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We shall conclude our account of this part of the controversy with the following passage from the "First Vindication." The list of materials for his creed-for the articles are not yet formed Mr. Edwards closes with these words:- These are the matters of faith contained in the epistles, and they are essential and integral parts of the gospel itself.' What, just these? Neither more nor less? If you are sure of it, pray let us have them speedily, for the reconciling of differences in the Christian church, which has been so cruelly torn about the articles of the Christian faith, to the great reproach of Christian charity, and scandal of our true religion."

fore purposely omitted the epistolary writings of the apostles, because they are fraught with other fundamental doctrines besides the one he argues for. He then enumerates these fundamental articles, viz.: 1. The corruption and degeneracy of human nature, with the true origin of it-the defection of our first parents. 2. The propagation of sin and mortality. 3. Our restoration and reconciliation by Christ's blood. 4. The eminency and excellency of his priesthood. 5. The efficacy of his death. 6. The full satisfaction made thereby to divine justice. 7. His being an all-sufficient sacrifice for sin. 8. Christ's righteousness. 9. Our justification by it. 10. Election. 11. Adoption. 12. Sanctification. 13. Saving faith. 14. At length Mr. Edwards, setting aside all minor The nature of the gospel. 15. The new covenant. considerations, comes at once to the doctrine of 16. The riches of God's mercy in the way of sal- the Trinity, and affirms that, because this doctrine vation by Jesus Christ. 17. The certainty of the is discoverable in them, they were passed over resurrection of our bodies, and of the future glory. with contempt by Locke. His words are :-" He In his "First Vindication" Locke replies seri- doth this, that is, pass by the epistles with conously, and at length, to the accusation of his ad-tempt-because he knew that there are so many versary; and inquires whether every one of these and frequent, and those so illustrious and eminent "fundamental doctrines" is required to be believed attestations to the doctrine of the ever-to-beto make a man a Christian, and such as without adored Trinity, in these epistles." He adds, that the actual belief thereof, he cannot be saved. If Locke expounds John, xiv. 9., &c., after the antiso, small indeed would be the number of the elect; trinitarian mode; and makes Christ and Adam to no ignorant man could possibly be saved; for none be sons of God in the same sense, and by their but learned theologists could even comprehend birth. Stillingfleet, who also urged this point of the terms of the several propositions; and no man, the Trinity, in his controversy with our philosoperhaps, could form, on all these points, an opinion pher, received no answer; but, in a letter to his that should be perfectly free from error. But let relation, afterwards Lord Chancellor King, he him explain his own views:-66 'If they are not ne- says:-"If those gentlemen think that the bishop cessary, every one of them, you may call them hath the advantage by not making good one of fundamental doctrines as much as you please, they those many propositions in debate between us, but are not of those doctrines of faith I was speaking by asking a question, a personal question, nothing of, which are only such as are required to be ac-to the purpose, I shall not envy him such a victotually believed to make a man a Christian. If you ry. In the meantime, if this be all they have to say, some of them are such necessary points of say, the world, that sees not with their eyes, will faith, and others not, you, by this specious list of well sounding, but unexplained terms, arbitrarily collected, only make good what I have said, viz.: that the necessary articles of faith are in the epistles promiscuously delivered with other truths, and therefore they cannot be distinguished but by some other mark than being barely found in the epistles. If you say that they are all of them necessary articles of faith, I shall then desire you to reduce This is all we have observed in his works bearthem to so many plain doctrines, and then prove ing directly upon this point. With respect to the them required to be believed by every Christian man sense in which he supposes the phrase, "Son of to make him a member of the Christian church." God," to be employed in the Scriptures, he is sufIn the "Second Vindication" he thus pursues ficiently explicit. In his "First Vindication," he the same argument :-"Can there be any thing says:"If the sense wherein I understand those more absurd than to say there are several funda- texts (John, xiv. 9, &c.) be a mistake, I shall be mental articles, each of which every man must ex-beholden to you if you will set me right. But plicitly believe, upon pain of damnation, and yet they are not popular authorities, or frightful names, not be able to say which they be? The Unmasker whereby I judge of truth or falsehood. You will has set down no small number; but yet dares not now, no doubt, applaud your conjectures: the point say, These are all.' On the contrary, he has is gained, and I am openly a Socinian, since I will plainly confessed there are more; but will not, that not disown. that I think the Son of God' was a is, cannot tell what they are that remain behind; phrase that among the Jews in our Saviour's time nay, has given a general description of his funda- was used for the Messiah,' though the Socinians mental articles, by which it is not evident but there understand it in the same sense; and therefore I may be ten times as many as those he has named; must certainly be of their persuasion in every and amongst them, if he durst or could name them, thing else. I admire the acuteness, force, and probably several, that many a good Christian, who fairness of your reasoning, and so I leave you to died in the faith, and is now in heaven, never once triumph in your conjectures. Only I must desire thought of; and others, which many, of as good you to take notice, that that ornament of our authority as he, would, from their different sys-church, and every way eminent prelate, the late tems, certainly deny and contradict."

