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bring forward whatever might be said in every Confession on SECT. this subject, (for I only affirmed that at least the earliest and greatest of the reformed Confessions were on our side,) yet whoever, not contented with the mutilated fragments quoted by Dr. Tully, shall look into the Confessions themselves, and examine the entire opinion of each on this subject, he will confess with me that they, one and all, reject the merit of any virtue from the work of justification, but plainly acknowledge the necessity of true repentance for obtaining justification: which is sufficient for our purpose. But if there is any reformed Confession opposed to this opinion, that one must be without doubt rejected as contrary on this point to the Scriptures and Catholic consent.

35, 36.

§ 10. But this is by no means to be passed over, that the Justif. Strasburg Confession is quoted by Dr. Tully as favouring his Paul. p. opinion, than which nothing can be more opposite. He himself observes that the states of Constance, Memmingin, and Lindau, subscribed to this Confession, and also that it was presented, together with the Augsburg, to His Imperial Majesty (Charles the Fifth), and therefore must have been drawn up with some caution and moderation, if any difficulty pressed upon them in that controversy. Let us now hear the words of this celebrated Confession. "But we are un- cap. 4.

willing that this" (namely, what had just been said about justification by faith only) "should be so understood as if we placed salvation and righteousness in the idle cogitations of the soul, or in faith void of love, which they call uninformed, since we are sure that no one can be righteous or in a state of salvation unless he love God supremely, and most earnestly imitate Him. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son :' as in the glory of a blessed life so in the exercise of innocence and the highest righteousness: 'for we are His workmanship, created unto good works.' Now no one can love God above all things, and imitate Him with a worthy zeal, unless he plainly knows Him, and as Him from whom he may promise to himself the greatest blessings. Therefore we cannot in any other way be justified, that is, come as well into a state of salvation as into a state of righteousness, (for righteousness is itself our salvation,) than, having faith given us by

VI.

SECT. which we believe the Gospel, and persuaded that God has adopted us to be His sons, and will for ever shew us His paternal loving kindness, depend wholly on His will. St. Augustine in his work on Faith and Works calls this faith 'evangelical,' that is, faith made efficacious by love." The Strasburg Confession plainly teaches us three things. 1. That the idea of righteousness or justification, and of salvation, is the same: to be justified, is to come in a state of salvation as well as of righteousness, nay, that righteousness is our salvation itself: and so that whatever is required for salvation is equally required for righteousness. 2. That that love by which a man loves God supremely and above all things is altogether necessary for the righteousness and salvation of man. 3. That it follows from the necessity of love, that faith also is necessary for the righteousness and salvation of man: inasmuch as without that faith, by which we are persuaded of the Divine mercy revealed to us in the Gospel, it is not possible for any one to love God above all things. What does Dr. Tully say to all this? He contends that the meaning of the Strasburg divines is, "that this love of God is the fruit of faith, and follows, not precedes, justification." But what can be more barefaced than such an interpretation? The Strasburg divines plainly mean that the love of God is an indispensable condition for any one to obtain righteousness and salvation. For they do not say that no one is righteous unless he love God above all things, which words might admit of the Doctor's interpretation, but that " no one can possibly become righteous unless he love God above all things," which is entirely contrary to his meaning. With equal reason might Dr. Tully affirm that the Strasburg divines meant that love of God is consequent to, and not antecedent to salvation, when they clearly teach that the idea of righteousness and salvation of man is the same. Equally, too, might it be said that faith even, according to them, was consequent upon righteousness and salvation, not antecedent to them: for they argue the necessity of faith for obtaining righteousness and salvation (as we have just remarked) from the necessity of love for obtaining the same benefit, as if they established their point by some such process as the following: If the love of God above all things

for righteousness and salvation.

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is necessary for obtaining righteousness or salvation, then SECT. faith also is necessary for the same, but the antecedent is true, therefore also the consequent is: they prove the consequence of the major in this way, that the love of God cannot exist in a man without faith, and thus the thing is self-evident. Lastly, the Strasburg divines expressly say that we cannot be justified or become righteous in any other way than by first having faith given us, by which we depend wholly on the will of God, that is, are ready and prepared to obey God in all things. From this one specimen the wary reader may conjecture how much confidence is to be placed in the good judgment or straightforwardness of Dr. Tully when he quotes or explains the rest of the Reformed Confessions.

SECTION VII.

BEING AN APPENDIX TO THE PRECEDING SECTION.

