Obs. 11. From that//'o?>i death. Errors are mortal and deadly to the spirit. The wages of every sin is death, especially of sin counte- nanced by error, for then there is a conspiracy of the whole soul against God. The apostle Peter calleth heresies a/pecret? d7rco\eia<i, 'damnable heresies,' or, as it is in the original, 'heresies of destruc- tion.' I confess some heresies are more damnable and destructive than others, but all do in their nature tend to damnation. The way of truth is alone the way of life : some heresies there are which by no means can consist with salvation for eternal life, such as are errors in fundamentals, joined with an obstinacy and reluctation against the light, which is the proper badge of a heretic that is in a state of damnation. Well, then, let us take heed how we dally with errors; there is death in tliem : would a man play with his own danmation ? Usually in matters of opinion we are the more careless, because there is less remorse of conscience, for the light by which it should judge is perverted, and because foul acts have more of turpitude and filthiness in them in men's eyes, and occasion more shame from without ; but errors are as dangerous ; a man that huggeth them huggeth his own death. Besides it confuteth them that say there is salvation in any
JaS. V. 19, 20.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JAMES. 479
way, so we be of good life: they say some opinions are more compendious ways to salvation, but all are ways ; so some Libertines, and some of the Arminians in Holland, as Caspar Barla3us, Adolphus Venator, and others. The Socinians also say that a man of any persuasion may be saved, if he doth not walk contrary to his light. At the Council of Trent, the salvation of the heathens by the power of nature without Christ was much talked of. The divines of Collen set forth a book De Salute Aristotelis, of the salvation of Aristotle the heathen. But the scripture speaketh but of 'one faith,' Eph. iv. 5, and that all the nations should be brought to God by ' this gospel,' Mat. xxiv. 14. That you may conceive of this matter more distinctly, I shall lay down a few propositions. (1.) None can be saved without Christ, there is ' no other foundation,' 1 Cor. iii. 11, that is, of hope and comfort ;■ ' No other name under heaven,' &c., Acts iv. 12 ; ' I am the way,' John xiv. 6. Therefore the Papists are grossly deceived that say the Gentiles could be saved by the law of nature, as Maldonate asserteth on Mat. xi. 21. (2.) None can be saved by Christ but they that know him and believe in him : John xvii. 3, ' This is life eternal, to know thee,' &c. Adolphus Venator said a man might be saved by Christ without so much as a historical knowledge of him ; Acosta^ complaineth of the like tenet held by some of the schoolmen. But in the word we know of no salvation but by believing in Christ: John iii. 17, that ' as many as believed in him,' &c. (3.) We must believe in Christ according to the tenor of the scriptures, that is the rule of faith without which it is vain, 1 Cor. xv. 14 ; John vii. 38. The apostle everywhere speaketh against those that do eTepohiZacr- KoXelv, otherwise-gospel it, and teach another doctrine, Gal. i. 6-8 ; 1 Tim. vi. 3 ; 1 Tim. i. 3 ; therefore they are deceived that say Christ will not regard how you believe, but how you live, and put all upon good life. (4.) Lesser differences in and about the doctrine of the scriptures, though consistent with the main tenor of salvation, yet, if held up out of by-ends, or against conscience, are damnable. Circum- cision and uncircumcision is nothing to the new creature, yet to be of either of these against conscience is a matter of sad consequence ; for then a lesser opinion is in the same rank with a known sin, as being deliberately maintained against light. Consider, then, how much it concerneth you to be right in judgment and profession, for though the error be not danmable in itself, it may be so by circumstance, relucta- tion against light being so inconsistent with grace , for there cannot be a greater argument of an unsubdued will than to stand out against conviction out of secular respects ; this is to ' love darkness more than light,' John iii. 19, and to prefer present conveniences before those glorious recompenses which religion propoundeth ; and how incon- sistent that is with faith or true grace, Christ showeth in those passages, John v. 44, and John xii. 43. I know men usually plead there may be salvation as long as the error is not fundamental. Ay 1 but be the error never so small, the danger is great in walking against
^ ' Vix satis mirari possum quid prseceptoribus quibusdam scholasticis, viris certe gravibus nostri saeculi, in mentem venerit, ut nunc quoque temporis, post tam diu reve- lutum Christum, sine Christi notitia salutem cuiquam aeternam contiugere posse confir- ment.' — Acosta, de Procuranda Indorum Salute, lib. v. cap. 3.
480 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [J AS. V. 19, 20.