see what disputants for truth those are, who make to themselves occasions of calumny, and think that a triumph. The Bishop is to prove, that my book has something in it that is inconsistent with the doctrine of the Trinity; and all that upon examination he does, is to ask me whether I believe the doctrine of the Trinity as it has been received in the Christian church? A worthy proof!"

Archbishop of Canterbury, understood that phrase

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in the same sense that I do, without being a So- | his apostles preached, and admitted men into the cinian. You may read what he says concerning church for believing, is not all that is absolutely reNathaniel, in his first sermon, Of Sincerity,' pub-quired to make a man a Christian; or, that the fished this year. His words are these: believing him to be the Messiah was not the only being satisfied that he-our Saviour-was the article they insisted on, to those who acknowledged Messiah, he presently owned him for such, calling one God; and upon the belief whereof they adhim the Son of God, and the King of Israel." mitted converts into the church, in any one of Locke afterwards found in Patrick, Bishop of those many places quoted by me out of the history Ely's "Witnesses to Christianity," several pas- of the New Testament." He then proceeds to sages in support of his interpretation of the show that if those admitted into the church by phrase, "Son of God." If, therefore, Mr. Ed- our Saviour and his apostles, were admitted withwards persisted in calling him a Socinian, to be out having any other article explicitly laid before consistent, he must bestow the same epithet on them, the belief of no other article is necessary. Bishop Patrick, who says, "To be the Son of "Unless," says he, "you will say that our Saviour God, and to be Christ, being but different expres- and his apostles admitted men into the church that ́ sions of the same thing;" and, "It is the very were not qualified with such a faith as was absosame thing to believe that Jesus is the Christ, and lutely necessary to make a man a Christian; to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, express which is as much as to say, that they allowed and it how you please. This alone is the faith which pronounced men to be Christians, who were not can regenerate a man, and put a divine spirit into Christians. For he that wants what is necessary him; that is, make him a conqueror over the world, to make a man a Christian, can no more be a as Jesus was."* Christian than he that wants what is necessary to make him a man can be a man."

This leads us to the principal subject of the controversy. Locke having laid down, as the great In the "Reasonableness of Christianity" Locke basis of Christianity, the belief that Jesus of Na- is methodical, clear, concise. He encumbers not zareth was the Messiah, to prove which is the his argument with unnecessary illustrations, nor object of his whole treatise on the Christian reli- does he carry forward his analysis beyond the gion, Mr. Edwards accuses him of reducing limits which a severe judgment may approve. In Christianity to one article, in order to bring it the "Second Vindication" the reverse of all this nearer to none. This might, at the first blush, is true. He appears to have ill digested his plan; have caused it to appear that Locke desired to not to have considered where he should begin, or exclude the belief in the existence of a God, where end; he pauses, and exhausts his own inwhich was manifestly untrue. To excuse himself, genuity, and the reader's patience, in refuting therefore, for dwelling so jocularly on the "one some pitiful cavil, in repelling scorn with scorn; article," the Unmasker says:-"When I told him and loses himself in a maze of endless repetitions. of this one article, he knew well enough that I It must, moreover, be acknowledged, that through did not exclude the article of the Deity, for that many a dreary page we look in vain for any trace is a principle of natural religion." To this the of that superior mind which gave birth to the "Esphilosopher answers:-"How should I know it? say on the Human Understanding," the "Letters He never told me so, either in his book or other-on Toleration," and the "Treatise on Governwise. This I know, that he said I contended for one article, with the exclusion of all the rest.' If then the belief of the Deity be an article of faith, and be not the article of Jesus being the Messiah, it is one of the rest;' and if all the rest were excluded, certainly that being one of all the rest, must be excluded. How then he could say, I knew that he excluded it not,-that is, meant not that I excluded it,-when he positively says I did exclude it, I cannot tell, unless he thought that I knew him so well, that when he said one thing, I knew that he meant another, and that the quite contrary."

