157 Plea will be admitted at the great Tribunal? If fo, then no Man needs to examine the Grounds of his Religion. 'Tis true, the Prejudices of Education are a powerful Biafs upon any Man's Judgment. But, if when a Perfon is come to riper Years, and has the Means of informing himself better, he be fo careless, flothful, and indifferent as not to give himself the Trouble to confider whether those Prejudices be well grounded, nor enquires into the Marks of the true Church, which are clear, and easy to be discover'd, when the Heart is fincere; the Prejudices he has imbibed from Education will not excufe him before God. Pray, Sr, was any Body faved from the Deluge, that was not in the Ark of Noah?

G. No, My Lord.

L. And 'twas the conftant Language of the ancient Fathers, that it is as impoffible to escape Damnation out of the Church of Chrift, as it was to escape Perishing out of the Ark. For furely no Man can be faved but through Chrift.

G. No. But many may be faved by him, who « never heard of him. pag. 38. «

L. Can Faith then be had without Hearing? Or Salvation without Faith in Chrift? This is joyful News for Jews, Pagans, and Mahometans. However to the best of my Judgment it is the general Doctrine of Proteftants as well as Catholicks, that none of these are in the Way of Salvation.

Do's not Chrift compare himself to a Vine, and in the Application of the Similitude tell us, that if we abide not in him, we shall be caft forth as Branches wither'd and caft into the Fire? Joh. 15. v. 6. And can thofe, who have not the Faith of Christ, be faid to abide in him? And if they abide not in him, will they not be doom'd to everlasting Flames? Has he

$.28. not likewife told us that if the Blind lead the Blind, both shall fall into the Ditch s Did not St Peter fill'd with the Holy Ghoft declare to the Rulers of the Jews, and Elders of Ifrael, that Jefus Chrift is the Stone, which is become the Head of the Corner; neither is there Salvation in other. For there is no other Name under Heaven, whereby we must be saved. Act. 4. . 8. And do's not St Paul teach, that without Faith it is impossible to please God? Heb. 2. v. 6.

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» G. My Lord, Chrift died to make Satisfaction to the infinite Juftice for the Sins of the whole » World: and took our Nature upon him to attone »for our fallen Nature, to be applied to fuch as perform the Conditions required. pag. 38.

L. Very right, Sr, Christ died, and has satisfied for all. But as you obferve very juftly) his general Satisfaction can only profit thofe, to whom it is ap plied by their Performance of the Conditions required. Now I have always been told, that there are two Conditions effentialy neceffary. viz. Baptifm and Faith in Chrift.

"G. My Lord, God will Judge the Gentiles by the Law of Morality, which is planted in their Hearts, and we call natural Religion. But from Chriftians he requires Faith in Chrift join'd with fincere Repentance. pag. 38.

L. Sr, as God is Juftice itself, fo tis certain the Gentiles will neither be judg'd, nor condemn'd but by a Law that is infinitly juft. And I fear the Law Morality will not prove very favourable to fuch as are deftitute both of the Light of Faith, and the Fountains of Grace, the holy Sacraments. However accor ding to you Heathens are in a fafer and better Condition than Chriftians, fince you make them capable of Salvation not only without Faith, but without Practifing thofe Duties, which our Faith obliges us to.

