<^

R E V IE W
i O F T H E
' Dodtrines of the Reformation,
With an Account of the feveral Deviations to the
prefent general Departure from them.
In a Series of Letters to a young Gentleman
defigned for the Miniftry.
In which, among other Things, it is intended to {hew, in what Senfe the
' Doftrinal Articles of the Eftabliflied Church were i/nderftood by the Re-i
formers, and moft eminent Divines before the Reftoration ; to confirm
that Senf^by Scripture, and to prove that they are incapable of an Arian,
Socinian, tjr .^minian Conflruftioh.
,By THOMAS BOWMAN', M. A.
Vicar of Martham, Noreolk.

Though Arminiahifm may be faid to have become predominant among the
members of that church, or at lea{l to have lent its influence in mitigating,
fome of its a!,rticles in the private feutiments of thofe who fubfcribe them ;
yet the thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England {till maintain their
authority. - Mofheim Ecclef. Hift. vol. II. p. 574.
If unto the authorities drawn out of the Scriptures and Fathers," a true dif-
coveiy were added of that Religion which amiently was profeffed in this
kingdom, it might prove a fpecial motive to induce my poor countrymen
to confider a little better of the old and true way, from wbejice they have
hitherto been milled. ^
. Archbifliop Ulhef. Preface to a Difcovrfe of the Religion pro
feffed by the anti'ent Irifli and Britifli.

NOR W I C .H :
printed by J. C R O U S E. 1768.
AnAio\A'by Pr;.Lif, in, the Poultry, ,and Johnson, in Pater-riqa'Bl--Row,'
^- Londoiii "W-ooDYKR aud Merril, Cambridge; ICErWEn, Col-
: -pheftefi SH-*^*^' ^E^^^'^^i EatoW, Y*mouth.; Brooks, Norwichj
A 1 the Kefto^ "'^ Bodkfellers in Town and Coiintiy.

P R E F A C E.

W-!K>!<«)f F it ftiould be afted. Why
%\ I r^ ^° y°^ chufe this fubjed!:
xt.-=>.^Jx rather than another? I
''"'¦¦¦"**'"¦¦ anfwer, Becaufe there are
few in which the pubhck are more in-
tereiled, or with which they are l.efs
acquainted. " We have been nurfed
up (fays one) and educated in falfe
do6lrines thefe many years." And yet
it is generally fuppofed that whatever
comes from the pulpit is true. But
will it not ^ive oiFence ? To that I
am not careful to anfwer. The prefs
A % is

IV

P R E -t ''k G E.

is open to all: 'and as it is fuffered to
fpread falfhood, without cenfure, n6
one can juftly blame me for making
it the vehicle of truth. Tho' there
are near ten thoufand who are con-
ftantly in the miniftry of the eftablifh-
ed church, I would not fuppofe there
is a fingle perfon whofe public dif-
courfes are inconliftent with his private
fentiments. Yet as it is und^eniably
true, that by far the greater part do
not preach agreeably to the articles
which they have fubfcribed ; it is not
uncharitable to imagine that numbers
have taken things upon truft, have en-
ter'd into the miniftry, without know
ing, or duly confidering wl^at are the
doctrines of the churph of England.
If there is among us no regular edu
cation for the miniftry — (and! muft
own I know of none) — no care
taken

P 1^ E F A 0^ E. V
taken to enforce the true, or any fenfe
of the articles — we may eafily credit
what Bp. Burnet long ago fa'id, and fear
that the cafe is not miieh better in our
own day. — ' The much greater part
of thofe -who come to be ordained
(fays he) are ignorant to a degree
not to be 'apprehended by thofe who
are not obliged to know it. The
ealieft-part of knowledge is that to
which they are the greateftftrangers;
I mean the plaineft paf ts of the fcrip-
tures, which they fay, in excufe of
their ignorance, that their tutors in
the unive'rfities never mention the
reading of to them ; fo that they can
give no account, or at'leaft a very
imperfect one, of the contents even
of the gofpels. Thofe who have
read fome few books, yet never feem
to have read the fcriptures. Many
cannot give a tolerable account even ' of

m P I^ E F A G E.
'* of tjie cateQhifoQ itfelf,, how ihort
' #p.4 plain ibaver. They qry, an4
¦' %.ixxk it a fad difgrace tq be denied
'- jOf ders, tho' the ignorance of fome
^ is fu€h, that in a well regulated ft:at«
* mi things, they would appear not
^ .k^aowiiig lenough to be admitted to
> the holy facrariient.' (Pastoral
-Care, 3d edit. Preface.)
^^T; no information is giv&n of the
J^veral deviatiopis from the articles,
ft-orij the time of the Reforcpation till
now — if any ofie may without danger
-pf d-eprivatioQ, fufpenlion, or even of
n^imaidyeffion, embrace and teach
"What.do^rines he pleafes; no won-
^r if thofe who are inclined to read
before their aiiiniffion into the ininiftry,
ihould jchufe what authors (and of
,qourfe what opinions) they pleafe, or
follow the t^fte of thafe to whom they

P I^ ^ F A C Ei vii
th^y apply for information; and fo
enter into orders without a fofpieion
&{ ariy thing htmg amifs. In a word;
M" it is kept fecret that the body &{ our
clergy have departed from their arti
cles for above an hundred and twen
ty years, (ever fince the time of Abp.
Laud) and no writers are recommended
butfuch as have lived fince that time;
no wonder that many fhould enter in
to the miniftry, without any acquaint
ance with the do^rki^s of that church,
in which they intend to ferve; and
that when they hear of any who
preach agreeably to the articles, fhould
confider them as fetters forth of ftrange
doftrines, and join with, or even en
courage, the people to treat them
with contempt, and reproach.
But as fubfcriptions of all kinds are
ferious things, thofe which are. con-
ne6led

viii P R E F A G E.
ne6led with the facred office are more
particularly fo. And therefore fhould
be duly confidered before they are
made. It is no light matter for a
perfon folemnly to declare he believes
a thing to be true, when he knows
nothing about it. But what is it to
fubfcribe that he verily believes fuch a
fett of articles, when underftood in
the literal and grammatical fenfe, are
agreeable to the word of God, when
perhaps he never read, at leaft never
compared them with the fcriptures?
How can we fuppofe he has. a juft fenfe
of facred things, of the importance
of fouls ; that he is inwardly moved
by the Holy Ghoft to take upon him
the minifterial office, to feekfor Ghrift's
Iheep that are difperfed abroad, to feed
the church of God which he hath pur-
chafed with his own blood! How can
he exped: a bleffing on his endeavours, or

p r; e f a g e. is
or that the Lord fhould fuffer him to
profit his people at all! Yet there
is abundant reafon to believe this is
the cafe with thoufands — I defire witH
Ihame and humiliation, to acknow
ledge it was my own. Yet, I truft, I
have obtained mercy. And I heartily
wifh that the like mercy may be grant
ed to all my Brethren who have need
of it. 'But, if there w^te only a few
who had a6ted thus, when we confi
der the importance of the miniftry,
and the ftri6t account that every dne
engaged therein muft give, when the
chief fhepherd fhall appear ; it would
be neceffary that every One ¦ fhould
prove his own work, fhould con
fider whether he entered" upon it,
with or without a proper knowledge
of thofe articles, which; he has fub
fcribed. to be agreeable to the word of
God. And with regard to the bjty,
b there

%

PRE E A a E.

there is fcarce any thing more abfurdl
or deferving of pity, than tjiat they
fhould profefs themfelves members of
the eftablifhe.d church, while they are
ignorant of its docfirines
Such then being the prefent flate
of things, it is highly neceffary that
this fubje6l ftiould be treated of at
large, whether men will hear, or whcr-
ther they will- forbear.
Some perhaps may think it their in^
tereft to offer fomething as an anfwer
to this. If any thing material ftiould
appear, (which I do pot expedf to
fee) I fhall think it incumbent on me
to reply to it, or acknowledge where
in I err. But I hold myfelf under
no obligation to take notice of any
cavils that may be raifed, perhaps only
to keep up the farce a little longer, or

PREFACE,

XI

pr obfcure the truth that it may not
be fo clearly difcerned.
I hope the love of truth is my chief
motive for engaging in this difagree-
able fubje6t. And if what I have faid
ftiould be t}ie means of opening the
eyes of any, and Ihewing them how
they have been impofed upon, may
they give God his glory, and pray for
Jhe n-ieaneft of his inftruments.

,Vt, .!*•. .VJt, ,9?<. .*!«, .^. .>V.
.SAt, .Vf,t .»V. .V0. .VP . .!«,
•*» '«» **!» **.»• '#1* rt*'

.ft, ,>'*, .ve. .»'*.
A* *i» #i» #!»'

LETTER

LET T E R I.

Dear Sir,
K"^?*^§^"*'( Am fatisfied with the reafons
jtrj , f^ you give, and heartily approve
^l ^"A y^^^ defign of entering into the
If "^CZ"^ 3 ™^^if^ry- There is perhaps no
nation or lite m which you may
be more ufeful, or more reafonably expeft to
promote the glory of , that Being whom all are
bound to ferve. The preference you give to
the eftablifhed church, I do not wonder at.
Nor am I furprized at your obfervation, that
different and even irreconcileable do6trines
may be heard from our pulpits, fo that it is
very difficult, if not impofiible, to know by
our preaching, what are the real do6trines of
the church of England. The fame remark
has been often made, yet we have a fure way
of determining this queftion. Her articles are
an avowed. declaration in what manner Ihe
A under-

2 LETTER r.
underftands the fcriptures. And a conformity
to thefe fhe expefts from all her members,'
Avhether clergy or laity. They were compiled,
as every public profeffipn of faith is, to avoid
diverjities ,of o-pinion. They are, by command,
to be underftood in the liter ah and grammatical
fenfe. And if any pretend an aitibiguity in
fome of the words and phrafes in which, they
jlre drawn up, the intended meaning of fuch
expreffions. may be learned from the works of
the compilers, many of which are extant.
This ifland was early favoured* with the
found of the gofpel. Some fuppofe, within a!
few years of the death of its bleffed Author.
Be that as it may. Hiftbry abundantly teftifies
that we have at different periods, embraced
various-and even irreconcileable fentiments —
that truth and error have alternately prevailed.
among us — and that, notwithftanding error
and fuperftition reigned triumphantly for fe
veral ages together, true religion always had
its advocates, and fome might be found who
worfliipped God in fpirit and in truth.
About the middle of the i fixteenth century,
our clergy had fo far departed from the model
of the primitive times, that a reforrnatioti was
found neceflary, arid almoft univerfally defired.
Inftead of being examples to the Flock, la
bouring

L E T T E R I. ^
. bouring in the, wpr^ and do(5lrine, aijd having
their converfation in heaven; they roinded
earthly things, grafping at riches and prefer-
_ ments, and ferving the interefl'^ of luxury and
fenfuality. They were , ignorant of the way
bf falvation, though they had- folemnly engag
ed to inftru6l others in it. They held for
docftrines the commandments of men, and
made the word of Gpdof npne.effeft through
.their traditions. They took away the key of
..knowledge, not allowing ^he people the free
,Vjfe of the; fcriptures in the only; language they
underftood. And If any were jealous to in-
ilrudt them, to acquaint them with the truth as
it is in Jefus; they were fure.to oppofe, load
vyith infamy, harrafs, diftrefs, and frequently
perfecute thern, even unto death for fp doing.
it is eafy to imagine that thefe things produced
dreadful effe6ls among the people.
In fuch a . languilhing ftate was religion,
when providence interpofed, in the reign of
Edward the Sixth, to remove thefe fqandals,
and reform our fadly corrupted church. This
pious prince did not live long enough to finifh
the great and glorious deiigris he had formed
and had at heart . Yet much was done. An
Important change was made. The abfurdi-
ties of popery were pointed out a.nd gradually
A 2 laid

4 LET r^E R I.
laid afide. The people had. the free uf^- of
the fcriptures in their own tongue, and rneri of
learning and piety were encouraged.
Soon after the king's coronation, in the year
154-7, a Bbok of plain difcourfes, drawn up
dhiefly by archbifhop Cranmer, was publifhed,
and delivered to the clergyman of eVery parifh,
¦ at ^ the' national vifitation, which was then held
for reforming the churches. (Fuller's Ch. Hift.
B^ VII. p. 384.' Burnet. Oldmixon's Hift. bf
¦England, Vol. I.' p. 158.) This is the fame
without firft Book of Homilies, which contains
an eafy and judicious explanation' of the fun
damental truths of the gofpel. '
In the next year a Book of Common Prayer,
* wholly in Englifh, was publiflied with the
authbrityof parliament. In the year 1549,
-a. fecond Tranflation of the Bible was fet forth, ,
-and (as Fuller exprefTes it) not only fuffered
•to be read by' particular perfbns, but ordered
to be read bver yearly in the congregation, as
^ a particular part of the divine fervlce. In the
year 1552 came out a Short Catechlfm, faid to
be drawn up by Dr. Poynet, blfliop of Wln-
chefter. And in the fame year were publifh
ed forty-two articles of religion. Thefe articles were
* The Litany had been permilted in Englifh, by Henry VIII.
¦ -'¦- ;-eai- 1545. (Fuller).

L E T^T E R I. 5
werfe defigned to exprefs the' faiiji of the
church of England: and; are entitled, '^Ar
ticles agreed upon by the bifhops t^nd other
learned rnen in the convocation held.atLon-
,4on in the year 1552, for the avoiding a dlver-
fity of opinions, and eftablifhing confent touch
ing true religion. , Publifhed by the king's
authority." But, notwithftanding this title, few
of the convocation ever faw, much lefs formally
•confented to them before they were publifhed.
-Nor • had' ,they the fan<?tIon.' of parliament.
This is evident from what pafied at the next
convocation, in the fucceedlrig reign. In which
Cranmer was charged with acting fraudulently
in this matter. He acknowledged that ¦ the
articles were publifhed without the confent of
,the convocation, but freed himfelf from the
xharge ¦ of fraud, by declaring that he was
.'ignorant of the title under which they were
.publifhed. (Fuller, B." VII. p. 421. Oldmixon,
¦Vol.' I. p. 193. Burnet, Vol. III.)
• -By thefe means the face of religioii was
.'changed, and the fentiments of thofe who had
.the greateft Ihare In bringing about tills change
were made known. But there was yet no
legal declaration what w©re the db^rines of
the church. ' . After

6 L E^T T E, R f.
.After the horrid int-errviption pf the reforma-
.tion, dwing the reign of .queen, Mary, at the
beginning of the reign of queen Elizabeth, the
.liturgy was : a; third time, reviewed .^ndalt.erec|.
Jn January 1562-3, : the forty^two articles pub-
.IMlied by king Edward were, -in fome few par-
,.tlculars of no great confequence, altered and
^reduced to' thirty-nine. Bpt rit was not till
Xeveral .years after, ^iz.-, in the year i.5'7. i , that
they received the authority of parliament.
(Fuller, B., . IX. p.' 72. Oldmixon, p.,331.) At
which time they became, and :• ever -finpe have
Continued to be, the avowed-eonfeftibn- of the
(faith of the church bf England. Thefe every
one Is obliged to fubfcribe, and, declare that he
does It willingly arid from his heart, before
his admiffion into the miniftry ; and moreover,
that he acknowledges all and every article
therein contained to be agreeable to die word
of God. Before inflitutim to the care of fouls,
he is, In the prefence of his diocefan, obliged
to fubfcribe the. three articles of the thirty-fixth
canon, and yield his aflent and confent to all
the articles comprized in a Book entitled,
" Articles whereupon It was agreed, &c." And
foon after his indu^im to the legal right to the
profits annexed to his office, he is obliged- to
read thefe articles In the prefence of his people, Ifi

L E T T E R I. 7
In the time .of divine fervlce, and declare his
unfeigfied affent and confent to them. — Let
lis ribw fee what do6lrines are contained In
them. A R T. IX.
,,, Original fin ftandeth not in the following of
Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk) , but it
is the fault and corruption of the nature pf
every man, that naturally is enge^idered of the
offspring of Adam, whereby man Is -f very far
gone frorri original righteoufnefs, and Is of his
own nature Inclined to evil, fo that the flefh
lufteth always cpntrary to the fpirit ; and there
fore in eyery perfon born Into this world. It
deferveth God's wrath and damnation. And
this infeftion of nature doth remain, yea, in
theni that are regenerated ; whereby the luft
of the llefh, called In the Greek phronema
farcos, which fome do expound the wifdom,
fome fenfuality, fome the affedllon, fome the
defire of the liefh,. Is not fubjeft to the law of
God. And although there is no condemnation
for thofe that believe and are baptized; yet
the apoftle doth confefs, that concuplfcence and
luft hath of itfelf the nature of fin.
A R T.
' f The original is, quam longiffime, as far as poff.ble.

8 L E T T 'E'R t
¦¦ '^-' ' ' ART. X. '• ^
The condition of man, after the fall of
Adam, Is fuch, that he cannot turn and pre
pare himfelf, by his own natural ftrength and
good works, to faith and calling upon God:
wherefore we have no power to do good
works, pleafant and acceptable to God, with
out the grace of God by Chrlft preventing us,
that we may have a good will, and working
with us, when we have that good will.
ART. XI.
V^c are accounted righteous before God,
only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour
Jefus Chrlft, by faith; and not for our own
works or defervings. Wherefore, that we are
juftlfied by faith only, is a moft wholfome
doclrine, as more largely is expreffed in the
homily of juftlficatlon. A R T. xn.
Albeit that good works, which are the fruits
of faith, and follow after juftlficatlon, cannot
put away our fins, and endure the feverlty of
God's judgment; yet are they pleafing and
acceptable to God In Chrlft, and do fpring out
neceffarily of a true and lively faith ; Infomucli that

L E T T E R I. 9
that by them a lively faith maybe as evidentty
known, as a tree difcerned by its fruit.
' ART. XIII.
Works done before the grace of Chrlft, and,
the infpirattc«i of his fpirit, are not pleafant to
God, forafmuch as they fpring not out of faith
in Jefus Chrlft, neither do they make men
meet to, receive grace, or (as the fchool-authors
fay) deferve grace of cortgruity : 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 fin.
ART. XVII.
Predeftlnatlon to life, is the everlafting purr
pofe of God, whereby (before the foundations
of the world were lard) he hath conftantly
decreed by his counfel, fecret to us, to deliver
from curfe and damnation thofe vvhom he
hath chofen in Chrlft out of mankind, and to
bring them by Chrlft to everlafting falvation,
-as vefTels made to honour. Wherefore, they
. which be endued with fo excellent a benefit of
God, be called according to God's purpofe, by
his fpirit working in due feafon; they through
grace obey .the calling: they be juftlfied freely:
they be niade fons of God by adoption: they
B be

10

LETTER I.

be made like the Image of his only-begotten
Son Jefus Chrift : they walk religioufly in good
works, and at length by God's rgercy, they
attain to everlafting felicity. — As the godly
confideration of predeftlnatlon, and our elec
tion In Chrlft, is full of fweet, pleafant and
unfpeakable comfort to godly perfons, and
fuch as feel in themfelves the working of the
fpirit of Chrlft, mortifying the works of the
flefh, and their earthly members, and drawing
up their mind to high and heavenly things ; as
well becaufe it doth greatly eftablifh and con
firm their faith of eternal falvation to be en
joyed through Chrift, as becaufe It doth fer
vently kindle their love towards God; fo for
curious and carnal perfons, lacking the fpirit of
Chrift, to have continually before their eyes
the fentence of God's predeftlnatlon, is a moft
dangerous downfal, whereby the devil doth
thruft them either Into defperatlon, or into
wretchleffnefs of moft unclean living, no lefs
perilous than defperatlon.
Furthermore, we muft receive God's pro-
mifes In fuch wife, as they be generally fet
forth to us in holy fcripture : and In our
doings, that will of God is to be followed,
which we have exprefsly declared unto us in
the word of God." In

L E T T J^ R I.

II

In thefe articles it is plainly acknowledged
tha.t— falvation Is wholly by grace, by the free
giift and unmerited favour of God through Je-
fu^ Chrlft, and on no account for the fake of
our own works or defervings. It is pofitlvely
.declared — that we are by nature totally de
praved, fo that thejlefb lujieth always contrary
to the fpirit, and on this account deferve God's
wrath and damnation. (Art. IX.) — that, finc^
the fall of .Adam, we have neither will nor
power to do good works till we receive the
grace of God. (Art. X.) — that we are ac
counted righteous only for the merits of our
Lord Jefus Chrlft, by faith. (Art. XI.)— that
nothing we can do before we are juftlfied by
faith In Chrlft, can make us meet or recom
mend us to receive the grace of God, but all
that Is done before juftlficatlon. has the nature
of fin. (Art. XII. and XIII.) — that the reafon
.why any are faved, and why one Is faved
rather than another. Is the good pleafure of
him, who ordereth all things after the counfel
of Ills own will. It is, becaufe he hath from
all eternity decreed to deliver them from curfe
and damnation, and to bring them, by Chrlft,
to everlafting falvation. (Art. XVII.)
That this Is the Intended meaning of thefe
articles may be learned from the Homilies ;
B 2 which

12

LETTER I.

which (to ufe the words of Art. XXXV.) "con
tain a godly and wholfome do6lrIne, and there<
fore we judge them'to be read in churches by
the minlfters, diligently and diftin(ftly, that
they may be underftood of the people." —
Our miferable ftate, with the caufe of It, and
our helpleflhefi, by nature,, are thus fet forth.
" Of ourfelves, and by ourfelves, we have
no goodnefs, help, or falvation ; but contrarl-
wlfe fin, damnation, and death everlafting. —
In ourfelves (as of ourfelves) we find nothing
whereby we may be delivered' froin this mife
rable captivity, into which we are caft, through
the envy of the devil, ^y breaking of God's
commandments in our firji parent Adam. We
are all become unclean, but we are not able
to cl-eanfe ourfelves, nor make one another of
us clean. We are by nature the children of
God's wrath, but we are not able to make
-ourfelves the children and inheritors of God's
g'lory. -^ Of otirfelves, and by ourfelves, we
are not able either to think a good thought, or
work a good deed." (2d. part of the Sermon
of the Mifery of Man.)
In the Sermon on the Nativity, fpeaking of
Adam after the fall, it is faid, " Inftead of the
image of God, he was no\v laecome the image
uf the devil, inftead of the citizen' of heaven, he

L E T T E R I. ^
he. was become the bond-flave of hell, having
in him no one part of his former purity and
cleannefs, but being altogether fpotted and de
filed ; Infomuch that now he feemed to be
nothing elfe but a lump of fin, and therefore,
by the juft judgment of God, was condemned
to everlafting death. This fo great and mife
rable a plague. If it had only refted on Adam,
who firft offended, it had been fo much the
eafier, and might the better have been born.
But it fell not only on him, but alfo on his
pofterity and children for ever, fo that the
whole brood of Adam's flefh fhould fuftain the
felf-farae fall and punlftiment, which their
forefather by his bffence moft juftly had de-
ferved. St. Paul, in the 5th. Chap, to the Ro
mans, faith, " By the offence of only Adam,
the fault came upon all men to condemnation,
and by one man's difobedlence many were
made finners." By which words we are taught,
•that as in Adam all men univerfally lin^
ned, fo In Adam all men univerfally received
the reward of fin ; that is to fay, became
mortal and fubjeft nnto death, having In theixi-
felves nothing but everlafting damnation both
of body and foul. They became (as David
faith) corrupt and abominable, they went all
out of the way, there was none that did good,
no npt one." That

14 L E^T T E R I.
That, we are juftlfied by faith only in the
merits of Chrift, and that our works have not
the leaft ftiare in Our juftlficatlon, we may
learn from thefe paffages.
- " Whereas all the world was not able of
themfelves to pay any part towards their ran-
foni. It plcafed our heavenly Father, of his in
finite mercy, without any of our defert or de
ferving, to prepare for us the moft precious
jewels of Chrift's body and blood, whereby
our ranfom might be fully paid, the law ful
filled, and his juftice fully fatisfied, So that
Chrift Is now the righteoufnefs of all them
that do truly believe In him. He for them
paid their ranfom by his death. He for them
fulfilled the law In his life. So that now In
him, and by him every true chriftian man
may be called a fulfiller of the law." (Serm.
of Salvation.) " And this juftlficatlon or righ
teoufnefs, whicli we {6 receive of God's mercy
and Chrift's merits, embraced by faith, is
taken, accepted and allowed of God, for our
perfeil and full juftlficatlon." (Idem.) " We
put our faith In Chrift, that we are juftlfied by
him only, that we be juftlfied by God's free
mercy, and the merits of our Saviour Chrift
only, and by no virtue or good works of our
own that is in us, or that we can be able to
have.

L fe T T E R I, 15
have, or to do for' to deferve the fame : Chrift
himfelf only being the caufe meritorious there
of" (Serm. of Salvation 3d. part.) " Let us
confefs with our mouths and heart, that we
be full • of Imperfedtions : Let us know our
own works of what Imperfedion they be, and
then we fhall not ftand fooliftily and arrogantly
in our own conceits, nor challenge any part of,
our juftlficatlon by our merits or works." (of
the Mifery of Man, 2d. part). " There can
.be no work of any mortal man (be he nev^r
fo holy) that fhall be coupled in merits with
Chrift's moft holy aft." (Sermon for Good-
Friday). — " Our own aft to believe In Chrift,
or this our faith In Chrift, which is within us,
doth not juftify us, and deferve our juftlficatlon
unto us, for that were to count ourfelves to
be juftlfied by fome aft or virtue that Is within
ourfelves." (Of Salvation p. 2.)
Moreover It Is evident that we can do no
wbrks acceptable to God, till we have faith ;
/. e. till we are juftlfied : and likewife, that we
can do nothing; to make us meet or recomr
mend ourfelves, to receive the grace of God.
" Without faidi all that Is done of us Is but
dead before God, although the work feem
never fo gay and gloripus before man." (Of
good works annexed to faith). — " When the
faith

i6 LETTER L
faith of Chrift Is not the foundation, there is
no good work, what building foever we make."
(Idem). — " All the life of them that lack the
true faith. Is fin." (Idem.) — " No man doth
good xyorks, to receive grace by his good
works; but becaufe he hath firft received
grace, therefore confequently be doth good
works." (Of Fafting p. i.) — " Good works
go not before In him which fhall afterward be
juftlfied, but good works do follow after when
a man Is juftlfied." (Idem.)—" The firft com
ing unto God Is through faith." — " Without
it can no good works be done." (Of Faith p.i.)
Nor Is it lefs evident that the whole of our
falvation Is afcribed to the mere mercy of God
through Jefus Chrift.
" We have heard the tender-kindnefs and
great mercy of God towards us, and how
beneficial he is to us for Chrift's fake, without
our rherits or deferts, even of his own mere
mercy and tender goodnefs." (Mifery of Man
p. 2.) — " It is of the free grace and mercy of
God, by the mediation of the blood of his Son
Jefus Chrift, without our merit or deferving on
our part, that our fins are forgiven us, that we
are reconciled and brought again into his fa
vour, and are made heirs of his heavenly
kingdom." (Of Fafting p.i.) — " All fpiritual gifts

LETTER L 17
gifts and graces come efpecially from God.
Let us confider the truth of this matter, and
hear what is teftified firft of the gift of faith,
the firft entry into a chriftian life, wlthouE
which no man can pleafe God. For St. Paul
confefleth it plainly to be God's gift, faying,
faith is the gift of God. And again St. Peter
faith. It is of God's power that you be kept
through faith to falvation. It is of the gopd-
nefs; of God that we falter not in our hope un
to liim. It Is verily God's work In us the cha
rity wherewith we love our brethren. If after
our fall we repent, it is by him that we re
pent, which reacheth forth his merciful hand
to raife us, up. If vie have any will to rife, it
is he that preventeth our will, and difpofeth us
thereto. If after contrition we feel our con-
fciences at peace with God through remlflion
of our fins, and fo be reconciled again to his
favour, and hope to be his children and inhe
ritors of everlafting life : Who worketh thefe
great miracles in us.? Our worthinefs, our de-
fervlngs and endeavours, our wits and virtue ?
, Nay verily, St. Paul will not fuffer flefh and
clay to prefume to fuch arrogancy, and there
fore faith, " All Is of God which hath recon
ciled us to himfelf by Jefus Chrlft." (For Ro-
gatiori-week p. 3.) — " Let us by fuch virtues
C as

i8 LET 'T E k i.
. Jfs btight to fpring orit bf faith, ftife^ bur dec-
Hon to 'be fare and ftable." (Of Faith p. 3.)'^^
*' Gbd of his riiercy a.nH efpeclal favour to
wards the riri whom he hath appolrited to ever
lafting falvation, hath fo offered his grace
efpecially, and they have fo received it fruit
fully, that although by their firiful living biit-
wafdly, they feemed before to have been the
children of wrath arid perdition, yet now the
fpirit of 'God mightily working In them, unto
bbedlence to God's will 'and coriimandttients •
ihty declare by their otitward deeds arid life,
in the Iheiviri^ bf riiercy arid charity (which
caririot cbrrie but of the fpirit of God, idnd his
¦efpeclal grace) that they are thfe undoubted
children bf God, appolrited to eveflaftirig life.
And fo, as by their wickednefs and ungodly
living, they fhewed theriafelves accordlrig to
"the judgment bf men, which fbllbWthe orit-
w^td appearance, to be reprobate? a;nd caft-
aways : fo ribw by their obedierice linto God's
holy will,, arid by their mercifiilnefs ahd t'dri-
der pity (whei-ein they fhew themfelves to" be
like unto God, who Is the foririt'ain arid fpririg
of all riiercy) they declare bperily and inkril-
feftly unto the fight of men, that thdy are the
fons of God, and eleft of him unto falvation."
(Of Alrias-deeds p. 2.)
You

LETTER I 19
YOU' fcQ th^i^ ^^t thff. Homilies barmpnlze
with the Articles, clearly and fully fhewing th^
fenfe in which they are to be underftood. Th©
Litany and Publ.iG Offices of the cfiurch like-
wife fpeak the fame l^ngijage.
*' And" niake thy cjwfen- people joyful."
(Suffrages.) " O God, from whonn all holy
defires, all g^od counfels, and all jtift works
do proceed." — (2d. CoH- at Even. Prayer.)
" That it may pleafe; thee to Ulumiriate all
bifhops, priefts a.nd deacons, with true If now^
Igige and" underftanding of thy word," — ;
That it may pleafe thee to give ua ^n heart to
love and dr-^ad thee, and diligently to live af
ter thy commfindments,."^-ThatIt m^y pleafe
thee to give to aft thy people increafe of gra,c^,
to hear meekly thy word, and to receive it
with pure affeftion, and to bring forth the
fruits of the fpirit." — rTh^tit nia,y pfeafe_ thee
to give;, v^ ijrue rQ.ppjnt;ajncp." (f^Itany.)
From the COLLECTS.
" Alx;t»ghty, God, who madeft; thy bleffed
^orx to be clrcumpifed and obedient to, the l.avy
foK man" (Circumclfion.)
" — That they who do lean only on th^
hope of thy. heavenly grace/' (5th. Sunday
after Epi}3ha,ny.),
C 2 *' O

10 LETTER I.
" O Lord God, who feeft that we put not
our truft in any thing that we db." (Sexa-
gefima.) ¦ "-Create and make in us new and contrite
hearts, that we worthily lamenting our fins,
and acknowledging our wretchednefs."— (Afh-
Wednefday.) " Almighty God, who feeft that we have
no power of ourfelves to help ourfelves, Sec- "
(2d. Sunday In Lent.)
" By whofe fpirit the whole body of the
church is governed and fanftlfied." (2d. Coll.
for Good-Friday.)
" We humbly befeech thee, that as by thy
fpecial grace preventing us, thou doft put into
our minds good defires; fo by thy continual
help,' we may bring the fame to good effeft."
(Eafter-Day.) — ". Almighty God, who haft given thine
only Son to be unto us both a facrlfice for fin,
and alfo an enfample of godly life." (2d. Sun-'
day after Eafter.)
" Grant unto thy people, that they may
love the thing which thou commandeft, and
defire that which thou doft promlfe." (4th. Sun-^
day after Eafter.)
— " O Lord, from whom all good things
db gpnae, grant to us thy humble fervants, that by

LETTER L

zi

by thy holy infplration we may think thofe
things that be good, and by thy merciful guid
ing may perform the fame." (5th. Sunday
after Eafter.)
" God, who as at this time didft teach
the hearts of thy faithful people, by the fend
ing to them the light of thy holy fpirit, grant
us by the fame fpirit, to have a right judgnient
in all things, &c." — (Whitfunday.)
" Grant to us. Lord, we befeech thee, the
fpirit to think and do always fuch things as be
rightful ; that we who cannot do any thing
that is good without thee, may by thee be
enabled to live according to thy will." (9th.
Sunday after Trinity.)
— " That they may obtain their petitions,
make them to afk fuch things as fhall pleafe
thee." (loth. Sunday after Trinity.)
— "Of whofe only gift It cometh that thy
faithful people do unto thee true and laudable
fervlce." (13th. Sunday after Trinity.)
— " Who didft give to thine Apoftle Bar
tholomew truly to believe." (Colleft for the
Day.) " Above all things, ye muft give moft
humble and hearty thanks to God the Father,
ihe Son and the Holy Ghoft, for the redemp-
jion bf the world by the death and paftipn of
our

z% LETTER I,
our Saviour Chrift both God and Ma;n ; who
djid hurtible himfelf ev^n to the death upon the
qrofs, for us miferable finners, who lay ir\
darknefs and the fhadow of de^th, that; he
jpght make us tlje children of God, and exalt
us to everlafting life." (Communion.)
" Moft huridbly befeeching thee tp grant,
that by the merits and, death of thy Son Jefus
Chrlft, and through faith In his blood, we and
aljl thy whble church may obtain, remifBoa of
our fins, and aU other benefits, of his paffion.''
(Idem.) — "• B,efSbechi.rig thee that it n;iay pleaf^
thee of thy graclonsv goodnefs, fhprtly tp ac-
complifh the number pf thine eJe5t, and to
h^gij, thy kingdom." (^urial-ServIce.)
— T-, " Though we be tied and boijnd with
the chain of our fins yet let the pitlfitilne^ o:!^
thy great mercy loofe us." (After the Prayer
for ^11 fiprts and conditions of men.)
" ForafwAfih as of thy mere favour an^
love thou haft not only created us^ to, thine, own
ftmilitude; and likenefs, but alfo hafl^^ chofen us
to be heirs, with thy dear Son Jefus Chrift, of
that in;im,ortal kingdpra which thot^ preparedft
for us from the beginning of the world, &g.'*
(Morning Prayer for private hbufcs, at the
f nd of the finging Pfajms.) Give

L E T T te R I. i^
Give nie leave to add a few paffages frorti
fhe offices for ordlhatioii.
It is declared to be the duty of a prieft^,
" to feed and pirovide fbr the Lord's family ;
to feek for ChHft'fe ftieep that are difperfed
abroad, and for liis children who are in the
niidft of this naughty worlds that they riiay
be faved through Chrift for ever." It foUowsj
" Have always therefore printed in your re-
tnembrance, hoiv^reat a treafure is comrhitted
to your charge. For they are the fheep df
Chrift, which he bought With his death, and
for whom he fhed his blood."
The -blftiop is thus ejihorted, " ^e to the
flock of Chrlft a fhepherd, hot a wolf; feed
fefem, devour them riot. Hold up the weak,
heal the fick, bind t^ the broken, bring again
the out-cafts, feek the loft."
In the exhortatiori to the priefts it is faid;
" Howbeit ye cannot have a Mfiind arid will
thereto bf yourfelvfeS'; for that will and ability
is given of God albrie ; therefore ye ought and
have need to pray earneftly for his holy fpirit.'*
After they have declared they have a mind
a;nd will for this iriapbrtarit bflfice, the Prayer
both for bifhop and prieft runs thus — " Al
mighty God, who haJth glveri you this will to
do all thef^ thiftgs ;. grant alfo urito you ftrerigth
' and

24 LETTER I.
and power to perform the fame; that hef
may accomplifh his work which he hath be-f
gun in you, through Jefus Chrlft."
Every perfon, before his admlfidon into the
miniftry, fubfcribes not only that the Articles,
are agreeable to the word of God ; but alfo,
that " the Bopk pf Cpmmpn-Prayer, and pf
ordering of bifhops, priefts and deacons, con
taineth in It nothing contrary to the word of
God." We learn from Art. XXXV. that the
" Homilies contain a godly and wholfome doc
trine, and therefore they are to be read In
churches by the minlfters, diligently and dl-
ftlnftly, that they may be underftood of the
people." So that the Articles, Homilies, and
Liturgy, contain the genuine doftrlnes, and
are the ftanding confeftion of the faith of the
church of England. And the leading doc
trines therein are evidently thefe which follow.
That we are by nature children of wrath,
miferable, helplefs, unable to do a good work,
or think a good thought, without the pre
venting grace of God — that we can be juftl
fied only by faith In the death and obedience
of Jefus Chrift ; not for the fake of our faith,
as the procuring caufe of our juftlficatlon, but
for the alone meritorious righteoufnefs of Chrift
— that we can do nothing acceptable in the
fight

LETTER I. 25
fight of God, till we are juftlfied by faith in
the merits of Chrift — that repentance and
faith are the free gifts of God — that after we
are juftlfied. It Is God who worketh In us both
to will and- to do that which is good — that
we are faved of mere mercy and favour, not,
on any account, for our defervings ; but be
caufe It was the good-will and pleafure of
•God, before the foundation of the world, to
.(hoofe us in Chrlft, dind. ordain us to eternal fal
vation through him. I am your's, &:c.

.*w. .^V. .*i*. .*¦*. i5'4t
*i» il* #1*. *• *i»
.•¦c. .s*t, .we. .s*. .V"..
' .*i» #1* #i» *j» *i*
.»'«. .*'«. .jJ*. ,!*t.

