true and lively Faith in the merits and promises of Christ, is naturally productive of obedience to his commands. The same may be said of many other passages of Scripture. There seems to be no essential difference in these propositions: a man is saved by obedience which proceeds from Faith; a man is saved by Faith which produces obedience; a man is saved by Faith and obedience (ƒ). In all these three propositions, Christ is supposed to be the meritorious cause of Salvation, and Faith and obedience are asserted to be in the person saved. If the obedience of the first proposition does not proceed from Faith, it does not save; if the Faith of the second proposition does not produce obedience, it does not save; and therefore both Faith and obedience, as declared in the third. proposition, are necessary to Salvation.

The Ministers of our Church are unquestionably authorized by our Articles to speak of Faith, as signifying a firm reliance upon the merits of Christ

(f) "It is evident that Paul esteemed that alone true Faith which is productive of obedience, and so doth virtually, although not formally, include obedience, as the effect is virtually contained in the cause. So that the difference between men of judgment as to saving Faith is more in words than sense, they all designing the same thing, that we cannot be saved by that Faith which doth not produce in us a sincere obedience to the laws of Christ." Whitby, Preface to Gal.

*

Christ for Salvation, necessarily productive of Good Works, although I have proved that the word is not always used in that sense in the New Testament, and that a different meaning of it is admitted in the Homilies. But as all their hearers are not persons of seriousness, reflection, and understanding, some caution is requisite when this complex signification is affixed to the word. For if a minister should, in a country church, tell his parishioners, that they will be saved if they have Faith in Jesus Christ, without explaining to them what he means by Faith; or even if with explaining to them the true sense of the word, he makes this doctrine the constant subject of his discourses, and does not frequently inculcate the personal and social duties separately, as essential parts of the character of a true Christian, and as an indispensable proof of his possessing a lively Faith, he will be very far from improving the morality of his audience. An illiterate person, and the bulk of country congregations consists of persons of that description, if he be told that theft and drunkenness are forbidden by the laws of God, and that one of Christ's Apostles has declared that no thief or drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God (g), will see in this plain prohibition and declaration a rule of life; and he will understand

(g) 1 Cor. c. 6. v. 10.

what

what will be the consequence, if he does not obey it. In this he cannot deceive himself; he must know whether he offends or not; and if he has any sense of religion, he will be careful to avoid these sins. But if he be told that he has only to cherish Faith in his mind, and he will be eternally happy, he will be apt to persuade himself that he has this Faith, while he is guilty of every vice within his means to which he feels any temptation. He will remember that the preacher only told him to have Faith, and that he did not enjoin him to abstain from lying, drunkenness, theft, and fornication. He believes that Christ died for the sins of men, and is convinced, upon the authority of his minister, that this Faith is all which is required for pardon and Salvation. Whoever knows any thing of the common people, cannot but know that this mode of reasoning, easily suggested by the corrupt nature of man, is very likely to take place; and whoever has lived in the neighbourhood of certain preachers, will testify that it has taken place. The doctrine of Salvation through Faith, if rightly understood, is strictly scriptural; and I do not mean to say that any bad effects are intended by insisting solely or principally upon this one point. But I think that this style of preaching is imperfect and dangerous; and in support of my opinion I will ven

ture to affirm, that the New Testament does not furnish one discourse of our Saviour, one sermon of any of his Apostles, or one Epistle, in which there is not an exhortation to the practice of moral virtue, or in which a reward is not promised to holiness of life. Let the preachers, to whom I allude, read the conclusions of those very Epistles, upon particular passages of which they lay so much stress, and they will find the most earnest injunctions to the performance of the relative duties, and a variety of declarations and precepts all tending to encourage the cultivation. of practical virtue. Let them constantly bear in mind the solemn direction given by St. Paul to Titus, whom he had appointed a preacher of the Gospel, and let them observe that it immediately follows the assertion, that we are justified by grace (h);" "This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God, might be careful to maintain Good Works: these things are good and profitable unto men (i)." Justification therefore by grace, so far from rendering Good Works unnecessary, is the ground upon which they are to be enforced by a Christian minister 15 they are, says Dr. Doddridge, to be the darling topies of your preaching, as you desire the edifi

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cation

(b) Tit. c. 3. v. 7.

(i) Tit. c. 3. v. 8.

cation and Salvation of your hearers." The instructions indeed, which St. Paul gave to Timothy and Titus for preaching the Gospel, related principally to practical subjects, that their hearers might "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things (k)." Surely then if the inspired Apostles were guided to instruct their disciples in this manner, it is incumbent upon their successors, the present ministers of the Gospel, to insist upon the necessity of Good Works, at least with as much earnestness and as frequently, as upon the necessity of Faith. To obviate any misunderstanding upon a point of so great moment, the observance of the moral duties, upon the principles and motives required in the Gospel, ought to be expressly enforced as indispensable to Salvation; and whenever Faith is inculcated, the congregation should be reminded, that to shew Faith by works is the only mode of shewing Faith authorized by Scripture, and not palpably subject to deceit and delusion.

No clergyman should confine his public instruction to subjects of morality or of theology. The sermons of a parish priest ought to extend to all the doctrines and to all the duties of Christianity. The one are not to be dwelt upon to the exclusion of the other. A faithful minister of the Gospel

(k) Tit. c. 2. v. 10.