if David and the incestuous Corinthian had saving faith, inadmissible eternal life, and "finished salvation," when they committed their crimes; and if faith or BELIEVING [as Mr. Berridge affirms, page 168.] is the TOTAL term of ALL salvation," why might not every Christian, if he is so minded, murder his neighbour, worship idols, and gratify even incestuous lusts as well as primitive backsliders, without risking his "finished" salvation Upon this Antinomian axiom advanced by Mr. Berridge, “Believing is the TOTAL term of ALL salvation;" I lay my engine, a grain of reason, and ask every unprejudiced person, who is able to conclude that two and two make four, whether we may not, without any magical power, heave morality out of the world, or Calvinism out of the Church?

If Mr. Berridge pleads, that when he says, page 168, "Believing is the TOTAL term of ALL saivation," he means a faith " including and producing all obedience:" I reply, Then he gives up solifidianism; he means the very faith which I contend for in the Checks; and, pressing him with his own definition of faith; I ask, how can a "faith including all obedience," include murder, as in the case of David; "idolatry," as in the case of Solomon; "lying, cursing, and denying Christ," as in the case of Peter; and even incest, as in the case of the apostate Corinthian? Are murder, idolatry, cursing, and incest, "all obedience?"-—-—If Mr. Berridge replies No: Then David, Solomon, &c. lost the "justifying faith" of St. Paul, when they lost the "justifying works" of St. James; and so Mr. Berridge gives up the point together with Calvinism. If he says Yes; He not only gives up St. James's justification, but quite unmasks Antinomianism; and the rational world, who “ come and peep," may see that his doctrine of grace is not a chaste, but a great Diana, who pays as little regard to decency, as she does to Scripture.

If this is a sophism, I humbly intreat the learned Fellow of Clare-hall to convince the world of it, by shewing where the fallacy lies. He can do it, if it can be done, "having consumed a deal of candle at a noted Hall at Cambridge, in lighting up a good understanding," even after he was declared master of the art of logic. But if the dilemma is forcible, and grinds Calvinism as between an upper and nether mill-stone, I hope that he will no longer oppose the dictates of reason, merely to pour contempt upon our Lord's doctrine of a believer's justification by the works of faith; and to sport himself with obedience, rendered as ridiculous as Sampson was, when the Philistines treated him as a blind mill-horse.

SECT. II.

66

We have already seen how Mr. Berridge gives the passport of obedience to the winds as a boyish trumpery. To render the "paper-kite" more contemptible, page 145, he ties to it instead of a tail, a spruce new set of duties half a yard long, called legally-evangelical and evangelicallylegal, unknown to Christ and his apostles, but discovered lately by some ingenious gentleman." Just as if I, who have ventured upon those expressions, to indicate the harmony that subsists between the promises of the gospel and the duties of the law of liberty, and Mr. Wesley, who has let those compounded words pass in the Second Check, were the first men who have taught, That believers "are not without law to God, but under a law to Christ, 1 Cor. ix. 21. Just as if no body had said before us, "Do we make void the law through faith," or through the gospel? God forbid! Yea, we establish the law, Rom. iii. 31. That is by preaching a faith that worketh by love," we establish the moral law; for "love is the fulfilling of it, and he that loveth another, has fullfilled the law," Rom. xiii. 8, 10.-Not indeed the ceremonial law of Moses, for ceremonies and

"

love are not the same thing; nor yet the Adamic law of innocence, for it the Apostle had spoken of that law, he would have said, "He that has always loved another with perfect love, has fulfilled the law:" Therefore he evidently speaks of the evangelical law, preached thus by St. James to believers, so speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty," Jam. ii. 12. A law, which is so called, not because it gives us the least liberty to sin; but because, during the day of salvation, it indulges us with the precious liberty to repent of our former sins, and come to Christ for pardon, and for stronger supplies of sanctifying grace.

