovah implying the unity of the eflbnce, and Elohim a plurality in that unity), we muft allow that nothing can be 7 ^ Expofuion of I he [ p a a t 1 1 1 . be more plainly marked than this doctrine in the ancient Scriptures." " Though the auguft name of Jehovah in a more peculiar manner belongs to God the Fa- ther, yet is that name, in various parts of Scrip- ture, applied to each perfon in the Holy Trinity. The Hebrevvs confidered that name in fuch a fa- cred light, that they never pronounced it, and ufed the word Adonai inflead of it. It was in- deed a name that ranked firfl among their pro- foundeft Cabala ; a myftery,'fublime, ineffable, incommunicable. It was called Tetragrammaton, or the name of four letters, and thcie letters are Jod, He, Vau, He, the proper pronunciation of which, from long difufe, is faid to be no longer known to the Jews themfelves. This awful name was firfl revealed by God to Mofes from the centre of the burning bufh ; and Jofephus, "Vi'ho, as well as Scripture, relates this circum- ftance, evinces his veneration for it, by calling it the name which his religion did not permit him to mention (n). From this word the pagan title of lao and Jove is, with the greatefi probability, fuppofed to have been originally formed ; and in the Golden Verfes of Pythagoras, there is an oath ftill extant to this purpofe, ' by him who has the four letters.' As the name Jehovah, how- (n) Ant. Jud. lib, 2. cap, 5, ever. ART. I.] I'lilrty-nine Articles. y^ ever, in fome inftances applied to the Son anl the Holy Spirit, was the proper name of God the Father, fo is Logos in as peculiar a manner the appropriated name of God the Son. The Chaldee Paraphrafls tranllate the original He- briCw text by Mimra da Jehovah, literally, the \vord of Jehovah^ a term totally different, as bifhop Kidder has inconteilably proved, in its figniEcation, and in its general application among the Jews, from the Hebrew Dabar, which fimply means a difcourfe or decree, and is properly ren^ ^ered by Pithgam (o). In the Septuagint tranf- lation of the Bible, a work fuppofed by the Jews to have been undertaken by men immediately infpired from above, the former term is uni- verfally rendered Aoyo?, and it is fo rendered and fo u^derftood by Philo and all the more ancient Rabbins. The name of the third perfon in the ever-blefled Trinity has deicended unaltered from the days of Mofes to our own time , for, as well in the facred writings as by the Targumifls, and by the modern dodors of the Jewifli church, he is filled Ruach Hakhodefh, the Holy Spirit. He is fometimes, however, in the Rabbinical books, denominated by Shechinah, or Glory of Jehovah ; in fome places he is called Sephirah, (o) Demonftration pf the Mefliah, part 3d. p. 108, 109. or So Expojition of the [part lit. orWifdom; and In others the Blnah, or Un- derflanding (f). From the enumeration of thefe circumflances, it mufl be fufficiently evident to the mind which unites piety and refieftion, that, fo far from being filent upon the fubjed:, the an- cient Scriptures commence with an avowal of this dodlrine, and that, in fadt, the creation was the refult of the joint operations of the Trinity.'* " If the argument above offered fhouid lliil appear inconclufive, the 26th verfe of this chap- ter contains fo pointed an atteftation to the truth of it, that, in my opinion, when duly confidered, it mufl ftagger the moft hardened fceptic ; for in that text not only the plurality is unequi- vocally expreffed, but the ad", which I have be- fore obferved is the peculiar prerogative of Deity, is mentioned together with that plurality, the one circumfhance illuftrating the other, and both being highly elucidatory of this doctrine : * And God (Elohim) faid. Let tis (q) make man (p) Dr. Allix's Judgment, p. 168. (q) The antient Chriftians looked upon this as a plain intimation of a plurality of perfons in the Godhead : Lpi- phanius fays, *' This is the language of God to his Word and only begotten, as all the faithful believe." Hasref. 23. n. 2. and vide Haeref. 44. n. 4. and Kaer. 46. n. 3. where he fays, *' Adam was 'TTBTr^^aa/xsvoi iv x^fj Tlar^og KM am tcai iiyia Trvsvixarogj formed by the hand of the Fa- ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft," Vide Patrick in loc. in A R T . I .] 'Thirty-nine Articles, 8 1 in our image, after our likenefs.' Why the Deity fliould fpeak of himfelf in the plural num- ber, iinlefs that Deity confifted of more than one perfon, it is difficult to conceive; for the anfwer given by the modern Jews, that this is only a figurative mode of exprellion, implying the high dignity of the fpeaker ; and that it is ufual for earthly fovereigns to ufe this language by way of diftindion, is futile for two reafons. h\ the, firfl place, it is highly degrading to the Supreme Ma- jefty to fuppofe he would take his model of fpeaking and thinking from man, though it is highly confident with the vanity of man to ar- rogate to himfelf (as doubtlefs was the cafe in the licentioufnefs of fucceeding ages) the ftyle and imagined conceptions of Deity ; and it will be remembered, that thefe folemn words were fpoken before the creation of that being, whofe falfe notions of greatnefs and fublimity the Al- mighty is thus impioufly fuppofed to adopt. In truth, there does not feem to be any real dignity in an expreflion, which, when ufed by a human fovcreign in relation to himfelf, approaches very near to abfurdity. The genuine fadt, however, appears to be this. When the tyrants of the Eaft firil began to aflume divine honours, they af- fumed likewife the majeftic language appropri- ated to, and highly becoming the Deity, but to- VoL. II. G tallv 8 2 Exfofition of the [ p a R t i r r. tally inapplicable to man. The error was propa- gated from age to age through a long fucceffion of defpots, and at length Judaic apoftacy arrived at fuch a pitch of profane abfurdity, as to af- firm that very phrafeology to be borrowed from man (r)^ which was the original and peculiar language of the Divinity. It was, indeed, remark- ably pertinent when applied to Deity, for, in a fucceeding chapter, we have more decifive au- thority for what is thus aflerted, where the Lord God himfelf fays, ' Behold the man is become as one of us ;' a very fingular expreffion, which fome Jewifh commentators, with equal effrontery, contend was fpoken by the Deity to- the council of angels, that, according to their affertions, at- tended him at the creation. PVom the name of the Lord God being ufed in fo emphatical a manner, it evidently appears to be addreffed to thofe facred perfons to whom it was before faid, * Let us make man ;' for would indeed the omnipotent Jehovah, prefiding in a lefs dignified council, ufe words that have fuch an evident (r) It may he obferved, that the language of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, as recorded by Moles in the book of Ge- nefis, is always in the fingular number, " I am Pharaoh ;'* and, " See I have fet thee over the land of Egypt." Gen, c. 41. V. 41 and 44; and Ezra records, that the king of Perfia wrote in the fame ftyle long afterwards, " I Darius make a deeree." Ezra, c, 6. v. 8. 3 tendency AtiT. I.] fhirty-iihie Articles. 83 tendency to place the Deity on a level with created beings ?" Mr. Maurice alfo proves that the word EIo- him was underflood exacftly in the above fenfe by Mofes himfelf and the antient Hebrews, how- ever their modern defcendants may deny the al- lulion; that their own paraphrafts apply the term Logos, in the very fame manner we do, to the fecond, as well as that of Holy Spirit to the third, perfon in the bleffed Trinity ; and that, in fad, they had the fulieft belief in that Tri- nity (5), expreffed in the moft emphatical lan- guage, and explained by the moft fignificant fymbols. It is impoffible, upon the prefent oc- cafion, to follow this ingenious and eloquent writer through thefe profound difquifitions ; but I defire to take this opportunity, as I lliall not, perhaps, have occafion to mention him again in (s) Galatine has produced two expofitions cf the fol- lowing pafTage in Ifaiah, c. 6. v. 3. " And one cried unto another, and faid, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hofts," which are remarkable proofs of the truth of this aflertion ; the one is taken from the illuflrious Rabbi Simeon, who thus comments upon the word Holy being repeated three times, " Holy, this is the Father ; Holy, this is the Son ; Holy, this Is the Holy Spirit :" the other is from the Chaldee paraphrafe of Jonathan the fon of Uzziel, "Holy, Father; Holy, Son; Holy, Holy Ghoft." G 2 this 8 4 Expofttion of the [partiii. this work, of recommending, in tiie mofb earnefl manner, both his DilTertations and his Hiftory to the attention of all thofe who are defirous of feeing flrong additional hght thrown upon fome of the moft important dodrines of the Holy Scriptures. Every friend to revealed religion will confider himfelf as indebted to the laborious re- fqarches of Mr. Maurice, while every admirer of an animated and elegant ftyle will read his works with peculiar fatisfadion. The firfl paffage I fliall adduce from the New Teftament in proof of this important dodrinc of the Trinity, is, the charge and commiffion which our Saviour gave to his apoftles, to *' go and teach all nations, baptifmg them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghofl (^/J." The Gofpel is every where in Scrip- ture reprefented as a Covenant or conditional offer of eternal falvation from God to man, and Baptifm was the appointed ordinance by which men were to be admitted into that covenant, by which that offer was made and accepted. This Covenant, being to be made with God himfelf, the ordinance muft of courfe be performed in his name J but Chrift direded that it fliould be performed in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghofl ; and therefore we (t) Mat. c. 28. V. ig. conclude ART. i.l l!Jiirtv -nine Ankles. gi- conclude that God is the fame as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft. Since Baptifm is to be performed in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, they muft be all three perfons ; and fince no fuperiority or dif- ference whatever is mentioned in this folemn form of Baptifm, we conclude that thefe three perfons are all of one fubftance, power, and eter- nity (u). Are we to be baptifed in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft, and is it poffible that the Father fhouid be felf- exiftent, eternal, the Lord God omnipotent; and that the Son, in whofe name we are equally baptifed, ftiould be a mere man, born of a wo- man, and fubjecfl to all the frailties and.imper- fecflions of human nature? or, is it poffible that the Holy Ghoft, in whofe name alfo we are equally baptifed, fliould be a bare energy or ope- ration, a quality or power, without even perfonal exiftence ? Our feelings, as well as our reafon, revolt from the idea of fuch dilparity. This argument will derive great ftrength from the praftice of the early ages, and from the ob- (u) 'El 3e KTirnv ovk Ii%e (pvdiy o vtog h ro Travctytov 7rveui/,ctj ouk ttv (ruvYi^iSi/.y\(Tixv ru kektikoti Oeco. Theod. 5. contr. Haer. Uoia yx^ Koivmia toj ktkt/juiiti Tr^oi KTirm ; ^la ti to 7roin:ravTi nj tjiV roJv '^avruv rtXeiUcriVt Athan. Or. 3. contr. Ar» G 3 fervations 86 Expojttion of the [part hi. fervatlons which we meet with in feveral of the antient fathers relative to it. We learn from Ambrofe, that perfons, at the time of their Bap- tifm, declared their belief in the three perfons of the Holy Trinity, and that they were dipped in the water thtee times : in his Treat ife upon the Sacraments he fays, " Thou wafl afked at thy Baptifm, Doft thou believe in God the Fa- ther Almighty ? and thou didft reply, I believe, and thou wall dipped ; a fecond time thou waft aiked, Doft thou believe in Jefus Chrift the Lord ? thou didft anfwer again, I believe, and thou v^'aft dipped ; a third time the queftion was repeated, Doft thou believe in the Holy Ghoft?j and the anfwer was, I believe, then thou waft dipped a third time (x)'' It is to be noticed, that the belief, here expreffed feparately in the three perfons of the Trinity, is precifely the fame in all. Tertuliian, Bafil, and Jerome all mention this pradtice of trine immerHon as be- ing derived from apoftolical tradition ; and Je- rome exprefsly fays, *' We are thrice dipped in the water that the myftery of the Trinity may appear to be but one. We are no't baptifed in the names of Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, but in one name, which is God's ; and, therefore, though we be thrice put under water to repre- (x) De Sac. lib, 2. cap, 7, fent ART. I.] * thirty -nine Articles. S7 fent the myflery of the Trinity, yet it Is re- puted but one Baptifm fj^J."— " Who," fays Didymus, " will not from hence conclude the equality of the facred Trinity, feeing there is but one faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, as Baptifm is miniftered in the name of all three fz^." Cyprian, after reciting the form of Baptifm prefcribed by our Saviour, fays, *' He intimates a Trinity, by the facrament of which the nations (liould be baptifed ;" and again, " Chrift himfelf orders the nations to be bap- tifed in the full and united Trinity (a)r-^'' If,'* fays Athanafius, " the Holy Ghoft be not of the fubftance of the Father and ' the Son, why then did the Son of God join him together with them in the fymbol of fan6tification, when he fald to his difciples. Go, teach all nations, bap- tlfing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft {b) ?" The heretics, who denied the divinity of Chrift or 'of the Holy Ghoft, introduced alterations into the form of Baptifm to fuit their own par- ticular tenets J thefe alterations are reprobated by many of the orthodox fathers, and the coun- (y) Hieron cont. Luc. cap. 4. lib. 2. in Ephef. 14.. {%) De Sp. Sanft. lib. 2. inter Op. Hier. (a) Cyp. ad Jub. (b) Athanaf. Difp, cont. Ar. G 4 cii 8^. Expojition of the [partiii. cil of Nice decreed, " If they do not anfwer to this doflrine of the Trinity, let them not be baptifed." Thus the myfterious union of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, as one God, was, in the opinion of the pureil ages of the Chriftian church, clearly expreffed in this form of Bap- tifm. By it the primitive Chriflians underftood the Father's gracious acceptance of the atone- ment offered by the Meffiah ; the peculiar pro- tedion of the Son, our great high prieft and in- terceffor ; and the readinefs of the Holy Ghoft to fandify, to affifl, and to comfort all the obedient followers of Chrift, confirmed by the vifible gift of tongues, of prophecy, and divers other gifts to the firft difciples. And as their great mafter's in- llruftions evidently diftinguiflied thefe perfons from each other, without any difference in their authority or power, all {landing forth as equally d^fpenfing the benefits of Chriflianity, as equally the objeds of the faith required in converts upon admiffion into the church, they clearly under- ftood that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, were likewife equally the objeds of their grateful worfiiip : this fully appears from their prayersj doxologies, hymns, and creeds, which are ftill extant. The fecond paffage to be pjoduced in fijpport 4 of ART. I.] " Thirty-nine Articles, %^ of the do6trlne now under conflderatlon is, the doxology at the conclufion of St. Paul's Second Epiftie to the Corinthians : " The grace of our Lord Jefus Chrifl, the love of God, and the felv lovvfliip of the Holy Ghoft, be with you." Tlie manner in which Chrift and the Holy Ghoft ara here mentioned, implies that they are perfons, for none but perfons can confer grace or fellowfhip ; and thefe three great bleffings of grace, }ove> and feilowiliip, being refpedively prayed for by the infpired apoftle from Jcfiis Chrift, God 'the Father, and the Holy Ghoft, without any inti- mation of difparity.j we conclude that thefe three perfons are equal and divine. This foiemn bene- diftion may therefore be conhdered as anothei proof of the Trinity, fince it acknowledges the -di- vinity of Jefus Chrift and of the Holy Ghoft, - The third and laft paliage which 1 fhall quote upon this fubject, is the foilov^^ing falutation or benedi(5lion in the be2;innino; of the Revelation O v-> of St. John : " Grace and peace from Him which is, and Vv^h.i.ch was, and which is to come; and from the Seven Spirits which are before his throne, and from. Jefus Chrift." Here the Fa- ther IS defcribed by a periphrafis taken from his attribute of eternity, and the (^yqii fpirits is a myftical exprcflion for the Holy Ghoft, ufcd upon this occafion either becaufe the falutation is 90 Expojition of the [part iir. is addiefTed to feven churches, every one of which had partaken of the fpirit, or becaufe feven was a facred number among the Jews, denoting both variety and perfedion, and in this c^fe alluding to the various gifts, adminiftrations, and opera- tions of the Holy Ghoft. Since grace and peace are prayed for from thefe three perfons jointly and without difcrimination, we infer an equality in their power to difpenfc thofe bleflings ; and we farther conclude that thefe three perfons to- gether conftitute the Supreme Being, who is alone the objeft of prayer, and is alone the giver of every good and of every perfed gift. It may be right to remark that the feven fpi- Tits cannot mean angels, fince prayers are never in Scripture addreffed to angels, nor are blefiings ever pronounced in their name (c). It is unneceffary to quote any of the numerous palTages in which the Father is fingly called (e) I purpofely omit the contefted pafTage in the Firft Epiftle of St. John, " There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft; and thefe three are one." In any cafe it would be im- proper to produce a doubtful text in fupport of fo im» portant a doftrine as that of the Trinity ; but i muft own, that after an attentive confideration of the contro- verfy relative to that pafTage, I am convinced that it is fpurious, ,^f^ S^f M^/'l' ^^ V d*^>^ et,^M.i'ry ART. I.] ^Thirty-nine Articles. 9X God, as fome of them mud be recollected by every one, and the divinity of the Fatlier is not called in queftion by any fed of Chriftians ; and thofe paffciges, which prove the divinity of the Son and of the Holy Ghoft feparately, will be more properly confidered under the fecond and fifth articles. In the mean time we may obferve, that if it (hall appear, as I truft it will, from Scripture, that Chrifh is God, and the Holy Ghofb is God, it will follow, fmce w^e are aflured that there is but one God, that the three per- fons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, by a myflerious union, conftitute the one God, or as this article exprefles it, that There is a Trinity in Unity; and in the unity OF THIS Godhead there be three per- sons OF one substance, power, and ETER- NITY, THE Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The word Trinity does not occur in Scrip- ture, nor do we find it in any of the early con- feffions of faith ; but this is no argument againft the do6trine itfelf, fince we learn from the fa- thers of the three firft centuries, that the divinity of the Son and of the Holy Ghoft was, from the days of the apoftles, acknowledged by the ca- tholic church, and that thofe who maintained 0- contrary opinion were conlidered as here- tics; 9 - Expojiiion of the [ f A R i i n. tics (d) 5 and as every one r.iows that neither the divinity of the Father, nor the unity of the Godhead, was ever called in queflion at any pe- " riod, it follows that the dodtrine of the Trinity in Unity has been in fubftance, in all its confti- tuent parts, always known among Chrifbians. In the fourth century it became the fubjedt of eager and general concroverfy; and it was not till then that this dodrinc was particularly difcuffed. Whik there was no denial ordiipute, proof and defence were unneceffary : " Niinquid enim perfecle de Trinitate tractatum eft, antequam oblatrarent Ariani (o) ?" But this dodrine is poiitively mentioned as being admitted among cathdlic Cbriilians, by v^riters who lived long before that age of controverfy. Juftin Mar- tyr,. >n refbting the charge of Atheilm urged againft^ Chriftians, becaufe they did not be- lieve in the gods of the heathen, exprefsly lays, " We wcrfliip and adore the Father, and the Son, who came from him and taught us thefe things, and the prophetic Spirit (7"^ j" and foon after, in the fame Apology, he un- ("Jj Vide Letters between Dr. Horfley and Dr. Prieft- ley. Dr. Knowles's Primitive Chriftianity, and Wil- fon's Iliuftration of the Method of Explaining the New Teframcnt by the early opinions of jews ani Chriftiaiis concerning Chrift. (e) Auguftine. {_() Juft. Mart, edit, Par. 1636, page 56. dertakes ART, I.] 'Thirty -nine' Articles, 93 dertakes to fliew the rcafonablcners of the ho- nour paid by Chriitians to the Father in the firft place, to the Son in the fecond, and to the Holy Ghofi: in the third, and fays, that their af- ligning the fecond place to a crucified man, was, by unbehevers, denominated madnefs, becaufe they were ignorant of the mydery which he then proceeds to explain (g). Athenagoras, in reply- ing to the fame charge of Atheifm urged again fl Chriftians, becaufe they refufed to worfhip the falfe gods of the heathen, fays, " Who would not wonder, when he knov/s ihat we, who call upon God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, fliewing their povv'er in the unity, and their diftinclion in order, fiiould be called Atheifts (h) ? Clement, of Alexandria, not only mentions three divine perfons, but invokes them as one only God. Pfaxeas, Sabellius (i)^ and other (g) Page 60. (h) Athenag. ad Colum. Juft. Mart. p. 11. edit. Par. 1615, (i) Praxeas and Sabellius taught an unity of perfcns as well as of fubftance, fuppofing that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoit, were only different terms for the fame perfon, which led to the hcrefy of the Patripaf- fians, who affirmed, that the Father was incarnate, and fuffered upon the crofs. It is curious to obferve the conr traft which the antient Ebionitcs and the modern Soci- nians form to thefe cpnions. Praxeas lived in the fec-nd, and Sabellius in the third century. unitarians, 94 Expojttlon of the [pARt ttx* iinitarians, accufed the orthodox Chriflians of tritheifm, which is of itfelf a clear proof that the orthodox worflitipped the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft; and though in reahty they confidered thefe three perfons as conftituting the one true God, it is obvious tliat their enemies might eafily reprefent that worfliip as an ac- knowledgment of three Gods. Tertullian, in writing againfl: Praxeas, maintains, that *' A Trinity, rationally conceived, is confiftent with truth j and that Unity, irrationally conceived, forms herefy.'* He had before faid, in fpeaking of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghofl, that " there are three of one fubflance, and of one condition, and of one power, becaufe there is one God ;" and he afterwards adds, " The connexion of the Father in the Son, and of the Son in the Com- forter, makes three united together, the one with the other ; which three are one thing, not one ferfon; as it is faid, I and the Father are one thing, with regard to the unity of fubflance, not to the Angularity of number :" and he alfo ex- prefsly fays, " The Father is God, and the Son is God, and the Holy Ghoft is God ," and again, ** The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, believed to be three, conftitute one God." And in another part of his works he fays, *' There is a Trmity of one Divinity, the Father, and the Son, and ART. I.] Thirty-nine Articles, ^£ and the Holy Ghoft.'* And Tertulllan not only maintains thefe do6trines, but alTerts that they were prior to any herefy, and had indeed been the faith of Chriilians from the firft promulga- tion of the Gofpel (k). To thefe writers of the fecond century we may add Origen and Cyprian, in the third ; the former of whom mentions Bap- tifm (alluding to its appointed form) as the (k) Thefe paflages, from this moft antient of the La- tin fathers, appear to me fo important, that I am tempted to tranfcribe the words of 'he original : Duos et tres (deos) jam jadlitant a nobis praedicari ; fe vero unius Dei cultores praefumunt: quafi non et Unitas, irrational iter collegia, haerefim faciat; et Trinitas rationaliter ex- penfa, veritatcm conftituat. Adv. Prax. cap. 2. — Tres unius fubftantisp, et unius ftatus, et unius potentiae, quia unus Deus. cap. 2. — Connexus Patris in FiHo, et Filii in Paracleto, tres afficit cohaerentes, akerum ex altero ; qui tres unum funt, non unus ; quomodo di£tum eft, Ego et Pater unum fumus, ad fubftantis; unitatem, non ad numeri fingularitatem. cap. 16. — Pater eft Deus omnipotenSj Filius eft fuo jure Deus omnipotens. cap. 12. — Spiritus Deus eft, cap. 16. — Pater, et Filias, et Spiritus, tres crediti, unum Deum fiftunt. cap. 21.— Trinitas et unius Divinitatis, Pater, et Filius, et Spiritus Sandlus. De Pud. cap. 20. — Hanc regulam ab initio Evangelii decucurrifte, etiam ante priores quofque hasre- ticos, nedum ante Praxean hefternum probabit tam ipfa poftcritas omnium haereticorum, quam ipfa novellitas Praxeae hefterni. Adv. Prax, fource ^& Expofdion of tlis [partiii, fource and fountain of graces to him who de- dicates himfelf to the divinity of the adorable Trinity (I)'' And the latter, after reciting the fame form of Baptifm, fays, that " by it Chrift delivered the doftrine of the Trinity, unto which myftery or facrament the nations were to be bap- tized.'* ' It would be eafy to multiply quotations upon this fubje<5l;; but thefe are amply fufficient to fhew the opinions of the early fathers, and to refute the affertion that the doftrine of the Tri- nity was an invention of the fourth century. To thefe pofitive teftimonies 1 will fubjoin a negative argument : thofe who acknowledged the divinity of Chrifl and of the Holy Ghoft, are never called heretics by any writer of the three firft centuries ; and furely this circum.- ftance is a ftrong proof that the doctrine of the Trinity was the dodrine of the primitive church; and m.ore efpecially, fmce the names of thofe, who firft denied the divinity of Chrift and of the Holy Ghoft, are tranfmitted to us as of perfons who diffented from the common faith of Chrif- tians. But while we contend that the dodtrine of the Trinity in Unity is founded in Scripture, and (Ij Orig. Tom. 6. in Rom. fupported ART. t.] Thirty-nine Articles. gy fupported by the authority of the early Chrif- tians, we muft acknowledge that it is not given to man to underfland in what manner the three perfons are united, or how, feparately and jointly, they are God. It would, perhapSj have been well, if divines, in treating this awful and myfterious fubjecft, had confined themfelves to the exprefnons of Scripture ; for the moment we begin to explain it beyond the written word of God, we plunge ourfelves into inextricable diffi- culties. And how can it be otherwife ? Is it to be expeded that our finite underfland in gs fhould be competent to the full comprehenfion of the nature and properties of an infinite Being? " Can we find out the Almighty to perfec- tion C;;? J," or penetrate into the effence of the Moll High ?