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THE FATHERS, 
 THE REFORMERS, 
 
 AND 
 
 THE PUBLIC FORMULARIES, 
 
 OF ' 
 
 %l)t CDtttcl) of cnsiann, 
 
 IN HARMONY WITH 
 
 CALVIN, 
 
 AND AGAINST 
 
 THE BISHOP OF LINCOLN; 
 
 TO WHICH IS PREFIXED 
 
 A L E T T E R 
 To THE ARCHBISHOP of CANTERBURY 
 
 ON THE SUBJECT OF THIS CONTROVEttSV. 
 
 By A LAYMAN. „ " 
 
 " Man, of his own nature, is sinful and disobedient to Cod, WITHOUT 
 ANY SPARK OF GOODNESS in him, without any virtuous or godly motion." 
 '■— Church of England, Horn. JVhitsuh. 
 
 *' We can by no means allow — that of our own nature we are WITHOUT 
 ANY'SPAEK OF GOODNESS in us, and that man has no ability or disposi- 
 tion whatever, either to faith or good works."— £)r. Tomline, Bishop of Lincoln, 
 
 " To be impugned from without, and betrayed from wrrHiN, is certainly 
 the worst condirion, that either Church or State can fall into: — ihe. Church of 
 England has had experience of both." — Dr. South. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 PRINTED FOR GALE AND CURTIS, PATERNOSTER-ROW, 
 
 1812. 
 
AC. 
 
 V^'7 ^ 
 
 Printed ly R. Taylor and Co., Shoe-lane, London, 
 
TO HIS GRACE 
 
 THE 
 
 LORD ARCHBISHOP of CANTERBURY, 
 
 My Lord, , 
 
 1 BEG leave to approach jour Grace with all the 
 respect due to your high and important office. 
 To go bejond this, and use language even bor- 
 dering on adulation, would be equally abhorrent 
 to my feelings to offer, and unbecoming your 
 character to receive. 
 
 I am aware that it is unusua^ for your Grace 
 to be thus addressed through the medium of the 
 press, by an individual who has not the honour 
 of being known to you, either personally or by 
 name. But I trust the nature of the subject will 
 either furnish a sufficient apology, or render 
 apology altogether unnecessary. 
 
 The possession of the same common nature * 
 has ever been considered sufficient to interest 
 every thoughtful and benevolent man in any 
 
 * Homo sum : humarii nihil a me alienum puto. Terentii 
 Heautontimor. 
 
 a2 
 
IV 
 
 event that can affect the happiness of mankind. 
 And surely, no man who aspires to something 
 beyond the mere name of Christian himself, can 
 think any apology necessary for the meanest of 
 his brethren* feeling or expressing the most lively 
 interest in the discussion of any question, or the 
 occurrence of any event, which involves the 
 welfare or injury of the Christian Church in ge- 
 neral, or of any considerable portion of it in the 
 nation to which he belon|!:s. He^e " the rich and 
 ^^ the poor meet together^,*' invested with similar 
 privileges, endued with similar sympathies, and 
 laid under similar obligations by '' the Lord, the 
 '' Maker of them all." 
 
 If a fortress be assailed from without, and some 
 of the officers within at the same time, whether in- 
 tentionally or inadvertently, pursue measures cal- 
 culated to impair the strength of the garrison and 
 to advance the interests of the foe, the governor 
 will not refuse to listen to tl^e suggestions of the 
 meanest individual on the subject of the common 
 safety. And when the Church is in similar danger, 
 no situation is too obscure for any one to sound 
 the alarm; nor on such a subject can any one 
 be more properly addressed than the Primate of 
 all England, next in authority to the sovereign, 
 the first spiritual governor of the Church by law 
 established, the official guardian of the purity 
 of its faith, as well as the regularity of its disci- 
 pline. 
 
 * 1 Cor. xii. 25, 26. ^ Prov. xxii. 2, 
 
When I say the Church is in danger^ I refer^ 
 not to its civil establishment, but to its religious 
 principles, not to its ample revenues, but to its 
 ancient doctrines. I mean the Church as pour- 
 traved in thcv Articles, Homilies, and Liturgy, in 
 perfect consistence with which are the writings 
 of its Fathers and Founders, as ought to be the 
 testimonies of all its subsequent ministers. And 
 is. there not cause for this alarm of danger, when 
 one of the Bishops, who has successively filled 
 two Sees, and who, by virtue of another office, 
 occasionally occupies the pulpit in the largest 
 Cathedral in the land, publicly avows and main- 
 tains various principles in direct contrariety to 
 the explicit declarations of all the Public For- 
 mularies of the Church ? When in addition to 
 this, he labours by every effort of argumentation 
 and every manoeuvre of sophistry, to impose 
 upon numerous passages in those formularies a 
 sense altogether different from '' the true usual 
 '^ literal meaning'* of the language employed in 
 them; wher> in defiance of the clearest evidence^ 
 he asserts the sentiments of the Compilers of 
 those formularies to have been contrary to what 
 their own writings still extant, as well as the 
 testimony of all contemporary historians, prove 
 them to have been ; and moreover attempts ta 
 asperse the characters of all who have held the 
 real doctrines of the Church, by representing 
 •them as the followers of Simon Magus, and class 
 ing them with the wildest heretics, and insinuat- 
 
Tl 
 
 ing their resemblance to the most abandoned 
 profligates, that have infested the Church in any 
 age ? But this has actually been done by the 
 present Bishop of Lincoln, in a late treatise, en- 
 titled, " A Refutation of Calvinism." 
 
 A book that tends to originate or strengthen 
 erroneous opinions on any subject, is likely to 
 be injurious in proportion to the station, charac- 
 ter, and influence of its author. Multitudes be- 
 lieve, that " a saint in crape, is twice a saint in 
 *' lawn^ ;** and far greater danger to the Church 
 must be apprehended from the errors and mis- 
 representations of a Prelate, than from those of 
 any theologian of inferior rank. Where w^ill 
 the rbajority of readers expect to find accurate 
 statements of the true doctrines of the Church 
 by law established, if not in a treatise composed 
 by one of its own Bishops, professing the warmest 
 zeal for '' the preservation of this most pure and 
 '' reformed part of the Christian Church^" from 
 the " attempts of schism and enthusiasm," which 
 his Lordship deems '*^ more secret, but not less 
 '' dangerous" than " the open attacks of infi- 
 ^' delity and atheism" — especially when they are 
 informed, that three chapters of this treatise in- 
 clude episcopal charges delivered at so many 
 triennial visitations by the right reverend author, 
 to the clergy of a very extensive diocese, and 
 published at their request*^ ? This circumstance 
 adds another alarming feature to the portentous 
 
 « Pope. * Ref. p. 283. « Pref. p. 4. 
 

 aspect which this puhlication bears towards the 
 interests of the Church. Many readers will not 
 afford either the time or thought requisite for the 
 examination of such a volume. They will give 
 his Lordship credit for being able to achieve what 
 he has not actually accomplished^ will suppose! 
 that proofs sufficient to support his numerous un* 
 substantiated assertions were ready at hand> if 
 his Lordship had thought it necessary to produce 
 them, and will take it for granted that the doc- 
 trine opposed^ which in many points can be de- 
 monstrated to be the true doctrine of the Church, 
 does really deserve that heretical and mischievous 
 character, with which it has been stigmatized by 
 his Lordship. 
 
 I am not sensible of any impropriety in call- 
 ing your Grace's attention to this subject. It 
 appears to me to fall completely within* your 
 spiritual jurisdiction, and to call for the exerciser 
 of, perhaps, a very delicate, but at the same time 
 a most useful and necessary part of the archi- 
 episcopal functions. 
 
 Whether the office of Metropolitan, as well 
 as of Diocesan Bishops, has been of merely 
 human appointment, or was established under 
 the immediate direction of inspired Apostles, it 
 is natural to conclude the institution to havebeea 
 designed for some important ends. There are, 
 or ought to be, no sinecures in the Church of 
 Christ. Nor can the episcopal or archiepiscopal 
 office be thought to relate chiefly to the tempo- 
 
Mil 
 
 ralilies of the Church. The principal objects of 
 contemplation, must be its spiritual concerns. 
 And here it may not be foreign to the subject to 
 introduce an observation of Mr. Gisborne, on the 
 origin and advantages of the different clerical 
 orders in the Church of England. 
 
 '' It is now admitted/' he says, '' by the gene- 
 " ralitj of Protestants, that no command was 
 ^'^ delivered either by Christ or by his xipostles/ 
 '' assigning to the Christian Church any specific 
 ^^ unalterable form of government ; but that, 
 '^ while various offices, suited to the situation and 
 ^' exigencies of the new converts, were insti- 
 " tuted at lihe beginning (some of which, as that 
 ^' of Deaconesses, have long fallen into disuse), 
 " Christians were left at liberty to adopt in future 
 " times such modes of ecclesiastical administra- 
 " tion and discipline, as they should deem most 
 ^' eligible in the circumstances under which they 
 " should find themselves placed. The advantages 
 '' to be expected from the mode of government 
 ^^ adopted in the establishment of our own coun- 
 '' try, are principally these. The distinction of 
 '^ orders in the Church, bearing a strong resem- 
 ^' blance to the gradations of rank in civil life, 
 *' provides friends and companions among the 
 ^' clergy, and the benefits which may result from 
 *' their society and example, not merely for the 
 '^ inferior, but likewise for the highest classes m 
 '' the community*.'* 
 
 a Gisb. Duties of Men, yoI. i. p. 23, 4th edit. 
 
IX 
 
 That great cliampion of the Ecclesiastical Po- 
 lity of the Church, Hooker, reasons respecting 
 its advantages, in a similar manner. He consi- 
 ders it as a " principal commodity, that order (of 
 " Prelates) '^yieldeth, or at leastwise is of its own 
 " disposition and nature apt to yield ; Kings and 
 '' Princes, partly for information of their own 
 " consciences, partly for instruction what they 
 " have to do in a numher of most weighty af- 
 '^ fairs entangled with the cause of religion, 
 '^ having, as all men know, so usual occasion of 
 '' often consultation and conferences with their 
 
 ^' Clergy, There is no judicious man will 
 
 *' ever make any question or doubt, ;but that fit 
 " and direct it is for the highest and chiefest or- 
 '^ der in God's Clergy to be employed before 
 " others about so near and necessary offices as 
 " the sacred estate of the greatest on earth doth 
 *' require. For this cause Joshua had Eleazar ; 
 '' David, Abiathar ; Constantine, Hosius Bishop 
 '' of Corduba; other Emperors and Kings their 
 ^^ Prelates, by whom, in private, (for with Princes 
 '' this is the most effectual way of doing good) 
 '' to be admonished, counselled, comforted, and 
 '' if need were, reproved^." 
 
 But what success can be expected to attend 
 the instruction, admonition, and reproof of 
 Kings, Princes, or Nobles, unless the Prelates 
 who perform this useful, but sometimes unwel- 
 come office, add to ail their other qualilications 
 
 » Hook. Eccles. Polit. book Tii, sec. 18. 
 
an unbending firmness of moral integrity, art 
 eminent degree of " simplicity and godly sin* 
 ^^cerity*?'' Though a Bishop possess splendid 
 talents^ extensive knowledge, and profound learn- 
 ing, it is difficult to imagine a greater blemish in 
 his spiritual character, one more irreconcileable 
 with " simplicity and godly sincerity," more 
 fully exposing him to the censure of being 
 ^'double-tongued^," more completely incom- 
 patible with the qualities requisite to constitute a 
 sound casuist, than a belief and avowal of sen- 
 timents and opinions inconsistent with those 
 which he has most solemnly and repeatedly sub- 
 scribed, and by virtue of which subscription, he 
 first obtained and still holds all his preferments. 
 
 If it be the duty of Prelates in general to ad^ 
 minister all seasonable counsel, admonition, and 
 even reproof, to the greatest personages on earth, 
 it must more peculiarly belong to a Metropolitan 
 to observe, counsel, admonish, comfort, and if 
 need were, reprove the Bishops of the inferior 
 Sees. The Apostle of the Gentiles admonished 
 one of the first Bishops of the Christian Church 
 to *' hold fast the form of sound words ^," to 
 " take heed unto himself and unto his doctrine, 
 *^ to continue in them^." He also particularly 
 exhorted him to make proper provision for the 
 perpetuation of the true doctrines of Christ by a 
 succession of ^' faithful men w^ho should be able 
 
 a ^ Cor. i. 12. ^1 Tim. iii, 8. *" 2 Tim. i. 13. 
 
 ^ 1 Tim. i\. 16. 
 
'Mo teach others also^" Another Bishop of 
 one of the first Christian Churches was di- 
 rected by the same Apostle to pay particular at- 
 tention to the qualifications of those who might 
 receive ordination at his hands, and especially to 
 their profession and propagation of " sound 
 doctrine^/' The writings of this Apostle also 
 contain an exhortation to all the members of a 
 primitive church to admonish their Bishop to 
 '' take heed to the ministry which he had received 
 " in the Lord, to fulfil^" all its sacred and im- 
 portant duties. But if \Bisfiops are to receive 
 admonition from Christians " over whom" they 
 " have the rule^/' much more should they be 
 ready to receive it from their ecclesiastical supe- 
 riors, from those Most Reverend Fathers whom 
 the constitution of the Church obliges them to 
 regard as '' over them in the Lord^." With par- 
 ticular reference to the Church of England, the 
 late Sir William Blackstone observes ; '' An 
 " Archbishop is the chief of the clergy in a 
 '' whole province; and has the inspection of the 
 '^ Bishops of that province as well as of the in- 
 '' fcrior clergy V And what can present stronger 
 claims to all the vigilance of archiepiscopal in- 
 spection, what can be more deserving of your 
 Grace*s examination, and approbation or cen- 
 sure, as the case shall be found to require, than 
 the agreement or dissonance of the principles 
 
 *2 Tim. ii. 2. ^ Tit. i. fi— 9. « Col. iv. I7. 
 
 * Ht b. xiii. 7j 17. « 1 Thess. v. 12. 
 
 'Comment, vol. i. b. i. c. 11. p. 380. 
 
xu 
 
 maintained and propagated by your suffragan 
 Bishops with those of the public creeds and for- 
 mularies of the church ? 
 
 There is a custom in the established Church of, 
 Ireland, which if seriously and conscientiously 
 followed seems calculated to produce great ad- 
 vantages. " The Archbishops visit the dioceses 
 '' of Jtheir respective provinces every third year. 
 ^' — The Archbishop at the time is invested with 
 '' all the canonical powers of the visiting Bishop. 
 " — The Chancellors and Archdeacons, as such, 
 ^' never visit. But the Bishops visit every year; 
 '' and in the third year they visit previously to 
 '' the Archbishop's visitation, in order to prepare 
 " matters for his Grace's ease and satisfaction. — 
 '' He continues as long* as he chooses at every 
 " Bishop's house\" 
 
 In such a triennial visitation a Metropolitan 
 must gain a large acquaintance with the state of 
 the Clergy in the various dioceses; but especially 
 from the communications which may naturally 
 be supposed to pass between him and the respec- 
 tive Bishops, during his continuance at their 
 houses, he can scarcely fail of acquiring a know- 
 ledge of their real principles, and forming an 
 estimate of the excellencies and defects of their 
 episcopal characters. The occurrences and in- 
 tercourses of such a visitation will lead to admo- 
 nition, counsel, comfort, or reproof, according 
 to the various exigences of the respective cases. 
 
 •GIsborne's Duties of Men, vol. ii. p. 119. 
 
Xlll 
 
 It is said, " that Laud visited the province of 
 " Canterbury, which is the last English archi- 
 '^ episcopal visitation ^'' Whether any violent 
 proceedings of that arbitrary and intolerant Pre- 
 late brought the practice of visitation into disre- 
 pute, and caused it to be abandoned by his suc- 
 cessors, I know not, but take it for granted they 
 have had some weighty reasons for discontinuing 
 it 
 
 But the duties of archiepiscopal vigilance, eX- 
 amination, and approbation, or censure, must 
 ever retain their obligation unimpaired by all the 
 variations of time and circumstances. And it is 
 gratifying to reflect, that whatever superintend- 
 ence or control may be exercised b^ your Grace, 
 there can be no ground for the least appre- 
 hension of any thing like ecclesiastical tyranny 
 or religious persecution. Every candid mind 
 must approve ai»:^ unite in the liberal and manly 
 sentiments avowed by your Grace in the House 
 of Lords, ill the debate on a bill lately introdu- 
 ced by I//rd Sidmouth which tended to restrict 
 and jdiminkh the privileges of the Dissenters. We 
 mustall deprecate legislative interference with the 
 right of private judgement in matters of religion. 
 
 But though no man can justly be compelled 
 to join any Christian Church, or to profess a be- 
 lief in any particular systfcm of theology, yet 
 every one who becomes a member of any Chris- 
 tian Church, and professes his cordial belief of 
 
 'Gisborne's Duties of Men, vol, ii. p, 119. 
 
the doctrines contained in the creeds and con* 
 fessions of that Churchy must be considered as 
 having voluntarily merged his private judgement 
 in the judgement of the Church. 'This obser- 
 vation is peculiarly applicable to every Clergy- 
 man, and gains additional force in proportion to 
 the superiority of his station. 
 
 It is justly remarked by the late Archdeacon 
 Paley, that '' the single end we ought to pro- 
 '' pose by Church establishments is the preserva- 
 '' tion and propagation of religious knowledge. 
 '' Every other idea, and every other end, that 
 " have been mixed with this, as the making of 
 " the Church an engine or even an ally of the 
 *' State; converting it into the means of strength- 
 '^ ening or of diffusing influence; or regarding 
 *' it as a support of regal in opposition to popu- 
 '' lar forms of government, have served only to 
 '^ debase the institution, and to'^^itroduce into it 
 " numerous corruptions and abuses ^" 
 
 If the only legitimate end ot ecclesiastical 
 establishments be the preservation and propaga- 
 tion of religious truth, and this every rc^\ Chris- 
 tian, friendly to such establishments, will readily 
 admit; it follows, that the system of religious 
 truth intended to be taught must be clearly stated 
 and defined. Hence it has been forcibly and 
 conclusively argued by Mr. Gisborne, that '' Ar- 
 *^ tides of religion seem a necessary part of every 
 '' ecclesiastical establishment ; as forming the 
 * Mor. and Pol. Philos. vol. ii. p. 305, 6th edit. 
 
XT 
 
 ^' only criterion by which those teachers who hold 
 '' the doctrines of the establishment can be di- 
 '^ stinguished from those who do not. The un- 
 '^ lawfulness of requiring any subscription what- 
 *' ever, though not unfrequently asserted, can 
 " never be evinced. For if it be lawful to require 
 ^' of a person who applies for an office in the 
 *' state, or an employment in private life, some 
 *' proof of his possessing the qualifications ne- 
 '^ cessary for discharging the duties of the post, 
 *^ and an engagement that he will discharge them 
 *' faithfully while he continues to hold it: why 
 " is a similar proceeding in the case of ecclesiastic 
 '^ cal officers necessarily unlawful ? And when 
 " an office is instituted for the purpose of incul- 
 '^ eating certain doctrines, is it not lawful and 
 '^ reasonable to require of those who voluntarily 
 *' apply for admission into the office, an explicit 
 " declaration whether they believe the doctrines? 
 " For that belief is a qualification indispensably 
 *' requisite to their fulfilling with integrity and 
 '' efi'ect the functions, with the discharge of which 
 *' they desire to be intrusted ^'* 
 
 It is evident that the Clergy of the Church of 
 England have been appointed for the purpose of 
 inculcating the doctrines contained in the for- 
 mularies of the Church, the Liturgy, Articles, and 
 Homilies. To pretend, as some have done, that 
 these formularies contain no precise system of 
 
 * Duties of Men^ vol. ii. p. 27, 
 
XVI 
 
 doctrines, but are equally adapted to the subscrip- 
 tion of the Arian and the Athanasian, of the 
 Arminian and the Calvinist, is one of the gross- 
 est libels on the Church in the power of ingenuity 
 or malice to fabricate. To represent the Articles 
 as articles of peace, and to maintain that sub- 
 scription does not necessarily suppose, nor could 
 ever have been intended to ensure, the belief of 
 every person who subscribes them in all the pro- 
 positions which they contain, or to allege that 
 subscription ought to be understood as implying 
 assent to them only so far as they are consistent 
 with the Scriptures; this is worse than puerile 
 .ibsurdity, it is an unmanly disingenuous evasion 
 of their obvious design, expressed in the title 
 which they bear : " Articles agreed upon by the 
 *' Archbishops, and Bishops, and the whole Cler- 
 " gy^ — for the avoiding of diversities of opinions, 
 " and for the establishing of consent touching 
 " true religion/' The Church assumes, that its 
 public formularies are all consistent with the 
 Scriptures, and every Clergyman is supposed to 
 have made, and every one, deserving of the cha- 
 racter he sustains, has made, a serious and deli- 
 berate examination, and arrived at the same con- 
 clusion ; in consequence of which he '' will^ 
 '* ingly and ex animo,'* subscribes the form re- 
 quired, wherein " he acknowledgeth all and 
 " every the Articles; — being in number thirtj^ and 
 '' nine; — to be agreeable to the word of God." 
 
XVll 
 
 And this subscription is further declared by the 
 36th Canon to be *' for the avoiding of all 
 
 AMBIGUITIES." 
 
 But if the Articles of the Church may be law- 
 fully subscribed with such latitude of interpreta- 
 tion as to leave in reality scarcely any determinate 
 meaning at all^ what opinion must we form of 
 such subscription, professedly made '' for the 
 
 '*^ AVOIDING of diversities OF OPINIONS, AND FOR 
 ''THE ESTABLISHING OF CONSENT TOUCHING TRUE 
 
 *' RELIGION ? " Is it possible for the most compre- 
 hensive charity to consider it as any other than 
 egregious trifling or solemn mockery? 
 
 If every Clergyman, or every Bishop, be at 
 liberty to preach or publish any religious senti- 
 ments he pleases, whether consistent or incon- 
 sistent with the Formularies of the Church, what 
 real advantage arises from the existence and im- 
 position of those Formularies ? Wherein does the 
 situation of the Clergy of the established Church, 
 in a religious point of view, differ from that of 
 the Teachers of the separate cofigregations of 
 Dissenters ? 
 
 That very different and even opposite senti- 
 ments are held by Clergymen and Bishops of 
 the Church; that it is impossible for the acutest 
 ingenuity to frame any propositions more contra- 
 dictory to each other than the sermons delivered 
 in some churches are to the sermons delivered in 
 others; and that the tlieological writings pub- 
 lished by the Clergy exhibit similar specimens of 
 
 b 
 
XVllI 
 
 palpable contradictions ; are facts too notorious 
 to be denied or doubted bj any person possessed 
 of a moderate acquaintance with the productions 
 of the pulpit and the press. Some of these con- 
 tradictory doctrines must necessarily be contrary 
 to the Formularies of the Church, and those who 
 maintain them must be chargeable with disbeliev- 
 ing and opposing Articles which they have so- 
 lemnly subscribed, as being, '^ all and every" of 
 them, '' agreeable to the word of God." And 
 that this capital breach of clerical and episcopal 
 duty has been committed by the Bishop of Lin- 
 coln, his late treatise, already mentioned, appeart 
 to me to furnish the most ample and undeniable 
 proofs. 
 
 That the principles of the Church of England 
 are really in harmony with those of Calvin and 
 Calvinists in general, few persons, who shall 
 take the trouble of perusing the following sheets, 
 will have the hardihood to deny, and very few, 
 if any, whose judgements are not perverted by 
 interest, will be so weak as to doubt. And it is 
 worthy of being remarked, that this is never 
 doubted by those who have no immediate interest 
 in the question. Whatever be their own doctri- 
 nal attachments or aversions, they consider the 
 Formularies of the Church of England as Cal- 
 vinistic. This is the unanimous opinion of all 
 intelligent Dissenters, of every variety of theolo- 
 gical sentiment, from the pseudo-calvinistic an- 
 tinoraian to the serai-dcistical follower of Socinus 
 
XIX 
 
 orPriestley. That the leading sentiments mamtain- 
 ed by Calvin were adopted by the first founders of 
 the Church of England, the framers and com- 
 pilers of the Articles, Homilies, and Liturgy; that 
 having adopted Calvinistic sentiments they can- 
 not reasoi^ably be supposed to have compiled and 
 imposed Anti-calvinistic Formularies; that the 
 Formularies compiled and imposed by them were 
 then universally understood as expressive, " in 
 " the true usual literal meaning " of the words 
 and phrases employed, of Calvinistic sentiments ; 
 that the immediate successors of the first founders 
 of the Church were firm believers and strenuous 
 defenders of the same principles ; that for the first 
 fifty years after the establishment of the reformed 
 Church of England it is scarcely possible to find 
 half a dozen divines within its pale who op- 
 posed these principles : these assertions can be 
 supported by the highest degree of moral evi- 
 dence of which such propositions are suscepti- 
 ble, and several of them are established beyond 
 all doubt in the following pages. In addition to 
 the evidence there adduced, it may be stated, 
 that in the year 1629, sixty-seven years after the 
 compilation of the 39 Articles, the House of 
 Commons passed the following vote : " We the 
 *' Commons in parliament assembled do claim, 
 '' protest, and avow for truth the sense of the 
 *' Articles which were established by Parliament 
 " in the thirteenth year of our late Queen Eliza- 
 ^' beth, which by the public act of the Church of 
 
 b2 
 
" England, and by the general and current ex- 
 " positions of the ministers of our Churchy have 
 " been delivered unto us ; and we reject the sense 
 ^' of the Jesuits and Arminians and all others 
 " wherein they differ from us." 
 
 Perhaps it may be pleaded, that since that 
 period the Church of England has undergone a 
 most material change; that though its creeds and 
 confessions have never been altered, yet the ma- 
 jority of both Clergy and Laity have long ceased 
 to hold Calvinistic sentiments, and that the 
 Church therefore ought not now to be considered 
 as a Calvinistic Church. 
 
 But nothing can be more fallacious than such a 
 plea. The maxim, *' defcndit numerus," is not ap- 
 plicable here. The moral quality of actions is 
 not affected by the number of those who practise 
 them. No multiplication of examples can ever 
 make that right which was originally and intrin- 
 sically wrong. The injunction of Heaven is, 
 ** Thou shalt not follovi' a multitude to do evil*." 
 It is not the dei'ection of any number of per- 
 sons, whether Clergy or Laity, from the genuine, 
 original principles of the Church, that will justify 
 any one, who does not cordially embrace and 
 believe those principles, in the solemn declaration 
 of assent and consent required' of every Clergy- 
 man as the sine qua non^ the indispensable con- 
 dition, of his admission to holy ordel^. The Ar- 
 ticles of the Church remain precisely the same as 
 
 * Exod. xiiii. 2. 
 
XXI 
 
 they were in the reiga of Queen Elizabeth. Com- 
 mon sense and common integrity require, that 
 the sense in which they were intended, imposed, 
 and understood then, be the sense in which they 
 should be understood and subscribed now. 
 Lapse of time effects no change in religious truth. 
 If in any subsequent period it had been dis- 
 covered that the Reformers had been mis- 
 taken, that the Church was established upon 
 principles not strictly orthodox; if any pas- 
 sages in the Articles, Homilies, or Liturgy, taken 
 '^ in the true usual literal meaning,'* had been 
 found to be ''^ contrary'* or not ''^ agreeable to 
 " the word of God," ought not such passages to 
 have been altered or expunged ? Or if those of 
 the Clergy or Bishops, who entertained such sen- 
 timents, had not sufficient influence to procure the 
 omission or alteration of the obnoxious passages, 
 ought they not to have resigned their preferments, 
 and to have renounced all connexion with a 
 Church, which they must have considered as erro- 
 neous ? Would not this have been more consis- 
 tent with that integrity of moral principle, 
 which ought to characterize all Christians, and 
 especially all Deacons, Priests, and Prelates ; 
 than to continue subscribing, and requiring 
 subscription, to Articles, in "the literal and gram- 
 matical sense,'* after that sense had been generally 
 abandoned ? 
 
 The abandonment of the true sense of the Ar- 
 ticles by great numbers of the Clergy has been 
 
xxn 
 
 too evident to escape particular observation. In 
 the year 1675 the Earl of Shafteshurv said in the 
 House of Lords,—'*' I am extremely in the dark 
 ^' to find the doctrine of predestination in the 
 '^^ seventeenth article to be owned by so few great 
 " Doctors of the Church." The same fact was 
 stated in more general terms in the same House 
 nearly a century after, by the great Earl of Chat- 
 ham. '' We (said his lordship) have a Calvin- 
 ^^ istic Creed, and an Arminian Clergy." 
 
 But the Bishop of Lincoln leaves every pre- 
 ceding writer, who has pleaded for Clerical Sub- 
 scription on any other than Calvinistic princi- 
 ples, far behind him. He plainly and boldly as- 
 serts the Creed of the Church of England to be 
 Anti-calvinistic, and employs no small portion of 
 labour and sophistry to impose an Anti-calvinistic 
 sense on its Liturgy, Articles, and Homilies. Am- 
 ple proof of what the Bishop denies is contain- 
 ed in the following sheets. But it is curious to 
 observe, that the Calvinistic part of the Clergy, 
 both in their preaching and in their writings, 
 frequently introduce various passages from th« 
 Formularies of the Churchy as fairly and fully ex- 
 pressing the sentiments they believe and maintain,, 
 without any addition, limitation, or commentary ; 
 but that when the Bishop quotes the seventeenth 
 Article, to state his sentiments respecting predes- 
 tination, he interlards it with so many addition? 
 ^nd limitations, as to convey a very different no- 
 lion of the subject from what the Article itself, 
 
XXIU 
 
 taken ''in the true usual literal sense,*' would 
 naturally convey to any unsophisticated mind. 
 
 Does not this mode of proceeding' very much 
 resemble what in common life is called an evasion 
 of the law, which in various cases is deemed an 
 aggravated offence, and punished with double the 
 penalty attached to a more direct breach of it ? 
 It is like springing a mine under the foundations 
 of the Church; and cannot but be regarded by 
 every true Churchman as more insidious, and like- 
 ly to be more pernicious, than an open attack. 
 
 If a parochial Clergyman has been deprived 
 of his living, and a Fellow of a College expelled 
 from a University, for impugning the doctrine 
 of one Article, shall the doctrines really contain- 
 ed in other Articles be opposed with imjjunity ? 
 Does that which is heresy in a Priest, become or- 
 thodoxy in a Bishop ? Does the guilt of offences, 
 either civil or canonical, diminish in proportion 
 to the dignity and eminence of station of those 
 by whom they are committed ? 
 
 Can we wonder at the language of the ene- 
 mies of the Church on this subject ? One of them 
 says ; " There is a book, called the Bible, in 
 '* which such and such doctrines are written as 
 " with a sunbeam. There is also an establish- 
 " ment, called the Church, which teaches the self- 
 ^^ same doctrines, and is the very echo of thatt 
 " book. This Bible is said, by the Clergy, to be 
 ^' of Divine authority, and a revelation from God. 
 ^' And for the Church, they tell us, it is the best 
 
XXIV 
 
 ^' and purest in the world; and indeed, unless 
 " tbej thought it so, nothing could justify their 
 " solemn subscription to its decisions. Yet 
 " how many of them open their mouths, and 
 '' draw their pens, against those very decisions 
 " to which they have set their hands ! Can those 
 '' of theni, who do this, really believe the Scrip- 
 " tures to be divine, and their Church to be in 
 '' the right? Does it not rather look as if religion 
 ^ was no more than a state engine on the one 
 " hand, and a genteel trade on the other*?'' 
 
 Another of them reproaches the Church in such 
 strains as these. '' ^ At one time, predestination is 
 '' of high consequence, and made an article of 
 '^ faith, and all free willers should be banished 
 *' the land, or locked up in dungeons, like wild 
 "beasts; which was the judgement of the 
 " Bishops, in James the First's days^ concerning 
 " the Arminians. At a different season, when pre- 
 " ferments ran high on the other side, as in King 
 " Charles the First's reign, and ever since, Ar- 
 ^^ minianism not only recovers credit, but grows 
 ^'modish, and consequently orthodox; whilst 
 *^ predestination becomes an old-fashioned piece 
 
 * SIoss on the Trinity, pref. p. 10. 
 
 ^Independent Whig, (not the newspaper of that name,) 
 Tol. ii p. 9. 
 
 « The date here assigned to this fact is apprehended to be 
 incorrect. The adyice mentioned was given in the reign of 
 Queen Elizabeth. The particulars may be seen in Strype's 
 Annals, &c. ch. xvii. p. 207. 
 
XXY 
 
 '* of faith, and a sure sign of fanaticism. And 
 " yet it continues one of the thirty-nine Ar- 
 " tides; and yet it must not be believed; and 
 " yet it must be signed and assented to with a 
 *' sincere assent.** 
 
 From the same quarter the Clergy are assailed 
 with the following cutting expostulations: "Is 
 " there one of you that conforms to the genuine 
 " sense, or even to the words, of the Articles? Are 
 " not those Articles Calvinistical ? Were they not 
 *' composed by Calvinists ? And are you not now, 
 '^ and have been long, Arminians? And do you 
 " not write and preach against those who defend 
 *^ predestination, which is one of your own Arti- 
 " cles? Will you say that Articles, will you say that 
 *' oaths, are to be taken in a sense different from 
 " the words, different from the meaning of those 
 " who composed them ? If you do, then you 
 " maintain that Papists, nay Mahometans, may 
 *' subscribe our Protestant Articles, and be still 
 " Mahometans and Papists. — What subscriptions 
 " or declarations, or indeed what other tics, can 
 " bind men who subscribe the direct contrary to 
 " what they believe ? Subscribe tb« doctrines of 
 " Calvin, yet remain antagonists to Calvin ? Is 
 *' this practice, this solemn assertion of a false- 
 "^ hood, for the honour of religion or of Church- 
 " men? Or is it not the direct method to harden 
 " men against truth and conscience, and to turn 
 "holy things into contempt? Yet you still go 
 
XXVI 
 
 *' on to subscribe those Articles ; still to disbe- 
 ^' lie ve and contradict them */' 
 
 Under the existing circumstances there is no 
 room to wonder at such observations. But ought 
 not something to be done by the Dignitaries of 
 the Church to rescue the Clergy at large from 
 these censures ? Above all, does it not behove the 
 Primates to inquire into the causes of such serious 
 charges^, and to take some effective steps towards 
 removing them ? 
 
