religion will be surest to bring salvation to `us, if we be serious in the profession of it? Which question I have endeavoured elsewhere to determine by the light of reason; and here we have it decided by a whole council, even that it is the Christian religion that is not only the best, but the only way to true happiness and everlasting salvation; and that they are to be 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.' So that let a man be never so strict a Jew, never so strict a Mahometan, never so strict in any other religion whatsoever, unless he be a Christian, he can never be saved. So that though many Christians may go to hell, yet none but Christians can ever go to heaven. Many that profess Christ may not be saved, yet all that deny Christ are certain to be damned. For it is by Christ, and Christ only, that we can be saved.

1. Confirmation from SCRIPTURE.-And this appears very plainly from the word of God; for there doth Christ himself say, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father but by me," John, xiv. 6. And if none can come to the Father but by Christ, it is by Christ only that we come to happiness: for it is he alone in whom we may be happy, without whom we cannot but be miserable. And as we cannot be happy unless we come to God, so neither can we come to God but only by faith in

a

" Ipsum audiamus, Ego sum via et veritas et vita.' Si veritatem quæris, viam tene, nam ipse est via quæ est veritas. 'Ipsa est quò is, ipsa est quâ is. Non per aliud is ad illud, non per aliud venis ad Christum. Per Christum ad Christum venis. Quomodo per Christum ad Christum ? Per Christuin hominem ad Christum Deum. Per Verbum caro factum,

ad Verbum quod in principio erat Deus apud Deum. Ab eo quod manducavit homo, ad illud quod quotidie manducant angeli.— Aug. in Joh. Tract. 13. Quid autem opus erat ut diceret, Ego sum via et veritas et vita,' cùm via cognita quâ iret, restaret nôsse quò iret, nisi quia ibat ad veritatem, ibat ad vitam? Ibat ergo per seipsum ad seipsum. Et nos quò imus nisi ad ipsum? Et quâ imus nisi per ipsum ?—Ibid. Tract. 69.

ν "Αγαθὴ γὰρ ὄντως ὅδος ἀπαρεξόδευτος καὶ ἀπλανὴς ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς πρὸς τὸν ὄντως ἀγαθὸν τὸν Πατέρα φέρων· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἔρχεται, φησί, πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, εἰ μὴ δὲ ἐμοῦ· τοιαύτη μὲν οὖν ἡ ἡμετέρα πρὸς Θεὸν ἄνοδος διὰ τοῦ Ὑιοῦ.—Basil. de Spiritu Sancto, cap. 8.

Christ. And therefore is it said, "He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already," John, iii. 18. So that it is as certain that all that do not believe in him shall be condemned, as that all that do believe in him shall be pardoned: it is as certain we shall be damned without him, as it is certain that we may be saved by him. And therefore also it is said expressly," Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name given under heaven among men, whereby we must be saved," Acts, iv. 12. That is, there is no other thing in the whole world whereby our sins can be pardoned, our persons justified, and our souls saved, but only Jesus Christ the Son of God. that we can be saved, as it was only for us that he was condemned: nay, he was therefore condemned only for us, that we might be saved only in him.

It is only by him

• Ει τὸ πιστεύειν Χριστὸν ὑιὸν εἶναι Θεοῦ ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔχει, τὸ ἀπιστεῖν ἐξ ἀνάγκης JáraTor.- Basil. advers. Eunomium.

d And thus we find in Scripture the name oft put for the thing itself, as ἦν τε ὄχλος ονομάτων ἐπιτοαυτὸ, ὡς ἕκατον εἴκοσιν, • And the company or number of the names together were an hundred and twenty,' Acts, i. 15. That is, as the Syriac renders it, Jon Aal •No Do you feil? lew

But the com

pany of men there were an hundred and twenty.' And so the vulgar Latin : Erat autem turba hominum simul ferè centum viginti.' And so is now, the name of God in Scripture, frequently put for God himself; as, The name of the God of Jacob," that is, The God of Jacob, "defend thee," Psalm xx. 2. Hence R. David, upon that place: 'that my name is the Lord,' Jer. xvi. 21. that I am

שם אלהי יעקוב

,כי שמי יהוה,And they shall know ,as if he should say כמו אני יהוה כי הוא שמו ושמו הוא,saith

ויקב בן האשה הישראלית את השם the name put for God himself, as השם fore is

the Lord.' For that is his name, and his name is himself.'

