Where by all Faith undoubtedly is meant all the Faith that can be had without Charity and needs not to be restrained to the particular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or extraordinary Gift of the Faith of Miracles whereof he speaks in the former Chapter ver 12. To this Purpose St. James Chap. 2.22 saith Faith is made perfect by Works not excluding any sort of Good Works but specially treating of the works of Charity as appears by the Context from verse the 13. to the 18. And whereas he saith Faith is made perfect by Works he speaks not only of a Gradual Perfection or of the Consummation or Preservation of Faith or of the Ornament Demonstration or signal evidence of Faith as some would have it but of such an essential and formal Perfection as is necessary to the nature of Truth and sincerity of Faith as appears by that repeated Sentence both before and after these Words ver 17. Faith without Works is dead and ver 26. As the Body without the Spirit is dead so Faith without Works is dead also Whether by the Spirit he means the Breath as some take it because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritus sometime signifies no more or rather the Soul which is the most usual Sense of the word in Scripture the Meaning comes all to one signifying that an idle or fruitless Faith hath no more of Spiritual Life or Reality in it than a Body can have without Breath or without a Soul and therefore is no more a true and unfeigned Faith than a dead Carcass is a human Body Indeed the true justifying saving Faith in the practical Notion which is the only true Notion of it includes Charity together with all other Good Works as I have elsewhere largely shewed So that if Faith be necessary to the Covering or Remission of sin Charity is so too But the common Answer to these and all other Texts produced to evince the Necessity of Charity and Good Works to the Salvation of a sinner is that they prove only a necessity of Presence and Concomitancy or at most a necessity of Consequence not of Efficacy that is that this Necessity doth not respect the End or Effect of Faith in the Justification or Salvation of the Believeer but proceeds only from the common nature and principle of that Faith which is an effect of the Spirit of God the necessary Fruits whereof do consist in Love Joy Peace Long-suffering c. which distinct Vertues with their proper Works do not contribute any thing to the Effect of our Justification but are meer Concomitants or at most but gratefull Effects of that Faith which justifieth us Which useth to be illustrated by a Similitude borrowed from the natural and animal Life wherein the particular faculties of Seeing or taking hold of a thing by the Touch do necessarily imply such a common Principle of sensitive Life as doth also comprehend the powers and faculties of Hearing Smelling and Tasting yet none of these Faculties or any act of them do or can contribute any thing efficiently to the effect of Seeing Apprehending or laying hold of an Object So the Grace of Charity or Love to God and Man together with all those other Fruits of the Spirit which are mentioned by the Apostle and all the Effects and Works which do proceed from them are indeed necessary Concomitants of such a Faith as justifies or saves a Man but do contribute no more nor have any more Efficacy to this effect of Justification and Salvation than the distinct Faculties of other Senses do to the effect of Seeing This I take to be a true Account of their Sense that assert the Doctrine of Justification and Pardon of sin by Faith only as that imports a habit or act really distinct though not separated from other Christian Vertues In opposition to this Opinion contradicting the Doctrine which I maintain to be the Sense of the Apostle in this Text confirmed as hath been seen by many others I am engaged to prove that Charity and Good Works are necessary to the Justification of a sinner that is to the Remission of his sin not only by way of Concomitancy or joint Presence with Faith or consequent to it but also by way of moral Efficacy as a Condition or Means to obtain that Effect This I hope will be sufficiently done by the following Arguments this one postulate or conclusion which I suppose will not be denied being first granted me viz. That if any thing else beside the habit or act of Faith considered as really distinct from other Christian Vertues or Acts be effectual or available to the Remission of sin then Charity is or may be so in as much as that is one of the most Excellent of Christian Vertues most agreeable to the Nature of God and consequently most pleasing to him So that if that be not available to this End nothing else besides Faith can be so This Proposition being granted I argue as followeth 1. Argument If it be certain from Scripture and we be bound to believe that nothing which can be done by us besides such a Faith as is supposed to be really distinct though not separate from all Good Works can be of any Efficacy towards the remission of our sins then ought nothing else to be done by us towards that end because every such other act done to this end would by this supposition be perfectly vain and unreasonable and not so only but also contrary to our obliged belief And then to pray for the forgiveness of our sins that being an act distinct from Faith would be not only needless and useless but unlawful especially if it should be acted with any opinion hope or belief that such a prayer could avail us any thing in order to this end or that this end could any way be promoted by our Prayers But this is directly contrary to our Saviours Precept in that Form of Prayer which he hath taught us to use wherein we are directed to pray that God will forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And contrary to the advice of St. Peter to Simon Magus Acts 8.22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee Where also it is to be noted that the Apostle adviseth him not only to pray for the forgiveness of his sin but also to repent of it in order to the same end The same advice is given by the same Apostle to the Jews in the first Sermon which he made unto them after the reception of the Holy Ghost Acts 2.37 38. Having convinced them of their hainous sin in the murder of the Lord Jesus and made them sensible of it Now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles men and brethren what shall we do Then Peter said unto them repent and be baptizid every one of you in the
