with the French philofopher in the capital point.One might think that they have converted him to their orthodoxy, or that he has perverted them to his Infidelity. Candid reader, judge of it by the following extract of his lecture on Deftiny. 66 "Homer [fays he is the firft writer, in whose "works we find the notion of fate. It was then "in vogue in his time. Nor was it adopted by "the Pharifees, till many years after: for these "Pharifees themselves, who were the first men "of letters among the Jews, were not very an"cient, &c. But philofophers needed neither "the help of Homer, nor that of the Pharifees, "to perfuade themselves, that all things happen by immutable decrees, that all is fixed, that all "is neceffary." Now for the proof. "Bodies [adds "he] tend to the center, pear trees can never "bear pine apples, a man cannot have above a "certain number of teeth."-And directly flying from teeth to ideas, he would have us infer, that we can no more arrange, combine, alter, or dif miss our ideas than our grinders, and that an adulterer defiles his neighbour's bed as neceffarily as a pear tree produces pears. He even adds, "If thou couldt alter the destiny of a fly, thou "fhould be more powerful than God himself.” See Dictionaire Philofophique portatif, Londres, 1764. Page 163, 164. This ingenious Infidel is quite as orthodex (in the Calvinistic sense of the word) in his article on Liberty. "What does then your free will confift in [fays he] if it is not in a power to do wil"lingly what abfolute neceffity makes you chufe?" Nay, he is fo ftaunch a Predeftinarian, fo compleat a Fatalift, that he maintains, no one can chufe even or odd without an irrefiftible order of all-directing fate. And he concludes by affirming, that all," liberty of indifference," that is, all power to do a thing, or to leave it undone at our option, with Out out the neceffitating agency of fate, "is arrant "nonfenfe." See the fame book, page 243, &c. * Thus the most subtle, self-righteous Infidel in France by going full caft; and the most rigid, thorough paced Antinomian in England by going full weft, in the ways of error, meet at last face to face in the antipodes of truth. O may the shock caused by their unexpected encounter, wake them both out of their fatal dreams, to call upon him, who takes the wife in their own craftiness, imparts true wisdom to the fimple, and crowns the humble with grace and glory. As high Calvinifm on the left hand falls in with Fatalifm, fo on the right hand it runs into the wildeft notions of fome deluded Myftics, and ranting Perfectionifts. Judicious reader, you will be convinced of it by the following propofitions, advanced by Molinos † the father of thofe Myftics and Perfectionifts, who are known abroad under the name of Quietifts. Thefe pofitions, among many others, were condemned by the Pope as "rafh, offenfive to pious ears, erroneous, fcandalous, &c." I extract them from the Bull of his Holiness, given at Rome 1687, and pubilshed by the archbishop of Cambray at the end of his book called Inftruction paftorale, printed at Amsterdam 1698. See page 192, &c. Velle operari active eft Deum offendere, qui vult "effe folus agens, &c. To defire to be active and "work, is to offend God, who will be the fole "agent, &c.-Our natural activity ftands in the 66 way of grace, and hinders the divine operation " and true perfection, quia Deus vult operari in no"bis fine nobis, because God will work in us with"out us.-The foul ought not to think upon re"wards and punishments. We must leave to "God the care of all that concerns us, that he C. 3. 66 may +He was a pious, but injudicious clergyman of the church of Rome, who, in fome of his works, fpoiled the doctrine of grace by Calviniltic refinements.; and that of Christian perfection by Antinomian rant.. may do in us, without us, his divine will.-He "that will be refigned to God's will, must not afk himany thing, becaufe petitions favour of our own will, and therefore are imperfect;" [or, to fpeak in the Calvinistic way, finful.] Again, "God, to humble and transform us, "permits and wills, that the devil should do vio"lence to the bodies of fome perfect fouls" [i. e. eftablished believers] "and fhould make them com"mit carnal actions against their will.