hold faft this article of our faith without wavering on account of bold and groundless affertions, and without fuffering ourselves to be feduced by the learning and other excellent qualities which have adorned fome of those who oppofe it. The Church of Chrift will doubtless always fubfift upon earth, but any particular Church may fall, and may become like the early Churches of Afia, whofe candlesticks are removed from their place. We cannot agree or unite with Arians, Socinians, and Unitarians, left we be found to deny the Lord who bought us'. They who are redeemed and juftified by faith in Chrift crucified, are fanctified by the Holy Ghoft. All denominations of Chriftians agree, that human nature is a foil too fterile to produce of itself fruit worthy of eternal life: it requires to be invigorated by divine grace. Different tefts and criteria of fanctification have been propofed; as a communion with b The teftimonies from the Fathers in proof of the divine Atonement are of my own felection: as I thought it better not to avail myself, in this point, of the industry of others. They might eafily have been much enlarged. I earnestly recommend those who are unfatisfied as to the belief of the early ages in our Lord's divinity to Dr. Burgh's treatise on the Trinity, to Dr. Horsley's controverfial Letters with Dr. Priestley, (republished in 1812,) and above all to Bishop Bull's tracts on this subject, published by Grabe in one vol. folio. the Church of Rome, or an inward affurance and witness of the Holy Spirit, which a man feels within himself. Our Church, in the first part of her Homily for Whitfunday, thus treats this subject: "O but how fhall I know "that the Holy Ghoft is within me? fome man perchance will fay. "is known by his fruit, fo 66 Truly as the tree is also the Holy Ghost. Here now is that glass, wherein "thou must behold thyfelf, and difcern whe"ther thou have the Holy Ghost within thee, "or the spirit of the flesh. If thou fee that "thy works be virtuous and good, confonant "to the prescribed rule of God's word, tafting "not of the flesh, but of the Spirit, then affure thyfelf that thou art endued with the Holy "Ghost: otherwife, in thinking well of thy"self, thou doft nothing else but deceive thy"felf." I have endeavoured to fhew, that the early Fathers established this fame criterion of divine inspiration. For the truth of their being guided by divine influence, they made a bold appeal to the world, to Jews and Pagans, that the lives of Chriftians were better and happier than those of other men. "Our religion,” said • Ουκ εν λόγοις, αλλ' εν έργοις τα της ημετερας θεοσεβειας @paypara. Juftin Mart. Paræn. ad Græcos, p. 33. Nos non habitu sapientiam, fed mente præferimus: Minuc. Felix, Dial. p. 31. they, "is not one of profeffions, but is exhi "bited in our lives:" its beneficial effects recommended it, to apply Origen's forcible representation, to the "common fenfe" (xown Evvoid) of mankind. Upon this important fubject we are happy to obferve, that the fentiments of the Fathers are in unifon with the doctrines of our Church: they do not fupport the arrogant pretenfions of the Romanifts, who fay, "the Holy Ghoft was promifed to “the Church; and we, being the chief heads, "and the principal part of the Church, have "therefore the Holy Ghoft for ever:" nor do they coincide with that sentimental nonsense, which exalts uncertain feelings and impreffions into folid proofs of divine inspiration. He that doeth righteousness is righteous. Men of these two different persuasions have fallen into equal errors, both in judging partially of their own cafe, and in venturing to decide pofitively between real and nominal Christians. They deny that thofe who think & Contra Celf. lib. iii. p. 135. e Homily for Whitfunday, part 2. "The object of this "faculty (confcience, or moral fenfe) is actions, compre"hending under that name active or practical principles." Bifhop Butler, of the Nature of Virtue. Ουδε ή αρετη και κακια-εν πεισει αλλα ενεργεία. M. Anton. lib. ix. 16. "Virtutis laus omnis in actione confiftit." Cic. Offic. lib. i. c. 6. otherwise than themselves can poffefs the Holy Ghost; and they confequently exclude them from the fellowship of Chrift's Church, and the promises of God's favour and eternal hap→ piness. Others, on the contrary, perceiving the bigotry and unjust intolerance of these notions, and confidering probably moreover the total ignorance of true religion which prevails over fo large a portion of the earth, and the unavoidable errors and incurable blindness of fome who have been inftructed in the faving truths of the Gospel, have on these accounts, from a latitude of indulgence, supposed that fincerity was the only indispensable requifite on the part of man to render his homage acceptable to his Maker. The truth is, that this matter does not fall within the decifion of human judgment: nor have we on earth any certain means of difcerning those who really belong to the true Church and mystical body of Chrift. They who are of this fociety have marks and notes to distinguish them which we cannot know, but which are clear and manifeft to God only, who feeth the heart. On the other hand, all are members of the vifible Church, who maintain a uniformity of outward profeffion, and acknowledge one Lord, one faith, one baptism. If this diftinction between the real Church and the vifible Church were well obferved, much error and mischief would be prevented'. They who reject a belief in salvation through the mediation of Chrift, and they who are careless of good works, infidels and profligates -cannot, without repentance, be numbered among the true fervants of our Lord, who have the promises of eternal bleffed nefs. But many of our theological controverfies turn not upon these greater queftions, but relate to dif tinctions of the vifible Church, and the degrees of foundness and corruption in particular focieties. We think that many doctrines of the Church of Rome, and of certain Protestant Diffenters, are unfound; and that our Church is more pure, because fhe has not admitted innovations upon the faith and practice of primitive times. When other Chriftian focieties wish to impose upon mankind their tenets, upon the plea of an infallible authority, we protest against this tyranny, from whatever quarter it may proceed. The King and people of this country own no fuperior under God: with his bleffing, they are able and willing to govern themselves, in matters spiritual and civil, without the aid of any power at f The Romanifts fay, that "an invifible Church are "words without meaning." Faith of Catholics, p. 57. Are not the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apoftles, and deceased Saints, (whom they invocate,) part of that Church, of which Chrift himself is the invisible head? |