Ii.

will; but remember, meantime, that if either he or you die without it, your baptism will be so far from profiting you, that it will greatly increase your damnation.

6. The author of faith and salvation is God alone. It is he that works in us both to will and to do. He is the sole Giver of every good gift, and the sole Author of every good work. There is no more of power than of merit in man; but as all merit is in the Son of God, in what he has done and suffered for us, so all power is in the Spirit of God. And therefore every man, in order to believe unto salvation, must receive the Holy Ghost. This is essentially necessary to every Christian, not in order to his working miracles, but in order to faith, peace, joy, and love, — the ordinary fruits of the Spirit.

Although no man on earth can explain the particular manner wherein the Spirit of God works on the soul, yet whosoever has these fruits, cannot but know and feel that God has wrought them in his heart. Sometimes He acts more particularly on the understanding, opening or enlightening it, (as the Scripture speaks,) and revealing, unveiling, discovering to us “the deep things of God.”

Sometimes He acts on the wills and affections of men; withdrawing them from evil, inclining them to good, inspiring (breathing, as it were) good thoughts into them: So it has frequently been expressed, by an easy, natural metaphor, strictly analogous to jwr, pneuma, spiritus, and the words used in most modern tongues also, to denote the third person in the ever-blessed Trinity. But however it be expressed, it is certain all true faith, and the whole work of salvation, every good thought, word, and work, is altogether by the operation of the Spirit of God.

II.

1. I come now to consider the principal objections which have lately been made against these doctrines.

I know nothing material which has been objected as to the nature of justification; but many persons seem to be very confused in their thoughts concerning it, and speak as if they had never heard of any justification antecedent to that of the last day. To clear up this, there needs only a closer inspection of our Articles and Homilies; wherein justification is always taken for the present remission of our sins.

But many are the objections which have been warmly urged against the condition of justification, faith alone; particularly in two treatises, the former entitled, “The Notions of the Methodists fully disproved;” the second, “The Notions of the Methodists farther disproved:” In both of which it is vehemently affirmed,

(1.) That this is not a scriptural doctrine;

(2.) That it is not the doctrine of the Church of England. It will not be needful to name the former of these any more; seeing there is neither one text produced therein to prove this doctrine unscriptural, nor one sentence from the Articles or Homilies to prove it contrary to the doctrine of the Church. But so much of the latter as relates to the merits of the cause, I will endeavor to consider calmly. As to what is personal, I leave it as it is. “God be merciful to me, a sinner!”

2. To prove this doctrine unscriptural, — That faith alone is the condition of justification, — you allege, that “sanctification, according to Scripture, must go before it:” To evince which, you quote the following texts, which I leave as I find them: “Go, disciple all nations, — teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19, 20.) “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” (Mark 16:16.) “Preach repentance and remission of sins.” (Luke 24:47.) “Repent, and be baptized every one of you, for the remission of sins.” (Acts 2:38.) “Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” (Acts 3:19 3:19.) “By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14.) You add, “St. Paul taught ‘repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ;’ (Acts 20:21;) and calls ‘repentance from dead works, and faith toward God,’ first principles. (Hebrews 6:1.)”

You subjoin: “But ‘ye are washed,’ says he, ‘but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified.’ By ‘washed,’ is meant their baptism; and by their baptism is meant, first, their sanctification, and then their justification.” This is a flat begging the question; you take for granted the very point which you ought to prove. “St. Peter also,” you say, “affirms that ‘baptism doth save us,’ or justify us.” Again you beg the question; you take for granted what I utterly deny, viz., that save and justify are here synonymous terms. Till this is proved, you can draw no inference at all; for you have no foundation whereon to build.

I conceive these and all the scriptures which can be quoted to prove sanctification antecedent to justification, (if they do not relate to our final justification,) prove only, (what I have never denied,) that repentance, or conviction of sin, and fruits meet for repentance, precede that faith whereby we are justified: But by no means, that the love of God, or any branch of true holiness, must or can precede faith.

3. It is objected, Secondly, that justification by faith alone is not the doctrine of the Church of England.

“You believe,” says the writer above-mentioned, “that no good work can be previous to justification, nor, consequently, a condition of it. But, God be praised, our Church has nowhere delivered such abominable doctrine.” (Page 14.)

“The Clergy contend for inward holiness, as previous to the first justification; — this is the doctrine they universally inculcate, and which you cannot oppose without contradicting the doctrine of our Church.” (Page 26.)

“All your strongest persuasives to the love of God will not blanch over the deformity of that doctrine, that men may be justified by faith alone; — unless you publicly recant this horrid doctrine, your faith is vain.” (Page 27.)

“If you will vouchsafe to purge out this venomous part of your principles, in which the wide, essential, fundamental, irreconcilable difference, as you very justly term it, mainly consists, then there will be found, so far, no disagreement between you and the Clergy of the Church of England.” (Ibid.)

4. In order to be clearly and fully satisfied what the doctrine of the Church of England is, (as it stands opposite to the doctrine of the Antinomians, on the one hand, and to that of justification by works, on the other,) I will simply set down what occurs on this head, either in her Liturgy, Articles, or Homilies: —

“Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults: Restore thou them that are penitent, according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

“He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel.”

