depart, that the Spirit might come, to which he refers the full and clear manifestation of the mysteries of the Gospel. So falfe, as well as dangerous and fcandalous, are the infinuations of Socinus and his followers.

We obferve, further, that the writings of the Evangelifts are adequate to their intended purpofes; which were, to record the genealogy, conception, birth, acts, miracles and teachings of our Saviour, so as to evince him to be the true Meffiah. So St. John teftifieth, who wrote the laft of them.-" Many other figns truly did Jefus, which are not written in this book; but these are written that ye might believe that Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of God." Upon this confirmation, all things declared concerning him in the Old Teftament, all that was taught in types and facrifices, became the object of faith, in that fenfe, wherein they were interpreted by the accomplishment (that this doctrine was before revealed in them, fhall hereafter be proved). It is therefore not to be wondered at if fome things, and thofe of the highest importance, fhould be declared more fully in other writings of the New Teftament, than in the Evangelifts.

Again, The pretence itself is wholly falfe; for there are as many pregnant teftimonies to this truth in one alone of the Evangelifts, as in any other book of the New Teftament; namely, in the book of John +. These fhall be produced in their proper place.

3. The differences which have been among Proteftant writers on this fubject, have been pleaded in prejudice of it. We anfwer, that till very lately it might be truly faid, that the faith and doctrine of all Proteftants, as to this article, was entirely the fame. For however they varied in their way and methods of declaring it, which gave an appearance of fome contradiction among them, yet in this they generally agreed, that it is the righteousness of Christ, and not our own,

on

* John xx. 30, 31. † See John i. 12, 17, 19. ch. iii. 14.—18, 36. chap. v. 24.

on account of which we receive the pardon of fin; acceptance with God; are declared righteous, and have a title to the heavenly inheritance.

VIII. To close these previous difcourfes.-It is worthy our confideration, What weight was laid on this doctrine of Juftification, at the first Reformation; and what influence it had in the whole of that great work.

It is well known, that this doctrine gave the first occafion to the Reformation, and was the main hinge on which it turned. It was juftly declared to be Articulus ftantis aut cadentis Ecclefiæ.-That article of faith on which the ftanding or falling of the church depends, and the vindication of this alone, deferved all the pains which were taken in the whole affair. But things are now, and that by virtue of this doctrine, much changed in the world, though it be not fo understood or acknowledged; for no finall benefit accrued to the world by the Reformation, even among them who did not receive it.

It has fallen out, in this refpect, much as it did upon the first entrance of Chriftianity; for then there was an emanation of light from the Gofpel, which affected the minds even of those who remained Pagans. The vulgar themselves obtained better notions of God, and of the origin and rule of the universe, than they had before. And by virtue of this light, fpeculative men reformed and improved the old philofophy. Neverthelefs they fill maintained their caufe, and rendered their oppofition to the Gofpel far more plaufible; for after they had discarded the groffer conceptions of men about the divine nature, and had blended the light of truth with their philosophical notions, they made a vigorous effort for the re-inforcement of Heathenifm.

It has been partly the fame, I fay, with refpe& to the Reformation. The firft Reformers found their own confciences, and the confciences of men in general, immerfed in darkness, harraffed with fear and terror,

and kept under the bondage of endless anxieties upon their convictions of fin: to obtain relief, they were directed to auricular Confeffion, Penances, Pilgrimages, Sacramentals, Indulgencies, priestly Abfolutions, miffatical expiatory Sacrifices for the living and the dead, Works, fatisfactory and fupererogatory, the Merit and Interceffion of departed faints, Purgatory, &c. Almoft the whole of their religion confifted in these things, and to inftigate them to the utmost diligence in the obfervation of them, their minds were ftuffed with traditions, and ftories of vifions, apparitions, and other frightful imaginations. But a great alteration has taken place, even in the Papal Church, with regard to these things. That every church is at eafe, compared with its former state before the Reformation; for by the light of truth which was thereby diffufed, the confciences even of the vulgar fort, are in fome measure freed from their childish terrors; while the learned among them have been enabled to reduce the opinions and practices of their church to a more defenfible pofture, and make their oppofition to the truths of the Gospel more plausible than before; fo that that doctrine, which was fo horrid, as to drive many from their communion, is now so artfully represented, as to be made an argument for returning to it.

