product of corrupt nature is corrupt, wholly corrupt; and confequently, that every imagination, thought, purpose, affection and inclination of the natural man, is evil, and only evil continually; and therefore all his actions, attempts or endeavours, must be so too. But if the letter-writer, in the note above-mentioned, intended to infinuate, that a promife of the favour of God and everlasting happiness, is made to every honeft, or fincere attempt to please God; fo that every one with whom this is really to be found, may claim these as due to him, according to the tenor of the law of works, he ought to have proved this before he had afferted it with fo much confidence. Whatever he may think, we are fure there is not one paffage of Scripture that favours, or that can, without ftraining, be fo interpreted as to support such a notion, though we can easily find many that do effectually overthrow it. He adds, "he is ready to fhew, that all objections and impediments have been, by a particular edict for that purpose, removed and difpenfed with in favour of all who are fincerely "well-difpofed, whenever they fhall be found." We with Palamon had explained himself more fully here; for it is not eafy to conceive what he intends by this obfervation, unless he means, that God has condefcended so far to lower the demands of his law, as to declare, that he is willing to accept of an imperfect righteousness, or a righteoufnefs ftained with fin in place of that perfect obedience which was originally required by the law of works, as the condition of life or everlasting happinefs; or that he has by promife, or a particular edict for that purpose, bound himself to reward every honeft and fincere attempt to please him, in the fame manner he engaged himself, by his proVOL. I. E mife, 3 Art. III. mife, to reward perfect obedience, in the law or covenant of works made with innocent Adam. If this is really his opinion, he muft alfo allow, that good works, however imperfect, yea the leaft endeavour, or fincere defire to pleafe God, do merit everlasting life and happiness in the fame manner that perfect obedience would have done according to the original tenor of the law of works. Thus, inftead of one, which yet he will scarce allow of, he makes two covenants of works; one, which promifes eternal happiness upon the condition of perfect obedience, or entire conformity to the divine law in thought, word, and deed; and another, which, far from being fo rigorous, promifes eternal life and falvation on the condition of fincere though imperfect obedience; and even to reward the leaft honeft attempt, or fincere endeavour to please God, with everlasting happinefs; fo that with whomfoever this is found they may claim eternal life as a reward of debt. Whatever may be faid of unconverted finners, it is certain, that believers according to this new doctrine may warrantably claim everlafting life, as a reward due to them for their good works and fincere endeavours: for, that true believers not only defire and endeavour to please God, but are enabled actually to perform good works, is what I fuppofe Palamon himself will allow. How far this is confiftent with the apoftle's reasoning, Rom. xi. 6. we leave to be confidered by the letter-writer, who perhaps may in his next oblige us with an attempt to prove what in this he only declares he is ready to fhew. Further; if we admit Palamon's opinion concerning this fecond edition of the covenant of works we must at the fame time allow, that the old covenant of works, which required a per fect fect righteousness as the condition of eternal happinefs, is now wholly fuperfeded and abrogated, at least as to all who enjoy the benefit of divine revelation. If this is really the cafe, the apoftle Paul must have been greatly mistaken when he affirmed, that they are curfed who continue not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them for Palamon is ready to fhew, that the demands of the law of works, whatever they might have been originally, do not now run fo high by a great deal; but that every the leaft fincere and well-meant attempt to please God, is fufficient to free one from the curfe or condemning fentence of the law, and to found a juft claim to everlafting happiness. Many found divines, at least who were generally accounted fuch, among Proteftants, before Palamon was pleafed to thunder out his direful anathemas against them, as corrupters and perverters of the ancient gospel, have, from the paffage above-mentioned, and others of a like import, endeavoured to prove against the Papifts, that good works done after converfion can no more merit everlasting life, or be with fafety oppofed to the charge brought against the finner by the divine law, than those which men pretend to do before converfion; and hence they have concluded, that the greatest faint has no more title to the favour of God, or eternal happiness, on account of his own obedience, than the greatest finner; but muft acknowledge himfelf to be wholly indebted to the free and fovereign grace of God for pardon, juftification, falvation, and all happiness promifed to him here, or enjoyed by him hereafter. And if the apoftle's affirmation is true, it must be allowed that their reasoning is * Gal. iii. 10. just. juft. But whatever he may affert, or they conclude, concerning this point, the letter-writer is ready to fhew, in oppofition both to him and them, that all good works, however imperfect, yea every fincere defire and endeavour to pleafe God, with whomfoever they are found, do both free from the curfe of the divine law, and purchase a title to everlasting life. However much Palamon thinks fit to inveigh against the anti-chriftian fpirit of the Romanifts on other occafions, as to this point, there is no great difference between him and them; for the more moderate among them will grant, that no good works done before, but only thofe that are done after conversion, are meritorious. They will also allow, that the latter do not merit properly, but only by paction, or because God has by his promile bound himself to reward them with eternal life; which I apprehend is the native and neceffary confequence of our author's doctrine. Thus, whatever may be ascribed to the grace of God in the juftification of a finner, it can have little or no place in the falvation of a believer, or of one who has been enabled to perform any acceptable acts of Kobedience to the law of God. And whatever the letter-writer may think of the grace, godlinefs and good works of the popular preachers, and of those whom he is pleased to call the votaries of the popuTar doctrine; which he will not allow to be any thing else but hypocrify and Pharifaifm, or the fume and froth of human pride; we fuppofe he will not deny, that a believer of the ancient gospel, fuch as himfelf and his brethren, may and does perform good works, works of charity, and self-denied obedience; any one of these therefore, yea, what is much less, any honeft or fincere attempt to perform them, them, muft afford him a juft claim to everlasting life and happiness. Palamon is much difpleafed with his antagonists for afcribing fo much to their acts of faith; but, from what has been obferved, it is easy to fee, that he muft attribute a great deal more to his own acts of faith; for fo he is pleafed to call good works done by believers after converfion*. After all the noife he makes, he is not able to accuse those with whom he has the warmest controversy on this head, of any thing befides their holding faith, and the feveral acts thereof, to be inftrumental in accepting, receiving, or taking poffeffion of the bleffings which are exhibited and freely offered in the word of grace and promife: and it is not eafy to conceive how thofe who own, that there is any fuch thing as juftifying and faving faith, can attribute lefs to it. But it is evident, that he muft afcribe much more to his acts of faith; while, according to his doctrine, every one of them must be meritorious, or afford a just title to eternal falvation. eternal falvation. However much need then ungodly finners may have of the divine righteousness, when they are thoroughly pinched with the impoffibility of hope on every other fide, it is plain, that Palamon's believers can have lit`tle or no occafion for it; every one of their acts of faith being enough to intitle them to everlafting happiness, according to the tenor of the law of works, as really as Adam's obedience would have done him, had he perfifted in it to the end. Being thus righteous before God by their own obedience, and in their own perfons, one would think they may well enough ftand upon their own bottom, without being any further indebted to that righteoufnefs which delivereth from death. And * Letters on Theron, &c. p. 406. |