* they have not believed? and how shall they believe "in him of whom they have not heard? and how "shall they hear without a preacher ?" They cannot believe, unless revelation be sent to them; they cannot call on the Lord, except they believe: and they cannot be saved, if they do not call on the Lord. Calvin and Calvinists most readily ac'knowledge, that faith is used in scripture, in various

senses: the two grand divisions of which are a living faith and a dead faith: but believing a man's own conjectures, or reasonings, is not one of these various senses.

P. cii. 1. 10. St. Paul says, &c."2 It is the general opinion of commentators, that the apostle, in the passage referred to, at the opening of this

* Rom. x. 13, 14.

St. Paul says, "Though I have all faith, and have not chá"rity, I am nothing" and to the Ephesians he says, "By "grace are ye saved through faith :" in the former passage, Faith is declared to be an useless qualification; in the latter, nothing less than the power of attaining eternal salvation is ascribed to it, through the grace of God. An useless faith, and ← a saving faith, cannot be the same; and consequently the word is used by this inspired writer in different senses. The faith, which a man may possess, and yet be "nothing," is a bare belief of the truth of the Gospel, without any love or gratitude to God for the blessings it conveys, or any practical regard to ← the duties it enjoins. The faith, which is the means of salvation, is that belief of the truth of the Gospel, which produces • obedience to its precepts, and is accompanied by a firm reliance upon the merits of Christ. That there is a species of faith ⚫ which is of no value, we learn also from St. James, "Faith, if "it hath not works, is dead, being alone."

31 Cor. xiii. 2.

I

quotation, means by "faith," a special reliance on the promised power of God, to enable a man to work miracles in the name of Christ; which it is clear some had, who were destitute of that "faith, which "worketh by love." • Our Saviour seems plainly to 'inform us, that men might prophesy, and cast out 'devils, and do mighty works in his name, and yet 'be workers of iniquity, and persons whom he would 'not own at the last day.' This, however, has no immediate connection with our subject. In other respects the quotation expresses the sentiments of a great majority, indeed of nearly all, who are called the evangelical clergy: especially this sentence, The faith, which is the means of salvation, is that belief of the truth of the Gospel, which produces ' obedience to its precepts, and is accompanied by a < firm reliance on the merits of Christ.' To produce is very different from to contain, which many would substitute for it.-' Good works, which are the fruits of faith and follow after justification-do spring ' out necessarily of a true and lively faith, insomuch, that a lively faith may be as evidently known by them, as a tree discerned by its fruit.' No man 'should think, that he hath that lively faith, which 'the Scripture commandeth, when he liveth not ' obediently to God's laws; for all good works spring out of that faith."3 An excellent passage is afterwards quoted in The Refutation' from the same homily, which needs not be here reprinted, as the

Whitby on 1 Cor. xiii. 2. ith, 3d Part.

reader will do well, carefully to peruse the whole, in the Book of Homilies. If any, called evangelical clergymen, do not approve of this doctrine, thus stated from Scripture and the authorized writings of our church; we who do, (a large majority,) only request, that we may not be confounded with them.

This

P. cv. Translation of note from Bp. Bull. passage from Bp. Bull exactly describes what we disapprove, as that before from the Refutation,' what we approve. 'Faith produces,' says the Refutation; "Faith comprises,' says Bp. Bull. The former we Calvinists maintain; the latter we wholly reject, as inconsistent with salvation of grace, and justification by faith alone. St. Paul declareth,-nothing upon the { behalf of man concerning his justification, but ' only a true and lively faith; which nevertheless is the gift of God, and not man's only work without God. And yet that faith doth not shut, out repentance, hope, love, dread, and the fear of God, to be joined with faith, in every man that is justi'fied: but it shutteth them out from the office of justifying. So that, although they be all present together in him that is justified, yet they justify not ⚫ altogether. Neither doth faith shut out the justice

8

That faith, to which so many and great things are ascribed in the New Testament, must by no means be taken for a single ⚫ and simple virtue. For, in its circuit, it comprises all the works of Christian piety. But every where, when it is taken for a work distinct by itself, and disjointed from all other virtues; so far is the Holy Spirit from ascribing to it the first part, that it is placed by St. Paul himself after love, almost in the third place,

of our good works, necessarily to be done afterwards, of duty towards God: (for we are most bounden to serve God, in doing good deeds, commanded by him in his holy Scripture, all the days of our life :) but it excludeth them, so that we may not do them to this intent, that we may be 'made just by doing them. For all the good works that we do be imperfect, and therefore not able to ❝ deserve our justification: but our justification doth come freely by the mere mercy of God; and of so great and free mercy, that whereas all the world was not able of themselves to pay any part towards their ransom, it pleased our heavenly Father, of his infinite mercy, without any of our desert, or deserving, to prepare for us the most precious jewels of Christ's body and blood, whereby our ransom might be fully paid, and his justice fully satisfied, So that Christ is now the Righteousness " of all them, that do truly believe in him. He for them paid their ransom by his death; He for them fulfilled the law in his life. So that now, in him and by him, every true christian man may be called a fulfiller of the law; for as much, as that which their infirmity lacked, Christ's justice hath supplied," Our faith in Christ, as it were, saith unto us thus: It is not I who take away your sins but it is Christ only; and to him only, I send you for that purpose, forsaking therein all your good 'virtues, words, thoughts, and works, and only putting your trust in Christ. Because faith doth

1

Homily of salvation, first part, second part,

2

2 Homily of salvation,

'directly send us to Christ for remission of our sins; and that by faith given us of God, we embrace 'the promise of God's mercy, and of the remission of our sins, (which thing none of our own virtues and works properly doeth,) therefore the Scripture "useth to say, that faith without works doth justify." "It is a childish objection, wherewith, in the matter of justification, our adversaries do so greatly please 'themselves, exclaiming that we tread all christian virtues under our feet, and require nothing but 'faith; because we teach that faith alone justifieth. • Whereas by this speech, we never meant to exclude either hope or charity, from being always joined, as inseparable mates with faith, in the man that is justified; or works from being added as necessary duties, required at the hands of every justified man. But to shew, that faith is the only hand, which putteth on Christ for justification: and Christ the ' only garment, which, being so put on, covereth 'the shame of our defiled natures, hideth the im→ perfection of our works, preserveth us blameless in the sight of God; before whom, otherwise, the 'weakness of our faith were cause sufficient to make us culpable, yea, to shut us from the kingdom of God, where nothing that is not absolute can 'enter.”—The view given, in the last remark, of faith as producing good works, coincides with this: but that which states faith, as containing within it

' Homily of salvation, third part.

Hooker. This and several other quotations from Hooker were made by the author, in The Force of Truth,' published about thirty-two years ago.