And there

"And the son of the Israelitish woman blasphemed the name," that is, the Lord, or "the name of the Lord," as our translation renders it, Lev. xxiv. 11. The reason of which denomination, Elias in his Thisbi saith, is

remember or use any of his names in vain.'

Where he saith also, that

that is, Because it is forbidden to ,לפי שאטור להזכיר אחד משמותיו לבטלה

,האה ידיעה it is never used for God but only with .השם .viz

But we may see the contrary in before quoted, viz. Lev. xxiv. 16. blasphemeth the name," that is, as our translation hath it, and

an emphatical He,' the same chapter with that where it is said, o pa, "when he The Lord,' or "the name of the Lord," so the LXX. rò övoμa Kugíou. Syriac, Now, the proper name,' viz. of God,

2. Confirmation from REASON. And to Scripture we might add reason too, but that I have already demonstrated it from reason, not only elsewhere, but even in these articles themselves, having before proved that all men were born in sin, Article IX. That all men have sin living in them, Article XV. That man cannot free himself from sin, Article X.; nor deserve to be freed by any other; yea, and that it is by Christ only that he can be freed; Article XII. That it is Christ only who, by the value of his death, can take away the guilt of those sins that lie upon him; and it is Christ only who, by the virtue of his blood, can wash away the filth of those sins that reign over him; and if so, it must needs follow that it is only by Christ that we can be saved. For if without him, be we of what religion we will, we shall still lie in our sins: it is impossible that, without him, we should attain to happiness; for freedom from sin is the first step to happiness. So that as it is impossible hell should be heaven so long as God is not enjoyed there; so is it impossible a soul should be happy so long as sin reigns there. It is sin that made hell, and there is something of hell in every sin and, therefore, until sin be perfectly pardoned to us, we can never be perfectly free from miseries; and until sin be subdued under us, we can never be perfectly brought to happiness. Now, seeing it is only by Christ our transgressions can be pardoned, and only by Christ our corruptions can be conquered, it must needs be only by Christ that our souls can be saved; and if it be only by Christ we. can be saved, without him we cannot but be damned. And therefore let a man be of what religion he please, and as strict in that religion as he can, unless Christ be his, and he be Christ's, his religion is in vain; he may be strict in his profession of it, but it will never bring any happiness to him. No; it is Christ, and Christ alone, we are to expect salvation from.

The fathers are Ignatius plainly*:

3. Confirmation from the FATHERS. also very express in this particular. Let no man be deceived; unless he believe that Jesus

• Μηδεὶς πλανάσθω· ἐὰν μὴ πιστεύσῃ Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐν σαρκὶ πεπολιτεῦσθαι, καὶ ὁμολογήσῃ τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ πάθος καὶ τὸ αἷμα, ὁ ἐξέχεεν ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου σωτηρίας, οὐ τῆς ζωῆς αἰωνίου τεύξεται, κἂν βασιλεὺς ἧ, κἄν ἱερεύς, κἄν ἄρχων, κἄν ¡diátne, näv dioæótns á doûdos, xäv ¿vùę й yuvn.-Ignat. Epist. ad Smyrnenses.

Christ was conversant in the flesh, and acknowledge his cross and passion, and blood which he shed for the salvation of the world, he cannot attain to everlasting life, whether he be a king, or a priest, or a prince; whether he be a private man, or a lord, or a servant, or a man, or a woman.' None saved without Christ. For as Justin Martyr saith, In whom is it possible for us sinful and ungodly persons to be justified, but only in the Son of God? Oh, sweet change! Oh, unsearchable contrivance! Oh, unexpected benefits! That the sin of many should be hid in one just person, and the righteousness of one should justify many sinners!'

