V 
 
 BT  20  . B762  1814 
 Brocas,  Thomas 
 
 The  beauties  of  divine  truth 
 
Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
 in  2019  with  funding  from 
 Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 
 
 https://archive.org/details/beautiesofdivineOObroc 
 
THE 
 
 BEAUTIES  OF  DIVINE  TRUTH, 
 
 OR  THE 
 
 Scriptures  illustrated  by  the  Scriptures  ; 
 
 BEING 
 
 A  Key  to  those  Texts,  which  to  some  People  seem  hard  to 
 be  understood:  those  Texts,  upon  the  misconstruing  of 
 which,  Calvinists  build  their  Doctrine  of  ‘  The  Election 
 and  Predestination  of  Gentiles.’ 
 
 OR  A 
 
 Complete  Refutation  of  Mr.  Scott's  Remarks 
 
 UPON 
 
 i  r.  -  .  . 
 
 “  THE  REFUTATION  OF  CALVINISM, 
 
 By  George  Tomline,  D.  D.  F.It.S.  Lord  Bishop  of  Lincoln, 
 and  Dean  of  St.  Paul’s,  London.” 
 
 1  :  ■'  ~  t/ 
 
 BY  THOMAS  BROCAS, 
 
 Author  of  “  Force  of  Revealed  Truth  over  Long-Triumphant  Error,11’ 
 “  Universal -Goodness,”  “  God  uo  Respecter  of  Persons,”  &c.  Ac. 
 
 “  IF,  BY  THE  ADVICE  OF  A  CERTAIN  POOR  MAN,  GROANING  TRUTH  SHOULD  BE, 
 DELIVERED  FROM  UNDER  THE  BONDAGE  OF  VAUNTING  ERROR — LET  NO  ONE 
 DESPISE  THAT  SAME  POOR  MAN.” 
 
 / 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 PRINTED  AT  THE  CONFERENCE-OFFTCE,  H,  CITY-ROAD, 
 
 BY  THOMAS  CORDEUX,  AO  ENT  ,* 
 
 Sold  by  T.  Blansiiard,  11,  City-Road  ;  and  at  the  Methodist  Preaching-- 
 Houses  in  Town  and  Country, 
 
 1814, 
 
 / 
 
The  Profits  arising  from  the  Sale  of  this  Pub¬ 
 lication ,  ( if  any ,  J  shall  be  given  either  to  the  Relief 
 of  poor  Clergymen's  Widows^  or  to  the  Missionary 
 Society . 
 
♦ 
 
 PIE  F  A  C  E. 
 
 SEEING  judgment  liatli  passed  upon  all  men,  for 
 that  all  have  sinned ;  that  cursed  is  every  one  who  con- 
 tinueth  not  in  all  things  written  in  the  book  of  the  law 
 to  do  them,  no  doctrines  can  be  of  equal  importance  to 
 men  as  are  the  doctrines  of  human  redemption :  and 
 how  good  men  can  call  them,  u  Non-essentials,  specu¬ 
 lations,”  &c.  is  hard  to  say.  As  these  doctrines,  in 
 which  every  soul  is  deeply  concerned,  are  made  so 
 plain  in  the  Scriptures  of  truth,  that  a  child,  not  self¬ 
 wise,  may  easily  understand  ;  it  is  still  harder  to  say, 
 why  so  many  good  and  learned  men  have  widely  dif¬ 
 fered  about  them.  And  as  learned  doctors  here  so 
 widely  differ,  to  some  it  has  appeared  something  bor¬ 
 dering  on  insanity,  for  an  illiterate  person  now  to  offer 
 to  settle  the  dispute.  In  answer  to  this,  let  it  be 
 observed,  the  author  of  these  pages  had  always  his 
 favourite  amusements :  these  he  pursued  with  all  his 
 might,  devoting  every  five  minutes  he  could  either  get 
 or  steal  to  his  favourite  amusement.  Being  taught  to 
 revere  the  Bible,  from  four  to  seven  years  of  age,  his 
 mind  was  bent  upon  learning  to  read  it;  from  seven  to 
 seventeen,  he  ardently  pursued  other  amusements;  and 
 from  seventeen  to  twenty,  amusements  of  quite  another 
 kind.  About  this  time  he  began  to  feel-  himself  a 
 sinner :  a  soul  undone.  His  amusements  now  afforded 
 him  no  pleasure:  and  he  was  led  seriously  to  think 
 upon  another  world  ;  of  the  truths  of  that  book  he  wras 
 in  his  infancy  taught  to  revere  and  love  ;  and  to  inquire 
 earnestly  how  he  might  save  his  never-dying  soul.  From 
 this  time,  till  he  was  about  fifty,  the  amusement  to  which 
 
