Hey on Article XVIII: Of obtaining eternal Salvation only by the Name of Christ

1. In treating of this Article we will proceed in our usual method, though much of what was said upon the thirteenth Article might be applied here. The thirteenth seems to relate to indivi- duals, and this to members of Society; but yet as these may be the same persons, their neglecting Christianity in the capacity of individuals, must be nearly connected with their neglecting it in their social character.

According to what was said at the opening of the Introduction to the second part of our Articles, the THIRD PART begins here.

It has probably been the custom in many dif- ferent ages to say, that all honest men will be saved, whatever religion they may be of; but this

sentiment must be most preyalent when men are

most

BOOK IV. 11. 111. 55

most divided into religious parties; then the dif- ficulty of forming a judgment, is most striking : —it must, on this account, have been very pre- valent at the time of our Reformation, and that æra is probably of the most consequence to us

at present; nevertheless, if we make historical remarks, we may as well look back as far as we can.

11, Bishop Burnet says, that The impiety that is condemned in this Article was first taught by some of the Heathen Orators and Philosophers in the fourth Century,” who pleaded, that God was more honoured by various modes of worship, than if all men agreed in one mode. should rather apprehend, that the compilers of our Article would have chiefly in view some error held by Christians, or by such as might have the scriptures proposed and * to them; scriptural authori- ties would only affect persons so situated.

Philafter does give an account of a Sect called Rhetorians, who held, that all sects were right; and some have 1magined, that these were Rhetoricians, or Orators of the fourth Century ; but Philaster lived in the“ fourth Century himself, and places this sect much earlier, Our business does not seem to be to enter into nice questions on ecclesi- astical History; and therefore 1 shall content myself with referring you to Lardner’s account“ of Rhe- torians, and with observing, that though Augustin thinks it incredible that any fect should justify all sects; it has often appeared to me, that each sect /ets out on some right principle, though 1t may after- wards go too far, or deviate from the right path.

111. We may now take notice of the /. Century. One part of the Pelagian Ny ws

about

A. D. 380, Lardner, o Works, Vol. 9, page 232. D 4

| D 56 BOOK IV. 1v. v.

• about the universality of Redemption; was intended to determine, whether all men were redeemed by the Death of Christ, and whether all men were called. I believe disputes on such matters referred chiefly to Predęstination; and were intended to de- termine whether Christ could be said to have died for the reprobate; but yet perhaps they might have some relation to our present Article; for if all men were so redeemed by Christ as to be upon one footing, it would not signify what religion any man was of,—It seems, moreover, as if the Pelagians had held notions which were not approved by the orthodox*®, about the justification and Salvation of the holy men mentioned in the Old Testament. Yet this Salvation was, in some measure, ascribed

to Christ; to their having foreseen his coming. iv. Mohammed lived partly in the sixth Cen- tury, and partly in the seventh, (571—633). Bp. Burnet observes, that the Koran represents “ all men in all religions” as * equally acceptable to God, if they serve him faithfully in them.” He also remarks, that this candour was intended as an inducement to embrace Mohammedanism, and was followed by great severity towards those who were desirous to apostatize. We may give a paslace from the Koran to our purpose; “ Sciendum eneraliter, quoniam omnis rectè vivens, Judæus 5 Christianus, seu lege sua relictà ad aliam tendens, omnis scilicet Deum adorans, bonique gestor, indubitanter divinum amorem assequetur“.“ v. But, for the reason already assigned, we are chiefly concerned with the age of the Reformation. In

:

— ©” aw r

r

—

—

—

ED

—

. edi holga IF

See Augustin’s Works, Ed. Antv. Vol. 10.— Appendix, pave 75, ina Pelagian Creed, or Confession of Faith.

BOOK IV. v. 57

In the Racovian® Catechism it is laid down, that since the coming of Christ no one is justified with- out faith in him, but before his coming, good men were justified by faith in? God. Erasius not only speaks of Cicero as 1nspired®, but as probably saved.— Paulus Jovius died in the year 1552, when King Edward’s Articles were published; in his lives of famous men, he gives an account of Galeottus Martius, who was persecuted by some monks (though accidentally protected by Pope Chrystus, or Sixtus the Fourth, as an old acquaintance) for teaching, in a Book of sacred and moral philo- lophy, “omnibus gentibus, integrè et puriter veluti ex justa nature lege viventibus, æternos ccelestis auræ fructus paratos :” &c. this person died in 1478.—We have already“ mentioned the decrees of the Council of Trent; I do not see any thing more to our purpose than what was quoted under the thirteenth Article“. Bee

The Scotch confession seems very strenuous on the necessity of being of the true Chriftian church in order to attain* Salvation. Extra quam” (ecclesiam) * nec est vita nec eterna felicitas.— Itaque prorsùs detęstamur illorum blasphemiam qui dicunt homines viventes fecundum equitatem et justitiam, quamcunque religionem professi fuerint,

{ervatos

© This quoted Art. x1 11. Set, vi. f De prophetico Jesu Christi munere; or page 212. s Mentioned Art. x. Sect. 11, Ep. ad Jo. Ulatt, in Cic.

