Page images
PDF
EPUB

RIGHTEOUSNESS. WHEREFORE? BECAUSE THEY SOUGHT IT NOT BY FAITH, but as it were BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; as it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

The justification upon which St. Paul so largely expatiates, and which is obtained by faith in the sacrificial blood of Christ, Mr. Goodwin regarded as a blessing of inestimable value and importance. He considered it as consisting in the full and free forgiveness of all past sin, and attended by the gift of the Holy Spirit, as the Comforter, and the Sanctifier of human nature; so that the person on whom this blessing is conferred is at once possessed of a title to heaven, and a meetness for its holy enjoyments and exercises. He is placed in such a state, that if he hold fast the beginning of his confidence steadfast unto the end, he shall be for ever saved. This profound Divine was far from considering justification to consist merely in deliverance from the darkness and pollution of Heathenism, and admission into the visible church of Christ, as is taught by Dr. John Taylor, in his "Key to the Apostolic Writings." Taylor, who is eulogised by the late Bishop Watson, explains away nearly all that is vital and saving in Christianity, under the assumed guise of orthodoxy, and with an affectation of the most perfect candour.* His work is calculated to deceive the very elect.

It will be observed that, in the preface to his

Perhaps no author ever succeeded more effectually than Dr. Taylor in concealing from his readers his real temper and character. He appears in his works as one of the most perfect examples of liberality and benevolence; whereas he was one of the most irritable and intolerant

Exposition, Mr. Goodwin speaks of the infirmities of age as coming rapidly upon him, and of "the troublesome importunity of some men in another way." He states that, in consequence of these things, "the drawing up of a second part" of his "book of Redemption" was set "back for a time;" and he intimates that it was very doubtful whether he should live to finish it: A foreboding which proved to be too true. The "men" of whom he speaks, whose "importunity" annoyed him, were the Baptists, and the Fifth Monarchy men. The former disturbed the peace of his church, with their peculiar tenets; and the latter, who were fanatical Millenarians, attempted the subversion of all government, both civil and ecclesiastical. Both these classes of men drew him into public controversy.

"The Banner of Justification," which forms the second tract in the volume now before the reader, was published in the year 1659, and shows that, on this great point of Christian theology, the author steadily adhered to those views which the leading Protestant Reformers strenuously advocated. This tract has long been extremely scarce, and the writer of this preface did not even know of its existence when, in the year 1822 he published the Life of this very eminent man. It is valuable, as showing how many things, in the divine economy, contribute to invest mankind with the inestimable blessing of jusof mortals. Gilbert Wakefield, who belonged to the same school of theology, and knew him well, says, "Even the meekness of Christianity itself is exhibited in his prefaces and occasional addresses to the reader. But he was, in reality, a very peevish and angry disputant in conversation, and dictatorial even to intolerance. So imperfect a judgment may be formed of the mildness or asperity of any author from the correspondent quality of his writings."-WAKEFIELD'S Life, Vol. I., pp. 226, 227.

tification to eternal life; and forms an appropriate supplement to the Exposition, the leading principle of which it more fully developes. That the Protestant Reformers should have maintained the doctrine of justification by faith with zeal and perseverance, is not at all surprising, considering the circumstances under which they were placed. This is a prominent doctrine of Scripture, to which those blessed men made a final appeal on all questions of divinity; and it is the most powerful engine that was ever employed against Popish error. If penitent sinners may be justified from the guilt of all sin by faith in the atonement of Christ, the pretended sacrifice of the mass, penances, priestly absolution, are of no value, and the fire of purgatory is an idle dream. It was by the faithful inculcation of this master-truth that Popery was first driven from these realms; and it is only by the same means that its incroachments can be effectually repelled.

Mr. Hickman, against whom the author defends himself in his lively and humorous preface, was a predestinarian Minister; and Mr. Pierce, who is there mentioned, was an episcopal Divine of great celebrity and influence. He lived at Brington, in Northamptonshire, during the Commonwealth; but at the Restoration was made Dean of Sarum, and Chaplain to the King. He was a man of extraordinary learning; assisted Bishop Walton in editing the London Polyglott Bible; and, with his friend Dr. Lawrence Womack, he defended, with consummate ability and effect, those views concerning predestination and human liberty which Melancthon held in the latter years of his life, and which the English

Reformers adopted from him. Baxter speaks of these two men in a manner which shows that he felt the force of their logic, eloquence, and wit. Womack wrote under the assumed name of Tilenus, junior. No biographical account of these champions of the doctrine of general redemption, as held by the Church of England, has ever yet been attempted. Their personal history stands connected with the fortunes of the Church of which they were ornaments and members.

There is one circumstance mentioned in the preface to the "Banner of Justification," which is worthy of notice. It shows that Mr. Goodwin's writings on the quinquarticular controversy had produced a considerable effect. Speaking of Mr. Hickman, he says, “I know it would be offensive to the gentleman, if I should relate how many letters, and messages otherwise, of thankful acknowledgments of the grace given unto me, for the clearing of those doctrines of election, reprobation, &c., and of Christian encouragements to proceed in my way, &c., I have received, time after time, from several persons of considerable worth for godliness and knowledge, inhabiting in several parts of the nation, some of them Ministers of the Gospel, and others of them students in the University of good standing."

The last tract in the present volume, entitled, "The Agreement and Distance of Brethren," was written by Mr. Goodwin soon after the publication of his "Redemption Redeemed;" and was designed to correct the misstatements which were then extensively circulated respecting the author's creed. He had fully explained and defended himself in that

great work; but as it was not likely that a folio volume of controversial divinity would be generally read by private Christians, in whose estimation he did not wish to suffer, he drew up this concise manual for popular use. It contains a syllabus of the controversy on the five points, and serves as a key to all his other writings on that subject. The generality of polemical writers seem, as if by instinct, to place themselves at the greatest possible distance from their opponents; but Mr. Goodwin appears anxious to come as near to his Calvinian brethren as he could, without violating his conscience. He shows the extent to which he could agree with them in sentiment; he specifies the precise points at issue between them; and gives, in a concise form, some of the principal reasons upon which his dissent was founded. The spirit in which he writes is uniformly kind. To some persons it will appear strange, that the names of several private individuals, members of Mr. Goodwin's church, are affixed to the preface of this tract; but it should be observed that in those times many laymen were profoundly read in Christian theology. Of some of the men whose names here occur an account will be found in Mr. Goodwin's Life, already mentioned; and one of them, William Allen, a wealthy merchant in London, was himself a somewhat voluminous writer on divinity. His works were collected after his death, and published in a folio volume, with a funeral sermon by Bishop Kidder. The learned Prelate acknowledges that many of Mr. Allen's productions would have done honour to a grave and erudite Divine, for the correct knowledge which they

« PreviousContinue »