And hence it is that the fathers are so peremptory in avouching, that there is no salvation to be had but only within the pale of the church. Let no man, therefore,' saith Origen, persuade himself, let no man deceive himself; without this house, that is, without the church, there is none saved.' And Cyprian: Neither can they live without, seeing the house of God is but one, and none can have salvation but only in the church.' And so Gaudentiusi: But it is manifest that all the men of that time perished in the flood, but only such as obtained to be found within the ark, which bore the type of the church. For in like manner now they can by no means be saved who are strangers to the apostolic faith and catholic church.'

And Augustine, or Fulgentius, to the same purpose *:

[ Εν τίνι δικαιωθῆναι δυνατὸν τοὺς ἀνόμους ἡμας καὶ ἀσεβεῖς, ἢ ἐν μόνῳ τῷ ὑιῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ; ἢ τῆς γλυκείας ἀνταλλαγῆς, ὦ τῆς ἀνεξιχνιάστου δημιουργίας, ἢ τῶν ἀπροσε δοκήτων ευεργεσιῶν, ἵνα ἀνομία μὲν πολλῶν ἐν δικαιῳ ἑνὶ κρυβῇ, δικαιωσύνη δὲ ἑνὸς wodλoùs árópous dizaion.—Just. Epist. ad Diognet.

Nemo ergo sibi persuadeat, nemo seipsum decipiat; extra hanc domum, id est extra ecclesiam, nemo salvatur.-Origen. super Jesum Nave, Hom. 3.

Neque enim vivere foris possunt, cùm domus Dei una sit, et nemini salus esse nisi in ecclesiâ possit.-Cyprian. Epist. 62. ad Pomponium.

* Perisse autem constat in illo diluvio omnes ipsius temporis homines, præter eos qui intra arcam, quæ typum gerebat ecclesiæ, reperiri meruerint. Nam similiter etiam nunc omnino salvi esse non poterunt, qui ab apostolicâ fide et ab ecclesià catholicâ fuerint alieni.-Gaudent. Episc. Brix. Tract. 1. de Lect. Evang.

* Firmissimè tene, et nullatenus dubites, non solùm omnes paganes, sed etiam omnes Judæos, hæreticos, atque schismaticos, qui extra ecclesiam

Firmly believe, and doubt not at all, but that not only all pagans, but also all Jews, heretics, and schismatics, that end this present life without the catholic church, shall go into eternal fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels.' For as the same father, Augustine, elsewhere saith, Do not believe you can be saved by any other art than by the invocation and cross of Christ.' And therefore we may well conclude, it is only by the name of Christ that eternal salvation can be obtained.

ARTICLE XIX.

Of the Church.

THE VISIBLE CHURCH OF CHRIST IS A CONGREGATION OF FAITHFUL MEN, IN THE WHICH THE PURE WORD OF GOD IS PREACHED, AND THE SACRAMENTS BE DULY ADMINISTERED, ACCORDING TO GOD'S ORDINANCE, IN ALL THOSE THINGS THAT OF NECESSITY ARE REQUISITE TO THE SAME.

AS THE CHURCH OF JERUSALEM, ALEXANDRIA, AND ANTIOCH, HAVE ERRED, SO ALSO THE CHURCH OF ROME HATH ERRED, NOT ONLY IN THEIR LIVING AND MANNER OF CEREMONIES, BUT ALSO IN MATTERS OF FAITH.

THOUGH the church of Christ be one and the same church both in heaven and earth, yet it much differs there from itself as here. There it is triumphant, not militant; here it is militant, not triumphant: there it consisteth of good only, and not of bad; here of bad also as well as good.

catholicam præsentem finiunt vitam, in ignem æternum ituros, qui præparatus est diabolo et angelis ejus.-De Fide, ad Petrum Diaconum. Per nullam aliam artem salvari vos credatis, nisi per invocationem et crucem Christi.-Aug. de Rectitudine Catholica Conversationis. Una verò est fidelium universalis ecclesia, extra quam nullus omnino salvatur. - Concil. Lateran. 4. de Fide Catholica.

• The orthodox fathers, (as we shall see presently), asserting that the church in heaven consisted only of good, the church on earth had bad persons also mixed in it, the Donatists objected, that then there would be