One with us; by being, through HIM, who is GOD as well as man, in union with GoD HIMSELF1.

Almost all religious and ethical error is to be traced to our not endeavouring thus to balance our principles and preserve an equipoise between our duties. For instance, a man is shocked at the Calvinistic notion of Predestination, which, from Calvin's disregard of man's free agency under certain limitations, sways the moral traveller to the precipice which gapes upon him on the one side of the narrow way; and, then, what does he do? Perhaps, like Arminius, he so asserts the doctrine of man's free agency without restrictions as entirely to overlook the mystery of Predestination one or other doctrine is overlooked by one or other party, because, instead of believing without seeking to explain, they wish to reconcile the two; which can only be done, as far as they see, by virtually denying one. Another man sees that, without human foresight, precaution, and energy, great ends cannot be accomplished, and straightway he falls into the pit on the one side. Knowing that God leaves something in the power of man, he opines that GOD never interferes in human

1 Cf. Ephes. ii. 5; Gal. iii. 27; St. John, iii. 27, xvi. 7; Ephes. iv. 11, 12; St. John xv. 5, xiv. 20, 23.

affairs: that is, he denies the doctrine of a Special Particular Providence; and, hence, if he does pray for those things which are “requisite and necessary for the soul, he deems it superstition to pray for the things "requisite and necessary for the body". Or, again, flying Polytheism, a man worships ONE GOD and ONE only2; and then, by asserting long and earnestly this truth, he is plunged into perdition by forgetting another equally certain, that in the unity of this one Godhead there is a Trinity of Persons; and, seeking to avoid idolatry, he becomes an idolator by paying worship to other than the GOD of Christians. Or yet again, another person, dreading the errors of popery, rushes into the opposite extreme of ultra-protestantism; and, because the Church-visible is not what Rome represents it to be, denies the existence of any visible Church whatever.

I have asserted, at some length, this general principle, for the purpose of applying it more particularly on this occasion to the Doctrine of Good Works; a doctrine concerning which most fearful errors exist on either side.

1 Exhortation in Book of Common Prayer, Daily Service.
21 Tim. ii. 5.

'Athanasian Creed. Gen. i. 26, 27; Matt. iii. 16, 17, xxviii. 19.

You are well aware that it is broadly stated by many, and perhaps it is tacitly assumed by others, that if we do all we can, we shall be quite safe; since it is either said or insinuated, that GOD will not require at our hands an impossibility. It is said that if we do all that we can we shall be safe, no matter what our faith may be, no matter what our religion, no matter whether we have any religion at all: it is upon our conduct that all depends, and as to our conduct all that GOD requires is that we do all that we can, all that under the given circumstances we are able to do. This doctrine is sometimes formally expressed; it is more frequently silently acquiesced in; it is the downy pillow on which the devil would have us to recline our heads. This is really what is meant by being saved by works. It is seldom that men can be found who really suppose that by any thing they can do they can deserve Heaven; deserve infinite happiness; but we can easily discover, from what is said to us by persons, who, lying on the bed of sickness, would seek to palliate their past conduct, that men do think or try to think that they are safe because they have done what they could: they presume that GOD will not be extreme to mark what is done amiss; and then, having done their best, or nearly so, they again presume that all will be well with them.

licence of

that such

Now even, by a very strong supposition, admitting the fact persons have done their best: have done all they could a concession, I repeat, even for argument's sake, very difficult to grant; still, against the conclusion that for so doing they are safe, the face of our Mother the Church is set as a flint. The Scripture broadly, boldly, distinctly asserts that it is not by sincerely doing what he thinks to be right1; in other words, that it is not by his works that man can be saved2; and as broadly, as boldly, as distinctly, does the Church declare that she has received the same, for she says, "They are to be had accursed," the language is very strong, "they are to be had accursed that presume to say that every man shall be saved by the law or sect which he professeth, so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that law and the light of nature. For Holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the name of JESUS CHRIST, whereby men must be saved3." Yes; HE, and HE only, is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life": Yes; "no man cometh unto the FATHER but by HIM." "He that hath the SON

2

12 Chron. xiii. 9, 10; Saul's Conversion is also a case in point.

Eph. ii. 9; Psalms, cxxx. 3; cxliii. 2; St. Luke, xvii. 10; Isaiah, lxiv. 6.

hath life, and he that hath not the Son of GOD hath not life1." "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under Heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved?," but only the Name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. It is moreover declared, that he who will not believe, and who, therefore, by his unbelief cannot come to this only Saviour, that he who will not believe will be damned3. Accursed, doomed to destruction, he came into the world, his natural course is downwards, even to to perdition; he refuses, through unbelief, to adopt the only way of escape; accursed he remains, accursed he dies, and with the spirits everlastingly accursed he has his portion! Nay, yet further, the Scriptures declare that from man desiring eternal life, impossibilities, that is, things that are impossible to the natural unaided man, are required, because by man under Grace, through the supernatural aid of the HOLY GHOST, they may be performed. They are demanded of us, means of meeting the demand are afforded, and if we, through unbelief, will not avail ourselves of those means, we remain as we

1 1 John, v. 12. 2 Acts, iv. 12.

'St. Mark, xvi. 16.

4 Jude, 6; St. Matt. xxv. 41.

St. John, xv. 5; Phil. ii. 13; 2 Cor. iii. 5.