Having given a list, which has already been cited, of fundamental truths, Mr. Edwards observes: "From what I have said, it is evident, that the Vindicator is grossly mistaken, when he saith, Whatever doctrine the apostles required to be believed to make a man a Christian,' are to be found in those places of Scripture which he has quoted in his book. I think I have sufficiently proved that there are other doctrines besides that, which are required to be believed to make a man a Christian."

In answer to this, Locke insists that all his adversary might advance would signify nothing, unless he could prove "that what our Saviour and

*Witnesses to Christianity, p. 10, 14.

ment ;" and though some striking passages do occur, they are few, and hardly compensate for the drudgery which must lead to their discovery. The following outline, however, of the whole scheme of natural and revealed religion is worthy of being preserved.

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"As men," he observes, "we have God for our King, and are under the law of reason: Christians, we have Jesus the Messiah for our King, and are under the law revealed by him in the gospel. And though every Christian, both as a Deist and a Christian, be obliged to study both the law of nature and the revealed law, that in them he may know the will of God, and of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent; yet in neither of these laws is there to be found a select set of fundamentals, distinct from the rest, which are to make a Deist or a Christian. But he that believes one eternal invisible God, his Lord and King, ceases thereby to be an Atheist; and he that believes Jesus to be the Messiah, his King, ordained by God, thereby becomes a Christian, is delivered from the power of darkness, and is translated into the kingdom of the Son of God, is actually within the covenant of grace, and has that faith which shall be imputed to him for righteousness; and if he continue in his allegiance to this his king, shall receive the reward-eternal life."

He then deprecates the practice, too common

To this, by anticipation, Mr. Edwards answers:-"There is a difficulty in the doctrine of the Trinity, and several truths of the gospel, as to the exact manner of the things themselves, which we shall never be able to comprehend, at least on this side heaven: but there is no diffi

among theologians, of erecting individual views | illiterate people cannot understand, be required to of religion into systems, and endeavoring to force be believed to make them Christians, the greatest them upon mankind; nearly every proposition in part of mankind are shut out from being Christhe Scriptures, with every deduction that may be tians." drawn from it, having been, by some one or another, advanced as a necessary article of faith. ""Tis no wonder, therefore," he observes, "there have been such fierce contests, and such cruel havoc made amongst Christians, about fundamentals; whilst every one would set up his system, upon pain of fire and faggot in this, and hell-culty as to the reality and certainty of them, befire in the other world: though at the same time, whilst he is exercising the utmost barbarities against others, to prove himself a true Christian, he professes himself so ignorant that he cannot tell, or so uncharitable that he will not tell, what articles are absolutely necessary and sufficient to make a man a Christian. If there be any such fundamentals, as it is certain there are, it is as certain they must be very plain."

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cause we know they are revealed to us by God in the Holy Scriptures.' "Which answer," says Locke, "of difficulty in the manner, and no difficulty in the reality, having the appearance of a distinction, looks like learning; but when it comes to be applied to the case in hand, will scarce afford us sense. The question is about a proposition to be believed, which must first necessarily be understood. For a man cannot possibly give Against the idea of Christianity's being plain, his assent to any affirmation or negation, unless and reasonable, and intelligible, Mr. Edwards he understand the terms as they are joined in that takes violent exception. He thinks it absurd proposition, and has a conception of the thing afthat the vulgar should be supposed capable of firmed or denied; and also a conception of the comprehending all the truths of their religion; thing concerning which it is affirmed or denied, though, at the same time, he insists there is as they are there put together. But let the pronothing in the Scriptures not necessary to be be- position be what it will, there is no more to be lieved; and, as it seems somewhat harsh to re- understood than is expressed in the terms of that quire a man to believe that of which he can form proposition. If it be a proposition concerning a no idea, he, upon second thoughts, but without matter of fact, it is enough to conceive, and beperceiving he is conceding a point to Locke, ad-lieve the matter of fact. If it be a proposition mits that the truths of the gospel are as clear as clearness can make them.