 A  2 
 
IT 
 
 lie  devoted  all  his  spare  moments  was,  searching,  study¬ 
 ing,  and  making  remarks  upon  the  Scriptures.  Never 
 did  man  search  more  diligently  lor  hidden  treasures, 
 than  he  during  that  time  searched  the  sacred  volume, 
 with  a  view  of  knowing,  doing,  and  enjoying  the  will 
 of  God,  as  there  revealed.  As  it  was  his  iot,  for  many 
 years,  to  sit  under  none  but  a  Calvinist  ministry,  with 
 grief  of  soul  he  often  heard  doctrines,  that  appeared 
 a  flat  denial  of  the  revelation  of  God,  called,  44  The 
 clear  Gospel,”  44  Evangelical,”  44  The  unadulterated 
 Truth,”  44  Doctrines  of  Free  Grace,”  &c.  &c. 
 
 In  the  year  1806,  a  poisonous  little  pamphlet,  (though 
 written  by  a  good  man,  a  dissenting  minister,)  was,  by 
 Calvinists  of  every  denomination,  industriously  circu¬ 
 lated  in  this  neighbourhood.  One  of  these  was  put 
 into  the  hands  of  the  author  of  these  pages,  by  a  dear 
 friend  of  his,  a  Calvinist.  Reading  a  few  lines,  and 
 seeing  its  dangerous  tendency  among  simple  and  poor 
 people,  especially  as  it  was  only  charged  three-pence, 
 he  exclaimed  to  his  friend,  44  If  my  life  is  spared,  1  will 
 publickly  answer  this.”  He  did  so,  and  was  answered; 
 but  he  completely  refuted,  and  silenced  the  author  of 
 the  little  pamphlet.  From  that  time  to  this,  he  has 
 devoted  every  spare  live  minutes  he  had,  to  the  refuting 
 one  Calvinist  or  another.  This,  therefore,  is  now  be¬ 
 come  his  favourite  amusement;  and  feeling  himself 
 complete  master  of  it,  he  has  promised  the  public  to 
 pursue  it,  as  long  as  it  may  please  God  to  spare  his 
 faculties,  let  the  defenders  of  Calvinism  be  whoever 
 they  may.  Seeing  the  shortness  of  life,  and  being  in 
 a  trade  w  hich  demands  his  daily  and  almost  constant 
 attendance,  he  is  much  grieved  he  cannot  give  the  whole 
 of  his  time,  as  he  has  given  the  whole  of  his  heart,  to 
 this  work.  But  having  a  family,  and  knowing  that 
 44  he  who  provides  not  for  his  own,  especially  those  of 
 his  own  household,  has  denied  the  faith,  and  is  worse 
 than  an  infidel;”  while  he  strives  to  be  fervent  in 
 spirit,  he  willingly  is  44  diligent  in  business,  striving  to 
 serve  the  Lord.” 
 
 / 
 
V 
 
 The  chief  and  leading  point  in  dispute,  between  his 
 lordship  the  Bishop  of  Lincoln,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Scott, 
 Rector  of  Aston  Sandford,  is,  Whether  or  not  it  is  the 
 real  u  will  of  God,  that  all  men  should  be  saved,  and 
 come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth;”  or  whether  as 
 many  will  be  saved  at  the  last,  as  ever  God  willed  and 
 designed  should  be  saved :  that  is,  broad  being  the 
 way,  and  wide  the  gate,  that  leadeth  to  destruction, 
 whether  as  many  walk  in  the  narrow  path  that  leadeth 
 to  eternal  life,  as  ever  God  designed  should  walk  therein. 
 His  lordship  has  proved,  from  the  plainest  Scriptures, 
 that  in  mercy  God  has  done  every  thing,  on  his  part, 
 for  the  salvation  of  this  guilty  world,  which,  as  a  wise 
 and  just  God,  he  could  or  can  do;  that,  by  his  grace, 
 6i  his  Son  has  tasted  death  for  every  man,”  and  his  Spirit 
 is  the  light  of  every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world ; 
 that  while  he  waiteth  to  be  gracious  to  all,  (and  his 
 mercy  is  on  them  that  fear  him  throughout  all  gene¬ 
 rations,  whether  they  are  under  a  Jewish,  a  heathen, 
 or  a  Christian  dispensation,)  he  is  quite  sincere  in 
 willing  the  salvation  of  all ;  and  if  he  be  sincere  in 
 willing  the  salvation  of  all,  then  his  dear  Son  must  have 
 made  it  possible  that  every  man  might  be  saved,  when 
 he  made  u  a  propitiation  for  the  .sins  of  the  whole 
 w  orld,”  without  respect  of  persons,  as  much  for  one  as 
 for  another.  Mr.-  Scott  endeavours  to  prove,  that 
 though,  in  a  sense,  Christ  tasted  death  for  every 
 man  ;  that  though,  in  a  sense,  he  willeth  the  salvation 
 of  all;  that  though,  in  a  sense,  God  was  in  Christ 
 reconciling  the  world  unto  himself,  not  imputing  their 
 trespasses  unto  them  ;  yet  all  this  is  in  so  limited  a  sense, 
 that  as  a  sovereign  he,  for  reasons  only  known  to  him¬ 
 self,  designedly  withholdeth  the  will  to,  and  the  abso» 
 lutely  necessary  means  of,  salvation  from  most  men — - 
 from  all  but  those  Mr.  Scott  calls  u  the  elect:”  and 
 the  first  text  of  Scripture  he  quotes  in  proof  of  any 
 thing,  he  brings  forward  in  his  preface,  page  v.  as  proof 
 of  this.  Although  it  may  not  be  common  to  enter  into 
 argument  in  a  preface,  yet  as  Scripture  is  here  so  quoted. 
 