“Almighty God, who dost forgive the sins of them that are penitent, create and make in us new and contrite hearts; that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee perfect remission and forgiveness, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Collect for Ash-Wednesday.)

“Almighty God — hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them that with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him.” (Communion Office.)

“Our Lord Jesus Christ hath left power to absolve all sinners who truly repent and believe in him.” (Visitation of the Sick.) “Give him unfeigned repentance and steadfast faith, that his sins may be blotted out.” (Ibid.)

“He is a merciful receiver of all true penitent sinners, and is ready to pardon us, if we come unto him with faithful repentance.” (Commination Office.)

Infants, indeed, our Church supposes to be justified in baptism, although they cannot then either believe or repent. But she expressly requires both repentance and faith in those who come to be baptized when they are of riper years.

As earnestly, therefore, as our Church inculcates justification by faith alone, she nevertheless supposes repentance to be previous to faith, and fruits meet for repentance; yea, and universal holiness to be previous to final justification, as evidently appears from the following words: — “Let us beseech him — that the rest of our life may be pure and holy, so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy.” (Absolution.)

“May we seriously apply our hearts to that holy and heavenly wisdom here, which may in the end bring us to life everlasting.” (Visitation of the Sick.)

“Raise us from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness, — that at the last day we may be found acceptable in thy sight.” (Burial Office.)

“If we from henceforth walk in his ways, — seeking always his glory, Christ will set us on his right hand.” (Commination Office.)

5. We come next to the Articles of our Church: The former part of the Ninth runs thus: —

OF ORIGINAL OR BIRTH-SIN.

“Original Sin — is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man, — whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the spirit; and therefore in every person born into this world, it deserveth God’s wrath and damnation.” ARTICLE X. — OF FREE-WILL.

“The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works to faith and calling upon God. Wherefore we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a goodwill, and working with us when we have that goodwill.” ARTICLE XI. — OF THE JUSTIFICATION OF MAN.

“We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort, as most largely is expressed in the Homily Justification.”

I believe this Article relates to the meritorious cause of justification, rather than to the condition of it. On this, therefore, I do not build anything concerning it, but on those that follow.

ARTICLE XII. — OF GOOD WORKS.

“Albeit, that good works, which are the fruits of faith and follow after justification, cannot put away our sins; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively faith: Insomuch that by them a lively faith may be as evidently known as a tree may be known by the fruit.” We are taught here,

(1.) That good works in general follow after justification.

(2.) That they spring out of a true and lively faith, that faith whereby we are justified.

(3) That true, justifying faith may be as evidently known by them as a tree discerned by the fruit.

Does it not follow, that the supposing any good work to go before justification is full as absurd as the supposing an apple, or any other fruit, to grow before the tree?

But let us hear the Church, speaking yet more plainly: — ARTICLE XIII. — OF WORKS DONE BEFORE JUSTIFICATION.

“Works done before the grace of Christ, and the inspiration of his Spirit,” (that is, before justification, as the title expresses it,) “are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesu Christ. Yea, rather, for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done, we doubt not they have the nature of sin.”

Now, if all works done before justification have the nature of sin, (both because they spring not of faith in Christ, and because they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done,) what becomes of sanctification previous to justification? It is utterly excluded; seeing whatever is previous to justification is not good or holy, but evil and sinful.

Although, therefore, our Church does frequently assert that we ought to repent, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance, if ever we would attain to that faith whereby alone we are justified; yet she never asserts (and here the hinge of the question turns) that these are good works, so long as they are previous to justification. Nay, she expressly asserts the direct contrary, viz., that they have all the nature of sin. So that this “horrid, scandalous, wicked, abominable, venomous, blasphemous doctrine,” is nevertheless the doctrine of the Church of England.

6. It remains to consider what occurs in the Homilies, first with regard to the meritorious cause of our justification, agreeable to the eleventh; and then with regard to the condition of it, agreeable to the twelfth and thirteenth Articles: —

“These things must go together in our justification; — upon God’s part, his great mercy and grace; upon Christ’s part, the satisfaction of God’s justice; and upon our part, true and lively faith in the merits of Jesus Christ.” (Homily on Salvation. Part I.) “So that the grace of God doth not shut out the justice (or righteousness) of God in our justification; but only shutteth out the righteousness of man, — as to deserving our justification. “And therefore St. Paul declareth nothing on the behalf of man, concerning his justification, but only a true faith.

“And yet that faith doth not shut out repentance, hope, love, to be joined with faith (that is, afterwards; see below) in every man that is justified: Neither doth faith shut out the righteousness of our good works, necessarily to be done afterwards. But it excludeth them so that we may not do them to this intent, — to be made just (or, to be justified) by doing them.

“That we are justified by faith alone, is spoken to take away clearly all merit of our works, and wholly to ascribe the merit and deserving of our justification unto Christ only.” (Ibid. Part II.) “The true meaning of this saying, ‘We be justified by faith only,’ is this, ‘We be justified by the merits of Christ only, and not of our own works.’” (Ibid. Part III.)

