A 
 
 FRAGMENT 
 
 OF THE 
 
 True Religion. 
 
 Being the Substance of 
 
 TWO LETTERS 
 
 '■ 5 R 0 M A 
 
 Methodist -Preacher In Cambridgejhire^ 
 to a Clergyman in Nottinghamjhire, 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for J. Williams under St. Dunftan’s Churclij 
 Fleet-Street. MDCCLX, 
 
 (Price Sixpence.) 
 
Jfrom tfje tollection of tije 
 ©r. Jfrank Paker 
 
 (2^n loan 
 
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 R. 
 
 
 
 
 Grantham, 
 
 Feb. 
 
 2 , 1760. 
 
 I F the Reader fhould think it material to 
 know, how thefe Papers came into my 
 Hands, it may be fufficient to inform him, that 
 numberlefs Copies of them are handed about 
 in this Neighbourhood, and that I got a Ne- 
 phew of mine, who goes to the Grammar School 
 here, to write one over for me. I hope, for 
 my young Man’s Credit, that it is fpelled and 
 tranfcribed with tolerable Exadlnefs, tho’ I could 
 hardly prevail with him to finifli it. Dicky, 
 you muft know, is defigned for Orders, and 
 he was very angry, as he was copying the Let- 
 ters, to find the Univerfities treated fo (lightly 
 in them, and to meet with fo many fly Wipes 
 on the black Coats. 
 
 The worthy Author of thefe Letters travels 
 round the Country as carefully as a London- 
 Rider ; yet I do not hear, that he . fells any 
 Thing, or takes any Commifllons. Abundance 
 
( iv ) 
 
 of Cuftomers refort to him, to whom he gives 
 his Advice and Inftruflion gratis nor do I 
 know of any Return they make him, except 
 that many of his Followers call themfelves af- 
 ter his Name. This Mark of Refpeft will not 
 indeed buy him clothes, nor make his Pot boil ; 
 but he is very indifferent about fuch Matters. 
 However, as he is attended by feveral idle Huts, 
 whom he has taken fuch Pains to cleanfe f ran 
 ell Filthinefs of Flejh and Spirit, I have often 
 thought it a burning Shame, that they fhould 
 never undertake to mend his Clothes, or to 
 wafh his Linnen. I have heard him preach 
 many an excellent Difcourfe, when, poor Man ! 
 he was fadly out at the Elbows, and his Shirts, 
 I declare, were almoft as black as the Chimney. 
 
 This gentleman has, I think, a much more 
 fincere Regard for his Countrymen, than Dr. 
 Mount-ftage, whatever he may pretend. The 
 Dodtor, to be fure, does a World of Good, and 
 fells a vaft deal of ufeful Medecines for a little 
 Money. But Mr. B. is at as much Pains, does 
 as much Good, and takes no Money. I have 
 often thought it would be very clever for both 
 of them, if they could contrive to carry on 
 Bulinefs in fome kind of Partnerlliip. Dr. 
 Ivock, I am told, a very learned Phyfician of 
 great Note, ufed to attend Mr. Whitefield on 
 Kennington-Common and other places ; when 
 he feized the lucky Cccafion of recommending 
 
 and 
 
and difpenfmg his Medicines to the good Com- 
 pany, which Mr. W. had drawn together for 
 another Purpofe. By their united Endeavours, 
 Ihould it be thought proper to adopt this Plan, 
 the Country would be at once provided with 
 ufeful Remedies for bodily and fpiritual Difor- 
 ders, and fecured againft any Maladies which 
 might befal either the outward or inward Man. 
 
 I conftantly attended the Parfon of our Pa- 
 rilh, and heard his Sermons for a great while 
 together. He is commonly reckoned a good 
 Preacher, but yet he did not acquaint us with 
 many Things which this Gentleman has done^ 
 tho’ it is his Bufinefs, and he is fo handfomely 
 paid for it. I had a great Mind to know his 
 Sentiments about thefe Letters, and carried my 
 Copy to him •, he dehred me to leave it and 
 call again the next Day. When I came, I found 
 him in a great Fume ; he fired and reddened, 
 and aflced me “ What good I could poffibly do 
 to myfelf or any body by meddling with fuch 
 “ Stuff; faid that the Dodlrine was rank Me- 
 “ thodifm ; that I fliould be efleemed an Enemy 
 “ to the Church and the Clergy, if I read or 
 approved or gave Countenance to fuch Writ- 
 ings ; that as many of his People gave too 
 ‘‘ much ear to thefe diforderly Field-Preachers, 
 “ he would foon anfwer them from the Pulpit, 
 and endeavour to preferve his Flock from fq 
 dangerous an Infection,” Cfc. One may eafily 
 
 guefs. 
 
C vi ) 
 
 guefs, I think, at the true Rcafon of all this 
 Anger ; He enjoys a good Stipend^ for teach- 
 ing us what we ought to do ; but Mr, B. has 
 let us into the Secret, that we are to do nothing 
 for ourfelves, and cannot indeed confiftently 
 with our Duty and Obligations attempt to do 
 any Thing •, for that Chrift has already done 
 every Thing for us. 
 
