But it is objected by the author of The Notions of the Methodistr disproved, St. James says, "Can faith save him?" I answer, Suck a faith as is without works cannot bring a man to heaven. But this is quite beside the present question.

You object, 2. St. Paul says, "That faith is made perfect by love," St. James, "That faith made perfect by works, is the condition of salvation." You mean final salvation. I say so too: but this also is beside the question.

You object, 3. "That the belief of the gospel," is called "the obedience of faith." Rom. i. 5. And, 4. That what Isaiah terms believing, St. Paul terms obeying. Suppose I grant you both the one and the other, what will you infer?

You object, 5. That in one Scripture our Lord is styled "The Saviour of them that believe :" and in another, "The Author of eternal salvation, to all them that obey him." 6. That to the Galatians St. Paul writes, "Neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love:" and to the Corinthians, "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping the commandments of God." And hence you conclude, "There are several texts of Scripture, wherein unbelief and disobedience are equivalently used." Very true: but can you conclude from thence, that we are not saved by faith alone?

12. You proceed to answer some texts which I had quoted. The first is Ephesians ii. 8, "By grace ye are saved through faith." "But (say you) faith does not mean here, that grace especially so called, but includes also obedience." But how do you prove this? That circumstance you had forgot: and so run off with a comment upon the context; to which I have no other objection, than that it is nothing at all to the question. Indeed, some time after, you add, "It is plain then that good works are always, in St. Paul's judgment, joined with faith." (So undoubtedly they are, that is, as an effect is always joined with its cause.) "And therefore we are not saved by faith alone." I cannot possibly allow the consequence. You afterwards cite two more texts, and add, "You see mere faith cannot be a condition of justification." You are out of your way. We are no more talking now of justification than of final salvation.

In considering Acts xvi. 31, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved," you say again, "Here the word believe does not signify faith only.-Faith necessarily produces charity and repentance; therefore, these are expressed by the word believe." i. e. Faith necessarily produces holiness. Therefore holiness is a condition of holiness. I want farther proof. That Paul and Silas spake unto him the word of the Lord; and that his faith did in the same hour work by love, I take to be no proof at all.

You then undertake to show, that confessing our sins is a condition of justification, and that a confidence in the love of God, is not a condition; some of your words are, "This, good Sir, give me leave to say, is the greatest nonsense and contradiction possible. It is impossible you can understand this jargon yourself, and therefore you

labour in vain to make it intelligible to others. You soar aloft on eagles' wings, and leave the poor people to gape and stare after you." This is very pretty and very lively. But it is nothing to the purpose. For we are not now speaking of justification: neither have I said one word of "The condition of justification" in the whole Tract to which you here refer.

"In the next place, (say you) if we are saved (finally you mean) only by a confidence in the love of God"-Here I must stop you again; you are now running beside the question, on the other hand. The sole position which I here advance is this: true believers are saved from inward and outward sin by faith. By faith alone, the love of God and all mankind is shed abroad in their hearts, bringing with it the mind that was in Christ, and producing all holiness of conversation.

IV. 1. I am now to consider, What has been lately objected, with regard to the nature of saving faith.

The author last mentioned "cannot understand how those texts of St. John are at all to the purpose." 1 John iii. 1, “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." And chap. iv. 19, "We love him, because he first loved us." I answer, 1. These texts were not produced in the Appeal by way of proof, but of illustration only. But, 2. I apprehend they may be produced as a proof both that Christian faith implies a confidence in the love of God, and that such a confidence has a direct tendency to salvation, to holiness both of heart and life. "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God!" Are not these words an expression of Christian faith! As direct a one as can well be conceived? And I appeal to every man, whether they do not express the strongest confidence of the love of God? Your own comment puts this beyond dispute: "Let us consider attentively, and with grateful hearts, the great love and mercy of God, in calling us to be his sons, and bestowing on us the privileges belonging to such." Do you not perceive that you have given up the cause? You have yourself taught us, that these words imply, "A sense of the great love and mercy of God, in bestowing upon us the privileges belonging to his sons." The Apostle adds, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." I suppose no one will say, either, that these words are not expressive of Christian faith; or, that they do not imply the strongest confidence in the love of God. It follows," And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure." Hence it appears, that this faith is a saving faith, that there is the closest connexion between this faith and holiness. This text therefore is directly to the purpose, in respect of both the propositions to be proved.