Tusc. Disp.

d Art, xIII. Sect. v. |

i To what was quoted Art, x111. Set. v. from Hume’s History, should be added the latter part of Hume’s sentence ; which belongs to the 18th Article: © Any one who presumes to maintain, that an Heathen can possibly be saved, is himself exposed to the penalty of eternal perdition.” - Hume’s Hist. 4to. Vol. 3, page 334, 1st Edit. quoted by Gilpin in his Life of Cranmer, page 159. |

• Sect, 16, De Ecclesia.

— r

58 BOOK Iv. ART. XVIII. SECT, VI.

. fervatos ini.” The Scotch might be the more . Zealous, as being inclined to Calvinism : to such

it must be shocking to have any one speak as if there were no elect.

The authors of the Reformatio Legum are allo very warm; perhaps thinking the notion opposed an affront to Christianity, ** Horribilis’ est et inanis illorum audacia, qui contendunt in omni religione vel sectà quam homines professi fuerint salutem illis esse sperandam,” &c.— In the same chapter 1s a declaration against the notion that a// men shall be saved at /a/?, after undergoing some punishment ; which notion is the subject of the last of King Edward’s Articles. Perhaps it might seem, that universal salvation, though after some evil suffered, was not agreeable to the scriptural accounts of salvation by Christ.

This Reformatio Legum profefles to censure only herefies actually prevailing at that time: as appears from the Epilogus after the twenty-second chapter.

vi. We have sometimes carried our histori- cal remarks lower than the times when the Articles were compiled; if we do this in the present case, we may take notice of Milton, Hobbes, and Pope.

Miiton may not at first, seem a proper instance, as he did not, in the latter part of his life, adhere to any sect, but thought he might be saved though sep rate from all sects; but if the fault condemned in the Article be that of not founding our hopes of Salvation on our being members of the Church of Christ, and on our acting as such; the great Poet might run into that fault by depriving him- self of opportunities of performing social acts of Christian worship. His Biographer, Dr. Johnson, seems to disapprove of his conduct in this respect.

Hobbes De Harefibus, Cap. 11.

Hobbes is mentioned by Bishop Burnet as requiring no man to take farther care what Religion he is of, than that it be the religion established in his own country by law. — I would mention Mr. Pope only in order to introduce those two lines of his, which may have contributed, perhaps more

than he intended, to promote the notion con- demned in our Article;

For modes of Faith let graceless Zealots fight, His can’t be wrong whose Life is in the right.

Near end of 3d Ep.— Essay on Man. Me might again“ read the passage where Dr. Priestley affirms, that “ nothing is requisite to make men” object of God’s favour, ** but such moral conduct as he has made them capable of ;” —with what follows. vii. After History we come to Explanation. Ought this eighteenth to be considered as be- longing to the second® or third part of our thirty- nine Articles? I think, rather to the ird; it seems a kind of Introdufion; and the idea this; a man must not think that he may be sure of Salvation as a member of any sect, or religious Society, which

he may happen to engage in: Salvation can only be hoped for, according to the Scriptures, from

being a member of the true Church of Christ, what- ever may be the right idea of that Church: and what it is, is settled in the subsequent Articles. The Scotch confession introduces the error opposed

in our eighteenth Article, under the subject Ecclesia.

In m Near the end of Art. x11; from Hist. Corr, Vol. 1, page 279, end of Atonement.

” These Parts see opening of Introduction to second Part: before Art. 1x, and opening of this 18th Article,

60 BOOK IV. vIII.

In the Articles of 1552, indeed, there is an Article between * our eighteenth and nineteenth, against evading the Moral Law, either under pre- tence of its being Mosaical, or of immediate inspi- ration ; and so the connexion might be, though mere virtue cannot save men, it is not to be neg- lefted :—in 1562, the part about the moral law of Moses was added to the seventh Article, (about the Old Testament) and the part about Inspiration was omitted. |

The 7ide of our eighteenth Article speaks of obtaining Salvation “ by the Name of Christ :” in compliance with the text which is introduced into the Article. The force of that expression may therefore be noticed when we come to that text.