The Reformers, finding the confciences of men tormented with guilt and fear, and destitute of any steady guidance into the way of peace with God, laboured diligently in their inquiries after the truth in this matter, which they knew must be the only mean of deliverance: they took pains to eradicate from the minds of the people their former fuperftitions; and to communicate to them the knowledge of the righteousness of God by faith, which is revealed to faith; and thereby to deliver them from their bondage and distress, that they might enjoy folid peace with God and God was with them. Now it deferves our confideration, whe. ther we should, on every cavil and fophifm of men, not

fo

fo taught, nor employed, nor tried, nor owned of God as they were, easily part with that doctrine of truth, in' which alone they found peace to their own fouls, and whereby they were inftrumental to give peace and liberty to multitudes, accompanied with the visible effects of holiness, to the praife of God by Jefus Chrift.

We have, now, the fame reafons that they had, to be careful about the prefervation of this doctrine pure and entire, though we may not expect equal fuccefs; for, in general, the minds of men are in another pofture. Under the power of ignorance and fuperftition men formerly were, yet many were imprefied with a fenfe of guilt. With us it is much otherwife. Notional light, without a fenfe of fin, leads men into a contempt of this doctrine, and indeed of the whole myftery of the Gospel *. Men may talk and difpute as they please, while at peace in their own minds; but when once they fhall be awakened to another apprehenfion of things than they are now aware of, they will be put upon new refolutions. And if the doctrine

D 2

of

In my judgment Luther fpake the truth when he faid-Anfo articuló justificationis, fimul amifja eft tota doftria Chriftiana. And f with he had not been a true prophet, when he foretold, that in the following ages the doctrine hereof would be again obfcured.

Some Protestant writers, Ludovicus le Blanc particularly, have lately endeavoured to reduce the controverfy between us and the Papists on this point to an appearance of lefs difference than was commonly fuppofed. Hence, they have produced the conceffions of the most fober among them, in their afcriptions to grace and the merit of Chrift, on the one hand; and the exprefs judgment of the Proteftants as to the neceffity of good works, on the other. But, although it is commendable to pare off all unneceffary occafions of debate, provided we go not too near the quick; yet, I muft fay, I have not feen the effect that might be defired from fuch an attempt: for when each party interprets its own conceffions, as it muft, the breach continues as wide as ever. Nor can it be otherwife, unless we fubmit entirely to the Decrees and Canons of the Council of Trent, wherein the doctrine of Scripture is anathematized. Nor will they make any other ufe of our conceffions, than to increase the clamour of differences among ourselves.

of free Juftification by the blood of Chrift be again corrupted, exploded and forgotten; if men are diverted from putting their truft in the grace of God, and the rightcoufnefs of Chrift, the first impreffions of a fenfe of fin, which fhall reach their confciences, will drive them to feek fhelter in any thing that offers relief. And though the methods provided in the Church of Rome for that purpofe are now generally difliked and defpifed, yet, as men cannot always live in fuch an uncertainty of mind, as the best of theirown righte oufnefs will produce, they will rather betake themfelves to that variety of means for the ease of conscience, which the Roman church affords, foolish as they now appear, than abide where they are, without the leaft hope of relief. Men may go on for a time with fatisfaction to their own mind's, but if once they are brought to a stand, through conviction of fin, they muft look beyond themfelves for peace, or fit down without it to all eternity. Nor are the principles and ways which others adopt, in a contrary extreme, upon the rejection of this doctrine, at all more useful to the fouls of men, though they may be more plaufible, and better adapted to the genius of the present age; for they all arife from the want of a due fenfe of fin, and of the holiness and righteousness of God with respect to it; and when such principles prevail in the minds of men, they foon become carelefs, negligent, fecure in finning, and for the most part end in perfect indifference to all religion, or in Atheism itself.

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