Briefly then Charity or Love relating to our Neighbour as by the express words of the Text it doth is not to be confined to that one eminent Branch thereof which consists only in Alms or works of Beneficence because these are things which possibly may be done without any true Charity as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13.8 Though I give all my goods to feed the Poor and have not Charity which Supposition were absurd if it were simply impossible it profiteth me nothing Vain-glory carnal and worldly Ends and Interest may utterly destroy the notion and vertue of Charity in such Works And 't is possible for a man to exercise some acts of pretended Charity to such ends as are utterly repugnant to the Nature of it as when they are done of purpose to corrupt the Minds and Manners of them upon whom they are bestowed to entice them to Iniquity and to serve the ends of the Donor to the prejudice of the Receiver And where none of these things are designed a man may yet be otherwise as destitute of true Charity as the Devil is and as much tainted with those Viciosities that are most contrary to it Malice Envy Pride Cruelty c. and yet seem to be Charitable in his Alms. On the contrary a true and acceptable Charity may exist without them I mean without the outward Works and that only in case of Inability to afford them or want of Objects to receive them for otherwise the Disposition and Preparation of mind to afford them according to Ability and opportunity is in separable from any true and real Charity This possible Mistake grounded upon a vulgar use of the Word being prevented I say That Charity in the due extent of its Notion comprehends all the Good and excludes all the Evil that our Neighbour is capable of receiving from us or that we are capable of intending or extending to him Charity signifies all the benefit that is reasonably desirable from one Man to another All that can profit or reasonably please him all that can any way better his Condition present or future The Acts of it are as various and numerous as are the needs or capacities of advantage and benefit by our Neighbour in any kind To conclude Rom. 13.10 Charity imports an aversion or declining of all manner of Evil to him in Thought Word or Deed all Mis-affection to him all Mispeaking of him or to him and all Misdoing And not only all sorts of Injuries but all Unkindnesses inward of will and affections and outward of words actions and gestures He that desires any more Particular Character of this Vertue may find it set forth in that known Chapter of St Pauls first Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 13. And all that most exactly abridged by that General Precept of our Saviour of doing to others as we would be done to only the word do is therein to be extended as well to thoughts and words as to any sort of outward actions agreeable to the common use of the same word in our Language applied to thoughts and words as well as deeds whilst we say we do think and we do Love and we do speak Col. 3.17 Whatever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus c. Indeed thoughts and words are the most Peculiar of Humane Acts. This Precept I say in the due extent of it rightly interpreted by the Rules and Measures of a reasonable will which only can be understood in the sentence is the most Perfect Rule of Humane Equity that can be given in words comprehending also the utmost Perfection of Christian Charity Having now premised this brief Description of the Vertue of Charity I come to the Particular Argument or Motive whereby it is urged by the Apostle in this Text. Charity shall cover a multitude of sins And here I am to speak by way of Explication and Confirmation By way of Explication I shall make these three Inquiries First Whose sins they are which the Apostle means will be covered by Charity Secondly What 's meant by the covering of sins Thirdly What sort of sins will be covered by Charity and under what Limitations After I shall have given a Competent Explication of the Proposition in the resolution of these Questions I shall Confirm the General Doctrine from other Texts of Scripture with some Allegations of Reason and then answer some Objections like to be made against that Interpretation of the Text which I shall pitch upon and against the General Doctrine thereby asserted CHAP II. § 1. I Am to begin with the first Question viz. Whose sins they are which will be covered by Charity And here I find Interpreters differing some understancing the sins of others to whom the Charity is extended which is the sense accepted by most Protestants and some Pontificians And some the sins of the Charitable Person which for the Reasons hereafter to be advanced seems to me most probable and specially intended by the Apostle in this Text. Some also taking in both senses not without reason because so the Sentence is undoubtedly true Charity especially if it be servent will cover a multitude of sins both in the Charitable Person as shall be afterward confirmed and in other men to whom it is exercised And so both Senses are but distinct Verifications of the same words taken in the greatest amplitude of signification and containing in each Sense a strong motive to enforce the preceding Exhortation Above all things have fervent charity for c. Wherefore although I do in my own judgement prefer the second Sense as most specially intended by the Apostle and that is the main Argument and Design of my Discourse yet I shall not wholly neglect the other Sense importing a special Effect and Branch o◠that Charity which is here recommende◠to all Christians with the promise o◠declaration of so great a Reward as the covering of a multitude of sins in him than hath it which is that Sense of the word◠that I insist upon not only as the stronges◠Motive to enforce the Exhortation but also as most agreeable to the Context i◠this place I. This Sense if it may be allowed in the matter of it to express a certain truth as I doubt not to prove past all doubt from other Texts affords a Motive to the inforcement of the Apostles Exhortation so much more strong and effectual than the other Sense as the covering of a multitude of a mans own fins is a greater Benefit to him than the covering of any multitude of other mens sins can be and therefore the hopes of it must needs be most prevalent with any man that hath not more Charity for his Neighbour than he hath for himself Whereas therefore the scope of the Apostle in these words as appears by that Causal Particle For is only to press the foregoing Exhortation it seems not reasonable to abate the strength of his Argument by excluding the most perswasive