Vi» *.*

D LET-

4 ^ii'^4 •*'^4-4'^"* ¦•^••'p ^s^*^-^^
^^ y €<?» t^ t^ii t^» i,^» t<pi 1^1 1^» tfp^ t^i t^i i<5>i L(^ i<^ t^t (,<po 1^1 _^^
•*"8;-*^- »-^*'&-« *"a>**'^^^

LETTER II:

Dear Sir,
^efis*)*'?'? O U afk if thefe do"(Slnnes of falva-
E Y S fi°^ '^y grace through faith, which
# #1 have produced from the Artl-
^ ¦** cles, Honillies, arid Liturgy of our
church, were generally received by our di
vines, and acknowledged to be the doftrinesf
of the church of England,' at the time of, and
foon after the reformation. A general anfwer
to fiich art important queftion may not be
thought fufficlent. I will therefore particularly
reply to it from the writings and public teftl-
monies of the chief of them.
Archbifhop Cranmer, (who undoubtedly had
a principal hand in the reformation) in the
preface to his Book againft bifhop Gardiner,
writes thus. "^ Our Saviour Chrift, according
to the will of his eternal Father, when the
time thereof was fully accpmpllfhed, taking
D 2 our

28 • L- E T T E R II.
our nature upon him, came into the world
frbm the high throne of his Father, to give
light to them that were In darknefs, and in the
fhadow of death, and to preach and give
pardon and full remlfiTion of fins to all his:
ele5ied"
Biftiop Latimer, another of the reformers Is
more exprefs on this point. His words will
help to illuftrate thofe of Cranmer. " If thou
art defirous to know whether thou art chofen
tO' everlafting lifej begin with Chrift, and learn-
to know Chrlft ; and try thyfelf whether thou
art In the book of life or not." (Sermon on
Septuagefima.) In the fame Difcourfe he In
troduces and replies to the common abfurd
objeftion to this doftrine. " What need I to
mortify my body with abftaining from all fin
and wickednefs? I perceive God hath chofen
fome, and fome are rejefted : Now if I be in
the number of the chofen, I cannot be dam
ned ; but If I be accounted among the con
demned number, then I cannot be faved; for
God's judgments are Immutable. Such foollfli
and wicked reafons fome have, which bring:
them either to carnal liberty, or to defpera
tlon." And (iri his^ Difcourfe delivered on the
3d. Sunday after Epiphany) he ¦^ays, " We
read in the Afts of the Apoftles, that when St.

LETTER II. 29
St. Paul had made a long Sermon at Antioch,
there believed (faith the Evangelift) as many
as were ordained to eternal life. With the
which faying a great, number of people have
been offended, and have faid, we perceive
that thofe only ftiall come to believe, and fo to
everlafting life, which are qhofen of God unto
it ; and therefore it is no matter whatfoever we
do ; for If we be chofen to everlafting life, we
fhall have It. And fo they have opened a
door to themfelves of all wickednefs and car
nal liberty, againft the true 'meaning of the
fcripture." The teftlmony of Philpot, archdeacon of
WInchefter, a martyr for the proteftant caufe
in queen Mary's reign. Is remarkable, and full
to our purpofe. On , his examination at Bon
ner's lioufe, he thus addreffed the poplfti bi
fhops : " Which of you all can anfwer Cal
vin's inftitutlons, who Is minlfter at Geneva }"
Dr. Saverfon replied, " A godly minlfter of
cut-purfes, and runagate traitors ; and of late I
can tell you, there is fuch contention fallen be
tween hini and his fefts, that he was fain to
fly the town about predeftlnatlon. Mr. Phil-
pot anfwered, I am fure you blafpheme that
godly man, and that godly church where he
is minifter ; as it is your church's condition, where

30 L E t t E ft il.
where you cannot anfwer men by learning, td
oppofe them with blafphetrues and falfe re
ports : for in the matter of predeftlnatlon, he
is in none other dpinion, than all the doftors
of the church be, agreeing to the fcriptures."
At his laft examination he faid, "I allow the
church of Geneva, and the doftrine of th^
fame ; for it is una catholica et apoftojica, and
doth follow the doftrine that the Apoftles did
preach; and the dodlrine taught and preached in
king Edward's days was alfo according to the
fame." (Oldmixon Vol. L p. 261 — •263.)
The truth of this will fully appear from the
Catechlfm put out by this pious prince, (and to
which he prefixed his own Epiftle) wherein he
commanded and charged all fchool-mafters
whatfoever within his dominions, as they did
reverence his authority, and as they would
avoid his royal difpleafure, to teach this Cate
chlfm diligently and carefully, in all and every
their fchools, that fo the youth of the kingdom
might be fettled in the grounds of true re
ligion, and furthered in God's worfhip.
The TITLE is,
A Short Catechifme fet forth by king Edr
ward the Sixth his authority, for all fchool-
mafters. to teach; printed at London in Latine per

L E ,T T E R II. 31
per Reginaldum Wolfium, 1553, and the fame
year la Englifh, cum Prlvlleglo, by John Day.
CATEC HI S M Edward VI. p. 37—41'.
Scholer. After that the Lord Gpd had made '
die heaven, and earth, hee determined tp have
for himfelfe a moft- beautiful kingdom', and
holy common-wealth. The, Apoftles and
antient fethers that wrote In Greeke, called it
Ecclefia, in Englifli, a congregation,, or aflem-:
bly ; into the which he hath admitted an in^--
finlte nun^er of men, that fhould be fubjeft
to one king, as their foveraigne and onely
head: hini we call Chrlft, which is as much
as to fay anointed, &c. To the fumlfhlflg of
ihis common-weale belong all they, as many
as do truly feare, honour and calli upon God,,
daily applying, their mindes: to holy' and godly'
living, arid' all thofe that putting all their hope
and truft in him dae afliimdly look for the
bllfs of everlafting life. But as marty as are
in this faith fledfaft, were fore^chofen, predeJH-^
pate, and appointed to ev&rlajiing life before the'
world was made. Witriefle hereof, they have'
within their hearts the fpirit of Chrift, the Au-
thof, earneft, and unfailable pledge of their
faith. Which faith onely is able to perceive
the myfteries of God: onely brings peace un to

32 LETTER II.
to the heart : onely taketh hold on the righte-
oufneffe that is In Chrift Jefus.
Mafier. Doth then the fpirit alone, and
faith (fleepe we never fo fecurely, or ftand we
never fo rechleffe or flothfuU) fo work all
things for us, as without any helpe of our own
to carry us idle up heaven.
Scholer. I ufe, Mafter, (as you have taught
me) to make a difference betweene the caufe
and the effeft. The firJi, principal, and moji
proper caufe of our jujiijicatidn and falvation
is the goodneffe and love of God, , whereby he'
chafe us for his before he made the world. After
that, God granteth us to be called by the preach
ing of the gofpel df Jefus Chri/l, when the
fpirit of the Lord is poured into us : by whofe
guiding and governance we be led to fettle
our truft in God, and hope, for the perforrn-
ance of his promlfe. With this4 choice is
joined as companion; the mortifying of the
olde man, that is, of our affeftion and luft.
From the fame fpirit alfo commeth our fanfti-
fication, the love of God, and of our nelo-h-
hour, juftice and uprlghtneffe of life. Finally,
to fay all In fumme, whatever is in us, or may
be done of us, honeji, pure, true, and good, that
altogether fpringeth out of this mojt pleafant
rocke, from this mofi plentiful fountaine, the
goodneffe^

LETTER II. 33
goodneffe, love, choice, and ' unchangeable purpofe
of God, he is the cmfe, the rejl are the fruits
and effeSls. Yet are alfo the goodneffe, choice,
and fpirit of Gbd, and Chrlft himfelf, caufes,
conjoined, and coupled each with other : which
may be reckoned among the principal caufeis
of falvation. As oft therefore, as we ufe to
fay, that we are made righteous and faved by
faith onely ; It is meant thereby that faith, or
rather truft alone, doth lay hand upon, un-
derftand, and perceive our righteous making
to be given> us of God freely ; that is to fay, by
no deferts of our own, but by the free grace of the
Almighty Father. Moreover, faith doth engen -
der in us love of our neighbour, and fuch
works as God Is pleafed withall. For it be
a lively and true faith, quickened by the Holy
Ghoft, fhe Is the mother of all good faying
and doing. By this fhort t^le, it is evident,
whence and by what means we attaine to be
righteous. For, not by the worthinefs of our
defervings, were we either heretofore chofen, or
long ago faved, but by the onely mercy of God,
and pure grace of Chrijl our lord: whereby
we were in him made to doe thefe good workes,
that God hath appointed for us to walk in.
And altho' gpod works cannot deferve to make
us righteous before Gpd, yet dp they fo cleave
E unto

34 LETTER II.
unto faith, that neither faith can be found
withput them, nor good wbrks be any where
found without faith."
Of the natural depravity, mifery, and help-
leffnefs of man, the difmal effefts of Adam's
fin, this is faid in p. 13,
" As foon as ever Adam and Eve had eaten
of the forbidden fruit, they both died : that is,
they were not only liable to the death of the
body, but they like-wife lofi the lif^ of the foule,
which is righteoufnejfe , and forthwith the divine-
image is ohfcured in them, and thofe lineaments
of rlghteoufneffe, holinefife, truth, and krkow-
ledge of God which were exceeding comely,
were difbrdered and almoft obliterated: the
terrene image only remained, coupled with
unrigbteoufnefs, fraud, carnal affeftlons, and
groffe ignorance of divine and heavenly things-;
from whence alfo proceeded the infirmity of
our flefh: from thence that corruption and
confufipa of the affeftions and defires: hence '
that plague, hence that femlnary and nutriment
of all finne with which mankind Is Infefted,
which Is called originall finne. Moreover,
nature is fo depraved and caft down, that un-
leffe the goodneffe and mercy of Almicrhty
God had helped us by the riiedicine of grace,
as In body we were thruft down into alL the
miferlcs

LETTER II. 35
miferles of death, fo it was neceflary that ail
men of aft forts ftiould be caft Into eternall
torments, and fire which cannot be quenched."
Bp. Burnet fays, in the preface to his book
on the articles, " The firft and indeed the befl
Writer of (^Elizabeth's time, wasBp. Juel —
who had fo great a ftiare in all that was done
then, particularly In compiling the fecond
book of homilies, that I had great reafon to
look on his worics as a very fure commentary
on our articles, as far as diey led me." His
teftlmony, jtherefofe, will be by no means In-
confiderable. From his works we may expedft
to learn the Intended fenfe of our articles. His
opinion of the miferable and helplefs condfeion
of man by nature, arid his alone poflTible
recovery thro' Jefus Chrift, he thus delivers.
" Such is the mifery of Adam's children, their
heart is evermore inclined unto 111 and error.'!
(Anfwer to Harding's preface;) -. — " We fay
alfo, that every perfon is born in fin, and
leadeth his life in fin ; that .no body h able
truly to fay, his heart Is clean: diat the moft
righteous perfon Is but an unprofitable fervant :
that the law of God is perfeft, and rec5[uireth
of us perfeft and full obedience: that we are
able by na means to fulfil that law in this
woddfy life: that there is no oae mortal crea*
E 2 tur«

36 L"E T T E R II.
ture, which can be juftlfied by his own de
ferts in God's fight; and therefore that our
only fuccour and refuge Is to fly to the mercy
of our father by Jefus Chrift, &c. (Apology
and Defence, p. 288.) — " If it be fo horrible
an herefy, to fay we be juftlfied before God
by only faith, that Is to fay, only by the merits
and crofs of Chrift, let us fee what the holy,
learned fathers bf the church fo many hundred
years ago, have taught us thereof." (p. 66.)
¦ — " Befides, tho' we fay we have no meed at
all by our works, and deeds, but appoint all
the means of our falvation to be In Chrlft alone,
yet fay we nor, that for this caufe men ought
to live loofely and diffolutely? (301.) That
this faith is the gift of God, he thus declares.
" That you have yielded obedience unto the
word, and that my miniftry hath been effeftual
among you, it cometh not of any power in
yourfelves,"Or In me. It is the work of God.
He hath bleffed my miniftry, he hath blefled
your hearts. It is the gift of God, left any
man ftiould boaft thereof" (On the Theffalo-
nlans, p. ^^.) and foon after — " The gofpel
Is declared. Some there are which bellevej
fome there ¦ are which believe not. They
which believe, hear It inwardly by the fa^
ther, and fo learn It. They which believe
net, hear It only with their outward fenfe, and

LETTER li. 37
and not with inward feeling, and there
fore learn It not. As much as to fay, to them
it is given to believe : to the other It Is not
given." — In the Afts of the Apoftles, Lydia
a woman of the city of the Thyatirians heard
the preaching of the apoftle Paul : but it is faid
whofe heart the Lord opened, that fhe attend
ed unto the things that Paul fpake. The peo
ple which faid unto Peter and the other apoftles,
men and brethren what fhall we do.? did
hear all the words of Peter: but they had
another teacher, that gave force unto the
word and made It fruitful in them, and there
fore It Is faid, they were pricked in their heart.
This alfo appeared In the difciples which walk
ed towards Emmaus : they heard Chrift open
the fcriptures unto them, they reafoned with
him, yet until their eyes were opened they
knew him not. His word crept Into their ears,
but it was the fpirit of God which wrought
within them, which Inflamed their hearts, and
made them to know him." (Idem).
The doftrine of eleftlon he thus treats of.
"' You were blind, the children of wrath, with
out underftanding, without God, and without
hope. But God ha'tli had mercy upon you,
and hath given you grace to know your call
ing. Herein it appeareth that you are. the
chofen

38 L E T T E R H.
chofen of God, and of the flock of Chrift. My
fheep (faith he) hear my voice, and I know
them, and they follow me, and I will give
unto them eternal life, and tliey ftiall never
perlfti, neither fhall any pluck them out or
mine hand." (On Theff. p. 54.) and more
fully and exprefsly p. 143. " God hath chofen
you from the beginning, his eleftlon is fure
for ever. The Lord knoweth who are his.
You fhall not be deceived with the power and
fubtilty of antichrlft, you fhall not fall from
grace, you fhall not perifh. This is the com-^
fort which abideth with the faithful, when they
behold the fall of the wicked. When they fee
them forfake the truth, and delight In fables.
When they fee them return to their vomit, and
to wallow again In the mire. When we fee
thefe things In others, we muft fay, alas they
are examples for me, and they are lamentable
examples. Let him that ftandeth take heed
that he fall not^ But God hath loved me, and
hath chofen me to falvation. His mercy ftiall
go before me, and his mercy fhall follow in
me. His mercy ftiall guide my feet, and ftay
me from falling. — He hath loved me, he hath
chofen me, he will keep me. Neither the
example, nor the company of others, nor the
enticing of the devil, nor mine own fenfiial
imaginations

LETTER II. 39
iitaaglnations, nor fword, nor fire is able to fe-
parate me from the love of God which is ir^
Chrift Jefos our Lord. This is the comfort of
the hlthful"
With this pious and laborious bifhop agrees
the learned doftor Fulk, an able and fuccefs-
full advocate for the Proteftant caufe againft
the Rhemifli jeftiits. Of the imputation of
Adam's fin to his pofterlty, he fpeaks in this
manner. " — ^Many are made finners indeed
hy Adam's fin, which Is jtiftly Imputed to them
that be his heirs : and they be unjuft and fin
ners in truth, and worthy of condemnation,
eVen by the fin which Adam committed, for
whith they are juftly plagued with that corrup
tion af original fin that defcendeth from him
by propagation. (Examination of the Rhemifh
'f'eftament p. 452. Edit. 1601.) On the fub
jeft of jtrflificatlon he thus expreffes his fenti-
rilenrs. " When we fpeak of Juftice (righte
oufnefs) by Imputation, as the apoftle hath
taught us in the 4th chap, we affirm that God
juftifibth us, when he imputeth juftice (righte
oufnefs)' unto us, without works; by which
imputation of Juftice, we are not falfly account
ed, but are indeed by Gpd truly made juft, by
the righteoufiiefs of Chrift which is given unto
us, and Which we apprehend by faith : fo that
altho'

40 L E T T E R IL
altho' we be unjuft In ourfelves, we are truly"
juft in Chrift, becaufe Chrlft Is truly given un^
to us to be juftice, fanftificatlon and redemp
tion, I Cor. i. 30. and we are truly made the
juftice of God in him. 2 Cor. v. 21. When
we are found In Chrlft, not having our own
juftice, which is of the law, but that which Is
by the faith of Chrift, the juftice which Is of
God thro' faith. Philip. Hi. 9. So the whole
glory of our juOification Is referred only to the
mercy of God In Chrlft." (443) " St. Paul
acknowledgeth but this one juftlficatlon by faith
without works, before God: in which there
is nothing given to merits, either of faith or
works. Nor any difpofition or preparation to
juftlficatlon by faith and works proceeding of
grace ; but as Chryfoftome faith, fo foon as a
man hath believed, he is immediately withal
juftlfied. Again, he fheweth here the power
of God, that he hath not only faved, but alfo
juftlfied, and brought Into glorification, ufing
no works hereunto, but requiring faith only.
You fee then that he afcrlbeth falvation to this
juftlficatlon, wherein God ufeth no preparation
of works, but faith only. (446) " Tills juftI->
fication of mere grace, by faith only, without
works, is that by which we are faved." (613)
Concern-

LETTER II. 4t
Concerning eleftlon to falvatloni, that it is
:4bfolute, unconditional, depends not on any
thing that God fpr^faw man wcw-tld do, he thus
writes. " Our eleftlon, calling, and firft CotMH
ing to God, Ueth wholly In God's mercy, and
not either wholly, or principally, or any thing
at all in our wiU and works* But Whom God
elefted before time, he calleth In tlriie by him
appointed, and of unwilling, by his grace
maketh them willing, to corne to him : and to
walk in good works, unto which he hath eleft
ed themi." (467.)
" The eleft work willingly toward their
falvation, their will by grace being made free
in part,, from the flavery of fin, whereurito all
are fubjeft by Adam's fall ; but they do not
deferve their falvation* For falvation depend-<
eth Upon their eleftlon — ' without all refpeft
of merits, or works done, or forefeen." (Idem.)
" God appolnteth before hand not only the
end, but alfo the naeang by which men come
to that end: So in predeftlnatlon of the faints
10 falvation, he hath appointed that they fhall
repent, believe, and work their falvation with
fear and trembling; which means if men do
always and finally defplfe, we may not fay,
they cannot be faved tho* they be predeftiriate,
which is blafphemy to think, but out of doubt
F they

42 L E T T E R II.
they were not predeftinated to falvation. Be
caufe the Holy Ghoft hath faid, whom he hath.
predeftinated he hath called, juftlfied and glo
rified. Rom. 8. 30, The will of man Is free
from coaftion in all things, but not from fla
very to fin, but fo far forth as it is made free
by the grace of Chiift." (428.)
" There Is no queftion but God's eternal pre
deftlnatlon confifteth with good works, tho'
God predeftinated us freely without regard of
the merit of our works, which are an effeft
and end of God's eleftlon, not the caufe that
moved him to chufe us. For he chofe us (faith
St. Paul) that we rnlght be holy. Eplief. i., not
for that we were or fliould be holy. And
this place fheweth, that the eleftlon of God
(which is moft certain in him, and In Itfelf)
is made known and certain unto us by
good works, whereunto God hath appointed
us. ' Not that It is grounded upon our will, or
works, which are good, becaufe God of his
grace before the world was made hath chofen
wsand in time called us, and given us his fpirit
by which we are not only willing, but moft
thankfully embrace his grace, and know his
fatherly love towards us." (815.)
To thefe tr^mphant champions for the pro
teftant caufe, we may join the famous Mr.
Perkins.

LETTER II. 43
Perkins. He thus defcribes , the ftate of rriaii
by nature, occafioried by the fin of Adam.
" All men, are wholly corrupted with fin thro'
Adam's fall, and fo are become flaves of
"Satan and guilty of eternjal damnation." (Vol.
I. p. I.) " In his (Adam's) fin, all his pofte
rlty finned, Rom. v. 1 2. By one man fin en
tered Into the world, and death by fin; and
fo death pafled upon all men for that all have
¦ftnned.. The reafon of tliis is neady. Adam
was not a private man, but reprefented all
mankind ; and therefore look, what good he
received from God, or evil elfe where, both
Were common to others wkh him. i Cor. 15.
22. "As in Adam all die, fo in Chrlft fliali
all be made alive." Again, when Adam offend
ed, his pofterlty was in his lolris, from whom
they fhould by the courfe of nature iffue: and
therefore take part of the gulltlnefs with him.
Heb. 7. 9. ro, " And, as I may fo fay, j^evi
alfo who recelveth tithes, payed tithes in
Abraham. For he was yet In the loins of his
father, when Melphlzedek met him. (Vol. I.
p. 19. 20.
His fentiments of juftlficatlon .clearly exprefs
the fenfe of our church in that point- " Juf
tlficatlon Is an aftlon of God, whereby he abfol-
veth a finner, and accepteth him to life ever-r
F 2 lafting

4^ LETTER II.
lafting for the righteoufnefs and merit of Chrift.
Juftlficatlon ftands In two things; firft, in the
remlfiGon of fi'ns by the merit of Omft his
^eath: fecondly, in the icnputation of Chrift:
his righteoufnefs; which Is anotiier aftlon of
God whereby he efteemeth and accoianteth
that righteoufnefs which Is in Chrift, as the
righteoufnefs of that finner which believeth ia
him. Juftlficatlon Is from God's mere grace
and mercy, procured only by the, merit of
Chrift. A man is juftlfied by faith alone ; be
caufe faith is that alone inftrument created in
iifee heart by the Holy Ghoft, whereby a fin^
ner layeth hbld on Chrlft his righteoufnefs, and
applieth the faiaie unto himfelf." (Vol. I. p.
5^7.) \
This writer has a whole treatife on abfolute
predeftlnatlon ; or the unconditional eleftlon of
certain perfons to falvation. A fe-w paffages
from it may ftvew his fentiments. " Eleftlon
is God's decree, whereby on his own free-will,
he hath ordained certain men to falvation to
the praife of the glory of his grace. Ephef I.
v. 4, 5, 6. He hath chofen us In him, before
tiie foundation of the world — according to
the good pleafure of his will, — to the pralfe
of the glory of bis grace." (Vol. I. p. 24.)
" Thofe v/ho are eleft unto falvation, fhall
never

L E T T E R If. 4j
.never perifli ; for whom God once knows tg
- .tp be, his, them he knows to be his for ever:
and therefore, Matt. XXiV. 24.iti6made athing
itppoftrble that the eleft ftiould perifh : and
the apoftle takes it for granted, that the eleftlr-
on of God is unchangeable, Rom. IX. 1 1 . ro'-
juaining ever, according to his purpofe." (V(d>
IH.p.253.) The fentiments of our church may be ga-^
.thered from the following paffage of the judir
ciotas Mr. Hooker. " The juftlfied man being
allied to God in Jefus Chrlft our Lord doth as
¦neceffarily from that time (viz. of his being
Jiaftified always live, as Chrift, by whom he
liveth, liveth always. For as long as that
abideth in us, which animateth, qulckeneth,
and giveth life, fo long we live, and we know
that the caufe of our faith abideth in us for
ever. Jf Chrift, the fountain of life, may
flit, and leave his .habitation where once he
dwelleth, what flaall become of the promlfe,
i am with you to the world's, end .'' If the
feed of God, vvhich -containeth Chrift, may be
¦^firft eonceivcd, and then caft opt, how doth
St. Peter term it Immortal? how doth St. Job®
affirm It abideth ? if ilie fpirit which is given
to cherlfh and preferve the feed of life, may
he given and taken away, how is it the earnefi of

46 LETT E R II.
of our inheritance until redemption?" (Difc. of
Juftlficatlon.) Thefe, from whofe- works I have produced
thefe paffages, are the principal writers of Q^
Elizabeth's time : and if you compare the other
writers of that age with thefe, you will find
they all agree in this, that falvation is wholly
by grace. " The uniformity of doftrine was
held In our church without difturbance, as long
as thofe worthy bifhops lived, who were em-^
ployed in the reformation." (Bp. Carlton's
examination of Montague's Appello Csefarem
p. 5.) The doftrlnes they teach are apparent
ly thofe which are diftingulfhed by .the name
of Calvinifm. Thefe therefore are the doc^
trines of the church of England. If more
teftlmonies were neceflary to prove this, mul
titudes might be produced. It may not how
ever be amifs to mention a few. " I am well
affured (faith the good bifhop laft mentioned)
that the learned biftiops who were in the re
formation of our church, did fo much honour
St. Auftin, that in the colleft ing of the articles
and homilies, and other things In that refor
mation, they had an efpeclal refpeft unto St.
Auftin's doftrlnes." (Exam, of Montague, p.
49.) The doftrlnes of Auftin and Calvin are^
for the mpft part, the fame. They bpth with the

LETTER II. 47
the fame earneftnefs aflert the natural mifery,
condemnation, and helplefihefs of man, the
freenefs and fovereignty of divine grace. Their
principal difagrcement is in the article of bap--
tifm. Attend to the words of the famous Dr.
Samuel Ward, one of our plenipotentiaries at
the fynod of Dort. " This alfo I can truly add for
a conclufion, that the univerfal church hath al
ways adhered to St. Auftin In thefe points, ever
fince his time till now. The church of England
alfo from the beginning of the reformation,
andthisourfam.ous univerfity, withall thofe who
from thence till now, have with us enjoyed the
divinity chair,' If we except one foreign French
man (viz. Peter Baro) — ^have likewife conftant
ly adhered to him." (Concio adClerumCamb.
Jan. 1 2. 1 625. p. .45.) The great doftor Whit-
aker, " whom, fays Bp. Hall (Eplft.7. Decad.
I.) r;o man ever faw without reverence, or
heard without wonder," in his Cygnea Cantio
(Camb. .1593) p. 15, 16. foon after the firft
appearance of Armlnlanlfm, has thefe memora
ble words. ." The Church of England ever fince
the gofpel was reftored, hath always held and
embraced this opinion (the Calvlnlan) of elec
tion and reprobation. This, Bucer in our uni
verfity; Peter Martyr at Oxford have pro-
fefied:. two eminent divines, who have moft
abun-

4» LETTER II.
abundantly watered our church whb their
fireams. In the days of K. Edward : whofe
inembries fhall always be honourabk among
us, tinlefs we ^vlll be moft ungrateful. This
opinion their Auditors In both our unlverftties ;
the bifhops. Deans, and other divines, who
upon the advancement of our famous Q^ElIr
zabeth to the crown, renjrned either from exile,
or were releafed from the prifons Into which
they had been thruft for the profeftion of the
gofpel; or faved from the hands of perfecut-
ing bifhops ; thofe by whom our church was
reformed, bur religion eftablifhed, popery
thruft out and quite deftroyed; (all which we
may remember, tho' few of this kind be yet
living) this opinion, I fay, they themfelves have
held, and commended unto us : In this faith have
they lived j in this they died. In this they always
wifbed that we fhould conftantly continue."—
Nbr are we without tefhmoriies to this truth
of a much later date. Dr. Hcylln, fpeak
ing of the tenets which were efpoufed in
queen Elizabeth's time, fays, " Predeftlnatl
on, and the points depending thereupon, were
received as the eftabliflied doftrlnes of th©
church of England." — The books of Calvirt
were made the rule by which all men were
to fquare their writings, his word only, (like the

L E T T E R a 4^
the ipfe dixit of Pythagoras) was admitted for
the fole rule to Which they were to frame
and conform their judgments.'' (Life of Abp.
Laud, p. 51. 52.) This teftimony has the
more weight, as it comes from one who zeal*
oufly aflerted-the contrary opinions. Bifhop
Burnet, tho' he much inclined to Armlnla-
ftlfm, and undertook the expofitlon of the
articles at the defire of a zealous Arrainlanj
frankly acknowledges;^ that " in England the
firft reformers were generally in the fublap-
farian hypothefis.'' (On the Art. p. 151. edit.
;r699,) The fame writer declares (p. 113.)
*' St. Auftin confidered all mankind as loft in
Adam, and in that he made the decree of e*
left ion to begin: there being no other re^
probation aflerted by him, than the leaving
men to continue in that ftate of damnation^;
in which they were by rea&n of Adam's fin.''
In the next page, fpeaking of this doftrinsi
he has this remark. " It is known that this
was the tenet of thofe who prepared the ar^-
tides, it having been the generally received
opinion from St. Auftin's days downwards."
Again, " Another fort of people was much
complained of, who bviilt fo much on the re
ceived opinion of predeflinatlon, that they
thought they might live as they pleafed; fince
G nothing

50 LETTER II-
nothlng could refift an abfolute decree. — Thi*
had a very 111 effeft on the lives of many,
who thought they were fet loofe from all
obligations; and that was Indeed the greateft
fcandal of the reformation." (Burnet's Hift;
of the Reformation, ad ann. 1549.) ¦•
The teftimony of a judicious foreigner,
who took great pains to know the opinions
embraced by different nations at different pe
riods of time, may be pertinently introduced.
" When It w^s propofed, under the reign of
Edward the fixth, to give a ftable and fixed
form to the doftrine and difcipllne of the
church, Geneva was acknowledged as a fifter
church; and the theological fyftein there efta
blifhed by Calvin, was adopted, and render
ed the public rule of faith In England."
(Moflielm Eccles. Hift. Vol. II. p. 204.) In
a few pages after he has thefe words ; " It Is
certain that the Calvlniftical doftrine of pre
deftlnatlon prevailed among the firft Englifli
reformers, the greateft part of whom Were
at leaft Sublapfarlans." (p. 217.) ,' '
In 1584, about thirteen years after the arti
cles had received the fanftion of parliament,
an expofitlon of them was publiflied by Mr;
Rogers. A fecond edition of this work came out
in 1607, and was dedicated by him to Dr.
Bancroft

LETTER II. 5f;
Bancroft, abp. of Canterbury, to whom he
was chaplain. In the dedication he fays,
" What my thoughts be of the religion of
this realm at this inftant profeffed, and of
all thefe articles, — that which here foUow-
eth will fiifficiently demonftrate. Twenty, yea
two and twenty .years ago, voluntarily, of
mine own accord, and altogether unconftrain-
ed, I publifhed my fubfcription unto them ; my
faith Is not. either fhaken or altered, but what
it then was, it ftill Is. — Nothing have I de
nied, nothing galnfaid, which afore I deliverr-
ed. — The whple work expreffeth as well my
deteftatlon, and renunciation of all adverfa-
rles, and errors, oppofite, crofting, or con-
tradifting the doftrine profeffed by us, and
protefted by our king, or any article, or par
ticle of truth of our religion; as my appro
bation of that truth, which In our church by
wholfome ftatutes and ordinances is confirm
ed." From this work then we may colleft how
the articles were underftood about thirteen
years after they were firft legally fet forth. He
divides each article Into propofitrons. So that
by mentioning a few of the propofitlons we
may learn the fenfe of the articles.
^ G2 ARTICLE

52 LETTER H
ARTICLE IX,
I. There Is Original fin. -^2.. Original fia
is the fault and corruption of the nature of e^
very man, &c. — 3. Original fin remaineth;
in God's dear foftS. — 4. ConeupifeenGej eveh
in the regenerate. Is fin.
ARTICLE X.
I. Man, of his own ftrength, may do out^
Ward and evil works, before he is regene
rate. — 2. Man cannot do any work that good.
is and godly, being not yet regenerate.— ^3.Man
may perform and do good works, when he
is prevented by the grace of God, and re^
newed by the Holy Ghoft. 
ARTICLE XI.
I. Only for the merit of our Lord and
Saviour Jefus Chrift, are we accounted right
eous before God. — 2. Only by faith are we
accounted righteous before God. — 3. Not
for our works or defervings are we account-^
ed righteous before God. - -¦.-
ARTICLE XII.
I. Good works do pleafe God. — 2. No
work Is good except It fpring from faith.—.-
3. Good works are the outward figns of the
inward belief.  ARTICLE

L E T T E R ; IL 5j
ARTICLE XIII.
I. Works done before juftlficatlon pleafe
not God. — - 2. Works done before juftlfica
tlon deferve not grace of congruity. — 3.
Works done before jaftification have the na
ture of fin. —
ARTICLE XVII.
I. There is a predeftlnatlon of Men un
to everlafting life. — 2. Predeftlnatlon hath
been from everlafting. — 3. They which are
predeftinate unto falvation cannot perifh. —
4. Not all Men, but certain, are predefti
nate to be faved. — 5. In Chrift Jefus, of the
mere will and purpofe of God, fome are eleft
ed, and not others unto falvation. ¦
To thefe Teftlmonies we may add
" Certaine queftions and anfwers touching
the dbftrine of predeftlnatlon: printed by
Robert Barker, anno 1 607, which were then
bound up with our Englifh bibles, and conti
nued to be fo till the yeai' 1615. (Prynn's
Anti-Arminianifm. p. 54. -f )
Queft. Why do men fo much vary in mat
ters of religion ?
Anfw. Becaufe all men have not the like
meafure of knowledge, neither do all men be
lieve the gofpel of Chrift.
t Thefe queftions and anfwers conceming predeftination
were bound up with our bibles long before the year 1607.
I have feen the fame queftions and anfwers in a quarto bi
ble; printed at London, 1581, by Chriftopher Barker, prmt-
cr to the queen's majefty.— — <

54 LETTER II.
Q. What is the reafon thereof? ^
A. Becaufe they only believe the gofpel and
doftrine of Chrift, which are ordained unto
eternal life.
Q^ Are not all ordained unto eternal life ?
A. Some are veffels of wrath ordained
unto deftruftion,'as others are veffels of mercy
prepared unto glory.
Q^ How ftandeth It With God's juftice, that
fome are appointed unto damnation?
A. Very well: becaufe all men have in
themfelves fin, which deferveth no leffe, and
therefore the mercy of God is wonderful in
that he vouchfafeth to.fave fome of that finful
race, and tb bring them to the knowledge of
the truth.
Q^ If God's ordinance and determination
muft of neceffity take effeft^ then what need
any man to care ? for he that liveth well muft
needs be damned, if he be thereunto ordain
ed : and he that liveth ill muft needes be faved,
if he be thereunto appointed.
A. Not fo : for It Is not poffible, that either
the eleft fhould alwaies be without care to doe
well, or that the reprobate fhould have any
will thereunto. For to have either good will
or good worke, is a tefllmony of the Ipirit of
God, which is given to the eleft only, where- by

L E T T E R II. ^^^_
by faith is fo wrought in tlierri,-that being graft
into Chrlft, they grow in hollnefle to that
glory,' whereunto they are appointed. Nei
ther are they fb valne as once to think that
they, may doe as they lift themfelves, becaufe
are predeftinate unto falvation ; but rather they
'endeavour to walke in fuch good workes as
God in Chrift Jefus hath ordained them unto,
and prepared for them to be occupied in, to
their owne comfort, ftay, and affurance,' and,
to his glory.
Q^ But how fhall I know myfelf to be one
of thofe whom God hath ordained to life e-
ternall? , f
A. By the motions of fplrltuall- Ufe, which
belongeth only to the children of God : by the
which that life is perceived, even as the life
of the body Is difcerned by the fenfe and mo
tions thereof.—
Q^ What mean you by the motions of fpl-^
rituall life? ' • ;
¦ A. I meane remorfe of confclence, joined
.with the loathlrige of finne, and, love of rigli-
teoufneffe: the hand of faith reaching unto
life eternal In Chrift, the confclence Com
forted Iri diftreffe, arid raifed up to confidence
In God by the work of his fpirit : a thank
ful remembrance of God's benefits received, and

|6 LETTER II.
and the ufing of all adverfitles as occafibriSf
of amendment fent from God.
Q^ Cannot fuch perifh as at fbme time or
other feele thefe motions within themfelves ?
A. It is not poffible that they fhould : for
as God's purpofe is not changeable, fo he re
penteth not of the gifts and graces of his adop
tion: neither doth he caft off thofe whom he
hath once received.
Q^ Why then ftiould we pray by the exam-^
pie of David, that he caft us not from his face-,
and that be take not his holy fpirit from us ?
A. In fo praying we make proteftatlon of
the weakneffe of the flefli, which moveth us
to doubt: yet ftiopld not we have courage to
afti. If we were not afllired that God would
give according to his purpofe and promlfe that
which we require.
Q^ Doe the children of God feele the mo
tions aforefaid alwaies alike ?
A. No truely : for God fome time to prove
his, feemetli to leave them in fuch fort, that
the flefh over matcheth the fpirit, whereof a-
rlfetli trouble of confclence for the tirne ; yet
the fpirit of adoption is never taken from them,
that have once received It : elfe might they
perifh. But as In 'many difeafes of the body,
the powers of the bodily life are letted : fo In
fome

LETTER IIj 57
fome aflaults the motions of fpiritual life are
not perceived, becaufe they lie hidden in oui^'
manifold infirmities, as the fire covered with
afhes. Yet as after fickneffe cometh health,
and after clouds the fiin fhlneth cleare ; fo the
powers of fpiritual life will more or lefle
be felt and perceived in the children of God.
Q^ What if I never feele thefe motions
in myfelfe fhall I defpalre, and think myfelfe.
a caft-away?
A. God forbid: for God calleth his at
what time he feeth good : and the inftruments
whereby he ufually calleth, have not the like
effeft at all times: yet It Is not good to negleft
the meanes whereby God hath determined to
worke the falvatlori of his. For as wax is
not melted without heate, nor clay harden
ed but by meanes thereof; foGod ufeth mearies
both to draw thefe unto himfelfe, whom he
hath appointed unto falvation, and alfo to
bewray the wickedneffe of them whom he
juftly condemneth.
Q^ By what meanes ufeth God to draw
men to himfelfe, that they' may be faved?
A. By the preaching of his word, and
the minlftring of his facraments thereunto an
nexed, Sec. &G.  "
H As

58 LETTER IL
. As there is no occafion to comment Ori
thefe fafts, I fhall add no more than that
I am yours, &c.

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LETTER

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LETTER III.

Dear Sir,
??c3!5oc53o5o?'?: AM glad yoit think that I have
tj % feirly ftated the evidence in favour
# of what Is called a- calvlniftical In-
'^ -^ terpretation of the articles; and
that you are Inclined to believe' the compilers
of them defigned they fhoutd be thus under^
ftood-. I wifh I may give you as much fatls-
faftion in my endeavour to point out the feve
ral deviations to the prefent general departure
from- them.
It Is generally allowed that the firft pub
lic deviation frbm them was about the year
1595. " Towards the latter end' of queen
Elizabeth's reign there arofe a party, which
were firft fbr foftening, and then for over
throwing the received opinions conperning
predeftlnatlon, perfeverance, free-will, effec
tual grace, and the extent of Ghrift's redemp-
H 2 tion."