 The conspicuous part which your Grace has 
 taken in the Society lately instituted.foreducating 
 the children of the poor in the principles of the 
 Church of England^ forbids me to question your 
 readiness to manifest equal anxiety and zeal for 
 the religious instruction and spiritual edification 
 of the adults of the community. But how are 
 these objects provided for in the present state of 
 the established ministry ? Such is the discordance 
 between the doctrines preached in different 
 churches, and in some cases even in the same 
 church on different parts of the day^, by Clergy- 
 men who have all subscribed to the same theolo- 
 gical system, that a regular churchman, unless 
 he previously knows who will occupy the pulpit, 
 cannot form even a probable conjecture, whether 
 he shall hear truth or error^ orthodoxy or heresy. 
 
 An observation long ago made by Dr. Water- 
 land, on the subject of clerical subscription bj 
 those who did not fully agree with the doctrine 
 * Ind, Wh. Tol. iii. p. 403, 404. 
 
XXVll 
 
 of the Church respecting the Trinity, is equallj 
 applicable to the subject more immediately under 
 consideration. '' If either State oaths on the one 
 '' hand, or Church subscriptions on the other, 
 " once come to be made light of; and subtletias 
 ^' be invented to defend, or palliate, such gross in- 
 *' sincerity, we may bid farewell to principles, 
 " and religion will be little better than disguised 
 *' atheism*." But every one, at all acquainted 
 with the state of the Clergy, knows that in innu- 
 merable instances, their " Church subscriptions'* 
 have been ^'^ made'* as " light of* as the generality 
 of oaths taken at our custom-houses, which have 
 long been proverbial as so many unmeaning 
 forms. But what becomes of principles? If, as 
 has been justly observed, every posture is an ap- 
 proximation to a shape, and every act an ad- 
 vance towards a habit, what fatal effects may not 
 such solemn acts of gross insincerity be rea- 
 sonably expected to produce on the moral sense 
 of the Clergy themselves ! And how is it possible 
 for the Laity to escape the mischievous conse-^ 
 quences ? 
 
 Are there not too many, who commence the 
 cle^rical career by " subscribing willingly and 
 ^'^exanimo'* to certain Articles, as being *' ail 
 ^' and every agreeable to the word of God," — 
 which they have scarcely given themselves the 
 trouble to read, or perhaps have read and dis- 
 believed and never intend to preach ? — Of such 
 
 * jFirst Defenpe of QaerieSj against Dr. Clarke, pref. p. 4. 
 
XXVlll 
 
 unworthy sons of the Church, such antipodes of 
 what Clergymen ought to be, we may well say — 
 
 '' Is this the path of sanctity ? Is this 
 
 '^ To stand a way mark in the road to bliss ? 
 
 " Himself a wanderer from the narrow way, 
 
 ^' His silly sheep, what wonder if they stray ? 
 
 " Go, cast your orders at your Bishop's feet, 
 
 ^' Send your dishonour'd gown to Monmouth^street. 
 
 "The sacred fnnction in your hands is made, 
 
 *' Sad sacrilege! no function, but a trade •." 
 
 Happy for the Church, that amidst the too ge- 
 neral dereliction of principle, there are some to be 
 found, among the various orders of the Clergy, 
 who possess a different character. It may sur- 
 prise many persons to hear those represented as 
 the truest Sons of the Church, who are so fre- 
 quently stigmatized in the language of invective, 
 ridicule, and contempt. But let the matter of fact 
 at this very time be fairly and fully examined. 
 
 Who among the Clergy are the most exact in 
 fulfilling '' the solemn promise and vow that was 
 '^ made in their name at their baptism," and 
 subsequently " ratified and confirmed in their 
 " own persons^/' to '' renounce the Devil and all 
 /' his works, the pomps and vanity of this wicked 
 '' world, and all the sinful .lusts of the flesh ^ ?" 
 not only avoiding the grosser pollutions, the vul- 
 gar vices of the world, but also refraining from 
 the various gay and fashionable expediejits which 
 perverse ingenuity has contrived for murdering 
 
 * Cowper. ^ Confirmation Service. * Catechism. 
 
XXIX 
 
 time and dissipating serious thought ? Who are 
 the most diligent in discharging the duties of 
 their office public and private ? Who are most 
 " attentive to reading, to exhortation^ to doctrine; 
 "meditating upon these things; giving them- 
 " selves wholly to them ; that their profiting may 
 " appear unto all* ?" Who are most laborious in* 
 " preaching the word, instant in season and out 
 "of season^;" privately as well as publicly re- 
 " proving, rebuking, exhorting with all long 
 " suffering and doctrine ?" Who are followed by 
 the most numerous and attentive congregations ? 
 Of whom may it truly be said^ as it was of oui^ 
 divine Lord, during his ministry on earth, that 
 "the common people heard him gladly*^?" 
 Whose preaching is most effectual " by sound 
 " doctrine both to exhort and to convince the 
 '" gainsayers^" — to " convert sinners from the 
 " error of their ways^'* — to " turn many to 
 " righteousness^*' — to " make men wise unto sal- 
 " vation, by faith in Christ Jesus^?" — Who are 
 the. closest followers of the apostolic exhortation, 
 '^ Be thou i^n example of the believers, in word, 
 " in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, 
 " in purity^?" Who possess the refined pleasure 
 of beholding the most important practical ad- 
 vantages resulting from their labours — such as, 
 the libertine become chaste, the drunkard sober, 
 
 > I Tim. iv. 13, 15. ^2 Tim. iv. -2. « Mark xii. 37. 
 «» Tit. i. 9. « James v. ^0. ' Daniel xii. 3. 
 
 « 2 Tim. iii. i5. ^l Tim. iv. 12. 
 
XXX 
 
 the avaricious liberal, the slothful industrious, 
 the fraudulent honest, the censorious candid, the 
 liar a speaker of truth, the contentious peaceable 
 the passionate meek, the proud humble, the ma- 
 licious benevolent:; in a word, those who " were 
 *' the servants of sin, made free from sin, and 
 " become servants of God, having their fruit 
 " unto holiness, and the end everlasting life*?" 
 The answer to these questions, to be consistent 
 with truth, must be — Those who subscribe the 
 Articles in -THE LITERAL AND GRAM- 
 MATICAL SENSE/' No person can attend 
 THEIR ministrations, and observe the multitudes 
 hanging upon their lips, without contrasting the 
 interest excited bj their sermons to the indifference 
 discovered under those of the generality of their 
 brethren. And every unprejudiced observer finds 
 himself surrounded by numerous proofs, that their 
 preaching does in fact answer t\jt ends for which 
 the preaching of the Gospel was originally insti- 
 tuted. 
 
 What sincere regret, then, musi.it occasion to 
 every true Churchman, that these fiimest friends 
 and most active promoters of the best interests of 
 the Church should be discountenanced by any 
 of those who ought to encourage them in their 
 work, and to rejoice in the success of their la- 
 bours ! Yet such is the melancholy fact. The 
 pulpit and the press the episcopal charge, and 
 the private intercourse, have all been employ- 
 ed to raise prejudices against them, and bring 
 • Rom. Ml, 2O5 22. ■ 
 
tliem into general disrepute ; and the most point- 
 ed measures have been adopted to contract the 
 sphere of their exertions. But on this I forbear 
 to expatiate. 
 
 Let not your Grace be carried away with the 
 current of anti-evangelical zeal^ or becalmed into 
 inaction by a morbid apathy to any important 
 sentiment. Let it not be regarded as a matter of in- 
 difference, whether the genuine principles of tlie 
 Church be maintained or discarded ; whether the 
 Laity who attend their parochial churches be fed 
 with ^^ the sincere milk of the word%" or starved 
 on anti-christian semipagan husks; whether they 
 *' are taught as the truth is in Jesus ''/' or are tossed 
 " to and fro and carried about with every wind 
 '' of doctrine^. " Much may be done by tlie au- 
 thority and exertions of a Primate, to banish the 
 indifference, to rouse the torpor, to shame the 
 inconsistencies, to correct the mistakes, to 
 quicken the diligence, to animate the zeal, and 
 to give a proper direction to the efforts, of the 
 various orders of the Clergy. And if the con- 
 version of one sinner from the error of his way '^ 
 be productive of such honour and happiness to 
 him who is the instrument of the important 
 change ; what honour and happiness must await 
 the Primate, whose exertions shall be rendered, 
 by the divine blessing, the means of accomplish- 
 ing among the Clergy of a nation such a change, 
 ^<s cannot fail of extending its beneficial influence 
 
 * 1 Pet. ii. 2, •• Eph. It. 21. « Ephes, b, 14, 
 
 * James r. 20. Dan. xii, 3. 
 
XXXll 
 
 through all the gradations of society, from the 
 palace to the cottage ! May this honour and 
 happiness be enjoyed by your Grace ! 
 
 May your Grace and all your Clerical brethren. 
 Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, both beneficed 
 and unbeneficed, '' study to show yourselves ap- 
 '' proved unto God, workmen that need not to 
 '' be ashamed, rightly dividingthe word of truth*;'* 
 may you '^ in all things show yourselves patterns 
 " of good works; in doctrine showing uncor- 
 " ruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that 
 '' cannot be condemned ; that he that is of the 
 '^ contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil 
 '' thing to say of you ^ \'* may you '^ in all things 
 '' approve yourselves as the ministers of God "^ ;" 
 so that, " when the Chief Shepherd and Bishop 
 '^ of Souls shall appear^," you " may have con- 
 " fidence and not be ashamed before him at his 
 '' coming = ;'* but, being '^found faithful stewards 
 '' of the mysteries of God V may every one of 
 you hear from his lips the approving sentence, 
 *' Well done, good and faithful servant s** — and 
 " entering into the joy of your Lord," receive 
 from his hands '' a crown of glory that fadeth 
 'notaway^!" 
 
 I am, my Lord, 
 Your Grace's most obedient servant, 
 
 A LAYMAN. 
 
 April 50, 1812- 
 
 » 2 Tim.ii. ip. ^ Tit. ii. 7, 8. « 2 Cor. vi. 4. 
 
 * 1 Pet. ii. 25 ; t. 4. M John ii. ^8. H Cor. iv. 2. 
 
 « Matt. XXV. 21. »'lPet.T. 4. 
 
JLhe following work has been occaisioned bj a 
 recent publication of Dr. Tomline, the present 
 Bishop of Lincoln, entitled, " A Refutation 
 " of Calvinism.*' Some persons will probably 
 think it a verj presumptuous undertaking for an 
 obscure layman to controvert points of theology 
 with a dignitary of the church. But if what 
 is advanced be consistent with truth, it can- 
 not be of much importance from what quarter it 
 may proceed. 
 
 It is not intended to follow his lordship through 
 all the parts of his multifarious volume, in order 
 to show the complete failure of his pretended 
 " Refutation." To expose the inaccurate state- 
 ments, to confute the erroneous principles, to 
 detect the fallacious reasonings, to overturn th6 
 unfounded conclusions, to repel the injurious 
 accusations with which the work abounds, would 
 require a book twice as large as that of his lord- 
 ship. 
 
 But it is necessary to animadvert a little on one 
 circumstance which will hardly admit of his 
 lordship's exculpation from the charge of un- 
 fairness and disingenuity. 
 
*' The design of the work" is stated in the pre- 
 face to be ''to refute the peculiar doctrines of 
 " the System of Theology which was maintained 
 " bj Calvin." Yet it is evident from the begin- 
 ning of the second chapter, and from various 
 other parts of the book, that the real object was 
 to confute and write down those who now pass 
 under the general denomination of Caivinists. 
 If this was not the real object, his lordship has 
 travelled considerably out of his way, and might 
 have spared his many censorious reflections on 
 '' these modern Calvinistic writers, these pro- 
 '' moters of schism, these arrogant enthusiasts, 
 '' who endanger the church by their active hos- 
 '' tility, propagating with unremitted zeal doc- 
 '' trines by which the credulity of unthinking 
 '' persons is imposed upon in the present times*." 
 For nothing of this could be necessary to the re- 
 futation of writings composed and published by 
 Calvin above two hundred and fifty years ago. 
 
 His lordship is not ignorant that the majority 
 of those persons who at present either assume or 
 receive the appellation of Caivinists do not 
 adopt every sentiment held by Calvin, p. 568, 
 669. Yet he pertinaciously insists on using the 
 term as including the belief of every opinion 
 maintained in the writings of that reformer. In 
 justiiicatioa of this practice, he afiirms, that "its 
 ^' peculiar doctrines considered as a system are 
 
 *Pp. b4, 76, 142, 283. 
 
"' so connected and dependent upon each other^ 
 '' that if you embrace one, you must embrace all/' 
 p. 570. 
 
 If this be merely a question about the propriety 
 'of applying the term Calvinism to any system 
 which does not comprise all the tenets espoused 
 by Calvin, it is a mere " strife of words/' and 
 undeserving of further discussion. Only let it b6 
 observed, that Dr. Tomline \s not justified in this 
 case by the common use of terms of this descrip- 
 tion. It may be questioned whether it is in his 
 lordship's power to specify a single instance of 
 an appellation derived from the name of any 
 eminent writer, especially a voluminous one, and 
 used to denote a theological system, which in its 
 common acceptation includes every sentiment 
 maintained by the theologian whose name it 
 bears. , 
 
 If this be necessary to constitute Calvinism, it 
 is easy to show a confession of faith framed by 
 Calvin himself which cannot be denominated 
 Calvinistic — a confession of faith drawn up by 
 that reformer to be presented to the French 
 King on behalf of the Protestants of Paris. 
 
 But in writing against the modern Calvinists, 
 is it not extremely disingenuous in his lordship, 
 to attribute to them tenets which he knows they 
 disavow, to represent them as responsible for con- 
 clusions which they abhor, and to argue on the 
 supposition of their holding principles which 
 Were never held by Calvin himself^ or by any 
 
 B 2 
 
pcfsoris called by his name ? Can this mode of 
 proceeding be justified by his lordship's bare as- 
 sertion, that "Calvinism will not admit of par- 
 *' tial adoption ; and that if you embrace one of 
 " its tenets you must embrace all ? " The absur- 
 dity as well as dising-enuousness of this polemical 
 artifice is too evident to need further animadver- 
 sion. 
 
 The comparison in the sixth chapter between 
 the Calvinists and some of the earliest heretics 
 must not be passed over entirely unnoticed. 
 Without estimating Dr. Tomline's capacity of 
 discernment far below the common standard, it 
 is impossible to attribute to any conceivable mo- 
 tive of fair or candid controversy the plentiful 
 shower of absurdities and impieties discharged in 
 that chapter against the devoted objects of his 
 lordship's theological hostility ; like so many In- 
 dian arrows, barbed in order to lacerate where 
 they enter, and dipped in poison to insure the 
 mortality of their wounds. The whole compass 
 of language furnishes no terms too severe to be 
 employed an the reprobation of such weapons of 
 episcopal warfare. But veneration for the mitre 
 forbids the use of any language against a prelate, 
 that could express half the indignation which 
 the perusal of that chapter must necessarily ex- 
 cite in every ingenuous mind. It is most devoutly 
 to be wished, that every theologian would study 
 that '' charity" which *' rej'oiceth in the truth." 
 
 While the modern preachers, writers, and pri- 
 
vate Christians, whom his lordship is opposing, 
 do not coincide in all the sentiments contained in 
 the writings of Calvin, and while they disclaim 
 the reception of anv principles of religion on 
 his authority, or that of any uninspired man ; 
 they do not in general refuse the name of Cal- 
 \inists, as a term of distinction, easily understood, 
 and superseding the necessity of those tedious 
 circumlocutions which must otherwise be fre- 
 quently employed. The propriety of the term 
 they consider a^ sufficiently supported by their 
 agreement with the leading principles adopted 
 by that eminently great and good man, notwith- 
 standing their rejection of some tenets which he 
 thought necessary appendages, but which they 
 consider as unnecessary incumbrances of the ge-^ 
 neral system. 
 
 Dr. Tomline asserts, that the Church of Eng- 
 land is ANTi-CALViNisTic. Perhaps the shortest 
 method of overturning his lordship's position is 
 by establishing an opposite one. To effect this 
 scarcely any thing will be requisite but a selec- 
 tion and comparison of extracts from different 
 writings. 
 
 I shall therefore proceed, without further in- 
 troduction, to adduce passages from Calvin's In- 
 stitutes of the Christian Religion, which contain 
 his sentiments on Original Sin, Free Will, Re- 
 generation and Sanctification by the Holy Spi^ 
 rit. Justification, Faith, Good Works, Predesti^ 
 y^ation and Election ; and which^ I apprehend, 
 
6 
 
 also express the sentiments of Calvinists in general 
 on these important subjects. In comparison with 
 these will be exhibited extracts from the Formula- 
 ries of the Church of England. And in contrast to 
 the extracts from both these sources, especially the 
 latter, I shall make some quotations from his lord- 
 ship, accompanied with a few observations. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND, 
 
 Original sin standeth 
 not in the following of Adam 
 (as the Pelagians do vainly 
 talk;) but it is the fault and 
 qorruption of the nature of 
 every man, that naturally is 
 ingendered of the offspring 
 of Adam, whereby man is 
 very far gone from original 
 righteousness, and is of his 
 own nature incimed to evil, 
 50 that the flesh lusteth al- 
 ways contrary to the spirit ; 
 and therefore in every person 
 born into this world, it de- 
 serveth God's wrath and 
 damnation. — Art. Q. 
 
 We be, of ourselves, of 
 such earth as can bring forth 
 nothing but weeds, nettles, 
 brambles, briars, cockles, and 
 darnel. Our fruits be de- 
 clared in the 5th chapter to 
 the Galatians. We have 
 peither faith, charity, hope. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 Original sin is an heredi- 
 tary pravity and corruption of 
 our nature, diffused through 
 all the faculties of the soul ; 
 rendering us obnoxious to 
 the wrath of God, and pro- 
 ducing in us those works 
 which the Scripture calls 
 works of the flesh. 
 
 These two things should 
 be distinctly observed : first, 
 that our nature being so en- 
 tirely vitiated and depraved, 
 we are, on account of this 
 very corruption, considered 
 as convicted and justly con- 
 demned in the sight of God, 
 to whom nothing is accept- 
 able but righteousness, in- 
 nocence, and purity. 
 
 'J'he other thing to be re- 
 marked is, that this depravity 
 never ceases in us, but is 
 perpetually producing new 
 fruits, those works of the 
 
CHITRCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 patience, chastity, nor any 
 thing else that good is, but 
 of God : and ihereibre these 
 virtues be called there, the 
 fruits of the Holy Ghost and 
 not the fruits of man. — 2 
 Horn, on the misery of man, 
 
 p. 9. 
 
 Man of his own nature is 
 — owZy given to evil thoughts 
 and wicked deeds. — 1 Horn. 
 Whitsun. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 flesh which we have' already 
 described, like the emissioii 
 of flame and sparks from a 
 heated furnace, or like the 
 streams of water from an 
 unfailing spring. Where- 
 fore, those who have defined 
 original sin as a privation of 
 original righteousness, which 
 we ought to possess, though 
 they comprise the whole of 
 the subject, yet have not 
 used language sufficiently 
 expressive of its operation 
 and influence. For our na- 
 ture is not only destitute of 
 all good, but is so fertile in 
 all evils, that it cannot re- 
 main inactive. — Instit, I, 2, 
 c, 1. s. 8. 
 
 The ninth article is so very explicit, that it seems 
 scarcely possible to misapprehend any part of its mean- 
 ing. For two hundred and fifty years it has been un- 
 derstood to assert the total loss of original integrity, 
 and the entire corruption of human nature by the fall of 
 Adam. It was reserved for Dr. Tom line to discover 
 that this expression '' man is very far gone from ori- 
 ginal righteousness" implies that original righteous- 
 ness is not entirely lost," (p. 50.) In another work 
 his lordship states, that when the 39 articles were com- 
 piled and subscribed in 1562^ they " were drawn up 
 
in Latin only; but in 1571 they were subscribed by 
 the members of both houses, both in Latin and Eng^ 
 lish, and therefore the Latin and English copies are to 
 be considered as equally authentic." Consequently, 
 we should avail ourselves of both, in order to ascertain 
 the meaning with the utmost possible precision. The 
 clause in the English article is so evidently at variance 
 with the implication advanced by his lordship, that it 
 is ditBcult to conceive the possibility of such an in- 
 ference being deduced from it by any one not pre- 
 viously interested in warping it from its real meaning. 
 But the expression in the Latin is still more conclusive 
 against him.. " At) originali justitia quam longissime 
 distet'* — which, with all due submission, I venture to 
 translate, " man is gone to the farthest possible di- 
 stance from original righteousness/' But what degree 
 of righteousness can be possessed by those who are 
 gone to the farthest possible distance from it, remains 
 for his lordship to ascertain. If, after reading the fore- 
 going implication, a person could feel surprise at any 
 thing advanced by his lordship, it vt^ould be at his 
 assertion, " that this is the plain and obvious sense of 
 the^ passage." — The Bishop tells us, that " the As- 
 sembly of Divines in the reign of Charles the First 
 proposed to omit the words ^ man is very far gone 
 fro in original righteousness,' and to substitute for 
 them, * man is wholly deprived of original righteous- 
 ness.-— And it is curious to observe, that he imputes 
 this proposal to an attachment " to the peculiar tenets 
 pf Calvin," and a wish *^ to reform our articles ac- 
 cording to the Calvinistic Creed." But the above ex- 
 tract shows that Calvin did not altogether approve of 
 
this definition ; and whether the article required any 
 alteration to conform it to the Calvinistic Creed, no 
 reader of the passages can be at any loss to decide. 
 
 Dr. T. further insists, that " the article does not 
 pronounce with the Calvinists, that man of his oivji na- 
 ture can perform nothing hut eviiy If any reason- 
 able doubt could be entertained respecting the mean- 
 ing of the article, it must be entirely removed by this 
 passage from the Homilies which contains the same 
 sentiment, and nearly in the same language here con- 
 demned as Calvinistic, 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 Have mercy upon all Jews, 
 Turks, infidels, and here- 
 tics, and take from them all 
 ignorance, hardness of heart, 
 and contempt of thy word ; 
 and so fetch them home, 
 blessed Lord, to thy flock, 
 that they may be saved.-— 
 Col, Good Frid. 
 
 They also are to be had 
 accursed, that presume to 
 say that every man shall be 
 saved by the law or sect 
 which he professeth, so that 
 he be diligent to frame his 
 life according to that law, 
 and the light of nature. For 
 holy Scripture doth set out 
 tinto us only the name of 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 T do not deny that some 
 judicious and apposite ob- 
 servations concerning God 
 may be found scattered in 
 the writings of the philoso- 
 phers \ but they always be- 
 tray a confused imagination. 
 The Lord afforded them, as 
 x^Q have before observed, 
 some slight sense of his di- 
 vinity, that they might not 
 be able to plead ignorance as 
 an excuse for impiety, and 
 sometimes im})elied them to 
 say things, by the confession 
 of which they might them- 
 selves be convinced. But 
 they saw the objects present- 
 ed to thrir view in such a 
 
10 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND, 
 
 Jesus Christ, whereby men 
 must he saved, — Art. 18. 
 
 St, Ambrose concludeth 
 in a few words, saying. He 
 that by nature would with- 
 stand vice, either by natural 
 will, or reason, he doth in 
 vain garnish the time of this 
 life, and aitaineth not the 
 very true virtues. — 1 Horn, 
 on good works f p. S8. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 manner, that bv tha sif^ht 
 they were not even directed 
 to the truth, much less did 
 they arrive at it. Just as a 
 man, who is travelling by 
 night across a field, sees 
 the coruscations of light- 
 ning extending for a moment 
 far and wide, but with such 
 an evanescent view, that so 
 far from being assisted by 
 them in proceeding on his 
 journey, he is re-absorbed in 
 the darkness of the night, 
 before he can advance a sin- 
 gle step. — lustitut. I. 2. c, 2. 
 5. 18. 
 
 Dr. Tomline is of opinion, that " the Gentiles, 
 through the natural suggestions of their own minds, 
 discharge the moral duties enjoined by the law of 
 Moses." p. 8 — that " the works of creation, and the 
 law written upon men's hearts, always supplied a 
 ground for faith and a rule for practice. At every 
 period of the world, to fear God and to work righteous- 
 ness, have been discoverable and practicable duties. 
 The virtuous Heathen, the obedient Jew, and the sin- 
 cere Christian, will all owe their salvation to the pre- 
 cious blood of the Lamb slain." p. 262. His lordship 
 tells us, that " the Church of England maintains, 
 that whosoever at the great day of final account shall 
 be found to have lived conformably to the will of God 
 according to the light afforded them, will be rewarded 
 
li 
 
 ■with eternal happiness through the merits of the blessed 
 Jesus, and that the rest of mankind will be consigned 
 to everlasting punishment." p. 282. But where " the 
 Church of England maintains'' this, his lordship has 
 , not informed us. How different is his view of the 
 state of heathens from that in the above collect and ar- 
 ticle! " He that believeth shall be saved. But how 
 shall they believe in him of whom they have not 
 heard?" 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 All men are conceived and 
 born in sin (and that which 
 is born of the flesh is flesh), 
 and they that are in the flesh 
 cannot please God, but live 
 in sin^ comniitiing many 
 Actual transgressions. — Bap- 
 tism of such as are of riper 
 years. 
 
 We have of our ownselves 
 nothing to present iis to 
 God. — 1 Horn, on repentance, 
 p. 326. 
 
 These sentences (good 
 people) unto a natural man, 
 seem mere absurdities, con- 
 trary to all reason. For a 
 natural man, as St. Paul 
 sailh, understandeth not 
 the thinas that belong to 
 God ; neither can he so long 
 its old Adam dwelleth in 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 Are all our industry, per- 
 spicacity, understanding, and 
 care so depraved, that we 
 cannot conceive or meditate 
 any thing that is right in the 
 sight of God ? To us, who 
 do not contentedly submit to 
 be stripped of the acuteness 
 of our reason, which we 
 esteem our most valuable en- 
 dowment, this appears too 
 harsh. But in the estima- 
 tion of the Holy Spirit, who 
 knows that all the thoughts 
 of the wisest of men are 
 vain, and who plainly pro- 
 nounces every imagination 
 of the human heart to be 
 only evil, such a representa- 
 tion is consistent with the 
 strictest truth. If whatever 
 our mind conceives^ agitates. 
 
32 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 him. — 2 Horn, on certahi 
 places of scripture, p. 225. 
 
 The Holy Ghost, in writ- 
 ing the holy scriptures, is in 
 nothing more diligent, than 
 to pull down man's vain 
 glory and pride, which of 
 all vices is most universally 
 grafted in all mankind, even 
 from the first infection of 
 our first father Adam. — 1 
 Horn, on the misery of man, 
 p. 6. 
 
 Such is the power of the 
 Holy Ghost to regenerate 
 men, and as it were to bring 
 them forth anew, so that 
 they shall be nothing like the 
 men that they were before. 
 Neither doth he think it suf- 
 ficient, inwardly to work the 
 spiritual and new birth of 
 man, unless he do also dwell 
 and abide in him. — 1 Horn. 
 Whitsunday^ p. 280. 
 
 Let us, throughout our 
 whole live?, confess all good 
 things iocomeofGod,ofvvhat 
 name or nature soever they 
 be ; not of these corruptible 
 things only, whereof I have 
 now last spoken, but much 
 more of all spiri|l:ual graces 
 * Ibid, cxix 10. 
 
 C4LV1X. 
 
 undertakes, and performs, 
 be invariably evil, how can 
 we entertain a thought of 
 undertaking any thing ac^ 
 ceptable to God, by whom 
 nothing is accepted but ho- 
 liness and righteousness ? 
 
 Nor does the scripture 
 teach us, that our minds are 
 illuminated only on one day 
 so as to enable them to see 
 afterwards without furthe^ 
 trouble ; for the passage just 
 quoted from Paul, relates to 
 continual advances and im- 
 provements. And this is 
 clearly expressed by David, 
 in these words, " With my 
 whole heart have I sought 
 thee : O let me not wander 
 from thy commandments*.^' 
 For after having been rege- 
 nerated and made a more 
 than common progress in 
 true piety, yet he still con- 
 fesses his need of perpetual 
 direction every moment, lest 
 he should decline from the 
 knowledge which he pos- 
 sesses. Therefore, in an- 
 other place, he prays for the 
 renewal of a right spirit, 
 which he had lost by his sinf^ 
 t Psalm, li. 10. 
 
 i 
 
13 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 because it belongs to the 
 same God to restore that 
 which he originally bestowed 
 but of which we have been 
 for a time deprived. — Insti' 
 tut, L 2..C. 2. s. 25. 
 
 CHURCH OP ENGLAND. 
 
 behovable for our soul ; with- 
 out whose goodness no man 
 is called to faith or stayed 
 therein. — 2 Rogation Horn, 
 p. 296. 
 
 Again, St. Peter saith, It 
 is of God's power that ye be 
 kept through faith to salva- 
 tion. It is of the goodness 
 of God that we falter not in 
 our hope unto him. — 3 Ro- 
 gation Horn. p. 297. 
 
 Dr. Tomline maintains, " that every good affection 
 was not eradicated from the human heart," and that 
 " man did not become by the fall an unmixed incorri- 
 gible mass of pollution and depravity, absolutely in- 
 capable of amendment," p. 5. — " That there is some 
 honesty, some goadness of heart in the human race," 
 p. 14 — " That there is at least a degree of righteous- 
 ness in some men," p. 11. — That " a law given by a 
 righteous and merciful God proves the possibility of 
 obedience," p. 6. — That " obedience is cur practica- 
 ble duty, or it would not have been commanded/' 
 p. 78. If this be correct, the law contains no com- 
 mand that we are incapable of obeying, and conse- 
 quently we are capable of perfect obedience. For 
 what is perfect obedience but the fulfilment of our 
 duty as commanded by the law? This, his lordship 
 says, is " practicable, or it would not have been com- 
 manded." Yet with a self-contradiction by no means 
 unusual for him, he says in another place, that, " men, 
 as they now are, are not capable of perfect obedience^' 
 
14 
 
 p. 174. But if the law contains any commands which 
 men as they now are are not capable of perfectly obey- 
 ing, such commands are not practicable by them, and 
 therefore, according to his lordship's reasoning, can 
 form no part of our duty, but must be inconsistent 
 with the character of a righteous and merciful God. 
 But a divine law, holy^just^ good, and absolutely /?er- 
 fect, requiring only imperfect obedience, is too absurd 
 a supposition to need any further remark. If his lord- 
 ship means that " man is not incorrigible or incapable 
 of amendment,*' by the grace of the gospel, the ob- 
 servation is irrelevant to the present subject of original 
 sin, and is what no Christian denies. If his meaning 
 be, that man can correct and amend himself '' by his 
 own natural strength and good works before the grace 
 of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit*", which his 
 argument seems to require, nothing needs be added to 
 prove this completely at variance with doctrine of the 
 Church. 
 
 r 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. CALVIN. 
 
 Grant to us, Lord, we be- Man neither rationally 
 seech thee, the spirit to chooses as the object of his 
 think and do always such pursuit that which is truly 
 things as be rightful ; that good for him according to 
 we, who cannot do any the excellence of his immor- 
 ihing that is good without tal nature, nor takes the ad- 
 thee, may by thee be ena- vice of reason, nor duly cx- 
 bled to live according to thy erts his understanding : but 
 will, through Jesus Christ without reason, without re- 
 cur Lord. — CoL 9 after flection, follows his natural 
 Tri/i, inclination, like the herds of 
 * Art. 10 lV 13. 
 
15 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 Of ourselves and by our- 
 selves we have no goodness, 
 help, nor salvation : but con- 
 trarywise, sin, damnation, 
 •and death everlasting. Which 
 if we deeply weigh and con- 
 sider, we shall the better un* 
 derstand the great inercy of 
 God, and how our salvation 
 cometh only by Christ : for 
 in ourselves (as of ourselves) 
 we find nothing whereby we 
 may be delivered from this 
 miserable captivity, into the 
 which we were cast, through 
 the envy of the devil, by 
 breaking of God's com- 
 mandment in our first parent 
 Adam. We are all become 
 unclean, but we all are not 
 able to cleanse ourselves, nor 
 to make ojne another of us 
 clean. We are by nature 
 the children of God's wrath, 
 but we are not able to make 
 ourselves the children and 
 inheritors of God's glory. 
 We are sheep that run 
 astray, but we cannot of our 
 own power come again to 
 the sheep-Fold ; so great is 
 our imperfection and weak- 
 ness. — ^d Horn, on the mi- 
 sery of man y p. 10. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 the field. It is therefore no 
 argument for the liberty of 
 the will that man is led by 
 natural instinct to desire 
 what is good : but it is ne- 
 cessary that he discern what 
 is good according to right 
 reason, that as soon as he 
 knows it he choose it, and as 
 soon as he has chosen it he 
 pursue it. To remove every 
 difficulty, we must advert to 
 two instances of false rea- 
 soning. For the desire here 
 intended is not a proper mo- 
 tion of the will, but a na- 
 tural inclination ; and the 
 good in question relates not 
 to virtue or righteousness, 
 but to condition ; as when 
 we say a man is well or in 
 good health. Lastly, Though 
 man has the sti'ongest desire 
 after what is good, yet he 
 does not pursue it. There is 
 no man to whom eternal fe- 
 licity is unwelcome, yet no 
 man aspires to it vi'ithoutthe 
 influ^nceoftheSpirit. Since, 
 therefore, the desire of hap- 
 piness natural to man fur- 
 nishes no argument for the 
 liberty of the will, any more 
 than a tendency in metals 
 and stones towards the per- 
 
t6 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 fectlon of their nature argues liberty in them; let u« 
 consider in some other particulars, whether the will be 
 in every part so entirely vitiated and depraved, that it can 
 produce nothing but what is evil ; or whether it retain any 
 small part uninjured which may be the source of good de- 
 sires. — Institute I. 2. c. 2. s. 26. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 St. Paul, in many places, 
 palnteth us out in our co- 
 lours, calling us the chil- 
 dren of the wrath of God 
 when we be born : saying 
 also, that we cannot think a 
 good thought, of ourselves; 
 much less can we say well, 
 or do well, ourselves. — 1 
 Horn, on the miser tj of man, 
 p. 8. 
 
