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 The Doctrines of Predestinatiok and Assu^ 
 ranee examined, with a short Vie^of tfijs. , 
 Pelagian Controversy, ^^^ 
 
 IN 
 
 A SERMON 
 
 PREACHED BEFORE 
 
 THE LORD BISHOP OF LINCOLN ; 
 
 AT HIS 
 
 TRIENNIAL VISITATION, 
 
 HELD AT 
 
 NEWPORT PAGNELL, 
 
 IN THE COUNTY OF BUCKS, 
 On TUESDAY, MAY 23, 1809 ; 
 
 BY THE 
 
 REV. THOMAS LE MESURIER, M. A. 
 
 RECTOR OF NEWNTON-LONGVILLE, IN THAT COUNTY. 
 
 WITH LARGE NOTES, 
 
 THE SECOND EDITION. 
 
 LONDON ; 
 
 Sold by F. C. and J. Rivington, St. Paul's Chureh-Yard ; and by 
 
 Batchard, Piccadilly; also by J. Cooke, and J. Parker, Oxford* 
 
 Deighton, Cambridg:e ; Inwood, Newport Pagnell; 
 
 Marlin, Aylesbury; and T. Burnham, 
 
 Northampton, 
 
 181S. 
 
f Prinfed by T. C. HANSARD, 
 
 twterboreugh Court, Fleeuireot, toi 
 
TO THE 
 
 RIGHT REVEREND 
 
 GEORGE, 
 LORD BISHOP OF LINCOLN, 
 
 AND THE 
 
 REVEREND THE CLERGY 
 
 OF '?'HE 
 
 DEANRY OF NEWPORT PAGNELL, 
 
 THE FOLLOWING 
 
 SERMON, 
 
 t 
 
 PREACHED BEFORE THEM, 
 
 AND PUBLISHED AT THEIR DESIRE, 
 
 IS 
 
 WrTH DUTIFUL RESPECT 
 
 AND AFFECTION 
 
 INSCRIBSD. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PROPENSITY of the human Mind to abufe the beft 
 Gifts of God— 'particularly our Reafon, p. i. — This 
 faid more efpecially with reference to the Controverfies on 
 Predeftination and Grace, p. 2. — Unhappily now inftead 
 of being confined to the ftudious and learned, moft preva- 
 lent among the uninformed and labouring Clafles, Ibm. — 
 This always deprecated by our firfl Reformers, Ibm. — Pro- 
 clamation before our Articles. — Inllruftion ot James ift to 
 the Divines, fent to the Synod of Dort. — His Injunftion. 
 NeceflTary Erudition of a Chriftian Man, — Erafmus's Para- 
 phrafe, not. Ibm. — No Caution of that kind can now be 
 ufed. — The Clergy attacked for not preaching thole Doc- 
 trines, p. g. — Bifliop of Lincoln's Charges, p. 4. — Diffi- 
 culty of the Oueftion admitted by Calvin, &c. Note A. — 
 This of itfelf might decide the Queftion, Ibm. — Our Re- 
 ligion intended for common Ufe. Ibm. — Recurrence to the 
 Text, Ibm. — Contains a Principle plain and univerfally ap- 
 plicable, and not liable to abufe, p. 5. — How to be taken, Ibm. 
 — Firft great Commandment — Its Extent and Text explain- 
 ed, Ibm. Note B. And Calvin's Reafoningson this Text. — 
 Refuted, p. 6. — Doctrine of the Church of Rome founded on 
 this Text. — Refuted, p. 8. — Other objeftion as to the Gofpel 
 being different from the Law, with refpect to the means of 
 Salvation. — Anfwered, p. 9. — Language of our Articles 
 and Homilies, p. i2. — Parallel Texts from our Saviour's 
 mouth, Ibm. — Calvin's Comments and Ineonfiflencies, p. 13. 
 Underftanding of the prim.itive Chriftians, p. ig. — So con- 
 tinued during the firft Ages, p. 16. — On what occaGon thefe 
 Queftlons firft agitated, and by whom, p. 17. — Pelagius, 
 a Monk, p. 18. — His Errors, Ibm. — How refuted, Ibm. — 
 Recanted or explained by him, Ibm. — Doubts as to what 
 was his Doctrine, Ibm. — Semipclagians not confidcred 
 as Heretics, p. 19. — Auftin's zeal in the heat of Con- 
 troverfy firft imagined abfolute Predeflination, Ibm. — 
 The immediate origin of the Difpute, Ibm. — Abfolute 
 Predeftination received but coldly, and not generally, p. 2t. 
 Note C. — Difregarded till again brought forward by Gotef- 
 calc, Ibm. — He reprobated and pcrlecuted for it, p. 22. — 
 The Difpute afterwards confined to the Schools, Ibm. — How 
 held by Popifh Doftors, Ibm — Praflice of the Church of 
 Rome as to this, p. 23. — Indulgences and their abufe, Ibm. 
 
vi CONTENTS. 
 
 —Met by Luther in the fame way as Auftin had oppored 
 Pelagius, Ibm.— His denial of Free-will, Note D. — Refult 
 of the above, p. 24. — Plain consequences of the Doctrine 
 of abfolute Decrees, Ibm. — Curious Inftance put by Auftin 
 himfelf, p. 25. Note E. — Affertions as to the Doctrine being 
 founded in Scripture, Ibm. Note F.— As to its being ap- 
 proved and adopted by our Church. — This laft fufEciently 
 refuted, and by whom, Ibm. — As to Scripture — General 
 Rules for underftanding that as other Books, p. 26. Note G. 
 — Particular fcopeof the Epiftles to the Galatians, and to the 
 Romans, Ibm. — Relate only to God's dealing with the Jews 
 as a Nation, Ibm. — AdmifTions of Calvin as to this, Ibm. — 
 So as to Efau and Jacob, Ibm. — Ninth Chapter of the Epif- 
 tle to the Romans confidered, p. 28. — The Simile of the 
 Potter, Ibm. — Firfl, as ftated in Jeremiah xviii. Ibm. Note 
 H. — Reference to Rom. ii. p. 29. — Text from Rom. xi. — 
 And Calvin's commentary upon it, p. 30. — Predeflination 
 founded on Foreknowledge, p. 31. Note I. ^ — Doftrine of 
 Aifurance as held bythe Wefleian MethodiRs, p. 32. — They 
 alfo aiTe^lta iound themfelves on our Articles and Homilies, 
 Ibm. — Their leading or diftinguilhing Tenets. — -Conviftion 
 of Sin or for Sin, p. 33. Note K. — Experiences, Ibm. Note 
 L. — These in laft but new Names for Repentance and 
 Faith, only diftorted and exaggerated, p. 33. — Mifchief and 
 delufion of this, Ibm. — Bands or Clafs Meeiings, Ibm. — No 
 Warrant in Scripture for this, p. 34. — Ttxts cited, p. 35. — 
 Calvin's and Aullin's opinions on the fubje£l, Ibm. — Our 
 Homilies cited, p. 36.— Other Charge againft tUe Clergy, that 
 they do not preach Juflification by Faiih only, p. 37. — Ele- 
 venth Article and Homily on Salvation, Ibm. — Bad Faith of 
 Wefley in citing this, Ibm. — What the Doctrine contained in 
 it, Ibm.— Salvation by Grace, p. 38. — That Boallihg may b© 
 fhut out, p. 39. — This requihte with refpedl to religious En- 
 thufiafts, not lefs than other men, Ibm. Note M. — Recurrence 
 to the rule laid down in the beginning, p. 40. — Not to add 
 any more than to take from the word, Ibm. — Conclufion. 
 
 Note (A.lp. 4. 
 
 Calvin's admiffions as to the difficulties attending the doc- 
 trine of Pi edeftination. — Cites Auftin in a remarkable paf- 
 fage where the fame adiniffion is made, and a fort of preach- 
 ing very like that of Whitfield and his followers is repro- 
 bated. — Turretin's opinion as to preaching the doctrine. 
 — Whiisift's. 
 
CONTENTS. vll 
 
 Note(B.) p. 8. 
 
 Parable of the good Samaritan. — There alfo, the work 
 proposed for imitation not above human powers, over- 
 throws Calvin's reafonings. — Foundation of rightcousnefs. 
 Diftinilion between Works and Grace — how to betaken — 
 Our eternal Life muft always have been of Grace. — Luke 
 xvii. The unprofitable Servant. — Terms of Salvation. — 
 Anfwer to Argument from the Terms of the Law. — Paul's 
 Argument, the Argument " ad homlnem," and fo to be 
 confidered. — " Gratuitum donum,' and " gratuita remilTio," 
 how to be taken. 
 
 Note (C.) p. 21. 
 
 Reference to Cardinal Noris. — France femi-pelagian in 
 the ages following that of Auguftine. The " Predeftinati" 
 condemned. — Pelagius's Commentaries on the Epiftle to the 
 Romans — how preferved. — Garnier's complaint of Catholic 
 Doftors difputing among themfelves without reafon. — Con- 
 fufion in the middle ages about Auguftinianifm and Pelagian- 
 ifra. 
 
 Note (D.) p. 23. 
 
 Luther's Treatife " De Servo Arbitrio." — Its Violence 
 and Extravagance — Abufe of Erafmus. — Luther and Calvin 
 and Auftin, falfely make their Do6trine of Prederiination 
 effentially connetled with the true Doftrine of Grace. — 
 Inconfiftencies of Auflin refpefting Free-will. — Quotations 
 from him. — His own Writings cited againft him by Pelagius. 
 — His Retraftations. — Even Luther not wholly confident. 
 — Calvin alfo contradicts himielf on the fubjeft. — His dif- 
 tinffions. — His violent declarations againft the ufe of Rea- 
 «on and Common Senfe. 
 
 Note (E.) p. 25. ^ 
 
 Calvin's abuse of his opponents. — Occafionally lowers 
 his Doftrine. — Curious Anfwers to thofe who urge the 
 apparent Injullice of abfolute Reprobation. — His and 
 Luther's, and Auftin's ufe of the paffages of St. Paul, with 
 refpeft to thofe who pry into God's counfels, — This Ralh- 
 nefs and Prefumption more imputable to them than to us. — 
 Cafes unnecelTarily and unwarrantably put by them for the 
 purpofe of filencing their opponents. 
 
Tiii CONTENTS, 
 
 Note (F.) p. 25. 
 
 The Text, " I will have mercy on whom I will have 
 •' mercy," examined. — Efau and Jacob. — Literal meaning 
 of Scripture infifted on by Calvin, &c. — With how little 
 reafon. — Anfvver from Erafmus. — God's juftice — His wif- 
 dom and mercy. — How the expreflions of St. Paul are to 
 be applied. 
 
 Note (G.) p. 26. 
 
 Calvin's diflinftions when prefled with particular Texts, 
 • — forgot by him when reafoning on the Epiftle to the Ro- 
 mans. — Texts adduced. — His ExprelTion of " faceffat lon- 
 gior Difputatio." — Another Principle of Calvin making 
 againll him. — Quotation from Gerard Voflius as 10 the 
 mode of interpreting Scripture. 
 
 Note (H.)p. 28. 
 
 Calvin's commentary on Jeremiah xviii. — Auftin's ad- 
 miffions as to the fimiie of the Potter. — Erafmus's Para- 
 phrafe. — PafTage from 2 Tim. c. ii. v. 20, &c. 
 
 Note (I.) p. 32. 
 
 Erafmus's idea of Fore-knowledge and Predeifination. — 
 Dr. Hey's opinion as to Predeftination. — What it is not. — 
 Greek Fathers. — Chryfoftom abufed by Calvin. 
 
 Note (K.) p. 33. 
 
 Jargon of Methodifts in their peculiar term of " Con- 
 " viftion for Sin." — No way warranted by Scripture. — 
 The word ufed differently at times by them. — Benfon's and 
 Wefley's account of this " Convitfion. — Inftances of it a« 
 recorded by themfelves. — Alledged neceflity of it, and oi 
 its being fenfibly felt. — Seem to apologize for thofe who 
 cannot be particular in this refpeft. 
 
 Note (L.) p. 33. 
 
 '* Experiences," as maintained to be neceffary by the 
 Methodifls. — Admitted by themfelves that they may lead to 
 Pride, yet hold that they are not to be difcouraged.— 
 Specimens of the Doftrine and Exemplifications of it in 
 Individuals. — Wefley's Mother. — Her Epitaph. — Wefley 
 
CONTENTS. ix 
 
 himfelf. — His aping of St. Paul. — Self-commendation and 
 Seif-abafement. — Further account according to Mr. White- 
 head. — Other Specimens, particularly Mifs Ifabella Wil- 
 fon. — Indecent and profane Familiarity with which our 
 Saviour is treated by her and others. 
 
 Note (M.) p. 39. 
 
 Spiritual Pride of the Methodifts. — Their boafts of their 
 fuccefs examined. — Remarkable Philippic from their own 
 Magazine againft thofe who fet up for Teachers in Religion 
 without being properly qualified — applied to themfelves, 
 and strongly recommended to their confideration. 
 
ERRATA. 
 
 Page 42. 1. 24. fur Electiones redd E!eclion:s 
 4't. 27. Pelagwzs Pelagzws 
 
 45. 35. e^ es 
 
 .52. 2. afttr " Apostolus" dele . ;;2i^ , 
 
 54. 5. /or fecerat read fwerat 
 13. si< sii 
 
 55, 30. <//<tT " Way" inseit " h" 
 57. 10. dele inverted commas after " blood" 
 
 1 1 . dele inverted commas after " is" and insert theni 
 before " this." 
 59. 29. dele inverted commas afttr " Sins" ayid insert 
 them after " Conversion" 
 
Lately published, by the same Author, 
 
 TRACTS ON THE ROMAN CATHOLIC 
 QUESTION, viz. 
 
 1. Serious Examination of the Roman Catholic Claims. 
 
 2. Sequel to the Serious Examination. 
 
 3. Reply to certain Observations of the Right Reverend Dr. 
 Milner. 
 
 4. Supplement to the Reply, being an Answer to the General 
 Vindication of a Catholic's Remarks on the Bishop of Durham's 
 
 Charge. 
 
 Price lOs. Crf. or 
 Either of the Tracts separate. 
 
 Also, BAMPTON LECTURES for the Year 
 
 1807, preached before the University of Oxford. On the Na- 
 ture and Guilt of Schism. One vol. Svo. price 105. 6d. 
 
 Mo, A VISITATION SERMON", preached be- 
 
 fore the Archdeacon of Bucks, May 2, 1806. Price I*. 
 
 Also, THE DOCTRINE OF THE EUCHA- 
 
 RIST considered as maintained by the Church of Rome and the 
 Church of England rtspectively. Svo. price 7s. 6d. 
 
 Also, ADDRESS TO THE ROMAN CATHO- 
 LICS OF ENGLAND on the Subject of the Authoriiy of the 
 Church and of the Holy Scripiures, occasioned by a Sermon of 
 the Right Reverend Dr. IMilner. Price 3s. 
 
A SERMON, 
 
 MATTHEW, xix. 17. 
 
 IF THOU WILT ENTER. INTO LIFE, KEEP THE 
 
 COMMANDMENTS. 
 
 The weakness of the human mind is in nothing 
 more apparent than in its propensity to abuse and 
 to pervert the best gifts of the Almighty : and this 
 is in nothing more visible than in that best gift of all, 
 our Reason. That most excellent Faculty, which 
 was given us in order that we might acquaint our- 
 selves with our Creator, and by understanding His 
 will, and conforming ourselves to it, secure the 
 blessings which He has prepared for us, has been 
 in many cases so employed, as if it had been rather 
 designed to draw away our attention and our love 
 from God than to bring us nearer to him. Often 
 it is taken up with the most empty and frivolous 
 pursuits ; and often has its utmost subtilty and 
 vigour been exerted only to perplex and to con- 
 found that which before was evident and clear. 
 In contemplating some of its most laborious opera- 
 tions, one is almost tempted to suppose that the 
 effect produced was purposely intended, like the 
 golden apples of which we read in fabulous history, 
 to divert us from our proper coarse. 
 
 Thus it has happened that the religion of Christ, 
 which in its very promulgation was declared to be 
 " revealed to babes," that is, to the weak and ig- 
 
rorant, has been perplexed and clouded with such 
 doubts and difficulties as even the best informed 
 and the most wise hav^e been greatly puzzled to rc- 
 n^ove and to unravel. 
 
 I speak this with a particular view to those con- 
 troversies respecting Predestination and Grace; to 
 that opposition so unnecessarily as well as foolishly 
 setup between Faith and Good Works, which have 
 for so many ages disturbed the peace of the Chris- 
 tian Church; and whicli, most unhappily, after 
 having been in a great measure confined to the 
 learned and the studious, have in these later times 
 become most prevalent and been brought into 
 fashion, almost exclusively, among the uninformed 
 and labouring classes of mankind; which therefore 
 press themselves most imperiously on our notice ; 
 which we are no longer at liberty to overlook or 
 to disregard; but respecting which we are even 
 bound to express our opinion, lest those who look 
 up immediately to us for instruction, should, by our 
 seeming acquiescence, be drawn into Error. 
 
 This is a state of things which was both appre- 
 hended and deprecated by our first Reformers. 
 Many even of those who most strenuously con- 
 tended for these tenets, yet with an inconsistency 
 which betrayed the weakness of the cause, recom- 
 mended that they should nGt be brought into fre- 
 quent or general discussion: and as to our Church 
 in particular, strong cautions were given by those 
 who were her rulers, that they should not, with 
 out the most apparent necessity, and only by men 
 of approved knowledge and character, be agitated 
 or even named in public discourses. (1) 
 
 (1) See the Proclamation prefixed to the Articles; and James 
 the First's Instructions to the Divines sent to the Synod of Dort ; 
 one of which was, " Your advice shall be to those churches that 
 " their ministers do not deliver in the pulpit to the people ihose 
 " things for ordinary doctrines, which are the highest points of 
 " the schools, and not fit for vulgar capacity, but disputable oa 
 
Sentiments so rational, and provisions so wise, it 
 is evident that we can no longer follow. Such is 
 the state of society, and such the nature of our 
 duties, that we cannot always be silent when we 
 will. It is always in the power of the turbulent 
 and the VvTong-headed, to force into action and to 
 harrass with contention, even the most peaceable 
 and the most considerate. It is now more than 
 half a century since a cry was raised, and has more 
 or less been kept up against the Established Clergy, 
 in a great measure because they were backward to 
 j^reach on those subjects. They have been accused 
 of deserting the true Faith, and stigmatized as 
 dissemblers before God. Repeatedly as this charge 
 has been repelled, it continues still to be brought 
 forward: the same necessity therefore constrains 
 us to be urgent, as well in the defence of ourselves 
 as in the assertion of what we conscientiously be- 
 
 " both sides." Collier's Eccl. Hist. vol. ii. p. 716, and Fuller's 
 Church Hiit. b. x. p. 7S. See also his Injunctions in 1622, one 
 of which was, " That no preacher, of what title soever, under the 
 '' degree of a bishop, or a dean at the least, do, from henceforth 
 " presume to preach in any popular auditory the deep points of 
 *' predestination, election, reprobation, or the universal efficacy, 
 " resistibility or irresistibility of God's grace ; but leave those themes 
 " rather to be handled by the learned men, and that moderately 
 " and modestly, by use and application rather than by way of 
 *' positive doctrine ; being filter for the schools than for private au- 
 " ditories." Collier's Eccl. Hist. vol. ii. p. 723. As to the earlier 
 Reformers, their opinion in this respect plainly appears from the 
 circumstance of the word " Predestination" not being to be found 
 (any more than the thing mentioned) in the Homilies : nor have 1 
 met with it in any of the Injunctions issued in Henry the Vlllth's 
 or Edward the Vlth's reign. On the contrary, in the " Necessary 
 " Erudition of a Christian Man, put forth by Authority," it was di- 
 rected that *' All curious reasonings about predestination were to 
 " be set apart : there being no certainty to be had of an election, 
 ** but by feeling the motion of God's spirit in us, by a good and 
 " virtuous life, and by persevering in it to the end." See Bur- 
 net's Hist, of the Ref. vol. i. p. 292. To this I may add the well 
 known fact, often referred to for this purpose, of Er3';mus's Para- 
 phrase having been ordered to be placed in the churches, which, 
 it is clear, dots not favour absolute decrees. 
 
 B 2 
 
lieve to be the truth. These are facts so notorious, 
 more especially in this neighbourhood, that no man 
 can wonder at my laying these topics before you 
 at this moment. Indec'd, if an}^ apology were ne- 
 cessary, I might find it in the example of those 
 whose authority must be considered to be, as in all 
 places very weighty and important, so particularly 
 in this place, and as to this point, most material 
 and even conclusive. (2) . ' 
 
 That which I before hinted at, as admitted even 
 by some of the followers of Calvin, of the difficulty 
 and liability to abuse of his doctrine, might go a 
 great way of itself to decide the question, (3) For, 
 to say of a doctrine that it is not fit for common 
 use, and for all understandings, is to say that it can- 
 not form an essential part of such a religion as 
 ours. That which v/as preached so peculiarly to 
 the poor could never be deemed to consist in mat- 
 ters of deep speculation and doubtful research. 
 
 That indeed Christianity was intended to be most 
 emphatically a practical religion, is a position which 
 seems to be with great explicitness laid down in 
 my text. Our Lord being asked by one who ap- 
 pears to have been seriously, though not suffi- 
 ciently, well disposed, " What good thing shall I 
 " do that I may have eternal life?" the answer was, 
 " If thou wilt enter into life, keep the Command- 
 " ments :" And, that there might be the less doubt 
 upon the subject, our great Teacher in the first in- 
 stance specifies the Commandments of the second 
 table, " Thou shalt do no murder;" " Thou 
 " shalt not commit adultery;" "Thou shalt not 
 "steal;" "Thou shalt not bear false witness;" 
 " Honour thy father and thy mother;" and " Thou 
 " shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." All these 
 
 (2) The Bishop of Lincoln, in his two Charges already printed, 
 as well as in those which he has since delivered, and which also he 
 has, at the request of his clergy, declared his intention to publish, 
 
 (3) See additional note (A.) 
 
are commandments which particularly point to 
 good works, to virtues which must be openly and 
 actively ])ractised. Here also (and therefore it is 
 that I have particularly singled out this passage) 
 we have what I conceive to be the duty of a 
 Christian clearly pointed out, and concentrated, as 
 it were, into one general principle; a principle, 
 which, if properly enforced, will not only direct us 
 in the line which we are to pursue, but also essen- 
 tially contribute to preserve us from error. The 
 keeping of God's Commandments, or, in other 
 words, obedience to his Will, does seem to me to 
 be that principle, or that summary of our duty, 
 which is applicable to all cases and to all persons, 
 and least liable to abuse. It may material!}' pre- 
 vent our being bewildered with distinctions be- 
 tween Faith and Good Works, Justification and 
 Sanctification, if we accustom ourselves at all times 
 to enquire what it is that God has positively com- 
 manded us to believe. When urged wilh any 
 novel or strange doctrine, we may, in almost all 
 cases, find a ready answer by asking' whether it l^e 
 the subject of any distinct precept. In all cases 
 we are entitled to say not only " Where is it writ- 
 ten?" but "Where is it commanded?" Because, 
 if not explicitly enjoined, v/e may reasonably con- 
 clude, that the believing or maintaining of it is not 
 essentially necessary to our salvation. 
 
 But here it may be proper to guard against any 
 misunderstanding. Let it be observed, therefore, 
 that among the Commandments of God are to be 
 included, even according to this reasoning, matters 
 of Fkith, as well as of Practice : if indeed, pro- 
 perly speaking, the one can be separated trom the 
 other. The first great commandment, which is 
 also the first in the decalogue, is, that we shall 
 serve God, or, as it is expressed, that we shall 
 " love him with all our heart; and with all our 
 " soul, and with all our strength :" but it is imnossi- 
 
h\e thai we can love him or serve him, without 
 putting o\ir faitli in liim. " He that cometh to 
 *' God," says the apostle to the Hehrews, in a well 
 known passage, " must believe that he is, and that 
 " he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek 
 " him.*" But this binds us, to whom the mystery 
 hid from ages has been made known, not only to 
 a general belief in God, but to a belief in the great 
 work of our redemption, in the atonement, in the 
 divinity of our Saviour and of the Holy Ghost, and 
 if there be any other doctrine explicitly laid down, 
 and directly connected with our salvation. What- 
 ever there is for which we are expressly enjoined 
 to give God thanks, and to render him praise and 
 honour, most evidently must be taken as necessary 
 to be believed; and without that belief we cannot 
 be considered as keeping the Commandments. In- 
 deed, those which 1 have specified, are all truly 
 practical doctrines, calculated and intended to have 
 the greatest and most beneficial influence upon the 
 whole course of our lives.(4) 
 
 This may serve in some degree as an answer to 
 the construction which has been put upon my text, 
 and by which the advocates for absolute decrees 
 endeavour to elude its force. Calvin and others 
 will have it, that in thus referring to the Com- 
 mandments, our Lord did not mean really to pro- 
 pose the keeping of them as the way to be saved ; 
 but that he meant, from the example of the young 
 man, to shew our inability to keep them, and con- 
 sequently the fallacy of trusting to any such per- 
 formance. 
 
 But that in fact, no such consequence can be 
 deduced, may easily be shewn. In the first place, 
 our Lord held the same language on other occa- 
 
 (4) So, I grant, it has been said of unconditional predestination, 
 but with what propriety, I think, may be left with any reader to 
 determine. * * Heh. xi. 6. 
 
sions, where there could be no ground for any such 
 inference. As in tlie case of the lawyer who 
 tempted him, when, after a specification of the two 
 great Commandments,- our Lord positively said, 
 " Thou hast answered right, this do, and thou shall 
 " live.'"* The fact appears to be with respect 
 to this 3'onng man, or ruler, that his faith was im- 
 perfect: and v/as immediately shewn to be so in 
 practice. For, whereas he had answered with re- 
 spect to the Commandments of the second table 
 that " all these he had kept from his youth up." 
 our Lord proceeded to try him as to those of the 
 first: as to his love of God: and required of him 
 that proof of his devotion which he should not 
 have hesitated to shew when called upon by one 
 whom by his very manner of addiessing him he 
 had acknowledged to be speaking with divine 
 authority Had he lov<id God, as he ought, with 
 all his heart and with all his mind, he. would not 
 have hesitated to do as he was bid, to " sell all that 
 " he had, and give it to the poor_, and take up his 
 " cross." But in this he failed; and, that, as we 
 are told, from his unfortunate attachment to his 
 riches. (5) The lesson which was to be derived 
 
 * Luke X. ver. 28. 
 
 (5) " For he had great riches." " Hv yx^ lyjct xt'-^/zoI* -croXAa.'" 
 Expressly and plainly as the cause of this young man's iailure is 
 here shewn, Calvin (in his Commentary ad loc.) chooses to assign 
 another and a different one. " Obstabat," says he, " CKca operum 
 " confidentia." And this because he asks, " What ^oor/ thino 
 *' shall I do ?" Src. " Non simpliciter rogat quomodo et qua via 
 *' perveniat ad viam, sed quid boni facicndo earn acquirat. Mc- 
 " rita igilur somniat, quibus vita seterna reddatur quasi compensa- 
 " tio." Here we have a Pelagian conjured up, ages before any 
 oUch being existed. The young man had clearly no such idea in 
 his head ; he asked the question according to what he had been 
 used to consider as the will of God. He asked it, as Calvin him- 
 self admits, sincerely. Indeed in another passage (Calvin himself 
 can see that nothing depends on this precise form of words. For 
 when commenting on Luke x, 25. compared with Matt. xxii. and 
 Mark xii. he says, " In forma interrogationis nonnihil a Malthaeo 
 *' et Marco difFert Lucas, nam apud hunc qusrit scriba c^uid faci- 
 
" 8 
 
 fi'oni this, our Saviour shewed by what he imme- 
 diately subjoined as to tlie difficulty which there 
 was ill a rich man being saved : which, and which 
 only, is the ti:ue inference-to be drawn from the 
 failure of the young man. 
 
 That, indeed, our Lord never meant (contrary to 
 the plain import of his words), to have it under- 
 stood that it was not by keeping the Command- 
 ments that we were to seek for salvation, further 
 appears from this, that the very proof of devotion 
 which was in this case required was no more than 
 what bad been actually shewn, and v/as afterwards 
 in numerous instances displayed by many of his 
 Disciples. Clearly, therefore, he proposed nothing 
 which was out of the reach of human ability, even 
 in the ordinary course of things. (6) 
 
 And this also may serve as an answer to the argu- 
 ments which the Romanists have drawn from this 
 passage in favour of their doctrine of Perfection, and 
 their imposition or recommendation of Monastic 
 Vows as connected therewith. For they say that 
 hence it appears that there is a degree of perfec- 
 tion to which a man may attain beyond keeping 
 the Commandments: and so go on to hold out a 
 prospect of higher reward to those who embrace 
 a state of what they call voluntary poverty and 
 greater mortification, as being that state of perfec- 
 tion. Now I have shewn, 1 trust satisfactorily, 
 that this passage proves no such thing; since the 
 renunciation of the world at that moment, and 
 under those circumstances, would in fact have been 
 
 " endo vitavi (tternam tonseqvantur homines : apud alios vero duos 
 *' quodnam in lege sttmmum sit nmndatum. Idem tamen est finis/' 
 &c. Now, as in this last case, there was nothing in the particular 
 turn of the e;<pression, why should there be in the other? For 
 it will not he said that there is any real dibtinction to be made be- 
 tween " what thing" and " what good thing shall 1 do to inherit 
 •* eternal lite ?" The young man was not, any more than the 
 scribe, di earning of merits, in the theological sense of the word. 
 (6) See additional note (B). 
 
neither more nor less than obedience to the first 
 Commandment : an obedience which all we, who 
 reprobate monastic vows, do, equally as much as 
 they, allow to be indispensable whenever it can be 
 shewn that God calls upon us to make the sacri- 
 fice. That ui those cases, so common in their 
 church, there is no such call, is what we assert, and 
 experience bat too well proves. And it may be 
 further shewn that their doctrine of Perfection, as 
 managed by them, is not only highly presumptuous, 
 but leads to something very like impiety. 
 
 There is also, I am well aware, another objec- 
 tion which may be made to me; it is, indeed, the 
 great argument of the Antinomians; that in speak- 
 ing of obedience to the commands of God, as being 
 the prescribed means of salvation, I attribute to 
 the New Covenant, that which is true only under 
 the Old; that it was only upon the Israelites that 
 a strict observance of the Commandments was im- 
 posed: and, that only to them it was promised 
 that the reward should follow upon the perform- 
 ance. Nay, I shall be told of " the liberty where- 
 *' w ith Christ hath made us free,"* in contradis- 
 tinction to the bondage under which they were 
 kept. 
 
 I must, however, still deny that any such dis- 
 tinction exists. In whatever respect there may be 
 a difference between them and us, m this there is 
 none. In truth, and in fact, obedience to God's 
 Word is as much and as strongly required of us, as 
 it was of them. The truth is, 1 say, that we as 
 well as they, and they not more than we, are and 
 were bound to ser^^e God according to such Com- 
 mandments as he has given us. And if he has to 
 us in these latter days made a more full Revelation 
 of his will, he has only thereby imposed upon us 
 a stronger and more strict obligation to be zealous 
 and punctual in the discharge of that duty. 
 *Gal,v. 1. 
 
10 
 
 Neither is it true that forgiveness of sins, which 
 of course, implies a departure from the rigour of 
 the law, was a doctrine unknown to the Jews, or a 
 blessing which was not extended to them. That 
 they were often, in fact, forgiven, is plain. And 
 that they might always entertain an expectation of 
 forgiveness was a consequence which resulted from 
 the various atonements which under the law were 
 directed to be made by sacrifice. Neither were 
 they devoid of that faith which is become our in- 
 heritance. True it is, that they, and even the 
 fathers among them, " saw the promises only, 
 ''afar off:" yet they "embraced them," as it is 
 expressly said, " and confessed that they were 
 " strangers on the earth."* Nay, the mass of the 
 people, however mistaken in their ideas of what 
 their redemption should be, yet looked for a Re- 
 deemer ; and it is evident that, at least in the age 
 immediately preceding our Lord's coming, they ex- 
 tended their views into a world to come. 
 
 The motives held out to them for obedience, 
 were indeed somewhat different from those with 
 which we are or should be actuated ; and this was 
 of necessity'; for while it pleased God to withhold 
 from them the full knowledge of the spiritual 
 blessings which he had prepared for the faithful 
 and obedient, they could only, or, at least, best be 
 incited to a zealous performance of their duty by 
 the prospect of temporal rewards. Yet, let it be 
 remembered, that to us also it is not forbidden to 
 look for some sort of recompence upon earth; 
 while, on the other hand, among them many indi- 
 viduals served God at the expencc of their worldly 
 possessions, and even of their lives; and so must 
 have looked to something beyond this earth. 
 
 In one great point, it is clear also, that the com- 
 mand was and is the same to both. They, as well 
 
 * Hebrews xi, 15. 
 
11 
 
 as wc, were enjoined to put their whole trust in 
 God, and to look up to him only for help in all 
 their necessities of wliatever description. It must 
 be admitted, indeed, that in the nature of this aid 
 thus to be expected from God, their case and ours 
 might to a certain degree vary. They were sup- 
 port'z-d by the actual presence or manifestation of 
 God, or by having almost always with them some 
 of his acknowledged and inspired Prophets. The 
 grace therefore vouchsafed to them was for the^ 
 most part that which is called external. We, on 
 the contrary, are bidden to look for that which 
 is internal; for that fellowship of the Holy Ghost, 
 which is even to " prevent us," if I may use the 
 expression of our liturgy, (7) by putting into our 
 hearts good desires. Yet, with respect to this also, 
 the observation which I before made as to a com- 
 munity of motives will be found equally appli- 
 cable, for we need only turn to the Book of 
 Psalms, that true and perfect manual of devotion 
 for Christians, not less than for Jews, to be con- 
 vinced that pious men under the first dispensation, 
 both desired to be, and were supported inwardly 
 by the Spirit of God: As, on the other hand, it is 
 not less clear that we, on our part, pray for external 
 graces also; that is, for that comfort and assistance 
 which is derived from our being placed in circum- 
 stances, and meeting with events more or less ad- 
 vantageous, as well to our spiritual as to our tem- 
 poral welfare. 
 
 That the idea of this affinity between, or rather 
 identity with the Old and New Covenant is not 
 
 (7) I had said, " obsolete" expression, but I was properly re- 
 minded, that I might be misunderstood as disapproving of this 
 anH similar phrases in our services and translation of the scriptures, 
 which it was never in my thoughts to do. Indeed I am persuaded, 
 that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find other words, 
 v'hich in these cases could, without prejudice to the force and 
 cleacaess of the passage, be substituted. 
 
12 
 
 novel, may be sheAvn furtberj as well from our 
 seventh Article, as from tiie Homilies of ourChurch, 
 in one of which, after observations of the same ten- 
 dency as those which 1 have made, it is said with 
 even more explicitness than I have used, of the 
 good men in old time, that "in effect they and we 
 "be all one: We have the same faith that, they 
 ''' had in God, and they the same that we have."(8) 
 And if the fact be so, it will be sufficient of itself 
 to establish the position which L have laid down 
 respecting what should be the great and leading 
 'principle of action. Because it is certain, that un- 
 der the law it was the one which was directly and 
 solely held out. Obedience to God's Vv'ill, or in 
 other words, as I have before said, the observance 
 of his Commandments, is the proclaimed condition 
 under which the Israelites were to enjoy the pro- 
 mised blessings, whether of a temporal or spiritual 
 nature; and disobedience to those Commandments 
 (and that v/ilful) was equally held'forth as the only 
 cause of forfeiture. 
 
 That now the same condition is required of us 
 under the New Covenant, 1 have already shewn, by 
 tw^o texts, as plain as possible, out of the mouth of 
 our Saviour himself If we take up again the in- 
 quiry, we shall find almost innumerable passages 
 presenting themselves to that effect Thus he tells 
 us, in his Sermon on the Mount, " Not every one 
 *' that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into 
 " the kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the 
 " will of my Father wdiich is in Heaven." And 
 before that, with a direct reference to what I have 
 mentioned respectingine Old Covenant, having said, 
 
 (8) Second part of the Sermoa on Faith, p. 23, fol. edit. The 
 ■whole passage is remarkable, and fuHy supports all thai I have ad- 
 vanced. Among other things it is said, " Although they were not 
 *' named Chrisiians, yet was it a Christian taiih that tney had, for 
 " (hey lookeo tor all 'benefits ot God the Faihtr, through the mc- 
 " dialion of Jesus Christ, as wenow do, &c." 
 
13 
 
 ^' Think not that I come to destroy the law and 
 *' the prophets ; 1 am not come to destroy but to 
 '* fulfil," (9) he subjoins, "^ Whosoever therefore 
 '"' shall break one of the least of these Command- 
 " ments, and teach men so, shall be called the least 
 '' in the kingdom of Heaven ; but whosoever shall 
 '' do and teach them, the same shall be called great 
 " in the kino-dom of Heaven."* From what our 
 
 • • • 
 
 Lord said in public, let us pass to the last scene of 
 his life upon earth, then when in private converse 
 with his Disciples, he partly opened to them, or 
 rather prepared them for receiving the mysteries of 
 his Gospel. What was then his language ? Still 
 the same. '' If ye love me, keep my Cdmmand- 
 " ments."'!' " If ye keep my Commandments, ye 
 " shall abide in my love." Again, " Ye are my 
 " friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." 
 
 (9) Calvin's v\'ord?, in his commentary on this passage, are 
 worth noting. " Duahus raaxirae causis adductus fuisse videtur 
 " (sc. Christus) ad testandum Inmc legis et evangelii consensum. 
 " Simulac emergit nova sliqua docendi ratio, id perinde vulgus 
 *' arripit, ac si omnium rerum conversio fieret. Talis aulem erat 
 '' evangelii praedlcatio utsp^m facerel aliter constituendas ecclesiae 
 " quam prius fuerat. Putabant igitur vetus et usitatum regimen 
 *' aboleri : quse opinio miiltis modis valde noxia erat ; pii enim Dei 
 *' cultores nunquam evangelium amplexi essent, si fuisset a lege 
 " defectio ; leves autem et turbiilenti spirltus ansa erepta totum 
 *' religicnis statum convellere cupide aggressi essent." (which Cal- 
 vin himself might as well have considered, when he took away 
 episcopacy at Geneva. Lower down he says), «' Pollicitus quidem 
 *' Deus fuerat novum foedus Christi adventu, sed simul ostenderat 
 " minime diversum fore a primo : quin potius hunc esse finem 
 " ut faedus quod ab initio pepigerat cum suis in perpetuum sanci- 
 *' ret. Inscribam, \nqu\t leges mtas in cor da ipsoru?n, et peccata, 
 " obliviscar." Jer. xxxi. ver. S3, And he concludes, " Ideo 
 ** discamus sacrum hunc legis et evangelii nexum inviolabilem 
 *' servare, quem muUi" (and, it may be thought, he among the 
 rest : certainly many of his followers) " perperam dissolvunt. 
 *' Neque enim hoc ad stabilieudam evangelii fidem parum valet, 
 *' dum audimus nihil aliud esse quam legis complementum, ut 
 *' mutua Concordia Deum ccmmunem auctorera referant." Cal- 
 vin Open t. vi. p. G8. 
 
