could support the Martyrs of the Christian Church, but this one consideration, that if God called upon them to suffer, he called upon them to be saved, according to that faithful. saying, that" if we suffer, we shall also reign with him?" But that a man, with blood-guiltiness upon his head, and that of the worst sort, unrepented of, should be an heir of salvation, and find himself in the sure way to heaven, is a dream fit only for a deluded Christian of the last days to believe: if there ever was one pers son so deluded, the case would make us for ever afraid of this doctrine; whereas history assures us there have been many, and that in this kingdom. Upon the whole, Christianity is a religion. which does not busy itself about decrees never to be knownnor understood;* but which believes promises, rejoices in hope, acts with charity and suffers with patience. It does not send a man to heaven by the short soft way of sweet meditation and self-complacency; but it sends him first to Calvary to carry a cross after Jesus Christ; to bear some trying affliction, some burden of sorrow, which God lays upon him; he may then think himself a true child of God, and in the right way to make his calling and election sure. C 3 *See Note 2, p. 25. NOTES NOTES. NOTE 1.-Page 18, FOR that sense of election which I allow and rejoice in, I have two excellent authorities, Bishop Andrews and Bishop Jeremy Taylor; the former of which has these words in one of the forms of prayer in his daily devotions: "Let my faith in the Church entitle me to a part in its calling "and election." (Andrews' Devot. p. 36. Bishop Horne's edition,) Bishop Andrews is right in ascribing salvation first to the Church, and from the Church to its members; for thus we are taught to argue from the figure of Noah's ark to be saved by water was a property original to the ark; and salvation was derived from the ark to those who were taken into it: so election belongs first to the Church, the prototype of the ark. Such as were to be saved when the world was drowned were taken into the ark. Such as shall be saved when the world shall be again destroyed are added to the Church. The Church, we grant, may be much degenerated; but so long as it is a Church, the promises of God must remain with it. If its privilege of bringing children to a state of salvation is lost, how and when did it lose it? Time might poffibly produce a leak in the ark, yet çertainly none of such consequence as to change its na ture, and prevent its usefulness. The Christian Church, by reason of its connection with this world, has fallen into many mistakes and irregularities, which piety will lament. and correct as far as it can, instead of triumphing in them as an occasion for mockery and insult against God and his institutions. Difficult cases must occur from the commerce between the Church and the world, too great for us to resolve; and we must leave them to the judgment of the great day; as we ought also to leave those mysterious characters, in which we find such a mixture of godliness and prophaneness as to our judgment is utterly unaccountable. In a prayer to be used on his birth-day, Bishop Taylor speaks thus: "I give thee glory that thy hand sustained " and brought me to the illumination of baptism with thy grace preventing my election, by an artificial neceffity "and holy prevention engaging me to the profeffion and "practises of Christianity." (See Holy Living, p. 316-) I cannot stop without shewing how differently election is spoken of by a great predestinarian, and of what sort his proof is "let it suffice," saith he, " that we feel it :" but this, we affirm, is the very thing that will not suffice; because our Saviour hath expressly cautioned us against it upon more occasions than one. He commands us to judge their feelings by their fruits; and not as they themselves do, their fruits by their feelings. We have seen how lamentably many have been deceived, and how they have deceived others but hear how this predestinarian concludes," and "let them perish with their errors that cast away a doc"trine of such heavenly use." (See Bishop Babington's Sermon, p 35, in Sir Richard Hill's Apology for Brotherly Love): that is, let them perish who do not receive our election with its self evidence of feelings, which our Saviour would not admit in favour of himself; " if I bear "witness of myself, my witness is not true." Who then shall shall insist upon our receiving their own witness, and tell us it is sufficient for them, when it was not sufficient for Jefus Christ? They must think themselves in this respect more sufficient than He. He appeals to that second greater witness, "The works which my Father giveth me to finish "bear witness of me." Thus must it be in our case; to visible works we must at last appeal; and we shall be confident the rule is right, though predestinarians go on to the end of the world wishing that we may perish for insisting upon it. Miserable it is to see what self conceit and unmerciful judging of others this doctrine produces in the hearts of Christians. This uncharitableness to fellow-Christians is sufficient witness against it, and proves it to be worth nothing: yet if we were to believe some writers, it is the first and greatest of incentives to brotherly love; but if you will examine it, you will find it to be of a very spurious sort; it embraces Schismatics, but cannot endure a Churchman. If it be thus unmerciful to men's souls, and consigns them so easily to perdition, who can wonder that in the last age it spared neither men's bodies nor estates? NOTE 2. On the XVIIth Article. BY the adversaries of the Church of England, who take Calvin for their guide, it has been boasted that the 17th article is calvinistical: but this our best divines never allowed; they say the times required that the article should be neutral. So the fact appears to be; and the article may be retained, as far as it goes; for it teaches us to receive the promises of God, and to act according to his will, as it is expressly declared. His will we do know; and his promises we know; his decrees relating to particular persons, we do not know; and therefore we cannot set up his de crees |