— " God is a Spirit (nj,"' and our grofs conceptions are but ill adapted to the con- templation of a pure and fpiritual Being. We know not the effence of our own mind, nor the precife diftin61:ion of its feveral faculties; and why then fhould we hope to comprehend the perfonal characters which exift in the Godhead ? " If I tell you earthly things, and you underfhand them not, how fhall ye underfland if I tell you heavenly things fo) ?'* When we attempt to (m) Job. c. II. V. 7, (72) John, c 4. v. 24. (0) John, c. 3. V. 12. Vol. II. H invcfligatc 9§ Expofition of the [part iiia inveftigate the nature of the Deity, whofe ex- iilence is commenfurate with eternity^ by whofe power the univerfe was created, and by whofe wifdom it is governed j whofe prefence fills all fpace, and whofe knowledge extends to the thoughts of every man in every age, and to the events of all places, pad, prefent, and to come, the mind is quickly loft in the vaftnefs of thefe ideas, and unable to find any fure guide to- diredl its progrefs, it becomes, at every ftep^ more bewildered and entangled in the endleft mazes of metaphyfical abflraclion. — " God is a God that hideth himfelf(>j." — "We cannot by fearching find out God f ^J." — " Behold, God is great, and we know him not (r).'' — " Such knowledge is too wonderful and excellent for us; it is high y we cannot attain unto it (s)'* (p) Job, c. 23. V. 9. (q) Job, c. II. V. 7. (r) Job, c. 36. V. 26. (sj Pfalm, 139. v» 6. ART. II.] Thirty -nine Articles. ^^ ARTICLE THE SECOND : Of the Word, or Son of God, which was mad© very Man. THE SON, WHICH IS THE WORD OF THE FA- THER, BEGOTTEN FROM EVERLASTING OF THE FATHER, THE VERY AND ETERNAL GOD, OF ONE SUBSTANCE WITH THE FATHER, TOOK man's NATURE IN THE WOMB OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN OF HER SUBSTANCE j SO THAT TWO WHOLE AND PERFECT NATURES, THAT IS TO SAY, THE GODHEAD AND MAN- HOOD, WERE JOINED TOCETHBR IN ONE PER- SON, NEVER TO BE DIVIDED, WHEREOF IS ONE CHRIST, VERY GOD AND VERY MAN ; WHO TRULY SUFFERED, WAS CRUCIFIED, DEAD, AND BURIED, TO RECONCILE HIS FATHER TO US, AND TO BE A SACRIFICE, NOT ONLY FOR ORIGINAL GUILT, BUT ALSO FOR ACTUAL SINS OF MEN. The fecond perfon in the Holy Trinity is dif- tinguiflicd by the name of the Son, that is, " the Son of God." It is fometimes faid that the phrafe, " Son of God," admits of various fig- nifications, and is ul'ed metaphorically in Scrip- ture i but this obfervation cannot affect the ar- H z gument 160 Mxpofition of the [part itr. gument wliicli may be derived from it concern- ing our Saviour, as it cannot be denied that the Jews, in his time, affixed to this expreffion a de- terminate and particular meaning, applicable onl}/- to the Divine Nature, and in this fcnfe we fliall find it was claimed by Chrift, and under- flood to be fo both by his difciples and by his enemies : " Therefore the Jews fought the more to kill him, becaufe he not only had broken the Sabbath, but faid alfo that God was his (proper) Father, making himfelf equal with God (n)'* Upon our Lord's declaring to the Jews, " I and my Father are one," they took up ftones to ftone him, faying, " For a good work we llone thee not, but for blafphemy, and becaufe that thou, being a man, makeft thyfelf God;" and our Lord's anfv\'er proves this to be only an equiva- lent expreffion with the affertion that he was the Son of God, " Say ye, Thou blafphemeft, becaufe I faid, I am the Son of God (b).'" But the con- demnation of our Lord, immediately upon his anfwer to the dired queflion of the high prieft, may alone be confidered as conclufive : " And the high prieft faid th Jefus, I adjure thee by the hving God (the judicial form of adminiftering - (") J"hnj c. 5. V. 18. *Ot< « 1J.0VOV lr.vi TO (TPc^paTOVj L7\>£i Kdi Tidrs^ct id'iov t\iy£ rov ©eov. (I^J John, c. 10. V. 30. 33. 36. ^ an A R T . 1 1 . ] Thirty - nine Jr tides. i o i an oath according to the Jewilli law) that thou tell me whether thou be the'Chrift, the Son of God. Jefus faith unto him. Thou haft faid : neverthelefs I fay unto you, hereafter (hall ye fee the Son of Man fitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high prieft rent his clothes, faying, He hath fpoken blafphemy, what farther need have we of witneffes ? Behold, now ye have heard his blafphemy, what think ye ? They anfwered and jQiid, He is guilty of death (c).''' St. Luke's account of this examination places the argument in a flill flronger point of viewj he mentions two diftin(fl queflions as having been put to Jefus in the council, firft, " Art thou the Chrift r" and upon our Saviour's anfwering, " If I tell you, yc will not believe," and fo- lemnly declaring, *' Hereafter fliall the Son of Man fit on the right hand of the power of God i" they further alk, fecondly, " Art thou then the Son of God ?" And when " he faid unto them, Ye fay that I am f ^J," they faid, *' What need we any farther witnefs ? for we (c) Mat. c. 26. V. 63 — 66. (d) This, as well as the expreffion " thou haft faid," in the parallel pafTage juft now quoted from St. Mat- thew, was an Eaftern mode of anfwering in the affirma- tive. Vide Mark, c, 14. v. 62. H 3 ourfelves I02 Expojttion of the [part hi, ourfelves have heard of his own mouth (e)'^ And when Pilate w^ould have releafed Jefus, de- claring " he found no fault in him," the Jews anfwered him, " JVe have a law, and by our law he ought to die, becaufe he made himfelf the Son of God (f).'^ Thus it appears that our Lord fuffered death, according to the Jewifli law, as a blaf-phemcr^ becaufe avowing himfelf to be the Son of God, he was clearly underflood to repre- fcnt himfelf as equal with God (g). This cirr cumftance muft, 1 think, be allowed as alone fufficient to prove that the Jews underftood the title of " Son of God," in the fenfe of abfolute divinity; but it does not prove that they ex- pefled the Meffiah to be the Son of God. This was the opinion of but thofe few, who, like Simeon and Ann:i, waited for the promifes of God, and adhered to the true and original fenfe of the Scriptures, unadulterated by the comments and giolies of the fcribes, which had produced the general expedation of a tem- poral kingdom under a temporal prince ; and (e) Luke, c. 22. v. 66 — 71. (f) John> c. 19. V. 7- (g) It fhould be obferved. that the Jews never thought of punidiing with death thofe iir.pofttjrs who pretended to be the Chrif. This claim did not include the crime of blafphemy, according to their idea of the IVleiEah, any more than the pretcnfions to be a prophet did, we ART. n.] Thirfy-nlne Arthles, 103 we find our Lord and his apoftles conftantly appealing to the Scriptures, as teftlfying to the truth of their aflertions refpeding his office and dignity, and combating the common opinion concerning the Chrift on many occafions : *' How fay the fcribes, that Chrifl is the Ton of David ? for David himlelf faid by tlie Holy Ghoft, The Lord faid to my Lord, fit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footftool; David therefore himfelf calleth him Lord ; and whence is he then his fon (h) ?" — And when the Jews afked him, " Art thou greater than our lather Abraham, which is dead; and the prophets which are dead ; whom makeft thou thyfelf ? he anfvvercd. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up ftones to caft at him (i),'' for they clearly underftood this cxpreflion as agreeing with the ^q\\(q in which he had called God his Father. And we find the converts to the religion of Chrift exprefsly declaring their faith in terms, which not only diredly acknowledged their be- lief, that Jefus was *^ the Chrift," but that he was alfo " the Son of God." Nathanael, that true Ifraelite, confefTed Jefus to be the Mefliah in thefe words : " Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, (h) Mat. c. 12. V. 35, 36, and 37. (i) John, c. 8. V. 53. 58 and 59; ' H 4 thou 104 Expojition of the [partiii. thou art the King of Ifrael (k):' — And Martha faid, " I believe that thou art the Chrift, the Son of the living God (l)r — " Then they who were in the fhip," who had feen him walk upon the Vv^ater and calm the florm, " came and vv^or- • fhipped him, faying, of a truth thou art the Son of God (m).'" — " Jefus afked his difciples, faying, whom do men fay that I, the Son of Man, am ? And they iiiid, fome lay that thou art John the Baptift, fome Eiias, and others, Jcr remias, or one of the prophets. He faith unto them, But whom fay jy^ that I am ? and Simon Peter anfwered and faid, Thou art the Chrift, the Son of the living God. And Jefus anfwered and faid unto him, Bltflcd art thou, Simon Bar- jona ; for flefh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Keaven. And I fay unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church (n).'" — • John the Baptift " bare record that this is the Son of God," having received this knovs/ledge by a fpecial revelation (o). — And God him- felf bore witnefs to the truth of Chrift's pre- (k) John, c. I. V. 45. (I) John, c. II. V. 27. (m) Mat. c. 14. V. 33, (n) Mat. c. 16. y. 13 — iS. (0) John, c. I. V. 33 and 34. tenfions ^RT. II.] Thirty -nine Articles, ioj; tcnfions by a voice from heaven, at the time of his baptifm in the river, and when he was transfigured upon the mount in the prefence of three of his apofties, faying, " This is my be- loved Son, hear him (p)^ To thefe quota- tions from the Gofpels I fliall add one from the Ads. When PhiUp found the Ethiopian eunuch fcudying the prophecies of Ifaiah, anxious but unable to underftand them, " he began at the fame Scripture, (chap. 53d) and preached unto him Jefus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water j and the ^unuch faid. See, here is water, what doth hin- der me to be baptized? and Phih'p faid, If thou believed with ail thine heart, thou mayeft. And he anfwered and faid, I believe that Jefus Chrift is the Son of God (q)." He does not merely profefs his faith in yeftis (of whom he probably had never before heard) as a teacher fent from God, or as the Chrifi expefted by ^he Jews 3 but he declares his belief that Jefus Chrift, whofe life and refurredion Philip had narrated, is the Son of God, the MefTiah of whom the prophets wrote, and whom Ifaiah in parti- cular had defcribed in terms appropriate to God i;lone. And when we reflect farther, that this (p) Mat. c. 4. V. 17. c. 9. V. 7. (^J Acts, c. ^. V. ^5i kc, eunuch ^-^^v Expofttion of the [partiii, eunuch was a Jewifli profelyte, " going to wor- (hip at Jerufalem," we cannot but conclude that this confeflion of faith contained an ac- knowledgment of the divinity of Chrill, fince it has been proved that the Jews aftually con- demned our Lord to death for affuming the title o^ Son of God^ which they imagined to be blaf- phemy. Now, when it is conlidered how many of the firft Chriftians were Jews, who, when their minds were opened, by either natural or fupernatural means, to believe that Jcfus was the Ivleffiah, would underftand from the antient Scriptures that the Ivleffiah was to be the Son of God, the belief of the early Ghrifiians in the divinity of Chrift can hardly be queftioned. It refulted immediately from the agreement of his claims (claims for which he was crucified by their blinded nation) and of the circumftances of his Jife, with the prophecies concerning him ; and accordingly we find little difpute in the firft century concerning the divinity of Chrift \, it Wfis his humanity that was chi&fly denied (r) , It (r) After the dellruciion of Jerufalem we hear of ibme Jewilli Chriftians who, retaining their dependance upon the efRcacy of the law for juftification, retained alfo their antient prejudices refpeiting the perfon of the Mefllah, but their number was too inconfiderable to at- (trad: much £ttention till the fecond century. Ahke con- * * temned ART. II.] I'hirty-nine Artidesl loy It may farther be obferved, that the relation of Father and Son, the names by v.hich the firft and fecond perfons in the Holy Trinity are dif- tinguiflbed, is not only confident with, but feems to imply famenefs of nature, " ut prasfcripfit ipfa natura hominem credendum efle qui ex temned by Jews and Chriftians, they formed themfelves into a fedl, and were called Ebionites. Ebion fignifies a beggar, or poor, and whrtiier that name was ^iven them from trufting '^ to the beggarly elements of the law," or from a perfon of that name, is not certainly known. Thefe men, " who called themfelves Chrifti-ins," fays Origen, " denied the divinity of Chrift, and the doflrine of the atonement." According to Ep'phanius they re- jected the authority of all Scripture, except the Penta- teuch, and received only a fpurious Hebrew Gofpel, al- tered from St. Matthew's to fuit their opinions. In the firfl century the Gnoftic herefies were the mod preva- lent J but both thofe who maintained the fimple divinity, and thofe who maintained the fimple humanity of Chrift, denied the do^Sirine of the atonement, which was evi- dently conudered by the apoftles as the fundamental principle of the Chriftian religion. St. John, therefore, in many paflages of his writings, lays great ftrefs upon the humanity of Ghrifl, from zeal to prove the reality of his fufferings and the certainty of the atonement; but at the fame time we find that he cautioufly guards againft the confequences to which thefe pafTiges might have led, by afTerting the divinity of Chrift in more exprefs terms than are to be found in any of the preceding Gofpels. homine lo8 Expojition of the [ p A r t 1 1 1 . homine fit, ita eadem natura pr^efcribit et Deum credendum efle, qui ex Deo fit (s). The angel addreffed the Virgin Mary in thefc words : " Tlie Holy Ghofl fhall come upon thee, and the power of the Highefl fliall overlhadow thee : therefore alfo, that holy thing, which Hiall be boi-n of thee, fhall be called the Sen of God (t):"-—'' And the reafon," fays bifhop Pearfon, " is clear, becaufe that the Holy Ghoft is God \ for, were he any creature, and not God himfelf, by whom our Saviour was thus born of a virgin, he mufl have been the ion of a crea^ ture, not of God ^«j-" Chri'fl: is alfo emphatically called " the Son'* only, in many pafTages of Scripture : " No man knoweth the Son, but the Father (x)^ — " He that believeth in the Son hath everlafting life fj^)." — He is likewife called " the only begotten Son of God," — " God fo loved the world, that he gave his only, begotten Son, that whofoever believed in him fliould not perilh, but have everlafting life (z)r St. John, in the beginning of his Gofpel, fpeaks (s) Novat. cap. il. (t) Luke, c. i. v. 35. (u) Art. 2. (x) Mat. c. ii. v. 27. (y) John> c. 3. V. 36. {%) John, c. 3, v. 16. of art.il] Thirty-nhie Articles. T09 oF Chrift under the name of '* the Word (a)r— " in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The lame was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made, that was made. And the Word was made flefli, and dwelt among men j and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." The expref- lion, *' In the beginning was the Word," mufl mean that the Word exifted from all eternity, [a) This title is not triken, as fome have imagined, either from Plato or from Philo, (v/ith whofe writings there is no fufncient reafon to think that the evangelifts were acquainted) but from the Scriptures of the Old Teftament, and from the fubfequent ftyle of the ancient Jews in conformity thereto. Vide Parkhurft's Lexicon, under the v/ord Aoyoj. The divine perfon, who has accom- plifhed the falvation of mankind, is called the Word, and the Word of God, not only becaufe God at firft cre- ated, and flill governs all thing'", by him; but becaufe as men difcover their fentiments and defigns to one another by the intervention of words, fpeech, ordifcourfe, foGod by his Son difcovers his gracious defigns in the fulleft and clearefl: manner to men. All the various manlfefta- tions which he makes of himfelf, whether in the works of creation, providence, or redemption, all the revelations he has been plcafed to give of his will, are conveyed to us through him, and therefore he is by way of eminence fitly ftiled the word of God. V'ide Mac knight in loc. that no Expojtthn of tlie [part hi. that is. The Word of the Father was BEGOTTEN FROM EVERLASTING OF THE FA- THER, fince St. John is referring to times not only prior to the birth of Chrifh, but alfo to the creation of the world (b) .■ — " And the Word was with God," that is, the Word was united with the Father, or was OF ONE substance with the Father. — " I and my Father are one {cj," was a declaration of Chrift himfelf recorded by this fame Evangelifl. " And the Word was God," or, the very and eternal God. — " The fame was in the htrginniiig with God," that is, the Word was united with the Father from all eternity. — " All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made, that was madefi/j." — ThisprovesthatbytheWordSt.John means Chrift (ej, hnce the creation of the world is in Scripture repeatedly attributed to Chrift (f), and confequently the Word being made flelh was Jefus Chrift. It is aifo a farther proof of thedi- ClfJ Ev a^xV ^^i ^^^^ ETff ov inv a%\ >j ro msci asi ortXariKOVy xai aTTii^io; hvai. Chryf. Horn. 2. in. Joan. (c) John, c. 10. V. 30 (d) The creation is alfo attributed to the Word of God in the followins: pafiage, 2 Pet. c. 3. v. 5. (e) St. John alfo calls clirift the Word of God, Re\:. c. 19. V. 13. C//Heb. c. I. V. 2 and 10. i Cor. c. 8. v. 6. Col. c. F. V. 16. Eph. c. 3. V. 9. vinity A R T . 1 1 . ] 'Thb-ty ■ nine Artictes. m vinity of Chrlft, fince none but God can create : « He that built all things is God (g):' — We have before feen that the creation of the world is at- tributed to God the Father, which is an addi- tional proof of an incomprehenfible identity or unity of fubftance between the Father and the Son. What has been already ftated concerning the fenfe in which we are to underftand the title of the Son of God, and the affertion of St. John in the beginning of his Gofpel, concerning the Word, may be confidered as a fufficient illuflra- tion of the former part of this article : The Son, which is the Word of the Father, begotten from everlasting of the fa- THER, THE VERY ANDETERNAlGoDjOFONE SUBSTANCE WITH THE Father." But as the divinity of our Saviour is the main point upon which this article refts, and as it is the principal caufe of feparation to many who dilTent from our eflablillied religion, it may be right to adduce feme other paffages of Scripture in fupport of this doftrine, and alfo to ftate fome teftimonies of the early opinions of Chriftians upon this fubjedV. St. Paul exhorts thc.Philippians to the prac- tice of humility from the example of Chrift (s) Heb. c. 3. V. 4. Jefus, X 1 4 Expojitlon cf the [ P A R T 1 1 i . jefus, " who, being In the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God ; but made himfelf of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a fervant, and was made in hkenefs of men : and being found in fafliion as a man, he humbled himfelf, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the crofs ; wherefore God alfo hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jefus every knee fhould bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth ; and that every tongue Oioukl confefs that Jefus Chrift Is Lordj to the glory of God the Father f //J." In this text the divinity of Chrift, both before his Incarnation and after his afcenfion, is clearly pointed out : " Being In the form of God," fignlfies being really God, juft as, " took upon him the form of a fervant, and was made In the Hkenefs of men," fignlfies that he was really a man In a low and mean condi- tion ; and the following words, " thought it not robbery to be equal with God," exprefsly declare Chrift's equality with God. Indeed this palTage, taken In this Its obvious fenfe, fo deci- ^ fively proves the divinity of Chrift, that thofe, ■'who deny that dodrlne, give a different meaning to one part of It, and affert that another part (h) Phil. c. 2. V. 6. ^ is ART. II.] "tlurty-n'me Articles. rr^ is wrongly tranllated .; they fay, that " being in the form of God," refers to his bearing the re- femblance of God, by his performance of mi- racles and delivery of a law in the name of God ; but this defcription would apply to Mofes, who is ncyer faid to liave been " in the form of God." And they further fay^ that the words, " he thought it not robbery to be equal with God," fnould be rendered, ** he did not <-atch at, or vehemently dgfire to be equal with God," pr, " he did not think that he ought to niake an often t at ious difplay of his refemblance to God,(^./J.'" Even if it be allowed that the; words .themfelves would bear thefe fignifications, which I very much doubt, it will be found that thp context will not admit of any fuch inter- pretation ; for, in the firft place, the verfe thus Ijnderftood would be made to refer to our Sa- viour when he v*'as upon earth, v^hereas, who- ever reads the whole paffage attentively, will perr ceive that this verfe refers to Chrift before he appeared in the likenefs of men, fmce he coulcj not make himfelf of no reputation, unlcfs he had pre-exilied in a ftate of fuperior dignity and glory. In the next plac.e, according to this intcr- (l) Cyprian quotes this paffage in cxaft agreement with our tranflation, Non rapinam arbitratus eft q'^q. fe ^qualem Deo. Vol. II. I pretation, 114 " MxpoJttioH of t/ie [part nio pretation, the apollle exhorts to humility from the example of Chrift, who, while he performed miracles and preached a religion in the name of God, did not aim at or affeft equality with God, or make a difplay of his refemblance to him J that is, St. Paul calls upon the PhiHp- plans to have the fame mind which was in Chrift Jefus, who, being a mere manj did not make himfelf equal with God, or boaft of his refem- blance to him ; the bare mention of fuch a fenfe of the text is fufficient to expofe and refute it. But the reafoning, according to the common in- terpretation, is clear and ftrong ; for the apoftle exhorts the Philippians to imitate the example of Chrift's humility, who, though a divine per- fon, voluntarily condefcended to aflume the lowed condition of human nature, and to fub- mit to a cruel and ignominious death. The latter part of the paflage flates, that in confe- quence, and as a reward of his humiliation, '* God highly exalted him, and gave him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jefus every knee fliould bow, of things in hea- ven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue fliould confefs that Jefus Chrift is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." This exaltation of Chrift, after his afcenlion into heaven, feems to indicate the glo- & ■ rificd A R T . 1 1 .] 'thirty-nine Articles^ 115 rlfied ftate of his human nature, jufl as his ap- pearance and fufferings upon earth were the hu- miliation of his divine nature. In the Old Teftament the prophets conflantly declare, that -they had received from God the prophecies which they deliver ; and it is acknow- ledged that none but God can enable men to predi(5l future events. St. Peter, in his Firfl Epiflle, reprefents Chrifl as enabling the pro- phets to foretel his own coming, with his fuf- ferings, and the glory which was to fucceed them : " Of which falvation the prophets have enquired and fearched diligently, who prophe- lied of the grace that fhould come unto you ; fearching what, or what manner of time, ths Spirit of Ckrijiy which was in them,' did fignify, when it teftified beforehand the fufferings of Chrift, and the glory that fliould follow (k) :'* this paflage, therefore, proves both the pre- exiftence and divinity of Chrift. The fame apoftle, in his other Epiftle, attributes thefe prophecies to the influence of the Holy Ghoft : " Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God fpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghoft (I):' And thus the power of prophefying is afcribed indifferently to (k) I Pet, CI. V, 10 and 11. (I) 2 Pet. c. i. v. 21, I a the ii6 Expojition of the [part iir. the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Ghoft, which denotes the incomprehenfible union of the three perfons of the Godhead aflerted in the former article. The beginning of the Epiflle to the Hebrews will furnifli another ftrong argument in favour of the divinity of Chrift. We fliall there find that Chriil is not only preferred to the angels, but is defcribed as a Being of a totally different order : " Who, being the brightncfs of God's gloiy, and the exprefs image of his perfon, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himfelf purged our fins, fat down on the right hand of the majefty on high ; being made fo much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they; for unto which of the angels faid he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee ; or. Sit on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footflool ? and again, I will be to him a Father, and he Ihall be to me a Son ; and again, when he bringeth in the firft-born into the world, he faith. And let ail the angels of God worfliip him ; and of the angels he faith. Who maketh his angels fpirits, and his minifters a flame of fire ; but unto the Son he faith. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. And thou, Lord, in the beginning, 4 halt ART. II.] 'thirty-nine Artkles. xijr haft laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands." It may be obferved, that St. Paul, in thus contrafling the nature of Chrift with the nature of angels, calls Chrift the Son of God, which, as we have already feen, was making him equal with God, according to the interpretation of the Jews, to whom this Epiftle was addrefled. He alfo attributes to him the creation and prefervation of the world, which is a clear aflertion of his divinity ; and indeed he reprefents God the Father addrefling Chrift as the Creator of the univerfe, and moreover as ex- prefsly calling him God. This oppofition is car- ried on through the whole fecond chapter, one paflage of which plainly declares Chrift's ex- iftence previous to his incarnation, and that he was not of the order of angels : *' He took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the feed of Abraham." Left, however, this af- fertion of Chrift's being of the feed of Abraham fliould lead the Hebrews to think him a mere man, the apoftle immediately proceeds to point out, in the third chapter, the marked difference between him and Mofes the leo-illator of the o Jews, who was always confidered by them as the greateft of their prophets ; he fays, that Mofes was faithful as a fervant, Chrift as a Son ; and that Chrift was counted worthy of more glory I 3 than 1 1 8 Expojition of the [p a R t 1 1 1. than Mofcs, Inafmuch as " he who has builded the houfe hath more honour than the houfe ;'* that is, the difference between Chrift and Mofes is that which is between him who creates, and the thing created ; and then, having before af- cribed the creation of the world to Chrift, he adds, *' he that built all things is God." " Without controverfy," fays St. Paul, " great is the myftery of godlinefs. God was manifeft in the flefli, juftified in the Spirit, feen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory (m)^ All thefe fix propofitions, of which God is the fubjedl, are true of Chrift, and of no other perfon ; he was " manifeft in the flefli j'* Chrift appeared upon earth in a human form, with the flefli and all other properties of a man, fin 'only excepted : " Juftified in the Spirit;" the vifible defcent of the Holy Ghoft upon Chrift at the time of his baptifm ; the extraordinary powers which he then received and afterwards exercifed ; and the performance of his promife by fending the fioly Ghoft to his apoftles, and enabling them to work miracles, proved him to be the true Mef- fiah, and juftifies thofe high pretenfions which •he afTcrted during his miniftry : *' Seen of angels ;" angels worftiipped Chrift at his firft (m) I Tim. c 3. v. 16. appearance A R T . 