were not "published on the 13th of January:" but the session itself began on that day. I cannot help reciting your words, although they are not exactly to the present question. "The words of the 12th Canon of the Council of Trent are, If any man shall say that justifying faith is nothing else, but a confidence in the Divine mercy, remitting sins for Christ's sake, and that this confidence is that alone by which we are justified, let him be accursed.' You add, “This, Sir, I am sure, is true doctrine, and perfectly agreeable to the doctrine of our Church. And so you are not only anathematized by the Council of Trent, but also condemned by our own Church. Our Church holds no such scandalous and disgraceful opinion.”—According to our Church, no man can have "the true faith, who has not a loving heart."-"Therefore faith is not a confidence that any man's sins are actually forgiven, and he reconciled to God." What have the premises to do with the conclusion? 4. To decide this, let our Church speak for herself. Whether she does not suppose and teach, that every particular believer knows that his sins are forgiven, and that he himself is reconciled to God. First then, Our Church supposes and teaches every particular believer, to say concerning himself, " In my baptism I was made a member of Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven. And I thank God who hath called me to that state of salvation. And I pray God that I may continue in the same, to my life's end." Now does this person know what he says to be true? If not, it is the grossest hypocrisy. But if he does, then he in particular is reconciled to God. The next words I shall quote may be a comment on these: may God write them in our hearts! "A true Christian man is not afraid to die, who is the very member of Christ, the temple of the Holy Ghost, the son of God, and the very inheritor of the everlasting kingdom of heaven. But plainly contrary, he not only puts away the fear of death, but wishes, desires, and longs heartily for it.' Sermon against the Fear of Death. Part I. Now can this be, unless he has a sure confidence that he, in particular, is reconciled to God? "Men commonly fear death, first because of leaving their worldly goods and pleasures. 2. For fear of the pains of death; and, 3. For fear of perpetual damnation. But none of these causes trouble good men, because they stay themselves by the true faith, perfect charity, and sure hope of endless joy and bliss everlasting." Ibid. Part II. All these therefore have great cause to be full of joy, and not to fear death nor everlasting damnation. For death cannot deprive them of Jesus Christ, death cannot take him from us, nor us from him. Death not only cannot harm us, but also shall profit us and join us to God more perfectly. And thereof a Christian heart may surely be certified. It is God, saith St. Paul, "which hath given us an earnest of his Spirit." As long As we be in the body, we are in a strange country. But we have a desire rather to be at home with God." Ibid. He that runneth may read in all these words, the confidence which our Church supposes every particular believer to have, that he himself is reconciled to God. To proceed, "The only instrument of salvation required on our part is faith, that is, a sure trust and confidence, that God both hath and will forgive our sins, that he hath accepted us again into his favour, for the merits of Christ's death and passion." Second Sermon on the Passion. “But here, we must take heed that we do not halt with God, through an inconstant, wavering faith. Peter coming to Christ upon the water, because he fainted in faith was in danger of drowning. So we, if we begin to waver or doubt, it is to be feared lest we should sink as Peter did: not into the water, but into the bottomless pit of hell-fire. Therefore I say unto you, that we must apprehend the merits of Christ's death by faith, and that with a strong and steadfast faith: nothing doubting, but that Christ by his own oblation hath taken away our sins, and hath restored us again to God's favour." Ibid. 5. If it be still said, That the Church speaks only of men in general, but not of the confidence of this or that partícular person: even this last, poor subterfuge, is utterly cut off by the following words: "Thou, O man, hast received the body of Christ which was once broken, and his blood which was shed for the remission of thy sin. Thou hast received his body, to have within thee the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, for to endow thee with grace, and to comfort thee with their presence. Thou hast received his body, to endow thee with everlasting righteousness, and to assure thee of everlasting bliss." Sermon on the Resurrection. I shall add but one passage more, from the first part of the Sermon on the Sacrament. “Have a sure and constant faith, not only that the death of Christ is available for all the world, but that he hath made a full and sufficient sacrifice for thee, a perfect cleansing of thy sins, so that thou mayest say with the Apostle, he loved thee and gave himself for thee. For this is, to make Christ thine own, and to apply his merits unto thyself." Let every reasonable man now judge for himself, which is the sense of our Church as to the nature of saving faith. Does it not abundantly appear, that the Church of England supposes every particular believer, to have a sure confidence, that his sins are forgiven, and he himself reconciled to God? Yea, and how can the absolute necessity of this faith, this unwavering confidence, be more strongly or peremptorily asserted, than it is in those words: "If we begin to waver or doubt, it is to be feared lest we sink as Peter did not into the water; but into the bottomless pit of hell-fire ?” 