shall profit you nothing." Christ, in the work of man's salvation, is alone: the Galatians were cast away by joining circumcision and the other rites of the law with Christ: the church of Rome doth teach her children to join other things likewise with him; therefore their faith, their belief, doth not profit them any thing at all. It is true, that they do indeed join other things with Christ: but how? Not in the work of redemption itself, which they grant that Christ alone hath performed sufficiently for the salvation of the whole world; but in the application of this inestimable treasure, that it may be effectual to their salvation: how demurely soever they confess that they seek remission of sins no otherwise than by the blood of Christ, using humbly the means appointed by him to apply the benefit of his holy blood: they teach indeed so many things pernicious in Christian faith, in setting down the means whereof they speak, that the very foundation of faith which they hold is thereby plainly overthrown," and the force of the blood of Jesus Christ extinguished. We may therefore, disputing with them, urge them even with as dangerous sequels, as the apostle doth the Galatians. But I demand, if some of those Galatians, heartily embracing the gospel of Christ, sincere and sound in faith (this one only error excepted), had ended their lives before they were ever taught how perilous an opinion they held; shall we think that the danger of this error did so overweigh the benefit of their faith, that the mercy of God might not save them ? I grant they overthrow the foundation of faith by consequent; doth not that so likewise which the Lutheran churches do at this day so stiffly and so firmly maintain? For mine own part, I dare not here deny the possibility of their salvation, which have been the chiefest instruments of ours, albeit they carried to their graves a persuasion so greatly repugnant to the truth. Forasmuch therefore,

as it may be said of the church of Rome, she hath yet a little strength, she doth not directly deny the foundation of Christianity; I may, I trust without offence, persuade myself that thousands of

Plainly in all men's sight whose eyes God hath enlightened to behold his truth. For they which are in error are in darkness, and see not that which in light is plain. In that which they teach concerning the natures of Christ, they hold the same with Nestorius fully, the same with Eutyches about the proprieties of his nature.

The opinion of the Lutherans, though it be no direct denial of the foundation, may notwithstanding be damnable unto some; and I do not think but that in many respects it is less damnable, as at this day some maintain it, than it was in them which held it at first; as Luther and others whom I had an eye unto in this speech. The question is not, whether an error with such and such circumstances; but simply, whether an error overthrowing the foundation, do exclude all possibility of salvation, if it be not recanted, and expressly repented of.

our fathers, in former times, living and dying within her walls, have found mercy at the hands of God.

18. What although they repented not of their errors? God forbid that I should open my mouth to gainsay that which Christ himself hath spoken: "Except ye repent ye shall all perish.” And if they did not repent, they perished. But withal note, that we have the benefit of a double repentance: the least sin which we commit in deed, thought, or word, is death, without repentance. Yet how many things do escape in every of these, which words we do not know! How many, which we do not observe to be sins! And without knowledge, without the observation of sin, there is no actual repentance. It cannot then be chosen, but that for as many as hold the foundation, and have holden all sins and errors in hatred, the blessing of repentance for unknown sins and errors is obtained at the hands of God, through the gracious mediation of Jesus Christ, for such suitors as cry with the prophet David, "Purge me, O Lord, from my secret sins."

19. But we wash a wall of loam; we labour in vain; all this is nothing, it doth not prove, it cannot justify that which we go about to maintain. Infidels and heathen men are not so godless, but that they may, no doubt, cry God mercy, and desire in general to have their sins forgiven. To such as deny the foundation of faith, there can be no salvation (according to the ordinary course which God doth use in saving men) without a particular repentance of that error. The Galatians, thinking that unless they were circumcised they could not be saved, overthrew the foundation of faith directly: therefore if any of them did die so persuaded, whether before or after they were told of their errors, their end is dreadful; there is no way with them but one, death and condemnation. For the apostle speaketh nothing of men departed, but saith generally of all, " If ye be cir- Gal. v. cumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. Ye are abolished from Christ, whosoever are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." Of them in the church of Rome, the reason is the same. For whom antichrist hath seduced, concerning them did not St. Paul speak long before, They received not the word of truth, that they might be saved? Therefore God would "send them strong delusions to believe lies, that all they might be damned which believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." And St. John," All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, Apoc. whose names are not written in the book of life." Indeed many in former times, as their books and writings do yet shew, held the

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foundation, to wit, salvation by Christ alone, and therefore might be saved. God hath always had a church among them, which firmly kept his saving truth. As for such as hold with the church of Rome, that we cannot be saved by Christ alone without works ; they do not only by a circle of consequents, but directly deny the foundation of faith; they hold it not, no, not so much as by a thread.