The other is, "We love him because he first loved us." And here also, for fear I should fail in the proof, you have drawn it up

ready to my bands. "God sent his only Son-to redeem us from sin, by purchasing for us grace and salvation. By which grace we -through faith and repentance have our sins pardoned-And therefore we are bound to return the tribute of our love and gratitude, and to obey him faithfully as long as we live." Now, though we have our sins pardoned, if we do not know they are pardoned, this cannot bind us either to love or obedience. But if we do know it, and by that very knowledge or confidence in the pardoning love of God, are both bound and enabled to love and obey him, this is the whole of what I contend for.

2. You afterwards object against some other texts which I had cited, to illustrate the nature of saving faith. My words were, "Hear believing Job, declaring his faith, I know that my Redeemer liveth.' I here affirm two things, 1. That Job was then a believer. 2. That he declared his faith in these words. And all I affirm, you allow. Your own words are, God was pleased to bestow upon him a strong assurance of his favour-to inspire him with a prophecy of the resurrection, and that he should have a share in it." "

I went on, "Hear Thomas, when having seen he believed, crying out, My Lord and my God.' Hereon you comment thus, The meaning of which is, that St. Thomas makes a confession both of his faith and repentance.' I agree with you. But you add, 'In St. Thomas's confession there is not implied an assurance of pardon." You cannot agree with yourself in this; but immediately subjoin, If it did imply such an assurance, he might well have it, since he had an immediate revelation of it from God himself."

Yet a little before you endeavoured to prove that one who was not a whit behind the very chief apostles, had not such an assurance: where, in order to show that faith does not imply this, you said, "St. Paul methinks has fully determined this point, (1 Cor. iv. 4.) I know nothing by myself,' says he, yet am I not hereby justified.'—And if an Apostle so illuminated, does not think himself justified."Then I grant, he has fully determined the point. But before you absolutely fix upon that conclusion, be pleased to remember your own comment that follows, on those other words of St. Paul: "The life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.' Your words are, "And no question a person endowed with such extraordinary gifts, might arrive at a very eminent degree of assurance."-So he did arrive at a very eminent degree of assurance, though he did not think himself justified!

I can scarcely think you have read over that chapter to the Colossians: else surely you would not assert, that "those words on which the stress lies, (viz. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sin) do not relate to Paul and Timothy who wrote the Epistle, but to the Colossians, to whom they wrote." I need be at no pains to answer this; for presently after your own words are, "He hath made us, meaning the Colossians, as well as himself, meet to be inheritors."

3. You may easily observe, that I quoted the Council of Trent by memory, not having the book then by me. I own, and thank you for correcting my mistake; but in correcting one, you make another. For the decrees of the sixth session were not " published on the 13th of January;" but the session itself began on that day.

I cannot help reciting your words, although they are not exactly to the present question.

"The words of the 12th Canon of the Council of Trent are, If any man shall say that justifying faith is nothing else but a confidence in the Divine mercy, remitting sins for Christ's sake, and that this confidence is that alone by which we are justified, let him be accursed.' You add, "This, Sir, I am sure, is true doctrine, and perfectly agreeable to the doctrine of our Church. And so you are not only anathematized by the Council of Trent, but also condemned by our own Church. Our Church holds no such scandalous and disgraceful opinion."-According to our Church, no man can have "the true faith, who has not a loving heart.". "Therefore faith is not a confidence that any man's sins are actually forgiven, and he reconciled to God." What have the premises to do with the conclusion?

