Faith therefore is the cause; hope and love the effects which it produces. That is the parent, these the children. A general and historical faith may exist without love. But a justifying faith, which, preceded by conviction of sin, apprehends and applies the merit of Christ for pardon and salvation, necessarily begets charity," the

*That genuine faith is not necessarily productive of love and good works, was one of the errors of popery on account of which the church of England separated from the see of Rome. This error has however been maintained by some modern Divines, although the church of England in her articles and homilies is directed against them. The 12th article and the whole of the first part of the homily on faith is on this subject. Bishop Jewel, in his apology for the church of England, also says, chap. 2. § 23, "The true faith is a

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living faith, and cannot be idle." Bishop Davenant, another luminary of the reformation, in his exposition of the Epistle to the Colossians, reasons thus on the subject. Concedimus posse mentem hominis ita illustrari, ut credat Deo; id est, ut assentiatur verbo divino in genere, et tamen interim sit expers charitatis; hanc fidem infor em appellant Scholastici, nos fidem historicam, sive fidem generalem. Sic Antissiodorensis perantiquus Scholasticus, lib. 3. Fide informi credimus Deo; id est, quod sit Deus, et quod Deus sit omnipotens, et multa alia. De hoc etiam loquitur Jacobus, cap. ii. 14. Quid prodest, si fidem quis dicat se habere, opera autem non habeat? Deinde paulo post, Diaboli credunt et contremiscunt. Sed est alia etiam fides, quam nos justificantem appellamus, Scholastici formalem; quæ non solum credit Deo, sed in Deum, id est, quæ apprehendit Deum, ut sibi placatum et reconciliatum in Christo; atque hanc dicimus nunquam sejungi a charitate. Prior est simplex irradiatio, non virtus theologica; hæc posterior est primaria inter tres illas celebres theologicas virtutes. Hujus autem nexus perpetuus cum charitate probatur multis rationibus. 1. Quia hæc fides Deum apprehendit ut bonum et misericordem et salutis authorem sibi per Christum; at hæc apprehensio parit amorem Dei necessario; sic enim Antissiodorensis, Estimatio quá aliquis estimat per fidem Deum esse summum bonum suum, generativa est desiderii illius boni, lib. 3. 2. Quia fides justificans sanctificat et purificat corda; at cor expers charitatis non est sanctificatum.

"final object whereof is that incomprehensible

beauty, which shineth in the countenance of "Christ, the Son of the living God."* Charity however, is not of the essence of faith; for faith precedes and produces love, and works by it.†

aut purificatum. 3. Quia omnis qui credit verâ fide et justificante, habet jus ad vitam æternam. Sic enim Baptista, Qui credit Filio, habet vitam æternam. Et Paulus ad Galatas, Omnes filii Dei estis per fidem. Sed hæc nemini competunt qui est expers charitatis. 4. Ipsi scholastici docent, tres illas virtutes theologicas semper esse connexas, &c. &c. Ex his patet, cum papista disputant veram fidem posse a charitate sejungi, illos vel ambiguitate vocabuli ludere, vel suis scholasticis repugnare. Fides enim illa, quæ est expers charitatis, differt specie ab hac justificante; hæc enim est virtus theologica, illa non est: differunt objecto; hæc enim Deum sibi in Christo reconciliatum apprehendit, illa non potest apprehendere: differunt effectibus; hæc enim pacem conscientiæ affert, illa timorem ; differunt actibus hujus enim actus est credere in Deum, illius est tantum credere Deo, ut antea ostendimus. The dispute which has arisen on this subject, will apologize for the length of this extract,

* Hooker,

Restat ultima quæstio, quæ spectat ad fidem et charitatem : scilicet an charitas sit ita conjuncta cum fide, ut sit forma fidei? Sic videtur Thomæ, Durando, et aliis recensioribus. Imaginantur enim fidem per se esse quiddam mortuum et inanime; et quicquid vitæ vel meriti habeat, illud mutuari a charitate tanquam ab animâ et formâ suâ. At contra pugnat (quem sæpe nominavi) Antissiodorensis, lib. 3. ubi defendit, fidem veram et formatam esse naturâ priorem charitate. Ratio 1. Justus ex fide vivit: ergo ex fide diligit; ergo fides viva est prior naturâ quam charitas, et proinde non formatur et vivificatur a charitate, Ratio 2. Ex 1 Timoth. i. 5. Finis mandati est charitas ex puro corde, fide et non ficta; ergo vera fides, et cor purificans, parit charitatem; et per consequens non est formata a charitate, Ratio 3. Motus fidei formatæ præcedit motum charitatis; ergo ipse habitus fidei formata naturâ præcedit habitum charitatis. Nam prius in Deum credimus, et fidem nostram reponimus, quam illum amare possumus,

We now proceed to shew that a man may possess many brilliant gifts, make a splendid show of benevolence towards men, and of piety towards God, and yet be destitute of charity. The possibility of this awful defect, as supposed in our collect, is founded on what St. Paul says, 1 Cor. xiii. 13, "Though I speak with the "tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal., And though I have the gift "of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and "all knowledge, and though I have all faith so "that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow "all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not cha "rity, it profiteth me nothing."