1 1 . ] TJiirty-nine Arth ks. 119 appearance upon earth, announced his birth to the ihepherds, miniftered to him in the defert, and ftrengthened him in his laft agony in the gar- den : " Preached unto the Gentiles j" the doc- trines taught by Chrift to the Jews only, were by his command afterwards preached by his apoftles to the Gentiles alfo, who were invited to embrace the Gofpel, thus declared to be the univerfal religion of all mankind : " Believed on in the world ;" that many believed Jefus to be the true Mefliah is a fad: admitted by all, and indeed the rapid propagation of the Gofpel is always urged by Chriftians as one of the many evidences by which its divine origin is efla- blifhed : " Received up into glory j" Chrift having completed his miniftry, and continued upon earth forty days after his refurrediion, was received up into glory by vifibly afcending into Heaven in the prefence of his apoftles. Since then thefe fix propofitions are applicable to Chrift, and to Chrift alone, and fince St. Paul affirms tjiem to be true of God, it follows that Chrift is God. " All thefe propofitions,'* fays biftiop Pearfon, *' cannot be underftood of any other, which either is, or is called, God , for, though we grant the divine perfections and attributes to be the fame with the divine effcnce, yet are they never in the Scriptures called God, nor can any I 4 of 5 25 Expojition of the [i'ARtilfi of them, with the lead flievv of probability, be pretended as the fubje(5t of thefe propofitions, or afford any tolerable interpretation. When they tell us that God, that is, the will of God^ was manifefted in the flelh, that is, was revealed by frail and mortal men, and received up into glory, that is, was received glorioufly on earth, they teach us a language which the Scriptures know not, and the Holy Ghoft never ufed ; and zjs no attribute, lb no perfon but the Son can be here underftood under the name of God ; not the Holy Ghoil, for he is diftinguiflied from him, as being juftified in the Spirit; not the Father, who was net manifefted in the flelh, nor received up into glory. . It rcmaineth therefore, that whereas the Son is the only perfon to whom all thefe clearly and undoubtedly belong, which are here joir.tly attributed unto God, as fure as the name of God is univerfally (n) exprcffed in the (n) It cannot be flriflly faid, that the word ©fo; is found in all the MSS, Dr. Whitby fays, that there arc only two which want it ; and even Wetftein, whofe fo- cinian principles made him very anxious to controvert this reading, acknowledges that the authority of MSS. is greatly in favour of the word ©eo? : after mentioning ^ Very few MSS. which have 05 or », inftead of Geo,-, he fays Reliqiii codices noflri (quibus J. Berriman addit ultra quinquaginta alios) magno confenfu habent 0£Of, With this preponderance of teftimony, admitted by a profcfTed i.n'. II.] thirty -nine Articles, ttt the copies of the original language, ib tlius abfo- iutely and fubje6\:ively taken muil it be under- ilood of Chrift." Our Saviour did not ccnfure Thomas, when, ■upon being eonvinced of his refurreftion, he exclaimedj' " My Lord and my God (o) j" and therefore by allovVing hinifelf to be called God, he admitted that the name was juftly applied to him ', and it may be obferved, that the anfvver €if our Saviour feems to annex a bleffing to this belief of his divinity : " Thomas, becaufe thou haft \ God, which was in the prophets, tellified before- hand the fuffe rings of Chrifh (o) j" he was to be " a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief; opprcffed and afilifted ; wounded and bruifed ; brought to the daughter, and cut off out of the land of the living (p) ^ The fuffering of Chrift was alfo typified in the facrifices of the law, and particularly in the paffover. Our Saviour him- felf forewarned his difciples of his paflion, and St. Paul preached to the Thefialonians, that *' the Chrift muft needs have fuffered (q):' — " If hunger and thirft, if revilings and contempt, if forrows and agonies, if ftripes and buffetings, if condemnation and crucifixion, be fufferings, Jefus fuffered ; if the infirmities of our nature, if the weight of our fins, if the malice of man, if the machinations of Satan, if the hand of God, could make him fuffer, our Saviour fuffered ; if licks. i_^i pofition to Adam's fin, that therefore the virtue of it was to go no farther than to take away that fin : it has indeed, remcfred that, but it has done a great deal more befides." " Thus it is plain that Chrift's death was our facrifice, the meaning of which is this, that God intending to reconcile the world to himfelf, and to encourage finners to repent and turn to him, thought fit to offer the pardon of fin, together with the other bleffings of his Gofpel, in I'uch a way as (liould demonflrate both the guilt of fin and his hatred of it ; and yet with that, his love of finners, and his compaflion towards them. A free pardon, without a facrifice, had not been fo agreeable either to the majefty of the great go- vernor of the world, nor the authority of his laws, nor fo proper a method to oblige men to that ftridnefs and hoUnefs of life that he de- ligned to bring them to ; and therefore he thought fit to offer his pardon, and thofe other biefiJings, through a mediator, who was to deliver to the world this new and holy rule of life, and to confirm it by his own unblemifhed life: and in conclufion, when the rage of wicked men, who hated him for the holinefs both of his life and of his dodrine, did work them up into fuch a fury as to purfee him to a moft violent and ignominious death, he, in compliance with the L 4 fecret I^a Expofttion of the [part iiu fecret defign of his Father, did not only go through that difmal feries of fufferings, with the moft entire refignation to his Father's will, and with the higheft charity poffible towards thofe who were his mofh unjuft and malicious mur- derers ; but he at the fame time underwent great agonies in his mind, which flruck him with fuch an amazement and forrow even to the death, that upon it he did fweat great drops of blood, and on the crofs he felt a withdrawing of thofe comforts that till then had ever fupported him, when he cried out, My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me ? It is not eafy for us to apprehend in what that agony confided, for we underftand only the agonies of pain or of con- fcience, which laft arife out of the horrors of guilt, or the apprehenfion of the wrath of God. It is, indeed, certain, that he who had no fm could have no fuch horror in him; and yet it is as certain that he could not be put into fuch. an agony only through the apprehenfion and fear of that violent death which he was to fuifer next day ; therefore we ought to conclude that there was an inward fuffering in his mind, as well as an outward vifible one in his body ; we cannot dif- tinclly apprehend what th^t was, fince he was fure of Ills own fpotlefs innocence, a,nd of his Father's unchangeable love to him. We can Qnly imagine a vail fenfe of the heinoufnefs of. ' ' " ^»> ART. n,J ■ Thirty-nine Ar ticks. t^x lin, and a deep indignation at the dilhonour done to God by it i a melting appreheniion at the corruption, and miferies of mankind by reafon of fin,, together with a never-before felt withdraw-;- jng of thofe confolatior^s tbat had always filled his foul ; but what might be farther in his agony arid in his laft dereli6tion, we cannot dif- tinftly apprehend ; only this we perceive, that our minds are capable of great pain as well as our bodies are : deep horror, with an inconfolable fliarpnefs of thought, is a very intolerable thing*- Notwithftanding the bodily or fubftantial in- dwelling of the fuUnefs of the Godhead in him, yet he was capable of feeling vaft pain in his body; fo that he might become a complete fa- crifite, and that we might have from his fufFer- ings a very full and amazing apprehenfion of the guilt of fin ; all thofe emanations of joy with, which the ind^welling of the eternal Word had ever till then filled his foul, might then, when he needed them moft, be quite withdrawn, and he be left merely to the firmnefs of his faith, ta the patient refignation to the will of his heavenly Father, and to his willing readinefs of drinking up that cup which his Father had put in his hand to drink.'' " There remains but one thing to be remem- bered here, though it will come to be more fpe- cially I j;4 Expojition of the [pART ill, cially explained when other articles are to be opened ; which is, that this reconciliation, which is made by the death of Chrift between God and man, is not abfolute and without conditions. He has eftablifhed the covenant, and has performed all that was incumbent on him, as both the priefb and the facrlfice, to do and to fuffer ; and he offers this to the world, that it may be clofed with by them on the terms on which it is pro- pofed; and if they do not accept of it upon thefe conditions, and perform what is enjoined them, they can have no fliare in it f 2; j." (%) Bumet, ART. iif.] Thlrty-nhie Ankles. t^^ ARTICLE THE THIRD. Of the going down of Chrift into Hell. AS CHRIST DIED FOR US, AND WAS BURIED ; SO ALSO IS iT TO BE BELIEVED THAT HE WENT DOWN INTO HELL. That Chrift defcended into hell is not ex- prefsly alTerted by any of the evangelifls , but they all relate that he expired upon the crofs, and that after three days he again appeared alive j and therefore it may be inferred, that in the in-^ termediate time his foul went into the common receptacle for departed fouls faj. But a more dired proof of this propofition may be found in St. Peter's fermon, after the efFufion of the Holy Ghofl on the day of Pentecoft, in which he applies to the refurredion of our Saviour tht pafTage in the Pfalms : " Thou wilt not leave my foul in hell, neither wilt thou fuifer thine (a) There is no fingle word in our language which has this fignification j but we are told that this was formerly the fenfe of the Saxon word Hell, tliou-^h it now always means the place of the punifliment of the wicked, after the general judgment, as oppofed to heaven, jhe place of the reward of the righteous, « Holy 15^' B^pjttion of the [part nr* Holy One to fee corruption (b)^ Chrifl's foul muft have been in hell, fmce God is here re- prefented as not finally leaving it there, but as re-uniting it to the body of Chrift, after a cer- tain intervals and, therefore, as Christ died FOR us, AND WAS BURIED J SO ALSO IS IT TO BE BELIEVED THAT HE WENT DOWN INTO HELL. It is to be obferved, that the word rendered " Hell'* in the above paflage, both in the Septuagint tranilation of the Pfalms, and in the Ads, is 'AtTjjf, Hades. Dr. Campbell has fhewn, that this word, which occurs eleven times in the New Teftament, and is very fre- quently ufed in the Septuagint tranflation of the Old, never fignifies in Scripture the place of torment, to which the wicked are to be con- signed after the day of judgment, but always the place appropriated for the common recep- tion of departed fouls in the intermediate time between death and the general refurreftion (c). Though there is this unqueftionable authority for the dodrine of this article, Chrill's defcent jnto hell is not mentioned in the abflrads of (h) Pf. 1 6. V. 10. (c) Homer, Hefiod, Plato, and other antient Greek writers^ diftinguilh 'ABtij from Tiaprarpof, which was the place of punifliment for the wicked. Vide Dr. Nicholls'a cxpofition of this article. 6 ChriiliaA ,jjiR.T. III.] Thirty-nine Articles. r^j Chrifuan faith, which the early fathers have left us ; nor is it in any of thofe numerous creeds which were compofed by the councils of the fourth ccntuiy, except that which was agreed to at Arimini in the year 359. The word there ufed is KaTa^^Ooyja, and it is plain from the context that this word cannot mean, as fome have fuppofed, merely that Chrift was buried, hg rx xaTap^9oi/ia v.xTS}\^ovrot, xxi rx £xsi(j-£ oixovo- (jLTiC'Xi/TX 01 zrvXu^oi AcTa tSoun? i(ppi^xv. In the beginning of the fifth century the church afc Aquileia, as we learn from Ruffin, ufcd the cor- refponding expreffion, defcendit ad inferna ; but at the fame time he informs us, that there was no fimilar article in the creeds then ufed, either at Rome, or in the eaftern churches (JJ. In the fixth century this article was admitted into many creeds, and it was confirmed by the fourth council of Toledo, A. D. 6^2- The word *Ahi was firft ufed in the Athanafian creed, which, as will hereafter appear, was not compofed till many years after the death of Athanaiius. It feems probable that this dodtrine of Chrifl's defcent into hell was firft introduced into creeds (d) In ecclefia: Romanae fytnbolo non habetur ad- ditum. Defcendit ad inferna j fed neque in orientJ's ccelefia habetur hie fenno. RufF. Exp. Symb. for fiJS" J^xpojttion of the [part iir; for the purpofe of declarirxg the aftual repara- tion of Chrifl's foul and body, in oppofition to thofe who alTerted, that the crucifixion produced only a trance or deliquium, and that Chrift did liot really fufFer death. /.RT. IV.] Thirty-nine Articles, 4 55 ARTICLE THE FOURTH. Of the Refurredion of Chrifl. CHRIST DID TRULY RISE AGAIN FROM DEATH, AND TOOK. AGAIN HIS BODY, WITH FLESH, BONES, AND ALL THINGS APPERTAINING TO THE PERFECTION OF MAN's NATURE, WHERE- WITH HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN, AND THERE SITTETH UNTIL HE RETURN TO JUDGE ALL MEN AT THE LAST DAY. We have the authority of St. Peter for aflert- ing, that the refurredion of Chrift was foretold by the royal pfalmift : " Men and brethren, let me freely fpeak unto you of the pc-triarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his fepul- chre is with us unto this day : therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had fworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flefh, he would raife tip Chrift to fit on his throne ; he feeing ■this before fpake of the refurrcftion of Ch:ift, that his foul was not left in hell, neither his fielli did fee corruption (a).'' And our Saviour him- ,(a) A<5ts, c. 2. V. 29, felf ^ t6 'Bxpofition of the [ p A R t 1 1 f i felf repeatedly foretold his refurreflion : " The Son of man fhaii be betrayed into the hands of men; and they fiialV kill him ; and the third day he fhall be raifed again f /-J." • ."■ Behold, we go up to Jerufalem, and the Son of man fhall be betrayed unto the chief priefls, and unto the fcribeSj and thejr fhall' condemn him to death, and fhall deliver him to the Gentiles "to mock, and' to fcourge, and to crucify^hini j^ and.the third day he fliall rife again (c)'\ 4.i^d .to the jews he fpeaks of his refurreclion as, a. clear de- monftration which would be afforded of his di- vine miflion. When they put this queftion to him. What fign fhewefl thou unto us, that is, 3\rKat decifive proof dofl thou give us that thou aff'tliepromifed Mefliah ? He anfwered, " De^ Uroythis temple, and in three days I will raife it up, fpeaking of the temple of his body (dX\ It .is reafonable to expe6t, that the evidence of the' truth of this great event, the importance of which was thus folemnly announced, fhould be proportionably flrong and unequivocal ; and upon inquiry we fhall find that the refurredion of Chrifl is fupported by the clearefl and moft fatisfactory proofs. ~ (h) Mat. c. 17. V. 22. (cj Mat. c. 20. V. 18, &c. (dj John, c, 2. r. 18 and 21. la ART. IV.] TJiirty-nme Articles. i6i- In the explanation of the fecond article, we have feen that the body of Jefus, after it was taken down from the crofs, was buried after the cuftomary manner of the Jews. The chief priefts caufed the fepulchre to be fealed, and to be guarded by Roman foldiers. The objedl of this caution was, that, by fecuring and exhibit- ing the dead body of Chriil, they might, as they thought, be able to difprove any report, Vv'hich the difciples might fpread concerning his reftoration to hfe : whereas this very caution tended to confirm the truth of his refurredlion, by rendering it impoffible that his body fliould have been removed by any human means. Thus does God produce good out of evil, and make even wicked men the inltruments of executino- the great defigns of his Providence. It is re- lated by all the evangelifts, that Jefus Chrifl, early on the third day after he was crucified and buried, arofe from the dead, and afterwards ap- peared alive. We learn from the Adts, that the lefurreAicn of Chrift was cOnflantly alTerted, and urged with peculiar earnednefs, by the firfl preachers of the Gofpei ; and in the Eplflles it is repeatedly mentioned as a well-known and ac- knowledged fad. The refurredion of Chrift was not expeded by his apoftles, which circum- flance muft be confidered as giving additional Vol. IL M weio;ht 1 62 Expufition of the [part in. weight to their teftimony. When they heard from the devout women, who carried fpices to the fepukhre, that their crucified Lord was rifen from the dead, "their words feemcd to them as idle tales, and the^^ believed them not (e)'" And when our Saviour firft appeared to them, " they were affrighted, and luppofed that they had fcen a fpirit (f)'* He foon convinced them that he was a really exifting body ; and by open- ing the Scriptures he explained to them, that all thefe wonderful events had happened according to the eternal purpofe of God, declared by the mouth of his holy prophets, fince the beginning of the world f J J. The certainty of Chrifl's re- furrediion did not reft upon a tranfient glance, or a fingle interview with his apoftles ; he con- verfed with them for forty days, which pre- cluded every fort of illufion or miftake; nor did it depend upon the fole teftimony of thefe chofen minifters of the Gofpel, for he was feen by various other perfons, and particularly by 500 difciples at once -, he ate and drank with many to whom he was known before his crucifixion ; and he made Thomas feel the print of the nails by which he had been faftened to the crofs, and of the fpear with which his fide had been pierced, (e) Luke, c. 24. v. 1 1. (f) Luke, c. 24. v. 37. (g) Eph. Q. 3. V. 9, &c. Luke, c. 24, v. 44, &c. Z to A R T . I V . ] Thirty -nine An ides. 1 6^ to convince h*im that he was the fame Jefus "' who had been crucified, that he had flefli and bones, and was not a i\nnt(/i)." He alfo faid to all the eleven apoflles, when affembled to- getlier immediately before his afcenlion, " Be- hold my hands and my feet, that it is I myfelf. Handle me and fee ; for a fpirit hath not flelli and bones, as ye fee me have f /^." And thus the identity of his perfon was uncontrorertibly afcertained, and all fufpicion of his being a fpi- rit was entirely removed. Thefe numerous wit- neffes of a plain matter of fad, of which every one was a competent judge, conftitute a fpecies of proof which might well be denominated " in- faUiblef/0." As the enemies of Chrift had been peculiarly careful to guard againil any fraud or deception, and as they were fully fenfible, that the refur- redion, if real and generally believed, would have great influence upon the minds of men, it is im- poflible not to fuppofe that they examined into It with the moil anxious diligence and moll jea- lous minutenefs ; and as they did not dare to contradid it themfelves, or even venture to pro- duce the foldiers whom they had fuborned for the purpofe of aflerting that the body of Jefus ChJ John, c. 20. V. 26, ("ij Luke, c. 24. v, 39. (ij Ads, c. I, V. 3. M 2 was 164 Expojltion of the [part 11 1. was ftolen out of the grave by night, we muft conclude, that they found it attefted by a weight of evidence, which no authority could fupprefs, nor any art invalidate. Upon thefe grounds wc believe that christ did truly rise again FROM DEATH, AND TOOK AGAIN HIS BODY, WITH FLESH, BONES, AND ALL THINGS AP- PERTAINING TO THE PERFECTION OF MAn's NATURE. Wherewith he ascended into hea- ven. As the refurredion of Chrifb was fore- told by David, fo alfo was his afcenfion : " Thou haft aicended up on high ; thou haft led capti- vity captive, and received gifts for men (I) ;'* which paflage refers to the afcenfion of our Sa- viour into heaven, to his triumph over fm and death, and to his fending the glorious gifts of the Spirit unto the fons of men. Chrift himfelf alfo predifted his afcenfion : " Go to my bre- thren, and fay unto them, I afcend unto my Father, and your Father ^;w^." That Chrift really afcended into heaven with the fame body with which he lived, and died, and rofe again, is declared by St. Mark, and by St. Luke, both in his Gofpel and in the. ^6ts of , the Apoftles ; (I) Pfalm, 68. V. iB. Eph. c. 4. V. 9. (m) John, c. 20. v. 1 7. 4 but ART. IV.] Thirty-nine Articles. 165 but it win be fufficient to tranfcribe the account from St. Luke's Gofpel : " And he led out his apoftles as far as to Bethany, and he Hfted up his hands and bleiTed them : and it came to pafs while he bleffed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven (n)^ — " Thus was Chrill's afcenfion vifibly performed in the pre- fence and fight of the apodles, for the confir- mation of the reality and certainty thereof. They did not fee him when he rofe, but they faw him when he afcended ; becaufe an eye-wit- nefs was not necelfary unto the adt of his refur- rcdion, but it was neceflary unto the adt of his afcenfion. It was fufficient that Chrift fliewed himfelf to the apoftles alive after his palTion ; for fince they knew him before to be dead, and now faw him alive, they were thereby iiflured that he rofe again ; for whatfoever was a proof of his life after death, was a demonftration of his refurredion. But fince the apoftles were not to fee our Saviour in heaven ; fince his fit- ting there at the right hand of God was not to be vifible to them on earth, therefore it was ne- ceflary they ftiould be eye-witnefles of the ad:, who were not with the fame eyes to behold the cffe(fc. Befides the eye-witnefs of the apoflJes, (n) Luke, c. 24. v. 50, &c. M 3 there 1-66 Expojition of the [pARTiiii there was added the teftimony of the angels; thofebleffed fpirits which miniftered before, and faw the face of God in heaven, and came down from thence, did know that Chrifl: afcended up from hence unto that place from whence they came ; and becaufe the eyes of the apoftles could not follow him fo far, the inhabitants of that place did come to teftify of his reception : ' For behold two men ftood by them in white apparel, which alfo faid, ye men of Galilee, why fland ye gazing up into heaven ? This fame Jefus, which is taken up from you into heaven, fliall fo come in like manner, as ye have feen him go into heaven (o) ;' we muft, therefore, acknow- ledge and, confefs, againft all the wild herefies of old, that the eternal Son of God, who died and rofe again, did, with the fame body with which he died and rofe, afcend up to heaven. Should it be aiked what reafon can be given why our Saviour did not afcend in the fight of the Jews, for their convidion ? I anfwer, that it was only abfolutely neceffary that they, who were to preach the Gofpel, fliould have the ut- moft evidence of thofe matters of fad: they at- tefted. God's dcfign was to bring the world to falvation by the exercife of faith, which is (o) A(Sls, c. I. v. 10 ancj ii» • an AH T . IV.] 'Thirty 'Htne Articles, i6y an acl of aflent, upon the teflimony of another, with which fight is inconfiftent; and it is to be doubted, whether they, who afcribed oi>r Savi- our's miracles to the power of the devil, and fuborned the foldiers to fay, upon his refurrec- tion, that his difciples ftole him away, would not have called his afcenfion, if they had {ecn it, a phantafm and vain apparition (p).'* The afcenfion of Chrifl is frequently alluded to in the Epiflles (qj. And THERE siTTETH. The fitting of Chrift at the right hand of God is foretold in the Old Teflament, and aflerted in the New : *' The Lord faid unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy foot- ftoolfrj." Chrift applied this paflage to him- felf f j^, and it is quoted by St. Paul, as defcribing the fuperiority of Chrifh to all created beings: "■ To which of the angels faid he at any time. Sit on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footflool (tj ?" Chrift himfelf, exprefsly foretold his fitting at the right hand of God : " Here- after fhall the Son of Man fit at the right hand of the Power of God f"?^^." There are feveral paflages in the Epiflles, declaring that Chrifl (p) Veneer's Exp. of this Art. (q) Eph. c. 4. V. 10. Heb. c. g. v. 12. (rj Pf. 1 10. V. I. (s) Mat. c. 22. V. 42. CO Keb. c. i.v. 13. {li) Luke, c. 22. v. 69. M 4 fitteth 1 63 Expojition of tJie [partus, fitteth at the right hand of God : " When he had by himfelf purged our fms, he fat down at the right hand of the Majefty on high (x)'^ — " We have a high prieft, who is fet on the right hand of the Majejly in the heavens fjy^.'* By the metaphorical cxpreffion of fitting at th^ right hand of God, which is apphed in Scrip- ture to none but Cliri(t, we are to underftand the honour and dignity to which he was exalted, after his afcenfion into heaven: "Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God, angels, and authorities, and powers, being n^iade fubjed unto him (z).'" — " And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, (liould ferve himj his dominion is an everlafting do- minion, v/hich fliall not pafs away, and his kingdom that which fliall not be deftroy- ed (a)r Uj^TTIL HE RETURN TO JUDGE ALL MEN, AT THE LAST DAY. ^ The fccond advent of Chriit, and the purpofe for which he is to come, are clearly foretold in Scripture : " I go to pre- pare a place for you; I will come again, an4 receive you unto myfelf ('t'y." — " This fame Je-? (.v) Heb. c. I. V. 3. ^y) Heb. c. 8. v. i. (z) I Pe;. c. 3. V. 22. (a) Dan. c. 7. v. 14. (b) Jfihn, c. 4. V. 3 and 28. fus. JIRT. IV.] ^irfy-nine Articles. 269 fus, which is taken up from you into heaven, (hall fo come in like manner as )'e have feen him go into heaven (c).'" — " The Lord himfelf ihall de- fcend from heaven with a fhout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God (d).