SECT. itself sufficient for obtaining the saving effects of Baptism, IV. that is, remission of sins and a right to eternal life. But it is worth while to hear both how Augustine has explained the design of this work itself, and what he has expressly Retract. taught in it concerning this subject. He thus writes conlib. ii. cap. 38. [vol. i, cerning the design of the work: "In the mean time some p. 55.] writings have been sent to me by certain brethren, laymen indeed, but persons studious in Divine things, which make such a distinction between good works and Christian faith, that one might be persuaded that one could not attain eternal life without the latter, but that one might without the former. In answer to which I have written a book entitled 'On Faith and Works,' in which I have shewn not only how those regenerated by the grace of Christ ought to live, but what kind of persons they ought to be who are admitted to the laver of regeneration." In the book itself he crushes these Solifidians with many arguments, shewing at some length that no one can possibly obtain remission of sins and salvation in Baptism by faith alone, without true repentance for his sins: and you have the summing up of tom. iv. p. the whole work in chapter 20, where Augustine thus beauti33. [vol.vi. fully describes the whole method of obtaining remission and p. 185-6.] salvation as laid down in the Gospel: "This is the order of the cure, that the persons to be baptized believe in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in that order in which the Creed is given: and that they repent of their dead works, and doubt not but that they will receive in Baptism entire remission of their passed sins: not that permission is given them to sin, but that it hurts not to have sinned; that there is remission of what has been done, not permission to do. Then this can be truly said even spiritually: 'See, thou art made whole, sin no more."" I conclude this section with Dr. Tully's own words: "Our opponents, I suppose, have had enough of the Fathers, and if necessary they might have had more. Let us now proceed to the reformed Churches." curatio Appeal to the Church of England. 275 SECTION V. ON CHAPTER III.-THE JUDGMENT OF THE ENGLISH CHURCH. V. § 1. In this chapter Dr. Tully works himself into an SECT. extraordinary state of agitation: he exclaims, vociferates, thunders forth, and presently triumphs; he tramples on the conquered Harmonist, displays his trophies, and sings his hymn of victory, though as yet he has never approached our ranks. But I beg the reader to read over again attentively the full explanation of the Judgment of the Church of England on this point which I have given in the second Dissertation of the Harmony, and in the Examen, in the xviii. 6. answer to the twenty-third Stricture, and he will easily perceive from thence how uselessly he has wasted these many words. It is not necessary to go over the whole case again, to persons more acquainted with it: but since the reverend gentleman seems to have placed the chief support of his cause in the argument of this chapter, and it would be very easy for an incautious or inattentive reader to be taken in and deceived by these specious words, he will not object perhaps in this place also to follow the Doctor step by step. et seqq. § 2. After a little skirmishing in the beginning of the chapter, he thus engages in the contest: "Let the Church of England be heard concerning this controversy about justification which has lately begun to make a noise; let us listen to her decree in the eleventh article. 'We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works or deservings: wherefore that we are justified by faith only is a most wholesome doctrine &c.' What can be clearer, not even the sun at noon-day?" But why does the reverend gentleman stop near the end of the article, half down the hill, as ut in dithe saying is? why not quote the whole of it as it stands? verbio est why does he obtrude upon us his et cæteras? Certainly it would not have taken much time or breath to quote the very few words which close the article, viz. "as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification." But Dr. Tully saw that these last words threatened ruin to his cause, and there V. 276 Dr. Tully unfair in his quotation SECT. fore took care to suppress them. Indeed our Church thus expressly refers us to the Homily of the Justification of Man, that we may get from thence the true and genuine sense and explanation of the article itself; nor does she explain this doctrine "that we are justified by faith only," and which she recommends to her sons as most wholesome, otherwise than "is explained more largely in the Homily of Justification." I have consulted the Homily: I have quoted that more full explanation, in the very words of the Homily: and lastly, I have testified to all how heartily I subscribe to that explanation. Why is the reverend gentleman silent at all this? why does he not answer even a word? Do these artifices become an upright man and a lover of truth? § 3. But presently, that he may not seem to have treated us altogether unfairly, Dr. Tully permits us to go to the Homilies, but not to that more fully expressed explanation which is purposely given by the author of the Homily as the genuine, full, and perfect meaning of the article, and the whole of which I myself transcribed in the Harmony word for word, but to certain scraps of the Homily, and these by no means faithfully translated by him, and, further, wretchedly distorted by his interpretations. For thus he begins his attack on the author of the Harmony, out of the Homily: "Let us consult then the first Homily, on the Salvation of Mankind, near the end, (on which I know not why he is wholly silent.) Faith (says the Church) doth not shut out repentance, hope, &c., joined with faith in every man that is justified: but it shutteth them out from the office of justifying.' Nothing can be plainer; here then is a deep silence on the part of the Harmonist, who if he adverts to the passage, by no means should have drowned it in silence." To this I answer: If the reverend gentleman was before ignorant why the Harmonist was wholly silent on the first part of the Homily, let him now know that the reason was because in this part the exclusive particle "only," and the meaning of the phrase "we are justified by faith only," are not so fully and expressly treated of, and that was the only point on which any question was raised in that chapter of the Harmony where the Harmonist quoted the Homily. For the writer shews in the first part of the Homily, that three things in all, V. necessarily concur for the justification of man; namely, on SECT. God's part, His mere and wonderful grace and mercy; on Christ's, His death and meritorious sacrifice: and lastly, on man's part, true and lively faith. Which last point the author in the first part had only lightly touched upon towards the end, but in the two following parts, and especially the second, he explains elaborately and at length; and in so accurate and careful a manner, that there is no room for doubting concerning the genuine meaning of this proposition, we are justified by faith only," unless it be to sophists, and those who delight in mere splitting of straws. So that if Dr. Tully had been anxious, as he professes to be, about being candid, surely he should have rather praised than called into suspicion my integrity and simplicity, who did not seek for nooks in which to rest my arguments, nor quote capriciously the words of the Homily, but appealed to those passages where the author of the Homily plainly professes to have given his mind and opinion on the subject, clearly, fully, and perfectly. Would that the reverend gentleman had been equally candid! and indeed, I truly am ignorant how he can have been so entirely silent on that so lengthened and clearly worded explanation of the article, "we are justified by faith only," which I gave from the second part of the Homily, unless he thought it better to fly from the open light, which he was unable to bear. § 4. However this may be, there is certainly nothing in this first part of the Homily which I fear as dangerous to my cause; nor am I conscious of having any where written any thing differing a hair's breadth from the opinion of the author, as there given us. But with regard to the passage brought forward from it by the Doctor, I cannot sufficiently express my surprise that it should have been so paraded by him, whereas if brought forward as it stands, and faithfully translated, it is clearly against him. The passage, word for word, runs thus: "That faith" (namely, a true and lively Hom. B.1. one, of which he had been speaking in the words imme- [p. 19. ed. 1840.] diately preceding) "doth not shut out repentance, hope, love, dread, and the fear of God, to be joined with faith in every man that is justified: but it shutteth them out from the office of justifying. So that although they be all present ୮ V. SECT. together in him that is justified, yet they justify not alto- Diss. xviii. § 5. A remarkable passage from our great divine Richard |