clearly distinguished from the merits of Christ, to which Faith owes its efficacy. If Dr. Pearson would write in the three Articles upon Justification, and in the whole of the celebrated passage in the Epistle to the Romans, the expression "the merits of Christ" instead of the word "Faith," wherever he meets with it, I am persuaded he would admit, that "the merits of Christ" and "Faith" are not synonymous terms, either in the language of our Church, or of St. Paul when speaking upon the subject of Justification. The word believe, in all its various inflexions, occurs many hundred times, but, if I mistake not, the word belief occurs only once (q), in the New Testament. It may be right, therefore, to apprize those who are not acquainted with the learned languages, and to remind those who are, that the Greek word translated Faith, is derived from the word which is translated to believe (r), and might with equal propriety have been translated Belief. The word Faith is, I suspect, often supposed to convey some mysterious sense, which is not authorized by the word in the original language. Faith and Belief, strictly speaking, mean the same thing, and are used in the same sense by our (q) 2 Thess. c. 2. v. 13. The word unbelief occurs frequently. (*) Πίτις a verbo πισεύω. K our old Divines: "No man," says the learned and judicious Hooker, "can attain belief by the bare contemplation of heaven and earth, for that they neither are sufficient to give us as much as the least spark of light concerning the very principal mysteries of our Faith." And Archbishop Tillotson says, "Faith, or which is all one, Belief (s)." That Belief or Faith may exist, unaccompanied by any of the Christian virtues and graces, appears from the case of Simon Magus, referred to in a former Chapter, who is said to have "believed,' and yet his heart was not right in the sight of God;" he was "in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity (t).” Indeed that there is no necessary connexion between Faith or Belief and Good Works, even according to St. Paul, who is the great advocate for the doctrine of Justification by Faith, is evident from a passage in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, a part of which has been already quoted, "Though I have all Faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." Could St. Paul have described Faith in stronger terms, "all Faith so that I could remove mountains?" Or could he have inculcated the necessity of Good Works in more decisive language, "though I have all Faith, and have (s) Rule of Faith, p. 3. (1) Acts, c. 8. v. 13. 21, & 23. have not charity, I am nothing (u)?" And at the end of the chapter, he sums up the argument, by saying, "And now abideth Faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity:" We have therefore this Apostle's authority, not only for maintaining the possibility of Faith existing without charity, and its utter inefficacy in that case, but also for considering charity as superior to Faith when they "abide" together. Nor is it difficult to comprehend the reason of this superiority; for surely it is more easy to convince the understanding of the truth of the Gospel, than to correct the selfishness of our nature, and to impress our minds with the principles of divine love or piety towards God, and of universal benevolence towards men, so as to practise both inthe degree required by our holy religion, namely, to" love God with all our heart, and soul, and strength (~)," and "our neighbour as ourselves (y)." That we may have clear and distinct ideas of the doctrines inculcated by the two Apostles, and correctly understand what our Church teaches relative (u) I Cor. c. 13. v. 2.-"As it is here supposed that this Faith might in fact be separated from love, it cannot signify the same as in the Epistle to the Romans, where it is such an assent to a divine declaration as produces a suitable temper and conduct." Doddridge. (*) Luke, c. 10. v. 27. (y) Matt. c. 19. v. 19. relative to Justification and Faith, it will be necessary to take a general and connected view of the whole subject. Justification, as the word is used in the Epistles, refers to adult persons who were converted to Christianity through the preaching of the Apostles, and is said by St. Paul to be effected by Faith; that is, suppose a person to have been educated as a Jew or a Heathen, and suppose him, which was the case of every Jew and of every Heathen, to have been guilty of a variety of sins; and suppose m, by attending to the evidences of the truth of the Gospel, to have been convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, the promised Saviour of the World: such a person could not but feet contrition for the wickedness of his past life, and be anxious to avoid the punishment to which he was liable. Having understood that baptism was essential to entitle him to the blessings of this new and merciful dispensation, of the divine authority of which he was fully persuaded, he would eagerly apply to some one of those who were commissioned to baptize; and baptism, administered according to the appointed form to a true believer, would convey Justification; or in other words, the baptized person would receive remission of his past sins, would be reconciled to God, and be accounted just and righteous in his sight. Bap tism tism would not only wash away the guilt of all his former sins, both original and actual, and procure to him acceptance with God, but it would also communicate a portion of divine grace, to coun teract the depravity of his nature, and to strengthen his good resolutions. Faith therefore, including repentance for former offences, was, as far as the person himself was concerned, the sole requisite for Justification. No previous work was enjoined; but baptism was invariably the instru ment, or external form, by which Justification was conveyed. St. Paul himself, soon after is miraculous conversion, and before he entered upon his ministry," was baptized," that "his sins might be washed away (). The Ethiopian Eunuch, after hearing "Jesus preached" by Philip, and confessing that he believed "Jesus Christ to be the son of God," was immediately baptized (a); and on the day of Pentecost no fewer than 3000 persons, who were converted by the first sermon of St Peter, were instantly bap tized, under the promise of receiving "remission of their sins (b)." It is plain that these men were justified by Faith, and by Faith only. Here arises the important question, whether a person thus converted, baptized, and justified, must nccessarily continue in a state of Justification? Cer tainly (z) Acts, c. 9. v. 18. and c. 22. v. 16. |