159 G. But is it no Advantage then to have the « Glory of God reveal'd to us in the Face of Jefus Chrift? « as the Apoftle speaks. 2. Cor. 3. v. 6. And the Ef- « fects of it upon us defcribed, C. 3. v. 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 « our Redemption muft 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 uttermoft, as it is faid, Jam. 2. V. 13. The « Mercy of God exalts his fuftice. For Justice requires « full Satisfaction, it cannot remit a Farthing. To re- ce mit is Mercy and not Juftice. And God is Juftice « in the Abstract, Juftice itself. Here then infinite « Wisdom finds out a full Satisfaction to infinite Juftice and infinite Goodness 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- « votion, invigorates our Obedience, and gives Compunction to our Repentance when we have o finned, and come short of the Glory of God. Rom. 3. « . 23. God has vouchsafed to make a Covenant « with us in Chrift, by Virtue of which we may ap- « peal to his Justice 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 still under Mercy. They may fay, God is mer- ce siful to forgive us. But we may fay with St John, « that God is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins, and ca 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? Because » 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 same 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 fpoke laft 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 Obscurity 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 Refpect, fince nothing is more groundless, or more contrary

to

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; because a Heathen conti nuing a Heathen is as incapable of Mercy, as a Sinner 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, 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 Quef tions the first whereof is, whether we may not enjoy the Advantage we have over the Heathens without Damning them all to the Pit of Hell? No, Sr, we cannot have a due Thankfulnefs 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 Abettors 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 thefe 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

X

3.29. of St Paul, viz. (what have we to do with them that are without? them that are without God Judgeth) shews you to be an utter Stranger to the Apostle's true Meaning. For his Words bear no other Senfe than that the Church has no Right to exercise her Power of Correcting upon the Heathens, as being none of her Subjects: and therefore must leave them to God's Juftice, as belonging to his Tribunal, not her's. But he could never intend to entitle them to your uncovenanted Mercy without Contradicting our Saviour faying, he that believeth not is condemn'd already, because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begot ten Son of God. Joh. 3. V. 18. nor without giving the Lie to himself: Since he tells us in exprefs Terms, that without Faith it is impoffible to please God. Heb. 1. .6. I hope therefore it is no Crime to form a Judg ment of the unhappy State either of Jews, Heathens, or Mahometans by the Lights, the Word of God itself has given us to Judge by, and that Judge by, and that we may without having an evil Eye, or limiting God's Mercies to his Creatures pronounce thofe condemn'd, on whom Chrift himself and his Apoftle have pronounced Sentence of Condemnation. Now, Sr, you may proceed, if have any Thing more to fay upon this Subject.

you

» G.

S. 29.

None faved without Faith in Christ.

Od did Judge one, who was without,

that

Gis, and of the Pale of the Church, to be the

» most beloved of God, and that there was none like » him in the Earth. Job. 1. v. 8. And he is put upon "the Level with the greatest in the Church, as Noah » and Daniel. Eze. 14. V. 14. And propofed as an Example of Patience by St James 5. v. 11. And of

I have not

an other Gentile it was faid by Christ found so great Faith, no not in Ifrael. Luke 7. v. 9. « And he, who faid often to his Difciples O ye little « of Faith and upbraided the Apostles with their « Unbelief, Mark 16. V. 14. Yet faid to a Woman' « of Canaan (who could not be discouraged with the Objections, he put against her not being within « the Pale of the Church, but without among the e Dogs) O Woman great is thy Faith. Math. 15. V. 28. « And of the ten heal'd there was but one thankful, « and he was a Samaritan. Luke 18. v. 16, that is a « Schifmatick, a Stranger, as Chrift here calls him, « . 18. and said to him, thy Faith has made thee whole, « pag. 40, "

L. Sr, you certainly take me for an errant Blockhead to produce thefe four Examples, viz. of Job, the Centurion, the Woman of Canaan, and the Leprous Samaritan for Proofs that Perfons may be faved without Faith in Chrift. Did not Job believe in Chrift, that is, the Meffias to come? And how then can you fay, he was out of the Pale of the true Church?

G. But was not Job a Gentile?

L. Sr, if by the Word Gentile you mean an Ido later, an Infidel, or Unbeliever, Job was no Gentile any more than Adam, or Noah. And were thefe out of the Pale of the true Church? Or had God no Church

upon Earth before the Jewish Synagogue, and ceremo nial Law were establish'da

But nothing furprifes me more than your mentioning the Centurion, the Woman of Canaan, and the Leprous Samaritan. To the firft of which Chrift said, I have not found fo great Faith, no not in Ifrael, To the fecond, Owoman great is thy Faith: And to the third, thy Faith has made thee whole. Yet by a ftrange. Overfight, these are the three other rare examples you have produced to prove, that Men may be faved