6. I would willingly dismiss this writer here. I had said in the Earnest Appeal (what I am daily more and more confirmed in) that this faith is usually given in a moment. This you greatly dislike. Your argument against it, if put into form, will run thus: 66 They, who first apprehended the meaning of the words delivered, then gave their assent to them, then had confidence in the promises to which they assented, and lastly, loved God, did not receive faith in a moment." But the believers mentioned in the Acts, first apprehended the meaning of the words, then gave their assent, then had confidence in the promises, and, lastly, loved God: therefore" The believers mentioned in the Acts did not receive faith in a moment." I deny the major. They might first apprehend, then assent, then confide, then love, and yet receive faith in a moment: in that moment wherein their general confidence became particular, so that each could say, "My Lord, and my God." One paragraph more I will be at the pains to transcribe. "You insinuate, that the sacraments are only requisite to the well-being of a visible church: whereas the Church declares, that the due administration of them, is an essential property thereof. I suppose you hinted this to gratify your loving disciples the Quakers." This is flat and plain. Here is a fact positively averred; and a reason also assigned for it. Now, do you take yourself to be a man of candor, I had almost said, of common honesty? My very words in the place referred to, are, “ A visible church is a company of faithful people. This is the essence of it. And the properties thereof are, that the pure word of God be preached therein, and the sacraments duly administered.” 7. Before I take my leave, I cannot but recommend to you that advice of a wise and good man, "Be calm in arguing; for fierceness makes Error a fault, and truth discourtesy." I am grieved at your extreme warmth: you are in a tho rough ill-humour from the very beginning of your book to the end. This cannot hurt me: but it may yourself. And it does not at all help your cause. If you denounce against me all the curses from Genesis to the Revelation, they will not amount to one argument. I am willing (so far as I know myself) to be reproved either by you or any other. But whatever you do, let it be done in love, in patience, in meekness of wisdom. V. 1. With regard to the Author of Faith and Salvation, abundance of objections have been made: it being a curVOL. XII. G rent opinion, that "Christians are not now to receive the Holy Ghost." Accordingly, whenever we speak of the Spirit of God, of his operations in the souls of men, of his revealing unto us the things of God, or inspiring us with good desires or tempers; whenever we mention the feeling his mighty power, working in us, according to his good pleasure: the general answer we have to expect is, "This is all rank enthusiasm. So it was with the Apostles and first Christians. But only enthusiasts pretend to this now." Thus all the scriptures, abundance of which might be produced, are set aside at one stroke. And whoever cites them, as belonging to all Christians, is set down for an enthusiast. The first Tract I have seen written expressly on this head, is remarkably entitled, "The Operations of the Holy Spirit imperceptible, and how men may know, when they are under the guidance and influence of the Spirit.” You begin, 66 As we have some among us who pretend to a more than ordinary guidance by the Spirit-[indeed I do not: I pretend to no other guidance, than is ordinarily given to all Christians] it may not be improper to discourse, on the operations of God's Holy Spirit.-To this end, be thou pleased, O gracious Fountain of Truth, to assist me with thy heavenly direction in speaking of thee." Alas, Sir, what need have you to speak any more? You have already granted all I desire, viz. That “we may all now enjoy, and know that we do enjoy, the heavenly direction of God's Spirit." However, you go on, and observe that the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost, were granted to the first Christians only, but his ordinary graces to all Christians in all ages: both which you then attempt to enumerate only suspending your discourse a little, when 66 some conceited enthusiasts" come in your way. 2. You next inquire, " After what manner these graces are raised in our souls?" And answer, "How to distinguish these heavenly motions, from the natural operations of our minds, we have no light to discover: the Scriptures— declaring that the operations of the Holy Spirit, are not sub 1 |