However, Mr. Berridge, as if the Antinomians had already burned St. James's epistle, says, page 144, after speaking of the law of innocence given to Adam before the Fall," All other laws," [and consequently the law of liberty] are cobwebs of a human brain:" What, Sir, do you think that Moses was a spiritual spider, when he wove the ceremonial law? Can you possibly imagine that David's blessed men, whose delight is in THE LAW of the Lord, meditates day and night in a LAW, which bids him "stand upon his own legs," and absolutely despair of mercy upon a single trip?" Would you on second thoughts, say, that St. Paul and St. James weave "cobwebs" in the brains of mankind, when they declare, that "the end of the COMMANDMENT [or of Christ's law] is charity, from a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned;" when they speak of fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;" or when they assure us, that he who loveth another HATH FULFILLED IT;" and exhort us to "bear one another's burdens, and SO FULFIL THE LAW OF CHRIST?" See l Tim. i. 5. Jam. ii. 8. Gal. v. 13. and Gal. vi. 2.

§ I shall not borrow here the rash expression, which Mr. Berridge uses when he confounds original worthiness, and derived merit, and reflects upon Christ, who evidently attributes the latter to believers: I shall not say, that my new opponent's mistake is "enough to make a devil blush,"

* How strangely may prejudice influence a good man! Mr. Berridge, page 164, &c. raises a masked battery against the article of the Minutes, where Mr. Wesley hints, that "the word merit" might be used in a scriptural sense to express what Dr. Owen, by an uncouth circumlocution calls, "The rewardable condecency, that our whole obedience, through God's gracious appointment, has unto eternal life."-"O Sir, [says Mr. Berridge] God must abominate the pride, the insolence of human pride, which could dream of merit: it is enough to make a devil blush.”—There is great truth in these words, if Mr. Berride speaks only of proper merit or merit of condignness: but if he extends them to the evangelical worthiness so frequently mentioned by our Lord; if he applies them to improper merit, generally called merit of congruity, he indirectly charges Christ with teaching a doctrine so excessively diabolical, that the devil himself would be ashamed of it; and what is more surprising still, if I mistake not, he indirectly enforces the dreadful heresy himself by an ILLUSTRATION which, in some degree, shews how God rewards us, "for" our works, and "according to" our works. A tender-hearted gentleman, [says he] employs two labourers out of charity, to weed a little spot of four square yards. Both are old and much decrepit, but one is stronger than the other. The stronger weeds three yards, and receives three crowns: the weaker weedeth one, and receives one crown. Now both are rewarded for their labour, and according to their labour, but not for the merit of their labour."-Granted, if merit is taken in the sense of proper merit, or merit of condignness and equivalence; but absolutely denied if it is taken in the sense of improper worthiness, or merit of congruity.-Let Thomas

but I may venture to affirm, that before he can prove, the law of liberty is "a cobweb," he must not only burn St. James's epistle, but sweep away the epistles of St Paul to the Romans and to the Galatians; together with the law, the prophets, and the Psalms. While he considers whether the tree of Antinomianism will yield a bosom strong enough for that purpose, I beg leave to dwell a moment upon another of his mistakes. It respects obedience and good works, against which Solifidians indirectly wage an eternal war. It runs through several pages, but centers in the following unguarded propositions.

Page 35, 1. 18. "Sincere obedience is no where mentioned in the gospel as a coNDITION of salvation;" and page 36, 1. 4. " Works have no share in the covenant of grace as a CONDITION of life." I grant it, if by salvation in the first proposition, and by life in the second, Mr. Berridge means INITIAL salvation and life BEGUN in the world of grace. For undoubtedly the "free gift is come upon all men to justification," or salvation from the damning guilt of original sin, and consequently to some interest in the divine favour previous to all obedience and works. Again and again have I observed, that as by one man's disobedience many [O TOM, the multitudes of men] were made sinners; so by the obedience of one many [o Too, the multitudes of men] shall to the end of the world, be made righteous, i. e. partakers of the above mentioned justification, in consequence of Christ's atonement, and the talent of free-grace, and supernatural light, which enlightens every man that comes into the world. [Compare Rom. v. 18, 19. with John i. 4, 5, 9. Far from opposing this initial LIFE of free-grace, this SALVATION unconditionally begun" I assert its necessity against the Pelagians, and reality against the Papist and Calvinists, who agree to maintain, that God has absolutely reprobated a