 * Matlh, V. 17. 19. t John xiv. 15. 
 
14 
 
 And afterwards, "These things I command you, 
 " that ye love one another."* All these strong in- 
 junctions, pointing, as you see, to the same end, 
 the keeping of the Commandments, and particularly 
 those which are comprized in the love of our neigh- 
 bour. (10) But, indeed, that to works of charity, 
 
 * John XV. 10. U. 17. 
 
 (10) Calvin, however, is so averse to admitting that the fulfil- 
 ment of God's promises at all depends on any act of our's, that 
 he even contradicts the words of Christ. In his commentary on 
 Matth. xxii. 40, " On these two Commandments hang all the law 
 *' and the prophets," he makes a distinction between Promises and 
 Commandments, and then tells us that our reconciliation with God 
 does not depend on these two Commandments. His argument is, 
 That Christ does not mean to say generally what is God's word, 
 " quid discendum sit in Dei verbo, sed pro circumstantia causa: in 
 " quern scopum dirlgantur omnia mandata admonet. Interim (he 
 *' goes on) gratuita peccatorum remissio per quam Deo rcconcilia- 
 " mur, fiducia Dei invocandi, arrha futuras haereditatis et alia 
 " OMNES Jidei partes NON PENDENT in his duobus mandatis ; 
 " quia aliud est exigiquod debetur, aliud offerri quod deest." But 
 what if the offer of forgiveness, and the encouragement to pray,^ 
 nay, andfthe earnest of the inheritance, be found equally with the 
 exaction of the debt in the Old as in the New Testament ? And 
 sec how this contradicts what is cited from him in the last note, 
 particularly the passage from Jeremiah. What indeed hinders 
 that our enjoyment of God's grace, and the full effect of faith, 
 should be suspended on the event of our doing God's command- 
 ments .' Luther's distinction is, " Novum Testamentum proprie 
 *' constat promissionibus et cxhortationibus, sicut vetus legibus et 
 *' minis." Dc Servo Arbitrio, c. cxxi. As if there were not pro- 
 mises and threatenings, commandments and exhortations, just al 
 much in the one as in the other: but such is the sort of rea- 
 soning by which plain texts are to be eluded, in order that they 
 may not invalidate a favourite doctrine. Indeed the inconsisten- 
 cies of absolute predestinarians, when commenting upon Scrip- 
 ture, are as numerous as they are inevitable. Take another spe- 
 cimen in Calvin's comment on the first of these great pre- 
 cepts. " Quamvis louge aliter Deum amare conveniat quam ho- 
 *' mines, non tamcn abs re Dcus pro ciiltu vel henore dilectionem 
 *' a nobis requirif, quia hoc modo significat non alium sibi cultum 
 " quam vnluntarium placere." And lower dovv-n he says, " Dis- 
 " camus itaque pietatis initium esse Dei amorem, quia Deus 
 ** coacta hominum obsequia repudiat ; vultque sponte et liberalr- 
 " ter coli." And yet according to him, a man is overruled by 
 an antecedent and irresistible decree in every thing that he does ! 
 Calv, Oper. t. 6. p. 252 and 253. In this, as in other incon- 
 
IS 
 
 when tlone with tlie proper regard to God's word, 
 eternal life is held out as a recompence, who can 
 douht, that but reads that avveful and affectuig re- 
 presentation of the last day recorded in St. Mat- 
 thew? You cannot forget the words which, we 
 are told, will then be pronounced by our righteous 
 Judge to the blessed of his Father, " 1 was an 
 ^' hungered, and ye gave me meat ; I was thirsty, 
 *' and ye gave me drink ; I was a stranger, and yc 
 " took me in ; naked, and ye clothed me ; I was in 
 " prison, and ye came unto me." (11) 
 
 I need not multiply quotations in so plain a case, 
 or I might adduce hundreds of texts to the same 
 purpose. I might shew all the apostles concurring 
 in the same language. That indeed this was the 
 view of their duty, which was entertained by the 
 primitive Christians, we might conclude even from 
 that memorable appeal to their lives, which is 
 handed down to us. " Non loquimur magna, sed 
 . " vivimus" (12), was the plain and forcible answer 
 which they returned to the vaunts and the sophistry 
 
 tistencies, he only follows Austin. V. inf. Note (11) and addi- 
 tional note D. 
 
 (11) MatUi. XXV. 35, 36. Here also (such is the force of truth) 
 we have Calvin against himself. After making a number of dis- 
 tinctions, in order to take off the full force of this text, he is fain 
 to add, " Unde etiam colligimus, si cupimus summo judici pro- 
 " bari vitam nostram, non esse vagandum in nostris figmentis." 
 (He says this against the Romanists, but it is just as applicable to 
 other persons). " Sed potius spectandun quid ilk pracipue a 
 " nobis exigat. Nam quicunque ab ejus prceceptis discesserint quan- 
 ** tumvis ludent ac se macerent in fictiiiis operlbus" (or we may 
 add, in vana fidei jactantia) " ultimo die hoc tandem audient Quia 
 ^* hac quccsivit a manibns vesirisf Calv. Oper. t. vi. 284-. And 
 let any Calvinist (or rather, I should say, any fairreasoner,) recon- 
 cile this with absolute decrees, or even with what Calvin (as cited 
 in the preceding note) has said of the effect of keeping the Com- 
 mandments, and our salvation not depending upsn tliera. 
 
 (12) See Cyprian dc Dono Patientia, towards the beginning; 
 and Minutius Felix, § 38. Which of these authors wrote first, t 
 believe is not clear. The same plea in substance is, however^ 
 wged by others of the early apologists. 
 
i5 
 
 of their pagan antagonists. By what process it 
 happened, that in a subsequent age words came to 
 take the place of actions, that good works came 
 first to be undervalued and afterwards in a manner 
 overlooked ; how men became so rash as to circum- 
 scribe, within bounds of their own making, that re- 
 demption which is expressly declared to belong to all, 
 and by fanciful systems of their own, to shut out from 
 the hope of salvation the greater part of mankind, 
 is indeed surprising, and it may be worth our 
 while shortly to enquire, in the hope that in this, 
 as in all other cases, the tracing of an error may 
 enable us to shew the rottenness of its founda- 
 tions. 
 
 During the first ages of the church, when the 
 disciples were almost continually suffering under 
 persecution, or living in the apprehension of it, the 
 idea does not seem to have entered into any man's 
 mind of enquiring with any great degree of 
 nicety the measure of grace which was to be 
 prayed for, or the nature and extent of that sup- 
 port and assistance whicli was to be expected at 
 the hand of God. When the necessity for divine 
 aid was so apparent and unquestionable, when the 
 wants and imperfections of every individual were, 
 by the dangers and the labours of his situation, so 
 powerfully and so constantly forced upon his recol- 
 lection, it was natural that he should be only 
 anxious to secure that help by any means in his 
 power, and not cavil or perplex himself about the 
 terms upon which it was granted, or might be ob- 
 tained (13). It was only v/hen the churches had 
 
 (13) This is clearly admitted by Acstin himself, in his treatise 
 **De Predestinatione' Sanctoi-um," § 27, where, after citing the 
 book of Wisdom and the epistle to the Romans, and referring 
 generally to what he has alleged from the Scriptures, he adds, 
 " Quid ioitur opus est ut eorum scrutemur opuscula, qui prius 
 " quam ista haeresis oriretur non habuerunt nscessitatem in hac 
 *' difficili ad solvendum qusestione versari ? qucd procul dubio 
 
17 
 
 rest, and external violence ceased to be any longer 
 a matter of apprehension, that qitstions of that 
 sort came to be agitated. This novelty too (for 
 such I must call it), originated precisely in the 
 quarter where we should most expect to find it; 
 among those who, out of a mistaken idea of per- 
 fection, having retired from the world in order to 
 devote themselves to contemplation, and having 
 renounced at once the cares and the duties of 
 active life, of course gave up their minds a prey to 
 their imagination, and were glad to lay hold of a 
 new opinion, if it were only as a subject upoa 
 which to employ their thoughts. It was, in short, 
 a monk, (14) the well known Pelagius, who, in the 
 
 iacerent si rcspondere talibus cogerentur. Unde factum est ut 
 de gratia Dei quid sentirent breviter quibusdam horum scrip- 
 lorum locis ct transeunter attigerint." And he collects their 
 tenets respecting grace from the number and scope of their 
 prayers only. " Frequenlaliotiibus aulem orationum simplicitcr 
 apparebat Dei gratia quid valeret ; noii enim posceretur a Deo 
 quse prJEcipit fieri, nisi ab illo di)naretur ut fierent." Observe 
 too in addition to what has been said in note (3) what he says of 
 the d'fficulties of predestination ; that it is *' difficilis ad solvendum 
 qusestio." See more fully Gerard, J. Vossius in Historia Con- 
 tioversiarum quae Pelagius et ejus reliquiae moverunt. Lib. iv. 
 par. ii. thcs. i. Where he shews from Austin's own words that 
 his early opinions were even semipelagian, and the same of many 
 of the earlier fathers, though he is not willing to allow it to have 
 been the case with all. I cannot help subjoining the note of the 
 Antwerp editor of Austin's works to the commentary on the epis- 
 tle to the Romans. " Hoc opus conscripsit Presbyter Augusti- 
 nus circ. ann. cccxciv. cum ex communibus notionibus scripturana 
 interpretaretur. Quare in eo mulla inveniuntur quae mere Pela- 
 giana sunt, ut vel retractationum loco praefixo videre est. Mi- 
 rum est hominem qui nunquam a quoquam propterea damnatus 
 fuerat quasi hzerelicus, imo vero ab omnibus laudalus, postea ia 
 eadem dogmata inveclum fuisse, quasi cum religione Christiana con- 
 sisierc non possent. Si nunquam exortae fuibsent rixae Pelagianae 
 in eis sententiis mortuus essct," Appendix Augusliniana, p. 436. 
 (H) This circumstance is mentioned by Austin himself, 
 in a way that seems to shew no great respect, certainly not to 
 attribute any excelUmce to that order. " Post vetcres haereses in- 
 Vecta etiam modo haeresis est, non ab episcopis, seu presbyteris, 
 sed a quibusdam veluii monachis, quse contra Dei gratiam, &c." 
 De geslis Pelagii, § 61. 
 
 C 
 
i8 
 
 beginning of the fifth century, first took upoa 
 himself to advance and to teach, that man, by his 
 natural powers, as he is born into the world, is 
 fully able to work out his salvation ; that the divine 
 grace therefore, although it be useful and conve- 
 nient, is not necessary : thus materially weakening 
 the foundations of our faith, and taking away one 
 of the strongest motives, by which we are drawn 
 to prayer and devotion. 
 
 This was an error so palpable and so material, 
 that the refutation of it admitted of no delay, nor 
 was attended with any great difficulty. From the 
 plain words of Scripture, as well as from the writ- 
 ings of the primitive Fathers, as far as they had been 
 led to express themselves on the subject, it was 
 shewn, that the assistance of God's spirit was re* 
 quired even in our very first endeavours after righte- 
 ousness, that without that we were unable, not 
 only to accomplish, but to begin upon any good 
 work. So evidently false indeed was this doctrine 
 of Pelagius, that, in the course of the Controversy, 
 he was fain very much to soften it, and even to 
 contradict himself(15) And b}*^ those who folt 
 
 (15) This is so much the case, that the last editor of Austin 
 (the Antwerp), strongly contends that Pelagius's opinions were- 
 very much misrepresented. However that be, he certainly did 
 ©n more than one occasion pointedly condemn and anathematize 
 the opinions which go under his name. Thus in the synod of 
 Diospolis, he anathematized several positions of Celestius. Aug. 
 de gest. Pelag. c. xiv. § 30. 5 as also those who should say " abs- 
 que adjutorio Dei posse homincm ad perfectum omnium venire, 
 virtutum." ib. § 37. So in the treatise ♦* De gratia Christi," at the 
 outset Austin slates, on the authority of those whom he is address- 
 ing, that Pelagius said in their hearing, " Anathema qui vel sentit 
 vel dicit gratiam Dei qua Christus venit in hunc mundum pec- 
 ca tores salvos facere non solum per singulas horas, aut per singula 
 momenta, sed etiam per singulos actus non esse necessariam, et 
 qui banc conantur auferre pccnas sortiantur aelernas." See as 
 to this Vossius Histor, Controvers., &c. lib. iii. part ii. thes. i. 
 which begins " Pelagius nee idem semper de gratia sensit, nee 
 dixit," &c. See also TIsher's Britannic. Ecclesiar. Antiquit. p. 
 127 et seq. where he calls Pelagius " versipellem hEerelicuna." 
 
19 
 
 lowed him, it was so modified and explained as 
 hardly to be a fit subject for reprehension. And 
 accordingly the Semipelagians, even in those days, 
 were never treated as Heretics, but only as men 
 who were in an error, evidently not of a dangerous 
 kind (16) 
 
 The answer which I have stated as given to this 
 doctrine might well have been considered as suffi- 
 cient, and appears calculated properly to meet the 
 evil which was apprehended. But unfortunately 
 (as in all cases there are ardent spirits who are not 
 content to do well, but who in the too eager pur- 
 suit of their object will err in the opposite extreme) 
 it occurred to St. Austin, a man deservedly esteem- 
 ed, but who had more of piety and zeal than of 
 judgment, to take a more decisive way of putting 
 down such heresies. Having bewildered himself 
 with certain texts of St. Paul, although it is a ques- 
 tion, whether he could at all, or with any critical 
 understanding at least, read him in the original.(17) 
 
 (16) See Vossius ubi siipr. lib. vi. and Cardinal Noris's Historia 
 Pelagiana. lib. ii. c. v. or (he letters of Prosper and of Hilary, 
 (Epist. inter Augustinian : ccxxv. & vi. Ed. Bened.) and the 
 account which Austin gives of these mistaken brethren as gathered 
 from those letters. He speaks of them as only not having attained 
 the perfection of Christian doctrine. " Pervenerunt," he says, 
 *' isti fratres nostri ut crederent cum Ecclesia Christi peccato primi 
 hominis obnoxium nasci genus humanum, nee ab isto malo nisi 
 per justiliam secundi hominis aliquem liberari. Pervendrunt etiam 
 ut pra^vcniri voluntates hominum Dei gratis fateantur, utque ad 
 nullum Of us bonum vel incipiendum vel perficiendum sibi qucm- 
 quam sufficere consenliant. Ketenta ergo ista in quae perve- 
 nerunt plurimum eos a Pelagiano errore discernunt. Proinde si 
 in eis ambuient et orent eum qui dat intellectum si quid de pra- 
 dcstinatlmte aliter sapiunt, &c." All the error here imputed to 
 them is a rejection of absolute decrees : that is what has never by 
 any sober man been maintained as a point necessary to salvation. 
 See also Du Pin Eccl. Hist Cent. v. Art. Cussianus, 
 
 (17) Erasmus (undoubtedly a most competent judge), makes 
 no doubt of it. He says positively, " Augustinus Grsece ncsciit ; 
 aut si quid attiglt, non magnopere fuit usui ad Graecorum Com- 
 mentarios evolvendos." Erasm. Oper. t. iii, p. 4-00. Of this ig* 
 norance the Antwerp editor adduces a striking proof, in the notes 
 
He advanced, that not only we had no natural 
 power to serve God, but that the greater part of 
 mankind had no power at all by any means to do 
 him service ; that this advantage was confined to 
 the Elect, that is, to a few whom God had from 
 the beginning determined, without consideration of 
 what they should do, to bring to the knowledge of 
 him and to reward everlastingly : while all the rest 
 were left utterly destitute of the power of drawing 
 near to him, or of avoiding tliat everlasting misery 
 to which they were from the beginning absolutely 
 and unconditionally reserved. (18) 
 
 npon Genesis, lib. i. c. ii. where Austin says " His respondemus 
 Deum in principio fecisse coelum et terrain, non in principio rerum, 
 sed in Christo. Doniinus enim, cum cum Judaei interrogassent 
 quis esset, respondit, Principium, quia et loquor vobis." Th« 
 editor observes, " Locus est Joannis viii. 25. Sed erravit Augus- 
 tinus deceptus versionc Latina, si enim Greece turn legisset, vi- 
 disset Christum dicere accusative casu mv «fx*"'> ^^ proinde non 
 posse hoc kaberi pro Chrtsti nc;ninc." Append. Augustin. p, 
 484. See also another glaring in ts ace, p. 497. 
 
 (18) See Vossius ubi supr. lib. vi. thes. x. which begins 
 ** Cocterum Augustinus, ut fortius premeret Pela^ium, communi 
 Patrum ct a se jam Episcopo defensae sententise appendicem 
 hanc annexuit, quod gratia uni pra; altero ofFeratur, id ab absoluto 
 Dei decreto provenire, &c." Note too what he says lower 
 down. " Qu33stio est cur vocatorum unus pras altero convertatur. 
 Patres ante Augiistinum, et ipse prius Augustinus contenti fuissent 
 dicere id esse a recto usu liberi arbitrii, &c." See also the theses 
 following respecting Perseverance, and how far and by whom this 
 appendix or " additamentum," to the previously current doctrine 
 was received. See also Augustin's own account in the passage 
 next cited. " Quid autem coegit loca scripturarum quibus Praedes- 
 tinatio coramendata est copiosius et enucleatius isto nostro laborc 
 defendi, nisi quod Pelagiani dicunt gratiam Dei secundum merita 
 nostra dari, quid quod est aliud quam gratiae omnino negatio?" Dc 
 dono Persever. ubi infr. I am afraid, however, that there is but too 
 much reason to beheve with the Antwerp editor, that there was much 
 of private pique in Austin's opposition to Felagius. This editor goes 
 on after the passage cited in note (13.) " Imo vero fortasse nun- 
 qiiam ita iavectus in eas (that is, the Pelagian doctrines), fuisset, 
 nisi Pelagius aliquid in ejus scriptis carpsisset. In libro De Dono 
 PersecerantitE, Cap. xx. § 5^^ narrat his verbis primam in Pelagium 
 indignandi occasionem." '' Quid meorum opusculorum frequen- 
 tius ct delectabilius innotescere potuit quam libri cotfessionum 
 
21 
 
 This first promulgation of the Predestinarlan 
 system was not, however, received with universal 
 or even general assent. Many thought that what- 
 ever reason there might be in it, there was no ne- 
 cessity for bringing it forward • to others it ap- 
 peared evidently to have no foundation but in God's 
 foreknowledge : while all, and even Austin himself, 
 shewed a reluctance to dwell upon that part of the 
 decree which concerned the Reprobate. Thus it 
 was that the doctrine, although accredited, and 
 having gained a sort of established footing in the 
 writings of Austin and others, was suffered in a 
 manner to sleep without being of material preju- 
 dice to the cause of religion; and so continued for 
 three centuries after.(iy) 
 
 About the middle of the ninth century, however, 
 we have what I may call a second epoch. 
 
 It was then that Gotescalc, a monk also, who 
 we are told was destined to a convent before he 
 could have an opinion of his own, who would have 
 retracted but was not allowed to doit, whose mind 
 therefore had naturally become doubly impatient 
 and restless, and prepared for every extreme, started 
 up, and again brought forth into notice St. Austin's 
 doctrine, but without any of his qualifications. He 
 displayed to view, and taught the tenet of Repro- 
 bation in its most absolute sense, and dressed out 
 in all the horrors with which it teems. Thus 
 nakedly presented to the sight, it caused immediate 
 
 mearum ? cum et ipsos ediderim anlequam Pelagiana haresis 
 extitisset, in eis eerie dixi, Da quod jubes, el juoe quod vis." 
 (Austin says this as shewing that his thoughts on predestination 
 were not newly taken up), " quae mea verba Pelagius, Romse 
 cum a quodam fratre et coepiscopo meo fuissent eo pra?sente 
 commemorata, ferre non potuit et contradicens aHquanto com- 
 motius, pane cum eo qui ilia commemoraverat liligavit." " Hinc," 
 the editor goes on, '• prima origo raali, nam nihil mr.gis irritabile 
 scriptoribus, qui pro scriptis postea tanquam pro aris et focis pug- 
 nant.*' Appx. August, p. 536. Let the reader compare this wil{» 
 the beginning of the Arian controversy. 
 (19) See additianal note (C.) 
 
22 
 
 and almost universal disgust ; and the man was 
 jbot only condemned as being in a dangerous error, 
 and even a blaspliemer, but cruelly persecuted; 
 and although afterwards some persons ot' note were 
 found to support his cause, he continued under tiie 
 sentence of condemnation, and was in con(iuerneat 
 nearly, if not quite, to the time of his death (isiO) 
 
 From that time to the asra of the Reformation, 
 the dispute was confined to the schools: There, as 
 the authority of St. Austin was great, this, among 
 his other tenets, was frequently agitated, and be- 
 came in some degree a party question. The Do- 
 minicans, with Thomas Aquinas at their head, 
 maintained absolute decrees in their strictest form ; 
 while the Franciscans following the opinions of 
 Scotus, were of a different and more mitigated 
 sentiment. (21) 
 
 While however these debates were going on in 
 the cloyster, the practice of the Church of Rome 
 
 (20) For this see Vossius ubi siipr. lib. vii. part. iv. Before I 
 quit this verv respectable writer, I must observe, that he seems 
 to have incurred some odium, perhaps some danger, by his book, 
 on account of the candour with which he has stated the doctrines 
 of the church before Austin, and the earlier opinions of Austin 
 himself. He therefore, as I conjecture, found it prudent to make 
 a formal profession of his agreeing to the tenets of the synod of 
 Dort, which had sat in the mean time, and in contemplation of 
 which his book had originally been written. See his treatise De 
 Hisloricis Lalinis. lib. ii. c. 17, which our Usher (a most strenuous 
 predestinarian), takes great care to bring forward. See Usserii 
 Britannic, Ecclesiar. Antiquit. Ed. 2d£B p. 189, where the reader 
 may find the history of Pelagius given in the true spirit of an ad- 
 versary, bee also as to Gotescalc, and the whole controversy as 
 carried on in that age, Du Pin Eccl. Hist. vol. vii. c. 2. 
 
 (21) That in fact, there was no marked distinction between the 
 doctors of the Romish church and the first Reformers on the 
 su'ijecl in question, is clearly shewn by Le Blanc in his Theses 
 Theolpgica?. The third edition of which was printed at London, 
 in the year 1683, in fol. See also a tract of Dean Tucker's, 
 *' Letter to Dr. Kippis, occasioned by his vindication of the Pro* 
 testant Dissenting Ministers." Printed by Raikcs, Gloucester, 
 1773. Where the reader will find much information very cleady 
 delivered. 
 
^5 
 
 was notoriou8ly abhorrent from any such doctrine- 
 She held not only that men might have such merits, 
 as entitled them to salvation, but that they might 
 have even a surplusage of this claim, arising from 
 the good works which they had done. She deter- 
 mined particularly that this was the case with all 
 those whom she declared to be Saints ; and upon 
 that, founded, as you know, her doctrine of in- 
 dulgences and pardons, which by the application 
 of these works, as they were called, of supereroga- 
 tion, might be secured for those whom she might 
 deem worthy of that benefit.(<22) 
 
 The length to which in fact this corrupt system 
 was pushed, and the scandalous traffic in Indul- 
 gences which followed, you may recollect, revolted 
 mens' minds to such a degree, that when Luther 
 rose up in opposition to them, he was heard with 
 much favour, and soon met with powerfid support. 
 Unfortunately this great man having been early 
 conversant in the works of St. Austin, had deeply 
 imbibed his doctrine, and in combating an error 
 somewhat similar, though more abusive in practice, 
 than that of Pelagius, was also hurried into the op- 
 posite extreme. He went on indeed in the most 
 formal mannerto deny the existence of Free-will in 
 man.(23) In all this he was followed by Calvin, 
 who not having, as Luther is understood to havd 
 done,(24) at all changed his opinion, but main- 
 tained it to the last, even to the full extent in which 
 it was held by Gotescalc, is considered as the grea^t 
 teacher of absolute decrees in modern times; so 
 
 (22) Those who may wish for more particular information on 
 the subject of Indulgences, I beg leave to refer to my Supplement 
 to the Reply to Dr. Milner, lately published. 
 
 (•23) See additional note (D.) 
 
 (24) In consequence of which the Lutheran church is not at 
 this day predestinarian, nor I believe, properly speaking, ever was, 
 that is from the time of its being regularly established. See also 
 Dr. Laurence's Bampton Lectures, p, 249. 
 
24, 
 
 much so, as for them to go commonly under his 
 name, 
 
 I have set before you this short sketcli of the dif- 
 ferent a^ras, as they may be called, olr" the Calvin- 
 istic Doctrine, because I think that it will af^sist us in 
 estimating its merits, as well as accounting tor its 
 prevalence, and for the credit which it has obtamed 
 at different periods. You sec it in its origin brought 
 forward for the mere purpose of silencing an an- 
 tagonist: F,ven then doubtfully entertained by the 
 generality of Christians, and languishing, as I may 
 say, in a sort of obscurity for a considerable period. 
 When atierwards it rises again into notice, you 
 find one part of it, which yet Calvin states most 
 truly to be inseparable from the rest, the tenet of 
 unconditional reprobation, most pointedly, in the 
 person of Gotescalc, condemned ; and the whole 
 withdrawing again, as it were, into holes and 
 corners, ami disregarded in practice. When after- 
 wards, at the distance of a thousand years from its 
 first promulgation, it sprmgs forth into credit and 
 acquires strength, it is only from a consideration of 
 the very mischievous errors to which it is opposed. 
 "We shall also find throughout (I will add) the same 
 variableness and inconsistencies in those who main- 
 tain it; the same backwardness to give it its full 
 extent; and in many, and the sounder part, even 
 of those who go all lengths, the same consciousness 
 that it is a doctrine pregnant with abuses, and pe- 
 culiarly liable to be misunderstood. 
 
 And, indeed, who can deny that of this doctrine 
 of absolute decrees Antinomianism with all its abo- 
 minations, is a legitimate offspring? When a man 
 is told that his salvation or perdition in no respect 
 depends upon his exertions ; but that if he be not 
 by the Deciee which is gone out before the ages 
 elect, he must be lost, however he may strive ; 
 while if he be among the favoured number, nothing 
 can prevent his being saved; -what should follow 
 
S5 
 
 but a total indifference to his manner of life, 
 and every sort of extravagance, both in word and 
 deed ? (25) Nay, do we not know and see that such 
 is the fHct? I am aware, indeed, (and must say it is 
 wonderful that it sl)ould be so) tliatthe doctrine is 
 held by many pious and worthy men who shew 
 plainly by their conduct that tliey hold in abhor- 
 rence any such consequences Upon individuals, 
 therefore, we must be very cautious how we charge 
 them, but to divest the doctrine itself of them, I 
 will venture to say is beyond the art of man. (26). 
 It is atiirmed, however, and that most positively, 
 that this is scriptural doctrine. ("27) It has also been 
 asserted, that it is the language of our Church; but 
 this has been of late so completely refuted (here, 
 indeed, as well as elsewhere) (28), that I need not 
 trouble you further on that iiead. 
 
 {25) Au«tin gives us a striking example of f hi*, and one that 
 mi*hl have startled a less sturdy predtstinarian than he. *' Fuit," 
 says he, "qiiidamin nosiro Monasterin, qiii,corripienlibus fratribus 
 Gur qusedam non facienda faccrel, et facienda non faceret, respon- 
 debai, ' Qualiscunqiie nunc sum, talis ero qiialem me Deus 
 fulurum esse prse^civit.' Qui profeclo et verum dice!,>at, et hoc 
 vero non proficiebat in bonum, sed us#jue adeo profecil in malum, 
 ut deserta monasterii societ.ie fitret canis revtrsusi ad vomitum. 
 Et tamen adhuc qualis fuiurus sit incertum est." (He is not, we 
 see, wholly given up in favour of his tenets.) August, de dono 
 persevcrant, c. xv. § 3S. The conclusion which lie goes on to 
 draw, does not seem to be exactly that which should natufally 
 follow. " Nunquid ergo propter hujusmodi animas ea qu« de 
 pr£EScientia Dei vera dicuntur, vel neganda sunt vel lacenda .' tunc 
 scilicet, quando si non dicaulur in alios itur errores ?" Here the 
 question is begged in two ways : first, that absolute f)redestination 
 (for that is what is here meant by " praescientia,") is the true doc- 
 trine: and next, that it preserves men from error. The con- 
 trary to which we affirm, and indeed, that it rather leads men into 
 error, is clearly shewn by the very instance here adduced. 
 (26) See additional note (E.) (27) See additional note (F.) 
 (28! In the bishop of Lincoln's Charges already alluded to, and 
 more at large by Mr. Daubeny and by Dr. Laurence in his B^mp- 
 ton Lectures (a work which those who have carped at Mr. Daubeny 
 have very prodently abstained from noticing). See also some 
 articles in the British Critic and other Reviews, and Dean Tucker'* 
 letter to Dr. Kippis before referred to. 
 
25 
 
 With respect to the passages of Scripture com- 
 monly cited on these occasions, I must, however, 
 say a few words. In the first place, I presume, that 
 we must deal with the Scripture as we do with other 
 books. And should we not, in all cases, look to 
 the general scope and purport of any writing ?" 
 Must we not also, in case of any difficulty arising, 
 any seeming contradiction offering itself, take that 
 meaning which best accords with the manifest 
 hitent of the whole; which is agreeable to the 
 greatest number of other passages, particularly such 
 passages as are clear, and subject to no manner of 
 doubt? 
 
 Now then, apply this rule to the Scripture. How 
 many hundreds, nay thousands of texts are there, 
 which necessarily presuppose in us a power to 
 choose between good and evil? which speak to us 
 as accountable creatures ? which treat our disobe- 
 dience as a wilful crime? Shall we pass by all these, 
 shall we deprive them of ail effect, merely on ac- 
 count of two or three doubtful expressions used in 
 the course of a particular argument on a particular 
 subject, and with a particular people ? Would 
 there be common sense in this (29). 
 
 But v/hat after all are these expressions ? In the 
 first place let us consider the occasion of St. Paul's 
 writing his epistle to the Romans, as well as that 
 to the Galatians. The latter, it may be observed, 
 was written to put down an error in practice. The 
 former was actually drawn up in opposition to a 
 system of absolute decrees. It was St. Paul's ob- 
 ject to convince the Jews that God had not, un- 
 conditionally and exclusively of all others, called 
 them to salvation. Nay, he tells them, that they 
 had forfeited the privileges which they enjoyed in 
 that respect by wilful disobedience, by not fulfilling 
 the terms of the covenant (30). Can it be supposed 
 
 (29) See additional note (G.) 
 
 (30) This is distinctly stated by Calvin himself, in the argu- 
 
S7 
 
 that he wouk! do this by setting up another sort of 
 iincnnditional predestination ? Will it also be ar- 
 gued, that the Gaiatians would be prevented from 
 circumcising themselves, or putting their trust in 
 legal observances, by being told of absolute elec- 
 tion and reprobation? Indeed it has been clearly 
 shewn, that all the decrees which are there spoken 
 of relate only to God's temporal dealings with the 
 Jews as a nation ; or rather to those external graces, 
 to those privileges or advantages, in respect of spi- 
 ritual blessings, which they enjoyed for the good 
 of the whole, and which were now communicated 
 to the Gentiles also : which of course he might 
 dispense in his good time, and as he saw to be fit- 
 ting. And to this the case put of Jacob and Esau 
 has a direct reference (31). 
 
 ment to the epistle to the Romans. '•* Ilic primum docetjure 
 fasderis nihil praecellere aliis, qnando sua perfidia (note this, sua 
 perjidid^ not liy any absoluie decree-) ab iilo descirerint." Oper. 
 t. vii. Again, in another place, " O'i^o hujus dispntalionis erat 
 ex superbia faliacique gloriatione JoJaici popiili ; nam quuin sibi 
 ecclesiae nomen asserereiit, volebaiit a biio aibiuio pendere Sdenj 
 evangelii " Instii. hb. iii. c. 22. § 4. 
 
 (81) For they were the heads of nations; — and this was ex- 
 pressly revealed to Rebekah before ihey were born. ''And 
 " the Lord said unto her, Two naiions are in thy womb, and two 
 " manner of people shall be separated Irom thy bowels : and the 
 "one pci^ple shall be stronger than the other people ; and the 
 ** elder shall serve the younger." Gen. xxv. 23. It should not be 
 forgotten also, that the birthright which Esau forfeited, was this 
 privilege of being the head of the people through which the 
 blessing promised to Abraham should be transmitted. And Esau 
 was well aware of this, and that it was not any thing which was 
 to be enjoyed by him personally. And this is the meaning of 
 those words of his, " Behold I am at the point to die, and what 
 " profit shall this birthright do to me ?" It was not that in a house 
 like Isaac's he could be dying tor want of refreshment (as is well 
 observed by Patrick), but that, making light of, or despising such 
 a privilege, he preferred the gratifying of a present appetite. 
 Isaac too, in wishing still to give the blessing to Esau, was acting 
 against the declared will of God ; and this justified Rebekah in 
 the sleight which she put upon him, and in which too she proba- 
 bly acted by a divine command. Add too, that both Austin and 
 Calvin admit that Esau was rejected, through his own fault. See 
 
28 
 
 True it is, that in remonstrating with the Jews 
 upon the claim of merit which they set up for them- 
 selves, the apostle uses strong language ; nothing 
 however, which can be taken to mean that God, 
 for any purpose of his, made men wicked, or inevi- 
 tably caused them to be so ; but oiily that he makes 
 use of wicked men, according to his wisdom, in, ac- 
 complishing the counsels of his providence. This, 
 and t]]is only, is affirmed with respect to Pha- 
 raoh (32). As to the simile of the Potter, let it 
 be observed, that it is not St. Paul's own, but 
 taken from Isaiah and Jeremiah; nor will it be 
 pretended that in tJiose prophets it has any thing to 
 do with absolute decrees (33). But further, consi- 
 der what it is that the Potter does? He does not, 
 you will recollect, make the clay : he finds it, and 
 employs it according to what best answers his pur- 
 
 Austin Quaest, ad Simplic. lib. i. qu. xi. " Noluit ergo Esau et 
 non cuciirrit : sed ct si voluisset et cuciirrisset Dei adjuiorio per- 
 venisset, &c." Calvin's words arc very strong : " Vitio suo et 
 culpa, fateor, exciderunt ab adoptione Ismael, Esau,et similes ; quia 
 apposita erat conditio lit fidciiter colcrent Dei foedus, quod perfidi 
 violarant." Inst. lib. iii, c. xxi. § 6. Here we find both that 
 wilful sin is the cause of a man's rejection, and that his acceptance 
 depends upon the observance of conditions. 
 
 (32) Such is the true meaning of " I have raised thee up," or 
 *' made thee to stand." Austin distinctly admits, that the harden- 
 ing of Pharoah was a judicial hardening, which he had brought 
 upon himself by his wickedness, and of his own free will. 
 *' Nam de Pharaone facile respondetur prioribus mentis quibus 
 afflixil in ret^no suo peregrinos dignum effectum cui dbduraretur 
 cor, ut nee manifestis signis jubentis Dei credei'et." Lib. de 
 divers. Question. Quaest. Ixviii. § 4. And in the book De 
 Gratia et libero Arbitrio, after what 1 have above ciied in note 
 (27), he goes on, "Nee ideo auferatis a Pharaone liberum arbi- 
 trium, quia multis locis dicit Deus. * Ego induravi Pharaonem,' 
 vel ' induravi' aut ' indurabo cor Pharaonis." Non enim prop- 
 terea Pharao non induravit cor suum. Nam et hoc de illo legilur, 
 quando ablata est ab iEgyptiis cynomyia, dicente scriptura " et in- 
 duravit Phsrao cor suum, et in isto tempore et noiuii dimittere 
 populum." Ac per hoc et Deus induravit per justum judicium et 
 ipse Pharao per liberum arbitrium. 
 
 (33) See additional note (H,) 
 
«9 
 
 pose. He does not do it arbitrarily. So only is it 
 that God, as compared with the Potter, disposes 
 of men. He takes the good and the wicked, and 
 places tliem in such situations as best suit their na- 
 tural disposition, and as may best contribute to his 
 glory. He bears with them also, as the Apostle 
 goes on to say, for a longer or a shorter time, as it 
 pleases him. 
 