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concerning the manner of the fact, the manner of the fact must also be believed, as it is intelliLet us put all these propositions together in gibly expressed in that proposition: v. g. should Mr. Edwards' own words, to show upon what a this proposition, verpoi éyɛipovraι, be offered as an logical system he reasons. Christianity is called article of faith to an illiterate countryman of a mystery. . . . All things in Christianity are not England, he could not believe it; because, though plain, and exactly level to every common appre-a true proposition, yet it being proposed, in words hension. .. Every thing in Christianity is whose meaning he understood not, he could not not clear, and intelligible, and comprehensible by give any assent to it. Put it in English, he unthe weakest noddle." Anon, taking another view derstands what is meant by the dead shall rise.' of the matter, he says:-"Why did the apostles For he can conceive, that the same man who was write these? was it not that those they wrote to, dead and senseless, should be alive again; as well might give their assent to them? Why should as he can that the same man who is now in a not every one of these evangelical truths be be-lethargy, should awake again; or the same man lieved and embraced? They are in our Bibles for that very purpose." And, as a reason why they should be believed, he says they are "intelligible and plain;" that there is no "ambiguity and doubtfulness in them; they shine with their own light, and to an unprejudiced eye, are plain, evident, and illustrious."

Upon this Locke remarks:-"To draw the Unmasker out of the clouds, and prevent his hiding himself in the doubtfulness of his expressions, I shall desire him to say directly whether the articles which are necessary to be believed to make a man a Christian, and particularly those he has set down for such, are all plain and intelligible, and such as may be understood and comprehended (I will not say in the Unmasker's ridiculous way, by the weakest noddles,' but) by every illiterate countryman and woman capable of church communion? If he says yes, then all mysteries are excluded out of his articles necessary to be believed, to make a man a Christian. For that which can be comprehended by every day-laboror, every poor spinster, that is a member of the church, cannot be a mystery. And if what such

that is now out of his sight, and he knows not whether he be alive or dead, should return and be with him again; and so he is capable of believing it, though he conceives nothing of the manner how a man revives, wakes or moves. But none of these manners of those actions being included in those propositions, the proposition concerning the matter of fact-if it imply no contradiction in it-may be believed; and so all that is required may be done, whatever difficulty may be as to the exact manner how it is brought about.

"But where the proposition is about the manner, the belief too must be of the manner; v. g. the article is, the dead shall be raised with spiritual bodies;' and then the belief must be as well of this manner of the fact as of the fact itself. So that what is said here by the Unmasker about the manner, signifies nothing at all in the case.What is understood to be expressed in each proposition, whether it be of the manner, or not of the manner, is-by its being a revelation from Godto be believed, as far as it is understood: but no more is required to be believed, concerning any article, than is contained in that article.

"What the Unmasker, for the removing of diffi- of the "Essay on the Human Understanding," culties, adds further, in these words:-But there which appeared during his lifetime, Locke changis no difficulty as to the reality and certainty of ed his opinion on more than one point; and, like the truths of the gospel, because we know they an honest and independent thinker, he was always are revealed to us by God in the Holy Scriptures,' careful to acknowledge this change. This, among is yet further from signifying any thing to the pur- other things, was the case with the use of syllopose, than the former. The question is about un- gisms. For in book iv. ch. 17, “I grant," says derstanding, and, in what sense they are under- he, "that mood and figure is commonly made use stood, believing several propositions, or articles of of in such cases, (in the discovery of fallacies,) as faith, which are to be found in the Scripture. To if the detection of the incoherence of such loose this the Unmasker says, there can be no diffi- discourses were wholly owing to the syllogistical culty at all as to their reality and certainty, be- form; and so I myself formerly thought, till upon cause they are revealed by God.' Which amounts a stricter examination I now find, that laying the to no more than this: that there is no difficulty intermediate ideas naked, in their due order, shows in the understanding and believing this proposi- the incoherence of the argumentation better than tion-that whatever is revealed by God is really syllogism." His opinions, however, on this point, and certainly true. But is the understanding and were fluctuating; for in his "Second Vindicabelieving this single proposition, the understand-tion," speaking of the fallacies and incoherences ing and believing all the articles of faith necessary of his antagonist, he has these words:" Nay, if to be believed? Is this all the explicit faith a he, or any body, in the 112 pages of his 'SociChristian need have? If so, then a Christian need nianism Unmasked,' can find but ten arguments explicitly believe no more but this one proposition, that will bear the test of syllogism, the true touchviz. that all the propositions between the two stone of right arguing, I will grant that that treacovers of his Bible, are certainly true. But I ima- tise deserves all those commendations he has begine the Unmasker will not think the believing stowed upon it; though it be made up more of his this one proposition is a sufficient belief of all those own panegyric than a confutation of me." fundamental articles, which he has given us as necessary to be believed, to make a man a Chris-troversy, every where employing, as far as possitian. For, if that will serve the turn, I conclude he may make his set of fundamentals as large and express to his system as he pleases: Calvinists, Arminians, Anabaptists, Socinians, will all thus own the belief of them; viz. that all that God has revealed in the Scriptures is really and certainly true."