-God now "fanctifies his faints by the miniftry of devils, "who by causing in their flesh the above-men❝tioned violent impulfes, makes them defpife "themfelves the more, &c.-St. Paul felt fuch "violent impulfes in his body: hence he wrote, The good that I would, I do not; and the evil which I would not, I do. The fe violent impulfes are the "best means to humble the foul to nothing, and "to bring it to true holiness, and the divine union; there is no other way, et hæc eft via facilior et tutior, "and this is the eafier and the fafer way.-David, "&c. fuffered fuch violent impulfes to external "impure actions, &c." Who does not fee here fome of the moft abfurd tenets, or dangerous confequences of Calvinifm! Man is a mere machine in the work of falvationThe body of holy Paul is fold under fin- David in Uriah's bed is complete and perfect in Chrift. A&tual adultery humbles believers, and is an excellent mean of fanctification, &c. When we fee Antinomianism thus defiling the founder part of the Romifh and Proteftant churches; when the god of this world avails himself of these "Antinomian dotages," to confirm myriads of fliff Pharifees in their self-righteous delufions; and when the bulk of men, fhocked at the glaring errors of both, run for fhelter to Deism, and grofs Infidelity; who would not defire to see the doctrines of faith and works, grace and obedience so stated and reconciled, that men of reafon might no longer be of offended at Chriftianity; nor men of religion one at another ? This is again attempted in the following difcourfe, the fubftance of which was committed to paper many years ago, to convince the Pharifees and Papifts of my parifh, that there is no falvation by the faithlefs works of the law, but by a living faith in Jefus Chrift. With fhame I confefs, that I did not then fee the need of guarding the doctrine of faith, against the defpifers of works. I was chiefly bent upon pulling up the tares of Pharifaifm: Thofe of Antinomianifm were not yet fprung up in the field, which I began to cultivate; or my want of experience hindered me from difcerning them. But fince, what a crop of them have I perceived and bewailed! * Alas! they have in a great degree ruined the fuccefs of my miniftry. I have feen numbers of lazy feekers, enjoying the duli pleasure of floth on the couch of wilful unbelief, under pretence that God was to do all in them without them. I have feen fome lie flat in the mire of fin, absurdly boast. ing that they could not fall; and others make the means of grace, means of idle goffiping or fly courtship. I have feen fome turn their religious profeffion into a way of gratifying covetousness or indolence; and others, their skill in church-music, their knowledge, and their zeal, into various nets to catch efteem, admiration, and praife. Some have I feen making yesterday's faith a reason to laugh at the cross to day; and others drawing from their misapprehenfions of the atonement, arguments to be lefs importunate in fecret prayer and more conformable to this evil world, than once they were. Nay, I have seen fome profeffing believers backward to do thofe works of mercy, which I have fometimes found perfons, who made no profeffion of godlinefs, quite ready to perform. And Oh! tell it in Sion, that watchfulness may not be neglected by believers, that fearfulness may feize feize upon backfliders, and that trembling may break the bones of hypocrites and apoftates; Í have feen thofe, who had equally fhined by their gifts and graces, ftrike the moral world with horror by the groffeft Antinomianifm; and difgrace the doctrine of falvation thro' faith, by the deepeft plunges into fcandalous fin. Candid Reader, I need fay no more, to make thee fenfible of the neceffity of the additions and notes, by which I have ftrengthened and guarded my old discourse, that it might be an EQUAL check to Pharifaifm and Antinomianifm, an equal prop to faith and works. If it affords thee any edification, give God the glory, and pray for the defpifed author. Afk in the words of good Bifhop Hopkins, that I may fo BELIEVE, fo reft on the merits of Chrift, as if I had never wrought any thing; and withal fo WORK, as if I were only to be faved by my own merits. And O! afk it again and again, for I find it a difficult thing, to give to each of thefe its due in my practice. It is the very depth and height of Chriftian perfection. END OF THE ESSAY... Sal |