6o LETTER HI.
tion." (Moftieim, Vol. II. p. 232.) " The
firft difturbers of this urilformity in doftrine
.were Barret and Baro in Cambridge, and
after them Thompfon. Barret and Baro be
gan this breach in the time of that moft re
verend prelate archbiflipp Whitgift." (Blfliop
Carlton Exam, of Montag. p. 6.) William
Barret was fellow of Caius College In Cam
bridge. In a fermon he preached for his de
gree .pf batchelor In divinity, he fpoke fharp-
ly againft Calvin and his opinions, and ad-
vlfed the fhidents not to read his Book of
Inftitutlons, which was the fyftem of divinity
then generally ufed. Barret preached April
29, 1595, and on May 5, but fix days after
(¦fo offenfive was his difcourfe to the Uni
verfity) was fummoned before the heads of
colleges and enjoined the following recanta-
tatlon. " Preaching In Latin not long fince In tlie
univerfity church (right worfhipful) many
things flipped from me, both falfly, and rafh-
ly fpoken, whereby I underftand the minds
pf many have been grieved : to the end there
fore that I may fatisfy the church and the
truth which I have publickly hurt, I do make
this public confeffion, both repeating and re-
\'oking my errors, Firfi

LETTER III. 6r
' FirJi, I faid that no riian Iri this tranfitory
world, is fo flrorigly underpropped, at leaft by
^the certainty of faith, that Is, unlefs (as I af
terwards expounded it) by revelation, that he
ought to be affured of his own falvation. Bi.it
now I proteft before God and acknowledge
in my own confclence, that they which are
juftlfied by faith, have peace towards God^
that is, have reconciliation with God, and do
iland in that grace by faith: therefore that
they ought to be certain, and aflured of their
own falvation, eveil by the certainty of faith
itfelf.' —
Secondly, I affirmed, that the faith of Pe
ter could not fail, but that other men's may:
for ( as I then faid ) our Lord prayed riot for
the faith of every particular man. But now,
%eing of a better, 'and more found judgment,
(according to that which 'Chrift teacheth in
plain words, John 17. 20.) I pray not for
•thefe alone (that is, the apoftles) but for
them alfo which fhall believe In me thro'
their word:) I acknowledge that Chrlft did
pray for the faith of every particular believer:
•and that by the virtue of that prayer of Chrift,
every true believer Is fo flayed up, that his
faith cannot fail. — 'thirdly.

62 LETTER III.
Thirdly, Touching perfeverance unto the
end, I faid, that that certainty concerning th©
time to come. Is proud, for as much as It is In
its own nature contingent, of what kind the
perfeverance of every man is; neither dki I
affirm it to be proud only, but to be moft wick
ed. But now 1 freely^ proteft that the true
and juftlfying faith, (whereby the faithful are
jjioft nearly united unto Chrlft) is fo Arm, as
alfo for the time fo certain, that It can ne-r
ver be. rooted out of the minds of the faithful,
by the tentatlons of the flefh, the world, or
the devil himfelf, fo that he who hath this
faith once, fhall ever have it : for by the be
nefit of that juftlfying faith, Chrift dwelleth in
us, and we in. Chrift: therefore it cannot be
but increafed, (Clirift growing in us daily) as
alfo perfevere unto the end, becaufe, God doth
^ve conftaney. —
Fourthly, I affirmed, that there was no di*
ftlnftion of faith, but In the perfons believ
ing : in which, I confefs, I did err : now, I
freely acknowledge, that temporary faith^
(whicli as Bernard witneffeth, is therefore feigns
ed, becaufe it Is temporary) is diftingulfhed,
and differeth from that faving faith, whereby
finners apprehending Chrift, are juftlfied be
fore God for ever ; riot in meafyre, and de-
degrees.

LETTER III. 63
grees, but in the Very thing itfelf. Moreover,
I add, that James doth make mention of a
dead faith ; and Paul of a faith that worketh
by live. —
Fifthly, I added, that forglvenefs of fins is
an article of faith, but not particular, neither
belonging to this man, nor to that man : that
is (as I expounded it) that no true faithful mart
either can o-. ought certainly to believe that
his fins are forgiven : but now I am of ano
ther mind, and do freely confefs, that every
true faithful man is bound by this article of
faith, (to wit, I believe the forglvenefs of fins)
certainly to believe that his own particular
fins are freely forgiven him : neither doth It
follow hereupon, that that petition of the
Lord's prayer ( to wit, forgive us our trefpafP-
efs) is needlefs ; for in that petition, we afls
not only the gift, but alfo the increafe of
faith.-— Sixthly, Thefe words efcaped me in my
fermon, viz. as for thofe that are not faved,
I do moft ftrongly believe, and do freely pro^
teft that I am fo perfuaded againft Calfiff,
Peter Martyr, and the reft, that fin is the
true, proper, and firft caufe of reprobation.
But now, being better inftrufted ; I fay, that
the reprobation is from everlafting, and that the

64 L.E T T E R Ilh
the faying of Auguftme to Simpllcian is moft,
true, viz : if fin were the caufe of reproban
tion, then no man fliould be elefted, becaufe,
God doth foreknow all men to be defiled with
it ; and (that I may fpeak freely ) I am of the
fame mind, and do believe concerning the doc
trine of eleftlon and reprobation, as the church-
of England believeth, and teacheth In the book
of the articles of faith. In the^ article of pre
deftlnatlon. —
Lajily, I uttered thefe words rafhly againft^
Calvin, a man that hath very well deferved of
the church of God ; to wit, that he durft pre
fume to lift up himfelf above the high and .
mighty God. By which words, I confefs, that
I have done great injury to that moft learned,
and right godly man: and I do moft humbly.
befeech you all to pardon this my rafhne.fs : as
alfo, that I have uttered, many bitter words!
againft Peter Martyr, Theodore Beza, Jerome
Zanchius, Francis Junius, and the reft of the
fame religion, being the lights and ornaments
of our church: calling them, by the odious
names of Calvinifts, and other flanderous termsj
branding them with a moft grievous rnark of
reproach, whom, becaufe our church doth
worthily reverence. It was ,not meet that I,
fhould take away their good name from them^ or

L E T T E R III 6$
or any way Impair their credit, or dehort others
of our countrymen from reading their moft
learned works: I am therefore very fori^i,
and grieved for this moft grievous offence,
which I have publickly given to this moft fa
mous univerfity, which Is the temple of tme
religion, and facred receptacle' of piety: and I
do promlfe you, that (by God's help) I will
never hereafter offend in like fort : and I do
earneftly befeech you (right worfhipful) and
all others to whom I have given this offence,
either in the former articles, or In any part of
my faid fermon, that you would of your cour-
tefy pardon m.e, upon this my repentance."
(Fuller's Hift. of Cambridge, p. 150.)
This recantation, fays the fame writer, was
peremptorily enjoined him, that on the Satur
day following, immediately after the clerum,
he fliOuld go up Into the pulpit of St. Ma
ry's (where he had" publifhed thefe errors)
and there ppenly In the face ef the univer
fity, read and' make this recantation • which he
accordingly did.
Thefe proceedings of the univerfity fully
fhew what they acknowledged to be the doc
trines of the church of England, viz. thofe
Which are commonly called CalvirilfticaL In
the fame year the point of abfolute predeftina-
I tion.

6^ LETTER HI.
tion, and the doftnnes depending thereon, ber
ing much controverted ; the univerfity of Cam-r
bridge fent Dr. Whjtaker and Dr. Tyndal,
as their reprefentatlves, to Lambeth, where
archbifliop Whitgift had fummoned feveral
learned divines tb confult about meafures
for propagating tfe^e truth, and fupprefling
the errors which many began to efpoufe. The
refujt of their conference was a publrcatioxr
of nine articles relative to the controverted
points, and declaring the opinion of the church
pf England therein,-^
LAMBETH ARTICLES.
I God from eternity hath predeftinated cer
tain men unto life, certain men he hath re
probated. —
2. The moving or efficient caufe of predefi^
tlnation unjo jfe^ is not the forefight of faith,
or of perfeverance^ oy of good works, or of
any thing that is in the perfon predeftinated,
but pnh the good will and pleafure of God,
3. There Is predetermined a certain num
ber of the predeftiriate, which can neither be
augmented or dunlni/hed. —
4. Thofe who are not predeftinated tp fal
vation, fhall be neceffarily darrined for their
fins.

L E T T E R HI. 67
5. A true, living, and juftifying faith, and
the fpirit of God juftlfying, is not extlnguifh-
ed, falleth not away, it vanifheth not away
in the eleft, either finally or totally. -r^
6. A man truly faithful, that is, fuch an
one who is endued with a juftifying faith, is-
certain with the fuU aflurance of faith, of the
remiffiori of his fins, and of his everkfting fal
vation bv Chrift. — I'
7. Saving grace is riot given, is not granted,-
is not CommruniGated to all men, by which the/
may. be faved, if they wilL— ^
8. No man can corrie unto Chrlft unlefs It
fhall be given unto him, and unlefs the Fa
ther fhall draw him; and all men are not
drawn by the Father, that they may come to
the fon.
9. It is not in the will or power of every
one to be faved. ( Fuller Cent. XVL p. 230.)
, In drawing up thefe articles a-rt eye was
partlgularly had to what were efteemed the
errors of Barret. For Bifhop Carlton declares
( Exam, of Montag. p. 6. ) " Whitgift of Can
terbury, and Hutton of York, with the other
bifhops and learned men of both provinces,
reprefled Barret and Baro, refuted their doc
trine, and juftlfied the contrary, as appeareth
by that book, which both the archbifhops then
1 2 compiled

68 LETTER HI.
compiled." And in a letter which Whitgift
fent, with the articles, to the univerfity of Cam
bridge, he fays, " You are to look upon them
not as new laws and decrees, but only as an
explication of certain points which we appre
hend to be true, and correfpondent to the doc
trine profeffed In the church of England, and
already eftablifhed by the laws of the land.
( Life of Whitgift, p. 463. )
in the petition, from the univerfity to the
archbifliop concerning Barret's errors. Is this
very remarkable paffage. " We are perfuad
ed that in thefe queftions of controverfies, not
only the undoubted truth of God's word, but
the doftrine of our chrirch by continuarice
of pfaftice and cuftom confirmed, and by
authority eftablifhed. Is now by this oppofi-
tion of fome impugned."
Peter Baro, a Frenchman, was Margaret
profeffor of divinity In Cambridge, and had ef
poufed and taught doftrlnes like thofe which
were afterwards diftingulfhed by the name of
Arminlanifm : but foon after the publication of
the Lambeth articles, was obliged by the uni
verfity to refign his profefforflilp on account of
his opinions. ( Fuller's Hift. Catrib. p. 152.)
They, moreover, wrote to fecretary Cecil, their
chancellor, defiring his affiftance in ftippreflTing the

LETTER III. 69
the Arminian opinions which then began to
fpread. —
" Right honourable, our bounden duty re
membered, we are right forry to have fuch oc
cafion to trouble your lordfhip ; but the peace
of this univerfity and church (which is deare
unto us ) being brought into peril by the late
reviving of new opinions, and troublefome con
troverfies amongft us, hath urged us (In re
gard of the places we here fuftaine ) not only
to be careful for the fupprefling the fame
to our powers, but alfo to give your lordfhip
further Iriformation hereof, as our^iionourable
head and careful chancellor.
¦ About a year ago (amongft divers others
who here attempted publickly to teach new
and ftrange opinions In religion ) one Mr. Bar
ret more boldly than the reft, did preach
divers popiflo errors In St. Maries, to the juji
offence of many which he was enjoined to re-
traSl, but hath refufed fo to doe-f, in fuch.
fort as has been prefcribed hirn : with whofe
faft and opinions your lordfhip was made ac
quainted
f This feeiBM to allude to the mauner in which Ban-et perfor
med his recaatatioa, " -which -was not done -with that remorfe
and humility as. was expejfted : for ^fter the reading thereof, he
conciuded thus, H<ec dixi, as if all had been -oral ratlier than
(or dial,' (Fuller's Hift. Camb. p. 151.)

70 LETTER HI.
qualnted by Dr. Some the deputy vice chart-^
cellour; hereby offence and divifion growing,
as after by Dr. Baro's publike leftures and de
terminations in the fchooles, contrary ( as his
auditors have Informed) to Dr. Whitaker's,
and the found received truth ever fince her ma-
jefties ralgne, we fent up to London, by com
mon confent, In November laft. Dr. Tyndal,
and Dr. Whitaker, (men efpecially chofen for-
that purpofe ) for conference with my lord of
Canterbury, and other principal divines there,
that the controverfies being examined, and the
truth by their confents confirmed, the contrary
errors, and the contentions thereabout might
the rather ceafe : by whofe good travel with
found confent In truth, fuch advice and care
was taken by certaine propofitlons (contain
ing certaine fubftantial points of religion, taught
and received In this univerfity and church
during the time of her majefty's ralgne, and
confented unto, and publifhed by the beft ap
proved divines both at home and abroad ) for
the maintaining of the fame truth and peace of
the church, as thereby we enjoyed here great
and comfortable quiet, until Dr. Baro (in Janu
ary laft, in his fermon ad clerum. In St. Maries,
contrary to reftraint and commandment froni
the vice chancellor and the heads) by renew-, ing

; LETTER HI. 71
ing again thefe Opinions, ;difturbed our peace,
whereby his adherents and difciples were much
.emboldened to maiiitalne falfe doftrine, to the
corrupting and difturbing of this univerfity and
church. If it be not in time effeft ually pre
vented.  r
'- For remedy hereof, we have with joint
confent and care (upon complaint preferred
by divers batchelors In divinity) proceeded
in the e&mlnatlon of the caufe according to
our ftatutes and ufual manner of proceed
ing in fuch caufes : whereby It appeareth by
icierit teftlmonies, that Dr. Baro hath of

fended in- fuch things, as his articles had charged
him withal.
There is alfo fince the former, another com
plaint preferred againft him by certaine batch
elors in divinity, that he hath not onely In
that fermon, but alfo for the fpace of thefe
fourteen or fifteen years, taught In his leftures,
preached in fermons, determined In the fchooles
and printed in feveral books, divers points of
doftrine, not onely contrary to himfelfe, but
alfo contrary to that which hath beene taught
and received ever fince her majefty's raigne ;
and agreeable to the errors of popery, which
we know your lordfhip hath alwaies didiked
and hated: fo that we (who for the fpace of

72 LETTER III.
of many years paft, have yealded him fun-
dry benefits and favors here in the univerfity,
being a ftranger, and forborne him when he
hath often heretofore, bufie and curious in
aliena Republica, broached new and ftrange
queftions In religion) now unleffe we fhould
be carelefs of maintaining the truth of religion
eftablifhed, and of our duties in our places^,
cannot ( being refolved and confirmed in the
truth of the long profeffed and received doc
trine ) but continue to ufe all good meanes,
and feek at your lordfhip's hands fome effec
tual remedy hereof, left by permitting paffage
to thefe errors, the whofe body of popery
fhould by little and little breake In upon us, to
the overthrow of our religion, and confequent
ly the withdrawing of many here and elfe-.
where from true obedience to her majefty.
May It therefore pleafe your good lordfhip
to have an honourable confideration of the
prpmifes, and ( for the better maintaining of
peace, and the truth of religion, fo long and
quietly received In this univerfity" and church)
tovouchfafe your lordfhip's good ayde and ad
vice, both to the comfort of us, ( wholly con-
fenting and agreeing In judgment) and all
others of the univerfity foundly affefted, and
to the fuppreffion. in time, riot onely of thefe
errors

LETTER HI. 73
errors, but even of grpffe -popery, like, by fuch
mearies, in time, eafily to creep In among us,
(as we finde by late experience it hath dan-
geroufly began:) thus craving pardon for
troubling your lordfhip, and commendirig the
fame in prayer to Almighty God, we humbly
take our leave. ,.
Your lordfhip's humble and
bounden to be commanded,-.
ROGER GOADE, Procan..
R. SOME. THOMAS LEGGE.
JOHN JEGON. THO. NEVILL.
T.PRESTON. HUMPH. TINDAL.
JAMES MONTAGUE. ED. BARWELL.
JAMES CHADERTON.
From Cambridge,
-the 8th of March, 1595-6.
(Anti-Arminianifm, fecond edition, p. 254.
Nor was Cambridge fingular In maintaining
thefe doftrlnes. Her fifter univerfity embraced
and taught the fame. " The divines of Ox-
: ford, and indeed ail the firft reformers, were
in the fame fpntiments with thofe of Cam
bridge about the difputed points ; Calvin's
Inftitutlons being publickly read in the fchools
by appointment of the convocation." ( Neal's
Hift. Puritans, Vol. I. p. 584.)
K In

74 L E T T E R HI.
In the year 1615, were publMied articles
«f religion for the kingdom of Ireland- They
are in fufeftanee the fame as our thirty nine ar
ticles, and in many places drawn up in the very
fame words. Indeed, as- moft of the Irl#»
blfhbjis in that convocation we-reEnglifhdIvInes,
we may well fuppofe, and need riot wond^
that they fpeak the fenfe of the church of Eng-
landj and In particular, that they well illuftrate
and explain our feventeenth articfe, on pre
deftlnatlon, which was then, fo much the fub
jeft of controverfy. —
Articles of religion agreed upon by the arch
bifhops, arid bifhops, and the reft of the clergy
of Ireland, in the convocation holden a;t Dub
lin, In the year of our Lord God, 1 61 5.
II. God from all eternity did, by his un
changeable counfclljOrdalne whatfoever in time
fhould come to paffe. Yet fo, as thereby no
violence is offered tp the wills of the reafon-
able creatures, and neither the liberty nor the
contingency oftlie fecond caufes is takes away,
but eftablifhed rather.
12. By the fame eternal counfeU God hath
predeftinated fome unto life, and reprobated
fome unto death, of both which there is a
certaine number, knowne only to God, which
can neither be Increafed nor dimln-ifhed. I

:>'

L' E T T E R III. 75
r3£-Predcfiiri!atIon to life, i§ the evedafting
ptTCpvDfe of God, whereby, before the foun
dations of the world were layed, he hath
conftantly decreed in his fecret counfel! to
deliver from curfe and damnation, thofe whom
he hath chofen in Chrift out of manklnde, and
to bring them by Chrlft unto everlafting fal
vation, as vcffeLs made to honor.
14. The caufe moving God to predeftinate
unto life, Is not the forefeeing of faidi, or per
feverance, or good workes, or of any thing
which Is in the perfon predcftlnatedj, but onely
the good pleafiire of God himfelf. For all
thiiigs being ordained for the mairiifeftatlori of
his glory, and his glory being to, appeaJe both
in the xvorks of his mercy and. of his, juftice:
it feemeth good to his heavenly wifdom- to
choofe out a certaine number towards whorti
he would extend his undeferved mercy, leav
ing the reft to be fpeftacles of his juftice^
15. Such as are predeftinated unto life, b@
called acGording Onto God's purpofe (his fpirit
working in due feafon) and through grace they.
obey the calling, they be juftlfied freely, they
be made fons of God by adoption, they, be
m&de like the image of his only begotten fon
jefos Chrift, they walke religioufly In good
workes, and at length, by God's trntcyj they
K 2 aalne

76 LETTER III.
attaine to everlafting felicity. But fuch as are
not predeftinated to falvation, fhall finally be
condemned for their finnes.
1 6. The godly confideration of predeftlna
tlon and our eleftlon in Chrift, Is full of fweet,
pleafant, and unfpeakable comfort to godly
perfons, and fuch as feele in themfelves the
working of the fpirit of Chrlft, mortifying the
works of the flefli, and their earthly mem
bers, and drawing up their minds to high and
heavenly things, as well becaufe it doth greatr
ly confirm and eftablifh their faith of eternal
falvation to be enjoyed through Chrlft, as be
caufe It doth fervently kindle their love to
wards God: and on the contrary fide, for»
curious and carnall perfons, lacking the fpirit
of Chrlft to have continually before their eyes
the fentence of God's predeftlnatlon, is very
dangerous. 22. By one man finne entered into the world,
and death by finne, and fo death went over all
men, for as much as ail have finned.
23. Original finne ftandeth noj in the imi
tation, of Adam (as the Pelagians dream) but
is the fault and corruption of the nature of
every perfon that naturally is engendered and
propogated from Adam : whereby It cometh
to paffe that man is deprived of originall righ-
teoufnefl^

LETTER III. 77
teoufneffe, arid by nature Is bent unto finne.
And therefore In every perfon borne into the
world. It deferveth God's wrath and damna
tion. : ., .1.
25. The condition of man after the fall of
Adam Is fuch, that he cannot turne, and pre
pare himfelfe, by his own natural ftrenth and
good works, to faith and calling upon God.
Wherefore we have no power to doe good
workes, pleafing and acceptable to God, with
out the grace of God preventing us, that we
may have a good will, and working with us
when we have that good will.
26. Works done before the grace of Chrlft
and the mfpiratlon of his fpirit are not pleafing
unto God, forafmuch as they fpring not of
faith In Jefus Chrlft, neither do they make
men meete to receive grace, or (as the fchoole
authors fay) deferve grace of congruity : yea
/ather, for that they are not done in fuch fort
as God hath wllfed, and commanded them to
e done, we doubt not but they are finful.
. 31. They are to be condemned, that pre
fume to fay, that every man fhall be faved
by the law, or feft which he profeffeth, fo
that he be diligent to frame his life according
jto that law, and the light of nature. For holy
fcripture

78 LETTER IIL
fcripture doth fet out unto us onely the name
of Jefus Chrift, whereby men muft be faved,
32. None can come unto Chrlft, urilefle it
be given unto him, and unleffe the father draw
him^ .And all men are not fo drawn by the
the father, that they may come unto the fonne.
Neither is there fuch a fufhcient meafure of
grace given unto every man, whereby he is
enabled to come unto everlafting life.
33. All God's eleft, are In their time Infe-
parably united unto Chrlft, by the effeftual'
and vital influence of the Holy Ghoft, derived
from him, as from the head, unto every true
member of his myftlcall body. And being
thus made one with Chrlft, they are truly re
generated; and made partakers of him and all
his benefits.
37. By juftifying faith, we not only under-'
ftand the common beliefe of the articles of
chriftian religion, and a perfuafion of the truth
of God's word in generail; but alfo a parti*
cular application of the gracious promifes of
the gofpel, to the comfort of our owne foules:
whereby we lay hold on Chrift, with all his
benefits, having an earneft truft and confidence
In God, that he will be mercifol unto us for
his oriley fonne's fake. So that a true believer
ma}' be certaine, by the afforance of faith, of
the

LETTER ni. 79
the fo^Ivene^ of his finnes, and of his ever-
iafUng falvation by Chrlft.
38. A true lively juftifying faith, and the
fanftifying fpirit of God is nOt extlngulfhed,
.nor vanifheth away In the regenerate, either
finally or totally.
When Edward Synifon, Fell, of Trin. CbU.
Camb. preached before king James at Roy-
fton, 1 61 6, and in his difcourfe advanced
fome of the Armjnlan tenets ; the king fent
to the two, 'divinity profeffors at Cambridge;
for their opinion of the fermon ; who condera-
aed It, and <he preacher wa? enjoined and
performed a piblic recantation before him.
^Fvdtler Hift. Camb. p. 1 60.) In his declaratl-
<3n againft Vorftius, he pronounces the " apof-
tacy of the faints (or that perfons once jufti-
.fcd might finally fall away and perlfli,) a
blafpheroom and wicked doftrine." — And
^arply reproves Brentius, who maintained
this doftrine for his Impudence in faying, that
it was agreeable to the doftrine of the church
of Erigkrid- " We had well hoped (fays
be) that the corrupt feed which the enemy
of God, Armlnlus, did fow amongft you
(the 'Dutch) fome few years fince, (whofe
difciples and followers are yet too bold and
frequent within your dominions) bad given you

8o LETTER IH.
you a fufficient warnlrig, afterwards to take
heed of fuch Infefted perfons." (againft Vor
ftius) — " God draws by his effeftaul grace,
out of that attainted and cormpt mafs of man
kind, whom he pleafeth, for the work of his
mercy, leaving the reft to their own ways,
which all lead to perdition." (On the Lord's)
prayer) -f-.
The predeftlnarlan controverfy had been
long maintained, and had at length produced a-
larmlng divifions in Holland ; where in order
to put an end to thefe differences, a fynod
was held at Dort, in the year 1 6 1 8. To this
fynod moft of the proteftant churches were
invited to fend their reprefentatlves. From
England went doftor George Carlton, blftiop
of Landaff, afterwards blfliop of Chlchefter —
Doftor Jofeph Hall, dean of Worcefter, af
terwards bifhop of Exeter, and then of Nor
wich — doftor John Davenant, Margaret pro-
feflbr of divinity, and mafler of Queen's Col
lege, Cambridge ; afterwards bifhop of Salis
bury — and doftor Samuel Ward, mafler of
SIdniey
t The reader is defired to obferve, that the point in hand is
to prove inwlwt fenfe the articles were underftood at this peri
od of time ; and that K. James's autliorily is not alledged in
¦confirmation of the doSlrine, but only of xht natter of faEiyvh.
that the articles were underftood in the CalvinifJc fenfe, in his
time and by him.

h^ f t E S itU ^i
Sldrtey College Cambridge, and archdeacois
of Taunton. Among the inftruftions they re-
e.eived from his majefty before their departure
for HoUand, were thefe*
" 2. You fhall in all points to be debatiad,
and difputed, refolve among yourfelves before
hand^ what is the true ftate of the qtieftloHj
and jointly and uniformly agtee thereupon.'*
3. If Iri debating of the caufe by the learn«»
ed men there, any thing be emergent, Where-
©f you thought not before j you fhall meet,
and confult thereupon again, and fo refolve
among yourfelves jointly, what is fit to be
maintained. And this to be done agreeable
to the fcriptures j and the doftrine of the
chvirch of Englarid." (Fuller's Ch< Hift. Cent^
XVIL p. 77.)
At Dort, before they entered ori btifiriefg,
the followiflg folendn oath viras admlniftered to^
and taken by all the members of the Synods.
" I promlfe before Qody tvhom I believe and
ladbre the prefent fearche^of the heart arid
*©itts, that in all this Synodal aftiori, wherein
fhall be appointed the examination, judgment
;and decifioflj as well of fhe known * five ar-
L ticleSf
* Tile five articles of Arminianifrti that were eSfhibited at the
fynod of Port ai e thefo*

§2 LETTER III.
t^icles, and difficulties thence arlfing, as of all
other doftrlnals; that I will not make ufe of any
human writing, but only of God's word, for

the

."I. That God, from all eternity, determined to beftow. fal
vation on thofe, -rt'hom he forefaw would perfevere unto the end
in their faith in Jefus Chrift ; and to infliift everlafting punUh-
ment on thofe, who (hould continue in their unbelief, and re
fift unto the end his divine fuccours.
2. That Jefus Chrift, by his death and fuflFerings, made an
atonement for the fins of all mankind in general, and of every
individual in particular : — that, however none but thofe who
believe in him, can be partakers of their divine benefit. —
3. That true faith cannot proceed from the exercife of our
natural Faculties and powers, nor from the force and operation
of free will; fince man, in confequence of his natural corrup
tion, is incapable either ofthinking or doing any good thing'; and
that therefore it is neceffary to his coiiverfion and falvation, that
he be regenerated and renewed ' by the operation of the Holy
Ghoft, which is the gift of God thro' Jefus Chrift. —
4. That this di-oine grace, or energy of tlie Holy Ghoft,
which heals the diforder of a corrupt Nature, begins, advan-
(ies, and brings to perfection every thing that can be called good
in man ; and that, confequently, all good worksj without ex
ception, are to be attributed to God alone, and to the operation
of his Grace ; that neverthelell, this grace does not force the
man to aft againft his mclination, but may be refified and
rendered insffeSiual by the preverfe will of the impenitenl; lin-
ner. 5. That they, who are united to Chrift by faith, are thereby
furnilhed with abundant ftrength, and with fuccours fufficieflt
to enable them to triumph over the feduftion of S:'t?n, and the
allurements of fin and temptation ; but that the Queftion, ¦whi
ther fuch may fall from their faith and forfeit finally thi i ftate
cf grace? has not yet been refolved with fufficient perfpicuity^ and

LETTER III. 83
the certain and undoubted rule of faith. And
that I fhall propound nothing to myfelf In this
whole caufe, befides the Glory of God, the
peace of the church, and efpecially the prefer-
vatlon of the purity of doftrine therein. So may
my Saviour Jefus Chrlft be merciful unto me;
whom I earneftly pray, that in this my pyr-
pofe, he would always be prefent with me,
with the grace of his holy Spirit." (Aft a Synod.
Dordrac. p. 64.)
The refult of this famous Synodical meeting
is well known. The Arminian tenets were
condemned, as contrary to the word of God:
and the doftrlnes of Calvin were declared to
be agreeable to the fcriptures.
The firft deviation then from our articles,
was in favour of Arminlanifm ; yet it is evl-
L 2 dent
and muft therefore be yet more carefully examined by an atten
tive ftudy of what the holy fcripture have declared in relation
to this important point."
It js to be obferved, that this laft article was afterwards chan
ged by the Arminians, who, in procefs of time, declared their
fentiments with lefs caution, and pofitively affirmed, that the faitits
might fall front a ftate of grace !" (Moftieim vol. II. p. 521.)
The fame writer obferves, that after the fynod of Dort, the
Arminian divines approached much nearer to the Pelao-iahs,
than to the Lutherans ; whofe fyftem they feemed to favour in
thefe five articles exhibited at the fynod. And .indeed, what
are called the beft Arminian writers fince that time, have deferr
ed the opinions of their nominal mafter and efpoufed the Pe
lagian fcheme with Very litde variation.

S4 LETTER IE
derit that every attempt to introduce it, wa§ pub«
licklydifcountenanced — that thekinghlmfelf by
his writings and authority, defended the ophir
ions of Calvin — and that the archbifttOps aric}
bifhops, the two unlverfities, and our national
reprefentatlves at a foreign Synod, all acknOW-r
ledged Calvinifm to be the doftrine of the
church of Eno;land. I am yours, &c.

t'

-flS

f'

•*•

¦»•
•5^-
J
¦»•
¦«
•*•
4
¦a-
•»••*•
i.
•~-
LETTER
LETTER rv.

Dear Sir,
Wf^F^^F^ E have hithdrto feen Arminian^
P=^ " ^'^ ifm zealbufly oppofed and dif^
^f ^^ counteriaft'ced by thofe in power,
I®" •i^'*"*-;*-^"^ whenever It made Its appearance.
^^ --* *^-* But foon after the fynod of Dort
it wa^ Openly embraced and even preached
without any fegal cenfttfe. Tliofe very opini
ons which h^d been fo lately coridemned is
heretical, coritrai^ to the word of God, lead
ing to popery, were on a fudden ernbraced by
iWimbers, ^rid evert became fafhfonable. As
a judicious arid amiable writer of thofe times
expreffes it, " the fotil Vapours (of Armlrilan-
ifm) bleXv over (frotH the Dutch coaft) and fo
infatuated fome of our divines, that, forfaklng
iflie beateri and approved path of faith, they
betook

86 LETTER IV.
betook themfelves to the crooked ways and
precipices of Armlnlus, deftroying the articles
of our religion with their tenets, which they
had before confirmed by their own fubfcripti
on." (Abbot de Gratia et Perfev. Sanft%'
Epift. ded.) " Thofe that favoured the new
opinions were encouraged, and the others were
deprefled." (Burnet on Art. XVII. p. 152.)
The true reafon of this he has given us in a
few words. " Unhappy difputes falling In at
that time concerning the extent of the royal
prerogative beyond law, the Arminians hav--
ing declared themfelves highly for that, they
were as much favoured at court, as they were.
cenfured in the parliament: which brought
that doftrine under a very hard charafter over
all the nation." (ibid. p. 152.)
Our fickle monarch, who had fo fharply in
veighed againft Arminlanifm in Ills wrltlngSj,;.
and warmly approved, the proceedings of the
fynod of Dort : in the year 1 62 1 promoted doof
tor Laud, the great favourer of Armlnlanifrij,
to the bifhoprick of St. David's, and about the
fame time advanced Neal, Buckerldge, and
Harfnet, (who were all ;zealous Arminians) to
fome of the beft blfhoprlcks. In the year
1623 he publifhed his injunftlons or direftions
concerning preachers. In the third of which it

LETTER IV. 87
It is commanded, " that no preacher of what
tide fbever under the degree of a bifhop or
dean, at the leaft, do from henceforth prefume
to preaqh in any popular auditory deep points
of predeftlnatlon, eleftlon, reprobation, oi: the
unlverfality, efficacy, refiftlbillty, or Irrefiftlbl-
lity of God's grace." (Fuller p. 109.) Though
thefe injunftlons carried the air of impartiality,
and feemed defigned to put an end to the. re-
llglbus difputes which had enfiamed the nation;
¦yet the event proved that they were intended
to weaken the caufe of Calvinifm, andftrength-
cn that of Arminlanifm. For Laud, and the
reft in power, being zealous Arminians, con
nived at their party, who preached what doc
trines they pleafed ; and took care that the Cal
vinifts fhould ftrlftly obferve his maj'efty's In
junftlons ; by which they were unable to de
fend their own doftrlnjes, or oppofe thofe of
their adverfaries. A careful and fuccefsful In
quirer into the tranfaftlons bf thefe times de
clares; "the fafhlonable doftrlnes at court
were fuch as the king had condemned at the
fynod of Dort, and which. In the opinion of
the old Englifh clergy, were fubverfive of the
reformation — they pleaded for the proper
merit of good works — they gave up the —
five diftingiiifhing points of Calvinifm, ; which their

88 LETTER IV.
their predeceflbrs had contended for ^ they
fpent all their zeal in ftudying how to com-
promlfe matters with Rome, while they turn
ed their backs upon the old proteftarit doclfines
of the reformation — ^ things were come to fuch
a pafs, that Gondamar, the Spanlfh ambaf^
dor, -writ to Spain, that there never were
piore hopes of England's converfiorij for "there
are more prayers (fays he) offered tp the
mother, than to the fori of God." Neafs Hift.
of the Purit. Vpl II. p, 147. 148. The fasrie
writer pbferves, that, upon the acceflRpn of
Charles I. to the throne, (1625,) "Laud's firft
eare was to have none but Armlriiatt and Antif
puritanical chaplains about the Jcing. For this
purpofe he drew up a finall treatife, and put
it Into the duke of Buckingham's hand, prov
ing that the Arminian doftrlnes were ortho
dox. -^Agreeably to this fcheme, he prefented
the duke (April 9) with a lift of divines for his
majefty's chaplains, diftlnguifhing their charac*
ters by the two capital letters, O. for Ortho»
doK, (that Is Arminian) and P. for Puritan,
(that is, Calvlnift.) At the fame time he receiv
ed orders to confult bi(hop Andrews how to
manage, with refpeft to the five diftlnguifh
ing points of Calvinifm, in the enfujng convo"
cation : but die wife blfliop^ advlfed his brother
by all means to be quiet, and keep the con
troverfy

LETTER IV. 89^
troverfy out of the houfe : " for (fays he) the
truth In this point Is not fo generally entertain
ed among the clergy ; nor Is archbifhop Abbot,
nor many of the prelates, fo Inclined to It, as
to venwre the deciding of it in convocation.
It was therefore wifely dropt, becaufe the ma
jority of the lower houfe were zealous Cal
vinifts; and forty five of them (according to
doftor Leo, who was one of the number) had
made a covenant among themfelves to oppofe
every thing that tended towards Pelagianifm
or Seml-pelaglanlfm." (160,162.)
About this time came out Montague's Appelh
Cefarem, He had publiflied a bookfeemlngly
againft the paplfts ; but was charged with de-
fertlng, Inftead of defending the proteftant
caufe, by this publication. Several things in
it were fo difagreeable to the received doc
trines of the church, that he was infornied
againft by two Norfolk clergymen for ad
vancing dangerous errors of Arminianifm and
Popery. This accufatlon occafioned his Appel-
lo Cefarem ; in which, Inftead of retrafting his
errors, he, with a bold front, undertook to prove
that Arminianifm was the doftrine of the
church of Englarid: This attempt of Monta
gue was thought important; enough to engage
the attention of parliament. " They voted his
M opinions

^& L E T T E R IV.
c^IriibrtS to be contrary to the articles, &c. arid-
bWged- him to enter into a recogriizance of
two thdufahd pounds to appear upori fiirri'-
Abris." •( Oldmixon, V. H. p. 77 ) " The houfe
of eomrnons (fays Fuller) fell very heavy ori
Mr. A/fontague foi" many bitter paffages in his^
book, who in' all probability had now been
feverely cenfured, but that the kirig hlmfelF
was pleafed to Interpbfe In his behalf^ fignify-
ing to the houie, " That thofe things whicH
T^^ere theri fpoken dnd determined concerri^
ing Montagiie, without his privacy, did ri'o?
pleafe him." But this did riot hinder feveral
Writers from appearing agairift him. Hi^
hook \va.s- foOri arifweted by feveral perfons :
among others, by blfliop Carlton, who had
been one of our .plenipotentiaries at the fynod
of Dort. In his anfwer the pious bifhop faysj
" this man (Montagpe) hath more dlfhonour--
ed ; oul" church, and flandered our doftrlnes;
flian ever did any member of our cliurch.'-
(p. 22".) Nor did the affair end in this man
ner. Notwithftanding the king's meflage;, the
parliament brought It on a fecond time. " A
committee for religion was appointed who
examined Mr. Montague's writings — out of
which tbey coUefted feveral opinions contrary
to the homilies and thirty nine articles, which they