 Grant that J)y thy holy 
 inspiration we may think 
 those things that be good, 
 and by thy merciful g^uiding 
 ma^y perform the same. — 
 Col. 5 after East, 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 If we allow that men 
 destitute of grace have some 
 motions towards true good- 
 ness though ever so feeble, 
 what answer shall we give to 
 the apostle, vi'ho denies that 
 we are sufficient of ourselves 
 even to conceive a good 
 thought*? What reply shall 
 we make to the Lord, who 
 pronounces by the mouth of 
 Moses, that every imagina- 
 tion of the human heart is 
 only evilf? 
 
 Nor would there be any 
 consistency in the assertion 
 of Paul, that "it is God 
 which v.'orketh in us to 
 willj,'* if any will preceded 
 the grace of the spirit. — In- 
 stitut. I. 2. c. 2.5. 27. 
 
 Dr. Tomiine gives it as his opinion, that " The 
 Holy Spirit points out the way to health, and truth, 
 and life ; but it r^sts with ourselves whether we will 
 
 * 2 Cor. iii. 5. 
 
 t Gen. viii. 21, 
 
 J Phil. iii. 13, 
 
follow its directions." p. 62. Here again we find 
 great dissonance between the church and the bishop. 
 
 CHURCH op ENGLAND. 
 
 The condition of man, af- 
 ter the fall of Adam, is such, 
 that he cannot turn and pre- 
 pare himself by his own na- 
 tural strength and good works 
 to faith, and calling upon 
 God j wherefore we have no 
 power to do good works, 
 pleasant and acceptable to 
 God, without the grace of 
 God by Christ preventing us, 
 that we may have a good vvill> 
 and working with us, when 
 we have that good will. — 
 Art, 10. 
 
 Because through the weak- 
 ness of our mortal nature we 
 can do no good thing with- 
 out thee, grant us the help 
 of thy grace, that in keep- 
 inff thy commandments we 
 may please thee both in will 
 and deed.-— Co/. 1 after Triiu 
 
 Stir up, we beseech thee, 
 O Lord, the wills of thy 
 faithful people ; that they, 
 plenteously bringing forth 
 the fruit of good works, 
 may of thee be plenteously 
 
 CALVINi 
 
 The will therefore is so 
 bound by the slavery of sin, 
 that it cannot excite, much 
 less apply itself, to any thing 
 good; for such a disposition 
 is the beginning of a con- 
 version to God, which the 
 scriptures attribute wholly to 
 divine grace. — •Institut, L 2. 
 c, 3. s, 5. 
 
 When God cornmands us 
 to the pursuit of what is 
 right, all that belongs to 
 our own will is removed; 
 and what succeeds to it is 
 wholly from God. The will 
 , I say is removed, not consi- 
 dered as a faculty, for in the 
 conversion of a man, the 
 original properties of our na- 
 ture remain entire. I say 
 also, that it is created anew; 
 not that the will then begins 
 to exist, but that it is. then 
 converted from an evil one to 
 a good one. This I affirm to 
 be done entirely by God, 
 because, according to tht tes- 
 timony of the same apostle^. 
 
IS 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. CALVIN. 
 
 rewarded. — CuL 25 after *^ we are not sufficient 
 Trin. even to think*." Therefore 
 
 he elsewhere declares, not 
 merely that.God assists the infirmity of our will, or corrects 
 its depravity, but that he ^^ worketh in us to willf." Whence 
 ft is easy to infer, what T have before remarked, that 
 whatever good is in the will^ it is the work of grace alone. 
 — Institut, L 2. c. 3. 5.6. 
 
 Dr. Tomline says, '' Our reformers, in framing this 
 (tenth) article, were cautious not to deny to man all ex- 
 ercise of free- will in the formation of religious principle, 
 or the discharge of religious duty. They were too well 
 acquainted with scripture, and entertained too just no- 
 tions of the character of moral responsible beings, to 
 intend any such degradation of human nature." p. 55. 
 *' To what purpose would this advice (" Take heed 
 how ye hear," Luke viii. 13.) be given, if men had not 
 the power of resisting the wiles of the devil, of sup- 
 porting the trials of persecution, and of withstanding 
 the temptation of the riches and treasures of this 
 world ?" '' God gives to every man, through the means 
 of his grace, a power to perform the conditions of the 
 gospel: — a power, the efficacy of which depends up- 
 on the exertion of the human will." p. 64. How 
 must the writer of these passages have deceived him- 
 self, if he really believed them to be consistent with 
 the language of the church as quoted above 1 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. CALVIN. 
 
 God therefore, for his Since good volitions and 
 
 mercy's sake, vouchsafe to good actions both spring 
 
 *2Cor.iii.5. fPhiLii- 13. 
 
19 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. CALVIN* 
 
 purify our minds, through from faith, it must be con-, 
 faith in his son Jesus Christj sidered whence faith iiself 
 and to instill the heavenly originates. Now, ..since the 
 drops of his grace into our whole scripture proclaims it 
 hard stony hearts to supple to be the gratuitous gift of 
 the same. — 2 Horn, on cer- God, it follows, that it is 
 iai?i places of' scripture, p. of^mere grace when we, who 
 229. 'are naturally and entirely 
 
 All spiritual gifts and prone to evil, begin to will 
 graces come especially from any thing that is good. 
 God. Let us consider the Therefore the Lord, when 
 truth of this matter, and he mentions these two things 
 hear what is testified, first, in the conversion of his pco- 
 of the gift of faith, the first pie, that he takes away from 
 entry into the christian life, them a stony heart and gives 
 without the which, no man them a heart of flesh, plainly 
 can please God. For St. shows, that what springs 
 Paul confesses it plainly to from ourselves' must be re- 
 be God's gift; saying, Faith moved in order that we may 
 is the gift of God. It is be converted to righteous- 
 verily God's work in us, the ness, and that what suc- 
 charity where wiih we love cecds in its place proceeds 
 our brethren. If after our from himself. — Insiiiut, 1,2, 
 fall we repent, it is by him c. 3. s. 8. 
 that we repent, which reach- 
 eth forth his merciful hand to 
 
 raise us up. Jf any will we have to rise, it is he that pre- 
 venteth our will, .and disposeth us thereto: If after con- 
 trition we feel our consciences at peace with God through 
 remission of our sin, and so be reconciled again to his 
 favour, and hope to be his children, and inhfritors of 
 everlasting life; who worketh these great miracles in us ? 
 our worthiness, our deservings and endeavours, our wits 
 and virtue? Nay, verily, St. Paul will not sufler flesh and 
 clay to presume to such arrogancy; and therefore saitb> 
 
 c 2 
 
CHpRCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 All is of God, who hath reconciled us untohimself by Jesus 
 Christ. — 3 Rogation Horn. p. 297- 
 
 The bishop's opinion respecting faith is, that " it is 
 the joint result of human exertion and divine grace." 
 p. 54. In another place he speaks of baptism as " im- 
 parting the Holy Ghost to those who shall prevlom-hj 
 have repented and believed," p. 29. But what divine 
 grace is exerted antecedently to any communication of 
 the Holy Ghost? 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 Almighty God, we humbly 
 beseech thee, that as by thy 
 special grace preventing us, 
 thou dost put into our minds 
 good desires ; so by thy con- 
 tinual help we may bring the 
 same to good effect. — Col, 
 East. Day, 
 
 Almighty God, who secst 
 that we have no power of 
 ourselves to help ourselves ; 
 keep us — inwardly in our 
 souls, that we maybe defend- 
 ed — from all evil thoughts 
 which may assault and hurt 
 the soul. — Col, 2 Sun. in 
 Lent, 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 In this manner therefore 
 the Lord both bes^ins and 
 completes the good work in 
 us : that it may be owing to 
 him that the will conceives 
 a love for what is right, that 
 it is inclined to desire, and 
 is excited and impelled to en- 
 deavour to attain it; and 
 then that the choice, desire, 
 and endeavour do not fail, 
 but proceed even to the com- 
 pletion of the effect; lastly, 
 that a man proceeds with 
 constancy in them, and per- 
 severes even to the end. — 
 Ins tit lit, I. Q. c, 3. s, g. 
 For it is very certain, that 
 where the grace of God reigns, there is such a promptitude 
 of obedience. But whence does this arise but from the 
 Spirit of God, who, uniformly consistent with himself, 
 cherishes and strengthens to a constancy of perseverance 
 that disposition of obedience which he first originated ?— 
 Instltut, I, 2. c, 3. 5. 11. 
 
21 
 
 CHURCH OP ENGLAND. 
 
 Where the Holy Ghost 
 worketh, there nothing is 
 unpossible : as may further 
 also appear by the inward re- 
 generation and sanctification 
 of mankind, WhenChrist 
 said to Nicodemus, '•' unless 
 a man be born anew of water 
 and the spiritjhe cannot enter 
 into the kingdom of God," 
 he was greatly amazed in his 
 mind, and began to reason 
 with Christ, demanding how 
 *' a man mii.>,ht be born when 
 he wasold/'*'Can he enter/* 
 saith he, " into his mother's 
 womb again, and so be born 
 anew ?" Behold a lively pat- 
 tern of a liesl)ly and carnal 
 man. He had little or no 
 intelligence of the Holy 
 Ghost, and therefore he go- 
 eth bluntly to work, and 
 askelh how this thing- were 
 possible to be true ? Where- 
 as otherwise, ifhehad'known 
 the great power of the Holy 
 Ghost in this behalf, that it 
 is he which inwardly work- 
 eth the regeneration and new 
 birth of mankind ; he would 
 never have marvelled at 
 Christ's words, but would 
 rather take occasion there- 
 
 CALVIN, 
 
 But how does the Lord ope- 
 rate in good men to whom the 
 question principally relates? 
 When he exerts his kingdom 
 within them, he by his spirit 
 restrains their will, that it 
 may not be hurried away by 
 unsteady and violent passions 
 according to the propensity 
 of nature : that it may be 
 inclined to holiness and 
 righteousnessjhe bends, com- 
 poses, forms, and directs it 
 according to the rule of his 
 own righteousness : that it 
 may not stagger or fall, he 
 establishes and confirms it 
 by the power of his spirit,^ 
 For which reason Auojus- 
 tine says, '^ you will reply 
 to me, then we are actuated, 
 we do not act. Yes, you 
 both act and arc actuated ; 
 and you act well when you 
 are actuated by that whicii is 
 good. The Spirit of God 
 who actuates you_, assists 
 those who act, and calls 
 himself a helper, because you 
 also perform something.'* 
 In the first clause he incul* 
 catcs that the agency of man 
 is not destroyed by the in- 
 fluence of the spirit, because 
 
is 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 by to praise and glorify God. 
 — The Father to create, the 
 Son to redeem, the Holy 
 Ghost to sanctify and rege- 
 nerate : whereof the last, 
 the more it is hid from 
 our understanding, the 
 more it ouglit to move all 
 men to wonder at the fierce 
 and mighiy workingof God's 
 Holy Spirit, which is within 
 us. For it is the Holy 
 Ghost, and no other thing, 
 that doth quicken the minds 
 of men, stirring up good and 
 holy motions in their hearts, 
 which are agreeable to the 
 will and commandment of 
 God ; such as otherwise of 
 their own corrupt and per- 
 verse nature they should ne- 
 ver have. *' That which is 
 born of the flesh is flesh." 
 As who should say, Man 
 of his own nature is fleshly 
 and carnal, corrupt and 
 naught, sinful and disobe- 
 dient to God, Wl'l Hour 
 ANY SPARK OF GOOD- 
 NESS in him, ivlthout any 
 virtuous or godly motion^ 
 only given to evil thoughts 
 and wicked deeds. As for 
 ihq works of the spirit^ 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 the will, which is guided to 
 aspire to what is good^ be- 
 longs tb his nature. But 
 the inference, which he im- 
 mediately subjoins, from the 
 term help, that we also per- 
 form some things, we should 
 not understand in such a 
 sense, as though he attri- 
 buted any thing to us inde- 
 pendently : but in order to 
 avoid encouraoino- us in in- 
 dolence, he so reconciles 
 the divine agency with ours, 
 that to will is from nature, 
 to will what is good is from 
 grace. — Institut. /, 2. c. 5, 
 s, 14. 
 
 Let us hold this then as 
 an undoubted truth which 
 no opposition can ever shake, 
 that the mind of man is so 
 completely alienated from 
 the righteousness of God, 
 that it conceives, desires, 
 and undertakes every thing 
 that is inipious, perverse, 
 base, impure, and flagit'ous : 
 that his heart is so thorough- 
 ly infected by the poison of 
 sin, that it cannot produce 
 any thing but what is cor- 
 rupt : and that if at any 
 time they do any thing ap-? 
 
23 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 parent])' good, yet the mind 
 always remains involved in 
 hypocrisy and fallacious ob- 
 liquity, and the heart en- 
 slaved by its inward per- 
 verseness. — Institute I. 2. 
 c, 5. s. 19. 
 
 CHTRCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 the fruits of faith, cha- 
 ritable and godly motions ; 
 if he h4ve any at all in him, 
 they proceed only of the 
 Holy Ghost, who is the on- 
 ly worker of our sanctifica- 
 tion, and maketh us new 
 men in Christ Jesus. — Such * 
 
 is the power of the Holy 
 Ghost to regenerate men, 
 and, as it were, to bring 
 them forth anew, so that 
 they shall be nothhig like the 
 men that they were before. 
 1 Hom,for Whit.^. 279, 280. 
 
 Dr. Tomllne says, " We can by no means allow 
 the inferences attempted to be drawn from them (that 
 is from the words of the ninth article) by modern 
 Calvinistic writers, namely, that ' of our own nature we 
 are WITHOUT ANY SPARK OF GOODNESS in 
 us/ and that man has no ' ability or disposition what- 
 ever with respect either to faith or good works.' If these 
 inferences be really Calvinistic when drawn by modern 
 writers, can they be anti-calvinistic when found in the 
 Homilies of the Church ? — Here then we have what is 
 equivalent, or perhaps superior, to an admission from his 
 lordship himself, that in this instance at least the Homi- 
 lies are in harmony with the Calvinists. To compliment 
 his lordship as having displayed any polemical acuteness 
 on this occasion, would violate the obligations of truth. 
 What must we think of his professions of approbation 
 of the homilies and articles, when the doctrine contained 
 
34 
 
 in them, and even the language used to express it, arg 
 such as he ^ can by no means allow?' Speakmg of 
 the 3,000 converted on the day of Pentecost, his lord- 
 ship says, " the faith of those men was not suddenly 
 communicated by the supernatural operation of the 
 Holy Ghosty but was the natural and progressive ef- 
 fect of what they saw and heard," p, 23 : and of the 
 inhabitants of Samaria, who were converted under the 
 preaching of Philip, he says, " The conversion of these 
 persons also was owing to the exercise of their ownna^ 
 tural p Givers.*' p. 23. Is it possible to frame positions 
 more contradictory to the doctrine of the HomiUes? 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 ' Unless the Holy Ghost 
 had been always present, 
 governing and preserving 
 the church from the begin- 
 ning; it could never have 
 sustained so many and great 
 brunts of affliction and per- 
 secution, with so little da- 
 mage and harm as ijt hath. 
 And the words of Christ are 
 most plain in this behalf, 
 saying, that the spirit of 
 truth should abide with them 
 for ever ; that he would be 
 with them always, (he mean- 
 eth by grace, virtue, and 
 power,) even to the world's 
 end. Also, in the prayer 
 thftt he made to his Father, a 
 * Rom. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 And here it will be pro- 
 per to notice the titles by 
 which the scriptures di- 
 stinguish the spirit, where 
 it treats of the commence- 
 ment, progress, and com- 
 pletion of our salvation. 
 First, he is called the spirit 
 ofadoption*, because he wit- 
 nesses to us the gratuitous 
 benevolence of God, with 
 which God the Father hath 
 embraced us in his beloved 
 and only begotten son, that 
 he might be a father to us, 
 and animate us to confi- 
 dence to pray, and eveii 
 dictates expressions so that 
 we may boldly cry Abba, 
 viii. 15. ' 
 
CHURCH OP ENGLAND. 
 
 little before his death, he 
 inaketh intercession not on- 
 ly for himself and his apos- 
 , ties, but uidifferently for all 
 them tha^ should believe in 
 him through their words ; 
 that is, to wit, for his whole 
 church. Again St. Paul 
 saith, If any man have not 
 the spirit of Christ, the 
 same is not his. Also in 
 the words following, We have 
 received the spirit of adop- 
 tion, whtrei)y we cry, Abba, 
 Father. Hereby then it is 
 (evident and plain to all men, 
 that the Holy Ghost was 
 given not only to the apos- 
 tles, but also to the whole 
 body of Christ's, congrega- 
 tion ; although not in like 
 form and majesty as he came 
 down at the feast of Pente- 
 cost. — 2 Horn, for IVkitsiin' 
 day, p. 282. 
 
 " God give ns grace (good 
 people) to know these things, 
 and to feel them in our 
 hearts. This knowledge and 
 feeling is not in ourseU. By 
 ourself it is not possible to 
 come by it. — Let us, there- 
 
 * 2Cor. i. 22. Eph. i. 13, 14, 
 
 X Is. Iv. 1. 
 
 5[ Ezek. J^xxvi. 25. , 
 
 25 
 
 CAL 
 
 Father. ForV-^Jfe, san)« 
 reason he is said ^t^. 4i^ the 
 earnest and sea4 of dun in- 
 heritance*; because while we 
 are pilgrims and strangers 
 in the world and resemble 
 persons dead, he infuses in- 
 to ns such life from heaven, 
 that we are certain of our 
 salvation being secured by 
 the divine faithfulness and 
 care. Whence he is also 
 said to be " life because of 
 righteousness t," he is fre- 
 quently called water; as in 
 Isaiah, «^ Ho every one that 
 thirsteth, come ye to thewa- 
 ters + ." Again, " I will pour 
 water upon him that is 
 thirsty, and fioods upon the 
 dry ground §." To which 
 corresponds the invitation of 
 Christ, just quoted, *' If 
 any man thirst, let him come 
 unto me ||." He sometimes 
 however receives this appel- 
 lation from his purifying and 
 cleansing energy : as in Eze- 
 kiel, where the Lord pro- 
 mises clean water to cleanse 
 his people from their im- 
 purities 5[. And because he' 
 
 t Rom. viii. 10. 
 §Is.xliv. 3. ||Jobn,vii.3r. 
 
 
25 
 
 CHURCH OF ExN GLAND. 
 
 fore, meekly call upon that 
 bountiful spirit, the Holy 
 Ghost, which proceedeth 
 from our Father of mercy, 
 and from oqr mediator 
 Christ, that he would assist 
 us, and inspire us with his 
 presence; that in him we 
 inay be able to hear the 
 goodness of God declared 
 unto us to our salvation. 
 For, without his lively and 
 secret inspiration, can we 
 not once so much as speak 
 the name of our mediator, 
 as St. Paul plainly testifieth : 
 no man can once name our 
 Lord Jesus Chrisl, but in 
 the Holy Ghost.— St. Paul 
 saith, that no man can know 
 •what is of God, but the Spi- 
 rit of God. As for us, saith 
 he, we have received, not 
 the spirit of the world, but 
 the spirit which is of God ; 
 for this purpose, that we 
 might know the things that 
 \it given us by Christ. — 
 
 He hath ransomed sin, 
 overcome the devil, death, 
 and hell, and hath victorious- 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 restores to life and vigour^ 
 and continually supports 
 those whom he hath anima- 
 ted, with the oil of his grace, 
 he thence obtains the name 
 of " unction*." Again, 
 because he daily consumes 
 the vices of our concupisence, 
 and inflames our hearts with 
 the love of God and the pur- 
 suit of piety, from these ef- 
 fects he is justly called 
 " firef." Lastly, he is de- 
 scribed to us as a fountain, 
 whence we receive all the 
 emanations of heavenly rich- 
 es ; and as the hand of God, 
 by which he exerts his 
 power : because by thebreath 
 of his power he inspires us 
 with divine life, so that we 
 are not now actuated from 
 ourselves but directed by his 
 agency and influence : so 
 that if there be any good in 
 us, it is the fruit of his grace, 
 whereas our characters, with- 
 out him, are darkness of 
 mind and perverseness of 
 heart. — Instiiui, L 3, c, 1, 
 5. 3. 
 
 * IJohiiii. 20. 
 
 fLuke iii. 16. 
 
^7 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 1y gotten the better hand of ihem all, to make us free and 
 safe from them. And knowing that we be, by this benefit 
 of his resurrection, risen wiih him by our faith, unto life 
 everlasting ; being in full surety of our hope, that we shall 
 have our bodies likewise raised from death, to have them 
 glorified in immortality, and joined to his glorious body : 
 having, in the mean while, this holy spirit within our 
 bearts as a seal and pledge of our everlasting inheritance. 
 By whose assistance we be replenished with all righteous- 
 ness ; by whose power we shall be able to subdue all our 
 evil aflTections rising against the pleasure of God.'' — Horn, 
 on the resurrection, p. 265, 266. 
 
 ^' If any gift we have, wherewith we may work to the 
 glory of God and profit of our neighbour; all is wrought 
 by his own and self-same spirit, whieh maketh his dis- 
 tributions peculiarly to every man as he will." — 3 Rogation 
 Ho7n. p. 299. 
 
 Dr. Tomline is of opinion " that the graces and 
 virtues, on which salvation depends, are the joint or 
 common operation of the supernatural power of the 
 Holy Ghost, and of the natural powers of man." p. 42. 
 Surely Dr. Tomline must consider the language of 
 tbe i9th article respecting the Church of Roine equally- 
 applicable to the Church which pronounces the Homi- 
 lies to contain a wholesome doctrine, and which, it can- 
 not be denied, " hath erred in matters of faith," if 
 there be any truth in the sentiment now quoted from 
 his lordship. ^ 
 
 CHURCH OP ENGLAND. CALVIN. 
 
 In reading of God's word. This simple and external 
 
 he most profitethnot always, demonstration of the divine 
 
 that is most ready in turning word ought indeed to be fully 
 
fid 
 
 CHURCH OP ENGLAND. CALVIN, 
 
 of the book, or in saying of sufficient for the production 
 it without the book ; but he of faith ; if it were not ob- 
 that is most turned into it ; structed by our blindness and 
 that is most Inspired with the pcrverseness. But such is 
 Holy Ghost ; most in his our propensity to error, that 
 heart and life altered and our mind can never adhere 
 changed into the thing which to divine truth, such is our 
 he readeth. — l Horn, on the dulness, that we can never 
 knowledge of scripture^ p. 3. discern the light of it. There- 
 fore nothing is efTected by the 
 word without the illumina^ 
 tion of the holy spirit. Whence, also, it appears that faith 
 is far superior lo human intelligence. Nor is it enough for 
 the mind to be illuminated by the spirit of God, unless the 
 heart also be strengthened and supported by his power. -r- 
 Institut. l. 3. c. e. s, 33. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. CALVIN. 
 
 We must beware and take Therefore, as we never 
 
 heed that we do in no wise can come to Christ unless 
 
 think in our hearts, imagine, we are drawn by the spirit 
 
 or believe, that we are able of God, so when we are 
 
 to repent aright, or to turn 
 cfFeclually unto the Lord by 
 our owii might and strength. 
 For this must be verified in 
 all men, without me ve can 
 
 drawn, we are elevated 
 both in mind and in heart 
 above the reach of our own 
 understanding. For the soul, 
 illuminated by him, receives 
 
 do nothing, Again, of our- as it were new eyes fqr the 
 
 gelves we are not able as contemplation of heavenly 
 
 much as to think a good mysteries, by the splendour 
 
 thought. And in another of which it was before daz- 
 
 place, it is God that worketh zled. And thus the human 
 
 in us both the will and the intellect, irradiated by the 
 
 deed. For this cause, though light of the holy spirit, then 
 
 Hieremie had said before, begins to relish those things 
 
 Turn unto me, saith the Lord 5 which pertain to the king- 
 
29 
 
 CHURCH OP ENGLAND. 
 
 yet afterwards he saith,Tiirn 
 thou me, and I shall be 
 turned, for thou art the Lord 
 my Gcd. • And therefore, 
 that ancient writer and holy 
 father, Ambrose, doth plain- 
 ly affirm, that the turning 
 of the heart unto God, is of 
 God; as the Lord himself 
 doth testify by his prophet, 
 saying. And I will give thee 
 an heart to know me, that I 
 am the Lord : and they shall 
 be my people, and I will be 
 their God, for they shall re- 
 turn unto me with their 
 whole heart. — 1 Horn, ofire- 
 pentance^ p. 330; 331. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 dom of God, for which be- 
 fore it had not the smallest 
 taste. Wherefore, Christ's 
 two disciples* receive no be- 
 nefit from his excellent dis- 
 course to them on the myste- 
 ries of his kingdom, till he 
 opens their understanding 
 that they may understand 
 the scriptures. Thus, though 
 the apostles were taught by 
 his divine mouth, yet *' the 
 spirit of truthf nmst be sent 
 to them to instil into their 
 minds the doctrine which 
 they had heard with their 
 ears. The word of God is 
 like the sun, shining on all to 
 whom it is preached, but 
 without any benefit to the 
 blind. But in this respect 
 we are all blind by nature; 
 therefore it cannot penetrate 
 into our mind unless the in- 
 ternal teacher, the spirit, 
 makes way forit by his illu- 
 mination. — Institui. 1.3. c.^, 
 S. 34. 
 
 His lordship pronounces, that " the impression which 
 the truths of the Gospel make upon the minds of 
 men depends upon the manner in which they attend 
 to them, that is, upon the exercise of their own rea-- 
 son and free will.'* p. 14, 15. How different the 
 language of the Church ! 
 
 * Luke xxiv. 25—31. 
 
 t John xvi. 13. 
 
30 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 And this infection of na- 
 ture doth remain, yea, in 
 them that are regenerated ; 
 whereby the lust of the flesh, 
 called in Greek ^povTjixx <xclp- 
 >cof, which some do expound 
 
 CALVlN. 
 
 Thus therefore the child- 
 ren of God are liberated by 
 regeneration from the servi-* 
 tude of sin 5 not that they 
 have already obtained the 
 full possession of liberty, and 
 
 the wisdom, some sensuality, experience no more trouble 
 some the affection, some the from the flesh ; but there re- 
 
 desiie of the flesh, is not 
 subject to the law of God. 
 And although there is no 
 condemnation for them that 
 believe and are baptized ; yet 
 the apostle doth confess, that 
 concupiscence and lust hath 
 of itself the nature of sin. — • 
 Art, 9. 
 
 O Lord, raise up (we pray 
 
 mains in them a perpetual 
 cause of contention to ex- 
 ercise them ; and not only to 
 exercise them, but also to 
 make them better acquainted 
 with their own infirmity. 
 And on this subject all 
 sound writers are agreed^ 
 that there still remains in a 
 regenerate man a fountain 
 
 thee) thy power, and come of evil, whence continually 
 
 among us, and with great arise irregular desires which 
 
 might succour us ; that- allure aud stimulate him to 
 
 whereas through our sins the commission of sin. They 
 
 and wickedness we are sore acknowledge also, that saints 
 
 let and hindered in running are still so afflicted with the 
 
 the race that is set before us ; 
 thy bountiful grace and mer- 
 cy may speedily help and 
 deliver us. Col, 4 Sund. 
 Advent, 
 
 disease of concupiscence, 
 that they cannot prevent be* 
 ing frequently stimulated 
 and incited either to lust, or 
 to avarice, or to ambition, or 
 •*^ to other vices. — InstitutA.3, 
 
 C. 3. S. 10. 
 
 But we esteem this to be 
 sin, that man feels any evil desires contrary to the divine 
 law; and we also assert the depravity itself to be sin, v/hich 
 
31 
 
 CJ^LVIN. 
 
 produces these desires in our minds. We maintain, there- 
 fore, that sin always exists in the saints, till they be di- 
 vested of the mortal body ; because their flesh is the re- 
 sidence of that depravity of concupiscence which i& 
 repugnant to rectitude. — Institut, I. S.c. 10. s. 10. 
 
 ,But when God is said ^^ to cleanse his church **' from all 
 sin, to promise the grace of deliverance in baptism, and 
 to fulfil it in his elect ; we refer these phrases rather to the 
 guilt of sin than to the existence of sin. In the regenera- 
 tion of his children, God does indeed destroy the king- 
 dom of sin in them, (for the spirit supplies them with, 
 strength which renders them victorious in the cojiflict,) but 
 it only ceases to reign, it continues to dwell in them^ 
 Wherefore we say, that " the old man is crucified f," that, 
 the law of sin is abolished in the children of God, yet so 
 that some relics remain ; not to predominate over them, 
 but to humble them with a consciousness of their infirmity. 
 — Imiitut, I. a. c. 3. 5. 11. 
 
 Dr. Tomline represents " sinless obedience and 
 unspotted purity in the elect" as a '^ Caivinistic no- 
 tion." p. 51. — But till his lordship shall produce au- 
 thority sufficient to justify this insinuation, he must not 
 be surprised if those whom it so grossly misrepresents 
 should " not hesitate to pronounce" it, as he has done 
 their system, "false and groundless." p. 2G0. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 The scripture plan, of which we are now treatitig, con- 
 sists chieflv in these two thino-s. The first, that a love of 
 righteousness, to which we hc^ve otherwise no natural pro- 
 pensity, be instilled and introduced into our hearts ; the 
 * Eph. V. 26; 27. t Rom. vi. 6. 
 
^2 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 Second, that a rule be prescribed to us to prevent our taking 
 any devious steps in the race of righteousness. Now in iht 
 recommendation of righteousness, it uses a great number of 
 very excellent arguments, many of which we have before 
 noticed on different occasions, and some we shall britfly 
 touch on in this place. With what better foundation can it 
 begin, than when it admonishes us that we ought to be holy, 
 becasue our God is holy^P For when we were dispersed likfc 
 scattered sheep, and lost in the labyrinth of the world, he 
 gathered us together again that he might associate us to 
 himself f. When we hear any mention of our union with 
 God, we should remember that holiness must be the bond 
 of it i not that we attain communion with him by the 
 merit of holiness (since it is rather necessary for us in the 
 first place to adhere to him, in order that being endued 
 with his holiness we may follow whither he calls) but be- 
 cause it is a peculiar property of his glory not to have any 
 intercourse with iniquity and uncleanness. Wherefore, 
 also, it teaches that this is the end of our vocation, which 
 it is requisite for us always to keep in view if we desire to 
 obey the divine call. For to what purpose was it that \vc 
 were delivered from the iniquity and pollution of the world 
 in which we had been immerged, if we permit ourselves to 
 wallow in them as long as we live ? Besides, it also admo- 
 nishes us, that to be numbered among the people pf^jGod, 
 we must inhabit the holy city Jerusalem J ; which, he hav- 
 mg consecrated it to himself, cannot without impiety be 
 profaned by impure irihabitants ; whence these expressions, 
 *' he shall abide in the tabernacle of the Lord, that walketh 
 Uprightfy and worketh righteousness, &c. §" because it is 
 very*unbecoming the sanctuary which he inhabits to be 
 rendered as filthy as a stable. 
 
 * I^v. xix. 2. t 1 Pet. i. 16. I Is. xxxv. 10. 
 
 § Ps. w. i, 2. xxiv. 3, 4. 
 
33 
 
 CALVIN. ' 
 
 Aftd as a further incitement to us, it shows that as God 
 the Father hath reconciled us to himself in Christ, so he 
 haih impressed in him an image to which it is his will that 
 we should be conformed. Now, let those who are of opi- 
 nion that the philosophers have the only just and orderly 
 systems of moral philosophy, show me in any of their 
 works a more excellent ceconomy than that which I have 
 stated. When they intend to exhort us to the suhlimest 
 virtue, they advance no argument but that we ought to live 
 agreeably to nature ; but the Scripture deduces its exhorta- 
 tion from the true source, when it not only enjoins us to 
 refer our life to God, the author of it, to whom it belongs ; 
 but, after having taught us that we are degenerated from the 
 original state in which we were created, adds, that Christ, 
 by whom we have been reconciled to God, is proposed to 
 us as an example, whose character we should exhibit in our 
 lives. What can be required more efficacious than this 
 one consideration ? indeed what can be required besides ? 
 For if the Lord has adopted us as his sons on this condi- 
 tioOj that we exhibit in our life an imitation of Christ the 
 bond of our adoption ; unless wfe addict and devote our- 
 selves to righteousness, we not only most perfidiously re- 
 volt from our Creator, but also abjure him as our Saviour. 
 The Scripture derives matter of exhortation from all the 
 blessings of God which it celebrates to us, and from all the 
 parts of our salvation. It argues, that since God hath dis- 
 covered himself as a Father to us, we must be convicted 
 of the basest ingratitude, unless we on our part manifest 
 ourselves to be Ins children ; that since Christ hath purified 
 us in tlie laver of his blood, and hath communicated this 
 purification by baptism,, it does not become us to be defiled 
 with fresh pollution j that since he hath united us to his 
 body, we should, as liis memtiers, solicitously beware, 
 lest we defile ourselves with any bleuiish or disgrace; that 
 
 D 
 
34 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 since he who is our head, hath ascended to Heaven, we 
 ought to divest ourselves of every terrestrial affection, and 
 aspire thiiher with all ou^r sou! ; that since the Holy Spirit 
 hath dedicated us as temples to God, we should use our 
 utmost exertions, that the glory of God may be displayed 
 by us ; that we ought not to commit any thing which may 
 profane us with the pollution of sin ; that since both our 
 soul and our body are destined to heavenly incorruption 
 and a never fading crown, we ought to exert our most stre* 
 nuous efforts to preserve them pure and incorrupt, until the 
 day of the Lord*. These principles, I say, form the surest 
 foundations for a well regulated life ; but nothing resem- 
 bling them can be found in the writings of the philosophers, 
 who, in the recommendation of virtue, never rise above the 
 natural dignity of man. 
 
