predestinated, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he glorified," Rom. viii. 30. According to his mercy he saved us by the laver of regeneration, and the renovation of the Holy Ghost, whom he hath poured forth upon us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we may be heirs, according to hope, of everlasting life," Tit. iii. 5. "The grace of God is life everlasting in Christ Jesus, Rom. vi. 23.; "for God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to the purchasing salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that we may live together with him," 1 Thess. V. 9. "And being consummated, he became the cause of salvation to all that obey him," Heb. v. 9.; and therefore we have a confidence in "the entering into the Holies by the blood of Christ, a new and living way, which he hath dedicated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh," Heb, x. 19, 20. Lastly, that Jesus Christ alone is the source of our salvation, is expressly declared by St. Peter; "neither is there salvation in any other," says he, "for there is no other name under heaven given to men whereby we must be saved, but the name of Jesus only," Acts iv. 12. And, as "there is" but "one God," so there is but one Mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a redemption for all," 1 Tim. ii. 5.

Q. 10. Why is Jesus Christ called a Mediator? A. Because he is truly "the Mediator of God and man" in the most perfect sense of the word. A mediator is one who acts between two, either to obtain pardon from the person offended to the offender, or to obtain some benefit from the one to the other. Now a mediator may procure this pardon or benefit either by paying an equivalent price for it, and so obtaining it in his own right, through

justice, or by the force of intercession and prayers, as a favour. Man, by sin, had grievously offended God, and was an object of his wrath and indignation; Jesus Christ appears as a Mediator to obtain pardon from God to man; to purchase this he paid a price of infinite value, the merits of all his sufferings, and death upon the cross, by which he acquired a right and title, in justice, to demand the pardon from his Father, and all other graces for us. But that nothing might be wanting to the perfection of his Mediatorship, to his sufferings and death he also joined most fervent prayers for the same end. Hence the Scripture says, "therefore he is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of his death for the redemption of those transgressions which were under the former Testament; they that are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance," Heb. ix. 15.; and, "in the days of his flesh, offering up prayers and supplications with a strong cry, and tears, to him that was able to save him from death, was heard for his reverence," Heb. v. 7. By the former he is a Mediator of Redemption, and the only Mediator between God and Man; by the latter he is also a Mediator of Intercession, but so that he has a right in his own person to claim what he asks for us as his own due. When one man intercedes with God for another, he is also a Mediator of Intercession, but such an one as has no right nor title in himself to demand what he prays for, but must expect to be heard only through mercy and favour; yea, this very mercy and favour he can look for only in and through the merits of Jesus Christ; so that all good to man must come from that source alone, whatever be the immediate instruments or means of applying to it.

Q. 11. As Jesus Christ has done so much for the salvation of mankind, will all mankind be saved?

A. Far from it; on the contrary, the light which the holy Scriptures give us on this point expressly declares, that "many are called, but few are chosen;" which alarming truth Jesus Christ repeats on two different occasions, and further assures us, in the plainest terms, that "wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who walk therein! but oh, how narrow is the gate," says he," and strait the way, that leadeth to life, and few there are who find it!" Matth. vii. 23. By which it is plain, that the number of those who are damned is much greater than of those who are saved.

Q. 12. How comes this? Does not God will all men to be saved?

A. He certainly does. St. Paul declares it in the plainest terms: "God will have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth," 1 Tim. ii. 6.

Q. 13. Did not Christ die for all mankind ?

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A. Most assuredly; "Jesus Christ gave himself a redemption for all," 1 Tim. ii. 6. ;" and he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world," 1 Jo. ii. 2.

Q. 14. How comes it then that such numbers will be lost?

A. From their own fault alone. To understand this, we must observe, that, as God created man a free agent, he therefore required from him a free and voluntary service, as we have seen above at large, Chap. III. qu. 18. But man, abusing his free-will, rebelled against his God, and by that means forfeited all the favours God had bestowed upon him in this life, with all title to that eternal reward which he had prepared for him in the life to come; and also became utterly incapable of taking the smallest step towards the making up his peace

with his offended Creator. Now, though Jesus Christ, by what he did for us, fully satisfied the divine Justice for the offence committed against God, rendered him propitious, and willing to be reconciled with us, and obtained grace to enable us to do on our part what should be required of us to complete our reconciliation; yet it is manifest, that, if we still continue in our rebellion against God, and refuse to return to his service, and to perform the conditions which he requires on our part for being received again into favour, it is impossible the fruits of the merits of Christ should be applied to our souls, so as to reinstate us in the favour of God, or secure our salvation. We lost his favour by the voluntary abuse of our free-will, and it is impossible to recover it without our voluntary performance of what he requires from us for that end. Though Christ died for all, and obtained so many benefits for us all, yet he forces none to accept of these benefits against his will; nor will all he did be of any service to us, except the fruits of his merits be applied to souls; which will never be done so as to bring us to heaven, unless we, of our own free will, perform the conditions which he requires, and use the means which he has appointed for this purpose. Hence the Scripture expressly declares, that "Christ is become the cause of eternal salvation to all that obey him," Heb. v. 9. Now, as God wills all to be saved, and as Jesus Christ died for all; therefore God, through the merits of Christ, gives to all men, in the way he sees proper and suitable to their state, the necessary helps of his grace, to enable them to perform the conditions he requires from them, and by that means to secure their salvation. But, alas! the greatest number still continuing to abuse their free will, refuse to co-operate with that grace; and hence, as they do not perform the conditions required, they are therefore lost for ever!

Q. 15. What are the conditions which God requires of us to be saved?

A. They may all be reduced to two general heads; (1.) To believe what Christ teaches; and, (2.) To obey what he commands; or, in other words, Faith and Love; for by Faith we believe, and by Love we obey. Hence St. Paul lays down these two conditions as the only means by which we can reap any benefit from the redemption of Christ: "In Christ Jesus," says he, "neither Circumcision availeth any thing, nor Uncircumci-. sion, but Faith that worketh by Charity," Gal. v. 6.

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CHAPTER X.

OF FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST,

Q. 1. WHAT is Faith?

A. Faith, taken in the general sense of the word, is our belief of any truth founded on the testimony of others. To understand this, we must observe, that there are different ways by which we can come to the knowledge of any truth. For some things can be known only by experience, that is, by the testimony of our two principal senses of touching and seeing: and this is generally the first source of our knowledge, and a very extensive one: by this we know the existence of all things about us, with all their sensible qualities and properties, and the like. Other things there are which can only be known by reason; that is, when, from known principles, we argue and draw conclusions which lead us to the knowledge of numberless truths, which the senses alone could never have acquired. Lastly, there are other things which can never be known, either by reason or experience, but only by hearing the