L E T T E R IV. ^j
diey reported to the houfe." (Neal V. ^I. ^,
J 70.) The fixth and feventh opinions tliey
colkfted ftbm his bobk, a's erroneous were
thefe. " 6i;h." That 'm his appeal he maintained,
that man juftlfied may fall away .from grace,
and may recover again., but not certainly nqx
mecdrarily. " 7th."  That the defign of his book
was apparently to reconcile the church of Eng
land with the fee of Rome. On the Ciigh-r
teenth of April 1626, Mr. Pym made a re
port in the common's ho.ufe from the commit
tee of religion cpncernlrig Montague's appeal,
and his Arminian and .popifh genets therein.
comprized: whereupon it was vpted in the
houfe. I. That lie haddlfturbed the peace of the
church, by publiftiing dqftrines contrary to
the articles of the church of jErgland, and.thp
book of :lio^ilies.
2. That there are divers paflages In his
book (efpecially againft thofe he ternjeth Pi>-
ritans) apt to move fedltlon betwixt the king
and his ^bjefts, and between fubjeft and
fubjeft. 3. That the whole .frame and fcQ.pe of hjs
.boqk is, to difcourage the well-affe6ted In re-
' M 3 ligion

92 LETTER IV.
llglon from the true religion eftablifhed in the
church, and to incline them, and as much as
in him lay, to reconcile them to Popery."
(Canterbury's Doom p. 158.) Accordingly,
*^' the commons in parliament aflembled do
hereby pray that the faid Richard Montague
may be punlflied according to his demerits in
fuch exemplary manner, as may deter others
from attempting fo prefumptuoufly the peace
of the church and ftate." (Oldmixon V. II. p.
83.) But, " inftead of a fevere cenfure for
the Arminian Popifli aflertions in his book, he
was punijhed with the biflioprick of Chlchefr
ter." (Cant. Dom p. 159.) This affair of
Montague, we are told, occafioned the firft
breach between the king and his parliament.
(Oldmixon V.II. p. 77.) The remote caufe of
thefe difturbances Is thus pathetically fet forth
by the pious bifhop Hall. " If I might chal
lenge ought in that your acute and learned
Arminius, J would thus foiicit and conjure
him: alas! that fo wife a man fhould not
know the worth of peace ; that fo noble a
fon of the church fliould not be brought to
light, without ripping the womb of his mo-
jiher! what mean thefe fubtil novehles.'' if
they make thee famous and the church mi
ferable, who 'fhall gain by them.? is fingu- larlty

LETTER IV. 93
iarity fo precious, that it fhould coft no lefs than
the fafety and quiet of our common mother ?
If it be- truth thou affefteft, what alone } could
never any eyes (till thine) be bleffed with this
objeft } where hath the facred verity hid her-
felf thus long from all her careful inqulfitors,
that flie now firft fliews her head to thee, un-
fought } hath the gofpel fliined thus long,
and bright, arid left fome corners unfeen.?
away with all new truths : fair and plaufible
they may be, found they cannot: fome may
admire thee for them : none fhall blefs thee."
(Epift. to Reigeft)urgius.)
Not long after the publication of Mon-
' tague's Appello Cefarem, doftor Saunderfon
(afterwards bifhop of Lincoln) publifhed his
Pax Ecclefice. In this traft he has many
pertinent obfervations, and which caft much
light on the religious affairs of thofe times.
*' 'Forafmuch as here In England the diffe
rences, which before were but private con
cerning the points of Arminianifm, have been
of late fo far brought upon the public ftage,
by occafion of the paffages betwixt Mr. Mon
tague and his oppofers, as that a dangerous
• fchlfm Is like to enfue thereupon ; unlefs by
the goodnefs of God, and the wifdom of the
phurch and ftate, it be fpeedily prevented: thofe

94 LETTER IV.
thofe gerieral direftions now already laid dowj^
for the prefervatlon of the church's peace,
will not reach home for the fecuring of our
peace, and preventing further evils, as the ca;^
now ftandeth with us ; but It Is needful the
church fhould Interpofe herein, both by far^
ther explanation of her doftrine in the pointf
queftloned, and by the exercife of her dif
cipllne upon fuch perfons as will not reft '^
her determinations. And this necefllity will
the more appear. If we confider upon what
advantages the Arminian party hath, and yet
doth gain ftrength tp Itfelf; viz.
I. The weaknefs of fundry of thofe ex
ceptions, which were taken at Mr. Montague's .
anfwer to the Gagge, by thofe that firft openly
engaged themfelves for that bufinefs; which
hath not only brought prejudice to their per
fons, but alfo given difadvantage to the caufe^
even In thofe exceptions which were juft and
material. 2. The publifliing Mr. Montague's appeal
with allowance, which both hath given con
fidence to fundry, who before were Armini
ans, but in fecret, now to walk unmalkec^,
and to profefs their opinions publickly in all
companies, and that with fome difdain of op-
pofition ; and doth alfo encourage fundry others

to

LETTER W. 95
to ftifew an hiGlIriatlbn to that fide, which they
fee to be Gountenanced In fuch public fort.
3. The plattfiblenefs of Arminianifm, and
the congruity It hath In fundry points with
the principles of corrupt nature, and of carnal
reafon. For it is a wonderful tickling to ilefh
and blood, to have the powers of nature mag^
riified, and to hear itfelf flattered, as If fhd
carried the greateft ftroke In the work of fat^
Nation; especially when thefe foothings ar6
eOriveyed under the ptetence of vindicating
the difperifatlons of God's provlderice fronl
the imputation of injuftice.
4. The harflinefs of that opiniori which
Calvin and Beza are faid to have held, and
riiany leafried meri in Our church are faid to
have followed, concerning the decrees of re
probation and eleftlon, without refpeft had to
Adam iri fhe brie, or to Chrlft in the other ;
whereas the inconveniencles, which either do
enfue, or feem to enfue upon that opinion,
fiWy be fftirly waved another way, and yet
without Arminlanifrii. -^
5. The mahifold cunning of the Armlniaris
to advance their own party; as viz. —
¦ I. In pleading for a liberty for every man
to abound In his own fenfe in things unde
termined by the church, that fo they may
fpread

96< LETTER IV.
fpread their own tenets the more freely; where-:
as yet It Is too apparent by their writings and:
fpeeches, that their intent and endeavour is' to
take the benefit of this liberty themfelves, but;
not to allow It to thofe that dlffent from them, t
2. In bragging out fome of their private
tenets, as if they were the received eftablifh-,
ed doftrine of the chureh of England, by for
cing: the words of the Articles or Common.
Prayer Book to a fenfe, which appeareth not
to have been intended thereinj as Mr. Monta
gue hath done In the point of falling from
grace. Whereas the contrary tenet, viz. of
the 'final perfeverance of the righteous in grace
and feith, may be by as ftrong evidence every
way, and .by as natural deducement cbllefted
out of the faid books, as ftiall be eafily proved^
If it be required.
3. In feeklng to derive envy upon theoppOr
fite opinions-, by delivering them in terms odli
ous, and of, ill and fufpicious found ; ¦. as viz,
. irrefiftibillty of grace, Irrefpeftive decree, &c,.
whereas the fober divines of the oppofite parr
ty ordinarily, do not ufe thpfc terms, nor yet
well approve of them, unlefs -underftood cuj»
gram falls. But themfelves rather are fo ex
orbitant in their phrafes and terms, as it were
well \f a. good quantity of fait could fo cor rect

t E T T E R IV. ^^
feft them, as to render them, if not wholfome,
at leaft favoury.
4. Which is the liloft unjuft drid tiw-
(jharitable courfe of all the reft, and whereby
yet J verily fjelieve they have prevailed more
than by all the reft, infcekirig to draw the per
fons of thpfe that dlffent from them into diflike
with the ftate, as if they were PurltanSj or pif-i;
clplinarians, or at leaft that Way affefted."^
Cp. 58-63.)
How much Arminianifm was riow encou-
Mged, and what joy and expeftations the
common enemy derived ftom hence, may be
gathered from the Jefuit's famous letter, fent
to the reftor at Brul^ls; a copy of which
letter, endorfed by ArChbifhip Laud himfelf,
was feized on in his ftudy at Lambeth.- You
may perhaps, from curiofity, defire to fee it.
" Father reftor, &c. We have now riiany
ftrings tp our bow, and have ftrongly fortified
our faftlon ; and have added two bulwarks
mpve; for when King James lived (we know)
he was very viofent againft Arminlanifrii"; and
interrupted with his peftilent wit, arid deep'
learning, our ftrorig defigris in Holland, &:c.
Now we have planted the Soveraigne Drudge
Mrminianifwie, which we hope will purge the
Proteftants from their herefy : and it flourifh-:
N ~ -leth'

9^ L E t T E R IV.
eth and beareth fruit in due feafon, &cc.
For the better prevention of the Puritans, th©
Arminians have already locked up the duke's
ears, and we have thofe of our religion, which
ftand continually at the duke's chamber, to
fee who goes In and out. We cannot be too
circumfpeft and carefol In this regard. I can
not chufe but laugh to fee how fpme of our
own rank have accoutred themfelves ; you
would fcarce know them if you faw them;
and 'tis admirable, how In fpeech and geflxire
they aft the Puritans. The Cambridge fcho-
lars to their woful experience fhall fee we can
aft the Puritans a little better than they have
done the Jefuits. I am at this time tranfported
with joy to fee' how happily all Inflruments-
and means, as well great as fmaller, co-ope
rate unto our purpofes. But to return unto the
main fabrick. Our Foundation is Arminianifme:
&c." (Rufhworth, Vol. I. p. 474. Cant. Doom.
p. 1 59. Foxes and Firebrands, P. II. p. 11 8. )
A copy of this letter was like wife found a-.
mong the papers of a fociety of Priefts and
Jefuits, Vi^hich was difcovered at Clerkenwell,
in 1627. (Oldmixon. Vol. II. p. 93.)
His majefty being preffed by his parlla*
merit, to call in Montague's book, by a royal
proclamation, the king at laft confented. '
-A

LETTER IV. 9^
A PROCLAMATION for the fup
prefling of a book, entitled, Appello Cefarem,
or an Appeal to Cefar.
Whereas Wee, out of our care to conferve
and malntaine the church committed to our
charge, in the unity oftrue religion and the bond !
of peace, and not to fuffer unnecefTary difputes,
which may trouble the quiet both of church
and ftate, have lately fcaufed fhe articles of re
ligion to be reprinted, as a rule for avoiding
diverfities of opinion, and for the eftablifhing
of confent In true religion ; Wee, continuing
our defire to compaffe this wifhed effeft, and
confidering that the book written by Richard
Montague, now bifhop of Chlchefter, then but
batchelor of divinity, Intitled (Appello Cefarem,
or an Appeal to Cefar,) and publiflied in the
year (1625) was the firji caufe of thofe dIG-
putes and differences, which have fithence
much troubled the quiet of the chiiroh ; have
thought it fitting to take away the occafion
by calling In the faid book : and therefore,
Ave do hereby-wlll and ftrlftly command all
and fingular perfons whatfoever, who have,
or fliall have any of them in their hands or
cuftody, that, upon pain of our high difplea
fure, and the confequeiice thereof, they do
deliver the fame prefendy upon this publl-
ation, to the lord bifhop of the diocefe» or his
N 2 chan-

loo L E T T El R IV.
chancellour, if it be out of our unlverfities-: or
if It be in either of the two unlverfities, to the
chancellor, or vice-chancellor there, whorn we
ftraitly command to fuppreffe the fame.; hop
ing thereby, that men will no more trouble
themfelves with thefe unnecefTary queft-iojsK,
the firft occafion being taken away: but if
we fliall be deceived in this our expeftati-
on, ' and that by reading, preaching, or mak-^
ing books, either pro or contra, concerning
thefe differences, men begin a new difipute;
we fhall take fuch order widi them and thofe
books, that they fhall wifti they had never
thought upon thefe needlefs controverfies.
Given at our court at White-half, the fe
venteenth day of January, In the fourth yeare
of our reigne, of Great Britaine, France and
Ireland. (Cant. Doom. p. i6i.)
But the parliament, perceiving that the king
favoured the Arminians, drew up a remarka
ble declaration to his majefly pn the growth
of Popery and Arminianifm.
" As our feare concerning change or fub-
vsrfion of religion is grounded upon the daily
increafe of papifts, the onely profeffed enemies
thereof, for the reafons formerly mentioned.;
fo are the hearts of your fubjefts no leffe per
plexed, when with forrow they behold, a dai-

LETTER IV.

lOI

fy growth and fpreadlng of the faft ion of
the Arminians, that being ( as your majefty
well knows) but a cunning way to bring in po
pery, and the profeffors of thofe opinions, the
common difturbers of the proteftant churches,
and incendiaries of thofe ftates wherein they
have gotten any head, being Proteftants in
fhew, but Jefuits in opinion and praftice: which
caufed your royal father (with fo much pi
ous wifdom and ardent zeale) to endeavour
the fijpprefflng of them as well at home as
In our neighbouring countries.: and your gra
cious majefty, imitating his moft worthy ex
ample, have openly and by your proclamati
ons, declared your miflike of thofe perfons and
of their opinions; who notwithftanding are
much favoured and advanced, not wanting
friends even of the clergy near to your ma-
jeftle, namely doHor Neale, bifhop of WIn
chefter, and doSior Laud, biftiop of Bath and
Wells, who are juftly fufpefted to be unfound
in their opinions that ivay, and it being now
generally the way to preferment, and promo
tion In the church, many fchoUers do betid
their ftudies to malntaine thefe errors; their
bookes and opinions are fuffered to be print
ed and publiflied, and on the other fide, the
imprcffions of fuch as are written againft them,
\ and

I02 L E T T E R IV.
and in defence of the orthodox religion, arc
hindered and prohibited, and (which Is a bold-
nefle moft incredible) this reftraint of ortho
dox bookes Is made under colour of your
majeftle's (formerly mentioned) proclamation,
the intent and meaning whereof we know was
quite contrary — &c." (Cant. Doom. p. 162)
Moreover, the commons In purfuance of
their oppofition againft the Increafing Armi
nian faftion, after much debate, paffed this fa
mous vote, January 28, 1628.
" Wee the commons now affembled in
parliament doe clalme, profeflc and avow for
truth, the fenfe of the articles of religion,
which were eftablifhed in parliament In the
thirteenth yeare of queene Elizabeth, which
by the publicke afts of the church of Eng
land, and the general and current expofitlon
of the writers of our church have been deliver
ed unto US; and we rejeft the fenfe of the
Jefuits, Arminians, and all others wherein
they doe differ from us." (Cant. Doom. p. 1 63.
Oldmixon, Vol. II. p. 103.)
The London clergy likewife petitioned his
majefty, on account of his injunftlons concern
ing preaching on the five controverted points. To

LETTER IV. 103
To the. King's moft excellent Majeftle.
The humble petition of divers minlfters of
God's word. In and about the city of London,
and elfewhere,
Moft humbly fheweth.
That whereas your royal majeftle, out of
your religious zeale for the conferving of the
church, committed to your charge, In peace,
and for the confirming of the doftrine of the
lame agreeable to God's word, and conteyn-
ed in the articles eftablifhed ; did publlfli both
a proclamation and a declaration, therein pro
hibiting all opinions, either againft or befides
the orthodoxal grounds of religion expreffed
in the faid articles, as alfo all raifing of doubts
and deputations which may nourifh faftlon in
church and common-wealth. And yet ypur
majefly's faid edifts are fo interpreted, and
preffed upon us, as we are not a litde dlfcou-
raged and deterred, from preaching thofe fa
ving doftrlnes of God's free grace In eleftl
on, and predeftlnatlon, which greatly confirme.
our faith of eternal falvation, and fervently
kindle our love to God, as the feventeenth
article exprefsly mentioneth. So as we are
brought Into a great ftrait, either of Incurring
God's heavy difpleafure if we do not faithfully
difchargeour embaffage. In declaring the whole
~ counfel

104 LETTER lY.
counfel of God, or the danger of being cert-'
fured for violators of your majeftles faid afts,
if we preach, thefe conftant doftrlnes of oui?
church, and confute the oppofite Pelagian and
Arminian herefies, both preached and printed
boldly without feare of cenfure. As if the
faving doftrlnes of Chrift were prohibited',
and thefe Impious herefies priviledged,. which'
Councels both old and new have condemned;:
and the admired judgment of our late fove-.
raigne, your royal father, king James of blefl'-r.
ed memory, hath for ever branded, callings
the malntalners thereof arrogant and athelfli-.'.
cal feftarles, who are not afhamed to lie fo
grofty, as to avow that their herefies are a-
greeable with the religion and profeffton of
the church of England, which corrupt feeds
of herefy and faftion, (If not the more fpeed-f
ily rooted out ) the wife king tells the neigh
bour ftates, will of neceflTity bring utter raines
to their ftate by the too bold, and frequent
difciples and followers of that enemy of God,:
Arminius. Wee therefore your majeftle's faithful, obe
dient, peaceable, and conformable fubjefts to
all your majeftle's lawes being moft tenderly
fenfible of the difhonour of Chrlft, and bf your
majeftle hrs vicegerent over us, infinitely more dear .

LETTER IV. toj
dear unto us than our lives, iiioft humbly on
our bended knees, befeech your gracious ma
jeftle to take Into your princely confideration
the forenamed evils and grievances under
which we groane ; and as a wife phyfician
to prefcribe and apply fuch fpeedy remedies,
as may both cure the prefent maladies, and
fecure the peace of the church and common
wealth, from all thofe plagues which our neigh
bours have not a little felt, and more may
fear If the councel Oi the moft judicious king
be not the better followed." (Cant. Doom.
p. 165.)
Of thefe times Monf Larrey writes thus,
" Popery was tolerated and Arminianifm fa
voured. NEAL and LAUD were the caufe."
(Vol. I. p. 167.)
The Arminian party, with Laud at their head,
carried things with fo high a hand, that, not
withftanding the king's Injunftlons, they li
cenced the books of Paplfts and their own
party, and fupprcffed tlie writings of the Cal
vinifts. " At length the Bookfellers being al
moft ruined, preferred a petition to the next"
parliarnent (1628) complaining that the writ
ings of their beft authors were ftlfled In the
prefs, ^vhile the books of their adverfaries
(Papifts and Arminians ) were publifhed and
O fpread

io6 LETTER IV.
fpread oyer the whole kingdom." Ruflir
worth Vol. I. p. 655 )
Soon after carne out the proteftatlon of the
houfe of commons, in which It Is declared — -
" Whofpever fhall by favour or .countenance,
feem to extend or Introduce Popery or Ar
minianifm, fliall be reputed a capital enemy
of the kingdom." (Neal Vol. II. p. 196)
. As the Arminians had now got the power
of licenfing books Into their hands, when any
that were not of their party offered any books
to their infpeftlon. In order to be licenfed. If
they did not wholly fupprefs, they took care
to. expunge all paffages in them, which they
thought would give offence, by fpeaking any
thing that favoured of Cafvlnlfm. This liber
ty they took with the writings even of fome
of the biftiops.
In bifhop Halls letter to bifhop Davenant,
endeavouring to free himfelf from the charge
of Arminianifm, the following paffage was ob
literated. " Yea, as If this calumnle were
not enough, there want not thofe whofe fe
cret whiipcrlngs caft upon me the foule afpcr-
fions of another feft, whofe name Is as much
hated, as little underflood : my lord, you know
I had a place with you, (tho' unworthy) in
that famous fynod of Dort, where (however fickneffe

L E T T E R IV..' f67
fickneffe, bereaved me of the honour of a con-*
clufive fubfcription) yet your lordfhip heard
me with equal vehemency to the reft,- crying
down the unreafonablenefs of that way. I am
ftill the fame man, and fhall live and die In the
fuffrage bf that reverend fynod ; and do confi
dently avPW, that thofe other opinions cannot
Jiand with the' doSlrine of the church of Eng'
land. But If the compoiing of our differences
at home, (which your lordfhip knowes to be
far different from the Netherlandifh) there
could have been tendered any fuch fair pro
pofitlons of accordance, as might be no pre-*
judice to God's truth, I fliould have thought
it an holy and happy projeft ; wherein if it
be not a fault to have wifhed a fafe peace,
I am innocent." (Cant. Doom. p. 165.)
In March 1 63 1 , doftor Davenant, blfliop of
Salifbury, preached, In his courfe, before the
king, and two days after was called before
the privy council for preaching contrary to
the royal injunftlons. The bifhop's own ac
count of the affair. In a letter to his worthy '
friend, doftor Ward, will fhew the matter
in the beft light. — " As for my court buft
nefs, though it grieved me that the eftablifh
ed doftrine of our church fhould be diftafted,
"yet It grieved me the leffe, becaufe the truth
O 2 bf

loS LETTER IV.
of what I delivered was acknowledged even
by thofe which thought fit to have me queftlorir
ed, for the deliverie of It. Prefently after my
ferrrion was ended, it was fignlfied unto me
by my lord of York, and my lord of WInchef
ter, and my lord chamberlain, that his ma
jefty was much difpleafed, tliat I had ftlrred
this queftion, which he had formerly forbid
den to be meddled withall, one way or other;
my anfwer was, that I had delivered nothing
but the received doftrine of the church efta^
blrftied in the feventeenth article, and that I
was ready to juftify the truth of what I had
then taught. Their anfwer was, the doftrine
was not galnfaid, but his highnefs had given
command, thefe queftions fhould not be de
bated, and therefore he took It more offenfive-
ly that any fhould be fo bold, as in his own
hearing to break his royall commands. And
here my lord of York aggravated the offence,
ftom many other circvimftances. My reply
wis only this. That I never underftood that
his majefty had forbid a handling of any doo-
trine comprifed in the articles of our church,
but only raifing of new queftions, or adding ,
of new fenfe tliei eunto, which I had not done,
nor ever fhould doe. This was aU that paffed
betv/ixt us on Sunday night after my fermon. The

LETTER IV. 109
The matter thus refted, and I heard no more
of ir, till Gomlrig unto the Tuefday fermon,
one of the clerks of the council told me,
that I was to attend at the council-table,
the next day at two o' the clock. I told
him I would wait on their lordfhips at the
hour appointed. When I came thither, my
lord of York made a fpeech well nigh of
half an hour long, aggtavating the boldnefs
of my offence, and ftiewing many Inconve-
niericies that It was like to draw after It. And
he much infifted upon this, what good effeft
his majefty's declaration had wrought, how
'thefe controverfies had ever fince been bur
ried In filence, no man meddling with therri
one way or other. Wheri his grace had
finiflied his fpeech, I defired the lords, that
fince I was called thither as an offehder, I
might not be put to anfwer a long fpeech on
a fuddaitie, but that my lord's grace would
be pleafed to charge me point by point, and
fo to receive my anfwer, for I did not yet un
derftand wherein I had broken any com
mandment of his majeftle's, which my lord in
hifi whole difcourfe took for granted. Having
made this motion, I gave no farther anfwef,
and all the lords were filent for a while. At
length my lord's grace faid, I knew well
enough

no LETTER IV.
enough the point which was urged againft
me, namely the breach of the king's decla-^
ration. Then I ftood upon this defence, that
the doftrine of predeftlnatlon which I had
tauT^t was not forbidden by the declaration;
flrft, becaufe In the declaration all the articles
are eftablifhed, among which the article of
predeftlnatlon Is one. Secondly, becaufe all
minlfters are urged to fubfcribe unto the
truth of the article, and all the fiibjefts to
continue In the profeflfion of that as well as
of the reft. Upon thefe and fuch like grounds,
I gathered, it could not be efteemed amongft
forbidden, curious, or needlefs do6trInes ; and
here I defired that out of any claufe In
the declaration it- might be fhewed me, that
keeping myfelf within the bounds of the ar
ticle, I had tranfgreffed his majefty's com
mand; but the declaration was not produced,
nor any particular words in It ; only this was
urged that the king's will was, that for the
peace of the church thefe high queftions fliould
be forborne. My anfwer then was, that I
was forry I underftood not his majefty's in
tention, which If Iliad done before, Ifhovild
have 'made choice of fome other matter to in-
. treat of, whicli might have given none offence;
and that for the time to come, I fliould con
form

L E T T E R IV. Ill
form myfelf as readily as any other to his
majeftle's command. The earl of Arundel
feemed to approve of this my anfwer, and
withal advlfed me to proceed no farther In my
defence. This Is 'in fubftance all which was
done or faid In this matter, and fo I was dif-
mlfled. The lords faid nothing either In ap
probation of what I had alledged, to fhew that
I had not wittingly broken the king's known
command, or in confirmation of the contrary,
urged againft me by my lord's grace. At
my departure I entreated their lordfhips to let
his majefty underftand, that I had not boldly,
or wilfully and wittingly, againft his declarati
on, meddled with the forenamed point ; and
that now underftanding fully his majefty's
minde and Intention, I fliould humbly yeeld
obedience thereunto. This bufinefs thus end
ed, I went the next day to my lord chamber
lain, and intreated him to doe me the fa
vour, that I might be brought to kiffe the
king's hand, before I went out of town, which
his lordfhip moft readily promifed and per
formed. When I came in, his majefty de
clared, his refolution, that he would not have
this high point meddled withal or debated,
either the one way or the other, becaufe it
was too high for the peoples underftanding ;
and

112 LETTER IV.
and other points which concern reformation
and newnefs of life, were more needful and
profitable. I promifed obedience herein, and
fo kifflng his majefty's hand departed. I
thought fit to acquaint you with the whole car
riage of this bufinefle, becaufe I am afraid
many falfe reports will be made of It, and
contrary one to another, as men ftand contra-
rily aiiccted. I fhewed no letters or inftruc-
tions, neither have any but thofe general In
ftruftions, wi.Ich king James gave us at our
going to Dort, which make little or nothing to
this bufineffe. I louglit amongft my papers,
but could not find them on the fuddalne, and I
fuppofe you have them already. As for my
fermon, the brief heads were thefe : Eternal
life Is the gift of God thro' Jefus Chrift our
Lord. As in the former part I had fpoken of
the threefold miferle of the wicked ; fo here
I expounded the threefold happinefs of the
godly to be confidered.
I. Happy in the lord whom they ferve:
God, or Jefus Chrift.
2. Happy in the reward of their fervlce:
eternal life.
3. Happy In the manner of their reward:
Charifnia, or gratu\tum donum In Chrlfto. The

,L E T T E R IV. 113
• The two former points were not excepted
againft. In the third and laft I confidered
-eternal life In three divers Inftances; in the
eternal ¦ deftination thereunto which we call
eleftlon, in our converfion, regeneration, or
juftlficatlon, which I termed the embryo of
eternal life. John IV. 14, And laft of all In
our coronation, when full poflefltion of eter
nal life Is given us. In all thefe I fhewed
It to be Charifma^^ or the free gift of God
through Chrift, and not procured, or premerl-
ted, by any fpecial afts depending upon the
free will of men. The laft point, wherein I
oppofed the popifh doftrine of merit was not
diftiked. The fecond, wherein I fhewed the
effeftual calling or regeneration, (whereby we
have eternal life Inchoated and begun In us)
Is a free gift, was not exprefiy taxed. Onlv
the firft was It which bred the offence; not
in regard of the doftrine itfelf, but becaufe
(as my lord's grace faid) the king had prohn
bited the debating thereof. And thus having
let you underftand the carriage of this bufinefs,
I commit you to the proteftion of the Al
mighty." (Fuller.)
A few years after, when archbifhop Laud
was brought to his trial, one of the articles
of Impeachment againft him (viz. 7.) was
P ' " that

114 L E T T E R IV.
" that he hath traiteroufly endeavoured to al
ter and fubvert God's true religiori, by law
eftablifhed in this realm, and Inftead thercbf
to fet up Poplfli , fuperftition and Idolatry.
And to that end, hath declared and malri-
tained in fpeeches, and printed bboks, divers
Popifli doftrlnes and opinions contrary to the
articles of religion eftablifhed by law." And
in the eighth article of Iriipeachment againft
him it is faid, — " and hath taken upon hirii
the commendation of chaplains to the king;
by which means he hath preferred to his
majefty's fervlce, and to other great proriio-
tions In the church, fuch as have been Po-
pifhly affefted, or, otherwife unfound and
corrupt both in doftrine and manners." (Cant.
Dom. p. 27. — Oldmixon — Rufhworth.)
In his defence the archbilhop faid, " I am
char2:ed with an endeavour to introduce anS
propagate Arminianifm In our church — to
this I anlwer In general, that I never en
deavoured to Introduce Arminianlim Into
our church, nor ever maintained any Arihi-
nian opinions — I neither did proteft nor coun
tenance the Arminians perfons, books, or te-
.ri'?:K. — True It Is, I was. In a declaration of
'tli'e-^kommons houfe, taxed as a favourer, ad
vancer of Arniinians and their opinions,, wife- out

LETTER IV. 115
out any particular proof at all, which was ^.
great flander to -me. (Canf. Doom. p.
507 508.) — " For the purging fome paflages
out of bifhop Hall's and bifhop Davenant's
le.tter and Imprlfoning mafter Butter for print
ing them ; I anfwer, that the fame was done
by my chaplain, as being contrary to his ma
jefty's proclamation and declaration ; and bi
fhop HaU himfelf at laft confented tQ it, and
was well fatisfied upon the reafon given him
by niy chaplain, that It was for the quiet of
|the church; and therefore for the printer of
his own head to put It In, ^eferved exemp
lary punifhment." (50^.) In bis endeavour
to free himfelf from the charge of favourinp-
fome particular Arminians, he .fays " — bifhop
JSTeal was a worthy man, free from Popery
and Arminlanifiji — doftor Lindfey was a
very great fchplar, who deferved weft, neither
did I know him to be an Arminian — how
ever thefe were affefted, yet none can charge
me with any Popery or Arminianifm." (530.)
It Is needlefs to fcrutinize the archbifhop's
Integrity, and enquire whether w^hat he laid
in his defence was true. It Is fufficient to our
purpofe, that thefe proceedings furnifh an un-
^nfwerable proof that Arminianifm was not
then the doftrine of the church of Ensjand.
P 2 '^or

ii6 L E T T E R IV.
For it can fcarce be fuppofed that a parlia
ment fliould be fo ignorant of the doftrines-
of the church, as to Impeach the archblfhop
of Canterbury of endeavouring to fubvert God's.
true religion as by law eftablifhed, and par
ticularly inftance, by, his Introducing and
encouraging Arminian tenets and perfons; If
.Arminianifm had been the national religion.
Or that this fenfible and crafty prelate fhould
be ignorant of the doftrines of the church, and
fo unable to refute the charge, which he might
have done, only by proving that Arminlanifm
was the religion eftablifhed by law. On the
other hand, he plainly declares that he never
endeavoured to introduce Arminianifm Into the
church, or ever maintained Arminian tenets.
You'll excufe the length of this letter, and
my filling It almoft with quotations. I thought
It neceffary to be particular, and that a circum-
ftantial account of thefe tranfaftions would not
be altogether difagreeable. I am yours, &c.

LETTER

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LETTER V.

Dear Sir,
yOOOU^: >^ R O M this feafon, and from varl-
^*^ t^% \^* »^^ t^i ^%
!^!' \ fT s X ^i°"s caufes (one of the chief of
S § § w which, perhaps, is, that It became
'XXX.^^3KX ^^^ "'Sb J^oad to preferment) Ar
minianifm gained ground daily among thofe
who called themfelves fons of the church : in
fomuch that, foon after the reftoration, there
were very few Calvinifts among them: i. e.
very few who paid that regard to the arti
cles, which they had folemnly engaged tb
do, before and after their ordination. " Every
one is acquainted with the change that has ta
ken place In the eftabliflied church of England,
whofe clergy, generally fpeaking, fince the
time of archbifhop Laud, have embraced the
Arminian doftrine concerning predeftlnatlon
and grace; and, fince the reftoratipn of
Charles the fecond, have difcovered a ftrong pro-

ii8 L E T T E R V.
propenfity to many other tenets of the Arml-
nian church" (Moflielm V. II. p. 53 1-) Cal
vinifm was now almoft confined to thofe who
had formerly feparated from, or were to
tally obliged to leave the churqh, on account
of the aft of uniformity. Between thefe and
thofe who remained In poffeflion of the re
venues of the church, there were frequent
controverfies concerning ceremonies and doc
trines: and that they had departed from
their articles was, among other things, often
objefted by the former to the latter. The
charge was fo far from being groundlefs,
that it was notorioiifly true. Every one
might know It, who knew the difference bet
tween Calvinifm and Arminianifm, and com
pared the articles with the difcourfes of the
clergy in general. And as thofe who mad?
the charge loudly infifted on the faft; it w^?
after fome time, thought prudent to fay fome
thing by way of anlwer to it ; whicli was
this: -f " that they are not articles of docr
trine but of peace.'' The meaning of which
bifhop Burnet fuppofes to be, that " they are
a ftandard of doftrine not to be contradlftr ed
f This difiinftion, it feems, is to be attributed to the y/av.ering Mr.
Chillingwonh, who firlt publiflied it, about the yeaj- 1637, in his difpuje
Bfith Knot the Jeiuit.

L E T T E R V. 11^
ed br difputed — - that the fons of the church
are only bound to acqulefce filently in them
'-i— Eihd that the fubfcription to them amolintS
bhly to a gerieral compromife upon thefe
articles, that fo there may be rio wrangling
-nor difputing about them." (On the Art. p. 6.)
¦But this Is perhaps the moft unluckly evafiori
that could have been hit on, as It Is glaringly
iiicbnfiftent with truth and honefty. It is In-
corififtent with truth, becaufe their title plainly
'fays that they were agreed upon in convoca
tion, for the avoiding of diverjities of opinion,
'ahd for the ejiablifloing of confent touching trut
religion. It is inconfiftent with honefty. For
this is evidently the meaning of a perfon who
fubfcribes tlien*! with this view of things.
" Whereas I, 'N. N. have a particular defire
to enter into holy orders, and being fenfible that
I cannot eijoy any dignity or re-venue of the
-church, without fabfcribing that the articles are
agreeable to the word of God, when underjiood
'in their liter- al and grammatical fenfe ; I do here-
'b'y folemnly promife, that ftho' I believe feve
ral of the articles are not true, when thus in
terpreted) I will keep my opinion to myfelf;
ht leafi as far as not publickly to preach a-
gainfi them'" This is the language of one
who fubfcribes 'therii as articles of peace only. And

i2o L E T T E R V.
And how he can reconcile this compromife
with, the folemn declaration he makes before
God, " that he will be ready, with all faith
ful diligence, to banifh and drive . away all
erroneous doftrines contrary to God's word,"
he would do well ferloufly to confider. And,
what Is more. If we fuppofe there is no fraud
in fuch a fubfcription, but that a perfon may
thus come regularly and fairly into the church,
it Is, even on this fuppofition, ImpofTible that
he fhould do his duty, and fulfil his engage
ments. For by fuch a fubfcription- he en
gages that he will not concern himfelf with
the controverted points. Now thefe compre
hend not only the fundamentals, but almoft
the whole of Ghrlftlanity. So that thefe fub
jefts he muft not enter upon. He muft not,
for inftance, acquaint his people whether
•they are finners by nature, or not — how
they are to be juftlfied in the fight of God;
whether by going about to eftablifli their
own righteoufnefs, or fubmltting to the righ
teoufnefs of God — whether they muft be
faved with the concurrence of a divine af
fiftance, or wholly through grace. In a
word, all the leading points of chrlftlanity
muft go untouched. And of courfe he muft
either fupprefs or pervert many plain declara; tions

LETTER V. r2i-
tioro of fcripture. But, notwithftanding thefe
awkward conibquences of fuppofing that the-
asrtlcles are defigned only as articles of peace,
not of confent In opinion; multitudes have
thought, and not a few, even at this day,
pretend that this vv^as the defign of them. But
If this was the defign of them, It is notorious'
that the clergy did not aft according to it.
After the ejeftment of near two thoufand mi'^
nifters. In the 'year 1662, for not complylrig
with the aft of uniformity, the church was al
moft wholly Arminian. There were few,
very few Calvinifts left In it. And as It was
become fafhlonable to Inveigh againft thofe
who had quitted their appointments rather
than comply with the aSt; fo It was by no
means uncommon to drefs up the Calvlnlan
doftrines In a fool's cap, and expofe them to"
the people from the pulpit-^ to reprcfent them
very unfairly, and charge them with horrid
confequences, but which did not properly be-^
long to them — and at the fame time endea
vour to fet off tb advantage the Arminian te^
nets, by undertaking to prove that they were
agreeable to human reafon, accorded with our
natural notions of the dignity of man, di-ew
afide the Vail which Calvanifm had caft on the
Divine attributes, and fhewed them in their
Q_ genuine

izz

L E T T E R V.

genuine beauty and juft harmony. So that
thefe divines had fomething of the fpirit of
tjiofe Jews, v/ho, like perverfe children, would
neither pipe nor dance. They would -not un
derftand the articles In this true fenfe, nor aft '
agreeably to what they peremptorily infifted
was the true defign of them. The feft of the
Arminians fays the judicious Moflieim, ( Vol. "
II. p. 518) derived Its exiftence from an ex-
cefTive propenfity to Improve the faculty of rea--
fon, and to follow its diftates and dlfcove-?'
ries." This excefifive propenfity fhewed itfelf
remarkably, among the divines of thofe days.
They exalted reafon- above meafure, even to
the fetting it on the throne, and obliging reve-'
lation to minlfter unto It. : The ftandard - by
which they tried' all religious truths was this.
" Nothing 'is to be received Into our religion,
as true, but what we have an adequate and
comprehenfive Idea of" (Growth of Error,
p. 4) A pious and learned writer, fpeaking of
thefe times, fays, " For feveral years together
this was the conftant tone of the pulpit among
fome men— reafon muft be the rule of all re
ligion; reafon Is the ftandard of all truth.
Nothing is to be admitted In Chrlftlanity but
what Is founded upon and refolved Into natu
ral arg-ument and reafon." (Edwards's Preach er,

L fi f f E ]^ % j^3
er. Vol. I. p. 46.) -And the perfons to whorh
he alludes were the moft popular, and account
ed the beft pireachers of the age.
So highly was reafon extolled, that It was a-
greed upon, that " All reafonings about di
vine revelations muft neceffarily be governed
by the prlrifclples of natural religiori: that is,
by thofe apprehenfioris which men naturally
have of the divine perfeft Ions, and the clear
•notlorisof good and evil which are imprinted
upPn our natures." (Tillotfon, Vol. II. p. 25.
'^dit. 1748) — " By thefe principles -—we are
¦ to Interpret what God hath revealed; and when
arfy doubt arlfeth concerning the meaning of
'any divine revelation, we iare to govern our
felves in the interpretation of it, by what is
moft agreeable to thofe natural notions which
we have of God." (p. 26) — " The only de
fign of revealed religion Is, to revive arid in*-
prove the natural notions which we have of
God, and all our reafonings about divine reve-^
lation, are neceffarily gathered by our natural
notions of religion." ( Vol. VI. p. 35. ) Such
was the divinity of thefe days. Such the lan
guage of the moft pelebrated preacher, whofe
writings are admired, and are the ftandard of
doftrines with multitudes, even at this day.
0^2 Thefe

.i24 :L ^ r T E R V.
iu Thefe principles cleared the way. for tlie
-Socinlans, who now began to appear openly,
and foon fwarmed :among us. The doftrlftos
jpf the Trinity, and of the death of Chrift a's a
-fatisfaftion for -fin, were publlclcly denied and
-wrote againft. And tho' feveral were. cautious
.what they faid ori -thefe points, and avoided
\givlng - their Qplrilons in plain terius, yet jt is
¦icvldent from, their writings that they had era-
ibraced :tlie Socinian blafphemies. The well
.meaning .Arminians were now rmade -fenfiblf
-.of their error, arid faw very plainly that th^
-had overfhot the mark, In extoliiqg reafon. at
fo prodigious a rate. Yet they judged iit ne-
-ceffary to appear In -defence of thofe doftrines,
which they hear^ly believed to be. true.: viz.
.the doftrine of the Trinity, and of the death
-of Chrift; as a iacrafieefor fin. But how was
-this to be done? what weapons v>-ere4o..be
ufed iri this warfare .? upon r their own princi-
„ples they could not poftlbiy attack the Socinlans
with any profpeft of fuccefs. For if " nothing
;was to be admitted in CliTiftianiity but what is
Joynded upon and refolved into natural .argu-
flaent and reafon — -.or \vhat wc liave an ade-
•-•quate and .comprehenfi\'e Idea of; it was.no
.more poffible to defend the. fcripture accouat
of the Trinity, and of the canfe of the death of

L E T TER V: 125
!Qf rChrift, -dian the .doftrines. of abfolute, un-
-conditional-de^oin, -the total depravity of the
fhuman nature, lOr any of the -Calvlnlan poimg.
^pr we have adequate and -comprehenfive Ide-
.as of .none of thefe ¦ doftrines, and therefore
wone of them; ought to ¦¦ be admitted. ::Becaufe
-it is as much above our fxeafon to explain
-how daere can hetthreeuperfonsinthe God-
-hepd, and yet but one .God; as .to fhewrhosv
ithe Almighty, without any jarring of ihe.dlf
.vine attributes, could from all eternity, -chufe
ifome perfons to falvation and not others,, wlth-
(Out any .regard to what ,they would (do.: So
-ithatltwas found neceffary, to change the ftand-
card' of revealed religion. All religion was not
now to be tried by. the rule of jeafon,ibvit .by
the word of God. What he had ; therein de-
iclared was to be. believed - upon thetefhmony
xof the revealer, - tho' we were .abfoluitely una-
-ble to comprehend It. Hear jiow the langu
age of thofe Arminians, who fo .lately delight
ed in the appellation of rational divines, and
weighed all divine -matters in 'the niec' bal
ance of reafon. Take It in the words of their
champion. " The raodefty of Chrlftlaris is
contented In divine myfteries to know what
¦God has thought fit to reveal concerning them,
and bath, no curiofity to be wife above that
which

126 L E T TER V.
which Is written. It Is enough to believe what
God fays concerning thefe matters. — The doc
trine of the Trinity, even as it is afferted in
•^fcripture, is acknowledged by us to be ftiU a
•great myftery,. and fo Imperfeftly revealed as
;to be In a. great meafure incomprehenfible by
.human reafon.; : And therefore tho' fome learn
ed and judicious men may have very com-
mendably attempted a more ipartlcular expli
cation of this great myftery by the fhength
of reafon, yet I dare not pretend to that,
'knowing both the difficulty and danger of
fuch. an attempt, and mine own Infufficlency
•for it." (Tillotfon, Vol. III. p. 288)-— " A
:man muft not deny. what God fays to be
true, tho' he cannot comprehend many things
•which God fays: as particularly concerning
this myftery of the Trinity. It ought then
•to fatisfy us that this doftrine Is delivered In
fcripture, and that what Is there declared con
cerning it does not Imply a contradlftlon."
(p. 295.)
A judicious obferver of thefe times fays " I
have often thought of this great tranfaftlon of
divine providence, that thefe pr6feffed boafter^
of reafon, who were going to mar our divini
ty by it, and to deftroy a great part of the
New Teftament, were called off by the wri

tings

LETTER V. f27
tings of the Socinians, who were boafters of
the like nature. We may fee, by purfuing
the writings of thefe our Arminian divines,
what a height they would have proceeded to.
If there had not been a ftop put to It by the
over-ruling hand of God. I have with much
ferloufnefs and application contemplated this
remarkable event; and I call upon the reader'
to refleft on it with thanks to our wife and
merciful God, who overfwayed the hearts and
minds of men, and caufed the Unitarians to
be attacked by thefe perfons, who would per
haps have fought for the fame caufe, if thefe
men had not appeared for It." (Edwards
Veritas. Redux, p. 493.)
Little regard was now paid to the Articles.
The pulpit and prefs had almoft abandoned
them. They were feldom ufed, unlefs on
particular occafions, before ordination and in-.-
ftltution. At thefe feafons It was Indeed necef^
fary to take notice of them, becaufe their au
thority and defign were the fame that they had
ever been, and the form and manner of admif
fion Into the miniftry were not legally altered.
So that a fubfcripion to them, according to
their original rneaning, was as Indifpenfibly
neceffary, as It Is now (proh dolor !) for one
defigned for a place to partake of the Lord's
fupper.

