and virtue is able to withstand But where Men are sincerely good and honestly resolv'd the Providence of God doth ward off these fierce blows and put by these violent thrusts and by a secret disposal of things keep them from being assaulted by these irresistible kinds of temptations The Consideration whereof as it is a great encouragement to Men to be sincerely good so likewise a great Argument for a continual dependance upon the Providence of God and to take us off from confidence in our selves and our own strength And this use the Apostle makes of it 1 Cor. 10. 12. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth that is confident that nothing shall be able to shake him or throw him down take heed lest he fall there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but what is humane nothing but what an humane strength assisted by an ordinary grace of God may be able to resist and Conquer But there are greater and more violent temptations than these which you have not yet been tried with and when those happen we must have recourse to God for an extraordinary assistance And this is the Second way I mention'd whereby the Providence of God does secure good Men in case of extraordinary temptations which no humane strength can probably resist And this the same Apostle assures us of in the very next words God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it That is in case of great and violent temptations such as the Christians in the height of their Persecutions were exposed to God will secretly minister strength and support equal to the force and power of the temptation And this God did in an extraordinary manner to the Christian Martyrs and that to such a degree as made them joyfully to embrace their Sufferings and with the greatest chearfulness in the world to endure those torments which no humane patience was able to bear And where God doth thus secure Men against temptations or support them under them it is no reflection at all upon the goodness or justice of his Providence to permit them to be thus tempted Secondly God permits others to be thus tempted by way of Judgment and Punishment for some former great Sins and Provocations which they have been guilty of And thus many times God punisheth great and notorious Offenders by permitting them to fall into great temptations which meeting with a vicious disposition are likely to be too hard for them especially considering how by a long habit of wickedness and wilful commission of great and notorious Sins they have made themselves an easie prey to every temptation and have driven the Spirit of God from them and deprived themselves of thoâ—e aids and restraints of his Grace which he ordinarily affords not only to good Men but likewise to those who are not very bad And thus God is said to have hardened Pharaoh by those Plagues and Judgments which he sent upon him and his Kingdom But if we carefully read the Story it is said that he first harden'd himself and then that God hardened him that is he being hardened under the first Judgments of God God sent more which meeting with his obstinacy had this unnatural effect upon him to harden him yet more not that God did infuse any wickedness or obstinacy into him but by his just Judgments sent more Plagues upon him which hardened him yet more and which were likely to have that effect upon him considering the ill temper of the Man And it was just by way of punishment that they should And so likewise Joshua 11. 19 20. it is said that the Cities of the Canaanites did not make peace with Joshua because it was of the Lord to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in Battel that he might destroy them utterly that is for their former iniquities the measure whereof was now full the Providence of God did justly bring them into and leave them under those Circumstances which made them obstinate against all terms of Peace and this proved fatal to them And in the like sense we are to understand several other expressions in Scripture which likewise might seem very harsh As Isaiah 6. 10. Make the heart of this People fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and convert and be healed all which expressions signifie no more but that God for the former provocations and impenitency of that People did leave them to their own hardness and blindness so that they did not desire to understand and make use of the means of their recovery So likewise Rom. 1. 24. God is said to have given up the idolatrous Heathen to uncleanness to vile and unnatural lusts and Ver. 28. to a reprobate and injudicious Mind that is as a punishment of their Idolatry he left them to the power of those temptations which betrayed them to the vilest lusts And to mention but one Text more 2 Thes 2. 11. the Apostle threatens those that rejected the truth that for this cause God would send them strong delusions the efficacy of error that they should believe a lye that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness that is as a just punishment for their renouncing the truth God gave them over to the power of delusion their error had its full scope at them to tempt them with all its colours and pretences But it is observable that in all these places which I have mention'd God is said to give Men up to the power of temptation as a punishment of some former great Crimes and Provocations And it is not unjust with God thus to deal with Men to leave them to the power of temptation when they had first wilfully forsaken him and in this case God doth not tempt Men to Sin but leaves them to themselves to be tempted by their own hearts lusts and if they yield and are Conquered it is their own fault because they have neglected God's grace whereby they might have been able to have resisted those temptations and have forced his holy Spirit to withdraw himself from them and to leave them open and naked to those assaults of temptation against which they might otherwise have been sufficiently armed Thirdly The last end of temptation which I mentioned is to try Men with a direct purpose and intention to seduce Men to Sin Thus wicked Men tempt others and thus the Devil tempts Men. Thus he tempted our first Parents and seduced them from their Obedience and Allegiance to God Thus he tempted Job by bringing him into those Circumstances which were very likely to have forc'd him into impatience and discontent And thus he tempted our blessed Saviour but found
plain from his following Discourse and the Character he gives of those Persons of whom he was speaking who hold the truth of God in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewn it unto them and this he proves because those who were destitute of Divine Revelation were not without all knowledge of God being led by the sight of this visible World to the knowledge of an invisible Being and Power that was the Author of it ver 20 21. For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things which are made even his Eternal Power and Godhead so that they are without excuse because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God Haec est summa delicti nolle agnoscere quem ignorare non possis saith Tertullian to the Heathen This is the height of thy fault not to acknowledge him whom thou canst not but know not to own him of whom thou canst not be ignorant if thou wouldst neither were thankful they did not pay those acknowledgments to him which of right were due to the Author of their Being and of all good things but became vain in their imaginations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were fool'd with their own Reasonings This he speaks of the Philosophers who in those great Arguments of the Bâ—ing and Providence of God the Immoâ—allity of the Soul and the Rewards of another World had lost the truth by too much subtlety about it and had disputed themselves into doubt and uncertainty about those