honouring the minifters of the gospel for their work's fake, shews a peculiar spite against them, and does what he can to bring their character into difcredit; not fo much for any perfonal failings and infirmities that may fometimes attend them, as on account of the office they bear, and the work they are employed in. This, one would think, is a very prepoftcrous way of shewing his zeal for the truth, and purity of the gofpel: it seems rather to carry the appearance of an uncommon degree of enmity againft both.

4

P

This gentleman is pleased to tell us, " That if " it be still pled that the apostles made offers, he " will very willingly say, that they offered evi" dence for all that they teftified; yea that they "not only offered, but freely produced it, let men " make what use of it they would *." Thus far we readily agree with him: but did they never any more than offer the evidence he speaks of; or lay before men the infallible proofs arifing from their own knowledge, and the prophecies of the Old Testament, That Jefus is the Chrift, or the true Messiah; and that he died and rofe again? Did they not, on all occafions, preach unto finners the forgiveness of fins through his name; and declare, that the great design of all that they teftified concerning his miffion, offices, death, and refurrection, was, that by believing on him, finners might receive the remiffion of fins and everlafting life? Did they not, agreeably to the commiffion and inftructions they received from their divine Master, testify to all their hearers, both Jews and Gentiles, that unto them was the word, or promise, of falvation fent; or, that eternal life, even to them who deferve nothing but death and wrath, is the

gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord? Did they not proclaim to all within hearing of them, whatever their condition and circumstances might be, that they had fufficient warrant to take of the water of life freely* ?

Should it be resused, that the chief scope of all that the apostles teftified, or the evangelifts recorded, concerning the death and refurrection of Jefus, was to declare and certify to finners of mankind, both Jews and Gentiles, that they might warrantably believe on Chrift, in the way of making particular application of him and all his benefits to their own fouls, so as to say, every one for himself, Surely in the Lord have I righteousness and strength+; I confess I should for ever despair of being able to prove any thing from the Scriptures. This truth is proposed with such evidence, and shines with so great luftre in all the apoftolic writings, that any one who denies it, may as well deny, that ever there were any such men as the apostles, or that ever they preached the gospel.

After what has been obferved on this head, I think, we have some reason to affirm, that what Palæmon reproaches, ridicules, and endeavours to undermine and fubvert, under the notion of the popular doctrine, is really the ancient apoftolic gospel; and that the scornful censures he has thought fit to pass on those whom he calls the popular preachers, do fall equally upon our blessed Lord and his apostles: for the sum of what they taught, with re gard to the matter under confideration, may be fitly expressed in these remarkable words, which dropt from the lips of him who is THE TRUTH;

* See Acts x. 43. xiii. 26-38. Rom. vi. 23. Rev. iii. 18, 22, 17. || Ifai. xlv. 24.

As

As Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the wilderness, even fo must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever, believeth in him, should not perish, but have eternal life*; or, which comes all to one, That through bis name whosoever believeth in bim, shall RECEIVE the remission of fins +: and I need not tell the reader, that this is the substance of what the letter-writer condemns, as the popular doctrine, with regard to the promise, or free offer of pardon and salvation through Chrift.

After what has been faid it may be deemed fuperfluous to observe, that the same doctrine was clearly taught, constantly inculcated, and zealoufly defended, by our most eminent reformers t,

* John iii. 14, 15.

+ Acts x. 43.

as

† "The law doth nothing else but utter fin, terrify " and humble, and by this means prepareth us to justification, and driveth us to Chrift. For God " hath revealed unto us by his word, that he will

be unto us a merciful father, and without our de"ferts, (feeing we can deserve nothing) will freely " give unto us remission of fins, righteousness, and "life everlasting for Chrift his Son's fake. For God " giveth his gifts freely unto all men, and that is the

praise and glory of his divinity. The gospel giveth freely, and requireth of us nothing else, but "to hold out our hands, and take that which is of"fered. The promises of the law are conditional,

promising life not freely, but to such as fulfil the "law; and therefore they leave mens confciences " in doubt: for no man fulfilleth the law. But the " promises of the New Testament have no such con"dition joined unto them, nor require any thing of

us, nor depend upon any condition of our worthi" ness, but bring and give unto us free forgiveness

"of

as it has been by all found Proteftant divines ever fince the reformation: And though our author, in the height of his pride, is pleased to shew a fo

" of fins, grace, righteousness, and life everlasting " for Chrift's fake. Luth. Com. on the Epis. to the "Gak old Eng. tranfl. fol. 63, 102, 218.

Lex & promiffiones legis, cum fint conditionales, relinquunt confcientias in dubitatione. Alia est promiffio Evangelii propria, quæ non habet conditionem Legis, tamquam caufam, hoc eft, non promittit propter impletam Legem, fed gratis propter Chriftum. Hæc eft promiffio remiffionis peccatorum, feu reconciliationis, feu juftificationis de qua concionatur præcipue Evangelium. Eft itaque hæc Evangelica promiffio reconciliationis legalium diffimilis, quia gratis pollicetur propter Christum. Ideoque Paulus hanc particulam gratis nobis diligenter & fæpe inculcat: ut Rom. iv. Ideo gratis ex fide, ut firma fit promiffio: Nam hæc particula GRATIS propter Chriftum facit difcrimen Legis & Evangelii,-Ergo intendenda mens est atque oculi in hanc particulam, GRATIS. Ideo enim necesse est de hac gratuita promiflione docere, ut res fit certa, ut confcientiis eximatur dubitatio, ut habeant firmam confolationem in veris terroribus. Sicut neceffe est scire, Evangelium esse gratuitam promiffionem: ita neceffe est scire, Evangelium PROMISSIONEM UNIVERSALEM effe, b. e. offerri & promitti omnibus hominibus reconciliationem.Quod autem non omnes confequuntur Evangelii promiffa; co fit, quia non omnes credunt. Nam Evangelium, etfi gratis pro. mittit, tamen requirit fidem; oportet enim promiffionem fide accipi. Ac particula gratis non excludit fidem, fed excludit conditionem noftræ dignitatis, ut fupra dictum eft, & poftulat, ut promiffionem accipiamus; id non potest fieri aliter nifi fide. Melanchthon, Loc. Theolog. p. 204, 205-202, 213.

Firmum igitur & fixum manet proprium & principale objectum fidei juftificantis, cujus refpectu & apprehenfione justificat, effe gratuitam promiffionem miserciordiæ Dei remittentis peccata adoptantis & acceptantis credentes ad vitam æternam, propter Chriftum Mediatorem. Natura GRATUITE PROMISSIONIS Evangelii requirit, ut fide accipiatur. - Chemnit. in Exam. Decret. Concil. Trtdent. p. 808-811,812.

Eft verbum Evangelii illud objectum, quod continet PROMISSIONES de remiffione peccatorum, sanctificatione Spiritus, & vita æterna. De quo firma extant & perfpicua teftimonia in utroque Teftamento. Henrici. Alting. Expli at. Cateches. Palatin. Queft. 210

vereign vereign contempt of all the reformed churches, and the most eminent divines, who have appeared for, and zealously defended the truth in former ages; we reckon it the safeft course, agreeably to the divine command and apoftolic exhortation, to go forth by to foot-steps of the flock; and follow them, who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises*.

* Cant. i. 8. Heb. vi. 12.

END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.