ART. carry us, on the other hand, to as great a comprehensiveXVII. ness of all sides, as may well consist with the words in which our Church hath expressed herself on those heads.

:

It is not to be denied, but that the Article seems to be framed according to St. Austin's doctrine: it supposes men to be under a curse and damnation, antecedently to predestination, from which they are delivered by it; so it is directly against the Supralapsarian doctrine: nor does the Article make any mention of reprobation, no, not in a hint; no definition is made concerning it. The Article does also seem to assert the efficacy of grace: that in which the knot of the whole difficulty lies, is not defined; that is, whether God's eternal purpose or decree was made according to what he foresaw his creatures would do, or purely upon an absolute will, in order to his own glory. It is very probable, that those who penned it meant that the decree was absolute; but yet since they have not said it, those who subscribe the Articles do not seem to be bound to any 'thing that is not expressed in them and therefore since the Remonstrants do not deny but that God having foreseen what all mankind would, according to all the different circumstances in which they should be put, do or not do, he upon that did by a firm and eternal decree lay that whole design in all its branches, which he executes in time; they may subscribe this Article without renouncing their opinion as to this matter. On the other hand, the Calvinists have less occasion for scruple; since the Article does seem more plainly to favour them. The three cautions, that are added to it, do likewise intimate that St. Austin's doctrine was designed to be settled by the Article: for the danger of men's having the sentence of God's predestination always before their eyes, which may occasion either desperation on the one hand, or the wretchlesness of most unclean living on the other, belongs only to that side; since these mischiefs do not arise out of the other hypothesis. The other two, of taking the promises of God in the sense in which they are set forth to us in holy Scriptures, and of following that will of God that is expressly declared to us in the word of God, relate very visibly to the same opinion: though others do infer from these cautions, that the doctrine laid down in the Article must be so understood as to agree with these cautions; and therefore they argue, that since absolute predestination cannot consist with them, that therefore the Article is to be otherwise explained. They say the natural consequence of an absolute decree is either presumption or despair: since a man upon that bot

tom reckons, that which way soever the decree is made, ART. it must certainly be accomplished. The also argue, that XVII. because we must receive the promises of God as conditional, we must also believe the decree to be conditional; for absolute decrees exclude conditional promises. An offer cannot be supposed to be made in earnest by him that has excluded the greatest number of men from it by an antecedent act of his own. And if we must only follow the revealed will of God, we ought not to suppose that there is an antecedent and positive will of God, that has decreed our doing the contrary to what he has commanded.

Thus the one side argues, that the Article as it lies, in the plain meaning of those who conceived it, does very expressly establish their doctrine: and the other argues, from those cautions that are added to it, that it ought to be understood so as that it may agree with these cautions: and both sides find in the Article itself such grounds, that they reckon they do not renounce their opinions by subscribing it. The Remonstrant side have this farther to add, that the universal extent of the death of Christ seems to be very plainly affirmed in the most solemn part of all the offices of the Church: for in the office of Communion, and in the Prayer of Consecration, we own, that Christ, by the one oblation of himself once offered, made there a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. Though the others say, that by full, perfect, and sufficient, is not to be understood that Christ's death was intended to be a complete sacrifice and satisfaction for the whole world, but that in its own value it was capable of being such. This is thought too great a stretch put upon the words. And there are yet more express words in our Church-Catechism to this purpose; which is to be considered as the most solemn declaration of the sense of the Church, since that is the doctrine in which she instructs all her children: and in that part of it which seems to be most important, as being the short summary of the Apostles' Creed, it is said, God the Son, who hath redeemed me and all mankind: where all must stand in the same extent of universality, as in the precedent and in the following words; The Father who made me and all the world; the Holy Ghost who sanctifieth me and all the elect people of God; which being to be understood severely, and without exception, this must also be taken in the same strictness. There is another argument brought from the office of Baptism, to prove that men may fall from a state of grace and regeneration; for in the whole office, more particularly in the

XVII.

ART. Thanksgiving after the Baptism, it is affirmed, that the person baptized regenerated by God's Holy Spirit, and is received for his own child by adoption: now since it is certain that many who are baptized fall from that state of grace, this seems to import, that some of the regenerate may fall away: which though it agrees well with St. Austin's doctrine, yet it does not agree with the Calvinists' opinions.