VIII. They ALSO are to be had ACCURSED,” —to what does the word […] no persons had been pronounced accursed before? - but several sets of persons had been condemned for holding dit- ferent errors, though not by the same expreffion. In the fourteenth Article we have, Works of fupererogation cannot be taught without arrogance and impiety;” In the sixteenth, they are to be condemned which say they can no more fin,” &c.— In the seventeenth, a doctrine is said to set men on a precipice from which they are liable to fall headlong into despair, or licentiousness :—in the eighteenth, ** they al/o are to be had accursed, […] anathematizand1.”

Indeed it might be proper to take notice of the meaning of the word hey :” the persons spoken of must be supposed, at least, to know of Christi- anity, if not to be, in some sense, Christians : in

| I552 Why should Bishop Sparrow, in his Articles of 1 562, insert

this Article of 15 52 befere our 18th? was he unwilling to inter- rupt the series of Articles relating to the Church? e

1552 the title was, Je must trust to obtain eternal salvation only by the name of Christ:” and in the body of the Article we have, © holy Scripture doth set out unto vs only the name of Jesus Christ whereby men must be saved.” This cannot belong to thole who know nothing of the Holy Scriptures? : the persons condemned are sup- posed to make a wrong choice, to rest their hopes of happiness on a wrong foundation, when they might rest them upon a right one.

If it be said, that ed,“ and natural virtue, considered in regard to a power of conferring fal- vation, are opposed to Christ, and therefore sect may mean a religion ot Christian; I answer, there may be sects not Christian, which may be within reach of arguments for Christianity, though too careless in attending to such arguments: and there may be Christian sects too careless about approach- ing as near to the Truth as possible. (Art. x111. Sect. 1. near the end.) —Probably at the Reforma- tion many took up this mode of talking; it signifies but little whether you are Papist or Protestant, or Puritan, or even a Jew, if you are a good man. — And many might float about, as kind of nominal Christians, without paying much attention to an reasonings on religious subjects.— This might re- tard the Reformation, as well as seem an affront to Christianity. One cannot conceive a person to be strongly impressed with the idea, that he can only be saved by being a member of the Church of Christ; and not anxious to know wherein genuine Christianity consists.

« To be had accursed,” in the Latin, “ anathemati- zandi suut; — are to be anathematized. Some- thing was said of the meaning of this expression,

IN v See opening to the thirteenth Article.

62 BOOK IV. vi11.

in the third Book a. It has an harsh sound, but should be, like all other expressions, interpreted by custom. Now 1t has been very much the cus- tom to condemn errors in such form as this; if any one holds such an error, “ anathema fit,” let him be accursed: we may see instances in the acts of the Council of Trent, or of any other Council. —And in our readings on Bishop Pearson, we meet with © Cyri/Ps twelve anathematisms, against Nesto- rius, and those of the Council of Sirmium and others, agains{t* Photinus. Indeed this has been the established language of the Church. Its general meaning seems to have been, that men who ran into such particular errors, did not deserve to be united to the holy Church of Christ, did not ap- pear to be so in the fight of God ;—but ought to be looked upon as separated from it : and as ana- themas accompanied excommunications, the ideas of them became * associated. This account agrees with the expressions in Eingham’s Antiquities; where the expression, © cast out of the Church,” used by Pope Vigilius, seems equivalent to, “ anathema eto,” used by the first Council of Bracara.—And in WalPs* translations from Augustin, we find re- nounced and anathematized put as meaning the fame thing. This anathematizing was not only the lan- guage of the high Orthodox party, but of Pelagius himlelf*.—lIt was indeed taken from the New Tes- tament, which often took its expressions from the Old. Consult Rom. ix. 3.—1 Cor. xvi. 22. —

Gal.

4 Chap. 1x. SeQ. 1. Vol. 2, page 97.

r Page 325, Fol. s Page 120, Fol.

t See Du Fresne under Excommunicatio. The excommunicatio o_ and Anathema are said, I think, to mean the same thing.

« On Infant Baptism, page 188, 4to. or 1. 16. 24.

• See his Creed, in Augustin’s Works, Vol. 10. Pref, Edit. Antv.—Vossius’s Hist, Pel. l. 1.— Wall 1. 19. 29.

BOOK Iv. VIII, 63

Gal. i. 8.—Rev. xxii. 3.—ln Rom. ix. 3. accursed answers to the marginal separated; avelepa is from ava rh to separate. Avaleua amongit the Hea- thens signified anything put aside, or separated for the ule of the Gods; that is in effect, most com- monly, for deftruftion. Sacer, means, set apart, or devoted, in the sense of cursed. In 1 Cor. xvi. 22. St. Paul uses both the term of the Lxx, avabena, and the Hebrew maran-atha?, cursed art thou changing, according to custom, the final w of PIN! into .—In Gal. i. 8. evalua seems to im- ply separation, devoting, curse. — It is on Rev. xxii. 3. that Hammond gives his explanation of ae, and makes it relate to excommunication.