things which were naturally known for nimium alterâ—ando veritas amittitur Truth is many times â—lost by too much Contention and Dispute about it and by too eager a pursuit of it Men many times out-run it and leave it behind ver 22. and professing themselves to be Wise they became Fools Men never play the fools more than by endeavouring to be over subtle and wise ver 23. and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible Man and to Birds four footed Beasts and creeping things here he speaks of the sottishness of their Idolatry whereby they provoked God to give them up to all manner of lewdness and impurity ver 24. wherefore God also gave them up unto uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts and again ver 26. for this Cause God gave them up to vile affections and then he innumerates the abominable Lusts and Vices they were guilty of notwithstanding their Natural acknowledgment of the Divine Justice ver 32. who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them By all which it appears that he speaks of the Heathen who offended against the Natural Light of their own Minds and therefore were without excuse Quam sibâ— veniam sperare possunâ— impieâ—atis suae qui non agnoscunt cultum ejus quem prorsùs ignorari ab hominibus fas non est saith Lactantius How can they hope for pardon of their impiety who deny to worship that God of whom it is not possible Mankind should be wholly ignorant So that this is To hold the truth in unrighteousness injuriously to suppress it and to hinder the power and efficacy of it upon our Minds and Actions for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifies as well as to hold fast and this every Man does who acts contrary to what he believes and knows he offers violence to the lighâ— of his own Mind and does injury to the truth and keeps that a Prisoner which would set him free ye shall know the truth says our Lord and the truth shall make you free And this is one of the highest aggravations of the Sins of Men to offend against Knowledge and that light which God hath set up in every Man's Mind If Men wander and stumble in the dark it is not to be wondred at many times it is unavoidable and no care can prevent it but in the light it is expected Men should look before them and discern their way That Natural Light which the Heathens had tho' it was but comparatively dim and imperfect yet the Apostle takes notice of it as a great aggravation of their Idolatrous and Abominable Practices Those natural Notions which all Men have of God if they had in any measure attended to them and govern'd themselves by them might have been sufficient to have preserved them from dishonouring the Deity by worshiping Creatures instead of God the common light of Nature was enough to have discovered to them the evil of those lewd and unnatural practices which many of them were guilty of but they detained and supprest the truth most injuriously and would not suffer it to have its natural and proper influence upon them and this is that which left them without excuse that from the light of Nature they had knowledge enough to have done better and to have preserved them from those great Crimes which were so common among them And if this was so great an aggravation of the impiety and wickedness of the Heathen and left them without excuse what Apology can be made for the impiety and unrighteousness of Christians who have so strong and clear a light to discover to them their duty and the danger of neglecting it to whom the wrath of God is plainly revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men The Truths of the Gospel are so very clear and powerful and such an improvement of Natural light that Men must use great force and violence to suppress them and to hinder the efficacy of them upon their lives And this is a certain Rule by how much the greater our Knowledge by so much the less is our Excuse and so much the greater Punishment is due to our faults So our Lord hath told us Luke 12. 47. That Servant which knew his Lord's will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes And John 9. 41. If ye were blind says our Saviour to the Jews ye should have no sin So much ignorance as there is of our Duty so much abatement of the wilfulness of our faults but if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more Sacrifice for sin but a fearful expectation of Judgment and fiery indignation says the Apostle to the Hebrews Chap. 10. 26 27. If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth implying that Men cannot pretend ignorance for their faults after so clear a revelation of the will of God as is made to Mankind by the Gospel And upon this Consideration it is that our Saviour doth so aggravate the impenitency and unbelief of the Jews because it was in opposition to all the advantages of Knowledge which can be imagined to be afforded to
the Natural Knowledge which Men have of God is when all is done the surest and fastest hold that Religion hath on Humane Nature Besides how should God judge that part of the World who are wholly destitute of Divine Revelation if they had no Natural Knowledge of him and consequently could not be under the direction and government of any Law For where there is no Law there is no Transgression and where Men are guilty oâ— the breach of no Law they cannot be Judged and Condemned for it for the Judgment of God is according to truth And now this being establisht that Men have a Natural Knowledge of God if they contradict it by their Life and Practice they are guilty of detaining the truth of God in unrighteousness For by this Argument the Apostle proves the Heathen to be guilty of holding the truth in unrighteousness because notwithstanding the Natural Knowledge which they had of God by the things which were made they lived in the practice of gross Idolatry and the most abominable Sins and Vices And this concerns us much more who have the glorious Light of the Gospel added to the Light of Nature For if they who offended against the Light of Nature were liable to the judgment of God of how much sorer Punishment shall we be thought worthy if we neglect those infinite advantages which the Revelation of the Gospel hath superadded to Natural Light He hath now set our Duty in the clearest and strongest Light that ever was afforded to Mankind so that if we will not now Believe and Repent there is no Remedy for us but we must die in our sins if we sin wilfully after so much knowledge of the truth there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin but a fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery indignation to consume us The Summ of what hath been said on this Argument is briefly this that Men have a Natural Knowledge of God and of those great Duties which result from the Knowledge of him so that whatever Men say and pretend as to the main things of Religion the Worship of God and Justice and Righteousness toward Men setting aside Divine Revelation we are all Naturally convinc'd of our Duty and of what we ought to do and those who live in a bad Course need only be put in mind of what they naturally know better than any body else can tell them that they are in a bad Course so that I may appeal to all wicked Men from themselves rash and heated and intoxicated with Pleasure and Vanity transported and hurried away by Lust and Passion to themselves serious and composed and in a cool and considerate temper And can any sober Man forbear to follow the Convictions of his own Mind and to resolve to do what he inwardly consents to as best Let us but be true to our selves and obey the Dictates of our own Minds and give leave to our own Consciences to Counsel us and tell us what we ought to do and we shall be a Law to our selves I proceed to the Sixth and last Observation namely that the clear Revelation of the wrath of God in the Gospel against the impiety