 The Reader may be affured, that thefe ex- 
 cellent Letters are the Genuine Produdtions of 
 the Authour, to whom they are afcribed. But 
 tho’ Copies of them are now in a thoufand 
 Hands, and the more Hands they are in, of 
 the more extenfive Ufe they will be ; yet the 
 Writer refufed to confent to the Publication of 
 them, which one of my female Accpiaintance 
 here much wiflied for, and offered to undertake. 
 This Refufal indeed one may attribute to his 
 great referve and known Modefty : Qualities, 
 which tho’ very commendable in themfelves, 
 yet ought not to be too much confulted in 
 Matters of public Concern and Utility. He, 
 who in Spite of all Difcouragements, is inde- 
 fatigable in fpreading thofe important and in- 
 terefting Truths, which I and every body ought 
 to know, cannot really be offended with me for 
 carrying on the fame ufeful Defign. However, 
 I lubmit, what I do, to his candid and favour- 
 able Interpretation. 
 
 Faith Workless. 
 

 Rev. and dear Sir. 
 
 j(f * * •* * jj^ order to this, it may be 
 
 needful to give you a little previous Infor- 
 mation of my manner of Life from my Youth 
 up to the prefent Time. When I was about 
 the Age of fourteen, God was pleafed to 
 Ihew me that 1 was a Sinner, and that I 
 mull be born again before I could enter into 
 his Kingdom. Accordingly I betook myfelf 
 to reading, praying, and watching ; and was 
 enabled hereby to make fome Progrefs in Sanc- 
 tification. In this manner I went on, tho’ not 
 always with the fame Diligence, till about half 
 a Year ago. I thought myfelf in the right 
 Way to Heaven, tho’ as yet I was wholly out 
 of the Way •, and imagined I was travelling 
 towards Sion, tho’ I had never yet fet my Face 
 thitherwards. Indeed God would have fhewn 
 me that I was wrong, by not owning my mi- 
 nifcry, but I paid no regard to this for a long 
 Time, imputing my want of Succefs to the 
 naughty Hearts of my Hearers, and not to 
 my own naughty podlrine. You may afk, 
 B perhaps. 
 
( 2 ) 
 
 perhaps, what v/as my Doftrine ? Why, dear 
 Sir, it was the Dotflrine that every Man will 
 naturally hold whilft he continues in an unrege- 
 nerate State, viz. That we are to be juftified 
 partly by our Faith, and partly by our Works, 
 This Doftrine I preached for fix Years at a 
 Curacy, which I ferved from College: and tho’ 
 I took feme extraordinary Pains, and prefled 
 Sanctification upon them very earneftly, yet 
 they continued as unfanftified as before, and 
 not one Soul was broug;ht to Chrift. There 
 was indeed a little more of the Form of Re- 
 ligion in the Parifh, but not a Whit more of 
 the Po'Xi'er. At length I removed to Everton, 
 where I have lived altop;ether. Here ao;ain 
 I prefled Sanctification and Regeneration as 
 vigoroufly as I could •, but finding no Succefs, 
 after two Years preaching in this manner, I be- 
 gan to be difeouraged, and now fome fecret 
 Mifgivings arofe in my Mind, that I was not 
 riglit myfeif. (This happened about Chriftmas 
 lad.) Thofe Mifo-iveings grew dronger, and at 
 lad very painful. Being then under great 
 Doubts, I cried unto the Lord very earnedly. 
 The condant Language of my Fleart was this, 
 — ‘ Lord, if I am right, keep me fo •, if I am 
 ‘ not right, make me fo. Lead me to the 
 ‘ Knowledge of the Truth as it is in Jefus.’ 
 
 After 
 
( 3 ) 
 
 After about ten Days crying unto the 
 Lord, he was pleafed to return an Anfwer to 
 my Prayers, and in the following wonderful 
 Manner. As I was fitting in my Hcufe one 
 Morning, and mufing upon a Text of Scrip- 
 ture, the following Words were darted into 
 my Mind with wonderful Power, and feemed 
 indeed like a Voice from Heaven (viz.) ‘ Ceafe 
 ‘ from thy own Works. Before I heard thefe 
 Words, my Mind v/as in a very unufual Calm ; 
 but as foon as I heard them, my Soul was in 
 a Tempeft direflly, and the Tears flowed from 
 my Eyes like a Torrent. The Scales fell from 
 my Eyes immediately, and I now clearly faw 
 the Rock I had been fplitting on for near thirty 
 Years. Do you allc what this Rock was t Why 
 it was fome fee ret P..eliance on my own Works 
 for Salvation. IJiad hoped to be faved, part- 
 ly in my own Name, and partly in Chrift's 
 name ; tho’ I am told ‘ there is Salvation in 
 ‘ no other Name except in the Name of Jefus 
 ‘ Chriil, A( 5 ls iv. 12.’ — I had hoped to be faved 
 partly thro’ my own Works, and partly thro’ 
 ChrilPs Mercies ; tho’ I am told ‘ v/e are faved 
 ‘ by Grace thro’ Faith, and not of Vforks, 
 
 ‘ Eph. ii. 7 & 8.’ — I had hoped to make my- 
 felf acceptable to God partly thro' my ov:n 
 good Works., tho’ v/e are told, ‘ that v/e are ac- 
 ‘ cepted thro' the beloved., Ephef. i. 6.’ — I had 
 B 2 hoped 
 
( 4 ) 
 
 hoped to make my Peace with God partly thro* 
 my own Obedience to his Laws, tho’ I am told 
 ‘ that Peace is only to be had by Faith, Rom. 
 