Between the publication of the several editions

We have here given a concise view of the con

ble, the words of the writers themselves; but, it must be confessed, our outline is far from being complete; it being impossible, perhaps, to condense into so small a space, the matter of so many bulky volumes. If the reader is desirous of examining the subject at greater length, we must, therefore, refer him to the original works, where he will find more than enough to satisfy his curiosity.

AN ESSAY

FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF ST. PAUL'S EPISTLES.

LOCKE having, in his controversy with Mr. Ed-dily occur to me. The nature of epistolary wriwards, had his attention frequently and forcibly tings in general, disposes the writer to pass by the directed to the epistles of St. Paul, which, in his mentioning of many things, as well known to work on Christianity, he was accused of keeping him to whom his letter is addressed, which are purposely out of sight, betook himself, with re-him comprehend what is said: and it not seldom necessary to be laid open to a stranger, to make newed diligence, to the study of those parts of falls out, that a well-penned letter, which is very Scripture. The result of these studies, undereasy and intelligible to the receiver, is very obtaken in a mature age, and furthered by every scure to a stranger, who hardly knows what to help that learning or philosophy could furnish, make of it. The matters that St. Paul wrote was "A paraphrase and Notes on the Epistles of about, were certainly things well known to those St. Paul to the Galatians, Corinthians, Romans, he wrote to, and which they had some peculiar and Ephesians." To this work, not published concern in, which made them easily apprehend until after the philosopher's death, was prefixed, his meaning, and see the tendency and force of "An Essay for the Understanding of St. Paul's his discourse. But we having now, at this disEpistles, by consulting St. Paul himself," written tance, no information of the occasion of his wriin the best manner of its distinguished author. ting, little or no knowledge of the temper and circumstances those he wrote to were in, but what But, notwithstanding its singular excellences, it is to be gathered out of the epistles themselves, appears to have hitherto attracted comparatively it is not strange that many things in them lie conlittle notice. No collection of religious works, so cealed to us, which no doubt they who were confar as I know, contains it; nor has it ever, I be- cerned in the letter understood at first sight. Add lieve, been detached from the Paraphrase and to this, that in many places it is manifest he anNotes, and published in a separate form. I trust, swers letters sent, and questions proposed to him, however, the reader will quickly perceive its which if we had, would much better clear those great value, not merely as a literary composition, passages that relate to them, than all the learned though in that respect also it be a remarkable notes of critics and commentators, who in afterwork; but as showing how earnestly and inces-times fill us with their conjectures; for very often, as to the matter in hand, they are nothing else. santly the noblest minds have labored to master The language wherein these epistles are writthe sense of the Apostle to the Gentiles; thus, by ten are another, and that no small occasion of their example, encouraging others to the under-their obscurity to us now: the words are Greek, taking, which he who properly enters on will consider no task.-ED.

a language dead many ages since; a language of a very witty volatile people, seekers after novelty, and abounding with a variety of notions and sects, to which they applied the terms of their common tongue with great liberty and variety; and yet this makes but one small part of the difficulty in the language of these epistles; there is a peculiarity

To go about to explain any of St. Paul's epistles, after so great a train of expositors and commen-in it, that much more obscures and perplexes the tators, might seem an attempt of vanity, censur- meaning of these writings, than what can be occaable for its needlessness, did not the daily and ap- sioned by the looseness and variety of the Greek proved examples of pious and learned men justify tongue. The terms are Greek, but the idiom or it. This may be some excuse for me to the pub- turn of the phrases may be truly said to be Hebrew lic, if ever these following papers should chance or Syriac. The custom and familiarity of which to come abroad: but to myself, for whose use tongues, do sometimes so far influence the expresthis work was undertaken, I need no apology.sions in these epistles, that one may observe the Though I had been conversant in these epistles, force of the Hebrew conjugations, particularly that as well as in other parts of sacred Scripture, yet of Hiphil, given to Greek verbs, in a way unknown I found that I understood them not-I mean the to the Grecians themselves. Nor is this all: the doctrinal and discursive parts of them: though subject treated of in these epistles is so wholly the practical directions, which are usually drop-new, and the doctrines contained in them so perped in the latter part of each epistle, appeared to me very plain, intelligible, and instructive.

I did not, when I reflected on it, very much wonder that this part of sacred Scripture had difficulties in it many causes of obscurity did rea

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fectly remote from the notions that mankind were acquainted with, that most of the important terms in it have quite another signification from what they have in other discourses: so that putting all together, we may truly say, that the New Testa

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