128 LETTER V.
fijpper. Neverthelefsy diverjities of opinions
were allowed. Arminians, Socinians, Ariansy
Neonomlans, and Unitarians, had all crept?
into the fold, and were become true fons of
the church. Yet fo little agreement was' there
among them, more efpecially among the Uni
tarians, that a writer of thefe times declares,-^
" In thofe few things they profefs to own, they«
can't agree about the nature of God, whether
Omnlfclent or Immenfe } about the Hofy Ghoft,
w^hether a perfon, or not } about the invoca
tion of Jefus, whether a duty or not.-* fo tha:t
from any thing, which hath been publiflied by
them, we can't be fure that any two of them
are of the fame religion !" (.Growth of Error
p; 93.) Near- the end of this century, about
the year 1 699, bifhop Burnet publiflied a book'
entitled j an expofitlon of the 39 articles of the
church of England. The defign of this book
feems inconfiftent with what might be expeft-
ed from the title. Inftead of pofitively declar
ing in what fenfe the articles are to be under
ftood, his endeavour feems to have been, to
affuage the heats which then prevailed about
the true meaning of them, by infinuating,
that the church is not peremptory in her de
termination how they fliould be underftood,
" But that a latitude has been left to different opinions

L E T T E R V. 129
bpinions," (p. 170) fo that perfons of- different
perfuafion s may confcientloufly fubfcribe them.
I am forry to find that this amiable writer
fhould, thro' a falfe charity, feem to betray
that caufe, which, by his high ftatlon in the^
church, he was obliged to defend: and that
he. fhould, contrary to his ufual manner, write
fo unguardedly, as to make this evident to
every attentive reader. In the introduftlon to
this work, he fpeaks to the qiieftlon, whether
the articles are defigned as articles of Uplon
and peace, or of confent In opinion. And
from confidering the title they bear, that they
were agreed upon In convocation, for the Or-
"poiding of diverjities of opinions, and for the
eftablifhing confent touching true religion; - he
concludes, " It Is evident a confent in opinion is
defigned." (p. 7) This argument Is conclufive.
But how does It agree with what he fays about
the church leaving a latlriide for different opi
nions.? If the defign of the articles was to a-
void diverfities of opinion, how can leaving a
latitude for different opinions be confiftent with
that defign } It is perhaps diflicult to invent a
miore glaring contradlftlon. Had the. bifhop
ftrlftly regarded the defign of the compilers
as expreffed in the title of the articles, he
might have faved himfelf the. .trouble '. of en-
; R quiring

ip L E T' T E R V.
quiring " how far our church has determined^
the matter;"' (^. 1 6 8) viz. between the Calvl-
riifts and Arminians — ^hoW far fhe hath reftrai-
ned her fons, and how far flie has left them-'
at liberty." He need not have faid that " the
natural equity or reafon of things ought to
carry to as great a comprehenfive nefs of all
fides, as may well confift with the words in
which our church has expreffed herfelf on
thofe Heads," For it is well known that the
artkles were compiled before Armlniu-s was
born. The articles were GompIled in the yeap
1562, and Arminius died In 1609 at the age
of 40. (L'Am.y Hift. Socinianifoi, p. 133.)
Moreover, Arminius was bred a Calvlnift at
Geneva, and did not change his opinions till
the year 1591; (Moflieim v. ii. p. 518, 519)
whicli was twenty years after they received the
the parliamentary fanftion, and almoft thirty
after they were compiled. So that what the
bifhop infinuates of our church feaving a lati
tude for the fake of either of thefe, is impof
fible to be true. His book however gives full
proof that the major part of the clergy hady
in his time, departed from the articles ; or, at
ieaft, thought they might be underftood in a
fenfe different from what tho compilers of
thcra intended. He fays, '- In England the
firft

L E T T E R V. 131
'firft referfnfers were generally in the Sublapfa-
rian Hyppthefis.' (p. 1.5 1) And fpeaking of
theAuguftinlan or Calvlnlan notion of original
fin, he candidly acknowledges, " It is known
that this Was the tenet of thofe who prepared
the articles." (p. 114) The compilers then
were, accordino; to him, Calvinifts. And
-their defign in compiling them, we have feen,
was, to avoid diverfities in opinion, and to
.eftablifh confent touching true religion. Bu$
in his time, all our clergy were fo far from
being Calvinifts, of the, fame opinions -with
thofe who drew up the articles, that fome of
them Inveighed againft Calvin's Doftrines,
.feveri from the pulpit. " The boldnefs (fays
he) of fome among us, who have reflefted in
.Sermons, or otherwife, on thofe Who hold
C^lviri's fyftem, has been much blamed, and
often cenfured by thofe, who though they
hold the fame opinions with them, yet are
both more charitable In their thoughts, and
more difcreet In their expreffions." (Pref,
p. 8.) This work we are Informed (p. i.)
was undertaken at the requeft of an archbifh
op; whofe. works fully prove him an Armini
an. And the bifhop himfelf, fpeaking of the
point of predeftlnatlon, owns, '^' I follow the
doftrine of the Greek church." (Pref, p. 6,)
R 2 which

132 LET T E R V.
which Is Inconfiftent with the opinion of the
reformers -f. And further, he gives this as the
reafon why a full and clear explanation of
the thirty nine articles had not been underr
taken before his attempt. " It has been oft
en fuggefted, that thofe articles feemed to
be fo plain a tranfcrlpt of St. Auftin's doftrine,
in thofe much difputed points, concerning the
decrees of God, and the efficacy of grace, that
they were not expounded by our divines for
that very reafon; fince the far greater num
ber of them Is believed to be now of a dif
ferent opinion." (Pref p. i .) Which is at
leaft to Intimate, that the true meaning of
the controverted articles may be underftood
by the words in which they are exprelfed,
that their fenfe Is evidently Calvlniftical —
that a full and Impartial explanation of them
would probably give offence; as It would
be to prove that the far greater part of the
clergy had departed from them: and there fore
f The opinion of one of the chief of diem concerning tlieGreefc
church may be learned from the following ftory. " Sir William
Cecil, the queen's fecretary, having informed doftor Cox, bi
ftiop of Ely, that the queen fometimes employed herfelf in
reading the Greek fathers, the doftor replied, " When all is
done, the fcripture is that that pierceth : Chryfoftorii and the
Greek fathers pelagiatiizatit, favour the erittrs of Peiagius,"
(Strype's annals of queen Elizabeth, ch. 32.)

L E T T E R V. 133
fore It was thought prudent not to under
take It. At the beginning of the prefent cen
tury, Arminianifm was fenfibly on the de
cline. It had introduced Soclnianlfm, foon
after the reftbration i, which within* a few
years prevailed over It; fo that the Socinians
were more numerous than the Arminians.
Soclnianlfm ufhered in Arianlfm. But the So
cinians having received a check, being pub
lickly ftigmafized by the toleration aft In 1 689,
were obliged to fpeak with fome caution and
referve. This perhaps was fervlceable to the
Arian intereft, for it foon became predomi
nant, and was, at the commencement of the
prefent age, the fafhlonable religion.
The Arminians had all along acknowledged
that they were obliged to underftand the arti
cles in the literal and grammatical fenfe. And,.
by adding here and there a word, and finding
out a meaning for others, different from what
the compilers Intended, they thought they
could make them fpeak with fome agreement to
[| Biddle's Socinian catechifms were indeed publifhed in the
time of Oliver Cromwell ; but it does not appear that Socini-
anifm was openly countenanced by any of the clergy, till after the
reftoration. Biddlc publifhed his book un'der favour of the to
leration which Cromwell allowed to fefts of all kinds ; yet fo
¦offenfive was the book, that Cromwell had him thrown into
prifon for it, where he died.

134 LETTER V.
to their own tenets. But this would not ferve
the turn of the Arians. The firft and fecond
artlcfeS in particular, and fome paffages in tho
public offices of the church, fpeaking exprefs
ly againft" them; after fome fruitlefs attempts
to ftrain thefe to a meaning that might feem
to agree with their opinions; they began to
declare that a perfon may agtee and fub^
fcribe them, " whenever he. can in any fenfe
at all reconcile them with the fcriptures ; I. e.
with his own fenfe of fcripture." One of
tlieir writers declares^ " It is an avowed prin
ciple among them, that thefe ( the thirty nine)
articles may lawfully and confcientloufly ^ be
fubfcribed in any fenfe In which they them--
felves, by their oWn Iriterpretatibn, cart re
concile therri to fcripture, without regard to
the meaning and interpretation, either of the
|)etfons who' firft compiled them, or who
now Impofe them." (Vid. Waterland's Cafe
of Ariari Subfcription, p. 8.) So that the ar
tkles- were to ftand' for nothing but what they
thought proper. But even with this notori
ous violation of the defign of the reformers,
the Arians could not gain their point ; could
not rfiake It appear that they were true mem
bers of the church. For, upon trial, there
was foi-md fuch a difference between the ar
ticles

L E T T E R V, i2s,
ificles and their reveries, that they could not,
by any means, be brought even to the appear
ance of an agreement. And, It was perhaps,
from a fenfe of this, that fome of them be
gan to exclaim againft all fubfcriptions to arti
cles, as Impofitlons of men, and tending to de
ftroy the liberty of private judgment: (See
the Bangorlan Controverfy) and therefore to
fuppofe that " no other fubfcription ought
to be required of the clergy, than to the
fcripture, as the word of God, in which the
rule of faith is contained." '
So great v^ras the Increafe of Arianlfm as
to occafion the Interpofitlon of the civil pow
er. Accordingly, about the beginning of May
1-721, came out ^' his majefty's direftions to'
the archbifliops and bifhops for the prefer
vatlon of unity in the churchy and the purity
of the chriftian faith, particularly in the doc
trine of the Holy Trinity." ( Oldmixon, Vol,
III. p. 717.) Herein his majefty fignlfied hi§
refentment againft " thofe impious tenets and
doftrines which have of late been advanced
and maintained with much boldnefs and open-
nefs, contrary to the great and fundamental
trudis of the Chriftian religion, and particu
larly to the doftrine of the holy and ever
bleffed' Trinity." Upon this, " the earl of
Nottingham

136 L E T T E R V.
Nottingham, who anfwered Mr. Whlftori'^
Arian tenets, complained in the houfe of
lords of the growth of Athelfm, profanenefs,
and Immorality ; and doftor Verney, lord WIl-
foughby of Brook, dean of WIndfbr, brought
in a bill " for the more effeft ually fupprefling,
of blafphemy and profanenefs ;" In which It
was to be enafted, that whatever author of a
book fliould deny the divinity of our Saviour,
or the thirty nine articles of the church of Eng
land, &c. fhould be Imprifoned, unlefs he not
only recited but figned the following creed.
I A. B. do folemnly profefs, and fincerely
declare, that I do believe there Is but one,
living, and true God, everlafting, the maker
arid preferver of all things, both vlfible and In-
vifible; and that, in the unity of the God
head, there be three perfons of one fubftance,
power and eternity, the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Ghoft ; and I do acknowledge the
fcriptures to have been written by divine in
fplration." (Oldmixon, Vol. IIL p 718!)
About the middle of the laft century, du
ring the time of the civil war, appeared the
Antlnomlans ;, who had their name from de
nying that the moral law was to be ufed as
a rule of life. This opinion of theirs occa
fioned the publication of The Whole Duty of

t E T T E R V. i3f
whieh' w-as received with great ap-
pkufe, and has heea one of the prindpat
femily^Qoks among churchmen, ^ori;i that
day to this. The work is, by no means, void
of merjti Coniidered as a fcheme of relative
duties it is, perhaps, inferior to few, if any.
But yet It is deftitute of the one thing needful,;
©f the fcriptural terms of acceptance with God.'
This defeft, which alone proves it unworthy
of the title it bears, has, from time to time,
been obvious to many divines, and publickly^
taken notice of by theni; Within a few years,:
an attempt has been made to remedy it, in a
work entitled the New Whole Duty of Manfi
which, as the title fays, contains the faith
as well as the praSiife of a chriftian. The
editor's account of the gofpel-covenant may
be feen in the preface (p. id. 1 1.) " By ori
ginal fin, man is net only deprived of the
image of God, but becor^s liable to his juf
tice; and as fuch, God cannot take pleafure in
him: a^d that man that dies before he is re
ftored to his favour, muft be feparated frorn
him, and be for -ever nilferable. Arid, as
man could not recover himfelf, nor raife hlm-
S felf
f The reader fhould be careful that he does hot' niiflake
this for an evangelical and mafteiiy work, .entitled, the-Gm^
pfeat Eluty of Man : ty Henry Venn, M. A, vicar of Hud-
dersfield, Yorkfliire.

138 L E T T. E R V.
felf out of his own ruin ; and as no creature
was able to do It, the mercy of God4)itIed our
mifery, and his wifdom devifed this expedient
to reconcile his mercy and juftice ; viz. that no
man fliould on account of original fin be e-
ternally miferable, except thro' his own fauh;
and his goodnefs that the Son of God fliould
undertake this work, and fatisfy the offended
juftice of the Almighty, and repair the ruined
nature of mankind. Thus, God did enter In
to a new covenant with man, by way of re
medy for what was paft and could not be un
done; which, as may be fully collefted from
the gofpel, was to this purpofe : that on condi
tion of man's ftedfaft faith, fine ere repentance,
and perfeB obedience, he fhould be reftored thro'
Chrift to God's favour ; and after death to that
life and Happinefs, which was promifed to our
firft parents, avithout tafting of death. — Our Sa
viour by his fufferings and death has purchafed
this, grace for us, that real repentance and fin-
cere obedience fhall he accepted inftead of inno
cence. — Nothing but a good life will intitle us to\
the favour and love of Gpd. — Not that the pon-'
didon of the gofpel-covenant is a perfeft un-
finping obedience, but a ftncere endeavour to
obey all the commands of God to the utmofl
of our power, which commands, in their ge
neral

L E T T E R V. 139
neral and moft proper fenfe, are fo far from
being impoffible to be obferved, that, on the
contrary, a man can not eafily tranfgrefs them,
without an hardened confclence and deliber
ate choice. And whenfoever God requires
more of us than we are naturally able to per
form, he never fails to afford us proportiona-
bly great afififtance to enable us to perform,
what he fo requires. And If, thro' the frailty
and Infirmity of our nature, we be at any
time, notwitJftandiwg our ftncere endeavours to
the contrary, furprlfed Into the commiffion of
fin, God accepts real repentance and a renew
ed obedience, Inftead of an uninterrupted courfe
ofHolinefs." This Is the divinity of the prefent day — the
fcheme of the better fort of thofe who have a
zeal for God, but not according to know
ledge. And yet this fyftem, (notwithftanding
it is predominant, and even faflilonable) Is as
inconfiftent with the doftrine of the church of
England, as light with darknefs, or Chrlft with
Belial. This fliall hereafter be proved at

large.

I am, &c.
S2 LETTER

¦|: jr^ -»¦ ^'^, '-sis- ^*^ -B- ^TK J
¦»• , _ . . . i T
.«5». w. .jV, .jV •V.5^,.s'«,.j*!t.sl'!..?*s..A..y«,.?'«,,5'<..»^i?. . we,. A..siie,. sU,-A. •*#,.*»#. jS^..*!?-

LETTER VI.
Dear Sir,
;<XXX)J<XT Is no more than I expefted that
X* T ^^^' yo^ would be " fully convinced
^-' ^ IH" *^^'- there has been, and ftill
j^ .^..^s^.^ "^f ,, . 1 11
WVi'V? •*¦"#¦ W continues to be, a general de-
" parture from the articles of
" our church." The fafts are too ftubborn to
be warped, the evidence In fupport of this
charge fo ftrong, that it muft be admitted by
ever)-^ one who Impartially confiders It. I might
here then defift, and leave you to attend to the
obvious confequences of what has been faid.
But to filence all cavils, and remove every plea,
one tafk -ftill remains; viz. to confirm the
CalvInlftiG fenfe of the articles from fcripture,
and to prove that they are incapable of an
Armlnlanj Arian, or Socinian conftruftlon.
It may not be improper to obferve again,
that the articles were dravi^n up " for the a-
" voiding

142 L E T T E R VI.
" voiding diverfities of opinion, and for efta-
" bliflilng confent touching true religion." So
that there is but one fenfe, in which they can
be underftood confiftently with the defign of
the compilers. And as the Arminians, Cal
vinifts, Arians, and Socinians, all irreconcilea-
bly differ In their opinions, the articles can be
interpreted In favour only of one of thefe par
ties. Therefore, In whofe favour foever they are
juffly determined, all the reft muft be excluded,
as holding opinions different from' them. More
over, they are to be underftood in the literal
and grammatical fenfe. This Is to be the rule
of interpreting them. And therefore if the
Arminians, Arians, and Socinians, refpeftively
hold opinions, which are inconfiftent with this
fenfe; it may be fairly concluded, that the
articles of the eftablifhed church are Incapable
bf an Arminian, Arian, or Socinian conftruc-
tion. .And this I fliall now endeavour to make
evident. A R T I C L E I.
" There Is but one living and true God,
" everlafting, without body, parts, or paflions,
" bf Infinite power, wifdom, and gbodnefs,
" the maker, and preferver of all things, both
" vlfible and invifible. And in unity of this
" godhead, there be three perfons, of one
"fub-

LETTER VI. 143,
". fubftance, power, and eternity, the Father,'
" the Son, and the Holy Ghoft." ,
This article is wholly inconfiftent with the
notions of the Arians and Socinians. It folly
declares, that. In the unity of the godhead,
there, is a trinity of perfons. But this doftrine
Is fo far frbm being agreeable to the Spclnl-
ahs, that they abfolutely deny it* -Inftead of
efteemlng It a fundamental truth, they look
upori It as the foundation of all the errors
which are in the Chriftian church. (Soclnus^
lib. quod regni Polon. «Scc. cap. 4.) One of his
principal followers thinks it fuch a. ftrange no
tion, as to wonder how it fliould come. Into the
head of any man who had his fenfes. (Oftorod.
Inftitut. Rel. Chrlft. cap. 4.) Another tells us
that the doftrine of the Trinity Is an error,
tho' not owing to the Ignorance of man, but
to the delufion of the devil. (Volkel. de vera
Relig. hb. V. cap. 9.) Thefe frerizies of the
Socinlans are glaringly Irreconcileable with the
words of the article. The Arians indeed ac
knowledge the names and perfons. of three,
as Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft; but deny
that the Son and Holy Ghoft are of one fub
ftance with the Father. So that till thefe ex
preffions, to be of one fubftance, and. not to be
of one. fubftance, (when underftood in the II-
A- teral

144 LETTER VL
^eral arid grammitieal fenfe) qan be brgwght to
mean the fame thing, this .article is incapable
©f an Arian conftruftlon. And how any irian
pf Arian or Socinian principles can fubfcribe
fhis article, is as unaccountable, (fyppofing
him to have a confcierice) as his declaring his
unfeigned affent and confent to the liturgy,
which fets forth the doftrine contained In this
article, throughout the ofhces of the church*
I will conclude this head with thofe remarka-j
ble words in the eomn^tJnlon oflplGe for Trinity
^jmday. '' Who ar-t .one .God, one Lord ; not
" only one perfonj bwt three perfons in one
" fubftance. For th.at which we believe of
*f the gfory of the Father, the fame we believe
^' of the Son, and of the Holy Qhbftj without
" any difference or inequality," This is as
©ppofite to Arjanifm and Socinlanlfm, as light
to darknefs. ARTICLE IL
' " The Son, which is the word of the Fa-.
1' ther, begotten from everlafting of the Far
'^fher; the very and eternal God, of one
*' fubftance with the Father, fook man's na-s
" ture in the womb of the bleffed virgin of
" her fubftance : fo that two whble and per-^
*' feft natures, that is to fay, the godhead and
*' the manhood, were joined together in one
*' perfon

L E T T n R VI. 1,4^
" perfon, never to be divided, whereof is o^a
'* Chrlft, very God^ and Very man, who truly
" ftfftered, wa« crucified, dead and buried, tq
" reconclfe hi^ father to usy and to bg a fa--
" crifice not only for original gulltj, bijt ahs
" for aftual fins -of men,"'
Our bufinefs is here likewife with the Art*
ans and Socinians, neither of which can elalm,
an agreement with this article ; the Socinians
more eipecially, as they exprefly oppofe al-»
moft every particular of It. Befides avowing
that Chrlft js not of one fubftance . with the
father, the Arians exprefsly declare, that he
is not the very and eternal God. They Indeed
compliment him with the name of God, but
their meaning Is, a God, one inferior to tha
Father, a kind of demi-god-f. The difagreer
ment of which opinion with the article is plain.
Nor is the abfurdhy of it lefs evident. For an
Inferior God is a contradlftion in terms. The
very notlpn of God implying fupreniacy over
' T all.
t " Arius himfelf maintained that the Son was totally and
" ¦ effentially diftinft from the Father ; that he was tJie firft and no-
" feleft of thp-|e beings whom God tiae Fa,tljer liadcreated out of
" nothing, the inftrument by whofe feib6fd^nate,oifiei«ationAe Air
" mighty Father- forrtied the univerfe, and therefpre inffifior to
" the Father both in nature and in dignity-. His opinions con-,
" ccraing the Hely Qho& are not. fo well kaatva. ¦' (Mofliei«
V, I. p. 216.)

U6 LETTER VL
all. So that how&ver they may endeavour id
hide their meaning In an artful or complimen
tary expreffion, the term inferior God, wheri
reduced to intelligible language, muft fignify,
a creature. Inftead of acknowledging " the Son, which
is the word of. the Father," to have been
" begotten from everlafting of the Father,'
the Socinians pofitively affert that he had no
exiftence before he was formed in the womb
of the virgin Mary, by the power of the Holy
Ghoft. And inftead of owning him to be
" the very and eternal God, of one fubftance
with the Father," they Infill upon It that he
was but a meer man. Now he is in heaven,
they indeed compliment him as the Arians do,
with the name of God. But when they would
inform us how he came by his divinity, they
fay, he was deified In reward of his fufferings
and obedience. That Chrift died, that he died
on the crofs, they are not unwilling to own;
but that he was " crucified to reconcile his
Father to us, and to be a facrlfice," they refo-
lutely deny. Yet they cannot agree among
themfelves what was the true defign of his
death. Some of them fay it was, that he
might hereby give us a pattern of patient arid
exemplary fufferings. Others, that It was in
order

LE T T.E R VI. 147
order to his refurreftion : by which he proved
the refurreftion of the body, and that there
is an eternaU hfe after it; .the way to obtain
which he had laid down In his word. And
not a few, with Crellius, dare to fay. It was
In order to hold the Alrriighty to his word —
that mankind might hereby have a fufficient
fecurity , that. If he fhould be , fo Inclin'd, he
would not go from his promife of pardoning
the fins of all thofe who fliall obey the gofpel.
(Crellius de Caufis Mortis Chrifti, p. 613.)
According to Soclnus we have notliing to do
with the fin of Adam ; and as for all thofe
dreadful evils which divines fay are hence de
rived to mankind, they are to be looked upon
as fables and dreams. (Lib. quod Regn. Pol.
cap. 5.) — that the firft fin of Adam was not
able to corrupt himfelf, much lefs all his pof
terlty. (Sgcin. Prseleft". cap. 4.) And farther,
he affures us, tliat the idle ftory of original
fin is a meer Jewlfh fable, brought into the
church by Antichrlft, In order to eftablifh thofe
two pernicious tenets of his, the incarnation of
Chriftj, and the baptifm of infants. (Dial, de
Juftificatione, tom. i. Oper. p. 604.) All which
extravagancies are eagerly embraced. To fay
then that the Socinians hold, with the church
;; of England, that Chrift " truly fuffered, was
T 2 crucified.

148 -L E T T E k Vf.
crucified, dead knd 'buried, to reconcile his Fa
ther to us, and to be a facrlfice not only for
Original guilt, but alfo for aftual fin? of men ;"
would be to injure them much, to mifrepre-
fent them grofsly, by making them fay the
very contrary to what they profefs to believe.
But that the Son is the very and eternal God,
the only begbtten of the Father, In oppofition
to what is advanced by the Arians and Socini
ans, is abundantly evident from fcripture.
*' hi the begiririing wais the word, and the
" word Was with God, and the word was God,
,** The fame wa^ In the beginning with God.
¦" All things were made by him, and without
"him Was not anything made that Was made."
John i. Ver, 1,2, 3. — The only begotten of
the F-a'ther ver. 14. — Chrift Jefus: who being
in the form of God, thought It not robbery to
to be 'equal with God. Philip ii. ver. 5, 6.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and
the ending, faith the Lord, which is, and
which was, and which Is to come, the Al
mighty. Rev. i. ver. 8. His name is called, the
Word of God.-^And he hath on his vefture
and on his 'thigh a'narrie written, King of kings,
and Lord of lords.-^^ome and gather your
felves together, udtO the fupper of the great
God." Rev. ix, ver. 1.3, 16, 17. The Son Is
exprefsly

LETT E R VL 149
exprefsly called Jehovah, Ifa.xl. ver. 3. Hof. i.
ver. 7. He who hath faid, " I am the Lord,
"that is my name ; and my glory will I not
"give unto another," (Ifa. xlii. ver. 8.) hath
commanded " that all fliould honour the Son,
" even as tbey honour the Father," John v;
Ver. 23 V He himfelf fays, " Look unto me,
" and be ye favetl, all the ends of the earth,
" for I am God, {Jehovah] and there is none
elfe." Ifa. 3^1v. ver. 22. " Is the Father Alpha
" and Omega, the firft and the laft .? Ifa. xii.
' ver. 4. chap. xilv. ver. 6. So Is the Son, Rev.
'i. Ver. 8, 17. Is the Father eternal .-^ fo is
' the Son, as It Is faid, Ifa. Ix. ver. 6. Is the Fa
ther Almighty ? fo Is the Son, Heb^ I. ver. 3.
' Is the Father every where .-^ fo is the Son,
Matth. xviii. ver. 20. Doth the Father know
' all things.? fo doth tlie Son, John xx. ver. 17.
Did the Father make all things } fo did the
' Son, John I. ver. 3. Doth the Father preferve
' and uphold all things } fo doth the Son, Heb.
' I. ver. 3. Does the Father forgive fins ? fo
' does the Son, Mat. Ix. ver. 6. Is the Father
' to be worfhlpped? fo is the Son, Heb. i.
' ver. 6. Is the Father to be honoured.? fo is
'the Son, John v. ver. 23. No wonder then,
' that Chrift being in the form of, God,
' thought It not robbery to be equal with God," (Bp.

ISO L E T T E R VL
(Bp. Beverldge on Art. 2.) That the death of
Chrift was a facrlfice for original guilt and ac
tual tranfgrefliion, is abundantly evident. —
" Nov/ ' in the end of the world hath he ap-
" peared to put away fin by the facrlfice of
'• himfelf, Heb. Ix. ver. 26. Chrift was once of-
"' fered to bear the finsof m.any, ver. 28. By, the
" which will we are fan6lified thro' the offering
" oftlie body of Jefus Chrift once for all, Heb.x.
" 10. How much more fhall the blood of Chrift,
" who through the eternal Spirit offered him-
" felf without fpot to God, 6cc. Heb. viii. ver.
" 14. The Lamb of God which taketh away
" the fins of the world," John I. ver. 29.
What the Socinians fay againft the propriety
of vicarious fufferings, or one perfon fuffering
in the room of another. Is idle and falfe. For
it may eafily be proved, that the fubflitution of
one thing for another, was a religious cuftom
well known, and allowed to be equitable both
by Jew and Gentile. The facrifices under the
Levitical law are a ftriking and unanfwerable
proof of it, not to fay that they all allude to,
and are typical of the grand facrlfice made by
Chrift on the crofs. That Chrift himfelf fuf
fered for others in their ftead. Is plain froni
many parts oftlie New Teftament. " His own
¦" felf bare our fins in his own body on the
" tree."

LETTER VL 15^1
;" tree," i Pet. ii. 24. He is faid " to give his
¦" life a ranfom for many," Ivlat. xx. ver. 28.
" Chrift hath once fuffered for fins, the juft
" for, the unjuft, that he might bring us to
¦" God, I Pet. iii. ver. 1 8. " While we were yet
" finners Chrift died for us," Rom. v. ver. 8.
— " being now juftlfied by his blood, ver. 9.
" when we were enemies, we were reconciled
" to God by the death of his Son," ver. 10.
All the Socinian cavils againft the _/i7/^/fe, of this
grand fubftitution can avail nothing againft
thefe plain declarations : and Indeed will have
httfe weight with any religious perfon,^ who
duly confiders that " the Lord hath laid on him
" the iniquity of us all," Ifa. liii. ver. 6. that
" he hath made him to be fin fbr. us," 2 Cor.
V. 2 1.
A R T I C L E V.
- " The Holy Ghoft proceeding from the Fa-
" ther and the Son, is of one fubftance, Ma-
" jefly, and glory with the Father and the Son,
" very and eternal God.'
Our difpute is ftill with the Arians and So
cinlans, who both deny the divinity of the
Holy Ghoft, and his confubftantiality with the
Father and the Son. The Arians indeed ac
knowledge his perfonahty, but fuppofe him to
be

152 L E T T E k tL
be a mere creature: or, to give their meanjrig
more fully, the creature of a creature. Be
caufe, he proceeds from the Son, whom^ tho'
they compliment with the tide of God, they
helieve to be only a very extraordinary crea-
.ture, deified by the favour of a fijperior. The
Socinians moreover deny his perfonality, and
fuppofe that the Holy Ghoft Is only a quality
or accident; viz. the divine power refidlng,lri
God, Or the operations which are the effefts
of that power. All which opinions are evi-^
dently irreconcileable with the article.
In agreement with what our church hag
advanced, our Lord In his laft difcourfe with
his difciples plainly afferts the perfonallty of
the Holy Ghoft. " If I go not away, the
" comforter will not come unto you ; but if I
*' depart, I will fend him unto you. Arid
" when he is come, he will reprove the World
'' of fin, and of righteoufnefs, and of judg-
*' ment. — When he, the fpirit of truth. Is come-
" he will guide you Into all triith ; for he fhall
" not fpeak of himfelf, but whatfoever he
" fhall hear, that fhall he fpeak : arid he will
*' fhew you things to come. He fliall glorify
*' me ; for he fhall receive of rrilne, and fhall
" fhew It unto you." John xvi. ver. 7, 8, 12^,
1 3. Moreover, the Holy Spirit is faid to make
interceffion

LETTER VT. 15^
interceffion -for the faints. Rom. viii. ver. 27.
It is commanded " Grieve not the Holy Spirit."
£^phef -iv. 30. We are told that " the blaf
phemy againft the Holy Ghoft fliall not be
forgiven unto' men." Matt. ii. v. 31. All
which expreftioris evidently relate to a perfon.,
and cannot with any propriety be ufed of an
accident, a equality, or virtue. And if we ad
mit the Socinian objeftion . (which they have
not yet nor ever will' be able to prove) ; that
thefe are only figurative expreffions; we may
with equal juftice conclude that all that Is
faid of the perfonality of the Father, and the
Son, are only figurative expreffions ; and fo
at once mirn up the foundations of all religi
on. For the perfonality of the Father, or
the Son, is not more ftrongly afferted, than
the perfonality 'of the Holy Ghoft. Nor is
he a creature. Tho' all the angels of .God,
the moft exalted of his creatures, are com
manded to worfhip' the Son, we no where
have thte leaft hint that any fuch command^
was ever given to the Holy Ghoft. On the
other hand, his Deity Is exprefsly afferted.
*' Why hath fatan' filled thine heart to lye
tb the Holy Ghoft ? — thou haft not lied un*^
th men, but unto God. Afts c. v. 3. 4*
The Ifraelltes are faid to have finned, " by
U provofdng

r54 LETTER VT.
frbVbking the moft high in the ¦wlldefriefg'"'—
they tempted God -^ they fpake againft Obd.
¦^faliii 78. V. 17. i§. 19. which by the pro-
;|)het is thtis expreflcd — ¦ " they rebelled arid
Texed his hbly fpirit." Ifa. 63. ver. lO. Nor
¦is this to be uridetftood of an inferior Gbd,
as the AriariS phrafe it. For it is faid, " the
Lord (Jehovah) alone did lead him, i. e. If-
rael his pebple: and yet this tranfaftlon is
afcribed tb the fpirit of the Lord. ifa. '63.
V. 14. So that the fpirit of the Lord Is Je
hovah, the Incommunicable name bf God.
¦His fovetelgn potver Is difcovered to us by
"his diftrlbution of all fpiritual gifts, arid " di-
vidirig to every mari feverally as he Will."
I. Cor. 12. V. II. And alfo In his calllns:,
fe'ttirig apart perfons for, and fending theni
forth to the work of the miniftry. " The
'Holy Ghoft faid, feparate me Barnabas arid
Saul for the work whereunto I have called
them. — So they being fent forth by the Holy
Ghoft departed — Afts 13. v. 2. 4. His Infinite
wifdom Is manifefted In that he " fearcheth
all things, yea, the deep things of God.'*
i.Cor. 2. 10. His eternity, in that he Is ^
eternal fpirit. Heb. 9. v. 14. His prefeiencg
fey fche"ipecch of Peter to the difciples. " This
fcriptitre muft needs have been fidfilled which;

LETTER VL 15s
the Holy Ghoft, by ^he n^outh of David, fpake
before .concerning Judas." Afts i. v. 16. and
further, by another declaration of the fame
apoftle, " Holy men of God fpake as they
were moved by die Holy Ghoft." 2 Petc-r
I. V. 21.
Bee now. In one view, how well the Arians
and Socinlans agree with thpfe articles we have
already confidered. Chwch .of England. " In
Kfl'ity of diis Godhead, there be three per
fons of one fubftance, power, and eternity,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft.
Arirn, The Son and the Holy Ghoft are
i^tofthe fame fubftance, power, and eternity,
witfi the Father. Socinian. The doftrine of
the Trinity Is the foundation of all the errors
in the chriftian chutch. I wonder how it
fhould come into the head of any man. who
had his wlt§. It Is an error owing to the
.delufion pf ithe devil. Ckurch of England.
The Son, which is the word of the Father,
begotten from everlafting of the Father ; the
very and eternal God — took man's nature
in the womb of the blefled Virgin — wliere-
sof Is one Chrlft, who was crucified to be a
facrlfice for original gulit and aftual fin. Arim.
.The Son Is not the very and eternal God, but
q. Qs^ inferior to the Father. To fpeak wMi-
U 2 out

;56 LET T E R VL
out relerve, he Is a creature. Socinian. Th^
Son Is a mere man ; and had no exiftence
before he was born of the virgin Mary. He
was not by his death, a facrlfice, but a pat
tern of patient and exemplary fufferings ; or
a furety for the divine Being, that he fhould
not go from his word and promife. To fup
pofe that he died for original guilt Is Idle arid
-trifiing; for we have nothing to do with the
fin of Adam. The doftrine of original fin
is a mere Jewlfli fable, brought into the church
.by Antichrlfl, In order, to eftablifli thefe two
pernicious tenets of his, the Incarnation of
Chrift, and the baptifm of infants. Church
of England. The. Holy Ghoft Is of one fub
ftance, majefty, and glory with the Father
and the Son, very and eternal God. Arian.
The Holy Ghoft Is a creature, the creature
of a creature, or an inferior God at beft.
Socinian. The Holy Ghoft is an accident, dx
quality, ov effeSl. ' .
You'll readily excufe any farther attempts
to prove that thefe articles' are incapable of
an Arian or ¦ Socinian conftruftlon. ' But it
. may not be amifs to take notice of the care
of our church to eftablifli the Important doc
tilne of the Trinity.' In the firft' ar;ticle this
doftrine is exprefsly afferted. " In unity of
> this

L E: T T E R. VL ^157
this Godhead there be three perfons, of one
, fubftance, power and eternity, the Father, the
Son,, and the Holy Ghoft." In- the fecond
article the fame divinity Is afcribed to the Son,
.which was before afcribed to the Father.
-¦" The fon t- the very and eternal God, of one
fubftance with the Father." And In the fifth
article the fame Divinity Is afcribed to the Ho
ly Ghoft, which had been before afcribed to
the Father, and afterwards to the Son. " The
,Holy Ghoft — is of one fubftance, majefty,
and glory with the Father and Son, very and
eternal God," So that here Is not the leaft
room to fuppofe, with the Arians, an ine
quality in the perfons, or, with the Socinians,
to deny the doftrine of the Trinity. And
yet, as if all this care had not been fuffi
cient, the important fubjeft Is again refumed
in the eighth article, which fays, " The three
Creeds, Nice Creed, Athanafian Creed, and
that which is commonly called the Apoftle's
creed, ought thoroughly to be received and
believed: for they may be proved by moft
certain warrants of holy fcripture." In the
Athanafian Creed it is faid, " There is one
perfon of the Father, another of the Son, and
another cf the Holy Ghoft. But the Godhead
of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghoft,

i^B LETTER VL
•Choft, is all one, the glory equal, the ma-
¦jefty co^eternal. .Sijqh as the Father is, fuch
as .the Son, and fuch is the Holy Ghoft. —
The*\rhoJie three perfoos are co-eternal toge
ther and co-eqiual. So that in all things, the
unity in Trioity, and the Trinity in unity is
to be wcirfhjpped "

I am yowrs, &e.