and unrighteousness of Men is one principal thing which renders it so very powerful and likely a means for the Salvation of Mankind For the Apostle instanceth in two things which give the Gospel so great an advantage to this purpose the Mercy of God to Penitent Sinners and his Severity toward the Impenitent both which are so fully and clearly revealed in the Gospel The Gospel is the power of God to Salvation to every one that believeth becaâ—se therein the Righteousness of God is revealed that is his great Grace and Mercy in the Justification and Pardon of Sinners by Jesus Christ which I have already shewn to be meant by the Righteousness of God by comparing this with the Explication which is given of the Righteousness of God Chap. 3. ver 22. The other Reason which he gives of the Gospel's being the power of God to Salvation is the plain declaration of the Severity of God toward Impenitent Sinners Because therein also the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men. The force of which Argument will appear if we consider these following Particulars First That the Declarations of the Gospel in this Matter are so plain and express Secondly That they are very dreadful and terrible Thirdly That there is no safety or hope of impunity for Men that go on and continue in their Sins Fourthly That this Argument will take hold of the most desperate and proâ—ligate Sinners and still retain its force upon the Minds of Men when all other Considerations fail and are of little or no efficacy And Fifthly That no Religion in the World can urge this Argument with that force and advantage that Christianity does First That the declarations of the Gospel in this Matter are most plain and express and that not only against Sin and Wickedness in general but against particular Sins and Vices so that no Man that lives in any Evil and Vicious Course can be ignorant of his danger Our Lord hath told us in general what shall be the Doom of the Workers of Iniquity yea tho' they may have owned him and made profession of his Name Mat. 7. 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord c. then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work Iniquity Math. 13. 49 50. So shall it be at the end of the World the Angels shall come forth and sever the Wicked from among the Just and shall cast them into the furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth Math. 25. 46. The Wicked shall go away into Everlasting Punishment but the Righteous into Life Eternal Joh. 5. 28 29. The hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of Damnatiom Rom. 2. 6. St. Paul tells us that there is a Day of wrath and of the Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God who will render to every Man according to his deeds to them who obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of Man that doth evil 2 Thes 1. 7 8 9. That the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punisht with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his Power Nothing can be more plain and express than these general
The most Reverend D r. IOHN TILLOTSON late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Several Discourses Viz. Of the great Duties of Natural Religion Instituted Religion not intended to undermine Natural Christianity not destructive but perfective of the Law of Moses The Nature and Necessity of Regeneration The Danger of all known Sin Knowledge and Practice necessary in Religion The Sins of Men not Chargeable on God By the Most Reverend Dr. JOHN TILLOTSON Late Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Being The FOURTH VOLUME Published from the Originals By Ralph Barker D. D. Chaplain to his Grace LONDON Printed for Ri. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard 1697. THE CONTENTS SERM. I. Of the great Duties of Natural Religion with the Ways and Means of knowing them MICAH VI. 6 7 8. WHerewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God shall I come before him with burnt-offerings with Calves of a year old Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Page 1. SERM. II. Instituted Religion not intended to undermine Natural MATTH IX 13. But go ye and learn what that meaneth I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice p. 43. SERM. III IV. Christianity doth not destroy but perfect the Law of Moses MATTH V. 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill p. 85 113. SERM. V VI VII VIII IX Of the Nature of Regeneration and its Necessity in order to Justification and Salvation GALAT. VI. 15. For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a new Creature p. 139 165 191 217 241. SERM. X XI The Danger of all known Sin both from the Light of Nature and Revelation ROM I. 18 19. For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them p. 267 305. SERM. XII Knowledge and Practice Necessary in Religion JOHN XIII 17. If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them p. 343. SERM. XIII Practice in Religion necessary in proportion to our Knowledge LUKE XII 47 48. And that Servant which knew his Lord's will and preparâ—d not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes But he that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required and to whom Men have committed much of him they will ask the more p. 373. SERM. XIV XV. The Sins of Men not chargeablâ— upon God but upon themselves JAMES I. 13 14. Let no Man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any Man But every Man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed p. 403 447. SERMON I. Of the great Duties of Natural Religion with the Ways and Means of knowing them MICAH 6. 6 7 8. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God shall I come before him with burnt offerings with Calves of a year old Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl shall I give my first born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God IN the beginning of this Chapter the Prophet tells the People of Israel that the Lord had a Controversie with them and that he might direct them how to take up this quarrel he brings in one making this enquiry in the name of the People Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God That is by what kind of Worship or Devotion may I address my self to him in the most acceptable manner by what means may I hope to appease his displeasure To satisfie this enquiry he first instanceth in the chief kinds of Sacrifices and Expiations that were in use among the Jews and Heathens Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings the constant Sacrifice that was offâ—red to God by way of acknowledgment of his Dominion over the Creatures with Calves of a year old which was the Sin-offering which the High-Priest offered for himself Or will he rather accept of those great and costly Sacrifices which were offered upon Solemn and Publick Occasions such as that was which Solomon offered at the Dedication of the Temple Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl Or if none of these will do shall I try to attone him after the manner of the Heathen by the dearest thing in the World the first-born of my Children Shall I give my first-born for my tranâ—gression the fruit of my Body for the sin of my Soul If God was to be appeased at all surely they thought it must be by some of these ways for beyond these they could imagine nothing of greater value and efficacy But the Prophet tells them that they were quite out of the way in thinking to pacifie God upon these terms that there are other things which are much better and more pleasing to him than any of these Sacrifices For some of them were expresly forbidden by God as the offering up of our Children and for the rest they were not good in themselves but meerly by vertue of their Institution and because they were commanded But the things which he would recommend to them are such as are good in their own nature and required of us by God upon that account He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love merâ—y and to walk humbly with thy God So that in these words you have First An Enquiry which is the best way to appease God when he is offended Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God Secondly The way that Men are apt to take in this Case and that is by some external piece of Religion and Devotion such as Sacrifice was both among Jews and Heathen Shall I come before him with Burnt-offerings c. By which questions the Prophet intimates that Men are very apt to pitch upon this course Thirdly The course which God himself directs to and which will effectually pacifie him He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth
Holiness of Life I have shewn at large and the Apostle explaining this New Creation most expresly tells us Ephes 2. 10 We are his wormanship Created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God â—ath before ordained that we should walk in them and Colos 3. 10 12 13 14. where the Apostle tells them that they ought to give testimony of their Renovation and having put on the new Man by all the fruits of Obedience and Goodness Ye have put on the new Man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness longsuffâ—ring forbearing one another and forgiving one another and above all these things put on Charity which is the bond of perfection And the Apostle St. Peter tells us that our Regeneration which he calls Sanctification of the Spirit is unto obedience 1 Pet. 1. 2. So that our Renovation consisteth in the Principle and Practice of Obedience and a good Life And what is this but Faith perfected by Charity And Charity the Apostle tells us is the fulfilling of the Law and what is the fulfilling of the Law but keeping the Commandments of God And keeping the Commandments of God or at least a sincere Resolution of Obedience when there is not time and opportunity for the tryal of it is in Scripture as expresly made a Condition both of our present and final justification and acceptance with God as Faith is and in truth is the same with a living and operative Faith and a Faith that is consummate and made perfect by Charity Acts 10. 34 35. Of a truth I perceive saith St. Peter that God is no respecter of Persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him which speech does as plainly as words can do any thing declare to us upon what terms all Mankind of what Condition or Nation soever may find acceptance with God Rom. 2. 6 7 8 9 10. Who will render to every Man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality Eternal Life but to them who are contentious and obey not the Truth but obey Unrighteousness Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil of the Jews first and also of the Gentiles but Glory Honour and Peace to every Man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile As to our acceptance with God and the Rewards of another World it matters not whether Jew or Gentile Circumcised or Uncircumcised that which maketh the difference is obeying the Truth or obeying Unrighteousness working Good or doing Evil these are the things which will avail to our Justification or Condemnation at the Great Day To the same purpose is that Saying of the Apostle to the Hebrews Chap. 5. 9. That Christ is the Author of Eternal Salvation to them that obey him I will conclude this Matter with two Remarkable Sayings the one towards the beginning the other towards the â—nd of the Bible to satisfie us that this is the tenour of the Holy Scriptures and the constant Doctrine of it from the beginning to the end Gen. 4. 7. It is God's Speech to Cain If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted And Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the Gates into the City And thus I have done with the Second thing I propounded which was to shew that according to the terms of the Gospel and the Christian Religion the real Renovation of our Hearts and Lives is the great Condition of our justification and acceptance with God and that this in sense and substance is the same with Faith made perfect by Charity and keeping the Commandments of God The Third and last Particular remains to be spoken to namely That it is highly reasonable that this should be the Condition of our Justification and acceptance to the favour of God and that upon these two accounts First For the honour of God's Holiness Secondly In order to the qualifying of us for the favour of God and the enjoyment of him for the pardon of our Sins and the Reward of Eternal Life First For the honour of God's Holiness For should God have received Men to his favour and rewarded them with Eternal Glory and Happiness for the meer belief of the Gospel or a confident perswasion that Christ would save them without any change of their Hearts and Lives without Repentance from dead works and fruits meet for Repentance and amendment of Life he had not given sufficient testimony to the World of his Love to Holiness and Righteousness and of his hatred of Sin and Iniquity The Apostle tells us that God in the justifi-fication of a Sinner declares his Righteousness but should he justifie Men upon other terms this would not declare his Righteousness and love of Holiness but rather an indifferency whether Men were good and Righteous or not For a bare assent to the truth of the Gospel without the fruits of Holiness and Obedience is not a living but a dead Faith and so far from being acceptable to God that it is an affront to him and a confident reliance upon Christ for Salvation while we continue in our Sins is not a justifying Faith but a bold and impudent presumption upon the Mercy of God and the Merits of our Saviour who indeed justifies the ungodly that is those that have been so but not those that continue so And if God should pardon Sinners and reward them with Eternal Life upon any other terms than upon our becoming New Creatures than upon such a Faith as is made perfect by Charity that is by keeping the Commands of God this would be so far from declaring his Righteousness and being a testimony of his hatred and displeasure against Sin that it would give the greatest countenance and encouragement to it imaginable Secondly It is likewise very Reasonable that such a Faith that makes us New Creatures and is perfected by Charity and keeping the Commandments of God should be the Condition of Justification in order to the qualifying of us for the Pardon of our Sins and the Reward of Eternal Life that is for the favour of God and for the enjoyment of him To forgive Men upon other terms were to give countenance and encouragement to perpetual Rebellion and Disobedience That Man is not fit to be forgiven who is so far from being sorry for his fault that he goes on to offend he is utterly incapable of Mercy who is not sensible that he hath done amiss and resolved to amend No Prince ever thought a Rebellious Subject capable of Pardon upon lower terms than these It is in the nature of the thing unfit that an obstinate Offender should have any Mercy or Favour shewn to him And