 And this is a proper place to address those who have 
 nothing but the name and symbol of Christ, and yet 
 would be denominated Christians. But with what face do 
 they glory in his sacred name ? For none have any ac- 
 quaintance with Christ, but those who have obtained the true 
 knowledge of him from the word of the gospel. Now the 
 apostle denies that any have rightly '' learned Christ," who 
 have not been taught that they must '' put off the old man 
 which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and put 
 on Christ f." Their knowledge of Christ then is proved to 
 be a false and injurious pretence, with whatever eloquence 
 and volubility they may talk concerning the gospel. For 
 it is a doctrine, not of the tongue, but of the hfe ; and is 
 not apprehended merely with the understanding and me- 
 mory, like other sciences, but is then only received when 
 
 * Rom. vi. 4, &c. viii. 29. Mai. i. 6. Eph. v. 1. 1 John iii. 1. 
 Eph. v^e. lieb X. 10. iCor. vi. 11. 1 Pt't. i. 15, 19. 1 Cor. vi. 
 15. John XV. 3 Eph. v. 'i3. CqI. iii. 1, 2. 1 Cor. iii. 16. vi, 19. 
 2 Cor. VI. 16. 1 Thefcs. v. 23. 
 . t Eph. iv. 20, 22, 
 
35 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 possesses the whole soul, and finds a seal and residence 
 hi the inmost affection of the heart. Let them therefore 
 either cease to insult God by boasting themselves to be 
 , what they are not, or show themselves disciples not un- 
 worthy of Christ their master. We have allotted the first 
 place to the doctrine which contains our religion ; because 
 it is the origin of our salvation ; but that it may not be un- 
 profitable to us, it must be transfused into our breast, per- 
 vade our manners, and thus transform us into itself. If 
 the philosophers are justly incensed against and banish with 
 disgrace from their society those, who, while they profess 
 an art which ought to be a rule of life, convert it into a 
 sophistical loquacity ; with how much better reason may 
 we detest those sophists who are contented to have the 
 gospel on their lips, whilst its efficacy ought to penetrate 
 the inmost affection of the heart, to dwell in the soul, and 
 to affect the whole man with a hundred times more energy 
 than the frigid exhortations of the philosophers ! 
 
 But I do not require that the manners of a Christian 
 should breathe nothing but the perfect gospel ; which never- 
 theless ought to be the object both of desire and of pursuit. 
 But I do not so rigorously require evangelical perfection as 
 not to acknowledge as a Christian one who has not yet at- 
 tained to it ; for thus all would be excluded from the 
 church : since no man can be found who is not still at a 
 great distance from it ; and many have hitherto made but 
 a very small progress, whom it would nevertheless be un- 
 just to reject. What then ? Let us set before our eyes that 
 mark, to which alone our pursuit must be directed. Let 
 that be prescribed as the goal, towards which we must ear- 
 nestly tend. For it is not lawful for you to make such a 
 compromise with God, as to undertake part of the duties 
 prescribed to you in his word, and to omit part of them at 
 your pleasure. For in the first place, he every where 
 
36 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 rqcommends integrity as a principal branch of his worship, 
 by which he intends a sincere simplicity of heart, free from 
 all guile and falsehood, the opposite of which is a double 
 heart, as though it had been said, that the beginning of a 
 life of uprightness is spiritual, when the internal affection 
 of the mind is unfeignedly devoted to God in the cultiva- 
 tion of holiness and righteousness. But since no man, in 
 this terrestrial and corporeal prison, has strength sufficient 
 to press forward in his course with a due degree of alacrity, 
 and the majority are oppressed with such'-great debility, 
 that they stagger, and halt, and even creep on the ground, 
 and so make very inconsiderable advances j let us every 
 one proceed according to our small ability, and prosecute 
 the journey we have begun. No man will be so unhappy, 
 but that he may every day make some progress however 
 small. Therefore^ let us not cease to do this, that we may 
 be incessantly advancing in the way of the Lord ; nor let 
 us despair on account of the smallness of our success : for 
 however our success may not correspond to our wishes, yet 
 our labour is-not lost, when this day surpasses the preced- 
 ing one : provided that with sincere simplicity we keep 
 our end in view and press forward to the goal, not practising 
 self-adulation, nor indulging our evil propensities, but 
 perpetually exerting our endeavours after increasing de- 
 grees of amelioration, till we shall have arrived at a per- 
 fecti6n of goodness; which indeed we seek and pur- 
 sue as long as we live, and shall then attain, when, 
 divested of all corporeal infirmity, we shall be admitted by- 
 God into complete communion with him. — Lisiitut, 1,3. 
 c. 6. 5. 2— 5. 
 
 The Formularies of the Church of England* would 
 furnish passages in perfect unison with this extract 
 from Calvin on the nature and obligations of the piety 
 
37 
 
 and virtue essential to the character of a real Christian. 
 But it would be superfluous to adduce them, as the 
 tendency of the system of the Church to produce a 
 virtuous and holy life, is not disputed by any of the 
 -parties in this controversy. This long extract from 
 the Institutes is given in order to exhibit the moral and 
 holy tendency, the practical efficacy, of Calvinistic 
 doctrines, as stated by that eminently good as well as 
 great man. In contrast to this quotation I cannot for- 
 bear introducing in this place a few passages from the 
 sixth chapter of Dr. Tomline's work. That chapter 
 bears the following title : — " Quotations from the 
 Ancient Fathers of the Christian Church, 
 
 FOR THE purpose OF PROVING THAT THE EARLIEST 
 
 Heretics maintained opinions greatly RE- 
 SEMBLING THE PECULIAR TENETS OF 
 CALVINISM." Of the propriety of this title every 
 reader will form his own judgement. His lordship 
 first quotes from Irenasus. 
 
 '* There being, therefore, three substances, they, 
 the Valentinians, assert, that the material (which they 
 also call left-handed) necessarily perishes, as being in- 
 capable of receiving any breath of iiiGorruption 5 that 
 the animal (which they also call right-handed) as being 
 in the middle between the spiritual and the material, 
 goes the way to which it inclines ; that the spiritual is 
 sent forth, that it may be formed here in conjunction 
 with the animal, being instructed together with 
 it. And this, tbey say, is the salt and light of 
 the world. For the animal substance has need of 
 sensible instructions. For which reason they say, 
 that .the world was formed, and that the Saviour 
 came to this animal substance, since it is endowed 
 with free-will, that he might save it. • (They further 
 
38 
 
 assert) that matter is incapable of salvation."-— 
 " They say, that they themselves, whatever material 
 actions they do, are not at all hurt, nor do they 
 lose the spiritual substance. Wherefore, those of 
 them who are the most perfect, do without fear all 
 things which are forbidden, of which the Scriptures • 
 affirm, that they who do such things shall not inherit 
 
 the kingdom of God." After enumerating a great 
 
 variety of dreadful crimes, of which these men were 
 guilty, he adds, " And doing many other abominable 
 and ungodly things, they inveigh against us, who, 
 from the fear of God, are cautious not to sin even in 
 thought or word, as idiots and fools, but they extol 
 themselves ; calling themselves perfect, and the elect 
 seed." pp. 512, 5i3, 514. In a note at the foot of 
 this page, some of these practices are specified in a 
 Latin quotation. I shall translate part of it. " With- 
 out the least fear or shame, they (the Valentinians) 
 abandoned themselves to fornications, incests, adulte- 
 ries, and all the foulest lusts ; in consequence of a 
 belief that licentiousness and a life of the vile sensuality 
 which they practised, would not deprive them of the 
 divine grace and salvation." p. 514. 
 
 " Subdividing souls themselves, they say that some 
 are by nature good, and some bad." p. 514. 
 
 "He (Irenasus) says, that one of the doctrines of 
 Simon Magus was, " that those who trust in him and 
 HIS Helena should have no further care, and that 
 they are free to do what they like ; for that men are 
 saved according to his grace, but not according to 
 just works." p. 515. 
 
 " This man was glorified by multitudes as God,- 
 and taught that he Vv'as the same person who appeared 
 among the Jews as the Son^ in Samaria descended as 
 
39 
 
 the Father, and would come to the rest of the nations 
 as the Holy Spirit ; that he was the supreme power, 
 that is, the Being who is over all things, the Father. — 
 This man led about with him a woman of Tyre, a 
 city of Phoenicia, a prostitute whom he had purchased, 
 called Helena, saying that she was the first concep- 
 tion of his mind, the mother of all things, by whom, 
 in the beginning, he had conceived in his mind to 
 make angels and archangels. — (Translated from the 
 Latin Note, p. 515.) 
 
 • " He (Saturninus) first asserted, that there are two 
 sorts of men formed by the angels, the one good, the 
 other bad. 
 
 " They (the Valentinians) say, that some men are 
 good by nature^ and some bad. - 
 
 *' Tertullian also says, that Saturninus maintained 
 that man was created by the angels.'* — p. 515. 
 
 But we would ask his lordship, where can any 
 thing "resembling" the unintelligible jargon of some 
 of these quotations be found in the writings of Cal- 
 vinists ? Do Calvinists assert any man to be good by 
 NATURE ? Have they not incurred his lordship's censure 
 for maintaining, in the language of the Homilies, that 
 
 *'0F OUR OWN NATURE WE ARE WITHOUT ANY 
 
 SPARK OF GOODNESS IN US ?*' Do Calvinists maintain, 
 
 " THAT MAN WAS CREATED BY THE ANGELS?" What 
 
 is there among Calvinists " resembling" trust in 
 Simon Magus and his Helena, or an expectation of 
 being saved according to the grace of Simon 
 Magus or any other man ? Does his lordship intend to 
 charge the Calvinists with the commission and vindica- 
 tion of the abominable crimes here imputed to these 
 early heretics ? If not, why are these things introduced 
 in this chapter of pretended resemblances? If such an 
 
. 40 
 
 accusation be really designed by him, why has he not 
 accompanied it with something like proof? What is ac- 
 cusation without proof, but mere slander ? How in- 
 compatible is the character of a false accuser with that 
 of a Christian Bishop ! Through what a different me^ 
 dium will the humblest of these, now despised, teachers 
 be hereafter viewed, who at the final audit shall be 
 acknowledged as having been the instrument of " turn- 
 ing" even one "sinner from the error of his way!" 
 My sincere wish on behalf of his lordship is, that he 
 may so " do the work of an evangelist" as to have nu- 
 merous seals to his ministry, who shall be his " crown 
 of rejoicing" in that day v/hich shall " declare every 
 man's work of what sort it is," 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 We are accounted righte- 
 ous before God, only for the 
 merit of our Lord and Sa- 
 viour Jesus Christ by faith ; 
 and not for our own works 
 or deservings. Wherefore, 
 that we are justified by Faith 
 only is a most wholesome 
 doctrine and very full of 
 comfort, as more largely is 
 expressed in the homily of 
 justification. — Jrf. 11. 
 
 It is of the free grace and 
 mercy of God, by the me- 
 diation of th(f blood of his 
 Son Jesus Christ, without 
 merit or deserving on our 
 part, that our sins are for- 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 Let us first explain the 
 meaning of these expres- 
 sions, To BE JUSTIFIED IN 
 THE SIGFIT OF GoD, TO BE 
 JUSTIFIED BY FAITH OR BY 
 
 WORKS. He is said to be 
 
 JUSTIFIED IN THE SIGHT OF 
 
 God, who in thedivjuejudge- 
 ment is. reputed righteous and 
 accepted on account of his 
 righteousness: for as iniquity 
 is abominable to God, so no 
 sinner can find favour in his 
 sight, as a sinner, or so long 
 as he is considered as such. 
 Wherever sin is, therefore, 
 it is accoiDpanied with the 
 wrath and vengeance of God. 
 
41 
 
 CHUBCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN, 
 
 given us, that we are recon- He is justified, who is con- 
 ciled and brought again into sidert-d, not as a sinner, but 
 his favour, and are made as a righteous person, and 
 heirs of his heavenly king- on that account stands in 
 dom. — I Horn, oji fasting, safety before the tribunal of 
 p. \Qb. God, where all si.iners are 
 
 Whose mediation {i.e, the confounded and ruined. As, 
 mediation of Christ] was so if an innocent man be 
 acceptable to God the Fa- brought under an accusation 
 tber, through his absolute before the tribunal of a just 
 and perfect obedience, that judge, when judgement is 
 he took his act for a full sa- passed according lo his in- 
 tisfaction of all our disobe- nocence, he is said tobe jus- 
 dienre and rebellion : whose tified or accjuitted before the 
 righteousness he took to judge; so he is justified be- 
 weigh against our sins ; fore God, who, not being 
 whose redemption he would numbered among sinners, 
 have stand against our dam- has God for a witness and as- 
 nation. — 3 Rogation Horn, sertor of his righteousness. 
 p. 297. Thus he must be said, there- 
 
 fore, to be JUSTIFIED BY 
 WORKS, whose life discovers such purity and holiness as to 
 deserve the char?icter of righteousness before the throne of 
 God ; or who by the integrity of his works can answer and 
 ' satisfy the divine judgement. On the other hand, he will be 
 JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, who bciug excluded from the right- 
 eousness of works, apprehends by faith the righteousness of 
 Christ, invested in which, he appears, in the sight of God, 
 not as a sinner, "but as a righteous man. Thus we simply 
 explain justification to be an acceptance, by which God re- 
 ceives us into his favour, and esteems us as righteous persons. 
 And we say, that it consists in the remission of sins and 
 the imputation of the righteousness of Christ. — Imliliit, 
 I. 3. c. 11. s. 2. 
 
1 
 
 42 
 
 CHirRCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 God sent his on\y son, our 
 Saviour Jesus Christ, into 
 this world, to fulfil the law 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 But with respect to the 
 present suhject, \\hen Paul 
 says, ^' the scripture fore- 
 
 for us-;, and by shedding of saw that God would justify 
 his most precious blood, to the heathen through faith*,** 
 
 make a sacrifice and satisfac- 
 tion, or (as it may be called) 
 amends to his Father for our 
 sins. — Homily of salvation, 
 P. I. p. 12. 
 
 With his endless mercy, 
 he joined his most upright 
 and equal justice. His great 
 mercy he showed unto us, 
 in deliverino; us from our 
 former captivity, without 
 requiring of any ransom to 
 be paid, or amends to be 
 made upon our parts ; which 
 thing,, by us, had been im- 
 possible to be done. And 
 whereas it lay not in us that 
 to do, he provided a ransom 
 for us, that was the most 
 
 what can we understand but 
 that God imputes righteous- 
 ness through faith ? Again, 
 when he says that God "jus- 
 tifieth the ungodly which be- 
 lieveth in Jesusf," what can 
 be the meaning but that he 
 delivers him by the blessing 
 of faith, from the condem- 
 nation deserved by his un- 
 godhness ? He speaks still 
 more plainly in the conclu- 
 sion, when he thus exclaims, 
 '' who shall lay any thing to 
 the charge of God*s elect ? 
 It is God that justifieth. 
 Who is he that condemneth? 
 It is Christ that died, yea, 
 rather that is risen again, 
 precious body and blood of who also maketh intercession 
 his own most dear and best for us J.'* For it is just as 
 
 beloved son Jesus Christ ; 
 who, besides this ransom, 
 fulfilled the law for us per- 
 fectly. And so the justice 
 of God and his mercy did 
 embrace together, and ful- 
 fil the mystery of our re- 
 
 if he had said, who shall 
 accuse them whom God ab- 
 solves? Who shall condemn 
 those for whom Christ in- 
 tercedes ? Justification there- 
 fore is no other than an ac- 
 quittal from guilt of him who 
 
 Gal. iii. 8. 
 
 f Rom. iii. 26. iv. 5. 
 
 X Ibid. viii. 33, 34. 
 
43 
 
 CHURCH OP ENGLAND. 
 
 demption. — Christ is the end 
 of the law unto righteous - 
 nesSj to every one that be- 
 lieveth. — Ibid, p. 13. 
 
 The apostle toucheth three 
 things specially, which must 
 go together in our justifica- 
 tion. Upon God*s part, his 
 great mercy and grace. Up- 
 on Christ's part, justice ; 
 that is, the satisfaction of 
 God*s justice, or the price 
 of our redemption, by the 
 offering of his body, and 
 the shedding of his blood ; 
 together with fulfilling of 
 the law perfectly and tho- 
 roughly. And upon our 
 part, true and lively faith in 
 the merits of Jesus Christ, 
 which yet is not ours, but 
 by God's working in us. — 
 Il'ld, 
 
 It pleased our heavenly Fa- 
 ther, of his infinite mercy, 
 without any our desert or 
 deserving, to prepare for us 
 the most precious jewels of 
 Christ's body and blood, 
 whereby our ransom might 
 be fully paid, the law ful- 
 filled, and his justice fully 
 satisfied. So that Christ is 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 was accused, as though his 
 innocence had been proved. 
 Since, iherefore,God j ustifies 
 us through the mediation of 
 Christ, he acquits us, not 
 by an admission of our per- 
 sonal innocence, but by an 
 imputation of righteousness: 
 so that we who are un- 
 righteous in ourselves, are 
 considered as righteous in 
 Christ. This is the doctrine 
 preached by Paul in the 
 xiiith chapter of the Acts : 
 ^' through this man is preach- 
 ed unto you the forgiveness 
 of sins : and by him, all 
 that believe are justified from 
 all things, from which yc 
 could not be justified by the 
 law. of Moses*." You see 
 that after remission of sins, 
 this justification is mention- 
 ed as if by way of explana- 
 tion : you see clearly that it 
 means an acquittal ; that it 
 is separated from the works 
 of the law ; that it is a mere 
 favour of Christ ; that it is 
 apprehended by faith : you 
 see, finally, the interposi- 
 tion of a satisfaction, where 
 he says, that we are justified 
 
 * Acts xlii. 38. 
 
44 
 
 CHURCH OP ENGLAND. 
 
 now the rii!;hteousness of all 
 them that truly do believe ia 
 him. He for them paid their 
 ransom, by his death. He, 
 for them, fulfilled the law 
 in his life. So that now, in 
 him, and by him, every true 
 Christian man may be called 
 a fulfiller of the law." — Ibid, 
 p. 14. 
 
 All the good works that 
 we can do, be imperfect; 
 and therefore not able to de- 
 serve our justification ; but 
 our justification doth come 
 freely by the mere mercy of 
 jGod. — 1 Horn, of salvation ^ 
 p. 13. 
 
 By grace are ye saved, 
 through faith, and that not 
 of yourselves; for it is the 
 gift of God, and not of 
 works, lest any man should 
 glory. And, to be short, 
 the sum of all Paul's dispu- 
 tation is this: that if jus- 
 tice [I. e. justification) come 
 of works, then it cometh 
 not of grace ; and if it come 
 of grace, then it cometh not 
 of works. And to this end 
 tend all the prophets, as St. 
 Peter saith in the xth of the 
 
 * Luke xviii. 14. f E] 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 from sins by Christ. Thus, 
 when it is said that the pub- 
 lican *' went down to his 
 house justified*,*' we can- 
 not say that he obtained 
 righteousness by any merit 
 of works. The meaning 
 therefore is, that after he 
 had obtained the pardon of 
 his sins, he was considered 
 as righteous in the sight of 
 God. — Insiitut, L 3, c, 11. 
 s. 3. 
 
 Paul certainly describes 
 justification as an acceptance, 
 when he says to the Ephe- 
 sians, «* God hath predesti- 
 nated us to the adoption of 
 children by Jesus Christ to 
 himself, according to the 
 good pleasure of his will, to 
 the praise of the glory of 
 his grace, wherein he hath 
 made us accepted f." For 
 the meaning is the same as 
 when in another place we 
 are said to be "justified free- 
 ly by his^iracej." But in the 
 fourth chapter to the Ro- 
 mans, he first mentions an 
 imputation of righteousness, 
 and immediately represents 
 it as consisting in remission 
 
 h. j. 5, 6. I Rom. iii. 24. 
 
4b 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 Acts. Of Christ, all the 
 prophets (saith St. Peter) do 
 witness, that through his 
 name, all they that do be- 
 lieve in him, shall receive 
 the remission of sins. — St. 
 Hilary speaketh these words 
 plainly, in the ixth canon 
 upon Mathew, -^ Faith only 
 justifieth." And St. Basil, a 
 Greek author, writeih thus: 
 This is a perfect and whole 
 rejoicing in God, when a 
 man advanceth not himself 
 for his own righteousness, 
 but acknowledgeih himself 
 to lack true justice and righ- 
 teousness, and to be justified 
 by the only faith in Christ. 
 And Paul (saith he) doth 
 glory in the contempt of his 
 own righteousness, and that 
 he looketh for the righteous- 
 ness of God by faiih. These 
 be the very words of St. Ba- 
 sil. And St. Ambrose, a 
 Latin author, saith these 
 words : This is the ordinance 
 of God, that they, which 
 believe in Christ, should be 
 saved without works, by 
 faith only, freely receiving 
 rem.ission of their sins. 
 * Horn, iv. 6 — 8. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 of sins. '^ David/' says he, 
 *' dcscribeth the blessedness 
 of ihe man unto wliom God 
 imputeth righteousness with- 
 out works, saying, Blessed 
 are they whose iniquities are 
 forgiven ^." &c. He there 
 indeed argues not concern- 
 ing a branch, but the whole 
 of justification. He also 
 adduces the definition of it 
 given by David, when he 
 pronounces them to be bless- 
 ed who receive the free 
 forgiveness of their sins. 
 Whence it appears, that this 
 righteousness of which he 
 speaks, is simply opposed to 
 guilt. But the most decisive 
 passage of all on this point 
 is, where he teaches us that 
 the grand object of the mi^ 
 nistry of the gospel is, that 
 we may *^ be reconciled to 
 Godf," because he is pleas- 
 ed to receive us into his fa- 
 vour through Christ, " not 
 imputing" our *' trespasses 
 unto us.'/ Let the reader 
 carefully examine the whole 
 context; for when, by way 
 of explanation, he just after 
 adds, in order to describe 
 t 2 Cor. V. 18. 19., 
 
46 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 Consider diligently (adds the 
 homily) these words, with- 
 out works,^ — by faith only, 
 — freely, — we receive remis- 
 sion of our sins. What can 
 be spoken more plainly, than 
 to say, freely, without works, 
 by faith only, we obtain re- 
 mission of our sins? — Second 
 pari of the Homily of salva- 
 tion, p. 14, 15. 
 
 Man cannot make himself 
 righteous by his own works, 
 neither in part, nor in the 
 wliole. For that were the 
 greatest arrogancy and pre- 
 sumption of man, that an- 
 tichrist could set up against 
 God, to affirm that a man 
 might, by his own works,take 
 away and purge his own sins, 
 and so justify himself. But 
 justification is the office of 
 God only, and is not a thing 
 which we render unto him, 
 but which we receive of him: 
 not which we give to him, 
 but which we take of him, 
 by his free mercy, and by 
 the only merits of his most 
 dearly beloved son, our only 
 redeemer, saviour, andjus- 
 tifier. — Ibid. p. 15, 16. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 the method of reconciliation, 
 that Christ, *^ who knew no 
 sin*,*' was '^ made sin for 
 us," he undoubtedly means 
 by the term reconciliation 
 no other thah justification. 
 Nor would there be any 
 truth in what he affirms in 
 another place, that we arc 
 ^'^ made righteous by the 
 obedience of Christ f,*' un- 
 less we are reputed righteous 
 before God in him and out 
 of ourselves. — Institut, L 3. 
 c. 11. s, 4. 
 
 But as many persons ima- 
 gine righteousness to be 
 composed of faith and works, 
 let us also prove, before w^e 
 proceed, that the righteous- 
 ness of faith is so exceeding- 
 ly ' different from that of 
 works, that if the one be es- 
 tablished, the other must ne- 
 cessarily be subverted. The 
 apostle says, " 1 count all 
 things but dung, that I may 
 win Christ, and be found in 
 him, not having mine own 
 righteousness, which is of 
 the law, but that which is 
 through the faith of Christ, 
 the righteousness which is of 
 
 * 2 Cor. V. 21. 
 
 f Rora. V. 39. 
 
47 
 
 CHURCH OP ENGLAND. 
 
 The true understanding of 
 this doctrine, we be justified 
 freely by faith without works, 
 or that we be justified by 
 faith in Christ only ; is not 
 that this our own act, to be- 
 lieve in Christ, or this our 
 faith in Christ, which is 
 within us, doth justify us 
 and deserve our justification 
 unto us, (for that were to 
 count ourselves to be justi- 
 fied by some act or virtue 
 that is within ourselves.) — So 
 that, as St. John the Baptist, 
 although he were never so 
 virtuous and godly a man, 
 yet, in this matter of for- 
 giving sin, he did put the 
 people from him, and ap- 
 pointed them unto Christ, 
 saying thus unto them. Be- 
 hold, yonder is the lamb of 
 Gv)d which taketh away the 
 sins of the world ; even so, 
 as great and as godly a vir- 
 tue as faith is, yet it putteth 
 us from itself, and remitteth 
 or appointeth us unto Christ, 
 for to have only by him re- 
 mission of our sins, or jus- 
 tification, so that our faith 
 in Christ (as it were) saith 
 * Phil. iii. 8. f Rom 
 
 CALVIW. 
 
 God by faith */' Here you 
 see a comparison of two 
 opposites, and an implication 
 that his own righteousness 
 must be forsaken by him 
 who wishes to obtain the 
 righteousness of Christ. — 
 Wherefore, in another place 
 he states this to have been 
 the cause of the ruin of the 
 Jews, that *^ going about to 
 establish their own righ- 
 teousness, they have not sub- 
 mitted themselves unto the 
 righteousness of God t." M 
 by establishing our own righ- 
 teousness we reject the righ- 
 teousness of" God j then, in 
 order to obtain the latter, the 
 former must doubtlecs be 
 entirely renounced. Hecon- 
 veys the same sentiment, 
 when he asserts, that ** boast- 
 ing is excluded. By whart 
 law ? of works ? nay : but 
 by the law of faith J." 
 Whence it follows, that as 
 long as there remains the 
 least particle of righteous- 
 ness in our works, We retain 
 some cause for boasting. But 
 if faith excludes all boasting, 
 the righteousness of works 
 , X. 3. X Ihid. iii. 27. 
 
48 
 
 CHURCH OP ENGLAND. 
 
 unto us thu?, It is not I that 
 take away your sins, but it 
 is Christ only, and to him 
 only I send vou for that pur- 
 pose ; forsfiking therein all 
 your good virtues, words, 
 
 cALVrx. 
 
 can by no means be associat- 
 ed with the righteousness of 
 faith. To this purpose he 
 speaks so clearly in the 
 fourth chapter to the Ro- 
 mans, as to leave no room 
 thoughts, and works, and for cavil or uncertainty. "If 
 only putting your trust in Abraham (says he) were jus- 
 Christ.— Howi/y of saiva- tified by wotks, he hath 
 tioriy Part II. p. Id. whereof to glory*." He 
 
 God of his own mer- adds, *^ but" he hath "not** 
 cy, through the only me- whereof to glory *' before 
 fits and deserving? of his God/' It follows, therefore, 
 Son Jesus Christ, doth ihat he was not justified by 
 justify us. Nevertheless, works. Then he advances 
 because faith doth directly another argument from two 
 send us to Christ, for remis- opposites. " To him that 
 sion of our sins ; and that worketh is the reward not 
 by faith, given us of God, reckoned of grace, but of 
 we embrace the promise of debtf." But righteousness 
 God's mercy, and of the 
 remission of our sins (which 
 ihing none other of our vir- 
 tues or works properly doth); 
 therefore Scripture useth to 
 say, that faith without works 
 doth justify. And foras- 
 much, that it is all one sen- 
 
 is attributed to faith through 
 grace. Tlierefore it is not 
 from the merit of works. 
 Adieu therefore to the fan- 
 ciful notion of those who 
 imagine a righteousness com- 
 pounded of faith and works. 
 — Instiiut. Z. 3. c. 12. s, 13. 
 
 tence in eflecr, to say, faith 
 
 without works, and only faith, doih justify us ; therefore, 
 the old ancient fathers of the church, from time to time, 
 have uttered our justification with this speech, only faith 
 justifieth us : meaning none other thing than St. Paul 
 
 * Rom. iv. 9. t Ibid. iv. 4. 
 
49 
 
 CHURCH OP ENGLAND. 
 
 meant, when he said, faith without works justifieth us. 
 And because all this is brought to pass through the only 
 merits and deservings of our Saviour Christ, and not 
 through our merits, or through the merit of any virtue that 
 we have within us, or of any work that cometh from us ; 
 therefore, in that respect of merit and deserving, we for- 
 sake (as it were) all together again, faith, works, and all 
 other virtues. For our own imperfection is so great, through 
 the corruption of original sin, that all is imperfect that is 
 within us ; faith, charity, hope, dread, thoughts, words, 
 and works ; and therefore not apt io*^merit and discern any 
 part of our justification for us. And this form of speaking 
 use we in the humbling of ourselves to God ; and to give 
 all the glory to our Saviour Christ, who is best worthy to 
 have it. — Ibid. Part III. p. 17. 
 
 The Bishop's statement of the doctrine of Justifica- 
 tion is not consistent with that given by the Church in 
 these passages. He says, p. 111. " Had there been 
 such an unwearied observance" of the law *' in any 
 one", it would have given him a title, upon the ground 
 of strict justice, without any grace or favour, to the 
 sentence of justification :" and in the following page 
 he adds, " Faith stands in the place of righteousness 
 or uniform obedience ; and through the mercy of God 
 OBTAINS for the transgressor that justification as 
 an act of grace, which his own uniform obedience, had 
 it taken place, would have obtained for him as a debt 
 of justice." If his lordship means^ ** that this ouh 
 OWN act, to believe in Chtist, or this our faith 
 in Christ, which is within us, doth justify us and 
 DESERVE our JUSTIFICATION unto us/* this is what 
 the Homily expressly denies. If his lordshtp's mean- 
 ing be any thing else, he has been extremely unhappy 
 in the language he has used on this subject. 
 
 £ 
 
50 
 
 If his lordship be really attached to the doctrine of 
 the Articles and Homilies, how can we account for 
 such observations as these ? ** There are more passages 
 in the epistles, which attribute justification and saU 
 vation to giyod tvorks than to faith/' p 161. " Men, 
 as they now are, are not capable of perfect obedience, 
 but they are capable of endeavouring to attain it. 
 ScTCH AN ENDEAVOUR is their indispensable duty; and 
 although it may not in all instances, and upon every 
 occasion, be effectual, it is humbly hoped that it may be 
 
 SUFFICIENT TO RECOMMEND THEM TO THE FAVOUR 
 
 OF God." p. J 74. '* The attainment of eternal happi- 
 ness is made to depend upon our own choice and ex- 
 ertions." p. 65. " Our Saviour not only assigns 
 eternal life to those who have performed acts of mercy 
 to their fellow creatures, but expressly on account of 
 those acts." In the New Testament, " works are 
 clearly made the grand hinge on which our justi- 
 fication AND SALVATION tum."— " Works are the 
 grand turning point in the matter of our salvation." 
 p. 181. 
 
 . The frequent assertion of St. Paul, that a man is 
 not justified by the works of the law, is represented 
 •by Dr. T. as referring solely to " the observance of 
 the rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic dispensation." 
 p. 114, 115. He says, "Whenever St. Paul, in 
 speaking of justification, uses the word works or deeds, 
 ^he invariably adds, " of the law ;" he frequently says, 
 " a man is not justified by the works of the law ;" 
 but not once does he say " a man is not justified by 
 works." p. 120. But had his lordship forgotten this 
 passage ? " If Abraham were justified by works, he 
 hath whereof to glory/' Rom. iv. 2. Here we find the 
 phrase "justified by works," not followed by the words 
 which his lordship asserts are "invariably added/* 
 
51 
 
 The works denied to have had any share in Abraham's 
 justification could not be '' the rites and ceremonies 
 of the Mosaic dispensation" — and we are expressly in- 
 formed in a subsequent verse, that this refers to a 
 -period even antecedent to the institution of circum*- 
 cision. 
 
 His lordship says, " It is the doctrine of our church 
 that baptism duly administered, confers justification." 
 p. 1 47. Baptism may be duly administered^ and yet not 
 be rightly received. Its spiritual benefits are restricted 
 in the 27th article, to them " that receive it rif^htlyJ* 
 But in what part of the Articles^ Homilies, or Liturgy, 
 it is said to confer justification, his lordship has not 
 thought proper to state. Such an assertion as this re- 
 quired proof. But his lordship is accustomed to as- 
 sertion without proof. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 A quick or lively faith — 
 is not only the common be- 
 lief of the articles of our 
 faith, but it is also a true 
 trust and confidence of the 
 mercy of God through our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, and a 
 steadfast hope of all good 
 things to be received at' 
 God's hand. — 1 Horn, on 
 faith, p. 20. 
 