^* — " Him, the heavens mufl receive, until the final reftitution of all things f O-'**"-" I^or God hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteotifnefs, by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given afTur- ance unto all men, in that he hath raifed him from the dead 09"— " When the Son of Man fliall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then fliall he fit down upon the throne of his glory, and before him fliall be gathered air nations, an,d.he fliall feparatc them one from another as a fliepherd his flieep from the goats (g)''' — " Theri we fliall appear before the judgment feat of Ciirift, that every one may receive . the things done in his body, ac- cording to . that he hath done, whether it be good or bad (h)'^ The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, that all men fliould honour the Son, even as they (c) A(5ls, c. I. V. 21. (d) I TheflT. c. 4. v. 16. (e) Aas, c. 3. V, 2r. (f) Ads, c. 17. v. 30. (g) Mat. c. 25. V. 31 and 32, (h) I Cor. c. 5. V. 10. honour I JO EKpofitkn of the [part m. honour the Father (i).''' — " The day of the Lord fliall come, in which the heavens flmll pafs away with a great noife, and the elements fliall melt with fervent heat (k)^ — " In fhort, no dodrine is more clear, and exprefs, and fundamental in the word of God, than that of an eternal judgment at the end of the world, when the ftate of our trial and probation Ihall be finilli- ed, which will be a proper feafon for the diftri^ bution of public juftice, for rewarding all thofe with eternal life, " who by patient continuance in ivell-doing feek for glory, and honour, and im- mortality," and for rendering " to them that obey not the truth, but obey unrighteoufnefs, indignation and wrath, tribulation and an- guifli f/^.'* I fhall therefore conclude my ob- fervations upon this article, with that moll excellent inference of St. Peter's : *' Seeing then that all thefe things fliail be diffolved ; what manner of perfons ought ye to be in all holy converfation and godlinefs, looking for, and haftening unto the coming of the day of God (m)r (i) John, c. 5. V. 22. (ij 2 Pet. c. 3. v. lO. (I) Rom. c. 2. V. 7. &C. (m) 2 Pet. c. 3. V. II and 12. Veneer. ART. v.] ^Jihiy-nine Articles. irrt ARTICLE THE FIFTH: Of the Holy Ghoft. THE HOLY GHOST, PROCEEDING FROM THE FA- THER AND THE SON-, IS OF ONE SUBSTANCE, MAJESTY, AND GLORY WITH THE FATHER AND THE SON, VERY AND ETERNAL GOD. The third perfon in the Holy Trinity is called the Holy Ghofl (a) or Holy Spirit, and often the Spirit only; " In the mean time he poured forth the Holy Ghoft, a gift which he had re- ceived from the Father, the third perfon in the Godhead, and the third name of Majefty (b).'* Frequent mention is made in the Old Teitament of the Spirit of God, as at the creation of the world the Spirit of God is faid to have " moved upon the face of the waters (c)^ And when the prophets received any fupernatural power or knowledge, or any impreffion was made upon their minds for a particular purpofe, it is gene- rally afcribed to the Spirit of God. St. John has recorded, that Chrift, not long before his crucifixion, faid to his difciples, " I {a) Ghofl: is a Saxon word, fignifying Spirit. (b) Tcrt. adv. Prax. (c) Gen. c. i. v. 2. will i72j Expofiiion of the [pArt irr* will pray the Father, and he fhall give you an- other Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of Truth (d)." And in the following paffage our Saviour fpeaks of the of- fice of the Holy Spirit as having a clofe and ne- ceiTary connexion with his own perfonal mi- niflry, and as being of the highefl importance to the complete execution and accompli fliment of the great fcheme of human redemption : " I tell you the truth j it is expedient for you that I go away ; for if I go not away, the Comforter will cot come unto you ; but if I depart, I will fend him unto you, and he- fliall teach you all things, and bring ail things to your remembrance, what- foever I have faid unto yau (e).'^ Agreeably to this promife and declaration, on the day of Pen- tecoft, and a few days after the afcenfion of our Saviour into heaven, the Holy Ghoft defcended vifibly upon the apoftles, and inilantaneoufly communicated to them the power of fpeaking a great variety of languages, enabled them to work miracles in confirmation of the doclrines which they were to preach, and furnifhed them with Zealand refolution, and with every other quali- fication neceliary to the effeftual difcharge of their m.iniftry. The Holy Ghoft alfo " abode (d) Johnj c. 14. V. 16. CeJ John, c. 16. v. 7. with ART. v.] fhirly-nine Articles, 175 with them," as our Saviour promlfed, for we find them conftantly adiing under his Immediate and dlrefting Influence. " The Spirit faid unto Philip, go near and join thylelf to this cha- riot (f).'* And St. Peter, in giving an account of the converfion of Cornehus, fays, " The Spi- rit bade me go with him, nothing doubting f^J." When Paul and Barnabas " had gone throughout Phrygia, and the regions of Gaktla, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghoft to preach the word in Afia, afttr they were come to Myfia, they af- fayed to go into Blthynia, but the Spirit fuiFered them not (h).'' And the fuccefs which attended the firfl preaching of the Gofpel is alwaj^s afcribed to " the power of the Spirit of God(i)S* But befides theie great gifts communicated to the apoftles and others, and thefe particular in- terpolitions for important purpofes at the firft promulgation of Chriftianity, and which are, for the fake of diftlnftion, called by modern divines the extraordinary operations of the Spirit, there are other communications of a more general na- ture, which are called the ordinary operations of the Spirit. Thefe confifl- in caufin-^- a chanpe and renewal of men's minds, and in affording them inward and fecret afliflance to become (f) Ads, c. 8. V. 29. (g) Aas, c. II. V. 12, (h) Ads, c, 16, V. 6 and 7, (i) Rom. c. i^. v. 19. good iy^ Expqfiiion of the [part ilt* good and virtuous. " ChriH fakl to Nicodemus, except a man be bom of water and of the Spirit, he cannot fee the kingdom of God (k) i" and vpon another occafion he declared, " that his heavenly Father would give his Holy Spirit to them that aik him T/j."— " the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-fuffering, gentle- nefs, goodnefs, faith, meeknefs, temperance (m)^ St. Peter, in his fermon upon the day of Pen- tecoft, faid, ** Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jefus Chrifl for the remiffion of fins, and ye Ihall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoft s for the promife is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God fliall callf;/^." It is evident that the influence of the Spirit fpoken of in thefe paffages muft be common to all Chriftians, and cannot mean the extraordinary and miraculous communications, which were the portion of very few, and conti- nued but for a fhort tim»e ; and from hence we derive this comfortable and important aflurance, that the Spirit of God co-operates with our fin- cere endeavours after righteoufnefs, and afiifls us in all our virtuous exertions. (k) John, c. 3. V. 5. (I) Luke,c. II. V. 13. {m) Gal c. 5. V. 22 & 23. {n) Acts, c. 2. V. 38. & 39. . ART. v.] ■' thirty -nine Articles. 175 In ihis article the Holy Ghoft is fpoketi of as PROCEEDING FROM THE FATHER AND THE SON. That the Holy Ghoft proceeds from the Father we learn from the exprefs authority of St. John, whofe words are, " The Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father (0) j" and as Chrift in the fame verfe fays, " I will fend the Spirit ;" and St. Paul tells the Galatians that " God hath fent forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts (p) ;" we infer that the Spirit pro- ceeds from the Son alfo : and indeed the union between the Father and the Son is fuch, that we cannot conceive how the Spirit can proceed from the one without at the fame time proceed- ing from the other. But- we muft acknowledge that the proccfiion of the Holy Ghofl, although to be believed as being afferted in Scripture, is far beyond our comprehenfion ; and in fubjects of this kind we cannot be too cautious and dif- fident in what we fay and think. That the proccfiion of the Holy Ghoft, both from the Father and the Son, was the dodlrine of the whole primitive church, is very clearly eftablillied by bilhop Pcarfon (q). He admits that the Greek fathers have not directly afferted that the Holy Ghoft proceeds from the Son, but (0) John, c. 15. V. 26. (b) Gal. c. 4. v. 6. (q) Exp. of Creed, Art. 8. he 176 Expojition of the [ p a R T 1 1 ?« he (hews that the exprefTions which they have ufed have that meaning. And Dr. Nicholls (r) has proved the fame thing by many quotations both from the Latin and Greek ecciefiaflical writers, and aUb by reference to the adcs of feveral councils ; and in particular it may be ob- fervcd, that ^t the councils of Alexandria and Ephefus, which were held as earl}'' as the years 430 and 431, it v.'as declared that the Holy Ghofl: pro- ceeded from the Son as well as from the Father. This do6lrine was afterwards the fubjed: of a warm and long controverfy, and became the caufe of a great fchifm between the eaftern and weflern churches, the former maintaining that the Holy Ghofl proceeds from the Father only and the latter that he proceeds from the Father and the Son. This ftill continues to be one of the points of diiference between the Greek church and that of Rome. In the explanation of the latter part of the firft article, which relates to the doctrine of the Trinity, it was proved from feveral texts of Scripture, that the Holy Ghoft is both a pcrfon and God. The following paflages prove fepa- rately the divinity of the Holy Ghoft, as af- ferted in this article, and are alfo proofs of his perfonality : St. Peter, in punifhing Ananias and (r) Exp. of Art. Sapphira, A R T . V . ] 'Thirty - nine Articles . 1 7 y Sapphira, ufes the expreffions, " lying to the rioly Ghoft," and " lying to God f jj," as equi- valent : the Holy Ghofl is laid to be eternal (t) ; to teach all things ("?{) ; to guide into all truth (xj -y to Iliew things to come Cy) ; to fearch all things, even the deep things of God (z) ; to make interceffion for the faints (aj ; to change us into the fame image with Chrift (l7J ; to bring all things to remem- brance (rj ; to convince the world of fin, of righteoufnefs, and of judgment (d) ; and to have raifed Chrifh from the dead (ej. Chrill himfelf calls the Holy Ghoft " another Comforter f/)," to be fent in his ftead, or to fupply his ab- fence ; and St. Paul attributes to the Holy Gholl the communication of a great variety of qualities and powers : " Now there are diverfities of gifts, but the fame Spirit ; to one is given by the Spirit the word of wifdom ; to another the word of knowledge by the fame Spirit; to another faith by the fame Spirit ; to another the gifts of healing by the fame Spirit ; to another fs ) Acls, c. 5. V. 3 and 4. (tj Heb. c. 9. v. 14. (u) John, c. 14. V. 2.6. f-^j John, c. 16. v. 13. (y) John, c. 16. v. 13. (z) i Cor. c. 2. v. 10. (n) Rom. c. 8. V. 27. (B) 2 Cor. c. 3. v. 18. (c) John, c. 14. V. 26. (d) John, c. 16. v. 8. (e) I Pet. c. 3. V. 18. (f) John, c. 14. v. 16. Vol. U, N the 1 7 8 E^fofnion of ilie [ p a r t 1 1 1 ^ the working of miracles j to another prophecy ; to another difcerning of fpirits ; to another di- vers kinds of tongues ; to another the interpre-^ tation of tongues j but all thefe vvorketh that one and the felf-fame Spirit, dividing to every man feverally as he will (g)''' In all thefe paffages the Holy Ghofl is plainly fpoken of not merely as a quality or operation, but as a pcrfon ; and the powers attributed to him are fuch that they can belong only to a divine perfon ; if, therefore, the Holy Ghoft be God, as well as the Father and as the Son, and there be but one God, it fol- lows that the Holy Ghoft is of one substance, MAJESTY, AND GLORY, WITH THE FATHER ANI> THE SON, VERY AND ETERNAL GOD. *' Thofe who deny the perfonality of the Holy Ghoft contend that it is ordinary in the Scrip- tures to find the like exprefTions, which are pro- per unto perfons, given unto thofe things which are no perfons ; as, when the Apoftle faith, * Charity fuifereth long, and is kind ; charity en- vieth not J charity vaunteth not itfelf; is not puffed up J doth not behave itfelf unfeemly; feeketh not her own ; is not eafily provoked j thinketh no evil j rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth j beareth all things ^ be- (g) I Cor. c. 12, V. 4. &c. lieveth Art. V . ] 'Thirty -nine Articles. 17^ lieveth all things; hopeth all things; endureth all things (h).' All which peffonal adions are attributed to charity, which is no perfon, as in other cafes it is ufual, but belong to that perfon which is charitable ; becaufe that perfon which is fo qualified doth perform thefe a6lions ac- cording to and by virtue of that charity which is in him. In the fame manner fay they, per- fonal adions are attributed to the Holy Ghoft, which is no perfon, but the virtue, power, and ciFicacy of God the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift; becaufe that God the Father is a perfon, and doth perform thofe perfonal a6lions attri- buted to the Holy Ghoft by that virtue, power, and efficacy in himfelf, which is the Holy Ghofb : as when we read, ' The Spirit faid unto Peter, Behold, three men feek. thee; arife, therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting no- thing, for I have fent them ;' we muft under- ftand that God the Father was the perfon which fpake thefe words, who had called Barnabas and Saul, and to whom they were to be feparated. But becaufe God did all this by that power within him, which is his Spirit, therefore thofe words and adlions are attributed to the Holy Ghofl. This is the fum of their anfwcr, and more (h) I Cor. c. 13. V. 4. &€• N 3 t^iaa 1 8 o Expojition of the [partiii. than this, I conceive, cannoL be faid in anfwer to that argument which we urge from thofe perfonal expreffions attributed to the Spirit of God, and, as w^e believe, as to a perfon. But this anfwer is mod apparently infufHcient, as giving no fatis- faction to the argument; for if all the perfonal actions attributed in the Scriptures to the Spirit might proceed from the perfon of God the Fa- ther, according to the power which is in him, then might this anfwer fcem fatisfadory : but if thefe adions be perfonal, as they are acknow- ledged, and cannot be denied ; if the fame can- not be attributed to the perfon of God the Fa- ther, whofe Spirit it is ; if he cannot be faid to do that by the power within him, which is faid to be done by the Hcly Ghoft, then is that de- fence not to be defended ; then muft the Holy Ghofl be acknowledged a perfon : but I fhali clearly prove that there are feveral perfonal at- tributes given in the facred Scriptures exprefsly to the Holy Ghofi, which cannot be afcribed to God the Father ; which God the Father, by that power which is in him, cannot be faid to do ; and confequently there cannot be any ground why thofe atlnbutes fliould be given to the Spi- rit, if it be not a perlon. To make intercefiion is a perfonal adion, and this adion is attributed to the Spirit of God, becaufe he maketh intercef-^ fion ART. V . ] Thirty - nine Articles. 1 8 £ fion for the faints, according to the will of God j but to make iriterceffion is not an a6t which can be attributed to God the Father, neither can he be faid to intercede for us according to that power which is in him ; and therefore this can, be no profopopoeia, or feigning of a perfon : the Holy Ghofh cannot be faid to exercife the perfonal adion of intercefiion for that reafon, becaiife it is the fpirit of the perfon which in- tercedeth for us. To come unto men, as being fent unto them, is, as I have faid before, a per- fonal action ; but to come unto men as beinp- fent, cannot be afcribed to God the Father, who fendeth, but is never fent, efpecially in this par- ticular, in which he is faid exprefsly to fend, and that in the name, of the Son; for our Sa- viour's words are, * whom the Father will fend in my name.' When therefore the Holy Ghoft Cometh to the fons of men, as fent by the Fa- ther in the name of the Son, and {^^t by the Son himfelf, this perfonal aftion cannot be at- tributed to the Father, as working by the power within him, and coi)fequently cannot ground a profopopoeia, by which the virtue or power of God the Father fhall be faid to do it. To fpeak and hear are perfonal actions, and both together attributed to the Spirit in fuch a man- ner> as they cannot be afcribed to God the N 3 Father: X 8 2 Expofjion of the [ p a R t 1 1 r . Father : * When he,' faith Chrift, ' the Spu'lt of Truth is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he fhall not fpeak of himfelf, but whatfoeverhe (hall hear, that fhall he fpeak (i).* Now to fpeak, and not of hinifelf, cannot be attributed to God the Father, who doth all things of himfelf; to fpeak what he heareth, and that of the Son, to deliver what he receiveth from another, and to glorify him from whom he receiveth, by receiving from him, as Chrifl fpeaketh of the Holy Ghoft, * He fhall glorify me, for he fliall receive of mine, and fhall Ihew it to you (k)^^ is by no means applicable to the Father, and confequently it cannot be true, that the Holy Ghoft is therefore faid to do thefe perfonal aftions, becaufe that perfon, whofe Spirit the Holy Ghofl is, doth thefe ac- tions by, and according to his own power, which is the Holy Ghoft. It remaineth there- fore, that the anfwer given by the adverfa- ries of this truth is apparently infufHcient ; and confequently, that our argument, drawn from the perfonal adions attributed in the Scriptures to the Spirit, is found and valid. I thought this difcourfe had fully deftroyed the Socinian profopopceia ; and, indeed, as (i) John, c. 1 6. V. 13. (k) John, c. i&. v. 14. they ART. v.] 7'hiriy-nine Articles. ig^ they ordinarily propound their anfwer, it is abundantly refuted ; but I find the ilibtlcty of Socinus prepared another explication of the profopopoeia, to fupply the room when he forefaw the other would not ferve ; which double figure he grounded upon this diftinc- tion i the Spirit, that is, the power of God, fays he, may be conlidered either as a pro- priety and power in God, or as the things on which it worketh are affeifted with it : if it be confidered in the firft notion, then if any per- fonal attribute be given to the Spirit, the Spirit is there taken for God, and by the Spirit God is lignificd. If it be confidered in the fecond notion, then, if any perfonal attribute be given to the Spirit, the Spirit is there taken for that man in which it worketh j and that man af- fedled with it, is called the Spirit of God. So that now wc mufh not only fliew, that fuch things as are attributed to the Holy Ghoft can- not be fpoken of the Father, but we mufl alfo prove that they cannot be attributed unto man, in whom the Spirit worketh from the Father. And this alfo will be very eafily and evidently proved. The Holy Ghoft is faid to come unto the apoftles, as fent by the Father and the Son j and to come as fo fent, is a perfonal adion, which we have already fhewed cannot be the N 4 adlion 184 Expojition of the [partiii, action of the Father, who fent the Spirit ; and it is as certain that it cannot be the a(ftion of the apoftle who was affefted with the Spirit which was fent, except we can fay that the Father and the Son did come unto St. Peter; and St. Peter, being fent by the Father and the Son, did come nnto St. Peter. Again, our Saviour, fpeaking of the Holy Ghoft, faith, ' He iliall receive of mine,' therefore the Floly Ghofb in that place ia not taken for the Father ; * and fliew it unto you,' therefore he is not taken for an apoftle : in that he * receiveth,' the firft Socinian profo- poposia is improper ; in that he ' flieweth' to the apoftle, the fecond is abfurd. The Holy Ghoft then is defcribed as a perfon diftinft from the perfon of the Father, whofe power he is j and diftind: from, the perfon of the apoftle, in whom he worketh ; and confequently neither of the Socinian figures can evacuate or enervate the doflrine of his proper and peculiar perfona- lity. Secondly, for thofe attributes or expref- fions ufed of the Holy Ghoft in the facred Scrip-' tures, and pretended to be repugnant to the na- ture of a perfon ; either they are not fo repug- nant, or if they be, they, belong unto the Spi- rit, as it fignifieth not the perfon, but the gifts or efFeds of the Spirit. They tell us that the Spirit is given, and that fometimes in meafure, 3 Ibm^^ ART. v.] thirty -nine Articles. i8^ fometimes without meafure ; thwit the Spirit is poured out, and that men drink of it, and arc filled with it j that it is doubled and diftributed, and fomething is taken from it, and that fome- times it is extinguifhed j and from hence they gather, that the Holy Ghofl is not a perfon, becaufe thefe expreflions are inconfiftent with perfonality. But a fatisfaftory anfwer is eadly returned to this objed:ion. It is true that God is faid to have given the Holy Ghofl: to them * that obey him (m) j' but it is as true that a perfon may be given. So we read, * unto us a Son is given (n) ;* and we are alTured that ' God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten fon (o) \ and certainly the Son of God is a pef fon. And if all the reft of the expreflions be fuch as they pretend, that is, not proper to a perfon, yet do they no way prejudice the truth of our affertion, becaufe we acknowledge the effefts and operations of the Spirit^ to have in the Scriptures the name of the Spirit, who is the caufc of thofe operations. And fmce to that Spirit, 'as the caufe, we have already fhewn thofe attri- butes to be given, which can agree to nothing but a perfon, we tlicrcfore conclude, againll (m) AiSts, c. 5. V. 32. hi) If. c. 9. v. 6. {0) John, c. 3. V. 16. the iS6 ExpoJitJon of ike [part nr. the Socinians and the Jews, that the Holy Ghoft is not an energy, operation, qiiahty, or power, but a peribn, a Ipiritual and intelle<5tual fybriilence (p)y It may indeed be obferved in anfwer to the objeclion founded on the text, " for God giveth not the Spirit by mcafure unto him f^J," that this paffage is evidently defigned to prove th$ fuperiority of Chrift to the ancient prophets, who fpake by the Spirit of God — the Spirit of Chrift— the Holy Ghofl — :and can in no wife be brought as an argument againft thp perfonality of the Holy Spirit. It is an allufion to the fac^, which John the Eaptift had before declared, that he faw the Spirit of God defcend and re- main upon Jefus, to diftinguifh him as the Mef- iiah — the Son of God — (r) from the prophets, who were only occafonally favoured by his in- fluence. But when we confider the myfterious union of the three perlons in one God, whic|i certainly implies unity of will and power, it ap- pears to me we may fafely grant that expref- iions of this fort are fometimcs ufed to fignify an attribute, an energy, operation, quality, or power of God, v^ithout injury to the doctrine (p) Veneer, Exp. of this Art. [q) John, c, 3. y. 34.. (r) John, c. I. v. 32, &c. 2 we ART. v.] thirty-nine Articles. xZ^ we maintain, which is clearly eftabliflied by fo many paflages in Scripture. The earheft controverfy upon the fubjedl of this article was that occafioned by Macedonius, Bifliop of Conftantinople, in the middle of the fourth century, who denied the divinity of the tloly Ghoft, and was on that account depofed trom his biflioprick. X8^ Expofiiion of the \vkVii iii, ARTICLE THE SIXTH : 'Of the Sufficiency of Holy Scripture for Sal- vation. HOLY SCRIPTURE CONTAINETH ALL THINGS NECESSARY TO SALVATION : SO THAT WHAT- SOEVER IS NOT READ THEREIN, NOR MAY BE PROVED THEREBY, IS NOT TO EE REQUIRED OF ANY MAN, THAT IT SHOULD BE BELIEVED AS AN ARTICLE OF FAITH, OR TO BE THOUGHT REQUISITE OR NECESSARY TO SALVATION. IN THE NAME OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE WE DO UNDERSTAND THOSE CANONICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, OF WHOSE AUTHORITY WAS NEVER ANY DOUBT IN THE CHURCH. OF THE NAMES AND NUMBER OF THE CANO- NICAL BOOKS. GENESIS EXODUS LEVITICUS NUMBERS DEUTERONOMY JOSHUA JUDGES RUTH THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL THE ART. VI.] 'fkirty-nine Artkl&s. 189 THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS THE FIRST BOOK OF CHRONICLES TEE SECOND BOOK OF CHRONICLES THE FIRST B90K OF ESDRAS THE SECOND BOOK OF ESDRAS THE BOOK OF ESTHER THE BOOK OF JOB THE PSALMS THE PROVERBS ECCLESIASTES, OR PREACHER CANTICA, OR SONG OF SOLOMON* FOUR PROPHETS THE GREATER TWELVE PROPHETS THE LESS. AND THE OTHER BOOKS (aS HIEROME SAITIi} THE CHURCH DOTH READ FOR EXAMPLE OF LIFE, AND INSTRUCTION OF MANNERS; BUT YET IT DOTH NOT APPLY THEM TO ESTA- BLISH ANY DOCTRINE. SUCH ARE THESE FOL- LOWING : THE THIRD BOOK OF ESDRAS THE FOURTH BOOK OF ESDRAS THE BOOK OF TOBIAS THE BOOK OF JUDITH THE REST OF THE BOOK OF ESTHER THE BOOK OF WISDOM JESUS THE SON OF SIRACH BARUCH THE PROPHET THE l^d Expofttion of the [pArt lit* THE SONG OF THE THREE CHILDREN THE HISTORY OF SUSANNAH OF PEL AND THE DRAGON THE PRAYER OF MANASSES THE FIRST BOOK OF MACCABEES THE SECOND BOOK OF MACCABEES. ALL THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT AS THEY ARE COMMONLY RECEIVED, WE DO RECEIVE, AND ACCOUNT TttEM CANONICAL. AVe have feen that the five firft articles relate to the foundation of all religion, the cxiflence; of a God, and to the charaderifbic do6lrines of the Chriftlan Religion, concerning the Fa- ther, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft. The next point to be fettled is the rule of our faith and pradice; this is a fubjed upon which there is a material difference between the church of Rome and the church of England, and to that diffe- rence this article is diredted. The divine Infpiration of the Holy Scriptures, and confequently their truth and obligation, is allowed both by papifls and by the members of our church ; but the papifis affert, that the books of the New Teftameiit do not contain the whole rule of a Chriflian's faith and prac- tice ; they believe that the apoftles orally de- livered many dodrines and precepts of the highell AilT.vi.] Thirty-nim Articles. icjt highefl importance to our eternal Iiapplnefs, which are not contained in the New Teftament ; and they farther believe, that thefe doftrines and precepts, have been faithfully tranfmitted to the prefent timci and that there is an infalli- ble authority, veiled by Chrift in his church, to judge of their correct nefs, and to diftinguilli thole which are true from thofe which are falfefisfj. On the contrary we of the church of England affirm that the Scriptures contain a complete rule of faith and practice, and wc reje(ft every doctrine and precept, as effential to falvation, or to be obeyed as divine, which is not fupported by their authority. In proof of the former part of this article we may firft obferve, that oral tradition, on account of the prodigious length to which human life was at firft extended, had greater advantages in the early ages of the world, than it could have in any fubfequent period. Methufelah lived about 300 years, while Adam was alive, and Shem lived almoft 100 years with Methu- felah, and above 100 years with Abraham; but though it thus appears that two interme- (a) It does not appear that there is any colle£lion of thefe traditions, which is confidered as authentic by papifts. The Jewifli traditions were colle£ted into a book, and comments written upon them, as has been before ob- fsrved, Part i, Chapter 4. diate igt Expofilion of the [part iii, diate perfons, namely Methulelah and Shem, were lufficient to convey any tradition from, Adam to Abraham, yet the fimpHcity and pu- rity of the primzeval religion were fo grofsly corrupted in the days of Abraham, that all knowledge of the one true God would have been utterly extinguiflied, and idolatry would have prevailed univerfally, if it had not pleafed the Almighty to reveal himfelf in an efpecial manner to Abraham and his poftcrity, and to feparate them from the reft of manl^ind. If to this experience of former times, we add the obfervation which mud have occurred to every one concerning the inaccuracy of reports upon the piaineft matter of fad, we may conclude that oral tradition is altogether incompetent to tranfmit to us, from the time of the apoftles, any doftrines or precepts in v/hlch our eternal falva- tion is concerned. Surely therefore it ought not to be believed, that points of fuch importance would be trufted io fo doubtful a conveyance. It is certain that the evangelifts and apoftles have delivered to us in writing jGme articles of faith, and jome rules of practice, as effential to falva- tion, but \^ Jome, why not all ? Is it probable that we Ihould receive part of our religion in "writing, and part by oral tradition.