7. Thus far touching the meritorious cause of our justification; referred to in the Eleventh Article. The Twelfth and Thirteenth are a summary of what now follows, with regard to the condition of it: — “Of justifying, true faith, three things are specially to be noted: First, that it bringeth forth good works: Secondly, that without it can no good works be done: Thirdly, what good works it doth bring forth.” (Sermon on Faith. Part I.)

“Without faith can no good work be done, accepted and pleasant unto God. For ‘as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself,’ saith our Savior Christ, ‘except it abide in the vine, so cannot you, except you abide in me.’ Faith giveth life to the soul; and they be as much dead to God that lack faith, as they be to the world whose bodies lack souls. Without faith all that is done of us is but dead before God. Even as a picture is but a dead representation of the thing itself, so be the works of all unfaithful (unbelieving) persons before God. They be but shadows of lively and good things, and not good things indeed. For true faith doth give life to the works, and without faith no work is good before God.” (Ibid. Part III.) “We must set no good works before faith, nor think that before faith a man may do any good works. For such works are as the course of an horse that runneth out of the way, which taketh great labor, but to no purpose.” (Ibid.)

“Without faith we have no virtues, but only the shadows of them. All the life of them that lack the true faith is sin.” (Ibid.) “As men first have life, and after be nourished, so must our faith go before, and after be nourished with, good works. And life may be without nourishment, but nourishment cannot be without life.” (Homily of Works annexed to Faith. Part I.)

“I can show a man that by faith without works lived and came to heaven. But without faith never man had life. The thief on the cross only believed, and the most merciful God justified him. Truth it is, if he had lived and not regarded faith and the works thereof, he should have lost his salvation again. But this I say, faith by itself saved him. But works by themselves never justified any man. “Good works go not before in him which shall afterwards be justified. But good works do follow after when a man is first justified.” (Homily on Fasting. Part I.)

8. From the whole tenor then of her Liturgy, Articles, and Homilies, the doctrine of the Church of England appears to be this: —

(1.) That no good work, properly so called, can go before justification.

(2.) That no degree of true sanctification can be previous to it.

(3.) That as the meritorious cause of justification is the life and death of Christ, so the condition of it is faith, faith alone. And,

(4.) That both inward and outward holiness are consequent on this faith, and are the ordinary, stated condition of final justification.

9. And what more can you desire, who have hitherto opposed justification by faith alone, merely upon a principle of conscience; because you was zealous for holiness and good works? Do I not effectually secure these from contempt at the same time that I defend the doctrines of the Church? I not only allow, but vehemently contend, that none shall ever enter into glory who is not holy on earth, as well in heart, as “in all manner of conversation.” I cry aloud, “Let all that have believed, be careful to maintain good works;” and, “Let every one that nameth the name of Christ, depart from all iniquity.” I exhort even those who are conscious they do not believe: “Cease to do evil, learn to do well: The kingdom of heaven is at hand;” therefore, “repent, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance.” Are not these directions the very same in substance which you yourself would give to persons so circumstanced? What means then this endless strife of words? Or what doth your arguing prove?

10. Many of those who are perhaps as zealous of good works as you, think I have allowed you too much. Nay, my brethren, but how can we help allowing it, if we allow the Scriptures to be from God? For is it not written, and do not you yourselves believe, “Without holiness no man shall see the Lord?” And how then, without fighting, about words, can we deny that holiness is a condition of final acceptance? And as to the first acceptance or pardon, does not all experience, as well as Scripture, prove that no man ever yet truly believed the gospel who did not first repent? that none was ever yet truly “convinced of righteousness,” who was not first “convinced of sin?” Repentance, therefore, in this sense, we cannot deny to be necessarily previous to faith. Is it not equally undeniable, that the running back into known, willful sin, (suppose it were drunkenness or uncleanness,) stifles that repentance or conviction? And can that repentance come to any good issue in his soul, who resolves not to forgive his brother; or who obstinately refrains from what God convinces him is right, whether it be prayer or hearing his word? Would you scruple yourself to tell one of these, “Why, if you will thus drink away all conviction, how should you ever truly know your want of Christ; or, consequently, believe in him? If you will not forgive your brother his trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses. If you will not ask, how can you expect to receive? If you will not hear, how can ‘faith come by hearing?’ It is plain you ‘grieve the Spirit of God;’ you will not have him to reign over you. Take care that he does not utterly depart from you. For ‘unto him that hath shall be given; but from him that hath not,’ that is, uses it not, ‘shall be taken away, even that which he hath.’” Would you scruple, on a proper occasion, to say this? You could not scruple it if you believe the Bible. But in saying this, you allow all which I have said, viz., that previous to justifying faith, there must be repentance, and, if opportunity permit, “fruits meet for repentance.”

11. And yet I allow you this, that although both repentance and the fruits thereof are in some sense necessary before justification, yet neither the one nor the other is necessary in the same sense, or in the same degree, with faith. Not in the same degree; for in whatever moment a man believes (in the Christian sense of the word) he is justified, his sins are blotted out, “his faith is counted to him for righteousness.” But it is not so at whatever moment he repents, or brings forth any or all the fruits of repentance.