 And, indeed, the passage in which the Apostle 
 expresses this last idea, compared with what I con- 
 ceive to be a parallel passage, seems to me in a 
 great measure decisive. '' What," says he, at the 
 close of his remonstrance, " if God, willing to shew 
 " his wrath, and to make his power known, endured" 
 (observe, not "made," but "endured,") "with much 
 " long; sufferinij, the vessels of wrath fitted for des- 
 ** truction ;" (" fitted," observe too, but it is not said 
 by him) (34). Now turn with me to the second 
 chapter of the same epistle, and mark a similar, 
 though more direct expostulation with a wicked 
 Jew. " Despisest thou," he says, " the riches of 
 " his goodness and forbearance, not knowing that 
 " the long suffering of God leadeth thee to repent- 
 
 (3 1) But rather by themselves. Kxra^ri(7iJi.cvx voce media sen 
 reciproca. v. Rosenmuller ad loc. et Schleusner in voc. Calvin 
 however very boldly makes St. Paul affirm it to be God's work. 
 " Nee vero Paulus ubi asseruit arcano ejus dtcreto vasa ira aptata 
 esse ad interitum, lenitatem ejus et patientiam laudare dubitat." 
 De occulta Dei Providentia. Oper. t. viii. p. 6i6. This, I must 
 say, is not dealing fairly with Scripture. Austin here again might 
 have set him right ; " Et eo ipso quod ait in multd patientid satis 
 significavit priora eorum peccata in quibus eos pertuiit ut oppor- 
 tune eos vindicaret, quando de illorum vindictd subveniendum 
 erat illis qui iiberabantur." And lower down he says, " Prsecedit 
 itaque aliquid in peccatoribus, quo quamvis nondum sunt justifi- 
 cati digni efficiantur justificatione ; et item praecedit in aliis pecca- 
 toribus quo digni sint obtusione." Ubi supr. § 4. When, there- 
 fore, the Jew is introduced, saying, " Who hath withstood his 
 will r" it is to be understood of the wickedness committed by hitn 
 subsequent io that hardening brought upon himself : and so St. 
 Paul takes it, and thus only bis answer is every way proper and 
 applicable. • 
 
30 
 
 ** ance; but after thy hardness and impenitent heart 
 " treasurest up to thyself wrath against the day of 
 " wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment 
 "of God." W'e see here, in both cases, the for- 
 bearance of God spoken of as aggravating both 
 the crime and the punishment of the sinner. In 
 the first case the Apostle, having in mind only to 
 put down the arrogance of the Jew, goes no 
 further. But, in the last cited passage, having a 
 more general object in view, he goes on also to 
 explain what this judgment is, to which the sinner 
 will be finally exposed. *' Who," (that is, God) 
 he adds, '* will render to every man according to 
 '' his deeds. To them who, by patient continuance 
 " in well doing, seek for glory and honour and im- 
 " mortality, eternal life. But to them that are con- 
 " tentious" (mark the word and how strongly it de- 
 notes something that is wilful,) " and obey not the 
 " truth but obey unrighteousness, indignation and 
 '' wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul 
 " of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of 
 " the Gentile." Now, can it be believed that the 
 man who wrote this^did, in the very same epistle, 
 mean to tell us that we had no choice or will of 
 our own in what we did or left undone? Surely 
 this is not credible. Observe too, that in a subse- 
 quent chapter he threatens the Gentiles, that if 
 they are disobedient as the Jews have been, they 
 shall also, in like manner, be cut off from being 
 heirs of the promise. And as it were, to preclude 
 any improper conclusion, he closes the argument 
 in the eleventh chapter, in a very remarkable man- 
 ner : " Thus," says lie, •' God hath concluded them 
 all in unbelief" Why ? that he might save a few? 
 No: " that he miglit have mercy upon all." So 
 strongly does the w hole current of this epistle run 
 against partial election (35.) 
 
 (35) Calvin however, as may be supposed, explains away this 
 also. " H©c etiam modo ouod ex alio loco obtendunl diluitur 
 
31 
 
 After all, whatever predestination St. Paul spoke 
 of, was evidently founded on God's foreknowledge; 
 for he says expressly, " Whom he foreknew, them 
 " he predestined;" which of itself would overthrow 
 Calvin's system(36'). 
 
 Thus have I laid before you, not impertinently, 
 I hope, some observations in refutation of this doc- 
 trine of Absolute Decrees, because not only it 
 seemed to me particularly called for at this time, 
 and in this part of the country, but because 1 con- 
 ceive the system to be fundamentally injurious to 
 the real doctrine of salvation. Because, as was 
 truly said by that high authority to which I have 
 before alluded, " Calvinism is a system peculiarly 
 " liable to abuse."(37) 
 
 On the other, as it were, subordinate, tenets 
 which are built on this foundation of absolute de- 
 crees, the irresistibility of divine grace, as well as 
 its inamissibility, I need not now detain you, for 
 it has been truly observed, that the whole system 
 30 hangs together, that if one part be overthrown, 
 the rest must follov/. 
 
 Of one tenet however, which does not necessa- 
 rily belong to Calvinism, though in these latter days 
 it is almost always connected v/ith it, which is in- 
 deed particularly attractive to the lower classes, 
 that which is called Assurance, it may be proper to 
 take some notice, more especially as it is to a cer- 
 
 Deum clausisse omnes sub peccnto, ut omnium misereatur : nempe 
 quia omnium qui salvi fiunt salulem misericordije suae vult ascribi, 
 quamvis non omnium sit beneficium." Instit. lib. iii. c. xxiv. 
 § 17. And this is the man who, in other cases, insists that we 
 are bound by the very letter of Scripture. In his coramentary on 
 the place, he is somewhat more reasonable ; for though in the end 
 he recurs to the same '' dilutio," yet in the beginning he cannot 
 help observing how beautifully this is calculated to prevent des- 
 pair. " Pulcherrima clausula, qua; ostendit non esse cur de aliis 
 desperent, qui spem aliquam habeant salutis. Quicquid enim 
 nunc sunt fuerunt et alii omnes." Oper. t. vii. p. 83. 
 
 (36) See additional note (1). 
 
 {37} The S;>ishop of Lincoln's charge in 1803, p. 24. 
 
S2 
 
 tain degree held, and we are reproached for not 
 holding it by that other sect of Methodists, who, 
 reprobating predestination as much as we do, and 
 professing no l;ostility to our church, do yet stand 
 in most decided opposition to us, the regular 
 clergy. 
 
 You must be well aware, that I allude to those 
 who have now, it seems, vindicated to themselves 
 exclusively the right of being called Methodists; 
 the followers of the late John Wesley (38): men 
 who particularly unite with their brethren, of what 
 is now called the Evangelical Connection, in alleg- 
 ing against us the articles of our church, and boast, 
 that out of them they can convict us of not preach- 
 ing the true doctrine. 
 
 To shew that there is no foundation for this 
 boast ; that in fact, in those points in which any 
 difference can be shewn, or is pretended, it is they, 
 and not we, who err, must always be material ; 
 and I trust it may be done in few words. 
 
 They seem, indeed, to have taken great pains to 
 set themselves at variance u'ith us ; yet, I think, the 
 opposition will be found upon examination to con- 
 sist rather in words than in substance : or at least 
 in that exaggeration which always attends upon 
 enthusiasm, and which never fails, more or less, to 
 pervert or distort the truth. 
 
 Their great error lies in their representation of 
 what should be the spiritual state of a Christian : 
 that is, of course their own: of the perfection to 
 which they have attained, and the way in v*-hich it 
 has been manifested. Their history, as it stands 
 
 (38) When this distinction of Wesleyian Connection and Evan- 
 gelical Connection took. pL.ce, and how soon after the separation 
 of Wesley and Whitfield, [ am unable to ascertain : Nor indeed 
 was it till the jealousy of the Wesleyans, now become superior to 
 their brethren in point of numbers as well as in (he vehemence of 
 their enthusiasm, proclaimed the fact, that it was at all known io 
 the public at large. See a note upon this subject in my Bamptou 
 Lectures, p. 387. 
 
recorded in numerous instances (for tbv°y deal very 
 much in biography, or rather in eulogies of their 
 own people! is almost alwavs to this effect. I'hat 
 thev were original) V, either very wicked sinners or 
 mere formal Christians; and this, in some cases, 
 even while atteoding our worship with a great de- 
 gree of sincerity ; but that at some period, on a 
 sudden, generally upon hearing accidentally some 
 met'iodist preacher, they were (as in their jargon 
 they call it) 'S9) " convinced of sin," or " for sin." 
 And then, and not till then, they became sensible 
 that Christ died for them. Upon this follow such 
 inliuxes of Divine Grace, called by them " Ex- 
 " periences." that the man continues from thence- 
 forth fully assured of his salvation. Occasionally, 
 indeed, certain doublings and backslidings occur; 
 but, upon the whole, there is a perseverance to the 
 end in this blessed state. 
 
 Now it is plain that this is only our doctrine of 
 Repentance and Faith, dressed up in new colours 
 with the addition of a few extravagances. Re- 
 pentance is called being '* convinced of sin ;" be- 
 cause a new term may be made better to accord 
 with their theory of sudden conversions. And to 
 Faith is superadded the notion of Experiences, ad- 
 mirably calculated by the promise which it holds 
 out of distinguished favour, to strike the iuiagina- 
 tion, and to allure the vain and the conceited, the 
 weak and the unwary, to flatter the pride and the 
 presumption of man. (40) 
 
 There is surely great mischief, and great delusion 
 in this; nay, and great temptation to hypocrisy; 
 more especially when we consider, that by their 
 established rules this people are in their class-meet- 
 ings, or bands, as they are called, particularly in- 
 vited to compare with each other the state of their 
 
 (39) See additional note (K.) 
 
 (40) See additional note (L.) 
 
 P 
 
34 
 
 souls, and the progress of each individual in the 
 Faith, as it is thus supposed to be experienced. (4l) 
 I say, that this is a temptation to hypocrisy, be- 
 cause we know, and the history of the human mind 
 in all ages will tell us, that in these, as in all other 
 matters, men will not easily bear to be outdone ; 
 and it is to be expected, that if at any meeting one 
 of the parties have related any extraordinary ex- 
 perience with which he has been favoured, it will 
 operate as a temptation to his neighbour to come 
 prepared on a future day, with some similar mani- 
 festation of grace which he will have contrived 
 some how or other to meet with. (42.) 
 
 I do not deny, at the same time, that by these 
 men the necessity of good works is duly and 
 strongly inculcated ; but I say that the effect of 
 their preaching in that respect must be greatly di- 
 minished by this overweening confidence of their 
 acceptance vi^ith God ; that the mind which is occu- 
 pied with this sort of extravagance must be greatly 
 diverted from a practical attention to the Com- 
 mandments of God. 
 
 That now, for these notions, there is no warrant 
 in Scripture or in our Articles, needs no proof. It 
 
 (41) " The chief rules of the bands are " In order to confess 
 " our faults to one another, and pray for one another that we may 
 " be healed, we intend : 1. To meet once a week at the least: 
 '' 2. To come punctually at the hour appointed : 3. To begin 
 *' with singi?-ig or prayer : 4. To speak each of us in order, freely, 
 "and plainly, the true state of our souls: 5. To desire some 
 *' person among us (thence called a leader), to speak his own state 
 *' firstj and then to ask the rest in order, as many, and as searching 
 *' questions as may be, touching their state, sins, and temptations." 
 Wesley's letter to Mr. Perronet. See Benson's Apology, p. 195. 
 The reader will do me the justice to observe, that 1 have taken 
 these people's own statement of their case : that I have not resorted 
 to authorities which they contest : though, I must say, that I cannot 
 see any thing substantially unfaithful in Nightingale's Pourtraiture 
 of Methodism, which they so much cry out against. 
 
 (42) Far different from St. Paul's exhoria*ion to the Galatians, 
 c. vi. V. -t. " Let every man prove his own loork^ and then shall he 
 " have rejoicing in kimse^f and not in another." 
 
s 
 
 o 
 
 might be sufficient to ask, where are any such to 
 be found ? But, indeed, they are at variance with 
 the whole tenour of the Apostolical Writings. In 
 them we are particularly cautioned to '* be sober, 
 " to be vigilant:"* " not to be high-minded, but 
 " foar:"t and this with a particular reference to 
 spiritual privileges: to *' work out our salvation 
 " with fear and trembling :" % " not to deceive our- 
 " selves ;"[} '* not to fall from our stedfastness:"^ 
 All which expressions, and many others which 
 might be adduced, are inconsistent .with every 
 idea of this personal and sensibly continued com- 
 munion with the spirit, and assurance of salvation. 
 Thus too, when the apostles speak of their feel- 
 ings, the terms which they use are only such as 
 might become any man who was conscious of hav- 
 ing endeavoured to do his duty, and entertained a 
 well-grounded hope that he had not failed. " We 
 " trust," says St. Paul, '* that we have a good con- 
 '' science in all things**." ''Our rejoicing is this, 
 " the testiniony of a good conscience f f ." *' Here- 
 " in," he says elsewhere, "do I exercise myself day 
 " and night, to have a conscience always void of of- 
 " fence towards God and man JJ." St. Peter, too, 
 speaks of " the answer of a good conscience to- 
 ** wards God. §§" St. John's expression is somewhat 
 different, but to the same effect : " Beloved," he 
 says, " if our heart condemn us not, then have we 
 " corfidence towards God«T^," All these passages 
 clearly pointing out that satisfaction, and that only, 
 which results from reflecting upon a life well spent, 
 and agreeing with what St. James teaches, that 
 our faith must be shewn by our works (43). 
 
 * 1 Pet. V. 8; t Rom. xi. 20. % Philip, xi. 2. 
 
 II Corinth, iii. 18. ^| 2 Pet. iii. 17. ** Heb. xiii.;,,8. 
 
 ft 2 Cor. i. 12. %l Aclsxxiv. 16. §§ 1 Vci. iii. 21. 
 %% 1 John iii. 21, 
 
 (4-3) James ii. 1 8. Even Calvin admits that it is best to look for 
 evidence of salvation to what he calls '*signa posteriora," i, e. the 
 
 D 2 
 
3^ 
 
 We have indeed, no authority for believing that 
 the support which we derive from the Holv Ghost, 
 the direction which our thoughts may receive from 
 him, and the strength which he adds to our good 
 resolutions, are intended to be felt by us in an ex- 
 traordinary manner, or to be otherwise discernible 
 'by us, than from their effects ; by their leading us 
 to what is upright and true in practice. 
 
 Positive and precise to this point is the language 
 of our Homilies; those Homilies to which our ad- 
 versaries affect so triumphantly to appeal. In dis- 
 coursing of a lively faith, our church declares ex- 
 pressly that " the trial of all these things is a very 
 '* godly and a Christian life." And after giving a 
 description of a good man, she adds, " Such a one 
 " may well rejoice in God, perceiving, by the 
 " trade of his life, that he hath the right know- 
 *' ledge of God (44)." We have here no reference 
 
 works that follow justification. " Optimum tenebimus ordinem 
 si in quaerenda electionls nostra certitudine in iis signis posteri- 
 oribus qus sunt certae ejus lestiiicationes hzereamus." Inst. lib. iii. 
 c. xxiv. § 4. And his great master, Austin, expressly says that 
 there is great utility in our being kept uncertain as to our final 
 perseverance, for that it keeps down our pride. " Quod autem 
 ctiam perseveraturis Sanctis sic isla dicuntur, quasi eos perse- 
 veraturos habeatur incertum, non aliter haec audiri debent quibus 
 expedjt nun ulium snpere sed timere. Quis enim ex multitudine 
 fidelium quamdiu in bac mortalitate vivitur, in numero praedesti- 
 natorum se esse praesumat ? Quia id occultari opus est in hoc 
 loco, ubi sic cavenda est elatio, ut eiiam per Sitanas colaphum, 
 ne extoUeretur, tantus colaphizeretur Apostolus." And lower 
 down he says " Quae praesuraptio in isto fentationum loco non 
 expedit, ubi tanta est infirmitas ut superbiam possit gencrare 
 securitas. D-!^.ique etiam hoc erit ; sed tunc quod jam est in 
 angelis etiam in hnminibu* erit, quando ulla superbia esse non 
 poierit." Lib. de Corrept. et Grat. c. xiii. § 40. According to 
 him we are to have that assMrance only in heaven. The Metho- 
 dists say that unless we have it here we are not in a state of 
 salvation. 
 
 (44) Third part of the Sermon on Faith. The words which 
 precede are also remarkable, and not inapplicable to what has 
 been said. " A man may soon deceive himself, and think in his 
 *' own phantasie that he by faith knowelh God, loveth bim. 
 
SI 
 
 to experiences, to sudden raptures or convictions', 
 but to that which cannot deceive us. The appeal 
 is to facts. Indeed, can v^'e forget that in one re- 
 markable passage (and that not the only one) our 
 Saviour expressly annexed the promise of the true 
 saving knowledge, that is, of faith itself, to the 
 keeping of the Commandments? " If any man," 
 says he, " will do his will, he shall know of the 
 " doctrine whether it be of God *." So stronglv are 
 w'e invited to refer to our good works as a proof, 
 nay as means, of our acceptance with our Maker. 
 
 You may judge from this of the truth of that 
 other charge, equally brought against us, that we 
 do not preach as we ought the doctrine of justifi- 
 cation by faith only. And at such times the ele- 
 venth article is usually adduced against us. Now, 
 what is that ? " That v^'e are accounted righ- 
 " teous before God only for the merit of our 
 " Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ through Faith." 
 And we are referred for further information to the 
 Homily on Justification ; that is, on Salvation, as it 
 should have been called. Now, on turning to that 
 Homily, in the very beginning we find the justifica- 
 tion there set forth to be " the forgiveness of a 
 " man's sins and trespasses in such things as he 
 " hath offended." " And," it goes on, *' this Jus- 
 '^ tification or righteousness" (that is, this forgive- 
 ness of sins) " which we so receive of God's mercy 
 " and Christ's merits, is taken, accepted and al- 
 " lowed of God as our perfect and tall Justifica- 
 *' tion." (45) Now, my brethren, I may ask, Do 
 
 " fearclh him, and belongeth unto him, when in very deed he 
 " doth nothing less. For the trial, &c." 
 
 * John vii. 17. 
 
 (45 ) Here I have to complain of a most gross suppression or 
 misquotation on the part either of Wesley, or of hi? Apologist, or 
 both. In Benson's Apology before cited, he is stating that the doc- 
 trine of Wesley and the Methodists is only the doctrine of our 
 church, and adduces this homily in proof, but leaves out totally 
 Ihe material passage above cited. He gives it thus, (and I am 
 
S8 
 
 you not preach this doctrine? Do you ever bid 
 your hearers look for forgiveness of their sins from 
 any other quarter, or on any other grounds than the 
 merits of Christ ? I am sure that you do not. This 
 is plain and intelligible doctrine. If for the very 
 purpose of raising doubts our adversaries will re- 
 sort to ambiguous or less clear passages, they must 
 not expect us to follow them in that unprofitable 
 labour.. Nor is the Homily less clear as to the na- 
 ture of that Faith which is required of us. To- 
 wards the close of it, Vv'e are told in the same plain 
 language, " that it is a true and lively Faith in 
 " Christ bringing forth good works, and a life ac- 
 
 not sure if in this he speaks after Wesley or of himself:) *' Be- 
 " cause all men are sinners against God and brt^aker-. of his law, 
 " therefore can no man by his works be justified before God. 
 " But every man is constrained to seek for another righteousness 
 *• or justification at God's hand. — And this justification or righte- 
 " ousness which we so receive, &:c.'' Omitiing after " God's 
 hand," the above cited, and most material passage " that is to say, 
 " the forgiveness of our sins and trespasses in such things as he 
 " hath offended," which being professedly an explanation of what 
 was the justification to be sought, should have been the last thing 
 omitted, and could, have been so omitted only to mislead the 
 reader, and give him enthusiastical and mystical notions of justifi- 
 cation. Another very material omission follows after the words 
 of my text, " full justification." For they pass over the paragraph 
 ahnost immediately following, which states that " infants being 
 *' baptized and dying in their infancy are by this sacrifice washed 
 " from their sins, brought to God's favour, and made his children 
 " and inheritors of his Kingdom of Heaven." And go on, " This is 
 " that justification, &c." Both which passages so omitted, they 
 perceived to be clearly contrary to their doctrine of the necessity of 
 actual and sensible conversion or " conviction for sin, "as they call 
 it. Such is their good faith, even when reproving us. They have 
 dealt in the same manner with anotner remarkable passage in the 
 homily, which shews how little the compilers of it v-^ere disposed 
 to think of us as mere machines. By them w.e are referred to 
 *' a true and lively faith, which, nevertheless, is the gift of God, 
 " and not man's on}\/ work without God :" which evidently implies 
 that something is expected from man, even as to faith. Which 
 passage is therefore mutilated by Wesley and Benson, for thus they 
 cite it : "a true and lively faith which itself is God's work." All 
 that can give a check to enthusiasm is thus rejected ! Benson's 
 7\poIogy, 23 1 . 233. 
 
29 
 
 " cording to God's Commandments." (46) This 
 Faith also I am sure that you inculcate, and, on 
 every occasion, extol. Nor can we, I am con- 
 fident, better please our great Master than by teach- 
 ing and enforcing these simple and easily compre- 
 hended truths. 
 
 All this hinders not that we should acknow- 
 ledge, what I am sure you and i fully acknowledge, 
 that which is set forth in our exceilent Church 
 Catechism, that " we cannot serve God nor walk in 
 '' his Commandments vvithout his special grace," 
 and that "we must call for it by diligent prayer." 
 Indeed, what is more repeatedly commanded in Scrip- 
 ture than this duty of prayer? True it is, 1 admit 
 also, most fully, that " by grace we are saved, 
 through faith J not of ourselves* (47)." It is of 
 grace that we were originally redeemed : It is of 
 grace that we have the means of securing the bene- 
 fit of that redemption. It is not " of works ;" but 
 works may notwithstanding be made, as they are, 
 the condition of our salvation. A favour is surely 
 not less a favour because it is conferred only on those 
 who arc willing or fitted to receive it. It is not 
 "of works; lest," as the apostle adds, " any 
 " man should boast." Audit is, among other things, 
 with a view of shutting out this boasting, which 
 experience shews ta reside with religious enthusi- 
 asts full as much as with any other description of 
 men, (48) that I have recommended so strongly 
 the attending to that clear line of duty, the keep- 
 ing of the commandments. Nothing, surely, can 
 more contribute to the casting down of all pride, than 
 the persuasion that we are in all things to consider 
 not any will of ours but the will of God ; not to 
 
 (46) In the third part towards the beginning. 
 * Ephes. ii. 8, 9. 
 
 (47) " It is the gift of God," as the Apostle goes on, as to 
 which particularly see what I have set down iu note (B.) 
 
 (48) See additional note (M.) 
 
40 
 walk according to what pleases us, but according 
 to v'hat he has enjoined. 
 
 In this too, I should hope, that we may find a 
 rule not only safe but sufficient for every 8:ood 
 purpose. For I am very sensible that it is incum- 
 bent upon us not to keep back any thin^, but to 
 " declare ail the counsel of God." I have, I trust, 
 done it now : it is ever in my mind so to do. But 
 I must remember that the same authority which 
 has bidden us not to diminish ought from what is 
 commanded, has also in the same place and with 
 equal positiveness required of us not to add thereto, f 
 We must, therefore, be upon the watch, and resist 
 any novel and unfounded doctrines. We must 
 believe, indeed, but only what is propounded to us 
 in scripture as matter of faith. We must not pre- 
 sume on an election different from that which is 
 held out to us. And in looking for the assis'^ance 
 of God's spirit, we must be content to receive it as 
 he gives it us, not according to any fanciful notions 
 of our own. We must " do the Commandments and 
 " teach men so *," not by fits and starts, but with 
 a view to " patient continuance in well doing." f 
 
 Happy shall I be, if on this or any other occasion, 
 I shall be found duly setting forth that ''grace of God 
 " that bringeth salvation," and which is so truly des- 
 cribed by the Apostle as " teaching us that, denying 
 *' all ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live 
 ** soberly, righteously and godly, in this present 
 " world : looking for that blessed hope, and the 
 " glorious appearance, of the great God and our 
 ^' Saviour Jesus Christ. "J 
 
 t Deuteronomy iv. 2. — xii. 32. Revelations xxii. 18, 19. 
 * Matthew V. 19. f Romans ii. 7. t Titusii. 11, 12, 13- 
 
ADDITIONAL NOTE (A.) p. 4. 
 
 This is indeed admitted by Calvin hira.self, though he 
 conceives it t>) be no reason why it should not be agitated. He 
 says in the very o'Uset, " Disputationem de predesiinatione, 
 quum pc se sit aliquantuin impedita valde perplexam atque 
 adeo periculosun reddit hominum curiositas : quas nailis 
 repagulis cohiberi potest, quin et in vetitas ambages evage-' 
 tur, c<cc." Inst't. Ch-ist. Rel. lib. iii. c. xxi. &c. See also 
 c. xsiii. wherr be prolesses to refute the " calumnies with 
 " which the doctrin- has been unjustly charged." In the 
 close, he cites Austin, as Lis authority, in a curious pas- 
 sage, where the Saint considers the mischief to lie only in 
 the, mode ot stating the d ^ctrine, or rather of addressing the 
 hearers. ' Ut singul^re a:dificationis stadium," says Cal- 
 vin, " in sancto viro fuit, sic docendi veri rationem tempe- 
 rat, ut prudenter caveatur, quoad licet, offensio. Nam 
 quae vere diiuntur congruen'er dici posse admonet. Si 
 quis ita plebtm compel let, si non crediti«; ideo fit quia di- 
 vinitus exitio destinati estis ; is non modo ignaviam fovet, 
 sed etiam indulget Tr.'n]l&£. Si quis in futurum quoque 
 tempus sententidm extcndat, quod non sint credituri quia 
 reprobati sunt, impreca'io erit rnagis quara doctrina. Tales 
 itaque Augiisi.in..is non immerito tanquam vcl insulsos doc- 
 tores, vel sinistros e. ominosos Prophctas ab Ecclesia jubet 
 facessere." 1 he passage is very well worth attention. Of 
 those who should tell the people " if you do not believe, it 
 " is because God has doomed you to peiditiont" Austin 
 says, that they minister encouragement not only to the sloth 
 but to the wickedness of man. Of those who go farther, 
 and putting the proposition in the future tens:, would say 
 to their audience that they will not believe because they are 
 reprobates, he says, that this is tnon- like cursing than teach- 
 ing ; and he would turn such men out of the Church as foolish 
 teachers, or unlucky and ill omened prophets. Now, I 
 would ask my readers, if this sort of doctrine, thus con- 
 demned by Austin and by Calvin after him, be not that which 
 is commonly, and almost in terms, preached by the fol- 
 lowers of Whitfield ? The reader may see the whole ot Aus- 
 tin's argument in the Treatise " De Dono Perseverantias," 
 G. xxi. torn. X. of the Benedictine edition. He says, this 
 
42 
 
 sort ot preaching is " verissimum," yet " improbissimuni, 
 importunissimuin," and '* incongruentissimum." In the close 
 he adds, " Atque utinam tardi corde et infirmi qui non pos- 
 sent vel nondum possent Sciipturas vel earum Exposi- 
 tioncs intelligere, sic audirent vel non audirent in hac quses- 
 tione dispiitationes has nostras ut magls intuerentur orationes 
 quas habui^ et semper habebit Ecclesia, Sec." — He thus 
 refers the linlearned to the prayers of the Church for in- 
 struction, which prayers did not, in his time any more than 
 in ours, contain a word in favour of absolute decrees. As 
 to the mannc- how Predestinaiion is to be taught, or rather 
 .not taught, we have further the opiqion of Turretin, one 
 of the most learned of Calvin's followers ; " Licet vero 
 docendam censeamus Praedestinaiionem, non propterea fi- 
 bulam curiositati hiimanae laxandam arbitramur ; sed magna 
 subtilitate et prudentia hie ©pus esse credimus, turn ut 
 maneamus intra terminos a Scriptura praescriptos, nee sapia- 
 mus 9r«f' y^y^ocTiUi, tum Ut prudcntcr rationem habeamus 
 personarurn, locorum et temporum quihus proponi debet. 
 Nee enim quibusvis statim et primo ingressu hoc mysterium 
 tradi debet, sed paulatim et per gradus : nee aeque quoad 
 omnes suas partes ; quasdain enim saspius inculcari debent, 
 ut utiliores et ad solatia piorum accommodatiores ut Elec- 
 tiones doctrina, aliae vero parcius tractari ut Reprobatio, 
 nee tarn plebi in Ecclesia quam toj? iwiotis in Schola." 
 This speaking of it as a mystery is remarkable. What our 
 Whitgift's opinion and conduct were as to this point, I have 
 already observed in my Bampton Lectures, p. 376, in note. 
 
 Note (B.) p. 8. 
 
 The same may be said of the parable put in Luke x. in 
 answer to the Scribe. What the good Samaritan is there 
 said to have done was no more than any one might do. Had 
 it therefore been in our Saviour's mind to insinuate the no- 
 thingness or impossibility of good works in the extreme 
 sense in which Calvin understands it, he would not, one 
 would think, have put an instance so familiar and so easy to be 
 followed, or, I may say also, so calculated to mislead. Cal- 
 vin's reasoning is, that true it is, that by the keeping the Law 
 we might obtain eternal lite, if we were able properly to 
 keep it, but that we cannot, and therefore must have re- 
 course to God's grace. " Negandum ergo non est quin 
 legis observatio justitia sit, qua vitam sibi acquireret, si quis 
 
43 
 
 perfectus esset legis obsTvator. Sed quia destitr.irnur omnes 
 sloria Dei, in lege nonnisi maledictio leperietur ; nee aliud 
 nobis rtsr.st quam confujrere ad giatuitum jiistitiae donum. 
 Iraque Paulus duplicem statuit justiiiam legis et lidei ; prio- 
 rem in operibus lo at, secunda:n vero in nierfi Christi gra- 
 tia. ' Now, as to this, let me be allowed a word or two of 
 observation ; as it ?eerns to me that the inferences commonly 
 drawn, or intended la be drawn, from these and the like 
 preni'scs. do not pioperlv follow. In the first place, as far 
 as *his .nayappeiri to encourage an idea, that if we could keep 
 the Law in all its points, we should thereby become strictly, - 
 and in tbe proper s-^nse of the word, intided, as ot right, to 
 everlasting Life, 1 must deny it. Nothing that we could do 
 could in itself es-,ab!i,sh a righ' to such a blessing as eternal 
 Life, nor indeed could we merit any thing at all, as ab- 
 stractedly taken with respect to God. We must always be, 
 and liave been in any case, " unprofitable servants." For, 
 in the instance, (Luke xvii.) to which I am now referring, 
 the servant is supposed to do his Master's will, and yet is 
 called " unprofitable." Our Salvation, that is, eternal 
 Life, must always, and in every case, even that of Adam 
 persisting in original righteousness, have been of Grace. 
 But, if of Grace, God might surely grant it upon what 
 terms he pleased ; whether of. perfect obedience, as to 
 Adam, or of imperfect, but sincere obedience, as to us. 
 And the latter is, and has been the case of all human kind 
 since the fall, as well beiore as since the coming of Christ, 
 as I have urged in the text. See also as to this Whitby 
 upon Matth. xix. Nor is it any answer to this that the terms 
 of the Law are express, " Whoso doeth these things shall 
 " live in them," Rom. x. 5. because this must be the case 
 with cill Law, otherwise the Law would be radically faulty 
 and incomplete. It must not, in the first instance, derogate 
 from itself, or leave any pretext for evasion ; yet this hin- 
 ders not that there may be in those who administer it a power 
 of mitigation or of pardon. 
 
 As to the reasonings of St. Paul, here and elsewhere, it 
 seems to me that one material circumstance has been gene- 
 rally overlooked ; where he presses the strictness of the 
 Law, it is against those who prefer standing upon the Law, 
 and in order to shew the tolly oi preferring a Covenant of 
 Works to one of Grace. His is most pointedly the argu- 
 ment urn ad hominem; and so ought to be limited, as all such 
 arguments are in their nature intended to be. Had this 
 one plain circumstance been always attended to, men would 
 
44 
 
 not so frequently have " wrested the Scriptures," (and par- 
 ticularlythoseof St. Paul) " to their own undoing." 
 
 One word more as to the " gratuita remissio," and " gra- 
 tuituni donuni," on which Calvin so repeatedly harps: 
 Gratuitous indeed they are most strictly, when considered 
 with respect to God who gives, but we muse take care not 
 to suppose them to be such with respect to us, who are to 
 receive. We must strive, and run, and labour, or we shall 
 never ohtzia. 
 
 Note (C.) p. 21. 
 
 See as to this Cardinal Noris's Historia Pelagiana, lib. ii. 
 c. XV. &c, and particularly p. 181. (Ed. 1677.) where he 
 tells us that, " Cuin doct'ssirai fere omnes in Gallia. Ma-ssili- 
 ensibus et Lirincnsibus (that :s to the Semi-pelagians) adhas- 
 rerent, Augustinianam non modo sententiarn de gratuita 
 praedestinatione ad fideai abhorrebant, verum etiam quosli- 
 oet ejusdem sectatores prsedescinatos ignominias causa appel- 
 labant." And these " Praidestinati" were afterwards con- 
 demned, though, as "he shews, they held only the tenets of 
 Austin. Ibm. p. 1 83. &c. The Cardinal indeed tells us 
 further, that afterwards " tota Gallia in Augustini partes 
 transiit ;" but with how little reason he says this, or at least 
 how little of certainty there was in men's opinions on the 
 subject in those days, will appear clearly from this curious 
 fact, that Pclagius's Commentary on the Episde to the Ro- 
 mans, for several ages passed for St. Jerome's, and was 
 actually printed at first as St. Jerome's; and this with evi- 
 dent marks of Pelaguis's particular doctrines upon the face 
 of them ; vid. Garnerii App. ad Dissertat. vi. c. ii. in Ap- 
 pendice Augustiniana, p. 258. And to this circumstance 
 Garnier attributes their preservation to our times : " Eo 
 pacto ad nos transmisit (sc. credula antiquitas) alioquin facile 
 peritura, nisi dignum aeternitate nomen mentita essent." He 
 had before lamented (Dissert, i. cap. 4.) that the Catholic 
 Doctors should have fallen foul of each other without any 
 reason, and when they were in fact of the same opinion: 
 " Doctores Catholicos hac reguia relicta (that is, certain 
 canons to which he refers) sibi invicem aliquando ubi inca- 
 lescunt animi vel partium studio vel disputandi jestu Pelagi- 
 anismi crimen objicere, etin eo saepe in quo ambae paitcs 
 traditam ab Augustino, et ab Ecclesia receptam O^Qo^o^ixs re-~ 
 gulam sequuntur;" though this seems to allude to later 
 
45 
 
 periods also, and probably to the Jansenist Controversy. 
 However that be, the Antwerp Editor likewise attributes to 
 this confusion, our having received these Comrnentaries of 
 Pelao-ius so entire, though not without interpolation. " Nisi 
 consuret per aliquot aetates non satis intellectam Augastini 
 ejusque adversariorum noctrinam, ita ut multi sese Augus- 
 tinianos esse crederent qui Pelagii sententiam sequebantur, 
 mirum esset eos, qui sarpius interpolarunt hosce Commen- 
 taries, loca ilia quibus Pelagii doctrina manifesto habetur, 
 non expunxisse. Sed multi adco rudes fuerunt, ut Augus- 
 tinum mere Pelagianum facerent, et Pelagium vicissini Au- 
 gustinianum, eaque imperitia factum est ut Pelagianismus 
 manifestus correctorum mauus hie efTugerit. App. August, 
 in Prsef. 
 
 Note (D.) p. 23. 
 
 His Treatise *' de Servo Arbiuio," is well knov.n. It 
 was written in answer to Erasmus's Tract " de Libero Ar- 
 bitrio;" and it is very characteristic of a violent and over- 
 bearing mind, ungovernable and impatient of opposition. 
 He therefore runs into all sorts of extravagance. First, he 
 is outrageouslv angry with Erasmus, for saying that it was 
 not necessary to stir the question at all. '* Sed illud magis 
 est intolerabile quod causam banc liberi arbitrii inter ea nu- 
 meras quae sunt inuti'ia et non necessaria," c. xi. And insi- 
 nuates, that he is as bad as Lucian and Epicurus for doubt- 
 ing of it. " Totus mihi Lucianum spiras, et inhalas 
 grandem Epicuri crapulam." And like Austin, he connects 
 this with predestination, and makes the same assertion as to 
 the necessity of dogmatizing upon both. " Altera pars 
 summae Christianas nosse an Deus tontigcnter aliquid 
 praesciat ; et an omnia faciamus necessitate. Et banc etiam 
 irreligiosam curiosam et vanam facis, sicut et omnes impii 
 taciunt. Quin daemones et damnati execrabilem faciunt." 
 He seems however to admit that it would not be the worse 
 if it were possible, to get rid of these sort of questions, but 
 that it cannot be. " Neque stultus et qui te hujusraodi 
 quaestionibus eximis, modo id fieri liceat : Sed interim pa- 
 rum bonus Rhetor et Theologus es qui de libero arbitrio sine 
 istis partibus dicere et docere presumis," lb c. xvi. This 
 is tht great foundation of all Austin's, and Luther's, and 
 Calvin's reasonings : that the doctrines of the necessity of 
 Grace and of absolute Predestination, are inseparably con- 
 nected ; which connection I will defy any man to make out, 
 •iS certainlv it never has been made out, unless it be by 
 
45' 
 
 repeated assertion. Take another of Luther's positions. 
 " Sequitur nunc llberum arbitrium esse plane divinum nonien, 
 nee ulli posje competere quam divinae majesta i!" Cap. 
 xlvii. Here he turns Free-will in^o Omnipotence ; for his 
 editor tells us he meant it, *' eo sensu quo se explicat ut per 
 Jiberum arbitrium inrelligatur vis quiE nulii subjecta sit." 
 This same Editor howc pr admits in another place, (ad cap. 
 Ixxiii.) that, " Ahit^r voce ea ntuntur ferrr.e Theologi;" and, 
 indeed, with such an arbitrary use of terms, what may not 
 one do? Thus again in ch. xliv. Luther positively pro- 
 nounces that Man " in rebus quse pertinent ad salutem vel 
 ad damnationem, non habet liberum arbitnum, sed captivus 
 servus et subjectus est vel voluntatis Dei vel voluntatis 
 Satanse." 
 
 Luther undoubtedly was aware of and felt the difficulties 
 in which Austin had involved himself on the subject of Free- 
 will, and was determined at once to cut the knot. The ne- 
 cessity ot Free-will was admitted by Austin in the most di- 
 rect manner. " Quid illud," says he, " quod tam multis 
 locis omnia mandata sua custodiri et fieri jubet Deus : quo- 
 modo jubet si non est liberum arbitiium ?" Lib. de Grat. et 
 lib. arbit. in init. And in the epistles to Valentinus (ccxiv. 
 and ccxv. ed Bened.) he has asserted the compatibility of 
 Grace and Free-will in the strongest terms. " Si igitur non 
 est Dei gratia, quomodo salvat mundum? et si non est libe- 
 rum arbitrium quomodo judicat mundum?" Again he says 
 that the sound Catholic 1^'aith neither denies Free-will, whe- 
 ther as to the leading a good or a bad life, nor attributes so 
 much to it as that it can avail any thing without the Grace of 
 God ; " neque liberum arbitrium negat, stvt in vitam malam 
 sive in bonam; neque tantum ei tribuit ut sine gratia Dei 
 valeat aliquid." What shall we say also to the following 
 passage written long before : " Ouascunque ista causa est vo- 
 luntatis (sc. malae), si ei non potest resisti, sine peccato ei 
 ceditur; si autem potest, non ei cedatur." And lower down, 
 " Quis enim peccat in eo quod nullo modo caveri potest ?" 
 Lib. de liber. Arbit. iii. c. xvii, § ^o. Which it is no won- 
 der if Pelagius urged against him, and that he should endea- 
 vour to explain it away, as well as he could, in his book 
 '' de Retractationibus." Though, as Erasmus truly says, 
 " non sine tergiversatione." Again, " Peccata ut jam dis- 
 seruimus non nisi propriae voluntati earum (scil. animarum) 
 tribuenda sunt, nee ulla ulterior peccatorum causa quasren- 
 da." Ibm. cxxii \ 63. Which seems to have been too hard for 
 him to get over, and so he does not take any notice at all of it 
 in his Retractations. But when he wrote his book " de Libero 
 
47 
 
 Arbitrio," he was contending against the Manichaeans, which 
 made all the difference. 
 