^ Is there any mention in the New Tellament of authen- tic ^ R T . V I . ] thirty- nine Articles. 1 9 1 ?:ic tradition, which was to be added to the written word of God ? of any defeds in the Gofpels, which the church was to fupply by her unwritten precepts and dodrines ? But let us confider the cafe of the Mofaic difpenfation, which was, introdudory to the Gofr pel, and was derived from the fame divine origin. The law of Mofes was delivered on Mount Sinai under the moft flriking and impreflive circum- stances, and it contained rites and feafts calcu- lated to preferve the memory of it ; it was teni,- porary, and confined to a fingle people, who were kept united, and were not permitted to miz with other nations; it confifted chiefly of or- dinances, which were to be performed, vyithout xmy great interval of time, at one place; and yet ithe whole of this religion, thus fuited, if any could he, to oral tradition, was, by the exprefs command of God, committed to writing. On .the other hand, the Chriftian religion is defigned for the whole world, for men of all countries, languages, and times, and every part of the worfhip enjoined by it may be performed in any part of the earth. Surely then we may concludp that the whole of the Chriftian religion was committed to writing — that God would make the ilime provifion for the prefcrvatidn of the univerfal religion of mankind, which he did for Vol. it. O the 194 Expojition of tJie [part hi. the partial religion of the Jews. St. John, In- deed, feems to declare, that a belief of what he alone had written was fufhcient to enfure eternal life : " Thele things," fays he, at the end of his Gofpel, "are written that ye might believe that Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name (b)-^* and St. Luke tells Theophilus, that he wrote his Gofpel that he " might know the certainty of thofe things in which he had beep inftruded (c)r Though the whole Jew'ifli religion was in fad contained in the books of Mofes, yet' the Jews, in the time of our Saviour, had a great number of traditions, which they obferved with the utmofl ftridnefs. Chrift and his apoftles frequently appealed to Mofes and the prophets, and encouraged and commanded the fearching of the Scriptures; but in no one inftance did they acknowledge the authority of the tra- ditions, which were then held in fuch high cfteem ; on the contrary, Chriil told the Jews, that " they had made the laws of God of none effed by their traditions (d) ;" and that " they worfliipped God in vain, when they taught for dodrlnes the commandments of men (e).'* (b) John, c. 20. V. 31, (c) Luke, c. l. v. 4. (d) Mat. c. 15. V. 6. (e) Mark, c. 7. v. 7. Since ART. VI.] Thirty-nine Articles. 195 Since then oral tradition is, from the very na- ture of man, incompetent to convey any dodrine to us from the times of the apoftles ; fince it is improbable in the higheft degree that part of our rehgion fliould be delivered in writing, and part by oral tradition; fince the New Tefta- ment contains not the fllghtefl: intimation con- cerning any rules or precepts to be tranfmitted to Chriftians by oral tradition; and fince the traditions of the Jews were feverely con- demned by our Saviour himfelf, and no au- thentic tradition is referred to, either by him or his apoftles, we confider ourfelves fully juftified in rejecting all oral tradition as of divine authority, and in believing that the holy scripture CONTAINETH ALL THINGS NECESSARY TO SALVATION. The ancient fathers always fpeak of the Scrip- tures as containing a complete rule of faith and pradice, and appeal to them, and to them only, in fupport of the dodrines which they ad- vance. " The Scriptures," fays Irenaeus, " arc indeed perfed, inafmuch as they are didated by the Word of God and his Spirit (f):' Tertul- lian, arguing againft a certain tenet of Hermo- genes, fays, " If it be not written, let him fear the curfe denounced againft thofe who add to, (f) Lib. 2. c. 47. O a^ or 19^ Expojiiion of the [part iii. or dlminifii from the written word of God f^ J.'* ** From whence," fays Cyprian, " is that tradition ? Is it derived from the authority of our Lord and the Gofpels, or does it come from the com- mands of the apoflies and the Epiftles? For God himfelf witncffes that thefe things are to be done which are written (h)''' Chryfoftoni declares, that " he who does not make ufe of the Holy Scriptures, but goes afide into another road, leaving the common way, is a thief ('zj ;'* and Bafil maintains, that "every thing which is done or faid, ought to be confirmed by the teftlmony of Holy Scripture (k).'^ The written word of God being the fole rule of our faith and pradice, it follows that WHATSOEVER IS NOT. READ THEREIN, NOR MAY BE PROVED THEREBY, IS NOT TO BE REQUIRED OF ANY MAN, THAT IT SHOULD BE BELIEVED AS AN ARTICLE OF FAITH, OR TO BE THOUGHT REQUISITE OR NECESSARY TO SALVATION. In THE NAME OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE, WE DO UNDERSTAND THOSE CANONICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD AND NEVv" TESTAMENT, OF WHOSE AUTHORITY WAS NEVER ANY (g) Adv. Hermog. cap. 12. (h) Cyp, ad. Pomp. Ep. (ij in. Joan. lO, (k) Eth. Def. 26. DOUBT ART. VI. ] thirty-nine Articles. l^y bouBT IN THE CHURCH. As T havc already treated of tlie canon both of the Old and New Teftament, it is unnecefiary for me to fay any thing upon that fubjed: in this place, except that in the enumeration of the books of the Old Teftament contained in this article, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah are called the firft and fecond books of Efdras, Efdras being the Septuagint tranflation of the Hebrew word Ezra. Ezra and Nehemiah, as was obferved in the beginning of this work, were formerly join- ed in one book, and when they were feparated, the book of Nehemiah being confidered as a continuation of the book of Ezra, was called by his name. There is no authority, internal or external, for admitting the books, commonly called apocry- phal (1)^ into the facred canon j they contain no prophecy (I) "Apocrypha, from aTronpuTtru to hide. The word feems to have been firft applied only to books of doubt- ful authority, or, as it is ufed by Origen, to imply works out of the canon; it was aftcrwarii? employed to cha- racterize fpurious and pernicious books. I: ius been thought thac hooks of doubtful charadler vvere firft termed apocryphal by tne Jews, becaufe they were re- moved aTTQ T«5 xjyTrTnf, from the ark of the covenant, where the canonical books were placed. £uf. Lib. de Pond, et Men fur. p. 534 ; or becaufe (hut up from the O 3 generality 19^ Expofition of the [part iir. prophecy or other authentic mark of infplration ; they were all written fubfequent to the ceiTation of the prophetic fpirit, but before the promul- gation of the Gofpel ; they were not included in the Jewifli canon, and therefore received no fandion from our Saviour ; they are not cited or alluded to in any part of the New Teflament ; nor are they mentioned by any ccclefiaftical wTiter of the three firft centu- ries j and they are exprefsly rejeded by Athana- fms and Jerome in the fourth century. Though thefe two fathers, and feveral fubfequent authors, fpeak of thefe bocks with refped, yet the fame authority was never afcribed to them as to the Old and New Tcflament, till the council of Trent, at its fourth fcffion, admitted them all, except the prayer of ManafTeh and the third and fourth books of Efdras('wJ, into their canon ; and this ftiil continues one of the many points of difTerence between the church of Rome and that of England. There is therefore generality of readers, and concealed, as fome affert, in a cheft of the ten-pie. In the primitive church foine of thefe books, efpsicially thofc of Wifdom and Ecclefiafti- cus were imparuJ to catechumens, and all of them were allowed to be read under certain reilriftions. Vid. Canon. Apolt. A than. Synopf." Gray, (m) Thefe three books are not mentioned in the ads of the council. no A R T . VI .] thirty -nine Ar licks. igc^ no ground for applying the books of Apocr^'pha TO ESTABLISH ANY DOCTRINE, but they arc highly valuable as antient writings, which throw confiderable light upon the phrafeoiogy of Scrip- ture, and upon the hiftory and manners of the Eaft, and as they contain many noble fenti- ments and ufeful precepts, our church, in imita- tion of the primitive church of Chrift, doth READ THEM FOR EXAMPLE OF LIFE AND INSTRUCTION OF MANNERS. " Sicut ergO Judith, et Tobize, et Maccabasorum, libros legit quidem ecclefia, fed eos inter canonicas Scripturas nonrecipit,ficet h«cduovolumina{'«^ legat ad zedificationem plebis, non ad audorita- tem ecclefiafticorum dogmatum confirman- dam (o)-'* Our church does not read all the books of the Apocrypha j it reads no part of either book of Efdras, or of the Maccabees, or of the book of Efther; nor does it read the Song of the three Children nor the Prayer of Manafleh. (tjj Ecclefiafticus and Wifdotw. (o) Jerome, Praef. to the Tranfl. of the Books of So- lomon. 04 20d Expojition of the [pA'kt titi ARTICLE THE SEVENTH : Of the Old Teftament. the old testament is not contrary td the new; for both in the old and new testament, everlasting life is offered to mankind by thrist, who is the only Mediator between god and man, being both god and man : wherefore they are not TO BE HEARD, WHICH FEIGN THAT THE OLD FATHERS DID LOOK ONLY FOR TRANSI- TORY PROMISESi ALTHOUGH THE LAW GIVEN FROM GOD BY MO- SES, AS TOUCHING CEREMONIES AND RITESj DO NOT BIND CHRISTIAN MEN, NOR THE CIVIL PRECEPTS THEREOF OUGHT OF NECES- SITY TO BE RECEIVED IN ANY COMMON- WEALTH, YET NOTWITHSTANDING, NO CHRISTIAN MAN V/HATSOEVER IS FREE FROM THE OBEDIENCE OF THE COMMANDMENTS WHICH ARE CALLED MORAL, 1 HIS article was direfted againft the opinion of certain perfons, who thought that the Old Tefkament, after the promulgation of the Nevv^ was no longer of any ule ; and alfo' againfl the Anabaptifts and other enthufiafts, who, mir- taking Art. VII.] thirty-nine Articles. 20 1 taking Tome expreffions in the Epiftles concern- ing juftification by Chrift without the works of the law, maintained that Chriftians were un- der no obhgation to obey the moral precepts of the Mofaic difpenfation. It has been noticed in a former part of this work, that the pi-omife of the Redemption of mankind from the fatal efFeds of fin is re- corded in the beginning of the book of Genefis ; and we have alfo feen this promife confirmed by fo many perfons, and in fo many ways, throughout the writings of the Old Teftament, that we cannot but feel the force of our Lord's appeal, " Search the Scriptures, for they teftify of me." But in order to prove the former part of this article, I fhall repeat and explain fome of thofe prophecies and types, which refer to the offer or promife of everiafting life to man- kind by Chrift. Immediately after the fall of our firft parents from their ftate of innocence and happinefs, God faid to the ferpent, " I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy feed and her feed; it Ihall bruife thy head, and thou flialt bruife his heel (a) ;" in which words is inti- mated the future Saviour of the world, who was (a) Gen. Ct 3. v. 15. to 202 Expofiiion of the [ p a ?. t 1 1 1 . to be born of a woman, and tlirough whom mankind would bruife the head of tlie ferpent, that is, gain the victory over fin and death, which the ferpent was the means of introducing into the world. God next declares to Abraham his gracious defign of redeeming the world in thefe v;ords : " I will eflabhlli my covenant be- tween thee and me, and thy feed after thee in their generations, for . an everlafling covenant ; and in thy feed Iliall all the nations of the earth be bleffed (h)^ This promife fignifies that the Redeemer was to be a defcendant of Abraham ; and it is to be obferved, that the bleffing here promlfed was to extend to all the nations of the earth, that is, to all mankind. We haivc St. Paul's authority for this interpretation: " And the Scripture forefeeing that God would juflify the heathen through faith, preached be- fore the Gofpel unto Abraham, faying. In thee fhall all nations be bleffed fr J." And it is farther to be obferved, that this promife was made to Abraham immediately after he had Ibewn himfelf ready to facrifice his only fon at the command of God, which whole tranfadion is to be coafidered as typical of the facrifice of Chrifl. — The fame promife was repeated to (h) Gen. c. 17. V. 7. c. 22, v. 18. (t) Gal. c. 3. V. 8. laac ART. V 1 1 .J "thirty-nine Articles, 2 03 Ifaac (d) and to Jacob (e). In Jeremiah, God fays, " This (liall be the covenant that I will make with the houfe of Ifrael ; after thefe days I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts ; and I will be their God, and they fliall be my people j for I will for- give their iniquity, and remember their fin na more (f).^' In the above pafTage the nature of the Gofpel covenant is explained, as defigned to produce inward purity, and to procure par- don for fin; and in Ifaiah the benefits of this covenant are declared to extend to the Gentiles alfo : " It is a light thing, faith the Lord, that thou (houldil be my fervant to raife up the tribes of Jacob, and to reftore the j.^referved of Ifrael : I will alfo give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou maycft be my falvation unto the end of the earth (g)'' The atonement alfo is clearly aflerted in Ifaiah, *' He was wounded for our tranfgreffions ; he was bruifed for our iniquities ; the chaftifement of our peace was upon him, and with his ftripes we are healed. All we, like fhcep, have gone aftray; we have turned everyone to his own ways, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all; for he was cut off out of the land of the living ; for (d) Gen. c. 26. V. 3. (e) Gen. c. 28. v. I?. (f) Jerera. c, 31. v. 33. (g) If. c. 49. v. 6. the 204 Expojition of the [pAiiT iif^ the tranrgreffions of my people he ivas flricken. Thou (halt make his foul an offering for fin: for he fnall bear their iniquities (h)y And the following paffage in Kofea plainly ftates God's gracious intention of bellowing upon mankind everlafling life : " I will ranfom them from the power of the grave ; I will redeem them from death ; O death, I will be thy plague, O grave, I will be thy deftrudion (i)r To thefe pofitive declarations, relative to the redemption by Chriil, we may add, that the call of the Jews out of Egypt, v/here they fuf- fered a fevere bondage, into Canaan, a land flow- ing with milk and honey, was a type of the call of mankind from the opprefTion and mifery of fin to " the glorious liberty Vv^ith which Chrift bath m.ade us free j" that the law was prepara- tory to the Gofpel j that Mofes, as a deliverer and lawgiver, was a type of Chrift; that the tetnporal bleffings of the law Were typical of the eternal blefiings of the Gofpel ; that the pafchal lamb was typical of the facrifice of Chrift; the fcape-goat of the atonement; and the lifting up of the brazen fcrpent in the wilderncfs, of the crucifixion of our Saviour. Many other pro- mifes, predictions, and types, might be pro- duped out of the Old Teftament concerning {h) If. c. 53. V. 5. (i) Hofea, c. 13. v. 14. redemption ART. VII.] I'Mrty^nine Articles. 205 redemption through Chrift, but thefe are amply fufficient to convince us that the old tes- tament IS NOT CONTRARY TO THE NEW; FOR BOTH IN THE OLD AND NEW TESTA- MENT, EVERLASTING LIFE IS OFFERED TO MANKIND BY CHRIST. Indeed there is not only the moft perfect harmony and ccnfircency, but the clofeft connexion and mutual depen- dance between the Old and Tew Teilament ; they are parts of the fame fyftem ; they explain and confirm each other. The great plan of univerfal redemption, announced and typified in the one, is perfe<5ted and completed in the otiier; it was declared to Adam; it was pro- mifed to the patriarchs ; it was typified by the law; it was predivfled by the prophets; it was fulfilled in Chrift. It was the eternal decree of God ; it was gradually carried on through a long fucceflion of ages, according to the dic- tates of his unerring wifdom, and was finally executed in his own good tim.e ; *' Known unto God are all his works from the beginning (k).'" — *' With him a thoufand years are asone day(^/y." — " In him there is no variablenefs or fliadow of turning f^;." — "What," fays Juftin Mariyr, " is the Law ? the Gofpel predided. What is (k) Aas, c. 15. V. is. (I) 2 Pet. c. 3. v» 8,, (m) James, c. i. v. 17. the £o6 Expojition of the [partiii. the Gofpel ? the Law fulfilled ^'j-"— " I have often alierted," fays Chryfoftom, " that two co- venants, two handnjaids, and two fifters, attend upon one Lord. Chrift is announced by the prophets; Chriil is preached in the New Tefta- ment. The Old Teftament declared before-hand the New, and the Newir.terpreted the OldCo^.'* Among the many references in the New Tef- tament to thf Old, which might be enumerated, I fliall only mention the following declarations of our Saviour, fufficient indeed of themfelves to prove the truth of this part of the article: " Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life ; and they are they which teftify of me (p).'' — " Had ye believed Mofes ye would have believed me ; for he wrote of me (q^)y — " Think not that I am come to dcftroy the . law and the proj.hets ; I am not come to deftrcy, but to fulfil fr J." The article proceeds to ftate that Christ is THE ONLY MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MAN, BEING BOTH GOD AND MAN. It haS been already proved that Chrift partook both of the divine a ad human nature; and St. Paul ex- prefsly fays, " There is one God, and one me- (n) Quail, et Refp. loi. {o) Horn. in. {^) John, c. 5. V. 39. (q) John, c. 5. v. 46, (r) Mat. c. 5. V. 17, 5 diator ART. VII.] Thirty-nine Anlcks. 207 diator between God and man, the man Chrifl Jefus (s)'' Chrifl is reprefented, both in the Old and New Tefcament, as the only R.edeemer of mankind, as the only facrifice for the fms of the whole world. His merits will extend to all who lived before and after the promulgation of the Gofpel : " As in Adam all die, fo in Chrifl fiiall all be made alive (t)^ — " He is the Lamb which was ilain from the foundation of the world (u)r Wherefore they are not to be heard, which feign that the old fa- thers did logic only for transitory PROMISES. Though we now perceive the com- pletion and application of all the prophecies, al- lufions, and types in the Old Teftament, con- cerning the benefits to be derived from the in- carnation and fufFerings of Chrift, yet we (hould remember that the exadt meaning of thefe paf- fages was by no means fully underflood before the promulgation of the Gofpel. The belief, however, of the patriarchs in the promife of a Redeemer, and their expectation of a future life, appear evident from their hifbory in the Old Teftament, and frpm the teftimony to their faith given by the apoftle in the eleventh chapter of {$) I Tim. c. a. V. 5, {t) 1 Cor. 15. v. 22. (h) Rev. c. 13. V. 8, Hebrews. 2 o 8 EKpofition of the [p A r t 1 1 1 , Hebrews. And it is certain that thofe who lived under the law, colleded from their Scrips tures general ideas of God's defign to beftow •upon mankind fome fignai bleflings through thq means of the Mcffiah, and therefore they were naturally led to extend their hopes and expecla- tions beyond the tranfitory promifes of the Mo- faic difpenfation. Even biihop Warburton ac- ]$:nowledge3 that the doclrlne of a future flate be- came a national doArine among the Jews about 1 50 years before Chrift j and it is well known that the oppofite opinion was the diftinguifbing tenet of the fe6t of the Sadducees in the time of our Saviour. David Levi, the learned Jew of the prefent time, contends, that the Jews were cert£;.inly well acquainted with the doctrine of the refurre.dtion in the days of Ifaiah, who. lived about 8co years before the birth of Chrift ; " nay, fays he, " I am confident that th.e refyrreftioja was taught by Mofes hlmfelf i" and for this opi- nion we feem to have the authority of our Lord himfelf, when lie attributes their want of faith in him to their not believing or notundprftand- ing th,e writings of their lawgiver ; " Had ye be- lieved Mofes, 3'^e would have believed me, for he wrote of me j but if ye believe not his v.-rit:; ings, how fhall ye believe my words (w)r Our (w) John, c. 5. V. 46 and 4.7. Saviour's ART. VII.] mrty-nine Articles. "ao^ Saviour's anfwer alfo to the infidious queftlon of the Sadducees concerning the feven brethren who had married one wife, " Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures^;cJ," plainly implies that the doc- trine which they denied, namely, the refurrediion of the dead, was contained in the Scriptures. Not to mention what might be adduced in fupport of the fuppofition, that Adam and his imme- diate defcendants received pofitive information concerning the 7iature of the benefit to be pro- cured by the promifed " Deliverer,'^ the tranfla- tion of the righteous Enoch muft furely have been confidcred as very ftriking evidence of ano- ther and happier ftate of exiftence. It is ex- prefsly faid of Abraham, that " he accounted God was able to raife up Ifaac even from the dead (y) i" and of Mofes, that " he chofe rather to fuffer afflidion with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleafures of fin for a feafon, efleem- ing the reproach of (or rather for) Chrift greater riches than the treafures in Egypt, for he had r^- fpeSl unto the recompence of the reward (z).^'' And after enumerating various examples of faith, the apoftle adds in the fame chapter, " others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they {x) Mark, c. 12. v. 19. (y) Ileb. c. il. v. 19. (2.) Heb. c. II. V. 25 and 26. VoL.IL P might %i^ Expofiion of the [part iit» might obtain a better refurredion (a).'' Job comforts himfelf with the following refieftion, from which it is evident that he believed there would be another life, in which he fliould be rewarded for all his fufferings : " I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he fliall fland in the latter day upon the earth : and though after my ikin worms deftroy this body, yet in my ilefh fhall I fee God : whom I iliall fee for my- felf, and mine eyes fhall behold, and not ano- ther (b)y David fays of himfelf, though the words, agreeably to the double fenfe of prophecy, were afterwards applied to Chrift, " Thou wilt not leave my foul in hell, neither fhalt thou fuffer thine Holy One to fee corruption. Thou flialt fhew me the path of life ; in thy prefence is the fulnefs of joy j and at thy right hand is pleafure for evermore (c) i" from which it ap- pears that David hoped to be reflored to life after death, and to enjoy happinefs in the pre- fence of God. To the fame purpofe he fays in another Pfalm, " God has delivered my foul from the place of hell, for he fliall receive me (d) ;" and in the following paffage he contrafts the fuccefs of the wicked in this world (a) Heb. c. ii. v. 35. (h) Job. ig. v. 26. (cj Pf, 16. V. II and 12. (dj Pf. 49. v. 15. with A R T . ' V 1 1 .] TJiirty-nine Articles'. 2.11 with the comforts which he himfelf (liould en- joy in the next ; he prays to be dehvered from the wicked, " who have their portion in this hfe ; whofe beUies, thou, O Lord, filleft with thy hid treafure : they have children at their de- fire, and leave the reft of their fubftance for their babes. But as for me, I will behold thy prefence in righteoufnefs, and when I awake up after thy likenefs, I Ihall be fatisfied with it (e):^ The raifmg of the Shunamite woman's fon to life (f)i and the afcenfion of Elijah into hea- ven (g)i muft alfo be allowed as proofs vouchfafed to the Jews of the refurred:ion, and of a ftate of happinefs in heaven. The following pafTages in Ecclefiaftes refer to the future judgment : " Re- joice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth ;. and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the fight of thine eyes; but know this, that for all thefe things God will bring thee into judgment (h) i"— *' for God fhall bring every work into judgment^ with every fecret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil//J." In Ifaiah we read, " Thy dead men (hall live ; together with my dead body fhall they arife ; awake and fi.ng, ye that dwell in duftj for thy dew is as the dew of (ej Pf. 17. V. 14. (f) 2 Kings, c. 4. v. 12, ■Cg) 2 Kings, c. 2. V. I, &c. (h) Eccl. c. II. V. 9. (U Eccl. c. 12, V. 14. P 2 herbs. 212 Expofttion of the [part iir, herbs, and the earth fliall caft out the dead (k).^* Daniel fays, *' Many of them that fleep in the duft of the earth fhall awake, fome to everlafl- ing hfe, and fome to everlafting contempt ('/j.'* It has appeared from various authorities, that the Jews in general believed in a future ftate in the time of our Saviour ; and if they believed that they were to exift in another life, they would of courfe confider themfelves capable of happinefs or mifery in that exiftence, and would place their hopes and confidence in the Supreme Dif- pofer of all events, whofe interpofition and mercy they had fo often experienced, and who had given them fuch flrong and repeated intimations of flill greater favours and bleflings. And though the Jews in general, at the time of our Saviour's appearance upon earth, had very erroneous no- tions of the kingdom which the Meffiah was to eftablilh, yet we have no reafon to think that thofe notions always prevailed, or that even then they looked for worldly grandeur and temporal benefits only ; on the contrary, it appears from an expreflion of our Saviour jufl now quoted, that they had Ibme expeftation of happinefs in another world : " Search the Scriptures,'* faid he to the unbelieving Jew&, " for in them yc (k) If. c. 26. V. 19. (Ij Dan. c. 12. v. 2. think A R T . V 1 1 . ] Thirty -nine Artldes, S i ^ think ye have eternal life (m).'