159 G. But is it no Advantage then to have the « Glory of God reveal'd to us in the Face of Jefus Chrift? ce as the Apostle speaks. 2. Cor. 3. v. 6. And the Ef- ce fects of it upon us described, C. 3. Ỷ. 18. viz. that « we all with open Face beholding as in a Glafs the « Glory of God are changed into the fame Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the « Lord. The Sight of the wonderful Oeconomy of ce our Redemption must needs fill our Souls with « Rapture and joy, when we behold the Glory of God in all his Attributes each exalting the other « to the uttermost, as it is faid, Jam. 2. V. 13. The Mercy of God exalts his fuftice. For Juftice requires « full Satisfaction, it cannot remit a Farthing. To re- « mit is Mercy and not Juftice. And God is Juftice « in the Abstract, Justice itself. Here then infinite « Wisdom finds out a full Satisfaction to infinite Jufice: and infinite Goodnefs affords that Satisfac- « tion by the Incarnation, perfect Obedience, me- « ritorious Paffion, and glorious Refurrection of the « only begotten Son of God. This inflames our De- os votion, invigorates our Obedience, and gives Compunction to our Repentance when we have a finned, and come short of the Glory of God. Rom. 3. « . 23. God has vouchfafed to make a Covenant « with us in Chrift, by Virtue of which we may ap- « peal to his Juftice and Veracity. It is a Pardon « fign'd and feal'd by the King, which we may plead « in Court. The Heathens have not this, but they are ftill under Mercy. They may fay, God is mer- «e ful to forgive us. But we may fay with St John, « that God is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins, and c to cleanfe us from all Unrighteousneß. 1. Joh. 1. v. 9. « This is a great a very great Advantage over the «< Gentiles. But may not we enjoy the Advantage we « have over the Heathens with Thankfulness, and «

» not damn them all to the Pit of Hell Becaufe » God has made a Covenant with us, may we not leave them to uncovenanted Mercy? Is our Eye evil be» cause he has been good to us? Or would we limit his Mercies to his Creatures, with whom we have » nothing to do? For what have we to do with them, that are without? them that are without God Judgeth. 1. Cor. 5. V. 12. pag. 38. 39. 40.

L. I find, Sr, you are the Advocate general not only of Hereticks and Schifmaticks, whom you have already brought off by their Belief of common Chrif tianity, but likewife of Jews, Heathens, and Mahometans, (for they are all upon the fame Footing) whose Cause you have now pleaded with wonderful Eloquence. I shall take your Difcourfe in Pieces, and fay fomething to every Part of it.

You begin with Enlarging upon the Advantages we Chriftians have over the Heathens. Sr, we should be very ungrateful to Almithty God, if we were not fenfible of it. All therefore I pretended to advance when I spoke last was, that if Heathens can be faved without Faith, their Condition is fafer and in a very weighty and material Point than that of Christians, who cannot hope for that Happiness without both humbling their Understandings under the Obfcurity of the Mysteries of Faith, and Subjecting their Wills to the Severity of it's Precepts and fo 'tis manifeft you make Heathens have the better of us in Allowing them a Poffibility of Salvation, without being fubject to any of thofe difficult and painful. Duties, by which we are bound to purchase our eternal Happiness.

This therefore I only infer'd as an Abfurdity from your Doctrine. For the Truth of the Matter is, we have the Advantage over them in every Respect, fince nothing is more groundlefs, or more contrary

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162 to the Word of God than the uncovenanted Mercy you have fo bountifully provided for them. You tell me the Heathens may lay, God is merciful to forgive us and fo may any impenitent Sinner lay it with as much Truth as they; becaufe a Heathen conti nuing a Heathen is as incapable of Mercy, as a Sin her continuing a Sinner, according to this Sentence of our Saviour against Christians not hearing the Church; let him be to thee as a HEATHEN; that is is, as a Reprobate, or one in a damnable State. For it plainly follows hence, that to be a Heathen, and to be in a damnable State is one and the fame Thing with our Saviour, who expreffes the one by the other.

You conclude your Harangue with several Queftions, the first whereof is, whether we may not enjoy the Advantage we have over the Heathens without Daming them all to the Pit of Hell? No, Sr, we cannot have a due Thankfulness for the great Benefit of our Faith, if we deny it's Neceffity, and believe as you do, that we might have been faved, tho we had been Heathens left in Darkness as they are. For this is Annihilating the Benefit, and confequently the Gratitude due for it under a fpecious Pretence of Mercy to Heathens. But it is a falfe Mercy, which can do them no good, and may hurt the rash Aber tors of it.

But, to turn your fine Rhetorical Question upon yourself, cannot you enjoy the Advantages you have over impenitent Sinners, and the Devils without Damning them all to the Pit of Hell for ever? For let me tell you, Sr, your uncovenanted Mercy is of fo very large a Size, that it may be extended to these as well as the Heathens. And all your other Questions may be retorted upon you in the fame Manner.

But your laft Question exprefs'd in the Words