 Where however, as I s lid before, shall we find the advo- 
 cate for absolute Decrees that is consistent ? This is not 
 the case, as might be shewn, even with Luther, not even 
 in his book " de Servo Arbitrio." He did also, as I have 
 observed in another Note, when he grew older, change his 
 opinions on that head. A certain Dr. Kimedontius, who 
 published an edition of the book " de Servo Arbitrio," now 
 lying before me, is hard put to it to do away the effect of 
 what Luther has said in his Commentary on Genesis, c. xxvi. 
 This edition, by the by, (Neustadt 1691) is set forth, "in 
 usum studiosa: Juventutis." Calvin also, even where he is 
 most vehemently maintaining his positions respecting absolute 
 Predestination, is fain to admit, tb^t without Free-will there 
 can be no sin. " Inter omnes. sar.tTg mentis optime convenit 
 peccatum nullum esse nisi voluntaiium," Oper. t. viii. 630. 
 Yet in the very next page he tells us that God not only fore- 
 saw, but decreed the fall of Adam! " Deus ergo Adae prae- 
 cipiens ne gustaretde arbore sci°nti32 boni et mail, obedien- 
 tiam quam probabat exegit. Inierea quid futurum esset non 
 modo praescivit sed decrevit;" that is clearly Adam's sin. 
 Indeed elsewhere he says this in fo many words, " Hanc esse 
 meam doctrinam agnosco non solo Dei permissu sed arcano 
 consilio lapsum fuisse Adam omnesque posteros suo lapsu in 
 aeternum interitum traxisse." Ibm. p. 634. Yet in the same 
 work he says also, " Facessat ilia calumnia de nomine mali 
 vel peccati; scimus enim nihil magis alienum esse a Dei 
 natura, quam peccatum, sed. homines p7-oprid ma\'n\z, sic 
 agi, ut culpa tota penes ipsos resideat:" Ibm. 631. That is 
 in other words, the blame of what God has anf.ecedently and 
 irreversibly decreed. I know very well that in a certain way 
 Calvinists reconcile, or profess to reconcile these subjects; 
 but the question is, Do they, or can any man in his proper 
 senses (" sanas mentis," to use Calvin's own words) recon- 
 cile them? Either God in all that he has previously decreed, 
 overrules and irresistibly controuls the Free-will of Man, or 
 he does not. If he does, where is the sin ? for how can it 
 be shewn that there is any thing voluntary in the man ? If he 
 does not, then we are merely disputing about words ; and 
 our opponents are in fact perverting language from its pro- 
 per use. In either case, to be sure, they are well advised by 
 Calvin, who says that common sense and reason have no- 
 thing to do with this. " Caeterum," says he, to his oppo- 
 nent, " tarn sublime mysterium," (it is with him also a mys- 
 tery)" iiimis pueriliter exigis ad regulam communis sensus. 
 
48 
 
 Ib:n. 638. " Stultescerenos jubet spiritus sanctus," (where?) 
 " tu contra de mysteriis Dei judicium fieri vis ex humano 
 sensu: et rat ion em q^as sua csecitate omneni Dei gloriam 
 extinguit non modo sta-uis ducem et magistram sed scrip- 
 turae praeferre audes!" Ibm. 6^6. In which I doubt not but 
 he caluii.niaies his oppontnt, who never conceived them to 
 be at variance. How indeed we are in the first phce to un- 
 derstand Scripture without the use of reason and common 
 sense, let Calvin or his followers declare: we admit no such 
 mode of proceeding in the Church of England. 
 
 Note (E.) p, 25. 
 
 The way in which C3lvin defends himself and his Doc- 
 trine, is in a great m-' jsure by c:illing his oppcrients hard 
 names, as " nebulont," " porci," and '* iinpuri canes." 
 Sometimes when hard pressed he lowers his Doctr.neto what 
 almost any man would admit; ihat all things are disposed by 
 the Providence of God." " Docet quid:"Ti ubique, (ihus 
 he speaks of himself) nihil fieri 'usi volente Dto, Jlnf^jrea 
 quas scelcrate fiunt ab horr.inibus Deum arc^Mio judicio ita 
 moderari asserit ne quid . ffine habe:it i;ominum vitio. Summa 
 doctrinze ejus est Deum rriuaoiliier et modis nobis incogni- 
 tis in quemcunque vult fmtm omnia dirig.re, ut aeterna ejus 
 voluntas prima sit omnium causa. Cur autem Deus velit 
 quod nobis videtur minime consentaneum futetur esse in- 
 comprehensibile." Respcnsio ad nebuloniscujusd. cdlumnias. 
 Oper. t viJi. p. 619. But what has this to do M'ith abso- 
 lute Predestination ? At other times, when urged svith the 
 hard case of the reprobates, who niuotbe lost however they 
 may strive, his answer is, that it is an impudent falsehood 
 that they can strive at all ! '' Quod autem suas blasphemias 
 longius extendunt, dum eum qui sit a Deo reprooatus per- 
 diturum operam dicunt, si innocentia ec probitate vitge se illi 
 approbare studeat ; in eo vero irapudcrjris;irai mendacii 
 convincuntur. Unde enim tLsIe s^udium oriri possit nisi ex 
 electione ? Nam quicanque sunt ex reproboruiri numero, 
 ut nunc sunt vasa in contumeliam formata, ita non desinunt 
 perpetuus flagitiis iram Dei in se provocare ; et evidentibus 
 signis confirmare quod jam in se latum es^ Dei judicium. Tan- 
 tuinabestut cum ipso contendant." Instit. lib. iii. c. xxiii. § 1 2. 
 A pretty answer truly ! Take another specimen. " Cavillis 
 etiam ludunt quum I>usoDmium sit Pater, injustum esse ut 
 quenquam abdicet, nisi qui sua culpa poenam antea fuerit 
 promeritus. Quasi vero non ad canes et porcos pateat Dei li- 
 beralitas I" Ibm. § 17. A great comfort this for those who may 
 
49 
 
 fancy themselves to be in the number of the reprobates ! The 
 way in which, immediately before, he argues that absolute 
 Predestination is not at variance with the universality of tlie 
 divine promises, is really nothing more nor less than making 
 God a prevaricator. 
 
 1 he great argument, however, which is most commonly 
 by him. and Luther, and Austin, adduced, is the passage in St. 
 Paul, (Rom. ix. 20.) " O homo tu qui es qui disceptas cum 
 Deo," Sec. or (Rom. xi. 33.) " O Altitudo," Sec. And in one 
 place he, Calvin, says, " Quasi vcro mcum sit de abscon- 
 ditis Dei jcdiciis exartam rationcm dare, ut ad unguein 
 teneant mortales ccclcstem ili;im sapientiam cujiis altitudi- 
 ncra su^picere jubentur." Oper. T. viii. p. 6c^o. But 
 what has this reasoning to do with those who do not endea- 
 vour to pry into the hidden counsels of God: but rather blame 
 those who do? And this is our case; who think, that the ah- 
 solute PredfStinarians are themselves chargeable with this 
 rashness. They adopt their system because they fancy that 
 it clears up diiliculties. We say that, besides the dangerous 
 effects which it is calculated to produce , it only makes one 
 difhcultv the more. After having determined that one man's 
 being wicked and another good, happens by the absolute 
 Predestination of God, when they are asked to reconcile 
 this with the ideas given us in Scripture of the divine Mercy 
 and Justice, they bid us not ask a Reason, for tha' those 
 things are too high for us. And by way of shewing us how- 
 impossible it is that we should be able to pronoimce on the 
 subject, they press us continually with the circumstance of 
 the Gospel's beingonlv partially preached in the world ; with 
 its having been known at all only in later ages ; and such 
 Questions : To all which we are ready to reply by confessing 
 our ignorance, and considering these as among the " Secret 
 Things" of God, which he will reveal or not as he thinks 
 fit. Nay, further, when we consider the difTerent circum- 
 stances in which different men are pbiced, nay, the difference 
 of disposition, which there is in individuals, and how m.uch 
 greater opportunities for attaining the knowledge of God 
 some of us have than others, we are content to refer this also 
 to him, who is the Jndge ; humbly trusting that all due al- 
 lowance will be made for the situation in which a man is 
 placed, and the disposition with which he wns born, by 
 that infinite Mercy and Goodness which placed him in that 
 situation, and gave him that disposition. What we object 
 to, is, that Calvin and his followers should thus interpose ab.. 
 solute Predestination, since we can as readily, and at least one 
 step sooner, acquiesce in the Counsels ol Providence without 
 
 £ 
 
50 
 
 that, tndced it is curlous'to consirler some of these Ques- 
 tions which Austin, and Luther and Calvin after him, brinq 
 forward, in order to silence their o})ponents, *' How," say 
 they, " canyon account for this, that of those who are jus- 
 tified, some persevere to the end, and some do not ? And 
 that of Infants, who cannot have been guilty of actual sin, 
 some are received into the kingdom of God by baptism, and 
 thus saved, and others are not ?" In the first of which Ques- 
 tions, they are arguing upon what can never be the subject of 
 reasoning for any man alive; since it depends upon that 
 knowledge of the human heart which belongs to God alone: 
 For who but he can know of any individual, whether he have 
 been justified, or whether he have persevered to the end ? 
 As to the second case they assume what is no where said in 
 Scripture, viz. that Infants dying unbaptized are doomed to 
 perdition. Su^i is the rashness and presumption which arise 
 out of these Tenets, and which display themselves in men, 
 otherwise good, and respectable, and pious. See Augustin, 
 Lib. de Corrept. et Grat. c. viii. § 18, 19, 20, 8cc. Also de 
 Grat. et lib. Arbit. c. xxiii. § 45. 
 
 Note (F.) 
 
 The principal Texts relied on are those in Rom. ix. some 
 of wdiich are examined in the Text. One however there is 
 which is considered as paramount, and brought forward t^pon 
 all . occasions. "I will have mercy on whom I will have 
 mercy," Sec. v. 15 and 18. This, says Calvin, shews that 
 God has no regard to any thing" but his will. " Ac si dicere- 
 tnr Deum non alia ratione ad misericordiam moveri, nisi quia 
 iTiisercri vclit." Inst. lib. iii. cxxii. § 8. Suppose this were 
 allowed, it will then remain to be shewn. What is his will ? 
 And let Calvin and his followers shew, if they can, that ab- 
 solute Predestination is th:itWill, or that he judges without 
 any regard to a man's endeavours. St. Paul indeed concludes 
 from tlie above, " Therefore he will have mercy on whom 
 he will have mercy, "and whom he will he haideneth." But 
 still this leaves the Question the same; that is, What is the 
 rule which-be has prescribed lor himself? But what, if, as 
 I have argued in note 34, all (his roJatesonly to'thosewho 
 have previously made themselves objects of God's vengeance, 
 who have brought down this hardening upon themselves?' 
 Then comes the care of Esau and Jacob. God, it seems, deter- 
 inined as to them, " neither having done good or evil," what ? 
 \vhv, that Jacob should be the ancestor, through whom the 
 
51 
 
 Blessing promised to all Nations should be transmitted, and 
 not Esau. Why should he not ? If one \v;is to be preferred, 
 God trust make the choice. He might have made Jjcob 
 the first-born, and there would then have been no pretence for 
 any reasoninjT on the»ground of preterition. He ordered it 
 otherwise, no doubt for Avise and i^ood ends; even perhaps, 
 amon^ O'heis, that S'. Paul ^night have this argument to urae 
 againsr his rebellious countrymen. But whac has this to do 
 with the eternal salvation o\ individuals, or God's having-, by. 
 an antecedent and absolute Decree, determined thac the 
 greater part of us should be irrecoverably miserable, with- 
 out any consideration of our endeavours to serve him ? I 
 cannot but observe that in ihese passages thev press us with 
 the very Letter of Scripture, yet when pressed in return 
 with the necessary consequences of their doctrine, . and ■<:s I 
 may say, with the Letter, they fly off. Indeed if we are to go 
 according to (he Letter, how will they avoid making God 
 the autb.or ot Evil? There are passages enough in Scrip- 
 ture, which, if taken literallv, would authorize such a co^j- 
 clusion. But they jus Iv, though inconsistently, abhor this 
 as much as we do. What Erasmus says as lo this is very 
 true. " Si literam ur^eas, Deus nee amat quemadmodum 
 nos amamus, nee odit, cum in hunc non cadant afFectus 
 huj.ismodi." Oper. t. ix. 1232. Yet while they are dogma- 
 tizing so improperly with respect to this case of God's 
 " hciting Esciu and loving Jacc^b," they coi)dt-n)n us as guilty 
 of Impiety, because we reason of God's Justice, according 
 to the ideas which he has implanted in us, and according tp 
 which he has in numerous passages not only pcrmitted,"*but; 
 called upon us, to contemplate, nay, to judge his ways. I 
 do say, that as to justice, there is no reason to suppose that 
 quality 10 be different in God (except in degree) horn what 
 it sho'dd be in man; and so we tnay well reason upon it. 
 But as to his Wisdom and Mercy, combined together, as they 
 necessarily are and always must be, and upon which, 
 strange to say, as well upon his Power, Calvinists found 
 their Predestination; v,-e have absolutely no measure in our- 
 selves whereby we can form any adequate idea of thcin. It 
 is with respect to them, more especially, that St. Paul says 
 most truly, " O the depth of the riches, bbth of the wis- 
 " dom and knowledge, of God,, how unsearchable are his 
 " Ji^idgn;enfs, and his ways past finding out," &c. Rom. xi. 
 33J &c. Betore I close this, I cannot help observing that 
 Austin himself in one place admits the hardening in the 
 pas>age first cited, to take place in consequence ot the wick- 
 edness of the individual. " Qi-ando ergo auditis diceniem 
 
 E 2 
 
Km 
 
 Doniinuin Ego Dominus sedux'i prophetam ilium, et quod 
 ait Apostolus. Cujus viih miseretur^ et quern vult indurat', 
 in CO qiiein seduci permittit vel obdurari, mala ejus merita 
 creditfj" &c. And it is evident that he means personal de- 
 merit. A little above he says, that even salvation is granted 
 upon some such motive or examination. " Quamvis et in 
 hoc tempore ipsa Salvatio non fiat sinejudicio, sed occulto," 
 Lib. de Grat. et lib. Arbit, c. xliii. § 44 and 4,5. So impos- 
 sible is it for absolute Predestinarians to preserve any con- 
 sistency ! Calvin indeed says otherwise; " Vides," says he, 
 " ut in solum Dei aibitrium," (that is, the having mercy and 
 hardening) " ccnferat." Instit. Lib. iii. c. xxii. § 8. And 
 in another place he boldly mjakes St^^Paul say, " that God does 
 not choose to have Mercy upon all." " Unde colligit Paul- 
 us non omnium m.isereri quia non vult." De occulta. Dei 
 Providentia. Oper. t. viii. p. 636. As if there was any 
 such inference drawn by St. Paul ! And this is a man who- 
 in this very treatise complains bitterly of those who put 
 words into his mouth, which he has not uttered. " Haec 
 tamen loquendi formula nunquam apud me occurret," Ibm.. 
 633; and afterwards " neque tamen refugio quod objicit: 
 tantum quod aliter dictum a me fuerat, mutatis verbis ma- 
 ligne ad invidiam torqueri queror." Ibm. 638. See als» 
 note (31) as to the case of Esau and Jacob. 
 
 Note (G.) 
 
 it is curious to observe that although Calvin chooses al-. 
 most always to forget this circumstance when arguing upon- 
 the Epistle to the Romans, yet when pressed with other pas- 
 sages he defends himself by insisting upon it ; and this in 
 cases where there is really no foundation for any such distinc- 
 tion. As where in Rom. xi. 20. St. Paul says " Let him 
 
 ^" that standeth take heed lest he fall." After other observa- 
 tions, he says, " Adde quod non singuhs sed sectas alloqui- 
 tur." ins'it. Lib. iii. c. xxiv. § 7, Again, when his oppo- 
 nents quote against him that passage in St. Paul, (1 Tim. ii. 
 4.) That, " God will have all men to be saved," he says, 
 " Quod citare soletis ex Paulo Deum omnes velle salvos 
 
 Jien^ quam nihil vestro errori s;ifFragetur, alibi planum fe- 
 cisse mihi videor. Nam ccrto certius est Paulum illic 
 non de singulis hoininihus agere, sed intelligere oidines et 
 genera vocationum." Oper. t. viii. p. 635. The passage 
 here alluded to in the word, " alibi." is found in his Insti- 
 tutes, Lib. iii. c. xxiv. § 16. where, after arguing upon this 
 t.ext he says, " Nihil aliud profecto significat q^uam nulli or- 
 
5$ 
 
 tlin'i homlnum vlam ad salutem, piseclnslsse." And lower 
 down he adds, " Ubi clare apparet non de singulis hominibus, 
 sed de hominum ordlnibus illic agi, facessat longior dispuia- 
 tio." And so may we say ; for, il there be any passage or 
 reasoning in St. Paul, restricted to particular orders, or sects, 
 and wiiich is to be taken as tiie Logicians say, " secundum 
 quid," it is most pointedly all tliat is contained in the ninth 
 chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, and the other Texts 
 adduced by the Calvinists ; much more surely than the Texts 
 here mentioned, in which it is difficult, I might say impossi- 
 ble to see, the least ground for any such restrict ion. And 
 therelore let us hear no more of the ninth of the Romans, as 
 authorizing absolute Decrees. As to this, I say again, ac- 
 cording to Calvin's own position, " iacessat longior dispu- 
 taiio." Calvin also adds a maxim which he should himself 
 have observed, " sic ergo exponcndum est hoc verb um," 
 (that is, " God will have all men to be saved;") " iit cum 
 altero," (that is, with the other text, "He will have mercy 
 "on whom he will have mercy."] " conveniat." How 
 well may we turn the tables upon him ? How much better 
 indeed do these passages agree in our way ot taking them, 
 than in his ! With respect to this, let us hear also a Calvi- 
 nist, one who seems indeed to have been such raiher by chance 
 than by choice; who certainly was not insensible to the dif- 
 ficulties of his Creed, and has treated the Question with 
 great candour as well as learning, the same writer whom I 
 have before emoted more than once on the subject. *' Atqui 
 non in Scripturarum paniculas quasdcim, et saspe hujusmodi 
 ut de eorum sensu semper in Ecclesia disputatuin sit, oculos 
 conjici oportebat : Sed in Scripturam universam, ac primuni 
 et pragcipue in ilia quae sunt aperiissima, Quemad- 
 modum enim fidus pueritias infortnator ea qua2 imprimis 
 necessaria sunt, clare proponit, ut facile inielligantur ; ha^c 
 iterat et tertiat, quo si alia excidant, ista saltern niiis ma- 
 neant animis inscripta ; similiter summus ille doctor, qui non 
 sapientia solum, sed etiam discipulorum amore inlinitis par- 
 tibus terrenos exsuperat magistros, ea quas maxim.c sciri 
 vult, et apertissime ob stuporem nostrum pronnntiat, et sae- 
 pissime ut madidas consulat memori;e inculcat. Quod si in ali- 
 qua inciderimus qu^ rcpugnare istis videaniur ; non eo vim 
 laciemus apertse veritati ; sed ilia sic interprctabimur, ut ne 
 istis pugnent, quibus undiquc personat Scripiura." Ger. J. 
 Vosbius in prseiat. ad Historiam Controvers. quie Pclagius 
 &-C. moverunt. 
 
54 
 
 Note (H.) 
 
 See Jeremiah xviii. Calvin's Commentary upon this Chap- 
 ter is very remarkable. I shall set down the beginning, as it 
 confirms all thai I have said : '' H;cc summa est hujiis doc- 
 trina?, quia Judaei gloriabantur isto singulari D;m beneficio, 
 quod tamen collatum iliis tecerat in diversum finem: nempe 
 ut essent-sacra ejus ha^reditas, oporiuit hujusmodi fiduciam 
 illis eripi, quoniam interea Deum spernebant, et ejus legem." 
 (Something like this it I mistake not has been seen in cer- 
 tain Predestinarians.) " Atqui scimus in fcedere Dei tuisse 
 Kiutaam stipulationem, ("nothing unconditional;) nem.pe 
 ut genus Abrahae pure Deum coleret, sicuii D'^us paratus 
 erat ps ^cstare quacunque fuerst pollicitus. Nam ilLi fiut lex 
 perpctua laedcris, Amhula coravi vie et sii integer." (a Con- 
 dition or Law, by the hy, vvliich is almost always spoken oF, 
 as having been, kept by Abraham ;) quae semel Abrahae lata 
 etiam ad omnes ejus posteros spectabat. Ouum ergo Juda^i 
 putarent Deum inviolabili pacto sibi esse obsirictum," (some- 
 thing like certain persons who presumed themselves to be of 
 the number ot the elect in later aiies) " interea autem rejice- 
 rent superbe omnes ejus Prophetas, et polluerent, imo 
 quantum in se erat, abolcrent ejus cultum.; necesse iuit iljis 
 detijihere stultam hanc gloriationem qiia se fallebant, &c." 
 And so he goes on to shew that the object of the Prophet 
 was to remind his countrymen that we are all in the hands 
 of God, to do with us as he pleases. But this was the very 
 case of the jews, whom Paul in his Epistle to'the Romans 
 was addressuig. Yet Calvin, aware oi the effect ot his rea- 
 soning, endeavours to do it away in a subsequent page, by 
 maku'.g a distinction between them. He says that the doc- 
 trine of the Prophet was purposely accommodated to the 
 ideas of the people, because he wis urging them to repen- 
 ,tance; " Magis esse popularem quia ad poenitentiam. spec- 
 tat :" whereas Paul in the Episile to ilie Romans did not 
 speak in the same manner: '« non ita pppulaiiter." For 
 which distinction I believe the Reader, as well as I, will re- 
 quire some better proof than Calvin's"'?/?j^ djx^t. 
 
 There is a remaikahlc passage in Austin, where be plainly 
 iniimaies that it is in our power not to be of the " Perdita 
 Iviassa;" of the clay or the vessels formed to dishonour. In 
 arguing on ihis passage oj St. Paul's, he says " Cum ergo 
 nicritum peccando ajmsenmus, et misericordia Dei rcmosa 
 nihil aliud peccantibus nisi acterna damnatio dcbetur, quid 
 sjbi vult homo de hac massa ut Deo respondeat, et dicat 
 
5d 
 
 * Qiiare me fecisti?' SI vis ista Cognoscere, noli esse lufiim 
 et efficere filius Dei per ejus misericordiam, &c," Liber de 
 divers, quaesiion. Ouacst. Ixviii. § 3. I will add a lew words 
 from Erasmus's Paiaphrase on the passage, because, for the 
 reason observed in note i, it may shew the opinion of our 
 first reformers. " Deus non finxit te vas immLinduin. Tii 
 teipsum conspirrcasti, et immundis usibus addixisti, &.c." 
 Oper. t. vii. p. 808. 
 
 Lastlv, I rriust refer the reader to that remarkable passage 
 in St. Paul, (2. Tim. c. ii. v. eo.) where the Apostle again 
 makes use of the same metaphor. *' In a great house there 
 " are not only vessels oi gold, arid ot silver, Ixit also of' 
 " wood and earth: and some to honour, and some to disho- 
 " nour. If a man thtrelorQ purge hi/nse/f fiorn these," (that 
 is, from false doctrines, or false teachers) "he shall be a 
 " vessel unto honour." Which, if you will allow an au- 
 thor to be the proper Commentator upon himself, shews 
 that he did conceive that our efforts will have an effect i.ipon 
 our destination. 
 
 Note (I). 
 
 Erasmus (in not. ad loc.) is of opinion that the only dif- 
 ference between " foreknown" and " predestined," lies in 
 this, that fore- knowledge implies the purpose of God vv-hile 
 it yet remains with him and may be altered : and that " pra;- 
 " destination" commences when the divine counsel is de- 
 clared, or any step taken to give it effect. Certain it is that 
 in Austin and others, " praescientia" and " praedestinatio," 
 are in many cases used indiscriminately for the same thing. 
 However in this passage, wliere both are used, arvd appa- 
 rently contradistinguished from each other, the meaning, 
 one cannot hut think, must be different. Either way 
 should seem that that must be true which is stated in the 
 text, that Gods Predestination, whatever we conceive it to 
 be, is founded on 'his Fore- know ledge. What Dr. Hey has 
 said in his Lectures on this suhjvct is well worthy our con- 
 sideration. He observes that, " There is really no theory 
 *' of Predestination in Scripture: there are separate ,piotis 
 " Rejcrences o\ important and happy events to the unbound- 
 " ed foresight and superintendence of the Deity; and out 
 " of these Mm have formed theories, but su:/h Theories 
 " are merely human." Vol. iv. p. 25. Most true als'o is 
 what follows, " Each passage of Scripture aims at produc- 
 " ing Faith and Love: and v;e have no right to use any 
 
5^ 
 
 *' passage t'or any other purpese." Very deserving of at- 
 tention also is what he says, at p. 30, " I have several times 
 "said that I look upon the passages, of Sciipture from which 
 " the doctrine of predestination has heen derived, as being 
 " oi the nature of eloquence, and not of speculation. And 
 '* they will be, of course, much less plain and perspicuous, 
 *' because more indefinite, than practical direclions, and 
 " theretore ought 10 be interpreted less literally." Ibm. 
 p. 30. After all, we must be content not very nicely to en- 
 quire what is God's predestination. 11 is easier indeed to say 
 what it is not, than what it is. But we must be safe in saying, 
 that it is not any thing which runs counter to those ideas 
 of justice which are so natural to us that they may be said 
 to have been imph.nted in our breasts, and to which the Al- 
 mighty himself, as I have said before, deigns to rcter, in his 
 *' controversies with his people." 
 
 I had forgot to mention-, what is well known, that absolute 
 predestination is no tenet of the Greek fathers ; for which 
 Chrysostom, among others, is abused by Calvin. After re- 
 ferring all things to the mere will of God, he adds, " A!ulto 
 id satitis quam lergiversari cum Chrysostomo quod" volen- 
 ' tern tra!:at et manum porrigentem.' Inst. lib. iii. c. xxiv. 
 § 13. Yet it is evident, that what Chrysostom here says, is 
 no more than what has been said by Austin, nay, even by 
 Cdlvin, in other places, almost as plainly. 
 
 Note (K.) 
 
 I call it " jargon," in respect of the abuse of the 
 term, as well as the nonsense of being " convinced 
 Jor sin," which phrase .is almost as common with them as 
 the other. Even that however is hardly a Scriptural term ; 
 and iu the few instances in which it is used by our translators, 
 evidently means, as does the Greek word for which it stands, 
 open conviction brought about and made manifest by proois 
 or arguments, not the inward affection or persuasion of a 
 man's mind: it indeed it do not more properly mean " re- 
 " pioof." Certainly, however, considered (as they evi- 
 dently consider it) as a technical word, it does not signify 
 what they would have it signify, a more perfect repentance 
 and contrition for sin. It is indeed the " Shibboleth," as it 
 were, of their sect. Yet it is sometimes also used by them 
 in iis popular sense. For in one passage of Wesley's Mi- 
 nutes of Conference, where *' conviction of sin," and 
 ** repentance," are mentioned as the same thing ; immo- 
 
57 
 
 diately afterwarc^s the word is used to describe " Faitli," 
 also, and that of course in the sense in which commonly 
 understood. " Faitli in genera! is a divine supernatural 
 ' txey'xp-'' [that isj as it is explained in the margin, " Con- 
 " viction," or " Evidence," ot thinc^s not seen. First, 
 " a sinner is convii^ced by the Holy Ghost * Christ loved 
 " me, and gave himself for me.' This is that Faith by 
 *' which he is justified and pardoned the moment he receives 
 *' it. Immediately the same spirit heareth witness, ' Thou 
 " art pardoned, thou hast redemption in his blood." And 
 this is " saving Faith." Benson's Apology for the Metho- 
 dis'S, p. 205. This author is, I believe, considered as in 
 the very first class of bis sect. After Dr. Coke and Adam 
 Clarke, none appear to rank higher. Fie is also the Book. 
 Editor nominated by the Conference. His Book theretore 
 must be considered quite as an authentic record. In a sub- 
 sequent part of the work, giving an account of Wesley's 
 Tenets, and the Doctrine of the Methodists as derived from 
 him, he savs, " It," (the Gospel) " promises, and God 
 " actually gives, the sprnt of promise zvhich convinces the 
 •' world of sin." And after describing the operation of the 
 Spirit of God in awakening the conscience, &c. he sub- 
 joins, " This he," (i. e. Wesley) " used to call repentance 
 " and often conviction Jor sin." Ibtn. p. 244. In the 
 Minutes of Conference, where it is asked, *' How shall we 
 " try those who think they are moved by the Holy Ghost to 
 *' preach?" The third requisite is, " Have they /rmt ? 
 *' are any truly convinced oj sin, and converted to God by 
 *' their preaching ?" 
 
 Of these " Convictions for Sin" and how necessary and 
 even indispensable they are considered, take the follow- 
 ing specimens from their histories, extracted at a venture 
 out ot that other authentic record, the Methodist's Maga- 
 zine, ot which the same Joseph Benson is editor. *' August 
 " 13'h, 1807, died Sarah Ashby, v.-ife of William Ashby, 
 " an acceptable and useful local preacher, &c. When near 
 " twenty years ot age, it pleased God to awaken her to a 
 •' sense ot her sin and danger, at Chapcl-in-le-Frith, in 
 " Derbyshire, under the ministry of that excellent man, 
 '* Mr. Thomas Hanby. We.v convictions for sin were in- 
 " creased by an awful dream which she had," &c. Metho- 
 dist Magazine, Appendix for 1808. " Obituary 3. Peter 
 " Haslam. He was early convinced of sin, and shortly 
 ** after brought to an experimental knowledge of God 
 •' in Christ." Ibrn. Sept. i8c8. In Magazine for May 
 i8o8, we are told of John Shewell, that, on going to the 
 
58 
 
 *' cold bath at Holywell, for a disorder which he had, his 
 " convictions Jor sin took deeper root in his heart," p. 221. 
 Jt is not said whether he went at' the same time as Winifred 
 Whice. He, it seems, though brought up at a free-school, 
 and of course in the habit of going to Church, " lived in a 
 " place M'here thick ddrkiRSS reigned, and no Gospel ser- 
 *' nions were to be he<ird." In anotlier place we lia\ e Mrs. 
 James, and her late husbandj Williatp James, " providen- 
 " tially brought to Pitt-street chapel, at ?i time when ihe 
 *' late Mr. Fawson and Mr. Allen wtTC stationed on the Li- 
 *' verpool circuit. Under their ministry they were truly 
 " convinced of sin, and seemingly converted to God." 
 Ibm. June 1809. Again, at p. 232, " Jt was under these 
 *' awakening and consoling truths, that Mrs. Bennett and 
 " her daughter, were deeply convinced cj sin, and their 
 " desert ot condemnation and wrath; and were encouraged 
 *' to seek in the appointed methods 01 mercy," that is, with 
 the Meihodisrs, " that salvation, the want of which they so 
 " sincerely deplored." This is a remarkable case, as the 
 daughter's age was such, that she could not, one would 
 think, have known much of actual sin. " It was at the early 
 '* age ot 1 3, that she found ihose evidences of personal salva- 
 " tion, wldch she continued to retain in the decline of life, 
 " &c." Mr. Charles Kyte's case was somewhat more ex- 
 traordinary, lor, he says, " I was on\y four years of age, 
 " when God first influenced my heart by his holy Spirit, 
 " and when I was between five and six, about seven o'clock 
 " one Saturday morning, I was deeply convinced cJ sin, 
 *' while God spoke in awful majesty by thunder and light- 
 " i^ing." Ibidem, January 1804. "^^^i notwithstanding 
 this great step, he continued thirteen years after that in 
 a wretched and deplorable state, though Vt'ith very good dispo- 
 sitions. For, although he '* had made u a rule on the Sab- 
 ." bath-day, to go to church at least once," yet, like 
 Sliewell, till he was twenty years of age, " he never heard one 
 •' Gospel sermon fiom any true minister of Jesus Christ!" 
 .Ihis is their charitable way of treating the regular clergy ! 
 However, then, it seems, he went to hear the Methodist 
 Preachers, at Mr. Ward's in Oxhill. Ot course things went 
 .on better. But what shall we say. of Mrs. Eliza Byron ? 
 .*' She," as her husband tells us, "had from her earl y 
 *' years the. fear of God before her eyes, and an earnest de- 
 *' sire to serve the Lord to the best of her knowledge. 
 " This, with the preventing grace of God, saved her from 
 *' running into those sins and tollies which ensnare many. 
 *' But it was not until she was fourteen years that she was 
 
59 
 
 •' deeply convinced of the sinfulness of her heart and life,^* 
 (and life too !) " and of the need of a new birth. It is true she 
 " had not a single sin, in the eye of the world, ^^i^e convinced 
 " of, nevertheless she was made truly sensible that mankind 
 " are fallen creatures, unholy and unhappy, and that no- 
 '' thing short of divine Power can restore them to either 
 •' the favour or the image of God. But how to attain this 
 " she knew not. She had regularly attended divine wor- 
 •' ship with the family in the Church of England. Besides 
 " hearing, she had attentively perused the sacred volume; had 
 •' used frequent and fervent prayer and retirement from the 
 " bustle and vanity of her young companions." One 
 would think that by such endeavours the grace of God might 
 h.ive been obtained ; but no. — Her fnends too v/ere unable 
 to help her. — " It was all as yet to little purpose.' The good 
 " she sought was not to be gained by these things ;" that is, 
 by going to church, by reading the Scriptures, by fervent 
 prayer and meditation! — " In this distress she was at a loss 
 " where to go and v\-hat to do. — At length it pleased God to 
 direct her steps to the Methodist chapel, in St. John's, near 
 Helston," &:c. Ibm. 42. 
 
 1 will only add one case more, that of a gentleman, who 
 was fowf^r^^d' almost without knowing it, or at least having 
 occasion for it. Mr. Lawson used to say, " that he did 
 " not remember the time when he was destitute of the feat 
 " of God, and that the Spiri^ot God strove with him at a 
 " very early period. It is about thirteen or fourteen years 
 " since he Jully closed in with the overtures of Divine 
 *' Mercy, and found redemption in the blood of Chnst, the 
 " forgiveness of all his sins." After his conversion (if 
 any such there was, for it does not here appear,) " he was 
 •• upright m all his dealings among men," &c. which 
 might well be supposed to have been always the case 
 with a man who was never without the fear of God and the 
 help of the Holy Ghost. Ibm. May 1809. 
 
 Indeed this class of cases, that is, where the parties have 
 from th.e beginning \tdi good lives, seem to the biographers 
 to require a sort of apology or explanation. Thus, in Ma- 
 gazine for May 180H, the writer says of Mrs. Anne Rey- 
 nolds, " I am not at)le to ascertain the exact period when 
 " siie was brought to a saving knowledge of God, yet her 
 " christian experience evidenced tor many years, the love she 
 " evidenced for God's cause and people ; [that is, for Metho- 
 dism and Methodists,]" with her steady uniform life, de- 
 " nionstrated that a real work was wrought in her soul," 
 But of this Uiorc in the next note. 
 
60 
 
 Note (L.) 
 
 Indeed they seem to be well aware of this danger, but hold 
 It no sufficient objection to the doctrine. In Wesley'sMi- 
 nutes of Conferences, cited by Benson, (Apology, p. 21B.) 
 we have the following Question and Answer. — *' O. Do 
 *' we not discourage believers from rejoicing evermore ? — 
 " A. We ought not so to do. Let them all their life long 
 " rejoice unto God, so it be with reverence ; and, even if 
 *' hghtness or pride should mix with their joy, let us not 
 *' strike at the joy itself, [this is the gift of God ;]" 
 (What, and when so mixed ?} " but at that lightness and 
 " pride, that the evil may cease and the good remain." 
 
 This joy or experience, thty teach us to be so indispen- 
 sible, that no piety, no zeal, no labour in the service ol God 
 can supply its place. This is envcrced in the strongest 
 manner by the instances put by Benson of Wesley himself, 
 and his Mother ; and the reader should recollect that Airs. 
 Wesley is represented as most pious and zealous, the 
 daughter and wife of a clergyman, ail her life labouring to 
 serve God. 
 
 Thus it is said " We have seen above what great encou- 
 *' ragenient, and how much assistance Mr. Wesley received 
 *' in his pious cause, from the letters and advice of his nio- 
 " ther. It seems, however, that it was not till within a few 
 *' years of her death, that sne was fully assured of her ac- 
 " ceptance with God." " Monday, Sept. 3," says he, (that 
 is Wesley) " I talked largely with my mother, who told me, 
 " that tillashoit time since she had scarce heard such a 
 " thing mentioned as having forgiveness of sins now, or 
 " God's Spirit bearing witness with our Spirit, much less 
 " did she imagine that this was the common privilege of all 
 *' true believers. Therefore," says she, " 1 never dui st ask 
 " for it myself. But two or three weeks ago, while my son 
 " Hall was pronouncing these words, in delivering the cup 
 " to me, " The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was 
 *' given for thee," the words struck through my heart, and I 
 *' knew God had forgiven me all my sins." Benson's Apol. 
 p. 120. With a reference to this, her Epitaph, inserted 
 two pages after, (p. 122) has the following Stanzas: — 
 
 *' True daughter of affliction she, 
 
 *' Inur'd to pain and misery, 
 
 •* Mouin'd a long night of griefs and fears, 
 
 *' A legal ni^ht cf seventy years." 
 
61 
 
 ** The Father then reveal'd his Son, 
 " Him, in the broken bread made known ; 
 *' She knew and felt her sins torgiv'n, 
 " And tound the earnest of her heaven." 
 
 Then comes a climax indeed ! 
 
 " Meet for the Fellowship above ; 
 
 *' She heard the call, ' Arise, my love.' 
 
 " ' I come,' her dying looks replied, 
 
 " And Lamb-like as her Lord, she died." 
 