 ‘ V. I.’ I had hoped to make myfelf a Child 
 of God by Sanftification, tho’ we are told, 
 ‘ that we are made Children of God by Faith 
 ‘ in Chrifl: Jefus, Gal. iii. 26.’ I had thought 
 that Regeneration, the new Birth or new Crea- 
 ture, confifted in Sanctification, but now I 
 know it confifls in Faith, i John v. i. — Com- 
 , pare alfo thefe two Paffages together, Gal. vi. 
 15, — and Gal v. 6, — where you v/ill find that 
 the new Creature is Faith-working by Love. The 
 Apoftle adds thefe Words, working by Love, in 
 order to diftinguifli a living Faith from a dead 
 one. I had thought that Sandlification was the 
 Vfay to Juftification, but nov/ I am alTured 
 that Sandlification follows rftcr Juftification •, 
 or in other Words, that we muft firft be juf- 
 tified by Faith before we can have any true 
 Sandtification by the Spirit. When we are juf- 
 tifi^d it is done freely, i. e. gratuitouily, without 
 any the leaft Merits of ours, and folely by the 
 Grace of God thro’ Jefus Chrift, Rom. iii. 24. 
 - — Rom. iii. 28. All that is previoufly need- 
 ful to Juftification is this, that we are con- 
 vinced by the Spirit of God of our own utter 
 Sinfulnefs, Ifai. Ixiv. 6. — convinced that we are 
 Children of Wrath by Nature, on Account of our 
 
 Birth- 
 
( 5 ) 
 
 Birth-fin, Eph. ii. 3. — and that we are under the 
 Curfe of God on Account of adtual Sin, Gal. in, 
 lo. — And under thefe Conviiflions come to the 
 Lord Jefas Chrift, renouncing all Righteoufnefs 
 of our own, and relying folely on him, who is 
 appointed to be the Lord Our Righteoufnefs. 
 Jerem.xxiii, 6. Again, Chrifcfays, comeunto me 
 all ye that labour and are heavy laden (with the 
 Burden of Sin) and I will give you reft, i. e. I 
 will take the Burden atvay, I will releafe 
 you from the Guilt of Sin. Where you may 
 obferve, that the only Thing required of 
 us w'hen we come to Chrift, is to come bur- 
 dened, and fenfible that none can remove 
 this Burden but Chrift. Again, Chrift did 
 not come to call the Righteous but Sinners 
 to Repentance. See alfo Luke iv. 18. Hear 
 how he cries out in Ifaiah Iv. i. “ Ho, 
 every one that thirfteft, come ye to the 
 Winters, and drink : come buy Wine and 
 Milk (i. e. the Bleftings of the Gofpel) with- 
 out Money and v/ithout Price.” Where we 
 are ordered to bring no Money, i. e. no 
 Merits of our own : we muft not think to 
 make a Purchafe of thefe Bleftings by any 'De- 
 ferts of ours. They are offered freely, i. e, 
 gratuitoufly, and muft be received freely. 
 Nothing more is required from us but to thirfi 
 after them. W^hy was the Pharifee rejeded ? 
 
 (Luke 
 
( 6 ) 
 
 (Luke xviii. lo, &c.) becaufe he came plead- 
 ing his own Works before God. He was de- 
 vout, juft, chafte, and abftemious ; and thank- 
 ed God for enabling him to be fo. Very well; 
 fo far all was right. But then he had fome 
 Reliance on thefe Works, and therefore pleads 
 the Merits of them before God. Which (hew- 
 ed that he did not know w'hat a Sinner he 
 w’as, and that he could only be faved by 
 Grace through Faith. He opens his Mouth 
 before God, and pleads his own Caufe : tho’ 
 God declares that every Mouth fliall be ftopped 
 before him, and the whole World brought 
 in Guilty before God. Rom. iii. 19. — And 
 why was the Publican juftified ? Not on Ac- 
 count of his own good Works, but becaufe 
 he was fenfible of his evil ones ; and accord- 
 ingly came felf-accufed, felf-condemned, and 
 crying out only for Mercy. And now, dear 
 Sir, hear what is the Rife and Progrefs of true 
 Religion in the Soul of Man. When the Spi- 
 rit of God has convinced any Perfon that he 
 is a Child of Wrath and under the Curfe of 
 God, (in which State every one continues to 
 be till he has received Jefus Chrift into his 
 Fleart by Faith) then the Heart of fuch an one 
 becomes broken for Sin ; then too he feels 
 what he never knew before, that he has no 
 Faith, and accordingly laments his evil Fleart 
 
 of 
 
( 7 ) 
 
 of Unbelief. In this State Men continue fomc 
 a longer, fome a lefs time, ’till God is pleafed 
 to work Faith in them. Then they are juf- 
 tified, and are at Peace with God, Rom. v. i. 
 i. e. have their Sins forgiven them, for that is 
 the meaning of the Word Peace. See Luke vii, 
 48 — 50. — When we have received Faith from 
 God (for it is his Gift, Ephef. ii. 8.) to juftify 
 our Perfons, then we afterwards receive the 
 Spirit to fanflify our Natures, Ephef. i. 13. — 
 Gal. iii. 14. And now the Work of Sandifi- 
 cation goes forwards, now his Fruit is more 
 and more unto Holinefs ; now the Love of 
 God is fhed abroad in his Heart by the Holy* 
 Spirit, Rom. v. 5. now he walks in the Com- 
 fort of the Holy Ghoft, A6ts ix. 13. Now he 
 is filled with Joy and Peace in believing, Rom. 
 XV. 13 ; now he rejoiceth with Joy unfpeak- 
 able and full of Glory, i Pet. i. 8. And now 
 he hath the Spirit of God bearing Witnefs with 
 his own Spirit, that he is a Child of God, 
 
 Rom. viii. 16. — i John v. 10. Thefe are 
 
 Things that I was an utter Stranger to before, 
 notwithftanding all my reading, watching, and 
 praying j and thefe are Things that every one 
 mull be a Stranger to, ’till he is made a Child 
 of God by Faith in Chrifc Jefus, But to pro- 
 ceed j tho’ a Believer is continually more and 
 more fandlified in Body, Soul and Spirit, yet 
 
( 8 ) 
 
 his Hopes of Heaven are not built on his Sanc- 
 tification, but on his Faith in Chcift; he knows 
 that he is only complete in Chrifl, Col. ii. lo. 
 
