exprefs themselves "Nec liberum arbitrium ita prædicent, ut gratiam Dei afficiant contumeliâ, nec gratiam fic efferant, ut libero arbitrio locum non relinquant." Again" Deo fapientiffimo vifum eft, ut homo invitatus per gratiam, quam poteft, fi velit, complecti vel afpernari, in justificationis fuæ opere non fit otiofus." Again-"Hoc fane folius eft gratiæ beneficium, quod primo voluntates ad bonum moventur et excitantur, at in tentatione refiftere ac vincere, in bonis his actionibus perfeverare, et progredi in ftudio, illud utique et gratiæ eft, et noftri fimul arbitrii et conatus." With regard to Election and Perfeverance it is there faid, d nifi totâ mente in bona opera incumberemus, confeftim ex Dei gratiâ, et statu juf a "Let them not fo extol free will, as to do defpite to the grace of God, nor fo magnify grace, as to leave no room for free will. b"It feemed good to the wisdom of God, that Man being invited by grace, which he may, if he pleases, either embrace or reject, fhould not be idle in the work of his juftification." "This indeed is the gift of grace alone, that our wills are at first moved and excited to good; bnt in temptation to refift, and overcome, to perfevere in these good actions, and to advance in the progrefs of virtue, that is the joint effect both of grace, and our own will and endeavours." d "Did we not apply our whole mind to good works, we fhould fall from the grace of God, and state of justification, in which we were placed, and again be brought under the bondage of fin," titiæ, in quem evecti eramus, excideremus, atque LASTLY, with regard to good works, they tell us, "vifum eft Deo ut homo in justificationis "Whether there be any diftinct and particular knowledge given through faith, whereby a perfon may be able certainly to determine, and affure himself that he is of the number of the predestined, and of them who fhall perfevere to the end in their christian calling, there is no occafion at present to enlarge on fince we have no fuch knowledge or certainty delivered, or recommended to us, either by the teftimony of the holy fcriptures, or the writings of the holy fathers." on; b" Men are to be admonished not to afcribe their own damnation to God, but to themselves and their own vices, who through the malice and luft of their own will, ungratefully abuse fo many bleffings and gifts of God." "It seemed good to the Almighty that man fhould not be idle in the work of juftification, but by raifing his mind, and by obedience, use his own endeavours to acquire it." opere opere non fit otiofus, fed per affenfum animi et obedientiam ad juftificationem adipifcendam fuam fibi operam accommodet.” THE fame doctrine is taught in the Reformatio Legum, published by our first reformers. There we read "b Quapropter omnes nobis admonendi funt ut in actionibus fufcipiendis ad decreta prædeftinationis fe non referant, cum et promiffiones bonis, et minas malis, in facris fcripturis generaliter propofitas contemplemur ." Again, Etiam illi de juftificatis perversè fentiunt, qui credunt illos, poftquam jufti fimul facti sunt, in peccatum non poffe incidere; aut fi forte quic a This Reformatio Legum was drawn up by commiffioners appointed by King Edward VI. It is a fyftem of ecclefiaftical laws, and is fuppofed to have been compiled chiefly by Archbishop Cranmer, who was at the head of that commiffion. The King dying foon after, these laws were never confirmed by any authority, nor were they published till the reign of Queen Elizabeth. They were then published by John Fox, with King Edward's commiffion bearing date Nov. 11. 1551. See Strype's Mem. Vol. II. b. ii. p. 303. Life of Cranmer, b. ii. c. 26. p. 270. Burnet's Hift. Ref. Vol. II. p. 2. b. i. p. 196, &c. b" Wherefore all are to be admonished by us that in their undertakings and actions, they are not to refer themselves to the decrees of predestination, fince in the holy scriptures we fee promises to good actions, and threats to bad ones, proposed in general terms. c De Hæres. cap. 22. d" They form very perverfe notions of the juftified, who believe that after they are once made juft, they cannot fall quam eorum faciunt quæ Dei legibus prohibentur, ea Deum pro peccatis non accipere "." LET US next fee what were Latimer's fentiments on these points — "b We need not (says he) go about to trouble ourselves with curious queftions of the predestination of God; but let us rather endeavour ourselves, that we may be in Chrift; for when we be in him, then are we well, and then we may be fure that we are ordained to everlasting life.-But you will fay, how shall I know that I am in the book of life? how shall I try myself to be elect of God to everlasting life? I answer, first, we may know that we may one time be in the book, and another time come out again; as appeareth by David, which was written in the book of life; but when he finned, he at the fame time was out of the book of the favour of God, until he had repented, and was forry for his faults. So we may be in the book one time, and afterward, when we forget God and his word, and do wickedly, we come out of the book, that is, out of Christ. And in that book are written all believers. But I will tell you how you fhall know when you are in the book: and there are three special notes, whereby you may know the fame; into fin; or, if by chance they should do any thing prohibited by the laws of God, that God does not impute it as fin." b Serm. on 3d Sunday after the a De Hæres. cap. 9. Epiphany. the the first note is, that you know your fin, and feel your own wretchednefs; then followeth the fecond point, which is faith in Chrift; that is, when you believe most stedfastly and undoubtedly, that God the heavenly Father thro' his Son will deliver you from your fins. The third point is, when you have an earnest defire to amendment, and hatred against fin, and ftudy to live after God's will and commandments, as much as is poffible for you to do." a AGAIN- The promises of Christ our Saviour are general: he made a general proclamation, saying, whofoever believeth on me hath everlasting life. He faith, come to me all ye that labour and are laden, and I will eafe you.-Mark, here he faith, come ALL ye; wherefore then should any man despair, or shut himself out from the promifes of Chrift, which be general, and pertain to the whole world? He that leaveth his wickedness and fins, is content to amend his life, and then believing in Chrift, feeketh falvation and everlasting life by him, no doubt that man or woman, whofoever he or they be, fhall be faved." The holy martyr Bishop Hooper infifts ftrongly on the doctrine of univerfal redemption throughout the preface to his declaration of the ten commandments. The whole is well worth reading; I fhall felect fome paffages. He faith, "that as far extendeth the virtue and a Sermon on Matt. xxii. 2, &c. strength |