 Which is one of the numerous instances of presumption, 
 approaching to blasphemy, which shock us in these wi iters ; 
 and the reader will recollect, that these are none of those 
 expressions of which thev admit the impropriety, and into 
 which they say, that their first founders were betrayed in the 
 effervescence of their zeal ; but what is at this time brought 
 forward as unexceptionable doctrine. This is the case like- 
 wise with the account given of himself by Wesley, before 
 he attained perfection, and cited also by Benson, in his Apo- 
 ^^Sy» P* 66. It should first be remembered, that Bishop 
 Lavington, in his " Enthusiasm of the Papists andMethodists 
 " compared," brought Whitfield to a confession, that he 
 had sometimes been too -Apostolical in his language, that is, 
 that he had assumed a tone which only became the imme- 
 diate Apostles of Christ. See Pref. to ed Part of Enth. of 
 Meth. and Pap. compared, l^t here Wesley not only arro- 
 gates to himself the same character; but in his very auk- 
 ward aping of St. Paul, totallv misapplies the words, or 
 rather his parody of the words, of the Apostle. For St. 
 Paul, when he commended himself, did it because his au- 
 thority had been questioned, and without vindicating and 
 establishing it, he could not do the good to which he was 
 deputed. But the self-commendation of Wesley is all to 
 himself, not called for nor required for any purpose that 
 could not as well have been answered v/ithout it. He de- 
 scribes hiniself while in America, as having great doubts of 
 his salvation. He says, " I have learned, that 1 who went 
 ' to America to convert others, was never myself converted . 
 
 to God. 1 am not mad" he goes on, " though I thus 
 ' speak; but I speak the words oj truth and soberness; 
 
 if haply some of those who still dream may aivakc, and see 
 
 that as I am so are they. Are they read in Philosophy? 
 
 so was I. In ancient or modern tongues? so was I also. 
 * Are they versed in the science of divinity? I too have 
 ' studied it many years. Can tiiey talk ilucntly upon 
 
62 
 
 *' spiritual things? the very same could I do. Are they 
 " plenteous in alms? Behold, I gave all my goods to feed 
 *' the poor. Do they give of their lahour as well as their 
 " subitcipce ? I have laboured more abundantly than they 
 " all. Arc they willing to suffer for their brethren ? 
 " I have thrown up my friends, reputation and country. 
 " 1 have put my lite in ir.y hand, wandering into strange 
 *' lands : 1 have given my body to be devoured by the 
 '* dec-p, parched up with heat, consumed by toil or weari- 
 " ness, or whatsoever God may lay upon me." After all 
 this commendaLion comes the self-abasement part of the 
 story. " But does all I ever did, or can know, say, gwe, 
 *' do, or suffer, justify me in his sight ? Yea, or the con^ 
 " slant use of all the ineans of grace f No, he discovers 
 that " he is Jallen short of the glory of God ; that his 
 " whole heart ^s become corrupt and abominable ; that his 
 •' sins are more in mimber than the hairs of his head, £5?c." 
 After much more of this, we find, that though he has 
 a sort of faith, yet it is not the right faith. " The faith I 
 *' want is, a sure trust and confidence in God, that through 
 " the merits of Christ, my sins are forgiven, and I recon- 
 " died to the favour of God." Without this full assurance, 
 it seems, there is no salvation ! On the other hand, he 
 who hath it, he tells us, is "■ freed from the pozver oj sin " 
 What a pretty encouragement to enthusiasm! and what a 
 lively picture have we here of iliat vanity which leads men 
 to be founders of sects. Farther, at page- 260, we have 
 an account of the same experience as given by Mr. White- 
 head, which is too long to transcribe. The conclusion is, 
 " Christian experience then, as the Rev. Mr. Wesley long 
 " explained it, has certainty in it: if a man has it, he can- 
 " not be ignorant of v. But, I must say, that those who 
 " have it not, cannot form a just conception of it," &c. 
 After this, it may not be amiss, to give some of their own 
 descriptions of what this Christian experience is. We are 
 told of Mrs. Torkington, that at the approach of death, 
 " her very soul seemed to be filled with marrow and fat- 
 " ness." " One day," says her biographer, " she sent for 
 " nie in haste." In an extacy of heavenly transpprt, she 
 *' said, ' Oh I I wanted to tell you, / have had angels here /' 
 The Italics are not mine but the editor's, who would thus 
 mark the passage for the edification of his readers. " L shall 
 " soon be in glory ! I shall soon be with Jesus!" — " I," 
 boldly says Mr. Gaultcr, the writer of the article, " was 
 " not surprised at this, as I have known the Lord comlort 
 " his children by such disi:)lay of his power." Methodists 
 
Magazine, for Aug. 1808, p. 371. Of Elizabeth Braith- 
 waite it is said, that " while at a prayer-meetinir, the Lord 
 •' manitested himself to her waiting soul, filling her with 
 " peace and joy through believing." It is added, " that; 
 •' irom some of her letters, written to a temale friend, the 
 " first year of her conversion," (so decided a thing are 
 these convictions or conversions that they date from 
 them) " it plainly appears that she enjoyed much of 
 *' tlie presence of God her Saviour." Ibm. p. ;.^77. But 
 upon the subject of a Miss Isabella Wilson, they are un- 
 usually copious. Of her journals they give large extracts, 
 which almost rival the visions of St. Teresa. First, how- 
 ever, we are given to understand, that being born of parents 
 that were disinclined to Methodism, she was brought up to 
 the Church, she was " confirmed, as it is called." (Such 
 is the way in which they speak of an Ordinance "of that 
 Church, to which they say thnt they belong.) She " took 
 " the Communion," and attended, what we consider, the 
 proper mejns of grace. " Nothin3," she J^ays, pleased 
 " me so much as going to hear the word, and at- 
 *' tending the service of the Church. I was, however, in 
 " a st^te of darkness with regard to the way of accepting 
 *' the offers of mercy." Atterwards, in consequence of 
 her visiting a relation, who, though on his death-bed, was 
 little concerned for his soul, " she felt greatly distressed, 
 " and thereupon the Lord most graciously manifested his 
 " love to her soul. I prayedlto the Lord," says she, " and 
 " at that moment he gave me to see that I was wretched, 
 " miserable, poor, blind, and naked. I no sooner saw 
 " myself in this dreadful state, than I was directed" (How ?) 
 " to look to Jesus, and was enabled to cast myself upon him 
 " just as I was," &c. Ibm. p. 375. After this (at p. 413. 
 Mag. for Sept.) it is said, " she had some opportunities of 
 " attending the means of grace, and formed a fuller ac- 
 " quaintance with the people of God." Thus it is, 
 that they always speak of themselves. The consequence 
 which ensued was a great increase of familiarity with 
 her Saviour y He is now " wy Jesus.'' " My Jesus was 
 •' with rne in the furnace, and brought me out, &c. By 
 " it 1 was brought into a closer communion with God," 
 p. 414. " I cannot distrust ot^ Jesus, who has dealt so 
 *' lovingly with me, &.c." Mag. for Oct. p. 465. At 
 p. 468, we have a prayer of hers, in which is this curious 
 passage : " My little vessel is as full as it can hold, and I 
 " would pour out all my fulness before thee, that ray hf'art 
 " may become capable of receiving more and more.'* 
 
64 
 
 Again,, in Mag. for Nov. p. ^16, she is introduced as 
 saying : — 
 
 " While my Jesus is nigh, 
 
 " Who shall violate my rest: 
 
 " Sin, earth, and hell. I now defy, 
 
 " I lean upon my Saviour's breast." 
 
 Lower dowB, we have " The friendship of Jesus, whose 
 " iove is unsoeakrible, is my joy, S:c." Her Journal goes 
 on, " May 14. Blessed be the Lord God of all mv mer- 
 cies for hrs unbounded love to me, who am the least of 
 all smuts," p. 517. " My God is wiih me every step 
 I take. Oh ! may I be ever devoted to t lis lover of my 
 soul," &c. p. 518. Again, in Mag. for Dec. p. 565, 
 Satan comes, and wants entrance, but my Jesus keeps 
 his abode. Last Friday was a blessed day to my soul. 
 Heaven and Jesus were very precious ; 1 teel I abide in 
 him, but I want a closer abiding in him, &c." Then, at 
 . gSy, comes a compliment to the prea.-.hers. " I had an 
 
 opportunity of hearing that man of God, Mr, . 
 
 The woid was marrow and fatness to my soul. How is 
 
 it, Lord, that all thy servants are not a'^ flames of fire in 
 
 thy hand? How soon then would England feel the 
 
 blessed effects ! O Jesus, take to thee thy great power, &c. 
 
 teach them to cotne ?nore tf the tree of lite than to that of 
 
 knowledge I" Lastly, in the Appendix, p. 596, we have 
 
 atan brought in again with more profaneness. " Though 
 
 Satan tries by every means to stop me in my heavenly 
 
 way, he cannot. My Jesus helps me, and 1 tread him 
 
 under my feet; It is true he sometimes bruises my heel^ 
 
 but I am more than ever determined to bruise his head." 
 
 This application to themselves of prophecies relating to our 
 
 Saviour is not uncommon. Wesley used this very passage 
 
 in the same way. Take another specimen, " Jesus is the 
 
 " leifjning sovereign of my heart ; O how I long to be 
 
 " m')re like him! to be all on a flame with his glory, that 
 
 " the •z.ealofhts house viay eat me up." Ibm. p. 6oo. To 
 
 complete the whole, she goes on to say, " I teel no ties to 
 
 " eaith, 1 feel the Tnnitv abides with me!" 1 trust that 
 
 this may suffice ; nor would I have trasnscribed so much, 
 
 but thai this m-iy be t-'-ken as a fair specimen of the sort of 
 
 •' experiences" sought for by these people, recommended 
 
 by their j>reachers, and detailed at their class meetings. 
 
 For she is called, " a triumphant spirit." It is said by one 
 
65 
 
 of her eulogists, what one may easily believe, that " hev 
 *• confidence in the cleansing blood was strong. / never 
 " heard her express a doubt." (These also their own 
 Italics.) And, lastly, " Her lifehas convinced me that we 
 ** may live pure." Ibm. p. 605. Surely therefore I shall 
 not be accused ot unfairness in quoting from such a character. 
 This lady too speaks of their prvoilege (for this they insist 
 upon) of knowing that they arc saved. Surely too, I must 
 repeat, as I have said in the text, there is great delusion 
 and great mischief in this. 
 
 Since the above was writien I have received the Ma- 
 gazine for August last, and there I find mention of two 
 other saints of much the same water. Of one of them we 
 are told that, when on her death-bed, her exclamations 
 were, " The Lord is mine ; a very present help In trouble. 
 O my Jesus, my dear Jesus!" — The other was still more 
 Xamlllar. Having recovered from a fainting fit, she said, 
 " If I had gone, I should have been with my Jesus. I love 
 " him: Hove him, because he first loved me. What — my 
 " Jesus leave me? No : He loves mt but too vuell. He has 
 *' been with me everymoment." Meth. Mag. for Aug. 1809, 
 pp. 342. and 345. It is really difficult to say what should be 
 our feelings at reading such effusions as these. Certainly one 
 would not dwell upon them more than is absolutely neces- 
 sary, for fear of being tempted to depart from the serious- 
 ness and the awe with which such subjects should ever be 
 contemplated, 
 
 Note (M.) 
 
 It is unnecessary for me to resort to quotations, in order to 
 shew this more especially In respect to these adversaries of 
 ours. It Is sufficiently apparent, even from those passages 
 which I have cited for other purposes. They continually 
 call themselves "the people of God," and their work " God's 
 work." They also, as I have further shewn, treat with con- 
 tempt and contumely all the ministers of the established 
 church ; nay, and her discipline ; while at the same time 
 they most hypocritically profess to belong to her. As to their 
 pretensions and boastings of the good which they have done 
 in converting notorious sinners ; I, for one, should be glad 
 to be persuaded that it Is so. But I must still remind them 
 that the circumstance of their labours having succeeded. Is not 
 of Itself a proof that they are right. We find that there 
 were men, who, in opposition even to St. Paul, "preached 
 
 F 
 
66 
 
 " Christ out of envy and strife; out of contenfion, not 
 " sincerely," yet not without success ; for the Apostle says* 
 " What then ? notwithstanding, whether in pretence, or in 
 " truth, Christ is preached," and he rejoices at it ; yet surely 
 they were not to be commended who did this. Even there- 
 fore if we would concede to them all that they can ask, 
 they might be schismatics and " contentious." But, taking 
 it in another way not so favourable for them, do we not 
 know that there were men to whom it was said, " Ye com- 
 " pass heaven and earth to make one proselyte, and when 
 " he is made, ye make him two-fold more a child of hell 
 " than yourselves." That they have " laboured," (as Mr. 
 Wesley is pleased to say) " more abundantly than we all," 
 may therefore turn out to be that they have so laboured in 
 the production of a great deal of mischief. And as to the 
 numbers converted by them, it is shewn by Bishop Laving- 
 ton, that the popish Saints made the same boast and to the 
 same extent. See Enthus. of Method, and Pap. Sec. vol. i. 
 p. 2. p. 131. &c. v.'hich book they will do well to consult who 
 are yet unacquainted with what the first dawnings of Metho- 
 dism were. It may be added also^ that this boasted success 
 is much inferior to that of Montanus or Manes, or many 
 heretics in all ages. 
 
 Being now to take leave of these people, I must recom- 
 mend seriously to their consideration the following passage, 
 which to my utter astonishment I met with in their Maga- 
 zine for June last. How such sentiments or such expres- 
 sions could get there, I am utterly at a loss to conceive. 
 But there the reader may find them, at p. 243. " Why is 
 " divinity, of all things in the world, to be professed by 
 " those who can make no reasonable pretension to the know- 
 " ledge of its nature and properties, its distributions, and 
 " designs ? No human service is disgraced in like manner, 
 " though the whole Cyclopzedia is of infinitely less import- 
 *' ance, proportionably as the concerns of time are in the 
 *' import ot their consequences exceeded by eternity. Pre- 
 " posterous as is the protessing the sacred science of Theo- 
 " logy, by those who never so much as entered on their no- 
 " viciate, the ridiculousness bears no comparison with the 
 " evil of such attempts, and the mischief rises still higher 
 " when those professors assume ;" [this, of course, belongs 
 to the self-ordained or self-appointed,] " to be the only 
 " persons capable and qualified, and require the unqnestion- 
 " ing assent of every man to their sweeping claims," [such 
 as, that they are the only people oj God, or the people of 
 God Kur s^'j^T.v, and that they have sensible and constant 
 
67 
 
 communication with the Holy Spirit, which, of course, de- 
 pends, and can depend only upon their own assertion] 
 " Was it for this the divine Founder of Christianity became 
 " incarnate, and suffered and died ? Was it for this he said," 
 [to his Apostles and their successors] " Lo ! I am with vou 
 " even to the end of the world!" " To look no higher, 
 " was it for this our fathers, amidst tortures and flames, 
 " threw awav the Roman yoke, and disowned the Papal 
 *' authority ?" [always preserving the episcopal form of dis- 
 cipline, and declaring themselves the enemies of Schism] 
 " What! that we should surrender up our judgment and 
 " conscience," , to Mr. Wesley and his itinerant Preachers, 
 and Class Leaders.] " That we should be obliged to have 
 " the former degraded, and the latter insulted, by jargon and 
 •' blasphemy?" [such as I have above shewn to be preva- 
 lent in this communion] " and be doomed to perdition, if we 
 " presume to be rational ?" [as we are daily by these people, 
 for that very reason] " No, not in England, in the 19th 
 •' century." No, indeed ! Mr. Joseph Benson ; and we 
 thank vou verv much for this, and we seriously beseech all 
 the tinkers and the taylors and the coblers and the brick- 
 layers and the handicraft men and day labourers, in your 
 connection, to read this over, and to pay special attention to 
 this earnest appeal and protest of yours! Notuithstanding 
 its bombastic style and indifferent English, there is much 
 good sense and truth in it, and we beg you not to explain it 
 away. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 C f noted ;iv T. ( 
 J '•eterb.irou, 
 ^ ricec Street, 
 
 e. Har.iud, 
 h-Court, 
 Landan. 
 
A SERMON 
 
 \ 
 
 PREACHED BEFORE 
 
 THE ARCHDEACON OF DURHAM, 
 
 AT HIS 
 
 VISITATION 
 
 HELD AT SOUTH-CHURCH, ON WEDNESDAY 
 THE 5th DAY OF JULY 1815. 
 
THE INVOCATION OF THE VIRGIN MARY AND OF THE SAIN iS, 
 AS NOW PRACTISED IN THE CHURCH OF ROME, SHEWN TO 
 BE SUPERSTITIOUS AND IDOLATROUS. 
 
 A SERMON 
 
 PREACHED BEFORE 
 
 THE ARCHDEACON OF DURHAM, 
 
 VISITATION 
 
 HELD AT SOUTH-CHURCH, ON WEDNESDAY 
 THE 5th DAY OF JULY, 1815. 
 
 ]By THE 
 
 REV. THOMAS LE MESURIER, B. D. 
 
 HECTOR OF HAUGHTON-LE-SKERNE, 
 AND 
 
 Domestic Chaplain to Lord Viscount Sidmouth, 
 
 J>UBLISHED AT THE DESIRE OF THE ARCHDEACON AND THE 
 CLERGY. 
 
 1 Cor. iv. 13. 
 
 DURHAM : 
 
 PRINTED BY G. WALKER, 
 
 AND SOLD BY 
 
 C. ANDREWS, CURHAM ; E. CHARNLET, AND AKENHEADS, NEWCAS- 
 TLE; M. DARNTON, DARLINGTON; CHRISTOPHER, & JENNETT, 
 STOCKTON; AND RIVINGTONS, AND LONGMAN, & CO. ASB 
 BATCUAKO, LONDON. 
 
TO THE REVEREND 
 
 RICHARD PROSSER, D. D. 
 
 ARCHDEACON OF DURHAM, AND PREBENDA- 
 RY OF THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF 
 DURHAM, 
 
 AND THB 
 
 CLERGY OF THE ARCDEACONRY. 
 
 Reverend Sirs and Brethren^ 
 In complying ivith your desire, that the folloW' 
 ing Discourse should be published, permit me to 
 say that the gratijication which I have felt has 
 been greatly enhanced by the assurance which was 
 thus conveyed, that you approved of the subject 
 which I had chosen, and that from you at least it 
 would meet with due attention. 
 
VI 
 
 '* To he ready with all faithful diligence to 
 banish and drive away all erroneous and strange 
 doctrines contrary to God's word" is a part of 
 the solemn engagement which we have taken : and 
 were we inclined to forget it, we surely could not 
 be insensible to the example and labours (alluded 
 to in the following pages J of our excellent Dioce- 
 san, who, at a time of life when most men are only 
 Jit for, and only think of repose, has stood forth 
 with unremitting zeal and firmness, in this most 
 unpleasant, as well as important part of duty. 
 
 The spleen, and rancour, and malignity, and 
 even low and vulgar abuse, with luhich he has in 
 consequence of this been assailed, will, I trust, on- 
 ly have the effect of uniting us more firmly, and 
 increasing our exertions in the support and main' 
 ienance of the faith which was once delivered 
 UNTO the saints !* 
 
 * Jude V. 3. Not as Dr Milner with great confidence in the 
 ignorance of his readers, has dared to translate it, " by 
 the saints." See inquiry into certain vulgar opinions, &c. p. 
 146, 2d ed. or Bampton Lectures for 1817. p. 297- 
 
Vll 
 
 The way is plain before us. We have only to 
 fix our adversaries to that which alone can be the 
 repository of their doctrine, their established forms 
 of prayer, bulls of popes, and decrees of councils, 
 and not suffer them to deny or to elude the autho- 
 rity under which they profess to be acting. At the 
 same time, we cannot but rejoice in this strong 
 eonjirmation of the truth and excellence of our 
 church, when tve see that all their endeavours are 
 thus directed to make us believe that there is little 
 or no difference between their faith and ours. 
 
 Let me not forget, what seems indispensible in 
 addressing myself to you, gratefully to acknow- 
 ledge the attention and kindness which I have ex- 
 perienced from many of you, to whom I was a 
 stranger, and from you Mr Archdeacon in par- 
 ticular, as an old and valued friend, and to assure 
 you of the respect and esteem with which I remain 
 
 Reverend sirs, 
 your affectionate brother and servant, 
 
 Thos. Le Mesurier* 
 
ERRATA. 
 
 P. 32 1. 9 for on read in 
 
 last line, after prayed add to 
 P. 34 last line but VKo,for " kept" recrfkept 
 P. 53 1. 1 l.ybr deretal rea<i decretal 
 P. 6l 1. 12 /or groanig rearf groaning 
 P. 63 1. 13 for disperses read dispenses 
 
SERMON. 
 
 «o©oo 
 
 2 CORINTHIANS, VI. l6, 17- 
 
 What agreement hath the temple of God with idols ? for 
 ye are the temple of the living God : as God hath said I 
 will dwell with them, and walk in them, and I will be their 
 God and they shall be my people. 
 
 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye sepa- 
 rate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and 
 I will receive you. 
 
 IT is evident from the words which immediate- 
 ly precede this text, that the Apostle's meaning- 
 was not confined, or intended by him to be con- 
 fined to the setting up of an idol in the limited 
 and particular sense of the word, as applied to a 
 gross and sensible image or symbol made with 
 hands ; but that he was condemning all religious 
 worship paid to a creature ; or, indeed, all wor- 
 ship but that of the true God. For after he had 
 urged the Corinthians, that they should be recon- 
 ciled to God in the manner which he had pointed 
 
10 
 
 out, by embracing the righteousness which is in 
 Christ : After beseeching them that they should 
 not "receive the Grace of God in vain;" he pro- 
 ceeds to point out, for the purpose of removing 
 it, one of the great obstacles which yet stood in 
 their way. "Be not," he says, "unequally yoked 
 together with unbelievers ; for what fellowship 
 hath righteousness Avith unrighteousness ? and 
 what communion hath light with darkness? and 
 what concord hath Christ with Belial ^ or what 
 part hath he that believeth with an infidel ?" — 
 And then only he adds in the close, " what agree- 
 ment hath the temple of God with idols ?" 
 
 In the former epistle to the Corinthians, the 
 same Apostle argues with them in a similar 
 strain against this leaning, which it should seem 
 they sill retained, to their former errors; and he 
 intreats them to " flee from idolatry," and to 
 " have no fellowship with devils ;" thereby mean- 
 ing, undoubtedly, that communion which the 
 worshipper has, or is supposed to have, with the 
 thing or being worshipped. To enforce this he 
 add?, " ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and 
 the cup of Devils."* Now we know, and you 
 must be aware, that what is called here the cup 
 
 * 1 Corinth, x. U. 20^ 21. 
 
M. 
 
 -ef devils, was that cup of which the Heathen 
 drank after offering it up to their false gods ; 
 and that those libations might be performed as 
 well in the absence of any idol, as in the face of 
 the idol. 
 
 But, indeed, idolatry has a very general sense 
 in Scripture ; it is often put for an undue devo- 
 tion to even any of our carnal appetites. In this 
 sense you must recollect that covetousnes is said 
 to be idolatry! And in the prophets it is said 
 of the idolatrous sons of Israel, " that they had 
 set up their idols in their hearts."t 
 
 It is indeed, I believe, sufficiently understood 
 that in order to give the character of idolatry to 
 any false worship, it is not necessary that there 
 should be an image or material thing actually 
 set up : though undoubtedly idolatry does then 
 receive its full consummation, and appears, as I 
 may say, in its true colours, when that takes 
 place. And accordingly we see that here it forms 
 as it were the crown to the whole, that it is in 
 that that the climax terminates. And, indeed, 
 there will, I believe be found few nations or in- 
 dividuals, which, having adopted the worship of 
 
 t Col. iii. 5. Ephes. v. 5. J Ezek. xiv. 3. 4. 7- 
 
 B 2 
 
12 
 
 false gods, have not accompanied it with some 
 material representation of their supposed divi- 
 nity. 
 
 Still we may conclude, even from what follows 
 in my text, that this outward expression of the 
 idolatrous feeling is not absolutely of the essen- 
 tial part ; — for how does the Apostle go on to 
 enforce and to prove the impropriety of this fel- 
 lowship which he deprecates ? — Why, he adds, 
 *' ye are the temple of the living God ;" thus re- 
 curring to what is purely spiritual, — " as God 
 hath said, I will dwell with them, and walk with 
 them, and I will be their God, and they shall be 
 my people " Now we may, I think, without any 
 straining, conclude from this that every thing, or 
 every established practice which operates or con- 
 tributes to set us at a greater distance from God, 
 and to make this union and dwelling of Him 
 with us less close and less intimate may be cha- 
 racterized as idolatry. According to the fair 
 construction" of this passage of Scripture, our 
 communication with him is intended to be most 
 direct and immediate. 
 
 Should this reasoning appear to any of you at 
 all fanciful, I must intreat you to suspend your 
 judgment till you have heard what I have fur- 
 
13 
 
 ther to say : My intention being, as I hope I 
 shall be able, to shew its applicableness to that 
 species of idolatry which yet prevails in the 
 Christian Church. As indeed it was with Chris- 
 tians that St. Paul was arguing, it must natur- 
 ally follow that when in any case we have to ar- 
 gue with Christians against the same abuses, we 
 cannot find better arguments, or pursue a better 
 chain of reasoning than such as has been adopt- 
 ed by an inspired Apostle. 
 
 In treating this subject, I am well aware that 
 I shall be treading upon tender ground ; and 
 to some I may seem gratuitously to take upon 
 myself a task somewhat odious and unpopular. 
 Idolatry has been so long banished from our com- 
 munion, the Church of England, thanks be to 
 God, is now so purified from that abomination, 
 that we have almost ceased to think of it, as it 
 is still practised by those who continue to adhere 
 to the Church of Rome. We suffer it to recur 
 to our memory only as a mere matter of history, 
 to be contemplated by us with almost as much 
 indifference, and in precisely the same light as 
 the details of Paganism, with its varied and fa- 
 bulous mythology. Of the idolatry of the Jews, 
 indeed, the consideration is not so easily avoid- 
 
14 
 
 ed, ^It is so frequently broug^ht forward in eve- 
 ry part of Scripture ; so interwoven, as it were, 
 with the very mystery of our redemption, that 
 althougii long put down and extinct, we cannot 
 avoid referring to it, and marking it with that 
 abhorrence which it deserves. But of that grand 
 apostacy (for such is the proper character of idol- 
 atry when practised among christians) of that 
 grand apostacy, I say, which still walks the earth, 
 and bestrides whole nations ; and which has still 
 unhappily maintained a footing in these realms ; 
 which is speaking a language every day more 
 and more bold, and advancing its pretensions 
 with increasing confidence, it is held by many to 
 be the more becoming and proper conduct to say 
 nothing. For this various and somewhat con- 
 tradictory reasons are alledged. At one time we 
 are told that the superstitions of the Romish 
 Church are so glaring and contemptible in them- 
 selves, that we can have nothing to fear from 
 them ; and that therefore it is going oiit of our 
 way, and can only have the effect of producing 
 useless irritation to take notice of them. At 
 otS'er times we are pressed with the number, 
 and the power of the nations, or with the re- 
 spectability of the individuals among us who 
 
15 
 
 profess that faith: and it is insisted that what is 
 professed by such a description of people and of 
 persons, is entitled to respect, and should be se- 
 cure from attack. Now on the contrary, it does 
 rather seem that what holds in subjection so ma- 
 ny, and so powerful individuals, cannot, for that 
 very reason, be considered as contemptible, and 
 not to be dreaded. As on the other hand, that 
 very credit and power, and authority with which 
 the professors of that religion clothe themselves, 
 form the very argument why our opposition to 
 them, if founded on the truth, should only be the 
 more determined and constant ; since thus only 
 it can be effectual. 
 
 In yet another way the attempt is made to de- 
 ter us from our duty. We are bidden to recol- 
 lect, the very serious and odious nature of 
 that sin which we impute ; how abominable and 
 detestable in the sight of God, idolatry is de- 
 clared to be ; and we are then told that to throw 
 out such an imputation, not only shews a want of 
 liberality, but is a breach of christian charity. 
 
 Now most certainly we admit that idolatry is 
 a most grievous and heinous sin : nay we repre- 
 sent it so to be. But is that a reasoii why we 
 should cease to lift up our voice against it ? — 
 
16 
 
 Grievous as it is, yet the wickedness of the first 
 rebels against Christ, of those who actually 
 *' crucified the Lord of life," was surely not in- 
 ferior : and did the Apostles, on that account, 
 think themselves bound in charity or in courtesy 
 to abstain from directly and plainly charging 
 the Jews with having committed that most hor- 
 rible of all crimes; or from declaring to them 
 the judgments to which they had become liable, 
 and from which they could escape only by re- 
 pentance, and turning to the true faith ? Now 
 what should we do if we would tread, as every 
 man should wish to do, in the steps of those holy 
 men? 
 
 We do, in fact, but as those who have gone 
 before us in this painful office, (for so I will call 
 it,) have done. Believing, most firmly, that the 
 idolatry is committed, we state the plain facts, 
 appealing to the practice of the Romish Church, 
 to the Canons of their councils, the Bulls of their 
 Popes, to their Breviaries, Missals, and Pontifi- 
 cals ; to the authorised and approved writings 
 of their Cardinals, Bishops, and Doctors, many 
 of them declared in that church to be Saints. — 
 As to doctrine, we support ourselves, not only 
 by the words of Scripture, which however ought 
 
to be decisive for all Christians, but by the tes- 
 timonies of those very Fatliers whom our adver- 
 saries alledge, and on whom they profess to rest 
 their cause. When we have done this, and by 
 such unexceptionable evidence have estahlisiied 
 both the fact and the contradiction, what have 
 we done, but what we were bound to do ? And 
 how have we been met ? It is not unknown to 
 most of you, and therefore I speak it the more 
 boldly. Why, by the most palpable evasions, or 
 by a total silence on what are the real matters in 
 dispute ; by putting- by Canons, and Bulls, Litur- 
 gies and Offices, and bringing forward individu- 
 al opinions, which our adversaries well know 
 would not be allowed of, nay would be condem- 
 ned as heretical at Rome, [a] In aid of this, 
 invectives and sarcasms, and the most offensive 
 insinuations are dealt around without measure. 
 A plain doctrinal controversy is made, and wise- 
 ly made by those who can do no better, to as- 
 sume the appearance of a personal quarrel, An 
 the manifest hope that the merits of the question 
 may thus be obscured or kept wholly out of 
 sight, [b] 
 
 c 
 
 See Note \^a'2 See Note [[b^ 
 
IS 
 
 For all this virulence, the only excuse alledg- 
 ed is, what I have before mentioned, the griev- 
 ousness of the imputation. It is, it seems, so gross 
 and so unfounded, that it is not possible to bear 
 it with patience. Now we have been used ratlier 
 to consider that a charge, from being grossly un- 
 founded, is hut the more easily borne. When 
 the Socinians call us idolatiers on account of our 
 worshipping Jesus Christ, which of us feels at all 
 provoked or angry ? That the Romanists are so 
 sore and furious when we bring forward a similar 
 charge against them, certainly does argue that 
 they have not really the same confidence in the 
 goodness of their cause [c] 
 
 Under such circumstances it is presumed that 
 the proper conduct for us to pursue, is, not to 
 suffer ourselves to be seduced, since we cannot 
 be beaten from our strong holds ; but seeing and 
 knowing where, and how we are strong, to be 
 content there to rest; to go on,^as we are in- 
 structed, "through evil report, and through good 
 report ;" and not to be wearied or ashamed to 
 maintain those truths which cannot be shaken, 
 and to bring forward again those facts and those 
 arguments which we must be allowed to consider 
 
 See Note [jc^ 
 
19 
 
 as unanswerable, since they have never in fact 
 been answered. 
 
 We must then go on ; even for the very rea- 
 son supplied to us by our adversaries, and which 
 of itself might well be thoug-ht sufficient. What 
 indeed can more strongly justify even the most 
 repeated cautions against this sin, than the sim- 
 ple fact that it is the sin particularly marked for 
 reprobation and punishment in Scripture, and 
 the a}x>stacy against which the whole current of 
 the divine word seems principally directed ? — 
 Think only on the concluding part of my text. 
 Speaking of those who offend in this way, what 
 is the Apostle's exhortation ? " Wherefore," he 
 says, "come out from among them and be ye se- 
 parate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean 
 thing, and I will receive you. And I will be," it 
 is added, the more to confirm it, " I will be a 
 Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and 
 daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty." 
 
 You see that the rejection of this abomination 
 is made expressly the condition upon which only 
 God will dwell with us. Then only when we 
 are clear from it, we may hope that he will look 
 upon us, that we are received by him as part of 
 his familv. 
 
20 
 
 There are, however, not wanting many other 
 good reasons. For it was the consideration of 
 this sin, and of the gross manner in which it was 
 practised, which appears more than any other 
 cause, to have weaned men's minds from the cor- 
 ruptions of the Church of Rome, and to have 
 given stability to the Reformation. It may be 
 hoped therefore, that whenever men can be 
 brought to see the question in its proper light, 
 the same good effect may be produced, both in 
 reclaiming those that are straying, and in 
 strengthening those that stand [d] 
 
 But further, we shall also find on inquiry that 
 it was through this sin more especially that the 
 way was opened to all the abominations which 
 have abounded in that communion. It was the 
 first great deviation from the truth into which 
 the church of Christ was betrayed ; and upon 
 this all the rest followed. To this we must as- 
 cribe all those false legends and pretended mira- 
 cles which are for the most part so monstrous 
 and so ridiculous in themselves, and which have 
 even by that ministered such a handle to our 
 common adversaries for calling into question the 
 real and true miracles which are recorded in ho- 
 
 See Note Cd;^ 
 
21 
 
 iy writ : almost uniformly you will find that the 
 miracles of what are truly called the dark ages, 
 and even those *which are occasionally resorted 
 to in these days, have for their end and motive 
 the advancing of the credit of some real or sup- 
 posed saint, or the recommending' of some relique 
 or image, or place, or superstitious practice, [e] 
 The " hypocrisy of men speaking lies" (for such 
 I conceive to the proper translation of the pas- 
 sage) which is coupled by the apostle with the 
 " doctrine of devils," or daemons, as the word 
 might, and perhaps should be rendered, is even 
 thus exemplified most strongly in the worship 
 paid to the saints in the Romish Church, and 
 prominently contributes to stamp upon it its pro- 
 per character, [f] 
 
 Need I add that this extraordinary propensity 
 which appears to exist in our corrupt nature to 
 turn from the living God and worship the crea- 
 ture, exemplified as it is most strongly in the 
 history of the Jews at the very time when they 
 were most unquestionably God's peculiar people, 
 is a most decisive reason why we should think 
 no security too great, no caution superfluous, in 
 order to preserve us from falling into this snare. 
 
 See Note IeT] See Note [j'2 
 
22 
 
 But I advert the rather to tliis case of the 
 Jews, because it enables me to anticipate an ob- 
 jection which is commonly made on behalf of our 
 brethren of the Romish communion, particularly 
 those who reside among us. They insist that 
 since we allow their church to be a member of 
 the church of Christ, and so a true church, it is 
 perfectly inconsistent and impossible that it 
 should be given up to idolatry. The plain an- 
 swer to this is supplied by what I have mention- 
 ed of the whole history of the Jews : and it is 
 the more compleat, as our adversaries themselves 
 alledge it for a different purpose. One of their 
 favourite arguments, that on which Bossuet 
 rested in his conference with Claude, in order to 
 prove the necessity of conforming to their religi- 
 on, is, that there had been always, and therefore 
 was always intended to be a visible speaking 
 authority in the church to which submission was 
 due ; and that under the old law this authority 
 was vested in the synagogue, [g] According to 
 their own admission therefore the Jewish Church 
 always continued a true Church, and like theirs 
 with a visible speaking authority claiming im- 
 plicit submission to be paid to its dictates ; and 
 yet it is unquestionable that this same visible 
 
 See Note [g] 
 
church was scarcely ever clear from idolatry, and 
 that of the grossest kind. And so, we conclude, 
 even syllogistically, according to that mode of 
 reasoning to which they are so partial, that a 
 church does not lose its character, by becoming 
 idolatrous. 
 
 I can now only shortly lay before you the na- 
 ture of the idolatry practised in the church of 
 Rome, and the pretences under which it is clothed, 
 with a few words as to its history. 
 
 First, it is practised in the invocation of Saints 
 and Angels. 
 
 Secondly, in the adoration of Ileliques and 
 Images. 
 
 Thirdly, in the Mass ; by the avowed and un- 
 qualified adoration of the consecrated wafer, as 
 being Christ himself. 
 
 Of the latter however I shall say nothing, be- 
 cause it depends on the doctrine of transubstan-^ 
 tiation ; and I have elsewhere examined this 
 very much at large, and shewn its absurdity as 
 well as impiety, w ithout any attempt at an an- 
 swer by those who were imperiously called upon 
 to give the answer, if they could do it. [h] 
 
 Indeed I have also in another publication said 
 so much upon the other species of idolatry that 
 
 See Note [h] 
 
24 
 
 Pmay be allowed to refer you to that for the 
 deficiencies which the limits of this discourse 
 may make necessary, [i] 
 
 The invocation of saints is to be first consi- 
 dered, as indeed having been first practised, 
 though not so generally nor under its present 
 form, till it became embodied, and as it weie 
 obtained consistency by the introduction of image 
 worship. The first step to it was that praying 
 at the tombs^ of the Martyrs which in the be- 
 ginning had nothing in it but the sort of love 
 and respect which men bear to their deceased 
 friends ; and an opinion natural enough, that by 
 the remembrance of men who had so faithfully 
 served God, even to the sacrifice of their lives, 
 devotion would be increased and prayer might 
 become more acceptable and efficacious. Out of 
 this there grew up a superstitious veneration for 
 the bodies of the martyrs and an opinion that hy 
 virtue of them miracles had been wrought. This 
 was soon improved, by craft on the one side, and 
 credulity on the other, into that system of hunt- 
 ing out and hallowing reliques, which, even by 
 the confession of our adversaries was soon turn- 
 ed into a source of unlawful gain, and teemed 
 
 See Note ^O 
 
25 
 
 with all manner of abuses. It was no unnatural 
 consequence of this, that the relig'ious veneration 
 which was paid to the remains of the saints upon 
 earth should be extended to that immortal part 
 of them which was considered as residing in 
 Heaven ; and that they should be erected into 
 protectors and guardians and intercessors, and 
 that prayers should be put up to them, and they 
 should be invoked in the same manner and with 
 the same fervour of devotion, and almost in the 
 same breath as God himself, [k] 
 
 And this having taken place, the worship of 
 angels followed of course. 
 
 But this is denied to be the case, it is insisted 
 that the worship paid to the saints is not divine 
 worship : and in order to shew this, various dis- 
 tinctions have been devised : Nay, a totally new 
 class of worship has been set up. 
 