Aquinas, the most famous of all the papist divines, bring his standard of merit, and measure Mr. Berridge; and if the vicar of Everton [how loud soever he may exclaim against the WORD] is not found holding the DOCTRINE of merit of congruity as much as Mr. Baxter, let me for ever forfeit all pretentions to a grain of common sense. The angelic Doctor" defines merit thus: " Dicitur aliquis mereri er condigno, quando invenitur equalitas interpræmium et meritum secundum æstimationem: ex congruo autem, tantum quando talis equalitas non invenitur; sed solum secundum liberalitatem dantis munus tribuitur quod dantem decet."-That is, “a man is said to merit with a merit of condignness, [i. e. to merit properly,] when upon an average there appears an equality between the reward and the merit. But he is said to merit only with a merit of congruity, [i. e. to merit improperly] when there is no such equality; and when a benefactor out of mere liberality, makes a present, which it becomes him to make."-Now let candid men compare Mr. Berridge's ILLUSTRATION, with the definition that the most renowned papist doctor has given us of merit; and let them say if Mr Berridge, instead of splitting the hair, does not maintain, and ILLUSTRATE the doctrine of merit of congruity; and if one of the blushes which he supposes our Lord's doctrine of worthiness or merit would bring upon the face of some modest devil, does not become the author of the Christian World unmasked, more than the author of the Minutes?

* Some of my readers will wonder at my coupling the Calvinists and the Romanist, when I speak of those who hold absolute reprobation: but my observation is founded upou matter of fact. We are too well acquainted with the opinion of the Calvinists concerning the vessels of wrath, the sentiments of the Papists not being so public, may be brought to light by the following anecdote. Being some years ago at Ganges, in the South of France, I went with Mr. Pomaret, the Protestant minister

considerable part of mankind. But Mr. Berridge's propositions are Antinomianism unmasked, if he extends their meaning (as his scheme does) to finished salvation, and to a life of glory, unconditionally bestowed upon adulterous backsliders: For sincere obedience, or the good works of faith, are a condition [or, to use Mr. Berridge's word, " a term,"] indispensibly required of all, that stay long enough upon the stage of life, to act as moral agents. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away," John xv. 2. "Be not deceived, neither fornicators, &c. shall inherit the kingdom of God," 1 Cor. vi. 9. See Ezek. xviii. and xxxii. "If the penitent thief had lived, (says our Church) and not regarded the works of faith, he should have lost his salvation again." As for the argument taken from these words, "He that believeth [now, with the heart unto righteousness] hath everlasting life," [i. e. has a title to it, and hast of a life of glory, shall have the enjoyment of it "if he continues in the faith rooted and grounded;"] it is answered at large in my Fourth Check.

Page 38, Mr. Berridge unmasks Antinomianism in the following propositions. "I have gathered up my ends, respecting this matter; and I trust you see at length, that sincere obedience is nothing but a jack-o'lanthorn, dancing here and there and every where: No man could ever catch him, but thousands have been lost by following him."

of that town, to recommend to divine mercy the soul of a woman dying in child-bed. When we came out of the house, he said: Did you take notice of the person who was by the bed-side, he is a man-midwife, and a strenuous Papist. You see by the consequences that this poor woman had a very hard labour. As it was doubtful whether the child would be born alive, he insisted upon baptizing it in the womb, avec une seringue, according to custom. The protestant women in the room, exclaimed against his intention of tormenting a woman in that extremity, by so ridiculous and needless an operation. Needless? replied he, how can you call that needless, which will save a soul? Do you not know, that if the child dies unbaptized, it will certainly be lost? The doctrine of the Romish Church is then free wrath, or free reprobation, for the myriads of infants who die without baptism all the world over.