Thus I have examined this matter in as short a compass as was possible; and yet I do not know that I have forgot any important part of the whole controversy, though it is large, and has many branches. I have kept, as far as I can perceive, that indifference which I proposed to myself in the prosecuting of this matter; and have not on this occasion declared my own opinion, though I have not avoided the doing it upon other occasions. Since the Church has not been peremptory, but that a latitude has been left to different opinions, I thought it became me to make this explanation of the Article such and therefore I have not endeavoured to possess the reader with that which is my own sense in this matter, but have laid the force of the arguments, as well as the weight of the difficulties of both sides before him, with all the advantages that I had found in the books either of the one or of the other persuasion. And I leave the choice as free to my reader, as the Church has done.

ARTICLE XVIII.

Of obtaining Eternal Salvation only by the Name of Christ.

They also 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 Mature. For Holp Scripture doth set out unto us only the Name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved.

THE

HE impiety, that is condemned in this Article, was first taught by some of the Heathen orators and philosophers in the fourth century, who, in their addresses. to the Christian emperors for the tolerance of paganism, started this thought, that how lively soever it may seem, when well set off in a piece of eloquence, will not bear a severe argument: that God is more honoured by the varieties and different methods of worshipping and serving him, than if all should fall into the same way: that this diversity has a beauty in it, and a suitableness to the infinite perfections of God; and it does not look so like a mutual agreement or concert, as when all men worship him one way. But this is rather a flash of wit than true reasoning.

The Alcoran has carried this matter farther, to the asserting, that all men in all religions are equally acceptable to God, if they serve him faithfully in them. The infusing this into the world, that has a shew of mercy in it, made men more easy to receive their law; and they took care by their extreme severity to fix them in it, when they were once engaged: for though they use no force to make men Musselmans, yet they punish with all extremity every thing that looks like apostasy from it, if it is once received. The doctrine of Leviathan, that makes law to be religion and religion to be law, that is, that obliges subjects to believe that religion to be true, or at least to follow that which is enacted by the laws of their country, must be built either on this foundation, that there is no such thing as revealed religion, but that it is only a political contrivance; or that all religions are equally acceptable to God.

ART.

Others having observed that it was a very small part of XVIII. mankind that had the advantages of the Christian religion, have thought it too cruel to damn in their thoughts all those who have not heard of it, and yet have lived morally and virtuously, according to their light and education. And some, to make themselves and others easy, in accommodating their religion to their secular interests, to excuse their changing, and to quiet their consciences, have set up this notion, that seems to have a largeness both of good nature and charity in it; looks plausible, and is calculated to take in the greatest numbers: they therefore suppose that God in his infinite goodness will accept equally the services that all his creatures offer to him, according to the best of their skill and strength.

In opposition to all which, they are here condemned, who think that every man shall be saved by the law or sect which he professeth: where a great difference is to be observed between the words saved by the law, and saved in the law; the one is condemned, but not the other. To be saved by a law or sect, signifies, that by the virtue of that law or sect such men who follow it may be saved: whereas to be saved in a law or sect imports only, that God may extend his compassions to men that are engaged in false religions. The former is only condemned by this Article, which affirms nothing concerning the other. In sum; if we have fully proved that the Christian religion was delivered to the world in the name of God, and was attested by miracles, so that we believe its truth, we must believe every part and tittle of it, and by consequence those passages which denounce the wrath and judgments of God against impenitent sinners, and that promise mercy and salvation only upon the acRom. x. 9, count of Christ and his death: We must believe with our hearts, and confess it with our mouths: we must not be ashamed of Christ, or of his words, lest he should be ashamed of us, when he comes in the glory of his Father, with his holy angels. This, I say, being a part of the Gospel, must be as true as the Gospel itself is; and these rules must bind all those to whom they are proposed, whether they are enacted by law or not: for if we are assured that they are a part of the law of the King of kings, we are bound to believe and obey them, whether human laws do favour them or not; it being an evident thing, that no subordinate authority can derogate from that which is superior to it: so if the laws of God are clearly revealed, and certainly conveyed down to us, we are bound by them, and no human law can dissolve this obligation. If

10.

Mark viii.

38.