 •And that the Moment he feeks to be juftified 
 by his o’wn Obedience to God’s Laws, that Mo- 
 ment he falls from Chrift, and ceafes to have 
 an Intereft in Chriil:, Gal. v. 4. — Accordingly, 
 tho’ he labours to abound in all the Fruits of 
 Righteoulhefs, yet, like St. Paul, he defires to 
 be found only in Chrift, not having, i. e. not 
 relying on his own Righteoufnefs, but on the 
 Rigl'iteoufncfs of God by Faith, Phil. iii. 8, 9. 
 -—And now let me point out to you the grand 
 Delufion which had like to have ruined my Soul. 
 I faw very early fomething of the Unholinefs 
 of rny Nature, and the Necefiity of being born 
 again. Accordingly I watched, prayed, and 
 failed too, thinking to purify my Heart by 
 thefe Means, whereas it can only be purified by 
 Faith, Adds XV. 9. Watching, praying, and fall- 
 ing are neceftary Duties, but I, like m.any 
 others, placed fome fecret Reliances on them, 
 thinking they were to do that for me, in part 
 at leaft, which Chrift only could. The Trutli 
 is, tho’ I faw myfelf to be a Sinner, and a 
 great Sinner, yet I did not fee myfelf an utter 
 lofi Sinner, and therefore I could not come to 
 Jefus Chrift alone to fave me •, delpifed the 
 Dodrine of Juftification by Faith alone, look- 
 
( 9 ) 
 
 ing on it as a foolUh and a dangerous Doftrine ; 
 
 I was not yet ftript of all my Righteoufnefs, 
 could not confider it all as filthy Rags, and 
 therefore I went about to eftablifh a Righteouf- 
 nefs of my own, and did not fubmit to the 
 Righteoufnefs of God by Faith, Rom. x. 3.' — 
 I did not feek after Righteoufnefs thro’ Faith, 
 but as it were by the Works of the Law. Thus 
 I Humbled and fell, Rom. ix. 31, 32. — In 
 fhort, to ufe a homely Similitude, I put the 
 Juftice of God into one Scale, and as many 
 good Works of my own as I could into the 
 other, and when I found, as I always did, my 
 own good Works not to be a Ballance to the 
 Divine Juftice, I then threw in Chrift as a 
 Make-weight. And this every one really does 
 who hopes for Salvation, partly by doing what 
 he can for himfelf, and then relying on Chrift 
 for the reft. But, dear Sir, Chrift v/ill either 
 be a whole Saviour, or none at all. And if 
 you think you have any good Service of your 
 ov/n to recommend you Unto God, you are 
 certainly without any Intereil in Chrift : Be 
 you ever fo fober, ferious, juft and devout, you 
 are ftill under the Curfe of God as I was, and 
 know it not, provided you have any allowed 
 Reliance on your own Works, and think they 
 are to do fomething for you, and Chrift to do 
 the reft. 
 
 C 
 
 I now 
 
( lO ) 
 
 I now proceed to acquaint you with the Suc- 
 cefs I have lately had in my Miniftry. As foon 
 as God had opened my own Eyes, and Ihewed 
 me the true Way to Salvation, I began imme- 
 diately to preach it. And now I dealt with my 
 Hearers in a very different Manner from what 
 I ufed to do, I told them very plainly, that 
 they v/ere Children of Wrath, and under the 
 Curfe of God, tho’ they knew it not, and that 
 none but Jefus Chrift could deliver them from 
 that Curfe, I aflced them, if they had ever 
 broke the Law of God once in Thought, Word, 
 or Deed ? If they had, they were then under 
 the Curfe : For it is written, ' Curfed is every 
 ‘ one that continueth not in all the Things that 
 ‘ are written in the Book of the Law to do 
 ‘ them,’ And again, ‘ He that keepeth the 
 ‘ whole Law, and yet offendeth in cm Point, 
 ‘ is guilty of all,’ If indeed we could keep the 
 whole Law without offending in one Point ; if 
 we had done and could co/itinue to do all the 
 Things in God’s Law, then^ indeed we might 
 lay Claim to eternal Life on the Score of our 
 own Works, But w'ho is fufficient for thefe 
 Things ? If we break God’s Law we imme- 
 diately fall under the Curfe of it, and none can 
 deliver us from this Curfe but Jefus Chrift. 
 There is an End for ever after of any Juftifica- 
 tion from our owm Works. No future good 
 
 Beha- 
 
( II ) 
 
