good reason apprehend, that a profession of our Saviour's coming to judge the world, was a sufficient declaration of the freedom of man, who is to be the person judged; as in the forementioned passage of Justin Martyr the said father writes, "that the Christians did not believe a fatal necessity, or a forcible predetermination to their future actions, but altogether disowned and rejected it, because it was contrary to that fundamental truth taught them by the prophets, that there should be punishments and rewards rendered to every man according to the merits of his works :" where he concludes, that the very notion of judgment did necessarily suppose the freedom and liberty of those actions for which the person shall be judged. Upon which account, St. Austin, the great asserter of the grace of God, and of the necessity of its concurrence in the conversion of a sinner, doth from this argument contend for the liberty of man, as well as from others he pleads for the efficacy of God's grace: an instance whereof is in a letter of his to one Valentinus, the head probably of a monastery, wherein some over-zeal. ous and imprudent opposers of Pelagius, had advanced the power of divine grace, to that height, as to take away all freedom from man, which he condemns as dangerous and errone

ous; and directs to the middle way as the safest, wherein the grace of God is so asserted, as that the liberty of man is not denied; and the liberty of man is so inaintained, as that the grace of God is not diminished: "there are come, (saith he) unto us from your congregation, two young men, Cresconius and Felix, who report, that your monastery is divided; that some so preach up grace, as to deny man to have a free-will; and which is worse, that at the day of judgment, God will not render to every man according to his works; but that others disagreeing from them, confess that our free-will is helped by the grace of God, to think and do those things which are right, that when the Lord shall come to render unto every man according to his works, he may find our works good which God hath prepared, that we may walk in them; those who think so, think well: wherefore, as the apostle did the Corinthians, so I beseech you, brethren, by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all say the same thing, and that there be not schisms amongst you, for our Lord Jesus Christ came not first to judge the world, but that the world through him might be saved; but hereafter he shall judge the world, when he shall come, as the whole church professes in the creed, to judge both the quick and the dead. If therefore,

there be not God's grace how can he save the world? And, if there be not free-will, how can he judge the world?" Where he appeals, as it were to the common sense of all mankind, that there could not be a proper and righteous judgment, as to be sure our Lord's will be, except the party adjudged were free and voluntary in all his actions. From all which, it doth evidently appear, that by this article, the compilers of the creed designed to obviate that part of the heresy of the Gnostics, which introduced a fatal necessity, and denied the liberty of man.

But, as this part of the Gnostics heresy which regarded the liberty of man, so also that other part which denied the future judgment to be according to mens works, was warded against by this article, that Christ shall come to judge both the quick and the dead. These heretics, as it hath been already related, affirmed, that men should not be tried and rewarded at the last day, according to their works and actions; that it was no odds whether they lived virtuously or wickedly, but that according to their spiritual seed, election, predetermination, and the like, they should be either condemned or absolved; wherefore, as an antidote to prevent the infection of so pernicious a tenet, it was inserted in the

creed, That Christ shall come to judge the world, that is, to render unto all men, rewards suitable to their deeds; which is most undeniably evident from that, whilst the heresy of the Gnostics raged and infested the church; the rulers thereof, to prevent any equivocal evasions, expressed this article with such a periphrasis and circumlocution, as the Gnosties could never assent to without a direct and formal renunciation of their horrid notions, and by which the whole world might apparently see, that their heresy was intentionally aimed at thereby; examples of which are in the two creeds of Irenæus, the great scourge and confuter of those heretics. In the first whereof, which is immediately subjoined to his large account of that heresy, as a preser vative there-against; this article is thus expressed, That he shall come from heaven "to render a righteous judgment unto all; that he shall send into everlasting fire evil spirits, and the angels which are fallen and apostatized, and all impious, unrighteous, ungodly and blasphemous men; but that on the righteous holy, and obedient observers of his commandments, he shall confer life, immortality and everlasting glory;" and in his second, that "he shall come in glory to be the Saviour of those who are saved, and the judge of those who are judged, sending into everlasting fire

the corrupters of his truth, and the despisers of his father and coming." Not much unlike to which we have another instance in a creed of Tertullian's wherein this article is thus worded," that Christ shall come in splendor to receive the saints into the fruit of eternal life, and the heavenly promises, and to ad judge the profane to everlasting fire." But afterwards when the heresy of the Gnostics decreased, and their numbers lessened, of were altogether extinct, it is probable, that the governors of the church not willing to enlarge their short confession of faith beyond what was absolutely necessary, omitted this circumlocution, and contented themselves with a bare declaration, that Christ shall come to judge the world, seeing unto all sensible and unprejudiced persons, that it is a sufficient and manifest acknowledgement, that every man shall at that day be suitably rewarded according to his actions here.

To conclude therefore with this article; from what hath been written, it doth appear, that by the repetition thereof, it was designed that we should yield our assent to this proposition, that Jesus Christ the son of the true and only God, shall at the end of the world. descend from heaven, to render a righteous