"heaven." Heb. xii. 25. No sooner had the religion of Christ become the religion of the world, and been invested with dignity and power, than it began to be corrupted. Men began to hold the truth in unrighteousness;" and "Satan himself was transformed into an Angel of Light," so as to deceive the nations. They sunk gradually into the abyss of ignorance and superstition; and "darkness covered "the earth, and gross darkness the people." What added to the horror of this darkness, the Bible itself, the fountain of Light, was taken away; and, for some ages, the Revelation of God, which had been given by the hand of a Mediator, and by the ministry of Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles, was hid from the world. Christianity hath two principal enemies to contend with, SUPERSTITION and INFIDELITY. It was Superstition which first shut the Bible.. The age of Infidelity had not yet come.

In that dark period of which we speak, even the chief Seats of learning became fountains of error to the world. From those very Seats it. was maintained, That Christianity was little more than a moral code, and that the Faith by which we should be saved, consisted principally in "a mere historic belief." The doctrine asserted, amounted in substance to this, that a

man might almost, if not entirely, qualify and entitle himself by certain good actions to receive the of God; and that thus he might purgrace

chase heaven by his own merit. So thick a mantle of darkness had covered the minds of men!

At length there appeared a dawn of light. BRADWARDINE of Oxford combated these errors of doctrine with great energy and eloquence. He was Archbishop of Canterbury, and the most profound scholar of his age. And as he was first in the Church in learning and in station, so he was almost sole in his opinions. But he was "full of faith;" and singly attempted, as he expressed it," to defend so GREAT A CAUSE.'

"Behold," said Archbishop BRADWARDINE, "I speak. "it with grief; as formerly four hundred and fifty prophets were "united against one prophet of the Lord; so at this day how "many, O God, contend for Free-Will (human sufficiency "and merit) against thy gratuitous Grace! How many indeed "in our times DESPISE thy saving Grace; or if they use the "term Grace, how do they boast that they DESERVE it by the

cr

strength of their Free-Will. Almost the whole world is "gone after PELAGIUS into error. Arise, O Lord, judge "thine own' cause; sustain him who undertakes to defend "thy truth. Protect, strengthen, and comfort me: for thou "knowest that, no where relying on my own strength, I "attempt to maintain so GREAT A CAUSE."

Bradwardini Opera, Prefat.

The Theologians, whom Bradwardine opposed, correspond

nearly

But WICKLIFFE of the same university was ordained to confirm more fully the evangelic testimony. He was properly the first great light in that dark age. He translated the Bible into our own tongue; and his own mind was illumined by it. He then assailed with an intrepid spirit the before-mentioned errors, and in particular, the position (which is the fundamental principle of a corrupt theology) "That a man becomes acceptable to God, and is finally saved, by his own works and merits."

"Human nature," pronounced Wickliffe from the theological chair, "is wholly at enmity with "God. Man is a sinner from the womb. He "cannot think a good thought; he cannot per"form a good work, except he receive GRACE.”

nearly with the great PELAGIAN body of the present day. This body assumes not the ancient name, but exists under different names, and is composed of different denominations. But they all agree in one distinguishing character, "That "they despise the saving grace of God." They generally profess, what they call, RATIONAL christianity; by which they mean that their religion is merely rational, and that it hath nothing spiritual in it. They acknowledge no influence from, above, nor any operation of divine grace. In this sense, it is true that they profess a rational religion: but on the same principle, it might be easy to prove that the religions of the heathen world are ALL RATIONAL religions. It is surely high time for Christians to take leave of the Pelagian philosophy.

And with respect to that Faith whereby we shall be saved, he speaks in these terms. "The merit "of Christ is sufficient of itself to redeem every. 66 man from Hell. Faith in our Lord Jesus "Christ is sufficient for salvation. We are not "to seek to be justified in any other way than by "his justice. We BECOME righteous through the "participation of HIS righteousness. "* Wickliffe here speaks the sense of a Text, from which every Theologian should learn to preach; "To "him that worketh NOT, but believeth on HIM "that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted "for righteousness." This text is found in the fourth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, and at the fifth verse. But the unanswerable argument for the truth of this doctrine is derived from the history of CORNELIUS, the Centurion. "His "alms and prayers came up as a memorial before "God." Acts x. 4.; but he became not THEREBY an heir of salvation. He was directed to go to the Apostle PETER, "who should tell him words "WHEREBY he should be saved." Acts xi. 14. Until Cornelius heard the words of the Gospel from Peter, and thereupon " received the Holy Ghost," he knew nothing of that Faith whereby alone he could be saved.

* Dr. James's Apology for Wickliffe.

But Wickliffe was only the forerunner. Like John the Baptist, he prophesied of a Light that should come; and almost in his words he said, "I am but a solitary evidence against a Host. I

am but the voice of one crying in the wilder“ness.” But his own light did not dispel the gloom. Though it shone far into the vale of night, it reached not to the Throne of darkness at Rome.

II. The second Era of Light is the REFORMATION. In the midst of this spiritual darkness, while men were sitting a second time" in the

region and shadow of death," the "day-spring "from on high visited them." This has been accounted by some, an epoch in the Church, not less remarkable than that of the first promulgation of the Gospel. And although it is now much out of view in the minds of many; although Infidelity would obscure its glory, and "the withered hand hath been lifted up against "HIM that healed it," the Reformation will ever be considered as a great event in the divine dispensation by all true members of the Church of Christ, to the end of time.

As, in the first age, the preaching of the Apostle PAUL was chiefly instrumental in the conversion of men; so, at this second Era, the