as without Repentance and Resolution of better Obedience we are unfit for Forgiveness so much more for a Reward as we cannot expect God's Favour so we are incapable of the enjoyment of him without Holiness Holiness is the Image of God and makes us like to him and 'till we be like him we cannot see him we can have no enjoyment of him All delightful Communion and agreeable Society is founded in a similitude of Disposition and Manners and therefore so long as we are unlike to God in the temper and disposition of our Minds and in the Actions and Course of our Lives neither can God take pleasure in us nor we in him but there will be a perpetual jarring and discord between him and us and tho' we were in Heaven and seated in the place of the Blessed yet we should not nay we could not be Happy because we should want the necessary Materials and Ingredients of Happiness For it is with the Soul in this respect as it is with the Body tho' all things be easie without us and no Cruelty be exercis'd upon us to give torment and vexation to us yet if we be inwardly Diseased we may have pain and anguish enough we may be as it were upon the rack and feel as great torment from the inward disorder of our humours as if we were tortur'd from without So it is with the Soul Sin and Vice are internal Diseases which do naturally create trouble and discontent and nothing but diversion and the variety of Objects and Pleasures which entertain Men in this World hinders a wicked Man from being out of his wits whenever he reflects upon himself for all the irregular Appetites and Passions Lust and Malice and Revenge are so many Furies within us and tho' there were no Devil to torment us yet the disorder of our own Minds and the horrours of a guilty Conscience would be a Hell to us and make us extreamly miserable in the very Regions of Happiness So that it is necessary that our Faith should be made perfect by Charity and that we should become new Creatures not only from the arbitrary constitution and appointment of God but from the Nature and Reason of the thing because nothing but this can dispose us for that Blessedness which God hath promis'd to us and prepared for us Faith consider'd abstractly from the Fruits of Holiness and Obedience of Goodness and Charity will bring no Man into the favour of God All the excellency of Faith is that it is the Principle of a good Life and furnisheth us with the best Motives and Arguments thereto the Promises and Threatnings of the Gospel and therefore in Heaven when we come to sight and enjoyment Faith and Hope shall cease but Charity never faileth for if it should Heaven would cease to be Heaven to us because it is the very frame and temper of Happiness and if this disposition be not wrought in us in this World we shall be altogether incapable of the felicity of the other You see then what it is that must recommend us to the favour of God the real Renovation of our Hearts and Lives after the Image of him that Created us This must be repaired in us before ever we can hope to be restored to the grace and favour of God or to be capable of the Reward of Eternal Life And what could God have done more Reasonable than to make these very things the terms of our Salvation which are the necessary Causes and Means of it How could he have dealt more mercifully and kindly with us than to appoint that to be the Condition of our Happiness which is the only qualification that can make us capable of it I will conclude all with that excellent passage in the Wisdom of Solomon Chap. 6. 17 18. The very true beginning of Wisdom is the desire of discipline and the care of discipline is love and love is the keeping of her laws and taking heed to her laws is the assurance of incorruption The Summ of what I have said upon this Argument amounts to this that upon the terms of the Gospel we can have no hope of the forgiveness of our Sins and Eternal Salvation unless our Nature be renewed and the Image of God which is defaced by Sin be repaired in us and we be Created in Christ unto good works That no Faith will avail to our Justification and acceptance with God but that which is made perfect by Charity that is by fulfilling of the Law and keeping the Commandments of God by sincere Obedience and Holiness of Life which notwithstanding the inavoidable imperfection of it in this state will nevertheless be accepted with God through the Merits of our Blessed Saviour who hath loved us and washt us from our Sins in his own blood To whom be Glory for ever Amen SERMON X. The Danger of all known Sin both from the Light of Nature and Revelation ROM I. 18 19. For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them IN the beginning of this Chapter the Apostle declares that he was particularly design'd and appointed by God to preach the Gospel to the World and that he was not ashamed of his Ministry notwithstanding all the Reproach and Persecution it was attended withall and notwithstanding the slight and undervaluing Opinion which the World had of the Doctrine which he preached it being to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness for tho' this might reflect some disparagement upon it in the esteem of sensual and carnal Men yet to those who weighed things impartially and consider'd the Excellent End and Design of the Christian Doctrine and the force and efficacy of it to that end it would appear to be an Instrument admirably fitted by the Wisdom of God for the Reformation and Salvation of Mankind And therefore he tells us ver 16. that how much soever it was despised by that ignorant and inconsiderate Age he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ because it is the power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek that is the Doctrine of the Gospel sincerely believed and embraced is a most proper and powerful means designed by God for the Salvation of Mankind not only of the Jews but also of the Gentiles The Revelations which God had formerly made were chiefly restrained to the Jewish Nation but this great and last Revelation of the Gospel was equally Calculated for the benefit and advantage of all Mankind The Gospel indeed was first preached to the Jews and from thence publish'd to the whole World and as this Doctrine was design'd for the general benefit of Mankind so it was very likely to be effectual to that end being an Instrument equally fitted for the Salvation of the
whole World Gentiles as well as Jews it is the power of God to Salvation to every one that believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek And to shew the efficacy of it he instanceth in two things which render it so powerful and effectual a Means for the Salvation of Mankind First Because therein the grace and mercy of God in the Justification of a Sinner and declaring him Righteous is so clearly revealed ver 17. For therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith as it is written The Just shall live by Faith This is very obscurely exprest but the meaning of this Text will be very much cleared by comparing it with another in the 3 d Chapter of this Epistle ver 20 21 22 c. where the Apostle speaks more fully and expresly of the way of our Justification by the Faith of Jesus Christ that is by the belief of the Gospel He asseâ—ts at the 20 th verse that by the â—â—eds of the Law there shall no Flesh be â—â—stified in the sight of God To this â—ay of Justification by the deeds of the â—â—wâ— he opposeth the Righteousness of â—od by the faith of Jesus Christ to all and upon all them that believe which is the Gospel way of Justification ver 21 22. But now the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the Righteousness of God which is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe The Righteousness of God without the Law is manifested that is the way which God hath taken to justifie Sinners and declare them Righteous without the deeds of the Law that is without observing the Law of Moses is manifested that is is clearly revealed in the Gospel which is the same with what the Apostle had said before that the Righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets that is the Righteousness of God or the Justification of Sinners by Jesus Christ is clearly revealed in the Gospel being also in a more obscure manner attested or foretold in the Old Testament which he calls the Law and the Prophets and this fully explains that difficult Phrase of the Righteousness of God being revealed by the Gospel from faith to faith that is by a gradual Revelation being more obscurely foretold in the Old Testament and clearly discovered in the New so that these two passages are equivalent In