 The Protestants, you will observe, in reasoning 
 with the Romanists, urge that there are only two 
 sorts of worship, the one religious, and the other 
 civil ; and that whatever is not of the latter class, 
 must be of the former ; and that if it be religious 
 worship which is paid to the saints, it must be 
 that which God has forbidden to be paid to any 
 
 D 
 
 Sec Note \ji'2 
 
26 
 
 other but him. What indeed are his words ? 
 " I am the Lord thy God ; thou shalt have none 
 other gods before me." " coram me ;" as they 
 themselves translate it : not only no other gods 
 instead of me, but *' besides me" or under me : 
 for even that is implied. " I am the Lord" or 
 *' Jehovah," again it is said : " that is my name, 
 and my glory will I not give to another, nor 
 my praise to graven images."f When Satan 
 tempted our Saviour, he did not require him to 
 renounce God, but to worship him also. What 
 was our Saviour's answer ? not that Satan was 
 a devil, and was therefore unfit to be worshipped : 
 but " Get thee behind me Satan ; for it is written, 
 thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him 
 only shalt thou serve."; 
 
 Now what do they oppose to this ? Why, it 
 is said that though saints may not be worship- 
 ped as God is, yet there is a third or middle sort 
 of worship, which is higher than the civil worship 
 and lower than that which is paid to God. [l] 
 But we may ask, we must ask, where do they 
 find the least shadow of authority for this new 
 sort of worship ? where have they found this 
 
 * Exod. XX. 3. + Isaiah xlii. 8. 
 
 X Matt. iv. 10. Luke iv. 8. 
 
 See Note \jr\ 
 
27 
 
 notable conceit which is to make void the word 
 of God ? Not in Scripture certainly. "It had no 
 existence when Peter checked Cornelius for 
 worshippinij him, and the angel stopped John 
 when about to do the same. Nor can it even be 
 said to be properly adopted in their church. The 
 second Nicene council indeed and their doctors 
 and schoolmen attempt to draw a line, which 
 however they cannot define, between this higher 
 kind of worship which they call Latreia, and 
 the inferiour which they callDuleiaor ^ovxux [m]. 
 But these descriptions or names, with the term 
 hyperduleia for the peculiar worship due to the 
 Virgin, seem now to be abandoned ; for no men- 
 tion is made of them in the decrees of the coun- 
 cil of Trent, their last and great council, nor in 
 the catechism drawn up in consequence of its 
 directions by one of their saints. In this latter 
 the word '-colere" to worship, as well as "cultus," 
 [n] is applied indifferently to God or the saints 
 er the images. The language of the council al- 
 so is plain enough. It is there simply asserted 
 that " the saints are to be invoked ;" tlmt " re- 
 course is to be had to their prayers, their help 
 and assistance (" opem et auxilium," be it re- 
 See Note \j/i'2 See Note Tn^] 
 
28 
 
 membered ; so something distinct from prayers :) 
 and all those are anathematized who oppose this 
 doctrine, and those particularly who say that it 
 is contrary to the word of God or foolish to sup- 
 plicate the saints either by word of mouth or 
 mentally (" voce vel merited) [o] 
 
 Now, I pray you, what is, what can be divine 
 honour, if thisbenot ? observe that mental prayers 
 are to be put up to them. That therefore which 
 we all consider as amon^ the most incommuni- 
 cable attributes of the Godhead, the power of 
 reading the heart of man, is here directly attri- 
 buted to the Saints. And they must not send us 
 to their doctors and schoolmen to explain this 
 aw^ay, or to tell us how this may happen, so as 
 not to take from the glory of God ; because, in 
 the first place, there is no agreement among 
 them upon this point, as upon so many others; 
 and also they themselves tell us, when it serves 
 their turn, that what the schoolmen say is no 
 doctrine nor of any obligation. And certainly 
 when an article of faith is laid down authorita- 
 tively, as it is here, all that is necessary to the 
 right understanding of it. should be laid down 
 at the same time and by the same authority. 
 
 See Note \j\\ 
 
29 
 
 But indeed that itis divine honour which in fact 
 is paid to the saints, even the very same ho- 
 nour which is paid to Christ, is shewn not only 
 from all the prayers put up to them, but by all 
 that we learn of the opinions and demeanour of 
 the common people in Roman Catholic countries. 
 Nor can it be believed but that the intention of 
 those who preside in that Church goes along 
 with this : or that they themselves adhere to the 
 flimsy distinctions which they make. Indeed all 
 their rites, instead of avoiding carefully what St. 
 Paul expressly bids us to avoid, the '' becoming 
 a stumbling block to them that are weak,"* seem 
 expressly calculated to mislead the unwary and 
 to confound all their ideas of worship; so as ful- 
 ly to put God and his saints on the same footing. 
 Even that excuse which they give for their 
 image worship, that it passes to the prototype, 
 has this tendency most directly. For there is 
 precisely the same sort of adoration paia to the 
 images of the saints as to those of Christ. How 
 then are the unlearned (if even we would con- 
 fine ourselves to that class; to make tue distinc- 
 tion, or to discern where or how they arc to vset 
 limits to, or to qualify their adoration in the one 
 
 ^ 1 Cor. viii. Q. 
 
so 
 
 case any more than in the other ? Incense is 
 burnt, offerings are made, candles are lighted, 
 mass is celebrated, full as solemnly, if not more 
 so, before the altar of St. Francis as before that 
 of Christ. What is to guide the votary or sup- 
 plicant, so that his devotion may not exceed the 
 due bounds or assume a wrong character ? 
 
 And what shall we say to the blasphemies ven- 
 ted to the honour (so it is called) of the Virgin 
 Mary ? She indeed is supposed and declared to 
 to have authority over her son. She is called up- 
 on to exert it ; " Monstra te esse matrem." One of 
 their saints, St. Bonaventure, called by excel- 
 lence the seraphic Doctor, travestied the whole 
 psalter, into invocations of her instead of God, 
 substituting her name for his through the whole. 
 Indeed in most of their solemn offices and bene- 
 dictions she is always joined at least with God 
 or Christ ; praise is given to her by Bellarmine, 
 together with God, in the end of several' of his 
 controversial works. In this kingdom the Roman- 
 ists are taught to implore her blessings in the 
 same breath with Christ's. They are instructed 
 to repeat 
 
 " Nos cum prole pia benedicat virgo Maria." 
 
 Wlu^re she certain!)' appears to hold the first 
 place, [p] 
 
 ■See Note Cj^l 
 
31 
 
 Consider now the following practices. All 
 their confessions are addressed not only to God, 
 but to the Virgin, to St. Michael, St. John the 
 Baptist, St. Peter, and St. Paul, and all the 
 saints. And it is a part of the ceremony that 
 the intercession of them all with the Lord is 
 prayed for. 
 
 Again, when the penitent is in the agonies of 
 death, they solemnly dismiss his soul (" profi- 
 ciscere anima") in the name indeed of the Fa- 
 ther of the Son and of the Holy Ghost : but al- 
 so (oF course because that is not sufficient) " in 
 the name of the angels and archangels ; in the 
 name of thrones and dominations ; in the name 
 of principalities and powers" (we might well ask 
 who or what are these ? for St. Paul classes them 
 among our enemies : butno matter) ; '"in the name 
 of cherubim and seraphim, in the name of the pa- 
 triarchs and prophets ; in the name of the holy 
 martyrs and confessors ; in the name of the holy 
 monks and hermits ; in the name of the holy 
 virgins ; and all the saints of God." To him 
 who considers the full import of using the name of 
 Godin such asolemn form as this, how themajesty 
 of God is by him made to rest, as it were, in his 
 name, this association of other names to his upon 
 
such an occasion canbelookediipon in no other light 
 than as an attempt to parcel out the divine glo- 
 ry and power, and as a sacrilegious blasphemy 
 derogatory in the highest degree from his ho- 
 nour, [q] 
 
 One only instance more I shall mention. On 
 various occasions, the mass is offered up to the 
 honour of the saints ; and particularly, at certain 
 periods, pointed out on their missals, in memory 
 of Christ's passion, resurrection, and ascension, 
 but to the honour of the Virgin Mary, St. John 
 the Baptist, St. Peter, and St. Paul, and all the 
 saints ! so that that sacrifice which was really 
 once offered for the sins of the whole world, but 
 which they say they can repeat whenever they 
 please, is here supposed to be offered to the ho- 
 nour of frail beings like ourselves. The Saviour 
 of the world is again to undergo humiliation, in 
 order that certain of his creatures may be mag- 
 nified here on earth ! What is this, again I say 
 but idolatry, and blasphemous idolatry ? [r] 
 
 Still, we are assured, all this is perfectly inno- 
 cent. It is all a misconception. The help that 
 is required or expected of the saints, however di- 
 rectly or in whatever terms they are prayed or 
 
 See Note [[q]] See Note I^r] 
 
S3 
 
 invoked, is only that they should pray to God 
 for us ; and this isperfectly justifiable, because we 
 are bidden to pray for one another, and St. Paul 
 when on earth bade the Disciples pray for him. 
 
 Now supposing the fact to be so, and that 
 they could reduce their worship of the saints to 
 this mere act of in treating them to pray for us, 
 which you must see is quite contrary to the truth ; 
 what analogy is there between the two cases ^ 
 In praying for our fellow creatures here on earth, 
 we are not only doing an act of charity, but pray- 
 ing for that which greatly concerns ourselves. 
 St. Paul "exhorts that prayers and intercessions 
 be made for all men." *' For kings and" as he 
 goes on, " for all that are in authority." What 
 is the reason he gives ? why, a very plain 
 one. *'That we may lead a quiet and peaceable 
 life in all godliness and honesty." It is our own 
 good that we are promoting in more ways than 
 one. While we are here living upon earth we 
 may say (to use the words of St. Paul,) that " if 
 one member suffer, the other members must suf- 
 fer with it." In praying for others therefore, 
 and desiring them to pray for us, we are only 
 performing an office of love mutually and reci- 
 procally beneficial. But when the Romanist 
 
54 
 
 prays to his saints to pray for him, he prays to 
 those whom he considers as beings of a far supe- 
 rior order, with feelings and capacities and pow- 
 ers very different from his ; who have no need of 
 his prayers in return ; nay, who must be endow- 
 with divine attributes, or he cannot have any con- 
 fidence that his prayer is even heard, or, in the 
 ease of viental prayer, discerned. How then does 
 the one practice warrant the other ?[s] 
 
 r5ut again, we may and we must answer, that 
 St. Paul expressly exhorts us to do the one thing ; 
 but neither he nor any other apostle has bidden 
 us to do the other. On the contrary St. Paul 
 expressly condemns the worship of angels, as did 
 the council of Laodicea after him. If the interces- 
 sion ofgoodmen departedbe necessary for us, why 
 have we not been told of it from the first autho- 
 rity ? what need we to do that which it is ad- 
 mitted was never done under the old covenant ? 
 was not Abraham, was not Moses, were not E- 
 noch, and Elijah, holy men, equal at least in 
 sanctity and favour with God to any modern 
 saint ; and why did not the Jews pray to them ? 
 
 As to the fable of the Limbtis Patrum, where 
 all the Patriarchs were supposed to be " kept" till 
 Christ's resurrection, I presume that will hardly 
 See Note XJ^ 
 
35 
 
 he iirg-ed. [t] But, even assuming that, were 
 iiot Enoch and Elijah in heaven, and is there 
 not something very like our Saviour's authority 
 for saying- that Abraham was there ? they sure- 
 ly might have been prayed to. 
 
 But there is more behind. By this plea of theirs 
 we are reminded of that which is the most gross 
 and abominable feature in this sin. By it direct 
 violence is done to the merits of our Saviour and 
 to his office as mediator. By calling on his saints 
 to intercede with God for him^ the Romanist 
 puts out of sight that one mediator, who, after 
 having died for our sins and risen again, ascen- 
 ded into heaven that he might be an advocate 
 for us with the father. It is mere pretence to 
 urge that their prayers all conclude " Per domi- 
 num :" " through the Lord." For first this is 
 not universally true : and if it were, still it is 
 easy to conceive how that which is constantly 
 and uniformly repeated, may come to be utterly 
 disregarded as being little more than mere form. 
 It is on the body of the prayer that the atten- 
 tion is particularly fixed, and tlicre we find only 
 the intercession and merits of the saint. 
 
 But even allowing that Christ is really kept 
 in view, why is any one interposed between hhn 
 See Note [[tJ 
 
36 
 
 and us ? God says " my son shall be the media- 
 tor, and the only mediatoi for you.* " True" says 
 the Romanist, " he shall be the only mediator of 
 redemption : but we will have others whom We 
 call only mediators of intercession, who shall 
 bring us to you and to him." For such is the dis- 
 tinction which at times they rest upon. And 
 can any thing be more futile or presumptu- 
 ous? [u] 
 
 But what then is the reason assigned forthis? It 
 is it seems, more humble and more becoming in us 
 to seek the aid of men like ourselves than to pre- 
 sume to make direct addresses to God. But now 
 how is this even consistent with my text ? God 
 declares he will dwell with us, that we shall be 
 his temple ; and shall we fear to come to him ? 
 shall we look for any other guest but him ? and 
 recollect, that the one man whom he has appoin- 
 ted as mediator, is God also; so that Christ's 
 dwelling with us and God's dwelling with us is 
 the same; but how can that be in the case of any 
 other being ? But further, to take away all cavil, 
 what says the word of God ? even for this the 
 Son of God became a man, that >ve might have 
 a man for our mediator. " We" says the apostle 
 to the Hebrews, " have not an high priest which 
 See Note ^v^^ 
 
37 
 
 cannot be touched with our infirmities, but was 
 in all things tempted as we are, yet without 
 sin."* " In all things," again it is said, it beho- 
 ved him to be made like unto his brethren, th^^ 
 he might be a merciful and faithful high priest 
 in things pertaining to God, to make reconci- 
 liation for the people."! 
 
 How gross then is it, to say in the face of this 
 and much more, that we have need of other men 
 to pray for us and to intercede for us ? Is Christ 
 unequal to the task which he undertook, or will 
 he, contrary to his word, forsake us in the time 
 of need? will he do his work imperfectly? It 
 were blasphemy to say so. 
 
 But neither is this all. Not only is the 
 office of Christ as mediator invaded, but they as- 
 cribe to their saints merits which are efficacious 
 in obtaining the forgiveness of sins. And thus 
 they rob Christ of his glory as our redeemer also. 
 Their prayers in a variety of cases expressly bring 
 forward the merits as well as the intercession of 
 their saints. In many cases they familiarly cou- 
 ple together (particularly in all that relates to 
 indulgences) the merits of Christ and the saints : 
 
 * Heb. iv 15. t Heb. ii. 17« 
 
ss 
 
 " Christi merita et Sanctorum ;"[v] what is this 
 again but idolatry combined with sacrilege ? 
 
 And indeed consideringthe peculiar dispensation 
 under which we live and are to work out our sal- 
 vation, it does seem that this is precisely that sort 
 of idolatry which must be most displeasing to 
 God, and is peculiarly marked with a contempt 
 of his word. 
 
 Let us only trace the progress, as we may call 
 it, of Gods manifestations of himself. At first, 
 unless we except Adam and some chosen Patri- 
 archs, it should seem that the revelation was in 
 some respect imperfect. This is what we are left 
 to collect from his word to Moses, when about 
 to shew himself peculiarly as the deliverer of the 
 sons of Israel. " I am the Lord," he said : " and 
 I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by 
 the name of God Almighty ; but by my name 
 Jehovah was I not known unto them."* Now 
 as we find the word Jehovah actually used in his 
 communication with Abraham, we must look for 
 the true import of this beyond the letter. He 
 was then to be known in some peculiar manner ; 
 not we may say, as in the deluge, only by acts 
 of vengeance, but as a God of blessing and of 
 
 See Note [v] * Exod. vi. 2, 5. 
 
39 
 
 mercy, constant in the fulfilment of his promi* 
 ses ; one, as he said afterward of himself to Isai* 
 ah, " that speak in righteousness mighty to save ;"* 
 accordingly when he declared himself so solemn- 
 ly against all idolatry by the promulgation of the 
 commandments from Sinai, he ushered them in 
 with a reference to that part of his character. 
 " I" said he " am the Lord thy God, which have 
 brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the 
 house of bondage."! You cannot forget how of- 
 ten this appeal to the experience and call 
 upon the gratitude of his people was repeated. 
 Not onLy he told them that he was their God, 
 and that they were to have none other God : but 
 also they were to consider him emphatically as 
 their deliverer, and to have none other. " I, says 
 he, am the holy one of Israel, the Saviour." — " I 
 am the Lord, beside me there is no Saviour." 
 '• A just God and a Saviour ; there is none be- 
 side me."t. The peculiar guilt therefore of the 
 Israelites in turning to Idolatry and seeking af- 
 ter other protectors and deliverers, that which is 
 most emphatically dwelt upon in scripture, is 
 this, that they thus called in question the power 
 
 "^ Isaiah Ixiii. 1. t Exod. xx. 2. 
 
 X Isaiah xlviii. ". 11. \\y. 91. 
 
40 
 
 or the faithfulness of God, his ability or his dh- 
 position to do what he had promised. It was 
 committing blasphemy against his word when- 
 ever they sought for assistance from any other 
 God. You will bear in mind that their offence 
 was not that they renounced or denied the true 
 God to be God ; for proud as they were of being 
 the children of Abraham, they could never have 
 denied the God of Abraham : but it was that 
 they joined other Gods to him. They had other 
 Gods " before him," or '* besides him." This 
 was notoriously the case even under the reign of 
 Ahab, the most marked among the idolatrous 
 kings of Israel. 
 
 Now consider this with a reference to our si- 
 tuation under the new covenant. A new and 
 further revelation has been made to us, even of 
 the mystery hid for ages. We are no longer to 
 look for a deliverance from mere temporal evils, 
 as was the case with the Israelites, (whose deli- 
 verances indeed, particularly that great deliver- 
 ance from the hand of Pharaoh, were but typi- 
 cal of the great mercy that was to follow) ; but 
 we know that that for which all things have 
 been working together from the first ages is our 
 deliverance from the bondage of sin. And 
 
I 
 
 j 41 
 
 this deliverance has Ijeeii accomplished by the 
 death of our Saviour, and his exaltation to the 
 right hand of God to make intercession for sin- 
 ners. It it is that " God was in Christ reconcil- 
 ing the world unto himself." And therefore al- 
 so he is established as the one mediator between 
 God and man, to whose merits alone we are to 
 appeal. The peculiar characteristic of our reli- 
 gion is then that we are saved by a mediator, 
 and he one. And as the Israelites were called 
 the people of Jehovah, or the people of the God 
 of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so are we called 
 the people of Christ; Christians. Christ is become 
 to us what Jehovah was to the Jews, emphati- 
 cally our Saviour and Redeemer, or Deliverer. 
 
 If then we should ask in what way the majes- 
 ty of our God could be more peculiarly offended, 
 and his decrees set at nought, surely it would be 
 in the very way which the Church of Rome has 
 pursued ; even by calling in other mediators or 
 intercessors to co-operate in the work of our sal- 
 vation. As the power of God to deliver was cal- 
 led in question whenever under the old covenant 
 refuge was had to other deliverers or defenders, 
 so is the same sort of insult offered to the all- 
 
 F 
 * 2 Cor. V. 1.9. 
 
42 
 
 sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice and mediation, 
 whenever the attempt is made to propitiate God 
 bj calling up the merits or intercessions of any 
 other being or creature, however supposed to be 
 glorified or exalted. 
 
 And it is no answer to this, to say that there 
 is with them no denial, but rather an assertion, 
 as strong as can be, of the merits and mediato- 
 rial office of our Saviour ; because, as it has been 
 shewn, it is not essential to idolatry that the true 
 God should be denied. This is plain even from 
 the apostacy under Mahomet and his followers^ 
 For they confess our God ; nay, they confess al- 
 so Jesus Christ ; but they say that his mission 
 failed of its effect, and therefore Mahomet was 
 sent to complete and to perfect what he left un- 
 done. 
 
 Nor is it a better answer to say that these ho- 
 ly men whose intercession is thus invoked, and 
 whose merits are pleaded, were faithful servants 
 of the true God, and that therefore what is said 
 of them can never be in derogation of God's ho- 
 nour or his word. For can any man believe that 
 it would have made the least difference in the 
 case of the Israelites, if they had erected altars 
 to Abraham, or to Noah, instead of Baal and Ash- 
 
4$ 
 
 taroth ? why indeod in thatt case might not they 
 have worshipped angels with impunity ? but this 
 subterfuge never came into their heads. Having 
 chosen to follow after vanity, they did it at least 
 openly and without equivocation. 
 
 The truth is however that the Church of Rome 
 in her idolatry has most closely copied that of 
 the heathen. It is admitted on all hands and in- 
 sisted upon alike by Pagan philosophers and 
 Christian fathers, and is traced and ascertained 
 by ancient arid modern writers, that the setting 
 up of false gods had its origin in a superstitious 
 veneration of the dead. All the heathen, those 
 at least who had any understanding, acknow- 
 ledged a supreme Qod ; but they would have also 
 inferior Deities, or Demons, as they were some- 
 times called, under him, who should have a pe- 
 culiar care of them and their concerns and coun- 
 try, and who received the power to do this from 
 the supreme being. This is even urged by the 
 adversaries of Christianity, when arguing in de- 
 fence of their Idolatry, in terms which might be 
 adopted by the Romanist of these days, [x] It 
 was in truth with a reference to one and the 
 other that St. Paul said " there be that are cal- 
 
 See Note [jT] 
 
44 
 
 led gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there 
 be Gods many and Lords many)" [that is, infe- 
 rior or g-entilitial deities] ; " but to us there is 
 but one God the Father, of whom are all things 
 and we in him ; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by 
 whom are all things, and we in him. "* 
 
 The Romanist indeed, not less than the Pa- 
 gan, has plenty of these lords or demons : saints 
 presiding over nations, over places, over profes- 
 sions : mighty, as it is pretended, to assist in va- 
 rious temptations, against various accidents and 
 diseases, [y] 
 
 But the imaginations and practices of the hea- 
 then have also been followed in that which is the 
 consummation of all ; the worship of material 
 symbols, and representations of men and women; 
 nay, of inanimate things : for such is the case 
 with respect to relics as well as the cross : to the 
 last of which the highest sort of adoration is of- 
 ficially declared to be due. As to this however 
 I shall say little : for if it be idolatry to worship 
 the saints, still more must the worshipping of tlieir 
 images and relics [z] be idolatrous, and indeed 
 we can have no doubt of its being divine worship 
 
 * 1 Cor. viii. 5, 6. 
 See Note [^y'^ See Note ^z^ 
 
I 
 
 45 
 
 which is paid to them, even from what has been 
 said before. Only it is pretended, as you will re- 
 collect, that the worship passes to the prototype. 
 But this is precisely the way in which the hea- 
 then also spoke of their adoration of images. 
 They too were not so stupid as to suppose that 
 the wood or stone was their God ; or seeing a 
 hundred statues of Jupiter, or Apollo, conceived 
 that there were a hundred Jupiters, or Apollos. 
 This is admitted and argued upon by the fathers ; 
 who for this evasion treat them just as we do 
 the Romanists. And indeed it may be observe d, 
 once for all : — that for our condemnation of these 
 idolatrous practices we have the fullest and cUrar- 
 est authority in the earlier and genuine fathers 
 of the church.[AAj Nay, testimonies jto that ef- 
 fect may be found down to a very late period. 
 Their second Nicene council, you will recollect, 
 dates very late in the eighth century : It had 
 been preceded by the council of Constantinople 
 ordering the demolition of images ; and was iol- 
 lowed almost immediately by the council of 
 Frank'brt, which not only rejected its decrees, but 
 treated them and its acts v/iih great contempt : 
 for it is agreed that the Carujine uooks, publiah- 
 
 See Note [aaJ 
 
46 
 
 ed soon after by the command of Charlemagne, 
 speak the sentiments of that council ; and no 
 protestant could reprobate more pointedly the 
 stupidity and impiety which dictated so open and 
 gross a violation of the second commandment. 
 [bb] Miserably contemptible however as is the 
 trash contained in those acts of the second coun- 
 cil of Nice, and of which the Romaniststhemselves 
 are ashamed, it has supplied most of the argu- 
 ments now in vogue. For there we are told of 
 the cherubim with which the ark was adorned ; 
 and the brazen serpent v/hich Moses set up. As 
 if either of them was at all set up to be adored ? 
 We know indeed that when th€ latter came to 
 have incense burnt before it, it was destroyed as 
 an abomination. To all this there is an answer 
 given by one of the fathers, a great favourite of 
 theirs, Tertullian, which is so applicable even to 
 all their practices, that I cannot forbear adducing 
 it. He was condemning workmen who made 
 
 images. These alledg-ed the brazen serpent. His 
 answer is, " thou hast a plain commandment," 
 
 " 1^1 ake no likeness of any thing." If thou 
 
 wouldest follow the example of Moses, make no 
 
 likeness contrary to the commandment, untill 
 
 God shall bid thee do it." [cc] The church you 
 
 See Note [^bb^ See Note [[cc]] 
 
47 
 
 see, in his time, had not yet learned to make 
 void the word of God by traditions or perversions 
 of scripture. 
 
 What I have thus alleged to you, long and te- 
 dious as it may have appeared, is but a very 
 small part of what has been urged against this 
 gross breach of God's commandment, or of what 
 has presented itself to my mind. But I must not 
 try your patience any longer. I should indeed 
 weary and disgust you, if I were to go into any 
 details respecting many of their abuses, such as 
 what sort of saints and of relics have been and 
 are in many cases the objects of this worship, 
 the gross frauds that have been practised, and 
 the silly and ridiculous fables which have been 
 imposed and passed current as articles of faith. 
 But my endeavour has been to take the question 
 in the way which was most unexceptionable, 
 and indeed most favourable to our adversaries, 
 because I wished to meet and to confute them^ 
 as they have often been met and confuted, 
 (though unhappily not convinced) out of their 
 own mouths. 
 
 One advantage and a considerable one, I cer" 
 tainly feel that I possess. To the greater part of 
 you nothing of what I have said can seem strange. 
 
48 
 
 for happily the doctnne has more than once in 
 this place been brought to your ears, by much 
 better authority than mine. Nor in following an 
 example which must be so respected by all of us, 
 have I supposed that I could really and substan- 
 tially add to what has been said. But great and 
 important truths cannot too often be brought to 
 view ; lest as it has in many instances happened, 
 they should be forgotten or perverted. It is for 
 this very purpose that a perpetual ministry of 
 the gospel was instituted ; that even thus, 
 through our means, the doctrines of our God and 
 Saviour should be preserved inviolate. What I 
 have done therefore, you must grant to me, you 
 must permit me to say, has not been done " out 
 of strife or vain glory," but in discharge of my 
 duty. I have done it too not despising certainly, 
 but not anxiously bent to obtain the praise of 
 men. It is in these days much connected with 
 a liberality which appears to me to deal some- 
 vi^hat too much in concessions, and not unfre- 
 quently leads to an undue compromising of the 
 truth. Amonor its favourite canons it is laid down 
 that we are not to press an adversary with con- 
 sequences which he disclaims. And in some cases, 
 and to a certain extent it may be a good rule. 
 
49 
 
 But if it be to be carried to the extent of re- 
 quiring, as some persons seem to do, that we 
 are to give implicit assent to the representations 
 which a man may choose to make of himself, of 
 his acts, or of his doctrines, I can never subscribe 
 to it. This would make it become morally or 
 nearly impossible, not only to detect error, but to 
 convict criminals. We must, I contend, in all ca- 
 ses be allowed to enquire if a story be consistent ; 
 and if certain consequences necessarily follow 
 from certain positions, we must also be allowed 
 to say that they cannot be separated ; that the 
 one must be taken with the other. Nay, falla- 
 cies may be so gross, that we cannot avoid asking 
 whether a man deceives himself or means to im- 
 pose upon us ; whether he be " deceiving" or 
 " deceived," or both ; for the apostle shews us 
 that not unfrequently both meet in the same per- 
 sons. Whether any thing of this kind may or may 
 not have happened in the case of those late and 
 well known controversies to which I have allud- 
 ed, I must leave you to say. 
 
 One of the gentlemen in question has been 
 pleased to treat with great contempt and levity 
 the interpretations of the apocalypse commonly 
 
m 
 
 received among protestants.[DD] Now it is cer- 
 tain, first, that the Bal)ylon mentioned in that 
 book is Rome. All are agreed in this. It is equal- 
 ly certain that what St. John is describing is the 
 state of the church, and it is to that also St. Paul 
 refers in his epistles, when he is speaking of the 
 man of sin, and the grand apostacy. It is most 
 certain also that fornication, there as in other 
 parts of scripture, means idolatry. Now untill 
 some better account, equally consistent with these 
 acknowledged positions, can be given of what is 
 there described, we must take leave to maintain 
 our present opinion. 
 
 To sum up the whole. The invocation of 
 saints and angels, as practised in the church of 
 Kome- is idolatrous, as being divine or religious 
 worship (take what word you will) paid to crea- 
 tures. It is not civil worship, such as we pay to 
 one another here on earth. It is such worship as 
 pre-supposes supernatural qualities existing in 
 the objects of devotion. It is further ascertained 
 and fixed to be idolatry, by the use of images, 
 before which, or to which, men bow down and 
 pay adoration. And it is idolatry peculiarly sin- 
 ful in Christians, as it derogates from the hon- 
 our of the one mediator. 
 
 See Note Tdd;]. 
 
^1 
 
 Tliis being the case, I shaU not fear to apply- 
 to Papal Rome, as I hav^e done once before, in 
 an audience equally respectable, and more nu- 
 merous than this, that remarkable passage, so 
 harmonizing with my text. " Come out of her 
 my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins 
 and tinat ye receive not of her plagues."* 
 
 Rev. xviii. 4. Bamption Lectures for 1807- p. 515. 
 
NOTES. 
 
 »%'«^%%-V% 
 
 Page 17. Note ^a;] 
 
 For the most ample proof of all this, the reader has only 
 to dip into any one of the tracts which have been published of 
 late on this subject. But a short reference to some of the most 
 marked of these evasions may not be amiss. Mr Lingard 
 having to defend the doctrine of his church respecting the 
 Eucharist, has done it studiously, and almost avowedly ab- 
 staining from the mention of transubstantiation, although 
 every one knows that this is the real and proper point in dis- 
 pute between us ; that which is required to be specifically 
 disclaimed in the declaration against popery. Pressed by me 
 with the canons, deretal bulls and offices of his church, he is 
 silent : — He only says that he trusts that " his readers will 
 give him credit for the knowledge of his own belief" Preface 
 to his tracts p. vi. Again, he declares, and in this is joined 
 'oy Mr Eustace, that indulgences in his church are nothing 
 but the commutation of the public penance which was required 
 for crimes in the primitive church, and is still in use with 
 us. This to be sure is something viore than mere evasion. 
 The reader cannot have forgot what it was that first called 
 forth the exertions of Luther, and the bull of Leo, by which 
 that great man's opposition to indulgences, as practised in 
 the Romish church is condemned : and by which they are in 
 
fact declared, (and not only in that very bull, but in the bull 
 of the late pope, (called " Auctorem Fidei,") which standing 
 uncontradicted is infallible doctrine,) to consist in the dealing 
 out the aierits of Christ and the saints out of a certain trea- 
 sure of which the pope has the management. Dr Milner's 
 evasions have been most prominently exhibited in denying 
 that his church maintains that heretics are to be extermina- 
 ted or persecuted : he can't deny indeed that this has been 
 the practice of Roman catholic countries, nor that it is dis- 
 tinctly enjoined by the 4th Lateran council, which is a general 
 and a famous council of their church : but he says that it is 
 a canon of discipline not of doctrine ! As to the inquisition, 
 ihe and all the rest say nothing: — He says moreover that 
 with the persecutions of the 12, 13, 14', & 15 centuries we can 
 •have nothing to do, because the heretics of those days were 
 not called protestants ; and, besides, that this was no act of 
 the church or of the clergy, because the burning or other ca- 
 pital punishment was only a consequence of the decree which 
 pronounced the culprit to be an obstinate or relapsed here- 
 tic ; and the sentence was executed by laymen and not by 
 clerks : and moreover whenever the obstinate or relapsed 
 heretic was delivered over to the secular arm to be burnt, or 
 otherwise destroyed, the ecclesiastical judges always with 
 gi'eat gravity intreated that he should be tenderly used and 
 that no harm should be done to him. This right reverend 
 ■doctor, and the rest, are indignant at being told that it is a 
 maxim of their church that no faith is to be kept with here- 
 tics to the prejudice of the church ; but when the decree of 
 the council of Constance to that effect is set before them, 
 they say nothing, but still insist that they can keep their 
 
word in coiiimon transactions between man and man as well 
 as any body, which we don't deny. Then tliey would have it 
 that the reading of the scriptures in the vulgar tongues was 
 jiot denied to the laity in their church, because in every 
 country, and particularly here, there were such translations 
 of the scriptures to be had ; but when put to the test by Mr 
 Blair and Mr Lefroy, and the gentlemen associated with 
 them, they were fain to acknowledge that it was a doctrine 
 of their church that the reading of the word of God in the 
 vulgar tongue was not to be allowed to every body, or with- 
 out special license. Then to come to what may be " instar 
 omnium," Mr Lingard in the preface to his tracts, of course, 
 giving us his most deliberate opinion, refers us for a correct 
 Icnowledge of the doctrines of his church, to whom does the 
 reader think ? to " Holden, Analysis Fidis : Veron, regula 
 fidei : Bossuet, exposition de la doctrine de 1' Eglise catho-. 
 lique : and an essay on catholic communion, hy a minister of 
 the church of England" ! ! Now, Bossuet indeed was a bishop ; 
 but it is well known that his doctrines are not those of the 
 popes ; and archbishop Wake has shewn most pointedly, and 
 very much at large, that it is made up of evasion and equivo- 
 cation, (see his exposition and other tracts in preserv. 
 against popery, vol. iii.) Holden and Veron are obscure and 
 perfectly unauthorized writers. And the last treatise referred 
 to bears a lie on the face of it, for it is evidently written by 
 a Romanist, in the assumed character of a minister of the 
 rhurch of England ; whom therefore we may be allowed to 
 designate as a wolf in sheep's clothing. And these are the 
 doctors of their church, who are to supersede their popes, 
 ^aints and general councils ! and this in a church which posi- 
 
56* 
 
 lively says that it is to popes and general councils, and to 
 them alone, that it belongs to declare what is the true doc- 
 trine ! Mr Lingard however is so fond of this same " Essay 
 on catholic communion," that he has republished it with a 
 preface, in which not one word is said of the assumed cha- 
 racter of its author ; but occasion is taken to repeat some 
 common place abuse which he had before vented more than 
 once in almost the same terms against his opponents ! For 
 fuller particulars see the author's tracts on the Roman catho- 
 lic question, particularly his reply to Dr Milner and supple- 
 ment to the reply, his doctrine of the Eucharist and address 
 to the Roman catholics of England. In all which the reader 
 will be so good as to correct a mistake into which the author 
 was betrayed by Mr Lingard's tracts having first come out 
 anonymously, and their having been ascribed to Mr Fletcher, 
 who is there represented as the writer of them. See also 
 correspondence on the formation, &c. of the Roman catholic 
 Bible society, 1813. printed for Seeley. And the declaration 
 and protestation of the Roman catholics of England, 1812. 
 Printed for J. J. Stockdale. Other evasions will be noticed 
 in the course of the notes. 
 
 Page 17. Note [[b]] 
 
 See for this Mr Lingard's tracts and prefaces to the tracts 
 which he has republished ; Dr Milner's observations on the 
 sequel to the serious examination, or the author's reply. Be- 
 sides charging us with bigotry ! intolerance ! illiberality and 
 malignity, and slander ; nonsense and malice; and the like; 
 we are uniformly represented as " hunters after preferment;" 
 " unprincipled benefice hunters ;" as " mea who were never 
 
61 
 
 known to lose any thing which could be obtained by sweai'- 
 ing;" " who have been accustomed to make religion a mat- 
 ter of calculation, to weigh tithes against subscriptions, and 
 to estimate the orthodoxy of a creed by the amount of its 
 temporal emoluments." Even the guarded Mr Eustace 
 charges the Bishop of Lincoln with a mistatement, "origi- 
 nating in malevolence and propagated by ignorance." — Then 
 comes Mr Peter Gandolphy, in certain " Letters" (anony- 
 mously published, but clearly understood to be his) " to the 
 Archbishop of Canterbury and protestant clergy ;" who tells 
 us, (p. 13.) among othef things as liberal, that by our op- 
 position to them, " our bishops and we, it is supposed, wish 
 to palliate some of our own trespasses on what is forbidden 
 by St. Paul in the ip, 20, and 21, verses of his fifth chapter 
 to the Galatians ;" — the offences there specified being "adul- 
 tery, Jornication, iincleanness, lascivioiisness, idolatry, rvitch- 
 craft, haired, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, he- 
 resies, murders, drun^emiess, reveUings and such like !!!" — 
 The rest is full of such charges. On the other hand the Ro- 
 mish priest is represented as all perfection ; — the very es- 
 sence of purity and disinterestedness. " The Catholic 
 
 Church," says Mr Lingard, (p. 98.) "has not, like the estab- 
 lished Church, in this kingdom,, ricli and easj- livings to be- 
 .stow on her champions; she cannot invite them, after the 
 heat of the contest, to repose in the lap of indolence." — It is 
 and must be admitted indeed, that, out of this kingdom, the 
 Pope has no lack of good and rich preferment to give, and 
 Cardinal's hats to boot: and he may give them to English- 
 men. Moreover, Mr Lingard will, it is hoped, recollect how 
 this reasoning of his tells in favor of the first confessors of 
 the prote-stant faith: of those who M'ere af*^crwards the ob- 
 H 
 
ss 
 
 fects of the famous revocation of the edict of Nantes ; of 
 the Vaudois ; and of all those who are now protcstants in po- 
 pish countries ; wherever such a description of men are toler- 
 ated, and allowed, if any such are allowed, to speak with the 
 same freedom as these gentlemen enjoy in this country. 
 