 They (the Old Testament 
 
 saints) did not only know 
 
 God to be the lord, maker, 
 
 and governor of all men in 
 
 * Rom. V. 1. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 But why do I use such ah 
 obscure testimony ? Paul in* 
 variably denies, that peace 
 or tranquillity can be en- 
 joyed in the conscience^ 
 without a certainty that wfe 
 are ^^ justified by faith */^ 
 And he also declares, whence 
 that certainty proceeds: it is 
 " because the love of God id 
 shed abroad in our hearts by 
 the Holy Ghost f/' as though 
 he had said that our con- 
 sciences can never be satis- 
 fied without a certairx per* 
 ■f Rom. V. 5. 
 
 £ 2 
 
52 
 
 CBCRCH OP ENGLAND. 
 
 the world ; but also they had 
 a special confidence and trust, 
 that he was, and would be, 
 their God, their comforter, 
 aider, hel per, maintainer, and 
 defender. This is the Chris- 
 liaa faith which these holy 
 men had, and we also ought 
 to have. — Q Horn, on faith , 
 p. 23. 
 
 He that doth consider all 
 these things, and Beheveth 
 them assuredly, as they are 
 to be believed, even from 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 suasion of our acceptance 
 with God. Thence he ex- 
 claims in the name of all 
 the pious, " Who shall se- 
 parate us from the love of 
 God, which is hi Christ*?" 
 for till we have reached that 
 port of safety, we shall trem- 
 ble with alarm at every 
 slightest breeze ; but while 
 God shall manifest himself 
 as our shepherd, we shall 
 *' fear no evil f." — Institui, 
 I. 3. c. 13. s. 5. 
 
 the bottom of his heart ; 
 
 being established in God in this true faith, having a quiet 
 conscience in Christ, a firm hope, and assured trust in 
 God*s mercy, through the merits of Jesus Christ, to ob- 
 tain this quietness, rest, and everlasting joy ; shall not only 
 fee without fear of bodily death, &c. — 3 Horn, against fear 
 of death, p. 61, 62. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 " To fast, with this per- 
 sjiasion of mind, that our 
 fasting and our good works 
 can-^iiake us perfect and just 
 men, and? finally, bring us 
 to heaven ; this is a devilish 
 persuasion." — 1 Horn, on 
 fasting, p. 168. 
 
 "It" [namely, the ps^ra- 
 ble of the Pharisee and Pub- 
 lican] " is spoken to them 
 
 * Rom. viii. 35. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 The observation of Au- 
 gustine is strictly true, that 
 all, who are strangers to the 
 religion of the one true 
 God, however they may be 
 esteemed worthy of admira- 
 tion for their reputed virtue, 
 not only merit no reward, 
 but are rather deserving of 
 punishment; because they 
 contaminate the pure gifts 
 f Psalm xxiii. 4. 
 
33 
 
 CHURCH OP ENGLAND. 
 
 that trusted in iheraseWes, 
 that they were righteous, 
 and despised others. Now, 
 because the Pharisee direct- 
 eth his works to an evil end, 
 seeking by them justifica- 
 tion, which indeed is the 
 proper work of God, with- 
 out our merits ; his fasting 
 twice in the week, and all 
 his other works, though they 
 were never so many, and 
 seemed to the world never 
 so good and holy, yet, in 
 very deed, before God, they 
 are altogether evil and abo- 
 minable." — Ibid. p. 169. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 of God with the pollution of 
 their own hearts. For though 
 they are instruments used 
 by God for the preservation 
 of human society by the ex- 
 ercise of justice, continence, 
 friendship, temperance, for- 
 titude, and prudence ; yet 
 they perform these good 
 works of God very impro- 
 perly ; being restrained from 
 the commission of evil not 
 by a sincere attachment to 
 true virtue; but either by 
 mere ambition, or by self- 
 love, or by some other irre- 
 gular disposition. These ac- 
 
 tions therefore being cor- 
 rupted in their very source by the impurity of their hearts, 
 are no more entitled to be classed among virtues, than those 
 vices which commonly deceive mankind by their affinity 
 and similitude to virtues. Besides, when we rtmember 
 that the end of what is right is always to serve God ; what- 
 ever is directed to any other end can have no claim to that 
 appellation. Therefore, since they regard not the end pre- 
 scribed by divine wisdom, though an act performed by them 
 be externally and apparently good, yet being directed to a 
 wrong end it becomes sin. — liistitut. L 3. c. 14. s, 3. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. CALVIN. 
 
 Works done before the We lay it down therefore 
 
 grace of Christ, and the in- as an undoubted truth, 
 
 spiration of his Spirit, are which ought to be well 
 
 not pleasant to God, foras- known to such as are but 
 
J4 
 
 CHURCBT Qt BNGLXN©. 
 
 tnucb as they spring not of 
 faith in Jesus Christ, neither 
 do they malce men meet to 
 receive grace, or (as the 
 school authors say) deserve 
 grace of congruity : yea, 
 rather for that they are not 
 done as Gpd hath willed and 
 commanded them to be done, 
 we doubt not but they have 
 the nature of sin. — Art, 13. 
 ^^ These works the apo- 
 stle calleth good works ; 
 paying, we are God's work- 
 manship, created in Christ 
 Jesus to good works, which 
 God hath ordained that we 
 should walk in them. And 
 yet his meaning is not by 
 these words to induce us to 
 have any affiance, or to put 
 any confidence in pur works, 
 as by the merit and deserving 
 of them to purchase to our- 
 selves and others remission 
 of sin, and so consequently 
 everlasting life: for that 
 were mere blasphemy against 
 God's mercy, and great de- 
 rogation to the blood-shed- 
 ding of our Saviour Jesus 
 Christ. For it is of the free 
 
 CALVIN-. 
 
 moderately versed in the 
 Scriptures, that even' the 
 most splendid works of men 
 not yet truly sanctified, are 
 so far from righteousness 
 in the divine view, that they 
 are accounted sins. And 
 therefore they have strictly 
 adhered to the truth, who 
 have maintained that the 
 works of a man do not con- 
 ciliate God's favour to his 
 person \ but, on the con- 
 trary, that works are never 
 acceptable to God unless 
 the person who performs 
 them has previously found 
 favour in his sight. And 
 this order which the Scrip- 
 ture directs us is religiously 
 to be observed. Moses re- 
 lates, that " the Lord had 
 respect unto Abel and to his 
 offering*." Does he not 
 plainly indicate that the 
 Lord is propitiqus to men 
 before he regards their 
 works ? Wherefore the pu- 
 rification of the heart is a ne- 
 cessary prerequisite, ip order 
 that the works v/hich wq 
 perform may be favourably 
 
 * Gen. iv. 4. 
 
55 
 
 CHURC^^OP, ENGLAND. 
 
 grace and mercy, of,Q94>|)y-^ 
 the mediation of the blopd ^^ 
 of hisSon Jesus Christ, with- 
 out merit or deserving on 
 our part, that we are recon- 
 ciled and brought again into 
 his favour, and are made 
 heirs of his heavenly king- 
 dom. Grace, saith St. Au- 
 gustine, belonging to God, 
 who doih call us : and then ., 
 hath he good works, whoso- 
 ever received grace. Good 
 works, then, bring not forth 
 grace, but arc brought forth 
 by grace. The wheel (saiih 
 he) turneth round, not to the 
 end that it may be made 
 round ; but, because it is 
 first made round, therefore 
 it turneth round. So no 
 man doeth good works to 
 receive grace by his good 
 works, but because he hath 
 first received grace, there- 
 fore, consequently he doeth 
 good works. And in an- 
 other place, he [St. Austin] 
 saith : Good works go not 
 before, in him which shall 
 afterwards be justified; but 
 good works do follow, after, 
 when a man is, first, justified. 
 — Part 1 . Horn* of fasting, . 
 ♦Jerem. v. 3. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 received by God : for the 
 
 •,' r - -'¥ fV ' <'-'^:^!^, 
 declaratiorix)f Jeremiah is^I- 
 
 ways in force, that the *^ eyes 
 of the Lord are upon fhe 
 truth*.;* Ana^ tfi!e %oly 
 Ghost hath asserted by 'tlie 
 mouth of Peter, which proves 
 that it is ^«!by .faith f'^/a- 
 lone that the " Heaft is^puri- 
 fied," that the first founda- 
 tion is laid in a true and 
 living faith. — Institut. L 3. 
 c. 14. s, 8. 
 
 The grace through which 
 our works are accepted, is 
 no other than the. free good- 
 ness of the Father, with 
 which he embraces us in 
 Christ: when he invests us 
 with the righteousness of 
 Christ, and accepts it as 
 ours, in order that in conse- 
 quence of it he may treat us 
 as holy, pure^ and righteous 
 persons : for the righteous- 
 ness of Christ (which,. Ibe- 
 ing the only pertect riffhte- 
 ousness, is tile only one 
 thit can bear the diyine 
 scrutiny,) must be'produced 
 on our behalf, and judicially 
 presented as in^he cas^ of a 
 surety. Being furnished 
 with this, we obtain by faith 
 t Acts XV. 9; 
 
56 
 
 CHURCH Oi? ENGLAND. 
 
 *' Let them all come to- 
 gether, that be now glo- 
 rified in heaven, and let us 
 hear what answer they will 
 make in these points before 
 rehearsed^ whether their first 
 creation was in God's good- 
 ness, or of themselves. For- 
 sooth, payid woulc) make 
 answer for them all and say, 
 Know ye for surety, even the 
 Lord is Qpd : he hath made 
 us^ and not we ourselves. |f 
 they were asked again, who 
 shall be thaiiked for their 
 regeneration? for their jus- 
 tification ? and for their sal- 
 vation ? whether their de- 
 serts, or God's goodness 
 only ? let David answer by 
 the mouth of them all at 
 this time, who cannot choose 
 but gay. Not to us, O Lord, 
 not to us, but to thy name 
 give all the thanks, for thy 
 loving mercy and for thy 
 truth's sake. If we should 
 ask again, from whence 
 camethfli glorious work^ and 
 deeds, which they wrought 
 intheiriiyes, wherewith God 
 was so highly pleased and 
 worshipped by them ? let 
 some other witness be 
 brought in to testify this 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 the perpetual remission of 
 our sins. Our imperfections 
 and impurities, being con- 
 cealed by its purity, are not 
 imputed to us ; but are as it 
 were buried and prevented 
 from appearing in the view 
 of divine justice ; till the 
 advent of that hour, when, 
 the old man being slain and 
 utterly annihilated in us, the 
 divine goodness shall receive 
 us into ^ blessed peace with 
 the new Adam, in that state 
 to wait for the day of the 
 Lord, when we shall receiye 
 incorruptible bodies, and be 
 translated to the glories of 
 the celestial kingdom. — //?- 
 StitlLt. /. 3. c. 14. ^. 12. 
 
 Jf these things are true, 
 surely no works of ours can 
 render us accepable to God ; 
 nor can the actions them- 
 selves be pleasing to him, 
 any otherwise than as a man, 
 who is covered with the righ- 
 teousness of Christ, pleases 
 God and obtains the remis- 
 sion of his sins. — Institute 
 s, 13. 
 
 This therefore is a different 
 and separate question, whe- 
 ther, although works be to- 
 tally insufficient for the jus- 
 
57 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 matter 5 that in the mouth 
 of two or three may the 
 truth he known. Verily, 
 that holy prophet Esay bear- 
 eth record, and saith, O 
 Lord, it is thou of thy good- 
 ness, that hast wrought all 
 our works in us, not we our- 
 selves. And to uphold the 
 truth of this matter against 
 all justiciaries andhypocrites, 
 which rob Almighty God of 
 his honour, and ascribe it 
 to themselves, St. Paul bring- 
 cth in his belief: We be not 
 (saith he) sufficient of our- 
 selves once to think any 
 thing ; but all our ableness 
 is of God's goodness. For 
 he it is in whom we have all 
 our being, and living, and 
 moving. If ye will know 
 furthermore where they had 
 their gifts and sacrifices, 
 which they offered continu- 
 ally in their lives to Almighty 
 God 'j they cannot but agree 
 with David, where he saith, 
 Of thy liberal hand, O Lord, 
 we have received that we 
 gave unto thee. If this holy 
 company, therefore, confess 
 «o constantly, that all the 
 *Luke 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 tification of men, they do 
 not nevertheless merit the 
 grace of God? — Institut, /. 3. 
 c. \5.s. 1. 
 
 The Scripture shows what 
 all our works are capable of 
 meriting, when it represents 
 them as unable to bear the 
 divine scrutiny, because they 
 are full of impurity; and in 
 the next place, what would 
 be merited by the perfect ob- 
 servance of the law, if this 
 could any where be found, 
 when it thus directs us, 
 "When ye shall have done 
 all these things which are 
 commanded you, say. We are 
 unprofitable servants*;" be- 
 cause we shall not have con- 
 ferred any favour on God, 
 but only have performed the 
 duties incumbent on us, for 
 which no thanks are due. 
 Nevertheless, the good 
 works which the Lord hath 
 conferred on us, he denomi- 
 nates our own, and declares 
 that he will not only accept, 
 but also reward them. It is 
 our duty to be animated by 
 so great a promise, and to 
 excite our minds that we 
 
 xvii. IQ. 
 
15 
 
 CHURCH or ENGLAND. 
 
 g<nods and graces wherewith 
 they were endued in soul, 
 came oF the goodness of 
 God only ; what more can 
 be said to prove, that all that 
 is good Cometh from Al- 
 mighty God ? — To justify a 
 sinner, to new create him 
 from a wicked person to a 
 righteous man, is a greater 
 act (saith St. Augustine) 
 than to make such a new 
 heaven and earth as is al- 
 ready made. — 1 Rogation 
 Horn. p. 28 9> 290. 
 
 CALVIN, 
 
 f' be ftot weary in well do- 
 ing*," and to be truly grate- 
 ful for so great an instance 
 of divine goodness. It is 
 beyond a doubt, that what- 
 ever is laudable in our works, 
 proceeds from the grace of 
 God, and that we cannot 
 properly ascribe the least 
 portion of it to ourselves.-^ 
 Instihit, I. 3. c. 15, s, 3. 
 
 But, on the contrary, our 
 doctrine, without any men- 
 tion of merit, animates the 
 
 minds of the faithful with pe- 
 culiar consolation, while we 
 teach them that their works 
 are pleasing to God, and that their persons are undoubtedly 
 accepted by him. And we likewise require that no man 
 attempt or undertake any work without faith ; that is, un- 
 less he can previously determine, with a certain confidence 
 of mind, that it will be pleasing to God. — Instiiut, L 3, 
 c, 15. s. 7. 
 
 Dr. Tomline is of opinion, that " to represent 
 every human deed as an actual sin, and deserving of 
 everlasting punishment, is not only unauthorised by 
 Scripture, but is also of very dangerous consequences." 
 p. 1 72. Does this passage refer to " works which are 
 the fruits of faith, and follow after justification ?** 
 'Then his lordship's accusation of " a strife of words 
 and perverse disputing," p. 183. may well be retorted 
 PA himself — for by whom is such a rcDresentatidn 
 
 * Gal. vi. 9. 2 Thess. iii. 13. 
 
ever made? But does the pa§'s^e" r^^" t<^' **" ttrdrks 
 done before the grace of Christ f" Then t-he repre- 
 sentation here censured by his Lordship is precisely 
 that of the Articles and -Homilies. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 Albeit that good work.s^ 
 which are the fruits of faith, 
 and follow after justification, 
 cannot put away our sins, 
 and endure the severity of 
 God's judgement ; yet are 
 they pleasing and acceptable 
 to God in Christ, and do 
 spring out necessarily of a 
 true and lively faith ; inso- 
 much, that by them a lively 
 faith may be as evidently 
 known, as a tree discerned 
 by the fruit. — Art, 12. 
 
 As the good fruit is not 
 
 the cause that the tree is 
 
 good, but the tree must first 
 
 be good, before it can bring 
 
 forth good fruit ; so the good 
 
 deeds of men are not the 
 
 cau^e that maketh man good, 
 
 but he is first made good by 
 
 the spirit and grace of God, 
 
 ^ that effectually worketh in 
 
 him, and afterward he 
 
 bringeth forth good fruit. — 
 
 2 Horn, on alms deeds, p. 236. 
 
 The right and true Chris- 
 
 ' CALVIN. 
 
 They allege that justifica- 
 tion by faith destroys good 
 works. I omit all observa- 
 tion on the characters of 
 these zealots for good works, 
 who thus calumniate us. Let 
 them rail with impunity as 
 licentiously as they infect 
 the whole world with the 
 impurity of their lives. They 
 affect to lament, that while 
 faith is so magnificently ex- 
 tolled, works are degraded 
 from their proper rank. — 
 What if they be mgre en- 
 couraged and established ? 
 For we never dream either of 
 a faith destitute of good 
 works, or of a justification 
 unattended by them : this is 
 the sole difference, that while 
 we acknowledge a necessary 
 connexion bet^ween faith^and 
 good works, we attribute 
 justification not to works^ 
 but to faith. Our reason for 
 this we can readily explain, 
 if we only turn to Christ, 
 
60 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 tian faith is, not only to be- 
 lieve, that holy scripture 
 and all the aforesaid articles 
 of our faith are true; hut 
 also to have a sure trust 
 and confidence in God's 
 nierciFul promises, to be 
 saved from everlasting dam- 
 nation by Christ : whereof 
 doth follow a loving heart to 
 obey his commandments.--- 
 For how can a man have this 
 true faith, this sure trust and 
 confidence in God, that by 
 the merits of Christ his 
 sins be forgiven, and he re- 
 conciled to the favour of God, 
 and to be p:\rtaker of the 
 kingdom of heaven by 
 Christ, when he liveih un- 
 godly^ and denieth Christ 
 in his deeds ? —3 Horn, of 
 salvation, p. 18. 
 
 Very liberal and gentle is 
 the spirit of wisdom. In 
 his power shall we have suf- 
 ficient ability to know our 
 duty to God. In him shall 
 we be comforted and encou- 
 raged to walk in our duty. 
 In him shall we be meet ves- 
 sels to receive the grace of 
 Almighty God : for it is he 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 towards whom faith is di- 
 rected, and from whom it 
 receives all its virtue. Why 
 then are we justified by faith? 
 Because, by faith we appre- 
 hend the righteousness of 
 Christ, which is the only 
 medium of our reconcilia- 
 tion to God. But this you 
 cannot attain, without at- 
 taining at the same time to 
 sanctification. For he '' is 
 made unto us wisdom, and 
 righteousness, and sanctifi- 
 cation, and redemption*,'* 
 Christ therefore justifies no 
 one whom he does not also 
 sanctify. For these benefits 
 are perpetually and indis- 
 solubly connected, so that 
 whom he illuminates with 
 his wisdom, them he re- 
 deems; whom he redeems, 
 he justifies; whom he justi- 
 fies, he sanctifies. 
 
 But as the present question 
 relates only to righteousness 
 and justification, let us in- 
 sist on them. We may di- 
 stinguish between them, but 
 Christ contains both insepa- 
 rably in himself. Do you 
 wish then to obiain righr 
 
 *1! 
 
 :or. 1. SQ. 
 
61 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 that purgeth and piirifieth 
 the mind, by his secret work- 
 ing. And he only is present 
 every where by his invisible 
 power, and containeth all 
 things in his dominion. He 
 lighteneth the heart, to con- 
 ceive worthy thoughts of 
 Almighty God : he sitteth in 
 the tongue of man, to stir 
 him to speak his honour. 
 He only ministereth spiritual 
 strength to the powers of our 
 soul and body. To hold the 
 way which God had pre- 
 pared for us, to walk rightly 
 in our journey, we must ac- 
 knowledge that it is in the 
 power of his spirit, which 
 helpeth our infirmity. — 3 
 Horn, for Rogation week, 
 p. 299. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 teousness in Christ ? You 
 must first possess Christ ; 
 but you cannot possess him 
 without becoming a partaker 
 of his sanctification, for he 
 cannot be divided. Since 
 then the Lord affords us the 
 enjoyment of theic blessings, 
 only in the besiowment of 
 himself, he gives them both 
 together; and never one 
 without the other. Thus we 
 see how true it is, that we 
 are justified not without 
 works, yet not by works ; 
 since union with Christ, by 
 which we are justified, con- 
 tains sanctification as well as 
 righteousness. — InstitnL 1.3^ 
 c. 16. s, 1. 
 
 The Bishop tells us, that " if we believed that good 
 works were not the appointed condition of our salva- 
 tion, we should of course become indifferent to the 
 character of our acuons." p. 172. The compilers of 
 the Articles and Homilies seem not to have been appre- 
 hensive of the doctrine of salvation by grace having 
 any such tendency. His lordship also maintains, " tha}; 
 there is no necessary connexion be^weei^ faitj^.or. belie^^ 
 and good works." p. 130. But how qan he Reconcile 
 this with the above quotations from the Church ? 
 
69 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 True faith will show forth 
 itself, and cannot longbeidie: 
 for, as it is written, the just 
 man doth live by his faith ; 
 he never sleepeth, nor is 
 idle, when he would wake 
 and be well occupied. And 
 God, by his prophet Jeremy, 
 saith, that he is a happy and 
 blessed man which hath faith 
 and confidence' in God : for 
 he is like a tree set by the 
 waterside, and spreadcth his 
 roots abroad towards the 
 moisture, and feareth not 
 heat when it cometh : his 
 leaf will be green, and will 
 not cease to bring forth his 
 fruit : even so, faithful men 
 (putting away all fear of ad- 
 versity) will show forth the 
 fruit of their good works, as 
 occasion is oflTered to do 
 them. — I Horn, on faith, 
 p. 2 1 . 
 
 St. Paul therefore teach - 
 eth, that we must do good 
 works, for divers respects. 
 1. To show ourselv^es obe- 
 dient children to our heaven- 
 ly Father, Sec. 2. For that 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 It is also exceedingly false 
 that the minds of men are 
 seduced from an inclination 
 to virtue, by our divesting 
 them of all ideas of merit. — 
 Institiit. /. 3. c. 16. s. 2. 
 
 Besides, if men require to 
 be stimulated, no man can 
 urge more forcible arguments 
 than such as arise from the 
 end of our redemption and 
 calling; such as the word of 
 God adduces, when it incul- 
 cates, that it is the greatest 
 and most impious ingratitude, 
 not reciprocally to '^ love 
 him who first loved us*; " 
 that " by the blood of Christ 
 our consciences are purged 
 from dead works to serve the 
 living God f ;" that it is a 
 horrible sacrilege, after hav- 
 ing been once purged, to 
 defile ourselves with new 
 .pollutions, and to profane 
 that sacred blood ; that we 
 have been *^ delivered out of 
 the hand of our enemies f,*' 
 that we " might serve him 
 without fear, in holiness and 
 righteousness before him all 
 
 they are good declarations the days of our life § 5" that 
 
 *Jobn iv. 10, 19. 
 § Luke i. 74, « 5. 
 
 t Hcb. ix. 14. 
 
 X Ibid. X. 20. 
 
 i 
 
61 
 
 CAJLVIN. 
 
 we are *^ made free from 
 sin*/' that with a free spirit 
 we might *^ become the ser- 
 vants of righteousness t;^' 
 " that our old man is cruci- 
 fied,'* that '*' we should walk 
 in newness of life." Again, 
 ^' If ye be risen with Christ, 
 (as his memoers indeed are) 
 seek those things which are 
 above J," and conduct your- 
 selves as pilgrims on the 
 earth, that you may aspire 
 towards heaven, wheceyour 
 treasure is. That ^' the grace 
 ofGodhaih appeared, teach- 
 ing us, that denying ungod- 
 liness and worldly lusts, we 
 should live soberly, righte- 
 ously, and godly, in this 
 present world ; looking for 
 that blessed hope and the glo- 
 rious appearing of the great 
 God and our Saviour §." Wherefore '' God hath not ap- 
 pointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by Christ ||/' 
 That we are *' the temples of the Holy Ghost f,*' which it 
 is unlawful to profane. That we are not darkness, *' but 
 light in the Lord***', whom it becomes to *^ walk as chil- 
 dren of the light ;" that "God hath not called us unto 
 uncleanness, but unto holiness. For this is the will of 
 God, even our sanctification, that we should abstain from 
 fornication ff:" that our calling is a holy one, which should 
 * Rom. vi. 18. t Ibid. vi. 4, 6. X Col. iii. 1. 
 
 CHURCH OFENGLAND, 
 
 and testimonials of our jus- 
 tification. 3. That others, 
 seeing our good works, may 
 the rather by them be stirred 
 up and excited, &c. — Horn, 
 of fastings Part I. 
 
 The just man falleth seven 
 times, and riseth again. — 
 Though the godly do fall, 
 yet they walk not on pur- 
 posely in sin ; they stand not 
 still, to continue and tarry in 
 sin ; they sit not down like 
 careless men, without all fear 
 of God's just punishment for 
 sin ; but, defying sin, through 
 God's great grace and infinite 
 mercy, they rise again, and 
 fight against sin. — 2 Horn, 
 on certain places of scripture, 
 p. 226. 
 
 ^ Tit. iii. 11. 
 ^*Eph.ii. 21 
 
 S Ihess. V. 9. 
 
 V. 8. 
 
 1[ iCor. ii. 16,17; vi. 19. 
 tt 1 Thess. iv. 3, 7. 
 
64. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 be followed by a correspondent purity of life*. That we are 
 f* made free from sinf/' that we might " become servants 
 df righteousness.'* Can we be incited to charity by any 
 stronger argument than that of John, ^' If God so loved 
 us, we ought also to love one another ? In this the chil- 
 dren of God are manifest, and the children of the devil X •/* 
 hereby the children of light, by their abiding in love, are 
 distinguished from the children of darkness. Or that of 
 Paul, that if we be united to Christ, we are members of 
 one body, and ought to afford each other mutual assistance§? 
 Of can we be more powerfully excited to holiness, than 
 when we are informed by John, that '' every man that hath 
 this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as God is pure||?" 
 Or whfii Paul says, " Having therefore these promises, (re- 
 laiive to our adoption,) let us cleanse ourselves from all fil- 
 thiness of the flesh and spiritf?" or than when we hear 
 Christ proposing himself as our example, that we should 
 follow his steps? — Institut, I. 3. c, 16. s, 2. 
 
 These few instances, indeed, I have given as a specimen; 
 for, if I were disposed to pursue every particular passage, 
 I should produce a large volume. The apostFes are quite 
 full of admonitions, exhortations, and reproofs to ^^ fur- 
 nish the man of God to every good work," and that with- 
 out any mention of merit. Bui they rather deduce their 
 principal exhortations from this consideration, that our sal- 
 vation depends not on any merit of ours, but merely on 
 the mercy of God. As Paul, after having very largely shown, 
 that we can have no hope ot life but from the righteous- 
 ness of Christ, when he proceeds to exhortations, be- 
 seeches, us by that jlivine njercy with which we have been 
 favoured**. Institut, I. 3. c. 16. 5. 3. 
 
 •iPet.i. 15. t Ro«i- ^'i- 13. tJohniv. 11» § 1 Cor. icii. 12. 
 jj 1 John iii. 3. f 2 Cor. i. T. •* Rom. xii. 1. 
 
63 
 
 CHURCH OP ENGLAND. 
 
 The true church is an uni- 
 versal congregation or fel- 
 lowship of God's faithful 
 and elect people, built upon 
 the foundation of the apo- 
 stles and prophets, Jesus 
 Christ himself being- the 
 head corner stone. — Homily 
 for JfTi'it Sunday, p. 283. 
 
 Predestination to life is the 
 everlasting purpose of God, 
 whereby, before the foun- 
 dations of the world were 
 laid, he hath constantly de- 
 creed by his counsel, secret 
 to us, to deliver T^rom curse 
 and damnation those whom 
 he hath chosen in Christ out 
 of mankind, and to bring 
 them by Christ to everlast- 
 ing salvation, as vessels 
 made to honour. Where- 
 fore, they which be endued 
 with so excellent a benefit of 
 God, be called according to 
 God's purpose by his Spirit 
 working in due season : they 
 through grace obey ihe call- 
 ing : they bejustiBed freely: 
 they be made sons of God 
 by adoption : they be made 
 like the image of his only 
 begotten Son Jesus Christ : 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 Another passage from this 
 apostle will still more clearly 
 express my meaning. '^He 
 hath chosen us (he says) be- 
 fore the foun-dation of the 
 world, according to the good 
 pleasure of his will, that we 
 should be holy and without 
 blame before him '^ :" where 
 he opposes the good plea- 
 sure of God to all our merits 
 whatsoever.— J^j/i/w/. /. 3. 
 c. 22. s. 1. 
 
 To render the proof more 
 complete, it will be useful 
 to notice all the clauses of 
 that passage, which, taken 
 in connexion, leave no room 
 for doubt. By the appella- 
 tion of the elect or chosen, 
 he certainly designates the 
 faithful, as he soon after de- 
 clares : wherefore, it is cor- 
 rupting the term by a shame- 
 ful fiction to pervert it to the 
 age in which the gt>spel was 
 published. By saying that 
 they were elected befi^re the 
 creation of the world, he 
 precludes every consideratioa 
 of merit. For what could 
 be the reason for disci imina» 
 tion between those who yet 
 
 Eph.i.4, 5. 
 
CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 they walk religiously in good 
 works, and at length, by 
 God's mercy, they attain to 
 everlasting felicity. — Art AT, 
 Once more ; God, oF his 
 mercy and special favour to- 
 wards them whom he hath 
 appointed to everlasting sal- 
 vation, hath so offered his 
 grace especially, and they 
 have so received it fruitfully, 
 that although, by reason of 
 their sinful living outwardly, 
 they seemed before to have 
 been the children of wrath 
 and perdition ; yet now, the 
 Spirit of God mightily work- 
 ing in them, they declare by 
 their outward deeds and life, 
 in the showing of mercy and 
 charity (which cannot come 
 but of the Spirit of God, and 
 his especial grace), that they 
 are the undoubted children 
 of God, appointed to ever- 
 lasting life. And so, as, by 
 their wickedness and ungod- 
 ly living, they showed them- 
 selves according to the judge- 
 ment of men, which follow 
 the outward appearance, to 
 be reprobates and castaways ; 
 so now, by their obedience 
 unto God's holy will_, and 
 
 had no existence, and whose 
 condition was afterwards to 
 be the same in Adam ? Now 
 if they are chosen in 
 Christ, it follows not only" 
 that each individual is cho- 
 sen out of himself, but also 
 that some are separated from 
 other; for, if is evident, all 
 are not members of Christ. 
 The next clause, that they 
 were '^ chosen that they 
 might be holy," fully refutes 
 the error which derives elec- 
 tion from^ foreknowledge -, 
 since Paul, on the contrary, 
 declares that all the virtue 
 discovered in men is the ef- 
 fect of election. If any in- 
 quiry be made after a supe- 
 rior cause, Paul replies, that 
 God thus " predestinated,*' 
 and that it was '^according 
 to the good pleasure of his 
 will.'* This overturns any 
 means of election whiph 
 men imagine in themselves; 
 for all the benefits conferred 
 by God for the spiritual life, 
 he represents as flowing from 
 this one source, that God 
 elected whom he would, and, 
 before they were born, laid 
 up in reserve for them the 
 
67 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. CAtVIN. 
 
 by their merciful and tender grace with which he deter- 
 pity, (wherein they show mined to favour them.— Jw- 
 themselves to be like unto stltut, 1.3, c, 22. s. 2. 
 * God, who is the fountain and Wherever this decree of 
 spring of all mercy,) they God reigns, there can be no 
 declareopenly and manifestly consideration of any works, 
 to the sight of men, that The antithesis, indeed, is not 
 they are the sons of God, pursued here; but it must be 
 and elect of him unto salva- understood, as amplified by 
 tion. — ^ Horn, on alms deeds i the same writer in another 
 p. 235, 2G3. place : " who hath called 
 
 us with an holy calling, not 
 according to our works, but according to his own purpose 
 and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the 
 world began*.'' And we have already shown that the fol- 
 lowing clause, ^^ that we should be holy," removes every 
 difficulty. For say, Because he foresaw they would be 
 holy, therefore he chose them, and you will invert the or- 
 der of Paul. You may safely, infer then. If he chose 
 us that we should be holy, his foresight of our future ho- 
 liness was not the cause of his choice. For these two pro- 
 positions, that the holiness of the pious is the fruit of 
 election, and that they attain it by means of works, are 
 incompatible with each other. Nor is there any force in 
 the cavil to which they frequently resort, that the grace of 
 election was not God's reward of antecedent works, but 
 his gift to future ones. For, when it is said that the faith- 
 ful were elected that they should be holy, it is fully implied 
 that the holiness they were in future to possess had its ori- 
 gm in election. And what consistency would there be in 
 asserting, that things derived from election were the causes 
 of election? 
 
 * STim.i. 9. 
 F2 
 
, 68 
 
 CALVIX. 
 
 A subsequent clause seems further to confirm what he 
 had said, '' according to his good pleasure which he pur- 
 posed in himself*.'* For the assertion that Gud purposed 
 in himself, is equivalent to" saying that he considered no- 
 thing out of himself, with any view to influence his deter- 
 mination. Therefore he immediately subjoins, that the great 
 and only object of our election is, *Mhat we should be 
 to the praise of divine grace.** Certainly the grace of 
 God deserves not the sole praise of our election, unless 
 this election be gratuitous. Now it could not be gra- 
 tuitous, if in choosing his people God himself considered 
 what would be the nature of their respective works. 
 The declaration of Christ » to his disciple?, therefore, is 
 universally applicable to all the faithful : '^ Ye have not 
 chosen me, but T have chosen youf;'* which not only 
 excludes past merits, but signifies that they had nothing in 
 themselves to cause their election, independently of his pre- 
 venting mercy. This also is the meaning of that passage 
 of Paul, ^^ Who hath first givenJo him, and it shall be 
 recompensed unto him again | ?'* For his design is to show, 
 that God's goodness altogether anticipates men, finding 
 nothing in them either past or future to conciliate his fa« 
 vour to them. — Instityt. I. 3. c. 22. s. 3. 
 