the Gospel the Righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith and The Righteousness of God without the works of the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets There is the first and more imperfect Revelation of it but the clear Revelation of it is in the Gospel this the Apostle calls a Revelation from faith to faith that is from a more imperfect and obscure to a more express and clear discovery and belief of it And then the Citation which follows is very pertinent as it is written The Just shall live by Faith for this Citation out of the Old Testament plainly shews that the way of Justification by Faith was there mentioned or as our Apostle expresseth it was witnessed by the Law and the Prophets and consequently that this was a gradual discovery which he calls a Revelation from faith to faith The Just shall live by Faith that is good Men shall be saved by their Faith shall be justified and esteemed Righteous in the sight of God and finally saved by their Faith And so the Apostle in the 5 th Chapt. of this Epistle ver 18. calls our Justification by the faith of the Gospel the justification of Life in opposition to Condemnation and Death which very well explains that Saying of the Prophet the Just shall live by Faith I have been the longer upon this that I might give some light to a very difficult and obscure Text. Secondly The other Instance whereby the Apostle proves the Gospel to be so powerful a means for the recovery and Salvation of Men is that therein also the severity of God against impenitent Sinners as well as his grace and mercy in the justification of the penitent is clearly revealed ver 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifested in them for God hath shewed it unto them The first viz. the grace of God in our Justification and the Remission of Sins past is a most proper and powerful Argument to encourage us to Obedience for the future nothing being more likely to reclaim Men to their Duty than the assurance of indemnity for past Crimes and the other is one of the most effectual Considerations in the World to deter Men from Sin that the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men c. From which words I shall observe these Six Things First The infinite danger that a wicked and sinful Course doth plainly expose Men to The wrath of God is here said to be revealed against the impiety and unrighteousness of Men. Secondly The clear and undoubted Revelation which the Gospel hath made of this danger The wrath of God against the Sins of Men is said to be revealed from Heaven Thirdly That every wicked and vicious practice doth expose Men to this great danger The wrath of God is said to be revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men. Fourthly That it is a very great aggravation of Sin for Men to offend against the light of their own Minds The Apostle here aggravates the impiety and wickedness of the Heathen World that they did not live up to the knowledge which they had of God but contradicted it in their lives which he calls holding the truth in unrighteousness Fifthly The Natural knowledge which Men have of God if they live wickedly is a clear evidence of their holding the truth in unrighteousness The Apostle therefore chargeth them with holding the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifested in them God having shewed it to them Sixthly and Lastly that the clear Revelation of the wrath of God in the Gospel against the impiety and wickedness of Men renders it a very powerful and likely means for the Recovery and Salvation of Men. For the Apostle proves the Gospel of Christ to be the power of God to Salvation because therein the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men who hold the truth in unrighteousness that is against all impenitent Sinners I shall at the present by God's assistance speak to the three first of these Particulars First The infinite danger that a wicked and sinful Course doth plainly expose Men to If there be a God that made the World and governs it and takes care of Mankind and hath given them Laws
that the Resurrection of the Dead should precede the general Judgment And what more Magnificent and suitable to this glorious Solemnity than the awful Circumstances which the Scripture mentions of the appearance of this great Judge that he shall descend from Heaven in great Majesty and Glory attended with his mighty Angels and that every eye shall see him that upon his appearance the frame of Nature shall be in an agony and the whole World in Flame and Confusion that those great and Glorious Bodies of Light shall be obscured and by degrees extinguish'd the Sun shall be darkned and the Moon turned into Blood and all the Powers of Heaven shaken yea the Heavens themselves shall pass away with a great noiseâ— and the Elements dissolve with â—ervent heat the Earth also and all the Works that are therein shall be burnt up I appeal to any Man whether this be not a Representation of things very proper and suitable to that Great Dayâ— wherein he who made the World shall come to Judge it and whether the wit of Man ever devised any thing so awful and so agreeable to the Majesty of God and the solemn Judgement of the whole World The description which Virgil makes of the Judgment of another World of the Elisian Fields and the Infernal Regions how infinitely do they fall short of the Majesty of the Holy Scripture and the description there made of Heaven and Hell and of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord so that in Comparison they are Childish and trifling and yet perhaps he had the most regular and most govern'd imagination of any Man that ever lived and observed the gâ—eatest decorum in his Characters and Descriptions But who can declare the great things of God but he to whom God shall reveal them Secondly This Expression of the â—â—ath of God being Revealed from Heaven doth not only imply the clear discovery of the thing but likewise something extraordinary in the manner of the Discovery It is not only a Natural impression upon the Minds of Men that God will severely punish â—inners but he hath taken care that Mankind should be instructed in this Matter in a very particular and extraordinary manner He hath not left it to the Reason of Men to Collect it from the Consideration of his Attributes and Perfections his Holiness and Justice and from the Consideration of the promiscuous administration of his Providence towards good and bad Men in this World but he hath been pleased to send an extraordinaâ—y Person from Heaven on purpose to declare this thing plainly to the World the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven that is God sent his own Son from Heaven on purpose to declare his wrath against all obstinate and impenitent Sinners that he might effectually awaken the drouzie World to Repentance he hath sent an extraordinary Ambassador into the World to give warning to all those who continue in their Sins of the Judgment of the great Day and to summon them before his dreadful Tribunal So the Apostle tells the Athenians Acts 17. 