"doth lead to everlafting life;" and accordingly pronounces," that this is to be taken for a "moft true leffon, taught by Chrift's own

mouth, that the works of the moral com"mandments of God, be the very true works "of faith, which lead to the bleffed life to $ comeb."

Of these two very different fignifications the former has nothing to recommend it, but the fuppofition, that the inquirer was defirous of establishing a prefumptuous claim to falvation upon a fancied merit of his own righteoufnefs: a fuppofition, which feems to derive lefs fupport from the narrative of the facred hiftorian, than from the hypercritical refinement of the commentator. Of the latter, and, I think it may be fafely added, the more obvious fignification, the circumstances will warrant us in afferting, that it is more agreeable to the general tenour of our Lord's inftructions; to the general frankness and fimplicity of his character; to the high esteem, which he uniformly expreffed and encouraged for the moral law; and to the cheerfulness, and perfpicuity, with which he had communicated information in the great affair of man's happiness; than an interpretation which changes the

b Homilies; Second Part of the Sermon of Good Works, p. 41. Oxford edit.

whole character of the reply; which tends to difparage thofe commandments, "the leaft of " which whofoever fhall break and fhall teach "men fo," is pronounced by Chrift himself to be" the least in the kingdom of heaven;" which is calculated to perplex the mind, and deaden the exertions, of the devout enquirer after happiness; whilft it invefts a clear and merciful exhortation of Him, who is "the

light and life of the world," with the illu five and mysterious obfcurity of an oracular response.

Influenced in our judgment by fuch confiderations, and fanctioned withal in our interpretation by the authority of our pure and evangelical Church, we maintain the indispen fable neceffity of obedience to the moral law, as a condition of eternal falvation: and urging upon our hearers the obligation of their baptismal vow, whilft we call upon them on the one hand to believe all the articles of the Chriftian faith, we fail not to warn them on the other, that" if they will enter into life, "they muft keep the commandments.”

That "the children of this world," indiffe rent to their everlafting welfare, should turn away from fuch "preachers of righteousness," might excite more concern, than astonishJohni. 4. viii. 19.

: Matt. v. 19.

ment: but that "the children of light," that Chriftians, who profefs to be, and many of whom (we doubt not) really are, folicitous for the falvation of their fouls, fhould "forfake "the affembling of themselves together" to exhortations fuch as thefe; that they should condemn the preacher, as a fetter forth of ftrange doctrines; and reprobate his inftructions, as a departure from the Gospel of Chrift: a cafe like this would furely not be expected; and, unless on indifputable evidence, would fcarcely be admitted to exist.

To obviate however any charge of mifreprefentation, with respect to the conduct of our accufers; and at the fame time to prevent my own fentiments from being mifunderstood; it appears defirable, that the cafe, which is to be proposed for our prefent confideration, fhould be stated with greater precision.

I fuppofe it, then, to be the practice of the generality of our national clergy, in discharge of their duty as preachers of the Gospel, to divide their attention between faith in the Christian doctrines, and the practice of Chrif tian holiness, or good works: to impress them with equal earneftnefs upon their hearers: to defcribe them, as jointly and equally neceffary to the attainment of everlafting life: to reprefent them, not as meritorious caufes, (God forbid!) but as indifpenfable conditions of happi

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nefs: in a word, to publish in their difcourfes, what the Church appoints them to pronounce in the Liturgy," the abfolution and remiffion "of fins to all them, that truly repent and unfeignedly believe Chrift's holy Gofpel:" fo that as the venerable Latimer more largely expreffes the position of the Church, "whofoever "from the bottom of his heart is forry for his "fins, and ftudieth to leave them, and live "uprightly, and believeth in our Saviour, con

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feffing that he came into this world to make "amends for our fins; this man or woman "shall not perish, but have forgiveness of fins, "and fo obtain everlasting life." Offence is taken at our preaching, as an unfcriptural exposition of the terms of the Christian covenant: we are told that our juftification and falvation are to be wrought by faith alone, independently of good works; that faith is all in all; and that, by uniting with faith any other condition or qualification for happiness, we forfeit our title to the appellation of Minifters and Preachers of the Gofpel.

The Calviniftic Founder of Methodism boldly demanded, "Who dares affert, that we are "not justified merely by an act of faith, with"out any regard to works, past, present, or to

• Latimer's Sermons, vol. i. p. 371.

"come;" He condemns the affertion, that good works are a neceffary condition of our being juftified in the fight of God, as " a new gofpel," which he is fure is not what the Apoftles preached; and which is as contrary "to the doctrine of the Church of England, " and the whole tenour of the Gospel, as light "is contrary to darkness:" and for this caufe he reprobates" the generality of the Clergy "of the Church of England, as preachers of

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a new gofpel, as blind guides;" and laments over a venerable Prelate of our Church, as no better than " a Roman Cardinal." His Arminian antagonist affirmed, that "the condi

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tion of our juftification is faith alone, and "not good works ";" that "the most deftruc "tive of all thofe errors, which Rome, the "mother of abominations, hath brought forth, "compared to which tranfubftantiation and a "hundred more are trifles light as air, is, that "we are juftified by works, or (to express the "thing a little more decently) by faith and "works." The charge continues to be maintained, not only by their followers, but by

Whitefield, Third Journal, p. 2. Enthusiasm of Methodists and Papifts compared, part ii. p. 151.

Works, vol. iv. p. 15, 16, 28.

h Wefley's Journal, No. IV. p. 17. Ibid. No. III. p. 89.