 We must therefore come to that more select people, 
 whom, Paul in another place tells us, " God foreknew §," 
 not using this word, according to the fancy of our oppo« 
 nents, to signify a prospect, from a place of idle observa- 
 tion, of things which he has no part in transacting, but in 
 the sense in which it is frequently used. For certainly, 
 when Peter savs that Christ was '^delivered [|" to death 
 *' by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God/' 
 
 * Eph. i. 9. t John xv. 1<3. J Rum. xi. 35. 
 
 § Rom. xi. 9.. ' Ij /\cts ii. U2. 
 
69 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 he introduces God noi as a mere spectator^ but as the au- 
 thor of our salvation. So the same Peter, by calling the 
 faithful to whom he writes, *' elect according to the fore- 
 knowledge of God*," properly expresses that secret pre- 
 destination by which God has marked out whom he would 
 as his children. And the word purpose^ which is added as 
 a synonymous term, and in common speech is always ex- 
 pressive of fixed determination, undoubtedly implies that 
 God, as the author of our salvation, does not go out of 
 himself. — Institute I. 3. c. 22. s. C. 
 
 But the discriminating election of God, which is other- 
 wise concealed within himself, he manifests only by his 
 calling, which may therefore with propriety be called the 
 testification or evidence of it. '^ For whom he djd foreknow, 
 he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of 
 his Son. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he 
 also called : and whom he called, them he also justified f," 
 in order to their eventual glorification. Though by choos- 
 ing his people the Lord has adopted them as his children, 
 yet we see that they enter not on the possession of so great 
 a blessing,' till they are called : on the other hand, as soon 
 as they are called, thty immediately enjoy some commu- 
 nicaiion of his election. On which account, Paul calls the 
 spirit received by the^n, both ^^ the spirit of adoption, and 
 the seal and earnest of the future inheritance;!:;"' because, 
 by his testimony, he confirms and'seals to their hearts the 
 certainty of their future adoption. — Institut, 1.3. c. 24. s. 1. 
 
 Dr. Tomline states his opinion on Predestination in 
 ,f.he followirxg manner: " Predestination to life is not 
 an absolute decree of eternal happiness to certain in- 
 dividuals, but a gracious purpose of God, to make a 
 
 * 1 Pet. i. 2. t ^'Ora. viii. 29, 30. % Rom. viii. X5, \Q, 
 
 EphJ i. 13, 14. 
 
conditional offer of salvation to meii, through the 
 merits of Christ.'* p. 266. While the objects of "Pre- 
 destination to life" are described in the Article, as 
 '* those whom God hath chosen in Christ out of man^ 
 kind, and constantly decreed to bring by Christ to 
 everlasting salvation" — his lordship describes them as 
 '' those to whom God decreed to make known the 
 gospel of Christ." p. 266. He then introduces a 
 question, " Are all to whom the gospel is made known 
 predestinated to life ?" and, inconsistently with him- 
 self, answers it in the negative. For, if " predestination 
 to life" be " a purpose to make a conditional offer of 
 salvation to men through the merits of Christ ;" p. 266. 
 and if " salvation has been offered to all to whom the 
 gospel has been made known, since its first promulga- 
 tion;" p.l9S. how can we avoid the inference, that " all 
 to whom the gospel is made known are predestinated 
 to life ?" The absurdity of this inference proves some 
 fallacy in the premises. If, as the Article asserts, 
 " those which be endued with so excellent a benefit of 
 God," as " predestination to life," do " at length by 
 God's mercy attain to everlasting felicity;" then. 
 '' PREDESTINATION TO life" must be Something 
 more than " a gracious purpose to make a con- 
 ditional OFFER of salvation/' — and can be no- 
 thing short of " AN absolute decree of eternal 
 
 HAPPINESS TO CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS." 
 
 Heylin, who is frequently quoted by Dr. -Tornline, 
 was a violent anticalvinist ; yet how different is his in- 
 terpretation of the 17th Article from the unnaturaf 
 and inconsistent exposition given by his lordship ! 
 
 " Predestination to life is defined in the 1 7th Ar- 
 ticle ; in which definition there are these things to 
 be observed : 1, That predestination doth presuppose d, 
 curse, or state of damnation^ in which all mankind 
 
n 
 
 was presented to the sight of God. 2. That it is 
 an act of his from everlasting : because from ever- 
 lasting he foresaw that misery into- which wretched 
 man would fall. 3. That he founded it, and resolved 
 for it, in the man and mediator Christ Jesus, both for 
 the purpose and performance. 4. That it was of some 
 special ones alone ; elect, called forth, and reserved 
 in Christ, and not generally extended unto all man- 
 kind. 5, That, being thus elected in Christ, they 
 shall be brought by Christ to everlasting salvation. 
 And 6, That this counsel is secret to us : for though 
 there be revealed to us some hopeful signs of our elec- 
 tion and predestination to Hfe, yet the certainty thereof 
 is a secret hidden in God." — Life of Laud* Iritrod, 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 As the godly consideration 
 of predesiination and our 
 election in Christ is full of 
 sweet, pleasant, and un- 
 speakable comfort to godly 
 persons, and such as feel in 
 themselves the working of 
 the Spirit of Christ, morti- 
 fying the works of the flesh, 
 and their earthly members, 
 and drawing up their mind 
 to high and heavenly things; 
 as well because it doth great- 
 ly establish and confirm their 
 faith of eternal salvation, to 
 be enjoyed through Christ, 
 as because it doth fervently 
 
 CALVirf. 
 
 The certainty of it, indeed, 
 we are to seek here ; for, if 
 we attempt to penetrate to 
 the eternal decree of God, 
 we- shall be ingulfed in the 
 profound abyss. But when 
 God has discot^red it to us, 
 we must ascend to loftier 
 heights, that the cause may 
 not be lost in the effect. 
 For what can be more absurd 
 and inconsistent, when the 
 Scripture teaches that we are 
 illuminated according as God 
 has chosen us, than our eyes 
 being so dazzled with the 
 blaze of this light as to re- 
 
7fi 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. CALVIN. 
 
 kindle their love towards fuse to conteipplate election) 
 God.— ^^r/. 17, At the same time I admit, 
 
 that in order to attain an as^ 
 surance of our salvation, we ought to hegin with the word, 
 antl that vvith it our confidence ought to be satisried, so as 
 to call upon God as our Father. For some persons, to ob- 
 tain certainty respecting the counsel of God, " which is 
 nigh unto us in our mouth and in our heart *," preposte- 
 rously wish to soar above the clouds. Such temerity there- 
 fore should be restrained by the sobriety of faith, that we 
 may be satisfied with the testimony of God in his external 
 word respecting his secret grace; only the channel which 
 conveys to us such a copious stream to satisfy our thirst, 
 must not deprive the fountain head of the honour which 
 belongs to it. — Instititt. /. 3. c. 24. s. 3. 
 
 While the Article represents this doctrine as agree- 
 ably only " to GODLY persons," Dr. Fomline insists, 
 that " The PROUD and selfish nature of man falls 
 an easy victim to the fascinating cioctrines of election 
 and grace." p. 2S3. Dr. T. does indeed say, in re- 
 ference to HIS statement of Predestination, " this 
 godly consideration of Predestinadon and our Election 
 in Christ is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable 
 comfort." But it has been shown that the doctrine 
 of Predestination, as stated by him, is completely at 
 variance with the doctrine of the Church. While the 
 Article states, that " it (the godly consideration of 
 Predestination and Election in Christ by godly persons) 
 doth greatly establish and confirm their faith of eter- 
 nal salvation" — his lordship's gloss on this part of it 
 is, that " their faith of eternal salvation is greatly' 
 
 ^ Deut. XXX. 14. 
 
73 
 
 established and confirmed from a consciousness of their 
 own obedience and religious walking in good works." 
 p. 267. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. CALVIN. 
 
 So, for curious and car- When miserable man en- 
 nal persons, lacking the Spi- deavours to tbrce his way 
 rit of Christ, to have con- into the secret recesses of 
 tinually before their eyes the divine wisdom, and to pe- 
 sentence of God's predesti- netrate even to the highest 
 nation, is a most dangerous eternity, that he may dis- 
 downfall, whereby the devil cover what is determined 
 doth thrust them either into concerning him at the tri- 
 desperation, or into wretch- buna! of God ; then he pre- 
 lesness of the most unclean cipitates himself to be ab- 
 living, no less perilous than sorbed in the profound of 
 desperation.— ^r^ 17. an unfathomable gulf : then 
 
 he entangles himself in 
 numberless and inextricable snares ; then he sinks himself 
 in an abyss of total darkness, For it is right that the folly 
 of the human mind should be thus punished with horrible 
 destruction, when it attempts by its own ability to rise to 
 the summit of divine wisdom. This temptation is the 
 more fs^tal, because there is no other to which men in gene- 
 ral have a stronger propensity. For there is scarcely a per- 
 son to he found whose mind is not sometimes struck with 
 this thought. Whence can you obtain salvation, but from 
 the election of God ? and what revelation have you re- 
 ceived of election ? If this has once impressed a man, it 
 either perpetually excruciates the unhappy being with 
 dreadful torments, or altogether stupefies him witfe asto- 
 nishment. Indeed, I should desire no stronger argument 
 to prove how extremely erroneous the conceptions of such 
 persons £^re, respecting predestination, than experience it^ 
 
u 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 Self; siAce ti6 effftr can affect the tnlhd, mare pestilent than 
 such as disturbs the conscience, and destroys its peace and 
 tranquillity towards God. Therefore, if we dread ship- 
 wreck, let us anxiously beware of this rock, on which 
 none ever strike without being destroyed. But though the 
 discussion of predestination may be compared to a danger- 
 ous ocean, yet in traversing over it the navigation is safe 
 and secure, and I will also add pleasant, unless any one 
 freely vi^ishes to expose himself to danger. For as those 
 who, in order to gain an assurance of their election, examine 
 into the eternal counsel of God without the word, plunge 
 themselves into a fatal abyss; so they who investigate it in 
 a regular and orderly manner as it is contained in the word, 
 derive from such inquiry the benefit of peculiar consola- 
 tion. — Institute L 3. c. 24. s, 4. 
 
 In attempting to explain away this part of the iTth 
 Article, his lordship gives us another definition of 
 Predestination somewhat different from that already- 
 cited from him. " What is this sentence of God's 
 Predestination ? It cannot be the sentence of Predesti- 
 nation we have been considering, by which God pur- 
 posed and decreed to save all who shall believe and 
 obey the gospel." p. 267. But his lordship has not 
 advanced the shadow of an argument to show that the 
 word Predestination, in this part of the Article, ought 
 to be understood in a different sense from what it bears 
 in the beginning of it, . And the meaning of it there 
 is too clear to need any further elucidation. But 
 wboe\4er peruses his lordship's treatise with an expec- 
 tation of finding its assertions supported by clear proofs, 
 and its positions established by solid arguments, will 
 meet with little but disappointment. 
 
75 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND, 
 
 Furthermore, we must re- 
 ceive God's promises in such 
 wise as they be generally 
 set forth to us in holy Scrip- 
 ture : and in our doings, that 
 will of God is to be followed, 
 which we have expressly de- 
 clared unto us in the Word 
 of God.-— ^r/. 17. 
 
 Two things are chiefly to 
 be respected, in every good 
 and godly man's prayer; 
 his own necessity, and the 
 glory of Almighty God. 
 Necessity belongeth either 
 outwardly to the body, or 
 inwardly to the soul ; which 
 part of man [i. e. the soul], 
 because it is much more 
 precious and excellent than 
 the other, therefore we ought, 
 first of - all, to crave such 
 things as properly belong to 
 the salvation thereof: as^ the 
 gift of repentance ; the gift 
 of faith ; the gift of charity 
 and good works ; remission 
 and forgiveness of sins, &c. 
 and such other like fruits of 
 the Spirit. — 3 Horn, on 
 prayer^ p. igs. 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 For though faith in elec- 
 tion animates us to call up- 
 on God, yet it would be 
 preposterous to obtrude it 
 upon him when we pray, or 
 to stipulate this condition : 
 O Lord, if I am elected, 
 hear me; since it is his 
 pleasure that we should be 
 satisfied with his promises, 
 and make no further in- 
 quiries whether he will be 
 propitious • to our prayers. 
 This prudence will extricate 
 us from many snares, if we 
 know how to make a right 
 use of what has been rightly 
 written j but wx must not 
 inconsiderately apply to va- 
 rious purposes, what ought 
 to be restricted to the object 
 particularly designed. — In^ 
 Stitut, L 3. c. 24. s» 5, 
 
76 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 Sacraments ordained of" 
 Christ, be not only badges 
 or tokens of Christian men's 
 profession ; but rather they 
 he certain sure witnesses, 
 and effectual signs of grace 
 mnd God's good will towards 
 us, by the which he doth 
 work invisibly in us, and 
 doth not only quicken, but 
 also strengthen and coullrin 
 our faith in him. — ^rt. 25. 
 
 What meanest thou by 
 this word Sacrament ? — I 
 mean an outward and visible 
 sign of an inward and spi- 
 ritual grace. 
 
 What is the outward and 
 visible sign in baptism ? — 
 Water. 
 
 What is the Inward and 
 spiritual grace? — A death 
 unto sin and a new birth 
 unto righteousness. — Cat. 
 
 Baptism is a sign of re- 
 generation or new birth, 
 whereby, as by an instru- 
 ment, thev that receive bap- 
 tism RiGHTLV are grafted 
 into the Church. — Art. 27. 
 
 We call upon thee for 
 these persons, that they 
 coming to thy holy baptism 
 vnay receive remission of 
 
 CALVIN. 
 
 In the first place, it is ne- 
 cessary to consider what a 
 Sacrament is. Now 1 think 
 it will be a simple and ap- 
 propriate definition, if we say 
 that it is an outward sign by 
 which the Lord seals in our 
 consciences the promises of 
 his good will towards us to 
 support the weakness of our 
 faith, and we on our part 
 testify our piety towards him, 
 in his presence and that of 
 angels, as well .is before men. 
 It may powever be more, 
 brieflydefined in other words, 
 by calling it a testimony of 
 thegraceof God towards us, 
 confirmed by an outward 
 sign, with a reciprocal attes- 
 tation of our piety towards 
 him. Whichever of these 
 definitions you choose, it 
 conveys precisely the r^ame 
 meaning as that of Au- 
 gustine, which states a sa- 
 crament to be '^a visible sign 
 of a sacred thing," or 
 '' a visible form of invisi- 
 ble grace." — Institut, I. 4. 
 c 14. s. 1. 
 
 Hequotesfrom Augustine 
 respecting baptism : — '^The 
 washing of regeneration is 
 
77 
 
 Church OF ENGLAND. calvin. 
 
 their sins by spiritual re- common to all ; but the grace 
 GENERATION. — Baptism of itself, by which the mem- 
 
 persons oj riper years. 
 
 Let us only trust to be 
 saved by his dcaih and pas- 
 sion, and to have our sins 
 clean washed away through 
 his most precious blood ; 
 that in the end of the world, 
 when he shall come again 
 
 bcrs of Christ are regenerated 
 with their head, is not com- 
 mon to all. — s. 13. 
 
 Wherefore we may jcer- 
 taiuly conclude, that the of- 
 fice of sacraments is the samt 
 as that of God's word, which 
 is to offer and present Christ 
 to judge both the quick and to us, and in him the trea- 
 thedead,hemayreceiveusin- sures of heavenly grace, 
 to his heavenly kingdom, and But they avail or profit no- 
 place us in the number of his thing unless they are re- 
 elect and chosen people.-^ ceived by faith.— 5. 1 7* 
 2 Horn. on the passion, p. '261. Baptism is a sign of ini- 
 tiation, by which we are ad- 
 mitted into the society of the Church, that, being engrafted 
 into Christ, we may be numbered among the children of. 
 God. — Listit. I. 4, c. I5u s. 1. 
 
 All those who are clothed with the righteousness of 
 Christ are also regenerated by the Spirit, and of this rege- 
 neration we have an earnest in baptism*. — s. 1 2. 
 
 Dr. Tomline says, — " The holy rite (Baptism) by 
 ^' which -these invaluable blessings are coirimunieated is 
 '' by St. Paul figuratively called Regeneration or New 
 ^' Birth. Many similar phrases occur in the New Tes- 
 '' tament^such as ' born of water and of the Spirit, be- 
 '' gotten again unto a lively hope, dead in sins and quick- 
 '^ ened together with Christ, buried with Christ in bap- 
 ^' tism, born again not of corruptible seed, but of incor- 
 '' ruptible: * these expressions all relate to a single act 
 *' once performed upon an individual. — ^The word Rege- 
 
 Rora. vi. 1; 4; &c. 
 
78 
 
 '• neration therefore is In Scripture solely and exclusiyely 
 *' applied to the one Immediate effect of baptism once 
 " administered, and is never used as synonymous to the 
 " repentance or reformation of a Christian, or to express 
 " any operation of the Holy. Ghost upon the human 
 " mind subsequent to baptism.*' p. 84, SQ, 
 
 Here his lordship evidently confounds, what the 
 Church has so clearly distinguished, the outward 
 
 AND VISIBLE SIGN V/ith the INWARD AND SPIRiTUAL 
 
 GRACE, the washing of baptism wiih spiritual re- 
 generation, and loses sight of the limitation of the 
 benefits of baptism to those " that receive it rightly." 
 If bapj:ism be " a sign of Regeneration," how can it 
 be Regeneration itself ? as is here asserted. If it be an 
 " inwai'd effect produced by the Holy Ghost through 
 ''"the means of baptism," in the case of every person 
 that is baptized, .;s his lordship fully implies p. 95, and 
 by adopting as his own the quotation p. 30, expressly 
 maintains, how can the benefits of this Sacrament be 
 confined to those " that receive it rightly ? " 
 
 But the Bishop's notion of Regeneration is so com- 
 pletely at variance with every Scriptural representation 
 of that important subject, has an aspect so unfavour- 
 able to the promotion of real piety, leads to such an 
 erroneous estimate of '^ attention to the outward acts 
 '' of religion*" as of greater value than '' purity of 
 '' mind and singleness of heart*," and so directly tends 
 to inspire delusive hope and false confidence in per- 
 sons who, though baptized like Simon Magus, are 
 like him stiil " in the gall of bitterness and in the 
 '' bond of iniquity," and therefore need^ as much as any 
 heathen can need, '* the washing of regeneration and 
 " renewing of the Holy Ghost j" that I trust the reader 
 
 * Refut. p. 2S2. 
 
79 
 
 will excuse my digressing a little to noti< 
 
 brief manner, one or two of the confideiit assertions 
 
 by which this notion is attempted to be supf^orted. 
 
 His lordship adopts as his own the follow 
 *sages from two authors respecting the ancient 
 the term Regeneration. 
 
 ** And the Christians did in all ancient times con- 
 ^' tinue the use of this name for baptism ; so as that 
 " they never use the word regenerate or born agaiiiy 
 " but that they mean or denote by it baptism*." 
 
 " Regeneration in the language of the Fathers 
 ♦' constanihj signifies the participation of the sacrament 
 "of baptism t." 
 
 For the correctness of these assertions his lordship 
 has made himself particularly responsible by declaring 
 in his preface J, that he has " carefully examined 
 *' nearly seventy folio volumes — of the Fathers of the 
 " first four or five centuries — and extracted from them 
 *' whatever related to the subjects in question/* 
 
 Persons who believe, with the Church of England, 
 that " Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary 
 " to salvation§," and attach no importance in religion 
 *' to whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved 
 " thereby§," however they may venerate the piety and 
 zeal of the Fathers, cannot consider their writings as 
 any authority in faith or practice. But as many 
 readers perhaps will take it for granted that his lord- 
 ship is accurate as to the matter o{ fact^ let me re- 
 quest their attention to the following quotations. 
 
 Clement of Alexandria, speaking of an unchaste 
 
 * Wairs Hist, of Inf. Bapt. Int. Sect. 6. 
 f Dr. Nicholls on Com. Prayer, 
 t Page 5. 
 I Art. 6, 
 
fty 
 
 80 
 
 woman, says, she " lives indeed in sin, but is dead to 
 •'^ the commands ; but becoming penitent, as if born 
 '^ again by conversion of life, she has regeneration of 
 *' Hie ; the old sinner indeed being d^ad. but she who 
 ** has been born by repentance having entered into life 
 *' again *." 
 
 EusEBius calls the renovation of the world at the 
 last day " the regejieration of all things f." 
 
 Basil the Great says, that the Stoics introduce in- 
 numerable corruptions and regenerations of th^ world |. 
 
 On the expression of our Lord, (Matt. xix. 28.) 
 '' Ye which have -followed me, in the regeneration 
 '' when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his 
 *^ glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones;" Au- 
 gust tne says, " by regejieration in this place he un* 
 " doubtedly means the final resurrection § ." 
 
 The same Father, in another part of his works, re- 
 ^ferring to the same expression of our Lord, says, by 
 the word regeneration he '' unquestionably intended 
 " the resurrection of the dead ; for thus our body will 
 " be regenerated by incorruption as our soul has been 
 « regenerated by faith ||,'* 
 
 * Oiov ava'/£vv7;5eicra xara rrjv Biti^^o^pr^v ra /3i3 ita.Kiyysveo'iav 
 
 eX^sa-TjS a,vSi$ ry]g %0Lra. rr^v ^.sroLvoiOLv ysyyT^^sia-ri;. — Clem. Alex, 
 sub iin. lib. 2. Stromat. 
 
 I Twv oX'juv TfaXiyysvsa-iCcy. — Euseb. Praep.Kvang lib. 15, cap. 11. 
 
 + Aits'^^Bs cSooas xoa-ja8xa< 'n^ccXiyysysc-icc;. — Basil. M. Horn. 3. 
 
 § Regenerationem iioc loco, ambigente nnllo, novissimara re- 
 surrectionem vocat. August, ad Pelag, epist.lib. S.cap. 3. 
 
 |( Quod ait, in regencrntionc, ■p^ocuX dubio mortuqrura resurrec- 
 tionem nomine voluit regenerationis intelligi j sic enim caro no- 
 stra regenerabitur per incorruptionem^ quemadEnodum est anima 
 nostra regenerS^, per fidem. — De Civit. Deij lib. 20. cap. 5. 
 
81 
 
 And in another place, " the renovation of the body 
 ^' which will take place at the resurrection our Lord 
 '*" calls regeneration *.*' 
 
 Jerome on the same passage says, *^ in the regene^ 
 '' ration, that is, when the dead shall rise from cor- 
 ^' ruption to incorruption f ." 
 
 Theophylact says, ^''by regeneration understand 
 ^' the resurrection J." 
 
 Theophanes says, " the general resurrection, 
 " which he called regeneration, as begetting us again ^^'^^ 
 ^' and restoring us to our primitive state §." 
 
 O'rigen and Bernard || furnish instances of a 
 similar application of the term, in passages too long 
 to be inserted here. 
 
 DioNYsius the Areopagite says, that " holy souls^ 
 '' who during the present life are liable to fall into evil, 
 '^'^ shall in the regeneration be removed to a state of 
 *' immutability and perfect conformity to God^." 
 
 Epiphanius, speaking of the human body under the " 
 image of an earthen vessel, and the Creator under the 
 
 * Corporis renovationem, quae fiet in resurrectione, regeneratio' ^ 
 nem vocat Domiiius.— De Peccat. &c. lib. 2. cap. 7. 
 
 f In regeneratione, id est, quando mortui de corruptione resur- ^ 
 gem incorrupti. — Hieron. in Matth. lib. 3; 
 
 J Ila\iyyeyEcria,v rojv avaroicny vosi. Theophylact. in eund. loc 
 
 § Bv TTj xoivr) avaracrsi, TjV TraXiyysvso-iay SKa^strsy, wf av^i^^ 
 
 o^vocyevvojo-av rjff.as, koci us ro apya.iov f^stayscrav. Theophan. Ho- 
 mii. 41. 
 
 H Origen. in Matt. oral. 9. 
 Bernard, de bonis deserend. 
 
 % Ev ry) TfaXtyyevsc-ia tyjV etti ro afpsifT'ov ffacr; Bsosi^sratrjy 
 y^stata^iv, — Dionys. Areopag. deHierarch. Eccl. cap. 7. 
 
 a 
 
character of a potter, says, that " in the regeneration 
 *' he will restore the vessel by a resurrection to its former 
 "beauty*/* 
 
 !Basil of Ca^sarea, speaking of the reception of 
 Paul's preaching at Athens^says, " they laugh extremely 
 fA/}. '' ^^ ^^> when we speak of the end of this world and 
 '' the regeneration of Wie^,'^ 
 
 Athanasius says, " In the regeneration we shall 
 > '^ all rise again as one man |." 
 
 Isidore of Pelusium says, " I can prove from all 
 ^' the sacred Scriptures, that the Jewish state is come to 
 "an end, and shall have no regeneration^,'' 
 
 The word uvctysvyYia-ig^ a cognate of the verb otvaysv^ 
 vocoj used by the Apostle Peter, and perfectly synony- 
 .mous with nroiXiyyivscrioi^ is also found in the writings 
 of the Fathers. 
 
 Gregory of Nazianzum says of the Holy Spirit, 
 0l-^ that " he effects the spiritual regeneration^," 
 
 Cyril of Jerusalem says of Christ, " on the for- 
 " tieth day after his regeneration from the dead, he 
 " ascended to the Jerusalem above ^." 
 
 That words expressive of Regeneration are frequently 
 
 •* Iva. av^ig av Tr) iraXiyyEvscia. a^yoca-KEvoLO"/} ro a,yyog ev rij ava- 
 sTtcLffBi SIS T'ljv oLfyciLi&y (pdiSpotr^roc. — ^Epiph. Haeres. lib. 37. 
 
 f Uspi (rvvrsXiiQLs tb hocjxs tBt^ hoci TfocXiyysvscria, cciouvos,-—' 
 Bas. Caesar. Horn. 1. 
 C X ^''' '^^ TtccXiyyevEo-io, itoLvrss co$ sis av^pooTfog o(,'j!'(x,vi(rray,£$a,.—^ 
 '^ Athan. Qusest. 24. ad Antioch, 
 
 § UxXiyyevsa-iOLv s'/^ s'/ai, — Isidor. Pelus. Epist. 17. lib. 4. 
 
 II Ar}^i8pysi fy^v ifvsv^oLriKTfV avaysvyyjc-iy.-Gtegor, Naz. Orat. 44. 
 
 *^ ^1 fi tf t*; €% 'M.Efof.T&iTcrapoLy.ovfcL yjfJispas "3^? ^'^ vsnprnv avaysYvyjiTscos sis '^v 
 av(/j Upsa-dXrjy, aygA^Xufig.—Cyrill. Hisros, Orat. de Simeon. . 
 
83 
 
 Used by the Fathers in reference to Baptism, is rea- 
 dily conceded y and Chrysostom gives the follow- 
 ing reason for such an application of the figure. 
 *^ Because Baptism is said to be a symbol, or sign, 
 '' of a death and a resurrection, therefore it is also 
 ''' called regeneration. For as he who rises from the 
 *' dead appears to be born again, so he who is rege- 
 *' nerated in baptism, having first died in the water, 
 *' being thus raised out of it by the power of the Spi- 
 '^ rit, is said to be regenerated ; the immersion re- 
 *' sembling a burial, to the person baptized, and the 
 '^ elevatioAof the head^at the pronunciation of each / ^ / 
 "divine name, and the ascent out of the water, re- 
 ^^ sembling a resurrection by the Spirit*." But 
 that the Fathers restricted the use of the word re- 
 generation to the Sacrament of Baptism, the fore- 
 going quotations demonstrate to be an assertion 
 
 * ETTe* xai boLvoLTa Kai avarao'ew; (rvi^'SoKov Xsysroci sivat to 
 BoiTrria'iJi.oc, $io Koci a.va,ysvvy}(ri$ xaXsira;, Q.a''jtBp ya§ o oLvircL- 
 jXEvof fcgra rov ^avarov, ccvhs ysvsa-^oci $oksi' sfco^ o &v rco /3a- 
 Trria'iJ.art ex.var/Bvv(v^svo$, ooa-irsp Evaifo^acvwv irpors^ov -rw vSari, /jo^mr-Ct \ 
 
 yiyvoy.£V7)5i Ttj^ $s olvolvsuq-bm^, rijf jca9' f >tar^v siti-aK-^a-iv , ycai 
 rrjs avo$8 trjS yiyvQiJ.syrjs sKsihv, sv Tol^&i avafa(r£uj$ ha, rs 
 TtvEV^xros yiyvop^Byy^s. — Chrysost, Cat. in Joh. iii. Chrysostom 
 here alludes to the mode of baptism practised by many Chris* 
 tians in ancient times, which was by a descent into the water 
 and an immersion of the body under water thr^e times, either 
 in allusion to the sacred Trinity, or in reference to our Lord's 
 continuance three days in the sepulchre. See Suicer. Thesaur. 
 on the words Ava,ha-is andKarbt^uo-ij-^alsd on tiie words Ay«- 
 ysvyy^aris and TlaXiyyEvea-ioc — ^to which I am indebted for this 
 and the foregoing quotations from the Fathers, 
 G 2 
 
84 
 
 contrary to fact. We find it also applied by them 
 to a state of repentance, — to a state of faith, — to the 
 resurrection of the body, — to the renovation of the 
 world after the final conflagration, — to the commence- 
 ment of a new period of duration after the end of 
 the present world,— to the permanent state of sinless 
 perfection to be enjoyed by the Saints in Heaven. 
 
 What then can we think of the Bishop's " care- 
 '*■ fully ejcamining nearly seventy folio volumes — of 
 '^ the Fathers — and extracting from them what re- 
 " lated to the subjects in question" — and as the 
 result of this careful examination confidently as- 
 suring the public, that " regeneration in the lan- 
 " guage of the Fathers constantly signifies the 
 " participation of the Sacrament of Baptism'* — and 
 *^ that they never use the word regenerate but that 
 " ihei^ me2Ji by It baptism f" In the preface his 
 lordship says, " I desire it to be understood that I 
 ^' have not selected" from the writings of the Fa- 
 thers *^ what suits my own purpose, and suppressed 
 '' what would have made against me." It belongs 
 to his lordship to account for the inconsistency of 
 this declaration with the matter of fact. The most 
 charitable supposition that offers itself, and a sup- 
 position, if correct, the least discreditable to the 
 learned Prelate, is, that this tedious examination of 
 the Fathers was, partly, conducted by the assistance 
 of some person employed to read them to him ; and 
 that these unfavourable passages happened to be read 
 at some drowsy moments, when his lordship was avail- 
 ing, himself of the privilege allowed by an ancient 
 
85 
 
 critic * to authors engaged in works of considerable 
 length. But every sincere friend of his lordship 
 will unite in advising him, before he hazards any 
 more general assertions respecting, the Fathers, to 
 examine their seventy folios over again. 
 
 In a passage, which his lordship quotes with ap- 
 probation!, we are told that " Regeneration, as 
 '^ often as *tis used in the Scripture Books, signifies 
 '' the Bapdsmal Regeneration. There is but one 
 '^ word which answers to this in the New Testament, 
 '*" and this is UocXtyysvsa-ict,^ and that UccKiyysvsa-tcc 
 " refers to Baptism, is plain, by having the word 
 '^ Km^ov joined with it" — " According to his mercy 
 "he saved us, ha, Xht^h 'i.ocMyy^na-iocc^ by the 
 "'^ washing of Regeneration — Tit. iii. J." But such 
 an observation is little better than trifling, while the 
 New Testament contains so many other expressions 
 which clearly relate to the same subject. Here is 
 nothing but assertion that A^rpov must refer to the 
 water of bapdsm, assertion unsupported by the least 
 proof. 
 
 Suppose any one were to argue in this manner : 
 '^^ To regenerate^ as often as it is used in the Scrips -, 
 ^^ ture Books, signifies, not the administration of 
 *' any outward and visible sign, bur the communi- 
 ^'^ cadon of some inward and spiritual grace, 
 " There is but one word which answers to this in 
 ^* the New Testament, and this is ocvocy^ww^ : and 
 
 * opere in Igngo fas est obrepere somnura, 
 
 Horat. Art. Poet. 
 tBefut.p. 81. 
 
g6 
 
 '' that avocysvvcico refers not to Baptism, is plain, by 
 '' the only sacred writer who uses it neither men- 
 '^ tioning that Sacrament, nor even glancing at it by 
 ^' the most distant allusion, throughout the chapter 
 " where the word occurs." " Blessed be the God 
 '' and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, ac- 
 " cording to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us 
 '' again (^ocvocyewyjo-ag regenerated us) unto a lively 
 " hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from 
 ^' the dead. — —Seeing ye have purified your souls 
 '' in obeying the truth through the Spirit, unto un- 
 " feigned love of the brethren ; see that ye love 
 " one another with a pure heart fervently : being 
 ^' born again (^uvotysyevvvliLevoi being regenerated) not 
 " of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the 
 ^^ word of God which liveth and abideth for ever*,'* 
 I submit to every understanding, whether an exami- 
 nation of the whole context can discover the most 
 distant allusion to justify the application of the term 
 Regeneration pleaded for by his lordship, and whe- 
 ther this reasoning respecting the use of the word avcc. 
 ysvvuco be not more just than the above remark quoted 
 and adopted by his lordship on the word TrocKtyysv^' 
 (Tiu. It is acknowledged by the same author, p. 81, 
 that " our Saviour indeed made use of the like ex- 
 '' pression before the Apostle to Nicodemus, ' Except 
 " * a man ysyvyjOsv ocvco9sv be born again, he cannot see 
 '' ' the kingdom of God.'— John iii. 3. But what he 
 '' means by being bom again, he explains, ver. 5. 
 " by directing it positively to baptism : * Except 
 
 * 1 Pet. 1. 3^ 22, 23. 
 