30 31. Now he commandeth all Men â—very where to Repent because he hath appointed a Day in which he will judge the World in Righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all Men in that he hath raised him from the Dead Thirdly This Expression implies likewise the certainty of this Discovery If the wrath of God had only been declared in the Discourses of Wise Men tho' grounded upon very probable Reason yet it might have been brought into doubt by the contrary Reasonings of Subtle and Disputing Men but to put the Matter out of all question we have a Divine Testimony for it and God hath confirmed it from Heaven by Signs and Wonders and Miracles especially by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead for by this he hath given assurance unto all Men that it is he who is ordained of God to judge the quick and dead Thus you see in what respect the wrath of God is said to be reveal'd from Heaven in that the Gospel hath made a more clear and particular and certain discovery of the Judgment of the great Day than ever was made to the World before I proceed to the Third Observation which I shall speak but briefly to namely that every Wicked and Vicious Practice doth expose Men to this dreadful danger The Apostle instanceth in the two chief Heads to which the Sins of Men may be reduced Impiety towards God and Unrighteousness towards Menâ— and therefore he is to be understood to denounce the wrath of God against every particular kind of Sin comprehended under these general Heads so that no Man that allows himself in any impiety and wickedness of Life can hope to escape the wrath of God Therefore it concerns us to be entirely Religious and to have respect to all God's Commandments and to take heed that we do not allow our selves in the practice of any kind of Sin whatsoever because the living in any one known Sin is enough to expose us to the dreadful wrath of God Tho' a Man be Just and Righteous in his Dealingâ— with Men yet if he neglect the Worship and Service of God this will certainly bring him under Condemnation and on the other hand tho' a Man may serve God never so diligently and devoutly yet if he be defective in Righteousness toward Men if he deal falsly and fraudulently with his Neighbour he shall not escape the wrath of God tho' a Man pretend to never so much Piety and Devotion yet if he be unrighteous he shall not inherit the Kingdom of God if any Man over-reach and defraud his Brother in any matter the Lord is the avenger of such saith St. Paul 1 Thes 4. 6. So that here is a very powerful Argument to take Men off from all Sin and to engage them to a constant and careful discharge of their whole Duty toward God and Men and to Reform whatever is amiss either in the frame and temper of their Minds or in the Actions and Course of their Lives because any kind of wickedness any one sort of vicious Course lays Men open to the vengeance of God and the punishments of another World the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men there is no exception in the Case we must forsake all Sin subdue every Lust be holy in all manner of Conversation otherwise we can have no reasonable hopes of escaping the wrath of God and the damnation of Hell But I proceed to the Fourth Observation namely that it is a very great aggravation of Sin for Men to offend against the light of their own Minds The Apostle here aggravates the wickedness of the Heathen World that they did not live up to that Knowledge which they had of God but contradicted it in their Lives holding the truth of God in unrighteousness And that he speaks here of the Heathen is
Mankind John 15. 22 23 24. If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin that is in Comparison their Sin had been much more excusable but now they have no cloak for their sin He that hateth me hateth my Father also If I had not done among them the works which none other Man did they had not had sin but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father How is that Our Saviour means that they had now sinned against all the advantages of knowing the will of God that Mankind could possibly have at once opposing Natural Light which was the dispensation of the Father and the clearest revelation of God's will in the Dispensation of the Gospel by his Son Now have they both seen and hated both Me and my Father The two remaining Observations I shall reserve to another Opportunity SERMON XI The Danger of all known Sin both from the Light of Nature and Revelation ROM I. 18 19. For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them I Have handled Four of the Observations which I rais'd from these Words and shall now proceed to the other Two that remain Fifth Observation That the Natural Knowledge which Men have of God if they live contrary to it is a sufficient evidence of their holding the trâ—th of God iâ— unâ—â—ghteousness For thâ—â—eason why the Apostle chargeth them with this is Because that which may be known of God is manifest in that God hath shewed it â—nto them There is a Natural Knowledge of God and of the Duty we owe to him which the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that of God which is obvious to be known by the light of Nature and is as much as is absolutely necessary for us to know There is something of God that is incomprehensible and beyond the reach of our Understandings but his Being and Essential Perfections may be known which he calls his Eternal Power and Godhead thâ—se he tells us are clearly seen being understood by the things which are made that is the Creation of the World is a plain demonstration to Men of the Being and Power of God and if so then God is naturally â—nown to Men the contrary whereof Socinus positively maintains tho' therein he be forsaken by most of his Followers an Opinion in my Judgment very unworthy of one who not without Reason was esteemed so great a Master of Reason and tho' I believe he did not see it undermining the strongest and surest Foundation of all Religion which when the Natural Notions of God are once taken away will certainly want its best support Besides that by denying any Natural Knowledge of God and his Essential Perfections he freely gives away one of the most plausible grounds of opposing the Doctrine of the Trinity But because this is a Matter of great Consequence and he was a great Man and is not to be confuted by contempt but by better Reason if it can be found I will Consider his Reasons for this Opinion and return a particular Answer to them First He says that if the Knowledge of God were Natural it would not be of Faith but the Apostle says that we must believe that he is The force of which Argument if it have any lies in this that the Object of Faith is Divine Revelation and therefore we cannot be said to believe what we Naturally know The Schoolmen indeed say so but the Scripture useth the word Faith more largely for a rela perswasion of any thing whether grounded upon Sense or Reason or Divine Revelation And our Saviour's Speech to Thomas Because thou hast seen thou hast believed does sufficiently intimate that a Man may believe what he sees and if so what should hinder but that a Man may be said to believe what he Naturally knows that is be really perswaded that there is a God from Natural Light Secondly His next Argument is because the same Apostle concludes Enoch to have believed God because he pleased God and without Faith it is impossible to please him From whence he says it is certain that Men may be without this Belief which if it be Natural they cannot Indeed if the Apostle had said that whoever believes a God must of necessity obey and please him then the Inference had been good that all Men do not Naturally believe a God because it is certain they do not please him but it is not good the other way no more than if a Man should argue thus that because whoever acts reasonably must be endowed with Reason therefore Men are not Naturally endowed with Reason For as Men may Naturally be endowed with Reason and yet not always make use of it so Men may Naturally know and believe a God and yet not be careful to please him His Third Argument is that the Scripture says that there are some that do not believe a God for which he cites that of David The Fool hath said in his heart there is no God which certainly proves that bad Men live so as if they believed there were no God nay it may farther import that they endeavour as much as they can to stifle and extinguish the belief of a God in their Minds and would gladly perswade themselves there is no God because it is convenient for them there should be none and whether David meant so or not it is very probable that