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LETTER

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LETTER VIL

D^AK Sir,
^r^)«r"^§)ir^ E have now chiefly to engage
fc:*"*""^ f^ with the Arminians,, tho' we fhall
\} W ^jtj^ not altogether negfeft, the Sb-
jfT Kj>.^^-5^^'1?^ clnlans, when they oppofe us
ARTICLE IX.
" Original firt ftandeth not In the following
of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk) but
It Is the fault or corruption of the nature of
every man, that naturally is ingendered of the
offspring of Adam, whereby man lis very far
gone
-t " HisnMioH ctinGerningtheSonof Godwasacotnnparuedand
" conncfted witli the fentiments, that were different from thofe
" commonly received among Cliriftians, though jione of tUp an-
" tient writei-s have given a Coittpleie -and coherent lyfte-ntt sf ihofi
" religious teaeife which vrere really held by Arittt aadhfe foti-
" lowers." -(Moflieira, v. i. p. 216.) The modem Arians, in ge-*
neral, differ very little from the .Socinians, except in their opinion
concerning- the perfon of Chrift. A few c(f them indeed favdUf
f&tsae oftlie tenets of the Arminians.

LETTER VIL i6o^
gone from original righteoufnefe, and Is of his
ovi^n nature Inclined to evil, fo that the flefh
itifteth always contrary to the fpirit, and there
fore in every perfon born into the world, it
deferveth God's wrath and damnation: and
this irifeftlon of nature doth remain, yea In
them that are regenerated, whereby the luft
of the flefh, called In Greek phronema farcos,-
which fome do expound the wifdom, fome
fenfuality, fome the affeftion, fome the de-'
fires of the flefli, is not fubjeft to the law of
God. And thb' there Is no condemnation
for them that believe ahd are baptized, yet
the apoftle doth confefs that concuplfcence and
luft hath the nature of fin." ¦ '
The-Soclrilans affirm that Adam's fin was
entirely perfonal, that his pofterlty are not af
fefted by It, and that man is, in his own
ftrength, able to perform all that God re
quires. So that they cannot have the leafi
fhadow of agreement with this and the next
article. The Arminians indeed acknowledge
thai Adam entailed on all his pofterlty tempo
ral evils and' death.. "However this death Is not'
to be looked upon as properly*a purilfhment,
irifllfted on Adam's pofterlty ; for 'tis ImpofH-''
ble that the innocent fhould be punlfhed^for'
another's offence; bat it is only a natural ne
ceffity.

LET TER VIL i6i
cefTity of dying, derived from Adam on whom
it was inflifted as a punifhment." (Limborch
Theolj Chrifti, Lih; cap. i. Seft. 3.) "Wei
freely own. that men are now bom lefs;: pure.
than Adam was created, and with fome kind
of propenfity to fin. But this inclination is
not fin properly fo called, or the habit of fin:
tranfmitted to thenxbyAdam; but only a na
tural incllriation of attaining that which is grate-i
ful to the flefli»" :(LImborch Theol. Chrift.
Lib. 3. cap. I. feft. 4.) This weU expreflesr
the meaning. of their party, but is Irrecon-
qlleable with the words {>f the article. For
if this- natural propenfity to fin has no guilt in
it, how can it deferve God's wrath and dam
nation, which it is exprefsly faid. to do.? wrath
and damnation are always confidered as the.
effeifts of vindiftive juftice. So that to deferve
them neceffarily implies tranfgreffton and guilt.
Befides, if thliS propenfity to fin has no guiltt
in it, why did Chrift die for It.? and (in Art.
II.) it is declared that " He truly fuffered,,
was dead, and buried — - to be a facrlfice for
originfllgmk." But that this propenfity to. fin has guilt iri it,
is particularly declared in the latter part of
the .article, and confirmed by the teftimony
of an apoftle. " .The apoftle doth confefs
X " that

i62 L E T T E R VIL
that concuplfcence and luft hath of Itfelf the
nature of fin." . He fays, " I had not known
fin but by the law:. 'for I had not known luft,
except the laW had faid, thou fhalt not covet."
Rom. J. J. I cannot but remark here, that it
ill becomes thofe who pretend to rejeft the-*
Galvinlan -doftrines, becaufe they fancy 'they
lead to licentloufnefs^ to endeavour to palli
ate the dreadful nature of original fin^ by
faying that the propenfity to evil with which
we are born has no fin In It, but Is onlv a na- .
tural Inclination of attaining that which Is grate*
ful to the flefli. For if this is not a pofition
grateful to corrupt nature, and quickening it to
praftice,rit/'is difficult to 'declare what Is fo.
- The Arminians own they ought to fubfcribe
the-articles In the literal and grammatical fenfe,-
but do not acknowledge themfelves bound to
regard the fenfe in which the compilers defig-*
ned they fliould be underftood. It Is faid this
Infeftion of nature, which we derive from-
Adam, deferveth God's wrath and damnation:
and by thefe words the Reformers meant'
" curfe and damnation:" (Art. 17.) " ever-'
lafting damnation both of body and foiiL"
(Hem. on the Nativity.) But as the words
wrath. and damnation fometimes fignify tim-^
por ary -Judgments; for the fake of faving ap^'
pearances,

LETTER VIL 1%
pearances, byafeeml-ng agreement with the ar
ticle,- they are Inclined to make this conceftion,
that original fin deferveth temporal judgments.
(Vid. Burnet on Art. IX.) But this interpreta
tion, tho' wholly arbitrary, will not ferve their
purpofe: for it Is abfUrd In Itfelf, and Incori-
fiftent with their own principles. Temporal
judgments are evils. No evils cari.be juftly
inflifted but as a punifhment. And -all juft
punifhment neceflarlly fuppofes tranfgrefifion,'
guilt, fin. But If the .Infeftion of nature de-
ferves only temporal judgments, then the un
dergoing of temporal judgments can atone' for
it. >¦ And therefore ¦ there was no need of the
death of Chrift, as a fatisfaftion for its demerit.
Moreover, if this Infeftion of nature deferveth
temporal judgments, then whenever- they are
fuffered on account of it-, they are inflifted as
a punifhment; and are not endured merely
as ' an unavoidable confequence ' of Adam's
ti^nfgreffion ; as the Arminians declare they
are. Befides If punifhment Is Inflifted on thofe
who did not aftually contraft the guilt which
deferved it, but derived their guilt from Adam;
then the punlfliment is occafioned by what
Adam did. Arid confequently Adam's guilt
Is Imputed to his pofterlty, fince they are
puififhed for wliat he did. But this Is what
¦ ' . they

ri64 . L E T T E .BL
they peremptorily -deny. So' that to fay orir
girial fin deferveth temporal, judgnient?, -an^
deferveth only temporal judgments. Is abfur^
-in itfelf ahd fobverfive of .their own -principles.
But farther, there are two -things qor^tained
in the article, which the Arminians profeffedly
deny: viz. the imputation of Adam's fin to lii^
pofterlty, and the M^/ depravity of the human
nature as proceeding fro-ni liim,.
The faijlt or corruption of the human na
ture is originally derived, from Adam^ and this,
.is faid to deferve God's wrath and damnation.
But nothing can deferve God's wrath and dam
nation except fin. And as this corrupt nar
,ture Is not Owing to the perfonal fin of thofe
on whom It Is entailedj the wrath and damna
tion which It deferves muft be owing to the fin
;of him from whom this corrupt nature Is deri-
.yed. Since then the pofterlty of Adam are
punlfhed on account of his fin, his fin rnuft be
placed to d'leir account: I. e, imputed to them..
And this is the doftrine of our church. " Whe^
Adam had broke God's . commandment .-^h^
•purchafed thereby, not only to himfelf, but alj^
to his pofterlty for eiper the juft wrath and In-r
dignation of God; who according to his forr
pier fentence pronounced, at the giving of the
cornmandment, condemned both him, and all
his.

LETTER VH. 165
fbis, to everlafhng death, both of body and
foul." (Second Hom. on the PafiTion.) And
this doftrine is fully eftablifhed by the word
pf God. " By one man fin entered into the
world, ,and death by fin: and fo death paffed
jupon all men, for that (or in wham) all have
iinned." Rom. 5. 12. "In Adam all die."
I. Cor. 15. 22. Nor have we the leaft reafon
to think, with the Arminians, that thefe ex
preffions mean only, that death came upon all
pien merely as an unavoidable confequence of
Adam's fin, but not as a punifhment. For
it is written, " By the offence of one judg-*
ment came upon all men to condemnation.''
But as the judgment of God is aefiordlng to
truth, and the judge of all the earth will do
right, they c(5uld not have been juftly adjtidg-'
ed to condemnation by the offerice of Adam,
unlefs they had fome how or other been par
takers with him in his fin." " By one man's
difobedlence many were made finners." Rom.
5. I §. " By which we are taught, that as In
Adani all men univerfally finned^ fo in Adam
all men univerfally received the reward of
fin; that is to fay, became mortal" and fub-*
jefSl unto death, having in themfelves nothing
but everlafting damriatlon both of body and
fovl."' (Hoflfi. on the Nativity.) And this leads to

J 66 L E T T E R VIL
to another truth which they oppofe ; viz. that
Adam was the reprefentative, or foederal head
of all his pofterlty. So that what he did was
confidered as their aft and deed, and they
were to abide by the confequence of it. For
if his fin Is placed to their account, and the
judge of all the earth will do right, they muft
be guilty. But they did not fm-perfonally,
for they were not born : therefore it muft liave
been feeder ally, or by way of a covenant -
tranfaftlon. In which another reprefented their
perfons. But this other perfon could be none
but Adam, for he alone of his fpecles then
exifted. Therefore Adam was. the reprefen
tative, or foederal head of all his pofterlty.
To what they objeft, that it Is unjuft for one
perfon to engage for another without his con^
fent. It is fufhcient to anfwer, that God's deal
ings with the Jews fully evince the equity of
it. Moft, If not all his covenants with them
included their children which were yet unborn.
And there can be no room- to difpute the equi
ty of this manner of proceeding, when It Is con
fidered that the glorious God of Irifiriite juf
tice, all whofe ways are equal, appointed fuch
covenants, and ftooped to become a patty In.
them. Nor will It avail to fay, that thefe re
lated only to temporal things ; fo that if thofe who

.L E.T.T E R VIL. 1.67 :
who did riot voliintarlly engage in them, fuf
fered- "any IriGonvehiencIes by them, the Lord
could recdmperice. them in another life. For
this Is to fuppofe that he would do an unjuft-
thing, becaufe he had it In his power to make
fatisfaftion tb the Injured party. Befides, the
queftion- Is not concerning the confequenceSi
but the equity of the covenants themfelves.
It is Iriipious to fay the Lord would do that
whicli Is unjuft. But the Lord appointed them,
therefore they are juft, notwithftanding any
thing which an' haughty caviller may objeft.
And If a perfon riiay be equitably bound in a
covenant concerning temporal things, without
his formal confent ; he iriay likewife be equi
tably engaged in a covenant relating to things
eternal, tho' he did not perfonally give ' his
confent to it. Perfonal confent being evident
ly as ^ much, and no more neceffary in one
cafe than In the other. In order to make the
covenant '¦ equitable. As to the faft God hath
faid, " In Adam all die." i Cor. 15. -22.-
But if they all -die In him, they all finned in
him : for .death is the wages of fin. But they
could not fin in him perfonally, therefore
they finned In him fcederally. So that Adam
was their covenant - head, or reprefentativ-e.-
With regard to the depravity of human na-
.,:r ture

1 68 LETTER VIl.
ture .occafioned by the fall, the Arminians
Acknowledge,^ as we have already feen, " that
men are now born lefs pure dian Adam was
created,, and with fome kind of propenfity
to fin." (Limb, ut fiupra) A celebrated wri
ter of our own fays, " the pofterlty of Adam
do all partake of the weaknefs contrafted by
the fall, and do ftill labour under the miferles
and inconveniencles of II But then this de^
generacy Is not total." (Tillotfon, Vol. II. p.
209. edit. 1748.) On the other hand. It Is
faid In the article, " the flefli bafteth always
contrary to the fpirit;" wliich implies a total
depravation of all the powers and faculties
of the foul, a continual preponderating in
clination to that which Is evil. ' For if there:
was naturafly a principle df gobdnefs left. It
would fometimes difcover itfelf by good thoughts
and inclinations. And then the flefh would
not luft always contrary to the fpirit But fince
it always lufteth contrary to it. It foUoweth
that the depravity of^ nature, occafioned by
the fall, Is not ^«r to J but total. — And that
this Is the fenfe of our church Is abund
antly evident from the homily of the natn
vlty; in wliich, fpeakirig of the condition ol
Adam after the fall. It Is faid, " Inftead of the
image of God, he was now become the image of

'L E T t E R VIL nS^
of -thfe devil;' inft-ead of the ekizen of heaven,.'
he Was now become the bond-flate of hell,
having Iri himfelf no one p%.rt of his former'
pority and dleari;nefs,; but beiri^ altogether*
%otted ind defikd, Infomuch that he feeifiedl
to be nothing elfe but a Bumjp of fih." Ma^
then It foflows, " This fo grea* and mlferabl*^
a ^lague^^^fell On his pofterhy and chiidi^n'
for ever. So that the' whole brood of Adam*s
:fiefh flibuld fuftajn the felf fartie fall and ptt^
nifhmeniij which their fore-father, by his' &S^
ferice, moft j6ftly had deferved!". AM whacte'
is eonfirroed by the unerring voice of ferlptufe:
'^ The' carnal mind fe enmity againft: God ; fo*"
It is riot' fubjeft tO' the law of God, neibfer lip-
deed cari be. They that are rri" the flefh cMnot
l^lidafe God," Romi vm. ver. 7, 8. " That which
i^ born of the flefh is flefh," Johri= HI. ver. 6.
i. e. what cannot plbafe God;
" Let us now feehdw f^fr the church of Eng
land, Arrninlans, arid Socinians agree about this
Article. Chu/ch cf England. Ori'gind-fin is- the
tavit aritf corruption of the nature of every'
ftiart, that riat'uraHy It ertgendered of the Off-
fptirig; of Adahi, ^rid It defefveth God's wrath
and damnation. ' Arrnhian. Adarii, by his fin,
entailed on his pofterlty orily temporal evlts,
a'ntf death ; but this" death is ilOt to be ipoked^
Y upon

170 LET TER VIL
upon as a punifhment ^ but only a hatiiral ftei-
cefllity of dying, derived from hini. Socinian^
The.pofterity of Adarn are not at all affefted
by his fin. Churclr of England. Manofh.is'pwn
nature Is Inclined to evil, fo that the flefh liifteth
always contrary to the fpirit. Arminian. The
degeneracy Is not total. Church of England.
Concuplfcence and luft hath the nature of firi.
Arminian. Luft, or the propenfity to fin with
which we are born, is not properly fih, but
only a natural inclination of attaining that
which is grateful to the flefh. Frdhi the dif
ferent opinions concerning the degree of the
depravity with which mankind is naturally in
fefted, a queftion arlfes. Whether Man has fuf
ficient power left t'o turn himfelf unto God, of
not .'' Our church has given her opinion of this
matter In the following words, . — ---

ARTICLE X.
" The condition of man after the fall of
Adam is fuch, that he cannot turn and pre
pare liimfelf ' by hiV own natural ftrength and
good works; to faith and calling upon God.
Wherefore we have no power to do good
works pleafant and acceptable to God, witKs-
Out the grace of God by Chrift, preventing us

,L E: T TE R VII^ 171
us that we may have a good will, and working
with us when we have that good will." Bifhop
Burnet praifesthe moderation df the reformers,
in leaving room for an, agreement between
the Calvinifts and Arminians, by afferting only
the neceffity of preventing and co-operating
^ra^e againft the Pelagians, and Semi-pela- ,
gians,. That the reformers could not poffibly
have any fuch defign in penning the article,
as the bifhop commends, has been before
prpyed. And though there may be a feeming
agreernent b^^peq. (them, according to the
letter of the artlc^, yet when the words are
expkiflied according to the known fenfe of the
compilers, which can eafily he difcovered, by
comparing this with other articles, it will be
foiind that they irreconciieably difagree. The
Calvinifts fuppofe, that human nature is totally
depraved by the fall, fb that man can do no
thing that is acceptable tp God, till he is " born
again," John Hi. ver. 3. -^ till the Lord deals
with him according to that gracious promife,
" A new heart will I give you, and a new
fpirit will I put within you, and J will take
away the ftqny heart out of you^ flefh, and
I will give you an heart of flefh. And 1 will
put my fpirit within you." Ezek. xxxvi, ver.
.26, 27. And in this work they fay, Man is
wliollj

172 L"' E T T E R VH,
•wholly paffiye ; i. e. does not In the leaft de
gree co-operate with his Maker. On the other
hand, the Arminians, by acknowiedgirig o-n!y
a |)<!?rto/ depravity of mankind by the fall-,
fuppofe iiihat " tii^re are fome feeds of religio^
remaining In then), which they may excite fo
as to worfhip God according to the abilities
g-rasE^d them,'^ (Limb. Th. Chrlft. lib. Hi.
pap. i. feft. 4.) aw-riter of .our own fays, 'fGo4
hath Aait love for men, feat If we do heartily
beg his aftSftance, and be -not wanting to ourr
&3ves, he wiii afford It to every one of iSs in
proporpon to our need of k: ; and he Is always
befcMjehand with us, and prefents eveiy man
with the gracious offers of his help God hath
providedan univeriafremedy for this degeneracy
and weaknefs of human nature ; fo that what
we loft by the firft Adam, is abtmdantly re
paired to us by the fecond; and that to fuch a
degree, as effeftually to countervail the ill ef
fefts of original fin, a-^ -really to enable men:,
if they be not wanting to themfelves, to mafter
and fiihdue all the ba^d InclinatlGns of nature,
even in thofe .who fe^m to be naturally moft
corruipt :iand .depraved.— God hath not left us
helplefs in this weak and mlferabfe ftate. Into
wlijch by wilful tranfgreftlon mankind is falfen;
but as he comiiaands us to-be fbufld, fo he af
fords

^ .1 L E. T T E R VIL 173
fords us ftifticient aids of his grgce by Jefus
Chrift for our recovery — Divine grape and afr
ftftance is ever ready to be afforded to well'
difpofed minds, fuch as are fincerely bent to
jeturn rmto God, and their duty." (Tillotfon,
vol. II. p. 210 — 213.) But It may be afked.
How are our minds, to be well-dif^fed ? h^w
are we to be fincerely bent to return to Qod
and our duty .'' for by nature our mind Is eni-
mity againft God.-rr-we defire not the I^nowT
ledge of hi? ways ; fo that fom^ previous agen
cy qn pur minds and hearts Is neceflary, that wc
may be well difpofed, ftnferely beni to return
to God and aur duty. If it fliould he faid, wc
piay learn our ftate, our need of help from the
Jcrlpture ; and moreover, that it is promifed tp
.all who aflc for it ; yet ftift It may he enquired^
how are we to be Inclined even to alk for help ?
for " ,we are not fufificient of ourfelves to think
any thing as of ourfelves, 2 Cor. iii. 5. It Is
God which worketh in us both. to will and to
dp" and that "of his good pleafure," Philip II.
13. fo that we muft be pre^difpofed by a di
vine power even to ajk for this help, which,
it is faid,. is offered and ready to be given to
all. Senfible of this difficulty^ others fuppofe that
grace is aBually. given to all* Thefe th^

J74 L E T TER .VI^.
come nearer to an agreernent with the Calvi
nifts, both parties acknowledging the necef
fity of preventing grace. But tho' they ufe the
fame words, (or perhaps the Arminians adopts
ed the expreffion from the Calvinifts, that there
might be a feeming agreement between them)
yet they, by no means underftand it in the
fame fenfe. The fchoolmen (with whofe wri
tings the reformers were converfant, and whofe
expreffions they fometimes ufed) diftingulfli
grace Into oper ans (grace working in us, by
which they underftand a divine, renewing a-
gency in the hearts of men) and co-operans
(grace working iw/VA us, by which they mean
a divine afl[iftance concurring with our own
powers and faculties.) That the Calvinlft's
ufe it in the former, and the Arminians in the
latter fenfe,) when they fpeak of that grace
which Is prevloufly neceffary in order that
we may. return to God) is evident from what
has been faid." So that tho' both fides acknow- <
ledge, the neceffity of preventing grace, yet
the Arminians mean by It only a a- divlrte con
currency with our natural powers and faci;^ties^
But this by nP -means come up to the mean
ing of the article. It is therein faid, that we
have no power to do good works pleafant
and acceptable ,to. God, without the grace of

LETTER VIL ij^
God by Chrift preventing us that" we rnay
have a good will.' But, by nati^re, we have
not a good will; For "" the flefh lufteth al
ways contrary to the fpirit" — a corrupt tree
eanrtot bring forth good fruit — that which is
bdrnof the flefh, is flefh." John, 3, -6. nothing
but flefh : and fd mufl be difpleafing- to God.
For " they that are in the flefh cannOt pleafe
him." Rom. vIH. 8. So that before ^e can
hive 'a good will, we muft be " born again
©f the fpirit." John, 3, 5. That this- us the
meanirig Of our church will" foon appear. In
the thirteenth article it is faldj "^ works dOne
before the grace of Chrift, and the infjiira-^
ti6h of his' fpirit, "iare riot pleafant to God."
Arid thc^reafon iflimediately fOlloWs, " for-
afrtiudh as they fpring' tiot out of faith iri Jefus
Chrift."' And In the twelfth article' it Is de'ciar-
ed^' " vsl^Orks which ate the fruit of faith are
pleiafing' arid acceptable fo God In Chrift." So
that we can db no good works till we haVfe
faith ;"and no works are acceptable to God,
but what are the fruits of faith.* But it' is well
knbwri that faith is the gift of God; Ephef
2. 8, " of the operafloft of God." Cbloff 2.
I i'. "According to the working of his mighty
power,' Vhich he' wrought in Chrlft vvheh he
raifed him from the de^d." Ephef i. i§. 19.

?o

ij^ LETTER VI!.
So tfiat " the grace of God by Chrift prevent^'
ing Us, that we may have a good will, implies
a divine^ internal, renewing agericy. And
thiS' Is well knowri to have been the opiniori
0f the reformers. Mn Rogers, who wrote
on the articles a feW years after they recelv-'
ed the parllameritary fariftion, gives this as
the fenfe of the church. " Man cannot da
any work, that good Is and gOdly, being not!
not as yet regenerate. Man may perform and
do good works, when he is prevented by th©
gface of Chrlft, arid renewed by the Holy
Ghoft." (On Art. X.) And this is eftabliflied
by the teftimony of an Apoftle; " we are his
Workmanfhip, created in Jefus Chrift unto good:
works.-" Ephef. 2. 10.
It is a fondamerital point with the Armini
ans, that the grace of God cannot be effeftual
without the concurrence and confent of the
perfon who is the fubjeft of it. But the arti
cle fuppofes an effeftual operation of divine
grace, in which there is no concurrence of
the will: and declares that this effeftual ope
ration is -^ that the will may be capable of con
curring with divine grace. " Working in us
that xve riaayJiave a good will, and working,
with us, when we have that good wiU." So
ii\at.i^ aBive and paftive, concurrence and winr
concurrence

.,L E T T E R .VIL 177
Concurrence, can be brought to mean (in a 11^
teral and grammatical fenfe) the fame thing;
this article Is incap'abfe of an Arminian con-
ftruftion. It may not now be amifs to confider the
propriety of what the Arminians advance con
cerning preventing grace. They affert that„It
is neceffary It fhould be given, to afl, from thefe
principles, which they take for granted. That
God cannot juftly require of us more than
we are able tO perform, without giving us
fuch help, as, with the concurrence of our na
tural abilities, will render us equal tO the per
formance of what he requires from us : — and
that obedience to the gofpel is demanded
from all who' hear It, tho* they are naturally
unable to perform It, by reafon of that pro
penfity to evil which is in them. But ac-*.
cording to this fcheme, God Is obliged to give
a divine help to all Who hear the gofpel, or
they would not be able to perform what he
requires of them. And confequeritly, what
they call preventing grace, is no longer of grace,
but of debt. Grace neceffarily fuppofes di
ftlnguifhing favour ; favour to one in prefer^
ence to others. But upon their fuppofidon,
this favotir muft be fhewn to all. The cafe Is
fimilar with regard to thofe who never .heard
' Z" the

i7S L .E T T E R vn.
the gofpel. For, by whatever rule they are to,
be judged, their natural propenfity to evil ren
ders them unable to perform what Is required
of them, without a divins help. Unlefs It is
fuppofed that they have received no material
detriment by the fall; or that their condldon Is
preferable to that of thofe who live under
the preaching of the gofpel. Neither of which
Opinions the Arrrilnlans themfelves would chufe
to own. But if this grace Is given to all, when Is It
given .? if we are born with It, then is it nature,
&bi grace. If we are not born with it, at what
age Is it given .? in infancy, childhood, youth,
manhood, old age, or in our laft moments.?
it is not a little unfriendly to this opinion, that
the fcriptures niake no mention of It, that there
is not a word about it from Geriefis to Re
velations. On the other hand, that it is unfcrlp-
tural Is ftrlftly demonftrable thus. None can
be faved without faith. For he that believeth
not fhall be damned. But " all men have not
faith." 2 Thef 3. 2. Therefore all men have not
grace fufficient to falvation. Again, if all men
have grace fufficient for falvation, then all men
have faith. For without faith it is impoffible to
pleafe God. But he that believeth fhaU be
fived. So that if all have grace fufBcIent for
falvanon, none can perifh^ The contrary to
which

LETTER VIL 179
which the fcriptures abundantly teftify. Be
fides, the defign of preventing grace, accord
ing to the article. Is, that we may have a good
will — a good will to faith and calling upon
God — a good will to do works pleafant and
acceptable to God. But who is fenfible of ha-
ylrig. this good will ? Is It to be found ; In pne
in fifty.? the Arm-nians fuppofe that this pre
venting grace, which is given to all, is a fuffi
cient help for us to perform all that God
requires. But has it this effeft .? by no means..
For If the word of God Is to be the rule by
which we are to judge who are Chrlftlans and
who are not, it will be found that not one in
fifty has a juft title to that charafter. Amaz
ing then, that a divine help fliould be given to
all, and few in comparifon know any thing
about it — that fufficient help for the; grand
purpofes of falvation fhould be given to all,
arid yet there are few that fhaU be faved.
To fay that men will not ufe this help, and
therefore It is Ineffeftual; Is to acknowledge
fuch a natural depravity of the human heartj
as Is wholly Inconfiftent with their principles;
viz.'that the help vouchfafed does not reftore
the faculties of the foul to their equilibrium,.
that abfolute indifference to good and evil, which
^hey fay, is neceffary to make any aftlon wor-
Z 2 thy

m LETTER mi:
thy of praife or blame. For on no other prin-
ciple can it be aoeotinted for, that the gcr
nerality of riiankind fhould habitually chc^ofe
evil rather than good, (and It is undeniably evi
dent that they do fo) but by fuppofing that
there Is In them a preponderating biafs to
evil. So that In whatever view the Armlnlail
notion of preventing grace Is confidered, it is
found to be difagreeable to the article, abfurd
in itfelf, and Inconfiftent with their own prin
ciples. To fum up the agreement. Church of Eng'
land. The condition of man after the fall of
Adam is fuch, that he cannot turn and prepare
himfelf in his own natural ftrength and good
works to faith and calling upon God. Armi
nian. The condition of man after the falf of
Adam Is fuch, that there are fome feeds of re
ligion remaining in him, which he may excite
fo as to worfhip God according to the abilities
granted him. God ha.ih not left us helplef?
in this weak and miferable ftate. Into which by
wilful tranfgreffion mankind Is fallen ; but di
vine grace and affiftance Is ever ready to be
afforded to well-dlfpofed minds, and fuch as
are fincerely bent to return unto God and their
duty. Church of England. We have no power
to do good works pleafant and acceptable tp
God

LETTER VII. i8i
iGod, without the gi^ce of God by Chrlft pre
venting us that we may have a good will,
and working with us when we have that good
will. Arminian. The grace of God is never
effeftual to produce in us a good will, with
put the confent and concurrence of our own
will.