§ I beg leave to confirm this anecdote by a public testimony. My opponents have frequently mentioned the agreement of my sentiments with those of the popish champion Bellarmine. This gave me a desire of looking into his works. Accordingly I procured them last winter; and, tomy great surprise before I had read a page, I found him a peculiar admirer of the great predestinarian St. Augustine, whom he perpetually quotes. Nay, he is so strenuous an asserter of Calvinistic election, that, to prove "We can give no account of God's election in our part," among the reasons advanced by Calvin, Coles, Zanchius, &c. in support of unconditional election and reprobation, he proposes the following argument, "Tertia ratio, &c. ducitur a parvulorum diversitate, quorum aliqui rapiuntur statim a baptismo, alii paulo ante baptismum, quorum priores ad gloriam prædestinatiorum, posteriores ad pænam reproborum pertinere non est dubium: nec possunt hic ulla merita previsa, ullusve bonus usus liberi arbitrii, aut gratia fingi." Bell. Opera de gratia et libero arbitrio. Cap. V. Antverpiae, 1611, page 776. That is, "The third reason is taken, from the different lot of little children; some being snatched immediately after baptism, and others a little before baptism: The former of whom undoubtedly go to the glory of the elect; and the latter, to the punishment of the reprobates. Nor can any desert forseen, or any good use of free-will or of grace be here pretended." This argument is truly worthy of the cause which it supports. The very offence of Calvinism is an irrecon

If I mistake not, Mr. Berridge here exceeds Mr. Hill. The author of Pietas Oxoniensis only supposes, that works have nothing to do before the Judge of all the earth in the matter of our eternal salvation, and that all believers shall" sing louder" in heaven for all their crimes upon earth: But the Vicar of Everton represents "sincere obedience" [which is a collection of all the good works of upright heathens, Jews, and Christians,] as a jack-o'-lanthorn; and thousands," says he, "have been lost by following him."-Here is a blow at the root!-What! thousands lost by following after sincere obedience to God's commands? Impossible! -Our pious author, I hope, means insincere obedience; but if he stands to what he wrote, he must not be surprised, if with the good folks cast in a gospel-foundery, I ring a fire-bell," and warn the Protestant world against so capital a mistake. That thousands have been lost by resting in faithless, superficial, hypocritical, insincere obedience, I grant: But Thousands !-lost! by following after sincere obedience, i. e. after the obedience we uprightly perform according to the light we have!This is as impossible, as that the Holy Spirit should lie when he testifies, "In every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him, according to one or another of the divine dispensations: He is accepted as a converted heathen, Jew, or Christian.

Had I the voice of a trumpet I would shout upon the walls of our Jerusalem: Let no man deceive you: No body was ever lost, but for NOT following after, or for starting from sincere obedience; Christian faith itself being nothing but sincere obedience to this grand Gospel precept, " Believe in the Lord Jesus Chaist, and thou shalt be saved. We have received apostleship, (says St. Paul) for obedience to the faith among all nations, Rom. i. 5. No adult children of Adam were ever eternally saved, but such as followed after sincere obedience, at least from the time of their last conversion, if they once drew back towards perdition. For Christ, says the Apostle, is the author of ETERNAL salvation to them that OBEY him; and he undoubtedly means, that obey him sincerely: "He will render eternal life to them who by patient continuance in welldoing," or by persevering in sincere obedience, seek for glory." Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offering, says Samuel, as in OBEYING [and I dare say he meant sincerely obeying] the voice of the Lord-Behold [whatever solifidians may say] to OBEY is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rums: for rebellion [er disobedience] is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness as idolatry. Heb. v. 9. Rom. ii. 7.

1 Sam. xv. 22.

§ God, to shew the high value he puts upon sincere obedience, sent Jeremiah to the Rechabites with this message; "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts; therefore Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever." His capital charge against

cileable opposition to the second gospel-axiom. And as Bellarmine's argument demolishes that axiom, (it being impossible that the damnation of reprobated infants should be from themselves,) he necessarily builds up Calvinism, with all its gracious doctrines. I might here return my last opponent these words of his Finishing Stroke, page 15, which he writes in capitals, "SO BELLARMINE"-" See, Sir, what company you are again found in:"-But I do not admire such arguments. Were Father Walsh and Cardinal Bellarmine in the right, it would be no more disgrace to Mr. Hill to stand between them both, than it is to me to believe with the Cardinal, that Christ has said, "In the day of judgment by thy words shalt thou be justitied." For, as a diamond does not become a pebble upon the finger of a papist, so truth does not become a lie under his pen.