 Behaviour can make any Attonement for paft 
 Mifcarriages. If I keep all God’s Laws to 
 Day, this is no Amends for breaking them 
 Yefterday. If I behave peaceably to my Neigh- 
 bour this Day, it is no Satisfadlion for having 
 broke his Head Yeflrerday. If therefore I am 
 once under the Curfe of God, for having broken 
 God’s Law, I can never after do any Thing of 
 myfelf to deliver me from this Curfe. I m.ay 
 then cry out, O wretched Man, that I am ! 
 who fhall deliver mie from this Body of Sin ^ 
 And find none able to deliver, but Jefus Chrifr, 
 Rom. vii. 23, 24, 25. — So that if I am once 
 a Sinner, nothing but the Blood of Jefus Chrifi; 
 can cleanfe me from Sin. All my Hopes are 
 then in him, and I mufl; fly to him as the only 
 Refuge fet before me. In this Manner, dear 
 Sir, I preached and do preach to my Flock, la- 
 bourino; to beat down Self-Rio-hteoufnefs la- 
 bouring to fliew them that they were all in a 
 lofl; and perifning State, and that nothing could 
 recover them out of this State, and make them 
 Children of God, but Faith in the Lord Jefus 
 Chrift. And now fee the Confequence. This was 
 ftrange Doflrine to my Hearers, They were 
 furprized, alarmed, and vexed. The old Man^ 
 the carnal Nature, was fliirred up, and railed, 
 and oppofed the Truth, However, the Minds 
 of mofl: were feized with fome Conviflions, and 
 the Hearts of fome were truly broken for Sin, 
 C 2 lb 
 
( 12 ) 
 
 fo that they came to me, as thofe mentioned in 
 the Acts, throughly pricked to the Heart, and 
 crying out with ftrong and bitter Crie^-, What 
 muft I do to be faved ? I then laid the Pro- 
 mifes before themi, and told them, if they found 
 themfelves under the Curfe, Chrift was ready 
 to deliver them from it ; if they were really 
 weary and heavy laden, Chrifl would give them 
 Reft ; if their Hearts were broken for Sin, and 
 they would look up unto Chriflr, he would 
 heal them. I exhorted them alfo to thank God 
 for tliefe Convictions, alTuring them it was a 
 Token of Good to their Souls. For God muft 
 nril finite the Heart, before he can heal it, 
 Ifai. xix. 2 2. I generally found that they re- 
 ceived Co.mfort from the Promifes ; and tho’ 
 they complained much of the Burden of Sin, 
 and of an Evil Heart of Unbelief, yet they 
 always went away refrelhed and comforted. 
 Many have come unto me in this Manner, and 
 more are continually coming; and tho’ fome 
 fall oil' from their firil; Convictions, yet others 
 cleave ftedfaftly unto the Lord. They begin 
 to rejoice in him, and to love him; they love 
 his Word, and meditate much upon it ; they 
 exercife themfelves in Prayer, and adorn their 
 Profeflion by a fuitable Life and Converfation. 
 A.nd now let me make one Reflection, I 
 preached up SanCtification very earneftly for 
 
 iix 
 
( 13 ) 
 
 fix Years in a former Parifh, and never brought 
 one Soul to Chrift. I did the fame at this Pa- 
 rifli for two Years without any Succefs at all ; 
 Put as foon as ever I preached Jefus Chrill:, and 
 Faith in his Blood, then Believers were added 
 to the Church continually then People flock- 
 ed from all Parts to hear the glorious Sound of 
 the Gofpel, fome coming fix Miles, others 
 eight, and others ten, and that conflantly. And 
 now let me alk, what is the Reafon why my 
 Miniftry was not bleiTed, v/hen I preached up 
 Salvation partly by Faith, and partly by Works ? 
 It is becaufe this Doflrine is not of God ^ and 
 he will profper no Miniflers but fuch as preach 
 Salvation in his own appointed Way, (viz.) by 
 Faith in Jefus Chrift. Let me nov/ apply my- 
 felf to your own Heart, and may God difpofe 
 you to receive my Words in the Spirit of Meek- 
 nefs. Indeed, Sir, I love and refpeft you, elfe 
 I could not have wTOte to you fo freely. Are 
 you then in the fame Error that I was in for 
 near 40 Years, (viz.) that you muft be faved 
 partly by Faith, and partly by Works ? And have 
 you conftantly preached this Docfrine ? Then 
 you may be certainly afliired of thefe two 
 Things : ift, That you have never yet brought 
 one Soul to Chrift by your Miniftry. And, 
 zdly. That you are not yet in the Way of Sal- 
 vation yourfelf. Oh ! be not difpleafed with 
 
 ms 
 
( 14 ) 
 
 me for telling you the Truth, But you will 
 fay, perhaps, that you have not only been fin- 
 cere, but ever zealous in preaching the Word 
 of God. So was I but there is a Zeal which 
 is not according to Knowledge j and that Zeal 
 1 had, tho’ I knew it not. You may fay far- 
 ther, that you have read and prayed much, fo 
 have I, but I ftill knew nothing as I ought to 
 know, ’till God was plcafed to Ihew me that I 
 was blkid, and then I cried heartily to him for 
 Light and Diredlion, and he opened mine Eyes, 
 John ix. 39. — Dear Sir, will you attend to the 
 following Advice ? it is very fafe Advice, be 
 the State of your Soul what it v/ill. Pray to 
 God to lead you into the Knowledge of the 
 Truth as it is in Jefus. Befeech God to keep 
 you in the Truth, if you have received it; or 
 if you are in Error, to reveal it unto you. 
 If you will do this heartily and conftantly, God 
 will not fufter you to abide long in Darknefs, 
 if indeed you are in Darknefs, James i. 5. — I 
 now proceed to give you fome further Account 
 of myfelf, and of the Impediments which kept 
 me from the Truth. When I firft came to 
 the Univcrfity, I applied myfelf diligently to 
 my Studies, thinking human Learning to be 
 a necelfary Qualification for a Divine, and that 
 no one ought to preach unlefs he had taken a 
 Degree in the Univerfity. Accordingly I ffu-. 
 