20. This, to my remembrance, being all that hath been opposed with any countenance or show of reason, I hope, if this be answered, the cause in question is at an end. Concerning general repentance, therefore, what? a murderer, a blasphemer, an unclean person, a Turk, a Jew, any sinner to escape the wrath of God by a general repentance, God forgive me? Truly, it never came within my heart, that a general repentance doth serve for all sins: it serveth only for the common oversights of our sinful life, and for the faults which either we do not mark, or do not know that they are faults. Our fathers were actually penitent for sins, wherein they knew they displeased God: or else they fall not within the compass of my first speech. Again, that otherwise they could not be saved, than holding the foundation of Christian faith, we have not only affirmed, but proved. Why is it not then confessed, that thousands of our fathers which lived in popish superstitions, might yet, by the mercy of God, be saved? First, if they had directly denied the very foundation of Christianity, without repenting them particularly of that sin, he which saith, there could be no salvation for them, according to the ordinary course which God doth use in saving men, granteth plainly, or at the least closely insinuateth, that an extraordinary privilege of mercy might deliver their souls from hell; which is more than I required. Secondly, if the foundation be denied, it is denied for fear of some heresy which the church of Rome maintaineth. But how many were there amongst our fathers, who being seduced by the common error of that church, never knew the meaning of her heresies? So that although all popish heretics did perish, thousands of them which lived in popish superstitions might be saved. Thirdly, seeing all that held popish heresies did not hold all the heresies of the pope; why might not thousands which were infected with other leaven, die unsoured with this, and so be saved? Fourthly, if they all held this heresy, many there were that held it, no doubt, but only in a general form of words which a favourable in. terpretation might expound in a sense differing far enough from the poisoned conceit of heresy. As for example; did they hold

that we cannot be saved by Christ without good works? We ourselves do, I think, all say as much, with this construction, salvation being taken as in that sentence, "Corde creditur ad justitiam, ore fit confessio ad salutem," except infants and men, cut off upon the point of their conversion; of the rest none shall see God, but such as seek peace and holiness, though not as a cause of their salvation, yet as a way which they must walk which will be saved. Did they hold, that without works we are notjustified? Take justification so as it may also imply sanctification, and St. James doth say as much. For except there be an ambiguity in the same term, St. Paul and St. James do contradict each the other: which cannot be. Now there is no ambiguity in the name either of faith or of works, being meant by them both in one and the same sense. Finding, therefore, that justification is spoken of by St. Paul without implying sanctification, when he proveth that a man is justified by faith without works; finding likewise that justification doth sometimes imply sanctification also with it; I suppose nothing to be more sound, than so to interpret St. James speaking not in that sense, but in this.

21. We have already shewed, that there be two kinds of Christian righteousness: the one without us, which we have by imputation; the other in us, which consisteth of faith, hope, and charity, and other Christian virtues and St. James doth prove that Abraham had not only the one, because the thing believed was imputed unto him for righteousness; but also the other, because he offered up his son. God giveth us both the one justice and the other; the one for accepting us for righteous in Christ; the other by working Christian righteousness in us. The proper and most immediate efficient cause in us of this latter, is, the spirit of adoption we have received into our hearts. That whereof it consisteth, whereof it is really and formally made, are those infused virtues proper and peculiar unto saints; which the Spirit, in the very moment when first it is given of God, bringeth with it: the effects whereof are such actions as the apostle doth call the fruits of works, the operations of the Spirit: the difference of the which operation from the root whereof they spring, maketh it needful to put two kinds likewise of sanctifying righteousness, habitual and actual. Habitual, that holiness wherewith our souls are inwardly endued, the same instant when first we begin to be

a For this is the only thing alleged to prove the impossibility of their salvation: the church of Rome joineth works with Christ, which is a denial of the foundation; and unless we hold the foundation, we cannot be saved.

the temples of the Holy Ghost. Actual, that holiness, which afterward beautifieth all the parts and actions of our life, the holiness for which Enoch, Job, Zachary, Elizabeth, and other saints, are in the Scriptures so highly commended. If here it be demanded, which of these we do first receive? I answer, that the Spirit, the virtue of the Spirit, the habitual justice, which is ingrafted, the external justice of Jesus Christ, which is imputed; these we receive all at one and the same time; whensoever we have any of these, we have all; they go together: yet sith no man is justified except he believe, and no man believeth except he has faith, and no man except he hath received the Spirit of adoption, hath faith forasmuch as they do necessarily infer justification, and justification doth of necessity presuppose them; we must needs hold that imputed righteousness, in dignity being the chiefest, is notwithstanding in order to the last of all these; but actual righteousness, which is the righteousness of good works, succeedeth all, followeth after all, both in order and time. Which being attentively marked, sheweth plainly how the faith of true believers cannot be divorced from hope and love; how faith is a part of sanctification, and yet unto justification necessary; how faith is perfected by good works, and not works of ours without faith finally, how our fathers might hold, that we are justified by faith alone, and yet hold truly that without works we are not justified. Did they think that men do merit rewards in heaven by the works they perform on earth? The ancients use meriting for obtaining, and in that sense they of Wittenberg have in their confession; "We teach that good works commanded of God, are necessarily to be done, and by the free kindness of God they merit their certain rewards." Therefore, speaking as our fathers did, and we taking their speech in a sound meaning, as we may take our fathers, and might, forasmuch as their meaning is doubtful, and charity doth always interpret doubtful things favourably; what should induce us to think that rather the damage of the worst construction did light upon them all, than that the blessing of the better was granted unto thousands? Fifthly, if in the worst construction that may be made, they had generally all embraced it living, might not many of them dying utterly renounce it? Howsoever men, when they sit at ease, do vainly tickle their hearts with the vain conceit of I know not what proportionable correspondence between their merits and their rewards, which, in the trance of their high speculations, they dream that God hath measured,