EXAMINATION OF John xii. 32 Acts iii. 19 Acts vii. 51 Rom. v. 18 Rom. xi. 32 Rom. xiv. 15 1 Cor. viii. 11 1 Cor. x. 12 2 Cor. v. 14, 15 2 Cor. v. 19 2 Cor. vi. 1 2 Cor. xi. 2, 3 Phil. ii, 12 1 Tim. i. 19, 20 1 Tim. ii. 4 1 Tim. iv. 10 Tit. ii. 11, 12 Epistle to the Hebrews - Heb. ii. 9 Heb. vi. 4-6 Heb. x. 26-29 Heb. x. 38 2 Pet. i. 10 2 Pet. ii. 1 2 Pet. ii. 20-22 2 Pet. iii. 9 1 John ii. 2 Jude, 21 Rev. ii. iii. Rev. iii. 20. Ecclesia Smyrnensis 446 I. VI. Irenæus 447 II.. VII. Tertullian 449 III. VIII. Origenes Alexandrinus 450 IV. IX. Cyprian 453 V. THE CAUSE OF GOD AND TRUTH. SECTION I. If thou dost well, shalt thou not be accepted? &c.-GEN. iv. 7. I. Ir will be proper to inquire, whether a wicked, an unregenerate man, as was Cain, can perform good works. To which may be answered, 1. Adam had a power to do every good work the law required; which men, since the fall, have not. Men indeed, in an unregenerate state, might do many things which they do not; such as reading the Scriptures, attending on public worship, &c. No doubt but the persons in the parable, who were invited to the dinner, could have gone to it, had they had a will, as well as the one did to his farm, and the other to his merchandise. Men have an equal power, had they an heart, a will, an inclination, to go to a place of divine worship, as to a tavern, or alehouse; but it is easy to observe, that persons oftentimes have it in the power of their hands, when they have it not in the power of their hearts, to do a good work; as a rich man to give alms to the poor. Unregenerate men are capable of performing works, which are in a natural and civil, though not in a spiritual sense, good. They may do those things, which externally, in appearance, and as to the matter and substance of them, may be good; such as hearing, reading, praying, giving alms to the poor, &c., when the circumstances requisite to good works are wanting; for whatsoever is done as a good work, must be done in obedience to the will of God; from a principle of love to him; must be per formed in faith; in the name of Christ, and to the glory of God by him, Therefore, 2. It must be denied, that wicked, unregenerate men, have a power to perform good works in a spiritual manner; which is evident from their natural estate and condition, according to the scriptural representation of it, which is this: that the bias of their minds is to that which is evil, and to that only; that they are wholly carnal, and mind nothing else but the things of the flesh; that they are weak and strengthless, yea, dead in trespasses and sins; nay, that they are under an impossibility to do that which is spiritually good; There is B |