 Page 18. Nole [[c]] 
 
 Thus Mr Peter Gandolphy in his letters (p. 3) says : " ft 
 will be said that I am warmed" (he had just before been abu- 
 sing the Clergy for writing anonymously, he himself doing 
 at that moment the very same thing !) " and I avow it. For 
 truly, I conceive to be stigmatised a murderer, — a traitor— 
 a seditionist, — a violater of public faith, — merely because I 
 hold communion with the venerable Bishop of Rome, is 
 enough to warm any man whose blood is not as cold as the 
 grave." The Reader may stare and ask where it is that we 
 charge Mr Gandolphy or any Romanist with all this .'' but 
 this is a trick of theirs, to represent us in the most invidious 
 light by either overcharging what we say, or imputing to us 
 what we never have said. We state the doctrines and 
 the facts and the natural and necessary consequences ; but 
 apply them not to individuals, except where we shew them, 
 to have actually followed with respect to the individual. The 
 Homily which is set forth on the subject of this discourse is 
 entitled " of the danger of idolatry." The declaration against 
 Popery which is so much cried out against, is, that a mau 
 believes, " that in the Sacrament of the Lord's supper there 
 is not any transubstantiation of the elements of bread and 
 wine into the body and blood of Christ at or after the con- 
 secration thereof by any person whatsoever, and that the 
 
69 
 
 invocation or adoration of the Virgin Mar}^ or any othei 
 Saintj and the sacrifice of the mass, as they are now used in 
 the Church of Rome, are superstitious and idolatrous." (30. 
 C. 2. St. 2. c. 1.) Now there is no one that will deny that at 
 Rome itself, there, where the Pope resides, and from whence 
 all authority in their church enianates, this superstition and 
 idolatry is practised, that it is in constant use. So that even 
 if they could shew that here their practice is different, which 
 we are j-et to learn, for certainly none of their Bishops have 
 told us any such thing, still that would not prove the declar- 
 tion to be false in fact, or superfluous. In the author's preface 
 to his tracts, he has, following Stillingfleet, expressly dis- 
 claimed any personal application, nay has allowed that men 
 may be and often are, he believes that most of the English 
 Roman catholics are, better than their principles; only if the 
 principles are maintained, it must be still our duty to resist 
 them and guard ourselves against their operation. See tracts 
 on the Roman Catholic Question, p. xv. 
 
 Page 20. Note Z,d'2 
 
 I find this expressly assigned in two recantation Sermons 
 now before me, one preached by Anthony Egane late a Fran- 
 ciscan, and confessor general of the kingdom of Ireland, 
 
 1673. The other by Francis De la Motte, late preacher of 
 
 the order of the Carmelites l675. 
 
 Page 21. Note M 
 
 Among the latest Popish miracles are those which are said 
 to have taken place at Rome in the year 179^ — 7 : when at 
 Home only in the public Churches or Chapels twentj' five, 
 
60 
 
 Rnd in other places man}' more pictures of the Virgin Mary 
 were said and sworn to have moved the eyeballs and opened 
 the ejelids in a miraculous manner. The account of this 
 was published here by subscription in 1801 by Keating and 
 Co. — translated by a Mr Rayment. The supposed end of 
 this miracle or miracles may be collected from the decree of 
 approbation (p. 156.) which permits the account to be pub- 
 lished " for the greater glory of God and to augment the de- 
 votion oj the faithful towards our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
 Christ crucified and his most holy Mother the Virgin Mary." 
 The preliminary discourse by the Rev. John Marchetti is 
 more explicit. He says (p. xli.) "■ at all events let us give 
 ourselves without reserve into the hands of divine provi- 
 dence, let us place ourselves under the protection of the B. V. 
 Mary, and rve shall have nothing to fear, for barring sin, there, 
 is no real evil on earth." In a supplement by some person 
 here in England, there is further this expostulation with those 
 who should doubt of these miracles, " and was it unworthy 
 the wisdom of God to give the preference in operating his 
 miracles to the signs of the Catholic worship which impiety 
 had proscribed as ridiculous subjects of popular superstition, 
 and which of late years have been the objects of gallic fury 
 and religious Fanaticism.'* was it unworthy of God to justify 
 the faith and piety of the people, by sherving them in these 
 stupendous prodigies his marked apprcbatio?i of their devotion 
 to these sacred effigies, which bring the objects represented, as 
 it were, present to their eyes, and attentive to their petitions ?" 
 Now if this be not the very way and the very sense in which 
 the Pagans worshipped theit images, I must confess that I 
 have been all along in an error. This is the very " prgesen.s 
 
61 
 
 numen," or " praesens Deus." A little before we are informed 
 that " the prayer most in use during the course of the mira- 
 cles was the " Salve Regina" ; the history of which he gives 
 us, and also the following translation " for the benefit of 
 those who understand not the original." And being thus 
 brought forward expressly for the information and edifica- 
 tion of the unlearned, and indeed every way apphcable to 
 our subject, I subjoin it. \j). Ivli.]] 
 
 " We salute thee O qtiee7i of Ileaveji, O mother of mer- 
 cies ! our life, our consolation, and our hope. To thee, we, 
 the exiled children of Eve, raise our voice. To thee, weep- 
 ing and groanig, we send up our sighs in this valley of tears. 
 Tui-n then, most gracious advocate, thy EYES OF 
 MERCY tofvards us, and shew us, after this our exile, the 
 blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. mercifd, O pious, O 
 sweet Virgin Mary ! 
 
 V. Pray for us O holy mother of God ! 
 R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of 
 Christ." 
 
 Among the tributaries to this work are most, if not all of 
 the Romish prelates of England and Ireland. Dr Milner, 
 among the rest, subscribes for twelve copies. 
 
 As to another supposed miracle which has made some 
 noise in this country, the cure of Winifred White, at St. 
 W^inifred's Well, or Holywell, in Flintshire ; — one «!hould 
 think that the feats of Ann Moore, the fasting womai of 
 Tutbury, have exhibited such proofs of the possibility of de- 
 ceivmg, even those who were most anxious not to be de- 
 ceived, that no man can be at a loss to comprehend, how a 
 woman, having put on the appearance of very grievous ail- 
 ments, whether of her own head or in collusion with a priest. 
 
62 
 
 may return to sound health upon the doing of any indiffer- 
 ent act which she or her confederates may fix upon. But 
 here also the effect intended was evidently the establishing 
 the sanctity of this real or imaginary saint. 
 
 Page 21. Note \j'^ 
 
 See Mede's apostacy of the latter tinies^ in his works. Now 
 whatever may be thought of his interpretation of ^Mfievtm, 
 his construction of sv v7ro>c^i(nt ^tv^oXeyay is clearly right. It 
 is adopted by Poole in the synopsis^ and by Rosenmuller in 
 loco: as well as by Schleusner, in his Lexicon ad v.■^^v^oXo'/6i. 
 nay, it is the interpretation of St. Austin. Lib. xx. contra 
 Faust, c. 18. " intendentes doctrinis daemoniorum in hypo- 
 crisi mendaciloquorum." oper. Ed. Bened. vol. viii. p. 245. 
 And therefore it is not to be disposed of by merely saying 
 as Mr Lingard does, in his easy and confident way, (p. 202 
 n.) that "this meaning" pie should have said this construc- 
 tion]] " is forced, unnatural and unnecessary." Mede's works 
 p. 632. 
 
 Page 22. Note ^g'^ 
 
 I find this particularly brought forward in two among the 
 latest of their publications. One by Messrs. Berrington and 
 Kirk, entitled " the faith of Catholics confirmed by Scripture, 
 and attested by the Fathers," (Introduct. p. xliii.) These are 
 authors of some note. Mr Berrington at least, very much 
 so. The other seems to be more of a Bookseller's job. It 
 is called " Wanderings of the human intellect," &c. by a Mr 
 Bell : who appears to have borrowed much from the otlier. 
 see p, 397. 
 
63 ^ 
 
 Page 23. Note [^hj 
 
 See the author's doctrine' of the Eucharist, in which the 
 u hole dispute between us and the Romanists is fully gone in- 
 to. Mr Lingard's great argument is, that if they are under a 
 )uistake in supposing Christ to be in the bread they commit 
 no idolatry, because they only mean to worship Christ. Now 
 unfortunately there is an instance rather too much in point in 
 the case of the Manichees, (Aug. contr. Faust, lib. xx. c. i.) 
 They believed that Christ had his residence partly in the Sun, 
 partly in the Moon, ("in sole virtutem, in luna sapientiam." c. 
 6.). Now it is very pertinently asked by Stillingfleet ( trea- 
 tise on idolatry p. IIS) "consider two persons equally per- 
 suaded that the Sun is now the tabernacle of Christ, and that 
 he is really present there and disperses all the comfortable 
 influences of heat and light to the world, he being so often in 
 Scripture called the tiue light, and another that he is really 
 present by transubstanfiafion in the Sacramejit, I would fain 
 understand why the one should not be as free from idolatry 
 as the other.''" nay, as he shews afterwards all idolaters might 
 thus be excused " if an involuntary mistake, and firm belief 
 that they worship the true God doth excuse from it." Indeed 
 it is fully admitted by some of their first writers, by Fisher 
 bishop of Rochester among the rest, (contr: cEcoIamp ad lib. 
 1. op. p. 760.) that if their doctrine of transubstantiation be 
 not true they are all idolaters. (See Stillingfleet on idolatry 
 p. 116.) (and preservative against Popery vol. iii. p. 278.) I 
 shall close this, by way of proving what I have said of the 
 plain departure which here is allowed for the purpose of blind- 
 ing us, with an extract from a tract called " a Papist misre- 
 presented and represented/' first pubhshed by Gother in^ 
 
G4> 
 
 l683 and most satisfactorily answered by Stillingfleet and 
 others (see vol. iii. of preservative against popery) and put 
 forth again in a shorter, and probably corrected, form by 
 their late Bishop Chaloncr. It is recommended also by Mr 
 Lingard, and certainly if Mr Lingard really thinks as he has 
 said Qracts p. 126.^ that in the Eucharist all is spiritual, w6 
 must not wonder at it. But the wonder is how men who so 
 write can remain Papists. " He," it is said, that is, the pa- 
 pist trull/ represented, believes that Christ " made his words 
 good pronounced at his last supper, really giving his body 
 and blood to his apostles : the substance of bread and wine 
 REMAINING as before. The same he believes of the most 
 holy sacrament of the Eucharist &c." Now, I ask, where 
 then is there any transubstantiation ? will Mr Lingard or any 
 other Romanist say that this is the Pope's doctrine, or that 
 this is what Dr Milner, or any vicar apostolical holds ? it is 
 well known that it is not. On referring to Messrs Berring- 
 ton and Kirk's book the reader will see much of this cautious 
 wording. He will see also fathers cited who are cited in the 
 doctrine of the Eucharist, and he will wonder how they came 
 theie, or how they prove transubstantiation. But he will not 
 see many other passages which I have cited, positivelt/ and 
 distinctly negativing transubstantiation. 
 
 Page 24. Note ]y} 
 
 See the author's reply to Dr Milner, p. 200 ; and more at 
 large the vth. and vith. sermons of the Bampton Lectures 
 for 1807. 
 
 Page 25. Note \jQ 
 
 As to the manner how this grew up, see Archp, Usher's 
 answer to the challenge of a Jesuitj p. 424. 442. &c : Dr 
 
65 
 
 Freeman's treatise concerning the invocation of Saints : pre- 
 serv. ag. Popery vol. ii. p. l6'l : Beausobre Histoire de Ma- 
 nichee Liv. ix. c. iv. See also Mede on the grand apostacy 
 p. 641 ; who cites a curious passage from Eusebius, prcepar: 
 Evangel : lib. 1 3' c. ii. where the father after quoting Plato's 
 opinion, that the souls of those who fell in battle should be 
 honoured as daemons, and their sepulchres adored, adds that 
 " these things do well befit at or after the decease of the 
 favourites of God, who may well be called the champions of 
 the true Religion: whence it is our custom to go to their 
 tombs, and make our prayers at them, and to honour their 
 blessed souls." 
 
 See also Tenison on idolatry. — and Vossius deidololatria : 
 a folio with such contents as it is rather alarming to encoun- 
 ter ; but these last chiefly for the growth of it among the 
 Heathen. 
 
 Page 26. Note \y2 
 
 For this see Bellarmine de Beatitudine Sanctorum, lib. i. 
 e. 12. 
 
 Page 27- Note \y} 
 
 The opposition or distinction in the Nicene council (act. 
 vii. p. 686. Binnii Concil) is between Xar^uoc, and T<ft)}T<x« 
 -Trg^oa-Kvn.a-n; ; though this is not well defined'; but it expressly 
 allows all the acts of adoration to be performed before the 
 images, which are used in the worship of God. Indeed 
 7r§a«-*iim5-<5 seems to mean the outward act of worship, natu- 
 rally applicable to all : and so this would be no distinction. 
 But what says Athanasius, Orat: iii: contr. Arianos? (p, 394'. 
 
Paris. eiJ. 1627 .) fCTia-y^ci x.ri(rfiocli ov IIPOSKYNEI, uXXethuX^; 
 ht}-7roli)v, Kxi y-iiiTfAcc rov 0£ov. Creature does not worship a crea- 
 ture, but the servant the master, and the creature God." And 
 he goes on to alledge the examples of Peter, when CorneHus 
 would have worshipped him ; and of the angel that stopped 
 John, He then adds " Ovkow Qsov srt ftovov ITPOSKTNEIS- 
 ©AI, K«< TflVTO ia-a(7-i x.»i dvroi o< AfysXoi. k. t. X." " Is it not tO 
 God alone that it belongs to be worshipped ? And this the 
 angels themselves well know, &c." It should be observed that 
 he was arguing against the Arians, who made a distinction 
 between God and Christ ; and so worshipped the latter with 
 an inferior sort of worship ; or at least as an inferior God. 
 But the Father could not have argued thus, if he had allow- 
 ed of inferior worship, or worship to inferior beings. If it be 
 said that the distinction is in rifinrixvi ; between honour and 
 worship, this also will not hold ; for honour in that sense, 
 when coupled with the act of adoration, belongs to God as 
 exclusively, and he is as jealous of it as of worship. So also 
 Gregory Nazianzen (Orat. xl.) arguing against the Arians, 
 says " if I worshipped any creature," " 11 sli KltF/ntnTi Trca-ixv- 
 new," or was baptized in the name of any creature, I should 
 lose what is divine in me, and be no more regenerate :" and 
 then, he adds, " how could he reprove those who worshipped 
 {" TT^oa-icvvovvlx?" always the same word) Astarte or Chamos 
 or the stars, when he himself did not worship the two in 
 whom he was baptized (that is, the Son, and the Holy Ghost) 
 or worshipped those who were his fellow- servants ?" " « 
 nP02KYN£2N rxcf^o^ovXx" But let it be recollected, as in the 
 text is mentioned, that, whatever distinction there may be 
 about the image and the prototype, there is none laid down 
 
67 
 
 as to the prototypes, whether of Christ or the saints. St. Am» 
 brose has a passage which seems particularly calculated to 
 meet the distinction between "Latreia" and " duleia:" it is 
 in his commentary on the first chapter of the epistle to the 
 Romans ; speaking of the heathen whom St. Paul there re-, 
 probates, he says, " non ncgant deum, sed serviunt creatures : 
 quo non excusantur, sed accusantiir ; quia cognoscentes Deum. 
 " qui et benedictus in saecula." Hanc benedictionem alio in 
 loco filio Dei assignat." Where he collects an argument for 
 the divinity of Christ; and so this offence may be committed 
 against him. But the reader will observe what he says, that 
 "they did not dcnij God, but served the creature:" They 
 gave to the creature only the honour of Duleia : — Yet this 
 did not excuse them." Ambro. Oper. Tom. 1. p. 245. 6. 
 
 Page 27. Note [[n]] 
 
 T^he words of the Trent catechism, are as follows : first, as 
 to the invocation of the saints : (Part : iii. § 24) " Etsi ob 
 earn causam etiam magis colendi et invocandi sunt, quod pro 
 salute hominum preces assidue faciunt, multaque eorum merito 
 et gratia in nos Deus confert beneficia." Here are the merits 
 and grace of the saints, without even the interposition of 
 Christ. And it should be remembered that this catechism 
 is an instruction to parish priests (ad parochosj how they 
 should explain the articles of faith to the ignorant and unin- 
 formed. As to images, after much of what we see repeated 
 in other books, it says (§ 40) " Turn rudes, et qui iniaginum 
 ipsarum institutum ignorant, docebit (scl: parochus) imagines 
 factas ad utriusque testament! cognoscendam historiam 
 atque ejus memoriam identidem renovandam ; qua rerum 
 
68 
 
 divinarum memoria excitati, ad colendvm atque amandum 
 ipsum Deum vehementius inflammemur ; Sanctorum quoque 
 imagines in templis deraonstrabit, ut ct colaviur, et exeinplo 
 moniti, ad eorum vitam ac mores nos conformcmiis." 
 
 The title to the Spth section is " usus imaginum Christi 
 et satictormn approbatur." All that has been said of the word 
 wgae-xvvHv, and of the want of distinction between the wor- 
 ship to be paid to Christ or his saints, or to the images of the 
 one or the other, applies equally here. The saint sets out (foi 
 Pius the V. it should be remembered was canonized), with 
 clearing the way to this division of his work, " De cultti et 
 invocatione sanctorum ;" — " Quis enim adeo demens est, 
 qui, edicente rege, ne se pro rege quisquam gerat, aut regio 
 eultu atque honore affici patiatur, continue putet nolle regem 
 suis ut magistratibus honos deferatur.'* Certainly the hon- 
 our that is due to magistrates may be paid to them, without 
 derogating from the honour due to the king. But now sup- 
 pose a king had decreed that none should bend the knee be- 
 fore, or kiss the hand of, any other but him ; and had further 
 decreed that he would watch and punish every offence a- 
 gainst this law of his with a particular jealousy; what should 
 we think of a set of men who should insist, that it was quite 
 lawful, and no infringement of this decree to bend the kneo 
 before certain magistrates, or to kiss their hands ? 
 
 Page 28, Note M 
 
 The bishops and priests &c. are to teach, " Sanctos una 
 cum Christo regnantes, orationes suas pro hominibus afferre; 
 bonum atque utile esse suppliciter eos invocare, et ob bene- 
 ficia impetranda a Deo per filium ejus Jesum Christum do- 
 
69 
 
 mlnum nostrum qui solus noster redemptor et salvatoi' est, 
 ad eorum orationes, opeyn auxiliumque confugere : illos vero 
 qui negant sanctos aeterna felicitate in caelo fruentes invo- 
 candos esse ; aut qui assevcrant vol illos pro hominibus non 
 orare, vel eorum, ut pro nobis, etiam singulis, orent invoca- 
 tionem esse idololatriam ; vel pugnare cum verbo Dei, ad- 
 versarique honori unius mediatoris Dei et hominum Jesu 
 Christi ; vel stultum esse, in caelo regnantibus voce vel mente 
 supplicare, impie se^ilire." It is impiety, it seems, to deny 
 that it is proper to put up supplimtions, even mental, to 
 saints. It is I suppose in pursuance of this, that in the Dub- 
 lin prayer book, set forth by archbishop Troy, amongst the 
 questions which the penitent is to put to himself, for exami- 
 nation on the several heads of the commandments, he is bid- 
 den (under the third, or what they call the second com- 
 mandment, that which relates to the taking of the name of 
 Cod in vain) to ask himself whether he have " blasphemed 
 God ©r his saints}" The poor man's manual of devotions, 
 &c. printed for R. Cross, No. 28, Bridge Street, Dubhn, 
 1805. And note that in the questions on the first command- 
 ment there is not one word said about idolatry, or improper 
 worshipping of any creature or image. What wonder, since 
 in the ten commandments set forth in p. 1 7, all that is set 
 down as the Jirst commandment, (which should comprehend 
 our second,) is, 
 
 " I. I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have none other 
 Gods but me." — Then comes, 
 
 " II. Thou shalt not take the name of God in vain." 
 
 The IX. is. Thou shalt not desire thy neighbour's wife. 
 
 The X. Thou shalt not desire thy neighbour's goods. 
 
(0 
 
 Perhaps it may not be amiss to give the full title of thi^ 
 book, as it will shew what is the direction given to the devo- 
 tions of the ignorant in Dublin. 
 
 *' The poor man's manual of devotions ; or devout chris- 
 tian's daily companion. Containing morning and evening 
 prayer ; devotions for Sundays and holy days ; the thirty 
 days prayer; prayers at mass; prayers before and after 
 confession and communion ; the seven penitential psalms ; 
 the psalter, rosary, and litanies of Jesus ; the rosary and 
 litanies of the blessed Virgin ; prayers of St. Bridget ; pray- 
 ers and litanies for the sick ; prayers and litanies for the 
 dead. With several other approved devotions. To which 
 are added, the vespers in Latin and English. Permissu 
 
 SUPERIORUM." 
 
 Usher cites a still bolder flight of Hieronyttius Zanetinus, 
 who states an offender against the first commandment to be 
 one 
 
 " Qui coUt extra deum vel sanctos quodque creatum." 
 
 now certain it is that this book never was condemned as he- 
 retical. It is therefore as much their doctrine as Veron's, 
 or Holden's, or even Bossuets. Usher's answer to a chal- 
 lenge, p. 474. 
 
 Page 30. Note [[p]] 
 
 " Laus Deo, virginique matri Mariae" at the end of each 
 of the four books " de controversiis." see opera: Colon, edit. 
 1619. tom. ii. Where Christ is wholly omitted. There is 
 the same omission made by Baronius at the end of his annals: 
 (Tom : ix, 894.) " Deo favente, opitulanteque suis precibus 
 Dei genetrice Maria." Though perhaps Christ is meant to be 
 
71 
 
 included in the word " God;" — as it will be seen that by 
 some the Virgin is called the " temple of the trinity : " which 
 must be meant with a reference to her having been the mo- 
 ther of Christ, and so the mother of God, &c. &c. ! ! — and 
 indeed, without referring, (as it was once intended) the rea- 
 der to Jewell, and to Usher, (answer to the challenge of a 
 Jesuit, p. 477. 8,) and to the preservative against popery (vol. 
 ii.<^ iii. under their proper heads,) it will be better to set down, 
 and shew how the virgin is worshipped, and by authority of 
 their bishops, in that island, which is more purely popish, 
 (as far as she is popish) than any part of Europe, excepting 
 only the countries subjected to the inquisition ; the isle of 
 ■faints, as Ireland has been, and is by some of them, still 
 called, and perhaps the reader will think not without some 
 reason. In that prayer book, or poor man's manual of devo- 
 tions, which has before been cited as set forth by Dr Troy, 
 we have first (at p. 2*.) " a testament of the soul, to be made 
 by every good christian every day :" in imitation perhaps 
 of Cardinal Bona's famous " testamentum," and in this as ia 
 that we have a commendation of the soul. The Roman ca- 
 tholic of Ireland is directed to say daily, " I commend my 
 soul, and all that I am, to the intercession of the glorious 
 Virgin Mary, my good mother and advocate, to St. Joseph, to 
 my angel guardian, and to all the angels and saints of hea- 
 ven, whom I most humbly beseech to assist me at the hour 
 of my death." 
 
 " For my last words, I say in profound humility and con- 
 trition, JESUS, MARIA, desiring to die in their blessed arms ; 
 when my tongue cannot pronounce those holy names, I de- 
 sire to do it with mv heart. 
 
72 
 
 "If my heart should fail me with my judgment^ 1 say 
 them now for then, with all affection and POSSIBLE sub- 
 mission, JESUS, MARIA. 
 
 " Nos cum prole pia, benedicat Virgo Maria. 
 "Virgin Mother, I humbly crave 
 Thy blessing, and thy Son's to have." 
 
 Every one indeed knows the common use made in all Ro- 
 " man catholic countries of this exclamation "Jesus Maria!" 
 
 Next comes(dt page 55) The litany of our Lady of Loretto. 
 It begins, 
 
 " We fly to thy pationage O holy mother of God, despise 
 not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all 
 dangers, O ever glorious and blessed Virgin." 
 
 Then, after the usual invocations of God and Christ, we 
 come to the virgin ; she is invoked as " holy Mary, holy mo- 
 ther of God, holy virgin of virgins, mother of Christ, mother 
 of divine grace, mother most pure, mother most chaste, mother 
 imdefiled, mother inviolate, mother most amiable, mother 
 most admirable, onother of our creator, mother of our Redeem- 
 er, virgin most prudent, virgin most venerable, A-^irgin most 
 renowned, virgin most powerful, virgin most merciful, virgin 
 most faithful, mirror ofjuMce, seat of wisdom, cause of our 
 joy, spiritual vessel, vessel of honour, vessel of singular de- 
 votion, mystical rose, tower of David, tower of ivory, house 
 of gold, ark of the covenant, gate of heave7i, moining star, 
 health of the weak, refuge of sinners, comforter of the afflicted^ 
 help oj christians, queen of angels, &c. &c." " Pray for us," 
 indeed goes along with all this; but can most of these attri-> 
 butes be ascribed to any but a divine being ? Is there not 
 blasphemy in this, as well as idolatr}' ? 
 
73 
 
 . Wehavetlien, after certain prayers and acts, vvliich, who- 
 ever devoutly says, has certain indulgences granted him ; 
 (p. S6.) other prayers which " all those who devoutly say, 
 t« honour of the passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 
 and in honour of his blessed mother, the Virgin Mary, and 
 continue the said devotion for several days, may hope mer- 
 cifully to obtain their lawful requests, as hath been often ex- 
 perienced, S,c." Then at p. Q5 comes the prayer alluded to 
 before, ushered in with these words, " The following prayer 
 hath many remarkable properties, as to obtain a good death 
 to any Person tliat devoutly says it once a day, with a good 
 intention to the glory of God, and devotion to our blessed 
 Virgin. And saying it devoutly for any ivoman in labour, it 
 forwards with God's blessing, a speedy and safe delivery, rvith 
 many other benefits ! ! ! " 
 
 The Prayer. 
 
 " O Jesus Christ, son of the divine bounty of God, be my 
 aid;" (Christ is here very soon disposed of; not so the 
 Virgin :) " O blessed Virgin, listen unto me, mother of the 
 saviour of the world assist me, mother of God, lady (f heaven, 
 sweetly beloved qneen, arid advocate (f all human lineage, pray 
 come, amiable and mild lady, lady of angels, flower of the 
 patriarchs, desire of the prophets, treasure of the apostles, 
 mother of the confessors, ornament of virgins, O sweet vir- 
 gin Mary, pray for me, lady, who art heard above the com- 
 pany of angels, preserve me from all evils, past, present, and 
 to come, do not abandon me this day, nor at that dreadful hour 
 when that my soul shall be separated from my body : Obtain 
 for me, sweet Virgin, in the hour of my death and judg- 
 
 K 
 
74 
 
 ment, that my soul may come to the heavenly paradise be- 
 fore your son Jesus^ and that I may be worthy to see his 
 grace and everlasting glory with you. O gate of paradise, 
 palace of Jesus Christ, star of the sea, consolation of man- 
 hind, beginning without end, take pity of me, O sweet and 
 blessed virgin Mary, danghter of God the Father, mother of 
 Jcsiis Christ and spouse of the Holy Ghost, gate of Heaven, 
 door of the firmament, hope of christians, fountain of 
 piety, safe-guard of peace, glory of virgins, honoured above 
 all angels, mother of mercy, miracle of virginity, virgin above 
 all virgins, temple of the most holy trinity, beautiful above all 
 creatures, O lady of meekness, abyss of mildness, coinfort of 
 the sorrowful, consolation of the afflicted, in you the angels do 
 rejoice. O sweet lady of mercy, turn your merciful eyes 
 unto me, enlighten me with grace, and hear my prayers ; un- 
 to the protection of almighty God, and your holy hands, O 
 refuge of sinners, I recommend my soul and body. Amen." 
 
 " Here say a pater nosier and Ave Maria, and pray for 
 F. W." 
 
 Who this F. W. may be, and whether this be a secret to 
 be revealed only by the confessor, or to be purchased ; as 
 most probably this indulgence or privilege to the prayer was 
 purchased by F. W., the reader must be left to coi^ecture ; 
 but as to the blasphemy and^idolatry of this prayer there can be 
 no doubt. Any person who wishes to see more of this may turn 
 to the rosary of the blessed Virgin at p. 235. But surely 
 this is enough. When Jewell pressed Harding with some of 
 ©f St. Barnaid's flights in the same style, Harding said that 
 he only did " in excess of mind spiritually sport and dally 
 (as it were) with her, that it was not impiously or impu- 
 dently spoken : but rather impious and impudent to find 
 
*75 
 
 fault with It." Jewell's defence p. 294- : and perhaps Dr Troy 
 may say the same. But such is the prayer ; and such of 
 course is the doctrinej on which the prayer must be founded : 
 prayer and doctrine, be it always remem.bered, now in use 
 and approved. 
 
 Page 32. Note \^(i2 
 
 This may be seen in any breviary : under the head " com- 
 mendatio animae". But as for the reasons alledged it is best 
 to alledge modern authorities ; we refer the reader specially 
 to the Rev. Peter Gandolphy's liturgy printed by Keating 
 and Co. 1812 : where the reader will find it at p. 239- This 
 gentleman who, (either through ignorance, or because he is 
 silly and vulgar enough to see a good joke in it) calls the bi- 
 shop of Durham, Dr Shute, has it seems edited, as he calls it, 
 this " book of common prayer," with a view of making Pro- 
 testants acquainted with the ritual of the Church of Rome, 
 and so winning them back to that fold. He has therefore given 
 us all their litanies (and among the rest the litany of our 
 Lady of Loretto ;) the form of baptism, with all its mum- 
 mery of exorcisms, and adjurations, and applications of stole, 
 salt, spittle, and chrism : and other such choice fancies. He 
 cites as some others do, the absolution of our Church, (only 
 permitted, not enjoined to be used, and in fact never used) in 
 the office of the visitation of the sick, as being somewhat si- 
 milar to theirs. But he says nothing as to the form in their 
 office of communion of the sick, which concludes " in virtue 
 of that power committed to me by the apostolic see, I grant 
 thee a plenary indulgence of all thy sins, in the name of 
 the Father, -f and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." p. 
 247. His argument for the lawfulness of the invocation oi 
 
16 
 
 vSaiiits runs thus, " in short, why should not christians be 
 permitted to do what angels and saints have done in the new 
 Testament (Luke i. 28. 42. ;) or to use that style of ad- 
 dress, which was common to Daniel, David, and the oiker 
 sainls of the old law ? " O ye angels of the Lord bJess the 
 Lord : praise and exalt him &c." That is, because the an- 
 gel Gabriel said to Mary,, when on earth, that she was high- 
 ly favoured, and that the Lord was with her and that she 
 was blessed among women; and Ehzabeth also called her the 
 mother of her Lord, therefore, it is lawful to call upon her 
 in Heaven, and address her with all sorts of blasphemous ti- 
 tles, and ask of her all such blessings as only God can be- 
 stow ! ! ! and because David and other saints bade angels 
 " praise God," we are to praise the angels, and to call on them 
 to be our intercessors and guardians and protectors ! ! ! Most 
 choice reasoning truly ! However as we are here told o^ the 
 saints under the old law, it might as well be remembered that 
 none of them were ever invoked by the Jews: — that amidst 
 all their idolatry they kept clear of that— and he must not 
 alledge their being in the limhus patrum : for certainly the 
 Jews, the orthodox Jews at least, believed their patriarchs 
 and prophets to be in Heaven. 
 
 Page 32. Note \ji;\ 
 
 See " missale romanum: Dublinii, tj-pis Wogan, 1804: with 
 the formal approbation of Archbishop Troy, at p. 202" Sus- 
 cipe sancta trinitas, banc oblationem, quam tibi ofFerim.us, oh 
 memoriam passionls, resuvrectionis et ascenscionis Jcsu Chris- 
 ti, Domini nostri, et in honorem bcatse Marias semper virgi- 
 nis, et beati Joannis baptistse, et sanctorum apostolorum Pe- 
 tri et Pauli, et istorum, et omnium sanctorum; utillisprqfi- 
 
77 
 
 ciat ad konorcm, nobis aiitcm ad salutem : et Uli pro Jiobb 
 intercedere dlgneniur in cielis, quorum, mcmoriani agimus 
 in tcnis. Per eundcm christum domimim nostrum. Amen." 
 
 The explanation of this by Pius Vtii. in the Trent cate- 
 chism, is as follows. " Etsi ecclesia interdum missas in mc- 
 vioriain ct ho7iorem sanctorum celebrare consuerit : non tameu 
 illis sacrificium, sed uni Deo, qui sanctos immortali gloria 
 coronavit, ofFerri dicit. Quare nee sarerdos unquam dicere 
 solet, ofTero tibi sacrificium Petrc vel Faule ; sed dum uni 
 soli Deo immolat, gratias illi agit pro beatissimorum marty- 
 rum ir.signi victoria : eorumque patrocinium ita implorat ut 
 pro nobis intercedere dignentur in caelis, quorum menioricnn 
 facimus in tcrris. Ha'c.autem, qua) de hujus sacrificii vcritate 
 a Calholica ecclesia tradita sunt, ex Dovutii verbis accepit : 
 cum extremu ilia nocte ha':c ipsa sacra mysteria apostolis 
 Gommendans ; hoc facite, inqult, in meam comvicworationem." 
 Pars. ii. da. § 80. And so because our Lord said, " do this 
 in remembrance of me ;" it is to be done in rememb- 
 rance of all those whom the Popes shall choose to make into 
 saints ! ! 
 
 Mr Eustace however is so full of all this that he quarrels 
 with the inscription on the Church of St. Peter's at Rome 
 as " being below the dignity and destination" (what does he 
 mean ?) ** of such a temple, erected by the common Father of 
 all Christians \^BQna verba ! are we poor protestants inclu- 
 ded ? surely not]] in their name, and at their expence." So, 
 instead, of "In honorem principis apostolorum Paulus Borg- 
 hesius Romanus ;" he would read, " Deo optimo maximo" 
 Qhe Pagan style happily selected^ " in honorem principis 
 apostolorum Ecclesia Catholica :" " an inscription," he says 
 " more worthy of a temple which may be justly considered 
 
75 
 
 as the common property of the Christian World ;" that is, of 
 the Roman Catholics ; who choose to call themselves the 
 whole Christian World, and would by these sort of devices, 
 and the continual appropriation to themselves of the appel- 
 lation of " Catholics," di aw us on to believe, or allow them 
 to assume that to be the fact. For in other publications 
 " Catholics" and " Christians" are stated to be synomimous 
 terms. Why indeed should not the inscription be wholly 
 Pagan } " Deo Optimo maxima et genio loci." This would be 
 still more classical. See Tenison on idolatry, p. 81. 
 
 Page 34. Note X^%\ 
 
 See Jewell Defence of apologie p. 296 . where he cites 
 Austin, shewing that the same argument had been used 
 by heretics in his days, and answered by the father just as 
 we answer it now. " Paulus non facit se mediatorem inter 
 populum et deum ; sed rogat ut fro se orent invicem omnia 
 membra corporis Christi.' Contr. epist ; Parmeniani lib, 
 2. c. 8. The whole chapter is in point. Austin urges as 
 we have said in the text that " all the members must care 
 for each other, and if one member suffer," &c. &c. and 
 then goes on " ac sic oratio pro invicem membrorum adhuc 
 in terra laborantium ascendat ad caput quod prcecessit in ccE- 
 lum, in quo est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris." Aug : opera, 
 cd : Bened. tom. ix. p. 23. The reader will observe how 
 completely this negatives all idea of saints in Heave?i pray- 
 ing: it is the prayers of the members " i/et labouring on 
 earth :" and always " mutually" " ad invicem." Observe 
 too that the only head mentioned or thought of, is the head 
 which is gone before into Heaven ; not either Christ on earth 
 in the wafer ; or his vicar in the Vatican. 
 
79 
 
 Page 35. Note \y2 
 
 Any reader who wishes to see what has been written on 
 the limbus patrum, may find ample information in Usher's 
 answer to the challenge of a Jesuit: p. 276- 
 
 PageSG. Note \iy'^ 
 
 See as to this also Jewell, loc. citat. p. 294. " Ye say 
 there is only one mediator of salvation ; but there are many 
 mediators of intercession. And thus with this pretty simple 
 distinction, ye convey yourselves away invisibly in a cloud." 
 He then asks what is meant by Aeir calling on the Virgin 
 to save all those that glorify her ? " salva omnes qui te glo- 
 rificant }" To this Harding replies that by " save us" they 
 inean^ " pray to God that we may be saved." After pressing 
 them with many of their blasphemies, particularly " the Vir- 
 gin being to command her son," the Bishop goes on " how- 
 beit peihaps you will turn likewise commandment into prayer : 
 and thus as j'ou list, salvation is prayer, merit is prayer, and 
 commandment is prayer." " Wherefore say ye thus of Thoma* 
 a Bcckct, of whose sainthood for ought that I know, ye may 
 well stand in doubt ; " Tu per Thomae sanguinem, quern pro 
 te fmpendit, fac nos Christe scandere, quo Thomas ascendit." 
 " O Christ, make us to ascend unto Heaven, whither Tho- 
 mas is ascended, even by the blood of Thomas, which was 
 shed for thy sake." Here you see not only intercession, but 
 " salvation in'the blood of Thomas." Harding does not deny 
 that this is one of their hymns, but says " This is an objec- 
 tion for a Cobler, as the other was, and not for a Divine, 
 whose duty, it were to depend of things not of words &c. 
 and that because they know it was a most gracious gift of 
 
BO 
 
 God, that he gave St. Thomas grace to die for his honour^ 
 when thej' desire to be holpeii by his blood, representing the 
 memory oiSt. Thomas unto Christ" &c. This is all that he has 
 to say in extenuation of this rather singular piece of 
 blasphemy. Jewell then goes on to cite Austin (ubi supr.) 
 who after citing the words of John, " if we sin we have an 
 advocate with the father, &c;" goes on, " if now," he had 
 said, " do not sin, but if ye sin, you have me a mediator 
 with the Father, and I (exoro) in/reat him for your sins (as 
 Parmenianus in one place set the bishop as mediator between 
 the people and God ;) what good and faithful christian 
 could bear him ? who would look upon him as an apostle, 
 and not an antichrist ?" " si vero ita diceret, haec scrips! 
 vobis, ne peccetis ; et si quis peccaverit, mediatorein me 
 habetis ad patrem, et ego exoro pro peccatis vestris (sicut 
 Parmenianus quodam loco mediatorem posuit episcopum 
 inter populum et Deum ; quis eum ferret bonorum atque 
 fidelium christianorum ? quis sicut apostolum Christi, et 
 non sicut antichristum intueretur?" again, immediately 
 after the passage cited in the preceding note, the father 
 says,, "for if Paul mas a mediator, to would all his 
 other fellow apostles be : as if there were many mediators : 
 nor could Paul have had any reason for what he had said, 
 there is one God and one mediator between God and man, 
 the man Jesus Christ.." Nam si esset mediator Paulus, essent, 
 utique et coeteri coapostoli ejus, ac si multi mediatores essent 
 nee ipsi Paulo constaret ratio qua dixerat, unus enim Deus, 
 unus et mediator Dei et hominum homo Christus Jesus." I 
 have cited these passages because they do away so com- 
 pletely every idea that Austin conceived that the apostles 
 were in any way " intercessors" in the proper sense of the 
 
81 
 
 words : nay, he supposes that John would have been no 
 better than Antichrist, if he had said that he would iiitrcat or 
 pray for tlie people : thus clearly condemning as it were be- 
 forehand this very offence against Christ of which the church 
 of Rome is guilty. It is evidently impossible that St Austin 
 could have argued thus, if he or any of his contemporaries, 
 had thought it lawful to pray to the apostles to pray for them. 
 There could not with him be any mediators of intercession, 
 or mediators to intrcat. 
 