some may arrive to that height of Impiety as for a time at least and in some moods to disbelieve a God and to be very confident of the Arguments on that side But what then Is the Knowledge and Belief of a God therefore not Natural to Mankind Nature it self as constant and uniform as it is admits of some Irregularities and Exceptions in Effects that are meerly Natural much more in those which have something in them that is voluntary and depends upon the good or bad use of our Reason and Understanding and there is no arguing from what is Monstrous against what is Natural It is Natural for Men to have five Fingers upon a Hand and yet some are born otherwise but in voluntary Agents that which is Natural may be perverted and in a great measure extinguisht in some particular instances so that there is no force at all in this Objection His Fourth and last Argument is that there have not only been particular Persons but whole Nations who have had no sense nor so much as suspicion of a Deity This I confess were of great force if it were true and for the proof of this he produceth the instance of Brasil in America But I utterly deny the matter of fact and History and challenge any Man to bring good testimony not only of any Nation but of any City in the World that ever were professed Atheists I know
this was affirmed of some part of Brasil by some of the first Discoverers who yet at the same time owned that these very People did most expresly believe the immortality of the Soul and the Rewards and Punishments of another Life Opinions which no Man can well reconcile with the denial and disbelief of a Deity But to put an end to this Argument later and more perfect discoveries have found this not to be true and do assure us upon better acquaintance with those barbarous People that they are deeply possest with the belief of One supream God who made and governs the World Having thus given a particular Answer to Socinus his Arguments against the Natural knowledge of a God I will now briefly offer some Arguments for it And to prove that the knowledge and belief of a God is natural to Mankind my First Argument shall be from the Universal Consent in this matter of all Nations in all Ages And this is an Argument of great force there being no better way to prove any thing to be natural to any kind of Being than if it be generally found in the whole Kind Omnium consensus naturae vox est the Consent of all is the voice of Nature saith Tully And indeed by what other Argument can we prove that Reason and Speech and an Inclination to Society are Natural to Men but that these belong to the whole Kind Secondly Unless the Knowledge of God and his Essential Perfections be Natural I do not see what sufficient and certain foundation there can be of Revealed Religion For unless we naturally know God to be a Being of all perfection and consequently that whatever he says is true I cannot see what Divine Revelation can signifie For God's revealing or declaring such a thing to us is no necessary Argument that it is so unless antecedently to this Revelation we be possest firmly with this Principle that whatever God says is true And whatever is known antecedently to Revelation must be known by Natural Light and by Reasonings and Deductions from Natural Principles I might further add to this Argument that the only standard and measure to judge of Divine Revelations and to distinguish between what are true and what are counterfeit are the Natural Notions which Men have of God and of his Essential Perfections Thirdly If the Notion of a God be not Natural I do not see how Men can have any Natural Notion of the difference of Moral Good and Evil Just and Unjust For if I do not naturally know there is a God how can I naturally know that there is any Law obliging to the one and forbidding the other all Law and Obligation to Obedience necessarily supposing the Authority of a Superiour Being But the Apostle expresly asserts that the Gentiles who were destitute of a Revealed Law were a Law unto themselves but there cannot be a Natural Law obliging Mankind unless God be Naturally known to them And this Socinus himself in his Discourse upon this very Argument is forced to acknowledge In all Men says he there is Naturally a difference of Just and Unjust or at least there is planted in all Men an acknowledgment that Just ought to be preferr'd beâ—ore Unjust and that which is honest before the contrary and this is nothing else but the Word of God witâ—in a Man which whosoever obeys in so doing obeys God tho' otherwise he neither know nor think there is a God and there is no doubt but he that thus obeys God is accepted of him So that here is an acknowledgement of a Natural Obligation to a Law without any Natural Knowledge of a Superior Authority which I think cannot be and which is worse that a Man may obey God acceptably without knowing and believing there is a God which direcâ—ly thwarts the ground of his first Argument from those words of the Apostle Without Faith it is impossible to please God for he that cometh to God that is he that will be Religious and please God must believe that he is so hard is it for any Man to contradict Nature without contradicting himself Fourthly My last Argument I ground upon the words of the Apostle in my Text That which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them Is manifest in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among them God hath sufficiently manifested it to Mankind And which way hath God done this by Revelation or by the Natural Light of Reason He tells us at the 20 th ver For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen that is God who in himself is invisible ever since he hath Created the World hath given a visible Demonstration of himself that is of his Eternal Power and Godhead being understood by the things which are made The plain sense of the whole is that this wise and wonderful frame of the World which cannot Reasonably be ascribed to any other Cause but God is a sensible Demonstration to all Mankind of an Eternal and Powerful Being that was the Author and Framer of it The only Question now is Whether this Text speak of the Knowledge of God by particular Revelation or by Natural Light and Reason from the contemplation of the Works of God Socinus having no other way to avoid the force of this Text will needs understand it of the Knowledge of God by the Revelation of the Gospel His words are these The Apostle therefore says in this place that the Eternal Godhead of God that is that which God would always have us to do for the Godhead is sometimes taken in this sense and his Eternal Power that is his Promise which never fails in which sense he said a little before that the Gospel is the Power of God these I say which were never seen by Men that is were never known to them since the Creation of the World are known by his Works that is by the wonderful Operation of God and Divine Men especially of Christ and his Apostles These are his very words and now I refer it to any indifferent Judgment whether this be not a very forced and constrained Interpretation of this Text and whether that which I have before given be not infinitely more free and natural and every way more agreeable to the obvious sense of the words and the scope of the Apostle's Argument For he plainly speaks of the Heathen and proves them to be inexcusable because they held the truth in unrighteousness and having a Natural Knowledge of God from the contemplation of his Works and the things which are made they did not glorifie him as God And therefore I shall not trouble my self to give any other Answer to it for by the absurd violence of it in every part it confutes it self more effectually than any Discourse about it can do I have been the larger upon this because it is a Matter of so great Consequence and lies at the bottom of all Religion For