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be in the right way or not, as well as those who are brought up in any sect separated from the true Church?

A. There is nothing which the Church of Christ has more at heart, than that her children should be thoroughly instructed in their religion, and in the grounds of it, as far as they are capable. For this end she strictly commands her pastors to be assiduous in the duty of instructing their people from their earliest years, and uses every other possible means for the same purpose, well knowing, that the more they know of their religion, the more they must be attached to it. The true Church of Christ is the work of God, the doctrine she teaches contains the truths of God; now, the more attentively truth is examined, the more illustrious it must appear; and Almighty God has given such splendid testimony to the truth of his true religion, that the more it is examined with sincerity, the more it convinces and delights. Here, then, lies the great difference, that, when a member of the Church of Christ considers his religion, he cannot possibly have any reasonable grounds of doubt concerning it, and the more he examines, the more convinced he must be of the truth of it. But one who is brought up in a false religion, if he thinks at all, he cannot fail to see the strongest grounds of doubt; and the more he examines, the more his falsehood must appear; for falsehood can never bear the light of unbiassed and impartial examination.

Q. 13. But how comes it that we see many good men, and men of great learning, among all sects of Christians, some of which must undoubtedly be false, as they contradict one another, and condemn one another?

A. To understand this, we must observe, that the word of God expressly declares, that God wills

"all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth," 1 Tim. ii. 4. In consequence of this sincere desire which God has for the salvation of all, he never fails to give to all such outward helps, and inward graces, as he sees sufficient to bring them to the knowledge of the truth, if they co-operate, on their part, with these graces; but, if they shut their eyes against his light, if, from the corruption of their heart, they pay no regard to the helps and graces he gives them, then they must remain in their ignorance; but their ignorance is voluntary in its cause, and a just punishment of their own fault. Now, although many of those who are brought up in false religions may live very good lives, as to moral history, in the eyes of the world, yet this does not say but they may be very blameble in the sight of God, and by their secret passions and attachments to the things of this life, put an effectual stop to the designs of his mercy of bringing them to the knowledge of his truth. The proud Pharisee was an exceeding good man in the eyes of the world, and yet was condemned by Almighty God, for the secret pride of his heart. And as for those men of learning who are to be found in a false religion, their learning does not exempt them from pride and passion; nay, the word of God assures us, that "knowledge puffeth up," 1 Cor. viii. 1.; and, generally speaking, where there is not true humility, and the love of God, the more learning, the more pride, and the more self-conceit, the more desire of glory, and of praise from men, and the more obstinacy of heart, and, consequently, the more opposition of faith; for Jesus Christ himself says to the Jews, whose hard. hearts resisted all the splendour of his doctrine and. miracles, "How can ye believe who receive glory from one another, and the glory which is from God 2 c 2..

alone ye do not seek?" Jo. v. 44. There were, no doubt, many learned people both among the Jews and Gentiles when the gospel was first preached by the apostles, and yet, notwithstanding the numberless miracles which they wrought, in proof of its being from God, St. Paul expressly tells us, that it was "to the Jews, a stumbling block, and to the Gentiles foolishness," 1 Cor. i. 23.; because, not withstanding all their learning, their pride, passions, and prejudices, blinded their minds, that the light of the gospel should not shine upon them. So that it needs be no surprise to see learned men in a false religion, especially as their learning is commonly of a worldly kind; for faith is a gift of God, and it is not the knowledge of the head, but the humility and sincerity of the heart, which disposes a soul to receive that gift from him; yea, Christ himself expressly says, "that God hides these things from the wise and prudent, and reveals them to little ones," Matth. xi. 25. Upon the whole, then, we must conclude, that, among those who are brought up in a false religion, and separated from the Church of Christ, but who know there is a Church which declares herself to be the only true Church of Christ, who have an opportunity of hearing about her, and of being acquainted with those of her communion, it is scarce to be supposed, and highly improbable, that invincible ignorance should have any place at all. But, after all, if any should really be found among them who are in invincible ignorance, they will be in the same state with those who never had an opportunity of knowing any other way but the false religion they are in.

Q. 14. What, then, is to be said of those, who, being brought up in a false religion, have no opportunity of being about the true Church and faith of Christ? or, if they do, it is only in a false and odious light? Can such as these be saved if they

live and die in their separation from the communion of the Church of Christ, and in invincible ignorance of the truth?

A. The learned author of the book called Charity and Truth, who seems willing to go as far as possible in favour of those who are not joined in the communion of the Church of Christ, candidly owns, that it is quite uncertain if any such will be saved, even though in invincible ignorance; for, in laying down the true state of the question, he says, "The meaning is, that no one is saved unless he be in the Catholic communion, either actually or virtually, either in fact or in desire; and that we are not sure, generally speaking, that any one is saved out of the Catholic Church, who is invincibly ignorant of the true Church, and of the true religion," Ch. I. Q. 3. The fact is, there is not one single testimony of the holy Scripture which gives reason to think that any one will be saved out of that communion; but there are great numbers, as we have seen above, which very strongly declare the contrary. So that all the reasons which are brought in favour of those who are out of the Church, are taken from the supposition of cases that perhaps never exist, and from our imperfect notions of the goodness of God, or from the idea which some frame to themselves of what is meant by being a member of the true Church; and those people of whom we speak in the present question, afford the principal grounds of these reasonings. For it is argued in this manner: Suppose a man born and baptized in a heretical sect, and afterwards, when he comes of age, to be in such circumstances as never to have an opportunity of hearing about the true religion, or, if he does, it is always in such false and odious colours as serve only to make him detest it, and to make him more and more attached to his

own way; and, on this account, to be in invincible ignorance of the truth. It is acknowledged by all, that this man, by his baptism, is made a member of the Church of Christ, and that, if he dies before he comes to the use of reason, he will certainly be saved in his baptismal innocence. Let us now suppose further, that when he comes to the age, he continues to live an innocent life, and by cooperating with the graces which God bestows upon him, perseveres in his innocency, and does his best, according to the knowledge he has, and would do better if he knew it; is it not inconsistent with the goodness of God to suppose that such a man, living and dying in this state, would be lost? Is he not always, in the sight of God, a real member of the Church of Christ, though not joined in her communion? And, if he dies in his innocency, must he not be saved? Such is the argument proposed on this subject; and, to be sure, it has a dazzling appearance. But it must be observed, that there is the strongest reason to doubt that such a case as is there supposed ever was or ever will be; for, (1.) There is not the smallest ground in Scripture to suppose it. (2.) As it is impossible for man, in his present fallen state, to preserve his baptismal innocence for any space of time, much less to persevere in it to the end of his life, without a special and extraordinary grace from God; and, as a grace of this kind is justly esteemed one of the most singular favours given by God to his faithful servants, who are members of his Church, and enjoy all the powerful helps that are only to be found in her communion, to enable them to persevere in their baptismal innocence to their deaths; is it to be supposed that God will bestow this so singular a favour upon any one who is not in her communion, and deprived of all these helps? And if it be supposed that he loses his baptismal innocence by

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