 died 
 
( 15 ) 
 
 died die Claflics, Mathematics, Philofophy, 
 Logic, Metaphyfics, and read the Works of our 
 moll eminent Divines ; and this I did for 20 
 Years ^ and all the while was departing more 
 and more from the Truth as it is in Jefus ; 
 vainly hoping to receive that Light and In- 
 ftruftion from human Wifdom, which could 
 only be had from the Word of God and Prayer. 
 During this Time I was thought a Methodift by 
 fome People, only becaufe I was a little more 
 grave, and took alittle more Pains in myMiniftry 
 than fome others of my Brethren j but in Truth 
 I was no Methodift at all, fo ]- 1 had no Sort of 
 Acquaintance with them, and could not abide 
 their fundamental Docftrine of Juftification by 
 Faith, and thought it high Prefumption in any 
 to preach, unlefs they had taken holy Orders. 
 But when God was pleafed to open mine Eyes 
 about half a Year ago, he fliew'ed and taught 
 me other Things. Now I faw that nothing 
 had kept me fo much from the Truth, as a 
 Defire of human Wifdom. Now I perceived, 
 that it was as difficult for a wife or learned Man 
 to be faved, as it was for a rich Man or a No- 
 bleman. I Cor. i, 26. Now I faw that God 
 chofe the foolifti Things of this World to con- 
 found the v/ife, and the weak Things to con- 
 found the m.ighty, for two plain Reafons, ift. 
 that no Fleih fhould glory in his Prefence, 
 
 I Cor. 
 
\ 
 
 ( i6 ) 
 
 I Cor. i. 29. — And zdly, to Ihew that Faith 
 did not Hand or was not produced, by the Wif- 
 dom of Man, but by the Power of God, i Cor. 
 ii. 5. Now I difcerned, that no one could un- 
 derftand the \¥ord of God, but by the Spirit 
 of God. I Cor. ii. 12. Now I faw that every 
 Believer was anointed by the Holy Spirit, and 
 thereby led to the Knowledge of all needful 
 Truths. I John ii. 20. And of Courfe that 
 every true Believer was qualified to preach the 
 Gol'pel, provided he had the Gift of Utterance. 
 Now I law that the Methodift Doftrine of 
 Juftification by Faith, was the very Doftrine 
 of the Gofpel •, and I did no longer wonder 
 at the Succefs which rhofe Preachers met with, 
 V/ nether they were Clergymen or Laymen. 
 They preached Chrilt’s Doftrine, and Chrifl; 
 owned it ^ fo that many were added to the Faith 
 daily. — But you will fay perhaps, that thofe 
 Methodifts are Schifmatics. Let us therefore 
 examine the Matter. A Schifmatic is one 
 that difients and divides from an eftablifiied 
 Church, at lead this is the general Notion of 
 a Schifmatic. Now I aflt, what do you mean by 
 a Church, or what is it that makes one Church 
 to differ from another ? It is the Doffrine. 
 7 'he Church of EnHand differs from the Church 
 of Rome, not by its Steeples, Bells, or Vell- 
 ments, but by its Bodlrincs. Schifm there- 
 fore confifts in departincr from the Dodrines of 
 
 a Church, 
 
( I? ) 
 
 a Church, and not from the Walls of a Church. 
 In the Time of Stirbitch Fair, one Sermon 
 is always preached in the open Fields to the 
 People at the Fair, and preached by feme 
 Fellow of a College or Clergyman at Cam- 
 bridge. Now I afk, would you call this Cler- 
 gyman a Schifmatic ? No furely. And yet 
 he preaches in the open Fields and upon un- 
 confecrated Ground. It is plain then, that 
 Schifm doth not confift in preaching out of the 
 Walls of a Church, but in preaching contrary 
 to the DoBrines of the Church. And now, dear 
 Sir, let me lay open my Sin and my Shame 
 unto you. I folemnly fubfcribed to the Ar- 
 ticles of our Church ; and gave my hearty 
 Afient and Confent to them. Amongft the 
 Reft, I declared that, “ We are accounted 
 righteous before God, only for the Merits of 
 our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift by Faith, 
 and not for our own Works or Defervings, and 
 that we are juftifted by Faith only” as it is 
 exprefled in the i i th Article. But tho’ I fo- 
 lemnly fubfcribed this Article, I neither be- 
 lieved nor preached it : but preached Salva- 
 tion, partly by Faith and partly by Works. 
 And oh, what dreadful Hypocrify, what ftiame- 
 ful Prevarication was this ! I called and thought 
 myfelf a Churchman, tho’ I v/as really a Dif- 
 fenter and a Schifmatic j for I was under- 
 mining the fundamental Doctrine of our Church 
 D and 
 