I am yotirsj &c.

j&. jSt, ,sl«. .>Ti». ..«5«. isSft. ,!?«,
.sV. .s*. .rf«. .>*. '.sS'. .S*.
_**. .sw. .**. .'^t. .•'V.
"51* «• «» ^» 4i»r
.yn. ,v*Lm .jfe, .rfe,
¦ -iV " -SS- ' -K- "
•A* •*!»•

LETTER

LETT E R VIIL

Dear Sir,

XX>KXXX E come now to the important
y^f"^^"^^^ queftion. How fhall a man be
K\ ^ I g juftlfied with God? The aa-

\«"itfVi'-<«"^.="i:"i'i? iwer IS

ARTICLE XL
" We are accounted righteou^ before God,
only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour
Jefus Chrlft, by faith, a;id not for our works
or defervings. Wherefore, that we are juftl
fied by faith only,' is a: moft wholefome doc
trine, and very full of comfort, as more
largely Is expreffed In the homily of juftlfica
tlon." The reformation being from the church
of Rome,- our difputes at that time were chiefly
with the Paplfts. They had forfaken the an
tient doftrines of their church, as much as we
have

iS4 LETTER VIIL
have ftow ; and had fo far departed from the'
ferlptural account of juftlficatlon, as to profefs
that we are accounted rlghteOtis' before God
for our own works or defervings. In oppofi
tion to this, the Proteftants in general acknow
ledge, that we are juftlfied by faith only;
though they are by no means- agreed ¦what
part Is to be affigned to faith in our juftlfica
tlon. The Arminians, and many of the Soci
nians, fuppofe, that faith, or the aft of be
lieving, is tbe proper caufe of our juftificatlon^—
diat there Is fio Other fighteOiafnefs, for the
feke ©f which we are efteemed and treated as
righteous perfons, than our faith. But this Is
utterly Irreconcileable with the article, which
fays, " we ate accmirited righteous^ before God,
only for tbe merit of our Lord and Saviour
Jefus Chrlfl." And therefore till fakh, or the
aft of believing, and the merit of Jefus Chrift^
can (in a literal and grammatical fenfe) be
brought to mean the fame thing ; this article
Is Incapable of an Arminian or Socinian con
ftruftlon. Befides this very notion Is exprefly
rejefted' by our church in her fecond homily
on falvation. " — that we be juftlfied by faith
in Chrlft only, is not, that this our own aft to
believe in Chrlft, or this our falfh In Chrift,
which Is within us, doth juftify us, arid deferve our

LETTER Vni. 185
our juftlficatlon unto us, (for that were to count
ourfelves to be juftlfied by fome aft or virtue
thatls within ourfelves."— -Others fuppofe, that
there Is a twb-fold juftlficatlon ; orie by faith,
when we believe ;' the other by works, at the
day of judgment. But of a firft and fecond
juftlficatlon (as It Is termed) there is rio rrieritlon,
nor the leaft hint given In the article, and
therefore fuch a diftlnftlon Is not to be ad
mitted. Our church allows of no fuch doftrine,
but the very contrary. Tn the. homily on the '
nativity it Is faid, " — that we being o;?<ri? juftlfied
by his grace, fliould be heirs of eternal life thro"
hope and faith in his blood." Befides this di
ftlnftlon is wholly arbitrary. There is not the
leaft ground for It in the Word of God. What
is faid about St. Paul's fpeaking only of a firft
juftlficatlon. Is by no means true.- The apoftle-
glves not the leaft hint of any. fuch thing, but
evidently fpeaks of that juftlficatlon which Is In-
feparably cbnnefted with glorification. "Whom
he juftlfied, them he alfo glorified." Rom.
8. 30. And.thls juftlficatlon he frequently j^ys
Is, by faith. Nor Is there any better foundati
on for what Is advanced, that St. James fpeaks
of a fecond juftlficatlon, at the day of judgment,
and that this Is by works. The apoftle neither
A a fpeaks

jS6 LETTER V^L
jpeaks of, .nor liig|s .any thing conQernlog ?^ firft
or fecond yMftcm^n, Pt the^^y .of judgment.
¦Not has Jip a WQ.fd ajbout the juftlficaiion
Gjf ,cstur perfons,^ hfm or why WP are aecount*
ecjl rj^htepus before Go.d, unlefs by ft^ith. J^
^s freaking of .the jufiIf;capon of a man's fa^,
or I^QW it vn^y be known tQ ^ true or falfe,
And t]|is he %^, i? by Ms work?. He intfp-
^pce§fom,e (chap. iirVer. 1—14.) who liad? or
prpfefled to liave, the faith of ot?r J^pr^ Jefffi
jChrlft with refpeft of perfons. To fuch Iji^
declares, " If ye have refpeft to perfons, ye
commit fii}^" ver. 9. §0 that l^elr profeffiori
©f faith In Jefus Chrifl woulji avail them no--
tiling, as tjielf a^^ion? did not correfpond witij
it. for " what dpth it Pfpfit, though a m#ri'
fay h^ liatli faith, and have not works ? can
faith fave him ?" A true faith mqft be evidencied
l^y works, A-n4 ^^ ^?^^ manner believef s of old
proved tliat fh^y were what they pro|ef|ed tQ
be. " Wa^ npt Abraham pyr father juftified
by works, when he had offered lifs fon |fa§g
pn the altar i^" i.e. Did he not, ^y thataftjon,
prove that he deferved ;he charafter which
God had given him almoft thhty years before I
Was not tbe fcripture thereby fulfilled, which
faith, " Abraliarg .believed Qod, and it wfts im-:
puted

L E T T E R IrilL itf
|ytfced to him- for righteoufnefe.? In lil^ mari^
ner, " was hot Rahab tfe tffifoe juftlfi^ b^
works, when fhe" had r<^ivdd tiSe'riieffdrig^^
a'rid'fe^a'therA'Out ^6the;rway?" i. e. did~lKe
fiot thereby prbvis that flftef was: what ftie prb^
foffed'tO be, a belieVet M Gbd ?" (fee' Jbflil if.
S?^eft 9.> That here 'k no altufiori' tO thef firiai
jUSlgffifent i&gla-ririgly evident. " WaSnot* fM±-
feWiOur father juflified by v^Orks— W-heri ? ai
#hat iimt .^-^when' he h^ offered his' fonlfiUe
Ori the* altar. *f Wa's' not Rahab tfie^^ harlot jU-
ftiflfeni' by #0rk;S .l^-^when .?¦ at what' tirrie .''-^
"Wlie* fhe' had retelved the mefferigers, arid
felf therii ouf aiidther -^a^. & that die tlnie
of the juftlficdtlori'tfic apbfffe fpe^lts of, is^ loiig
firiee p^l Ofe-lucSi' a weak, or' rather' On' riti
foUridatiOrii, ig thedbcfriWof a'firfi^ ahd'fecOrtdP
juftlficatlon built' — The gcidd Old^ Dr. jfulic'
tfelts! the Rherrillh Jefuits, ^'iftfofyorir diftihci
tion: pf the trf^ arid terid'juftificitlOn befBfd
God, it is bOf a'rieKvdfevfce, riotthfeefdore' yeere
oltfe"i v^\y tinhii^ bf ^mong' th^' aritierit
fttharfe-;'?' (bh'Rdrii: Ii: 13.) Stieh'vi^ks4he decla-
ra^oh df thls-.a:ble' judgef of* fdun'd dOftrlneJ
WSI^ you kri'dA^' the rife' arid dccafibri of
\t^} Tal«jit In the A^bfds of ahdtlier* of our old'
dimes; "Thdy^ (the*" Papifts) fay^ that duf doc
trine

1 88 I. E T T E R VIJL
trine, of ' juftificatlon by faith, alone, (for this
ftrlketh at the head, and embowelleth all their
fhlfting devices) is but a new device of ours;
as appearejrh In their champion's ' challenge.
But confounded herein was he [Campian] his
caufe and abettors: our learned men at the
conference with him in the tower, not only
niightily by the fcriptures convincing, but out
pf Greek and Latin Fathers alfo, who lived
above a thoufand years ago, on preffing him
with thefe very formal words, that faith only.
juftifieth ; fo driving him to^ ridiculous fhifts,
and newly coined diftinftlons, (fo near thp
mint was he) before unheard pf: even as Iri
the controverfy being much ftraitned, they
were forced to caft about for .that as falfe as new
diftlnftlon of juftlficatlon Into the firft and fe
cond, never heard of for the fpace pf a thoufand
and five hundred years after .Chrlfl." (Perkins's ¦
Works, Vol. III. p. 599) The gofpel cove
nant, or the doftrine of juftlficatlon, a.s given;
us In the New Whole Duty of- Man (Pref
p. 10. II.) Is this. " After the fall, God en
tered into a new covenant ' with- rnan, that,-
on condition of 'man's ftedfaft faith, fincpre
repentance, and perfeft obedience, he fhould-
be reftored thro' Chrift to God's favour ; aft
ter

L E T T E JI VIIL 189
ter death to that life and happinefs, which was
promifed to our firft parents, without tafting
of death." How this and what is tranfcrlbed
from the fame book, (at the end of the fifth
letter) agrees with the doftrine of the church
of England, we may now enquire. In the
article before us it Is faid, " We are accounted
righteous before God only 'for the merit of
pur Lord, and Saviour Jefus Chrift, and not for
our works or defervings." New Duty of Man.'
" We are accounted righteoufs before^, God
for our ftedfaft faith, fincere repentance, ap.d
perfeft obedience." So that to make thefe a-
gree, the merit of Chrlft, and our faith, re
pentance and obedience, muft mean the fame
thing. Tho' this author talks of being re-:
flored , thro'. Chrift, after the performance of
the abovementioned. conditions, yet (if he is
qonfiftent with himfelf) the expreffion, , ?Aro'
Chrift, Is a mere expletive. For he has juft
before told us, that the work of Chrift with
regard to our redemption was, to, fatisfy the
offended juftice of God, and repair the ruin
ed nature of mankind, that God might en
ter into a new covenant with man. And a
little after he tells us, " our Saviour, has pur--
chafed this grace for us, that real repentance and

r^ L E T T E R VfiL
aud flrtcefe obedleriee- Aifa-'M be accepted mf?ead'
of iririoceriGe.'* So that every other perforni-
aflce of ChM: befid<^ fatisfying dlviite jwftiee
for the b^ea^ of the law, repairing the hu-
^!iMn; nature, arid procuring a more favourable
•gpveriant for m'an, is here excluded'. There
fore, having our pa"ft fins dotted for, and our*
d@r*i^ nature mended,- we are ddthittdd tb a-
fiothif ^ovenarit, and left' to' ^-rid^ uponr Otii^
own bottom. ©Lifr are we a'Bfe fo perform the
dOftditiOri* of tlfis^ new eoveriarit, to which
-#©; are- riow adrfilfted .** no- doabt' of ir. Pof
he feHsi us, "the e£>riiriSands' Of God are fo^
fep from b^ng impoffible to be bbfer^^edV
ihfat Orii thf; cOrittary a man cknndt eafily
tranfgrefe theift' without an Hairdfettdl confer
ence and? deliber.*te- choice. And whenfbeveV^
God reqiuire<> of us more than we ^te fiatif-
ra'lfy- abfe to perform, he riever fails to afford*
tJis: pji^poJtioMbly great affifl'ari'Cc, to enaHl^
iffei to perform what he fb- reqtiirtr of us:"'
But what fey-^ the church of Ehgferid-.^ "the"
condition of man after tile fall' Is' ftibh, tfrat*
he- cannot turn- arid^prepare himfelf bjrhis Own
natural ftrengfli' and good Works tb fafth' and'
callirig upon Ged."' (Art: X.) But don't you
remember he- fays- thaf "'Chrift vepaired: the
ruined

LETTER ¥IIL 19*
ruined nf^^Wfe of fl3p.nkiigd? yes.' And like-
wife tha? the church ,pf England fays, that
isy^ry jjjan " is pf big pwn nature inclined
to evil, fo that the ^^ih Jufike^ always con
trary to the fpirit, and therefore in every
p9;rfpn fliat cometh ji^tO the wprld it de.fep
veth God's wrath and damnation." (Art. IX.)
/Vnd conf^qpej^dy the natwe of njan k fo re-
pfiired, as ftill fo defeyve Qo4'? wrath aind daro*
ation- But are ft^efe works to be done before or
after jufti^c^tion .'' Pefprejijftifieation, no doubt ;
fgr they are l^o be 4pne in QTt4^r that we may.
|)e reftored to the favow of God- Hear then
our gOP-4 friother, Jn, bet thirteenth articie (of
works hefpre Jwftificatipn) fhe fays ; works
dOiiie befprp the. grace pf JphrifJ, and the in-
fpiratlon pf his fpirit, are not pleafant to God^-r,
we doubt not buj th^t fhey b^^ve the nmvp pf
fin." AcGpr4ip^ly,we are tg dp wlwt js not plea-
f^nt to God, but finful, in order to jvjftlfy u?
in his fight. Bill perhaps yo\] have aft along
miftaken hi? Jnea,^ing, and the expreffion,.
thro' Ckrtft, is not, a? ypu fuppofe, a mere
gxpletive ; but hjs fcheme Is — — when ws have
performed ^he conditipp of f^^df^f^ f^i^h?. fin-
cere repentance, and perfeft obedience^ we
f|)?lj ^her-eby he entitled to an intereft In the
, righteoufnefs

192 LETTER VlIL
righteoufnefs of Chrlft. but this will not help
or bring him at all nearer to an agreement
with our church ; who pofitively fays (Art. XIIL)
that " works done before the grace of Chrlft,
and the infplration of his fpirit, I. e. before
juftlficatlon, do not make us meet to receive
grace." You fee then that this man has fo litde
agreement with the church of England, that
it Is perhaps impoffible to find a writer who has
lefs. And yet this book Is already In the hands
of thoufands, and Is every now and then puf
fed off to the world, as containing the faith and
praftice of a Chriftian, the true doftrlnes of the
church of England. It Is on thefe accounts that
I have taken -notice of a fmall portion of it,
(which contains more blunders than periods)
and entreat your leave to examine Its principal
tenets. I would have the liberty to afk, where
is this covenant to be met with ? viz. that
" on condition of ftedfaft faith, fincere repent
ance, and perfeft obedience, man fliould be
reftored through Chrlft to the favour of God .''"
I muft own, I have not yet been able to get a
fight of It. He fays, " It may be fully collefted
from the gofpel.' It Is ftrange then that when
he was writlrig a book for general ufe, for the
Information of numbers, who have little lelfure, or

L E T I* E R VIIL Jf3
or perhaps ability, to colleft* for themfelves, he
fliould Omit to refet them to the particular
places v^here this covehant is to be found. Iif
A matter of fuch importance, as the right know-
fedge how a finner Is to be juftified In the fight
of God, his mere ipfe dixit Is furely flot fuf
ficient. But the true reafori of the omiffidn is^
that the covenant Is riO "inhere to be met with;
Mariy Indeed have talked about It before, biit
if has never yet appeared, though they have
been often defired to produce it. ¦ J
Biit are we able to perform the conditions of
foch i covenant } By Ho means. For faith Is the
glftofGod,; Ephef Hi 8. Philip. I. 29.) So that
we cannot believe till God enables us. Repent
ance likewife is the gift of God. (Afts v. 3 1 ;)
Tfierefore we cannot repent till God vouchfafes
ta gh^e us repentance. , And obedience is thg
fruJt of a new nature. For they that are in
the flefhi (In their natural ftate) cannot pleafe
God/' Rom, viii. 8. " We are his workman-
fliip, created in Jefus Chrift unto good works.'*-
Eph. H. 1 0. So theri, accordlrig to this fcheme,
Godha;s admitted rnan to a new covenant, and
promifed to reftore him' to his favour^ and rriake^
him' eternally happy. Upon the perforriidrice'
af certain cpridltloris, riot one of Which he
is able to perform. Befides, if we ate to be
faved UfOti perfdrriiing the conditions of ibi»
, i B b coven'ant

194 L E T T E R VIIL
covenant, then is falvation not ,by grace, but by
works. For, " to him that worketh Is the
reward not: reckoned of grace, but of debt,"
Rom. iv. 4. But, " by Grace are ye faved,"
fays the apoftle, Ephef 2. 8. Therefore falva
tion Is not appointed to be obtained by perform-
ino- the conditions of this covenant. It will not
avail to fay, we are ftill faved by grace, becaufe
we. are admitted to a gracious covenant, to
which the Almighty was under no obligation
to admit us. For to fuch a gracious covenant
was Adam admitted, though It is allowed by
all that It was .a covenant of works. Since
It was by the mere fa-vour, or. If you pleafe,
grace of the Almighty that he was admitted to
It. To infer then that we are faved by grace,
becaufe we are admitted to a gracious or fa
vourable covenant, is a mere evafion, a poor
endeavour to avoid the force of this truth, that
our works .have no fhare in our juftlficatlon;
and Is by no means a right explanation of the
apoftle's words. When he fays, " by grace
ye are faved," his meaning is, (as will appear
hereafter) that the choice of perfons to falvati
on, and all the means appointed for them
to obtain It by, are gratuitous, gratis, a free
gift, without any works or defervings of their
own., The covenant made with Adam was
called a covenant of works, becaufe It demand^- ed

t>

L ET T E R vm. 19^
ed works, or obedience, as the condition of It.
Fertile fame reafon, whatever covenant re
quires works or obedience, as the conditions of
it, is a covenant of works. But faith, repent
ance, and obedience, the conditions of this
covenant, are works. So that, according to
this fcheme, falvation Is by works : contrary to
what the fcriptures declare In places Innumera
ble. If we are faved, becaufe we perform fuch
conditions, then our falvation is evidently "on
account of our works. They are the procuring
caufe of it. Our author was perhaps fenfible
that he had made the conditions of this Ima
ginary covenant too hard, and therefore he
prefently changes the term perfeSi obedience
for ftncere endeavour. " Not that the conditi
on of the gofpel covenant is a perfeft unfin-
nlng obedience, but a fincere endeavour to
obey all the commands of God to the utmoft
of our power." But this will not anfwer his
purpofe. For It Is ftill a covenant, of works '
as works are ftill made the condition of It.
He fays, " our Saviour by his death and fuf
ferings has purchafed this grace for us; that
real repentance and fincere obedience fhall be
accepted Inftead of Innocence." But where Is
this to be found.? the fcriptures fpeak not a
word of It, either by plain declaration or juft
inference. Befides, this bold affertion, uttered
R b 2 with

vfS, |.'E'T T E R VI!L
with as much confidence, as if It was an ac
knowledged truth, is Impoffible to be true.
The d'uty of man to God ^r'lfes from the re
lation of a creature to its Creator. Arid the
rule of this duty is given us in his word, " thou:
fhalt love the Lord, thy God with all thine
heart; i. e. with a perfeft, unfinning obedi
ence. While therefore, the relation coritlnuesr
the fame, viz. of a creature to Its Creator; the
4uty proqeeding from that relation muft be
unalterable. Nor does the inability of man
to perform a perfeft obedience make any al
teration in this rnatter, o? evince the necef
fity pf a new covenant, which flaall reqiiite^
only a fincere Inftead of a perfeft obedience.
For man's inability proceeds from" himfelf,
from his own wilful tranfgreffion. So that
the right of God to expeft an iwjftnning obe-;
(^nge Is no more defbroyed by man's IiiabiKty
to perform it^, than^ a creditor's right to demand
alf that is due Vnto him is deftroyed by his
inability to pay It. Agreeably to this our Lord
fays, " one jot or one tittle ftiall In nO' wife
pafs from the law, till all be fulfilled.'' Sp
that an unfinning obedience is ftill required of
all, to be performed either in their own per-.
fons, or by their furety. And for this reafon,
becaufe this being the rule of duty, refulting-
from the relation of man to Qod, as a crea
ture ^ his Creator, fo long as the relation
rorrBuLies

L E' T :T E R-: VHL^ 197
eontiime8 the fame, the rule, of d"ty rriuft
be the fame. '. i\
The apoftle, fpeaking of redemption thrc/"
the Mood of Chrift, fays, " whom God hath
fet .forth for a propitiation ^c^t^r- that he might
be juft." Rona. ill. 25. 26. How .? in having
a fuU fatisfaftion made to his offended Majefty
for the breach of his law by man. And foa?
the fajfne reafon it is neceffary that an unfin-.
nmg obedience lihould be required ; viz. that
God may be juft. How ? in having that
dttSy folly performed which man natural^
ewes him. And from hence it appears, that
as man Is unable to perform a perfeft obedi*
ence in his own perfon, there is ari abfohitia
aeoe^ty that it fhould be performed by a
forety; or man cannotj con^fieilt wlife the
ji^^^ of God, be reftored to the divine fa
vour. So that what this writer afferts,, that
" our Saviour by hi& death and fufferings has
purchafed this grace for ife, that real repent
ance and fincene obedience fhall be acceptecJ
inftead of innocence," has thefe material Incon-
veniencies- attending It, that It Is no where to
be found' in the fcriptures, and is impoffible
to be true. But to return to the covenant
Itfelf. According to this fehem© we are to
perform a fincere obedience that we -may be
reftored to the favour of God, -or juftlfied In
his fight. But it k written, " whatfoever is not
^^¦..„.:.:; ,:.::; ,„,.;„:,, of

198 L E T,T E R VIIL
of faith is fin." Rom. xiv. 23. Without faith it
Is Impoffible to pleafe God." Heb. xi. 6. , And
" by him aU that believe are juftlfied from all
things." Afts xiii. 39. So that we can do no
thing that is acceptable to God, till we have
faith, and when we have faith we are juftlfied.
From whence it follows that either we muft
be reftored. to the favour of God, upon condi
tion of doing that which Is finful, or we can
not fincerely obey him till we are reftored to
his favour, or juftified in his fight. And there
fore a fincere obedience cannot be the conditi
on of our juftlficatlon, fince we cannot fincere
ly obey till we are already juftified. And what
is more, to fuppofe that fincere obedience Is
the condition of juftlficatlon. Is tp deftroy the
very riature of jufllficatlon. The juftlficatlon
of a perfon. Is a declaration that he Is righte
ous. But our fincereft obedience Is Imperfeft,
mixed with fin: for In manv thIno;s we -offend
all. If wc fay that we have no fin we, de
ceive ourfelves. Therefore, upori this fuppo
fition. It Is ImpofTible that we can be juftified
at all, I. e.- declared to be righteous: unlefs
we farther fuppofe that God will d^eclare we
are righteous, when we are not fo. But we
know that the judgment of God Is according
to truth. To fay then, that " God entered in
to a new covenant with man, that, on condi
tion of ftedfaft faith, real repentance, and fin
der e

LETTER VIIL 199
cere obedience, he fhould be reftored to the
favour of God thro' Chrlft, and be made hap
py eternally," is confideritly to affert what
has no foundation in fcripture, what Is abfolute
ly irreconcileable with the doftrine of the
church of England, and diametrically oppofite
to her determination on the fubjeft of juftl
ficatlon. It Is, to fuppofe that we are faved
by works, not by grace; contrary to the very
plain and frequent declarations of fcripture —
to declare that God hath admitted us to a
new covenant upon certain conditions, not one
of which we are able to perform — to fay, we
muft do what Is finful to recommend us to
God — to overthrow the very nature of juftlfi
catlon. And to fay, that our Saviour by his
death and fufferings purchafed this new cove
nant for us. Is to ufe his adorable name In
fupport of a downright falfity,' to countenance
an affertion which Is fo far from having any
foundation In fcripture, that It Is Impoffible
to be true. — The new covenant we have
been examining Is a patch- work from two dif
ferent fchemes of juftificatlon, which Arminius
drew for his own ufe, and that of his pupils.
The firft of which he publickly recanted, and
the fecond of which he was never able tcf
defend. Excufe .this digreffion, and permit me
to take notice of another book of the fame
flamp; viz. T'he New Week's Preparation. ' Herein

200

L. E T T E R T VIIL:

H-sreifi it i§ faid, that aftetthe fin of OUr fiHl-
pj: reht^^ " God entefed into a new covettant
with them, that upon condltiofl of their hearty
reperitance and fincere obedience' hereafter,
they fhould be reftored to the favour of 'God^
arid after deaths to that life and happirief^,''
which, in their ftafd of irinoc-ence, -w^s prcS=-
mifed to them without ever t^filiig -of de^th."
(Part 11. p. 30.) Here foith Is left oiit of the'
Kft of conditions. 80 that this is rnOre plainly
a covenant of works than the other. Had this
writer been converfant with that part of liii^
bible from which he fays this rieW covenant Is
taken, he vyould have knowri that there Is
not the leaft trace of fuch a covenant to be
met with. Our firft pareritS hopes of being
reftored to the divirie favour. Were founded
entirely upon the feed of the woman : I. e.
Chrift. Tliere is not eVen a hint of their
being patdoried and faved by their hearty re
pentance and firicere obedierice. It Is riot
written, you fhall be reftored to the diVIrie fa
vour. If you heartily repent of what is paft,
and fiftcerely obey me for the fumre. Sut —
it fio'all bfuif&^thy head. Gen. HI. 15. I. e. the
feed of the woman fhall bruife the ferperit's
head. So that all their hopes of reftoration to
the divine favour, and being riiade etetrially
happy, were to be fouiided ori what Chrift
fhou^

.:aL 'E T T E R vVIIL 201
ihoiilddo for them, not on their :hearty repent-'
ance, . fincere obedience, or any thing the^
Gould..do for -themfelves. : -But fuppofe we
fliould at any time brcalc this; new covenant,
what's to be done then .-^ the anfwer Is rea
dy. " If thro' the frailty anddnfirmity of our
nature,' we be at any time, nOtwIthftandlng
our fincre endeavours to the ; contrary, .furT
prized into' the commiffion of fin, j God ^ ac
cepts real repentance .and a. renewed obedience
inftead of an uninterrupted courfe of hblinefs."
(New Duty of Man) '.And 'how to repent and
renew .our obedience we have very clrcum-
ftantlal direftions' In the New Week's Prepa
ration'. " When you have once thoroughly.
examined yourfelf,. and made a particular con
feffion of the fins of your whole life, and
begged pardon ; there is not the fame abfolute
neceffity of foch. a laborious -examination at
your next communicating ; .efpecially , if you
examine yourfelf -carefully every night, and
daily repent of the evil of the day paft, and
are not confclou'?. to yourfelf of any great and
notorious fins, fince your laft confeffion; for,
if you arc not, the examination and confef-
fioii only of wliat "paft fince your laft communi
cating, together with the general confeffion of
your former fins, a.nd a folemn renewing of
C c yotir

i02

LETTER VIIL

your former afts of repentance, may ferve
the turn. But if your confclence accufes you
of any culpable negleft in your laft examina
tion, or of any great relapfes, or of any wilful
violations of your laft vows and refolutlons;
in thefe and the like cafes, it is the fureft way
to begin aU your repentance again." — " When
we are come to a fufficient knowledge of our
fins, by the foregoing rnethod of examinati
on, our next ftep is to repent of them; and
the firft part of our repentance Is to make
an hurnble confeffion of our vllenefs and un-
vvorthlnefs In committing them." (Part I. p. 31.)
Then immediately follows " a .profeffion of
' godly forrow for our fins, and a refolution of
new obedience towards God, to be made on Mon
day evening." In this confeffion we have the
foUowing expreffions; by which we may
know on what accounts we are to be par
doned and reftored to the divine favour. " O
my God, with a heart truly forrowful and
penitent, I turn from my evil ways, refolving
by thy grace to become a new creature ; from
this day forward I am fully determinfd to be
take invfelf to a religious courfe of life ; O
fet not iniquity be my ruin." (p. -^a.)-^ for
give mcj O- merciful father, for Lam heartily
forry for all the evils which I have done." (p. 33.)

forgive

L E" T T E R VIIL 203
forgive all my fins, for I am refolved by thy
grace to love and ferve thee : forgive me O
moft gracious God, for I forgive all that have
cffended me." (p. 34.) So that, according to
this author, after the commiffion of fin, the
way to be pardoned and reconciled to God, is
to refolve and fully deterriilne to becoriie new
creatures — to be forry for what we have done—
to forgive others— and to refolve to love and
ferve him for the future. We are then di-
refted to look up to Chrlft. What? for the
pardon of our finis ? No. Remember, we are
to be pardoned for our good refoflutlons, Sea
but -for — I know not what purpofe. Howe
ver, learn It, If you can, from his own words.
" Bleffed Jefus, who feeketh out finners to
make them good, do not rejeft me now, wheii
I feek to thee to make me better ' (p. 35.)
. Had this writer been acquainted with the
¦fcriptures, or the doftrlnes of the church of
England, he would have known, that tfi^
blood of Chrift Is the only appointed atone
ment for fin. " If any man fins, we have
an advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the
righteous, and he Is the propitiation for our
fins." I John ii. i. 2. " There is none other
fatisfaftion for fin but the offerlhg of Chrift
alone." (Art. XXXL) " They are greatly de-
Cc 2 ceived

204 L E i' T E R Vlll.
ceived . that preach repentance without Chrift:,
and teach the . fimple and ignorant that It
confifteth only in the works of men. They
may indeed fpeak many things of .good works j
and of amendment of life and manners;
but without Chrift they be all vain and unpro
fitable. They that think they have done much
of themfelves towards repentance, are fo much
more the farther from God, becaufe they do
feek thofe, things In their own works and me
rits, which ought only to be fought in our Sa
viour Jefus Chrift, and in the .merits of his
death and paffion, and bloodfhedding." (Ho
mily on. Repentance.) " They that teach
repentance without a lively faith In our Sa
viour Jefus Chrift, do teach none other but
Judas's repentance." — " Let us confefs our
unworthinefs before him, but yet let us truft
in God's free mercy for Chrift's fake, for the
pardon of the fame." (Second Homily on Re
pentance.) The uncommon fale of: thefe books Is a
ftriking and lamentable proof, of the Igno
rance which reigns among us, both of the
fcriptures, and of the doftrlnes of our own
church. Within a few yea.rs the New Whole
Duty of Man has had twenty, and the
.New Week's Preparation- near thirty editions. They

L E t;til;.v / vm. ^o^
Tbey are well known In the three kingdom^^
and pafs currently, with a deluded people, for
orthodox books, and which fully anfwer their
titles, tho' -they are diametrically oppOfite to
the fcriptures. and to ' the doftrines of the
church of England. They are In the higheft
degree difhonourable to the merits of Chrift,
and of fatal tendency to the fouls of me n
as they teach us to endeavour • to eftablifli
a righteoufnefs of our own, inftead of fub
mltting to the righteoufnefs of God.
Irreconciieably with any of thefe fchemes
of juftificatlon, our church fays, " We are
accounted righteous before God only for the
merit of our -Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift,
by faith, and not for our own works and de
fervings." (Art. XI) " All the good works
that we can do be imperfeft, and therefore
not able to- deferve our juftificatlon ; but our ju
ftificatlon doth pome freely by the mere mercy
of God ; and of fo great and free mercy,that
whereas all the world was not able of them
felves to pay any part towards their ranfom. It
pleafed onr heavenly Father of his infinite mer
cy, without any of our deferts or defervings, to
prepare for us the moft precious jewels of
Chrift's body and blood, whereby our ran
fom might be fully paid, the law fulfilled, and his

2o6 LETTER Ym.
his juftice fully fatisfied. So that Chrlft is novr
the righteoufnefs of all them that truely do
believe in him. He for them paid their ran--
fom by his death. He for them fulfilled the
law in his life." (Homily on Salvation.) "The
Apoftle toucheth fpecially three things, which
muft go together In our juftlficatlon. Upon
God's part, his great mercy arid Gra:ce : upon
Chrlft'spart juftice, that Is, the fatisfaftion of his
Good's juftice, or the price of our redempdoH,
by the offering of his body, and ffiedding of hts
blood, with fulfilling of the law perfeftly and
throughly ; and upon our part, true and lively
-faith In the merits of Jefus Chrift, which yet
is not our's, but by God's working In us ; fo
that in our juftificatlon, there Is not only God's
mercy and grace, but alfo his juftice, which
the Apoftle calleth the juftice of God, and It
confifteth in paying our ranfom, and fulfilling
of the Law." (Hom. on 'Salvation.) — " And
this juftificatlon, or righteoufnefs, which we
fo receive of God's mercy, and Chrift's merits,
embraced by faith, is taken, accepted, and al
lowed of God, for our perfeft and full juftlfi
catlon." (Hom. on Salvation.) In fuU Har
mony with this the Scriptures declare that we
are juftified orily for the righteoufnefs of Jefus
Chrlft, and by Faith. We are juftlfied freely by

LETTER VIIL 207
by his grace, thro' the redemption that is In
Chrlft Jefus ; whom God hath fet forth to be
a propitiation thro' faith In his blood." Rom.
iii. 24, 25. By the obedience of one Ihall
many be made righteous." Rom. v. ig.
-*' Chrift Is the end of the law for righteoufnefs
to every one that believeth." Rom. x. 4. —
*' Who of God Is made unto us wifdom and
righteoufnefs and fanftificatlon and redemp
tion." I Cor. I. 30. " He hath made him
,to be fin for us — that we might be made the
Righteoufnefs of God In him." 2. Cor. v. 21.
"¦ By hirn all that believe are juftlfied from all
things." Afts 13, 39.
See now, in one view, the feveral opinions
-we have Introduced concerning juftificatlon, and
compare them with the doftrine of our church.
Church of England. We are acounted righte
ous before God only for the merit of our Lord
and Saviour Jefus Chrlft. Arminian. We are
accounted righteous before God only for our
iFalth. Socinian. We are firft juftified for our
faith and afterwards for our works. New
Whole Duty of Man. We are accounted righ
teous before God for our ftedfaft faith, fincere
¦repentance, and perfeft obedience. New
Week's Preparation. We are accounted righ
teous before God for our hearty repentance
and fincere obedience. I am yours, &c.

r^ * r^t * i^* * ^ * ^ * r¥:

LETTER IX.

Dear Sir,
}^F"^5f«"^ HAT you objeft firom a ce-
^^"^"^"^ ^M lebrated writer, frequently la^
S-^ W I ^ ken notice of before^, has been
ir.L^.*.. ^"^ already obviated. But for your
k,JK«^i3f^JE particular fatisfaftion we may
bring it to the ftandard, and try whether it a-
grees with the articles. His words arej " J
defire that the nature of the gofpel-covenaait
may be weH confidered, which I take to be
thffi. On God's part there are certain bencr
fits promifed, juftificatlon, and pardon of finj
and eternal life and falvation. On ouf;|)art,
there are certain conditions required before we
can be made .partakers of thefe benefits : thefe
are, to affent to the truth of tihe gofpel, truft^
it^ in Chrift as our only Saviour, repentance
D d from

2IO

LETTER IX.

frorn dead works, and a fincere purpofe and
refolution of obedience, and a holy life."
(Tillotfon, Vol. IL p. 261.) On the other
hand, the church of England ' fays', (Article
XlII. of Works before Juftificatlon.) " works
done before the grace of Chrift, and the in
fplration of his fpirit, are not pleafant and
acceptable to God, forafmuch as they fpring
not of faith In Jefus Chrift. ^ — 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 fin." To
Tiiake thefe agree, we muft fuppofe, that,
" to affent to the truth of the gofpel, trufting
In Chrift as our only Saviour, repentance from
dead works, and a fincere purpoie and refolur-
tion of obedience, and a holy life" — we muft
fuppofe, I fay, that thefe " works which are
not pleafant to God, but have the nature of
fin,' mean the fame thing. From whence It
will fohow, that we are to do that which Is
not pleafant to God, but has the nature of fin,
that we may have the benefits of juftificatlon,
pardon of fin, and eternal life. , But leaft we
fliould conclude that, according to this account,
works are the procuring or meritorious caufe
of our juftificatlon, it is foon after faid, " the
ufe of this doftrine is as follows. To per-
fuade

L E T T E R IX. . 211:
fuademen to put all their 'hope and confidence'
of falvation In Jefus Chrift the fon of God;
that is, to , believe , that thro' the alone merit
of his death and fufferings, God is reconciled
to us, and that only upon the account of the
fatisfaftion which he hath made to divine
juftice, we are reftored to the favour of God,'
and our fins are pardoned to us, and we
have a tide to eternal life. Not but that
there are conditions required on our parts to
make us capable of thefe benefits; faith and
repentance, and fincere obedience and hollnefs
of life, without which we fliall never be made
partakers of them: but that the fatisfaftion
of Chrift Is the alone meritorious caufe of riiefe
bleffings." (p. 264.) The condidons which,
he fays, are to make us capable of thefe bene
fits, he elfewhere fays, are " in order to the
qualifying of us for the favour of God." (Vol.
VI, p. 385.) what muft recommend us to the fa
vour of God.'- (p. 38.S.)
So that his fcheme feems to be this. We
muft perform certain things as condidoris of
our juftificatlon, and previous to it. Yet we
are not to be juftified for the fake of what we
do. But we are thereby only made capable,
qualified for, recommended to receive juftificatl
on, which Is already procured by Chrift, and
D d 2 is

2r2 L E T T E R IX.
IS ready to be niade over to us upon our
performing the conditions. In oppofition to
which, the church of England fays, "works
done before the grace of Chrlft, and the infpfc
ration of his fpirit, (i. e. before juftificatlon)
do not make men meet to receive grace.''*
(Article XIIL) Bu.t this fcheme is attended
with infuperable dlfficuldes. It has already
been demonftrated, that we are unable tp
perform the conditions which are here required
in order to juftificadon. Befides, It is evident
ly a covenant of works, fince worics arc made
the conditions of It. Nor will it remove the
objection to pretend to rejeft the merit of works :
or to fay that a perfon merits nothing by
performing thefe conditions. For as works
are the condition of the covenant, it Is ftill
a covenant of works, whether there is any
merit In them or no. But this is only to en
deavour to diftinguifh where indeed there is
nothing to be diftingulfhed. " For to him
that worketh is the reward reckoned -r— of
debt." Rora. iv. 4. When he has performed
the ftipulated conditions, what he worked for
fe'ecomes his due, he claims it by right, de
ferves, merits It by virtue of the agreement,
¦though perhaps lie- has not wrought equiva-
iently to what he Is to receive. " If Abra
ham

LETTER IX. 213
ham were jjlftified by works, he hath where-*
of to glpry." Rom, iv. 3. Eu^ how can a man
jijftly gfory for his performanpe of any thing,
unlefs there Is fome merit in it.-^ And it Is flrango
to fay we muft do fomething to recommend ^s^
if there Is nothing in what we do that can recom
mend us. It Is declared that thefe conditior^s
are to be performed to recommend us to the
favowr Qi Qod, or qqallfy.us for juftificatlon
with all its bleffings, as purchafed by Chrlfl,
Is it not then evident that the performance
of the conditions is the procuring caufe of
the favour of God, and of a title to eternal
life ? Is It not the thing ftipulated for, accords
i^g t,o this fcheri:ie ? when therefore a perfo^
has performed the required conditions, he ha?
a juft claim to the favour of God, a jnft tide
to eternal life; and ean claim it as hjs due,
as the reward of h.Is works, upon the promife
pf God; In like manner and with the fame,
jufljlce that Ad,an3t might have claimed eter
nal life, wpon the promife of the AJmlghty,
if he had performed the condition of the
covenant of works, to which he was adrnljtgd.
It matters not, in this cafe, how eternal life
is to come to him; whether as purchafed by
another, and given him conditionally; or as
the immediatte, reward of his own works. For

2,14 L E T T E R IX.
For all that he dias to do is to . mind the
conditloris of the covenant. If he performs
them; he will have a title to eternal life. If,
he does not perform them, he will not have
a title to It. So that, according to this fcheme,-
pardon of fin, jufiification, eternal life, are
purchafed by Chrift, and whofoever performs
certain conditions fliall have a title to thefe
bleffings. ,But if this is not to make falva
tion by works, (contrary to what the Apoftle"
declares In places innumerable) I muft own
I know not what the expreffion means.
This writer was, perhaps, mifled In this
matter, for want of duly attending to -the
difference between a covenant of works arid
a covenant of grace. A covenant of works
is an agreement between two parties, by which
the one promifes the other certain things upori
his performance of one or more conditions.
Such was the covenant with Adam ; the tenor
of which was, " do this and live." In which.
eternal life was promifed him upon the per
formance of a flipulated condition.
From the nature of fuch a covenant It ap
pears, that upon the performance of the con
ditions, the party has a juft claim to the things
promifed, by virtue of the agreement — and
that the poffeffion of the things promifed Is
neceffarily

LETTER IX. 215
neceffarily fufpended,. or with-held, tiU -the!
conditions of the covenant are performed. ;¦,
A covenant ;of grace. Is a grant or promife
of certain things to certain perfons, without
requiring . any conditions to be performed pre
vious to, or in order to their poffeffion of the
things promifed.. Such was the covenant with
Noahl, Gen. he. v. 9, 10, 11. ".And I, be
hold, I eftablifli my covenant with you; and
wlth^ your feed after you; and with every
-living.creature that Is with you; of the 'fowl,
,of the cattel, ; and pf every beaft of the. earth
with you, from all that go out of the ark to every
beaft pf the earth, and I will eftablifli my cove
nant • with you ; neither fhall all flefh be Cutoff
any more by the -vyaters of a flood ; neither fliall
there any more be a flood to deftroy the earth."
Here, the Lord condefcends to bind hlrnfelf
by f promlfe; to Noah and his pofterlty, to' do
fomething for their- benefit. This Is. the whole
pf the covenant. He does not require any
conditions of Noah and. his pofterlty, to be
performed • prevloys to, or In order to their
receiving the benefits ¦ of this covenant. Of
the fame nature is-, the- covenant of grace ;
which is given us by the Prophet Jeremiah,
(ch. xxxi. V. 33,.34.) and by St. Paul; tho' It
Is overlooked by this . vyrlter, and perhaps by
all the Arminians to a man. It is contained in

2iS L E T T E R IX.
in the following words., " This Is the cove
nant liiat I will make with the houfe of Ifraol
afortbofe days, faidi the Lord : and I will put
any laws Into their imind&, and write them In their
hearts : and I will be to them a God, atad di^
ihall be to riae a people : and tbey ftiall not teach
every man his neighbotir, and every man his
brother^, fayli^, know the Lord? for all ftiall
know me, from the leaft to the greaiteft. For I
will be merciful to (their lanri^teoufnefs, and
;jfceir ftns and their iniquities will J xememr
ber no more." Heb. viii. v. lo, ii, 12. From
which It is evident, that ihe covenant of g^ace
is an abfokffie promife of God to give unto
the houfe of Ifracl (the Ifrael ctf 'God, -flife
fpiritual feed of Abraham) certain bleffings.
Here are no conditions required on the part
of "fhe hctefe of M'ael, in order to their taking
pofle'ffion of ihe promifed bleffings, fo that
their aftnial poffeffiion of them cannot be ftif-
pended till the performance of certain con
ditions. Befides, it is demonftrable that we
can perform no conditions previous to our
entrance on the poffeffion of them. For the
ifirft bleffing promifed in the covenant of
grace, is, " I wiU put my laws into their
minds, and write them in their hearts." Which
implies a renovation of our nature. For,
fince we naturally have the underftanding darkened

LETTER IX. 217
darkened, and are alienated from the life of
God, through the Ignorance that Is In us ;
Eph. Iv. 1 8. to have the laws of God In our
mind, prefuppofes an enlightening of the eyes
of the Underftanding." Eph. I. 1 8. the fhln-
ing of God In our heart^;, to gIVe us the
knowledge of his g|ory In the face of Jefus
Chrlft." 2 Cor. iv. 6. and to have them In
our hearts, irriplies a change of heart. Since
we naturally defire not the knowledge of his
ways, but the flefh lufleth always contrary to
the fpirit. We muft firft receive the fpirit of
God, before we can know the things that
are freely given unto us of God. Since the
natural man cannot know the things of the
fpirit of God, becaufe they are fpirltually dif
cerned." I Cor. II. 12, 14.
'¦ Befides, the covenant of grace Is all along
confidered as a teftament. The bleffings
contained in the covenant were purchafed by
the merits of Chrlft, and the covenant Itfelf
was ratified In his blood. So that the blef
fings promifed therein defcend to the houfe
of Ifrael ; (the fpiritual feed of Abraham) as
a bequeft, a legacy. They are therefore a
free unconditional donation.
And from hence It follows, that whatever
relating to the covenant of grace, ' is delivered
E c in

218 LETTER IX.
In the form of a condition. Is not tO be un
derftood as a foederal condition, of fomething
to be done by compaft or agreeirient; in or
der to entitle or procure a right to any thing.;
becaufe, in the covenant' of grace, every thirig
required Is promifed uncondirionally. For in
ftance, it Is written, " He that believeth fliall
be faved." If you fuppofe this relates to the
covenant of grace, the meaning cannot be —
If you believe, you fhall have eternal life,
by \vay of compaft or agreement, foi* that is
evidently to refer It to a covenarit of works,
as it fuppofes eternal life to be given on ac-
connt of faith. But the words are defcrlp-
tive of the charafter of fuch as fhall be laved:
and the meaning is — every one who be-
licvet'n fhall have eternal life. Shall have It
— not becaufe he believes, or for the fake
of his faith; but becaufe there is an infepa-
rablc conneftion between faith and eternal
L'fe. For tho' faith is required as prevloufly ne
ceflary to the enjoyment of eternal life, yet
it is alfo promifed to be given. " Without
holincl,^ no man fhall fee the Lord." To In
terpret thefe Vv'ords in this manner — If you
wiil be holy, you fhall fee the Lord; If you
will not be holy, you fhall not fee the Lord:
is to refer them to a covenant of works, by
making

L E T T E R 1^. 219
hpllnefs the procuring, c^ufe of feeing the Lord.
^iit if they are referred to the covenant of
grace ; they fignify principally that there Is an
luafeparable conneftion between hqllnefs and
happinefs.; or, that hqllnefs is the way in which
they walk who .fha.H fee .the Lord. In like
manner, " repent and be converted," if it
relates to the covenant of grace, cannot mean
^— if you will repent you fhall be converted ;
for that Is plainly to refer, it to a covenant
pf works : but the defign of the words . is, to
fhew .that there ;s an infeparable conneftion
between repentance and converfion.
¦And this Is illqftrated by that very Inftance,
.which has been produced to fupport the con
trary opinion. " Now. when they heard this
they were pricked in their hearts, and faid
,unto iPeter and tlie reft of > the Apoftles, .men
and brethren, what fhaU w^ do.? then faid
JReter unto them, .repent, and be baptized
.every one of yoc. In the name of Jefus Chrift
¦jfor the remlflion of fins, and ye fhall receive
the gift, of the Holy Ghoft:." Afts ii. v. 27,
-28. Here It is .plajn, .they Were not to re-
ipent as a qualifying condition to partake of
-the bleffings of the covenant pf grace, for
they had. already ,had an earneft of them,
being in pofileffion of one of them: viz. " I
will

220 LETTER IX.
will put my laws In their mind and write
them in their hearts." For they now faw-.
fornethlng of the true nature and evil of fin,
which they could not have done, unlefs the
eyes of their underftanding had been enlight
ened : and this made them earneftly follcitous
to flee from the wrath to come, which they
could not have been, without a change of
heart. But they were advlfed to repentance
and baptifm, as things neceffarily connefted,
(by way of antecedent and confequent) with
their receiving the gift of the Holy Ghoft.
" For, the Apoftle adds, the promife Is unto
you." And he Intimates, In the fame verfe,
that they were called to partake of It. So
that repentance could not be commanded as
a qualifying condition, fince It was unconditi
onally promifed. unto them as -heirs of the co
venant of grace.
On the other hand, the Arminians, by con
fidering thefe expreffions as containing foede
ral conditions, have fubftituted a covenant of
works in the room of the covenant of grace.
And this Is perhaps the caufe. of all their mlf-
takes on the fubjeft of juftificatlon. And
which they might eafily have avoided, by con
fidering that we are under a covenant of
grace

LETTER IX. 22r
grace, and attending to the nature of that
covenant. '*' If we were to take the promifes of the
covenant of grace altogether without excep
tion, we could not, fo much as In thought,
devife any thing in us, as the condition of the
promifes. For whatever can be conceived as
a condition, is all Included In the unlverfality
of the promifes. Should God only promlfe
eternal life, there might be fome pretence for
faying, that repentance, faith, and the like,
were the conditions of this covenant. But fee
ing God does. In the fame breath, as it were,
ratify both the beginning, progrefs, uninter
rupted continuance, and, in a word, the con-
fummation of the new life; nothing remains in
this unlverfality of the promifes, which can be
looked upon as a condition of the whole co
venant." (Witfij CEconomla Foed^ lib. Hi. cap. i.)
I am yours, &c.

