teousness. I know not how to obtain a fight of his writings; but they would probably give us an edifying view of the converfion of a Pharifee*.

If Satan cannot gain his point entirely, in aspersing the grace of God, he will be content to do it in part. And this, for the trial of men's fincerity, was unhappily the cafe in regard to this prefent controverfy. Pure Pelagianifm itself was loft, at least for many ages; nor did any man dare for a long feries of years to revive it. The works of Auguftine were found fo agreeable to the Scriptures, that while they were regarded as the fole ftandard of Christian authority, a doctrine, which set aside the neceffity of grace altogether, could gain no hearing in the church. And in the Western world fuch an addition of light was obtained, as no doubt proved highly ferviceable to advance the kingdom of Chrift. But tares were fown: Semi-Pelagianifm arofe, and maintained itself among many, and continues to this day the admired fyftem of all those, who seek to unite the arts of fecular greatnefs with fome regard for Chriftian orthodoxy. Its language is, that though man cannot perfevere in virtue without divine grace, yet he can turn himself at firft to God. Vitalis, of Carthage, feems to have been its beginner, who taught that our obedience to the Gospel was no otherwife the effect of grace, than that men cannot believe, except the word be preached to them. Thus, external revelation was put in the room of the fecret, effectual energy of the Holy Spirit. The Pelagians, who had loft their firft ground, retreated hither, and maintained, that grace was given according to that merit of men, which they fhewed in attending to the word and to prayer. Some prefbyters in Marseilles were at the head of this fcheme, which is fo fpecious, and carries fuch

Caffian, B. 1. de Incar. Chrifti,

an

an air of moderation between vicious extremes, that it feems folly to oppofe it, by any other arms than thofe of Scripture and experience. Men, who know themfelves, and fuffer the decifions of the divine word to prevail over their confciences, will fee through the delufion, which can fcarce fail to overcome all, whofe religion is theory without confcience.

John Caffian, a Scythian, a monk of eminence, and a man much renowned at that time, was the pillar of this doctrine. He lived at Marfeilles, and oppofed the bishop of Hippo. Profper and Hilary withstood him, and fome monuments of the writings of the former will afterwards be confidered. In confequence of their defires, Auguftine wrote his two laft books on predeftination, and the gift of perfeverance. Still, however, the conteft between Semi-Pelagianifmm, and the adverfaries to it, continued fome time; Caffian labouring on one fide, and Profper and Hilary on the other.

Such was the rife, progrefs, and confequences of this most important herefy in the church of Chrift. THERE MUST INDEED BE HERESIES IN THE CHURCH, THAT THEY WHICH ARE APPROVED MAY BE MADE MANIEST. The effects of them are, that the wicked in the church are more distinctly separated from the godly; the former are made worse, or at least appear fo to be; the latter are purified and made white, and every way improved, both in the understanding, fpirit, and power of true religion. Let frivolous controverfies, which involve no nutrimental truths of godliness, be hushed and buried in oblivion, as foon as poffible, because they are incapable of producing any thing but ftrife and vanity. But it was wrong in Mofheim to lament over the Pelagian disputes, as erroneous on both fides, when in truth the controverfy was the D d 3

fame

fame, which has ever been between holy men and mere men of the world; between grace and human merit*: and though in Auguftine's time the queftion turned principally upon fanctification, in Luther's time on juftification, yet the glory of God in the grace of Jefus Chrift, the importance of genuine faith, and the nature and efficacy of the influences of the Holy Ghost, were équally concerned in the controverfy between Auguftine and Pelagius, between Luther and the Papifts, and I will venture to fay, on fcriptural grounds, between Paul the Apostle and Saul of Tarfus,-that is, between the fpirit and doctrine of an humbled publican, and of a felf-righteous Pharifee.

* See Mofheim, Eccl. Hift. page 57, compared with page 278, Quarto Edit. Vol. 1. That he, who in one place maintains the importance of juftification by faith, fhould in another despise the controverfies occafioned by it, feems a ftrong inconfiftency.

СНАР.

ΤΗ

CHA P. IV.

PALAGIAN PAPERS.

HE queftion, "Whether man needs the influence of the holy Spirit to render him truly pious and holy, or he has fufficient resources in his own nature for this end," involves fo much of the very effence and genius of Chriftianity, that compared with it a thoufand other objects of debate in the church are reduced to mere infignificance. For on the right refolution of this question will depend, what ideas we ought to form of the Chriftian doctrines of original fin, regeneration, falvation by the grace of Jefus Chrift, and fanctification by the Holy Ghoft. It is to no purpose to fay, that fo long as all parties are convinced, that men ought to be good and virtuous, the difference of opinions on these Pelagian points is merely nominal. So men are always willing to reprefent the fubject, who have no fenfe of innate depravity. But those who feel themfelves "Tied and bound with the chain of their fins," will think it of effential importance to enquire, how they may be freed from this ftate; nor can they be contented with the external decencies of morality, while they find themselves void of the love of God and internal holinefs. The Scripture decides this controverfy clearly and amply; but it is my bufinefs to ftate as faithfully as I can the fentiments of the antient church upon it. Till Pelagius arofe, the neceffity of internal efficacious grace was not difputed. He denied the existence of fuch a principle altogether; though, as we have feen, with much artificial equivocation. I muft do juftice to both parties; and review briefly, yet clearly, the fentiments of thofe

Dd4

those who diftinguifhed themselves in the controversy. One conclufion to be drawn from the whole is this, that as there is no new thing under the Sun, fo the Lord raifes up, from age to age, men to defend his real truths in the world.

I fhall begin with taking fome notice of a treatise found in the works of Ambrofe, which I omitted in the review of his writings, because, both the difference of ftyle and the reference in it to the Pelagian controverfy, which was after his time, demonftrate it not to be his. Much has been faid * to determine who was the author of it. Its title is, OF THE VOCATION OF ALL THE GENTILES. Whoever wrote it, he was evidently a perfon well verfed in Scripture, mafter of a good ftyle, and well skilled in argumentation. As he has exhibited that moderate view of the doctrine of grace, which I think moft agreeable to Scripture, and remarkably coincident with the doctrines of the church of England, it will be proper to mention his leading thoughts, as a fuitable introduction to the reft.

He begins, like a man of deep reflection, confcious of the difficulties which his fubject involves. "A great and arduous queftion, fays he, is agitated between the defenders of Free-will and the preachers of the grace of God. It is enquired, whether God would have all men to be faved; and as this is undeniable, it is further enquired, why the will of the Almighty is not fulfilled. Thus, no limit is found of contrary difputations, while men do not diftinguish what is manifeft, from what is fecret." He defcribes the effects of the fall, as destructive of faith, hope, understanding, and will, for the purposes

*See Du Pin's elaborate criticism in his hift. of Century v. It feems, however, to have been the production of this century.