( i8 ; 
 
 and the fundamental Dodlrine of the Gofpel, 
 namely Juftification by Faith only, and yet 
 dreadful as my Cafe was, I fear it is the Cafe 
 of moft of the Clergy in England. Scarce 
 any Thing is preached but Juftification by 
 Faith and Works. And what is the Confe- 
 quence ? Why, there is fcarce any true Re- 
 ligion amongft us, the Gofpel of Chrift is not 
 truly preached by us, and Chrift will not own 
 our Miniftry. Look around the Parilhes which 
 are near you, and fee whether you can find any 
 Thing befides the Form of Religion, and 'not 
 much of that. Nay, amongft thofe w'ho are 
 thought religious People ; who are fober, fe- 
 rious, juft and devout ; w'ho read and faft, and 
 pray, and give Alms •, amongft thofe you will 
 fcarce find one, w'ho knows any Thing of the 
 Pow'er of Religion, and has experimental 
 Know'ledge of it. For if you afle fuch Peo- 
 ple in. the very Words of Scripture, “ Whe- 
 “ ther they know that Jefus Chrift is in them, 
 “ orherwife, they are Reprobates.” 2 Cor. xiii. 5. 
 
 Whether Chrift dv/ells in their Flearts by 
 “ Faith.” Eph. iii, 17. Whether their Sins are 
 forgiven for Chrift’s Name Sake, i John ii. 12. 
 V/hether they have received an Undtion from 
 the Holy one. 1 John ii. 20. Whether the 
 Love of God has been flied abroad in their 
 Hearts by the Holy Ghoft. Rom. v. 5. Whe- 
 ther they are filled with Joy and Peace in be- 
 he\dng. Rom. xv. 13. ^Yhether they walk 
 
 in 
 
( 19 ) 
 
 in the Comfort of the Holy Ghoft, and do 
 ever rejoice with Joy unfpeakable and fail of 
 Glory. Adis ix. 31. i Pet, i. 8. And laftly, 
 whether the holy Spirit bears Witnefs with their 
 own Spirit, than they are the Children of God. 
 Rom. viii. 14, 15, 16. If, I fay, you alk the 
 better Sort amongft us, whether they have any 
 Experience of thefe Matters ; they would Hare 
 at you with the utmoft Amazement, and would 
 think you an Enthufiaft, if they did not call 
 you fo. Now fuch People, who have all the 
 Form, but none of the Power of Religion ; 
 who are outwardly reformed, but not inwardly 
 renewed by the Holy Ghofl: ; thefe are what our 
 Saviour calls whited Sepulchres, beautiful with- 
 out, but full of Rottennefs within. They are 
 ftriving to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, 
 but are not able : Becaufe they do not Itrive 
 lawfully. For they do not feek to enter in thro’ 
 Jefus Chrifl, but partly thro’ Chrift, and part- 
 ly thro’ themfelves ; partly by Faith, and part- 
 ly by Works. Thefe are the almojl, but not 
 altogether Chriftians, — And if at any Time it 
 happens that fome amongft us are feized v/ith 
 deep Convidlions, and are- made fenfible of their 
 utter Need of Chrift, and that they can only 
 be juftified by Faith in his Blood ; thefe People 
 not finding proper Food for their Souls in our 
 Churches, are obliged to go elfew’here, and 
 feek it where they can find it. It is no Wonder 
 D 2 there- 
 
( 20 ) 
 
 therefore that thiere are fo few real Chriftians 
 amongft us.-U-If you read over the Homilies of 
 the Church, if you read the Fathers of the 
 Church, if you read the Works of the good 
 old BiHiops that were publilhed an hundred 
 Years ago, you v/ill there find the Gofpel of 
 Chrift preached, and the true Doctrine of our 
 own Church. But fince that Time, I mean in 
 the laft Century, our Clergy have been gradually 
 departing more and more from our Doftrines, 
 Articles, and Homilies ; fo that at length there 
 was fcarce a Clergyman to be found, but who 
 preached contrary to the Articles he fubfcribed. 
 And almofl all the Sermons that have been 
 publifhed in the laft Century, both by Bifhops 
 and Curates, are full of that Soul-deftroying 
 Doftrine, that we are to be juftified partly by 
 our own Works, and partly by Chrift’s Merits, 
 Do you afl<, how all the Clergy came to fall 
 into this pernicious Dodtrine ? I anfwer, very 
 eafily. Every Man, whilft he continues under the 
 Power of the carnal Mind, and is not awaken- 
 ed to fee his utter loft Condition, is naturally 
 difpofed to embrace this Dodlrine. For not be- 
 ing yet convinced by the Spirit of God, that 
 all his Righteoufnefs is as filthy Rags ; Ifaiah 
 Ixiv. 6. and that he is without Help and 
 Strength in himfclf. Rom. v. 6. I fay, not 
 being convinced of this he naturally goes about 
 
 to 
 
( 21 ) 
 
 to ellablifh fome Righteoufnefs of his own, and 
 cannot fubmit to the Righteoufnefs of God by- 
 Faith. Not being yet fenfible of his utter loft 
 and helplefs State, he muft have fome Reliance 
 on himfelf : And thus inftead of looking wholly 
 to Jefus Chrift for Salvation, he looks partly to 
 Chrift, and partly to himfelf : Inftead of feek- 
 ing for Righteoufnefs and Strength from the 
 Lord Jefus Chrift, he feeks for it partly from 
 Chrift and partly from himfelf : Inftead of feck- 
 ing to be juftified in the Lord, he feeks after 
 Juftification partly thro’ the Lord, and partly 
 thro’ himfelf. But fee what Chrift faith of this 
 Matter; Ifai. xlv. 22, 23, 24, 25. — And now 
 let me afk, how the whole Church of Rome 
 happened to depart from the Simplicity of the 
 Gofpel, and to fall into this Doctrine of Works 
 and Faith which we now preach. It was owing 
 to the depraved Nature of Man, which makes 
 him think himfelf to be fomething, and that he 
 can do fomething, tho’ he is nothing and can 
 do nothing to juftify himfelf in God’s Sight. 
 At the Reformation, our Church returned again 
 to Jefus Chrift, and placed Juftification on the 
 Gofpel footing of Faith only. And fo it con- 
 tinues to this Day ; But tho’ our Articles and 
 Jdomilies continue , found and evangelical, yet 
 our Clergy have departed once more from both, 
 and are advancing to Rome again with hafty 
 Strides ; preaching in Spite of Articles and Sub- 
 
