Trial. If, as Our Saviour argues, where Much is given Much will be required, by the fame Reafon We may conclude, that where God has Given Little he will Require but Little.

The Jews fancied, that all God's Care and Goodness was only to themselves; with very Little Concern for the Reft of Mankind; But when the Apostles had themselves been taught not to Call Any Common or Unclean; not to Defpife Any as excluded out of His Care and Favour, (for that they perceived that God purposed to Extend his Mercy and Salvation to All ;) They then began to teach the Reft this New Doctrine, that As1.34. God is no Respecter of Perfons; but that in every Nation, he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness, is accepted of Him ; Pet, i Who without refpect of Perfons, Fudgeth according to Every Mans Work. Not All by the fame Law, but Every one by the Law that has been given them for the Rule of their Lives; The Jews by the Law of Mofes, the Chriftians by the Gospel-Law of Christ, and the Gentiles by the Law of Nature, written in their Hearts; Provided they have not refused Inftruction, nor neglected any Opportunities of Advancing and Improving themfelves in the Knowledge of God and their Duty to him; but have carefully Liv'd

17.

up to the Beft Knowledge they could have of God and his Will: By which Law written in their Hearts they were able to Judge of their own Actions, their Confcience accufing,or Excufing them: And Those that did Order their Lives by it, were more Juftifiable in the Sight of God, than They that had a more Perfect Law, but Liv'd not according to it. All which I think is plainly taught us by St. Paul in his Epiftle to the Rom. Chap.ii. As Many (fays he) as have Sinned without the Law.fball alfo perish without Law; and as Many as have Sinned in the Law, fhall be Fudged by the Law.For when the Gentiles which have not the Law, do by Nature the Things contained in the Law, thefe having not the Law, are a Law unto themselves: Which show the work of the Law written in their Hearts, their ConScience alfo bearing Witness,and their Thoughts the Mean while Accufing, or elfe Excufing one Another.Therefore (fays he) if the Uncircumcifion keep the Righteousness of the Law, fhall not His Uncircumcifion be counted for Circumcifion? And shall not Uncircumcifion which is by Nature, if it fulfil the Law, Judge Thee, who by the Letter and Circumcifion doft Tranfgrefs the Law? -- And Ch. 3. Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not alfo of the Gentiles? Tea, of the Gentiles also.

I am not Ignorant that the Articles of our Church feem to look the other Art. 13. Way; They plainly Teach, "That

Art. 18.

"no Works without Faith in Chrift are Pleafing to God, but rather have "the Nature of Sin. And fet a Brand "on those that Prefume to fay, that

66

every one fhall be fav'd by the "Law or Sect that he profeffeth, so "that he be diligent to frame his

Life according to that Law and the "Light of Nature: For the Holy "Scripture doth fet out unto us only "the Name of Jefus Chrift, whereby "Men must be faved." This I acknowledge to be the Doctrine of our Articles.

To which I answer, Firft, That I am very far from Saying or Thinking, That all Sects and Religions are Indifferent, or equally Conducive to Salvation: No; Chriftianity is the Only Religion that has made known the Dotrine of Salvation, and fhown the Way to it, and gives infinite Advantage, above all Others, for the obtaining of it.

Nor do I fuppofe the Heathens to have any Right or Title to Salvation, any Manner of Way; They have None by any Covenant or Promise on God's

Part,

Part, and much lefs by any Works or Merit of Their own.

Commun

Nor do I at all Doubt, but that All that are, or ever fhall be Sav'd from the Creation of the World to the Final Diffolution of it, fhall be Sav'd Only for Chrift's Sake, and by Vertue of his Meritorious Death and Paffion. The Patriarchs and Prophets, and All others both Before and Under the Law, as well as Saints, Martyrs, and Confeffors, All that have been, or fhall be Sav'd under the Gofpel, are All Sav'd by Vertue of that Full Perfect and. Prayer of Sufficient Sacrifice and Satisfaction which he Confecramade, by his Own Oblation of himself, once of- tion in the fer'd upon the Cross for the Sins of the whole Office. World. The Vertue and Efficacy of That great Propitiatory Sacrifice reaches Backwards as well as Forwards; from the Beginning of the World, as well as to the End of it; and therefore he is call'd, The Lamb flain from the Foundation of the World; For he was Then Design'd, and Promis'd for our Redemption: It was prefently after the Fall of the First Adam, that God Promis'd the Second, the Seed of the Woman, to rescue Mankind from the Power of the Devil, and Reconcile the World unto himself. But then

2dly, We must alfo Confider, That all the Texts that fpeak of a Neceffity of Faith in Chrift, and Confequently the Article that is founded on them, must certainly be understood of an Abfolute Neceffity of Faith in him, in as many as have or might have had the Gospel Preach'd unto them not in Thofe who having never heard of the Gospel, it was utterly impof fible they fhould Believe in Him, of whom they had never Heard. For God does not oblige his Creatures to Impoffibilities; And the Apoftle's Affertion, That Faith comes by Hearing, is as undeniable, as his Question is Unanfwerable.. How shall they Believe in Him of whom they have not Heard? And How ball they Hear without a Preacher ? Rom. x. 14.

But 3dly, it is farther to be Confider'd, and I think, to be taken for Granted, That the Articles of Our Church, and the Terms of Salvation therein Propos'd, refer to God's Revealed Will, and the ordinary Means of Salvation, not exclufive of God's Secret Will, or any Extraordinary Means of Salvation that may therein be Referv'd for thofe, whom his Providence fhall never bring within the Reach of

Those