is laid, wood, hay, or stubble, his work shall be burnt, be fhall fuffer lofs: but he himself shall be saved; yet fo as by fire, I Cor. iii. 12,-15. But herefy is damnable. Falfe teachers, fays Peter, hall bring in damnable herefies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves fwift deftruction, 2 Epift. ii. 1. It is with errors in doctrine, as with fins in practice; though every fin be against the power of godlinefs, yet fome fins are confiftent with it, and fome not: fins of daily infirmity are; For the flesh lufteth against the Spirit; grofs prefumptuous fins are not. And though it is happy for us, that we cannot with precifion lay the line of difference betwixt the two, marking where the one ends, and the other begins; or how far one may go on forbidden ground, ere godliness die as to exercise; yet we must hold it fast as a certain truth, that every fin is not inconfiftent with the exercise of grace, and that fome are.

In like manner, though we cannot give a precife catalogue of what are fundamental errors, and what not, no more than we can difcern precisely when the light ends, and when darkness commences; yet we may reft affured, that some errors are fundamental, and fome not: the former overthrowing the foundation, and therefore damnable; the latter weakening it, and therefore dangerous. A heretic after the first and fecond admonition, is to be rejected, Titus iii. 10. But gentler methods muft be followed with respect to others, Gal. vi. 1. 2 Theff. iii. 14, 15. A famous foreign writer obferves, that, There is an error which only toucheth the foundation, and there is another which

overturns the foundation itself: ⚫ the foundation; this against it.

that is about There is one ⚫ which primarily, directly, and immediately oppofes and overthrows it: there is another which ⚫ indirectly only, and fecondarily strikes against it. There is fuch an error, which mediately indeed, and by neceffary, proximate, evident, and natural confequence attacks the foundation; and there is such an error which by a remote, an intricate, and inferred confequence only, tends to its ruin. Now, as these two are widely different from one another, fo they ought not to be had of the fame account. For, as every chink in the • foundation does not overthrow the building itfelf; fo every error concerning the foundation is not immediately, properly fundamental: but that only which fo impugns it, that it thereby • overturns and destroys it *.'

.

But to see more particularly, what a fundamental error is, let us confider what the foundation itself is. And as the fore-quoted author obferves, None will deny that these three, fcripture, Chrift, and grace, are juftly placed among the primary and principal parts of the foundation. Scripture is the foundation of doctrine and inftruction, inasmuch as it is the rule and the 'invariable bafis of faith; in which fenfe the church is faid to be built upon the foundation of the prophets and apoftles, Eph. ii. 10. Not in respect of their perfons, which needed a foundation whereon they might reft; but with regard to the doctrine ' which was delivered by them in the Old and the

* Turret. De Neceff. Seceff. Disp. I. fect. 33.

New Teftament.-Chrift is the foundation of falvation, both to be acquired by the merit of his death, and to be preferved by the efficacy of his life; for, according to Peter's teftimony, Salvation is not in any other, Acts iv. 12. And another. foundation can no man lay than what is laid, • which is Christ Jefus, 1 Cor. iii. 11. 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5. He is the only Prince of life, and Author of falvation. • That life deftinated from eternity in the decree, ⚫ often promised in the word, once purchased on

6

6

the cross, he every now and then fealeth in the • heart, till at last he perfect it in glory.-Grace is the foundation of application, inafmuch as on it depend all the benefits of God towards us, both those which are purchased for us by Christ as a Surety; and those which are produced in us by him as a Head, by means of the Spirit; as juftification, fanctification, perfeverance, &c.; in which sense all things are afcribed in the gospel unto grace, Rom. iv. 16. and xi. 6. 2 Tim. i. 9. And in 1 Pet. v. 10. God, the Author of all grace, is faid to ftablish believers; but especially in Heb. xiii. 9.. The heart is faid to be established by grace*.

Now, it is clearer than the noon-day, that the Romish enemy ftrikes grievoufly against these three foundations. That enemy coming in like a flood, fpares neither the word, the perfon, nor the thing: neither fcripture, Chrift, nor grace. And if thefe foundations be deftroyed, what can the righteous do? What an overflowing flood! when the origin of the fcripture is attacked; the enemy averring, that it was delivered only occafionally, and * Turret. ubi Supra, fed, 34.

not of fet purpose; when its authority is made to depend on the teftimony of the church; when traditions are set on a level with, yea, preferred to it, and thus its perfection is impugned! What a destructive flood! when the perfpicuity of scripture is denied, and men do not blush to call it a Lesbian law a rule changeable at the pleasure of the workman. When it becomes capital to read the word of God, according to the impious rule of the expurgatory index, printed at Madrid, Anno 1612. expreffed in thefe words, which no pious perfon can read, or hear without horror: Since it is manifeft from experience, that if the holy Bible be permitted in the common tongue, more hurt than advantage arifes from thence, through the rafhness of men; the Bible is forbidden with all its parts, whether printed, or manufcript, in ' whatever vulgar tongue it be *.'

The enemy comes in like a flood, against the fecond foundation: for, though in words they profefs Chrift, yet in works they deny him.— How do the floods lift up themselves, and dash against that foundation which God has laid in Zion! While other Mediators, both of redemption and interceffion, are devised, befides the one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jefus, 1 Tim. ji.. 5.; another purgatory than his blood, which cleanfeth us from all fin, 1 John i. 7.; another propitiatory facrifice, than that which he once offered, that he might take away fin, and obtain eternal redemption for us, Heb. ix. 12, 28.; another merit before God, than his obedience, by which many are

*Turret. ubi Supra, fect. 34.

made righteous, Rom. v. 19.; another rule of falvation, than his word, tho' he alone is to be heard in the church, Mat. xxiii. 10.; another gofpel, than that of his grace; another support to prayers than his merit and advocacy, 1 John ii. 1.; and, finally, another head of the universal church, than his perfon, though that prerogative be conftantly afcribed to him alone, exclufively of all others, Eph. i. 22, 23. ii. 20. iv. 15, 16. (Turret.)

And, alas! with no lefs violence do the waves lift up themselves against the third foundation. That grace is the bafis and foundation of all Chri- e ftianity, which being laid, it is fettled; and which being taken away, it is torn up, can be a fecret to none who know the fcripture. Whether you confider it in the decree, in refpect of the predeftination of God, wherein grace is faid to be given us in Chrift, before the world began, 2 Tim. i. 9.; or in the execution, in respect of redemption by Chrift, in as much as we are faved by grace, Eph. ii. 8. Titus iii. 4, 5.; or in the application, in respect of vocation and regeneration by the Spirit, because God gives to will and to do: all our fufficiency is from him, and by his grace we are what we are, Phil. ii. 13. 1 Cor. xv. 10. 2 Cor. iii. 5. But who that knows the pernicious tenets of the Romish enemy can deny, that this grace is not only obfcured by them, but also overturned and tumbled from her throne? Their doctrine concerning the forefight of good works, overthrows the election of grace. Their fatisfactory works, which they stitch to the mofl perfect fatisfaction of Chrift, destroy gratuitous redemption. And who does not