^ — " But,'* fays bifliop Burnet, " though the old fathers had a conveyance of the hope of eternal life made to them with a refurredion of their bodies, and a confidence in the mercy of God for pardoning the mod heinous fms, yet it cannot be denied, that it was as a light that fliined in a dark place, till the day-ftar did arife, and that * Ghrifl brought life and immortality to light (n)' by his Gofpel, giving us fuller and clearer difcoveries of it, both with relation to our fouls and bodies ; and that by him alfo God has declared his righteoufnefs for the remiflion of fins through the forbearance of God, through the redemption that is in Chrifl Jefus, and through faith in his blood (o)r Although the law given from god to moses, as touching ceremonies and rites, do not bind christian men, nor the civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be RECEIVED IN ANY COMMONWEALTH, Y£T NOT- WITHSTANDING, NO CHRISTIAN MAN WHAT- SOEVER IS FREE FROM THE OBEDIENCE OF THE COMMANDMENTS WHICH ARE CALLED MORAL. The Mofaic difpenfation was preparatory to the Chiiftian, and its principal objecfts were to fe- (m) John, c. 5. v. 39. (n) 2 Tim. c. I. v. lO. (0) Rom. c. 3. V. 24 and 25. P 3 parate a 14 ^xpofitlon of the [part irt. parate the Jews from other nations, and to pre- ferve in the world a knowledge of the one true God, which would otherwife have been utterly lofl before the coming of the Meffiah. It con- iifted of three parts, the worfliip of God, the civil poliry of the Jews, and precepts for the regu- lation of their moral condudl. The religious cere- monies and political regulations were b'ended to- gether, and were calculated to keep the Jews united among themfelves, and to prevent all intercourfe with the reft of the world. The coming of the Meffiah, by completing the ufe of thefe infiiiturions, put an end to their obligation. *' Behold the da,ys come, faith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the houfe of Ifrael, and with the houfe of Judah : not ac- cording ro the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by thehand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt f/)J." Agreeably to which St. Paul fays, " The law was our fchoolmafter, to bring us unto Chrift, that we might be juftitied by faith: but after that faith is come, we are no longer "under a fchoolmafter (q).^' — " For there is verily a difannuliing of the co^nmandment going before fr^."-— " There are alfo many (/•) Jer. c. 31. V. 31. {q) Gal. c. 3. V. 24, 25. (r)Heb. c. 7, V. 18, hints ART. VII.] thirty-nine Articles, 2i^ ' hints in the Old Teflament, which {liew that the precepts of the Mofaical law were to be akered; many plain intimations are given of a time and ftate, in which the knowledge of God was to be fpread over all the earth, and that God was every where to be worfiiipped. Now this was impoilible to be done without a change in their law and rituals, it being im- jX)iTible that all the world fl^ould go up thrice a year to worfhip at Jerufalpm, or could be ferved by priefts of the Aaronical family. Cir- cumcifion was a diftindion of one particular race, which needed not to be continued after all were brought under one denomination, and within the fame common privileges (s)r The apoftles decreed that the ceremonial law was not binding upon thofe Gentiles, who embraced the Gofpel; and that dodrine is fully explained and enforced ip the Epiflles to the Galatians and Hebrews ; but the apoftles and other Jew- ifli Chriftians, although it was by no means re- quired by the Gofpel, feem to have continued in the obfervance of feveral injunctions of the Mofaic ritual, till the temple at Jerufalem was deftroyed : fmce that time, the Jews, although very numerous in different parts of the world, have no where exifted as a nation^ and the (jj Burnet. P 4 performance 2r6 Expojition of the [part in. performance of their religious worfhip, as direct- ed by the law of Mofes, has been abfolutely impoffible. The form of civil government eftablifhed among the Jevv^s was adapted to their peculiar deftination , but it was tempo- rary even to them, and was obvioully never intended for any other country or people. On the other hand, the moral precepts refting upon fixed and immutable principles, being founded in the elTential difference between right and wrong, and being equally applicable to all per- fons, at all times, will be binding upon every man, to all eternity. And this, which appears from the whole tenor of the New Teflament, is exprefsly afferted by Chrifl himfelf, in his fermon upon the mount : " Think not that I am come to deftioy the law and the prophets : I am not corlie to deftroy, but to fulfil ; for verily I fay unto you, till heaven and earth pafs away, one jot or one tittle, fhall in no wife pafs from the law till all be fulfilled (i) j" in which decla- ration our Saviour evidently refers to the moral law ; and all the moral precepts contained in the Old 'I eftament are not only feparately con- firmed and enforced in the New, but many of them are extended to a greater degree of ftridl- nefs and purity (u), (t) Mat. c. 5. V. 18. (u) Vide Sermcnupon the MouMt, Mat. c. 5, h^/?'/yix U //ii^ pentance and a Imcere endeavour to obey his ^nr^^'t^ , commands, will, through the merits of his /^^/T*^^yr death, avert the punilhment due to our fins, fy^, ^jh^rfr- and procure us admiffion into the kingdom of heaven. % h^fSO fJ^^f^ ^^'^ "^^^ APOSTLE DOTH CONFESS THAT ^Wt./^'^f^<4^C0NCUPlSCENCE AND LUST HATH OF ITSELF ^ A4^ ^-^^J^iyeS THE NATURE OF SIN. The pafTage here alluded V< 3hy^A^^^ to is generally underftood to be the following, '-g C^e.MJuk^. « What Ihall we fay then \ is the law fin ? God forbid. Nay, I had not known fin but by the law ; for I had not known lud, except the law had faid, thou (hall not covet f^J." — "It is ob- fervable here," fays Dr.Nichoiis, " that the com- (p) Rom. c, 8, V. I. (i) Rom, c. 7. v. 7. pilers ART. IX.] Thirty-nine Articles, 247 pilers of our articles do not fay, that concupif- cence has only then the nature of fin, when it is ripened into outward ad, or has the will con- fenting to it, but that it has the nature of fin of itfelf, antecedently to the compliance of the will, and before it is reduced into adt. And moreover it is obfervable, that they do not fay that concupifcence is a fin properly fo called, as when men voluntarily comply with a tempta- tion, or do an unlawful adion ; but only that it hath the nature of Jin. — Now a thing may have the nature of fin, or be deemed a fin in a large and figurative fenfe, to which no a6t of the will is confenting. Now the nature of a fin doth partly confift in a deflexion from the redlitude of the divine rule, which mufl make it for that reafon difagreeable to the divine wifdom and gnodnefs, and confequently render the perfons, who are the fubjed: of this deflexion or deprava- tion, out of favour with God. For no one can fay that the lufts and paffions of our animal nature, and thofe tendencies to vice which we all of us feel within ourfelves, are as pleafing to God, as if all our appetites were perfeftly calm and quiet, and were continually in that exadt obedience and conformity to our reafon, and the rules which God has prefcribed, as they would have been, if man had continued in his un- R 4 lapfed 248 Expojition of the [part m. lapfed ftate. And this dodrlne was main- tained by Auguftine himfelf, in the midfl of his moft vigorous oppofition to the Pelagian tenets ; for he does not look upon it as a fin, properly fo called, unlefs the confent of the will go along with it; for explaining thofe words of St. James, * Every one is tempted when he is drawn afide by his own lulls,' he (peaks thus, * The mother is concupifcence, the child fm ; but concupifcence does not bring forth, unlefs it conceive ; and it does not con- ceive, unlefs it draw aiide, that is, has gained the confent of the will to an evil adion' (r).'* (r) Cont. Jul. lib. 6. cap. 3. ART.x.] Thirty-nine Articles. 24^ ARTICLE THE TENTH : Of Free-will. THE CONDITION OF MAN AFTER THE FALL OF ADAM IS SUCH, THAT HE CANNOT TURN AND PREPARE HIMSELF BY HIS OWN NATURAL STRENGTH AND GOOD WORKS TO FAITH AND CALLING UPON GOD. WHEREFORE WE HAVE 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. Every one muft be confcious that he pofTeffes Free-will, and that he is a free-agent, that is, that he is capable of confidering and refleding upon the objeds which are preiented to his mind, and of adling, in fuch cafes as are pofli- ble, according to the determination of his will. And indeed without this free-agency adions cannot be morally good or bad ; nor can the agents be refponfible for their condudl. But the corrupiion introduced into our nature by the fall of Adam has fo weakened our mental powers, has given fuch foixe to our paffions, and fuch perverfencfs to our wills, that a man CANNOT il^^o Expojltion of the [part hi* CANNOT TURN AND PREPARE HIMSELF BY HIS OWN NATURAL STRENGTH AND GOOD WORKS TO FAITH AND CALLING UPON GOD. The moft pious of thofe who lived under the Mofaic difpenfation, often acknowledge the neceffity of extraordinary affiftance from God : David prays to God " to open his eyes, to guide and direct him (a) j" " to create in him a clean heart, and renew a right fpirit within him (b).'' And Solomon fays, that " God di- retlcth men's paths, and giveth grace to the lowly (c).'''' Even we, whofe minds are enlight- ened by the pure precepts of the Gofpel, and in- fluenced by the motives which it fuggefts, mufl Hill be convinced of our weaknefs and depravity, and confefs that we have no power to do GOOD WORKS pleasant AND ACCEPTABLE TO COD, WITHOUT THE GRACE OF GOD PREVENT- ING us, THAT WE MAY HAVE A GOOTD WILL, AND WORKING WITH US WHEN WE HAVE THAT GOOD WILL. Thc neceffity of divine grace to (Irengthen and regulate our wills, and to co- operate with our endeavours after righteoufnefs, is clearly aflerted in the New Teftament : ** They that are in the flefh cannot pleafe (a) Pfalm, 119. v. 18, 32, and 35. (b) Ffalm, 51. V. 10. (c) Prov. c. 3. v. 6. God/* ART.x.] Thirty -nine Articles. 251 God (d).*' — " Abide in me," fays our Saviour, " and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itfelf, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, and ye are the branches j he that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit ; for without me ye can do nothing {'c^ J." — " No man can come to me, except the Father, which hath fent me, draw him (f).'" — " No man can fay that Jefus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghoft i^^y."— " It' is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleafure (h)'* — " Not that we are fufficient of ourfelves to think any thing as of ourfelves, but our fuffi- ciency is of God (i).'' — " We do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities f^J." — We are faid to be " Jed by the Spirit (I),'' and " to walk iri the Spirit (m)''' — Thefe texts fufficiently prove that we ftand in need both of a preventing and of a co-operating grace ; or, in the words of the article, that we have no power to do good WORKS PLEASANT AND ACCEPTABLE TO GOD, (d) Rom. c. 8. V. o. (e) Mat. c. 15. v. 4 and 5. Cfj John, c. 6. V. 44.. (g) 1 Cor. c. 12. v. 3. (h) Phil. c. 2. V. 13. (i) 2 Cor. c. 3. v. 5, (k) Rom. c. 8. V. 26. (I) Rom. c. 8. v. 14. (rn) Gal. c. 5. v. 16 and 25. WITH- 252 ExpoJitioH of the [part hi. WITHOUT THE GR^CE OF GOD BY CHRIST PRE- VENTING US, THAT WE MAY HAVE A GOOD WILL, AND WORKING WITH US WHEN WE HAVE THAT GOOD-WILL. The dodrine of this article we find afferted in many of the antient fathers, and particularly in Ambrofe, who, in fpeaking of the effects of the fall, ufes thefe words : " From thence was derived mortality, and no lefs a multitude of ml- feries than of crimes. Faith being loft, hope be- ing abandoned, the underftanding Winded, anci the will made captive, no one found in himfelf the means of repairing thefe things. Without the worfhip of the true God even that which feems to be virtue is (in ; nor can any one pleafe God without God. But whom does he pleafe who does not pleafe God, except himfelf and Satan ? The nature, therefore, which was good Is made bad by habit : man would not return, unlefs God turned him (n)'^ — And Cyprian fays, ** We pray day and night that the fandification and enlivening, which fprlngs from the grace of God, may be preferved by his protedion." — • Dr. Nichoils, after quoting many authorities to fhew tliat the do6trine of divine grace always prevailed in the catholic church, adds, " I have (n) Amb. de Voc, Gent, lib. i. cap. 3. fpenta ART. X.] 'Thirty-nine Articles. 2^^ fpent, perhaps, more time in thefe teftimonies, than was abfolutely neceffary; but whatever I have done Is to fhew that the dodrine of divine grace is fo effential a dodrine of Chriftianity, that not only the Holy Scriptures and the primitive fathers alTert it, but likewife that the Chriflians could not in any age maintain their religion without it, it being neceffary, not only for the difcharge of Chriftian duties, but for the performance of our ordinary devotions.'* And this feems to have been the opinion of the compilers of our mofl excellent liturgy, in many parts (0) of which both a preventing and a co- operating grace is unequivocally acknowledged. This affiftance of divine grace is not incon-^ fiftent with the free-agency of men ; it does not place them under an irrefiflible reftraint, or compel them to a6t contrary to their will. Though human nature is greatly depraved, yet every good difpoiition is not totally extin- guifhedi nor is all power of right ai5lion en- tirely annihilated. Men may, therefore, make (0) Particularly in the fecond colle£l for the Evening Service ; in the fourth collect at the end of the Commu- nion Service ; in the collect for Eatter-day; in the col- leel for the fifth Sunday after Eaftcr ; in the collecb for the third, ninth, feventeenth, ninsteenih, and tv^enty-fiith Sundays after Trinity,^ fome 2^4 Expcfition of iJie [part lit. feme fpontaneous, though feeble, attempt to a6fc conformably to their duty, which will be pro- moted and rendered eftedual by the co-opera- tion of God's grace ; or the grace of God may fo far prevent our aclual endeavours, as to awaken and dilpofe us to our duty ; but yet, not in fuch a degree that we cannot withftand its in- fluence. In either cafe our own exertions are ne- ceflary to enable us to work out our own falva- tion, but owx fiifficiency for that purpofe is from God. It is, however, impoffible to afcertain the precife boundary between our natural efforts and the divine affiftance, whether that affiftance be confidered as a co-operating or a preventing grace. Without deftroying our chara6ler as free and accountable beings, God may be mercifully pleafed to counterad; the depravity of our hearts by the fuggeftions of his fpirit j but ftill it re- mains with us to choofe whether we will liflen to thofe fuggeftions, or obey the lulls of the flelh. It becomes us to fpeak w^ith humility and dif- fidence concerning the extent of divine grace : we only know, in general, that God will not fub- jecl us to greater temptations and trials than we are able to bear. If we cherilh our good difpo- iitions, and feel a (incere defire to be virtuous, we may reft aflured that he will, by the commu- nication of his grace, help our infirmities, invi- 3 , gorate ART. X.] thirty -nine Articles. 25^ gorate our refolutlons, and fupply our defects. The promifes that " if we draw nigh to God, God will draw nigh to us, and pour out his fpirit upon us (p) ;" and that " he will give his Holy- Spirit to every one that afketh him (q) ;" im- ply, that God is ever ready to forward our progrefs and continuance in well-doing through the powerful, though invifible, operation of his fpirit : " The wind bloweth where it lifleth, and thou heareft the found thereof, but canft not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth ; fo is every one that is born of the Spirit (r).'' The joint agency of God and man, in the work of hu- man falvation, is pointed out in the following paflfage : " Let us work out our own falvation with fear and trembling; for it is God that worketh in us, both to will and to do of his good pleafure (s) " and therefore we may aflure our- felves that free-will and grace are not incom- patible, though the mode and degree of their co-operation be utterly inexplicable. The do6lrine of this article has been the fub« je(5t of much difpute among Chriflians; fome fedts contend for the irrefiftible impulfes of grace, and others rejed the idea of any influence of the di- (p) James, c. 4. V. 8. (q) Luke, c. 11. v. 13. (rj John, c. 3. v. 8, (s) Phil. c.2. v. 12 and 13, vine 2^6 Expofition of the [part in. vinC' fpirit upon the human mind. The former opinion feems irreconcileable with the free- agency of man, and the latter contradids the au- thority of Scripture : " And therefore, let us neither afcribe nothing to free-will, nor too much ', let us not, with the defenders of irre- fiftible grace, deny free-will, or make it of no efFed:, not only before, but even under, grace; nor let us fuffer the efficacy of faving grace, on the other hand, to be fvvallowed up in the ftrength and freedom of our wills ; but allowing the go- vernment or fuperiority to the grace of God, let the will of man be admitted to be its handmaid, but fuch an one as is free, and freely obeys ; by which, when it is freely excited by the admoni- tions of preventing grace, when it is prepared as to its affections, ftrengthened and affifted as to its powers and faculties, a man freely and wil- lingly co-operates with God, that the grace of God be not received in vain (t)'' — " All men are alfo to be admoniflied, and chiefly preachers, that in this high matter, they, looking on both fides, fo temper and moderate -themfelves, that they neither fo preach the grace of God that they take away thereby free-will, nor on the other fide fo extol free-wiil, that injury be [t) Veneer. done ART. X.] thirty -nine Articles, z^y done to the grace of God C^J-'* — " Thus do the dodrine of divine grace, and thedo(5irine of free- will or human liberty, unite and confpire, in a friendly manner, to our everlafting good. The firft is ad-ipted to excite in us gratitude, faith, and humility; the fecond to awaken our cau- tion and quicken our diligence (xj.'' (u) NecelTary Do£trine, fuppcfed to be written by Archbifhop Cranmer, (*•) Jortin. Vol. II. 2-3^ Expofaion of the [part iii, ARTICLE TriE ELEVENTH: Of the Juftification of Man. WE ARE ACCOUNTED RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD, ONLY FOR THE MERIT OF OUR LORD AND S^-- ViOUR JESUS CHRIST, BY FAITH, AND NOT FOR OUR OWN WORKS OR DESERVINGS. WHERE- FORE THAT WE ARE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH ONLY IS A MOST WHOLESOME DOCTRRCE, AND VERY FULL OF COMFORT, AS MORE LARGELY IS EXPRESSED IN THE HOMILY OF JUSTIFI- CATION. Justification, in the language of Scrip- ture, fignifies the being accounted juft or righ- teous in the fight of God, or the being placed in aftate of falvation. " When God judifies a man," fays Mr. Veneer, " it is by forgiving him his trefpafles, and accepting, efteeming, and re- warding him as a righteous perfcn, although he is not really and flriftly fuch. To jufiiify, in the common fpiritual notion of it, is to abfolve from guilt, todifcharge from punifhment." Such is the general corruption of human na- ture, and fuch the imperfetflion of the bed" of men, that if God were to enter into judgment with/ ART. XI.] ^hiriy-nlne Ar ticks. 259 with his fervants upon the flridt ground of their own WORKS OR. DESERViNGS, HO man living would be juftified j and therefore we are ac- counted RIGHTEOUS before GOD, ONLY FOR THE MERIT OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST, BY FAITH. And this is the ex- prefs declaration of Scripture, " The righteouf- nefs of God, which is by faith of Jefus Chrift, unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference; for all have Imned, and' come fliort of the glory of God, being juftified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Chrift Jefus, whom God hath {o-t forth tc be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteoufnefs for the remifTion of fins that are paft, through the forbearance of God; to 'declare, I (ay, at this time his righteoufnefs, that he might be juft, and the juftifier of him who believeth in Jeius (ci)-^ — " For by grace are ye faved, through faith, and that not of yourfelves ; it is the gift of God (b)r By the faith, which in thefc palTages is faid to juftify and to fave, we are to underftand that lively " faith which worketh by love (c)" which purificth the heart, which keepe-th the commandments of •God. But though by thefe acts of obedience {a) Rom. c. 3. v. 22. {b) Eph. c. 2. v. 8. (c) Gal. c. 5. V. 6. S % jy? 46o Expofikn of th [part rif, we demonftrate that we truly and firmly believe the divine authority of Chrift and his doftrines,. yet this faith is not fo meritorious in its own na- ture, as to entitle us to the reward of eternal life ; it juftifies us only by being the condition; upon which it has pleafed our Almighty Fathei? to offer us falvation. Our juftification is not to- be attributed to the inherent efficacy of faith>but to the mercy of God, and merits of Chrift, from which alone that efficacy is derived, " By grace we are faved through faith." This was the dodrine of the early Chriftiansv Clement of Rome, after fpeaking of the Jews, fays, " And we alfo being called by the fame will in Chrifl: Jefus, are not juftified by ourfelves, neither by our own wifdom, or knowledge^ or piety, or the works which we have done in the holinefs of our hearts, but by that faith by which God Almighty has juftified all men from the begin- ning (d)'' On the contrary, the Papifts aflerty that man's inherent righteoufnefs is the merito- rious caufe of their juftification, and that works " ad vitam aeternam confequendam vere promxe- reri (e)** This was among the errors which were fuccefsfully combated at the time of the re- formation. (d) Clem. Rom. Ep. i. (e) Cone. Trid. de Bon. Op. cap. 1 1 . It ART. XI.] I'hlrty -nine Articles. 261 It may be proper upon this occafion to ex- plain fome paflages in the Epiftles of St. Paul and St James relative to juftification, which at firft fight appear to be contradi<5lory to each other. St. Paul fays, that " a man is juftlfied by faith, without the deeds of the law (f)." And again, that " a man is not juftified by the works of the law,but by the faith of Jefus Chylft(^^^.'*— St James fays, " a man is juftified by his works, and not by faith only (h).'* We are to remem- ber that St. Paul, when lie makes the above de- clarations, is arguing, as clearly appears from the context, againft thofe judaizing Chriftlans, who contended that circumcilion, and an ob-. fervance of the whole ritual of the Mofaic infti- tution, were neceflary for falvation in all who embraced the Gofpel ; and therefore the works and deeds of the law, of which he fpeaks, were thofe numerous outward ordinances prefcribed by the law of Mofes, and abolidied by the Gof- pel of Chrift. But this obvious fenfe of thefe pailages was foon perverted, and they were made to fignify, that faith in Chrift, without works or deeds of any kind, that is, without the prac- tice of moral virtue, was of itfelf fufFxient to procure falvation. This moft unwarrantable in* (f) Rom. c. 3. V. 2'^. {g) Gal. c. 2. v. 16. {h) Jumcs, c. 2. V. 24. S 3 terpretation l6^ ■ Expojiiion of the [pARTilfi terpretation St. James (i) reprobated and re- futed, by proving that a man is juflified by his works, and not by faith only. He does not fay by the works of the lazv^ but by his ^u^orks^ that is, by a man's own works or anions. When therefore he fays, that a m.an is not jufLified by faith only, he means that a man is not juftified by a bare belief of the divine miffion of Chrift ; that belief muft be accompanied by obedience, oi* it v;ill be ineffedlual, that is, as he fays in another place, " Faith without works is dead (k)?^ Hence it appears, that the v,^ords Faith and Works are ufed in different fenfes by St. Paul and by St. James. St. Paul puts faith for the whole of Chriflianity, in contradiftindlion to the law of Mofes ; and the works which he declares to be unneceffary for juftification, are the rites and ceremonies of that law. On the other hand, by faith St. James means a bare affent to the truth of the Gofpel j and the works which he declares to h-e neceffary for juftifica- (i) Several antient authors ip.ention that St. James wrote this Epiftle to corretfl fome errors which hc;d arifeii from a mifapprehenfion of St. Paul's v/ritings. St. Peter cbferves, that in St. Paul's Epiftles there " are foms things hard to be underflood, which they ihat are unlearned and unliable wreft, as they do alfo the other Scriptures, unto their own deftru^lion." 2 Pet. c. 3. v. i5. (k) James, c. 2. v. 20. tlOn, kKT. XI.] thirty-nine Articles. . 263 tion, are the moral duties enjoined by the Gof- pel, and which are produced by faith. St. Paul therefore fays, the rehgion of Chrift, if be- lieved and obeyed, is fufficient to juftify. St. James fays, the bare belief of the religion -of Chrift, without conformity to its precepts, is not fufFicient to juftif}^ Thefe two propofi- tions are perfectly confident with each other; and the feeming contradiction in the paflages themfelves, arifes from the circumftancejuft now noticed, namely, that the tv/o apofhles, in rea- fonino; agriinft different errors, ufethe fame words in different fenfes. We may obferve, in con- firmation of our having rightly explained St. Paul's meaning -of the word Faith, that every one of his Epiftles abounds with t\\z moffc ear- neft exhortations and ftrid: injunftions to the pra(flice of the moral duties, as forming an ef- ^cntial part of th€ Chriftian charader, and as abfolutely indifpenfable to falvation ; and in his Epiftle to the Romans he exprefsly fays, that *' God will render to every man according to his works ; tribulation and anguifh unto every foul of man that doeth evil, and glory and honour and peace to every man that worketh good;" and that " not the hearers of the law fliall be juft before God, but the doers of the law fhall bcjuftificd^/;." (I) Rom. c. 2. V. 6 and 13. S 4 The 264 Expofiion of the [part hi. The word Faith in this Article is ufed in the fame fenfe in which St. Paul ufes it. The affer- tion in it, that we are justified by faith ONLY, is not intended to fignify that we are jufti- fied by faith without moral virtue, but that faith, or obedience to the whole religion of Chrift, including both belief and pradice, is the only appointed means of juftification, our own WORKS OR DESERviNGS being utterly in- fufficient for that purpofe. This is pronounced to be a WHOLESOME DOCTRINE, AND VERY FULL OF COMFORT; and fo it furely is, fince it fecures acceptance to our fincere, though im- perfeft, endeavours after righteoufnefs, and places our hope of everlafting happinefs upon the in- fallible promifes of God, and the all-fufficient merits of Chriil. As IS MORE LARGELY EXPRESSED IN THE HOMILY OF JUSTIFICATION. It is remarkable that there ' is no homily with this title. The homily enti tied " Of the Salvation of all Mankind," is generally fuppofed to be here meant, though fome learned men have thought that the four ^ homilies upon " human mifery, falvatlon, faith, and good works," were all referred to. The for- mer opinion feems to be the better founded, as the word in the article is Homily, and not Homilies i and that homily relates more particularly to the fubjed of this article. A.RT. XII.] Thirty -nine Articles. 