 Page 38. Note \y'^ 
 
 See what was said before of the bull "auctorem fidei," 
 confirming and referring to the bull of Leo X. against Luther, 
 in which the positions of Scipio Ricci, as of Luther before 
 him, are declared injurious to the merits of Christ and the 
 saints. See also Bampton Lectures for 1807. Sermon v. for 
 examples of the way in which they plead the merits of the 
 saints in their prayers and hymns : and innumerable others 
 might be added. 
 
 Page 43. Note ^x'^ 
 
 See Tenison on idolatry. Stillingfleet on idolatry and de- 
 fence. See also LTsher's answer to a challenge, p. 458. and 
 the authorities cited there. See also Origen against Celsus ; 
 where Celsus labours hard to shew that his demons, or in- 
 feriour Gods are on the same footing as the angels, lib. v. 
 § 4. lib. viii. § 53. 54. See also § 2. Vvhere he attributes 
 the refusal of the christians to worship demons to pride: — 
 and afterwards says that since thcj^ vv'orship the Son with 
 God, they should also worship God's ministers. § 13. Most 
 evident must it be from all this, that the worship of saints 
 was never in those days thought of, or he would not have 
 .spared to urge the christians with that. See also Austin de 
 
 L 
 
82 
 
 civitate dei passim ; particularly lib. x. and lib. viii. c. 14 and 
 
 c. 18. where he speaks of the platoiiic idea of mediation of 
 
 demons, and of three orders of beings, gods and men and 
 
 demons. 
 
 Page 44, Note \\\\ 
 
 See for this Stopford's pagano papismiis, I>ondon l675. p. 
 31. Sec. We have, as it is well known, St George for England, 
 St Denis for France, St Patrick and others for Ireland, St 
 Mark for Venice, &c. &c. Then St Nicholas for seamen : the 
 three kings for travellers, St Gregory for scholars, St Cosma 
 and Damian for physicians, St Julian for pilgrims; and 
 poor Mary Magdalen for women of ill fame ! ! &c, The;i St 
 Rock and St Sebastian for those who have the plague ; St 
 Anthony for the eresypelas ; St Venisa for the green sickness j 
 and St Hubert for the bite of mad dogs, &c. &c. St Apollonia 
 for the tooth ache, should however be mentioned. To her 
 tliere was " in the Horce B. Virg. sec. us. sarum the follow- 
 ing Antiphona. 
 
 « yirgo Christi egregia pro nobis Apollonia fundc preces 
 ad dominum, ut tollat omne noxium, ne pro rcatu criminum 
 moibo vexemur dentium. 
 
 *' And in the Horce B. Virg : sec. ns. Bomoe this prayer. 
 
 " Almighty, everlasting God who didst deliver St Apollo' 
 ma thy virgin and martyr, from the hands of her enemies, 
 and didst hear her prayer j I entreat thee by her intercession 
 and the intercession of St Laurence thy martyr, together with 
 that of all the he and she saints" (sanciorum et sanctarum I 
 suppose,) " to expel pain from my teeth, and to make me 
 safe and sound, that I may return thee my eternal thanks- 
 giving, S^c," Ibm. p. S4. 
 
 Page 44. Note [^z^ 
 
 It may be as well to point out one or two abominations 
 as to relics. God says expressly, " thou shall fear God an'' 
 
85 
 
 swear by his name." But the name of God was -supposed 
 (and is yet supposed by many) not to he sumdeiitly binding, 
 unless men were sworn on the relics of the saints. This was, 
 it seems, to impart superiour sanctity and obligation to the 
 oath. Then, it is a constant practice, whenever a church or 
 chapel is consecrated, to procure the rdics of some samt to 
 be placed mider the altir: and in the office of the mass th.ere 
 is a regular reference to them, (see Missal. Dublin, p. 1£S.) 
 This, seems to be considered as so necessary to the holiness of 
 the place, that, among the canons of the lid council of Nice 
 is one (Can : 7) ordering that in such churches as have been 
 consecrated without any rehcs the defect shall be supplied 
 by the deposition of relics (y.:^.Txk<rtv x-.r^xvuv,) with the ac- 
 customed prayers: and the omission is called an impiety ; 
 (xTiZnux) and it is further declared that " any Bishop who 
 in future should consecrate a church without this deposit of 
 relics, should be deposed." What a temptation, nay, almost 
 necessity was here created to forge such articles! We pre- 
 sume that this canon, followed as it has been by continual 
 practice, will not be one of those which Mr Lingard deems 
 of no authority. He says (p. 238, after calling the acts.of the 
 council " a gross meal") that "they are of no authority in 
 the church. We nssoU indeed to the doctrinal decree passed 
 in the last session, which was approved by the popes: but 
 in the ads and canons, much is contained to which the Ro- 
 man church would never impart its sanction, qu(e apud nos 
 nee habentur, ncc admittuniur, says Anastasius Bibliotheoarius, 
 a writer of the same age." Now really this is curious. The 
 Romish church receives the synod as a general synod : the 
 seventh :— it is numbered among the general councils. And 
 
 J 
 
84> 
 
 where is the pope, or council, that has made any exception 
 as to any of its canons or acts ? But it seems we have Anas- 
 tasiiis the Hbrarian as an authority ; and he is characterized 
 as a contemporary, as one " of the same age," to give him 
 a credit which otherwise he would not have. Now it so hap- 
 pens that Anastasius, besides being an unauthorized individu- 
 al, lived in the century following. His translation and edi- 
 tion of the council of Nice is eddressed to John viii. (al. 
 ix.) who was elected pope only in 872. — But supposing we 
 should overlook this, what does Anastasius say } Does he 
 speak generally of the acts and canons of the council ? 
 not one word like it. He speaks pointedly, onhj of the 
 canons and decrees (or acts, if Mr Lingard will,) of the 
 apostles (meaning probably the apostolical constitutions) and 
 of the sixth general synod, cited in this council ; and of no- 
 thing else, " Sane notandum est, qua'dani in hac synodo ex 
 apostolorwn, et sexlce universalis synodi canonibus et sententiis 
 inveniri, quae penes ?ios interpretata nee hahcnltir nee admit- 
 tuntitr !!" pra3fat. in vii. synod, apud Binnium. Tom. iii. part r. 
 p. 471. O^ these (" ex his" ) it seems, the popes admitted not 
 certain things which were contrary to former canons or de- 
 crees of that see, or to good morals : *' quae prioribus canon- 
 ibus vel decretis sanctorum hujus sedis pontificum, aut certe 
 bonis moribus invenientur adversas :" but not one word is 
 dropped which should lead us to suppose that any one of the 
 viirades and images in question, and which Mr Lingard 
 would " lay to sleep with the old Bishops," are among that 
 number: but quite the contrary ; because they only empha- 
 tically confirmed the opinion which Adrian had previously 
 sanctioned at id adopted. So much for this other instance of 
 Mr Lingard's accuracy, good faith, and fidelity of quotation !! 
 
. Page 45. No(e Ca.\]] 
 The length to which these Notes have aheady run, makes 
 it necessary only to refer to the authors already cited, and to 
 the second and third volumes of the preservative against 
 Popery under the proper heads. It pleased God indeed that 
 there should be worshippers of angels in the days of St. Paul ; 
 that there should be worshippers of the virgin Mary in Epi- 
 phanius's time ; and that he should condemn this heresy, as 
 well as the use of pictures in the Church ; and should actu- 
 ally tear a veil on which an image was painted. And also 
 that so late as the age of Gregory the 1st. their great Pope, 
 there should be a declaration of his that images or paintings 
 should not be worshipped. This had also been pronounced 
 by the council of Eliberis ; held in the year 305. can. 36. 
 " Placuit picturas in ccclesiis esse non debere, ne quod coli- 
 ur et adoratur in parietibus designetur." 
 
 Page 46. Note [[bu]] 
 
 The reader will do well to consult this as edited by Gold- 
 astus, with all the other imperial decrees on the subject : 
 Frankfort l608 : including the council of Paris under Lewis 
 the pious. And he may be amused with the attempts of Ba- 
 ronius, Bellarmine and Binius to get rid of these authorities. 
 Anastasius, the " Roman Writer of the same age," in his pre- 
 face above cited, says that the doctrine of the 2d. council of 
 Nice was held by all " quibusdam duntaxat Gallorum excep- 
 tis, quibus utique nondum est harum utilitas revelata." " Ex- 
 cept certain of the French, to whom the utility of tiiem" 
 (that is images) " had not as yet been revealed." " For they 
 say," adds he " that the work of Men's bands is not to be 
 adored." " quod non sit quodlibet opus manuum hominum 
 adorandum." Which he does not deny to be a true repre- 
 
86 
 
 sentation of the doctrine of the Nicene coiincil, but endea- 
 vours to shew the propriety ofit. This is clear evidence 
 enough (indeed one of Mr Lingard's own evidences) as to 
 what was the idea of the French Church. Indeed Ilincmar 
 archbishop of llheims, in the middle of the IXlh century ex- 
 pressly adopts the doctrine of Gregory 1st. in Ins epistle to 
 Serenus. See opusc. Iv. capit. c. 25. Paris. 1615. And 
 indeed it was the doctrine of all the western Churches. 
 By degrees, in the dark ages, the worship of images, as 
 more suitable to ignorant and superstitious minds, was 
 admitted. It is not to be forgotten that the Caroline books 
 are particularly severe upon the council for dealing about 
 their anathemas so profuseh' ; and call it " madness that a 
 particular Church should attempt to decree a thing not de- 
 creed by the apostles or their successors, and to anathema- 
 tize all other Churches." " Namquis furor est, qmeve devieu' 
 tia, ut un'ius partis ecclesia rem quae neque ab apostolis, ne- 
 que ab corum successoribus statuta est, nitcns statuere, io- 
 tius mtmdi ccclcsias conctur anathematizare" &c. lib : iii. c. xi. 
 see also lib. ii. c. xxxi. So little idea was there that the Pope's 
 sanction to the calling of a council could make it general, or 
 give it authority over any other part of Christendom. 
 
 Page 46. Note \jcc^ 
 
 " Bene quod idem Deus qui lege prohibuit similitudinem 
 fieri, extraordinario prcecepto serpentis similitudinem indixit. 
 Si euiidem Deum observas, habes legem ejus, ne feceris swii- 
 liludinem ; si et praeceptum factse postea similitudinis respicis, 
 et tu imitare Moysen, ne facias advorsus legem simidachrum 
 aliquod, nisi et tibi Deus jusserit." De idololatr: C. V. In 
 another place he notices this again : and adds " sic et cheru- 
 
87 
 
 bim et serapliiri^ aiirea in arcae figuratum exemplum^ certc 
 simplex ornamcntum, accommodata suggestui, longc diversas 
 liabendo causas idolatria; condilione, ob quam similitudo 
 pioliibetur, non videntur siniilitudinum piohibitarum Icgi 
 relV.igari &c." Contr. Marcioii : lib. 2. c. 22. So that this of 
 the brazen serpent and the Cherubim and Seraphim was ori- 
 ginally an argument of those who were and are universally 
 condemned as heretics ! ! 
 
 Page 50. Note Cdd]] 
 
 See Mr Lingard's tracts p. 207. vindication &c : and re- 
 ply to the Revd. G. S. Faber at p. 18(). which, for a flip- 
 pant, easy, gentlemanlike way of disposing of a Question, are 
 perhaps not to be paralleled. To the other objects of his 
 sneers and sarcasms it is unnecesary to make any further re- 
 ference. But to shew how j)erfectly misplaced his ridicule 
 is upon most occasions, it may be as well to instance p. 151. 
 where the reader will find the following pleasantry upon 
 our common prayer book. " sometimes when I have amus- 
 ed m3fself with looking into the book of common prayer, I 
 have found it difficult to persuade myself that I was not rea- 
 ding an unknown tongue." And what passage does the rea- 
 der think that he instances .'' the prayers, or litanies, or con- 
 fessions, or exhortations .'' or any of ihote parts which were 
 properly speaking compiled by our reformers ? No ; but some 
 passages from the book of psalms, such as in themselves per- 
 haps are not easily understood, and still less easily transla- 
 ted. The ridicule therefore will fall rather on the word of 
 God than on our Church ; but for this Mr Lingard cares lit- 
 tle, sotlie lattermight be alFecled, though everso slightly. Let 
 
88 
 
 liowever the vuIgate and other tianslationSj at those parts, 
 be referred to ; they will be found Httle more intelligible, and 
 not more suitable to the taste of such fastidious gentlemen 
 as Mr Lingard. VVhy indeed did he not take our later and 
 improved translation, as he might, if he had had any can- 
 dour ? Every one knows that for sobriety and fervency and 
 purity of devotion, our book of common prayer is without a 
 rival. Let the comparison be made with any of the prayers 
 that are common to the two Churches ; and it will be seen 
 how the translations with which they favour their people, 
 whenever they depart, and as far as they depart from the 
 language of our liturgy (which they are ashamed to borrow 
 wholly,') become feeble and insipid. As to the quotation 
 which he has raked out from the homilies ; it is not courtly 
 language indeed but it is plain enough. It is such language 
 as was used in those days. And where will Mr Lingard find 
 any book of homilies, particularly of those times, to be com- 
 pared with that, taking it altogether and in every respect ? 
 
 FINIS. 
 
GOD'S DEALINGS EQUAL TO ALL. 
 
 SERMON, 
 
 PREACHED IN THE PARISH CHURCH 
 
 OF 
 
 HAUGHTON-LE-SKERNE, 
 
 IN THE COUNTY OF DURHAM^ 
 
 ON SUNDAY, THE mh DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1817. 
 
 ON OCCASION OF THE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 BY THE 
 
 Rev. THOMAS LE MESURIER, B.D. 
 
 RECTOR OF HAUGHTON-LE-SKERNE, AND 
 
 DOMESTIC CHAPLAIN TO LORD 
 
 VISCOUNT SIDMOUTII. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, 
 
 AND SOLD BY MESSRS. RIVINGTON, ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD; AND 
 J. HATCHARD, PICCADILLY; BY PARKER, OXFORD; ANDREWS, 
 DURHAM; AND M. DARNTON, DARLINGTON. 
 
 1817. 
 
T. C.HANSAHD, Printer, Peterboi'oagh-court Fleet street, London. 
 
SERMON. 
 
 Job,xxx\w. IS, 19, 20. 
 
 IS IT FIT TO SAY TO A RING, THOU ART WICKED ? 
 AND TO PRINCES, YE ARE UNGODLY ? 
 
 HOW MUCH LESS TO HIM THAT ACCEPTETH KOT 
 THE PERSONS OF PRINCES, NOR REGARDETH THE 
 RICH MORE THAN THE POOR ? FOR THEY ALL ARE 
 THE WORK OF HIS HANDS. 
 
 IN A MOMENT SHALL THEY DIE, AND THE PEOPLE 
 SHALL BE TROUBLED AT MIDNIGHT, AND PASS 
 AWAY : AND THE MIGHTY SHALL BE TAKEN 
 AWAY WITHOUT HAND. 
 
 IN no part of the Book of Job, and, we might adcl^ 
 any other of the Holy Scriptures, is the great moral 
 of that Book more pointedly and strikingly illus- 
 trated than in these few lines. The necessity and 
 propriety of most implicitly submitting ourselves to 
 the Divine dispensations, without in the least ques- 
 tioning or repining at what we may be made to 
 suffer, is here rested upon grounds so plain and 
 sure, that they may be comprehended by the most 
 
simple and unlearned, and cannot be contradicted 
 or impeached by the most wise and best instructed. 
 Job, you will remember, deservedly as he is cele- 
 brated for the patience with which he endured such 
 very extraordinary and accumulated sufferings, had 
 failed in this (and in this had shown the weakness 
 of our nature), that he had seemed tathrow a doubt 
 upon the justice of his being subjected to such a 
 complication of evils. For this he was most 
 sharply reproved by Elihu^ who^ in the most impres- 
 sive language, asserted the just and unlimited power 
 of God over his creatures, even from the very cir- 
 cumstance of his having made them, being " all 
 the work of his hands ;" and also his impartiality 
 and goodness, shown forth in his manner of 
 dealing with mankind, — " He accepteth not the 
 *' persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more 
 " than the poor/' 
 
 It is to this last great and most important truth, 
 pressed as it must necessarily be upon our minds 
 by the awful and afflicting event for which the 
 whole nation is now mourning, that I propose more 
 especially to call your attention in my present dis- 
 course. I do it, because it strikes me as being in 
 itself most important and edifying, not only at such 
 a moment as this, but at all times ; as tending most 
 particularly to check that spirit of discontent which 
 is so apt to spring out of the irregularity of condi- 
 tions which it has pleased the Almighty, for good 
 and wise ends, to establish in this world ; and as 
 even thus calculated to remove one of the great 
 
Mumbling blocks which lie in our way, and which 
 take us off from that entire obedience and submis- 
 sion to God's will, which is the only sure road to 
 salvation. There is, indeed, no mistake more fatal 
 than that which is so commonly made, that riches 
 or earthly power, or high situation, always and 
 invariably bring with them happiness and comfort ; 
 that the men of wealth or rank have nothing to do 
 but to enjoy themselves ; and that they do in fact 
 enjoy all that is good and desirable in this world. 
 Most dangerous indeed, I say^ is this very false 
 notion, because, while it makes men discontented 
 ■with their condition, and, even by that, sinners in 
 a high degree before God, it most strongly also 
 tempts them to obtain for themselves the riches and 
 the power which they so envy and covet, by fraud 
 or oppression, practised upon their neighbours in a 
 greater or less extent. It is therefore of the utmost 
 importance to destroy or counteract this so dan- 
 gerous error ; to assert and to make all men feel 
 and confess, what all those who believe in the 
 eternal and infinite goodness and justice of God, 
 must feel and confess, that he is the same God, not 
 only to the Gentiles as well as the Jews, not only 
 to one nation or description of men as well as to 
 another, but to every individual of those nations 
 and people; that he has not confined happiness or 
 enjoyment to any portion of them, but extends 
 his gifts to all equally ; that, as St. Peter was made 
 upon a memorable occasion to declare, '' God is no 
 *' respecter of persons ; but that in every nation. 
 
'^ he thatfeaieth God and worketh righteousness is 
 *' accepted with him."* 
 
 ]f, indeed, there were through the whole course 
 of God's dispensations to be traced any foundation 
 for the contrary idea, that which is so forcibly 
 expressed in my text, of the common end of all, 
 of that uncertainty also which hangs over our 
 continuance in this world, and the natural and 
 necessary consequence which follows upon our 
 quitting it, would of themselves counterbalance all 
 inequality, and make level all distinctions. Speaking 
 of princes and of the rich, Elihu says, in words which 
 one might almost suppose to have been written pur- 
 posely to describe our present situation, *' In a 
 *'' moment they shall die, and the people shall be 
 ''troubled at midnight, and pass away; and the 
 '' mighty shall be taken away without hand." Add 
 to this, what the Gospel has pointedly revealed to 
 us, that " all," (all without distinction, from the 
 king to the beggar) "' must appear before the 
 ''^ judgment scat of Christ, that every one may re- 
 ^' ceive the things done in his body, according to 
 ^' what he hath done, whether good or bad." 
 Take, I say, only these two circumstances, which 
 every one, who is not an avowed infidel, must admit 
 to be as stated, equal to all, not to be avoided, not 
 to be mitigated in favour of any one (so far from 
 it indeed that we are even assured that the order of 
 tilings here shall, in many instances, be reversed, 
 that '^ many that are first shall be lastj and the last 
 f Acts X. 34-, 35. 
 
" first) ;"* take and welg'h but these in your minds 
 weigh them impartially and let them have their 
 due effect, and then tell me what there can be of 
 inequality in all besides, that should be worth one 
 serious thought ; that, if we were wise and under- 
 standing, as we ought to be, could trouble us for a 
 moment, or at least for any length of time ; or 
 could for any time, except perhaps the very in- 
 stant when we were suffering under any grievous 
 calamity, or acute pain of mind or body, disturb 
 our peace or ruffle our temper ? — Death, and the 
 last judgment ! — reserved for all, coming equally 
 upon all, very often without warning, certainly 
 without any such intimation as will necessarily 
 prepare men for it, or will at all prepare them, 
 unless they have themselves done what is required 
 of them towards such a preparation ; — who that 
 thinks rightly upon these, can suffer his thoughts 
 to dwell upon any thing else ? — and what folly is it 
 to look upon any thing else as productive of happi- 
 ness or misery ? 
 
 How is it then that men seem to be so insensible 
 to these truly weighty, these most awful consider- 
 ations ? that they suffer so many, the most inconsi- 
 derable and the most trifling objects of worldly gain 
 or advancement to draw them away from the pur- 
 suit of that which alone is their true interest, which 
 alone can afford them real and solid satisfaction ? 
 It is in fact (and hence also the weakness and im- 
 
 * Matth. xix. 30. xx. 16. Mark x. 31. Luke xiii. 30. 
 
8- 
 
 perfection of our nature is plainly to be discovered) 
 because such is the end of all men, because there- 
 fore we see and hear of it every day, that we either 
 cease wholly to think upon death, or purposely 
 avoid connecting it with what is to come after; 
 that men fall into the temptation of not " seeking 
 '' those things which are above/' but " set their 
 '' affections upon the things on the earth."* It is 
 therefore an opportunity not to be neglected, upon 
 every loss of fViends, or the death of those who, 
 from their rank, or wealth, or beauty, or other ac- 
 complishments, were objects of admiration or envy, 
 when therefore the attention is particularly awake, 
 to snatch the moment to recall men to a due sense 
 of their situation ; to set before them life and death 
 in their proper colours; to save them from the 
 cheat which they are so apt to put upon themselves. 
 That such is the present moment who shall 
 deny? We have before us an example of this 
 kind, almost as perfect as can be conceived with a 
 reference to the benefit of which I have been 
 speaking; a young and beautiful Princess, des- 
 tined in the course of nature to rule over perhaps 
 the most flourishing kingdom at this moment exist- 
 ing; wedded, which very seldom indeed happens to 
 persons of that exalted rank, to a husband of her 
 own choice ; he also amiable and virtuous, loving 
 and beloved by her, and both of them loved and 
 admired by all who knew them, and high in repu- 
 tation with those who had no personal knowledge 
 * Coloss. iii. 1, 2. 
 
 i 
 
oflliem; enjoying all the advantages of the most 
 exalted rank,, with all the domestic felicity which 
 most commonly belongs to the lower ; blessed with 
 health, as with contentment ; and she on the point 
 of crowning the wishes of the nation as well as 
 their own^ by the birth of a child, who should give 
 still farther assurance of a tranquil and regular 
 succession to the throne, and thus endear her, if 
 possible, yet more to the people whom she was to 
 govern : with all these blessings, this eminence of 
 situation and of character ; enjoyments for the pre- 
 sent and prospects for the future ; neither she nor 
 any one else apprehending the least danger or mis- 
 hap ; all at once, instead of the rejoicings, for which 
 on all sides we were preparing, we hear of the 
 birth indeed of a child, but dead ; — still, while the 
 mother survived, and, as we were assured, with 
 all likelihood of doing well, we were comforting 
 ourselves that the loss, however grievous, was 
 comparatively small, — that it might be repaired ,* 
 when, quick upon this, we find that the loss is 
 indeed irreparable ; that the mother had survived 
 the child only a few hours ; that thus the hopes, 
 which we had so fondly cherished, were not only 
 clouded but extinguished ; that our joy was most 
 completely changed into mourning ; — and mourn- 
 ing more sincere, more deep, or more universal, 
 I may well trust you to say, never was seen. 
 
 Taking this now as a mere question of worldly 
 advantages, as an estimate of what was enjoyed by 
 herself, what can be more melancholy, or more to 
 
10 
 
 be deplored ? In proportion as she miglit be en- 
 vied for what she possessed, the more she might be 
 supposed to be gifted above all others, what was it 
 but that she had more to lose, that that loss was in 
 proportion immense ? That indeed it was not so to 
 her, nay, that our loss was gain tQ. her, is owing 
 only to that part of her character which I have 
 not yet touched upon ; that she was truly pious and 
 humbly devoted to God ; that when she received 
 the news of the first loss, she bore it with that 
 chearful resignation to the Divine Will, which 
 true religion only can impart. But greatly as this 
 must raise our admiration of her, highly as it must 
 contribute to console us with the assurance that she 
 is now blessed, let me remind you that this last, 
 this inestimable advantage, was in no respect one 
 of tho^e that belonged exclusively or principally 
 to her situation. Nay, on the contrar}', as I have 
 already intimated, what is said in the Scriptures 
 respecting the description of those who shall inherit 
 the kingdom of God, rather points to the lowest 
 class among the people, to the poor and despised, 
 such as were the first disciples of Christ. This is 
 therefore what all may obtain, that for which no 
 man need desire to be rich or powerful. 
 
 But now, blessed as we trust that she is, and 
 far removed from all earthly cares, turn we for a 
 moment from the dead to the living; to her princely 
 consort; to her royal father; to the numerous 
 train of relatives, who looked up to her with the 
 fondest affection ; — what are they not suffering ? 
 
11 
 
 Does their exalted situation, the pomp and afllii- 
 ence with which they are surrounded, — do these, or 
 any of these, diminish their sorrow, or blunt the 
 c(}^e of their feelings ? Do not rather all these cir- 
 cumstances tend to aggravate their pains, and 
 make them more severe ? Surely they do. — The 
 more \\c suppose any of these favoured individuals 
 to be attached to the worldly advantages of their 
 situation, the more must we conclude that they 
 must be shocked, that they must even shrink into 
 themselves, at seeing hovr, in a moment, they may 
 be deprived of all ; how they are in fact stripped 
 of that upon which were set, and deservedly set, 
 their best affections. In these, which are the 
 sharpest of all trials, wealth and power, it is plain^ 
 avail nothing ; or, if there be any difference in such 
 cases between the different descriptions of men, it 
 is, that to the great and wealthy sorrow is redoubled, 
 that to them misfortune comes in a more frightful^ 
 because in a more strange shape. 
 
 Thus stands the account between the rich and 
 the poor, the high and the low, as to those most 
 important events, more especially that one event 
 which more than all influences and detcimincs our 
 misery or happiness in the great hereafter. And 
 in these it is clear that the high and the rich haye 
 in no way the advantage ; — nay, inasmuch as, ac- 
 cording to those calculations which envy and 
 jealousy make with reference to them, they lose 
 more ; and as farther, with re>pect to their real 
 state, they have not only the same, but greater 
 
12 
 
 reason for anxiety and apprehension^ we might 
 well count them the greatest sufferers. 
 
 But men, as I have said before, will turn from 
 these awful moments, to the gaieties, and the 
 pomp, and the pleasures of the world, and ask why 
 they are so unequally distributed ? A short answer 
 therefore (and only a short one can now be given) 
 may not be improper. It might be sufficient for 
 those who really fear God, and own the obligation 
 under which we lie of submitting to his word, to 
 say, that he has so ordered it ; that it is before him 
 who made them that '' the rich and the poor meet 
 '•^ together ;"* that he himself has told us that 
 *' the poor we have always with us;"f that from 
 the very moment that men began to have more 
 than was absolutely necessary for the support of 
 life, the abundance has been unequally distributed ; 
 and even thus, judging only from experience, we 
 might conclude that such a distribution is unavoid- 
 able. But we can see also great utility arising 
 from this state of things. In the first place, it is 
 evident that some must labour, even in tilling the 
 ground, or no produce could be obtained. But in 
 a case, such as that which exists, where, from the 
 abundance of produce, it becomes not necessary 
 that all should labour, who should determine, or 
 how could it be determined, who should be the 
 labourer, if there were not such a class of persons 
 marked out, as it were, at their very birth ? In a 
 state where goods and labour should be common, 
 * Prov. xxii. 2. f Mat. xxvi. 11. Mark, xiv. 7. John, xii. 8- 
 
13 
 
 as some fanciful people have imagined, how should 
 it be ascertained every day, and every hour almost 
 (for every day and every hour would make some 
 variation), who should go out to work, or who 
 should stay at home ; who should feast, or who 
 should prepare the food; who should weave the 
 cloth, or who should have the choicest apparel ? 
 Amidst a thousand ever-recurring disputes, and 
 warring claims, how could peace or comfort be 
 found ? The truth is, that those who pretend, as 
 some have pretended, that there should be no 
 poor, only mean that there should be no rich ; 
 they very foolishly^ as well as wickedly, envy the 
 rich, and so would make all poor. For such would 
 be tlie inevitable result. It is the prospect and the 
 hope of increasing a man's comforts, and of en- 
 joying them in security, which in all conditions^, 
 without exception, makes him toil ; it is the reward 
 which the rich only can confer upon the indus- 
 trious, whether in the shape of payment, or of 
 liberality, which makes him put forth his best 
 faculties, and thus add to the common stock; — 
 take away this, and the man will either sit down 
 in indolent despondency, helpless and useless, or 
 his activity will be that of a ferocious savage ; he 
 will plunder and prey upon his weaker neighbours. 
 It is indeed only among savages that any thing 
 like this equality is found ; but even among them 
 it is not perfect; for there the strongest will secure 
 the largest share, though it be but for a moment. 
 In truth all improvements in knowledge, in science^ 
 
14 
 
 ill the libera] arts, have all their foundation in this 
 inequality of conditions. It is the man who has 
 a provision made for him, who has therefore 
 leisure as well as disposition for study, that exer- 
 cises and enlightens his mind, by reflecting on 
 what is before him, by searching for what h 
 hidden, by communicating with others and pro- 
 fiting by their labours ; who thus accumulates 
 knowledge and is even thus enabled to direct it to 
 the most useful purposes ; nay, to the supplying of 
 amusement as well as instruction, or of both toge- 
 ther, and thus refining the manners of men, and 
 imparting to society a charm and an ease, which 
 extend their influence even to the lowest classes. 
 You are well aware also how all improvements in 
 manufactures, as well as in agriculture, are brought 
 about and perfected by large capitals ; that most 
 often vast sums must be sunk before any returns 
 are obtained; that therefore the existence of wealth 
 in considerable masses is useful even to the poorest, 
 since the elfects of such improvements are felt in 
 every quarter ; I might say, in every corner. 
 The most miserable cottager is the better for them. 
 Here then also, even where it might appear 
 most doubtful, the dispensations of Providence 
 manifest themselves with an equal view to all 
 classes. Still men's eyes are dazzled by the pomp, 
 the splendour, and the apparent (for in truth it is 
 only apparent) gaiety of high life. They see 
 costly equipages, large houses, numerous servants^ 
 and set it down that those must be happy who 
 
15 
 
 have them. This is an error which one is even 
 weary with having to combat, and which it has in 
 all ages been the object of the wise and experi- 
 enced to correct. That large possessions bring with 
 them care and disquiet, has been true long before 
 the days of Solomon ; and he has told us that " the 
 " abundance of the rich will not suffer him to 
 " sleep." In the same verse he has told us farther^ 
 that " the sleep of the labouring man is sweet, 
 whether he eat little or much."* And who knew 
 better than he what was pleasure, and what was en- 
 joyment ? He had made the experiment in all its 
 forms, and found, as you well know, that " all was 
 '' vanity and vexation of spirit, "f It was so in 
 his days: be assured that so it is in ours. Still 
 more is it so in ours, when, as I have before hinted, 
 our Saviour himself has told us how hard it is, how 
 peculiarly hard, for a rich man to enter into the 
 kingdom of Heaven ; J in other words, to attain 
 that which is the great, and should be the only 
 end of our being. Surely, if but this one solemn 
 truth were well weighed, it would effectually check 
 mankind in their inordinate pursuits after wealth. 
 
 But rulers and kings are also more especially 
 envied^ and viewed with even malignant jealousy. 
 A\' hat efforts have been directed particularly against 
 them in these latter days, you well know ; and even 
 now the spirit of dissatisfaction and rebellion to 
 authority can hardly be said 'to be entirely put 
 down. But now what is their state but one of 
 
 * Eccles. V. 12. t Eccles. i. U. ii 11. :]: Malth. xviii. 21, 
 
16^ 
 
 tnost important and anxious duties ; of constant 
 Watchfulness for others more than for themselves; 
 obliged often to act upon the spur of the moment, 
 where mistakes may be of extensive as well as 
 dangerous consequence^ thousands of cares they 
 know, and thousands of vexations,, which come not 
 near the man in humble life ; and they are cares> 
 they are a charge and a series of duties which never 
 cease. How can such a one lie down with the 
 uniform quiet and comfort which may be^ and are 
 often enjoyed by the lowest of their subjects ? 
 Well may we then allow them what they have of 
 superior advantage, if any such is to be found or 
 really exist, in the magnificence, the luxury, the 
 honours of royalty; in that elevation above the 
 people which can be truly gratifying only when it 
 is attended with the consciousness of well-doing, 
 with the confidence that diligence and labour have 
 not been wanting. 
 
 After all, what is happiness, but that which every 
 individual feels to be such, that comfort or that 
 pleasure which is suited to his feelings and habits 
 and ideas, and which even by that very suitableness 
 become pleasure or comfort ? Now, who shall say 
 what are the enjoyments and the gratifications 
 which are most suitable to the various and multi- 
 plied classes of men ; or rather, who shall say that 
 they are not precisely those which the Providence 
 of God has placed within the reach of every one of 
 Uiem respectively, and which we see the soberer 
 and the wiser part of them actually enjoy ? We 
 
17 
 
 have works of imagination which describe suddert 
 transitions from one state to another, and all end 
 in proving that sudden elevation and the change of 
 situation and of pursuit which follows upon it^ only 
 produce disappointment and uncomfortableness ; 
 uneasiness instead of quiet, and care instead of 
 peace. So may we not conclude, what indeed upon 
 principle is most likely to be true, that every man, 
 every one at least who pursues them, as he ought^ 
 with a proper attention to his calling, does in fact 
 partake of the sweets of life in as great a degree as 
 is fitting for him ? 
 
 Consider, — for I shall now, in the conclusion, di- 
 rect your attention to her whose untimely death has 
 called forth these observations, — in what did she^ 
 our beloved Princess, make her happiness to con- 
 sist? Was it in the abundance Avith which she was 
 surrounded, in a display of riches, in pomp or show^ 
 in any refinements of luxury ? All agree, that this 
 was far from her. She lived, as much as she 
 could, in that retirement which might have become 
 the most private individual ; seeking and finding 
 happiness in the discharge of duties, and those the 
 most domestic ; such as may and ought to occupy 
 every one in their different stations, even the 
 meanest : rejoicing in the happiness of loving and 
 being beloved by her husband ; and from him, to 
 all around, her affection and kindness diffusing 
 themselves with that gentle but steady course 
 which is ever most productive of good. This 
 >Yas her present enjoyment; that which, as I 
 
IS 
 
 said before^ all may make their own. And if she 
 looked beyond that, to the future, to that Throne 
 which she was one day to ascend, it was with the 
 hope, that, as her sphere of action was enlarged, 
 her ability and her desire to do good would keep 
 pace with it ; it was that she was constantly labour- 
 ing to qualify herself for that situation, by study, 
 by observation, by communication with those who 
 were best informed ; — by that, lastly, — which is of all 
 means the greatest, which is the only one truly 
 effectual, without which all the other are as nothing, — 
 by constant prayer to the Almighty for his support, 
 by humble and earnest supplication to him for that 
 wisdom which he only can confer. And in this 
 she exercised herself, not only by private, but 
 public devotion ; by that most constant and reverend 
 observance of the Sabbath, which was a source not 
 only of improvement to herself, but of edification 
 to others. This it is which makes our grief for 
 her neither dreary nor uncomfortable. We may 
 not only trust that that God, in whose worship she 
 was so constant, who supported her so wonderfully 
 in her last moments, has received her into his 
 heavenly habitations ; but we may further hope, 
 that as he deigned so to instruct her in the true 
 wisdom, he will in like manner enlighten and sup- 
 port those, whoever they may be, who shall succeed 
 in her place ; that the benefit of her example shall 
 not be lost ; but that " being dead, she shall ye| 
 [^ speak.''* 
 
 * Ikb. xi. 4-. 
 
19 
 
 Let not the example, the glorious example, be 
 lost, I beseech you, even upon you : do you, let all 
 of us, more and more turn to God with unfeigned 
 devotion : " make your light to shine," as her's 
 did, '' before men ;"* " not forsaking the as- 
 '' sembling of ourselves together" (to use the words 
 of the Apostle to the Hebrews), '' as the manner of 
 " some is," — too much indeed is it the manner, 
 and of too many ; but duly treading, as she did, 
 the courts of the Lord ; — '' Exhorting one another, 
 " and so much the more, as ye see the day ap- 
 '' proaching."f Of that day, I repeat, you are 
 now most forcibly reminded : that awful day, as 
 you see, and as we are told, '' coraeth as a thief in 
 '^^ the night;" it spareth not the high any more 
 than the low ; and it can be properly met only by 
 that Hope which, founded in a crucified Saviour, 
 and directed by him in the true way of Salvation, 
 points us to that blessed region where there shall 
 be no strife nor envying, neither weeping nor 
 crying ; but God, even the God of Peace, shall be 
 " all in all :" which is " laid up for you" (for I trust 
 ye are indeed believers, and it is laid up for all 
 such) " in Heaven ;"J but which is to be obtained, 
 as you also know, only by the pure, and simple, 
 and sincere in heart; by those who harbour no 
 thought which needs concealment, allow them- 
 selves in no deed which shuns the light ; who, in 
 respect of worldly advancement or pleasure, seek 
 nothing but what is most strictly their own ; — and 
 
 * Matt. V. 16. fHeb. X. 25. }. Colu»s. Epietle for the day. 
 
20 
 
 hardly that^— certainly seek it not by means any 
 way unlawful, — but rather are anxious to promote 
 the welfare of others ; constantly looking beyond 
 this earth, to that world to which we are all 
 hastening. This hope it was, '' full," as it is, '' of 
 '' immortality," which animated and supported her 
 who is gone, in life as in death ; which will animate 
 and support you, if you will follow after it as you 
 ought ; and which, if it be increased in you, and 
 made more lively even by this awful visitation, 
 will make this and all other God's chastisements, 
 nay, even what is positively evil, for such is his 
 promise, '^ work for good to you and to all that 
 " love him." 
 
 That Hope I most fervently pray that he may 
 plant and keep alive in all our hearts, and make it 
 fruitful to every good work ! 
 
 Now to Him, the God of all consolation and 
 mercy, the only true God, Father, Son, and Holy 
 Ghost, be ascribed, as is most meet, all praise, 
 might, majesty, and dominion, now and for ever- 
 more! 
 
 T. C. Howard, Printer, Prtnrhnrrt cmrt, rirei street, London. 
 
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