§ 1. I confess that when I read the three preceding chapters of Dr. Tully's work, I could not help thinking of that line of the poet,

Quis tulerit Gracchos, &c.

for the reverend gentleman who has been so severe against us undeservingly, (as it now appears), as corrupters of the doctrine of the Church, is himself found in some points to have opposed certain clear definitions, both of the English, and other reformed Churches, and of the Catholic Church as well. And to prove this point we shall devote the whole of this Section, which we expect will be of a considerable length. We do not this, however, merely as a retaliation upon the Doctor: (that were a mean object:) but we have thought it worth while, since an opportunity offers itself, to assert and illustrate the true, genuine, and Catholic doctrine of our Church, (now well-nigh lost through the badness of the times,) on certain very important points of Christian religion.

§ 2. First then, Dr. Tully openly asserts that "repent

SECT. ance, or true contrition for sin, is in no way necessary to obVII. tain the first justification." We have frequently mentioned this, and have brought forward passages where he expressly gives this opinion, (a shameful one, indeed, and unworthy of a Church of England divine,) and, moreover, supports it with arguments. It has also been proved above how opposed Dr. Tully is in this to the Holy Scriptures, the Fathers of the ancient Church, and to the Confessions of foreign reformed Churches, and we have also adduced by the way certain testimonies of our Church which are sufficiently at variance with this new dogma. Nevertheless, eager to vindicate our holy mother from so base an error, irreverently ascribed to her by Dr. Tully, I have been induced to attempt a fuller refutation of it from our Homilies and Liturgy.

§ 3. There is in the second book of the Homilies, one with this title, Of Repentance and True Reconciliation to God. Where the title itself clearly teaches us that repentance is the mean or absolutely necessary condition for our true reconciliation with God; and what is this but our justification? The writer of the Homily continually asserts that it is impossible for us to please God, to return into His favour, or to escape His wrath without repentance. If it be asked of what kind of repentance the Homily is speaking, this is explained in several places. In the first part of the Homily the writer shews from the Prophet Joel that the whole work of repentance can be reduced to these four heads. 1. From whence. 2. To whom. 3. By whom. 4. The manner how we must return. This last point he [Hom. B. explains as follows. Fourthly, this holy Prophet Joel 2. p.47.1.] doth lively express the manner of this our returning on repentance, comprehending all the inward and outward things that may be here observed. First, he will have us return to God with our whole heart, whereby he doth remove and put away all hypocrisy, lest the same might be Is. 29. 13. justly said unto us : 'This people draweth near unto Me Mat. 15. with their mouth, and worshippeth Me with their lips, but their heart is far off from Me.' Secondly, he requireth a sincere and pure love of godliness, and of the true worshipping and service of God, that is to say, that, forsaking

8, 9.

and True Reconciliation to God.

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all manner of things that are repugnant and contrary to SECT. God's will, we do give our hearts unto Him, and the whole strength of our bodies and souls, according to that which is written in the law: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, Deut. 6. 5. with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might.' Here, therefore, nothing is left unto us that we may give unto the world, and unto the lusts of the flesh. For sith that the heart is the fountain of all our works, as many as do with their whole heart turn unto the Lord, do live unto Him only. Neither do they yet repent truly, that halting on both sides, do other whiles obey God, but by and by do think that laying Him aside it is lawful for them to serve the world and the flesh." In the second part of the same Homily, true repentance necessary for reconciliation with God is thus described; as "a true returning unto God, [p. 477.] whereby men forsaking their idolatry and wickedness, do with a lively faith embrace, love, and worship the true and living God only, and give themselves to all manner of good works, which by God's word they know to be acceptable unto Him." Soon after the author enumerates the parts of this repentance, "which, being set together, may be likened to an easy and short ladder, whereby we may climb from the bottomless pit of perdition up into the castle or tower of eternal and endless salvation." He makes these parts to be four; genuine contrition of heart, sincere confession of sin, a true confidence in Christ our Mediator, and a firm purpose of a new life. Of the first, he teaches from David, that it is the only sacrifice we can offer pleasing and acceptable to God. Of the second, he shews also from David that if we confess our sins with a sorrowful and contrite heart, God will freely forgive them. And lastly, of the fourth he expressly teaches us, that "if we will have the wrath of God to be [p. 483.] pacified, we must in no wise dissemble, but turn unto Him again, with a true and sound repentance, which may be known and declared by good fruits, as by most sure and infallible signs thereof." And presently he does not shrink from saying, that "the satisfaction which God doth require from us, is that we cease from evil, and do good." Surely nothing can be clearer and more explicit than these passages.