ceptance by Faith, naturally has upon Men's Lives and Manners, with the Evil of the contrary. In the fecond Part of the Sermon of Salvation, p. 16. they fay," This Saying, that we be jufti"fied by Faith only, freely, and without Works, "is fpoken for to take away clearly all Merit "of our Works, as being unable to deferve

our Juftification at God's Hand; thereby "moft plainly to exprefs the Weakness of "Man and the Goodnefs of GOD; the great "Infirmity of ourfelves, and the Might and "Power of GOD; the Imperfectness of our

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own Works, and the most abundant Grace "of our Saviour Chrift; and, therefore, wholly

to afcribe the Merit of our Juftification un"to Chrift and his moft precious Blood-fhed"ding. This Faith, the Holy Scripture teach"eth us, is the ftrong Rock and Foundation of "Chriftian Religion; this Doctrine all ancient "Authors of Chrift's Church do approve; "this Doctrine advanceth and fetteth forth "the true Glory of Chrift, and beateth down "the Vain-glory of Man; this whofoever

denyeth is not to be accounted for a Chrif"tian Man, nor for a fetter forth of Chrift's "Glory, but for an Adverfary to Chrift and "his Gofpel, and for a fetter forth of Men's "Vain-glory." And again, p. 20. "Thefe

great and merciful Benefits of GOD (if they "be well confidered) do neither minifter unto "us occafion to be Idle and to live without "doing any good Works, nor yet ftirreth us

66 up

“

up by any means to do evil Things: But, contrary wife, if we be not defperate Perfons, " and our Hearts harder than Stones, they do "C move us to render ourselves wholly unto "GOD, with all our Will, Heart, Might, "and Power, to ferve him in all good Deeds,

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obeying his Commandments during our "Lives, to feek in all things his Glory and "Honour, not our fenfual Pleasures and Vain

glory, evermore dreading willingly to offend "fuch a merciful God, and loving Redeemer, "in Word, Thought, or Deed. And the faid "Benefits to God deeply confider'd, move us "for his fake alfo, to be ever ready to give ourfelves to our Neighbours, and as much

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as lieth in us, to ftudy with all our Endeavour to do good to every Man. These be the Fruits of true Faith, to do good as much

lieth in us to every Man, and in all things to advance the Glory of GOD, of whom only we have our Sanctification, Juftifica"tion, Salvation, and Redemption."

Moreover, to teach that Men have been ever ready (notwithstanding so many exprefs Declarations of God in his Word to the contrary) to fet up their own Inventions and Devices, inftead of the only faving Method by Faith in our Redeemer: In the fecond Part of the Sermon of good Works, p. 33. they fay, "The Blindnefs and Malice of Man, even "from the Beginning, hath ever been ready "to fall from GOD's Commandment.

He

gave

gave Credit unto the Woman feduced by "the Serpent; and fo followed his own Will, " and left GOD's Commandments: And, ever "fince that Time, all that came of him, have "been fo blinded through original Sin, that "they have been ever ready to fall from GOD "and his Law, and to Invent a new way to "Salvation by Works of their own Device: "So that once almost all the World, forfaking "the true Honour of the only eternal living "GOD, wandred about their own Phantafies; "worshipping fome, the Sun, the Moon, the "Stars; fome, Jupiter, Juno, Saturnus, Apollo, &c."

Thus I have gone thro' the Homilies to our prefent Purpose, and fhewn, by the plaineft Citations from thence, that there is no Point of Doctrine treated of in these Discourses, but what is conformable to the faid Homilies. It is well enough known, the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 18th, and 27th, of the Articles of Religion do affirm the fame. And, if I had Time to go over in like manner the Primitive Writers, it wou'd appear, that I have alfo their univerfal Confent. All Catholic Chriftians have, in all Ages, gone upon one and the fame Plan and Scheme of Doctrines, in relation to the Means of our Acceptance with the Deity, by Faith in the Redemption thro' Chrift, with the gracious Influence of the Holy Spirit. If, therefore, there be any Difficulty or feeming Incongruity in the manner of declaring or explaining

Explaining this Scheme, or any Part of it, by any former Member, or collective Body, of the Catholic Church; it must be the Business of thofe that come after, to endeavour, by right and fit Illuftrations and Diftinctions, more fully and clearly to explain and reconcile the fame and not, from fome hafty and præ-conceiv'd Diftafte, to fly away from the very Plan and Scheme itself, unexamin'd, and take shelter in their own rafh Opinions and Conceits. There may, for the Purpofe, be fome Difficulty in reconciling the feeming Contrariety that is betwixt God's all-fufficient Grace, Election, Spiritual Influences, &c. and Man's Free-Agency; as alfo betwixt Faith as it is Man's Act, and as it is the Gift of God. But, one is not from thence to conclude, that they are not to be reconciled at all; and, fo run into the Extream either of abfolute and unconditional Decrees, whereby nothing is left for Man to do; or, of Self-fufficient natural Powers, whereby Man is fuppofed to be able of himself to do every thing. But, when we fpeak of Man's FreeAgency, and of the Operations of God's Grace, or of his Decrees, Election, &c. (not to take up Conclufions fuperficially, and at a Venture) we shou'd confider, and ftate the Cafe of Man, as Man from the Beginning was, or is; viz. as Man was, either at his Creation; Or, under the Condition of his Fall; Or, after his Reftoration under Promife of a Redeemer: Or, as he is now fince his actual Redemption: As he

ftill

ftill is by Nature, unregenerated: Or, as he is by Grace, regenerated. For, we are to remember, that Man fince the Creation, has undergone feveral Changes of Condition; which also have been follow'd by feveral fuitable Changes of Difpenfation to him, and of Power or Ability in him. It may, therefore, be of use to take a View of thefe his feveral Conditions, viz. as Man was, ift. From his Creation to his Fall. 2dly. As he was, from his Fall, to his Reftoration in Hope. 3dly. As he was from his faid Reftoration in Hope, till his actual Redemption by Chrift. And 4thly. As he hath been, from his actual Redemption by Chrift, until now. All which Particulars, to avoid Confusion, may be confider'd in fo many diftinct Chapters.

CHA P. I.

Of the Condition of Man from his Creation to his Fall; and thereafter, of fome Points common to his State both then and fince.

MA

AN was created, both in his Soul and in his Body, Upright and Innocent; and (tho not left to himself without Means from the Beginning given him by God, of improving as well as preferving his Talent) perfectly free, and perfectly able to the Performance of every good Act, Spiritual and Moral, required of him. As the Almighty Creator had breathed into him the Breath of Life, or, more properly (because the Word in the Original is plural (the Breath of Lives, i. e. of a Spiritual, as well

H

as