Did sweeter sounds adorn my flowing tongue,
Than ever man pronounc'd or angel sung;
Had I all knowledge, human and Divine,
That thought can reach, or science can define;
And had I power to give that knowledge birth
In all the speeches of the babbling earth;
Did Shadrack's zeal my glowing breast inspire,
To weary tortures, and rejoice in fire;
Or had I faith like that which Israel saw,
When Moses gave thein miracles and law,
Yet, gracious CHARITY, indulgent guest!
Were not thy power exerted in my breast,

Ratio 4. Ex Apostolo ad Galatas, In Christo Jesu neque circumcisio valet, neque præputium, sed fides, quæ per dilectionem operatur ; ergo fides est efficiens causa charitatis, et proinde charitas non est forma fidei, sed filia vel famula. Davenant in Epist. ad Coloss. How fast we are hastening back to Rome, the reader may judge by comparing these extracts with some specimens of modern Divinity. O how little did the good Bishop think, when he quoted the schoolauthors against the papists, that a time would arrive when it would be necessary to quote himself, on the very same points, against some Divines of his own protestant church!

Those speeches would send up unheeded pray'r,
That scorn of life would be but wild despair;
A tymbal's sound were better than my voice;
My faith were form, my eloquence were noise.
PRIOR,

The Apostle's mode of speaking evidently supposes the possibility of a man's possessing all those extraordinary and miraculous endowments which were conferred on the members of the primitive church, while, nevertheless, he remained destitute of charity. It is however to be observed that the faith of which he speaks is the faith of miracles, and not a justifying faith; for the latter is never separate from charity. It does not appear that Judas was, in any miraculons power, inferior to the other apostles; for such defect would have stigmatised him before the time arrived for the discovery of his true character.But no spark of charity was ever kindled in the traitor's bosom. He lived as he died, "sensual, "not having the Spirit." The Corinthian church, which was abundantly favoured with gifts, most probably contained many persons who were destitute of saving grace, for whose conviction and conversion this awful declaration of the Apostle, though modestly couched for the purpose of avoiding offence in the first person, was intended. It is a most awakening consideration to which our collect calls attention. A man may be learned, may pray fluently, and preach eloquently, and yet be a reprobate for want of charity. O how superior in value is a grain of that "faith "which worketh by love" to the most splendid attainments without it! The latter may indeed most highly recommend their possessor to the approbation and admiration of men, but the former is essential to a participation in the favour of God and in the happiness of His kingdom,

The Apostle, moreover, supposes it to be a possible thing for a man to bestow all his fortune in the relief of the poor, and yet be destitute of genuine charity, or a Divine principle of love to God and man. It may be difficult to account for so uncommon an act on any human motives. But pride and ostentation, or the emotions of a naturally compassionate temper, may produce such an effect, and, without doubt, have sometimes produced it. The voluntary poverty, so highly estimated in the Romish church, frequently, if not generally, originated in corrupt motives. Nor is the alms-giving of protestants always of an unsuspicious nature. It is very necessary that we should closely scrutinize our motives, since an outwardly similar line of conduct may arise from different, nay, from diametrically opposite inducements. For as the summer's sun and the winter's frost both subserve the traveller's accommodation, by drying up the roads and rendering his journey safe and pleasant; so may the benefit of others and the good of society be promoted by the frigid act of mere nature, while the doer is wholly unblessed in his deed, as well as by the genial influence of Divine grace on the heart. But a supposition still more extraordinary is stated by St. Paul in the before-cited passage of his epistle to the Corinthians. A submission to martyrdom in defence of our creed seems to be the highest act of piety that can be performed, and the strongest proof of sincerity which can be given. Yet this semblance of piety may exist without charity. Pride, vain glory, or an obstinate attachment to opinions from which no sanctifying efficacy is derived, may produce this effect also. We have therefore read of heathens, of Jews, of Turks, of infidels, and of heretics, as