265 ARTICLE THE TWELFTH: Of Good Works. ^LBEIT THAT GOOD WORKS, WHICH ARE THE FRUITS OF FAITH, AND FOLLOW AFTER JUS- TIFICATION, CANNOT PUT AWAY OUR SINS, AND ENDURE THE SEVERITY OF GOD*S JUDG- MENT j YET ARE THEY PLEASING AND AC- CEPTABLE TO GOD IN CHRIST, AND DO SPRING OUT NECESSARILY OF A TRUE AND LIVELY TAITH, INSOMUCH THAT BY THEM A LIVELY FAITH MAY BE AS EVIDENTLY KNOWN> AS A TREE DISCERNED BY THE FRUIT, This Article was not among thofe of 1552; it was added, in 1562, in oppofition to the opi- nions of certain feds called Antinomians, Soli- fidians, and Gofpellers, who denied the neceffity of good works. There might alfo have been a general wifli in the compilers of thefe articles to obviate any miftake which might arife from the exprefiion in the preceding article, in which it is faid, that " we are juftified by faith only." By GOOD WORKS, which are the FRUIT OF FAITH, AND FOLLOW AFTER JUSTIFICATION, arc 266 ^xpojrtion of ih [tart nfi are meant thofe aflions which proceed from the principle of a true faith in Chrift, and are per- formed'after we are placed in a ftate oF jufhifica- tion, by being admitted to partake of the pri- vileges and prcmifes of the Gofpel. That GOOD WORKS ARE PLEASING AND AC- CEPTABLE TO GOD IN CHRIST 15 evident frcm the earnefl; exhortations, in almofc ever)^ page of the New Teftamcnt, to the practice of the moral and fociai duties, and from the frequent andpo- fitive declarations of Scripture, that they are in- difpenfably necefH^ry to falvation. It is alfo exprefsly faid, that " v.e are created in Chrifl Jefus unto good works (a) i" and that " Chrift gave hlmfelf for us, that he might redeem us fi-om all iniquity, and purify unto himfelf a pe- culiar people, zealous of good works (b)."" — *' Let your light fo fnine before men, that they may fee your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven frj." — " Tlsat you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleating, being fruitful in every good v/ork (d).'"- — " Charge them that are rich in this world that they may do good, that they be rich in good works (e).'' ** That the man of God be perfexft, thoroughly fur- (a) Ep!i. c. 2. V. lo. (i>) Tit. c. 1.. V. 14. ('cjMat. c. 5. V. lb. (J) Col. c. 2. V. 10. (c) I Tim. c. 6. V. 18. 4 niilicd i ART. XII.] thirty -nine Articles. 267 nifhed unto all good works (f)."" — " In all things (hewing thyfelf a pattern of good works (^)'' — " Put them in mind to be ready to every good work fi'J."— " This is a faithful faying, and thefe things T will that thou affirm confLantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good v.'orks f/J." — " And let us confider one another, to provoke unto love and good vv'orks j^/y."— " To do good, and to communicate, forget not, for with fuch facrifices God is well pleafed.f/J." — " Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jefus, that great fhepherd of the flieep, through the blood of the everlafting covenant, make you perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in you that which is well pleafing in his fight, through Jefus Chrift (m).'* But thougli it appears from the v/hole tenor cf the New Teftament, and from thefe texts in particular, that good works are pleafing in the fight of God, yet they are not fo merito- rious as to PUT AWAY OUR SINS, nor fo per- fect as to ENDURE THE SEVERITY OF GOD's JUDGMENT. " If thou, Lord, Ihouldft mark iniquities, O Lord, who fliall ftand (nj ?" The ff) 2 Tim. c. 3. V. 17. (g) Tit. c. 2. v. y, (h) Tit. c. 3. V. I. (i) Tit. c. 3. V. 8. (h) Hcb. c. ID. V. 24. (ij Keb. c. 13. v. 16. (m) Heb. c 13. v. 20. and 21. (n) pfalm, 130. v. 3, corruption 268 Expcjinon of the [partiii, corruption of human nature caufes even the befl of our a<5tions to be in fome refpedl defec- tive, and confequently they will not bear the fcrutiny of infinite juftice; much lefs will they expiate thofe fms, of which every one, in a greater or lefs degree, is guilty. The im- perfedion of good works is acknowledged by the antient fathers : Cyril fays, " That which ieems to be done well by us cannot efcape reprchenfion and blame, if it be narrowly fearched into byi Go^(o)-y* and Chrylbftom fays, " We do nothing right ; but by the will of God we find our falvation (p).'" Good works do spring out necessarily or A TRFi; AND LIVELY FAITH; for if a man fincerely believes the divine authority of Chrifl's religion, and is firmly con\'inced that his eter- nal happinefs depends upon his obedience to its precepts, fuch a faith will naturally produce the pradice of thofe virtues which are enjoined by the Gofpel; insomuch that by them a LIVELY TAITH MAY BE AS EVIDENTLY KNOWN, AS A TREE DISCERNED BY THE FRUIT. The performance of thefe good works is indeed the tefi: and criterion of genuine faith, juft as (9) De. Ador, Lib. 4. (p) In i Cor. c. i. v. i . " every I ART. XII.] Thlity-mne Articles, 269 " every tree is known by its own fruit (q) j" — " Faith, if it hath not works, is dead frj.'* Thus our church conliders good works as elTential to the character of a true Chriftian, and as the neceffary confequence of fincere faith in Chrifl ; but it does not allow the popifli doftrine already mentioned : *' Bona opera ad vitam acternam confequendam vere prome- reri (s)''' The true Scripture dodrine is, that good works are indifpenfabk^ but not fuffifknt, for the attainment of eternal life. When we have done all thofe things which are commanded us, we fliil fay, that " we are unprofitable fervants," and humbly rely upon the merits and mediation of Chrifl for our falvation. Bifliop Burnet, in fpeaking of the pretended merit of good works, exprefles himfeif in a manner which muft be admired by every pious and humble Chriftian ; " The word merit has a found that is fo daring, fo little fuitable to the humility of a creature, to be ufed towards a being of infinite majefty, and with relation to endlefs rewards, that on many accounts this word ought not to be made ufe of. There is fomewhat in the nature of man apt to fvvell and to raife itfelf out of meafure j and to that no in- (q) Luke, c. 6. V. 44.. (r) James, c. 2. v. 17. (s) Cone, Trid. dc Bon, Op. cap. n. du^gence 270 Expofuion of the [part hi, dulgence ought to be given in words that may ' flatter it, for we ought to fubclue this temper by all means polTible, both in ourfelves and others. On the other hand, tliough we con- fin's that there is a diforder and v/eaknefs that liangs heavy upon us, and that fticks clofe to - •us, vet this oucyht not to make us indu]2;e our^ felves in our fins, as if they were, the effeds of an infirmity that is infeparable .from us. To confent to any nn, if it were . ever fo . fmall in itfelf, is a very great iin ; we ought to go on, flill cleanfing ourieivcs more and more from all ftithinefs, both of the ficfii and:-of the fpirit, and perfediing holinei's in the fear pfi God. Our readinefs to fm fnould awaken both- our dlii- gCHce to watch- Jigainft it, and our humility under it •■, for though we grov«r not up to a pitch cf being above all fin, and of abfoliite- perfedion, yet 'there- are many degrees, both of purity and perfection ^ to wlrrch we may ar- rive, aiid to wl^ich we muil; conftantly afpirej fo that we inuii keep a jaft temper in tliis mat- ter, neither to alcribe fo much to our ov\^a works as to be lifted up by reaibn of them, or to iorg::^^'our daily need of a Saviour, both for pardon and interceliion j nor on"tl>e other hai-id fo far to neglcft them, as to take '?^o care a-boyt them. The due temper i§ to 5|}?.jie our callipg and ART. XII.] I'liirly-nhn: Articles. zjt and eledlion fure, and to work out our own falvation with fear and trembling; but to dj all in the name of the Lord lefus, ever trufting: to him, and giving thanks to God by him." The following extrad from a form of bap- tifm, ufed in the church of Roaie before its cor- ruption, will ill ew how much that church, m its doctrine of the merit of good works, has de- parted from its antient principles : " Credis noa propriis meritis, fed paffionis Domini noflri Jefu Chrifti virtute et merito, ad gloriam per- venire? Credo. — Credis quod Dominus nofter Jefus Chriftus pro falute noftra mortuys fit ? et quod ex propriis meritis vel alio modo nui- Jus poffit (Idvari, niii in ir.erho paffionis eju? ? Credo." This form of baptifm was forbiddea by the Indices Expurgatorii, which vv'erc drawn up by order of the council of Trent. ' We alfo find the following paflage iii the works of Gre- gory the Great, vv^ho lived at the end of the (ixth century, and was one of the mod learned among' the popes : " Quinetiam (i liabyero qiiip- piam juftum, non refpondebo, fed m.eum ju- diccm deprecabor ; ut enim f^epe diximus, om- nis humana juftitia injuftitia effe convincitur, fi diftride judicetur. Prece ergo pod juflitiam indiget; ut, quae fuccumbere difcuffa poterat, \ .ejx fola judicis poteftate coalefcat (t).'' (t) Moral. &c. cap. 3-. ^7^ Expofition of the [pAtlTliri ARTICLE THE THIRTEENTH: Of Works before Jiiftuication. WORKS DONE BEFORE THE GRACE OF CHRtST^ AND THE INSPIRATION CF HIS SPIRIT, AR« NOT PLEASANT TO GOD, FORASMUCH AS THEY SPRING NOT OF FAITH IN JES.US CHRIST, NEITHER DO THEY MAKE MEN MEET TO RE- CEIVE 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 BE DONE, WE DOUBT NOT BUT THEY HAVE THE NATURE OF SIN. Every aftion which men perform by their own unaiTifted powers, muft neceffarily partake of the general imperfeftion and corruption of their nature; and therefore their works done be- fore they are ftrengthened by the grace of CHRIST, and guided by the inspiration of HIS SPIRIT, cannot be pleasant to god, FORASMUCH AS THEY SPRING NOT OF FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, thc Only principle which can render them acceptable in the fight of God. " Without faith it is impoffible to pleafe 6 God." ART. XIII.]' Thirty -nine Articles. ■ 273 God (a):'—'' They that arc in the flefli (that is, who are not purified by the fpiritual religion of Chrifl) cannot pleafe God (b)y Bifliop Burnet makes a diflindion, which fets the dodrine of this article in a clear point of view : " A great difference is here to be made between an external aftion, as it is confidered in itfelf, and the fame adion, as, it was done by fuch a man. An adion is called good, from the morality and nature of the adion itfelf: fo ac- tions of juftice and charity are in themfelves good, whatfoever the doer of them may be ; but adions are confidered by God ^yith relation to him that does them in another hght i .his prin- ciples, ends, and motives, with all the other circumftances of the adion, come into this ac- count ; for unlefs all thefe be good, let the adion in its own abftraded nature be ever fo good, it cannot render the doer acceptable or meritorious in the fight of God." Nor can thefe works polTefs fuch degree of merit, as of themfelves to make men me.et, or worthy^ to receive grace, or (as the SCHOOL authors SAY) GRACE OF CONGRUITY. All grace is the free gift of our heavenly Father ; for " the love of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by works of rightcoufncfs which (a) Heb, c. 11, v. 6, (h) Rom. c. 8. v. 8. Vol.. II, X W<5 174 Rxpofition of the [part iii. we have done, but according to his mercy he faved us by the wafliing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft (c).^* The fchool divines, or fchooimen, as they are called, fpeak of two forts of merit, the merit of condignity and the merit of congruity; the former they afcribe to works which men do by the afliftance of grace, and to which they aflert that a reward is in juftice due ', the latter they afcribe to fuch Works as men ,do by mere fhrength of free-will, and which are to be rewarded only out of libe- rality (d). We find no fuch diftinction in the Scriptures J they teach us in general to con- lider man, in his corrupt unregenerate flate, as incapable of doing any thing which fhall be en- titled to reward. Indeed fo great and unlverfal a depravity Is introduced into the difpofitions of men in con- fequence of the fall of Adam, that they can in no inftance of themfelves a(5t as their Creator originally commanded j and therefore, as in all their works performed without divine afliftance, (c) Tit. c. 3. V. 4 and 5. (d) Mereri ex condigno, eft merer! fic, ut fecundum juftitiam fibi debeatur, ita quod injuftum efiet non reddi mercedem merito ex condigno. Opus cui ex juftitia non debetur merces, fed tantum ex congruitate quadam, vel ex /bla acceptantis liberalitate.-^Caietan. there ART. xlii.] fhirty-ntne Articles. 275 there is a departure from the will of God, wb DOUBT NOT BUT THEY HAVE THE NATURE OF SIN. It is evideot that this article, which is founded upon the general dodrine of original fin, ex- plained in the ninth article, applies to all per- fons who have not lived under the Gofpel dif- penfation. But though their works, as being DONE BEFORE THE GRACE OF CHRIST, AND THE INSPIRATON OF HIS SPIRIT, COuld UOt have been perfedly pleafing to God, and could not have rifen to the ftandard of merit, yet as men, even in their natural condition, may, in fome meafure, refift the lulls of the flefh, with-* fland temptations to evil, and do things good and laudable when compared with their powers and faculties, we may reft aflured that fuch con- dud: will be favourably accepted by a juft and merciful God, who will judge mankind accord- ing to the degrees of inftruftion, and opportu- nities of improvement, which have been re- fpeftively afforded them : " If there be a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that a man hath not (e)'* And, therefore, though all the actions of all perfons, who have not been brought to the knowledge of Chrift, are here pronounced {e) 1 Cor. c. 8. V. 12. T a to 2^6 Expofition of the [part lif. to have the nature of fin,- it by no means fol- lows that thefe aclions will, in all cafes, exclude men from pardon and falvatlon. Chrlfl offered himfelf as a facrince for the fins of the whole world, and not folely for that fmall portion of it, which has been favoured with the light of his religion. Millions, who nevei* heard the name of Jefus, but Vv'ho have been " a law unto them- felves (79," will be redeemed and bleffed for ever through the merits of his death,, while thofe who have profeffed themfelves his difci- ples, but " have held the truth in unrighteouf- nefs (g)i^ will fuffer " indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguilh, .denounced againft every foul of man that doeth evil (h)y^ whether he be Jew, Gentile, or Chrlftian; and all this is confiftent with the opinion, that the true church of Chrlft will hereafter be rewarded with ap- propriate blellings. But we m.uft ever bear in mind, that to whom much is given, of him much will be required : a more exalted virtue, and a greater purity of heart, will be expected from Chriftians, in proportion to the advantages which they have enjoyed. We are to be a pe- culiar people, zealous of good v/orks ; we are to (f) Rom. c. 2. V. 14. (g) Rom, c. i. v. 18. (k) Rom. c. 2. V. 8 and 9. 4 faniftify ART. XIII.] Thirty-nine Articles. a 77 fanctify ourfelves as the temples of Godj we are to depart from all iniquity, and to aim at being perfeft, even as our Father which is in heaven is perfect. And this degree of fupe- riority, which requires inceflant watchfulnefs and conftant energy, will be rewarded by " the prize of our high calling in Chrift.'* T3 2^78 Exfofttlon of the [part hi. ARTICLE THE FOURTEENTH : Of Works of Supererogation. voluntary works, besides, over and above god's commandments, which they call works of supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogance and im- piety ', for by them men do declare that they do not only render unto god as much as they are bound to do, but that they do more for his sake than of bounden duty is required : whereas christ saith plainly, when ye have done all that are commanded to you, say, we are unprofitable ser- VANTS. The precepts contained in the Gofpel for the regulation of our lives are fo full and compre- henfive, that they include every good work which men are capable of performing. It is im<- poffible to imagine any aclion acceptable to God, which does not fall within the precepts, " to love God with all our hearts (a) ;" — " to love our neighbour as ourfelves (b) j" — and " to cleanfe ourfelves from all filthinefs both of the (a) Mat. c. 22. V. 37. (b) Mat. c. 22. v. 39. 5 fiefli ART. XIV.] thirty-nine Articles* 275 ilefli and fpirit, perfefling holinefs' in the fear of God (c).'" And befides thefe general precepts there are particular ones diredied to perfons in every condition and relation of life, and extending to every point and circumftance which can poflibly promote the honour of God, contribute to the happinefs of our fellow-crea- tures, or tend to purify^ our own minds; and all thefe things are enjoined as duties of perfe6t and univerfal obligation ; as indifpenfably necef- fary wherever they are pra6licable. Since, there- fore, God requires of us the entire exertion of all our powers, and not a fingle good action can be fpecified, which is not commanded in the New Teftament, it follows that no room is left for voluntary works, besides, over and above god's commandments, which they call WORKS OF supererogation ', uox Can fuch works BE TAUGHT WITHOUT ARROGANCE AND IMPIETY, lince they imply a degree of merit, which man, in his prefent imperfed: and corrupt ftate, is incapable of attaining, and are diredlly oppofite to the plain and infallible word of God; or, as the article expreffes it, for by them mem do declare, that they do not only render UNTO god as much AS THEY ARE BOUND TO DO, BUT THAT THEY DO MORE FOR HIS SAKEj THAN OF BOUNDEN DUTY IS REQUIRED : (c) 2 Cor. c. 7. V, I, T 4 WHEREAS 2 8 o Expofitlon of the [pARxiit. WHEREAS CHRIST SAITH PLAINLY, WHEN YE HAVE DONE ALL THAT ARE COMMANDED YOU, SAY, WE ARE UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS (d), Thefe words, which are recorded in St. Luke's Gofpel, are ib clear and decifive, that it is un- necelTary to explain or enforce them. It is however well known, that works of fu- pererogation are admitted by the members of the Romifh perfuafion; and it cannot but be matter of furprife, that fuch a doftrine fhould have prevailed in any church which calls itfelf chriftian. This doftrine was firft known about the twelfth or thirteenth century ; and it feems to have been feunded upon what the Papifts call " Counfels of perfcclion," that is, rules which do not bind under the penalty of fin, but are only ufeful in carrying men to a greater degree of perfeclion than is necefiary to falvation. There is not the flighteft authority in Scripture for thefe counfels of perfeftion : all the rules there prefcribed for our conduct are given in the. form of pofitive commands, ias abfolutely necefiary, wherever they are applicable, to the attainment of eternal life ; and the violation of every one of thefe commands is declared to be lin. We are ordered to be " perfeft, even as our Father which is in heaven is perfed (e) i" and fo ji) Luke, c. 17. V. I0» (e) Matt. c. 5. v. 48. far ART.xiv.j thirty -nine Ariides, aSf far from being able to exceed what Is required for our fal vat ion, the Gofpel affures us, that after •our utmoft care and bcft endeavours we fhall fcill fall fhort of our whole ddty ; and that our defi- ciencies muft be fupplied by the abundant me- rits of our blelTed Redeemer. We are directed to truft to the mercy of God, and to the media- tion of Chrift ; " and to work out our falvation with fear and tremblingly^," that is, with anx* iety left we fliould not fultil the conditions upon which it is offered. Upon thefe grounds we may pronounce that WORKS OF SUPEREROGATION are inconfiftent with the nature of man, irreconcileable with the whole tenor and general principles of our religion, and contrary to the exprefs declarations of Scrip- ture. (/) Phil. c. 2. V. 12. 2^2 Expojtmn of the [part hi. ARTICLE THE FIFTEENTH: Of Chrifl: alone without Sin. CHRIST, IN THE TRUTH OF OUR NATURE, WAS MADE LIKE UNTO US IN ALL THINGS (siN ONLY except) from WHICH HE WAS CLEARLY VOID, BOTH IN HIS FLESH AND IN HIS SPIRIT. HE CAME TO BE A LAMB WITHOUT SPOT, WHO, BY SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF ONCE MADE, SHOULD TAKE AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD; AND SIN, AS ST. JOHN SAITH, WAS NOT IN HIM. BUT ALL WE THE REST (ALTHOUGH BAP-' TIZED AND BORN AGAIN IN CHRISt) YET OF- FEND IN MANY THINGS ; AND IF WE SAY WE HAVE NO SIN, WE DECEIVE OURSELVES, AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN US. This article confifts of two parts; in the former Chrift's freedom from fm is afTerted, and in the latter it is declared that all men are guilty of fin. That CHRIST, IN THE TRUTH OF OUR NA- TURE, WAS MADE LIKE UNTO US IN ALL THINGS, that is, that Chrlft partook of the ordinary na- ture of men, was ilievvn under the fecond ar- ticle. Sin A ART. XV.] J'hiriy-ttine Articles. 283 Sin only "except, from which he was clearly void, both in his flesh and in his SPIRIT. That Chrift was free from fin of every Ipecies and denomination appears from the whole courfe of his Hfe, as recorded in the Gofpels ; and it is exprefsly aflerted in the following paflages in the Epiftles : "Who did no fin, neither was guile found in his mouth (a).''^ — " We have not an high prieft which cannot be touched with the feehng of our infirmities; but was in all things tempted as we are, yet without fin (b)^ — (Chrifl; is alfo called *' Holy, harmlefs, unde- filed, and feparate from finners (c).'' — The So- cinians hold that Chrift was peccable, which feems to be a confequence of their confidering him as a mere man, and of their denial of the dodrine of the atonement. He came to BE A LAMB WITHOUT SPOT, WHO, BY SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF ONCE MADE, SHOULD TAKE AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD ; AND SIN, AS ST. JOHN SAITH, WAS NOT IN HIM. The Jews were commanded, when they celebrated the Paflbver, in commemoration of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage, to choofe out of their flocks a lamb without fpot or blemifli, and to offer it as a facrifice to God. (a) I Pet. C.2. V. 22. (b) Heb. c. 4. v. 15. (c) Heb. c. 7. V. 26. This 184 Expojition of the [part iir* This was a type of Chriil, who, being without fpot or fin, offered himfelf to God as a facrifice for the fins of the whole world ; and thence he is called the true Pafchal Lamb : " Chrift, our Paubver, is facrificed for us (d)^ — " Behold,'* faid John the Baptift, " the Lamb of God which taketli away the fins of the world (e).'' — "Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away fm by the facrifice of himfelf//^.'* — " Ye know that he was manifefted to take^ " away our fins, and in him is no fin (g).'^ But all we the rest, although bap- tized AND BORN AGAIN IN CHRIST, YET OF- FEND IN MANY THINGS. That all men are liable to fin, and adually commit it, has been noticed in the explanation of former articles ; and, there- fore, IF WE SAY WE HAVE NO SIN, WE DECEIVE OURSELVES, AN'D THE TRUTH IS NOT IN US (It). This latter part of the article was directed againfl the Peb.gians and others, who afTerted that men, after baptifm, might live without fm. But in the antient fathers of the church we find a very op- pofite doclrine : " Let no one," fays Cyprian, *' flatter himlelf with the idea of being innocent, lince nobody is innocent ; and by extolling him- (d) I Cor. c. 5. V. 7. (e) John, c. i. v. 2g. (f) Heb. c. 9, V. 26. (7) 1 John, c. 3. v. 5. ^h) I John, c. I. V. 8. felf ART. XV.] Thirty -nine Artkks, 285 felf a perfon would only aggravate his puniQi- ment. He is inftruded and taught that he is guilty of fin every day, fnice he is commanded to pray every day f/'J." Some modern enthu- lijifts confider themfelves as entirely free from fin ; and the Moravian Anal^aptifts are faid to omit this part of the Lord's Prayer, " Forgive us our trefpaffes, as we forgive them that tref- pafs againft us;" becaufe, being regenerated, - they are no longer guilty of fin (k). While we condemn the prefumption of tliofe who think more highly of themfelves than they ought to think, we mud be careful not to fuffer the infirmity of human nature to be abufed into an encouragement to fm, or perverted into a caufe of gloomy defpondence; it fliould rather ftimulate us to vigilance and exertion, than drive us to negligence or defpair. Though we cannot arrive at finlefs purity, it is flill our duty to aim at an uniform obedience to all God's commands; and to indulge any apprehenfions v/hich tend io weaken the energy of our minds, is doubly finful, becaufe we thus voluntarily incrcafc the difficulty of obedience to the will of God, and \\\ reality doubt his afTurance, that our fincere en- deavours to perfevere in the paths of virtue and religion will be forwarded by the afTiilancc of divine 2;race, {}) Dc Orat. Dom. (^k) Hey's Lectures, vol. 3. p. \i%, , 286 Expofttlon of the [part in. ARTICLE THE SIXTEENTH: Of Sin after Baptifm. NOT EVERY DEADLY SIN, WILLINGLY COMMITTED AFTER BAPTISM, IS SIN AGAINST THE HOLY OHO T, AND UNPARDONABLE. WHEREFORE THE GRANT OF REPENTANCE IS NOT TO BE DENIED TO SUCH AS FALL INTO SIN AFTER BAPTISM. AFTER WE HAVE RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST, WE MAY DEPART FROM GRACE GIVEN, AND FALL INTO SIN ; AND BY THE^ GRACE OF GOD WE MAY RISE AGAJN AND AMEND OUR LIVES ; AND THEREFORE THEY ARE TO BE CONDEMNED, WHICH SAY, THEY CAN NO MORE SIN AS LONG AS THEY LIVE HERE, OR DENY THE PLACE OF FORGIVENESS TO SUCH AS TRULY REPENT, This article is direded againfl; the Montanifts, Novatians, Anabaptifls, and others, who denied the efficacy of repentance in certain cafes, and alfo againft thofe who contended that men could not poflibly be guilty of fin after they had once received the Holy Ghoft, or divine grace. In the preceding article we noticed a feci: of Chrif- tians who maintain the peccability of Chrift, and in ART. XVI.] thirty-nine Articles. 