In the Old Testament, M generally, if not always, implies separation for the purpose of de- struction. And with us, devoted, conveys the same idea: yet Corban amongst the Jews, oblation, from Ap to approach, implied something consecrated and not to be destroyed; but when anything was devoted to destruction, there was a previous sepa- ration of it, either actual, or supposed. The Heathen * Idols were actually set apart and de- voted; the city* of Jericho, when devoted to the Lord, or accursed, is supposed to be set apart; the besiegers are commanded to © keep” themselves e from the accursed thing.” —Chris, by an igno- minious death, was made a curse? for us,” was devoted to destruction: © curse” often means a deyoted © per seu.

From hence we may conceive how the early Christians might come to use the word curse, or

anathema,

y Parkhurst’s Lexicon: this is Parkhurst’s etymology, but not the common one. |

2 Deut. vii. 25, 26. jJoshua vi. 17, 18.

» Gal. iii. 13.— Deut. xxi. 23.

© See Hammond on Rev. xxli. 3.

64 BOOK IV. x.

anathema, and how they might esteem any cooler word, a sign of lukewarmness or disrepect.— Though we should not omit to mention the ex- ample which they had in Deut. xxvii. 14—26.

The expression of the Article in 1552 was, «© They also are to be had accursed and abhorred,” &c. which looks more like the“ damnandi of the sixteenth Article, than © accur/sed” alone.

IX. * That presume to say that every man shall be saved” —what is here blamed, may not perhaps appear, without some attention: the words may lead some to think, that it 1s called an accursed thing to hope that virtuous Heathens may be saved : but they do really express a different idea; they do not blame candor, but presumption; it would be presumption to acquit a culprit, or reus, without authority, as well as to condemn one; we need not condemn, but we must not acquit : to do either properly, we should be judges. It is neither our business to confine the mercy of God in its opera- tions, nor to dispense it according to our fancies. —

Nay, suppose that in particular cases it were allowed us strongly to hope, that the divine good- ness would be exerted, yet even that falls far short of the presumption of affirming that © every man shall be” made eternally happy in a way pre- scribed by ourselves.

x. By the Law or Sect which he professeth,” &c. Bishop Burnet distinguishes between being saved by a law, and in a law ;—and with reason ; a man may be saved in an imperfect religion by the mercy of God, or even by the merits of Christ; though not by virtue of the religion which he pro- fesses: it may be considered whether the word whereby, which comes afterwards, does not rather confirm this notion. Indeed in the Latin Article the expression is in lege,” but we cannot say that

the

the English is a wrong translation ; because the Engliih and Latin are equally authentic. “In {e&a” therefore means, as a member of a seck.— We have”, in Eph. iv. 32. & Xe translated, “ for Christ’s sake;” it may mean, as a member of Christ; or of that society, or body of which he is the Head. It is scarcely needful to observe, that our being saved by Christ, or in Christ, cannot exclude*® human agency. (e & is translated whereby.)

XI. © Only the Name,” &c.—In order to see the force of this expression, which 1s taken from Acts iv. 12. we must conceive different men to worship* different deities, and invoke them and praises them, and swear* by them under their different names.—The contention between Elijah and the Priests of Baal, related in 1 Kings, Chap xvili, may give us an idea of the case; particu- larly ver. 24. & 26.— Through association and habit, sentiment and passion are excited by the mere sound of a name; so that enthusiasm might rage on sounding the name of a much-honoured Deity, and the whole of his attributes might seem to be concentred in the appellation. We find similar effects from the names of political or other parties; the very sound of them excites animosity and virulence *.

And when men do not distinguish between the power of the person to whom the name belongs,

and

4 Art. x11, end of Se. x1. © Art. x. Set. XxX11,

f Joshua xxiv. 15. s Psalm Ixviii. 4.

b Psalm Ixiii 12.— 1 Sam. xvii. 43.

i The Chorus in the Oratorio of Samson, in which the Israelites and the Philistines contend in Invocation, the one party invoking Zehovah, the other Dagon, must tend to enliven our conceptions of what is related, 1 Kings xviit. 24, &c,

• Nov. 1793, the French are changing names of Streets, Cards, Months, &c,

66 BOOK iv. X11. XIII.

and the combination of letters or sounds which compose the name, then the name itself comes to be regarded as endued with some charm or super- natural influence.