healed Which seems to be the sence of another Phrase often used by our Saviour in like cases to them that came to him for the healing of their Diseases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 9.22 Thy faith hath saved thee i. e. hath made thee whole as 't is there rendred in our English Translation agreeable to the following words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the woman was made whole from that hour Not that I suppose this to be all the Benefit that he ever intended to any Person to whom he uttered those words thy sins are forgiven thee amongst whom it is more than probable there were some whose Faith did qualifie them for a better remission of their sin But it is not evident that every one of those Persons that were cured of their bodily Diseases by him were endued with such an unfeigned Faith as did render them capable of an absolute Remission of all their sins as to another Life For to think as some Divines have said that our Blessed Saviour never cured the body of any Patient but he cured their souls also seems to be but an improbable opinion But supposing this Remission of sin as relating only to Temporal Punishments in this Life to be granted as a Reward of an Insincere Charity the Question may be moved whether the like Charity or any works thereof may not be available also to some degree of Remission or covering of sin in the Life to come at the last Judgement To this Question I shall not presume to answer dogmatically as not remembring at present any particular Testimony of Scripture whereby that Question may be determined either in the Negative or Affirmative notwithstanding my Opinion inclines to the Affirmative viz. that although such an infincere Charity can avail nothing towards a total Remission at the last Judgement or the Salvation of the Person whereof no man can be capable whithout an unfeigned Repentance and such a true Faith as works by sincere Love to God and his Neighbour yet that even such Good Works as do indeed proceed from Charity and are not done hypocritically for self Interest Worldly ends or carnal Motives only may abate the Degrees of the future Punishment in another Life My reason for this Opinion is grounded upon that Fundamental Principle of all Religion That all men shall fare in the life to come 2 Cor. 5.10 according to the things done by them in this Life whether they be good or whether they be bad Which Rule is understood not only of the respective states of Salvation and Damnation but also of the degrees of Reward and Punishment in that state As for the state of Punishment no question hath been or can be made concerning the difference of its degrees expressly declared in Scripture signifying that it shall be more tolerable for some Mat. 10.15 chap. 11.22 Luke 12.47 48. than for others in that day wherein some shall be beaten with many stripes and some with fewer And the Question that is made about the degrees of Glory is but a novel one none of the Ancients that I know of and very few Modern Divines have embraced the Opinion that asserts the equality of that state The Catholick Doctrine founded upon Scripture supposes as much disparity of degrees of Glory and Happiness in Heaven as of Punishment in Hell and that the respective measures of each condition will be allotted and assigned according to such proportion of Good and Evil as upon an exact and infallible Evidence before an Impartial Judge shall be found in the Persons to be judged with Relation to the bodily Life past So is that Judgement described by St John Rev. 20.12 And I saw the dead both small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works And that among all sorts of Good Works those of Charity to our Brethren will then have a special Confideration is sufficiently intimated by the words of our Saviour in his own Description of the last Judgement Mat. 25.31 to the end of the Chapter I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye clothed me c A Text which I shall have occasion to speak more largely of afterward in the Confirmation of this Doctrine And as by this Declaration of our Saviour himself who is to be Judge at that day it is evident that Works of Charity proceeding from an unfeigned Faith will then be specially considered as a qualification for the General Reward so that the Degrees and Measures of that Reward will be proportion'd to the Measures of Charity seems no less evident by the words of the Apostle speaking also of the same sort of works 2. Cor. 9.6 He which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully And in the words of our Saviour in the forementioned Text it is likewise added as a Reason of the Sentence of Condemnation to be denounced against them on the left hand verse 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels For I was an hungred and ye gave me no meit I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink c. Signifying that one just cause of that just Sentence will be the neglect of this great Duty of Charity whence it will follow upon a reasonable account that look how much that sin of neglect or omission shall be found to be abated by any thing done by the Person to be judged and condemned for that fault so much will be abated of the Punishment And though some Works of Charity bearing no proportion to the ability of him that doth them may be reckon'd as none in the Sense of our Saviours words and in reference to a mans discharge from the Substance of the Sentence yet it cannot be said that he that hath done some Works of Charity is altogether so guilty of the omission of that Duty as he that hath done none And consequently cannot be equally liable upon that account to the same degrees of Punishment And therefore his Charity how defective soever it was will save him from some degrees of Punishment in that state Besides all the validity it had to exempt him from Punishments and to procure any Temporal Reward in this Life What other Consideration may be had by the Judge at that day of Works of Charity done by any Person that then shall be found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reprobate and so fall into condemnation towards any counterpoise of his other sins or of the abatement of the degrees of their Punishment I cannot tell But this is certain that what ever can be equitably plended for the abatement of Punishment will be considered by that Judge who is infinitely Wise and Just knowing