2S7 in this article we have to argue agalnft thofe who ' contend for the impeccabilit)'- of man. But before we proceed to explain the propofitlons contained in this article, it may be right to en- quire into what is meant by the Sin againfl the Holy Ghoft, which occurs in the former part of it. Divines are by no means agreed concern- ing this fin. I ihall flate what appears to me to be intended by it, and refer thofe, who wlfh to lee the different opinions which have been en- tertained upon this difficult and difputed point, to ArchbiHiop Tillotfon, Bifliop Pearfon, and Dr. Whitby. The fin or blafphemy againft the Holy GhoO: is mentioned in the three firft Gofpels. We learn from St. Matthew and St. Mark, that the Jews, who had feen Chrifl cure many diemoniacs, being unable to deny the reality of thefe miracles, aflerted that he derived his power of calling out devils from Beelzebub the prince of the devils. Our Saviour, after pointing out the abfurdity of •fuch an imputation, added, according to St. Matthew, " All manner of fin and blafphemy fliall be forgiven unto men, but the blafphemy againfl the Holy Ghofl fliall not be forgiven unto men. And whofoever fpeaketh a word againft the Son of man, it fnall be forgiven him j but whofoever fpeaketh againft the Holy Ghoft; it 288 Expofition of the [part hi. it fliall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to con\t(a).'" St. Mark's words are, " All fins fliall be forgiven unto the fons of men, and blafphemies where- withfoever the}^ iliall blafphemej but he that (liall blafpheme againft the FIol)^ Ghoft hath ne- ver forgivenefs, but is in danger of eternal dam- nation fZ'J." Upon another occafion, when no imputation of the above kind feems to have been alledged againft our Saviour, St. Luke tells us that Chrift declared that, " Whofoever fliall fpeak a word againft the Son of man, it fliall be forgiven him ; but unto him that blafphemeth againft the Holy Ghoft, it fliall not be for- given (c)." It thus appears, that all the three Evangelifts agree in reprefenting the fin or blaf- phemy againft the Holy Ghoft as a crime which would not be forgiven; but no one of them affirms that thole, who had afcribed Chrift's power of cafting out devils to Beelzebub, had been guilty of that fin ; and in St. Luke it is not mentioned that any fucli charge had been made. Our Saviour, according to the account in St. Matthew and St. Mark, endeavoured to convince the Jews of their error; but fo far (a) Matt. c. 12. V. 31 and 32. (b) Mark, c. 3. V. 28 and 29, (cj Luke, c. 12. V. 10, from ART. X V I . i Thirty -nine Articles. 289 from accufing them of having committed an un- pardonable fin in what they had faid concerning him, he declares that, " Whofoever fpeaketh a word againll the Son of man, it (liall be for- given him," that is, Whatever reproaches men may utter againil the Son of man during his mi- riiftry, however they may calumniate the autho- rity upon vv'hich he ads, it is ftlll poflible that hereafter they may repent and believe, and all their fins may be forgiven them ; but the re- viling of the Holy Ghofl is defcribed as an of- , fence of a far more heinous nature : " The blaf- phemy againil the Holy Ghoft (hall not be for- given unto men." — " He that fhall blafpheme againft the Holy Ghoft hath never forgivenefs.'* -^" Unto him that blafphemeth againft the Holy Ghoft, it fliall not be forgiven." — It is plain that this fm againft the Holy Ghoft could not be committed while our Saviour was upon earth, fincc he always fpeaks of the Holy Ghoft as not beino; to come till after his afcenfion into heaven. A few days after that great event, the defcent of the Holy Ghoft enabled the apoftles to work miracles, and communicated to them a variety of other fupernatural gifts. If men fhould afcribe thefe powers to Beelzebub, or in any re- fpeft rejedl their authority, they would blafpheme the Holy Ghoft, from whom they were derived ^ Vol. II. U and 290 Expofition of the [ p A R t i 1 1 ,■ and that fin would be unpardonable, becaufe this was the completion of the evidence of the divine authority of Chrifl and his religion ; and they who rejedied thefe laft means of convi(5lion> could have no other opportunity of being brought to faith in Chrift, the only appointed condition of pardon and forgivenefs. The greater heinoufnefs of the fin of thefe men would confift in their rejeding a greater body of tefti- mony ; for they are fuppofed to be acquainted with the refurreftion of our Saviour from the dead ; with his afcenfion into heaven y with the miraculous defcent of the Holy Ghoft, and with the fupernatural powers which it communicated j circumftances, all of which were enforced by the apoftles when they preached the Gofpel ; but none of which could be known to thofe who re- fufed to acknowledge Jefus as the Meffiah dur- ing hi:> adual miniftry. Though this was a great fm, it was not an unpardonable one ; it might be atoned for by fubfequent belief, by yielding td fubfequent teftimony. But, on the other hand, they who finally rejed:ed the accumulated and complete evidence of Jefus being the MefTiah, as exhibited by the infpired apoftles, precluded themfelves from the pofTibility of convidion, be- caufe no farther teftimony would be afforded them i and confequently, there being no means a of A R T . X V i . ] thirty- nine Articles. 2 9 1 of repentance, they would be incapable of for- givenefs and redemption. Thus it appears that the fin againft the Holy Ghoft cdnfifted iri finally rejeding the Gofpel, as preached by the apoftles, who confirmed the truth of the dodrlne which they taught " by figns and wonders, and divers miracles and ^ifts of the Holy Ghoft (d)"' And it was unpar- donable, becaufe this was the confummation of the proofs afforded to the men of that generation of the divine miffion of Chrift. This fin was manifeftly diftind from all other fins ; it indicated an invincible obftinacy of mind, an impious and imalterable determination to rcfufe the' offered mercy of God. As a farther illuftration of this fubjed, I will tranfcribe Dr. Doddridge's paraphrafeof the above pafiTagcs in the Gofpels of St. Matthew and St. Mark : " I therefore give you the moft folemn and compafTionate warning of your danger, for you are on the brink of the moft dreadful preci- pice. That malignity of heart which leads you to afcribe thefe works of mine to a confederacy with Satan, may incline you to pafs the (lime impious fentence on the greateft and fulleft con- firmation which is to be given to my Gofpel by the effufion of the Spirit on my followers ; and therefore to prevent, if pofTible, fuch guilt and (d) Heb. c. 2. V. 4. U 2 ruii^ 292 Expofttion of the [partus. ruin, verily I fay unto you, that all other fins fliall be forgiven to the children of men, and even all the other blafphemies with which they fhall blafphenie, but the blafphemy againil the Spirit of God, in this moft glorious difpenfation of it, fhall not be forgiven to thofe impious and incorrigible men, who fliall dare to impute to diabolical operation thofe glorious works of di- vine power and gocdnefs. And I add, that whofoever fpeaks a contemptuous and impious word, even againft the Son of man himfelf, while here on earth, in this obfcure form, he may pof- fibly be brought to repentance for it, and fo it fliall be forgiven him i and confequently even, your cafe, bad as it is, is not entirely hopelefs ; but whofoever fliall malicioufly fpeak any thing of this nature agaixifl the Holy Spirit, when the grand difpenfation of it fliall open in thofe mi- raculous gifts and operations that will be at- tended with the moft evident demonflrations of his mighty power, it fliall never be forgiven him at all, either in this world or in that which is to come i but he is obnoxious to eternal dam- nation, and mull irrecoverably fink into it ; nor will all the grace of the Gofpel, in its fullefl: dif- play, afford a remedy for fo aggravated a crime, or furniPn him with means for his convidion and recovery." Wc ART. XVI.] 'Thiris -nine Articles, 293 We now proceed to explain the article Itfelf. St. Paul tells us, that " the wages of fin is death (e)-^' and therefore, though all fins are by no means equal, every fin may be confidered as deadly in its nature. In this article a more heinous fort of fin feems to be underftood, im- plying a known ajad deliberate .tranfgreffion of the laws of God, and not merely a fin of ignorance ©r infirmity. But even in that fenfe, not EVERY DEADLY SIN WILLINGLY COMMITTED AFTER BAPTISM IS SIN AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST, as fully appears from what has been juft now faid coaeerning that particular fin ; and there feems to be no ground in Scripture for Gonfidering any degree or fpecies of fin as at this t, time necelTIirily unpardonable, or beyond the, efficacy of fincerc repentance. When St. John _ l^ys, that ^' there is a fin unto death ^J," it is fuppofed that he means the fin againft the Holy Ghofl, which, if our interpretation be right, was confined to the tin7e of the apoftles, and which ' is the only fin to which forgivenefs is denied in the New Tellament. " The doors," fays Clement of Alexandria, " are open to every one, who in truth, and with his whole heart, returns to God j and the Father mofc wiiiingly receives a fon, ' (e) Rom, c, 6. v. 23. (f) 1 John, c. 5. v. j^i, U 3 who 294 Expofttion of the [part rii, who truly repents." This is the general tenor of Scripture, in which all men are invited to re- pentance without any difcrirnination or excep- tion. And we are told, even under the Mofaic difpenfation, that " though our fins be as fcarlet, they fliall be as white as inowj though like crim- fon, they fhall be as wool (g)'' And the exhor- tations to amendment and reformation contained in the Epiftles are all addreffed to perfons who. had been already baptized, and who had been guilty of faults or fins fubfequent to their baptifm, Wherefore the grant of repentance IS NOT TO BE denied TO SUCH AS FALL INTO SIN AFTER BAPTISM. It was obfcrvcd in the beginning of this article that there have been, at different periods of the chriftian church, feveral fed:s, which denied the efficacy of repentance ; but I am not aware that there is now any feft, at leaft in this country, which mainta:ins that docftrlne. Although the Holy Ghofl purifies our minds, and affifts and co-operates with us in the per- formance of our duty, yet he does not entirel>7 take away the corruption and infirmity of our nature, nor does he deftroy our free-agency i and confequently, after we have received THE HOLY GHOST, WE MAY DEPART FROM GRACE C^^ Ifa. c. I. V.I 8. GIVEN, ART. XVI.] ^hirty-nme Articles. 295 GIVEN (h)y AND FALL INTO SIN. But aS WC may relapfe from virtue into wicked nefs, To we MAY RISE AGAIN AND AMEND OUR LIVES i We may return to a fcnfe of our duty, and again yield obedience to the influence of God's holy Spirit : AND THEREFORE THEY ARE TO BE CON- DEMNED WHO SAY, THEY CAN NO MORE SIN AS LONG AS THEY LIVE HERE, OR DENY THE PLACE OFFORGIVENESSTOSUCH AS TRULY REPENT. **As thofe," fays bifhop Pearfon, " who are received into the church by the facrament of baptifm, receive the remiffion of their fins, of which they were guilty before they were baptized j fo after they are thus made members of the church, they receive remiffion of their future iii^s by their re- pentance. Chrift, who hath left us a pattern of prayer, hath thereby taught us for ever to implore and beg the forgivenefs of our fins ; that as we, through the frailty of our nature, are always fubjeft unto fin, fo we fhould always exer<:ife the a6ls of repentance, and for ever (h) Tl^e Puritans, in the beginning of the reign of king James the Firfl-, were fenfible that this doctrine of tjie defedtibility of grace was inconfiftent with their opi- nion of abfolute predeftination, and therefore they de- fired that thefe words, " though not finally," might be added to the words of the article, " we may depart from grace given ;" but the king and bifhops would not allow any fuch addition.— See the Hampton Court Conference. U 4 feek £q6 Expofttion of tU [part \\i^ feek the favour of God. This then is the com- fort of the Gofpel, that as it difcovereth fin within us, fo it propoundeth a remedy unto us. While we are in this life encompaffed with flefh, while the allurements of the world, while the flratao;ems of Satan, while the infirmities and corruptions of our nature betray us to the tranf- greffion of the law of God, we are always fub-^ jed to offend j from whence, whofoever faith that he has no fin, is a liar f/J, contradiding himfelf, and contrading iniquity by pretending innocency ; and fo long as we can offend, fo long we may apply ourfelves unto God by re- pentance, and be renewed by his grace, and pardoned by his mercy (k).'^ (i) I John, c. I. V. 10, and c. 2. v. 4. (k) Pearfon on the Creed, Art. 10. ART. XV 11,] thirty-nine Articles, 297 ARTICLE THE SEVENTEENTH; Of Predeftination and Eledion. PREDESTINATION TO LIFE IS THE EVERLASTING PURPOSE OF GOD, WHEREBY (BEFORE THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD WERE LAID) HE HATH CONSTANTLY DECREED BY HIS COUNSEL, SECRET TO US, TO DELIVER FRORf CURSE AND DATJNATION TflOSE WHOM HE HATH CHOSEN IN CHRIST OUT OF MANKIND, AND TO BRING THEM BY CHRIST TO EVER- LASTING SALVATION, AS VESSELS MADE TO HONOUR. WHEREFORE THEY, WrtlCH BE INDUED WITH SO EXCELLENT A BENEFIT OF COD, BE CALLED ACCORDING TO GOD's PUR- POSE BY HIS SPIRIT, WORKING IN DUE SEA- SON : THEY THROUGH GoD 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 BE- GOTTEN SON JESUS CHRIST: THEY WALK RELIGIOUSLY IN GOOD WORKS; AND AT LENGTH BY GOD's MERCY THEY ATTAIN TO EVERLASTING FELICITY. AS THE GODLY CONSIDERATION OF PREDESTI- NATION, AND OUR ELECTION IN CHRIST, IS fULL OF SWEET, PLEASANT, AND UNSPEAK- ABLE tg^ Expojttion of the [part iii. ABLE COMFORT TO GODLY PERSONS, AND SUCH AS FEEL IN THEMSELVES THE WORKING OF THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, MORTIFYING THE WORKS OF THE FLESH, AND THEIR EARTHLY MEMBERS, AND DRAWING UP THEIR MINQ TO HIGH AND HEAVENLY THINGS J AS WELL BECAUSE IT DOTH GREATLY ESTABLISH AND- CONFIRM THEIR FAITH OF ETERNAL SALVA- TION, TO BE ENJOYED THROUGH CHRIST, AS BECAUSE IT DOTH FERVENTLY KINDLE THEIR LOVE TOWARDS GOD : SO FOR CURIOUS AND CARNAL PERSONS, LACKING THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, TO HAVE CONTINUALLY BEFORE THEIR EYES THE SENTENCE OF GOD's PRE-r DESTINATION, IS A MOST DANGEROUS DOV/N- FALL, WHEREBY THE DEVIL DOTH THRUST THEM EITHER INTO DESPERATION, OR INTO, WRETCHLESSNESS OF MOST UNCLEAN LIVING, NO LESS PERILOUS THAN DESPERATION. FURTHERMORE, WE MUST RECEIVE GOD's PRO- MISES IN SUCH WISE, AS THEY BE GENERALLY SET FORTH TO US IN HOLY SCRIPTURE : AND IN OUR DOINGS, THAT WILL OF GOD IS TQ BE FOLLOWED, WHICH WE HAVE EXPRESSLY DECLARED UNTO US IN THE WORD OF GOD. Predestination is with reafon confidered as one of the moft abflrufe dodrines of- Theology j and ART. XVII.] 'Thirty-nine Articles. 299 and it has, in different ages of the Cliriftian church, been the fruitful fource of a great variety of controverlies. T' efe difputes have been chiefly upon points far beyond the capacity of men, and have tended bpt little to promote the true in- terefts of Chriftianity. This article is drawn up with great caution and judp;nTent ; in the former part of it, which relates to the meaning of the terms Predeftination and Eleftioji, the words of Scripture are chiefly ufed, and the latter part is obvioufly deligned to guard againft the evils and mifchiefs which might arite from mjftaken ideas upon thefe intricate fubjeds, I iliall flate, with as much perfpvicuity as I am able, what I confider to be the doctrinies of pur church concerning thefe points. God is reprefented in Scripture as having pre- ordained the redemption of mankind, through Chrifl:, before the foundation of the world. This redemption was to be in the nature of a covenant between God and man j and the falvation of every individual was to depend upon his ob- fervance of the propofed conditions. Men, in confequence of their free agency, would have it in their power to accept or rejed this of- fered falvation ; and God, by his prefcience, forefaw who would accept, and who would re- jed it. Thofe, who he forefaw would perform the $oo E^pfitmt of ths [part in. the conditions of the Gofpel covenant, may be (aid to be prcdeftinatcd to Hfe, " for whom he did foreknow, he alfo did predeftlnateC^^." This appears to me tl:Le only fenfe in which predefti^ nation is reconcileable with the attributes of God, and the free agency of man j and in this fenle it is the everlasting purpose of god, WHEREBY (before THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD WERE LAIp) HE HATH CONSTANTLY DECREEP BY HIS COUNSEL, SECRET TO US, TQ DELIVER FROM CURSE AND DAMNATION THOSE WHOM HE HATH CHOSEN IN CHRIST OUT OF MANKIND, AND TO BRING THEM BY CHRIST TO EVERLASTING SALVATION, AS VESSELS MADE TO HONOUR : for we cannot conceive jthat a Being of infinite juftice and mercy would arbitrarily fe- J.eA out of his rational creatures a determinate number, on whom he would beftow the bleffing of eternal happinefs, while he configned all the reil to eternal punilliment (b)y or paffed them pver (a) Rom, c. 8. y. 30. (b) This is the c!o6lrine of abfclute ele£lion and re-r probation, and was maintained by thofe who are called Supralapfarians. It is to be obferved that reprobation is not mentioned in this article. It cannot be faid that our church favours ablolute predeftination, as in the laft article it is afTerted, that we may fall from g; ace given ; for if we be not abfolutely predeftinated to perfevere in l^race, we cannot be abfolutely predeftinated to falvatiow j 6 and ART. XVII.] Thirty-nine Articles, i^at over as unworthy of his regard and attention (c). Such an idea of election ought furely to be re- jeded. We are to confider men as "eied:, ac- cording to the foreknowledge of God (d)y* that is, as he forefaw that they would be obe- dient to his laws. We are not required to be- lieve that God, from all eternity, abfolutely de- creed that certain perfons only (hould be faved, or that he gives an irreiiftible grace to fome men- which he denies to others : fuch a mode of pro- ceeding would be as deflrudive of human free- dom, as it would be repugnant to the perfections of the divine nature. If we believe that God is infinitely juft and merciful, we mull believe that he has equally enabled every man born into the world to work out his lalvation, though we know fo little of the divine government, that in many c^fes we cannot difcern how that impartiality is maintained. This ignorance fliould lead us to and in the Catechlfm of our Church it is faid, that God the Son redeemed all mankind, which is not coniiftent with the dovSlrine of abfolute eledlion and reprobation j and in the communion fervice it is faid, that Chrift, by the one ob- lation of himfcif once offered, made there a full^ perfect, and fufficient facrifice, oblation, and fatlsfa(^ion for the fins of the whole world. (c) This was the doftrine of thofe who were called Sublapf:irians. (d) I Pet. c. I. y. 2. be ^02 Expofitkn of the [partIii. be very cautious in what we pronounce concern- ing the decrees and counfels of God ; it ihould make us reludant to fpeculate upon thefe awful and myfterious fubjefts, and foHcitous to avoid the pernicious error of aiming at being " wife abovC; that which is written (e)^ The pre- fcience of God, as extending to every inflance of human condud:, from the creation of man to the final confummation of ail things, is a fit object of our belief; but we are utterly incapable of com- prehending how this prefcience confifts with the other attributes of the Deity and with the free- agency of man ; nor can we conceive how thofe future contingencies, which depend upon the determination of the human will, (hould be cer- tain and infallible ; and yet, that they are fo, is fully proved by the accurate accomplifhment of prophecies. Rather than bewilder ourfelves in the inextricable difficulties of fuch contempla- tions, to which our limited faculties are by no means competent, we fhould exclaim with the pious and humble Pfalmift, " Such knowledge is too wonderful* and excellent for us, we cannot attain unto it (f)."' Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of god, be called {e) I Cor, c. 4. V. 6. (f) Pf. 139. V. 5. according ART. XVII.] iVirty nine Articles . ^^03 ACCORDING TO COD's PURPOSE BY HIS SPIRIT WORKING IN DUE SEASON j THEY THROUGH GRACE OBEY THE CALLING} THEY-BE JUSTIFIED FREELY ; that is, they who conform to the con- ditions of the Gofpel difpenfation are made par- takers of its benefits, according to the gracious purpofe of God, who planned this fcheme of redemption ; they are allifted by the influence of his fpirit ; and are accepted through his free and voluntary offer of pardon and juflification. And fuch are the glorious privileges and ef- feds of this ftate of acceptance, that we are af- fured in Scripture, that by it men be made SONS OF GOD BY ADOPTION ; THEY BE MADE LIKE THE IMAGE OF HIS ONLY BfGOTTEN SON JESUS CHRIST J THEY WALK RELIGIOUSLY IM GOOD WORKS, AND AT LENGTH BY GOD's MERCY THEY ATTAIN TO EVERLASTING FELICITY. " When the fulnefs of time was come, God fent forth his fon, made of a woman, made under the law, that we might receive the adop- tion of fons (g)'' — " To be conformed to the image of his fon (h) .'' — " Create in Chrifl Jefus unto good works (l)'' — " BlefTed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, which, according to his alfundant mercy, hath (g) Gal. c. 4. V. 4 and 5. (h) Rom. c, 8. v. 29. {'t) Eph. c, 2, V. 10. besot ten 304 Expofttion of the [pARTiiti begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the re- lurredlion of Jeibs Chrift from the dead, to an inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reierved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto falvation;, ready to be revealed in the laft time (k).'^ — " According as he hath chofen us in him before the foundation of the world, ihat we might be holy, and ' without blame before him in love, havmg predeftinated us unto the adoption of children by Jefus Chrift to himfelf, according to the good pleafure of his will (l).''^ " The errorf^ and vain difputes," fays Mr. Pyle, " that have arifen in the later ages of Chriilianity, concerning faith and works, juftifi- cation and fanftification, eledion and reproba- tion, that have diftraded the minds of. many Chriftians, have proceeded from applying parti- cular phrafes or paffages in the Epifties to parti- cular perfons, which originally referred to the ilate and condition not of particular perfons, but of whole churches in their colleftive capacity. Thus the body of heathens, while in their heathen ftate, are called aliens, ftrangers, ene- mies to God, &:c.i but fuch of them as were converted (the churches to wiiom the apofbles wrote) are ftiled no longer ftrangers, but of the (k) I Pet. c. I. V. 3, &c. (I) Eph. c. I. V. 4 and 5. houiehoid ART. XVII.] 'Thirty -nine Articles. 305 houfehold of God, a chofen or elefted generation, a royal priefthood, juftified, fandtified, faints, &c. So the major part of the Jewilti nation, who ob- flinately rejefted the Gofpel of Chrift, inftead of being any longer the holy nation, the people of God, are called veffels of wrath, fitted (by their own obftinacy) for deftrudion, reprobate j while the believing jews became vefTels of mercy, fore- ordained, predeftinated, to be called into the kingdom or covenant of the Gofpel, chofen to eternal life; which expreffions mean no more than their having been offered the means and op- portunities of attaining to the future happlnefs of heaven, by their knowledge and pradlice of Chrift's religion. Their adlual enjoyment of fu- ture happinefs depended entirely on their vir* tuous obedience to the Gofpel ; on their dili- gence to make their calling and election fure, that is, effedual to their falvation. No private perfons are ever mentioned in thefe writings as elected to eternal life by any abfolute decree of God. Paul was a cholen veflel ; but he was chofen as a proper minifter of Chrift's Gofpel, to bear his name to the Gentiles ; his being chofen to the crown of life hereafter was the fruit of his earneft endeavours to keep the faith, (his fidelity) to finidi his counfe, and of his labouring abundantly. To take thefe expreffions otherwife^ is to pervert Vol. II. X . the 3o6 . Expofition of the [partiii, the defign of thefe writings. It is this miftakc that has diverted the minds of many good men from attending to the more excellent parts of thefe writings, the moral and weighty exhorta- tions given to Chriftians; and by puzzling them about former controverfies that do very little, if at all, concern us now, have turned off their thoughts from the great matters of the Chriftian law, which are moft eafy to be underftood., and requifite to be put in pradice (m).'" As THE GODLY CONSIDERATION OF PREDES- TINATION, AND OUR ELECTION IN CHRIST, IS rULL OF SWEET, PLEASANT, AND UNSPEAKABLE COMFORT TO GODLY PERSONS, AND SUCH AS PEEL IN THEMSELVES THE WORKING OF THJ^ SPIRIT OF CHRIST, MORTIFYING THE WORKS OF THE FLESH, AND THEIR EARTHLY MEMBERS^ AND DRAWING UP THEIR MINDS TO HIGH AND HEAVENLY THINGS, AS WELL BECAUSE IT DOTH GREATLY ESTABLISH AND CONFIRM THEIR FAITH OF ETERNAL SALVATION TO BE ENJOYED THROUGH CHRIST, AS BECAUSE IT DOTH FRE- QUENTLY KINDLE THEIR LOVE TOWARDS GOD I SO, FOR CURIOUS AND CARNAL PERSONS LACK- ING THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, TO HAVE CONTI- NUALLY BEFORE THEIR EYES THE SENTENCE OF god's PREDESTINATION, IS A MOST DANGEROUS (m) Bicface to the Epiftle to the Romans. PQWNFALi, ART. XVII.] Thirty-nine Articles, 307 DOWNFALL (n), WHEREBY THE DEVIL DOTH THRUST THEM EITHER INTO DESPERATION, OR INTO WRETCHLESSNESS (o) OF MOST UNCLEAN LIVING, NO LESS PERILOUS THAN DESPERA- TION J that is, as a due confideration of the divine decree to fave all who (hall believe and obey the Gofpel is a fource of inexpreflible confolation to virtuous and godly perfons ; encourages them to rely upon the promifed affiftance of the Holy Spirit ; fortifies them againft the temptations to flefhly lufts ; teaches them to fet their affections on things above ; ftrengthens their faith j and animates their love towards God : fo the unwar- ranted idea of God's abfolute and unconditional predeftination is apt to drive the prefumptuous and the wicked, who refift the influence of the Spirit of Chrift, either into a ftate of gloomy de- fpondency on the one hand, or into a courfe of unbridled licentioufnefs on the other. " If a man thinks that he is under an inevitable decree, as he will have little remorfe for all the evil he does, (n) The Latin word is praeclpitium, a precipice, which feems better to defcribe the dangerous fituition in which fuch perfons are placed. (0) Wretchlefliiefs fignifies carelefTnefs. Duce diabolo, vel in defperationem praefentem objiciuntur praecipites, vel in folutam quandam et mollem vitae fecuritatem, fine aut pocnitentia,aut fcelerum confcientia, dilabuntur. — Re- format. L?gum. X 2 while ^ 0 8 Expofilon of the [ p a r t 1 1 r. while he imputes it to that inevitable force that conftrains him, fo he will naturally conclude that it is to no purpofe for him to ilruggle with im- poffibilities ; and men being inclined both to throw all blame off from themfelves, and to in- dulge themfelves in lazinefs and floth, thefe pra