4. To decide this, let our Church speak for herself. Whether she does not suppose and teach, that every particular believer knows that his sins are forgiven, and that he himself is reconciled to God.

First then, Our Church supposes and teaches every particular believer to say concerning himself, "In my baptism, I was made a member of Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom. of heaven. And I thank God who hath called me to that state of salvation. And I pray God that I may continue in the same, to my life's end." Now does this person know what he says to be true? If not, it is the grossest hypocrisy. But if he does, then he in particular is reconciled to God.

The next words I shall quote may be a comment on these: may God write them in our hearts!

"A true Christian man is not afraid to die, who is the very member of Christ, the temple of the Holy Ghost, the son of God, and the very inheritor of the everlasting kingdom of heaven. But plainly contrary, he not only puts away the fear of death, but wishes, desires, and longs heartily for it." Sermon against the fear of death. Part I. Now can this be, unless he has a sure confidence that he, in particular, is reconciled to God? "Men commonly fear death, 1. Because of leaving their worldly goods and pleasures. 2. For fear of the pains of death; and, 3. For fear of perpetual damnation. But none of these causes trouble good men, because they stay themselves by the true faith, perfect charity, and sure hope of endless joy and bliss everlasting." Ibid. Part II. All these therefore have great cause to be full of joy, and not to fear death nor everlasting damnation. For death cannot deprive them of Jesus Christ, death cannot take him from us, nor us from him. Death not only cannot harm us, but also shall profit us and join us to God more per

fectly. And thereof a Christian heart may surely be certified. It is God, saith St. Paul, "which hath given us an earnest of his Spirit. As long as we be in the body, we are in a strange country. But we have a desire rather to be at home with God." Ibid. He that runneth may read in all these words, the confidence which our Church supposes every particular believer to have, that he himself is reconciled to God.

To proceed, "The only instrument of salvation required on our part is faith; that is, a sure trust and confidence, that God both hath and will forgive our sins, that he hath accepted us again into his favour, for the merits of Christ's death and passion." Second Sermon on the Passion. "But here, we must take heed that we do not halt with God, through an inconstant, wavering faith. Peter coming to Christ upon the water, because he fainted in faith, was in danger of drowning. So we, if we begin to waver or doubt, it is to be feared lest we should sink as Peter did not into the water, but into the bottomless pit of hell-fire. Therefore I say unto you, that we must apprehend the merits of Christ's death by faith, and that with a strong and steadfast faith: nothing doubting, but that Christ by his own oblation hath taken away our sins, and hath restored us again to God's favour." Ibid.

5. If it be still said, That the Church speaks only of men in general, but not of the confidence of this or that particular person: even this last, poor subterfuge, is utterly cut off by the following words: "Thou, O man, hast received the body of Christ which was once broken, and his blood which was shed for the remission of thy sin. Thou hast received his body, to have within thee the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, for to endow thee with grace, and to comfort thee with their presence. Thou hast received his body, to endow thee with everlasting righteousness, and to assure thee of everlasting bliss." Sermon on the Resurrection. I shall add but one passage more, from the first part of the Sermon on the Sacrament.

"Have a sure and constant faith, not only that the death of Christ is available for all the world, but that he hath made a full and sufficient sacrifice for thee, a perfect cleansing of thy sins, so that thou mayest say with the Apostle, he loved thee and gave himself for thee. For this is, to make Christ thine own, and to apply his merits unto thyself."

Let every reasonable man now judge for himself, which is the sense of our Church as to the nature of saving faith. Does it not abundantly appear, that the Church of England supposes every particular believer, to have a sure confidence, that his sins are forgiven, and he himself reconciled to God? Yea, and how can the absolute necessity of this faith, this unwavering confidence, be more strongly or peremptorily asserted, than it is in those words: "If we begin to waver or doubt, it is to be feared lest we sink as Peter did : not into the water; but into the bottomless pit of hell-fire?"

6. I would willingly dismiss this writer here. I had said in the Earnest Appeal (what I am daily more and more confirmed in)