LETTER

•i|4^--H---f4--H---f-^-K-f4-f4"-H---H-f4-fi---H-4-4--H''H---H-|.l;

LETTER X.

Dear Sir,
f^ciiSoc^*^ E may obferve a great propriety
S W # ^^ ^^ arrangement of the articles
# , # relating to the fubjefts, wlsch have
^ been fince controverted by the Cal
vinifts and Arminians. In the ninth article,
the depravity of our nature, occafioned by the
firi of Adam, is fet forth; and that nature Is
declared to be fo polkited, that the flefh lufteth
always contrary to the fpirit ; and fo finful, that
it deferveth God's wrath and damnation. Such
is our deplorable condition by nature; our
helplefsnefs Is made known to us in article the
tenth, which fays, that we cannot turn again
linto God In our own ftrength ; and intimates,
that we cannot even wifh to return, without
his grace by Chrlft preventing us that we may
have a good will. That we can be recovered from

224 . LET T E R X.
from this dreadful ftate, pardoned, and jufti-^
fied In the fight of God. only by faith In the
death and merits of Jefus Chrlft, is difcovered
to- us in the eleventh article. And left we
fliould fancy, through pride of heart, that we
can do fomething to make us capable of,
qualify us for, or recommend us to the fa
vour of God, It Is determined. In the thirteenth
article, that we can do nothing that is pleafarit
and acceptable to him, or make us meet to
receive his grace. To what caufe then muft
it be afcribed that' any are faved, and that
the whole of our wretched race are not left
to perifh in their fins.? The feventeenth ar
ticle afcrlbes our falvation to the free grace,
the alone good plekfure of God. " Predef
tlnatlon to life is the everlafting purpofe of
God, whereby before the foundations of the
world were laid, he hath conftandy decreed
by his counfel fecret to us, to deliver from curfe
and damnation, thofe whom he hath chofen
in Chrlft to everlafting falvation, as veffels
"made to honour: wherefore they which be
endued with fo excellent a benefit of God, be
called according to God's purpofe by his fpi
rit working In due feafon : they, through grace
obey the caUIng, they be juftlfied freely : they
be made the fons of God by adoption : they be

L E T T E H X. 225.
caufe it was forefeeii that we would beKeve,
obey, and perfevere In holinefs. On the other
hand. It Is afcribed to the purpofe of God,
to his counfel or determination to deliver from
curfe and damnation thofe whom he hath cho
fen In Chrlft.
And by the purppfe of God is meant, his
foveteign will, his abfolute determination of
particular things, without any refpeft to, or
On account of what man will do'.' Thus " the
children being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil, that the purpofe of
God according to eleftlon might ftand, not
of Works, but of him that calleth." Rora.
ix. 1 1 : Called according to his purpofe. Rom.
vlil. 28. — According to his good pleafure, which
he hath purpbfed In himfelf Ephef. i. 9.
Being predeftinated according to the purpofe
of him who worketh all things rfter the coun-n
fel of his own will. v. 1 1.
This opinion of the Arminians' is exprefs
ly condemned by many of our beft divines.
The learned bifhop Davenant, one of our ple
nipotentiaries at the fynod of Dort, and who
lived when Armlnlanilhi began to be coun
tenanced by thofe In power, lays, in his
treatife againft Hord, " As for thofe you
term Sublapfarlans, you fhould have takeri
F f notice

226 LETTER X.
notice, that in this number you muft put all
who embrace St. Auguftlne's doftrine, arid
who have fubmitted to the feventeenth arti
cle of our church. Now thefe do oppofe them
felves againft the conditionate eleftlon and pre-
terltion, built upon the forefight of, men's good
or bad afts, lately brought In by Armlnuis.
So that by joining yourfelf with the remon-
-ftrants, you have clearly forfaken the doftrine
of the church of England." Page 28. "We
do not only avouch - the doftrine of St. Au-
guftine concerning abfolute predeftlnatlon to
be true, allowed by our church, and eafily
cleared from all thofe abford confequences
which the adverfaries would fain faften upon
it; but we further avouch, that the new-de-
vifed platform of predeftlnatlon grounded by
Arminius wpon forefeen faith and perfeverance,
is falfe, vain* and difagreeing from the no
tion of predeftlnation rooted in the hearts of
all catholic and orthodox chriffians." p. 1 6.
The pious bifhop Carlton, another of our
¦divines at the fame fynod, fays, (in his anf-
•Wer to Montague.) " In the (XVIhh) article,
predeftlnation Is faid to be the everlafting and
conftant purpofe of God. It Is faid In the
article, that they that are predeftinated, are
called according to God's purpofe : this is enough to

L E T T E R X. 227
be made" like* the image of his -only-begotten
fon JefusChri-ft : they walk religioufly in good
works: and. at length, by God's- mercy, they
attaine to everlafting felicity."
By this, method we are firft acquainted with
our namral mifery and helplefnefs, and then
direft^d tothe only remedy, by which we can
flee froih the -wrath to come. ' We are not fuf
fered to prefume upon the favour of God, be
fore we have been fhewn what manner of men
we are; nOr Inftrufted. in the grand fcheme
of grace, the myftery which vv^as hid In God
froih the beginning of the world, tUl we have
been Informed of that which tends to hum
ble us, and conftrain us to feek, for help from
one who is mighty to fave us. In like man
ner, the apoftles firft acquainted their. hear
ers with their namrai danger and helplefnefs,
that there was no other name by which they
could be faved, but the- name of Jefus Chrift.
And not tifl then did they unfold to them the
doftrine of predeftlnation to life. • Arminus
and his followers do not deny that God hath,
from -eternity, chofen certain perfons to fal
vation, hath predeftinated them to eternal life.
But they fay, that this predeftlnatlon Is con
ditional-— depends upon what they wiU do,
is made from a prefclence of their believing ,
arid

228 LETTER K.
and Obeyirig the gofpel, and perfevering In ho
linefs to the end of their days. The Socl-
hlans fuppofe that there is, frOm eternity, a
general determination of God, to fave aU fuch
as fhall obey the gofpel; land that. In time,
when they have obeyed the gofpel, he or*
dains therii to eternal life, Brit 'this may
"more properly be called poft-deftlnatlon tha:ri
pre-^deftlnatidn. Yet neither of thefe opinioris
is corififterit with the article. The latter Is
the doftrine of the church of England in-
Verted. This article fays 'we are chofen to
falvatidri from eternity; the SOcInlans fancy
'that we are not chofen till the end of our
'lives. The orie decla'res we walk religioufly
in good -wOrks becaufe we are chofen, the
other Tays, we are chofen becaufe we walk
religlotifly in good works. According to the
one falvation Is given us freely, according to
'the Other 'we muft work for It. Nor. can
the Arrrilrilari opinion be brotght to an agree
ment with the article; firiee there Is nothing
'in it from ¦which It can be concluded that falva
¬tion cottdltlonally depends upon any thing
'Vi^e db. There is nothing about faith fore-
feeri; not even an intimation that faith, holi
nefs and perfeve;rance' are the conditional cau
fes 6f bur eie(^io'n*; that we are chofen be
caufe

LETTER X . 2^^
of Orfr being elefted, which we could not
hfcve,. but by his free gift. We could not
believe, Unlefs God shad determined to give
,Wnto 'US to believe. But he that believeth
^all be faved. 'So that our falvation was
fecured, upon God's determination to -give
unto us to believe; becaufe falvation is infe-
perably dOnnefted yjjlth faith. And therefone
to make 'eleftlon or predeftlnation to falva
tion depend upon faith forefeen, is^ to fay
that we are :pred-eftlnated to>falvation for the
fake of that, which it could not be forefeen
-we fhould have, 'till our falvation was pre
determined. The doctrine of abfolute : predeffination to
¦life -has been fo grofly rrilfreprefented, and
loaded with fuch horrid confequences; that
by far the greater part of profeffing chrlf
tlans wIU not give it a i patient hearing. The
¦very mention of it wiUfill dieir hearts with
indignation, and theliT' mouths with widefs harfb
^expreffions; vvhich have been • received with
out confideration, ^and being repeated .often,
'^re -'fuppofed to be true, -^and-fo pafs -for
folid, conchifive arguments. 'What.? 'woi4d
you make God the author of fin? can you
j' fuppofe an infinitely 'merc^fuL Being made fo
many ¦ creatures to ¦ be ''"damned? what does It

230 L E T T E R X.
it fignify then how we live? for If we are
to be damned, we fhall be damned, let us
live ever fo well. And, if we are to be
faved, we fhaU be faved, let us live ever fo
vilely. Thefe, and the like abfurdlties, are
ever ready to be poured out againft it. On
the other hand, the article fays, " They which
be endued with fo excefl^nt a benefit of God,"
viz. of being predeftinated to everlafting fal
vation, as veffels made to honour, " They
be made like the image of his only begot
ten fon Jefus- Chrift : they walk religioufly in
good works." So that they who are pre
deftinated to falvation, are likewife predefti
nated to hollnefs. The apoftle fays, " God-
hath chofen us In him (-Chrift) that we fhould be
holy and without blame before him in love."
Ephef I. 4. " God hath from the beginning
chofen you to falvation, thro' fanftification of
the fpirit." 2 Theff. Ii. 13. They therefore
who do not walk religioufly In good works,
deceive themfelves, and wreft. the fcriptures
to their own deftruftlon, If they fuppofe they
are predeftinated to everlafting life, chqfe.n in
Chrift before the foundation of the world,
And they who, thro' faith Iri Chrift, do wallc
religioufly in good works, have not the leaft
reafon to Imagine they are not predeftlnatedj

L E T T E R X. 231
tp prove all which they intend, and to over
throw your new doftrine, that men are called
in confideration of their faith, obedience, and
repentance. The article faith moreover, that
they are juftlfied freely. If freely, then with
out confideration of any thing forefeen In
man." p. 12. . '
" If the queftion be propofed, why God.
recelveth one to mercy and not another? why
this man, and not that? to this queftion all
the orthodox that have taught In the church,
after St. Auguftlne, anfwer, that of this ta
king one to mercy and leaving another, no rea-.
fon can be given but only the will of God.
The Pelagians and Arminians fay, that God
herein Is direfted by fomewhat forefeen in men
predeftinated. Now that predeftlnation de-
pendeth only on God's will, without refpeft to
any thing forefeen In men, Is, as I faid, the
received doftrine of St. Auguftlne, and of the
church following. For before St. Auguftlne
this thing came not in queftion, as himfelf
in many places .confefleth. The fame is the
doftrine of the reformed churches. And this
¦hath hitherto been the received doftrine of the
church of Ejigland." p. 1 4.
It would be .eafy to fiU many pages with
teftlmonies to this truth, from our found di
vines;

232 L E T T E R X.
vlnea^ but what has been already faid n3ay-;
fiiilce to fhew that the Arminian notion of
predeffination is Condemned by our church,
and confequently is inconfiftent with the
article. It Is, moreover, unfcriptural. " As
many as were ordained to eternal life be^'
lleved." Afts xili. 48. Where, it is evlderi«-
they were not ordained to eternal life, be
caufe they believed; but they believed, be
caufe they were ordained to eternal life.
God hath chofen us In him, before the
fo-undation of the world, that we fhould be
holy." Ephef I. 4. ' So that they were not
chofen in him, becaufe they were holy, but
that they fhould be fo. Agreeably to which
the apoftle fa.ys, " Who. bath faved us, and
called us with an holy calling, not accord*
ing to our works, but according to his own
purpofe and grace, whlgh was given us In
Chrift Jefus before the world began." 2 Timi,
i. 9. Befides, jt Is. abfurd to -make faith, obe-r
dience, and. r^perfeverance, the caufes pf elecr
tion." For. thefe are all the gifts of God, the
effefts of his Almighty power. And therefore
to foppofe -we are chofen becaufe Gcd forcr
faw we would believe arid obey his gofpel,
and perfevere unto the end in the way of
iiolinefs; Is to make thofe things the caufes of

L E T T E R X. 233
or fhall be damned ; becaufe they are walk
ing in the way which God hath appointed
that aU fhall walk in, whom he hath chpfento
everlafting falvation.
That there is an abfolute, unconditional
predeftlnation of certain perfons to eternal
life, Is abundantly evident from the fcrip
tures, and fufficiently proved by the paffages
lately mentioned. It may not hovvever be
improper to add a few more. " To fit on
my right hand and on my left is not mine
to give; but it fliall be given to them for
whom it is prepared of my father," Matt.
XX. 23. " Fear not, little flock; for it is
your father's good pleafure to give you the
kingdom." Luke xii. 32. "I give unto them
eternal life; and they fhall never perifh;
neither fliall any pluck them out of my
hand." John x. 28. " Having predefllnated
us unto the adoption of children by Jefus
Chrlft to himfelf, according to the good plea
fure of his will, to the pralfe of the glory
of his grace. Ephef i. 5, 6.
And Indeed if we confider what was de
livered In fome of the foregoing articles, we
fhall find that thefe things muft be fo. For
if we bring Into the world fuch a corrupt
nature as deferveth God's wrath and dam
nation (Article IX.) — If the condition of 'man
¦ G g after

234 LETTER X.
after the fall is fuch, that he cannot. In his
his own ftrength, turn unto faith and calling
u|Jon God (Article X.) -^ if before w^ are
juftified, and made partakers of that grace,
which will affuredly end In eternal glory,
all that we are apt to call 'good works " are
not pleafant and acceptable to God, do not
make us meet to receive his grace, but have
the nature of fin." (Article XlII.) — How
ls It poffible that any man fliould be faved,
unlefs God had ordained him to eternal life?
But if God hath predeftinated fome to eter
nal life and not others, is there not injuftice
with him ? by no means. For all have fin
ned and come flhort of the glory of God.
The depravity of our nature deferveth God*s
wrath and damnation. So that If he had left
the whole human race to perifli, there would
have been no juftice in him; for all de
ferved to perifh. An inftance of which vin
diftive, unrelenting injuftice, we have In the
cafe of the fallen angels. Not one of thofe
many myriads of once glorious Beings will
be faved. Not one of them ever had, or
will have the difcovery of mercy made to
him. Inftead therefore of arraigning the
Almighty of feverity or injuftice, in fuffering'
perhaps, the greater part of mankind to pe
rifli

LETTER X.

235

rifh in their fins ; we fhould extol that mer
cy, by- which he hath predeftinated fo mar-'
ny millions to eternal life, to the adoption of
children, to the pralfe 'of the glory of his
grace ; when he might juftly have left them
to perifh as well as others; fince they had
as juftly deferved It.
This frightful dbftrine then of predeftlna
tion amounts to this. All mankind arc by
naturechildren of wrath -r-^- without ftrength-
enmity againft God. The Almighty, who
forefaw this would be the' confequence of
the fafl, decreed from everkfting to deliver
from curfe and damnation thofe whom he
hath chofen In Chrift; and to bring them,
by Chrift tp everlafting falvatipn ; and to
leave the reft to perifh In their fins. Wfien
a king has fubdued his rebellious fubjefts,.
he grants a free pardon to fome, and or-.
ders Qthers for execution. Can you conceive
he is gfiilty of Injuftice In ordering fome for
death, wheri they have deferved It? are you
not rather Inclined to comriaend his clenien-
cy in fparing fome who have deferved to
die? eorifider mankind as fallen In Adam,
and the cafe is exaftly parallel. Unlefs you
choofe to look upon this as an exception ; that
of all who have heard the gofpel of Chrift-, none

236 L E T T E R X.
none wIU be found In the number of thofe
who were not predeftinated to eternal life,
but fuch as have Wilfully rejefted the coun
fel of God againft themfelves.
By fetting in one view the feveral opinl-r
Ons concerning predeftlnation, we may fee
that this article Is incapable of an Arminian,
or Socinian conftruftlon. Church of England.
God hath, according to his everlafting purpofe,
conftandy decreed, by his counfel fecret to
lis, to deliver frpm curfe and damnation
thofe whom he hath chofen in Chrlft to ever
lafting falvation, Arminian. God hath from
eternity chofen certain perfons to falvation;
not indeed abfolutely, without any regard to
what they would, do, but conditionally, from
a forefight of what they would do. He hath
chofen them, becaufe he forefaw they would
believe and obey the gofpel, and walk in
holinefs to the end of their lives. Socinian.
When men have obeyed the gofpel, then,
and for the fake of their obedience to it,
God ordains them to eternal life.
When Laud came Into power, and open
ly patronized the Arminians, they began to
fearch the articles, homilies, and liturgy for
expreffions that might feem to favour teir
opinions. And when they found any that were
capable

LETTER X., 237
capable of a double meaning, or could be
wrefted to agree vvlth them, (notwlthftand--
ing their notions were condemned In places
innumerable) they ufed them as arguments
that Arminianifm was allowed by, or 'was
the doftrine of the church of England. One
of the firft paffages they thought for their
purpofe. Is ¦ this from the fixteenth article.
" After wo have received the Holy Ghoft,
we may depart from grace given." — From
which they conclude that a juftified perfon
might fall away, and confequenfly that pre
deftlnation to eternal life is not abfolute but-
conditlonal. The title of this article Is, " Of
fin after baptifm." And bifhop Burnet has
well obferved, that St. Aug-uftlne held that
with the facrament of baptifm there, was join
ed an Inward regeneration ; and that he thought
perfons thus regenerate, might have all grace
but that of perfeverance." (On Art. XVIL
p. 149.) Agreeably to this bifhop Carlton
in his anfwer to Montague, fays, " Of
thofe who have received the facrament
of regeneration, and are "judged by us to be
regenerate and juftlfied, many may proceed
and make a great progrefs in the church,
to be enlightened, to tafte of the heavenly gift,
to be made partakers of- the Holy Ghoft (that
is, of many Graces of the lioly Ghoft f to

238 LETTER X.
tafte uf the good word of God, .and af the-
powers of the world, to. come,-, and yet they,
may fall . away totally and fimlly. But they
that are regenerate, juftified.? and called ac
cording to God's purpofe, . (afk not me who
thefe are, it is enough that they are known
to God) they may fall into divers, tempta
tions and fins, whigh bring them under- God's
wrath; but thefe never fall away either tOT
tally or finally. This was expreffed by Dr.
Overall in the conference at Hampton court.
By this diftlnftlon of men regenerate and
juftified faframento tenus^ only, and fuch as
are fo indeed according to, God's purpofe and
calling, he might eafily and fairly have fa-,
risfied himfelf in all thefe. pbjeftions, which
he draweth out of the book of Homilies, &c.
For firft he hath not proved that a juftlfied
man may faU away totally or finally; neith
er doth that follow from any words by him
produced. And if it were proved In direft
terms, how eafy Is the anfwer, that It Is then
meant of fuch as are regenerate and juftified
Sacramento tenus, and no farther; for that
fuch fall away ; It was never doubted in the
church, as St. Auguftlne flieweth." (p» 104.
•¦ - ... The

L E T T E R X, 239
The cavil from the fixteenth article Is tooi
trifling to be regarded; not to fay, that it is
anfwered In that fame article. In the words
which Immediately follow It. But If what it
has occafioned bifhop Carlton to obferve, con
tains the fenfe of the reformers, on the fubjeft
of baptifm, (and there Is good reafon to fuppofe
It does) we have an eafy and true anfwer to all
the paffages that hav-e been or may be drawn
from the homilies, ofiice of baptifm, &c. with
a defign to have It thought that Calvanifni is
not the doftrine of the church of England.
There Is perhaps no Occafion to proceed
farther on this fubjedl. By looking back tp
what has been faid, Wc may perceive that the
reformers were Calvinifts, (as bifhop Burnet
obferved) '' In the fublapfarlan hypothefis."
— that c-be articles, homilies, and liturgy,
are Calvlniftical — that tlie divines, who fuc*.
ceeded the reformers, and their fuccefibrs, were
Ca-lvinifts— -that for fifty years after the articles
had received the parliamentary fanftion, (and
almoft ten years before they had been agreed
upon in convocation, by the ardiblfhops, bi-.
fhops, and the clergy) the two unlverfities.,
tlie archbiflaops and bifhops, and an eccle-
fiaftlcal reprefentative, unaninioiifly declared
on all occafions, that calvinifm was the doc
trine

240 LETTER X.
trine of the church of England — that, for a
long time after that period, whenever Armi
nianifm fhewed -its head, it was publicly oppo
fed and condemned by thofe In power, as
being coritrary to the eftablifhed religion —
and that, when fome of our bifhops publicly
countenanced it, they were refolutely oppofed
by the parliament on that account, and declared
to be enemies to their country — and moreover,
an archbifliop was brought to the bar, con
demned, and executed, among other things,
for Introducing Arminianifm. We have feen
likewife, that the plea, that the church drew
up the articles with fuch latitude, that perfons
of different perfuafions might fubfcribe them.
Is Impoffible to be true, and Is even contradifted
by their title, which fays, that they were agreed
upon to avoid diverfities of opinion, and to
eftablifh confent touching true religion — and,
what Is more, that they are abfolutely Incapable
of an Arminian, Arian, or Socinian conftruc-
tion. So that, confidering them as the con
feffion of faith of the church of England, an
Arminian, Arian, or Socinian, cannot, with a
good confclence, on any plea whatever, fub
fcribe them, and declare that they are agree
able to the word of God.
The

LETT E R X. 241
. To fay that Calvinifm is abfurd in Itfelf, and
leads to licentioufnefs. Is only to repeat what
has been faid a thoufand times, and has as
often been proved to have no foundation. But,
fuppofing this was true, it Is neverthelefs the
doftrine of the church of England. And it
ill becomes any of thofe to fay fo, who have
publicly declared and fubfcribed that It is
agreeable to the word of God. To declare
one thing, and believe the contrary, Is hardly
confiftent with the charafter of an honeft mari.
There is, however, this to be faid in its favour,
that It Is the only religion that ever benefited
the fouls of men. And It Is, moreover, the
only fcheme that Is fultable to the cafe of fallen
man, the only one that will bear the teft,
the only one that Is not reducible to an ab-
furdity. The Socinians have not the leaft right to be
called Chrlftlans, for their principles are wholly
fubverfive , of Chrlftlanity. They Indeed ufe
the name of Chrlft, but It Is, as It were to fay.
Hail mafter, and fpit upon him. How one
in his wits ¦ can believe, that a mere man is a
proper mediator between an offended God,
and his rebelllpus creatures, and' can In a way
of juffice, be the redeemer and faviour of lof\:
finners, is abfolutely inconceivable. And it Is
H h wholly

242 LETTER X.
wholly Inconfiftent with reafon, that any one
lefs than God over all, can equitably redeem
the fouls of. fuch a great multitude as no man
can number, can fatisfy the majefty of heaven
for their innumerable - tranfgreffions of his
laws, and procure for them eternal life, with
all the wondrous bleffings of grace and gfory.
Nor need We fcrUple to affirrii, (for It is ftrlftly
demonftrable) that no one lefs than God over
all, can equitably redeem one ftngle foul, or
atone for one fingle fin. Arid If we furvey the
ieadlrig principles of Arminlanifm, we may
flnd that they have no better claim to our
efteerii. Their notion of liberty, that it Is neceflary
there fhould be no biafs on the will, but that
it fhould be perfeftly indifferent to gOod or
evil, or there can be no moral freedom of ac
tion. Is big with abfiirdlties. It Is at once to
make the affiftance of grace, the exercife of
the miniftry, and all exhortations to duty. Im
pertinent and ridiculous. For the defign of
them Is to biafs the underftanding, and in
fluence the will in favour of religion arid
virtue. But If they effeft thefe ends, they
deftroy that Indifference to good and evil which
is faid to be neceffary to moral freedom. And
confequently whatever is done by means of
their

L E T T E R X. 243
their influence, is not the aftlon of a free agent,
and fo cannot be worthy of pralfe pr blame,
of reward or punlfliment, If this indifference
is neceffary, then we muft fuppofe that the
damages of the fall are fo far repaired, that
the natural propenfity to evil Is taken from
every man ; or he cannot aSt freely under their
fuppofed' new covenant. For a propenfity to
evil is a biafs on the wifl. But this is contrary
to their own opinion, and indeed to conftant
experience, Befides, this. indifference to good or evil fu-
perfedes the fuppofed neceffity of their new
covenant. For if there is in man no bias to
evil, (and an indifference to good or evil im
plies that there is none) there can be no reafon
imagined why a fincere obedience onfy Ihpuld
be required, and not a perfeft obedience,
which Is the duty hp naturally owes his
Maker. And, to mention no more, it is to fup
pofe that all our aftions are done without
any reafon why we do them. For every
reafon Is a motive, a biafs on the will, to
choofe one thing rather than another. But
this deflroys that indifference which is here
faid to be ;necfffary. ¦ .' ... /' "- ; The

244 L E T T E R X.
The Arminians pretend to rejeft Calvinifm,
becaufe it does not give all mankind an equal
chance of being faved ; and fo is inconfiftent
with the divine juftice. This objeftion has
been already obviated. But what do they
get by that fuppofition? they are prefendy
obliged to imagine that God entered Into a
new covenant with man, requiring only a
fincere Inftead of a perfeft obedience: i. e.
that he difpenfed with that obedience which
is juftly due from his creatures, and accept
ed of lefs than Is juftly due. Or, In other
words, that he difpenfed with that obedience
which refults from the relation of a creature
to Its Creator, and which Is Indifpenfably
due fo long as that relation fubfifts between
them. So that they fuppofe the Almighty
unjuft. In order to free him from the ap
pearance of injuftice. Befides, the cafe of
the heathen, or thofe who never liad the
gofpel preached to them, particularly clogs
their fuppofition. For, aS there is no other
name by which we can be faved buf the
name of Jefus Chrlfl, If It Is neceffary that
all men fhould have an equal chance for
falvation, then It Is Indifpenfably neceffary
that the gofpel fhould be preached to all. "
The

LETTER X. 2is
The Arminians fuppofe that man is able to
render all efforts of divine grace for his falva
tion ineffeftual. So that falvation muft prin
cipally depend On the will of man, and confe
quently Chrift can be only a Saviour in part.
For notwithftanding all that he has done, all
that he has procured, if the finner fhould take
it in his head not to be faved (and It would de
ftroy his liberty to make him willing to be
faved) he muft perifh. And even If he fhould
chufe to be faved, he has this to fay, viz. that
all that Chrlft has done and fuffered, would
have been Ineffeftual to his falvatlori, if he had
with-held the confent of his own will. And
this contains the gangrene of their whole fyf
tem, and what Is of a moft pernicious ten
dency. For If fuch a mighty power is to be
afcribed to the wiU of man, as there Is In all
mankind a principle of felf-fufficiency, occa
fioned by that fpirit of felf-dependence which
was contrafted by the fall ; the fuppofition of
filch a power In man tends to cherlfh his na
tural principle of felf-fufficlency, and • fo In-
creafes his Inclination to feek falvation In his
own ftrength, at leaft In part. It tends to
counteraft every thing that would make him
fenfible that without Chrift he can do nothing ;
and excites him to endeavour to eftablifh his
own

246 LETTER X.
own righteoufnefs, Inftead of fubmltting to
the righteoufnefs of God. It keeps him in ig
norance of his difeafe by nature, the know
ledge of which only can make him fenfible
of the want of a Saviour, and induce him to
apply to one. So long therefore as the belief
of this power In man is accompanied with a
fultable praftice, the finner cannot poffibly
be faved.
Such are the principles of this fafhlonable,
and, as It is called, rational religion, Armi
nianifm. It Is an acknowledged truth that there can
be no happinefs out of God. The firft dif
obedlence chiefly confifted in unbelief of the
word, power, and fufficlency of God. And
the principal effeft, the main branch fron;
this dreadful root, was an endeavour to feek
happinefs out of him. The fame fpirit of
felf dependance naturally works In all our
wretched race. Is the grand mark of our
apoftacy, and the Immediate caufe of our
mifery. Therefore, fo long as we aft from
this principle, we muft be out of the way
both of happinefs and duty. And till we
are convinced of the evil of afting from it,
we cannot heartily return to our allegiance to

LETTER X. 247
to God, and feek our happinefs In him, where
only it Is to be found. So that man is na
turally helplefs, ndtwithftanding all his lofty
inaaglnatlons to the contrary; and muft be
convinced he Is helplefs, has no power In
himfelf, before he can aft from a right prin
ciple; viz. from a dependence on 'God for
ail in all. And therefore this -fpirit of felf
dependence muft be fubdued, weakened, and
renounced. And hereby the proud creature,
who would have been as God, is brought
to know that he Is nothing. He who would
have had every thing without the aid of
his maker. Is conftxained to^ receive every
thing from his hand as a free gift. He who
•would not credit his Creator, Is brought to
live on him by faith ; and has no reafon
'to think he fliall have any thing, unlefs he
will truft to the word and promlfe of God
for It. And hereby the Lord alone is exalted,
arid the 'finner has contiriually matter for felf
abafement, • having his fins, as it were, ever
before him ; being conftantly reminded, by the
life of faith, and humility Which it Is his duty
dfld happinefs tOx lead, of the unbelief and
pride, by which he apoftatized from God. And

!H8 LETTER X.
Arid from this certain truth Calvinifm is
eafily deduced. For as man is naturally help
lefs. If ever he Is faved, it muft be by grace.
He can do nothing for himfelf, and therefore
can be delivered from his miferable ftate, and
made happy only by the power and mercy of
God. But if falvation is by grace, it is owing
to the determination of God to give It him.
For man can have no gift from God, but
what the Almighty had decreed to give. And
if the Almighty determined to fave, or beftow
falvatibn on him, there is a neceffity that he
fhould be kept by the power of God, till it is
to be compleatly enjoyed.
This defpifed fyftem then has thefe pecu
liar advantages. It Is founded In truth — tends
to promote the glory of God, and is fultable
to the cafe of fallen man — Is the only fcheme
by which he can be brought into the way of
duty and happinefs, and therefore the only
one which can promote his eternal falvation.
It Is moreover clearly fet forth In the word of
God, and agreeably thereto Is tlie doftrine of
the church of England.
But till the veil Is taken fro m the heart, and
his natural difeafe difcovered to him, he will
not receive the truth In the love of it, will not

L E T T E R X, 249
ilot even endure found doftrine. The heart
at leaft wiU rife up In enmity againft It. Op
pofition then you muft expeft, if you will be
faithful to that truft you mean to take on
you. But eorifider, if after being convinced
of the truth, you give It under your hand that
it is agreeable to the word of God, and more
over, declare that you are moved by the Holy
Ghoft to take upon yOu the facred office ; you
are under an indifpenfable obligation to preach
it to others, to declare unto them the whole
counfel of God, whether they will- hear, or
whether they will forbear. You may indeed
have more eafe, a greater pleafure of outward
peace, and of the favour of man,- by fpeak
ing fmooth things, and fe wing pillows to arm-
holes : but remember, the day Is corfting,
when the great fhepherd will appear, who will
afliiredly require the blood of fouls at your
hands. To have been unfaithful to your charge,
by. concealing or foftening the truth, will be
then found to be without excufe. And what
will It avail to have had the fmiles of the
world, to have been loaded with preferments,
or diftingulfhed by titles, when confclence
I I fliall

250 L E T T E R X.
fliaU declare they were the price of unfaith-
fulnefs, and you ftand in the prefence of aa
inexorable judge, who is about to render to
every man according to his works ?
If we are to perform unto the Lord all our
vows, we may be affured that the breach of
thofe, which more immediately relate to hi?
glory, and the good of fouls, will not go un-
punlfhed. But if there was not a fearful look
ing for of judgment to come, how could you
be eafy, while you was wilfully afting con
trary to the moft folemn engagements ? how
could you anfwer the accufatlons of confcienceji
that your life was a continued fcene of difho-^
nefly. On the other hand, the inward peace
and fatisfaftion which muft attend a faithfol
difcharge of your duty, flirough grace, are
riiore than fufficient to counterbalance any in
convenience or temporal lofs, which your fide
lity may occafion. The confideration of the
glorious caufe In which you are engaged^ and
the fenfe of afting In It with uprighmefs, will
always prove " a feaft of fat things." Befides
the day is at hand, when every reproach fhatt
be roiled away, every mifreprefentation rec
tified, and the wifdom of your conduft ap
proved by your very enemies. Moreover, the

LETTER X. 251
the Lord will not forget your labour of love.
Or fuffer it to pafs unrewarded even in this
life. And when he fhall come to be admired
in his faints, his own hand fhall put on that
crown of rlghteotifnefs whicli is now laid up
for you, and the triumphant acclamations of
the redeemed world, fhall accompany you
into his eternal joy. I am yours, &c.

FINIS.

, The Reader Is defired to correft the following
miftakes, and to excufe the feveral literary
errors he may obferve.
Page 55, line 5, after becaufe, add they.

107, -

— 9, for if the, read, if for the.

118, -

— 5, totally, read lately.

119, -

— 26, as far as, read fo far as.

122, -

— 5, this, read their.

127, -

- 2, purfuing, read per ufing.

— -

— 12, thefe, read thofe.

172,--

- 12, prefents, read prevents.

^79' -

-26, their, read that.

188, -

- 10, omit on.

-27, after favour, add ^w^.

210, —

- 20, f/z^e woryl'i', read thefe, and

works.

239' -

-26, an eccleftajlical reprefentative.

read o«r ecclefiaftical repre

fentatlves.
249' -
- 14, pleafure, read meafure.
9002 08837 7636

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