will hardly be judged neceffary to falvation. If true, they are involved in fuch obfcurity, that a man (it is prefumed) may fafely doubt concerning them, or even be ignorant of them altogether. Now the edification of the hearers fhould be the measure of the preacher's doctrine: affuredly therefore thofe doctrines, which it is not neceffary for the people to believe, it cannot be neceffary for the preacher to enforce. Nay, of the neceffity, or even of the expediency of enforcing them, let Calvin be the judge, when he "Should any one pronounces, "thus addrefs the people, If ye believe not, it " is because God hath already predeftinated "you to deftruction," yet what is this but to preach pure and confiftent Calvinifm?→→→ "that man not only cherishes flathfulness, but "alfo gives encouragement to fin"." At the fame time of this we may be certain, that, whatever the Apoftles thought on thefe points, they manifefted lefs anxiety to amuse their converts with mere fpeculative doctrines, "which "minifter questions, rather than godly edify 66 ing," than to build them up in the practice of a holy life, established on faith in the Re d Si quis ita plebem compellet, fi non creditis, ideo fit, quia jam divinitus exitio prædeftinati eftis, is non modo ignaviam fovet, fed etiam indulget malitiæ. Calv. Inst, lib. iii. cap. xxiii. fect. 14. 1 Tim. i. 4. deemer; and that inftead of employing language, which might afford occafion for felfconceit or defpondency, for carelessness or uncleannefs of living, they uniformly addreffed themselves to the finner, as to one capable of repenting and being forgiven; and to the faint, as to one, capable of "falling from his "own steadfastnefs," and finally coming "fhort of falvation." 66 "For my own part," faid the wife and pious Bishop Andrews, when his fentiments were demanded on the doctrines of the Lambeth Articles, "I honeftly confefs, I have fol"lowed the advice of Auftin; Thefe myfteries, " which I am not able to open, being shut up, "I have gazed upon with awe: and therefore "for these fixteen years, fince I was made a 46 66 Prieft, I have, neither in public. nor in pri vate, either disputed or preached about them; "and even now alfo I had rather hear con"cerning them, than fpeak. And indeed "fince it.is a flippery fubject, and has on each "fide dangerous precipices; and fince the paffages of Paul, from which it is for the "most part derived, have always been reckoned amongst those things hard to be underfood, of "which Peter fpeaks; and fince there are not "many among the Clergy, who can skilfully " unfold them, and very few among the peo"ple, who can profitably hear them; I would "advise, if it were poffible, that filence be enjoined on both fides; and that they be not "fo loofely and crudely propounded by every one, as the cuftom is. Certainly I account "it much more profitable, that our people be "inftructed to seek their falvation in the mani"feft precepts of a holy and faithful life, 66 as is the advice of Peter alfo, than in the "fecrets of the divine counfel: of which an "over-curious examination is apt to produce. "dimnefs and dizzinefs of fight, but feldom produces edification, at least in narrow "minds." Such was the language of a very f Ego certe (ingenue fateor) fecutus füm Auguftini confilium, Myfteria hæc, quæ aperire non poffum, clausa miratus fum; et proinde per hos 16 annos, ex quo Pref byter fum factus, me neque publice neque privatim vel difputaffe de eis, vel pro concione tractaffe: etiam nunc quoque malle de eis audire, quam dicere. Et quidem cum lubricus locus fit, et habeat utrinque periculofa præcipitia, cumque loci Paulini (unde fere eruitur) inter dusSonra illa (de quibus Petrus) femper fint habiti; cumque nec multi in Clero fint, qui ea dextre expedire, et perpauci in populo, qui idonei illius auditores effe poffint; fuaderem, fi fieri poffit, ut indiceretur utrinque filentium; nec ita paffim et crude proponerentur a quibufque ut affolet. Certo multo magis expedire arbitror, ut doceatur populus nofter falutem fuam quærere in manifeftis vitæ fanctæ et fideliter inftitutæ, (quod et Petrus fuadet,) quam in occultis confilii divini; cujus curiofa nimis. inspectio vertigines et fcotomata generare poteft et folet; ædificationes certe in anguftis ingeniis vix folet. Judicium L. Andrews Ep. Winton. de Art. Lamb. p. 28. excellent Prelate, a distinguished ornament and pillar of the Church, which, as the noble Hiftorian of the Rebellion truly teftifies, he "un"derftood and loved." Wherein the practice, which he defcribes himself to have followed, and which he recommends for the adoption of others, is inconfiftent with the found principles of the Gospel, and with the example of its infpired teachers, is an inquiry, not unworthy the attention of our accufers: and until it fhall be fatisfactorily answered, we may venture to queftion their modefty in condemning us by reafon of our forbearance as to the mysterious doctrines in debate. And if the prefumption of our opponents be great, in thus authoritatively deciding upon fubjects, which have long divided the opinions of the greatest men, and in taking the preaching of their own fentiments upon these subjects for the criterion of ministerial fidelity; they are not lefs reprehenfible in pronouncing fentence upon points, whereon the fentiments, which they efpoufe, derive little or no countenance from antiquity; or even were not at all encouraged until fince the period of the Reformation. "The doctrine that no man, "being once in God's favour, can ever quite " lofe it," is affirmed by the learned Doctor • Clarendon's Hiftory of the Rebellion, vol. i. book i Barrow, to have "the unanimous confent of "all Christendom for fifteen hundred years "against it." "What Chrift meant by be 66 ing born of water and of the Spirit," faith Bishop Beveridge," is now made a question: "I fay, now; for it was never made fo, till ❝ of late years. For many ages together none 66 ever doubted of it, but the whole Chriftian "world took it for granted, that our Saviour "by these words meant only, that except a ❝ man be baptized according to his institution, " he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Perfection, if it has been occafionally support ed by fome particular fects, as by the Novatians of old time, and certain enthufiafts about the age of the Reformation, has never had any pretenfions to be confidered as a doctrine of the catholic Church. Whilft affurance was fo far from being admitted and taught in the primitive times, that it was not afferted even by that Father, "whose supposed patronage "ftands our accufers in fo much ftead upon "other occafions*;" and whofe opinions fome of them reprefent as the model of their own. Yet these are among the leading points, which are made the fubject of the charge against us: Barrow's Works, vol. ii. p. 51. |