( 22 ) 
 
 fcription, that moft pernicious, papiftical, and 
 damnable Doftrine of Juftification by Faith and 
 Works. Which Doftrine, I am verily afTured, 
 no one can hold, and be in a State of Salva- 
 tion. — But I trufl God is once more vifiting in 
 Mercy our poor diftrefled Church. He raifed 
 up Mr, Whitelield and Mr. Wefley about 20 
 Years ago, who have courageoufly and fuccefs- 
 fully preached up the Doctrines of our Church. 
 And he is now daily raifing up more and more 
 Clergymen. At Chriftmas laft, I was inform- 
 ed, there were 40 Clergymen who were brought 
 to the Acknowledgement of the Truth j and 
 three more have been added to the Faith, with- 
 in the laft ftx Weeks. And Oh ! for ever adored 
 be the Mercy of God in opening my Eyes, and 
 leading me to the Knowledge of the Tioith as 
 it is in Jefus. 
 
 I have fent you a Couple of Books and a 
 Pamphlet, and I make you a Prefent of them. 
 Read them over carefully. And before you be- 
 gin to read at any Time always look up to the 
 Fountain of Wifdom for Light and Direftion, 
 For if you rely on your own Abilities, or other 
 Mens Labours, God may keep you ignorant of 
 his glorious Goipel, as a Punifhment for your 
 Frefumption and negieeft of him. — When I fat 
 down to write, I did not intend to have filled 
 more than half a Sheet, but when I took m.y 
 Pen in Hand, I knev/ not how to lay it afide. 
 
 I have 
 
( 23 ) 
 
 I have wrote my Sentiments with great Free- 
 dom, and I hope without Offence. May God 
 give a Blefling to what I have wrote : May he 
 enlighten your Eyes, as he hath done mine, 
 adored be his Mercy ; May he lead you by his 
 Spirit to the Knowledge of the Truth, as it is in 
 Jefus ; and make you inftrumental in bringing 
 Souls from Darknefs into Light, and tranflat- 
 ins them out of the Kingdom of Satan into 
 the glorious Kingdom of his dear Son. Amen, 
 Amen. 
 
 P. S. Let me advife you to read over Rawlin’s 
 Book in the firft Place. 
 
 Ever ton, 
 
 July 35 1758- 
 
 Rev. 
 

 thro’ any Pain for the Contents of the Letter, 
 nor yet thro’ the Fear of a Paper War (which 
 is almoft as terrible a Thing as a Paper Kite 
 with a flaming Lanthorn at the Tail of it in a 
 dark Night) but out of Civility to you. The 
 Letter was defigned for your Perufal ; Copies 
 W'ere taken of it, without my Leave, or even 
 my Knowledge : And I was as much difpleafed 
 as your felf could be, when firft I heard it had 
 been copied. But enough of this Matter. — 
 You charge me with being a Moravian. Cre- 
 dulous mortal ! Why do you not charge me 
 with being a Murderer ? You have juft as much 
 Reafjn to call me one as the other. If you 
 had lived in this Neighbourhood, you w'ould 
 have known that I am utterly detefted and con- 
 tinually reviled by the Moravians. And no 
 Wonder : For I warn all my Hearers againft 
 them both in public and private. Nay, I have 
 been to Bedford, wdrere there is a Neftof them, 
 to bear a preaching Teftimony againft their 
 corrupt Principles and Practices. However, fince 
 you are determined to call me a Moravian, and 
 
 Rev. and dear Sir. 
 
 ^ * *■ ******* 
 
 This I do, not 
 
 Mr. 
 
( 25 ) 
 
 Mr. Wheler is pkafed to call me a mad Man, 
 I think myfelf obliged to come down into the 
 Country as foon as I can, and I hope it will be 
 next Summer, to convince my Friends and your 
 Neighbours, I am neither one nor the other. 
 Whilft I continue with you, I fhall go round 
 the Neighbourhood, and, with God’s Help, 
 preach twice a Day. Twice a Day, you will 
 fay ! Why then I am certainly mad ; yea, and 
 a Moravian too and a Murderer into the Bar- 
 gain. Well, be it fo. I am much accuftomed 
 to hard Names ; and by God’s Grace, am pretty 
 well enabled to bear them. — If your Brethren 
 will allow me the Ufe of their Pulpits they fhall 
 have my Thanks ; If they will not, the Fields 
 are open, and I fhall take a Mountain for my 
 Pulpit, and the Heavens for my founding 
 Board. My bleffed Mailer has fet me the Ex- 
 , ample ; and I trufl I fhall neither be alhamed 
 I nor afraid to tread in his Steps. — I fend you 
 I this Letter fealed, as indeed the other would 
 !have been could I have fufpedted what has 
 ! happened. * * *