X11. The last thing which can come into our explanation, is the word © saved,” and we have before considered its meaning. Here we may ob- serve, that Salvation (and in like manner damna- tion) may admit of an endless variety of degrees: and it might be wrong to omit wholly, that saving has in Acts iv. 12. a particular reference to deliverance from bodily evil. Peter and John had healed a lame man; they are asked solemnly, * By what power, or by what name have ye done this?“ they answer, « By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.” — Neither is there salvation in any other: for there 15 none other name under heaven given among men whereby (e 4) we must be saved ;” ( owtvas vu. Suppose this meant merely that the lame could only be healed in the name of Christ, yet the healing meant was miraculous ; and therefore that would be saying, that real miracles could only be performed in support of Christianity : but the Apostle, with what he says about the miraculous cure, mixes a great deal of reasoning about the nature of the Christian Dispensation, and we” know that mere admission into Christianity, was called being saved : what he says, ver. 12. seems to be delivered as an witver/al truth.

x111, Having finished our explanation, we come to the Proof of what is affirmed in our Article. And I do not lee that we need make more than one proportion.

XIV. The

| Appendix to Art. x1. Sect. xvit.—and several other places, a n Art. Ix. SeCt. xiv. and Appendix to Art, xi. Sect. xv iii.

BOOK IV. XIV=XVI., 67

xIV. The Scriptures do not allow any one to consider it as an indifferent matter, whether he acts as a member of the true Church of Christ, or not.”

We have already produced many texts which are really to this purpose”, though they relate im- mediately to acts of individuals, There would be no propriety in our being represented as branches of a vine, as the flock of a shepherd, as the spouse of Christ, as elect, knit together, forming an edifice built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone, if we were under no obligation to act socially as Christians, or if we could attain to Chris- tian Salvation without acting so,

xv. As to indirect proof, or answers to objec- tious, we have before given what is abundantly {ufficient. No objections of any force seem to occur, except those from Acts x. 34 and Rom.

i. 14—27.; and these“ texts have been already eo

xvi. We may therefore proceed to our Appli- caliou. |

We might, at this time, give our Asent to the Article before us in some such form as the fol- lowing

Whatever degree of happiness it may please God, in his mercy, to confer on the virtuous Heathen or Few, who continues such to the end of his life without any fault of his own; no man can voluntarily negle the provision which God has made for us under Christianity, or encourage others to neglect *it, or be careless about getting as e

trut

n Art, X11. Sect. xxi.— Art. x111. near the end of Sect. xviI. and near the end of Sect. xx11.

Art. X111, Sections xXx111. & xxviI.

trial and perfection as possible”, in Christianity, without meriting a severe condemnation, and render- ing himself znworthy to continue in possession of the inestimable privileges of that lociety of which Christ in Heaven is the Head, and to * purchase which he shed his precious blood.”

XVII. With regard to mutual concessions, little more seems wanting than for disputants to acknow- ledge that, when they disagree, they do not suffi- ciently consider the different points of view in which they see the subject of contention.— When we approve such expressions as that of Mr. Pope, we suppole men to have done their best, humanly speaking, to acquire right religious principles: | when we disapprove men’s notions, and call them horrible, blasphemous, accursed, &c. we suppose men not doing their best ; but neglecting, with ab- surd presumption, contemptuous ingratitude, and profligate insensibility, every thing that has been done and suffered for mankind, 1n order to give them a blessed religion, and bring them to the never-ending enjoyment of supreme felicity.— While men dispute without entering into each other’s views, they are not likely to come to any end of disputing; but there are persons so reason- able as to allow of candour towards those who really do every thing 1n their power to be upon a right footing in respect of religion, and at the same time to abhor, especially in themselves, every de- gree of voluntary negligence. — Not to act as Christians, may in some be only a misfortune, in others a great fault; but yet in either case it may be attended with great and important? evi.

P Phil. i. 9.— iii. 13, 14 — Conclusion of St. Peter’s second Epistle.

10 Acts xx. 28. r Sect. vi.

Dr. Balguy’s Sermons, page 158, &c. to the end of the gth Discourse,

BOOK Iv. ART: xvVIII. SECT. XVIII. 69

xvIII. I am not prepared to suggest any Im- provement relative to the present Article; unless it might be expressed more precisely than it is. Per- haps it might be so expressed as to shew for whom it 15 particularly intended, how far it conceives those of whom it speaks, to be members of reli- gious Society; and how it supposes those whom it condemns, to be informed of the nature of Chris- tianity.

E 3 ARTICLE

Notes

• Azoara 2d, page 10, Edit, Bibliandri. Zurich 1564, quoted by Forbes, Lib. 4. cap. 10. „