6o A DISPLA Of to heaven : the affertion whereof, we condemnas awicked pelagian, focinian herefy, andthink, that it was well Paidof Bernard, that many to make Plato a Chrifüan, dogma themfelves to be heathens. And if we look upon the feveral branchesof this Ar- miniannovel do&rine, extenuating the precious worthand neceffityof faithin Chrift : we lhall find them hewedoffby thetwo -edgedfword ofGod'sWord. (I.) For their denying the Patriarchs and Jews tohave had faith, in ChrJfum exhi- haulms; . d maadtmssn, as we in him, exhibition d mortuum ; i8 difproved by all evans gelical promifes made from the beginning of theworld, to the birth ofour Saviour, as that, Gen. iii. 15. The feed of the Woman (hall break the Serpents head, and Chap. %ii. 3. Chap. xlix. 10. Pfal. ii. '7, 8. and t to. with innumerable other, concerning his life, office, and redeeming of his people : for furely they wereobliged to believe the promifes of God. (z.) By thofe many clear expreífions of his death, paffion and fuffering for us, as Gen. iii. t 5. Ifaiah liii. 6, '7, 8, 9, s o, &c. Chap. lxiii. z, 3. Dan. ix. 26. but what need we reckon any more? Our Saviour taught his difciples, that all the Pro- phets from Moles, fpake concerning him, and thatthe foie reafon, why they did not readily embrace the faith of his paffion, and refurreaion, was, becaufe they believed not the prophets, Luke xxiv. 25, z6. lhewing plainly, that theprophets requiredfaith in his death and pallion. (3.) By the explicite faith of many Jews, as of old Simeon, Luke iii. 34. of theSa- maritan tell them all thn,gs,oasChaff for a was he ádifcourfianoe; concerning l t he worth that fhould God, yobs iv. 25. (4.) By the exprefs teftimony ofChrft himfelf, Abraham faith he rejoyeed to fee my day, and he few it and was glad, John viii. 56. his day, his hour, in the fcßpture prin- cipally denote hispaffion, and thatwhich he fase furelyhe believed, or elfethe father of the faithful was more diffident than Thomas, themolt incredulous ofhis children. (5.) By thefe following and the like places offcripture : Chrift isa lamb pin from the foundation of the world, Revel. xiii. 8. Slainin promifes, (lain inGod's efìimationand the faith of believers He is the fame yforday to day andfor ever Heb. xiii. 8. Under the law and theGofpel : there is none other name under heaven g'ven unto men, whereby they muff bé faced, AEts vi. s t. Never any then,without the knowledge of a redeemer, participation ofhis pafiion, communicationofhis merits, did ever come to the fight of God : no man ever came to the father, but by him : hence St. Fasi tells the Epheftans, that they were without Chrifb becaufe they were aliens from the common-wealth of Ifrael, Ephef ii. t 2. intimating, that God'scovenant with theJews included thrift Jefusand his righteoufnefs no leis than it Both now with us.: on thefe grounds holy Ignatius (a) called Abel a martyr ofChrift, hedied for his faithin the promifed feed and in ano- ther place, (b) all the Saints were failed by Civil{ ; hoping in him, and waiting on him, they obtained falvation by hint. So (e) Profper alfo, We muff believe that never anyman was ju- 'lifted by any other faith, either before the Lam, or under the Law, thanby faith inCorifl, con- Mg to face that which'was left Whence (d) Eufebiuscontendeth, that all the old patri- archs might properlybe called chrif,;ians, they all eat of thefame fpiritualmeat, and drank of the fame fpintual drink, even of the rock that followed them, which rockwas If then the ancientpeople ofGod, notwithfianding divers others efpecial revelations Chrift. of his will, and heavenly inffruEtions, obtained not falvation, without faith in Chriff, much lefs may we grant this happinefs without him, to them, who were deprivedof thofe other helps alto ; fo that though we confers the poor natural endeavoursof the t heathen not tohave wanted their reward ; either politive tothis life, by outwardprof- . p/rtty and inward calmnefs of mind, in that, they were not all perplexed, and I agitated with furies, like Nero and Caligula; or negative, in the life to come, by a diminution of the degrees of their torments ; they !hall not be beaten with fo many ä ßripes : yet we abfolutely deny, that there is any fattingmercy of God towards them (a) IIepgl/eSat ivat ¿tdxtsly dveti,sabwv, äu2 a Ara?, rr duai, gP/. d EPb f (b) f7dvr£s dytot w 7,etst; 514110161,, £A-riQC1" ds qvva9 eta ,'; drataire ves. mafitre amneíaspoee, Epifa ed tite (d)Nonalto fide uem uam hominum the ante lefe ad ob.. legis tempore, luffificatum effe credendum eft, quamhoc eadem quaDominus feu, &c. PriP 8. Gellman. (e) Omnes ergo illosqua ab Abraham furum vertus adprimal hominem, pee- rationsoedi ne conftribuntuy mil non nomine, rebus tamer, & religiose Chritlianos foil% fi qv drco4 non mini videtur errate, Eaf. Hiller. Peeler. lib. t. rap. r. tevealetJ Ot CJ
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