pacity of bearing a Part in that Everlafting State of Peace, and Love, and Benevolence. A Selfish Spirit is incapable of that State: He alone is qualified for it, whofe Mind is here Cultivated with the Love of his Brethren, and that in fuch Advanc'd Degrees, that he does, with Pleasure, use the most effectual Means, within his Power of refcuing them from the Preffure of every Calamity. And whilst he contributes to their Temporal Happiness, he promotes his own Spiritual Perfection; for every Act of Love does inlarge the Affection it felf, and car

ry

it on to a still nearer Refemblance and Similitude of that Heavenly and Confummate Love, whereby Good Men will be for ever United to God, and to one another.

If any regard then is to be had to the Imitation and Refemblance of the Holy Angels, and of God himself, or to the Univerfal Approbation of Mankind; or, if there be any Worth in Faith, or Hope, or Gratitude to God, or the Sincere Love of Chrift, and of our Neighbour: And if each of these Virtues does derive its own

Native Excellency upon Works of Charity; and, if the Perfection of each of thefe Virtues does fo far depend upon fuch Works, (proportion'd to Mens Abilities) that without them 'tis Imperfect; we may hence reasonably conclude, that fuch Works are very Excellent, and highly conducive to our Salvation. And this fuggefts the third Enquiry proposed:

III. In what Senfe we are to understand that Efficacy, which feems to be afcribed, by our Saviour in the Text, unto Works of Charity? That when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. This Encouragement may look, as if Works of Charity were a full Title to Eternal Blifs; as if he, who goes out of the World, adorn'd with the Glory of Them, may Claim Heaven as his Due, and must be admitted, without any regard had to his other Qualifications. But 'tis by no means to be concluded, that fuch Works are the Sole Means of Salvation, or, that they will be effectual to the Forgiveness and Acceptance of thofe, who perfift in the known Omiffions of other Duties requir

ed,

ed, or in the wilful Commission of any Sin. The whole Course of the Scriptures plainly evinceth the Neceffity of Univerfal Sincere Obedience. The Indulgence therefore of any Vice, does obftruct the Efficacy of Charitable Works; and that Obftruction must be removed, before they can be effectual to Salvation: And yet this is no derogation from their Excellency. Even the Merits of Christ are not efficacious of Salvation to those, who continue in the Dominion of any Sin; and much less can it be effected by any Performances of our own. Nor fhould we entertain the less Honourable Thoughts of Charitable Works on this Account, That Univerfal Obedience is Indifpenfably required; as if That alone were fufficient, and therefore They should not be urg'd, as fo highly conducive to Salvation. For 'tis to be remembred, that though we should break the Habits of all our Sins, yet if we should fail of performing Works of Charity, answerable to our Capacity, we fhould ftill fall fhort of Forgiveness and Eternal Life. Even

when

when our Sins are abandon'd, * 'tis Charity that must advance us into the Number of the Righteous and Bleffed.

But ftill 'tis to be confider'd, that fuch Works are not the Proper and Meritorious Caufes of our Salvation; tho' they may feem to be fo, from fome Expreffions, both in the Holy Scriptures, and in the Writings of the Primitive Fathers. But fince the Holy Scriptures ought to be their own Interpreters, and that Senfe of a few Expreffions, which is repugnant to the whole Tenour of the Gospel, cannot be the True Sense of fuch Expreffions; and fince this Truth runs through the whole Gofpel, That Chrift is the only Meritorious Caufe of Salvation, or, as St. Paul + expreffeth it, that Eternal Life is the Gift of God, thro' Jefus Christ our Lord: It must needs be concluded, that every Expreffion, wherein Works of Charity seem to be represented as the Caufes of Remiffion, does only denote, that through

* Dixi de iis quæ Vetantur. Dicam nunc breviter qua Jubentur. Innocentiæ proxima eft Mifericordia. Illa enim malum non facit; hæc bonum operatur. Illa Inchoat juftitiam; hæc Complet. Lactant. Epit.

† Rom. vi. 23.

the Merits of Chrift, they recommend us to God's Favour. So likewife ought fuch Expreffions, in the Primitive Fathers, to be interpreted agreeably to the Main Principles advanced by them. Thus, if St. Irenæus* reprefents Alms, as Loofing, or Freeing Men from former Sin, 'tis highly Reasonable to conclude, that he means only fuch a Redemption from Sin, as is Subordinate to, and Depends upon, the Redemption effected by the Merits of Chrift; becaufe he does elsewhere †, under great Plainness and Fulness of Expreffion, declare the Obedience and Sufferings of Christ, to be the Cause of our Redemption from Sin and Death. And it would be very unreasonable to imagine, that any of the other Catholick Writers, in the First and Pureft Ages of Christianity, fhould mention the Merit of Charitable Works in fuch an Acceptation as would contradict the Fundamental Doctrines of the Gofpel, and of their own Writings. This is a very Juft and Useful

ea quæ poffidentur, pauperibus divifa, SolutioAdv. Hæref. L. 4. † L. 3. c. 18, 20. L. §. c. 1, 2, 14.

nem faciant præteritæ cupiditatis C. 26.

alibi paffim.

&

Obfer