87 
 
 '' ' a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he 
 '' 'cannot enter into the kingdom of God/ " But 
 here again we require some proof that these words 
 ought to be understood in a literal sense, before we 
 can admit the assertion that our Lord " directs" the 
 phrase horn again '^ positively to baptism/' As 
 well might his lordship contend, as many have done, 
 that when our Lord said, " Except ye eat the flesh 
 ^' of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have 
 " no life in you ;" he " directed" his meaping 
 ^* positively" to the other Christian Sacrament. But 
 not to multiply arguments, we are sure these words 
 could have no such meaning, as they were spoken 
 in the present tense before the Lord's Supper was 
 instituted. With equal plausibility might we un- 
 derstand the prediction, that the Saviour would 
 '^ baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire *," of 
 a baptism with real, material fire. The absurdity 
 which such an interpretation involves, is not to be 
 removed by supposing it to have been literally ac- 
 complished on the day of Pentecost in the " cloven 
 '' tongues" which descended on the heads of the 
 Apostles ; for they were not tongues of real fire ; 
 they only resembled it^-^ucrTrsp Trvpog — " like as of 
 ** fire." And if such expressions as — " eating the 
 ^' flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of man" 
 —and " baptizing with the Holy Ghost and with 
 '' fire"— be justly understood as figurative of spi- 
 ritual privileges and blessings, what good reason can 
 be assigned against a similar interpretation of the 
 
 *Matt. iii. 11. 
 
86 
 
 phrase " born of water and of the Spirit ?'* The 
 suspension of all sight and enjoyment of the king- 
 dom of God on a participation of the Sacrament of 
 Baptism, — is a notion that ill becomes a Protestant 
 Bishop, a Bishop of the Church of England in the 
 nineteenth century. But it is time to return from 
 this digression. 
 
 Sufficient evidence has now been adduced to ena- 
 ble the , reader to form a decided opinion on the 
 Calvinism or Anti-calvinism of the Church of Eng- 
 land. A collation of these two classes of extracts 
 cannot fail of producing, in every mind not blinded 
 by prejudice or perverted by interest, the strongest 
 conviction that the doctrines inculcated by the 
 founders of this Protestant Church were, in the 
 main, the very same that were taught by the Re^ 
 former of Geneva. 
 
 This conclusion is capable of still further confirm, 
 mation. The Liturgy Articles and Homilies of 
 the Church are not the only works of its Founders 
 that have descended to the present times. There 
 are other monuments of their theology, some com- 
 posed by them individually, some the fruits of com- 
 bined labours. To these writings Dr. Tomline 
 seems not inclined to appeal. He assumes, that 
 neither the Homilies nor any of the Formularies 
 of the Church contain any thing in favour of Cal- 
 vinistic doctrines, and from this assumption derives 
 what he calls a " negative argument," that *' the 
 ^' authors were not Calvinists.'' Some of them his 
 lordship has named, f f If our great Reformers, the 
 
^9 
 
 " authors of these Homilies, Cranmer, Ridley, 
 ** Latimer, and Jewell, had themselves, as i^ 
 ** sometimes pretended, held CaMnistic opinions^ is 
 " it to be believed," &c. p. 587, 588. 
 
 The pru'ciples adopted by the two first of these Pre- 
 lates are largely displayed in the famous Catechism, 
 sometimes called King Edward's Catechism, because 
 published in the reign and under the authority of 
 Edward the Sixth ; sometimes Bishop Ponet's^ be- 
 cause he was partly concerned in its compilation ; 
 and sometimes Dr. Nov/ei's, 'oecause it was repub- 
 lished by him in the reign of Elizabeth. There is 
 reason to conclude that Granmer, and there is ' di* 
 rect evidence that Ridley, were concerned in fur- 
 nishing materials for it. Both these prelares cheer- 
 fully subscribed to the truth of its contents, and pro- 
 moted its subscription and public sanction by the 
 convocation. It was then published by the King's 
 authority for general use^, and all schoolmasters were 
 commanded to teach it to their scholars. The 
 doctrines established in the reign of that Protestant 
 Prince were, under the government of his suc- 
 cessor, denounced as impious an4 heretical, and both 
 these illustrious Prelates were burnt at the stake for 
 their resolute adherence to the principles of the Re- 
 formation. A printed paper published by Cran- ' 
 MER contains the following passage. " If tii^ 
 '"Queen's Highness will grant thereunto, I, with 
 '' Peter Martyr, and other four or five which I 
 '' shall chuse, will, by God's grace, take upon us 
 *f to defend, not only the Copimon Prayers of the 
 
'/ Church, the ministration of the Sacraments, ancj 
 " other rites and ceremonies, but also all the 
 
 '' DOCTRINE AND RELIGION Set OUt by OUr So- 
 
 " vereign lord. King Edward the Sixth, to be more 
 *^ pure, and according to God's word, than any 
 '' other that hath been used in England these thou- 
 " sand years." But of " the doctrine and religion 
 '' set out by King Edward," the Catechism enjoined 
 upon all his subjects, and commanded to be taught 
 by all schoolmasters, could not but be considered 
 as an essential part. Equal attachment to the 
 doctrines taught in this Catechism was evinced by 
 Ridley in his imprisonment and a short time before 
 his martyrdom. ^^ I hear say," said he, " that the 
 '' Catechism which was lately set forth in the Eng- 
 *^ lish tongue, is now in every pulpit condemned"— 
 that is, after the return of Popery under Mary — " Oh 
 '' devilish malice ! Satan could not long suffer that 
 '' so great light should be spread abroad in the 
 '' world." I shall present the reader with a few 
 brief extracts. 
 
 ''As many as are in this faith steadfast, were 
 *' forechosen^ predestinated and appointed to ever- 
 '' lasting life, before the world was made. Witness 
 *' hereof, they have within their hearts the spirit of 
 " Christ, the author, earnest, and unfailable pledge 
 '' of their faith. Which faith only is able to per- 
 " ceive the mysteries of God; only brings peace 
 " unto the heart ; only taketh hold on the righte- 
 ^' ousness which is in Christ Jesus. 
 
 '' The first, principal, and most proper cause of 
 
9i 
 
 " our justification and salvation is the goodness and 
 " love of God, whereby he chose us for his, before 
 ^' he made the world. After that, God granteth us 
 '' to be called, by the preaching of the gospel of 
 '^ Jesus Christ, when the Spirit of the Lord is pour- 
 '^ ed into us : by whose guiding and governance 
 " we be led to settle our trust in God, and hope for 
 *' the performance of his promise. — ^From the same 
 " spirit also cometh our sanctification ; the love of 
 " God and of our neighbour; justice and uprightness 
 '^ of life. Finally, to say all in sum ; whatever is in 
 ^^ us or may be done of us, honest, pure, true, and 
 ^' good ; it altogether springeth out of this most 
 '^ pleasant rock, from this most plentiful fountain, 
 '^ the goodness, love, choice, and unchangeable pur- 
 '' pose of God. He is the cause: the rest are the 
 ^' fruits and effects. 
 
 *' Not by the worthiness of our deservings were 
 ^^ we either heretofore chosen, or long ago saved ; 
 '' but by the only mercy of God, and pure grace of 
 ■' Christ our Lord : whereby we were in him made 
 ^' to do those good works, that God had appointed for 
 '^ us to walk in. And although good works can- 
 " not deserve to make us righteous before God, yet 
 '' do they so cleave unto faith, that neither faith can 
 " be found without them, nor good works be any 
 ^' where found without faith. 
 
 '' As for the sacrifices, cleansings, washings and 
 '' other ceremonies of the law ; they were shadows, 
 '' types, images, and figures, of the true and eternal 
 ^' sacrifice that Jesus Christ made upon the cross ; 
 
''by whose benefit alone, all the sins of all believers, 
 *' from the beginning of the world, are pardoned, 
 ^* by the sole mercy of God, and not by any merits 
 '' of their own. As soon as ever Adam and Eve 
 *' had eaten of the forbidden fruit, they both died : 
 *' that is, they were not only liable to the death of 
 '' the body, but they likewise lost the life of the 
 ** soul, which is righteousness. — Hence that plague, 
 '^ that seminary and nutriment of all sin, with 
 *' which mankind is infected, which is called Ori- 
 " ginal Sin." 
 
 Hear the concession of Dr. Heylin respecting these 
 and other passages of this Catechism. They are, he 
 says, " fully consonant to the true genuine sense and 
 '^'^ proper meaning of all, but more especially of our 
 *'' ninth, tenth, thirteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth 
 *' Articlesjthennewly composed. Sothat whatsoever 
 "■ is positively and clearly affirmed in this Catechism, 
 **^ bif any of the points now controverted, njay be 
 *' safely implied as the undoubted doctrine of our 
 '' Church and Articles*." But how can any reader 
 of this Catechism doubt that its compilers were 
 Catvinists, without believing them to be hypocrites ? 
 
 Latimer has left two volumes of sermons, 
 chiefly practical, but which contain declarations of 
 theological sentiments, too numerous and explicit 
 to leave any doubt in the mind of a candid reader 
 what were the doctrines embraced by this venerable 
 Bishop. A few passages must suffice as specimens 
 of hundreds that it would be easy to adduce. 
 
 * IIeylin*s Miscell, Tracts. 
 
^3 
 
 "Our forefather Adam wilfully ate of the apple 
 *' forbidden. Wherefore he was cast out of the 
 " everlasting joy in Paradise, into this corrupt 
 ^' world, among all vileness : whereby of himself 
 '' he was not worthy to do any thing laudable and 
 *;' pleasant to God ; evermore bound to corrupt af- 
 '^ lections, and beastly appetites ; transformed into 
 ^' the uncleanest and variablest nature that was made 
 " under heaven : of whose seed and disposition, aU 
 '-' the world is lineally descended. Insomuch that 
 " this evil nature is so diffused, and shed from one 
 '' into another, that at this day there is no man or 
 '' woman living, that can of themselves wash away 
 '' these abominable vilenesses; and so we must needs 
 ^' grant of ourselves to be in like displeasure unto 
 '" God, as our father Adam was. By reason here- 
 " of, we be, of ourselves, the very children of the 
 ^' indignation and vengeance of God : the tru^ in- 
 '' heritors of hell, and all working towards helL 
 *' Which is the answer to this question, made to 
 '' every man and woman by themselves. What art 
 ^^thou?" 
 
 " This our nature David, the holy king and pro- 
 ^' phet, describeth with few words, saying, Lo, ia 
 '' iniquity I ara born, and in sin hath my mother 
 **■ conceived me. He doth signify by his words, 
 ^^ what he had inherited of his parent Adam; name- 
 " ly, sin and wickedness. And he speaketh not of 
 '^ himself only, but or all mai kind. He painteth 
 '^ us Qijit in our own coloufs,;, showing,, that we all 
 ' are coniaminate> from jour birth, with sin \ andjs« 
 
$4 
 
 ^' should justly be firebrands In hell, world without 
 ^' end. This the holy prophet showed in these 
 '^ words to put us in remembrance of our own 
 r*^ wretchedness : to teach us to despair of our own 
 " holiness and righteousness, and to .seek our help 
 '' and comfort by that Messias whom God hath pro- 
 '^' raised to our forefathers. — Another scripture sigr 
 '' nifieth to us, further, what we be of ourselves, of 
 *' our own nature : for it is written. All men are 
 ,'Miars. Therefore man is not clean; but full 
 *' of falsehood and deceit, and all manner of sin 
 '' and wickedness ; poisoned and corrupt with all 
 '' manner of uncleanness." 
 
 " Here we may see, how much we be bound and 
 " Indebted to God, who has revived us from death 
 ^' to life, and saved us when we were damned," or 
 under the sentence of condemnation ; " which gre^t 
 ^* benefit we cannot well consider, unless we do re- 
 '^ member what we were of ourselves, before we 
 "' meddled with him and his laws. And the more 
 " we know our feeble nature, and set less by it, the 
 " more we shall conceive and know in our hearts 
 " what God hath done for us : and the more we 
 '' know what God hath done for us, the less we 
 *' shall set by ourselves, and the more we shall love 
 >*■ and please God. So that, in no condition, we 
 *' shall either know ourselves or God ; except we 
 ^' do utterly confess ourselves to be mere vileness 
 ** and corruption." 
 
 " Preachers can do no more but call : God is he 
 " that must bring in. God must open the hearts. 
 
195 
 
 *' as it is in the Acts of the Apostles. When Paul 
 " preached to the women, there was a silk- woman, 
 *^ whose heart God opened. None could open it, 
 '' but God. Paul could but only preach : God must 
 ^' work ; God must do the thing inwardly." 
 
 '' Except a man be born again from above, he 
 ^' cannot see the kingdom of God. He nUist have 
 •'''a regeneration. And what is this regenera- 
 
 " TION ? It is NOT TO BE CHRISTENED IN WATER, 
 
 *- as these firebrands would have it. How is it to 
 *' be expounded then? St. Peter showeth, that one 
 " plaee of Scripture declareth another. St. Peter 
 *' saith, And we be born again. How ? not by 
 ^' mortal seed, but by immortal. What is this im- 
 *^ mortal seed ? By the word of the living God : 
 ^' by the word of God, preached and opened. Thus 
 " Cometh in our new birth." 
 
 '' St. Paul saith, Be strong in the Lord. We 
 ^' must be strong by a borrowed strength ; for we, 
 " of ourselves, are too weak and feeble. There- 
 " fore let us learn, where we shall fetch our strength 
 '' from; namely, from above. For we have it not 
 " of our own selves." 
 
 '' I pray you note this ; we must first be made 
 f^ good, before we can do good. We must first 
 ^' be made just, before our works please God. 
 '' For, when we are justified by faith in Christ, and 
 ^' are made good in him; then cometh our duty, 
 '' that is, to do good works, to make a declaration of 
 *^ our thankfulness." 
 
 *' But you will say, Seeing we can get nothing 
 
96 
 
 ^' with good works, we will do nothing at all ; or 
 " else do such works as shall best please us : seeing 
 "" we shall have no rewards for our well-doings. I 
 " answer. We are commanded, by God's word, to 
 " apply ourselves to goodness every one in his call- 
 *' ing : but we must not do it, to the end to de- 
 '' serve heaven thereby. We must do good works, 
 *' to show ourselves thankful for all his benefits 
 *^ which he hath poured upon us ; and in respect of 
 '^ God's commandment : considering, that God will- 
 '' eth us to do well, not to make a merit of it ; for 
 *^ this were a denying of Christ, to say, I will live 
 " well and deserve heaven. This is a damnable 
 " opinion. Let us rather think thus : I will live 
 '^ well, to show myself thankful towards my loving 
 '1 God, and Christ my Redeemer." 
 
 '^ Our sins lett us and withdraw us from prayer. 
 '^ But our Saviour maketh them nothing. When 
 '^ we believe in him, it is like as if we had no sins. 
 ^' For he changeth with us ; he taketh our sins and 
 '* wickedness from us, and giveth us his holiness, 
 " righteousness, justice, fulfillirg of the law ; and 
 *' so, consequently, everlasting life. So that we be 
 *^ like as if we had done no sin at all. For his 
 *' righteousness standeth us in so good stead, as 
 *' though we of ourselves had fulfilled the law to 
 " the uttermost." 
 
 " All faithful and true Christians believe only in 
 " his death. They long to be saved, through his 
 " passion and blood-shedding. This is all their 
 '' comfort. They must know, and steadfastly be- 
 
97 
 
 ^' lieve, that Christ fulfilled the law ; and that his 
 *' fulfilling is theirs." 
 
 '' He was a lamb undefiled, fulfilling the law for 
 *' us to the uttermost ; giving us, freely as a gift, 
 *' his fulfilling to be ours 5 so that we are now ful- 
 '' fillers of the law by his fulfilling. So that the 
 '' law may not condemn us, for he hath fulfilled it : 
 '- that we, believing in him, are fulfillers of the 
 '' law, and just before the face of God.'* 
 
 " If thou art desirous to know whether thou art 
 *' chosen to everlasting life, — begin with Christ, and 
 '' learn to know Christ, and wherefore he came ; 
 '' namely, that he came to save sinners, and make 
 " himself subject to the law, and a fulfiller of the 
 '* law, to deliver us from the wrath ^nd danger 
 ^ " thereof. If thou knowest Christ, then thou mayst 
 *' know further of thy election." 
 
 " God knoweth his elect, and diligently watch- 
 *' eth and keepeth them, so that all things serve to 
 '' their salvation. The nature of fire is, to burn all 
 " that is laid in it : yet God kept the three young 
 " men in Babylon that they burnt not. And Mo- 
 '' ses saw a bush on fire, but it burnt not. So false 
 " doctrine burneth as the fire ; it corrupteth. But 
 " God kept his elect, that they were not corrupted 
 '* with it ; but always put their trust in one everliv- 
 '' ing God, through the death of- Jesus Christ our 
 ^^Lord." 
 
 . '' Whoever thus believeth, mistrusting himself 
 " and his own doings, and trusting in the merits of 
 " Christ, he shall get the victory over death, tbe 
 
 H 
 
98 
 
 '' devil, and hell ; so that they shall not hurt him, 
 '' neither all their powers be able to stand against 
 '' any of those who are in Christ Jesus.*' 
 
 '*■ Who is a just man ? He is just that believeth in 
 '' our Saviour. For, as you have heard before, 
 '' those who believe in Christ are justified before 
 *' God: they are clean delivered from all sins, there- 
 " fore may be called just ; for so they are in the 
 '' sight of God. Such, saith the prophet, he hath 
 '' never seen forsaken of God." 
 
 " This is now an exceeding comfort to all Chris- 
 " tian people : for they may be assured, that when 
 " they believe in Christ, and Christ taketh their 
 '' parts, there shall be nothing, neither in heaven 
 " nor in earth, that shall be able to hurt them, or 
 " let them of their salvation." 
 
 The writings of Bishop Jewell contain similar 
 sentiments. I shall only give one extract from his 
 Exposition of the Epistles to the Thessalonians : 
 ** God hath chosen you from the beginning. His 
 " election is sure forever. The Lord knoweth who 
 " are his. You shall not be deceived with the 
 '' power and subtilty of antichrist. You shall not 
 •' fall from grace. You shall not perish. This is 
 " the comforth which abideth with the faithful, 
 '^ when they behold the fall of the wicked ; when 
 *' they see them forsake the truth, and delight in 
 '*^ fables; when they see them return to their vo- 
 " mit, and wallow again in the mire. V\/'hen we 
 ^^ see these things in others, we must say, Alas, 
 " they are examples for me, and lamentable ex- 
 
9^ 
 
 *' ^mples. Let him that standeth take heed that 
 " he fall not. But God hath loved me, and hath 
 " chosen me to salvation. His mercy shall go be- 
 *' fore me, and his mercy shall foUovir in me. His 
 *' mercy shall guide my feet, and stay me from 
 '' falling. If I stay by myself, I stay by nothing ; 
 ^^ I must needs come to ground. — He hath loved 
 *' me ; he hath chosen me ; he will keep me. 
 '' Neither the example nor the company of others, 
 " nor the enticing of the devil, nor my own sensual 
 *' imaginations, nor sword, nor fire, is able to sepa- 
 ^"^ rate me from the love of God, which is in Christ 
 *' Jesus our Lord. This is the comfort of the faith- 
 " ful. Whatsoever falleth upon others, though 
 '' others fall and perish, although they forsake 
 *' Christ and follow after antichrist, yet God hath 
 '' loved you and given his Son for you. He hath 
 '' chosen you, and prepared you unto salvation, 
 '' and hath written vour names in the book of life. 
 '* But how may we know that God hath chosen us ? 
 " how may we see this election ? or, how may we 
 " feel it ? The apostle saith. Through sanctification 
 '' and the faith of truth : these are tokens of God's 
 '' election. — This (namely the Holy Spirit) com- 
 '' forteth us in all temptations, and beareth witness 
 " with our spirit that we be the children of God ; 
 *' that God hath chosen us, and doth love us, and 
 '' hath prepared us to salvation ; that we are the 
 ^* heirs of his glory ; that God will keep us as the 
 " apple of his eye ; that he will defend us, and we 
 '' shall not perish." 
 The reader can now be at no loss what to think 
 h2 * 
 
100 
 
 of Dr. Tomline*s insinuation ; " If our great Re- 
 ^* formers, the authors of these Homilies, Cran- 
 *' MER, RiDLEY;, Latimer, and Jewell, had 
 " themselves, as is sometimes pretended, held Cal- 
 '' vinistic opinions," &c. The extracts here ad- 
 duced require no addition, explanation, or comment, 
 to give this pretence^ as his lordship calls it, all the 
 force of demonstration. 
 
 The marginal notes and contents, inserted in the 
 Bibles published by authority in the reign of Ed- 
 ward the Sixth, and that of Elizabeth, contribute 
 additional evidence to the same point. 
 
 In '' The Great Bible/' published in 1549, prin- 
 cipally under the direction of Archbishop Cranmer, 
 we find such sentiments as these : " Our election is 
 '' by grace, and not by works. Few are elect or 
 '' chosen. We are elect of God the Father, through 
 '' his good will before the construction of the world, 
 ^' that by the grace and merit of Christ we should 
 " have health, serving all men by charity. The 
 '^ elect cannot be accused, forasmuch as God jus- 
 '' tifieth them. The predestinate are saints, or 
 *' holy people, made hke to the image of the Son 
 " of God, and called, justified, and glorified by him. 
 *' God had predestinate, before the making of the 
 " world, for to redeem us by the blood of his Son, 
 " for to save and make us his children by adoption, 
 '' according to the purpose of his will.'* 
 
 " The Bishops' Bible " was published in 1568, 
 principally under the care of Archbishop Parker. 
 I shall quote but four of the notes. 
 
 On Rom. iii, 20. " He includeth here the whole 
 
101 
 
 '\ law^ both ceremonial and moral ; whose works 
 '' cannot justify because they be imperfect in all 
 " men." 
 
 On Rom. x. 4. " Christ hath fulfilled the whole 
 '' law \ and therefore, whosoever believeth in him 
 ^'!s counted just before God, as well as he had ful- 
 '' filled the whole law himself." 
 
 On Rom. xi. S5. " By this the Apostle de- 
 " clareth, that God, by his free will and election, 
 " doth give salvation unto men, without any deserts 
 " of their own." 
 
 On 2 Pet. i. 10. " Give diligence to make your 
 " calling and election sure — " " Albeit it be sure 
 " in itself, forasmuch as God cannot change ; yet 
 " we must confirm it in ourselves by the fruit of the 
 " Spirit : knowing that the purpose of God calleth, 
 '' sanctifieth, and justifieth." 
 
 ''The Quarto Bible," printed first in 1576, went 
 through several editions in the same reign. The 
 notes are too numerous and explicit to leave any 
 doubt respecting the sentiments of the Prelates con- 
 cerned in their publication. 
 
 On Matt. xi. 26. " Faith cometh not of man's 
 •' will or power ; but by the secret illumination of 
 '^ God, which is the declaration of his eternal 
 '' counsel." 
 
 On Matt. xxv. 34. *' Hereby God declareth the 
 ^' certainty of our predestination ; whereby we are 
 '' saved, because we were chosen in Christ before 
 " the foundations of the world." 
 
 On Matt. xxv. S5. '' Christ meaneth not that 
 
102 
 
 ''our salvation dependeth on our works or me- 
 '' rits ; but teacheth, what it is to live justly ac- 
 '' cording to godliness and charity ; and that God 
 " recompenseth his, of his free mercy, likewise 
 " as he doth elect them.' ■ 
 
 On Mark xiii. 22. " The elect may waver and 
 '' be troubled, but they cannot utterly be deceived 
 '^ and overcome." 
 
 Luke xxiii. 35. " The Christ, the chosen of 
 ^' God." — " Whom God hath before all others ap- 
 " pointed to be the Messias. Otherwise, the Scrip- 
 '' ture calleth them the elect of God, whom he 
 ''hath chosen, before all beginning, to life ever- 
 " lasting." 
 
 " The Argument," prefixed to the Epistle to 
 the Romans, remarks ; " The great mercy of God 
 " is declared towards man, in Christ Jesus, whose 
 " righteousness is made ours by faith. For when 
 ■" man, by reason of his own corruption^ could not 
 " fulfil the law, yea, committed most abominably 
 "" both against the law of God and nature j the in- 
 *' finite bounty of God ordained, that man's salva- 
 "tion should only stand in the perfect obedience of 
 " his Son Jesus Christ." 
 
 On 2 Cor. iii. 3. " The hardness of man's heart, 
 " before he be regenerate, is as a stone table. 
 " Ezek. ii. 1 9, and xxxvi. 26. But being regene- 
 " rate by the Spirit of God, it is as soft as flesh ; 
 "that the grace of the gospel may be written in it, 
 " as in new tables." 
 
 On Gal. i. 7. — '^ What is more contrary to our 
 
103 
 
 " free justification by faith, than the justification by 
 " the law or our works ? Therefore, to join these 
 '' together, is to join light with darkness, death with 
 *' life, and doth utterly overthrow the gospel." 
 
 On James ii. 14. — " St. Paul, to the Romans 
 •""^and Galatians, disputeth against them which at- 
 '' tribtited Justification to works ; and here St. James 
 ^*^reasoneth against them which utterly condemn 
 '' works. Therefore Paul showeth the causes of our 
 '' Justification, and James the effects. There it is 
 ^'^ declared how we are justified ; here how we are 
 " known to be justified. There works are excluded, 
 " as not the cause of our Justification ; here they 
 " are approved, as effects proceeding thereof. There 
 '' they are denied to go before them that shall be 
 " justified ; and here they are said to follow them 
 " that are justified." 
 
 Similar sentiments were espoused and maintained 
 by all the advocates for the Reformation in the 
 Church of England in the reign of Elizabeth. No 
 inconsiderable testimony to its genuine doctrines is 
 furnished by Dr. William Fulk;e, Master of 
 Pembroke Hall, and Margaret Professor of Divi- 
 nity in the University of Cambridge. About the 
 middle of the reign of that princess, this learned 
 divine published The Text of the New Tes- 
 tament, AS TRANSLATED FROM THE VuLGATE 
 
 Latin by the Enqlish Catholics at Rhemes, 
 AND the Version ?rom the original Greek, 
 
 COMMONLY USED IN THE ChURCH OF ENGLAND, 
 IN PARALLEL COLUMNS, WITH AN EXPOSITION OF 
 
104 
 
 NUMEROUS Errors in the Catholic Trans- 
 lation, AND A Confutation of many of 
 THEIR Arguments, Glosses, and Annota- 
 tions. This elaborate work was dedicated to the 
 Queen, and went through several editions in the 
 course of a few years. 
 
 In commenting on the expressions of our Lord 
 respecting the man who ''fell among thieves which 
 " stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, 
 " and departed, leaving him half dead*;" the Ca- 
 tholics say — " Here is signified, man wounded very 
 '' sore in his understanding and free will, and all 
 " other powers of soul and body, by the sin of 
 " Adam : but yet, that neither understanding, nor 
 '' free will, nor the rest were extinguished in man 
 '' or taken away." In support of this, they refer 
 to the decisions of a Council held in the year 529. 
 
 Dr. FuLKE replies ; " Against this vain col- 
 '' lection by allegory, the Scripture is plain, that 
 ^'we are all dead in sin by the sin of Adam. 
 ^'Rom. V. 12. Eph. ii. 1, 5. Col. ii. 13. The 
 " Council Arausicanum, which you quote, (belike 
 '^ to prove that the freedom of will is not lost in 
 '' Adam,) saith ; Mt is so inclined by the sin of the 
 '''first man, and attenuated, that no man after 
 " ' could love God as he ought, or work that which 
 " 'is good for God's sake, except the grace and 
 '' ' mercy of God prevented him.' And if by those 
 " words you think there is any life left unto it, in 
 "cap. 22. the Council saith, *No man hath any 
 
 * Luke X. 30. 
 
105 
 ^'^ THING OF HIS OWN BUT LIES AND SIN.' And 
 
 ''in cap. 21. ^ Nature by Adam lost, by Christ is 
 "^ ^ repaired.' And whereas you seem to leave some 
 " life, justice, and freedom of will in man, which by 
 *' Christ is recovered, increased, healed, and enabled ; 
 " — thus we read in the seventh chapter, the title of 
 ''which is, ' That we are not apt to think any thing 
 " 'of ourselves, as from ourselves;' — ' If any man 
 " ' do hold, that a man by the force of nature can 
 " ' think any good thing, which pertaineth and is 
 '' ' expedient to eternal life, or that he can choose 
 "^either to be saved, that is, to consent to the 
 '' ' preaching of the gospel, without illumination 
 " ' and inspiration of the Holy Ghost, which giveth 
 " ' to all men the sweetness, in consenting and be- 
 " 'lieving the truth, he is deceived with an heretical 
 " ' spirit, not understanding the voice of God, say- 
 " ' ing in the gospel. Without me ye can do nothing ; 
 "'and that of the Apostle, Not that we are 
 " ' apt of ourselves to think any thing as of 
 " ' ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.' And 
 " touching understanding, the Apostle saith. The 
 " natural man understandeth not those things that 
 " be of the Spirit of God ; for they are foolishness 
 " unto him, neither can he know them because they 
 " are spiritually discerned. So that neither the will nor 
 *' the understanding have any heavenly life in them." 
 From the Apostle!s conclusion, that " it is not of 
 " him that willeth nor of him that runneth, but of 
 " God that showeth mercy * ;'' — the Catholic Ex- 
 positors argue, ** that God's grace is the principal 
 * Rom. ix. 10. 
 
106 
 
 " cause, and men*s free will the secondary cause, 
 ** of their willing or working any good to their sal- 
 " vation." 
 
 Dr. FuLKE replies; " Our election^ calling, and 
 " first coming to God, lieth wholly in God's mercy, 
 " and not either wholly, or principally, or any 
 ** thing at all, in our own will or works. But whom 
 " God elected before time, he calleth in time by 
 " him appointed, and of unwilling, by his grace 
 " maketh them willing to come to him, and to walk 
 " in good works unto which he hath elected them. 
 " So that man hath no free will, until it be freed ; 
 *^ man's will worketh nothing in our conversion, 
 " until it be converted ; man hath no power to 
 " change his will unto better, except it be given of 
 ^' God. August. Retract, lib. i. cap. 22. * It is 
 " * free yet not good, it is free yet not sound, it is 
 ^' ' free yet not righteous. And by how much the 
 " ' more it is free from goodness, rectitude, sound- 
 '^ ' ness, and righteousness, by so much the more 
 **^''is it bound by the deadly slavery of wicked- 
 " * ness, perverseness, infirmity, and iniquity. For 
 " ^ he who committeth sin is the slave of sin, and 
 " 'by whatever a man is held in bondage, to that 
 " ' he is a devoted slave. While sin reigns, there- 
 "^fore, he has free will, but free without God^ 
 *^ *not free under God, that is free from righteous- 
 " ' ness, not free under grace, and therefore most 
 ^'^ ' corruptly and slavishly free, because not freed 
 "*by the gratuitous gift of God who showeth 
 "'mercy.' — Fulgent, de incarnat. et grat. cap. 19.'* 
 
 On this passage, " Not the hearers of the law 
 
107 
 
 ** areJAist before God, but the doers of the law shall 
 *^ be justified* ;" the Rhemish Annotators observe, 
 '^ This same sentence — is the very ground of St. 
 " James' disputation, that not faith alone but good 
 '^ works also do justify. Therefore St. Paul, how- 
 *^ soever some perversely construe his words in other 
 '^ places, meaneth the same as St. James. And 
 " here he speaketh not properly of the first justifica- 
 *' tion, when an infidel or ill man is made just^ who 
 " had no acceptable works before to be justified by, of 
 *' which kind he specially meaneth in other places 
 " of this epistle, but he speaketh of the second jus- 
 '^ tification or increase of former justice, which he 
 ^' that is in God's grace daily proceedeth in, by 
 '* doing all kind of good works, which be justices, 
 " and for doing of which he is just indeed before 
 <' God:" 
 
 Dr. FuLKE replies; " This sentence is not the 
 " ground of St. James' disputation, that faith void! 
 " of good works doth not justify, and that good 
 ** works also justify or declare a man to be just. 
 ^^ For the Apostle here speaketh not of faith, but 
 ^^ of the law. The Law justifieth only the doers 
 *^ and perfect observers thereof; Faith justifieth the 
 '^ believers. Neither doth St. Paul speak here of any 
 " means whereby a man is justified, but showeth that 
 " no Transgressor of the law can be justified by the 
 '* Law, because the Law justifieth none but the 
 " doers thereof; which seeing no man doth perfect- 
 ** ly, no man is justified by the works of the Law, 
 
 * Rom. ii. 13. 
 
108 
 
 " as he saith expressly Rom, ill. 20. Gal. ili. 1 1 , 
 " As for your distinction of the first and second 
 ^\ Justification before God, it is but a new device, 
 " not threescore years old, utterly unheard of among 
 " the ancient Fathers. For whom God justifieth 
 " by faith without works, he also glorifieth. Rom. 
 *J viii. SO. And that which you call the second 
 " justification, or increase of justice, is but the ef- 
 '* fects and fruits of Justification before God, and 
 *.* a declaration before men that we are just. And 
 " so meaneth St. James, that Abraham, who was 
 "justified or made just, before God, through faith, 
 *^ was also justified or declared to be just, before 
 
 " men, by works. We acknowledge all good 
 
 " works of Christian men to be the gifts of God, the 
 */ fruits of Justification, the notes of Election, the 
 ^^ way wherein all Christians must walk unto sal- 
 V vationj but seeing that they are unperfect, they 
 "are not,able to make just in the sight of God." 
 
 On the words of the Apostle James, " Ye see 
 " how that by works a man is justified and not by 
 " faith only* ;" the Catholics say, " This propo- 
 " sition of speech is directly opposite or contra- 
 " dictory unto that which the heretics hold. The 
 " heretics say, Man is not justified by good works, 
 " but by faith only.— The Fathers indeed use some- 
 *' times this exclusive onl^, but in far other sense 
 <^ than the Protestants. &c.'' 
 
 Dr. FuLKE replies; " This proposition is not 
 '' directly opposite or contradictory to that which 
 
 * James ii. 24, 
 
109 
 
 ^' we hold, no more than those two sayings of 
 "Christ; * The Father is greater than 1/ and 
 " ' I and the Father are one.' No more is this say- 
 " ing of St. James ; * Abraham was justified by 
 '' ' works,' contrary to that which St. Paul saith, 
 '*^ that he ^ was justified by faith without works.' 
 ^' For both the sayings are true in divers respects^ 
 ^' and we believe both : for where the respect is not 
 ^' the same, there is no opposition or contradiction. 
 '' — In St. Paul it signifieth to be made just by 
 " God's imputation. In St. James it signifieth to 
 " be declared just, as well before men as in the sight 
 ^' of God. — You say, ' There is a difference be- 
 ^ ^ tween the first justification and the second.' 
 '^ This difference will never discharge the Apostles 
 *^ of contradiction,— so long as you mean both these 
 *^ justifications to be before God in one acception of 
 *^ the word justification. Beside, that the Scripture 
 ^^ teacheth but one Justification unto glorification 
 " and salvation, which is that you call the first. — 
 " The Fathers you confess do sometimes say, we 
 " are justified by faith only, but they have a far 
 *' other meaning than we ; and then you say they 
 " exclude this and that, which is true, for only faith 
 *•' jiistifijing excludeth all those things. — A few 
 " sentences of the Fathers I will rehearse, that their 
 ** meaning may appear to be clearly as ours is against 
 *^ all your cavils. Origen. in Epist. ad Rom. lib. S. 
 " cap. 3. ' The Apostle saith, that the justifica- 
 " ' tion of faith alone doth sufHce^, so that he which 
 " ^ believeth only, is justified^ although he have ful. 
 
no 
 
 *' * filled no work : wherefore it standeth us upon, 
 " ' that take in hand to defend the Apostle's wri- 
 ." ^ ting to be perfect, and all things therein to stand 
 '' ' with good order, to inquire who hath been jus- 
 **/ tified by faith only without works. Therefore 
 " ^ for example sake, I think this thief is sufficient, 
 ^' ' which being crucified with Christ, cried to him 
 '* ^ from the cross, Lord Jesus, remember me when 
 *^ ' thou comest into thy kingdom. Neither are 
 " * there any good works of his described in the 
 *' * Gospel; but for this faith only, Jesus said unto 
 " ' him. This day shalt thou be with me in Para- 
 *' * dise.' Where it is to be noted, that although 
 " this thief had no good works of his going before 
 ** faith ; yet proceeding of faith, he had as many, 
 " as the time and case, wherein he was, permitted ; 
 *^ namely, the fear of God, acknowledging of his 
 " sin, invocation, reprehension of his fellow, &c. 
 " HiLARius, in Matt. can. 8. ' It moved the 
 '' ' Scribes, that sin was forgiven by a man ; for 
 '' ' they beheld a man only in Jesus Christ, and 
 " ' that to be forgiven by him, which the law 
 " ' could not release ; for faith only doth justify.' 
 " Here you see justification by remission of sins: 
 "the like assertion he hath can. 21. Gre- 
 " GORY Nazianzen affimieth the same, Or. 22, 
 " de modest, in descept. : and, in Cat. de reb. 
 " suis, speaking in the person of the Publican that 
 '' prayed with the Pharisee, saith, ^ Works shall 
 " * not save me ; but let thy grace and thy mercy 
 " *" drop upon me, profane man j which only hope, 
 
Ill 
 
 /^ ' O king, thou hast given to miserable sinners.' 
 
 " Here you see grace and mercy the only hope of sin- 
 
 '' ners. Basil, de Humil. Hom. 51. saith ; * This is 
 
 '^ ' a perfect and full rejoicing in God, when a man 
 
 '' ' doth not boast himself of his own justice, but 
 
 '' ' knoweth himself to be void of true justice, and 
 
 '* ' to be justified by only faith in Christ.* St. 
 
 " Ambrose, among a great number of places, 
 
 '" hath these words in I Cor. cap. i. ' It is so ap- 
 
 " ' pointed of God, that he which believeth in 
 
 " "^ Christ shall be saved without works, receiving 
 
 '' ' forgiveness of his sins by faith alone.' St. 
 
 " Chrysostom also oftentimes affirmeth the same ; 
 
 *' and speaking of Abraham, he saith in Ep. Gal. 
 
 '' cap. iii. * If he before the time of grace were 
 
 '' ' justified by faith, and that when he flourished 
 
 *' ' in good works, much more we.' In Tim. Hom. 
 
 " 2. he saith, ' If thou trust unto faith, why bring- 
 
 " ' est thou in other things, as though faith alone 
 
 " ' sufficed not to justify ?' Jerome against the Pe- 
 
 " lagians, lib. i. saith ; ' We are just when we 
 
 " ' confess ourselves to be sinners ; and our justice 
 
 " ' consisteth not of our own merit, but of God's 
 
 " ' mercy.' " 
 
 It will be obvious to every attentive reader, that 
 the principles maintained by the Bishop of Lincoln 
 are, in several instances, much more in harmony with 
 the tenets inculcated by the Rhemish antagonists of 
 the Reformation, than with the doctrines defended by 
 this able advocate of the Church of England, which 
 were then universally considered as the genuine 
 
112 
 
 doctrines of the Church. I shall only notice in par* 
 ticular, that his Lordship's sentiments respecting 
 an entrance into a justified state by faith, and con- 
 tinuance in it by works, — respecting justification in 
 this world, and justification in the world to come, — 
 appear to rtie to be precisely the same, though con- 
 veyed in a little different j)hraseology, as those of 
 the Catholic AnnotatOrs respecting a first and se- 
 cond justification^ and increase of justiJlcatioUy so 
 completely refuted by Dr. Fulke. 
 
 That the genuine doctrines of the Church of 
 England were such as I have asserted, we have an- 
 other eminent proof in the sanction given to Fox's 
 Martyrology by the Spiritual Governors of the 
 Church in the reign of Elizabeth, and: by that 
 Princess herself. 
 
 The production of a few passages from that work 
 will place this beyond all reasonable doubt. 
 
 " As touching the doctrine of election — Three 
 " things must be considered. 
 
 '' First, What God's election is, and what is the 
 *' cause thereof. 
 
 '' Secondly, How God's election proceedeth in 
 " working our salvation. 
 
 " Thirdly, To whom God's election pertaineth, 
 *' and how a man may be certain thereof. 
 
 *' Election is the free mercy and grace of God, 
 "' in his own will, through faith in Christ his Son, 
 '' choosing and preferring to life such as pleaseth 
 '' him. 
 
 " In this definition of election, first go before the 
 
113 
 
 ^' mercy and grace of God, as the causes thereof ; 
 '' whereby are excluded all works of the law, and 
 '^ merits of deserving, whether they go before faith 
 '' or come after. In that this mercy and grace of 
 ^' God in this definition is said to be free ; thereby 
 '' is to be noted the proceeding and working of God, 
 *' not to be bounded to any ordinary place, succes- 
 '^ sion of chair, state or dignity of person, worthi- 
 ^' ness of blood ; but all goeth by the mere will of 
 '' his own purpose. — It is addedj in his own will. 
 '' By this falleth down the free will and purpose of 
 '' man, with all his actions, counsel, and strength 
 '' of nature : according as it is written. It is not of 
 '' him that willeth, nor of him that runneth ; but of 
 '' God that showeth mercy. So we see how Israel 
 " ran along, and yet got nothing. The Gentiles later 
 " began to set out, and yet got the game. So they, 
 '' who came at the first hour, did labour more ; 
 " and yet they, who came last, were rewarded with 
 "^the first. The working will of the Pharisee 
 '' seemed better ; but yet the Lord's will was rather 
 *' to jusdfy the Publican. The elder son had a bet- 
 '' ter will to tarry by his Father, and so did indeed ; 
 '' and yet the fat calf was given to the younger son 
 '^ that ran away." 
 
 '' Whereby we are to understand, how the matter 
 " goeth, not by the will of man ; but by the will 
 " of God, as it pleaseth him to accept ; according 
 '' as it is written, Who were born, not of the will 
 " of the flesh, nor by the will of man, but of 
 God. 
 
 '^ God's mercy and free grace bringeth fprth 
 
114 
 
 " election. Election worketh vocation, or God^$ 
 "^^^ holy calling. Which vocation, through hearing, 
 ''bringeth knowledge and faith of Christ. Faith 
 ^' through promise obtaineth justification. Justifica- 
 '^ tion, through hope, waiteth for glorification. 
 
 ^'Election is before time. Vocation and faith 
 *' come in time. Justification and Glorification are 
 " without end. 
 
 " Election, depending on God's free grace and 
 '' will, excludeth all man*s will^ blind fortune, 
 '' chance, and all peradventures. 
 
 '^ Vocation, standing upon God's election, ex- 
 " cludeth all man's wisdom, cunning, learning, in- 
 " tention, power, and presumption. 
 
 "Faith in Christ, proceeding by the gift of the 
 " Holy Ghost, and freely justifying man by God's 
 " promise, excludeth all other merits of men, all 
 " condition of deserving, and all works of the law, 
 " both God*8 law and man's law, with all other 
 " outward means whatsoever. 
 
 "This order and connexion of causes is diligently 
 " to be observed, because of the Papists, who have 
 " miserably, confounded and inverted this doctrine ; 
 "' teaching, that Almighty God, so far forth as he 
 " foreseeth man's merits before to come, so doth he 
 " dispense his election. As though we had our 
 '' election, by our holiness that followeth after ; and 
 "'not rather have our holiness by God's election 
 '' going before ! 
 
 ''If, the question be asked. Why was Abraham 
 '' chosen, and not Nachor ? why was Jacob chosen, 
 " and not Esau ? why was Moses elected, and Pha- 
 
115 
 
 *' raoh hardened ? why David accepted, and Saul 
 '*■ rejected ? — it cannot be answered otherwise but 
 '' thus — Because it was so the good will of God. 
 
 *'In like manner; touching vocation, and also 
 "faith. If it be' asked, why this vocation and gift 
 " of faith was given to Cornelius the Gentile, and 
 " not to Tertullus the Jew ? why the beggars by 
 " the highways were called, and the bidden guests 
 " excluded ? we can go to no other cause, but to 
 " God's purpose and election ; and say, with Christ 
 " our Saviour, Even so, Father, for so it seemed 
 *^ good in thy sight. 
 
 " And so for justification likewise. If the ques- 
 " tion be asked, why the Publican was justified, 
 ** and not the Pharisee ? why Mary the sinner, and 
 " not Simon the inviter ? why harlots and publicans 
 " go before the scribes and pharisees in the king-' 
 " dom ? why the son of the free woman was re-' 
 " ceived, and the bond woman's son, being his 
 " elder, was rejected ? why Israel, which so Jong 
 " sought for righteousness, found it not ; and the 
 " Gentiles, which sought not for it, found it ? we 
 " have no other cause hereof to render, but to' 
 " say, with St. Paul, Because they sought for it by 
 " works of the law, and not by faith ; which faith 
 " Cometh not by man's will, but only by the election 
 " and free gift of God. 
 
 " Wheresoever election goeth before, there faith 
 ^' in Christ must needs follow after. And again, 
 " Whosoever beheveth in Christ Jesus, through the 
 
 I 2 
 
116 
 
 ^^ vocation of God, he must needs be a partaker of 
 ^^ God's election. 
 
 "Whereupon resulteth now the third note, or 
 *^ consideration : which is, to consider, whether a 
 *^ man, in this Hfe, may be certain of his election ? 
 
 " Although our election and vocation simply in- 
 *^ deed be known to God only in himself, d, priori ; 
 " yet notwithstanding, it may be known to every 
 '^particular faithful man ^ posteriori; that is, by 
 " means ; which means is, faith in Christ Jesus 
 " crucified. And therefore it is truly said, De 
 
 " ELECTIONE JUDICANDUM EST A POSTERIORI I 
 
 " that is to say. We must judge of election by that 
 " which Cometh after : that is, by our faith and be- 
 " lief in Christ, which certifieth us of this election 
 " of God. For albeit that election be first certain 
 " in the knowledge of God ; yet in our knowledge, 
 " faith only, that we have in Christ, is the thing 
 " that giveth to us our certificate and comfort of 
 " this election. — Election first known to God, and 
 " last opened to man*." 
 
 Now I appeal to the judgement of any one at all 
 acquainted with the Calvinistic controversy and the 
 general principles of human aption, whether it be 
 within any supposable bounds of credibility, that 
 the circulation and perusal of a book containing 
 sentiments like these should be actively promoted 
 by persons unfavourable to what are called Calvi- 
 i;iistic doctrines. But the most direct measures 
 * Fox's Acts and Monuments, III. 292, 293. 
 
117 
 
 were adopted by Queen Elizabeth and by the Bi- 
 shops and Clergy in Convocation to promote the 
 reading of it among all classes of people through- 
 out the nation. 
 
 Strype, in his Annals, informs us, that " this 
 *' History of the Church was of such value and 
 " esteem for the use of it to Christian readers, and 
 *^ the service of our religion reformed, that it was, 
 " in the days of Queen Elizabeth, .njoined to be set 
 ^^ up in some convenient place, in all the Parish 
 ''Churches, together with the Bible, and Bishop 
 " Jewell's Defence of the Apology of the Church 
 " of England : to be read, at all suitable times, by 
 '' the people, before or after service.'* 
 
 In such high estimation was this book held among 
 the Bishops and Clergy, that the Convocation as- 
 sembled in St. Paul's Cathedral in the year 1571, 
 under Archbishop Parker, enjoined, in their canons j 
 
 That every Archbishop and Bishop should have 
 in his house the Bible, of the largest edition, then re- 
 cently printed in London, and the complete His- 
 tory entitled Monuments of the Martyrs, (meaning 
 Fox's Martyrology,) and some other religious books j 
 and that those books should be placed, either in the 
 hall, or in the principal dining-room, for the use of 
 their servants and strangers. 
 
 That every Dean should take care that the books 
 
 ' now mentioned should be purchased and placed in 
 
 bis cathedral church, in such a situation, that they 
 
 might be conveniently heard and read by the vicars 
 
118 
 
 and minor canons and other ministers of the Church, 
 and by strangers and travellers. 
 
 That every Dean, Prebend and Canon residen- 
 tiary should purchase those books for his servants, 
 and place them in some convenient situation, eiiner 
 in his hall or in his dining-room. 
 
 That every Archdeacon should have in hh he u[ ?, 
 both the other books, and particularly this M.ir- 
 tyrology*. 
 
 I have somewhere heard or read of a sophist who 
 endeavoured to persuade a company of several per- 
 sons, that there was no such thing as motion. None 
 of the party made any reply, but one of them pre- 
 sently rose from his seat, and walked about the 
 room during the remainder of the speech j thus 
 more than answering the fallacies of the speaker, 
 
 * Quivis arcbiepiscopus, et episcopus, habebit domi suae Sa- 
 cra Biblia, in amplissimo volumme, uti iinperrime Londini ex- 
 cusasuntj et plenara illam historiam, quae inscribitur monu- 
 MENTA MARTYRUM : et alios quosdam Hbros ad religionem ap-» 
 positos. Locentur autem Uti libri, vel in aula, vel in grandi 
 ccEnaculo j ut et ipsorum famulis, et advents, usui esse possint. 
 
 EosDEM iLLos LiBROS, quos proxime dixinius, decanus quis- 
 quecurabit emi, et locari in ecclesia sua cathedrgli, ejusmodiin 
 loco, ut a vicariis, et minoribus canonicis, et ministris ecclesiae, 
 et ab advenis, et peregrinis, commode audirl et legi possint. 
 
 EosDEM LiBRos ILLOS decauus, etpriraarius quisqi'ie residen-^ 
 tiarius, qups appellant eccle*ae dignitafes, ^ment suo quisque 
 famulitio j eosque, opportuno aliquo in loco, vel in aula, vel in 
 cc^naculo, locabunt. 
 
 Quivis archidiaconus habebit, domi suae, et alios libros, eV 
 nominatim eos, qui inscribuntur, mokumenta martyrum, 
 
119 
 
 by an actual exhibition of that which he was repre- 
 senting as destitute of reality, a mere illusion of the 
 imagination. The foregoing quotations must be 
 considered in a similar light by every intelligent and 
 impartial reader. They furnish an actual exhibition 
 of that which Dr, T. denies to ^xist. The con- 
 formity of sentiment between our English Fathers 
 and Reformers, and the Reformer of Geneva, is so 
 general, unequivocal and striking, that it is difficult 
 to conceive the possibility of a doubt of it arising in 
 the mind of any reader, who is capable of under- 
 standing the passages which have been quoted, and 
 is not interested in misrepresenting the matter of 
 fact. Any man vi'ho denies or doubts it may as 
 well doubt or deny that Calvinistic opinions are to be 
 found in the writings of Calvin himself. To doubt 
 or deny even the reality of motion would but little 
 heighten the climax of absurdity. 
 
 The more any one examines and reflects upon his 
 Lordship's Book, the more marvellous and unac- 
 countable it appears. Let us only suppose, that 
 some waggish, and not very scrupulous, enemy of the 
 Church had formed the design of giving it a secret 
 wound, and at the same time playing off, what in 
 the dialect of the town would be called, a hoax up- 
 on the public. Is it easy to conceive of any method 
 more adapted to the attainment of such an object 
 than the composition and publication of a book, 
 caricaturing and vilifying the genuine doctrines of 
 the Liturgy Articles and Homilies, asserting some 
 of the most opposite and heterogeneous principles 
 
120 
 
 fo be really those of the Ecclesiastical Establishment 
 and of its venerable Fathers and Reformers, and 
 exhibiting the most dutiful sons and best friends of 
 the Church in the present day as advocates of here- 
 tical tenets and encouragers of licentious conduct ? 
 Yet such is the true character of this volume of his 
 Lordship, whom nevertheless we cannot suspect of 
 being otherwise than " serious in a serious cause/* 
 or of entertaining the most distant design of hos- 
 tility to the Church, to which he lies under the 
 strongest obligations to cherish and manifest the 
 warmest attachment. 
 
 If the doctrine of the Church and of its first 
 founders and their immediate successors had been 
 Anticalvinistic, bow could we account for the fact 
 having been so totally misrepresented by writers of 
 all parties? Bayle quotes the testimonies of two 
 Catholics — Scultingius said^ " In England Calvin's 
 " Institutions is almost preferred to the Bible itself. 
 " The pretended English Bishops enjoin all the 
 *' Clergy to get the book almost by heart, never to 
 *^ have it out of their hands, to lay it by them in a 
 " conspicuous part of their pulpits ; in a word, to 
 ^* prize and keep it as carefully, as the old Romans 
 *' are said to have preserved the Sibylline oracles/* 
 Stapleton gives the following account : " The In- 
 *' stitutiqns of Calvin are so greatly esteemed in 
 " England, that the book has been most accurately 
 *' translated into English, and is even fixed in the 
 ^' parish churches for the people to read. More- 
 ^* over in each of the t\yo Universities, after the stu- 
 
121 
 
 ** dents have finished their circuit in philosophy, as 
 ** many of rhem as are designed for the ministry are 
 " lectured first of all in that book.'* 
 
 Even Heylin, the friend of Laud, and the avowed 
 adversary of Calvinism, gives a similar testimony. 
 Referring to the reign of Elizabeth, — " Predestina- 
 " tion, and the points depending thereupon were re- 
 ** ceived as the established doctrines of the Church 
 *' of England. — The books of Calvin were the 
 *' rule, by which all men were to square their wri- 
 '* tings : his only word, like the ipse dixit of Pytha-^ 
 " goras, was admitted for the sole canon to which 
 *' they were to frame and conform their judge- 
 *^ ments, — It was safer for any man in those times to 
 *' have been looked upon as an Heathen or Puhli- 
 " can^ than an ^nlicalvinist^J" 
 
 In the year 1624 a Latin oration was addressed to 
 King James the First at Woodstock by Dr. John 
 PrideauXj then Vice Chancellor of Oxford and af- 
 terwards Bishop of Worcester, — in which he de- 
 clared to His Majesty, that " within the nine years 
 ^' then last past the University of Oxford had sent 
 " forth seventy-three Doctors in Divinity, and more 
 *' than one hundred and eighty Bachelors in Di- 
 " vinity, that in his official capacity he had been 
 '^ concerned in conferring those degrees, and could 
 '' confidently affirm respecting those theologians, 
 ^' that they were not favourers of yirminianism,'*' 
 
 One of Dr. Tomline's worthy predecessors, the 
 Author of the Preface to the Liturgy which has 
 
 *Li'feofLaud. 
 
122 
 
 been so greatly admired. Dr. Sciunderson, who 
 adorned the see of Lincoln in the reign of Charles 
 the Second, appears to have held Calvin's theology 
 in high estimation. " When I began (says he) to 
 *' set myself to the study of divinity as^ my proper 
 *' business, Calvin's Institutions were recommended 
 *' to me, as they were generally to all young scho- 
 " lars in those times, as the best and perfectest sy- 
 ** stem of divinity, and the fittest to be laid as a 
 **^ groundwork in the study of this profession. And 
 " indeed my expectation was not at all deceived in 
 " the reading of those Institutions.'* This Prelate, 
 in a treatise entitled Pax Ecclesiae, speaks of some 
 polemical artifices practised by the Anticalvinists of 
 those days. Two of these instances of what he calls 
 " the manifold unjust and uncharitable cunning of 
 " the Arminians to advance their own party," it 
 will not be amiss to state in his own words. 
 '^ Bragging out some of their private tenets^ as if 
 " they were the received established doctrine of the 
 " Church of England; by forcing the words of 
 ^' Articles, or Common Prayer Book, to a sense which 
 " appeareth not to have been intended therein." — 
 " Seeking to derive envy on the opposite opinions ; 
 " by delivering them in terms odious, and of ill 
 "^, and suspicious sound." — If Dr. Saunderson had 
 been endued with a spirit of prophecy, and intended 
 to describe a work of one of his Anticalvinistic suc« 
 cessors, what language could he have used more 
 truly characteristic of the polemical lucubrations of 
 Dr. Tom line ? 
 
J23 
 
 "Where could the doctrines of the English Re- 
 formed Church be reasonably expected to appear in 
 their most genuine form, during the lives of its first 
 founders and their immediate successors, if not in 
 the two Universities ? But the doctrines now denomi- 
 nated Calvinistic were most distinctly and decidedly 
 maintained both at Oxford and at Cambridge. Of 
 the truth of this assertion there exists proof sufficient 
 to convince any person who is not obstinately deter- 
 mined to resist the strongest evidence. I shall con- 
 tent myself with citing a few of the Theses main- 
 tained at Oxford by those who took the degree of 
 Doctors in Divinity, in the reigns of Elizabeth and 
 James the First. 
 
 " Act-Theses and Questions are always (before 
 " they are either admitted^ printed, published, or dis- 
 " puted on) propounded to a general Convocation 
 " of the whole University, and by them particularly 
 " allowed, voted, and then recorded in the Univer- 
 " sity Register, for a testimony ^ to posterity, as 
 " orthodox, and consonant to the established doc- 
 " trine, faith,and articles, of the Church of England. 
 " So that the whole University's judgement is com- 
 " prised in them, as well as theirs that give them*.'* 
 
 Electorum certa est salus, ut perire non possint. 
 The salvation of the elect is certain, so that they 
 cannot perish. 
 
 Doctrind pr cedes tinationis oUm tradita ab j^u-^ 
 * Prynne Anti-Arm. 
 
124 
 
 gustinOy et nostris iemporihus a CaivinOj eadem 
 est. ^ 
 
 The doctrine of predestination anciently taught 
 by Augustine is the same that has been taught in 
 our times by Calvin. 
 
 Prcescieniia Dei ceterno decrelo omnia ordinantis 
 non pugnavit cum arhitrii lihertate primis paren- 
 iihus concessa. 
 
 The foreknowledge of God, who ordains all 
 things by an eternal decree, did not clash with the 
 freedom of will granted to our first parents. 
 
 Tota salus electorum est mere gratuita. 
 The whole salvation of the elect is purely gra« 
 tuitous. 
 
 ^n, qui in Christo sunt^ perire possunt f — N^g- 
 Whether those who are in Christ can perish ? — 
 Denied. 
 
 jin Jldeles possint, certa Jide, statuere remissa 
 esse peccata f — ^ff. 
 
 Whether it is possible for the faithful, with an 
 assured faith, to conclude that their sins are for- 
 given ? — AiErmed. 
 
 Non est liherum arbitrium. 
 The will is not free. 
 
 Sancti non possunt excidere gratia* 
 Saints cannot fall from grace. 
 
12^ 
 
 An homo possit se prtpparare ad gratiam red* 
 piendam P — Neg. 
 
 Whether man can prepare himself to receive 
 grace ? — Denied. 
 
 All homo possit scire, se habere gratiam ? — Affi 
 Whether it be possible for a man to know that he 
 has grace ? — Affirmed, 
 
 An electio sit ex pr^evisis operihus ? — Neg, 
 Whether election be from works foreseen ? — De-. 
 nied. 
 
 An^ Deus autor peccati^ jttxta reformatorum sen* 
 tentiam, statuatur ? — Neg, 
 
 Whether the doctrine of the Reformed makes 
 God the author of sin ? — Denied. 
 
 An gratia regenerationis possit resisti P — Neg, 
 Whether the grace of regeneration can be re- 
 sisted ? — Denied. 
 
 An voluntas, in prima conversione, haheat se 
 , tantum passive ? — Aff. 
 
 Whether the will, in the beginning of conversion, 
 be merely passive ? — Affirmed. 
 
 An semel jusiijicatus semper maneat justificatus? 
 
 Whether a person once justified remains always 
 . justified? — Affirmed. 
 
 An voluntas humana resistere possit gratia Dei 
 efficad f — Neg. 
 
 Whether the human will can resist the efficacious 
 grace of God ? — Denied. 
 
156 
 
 '^^^njiposi Adami lapsitm, lihertas ad honumsit 
 prorsus amissa P — Aff^. 
 
 ^ f Whether, since the fall of Adam, freedom to 
 good be entirely lost ? — Affirmed. 
 
 All omnes baptizati sint justificati ? — Neg, 
 Whether all baptized persons are justified ? — De- 
 nied. 
 
 An ipse actus Jidei nobis impuieiur pro justitia 
 legis sensu proprio ? — Neg, 
 
 Whether the act of faith itself be imputed to us, 
 in a proper sense, for the righteousness of the law ? 
 — Denied. 
 
 An fides et fidei justitia sint propria eleciorum P 
 
 Whether faith and the righteousness of faith be 
 peculiar to the elect ? — Affirmed. 
 
 Similar positions were also maintained in the reign 
 of Charles the First. 
 
 An Pro'destinaiio sii ex prcevisa fide vel operi- 
 bus P — Neg, 
 
 . Whether Predestination be from foreseen faith or 
 works ? — Denied. 
 
 An Prcedestifiatio ad salutem sit mutabilis P^-Neg, 
 Whether Predestination to. salvation be mutable ? 
 -r-Denied. 
 
 An fides, semel habita, possit amitti P — Neg. 
 Whether faith, once possessed, can be lost ? 
 — ^Denied. 
 
127 
 
 An efficada gralice pendeat a libera infliixu ar- 
 hitrii? — Neg. 
 
 Whether the efficacy of grace be dependent on 
 the free influence of the human will ? — Denied. 
 
 jin arhitrimn humanum deter minet gratiam di' 
 vinam f — Neg, 
 
 Whether the human will determine the grace of 
 God? — Denied. 
 
 I have now closed the evidence intended to be 
 adduced of the Harmony of the Doctrine of the 
 Fathers Reformers and Public Formularies of the 
 Church of England with the system maintained by 
 Calvin. To adduce all that could be collected 
 would require many volumes. It is proper to re- 
 mark, that the conformity of sentiment, between 
 our English Fathers and Reformers and the Re- 
 former of Geneva, really extended further than has 
 here been stated. Several of their writings contain 
 proofs of their coincidence with Calvin in what are 
 generally considered by Anticalvinists as the most 
 objectionable of his opinions j though, like him, 
 they refrained from introducing those points into 
 Articles of Faith, intended to express the grand 
 doctrines in which all the Ministers of the Church 
 were expected to agree. And the quotations here 
 adduced have been selected with a direct view tp 
 the design of the present work, which is to show 
 the Harmony of the Fathers Reformers and Public 
 Formularies of the Church of England with Calvin, 
 in those principles which have been adopted by Cal- 
 
128 
 
 vinists in general and usually denominated Calvi- 
 nistic. 
 
 I cannot conclude without reminding the reader 
 of the narrow ground that I have taken, and re- 
 marking, that many of the tenets avowed by the 
 Bishop appear to me as irreconcilable with the plain 
 decisions of Scripture, and with just practical views 
 of human nature, as with the Formularies of the 
 Church ; and on the other hand, without pledging 
 myself to the propriety of every expression in the 
 numerous quotations here adduced against his Lord- 
 ship, that many of the sentiments, which he op- 
 poses, are such as in my apprehension cannot be 
 rejected, without rejecting or misinterpreting various 
 passage of the Sacred Scriptures. But this ground 
 of discussion, except so far as it may have been in- 
 cluded in the foregoing extracts, I leave to the oc- 
 cupation of persons capable of doing it ample jus- 
 tice. I will add, however, that many of the prin- 
 ciples impugned by his Lordship are those in which 
 WicKLiFFE and Zuingle, Luther and Cal- 
 vin, Melancthon and Beza, Cranmer and 
 Ridley, Latimer and Jewell, with a host of 
 excellent predecessors and successors, notwithstand- 
 ing their minor differences, were all agreed : — Prin- 
 ciples, which in every age of the Church have been 
 made instrumental, by the divine blessing, in the 
 moral and spiritual regeneration of men : — Prin- 
 ciples, which have arrested some of the most aban- 
 doned profligates in their career of iniquity, — 
 which have exchanged the justest apprehensions of 
 
129 
 
 future vengeance for well grounded confidence in 
 the divine mercy, — which have animated the human 
 breast with the purest and most exalted piety, — 
 which have inspired the heart with most disinterested, 
 ardent, and expansive philanthropy^ — which have 
 adorned the life with every virtue, — which have 
 alleviated present sufferings .with the prospect of 
 endless enjoyments, — which when the eyes have 
 been closing on the scenes of earth have opened 
 them on the beauties of paradise, and while the 
 body has been sinking amidst the swoonings of 
 death have caused the spirit to beat high with the 
 pulsations of immortality : — ^Principles, which at this 
 hour are calling forth the noblest energies of Chris- 
 tians of various denominations, forming unions and 
 prompting exertions unexampled andunthought of in 
 past ages, — exertions that bid fair to realize the apo- 
 calyptic vivsion of " an angel flying in the midst of 
 Heaven*/* to circulate the word of life in every 
 language, to instruct the ignorant and reform the 
 vicious in every land. 
 
 For the freedom with which I have animadverted 
 on some of the positions of the learned Prelate, I 
 make no apology. I trust I have not forgotten 
 that the subject of my animadversions is the work 
 of a Scholar, a Gentleman, and a Protestant Bi- 
 shop — though I am constrained to add, a work 
 which contains passages sufficient to justify a suspi- 
 cion, whether his Lordship may not somedmes 
 have experienced a momentary oblivion of the ob- 
 * Rev. xiv. 6. 
 K 
 
 ■*■ 
 
130 
 
 ligations resulting from those characters. What- 
 ever be the respect due to rank or function, the 
 claims of truth are paramount to every other con- 
 sideration*; and ought never to be compromised 
 or waved, even in appearance, by compHmentary 
 concessions or apologies. If the charges of mistake, 
 misrepresentation, and inconsistency, here brought 
 against his Lordship, be incorrect and groundless, 
 no apology ought to redeem them from the censure 
 which in that case they justly deserve. But if these 
 charges have been established, or if they can be esta- 
 blished, something more than apology ia due from his 
 Lordship, to the Public, to his Clergy, to his Metro- 
 politan, and above all, to the Supreme Master whom 
 he professes to " serve with his spirit in the Gospel 
 of his Son," for having written and published such 
 a Book. 
 
 I shall now conclude with expressing my sincere 
 desires, " that it may please Almighty and Ever- 
 *^ lasting Godj who alone worketh great marvels, to 
 " send down upon all Bishops, Priests and Deacons 
 *' the healthful spirit of his grace, — to bring into the 
 ** way of truth all such as have erred and are de- 
 *' ceivedj- — to illuminate them with the knowledge 
 *' and understanding of his word, — to replenish 
 '' them with the truth of his doctrine, and to endue 
 " them with innocence of life, that both by their 
 " preaching and living they may set it forth and show 
 " it accordingly; — to give them all those heavenly 
 " graces that are requisite for their high trust, that 
 
 * Amicus Plato, amicus Socrates, sed raagis arnica Veritas. 
 
131 
 
 *' his work may prosper in their hand, that they 
 "may be made blessed instruments of advancing , 
 " his truth ; that heresies and false doctrines may 
 " not disturb the peace of the Church ; but that all 
 " the congregations committed to their charge, 
 ^' hearing meekly his word and receiving it with pure 
 *' affection, may be led into the way of truths and 
 *' hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of 
 " peace, and in righteousness of life ; that truth and 
 " justice, brotherly kindness and charity, devotion 
 " and piety, concord and unity, with all other vir- 
 " tues, may be the stability of our times, and make 
 " this Church a praise in the earth*." 
 
 * Morn. Prayer — Litany — Prayer for Ember Weeks — Prayer 
 for 25 Oct. — Prayer for all conditions — Prayer for 5 Nov. 
 
 THE END, 
 
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 INSTITUTES 
 
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Allen, John 
 
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