 l 
 
to  prove  a  certain  doctrine,  as  to  form  a  fair  specimen 
 of  what  runs  through  his  whole  u  Remarks,”  and 
 throughout  all  his  writings,  I  shall  stop,  and  shew  that 
 the  Scriptures  here  quoted  have  no  more  to  do  with  the 
 personal  election  to  salvation,  or  personal  rejection 
 from  salvation  of  Gentiles,  than  they  have  to  do  with 
 their  circumcision. 
 
 Mr.  Scott  says,  u  Regeneration  also,  being  a  new 
 creation,  by  the  omnipotent  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
 6  dividing  to  every  one  severally  as  he  will,’  must  be 
 purposed  and  intended ;  and,  considering  the  prescience 
 and  unchangeableness  of  God,  6  the  eternal  purpose 
 which  he  has  purposed  in  himself,’  can  hardly  be  ex¬ 
 cluded;  or  the  conclusion,  that  those  whom  he  thus 
 regenerates,  he  will  c  keep  by  his  power  through  failh 
 unto  salvation.’  Of  this  concatenation  his  lordship  is 
 aware;  and  it  would  not  have  answered  his  design,  to 
 refute  these  latter  doctrines,  and  leave  the  other  un¬ 
 assailed.”  I  know  not  of  what  his  lordship  is  aware, 
 or  exactly  what  might  be  his  design ;  but  1  am  aware 
 Scriptures  are  here  made  use  of  for  a  purpose  God 
 never  intended,  and  my  design  is  to  prove  it.  .<6  Re¬ 
 generation  also,  being  a  new  creation  by  the  omnipotent 
 power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  dividing  to  every  one  seve¬ 
 rally  as  he  will.”  Here  the  idea  is,  that  the  same 
 omnipotent  power,  in  the  same  uncontrolable  way  and 
 degree,  is  exerted  in  the  regenerating  of  a  human  soul, 
 as  was  in  creating  worlds.  That  as  he  created  so  many 
 by  his  power,  and  not  one  more;  so  by  that  same 
 uncontrolable  power,  he  regenerates  just  so  many  souls, 
 and  no  more,  according  to  his  own  divine  will.  And 
 Mr.  Scott  gives  us  half  a  text  out  of  1  Cor.  xii.  11,  as 
 proof:  ((  Dividing  to  every  one  severally  as  he  will.” 
 I  have  almost  a  mind  to  transcribe  the  whole  chapter, 
 and  then  ask.  Is  there  not  an  awful  prostitution  here 
 of  the  word  of  God  ?  a  few  verses  must  suffice :  u  But 
 the  manifestation  of  the  Spirit  is  given  to  every  man  to 
 profit  withal :  for  to  one  is  given  by  the  Spirit  the  word 
 of  wisdom  ;  to  another  the  word  of  knowledge  by  the 
 
vii 
 
 »  r  * 
 
 same  Spirit;  to  another  faith  by  the  same  Spirit;  to 
 another  the  gifts  of  healing  by  the  same  Spirit ;  to 
 another  the  working  of  miracles  ;  to  another  prophecy; 
 to  another  discerning  of  spirits ;  to  another  divers 
 kinds  of  tongues ;  to  another  the  interpretation  of 
 tongues.  But  all  these  worketh  that  one  and  the  self¬ 
 same  Spirit,  dividing  to  every  man  severally  as  he  will . 
 For  as  the  body  is  one,  and  hath  many  members,  and 
 all  the  members  of  that  one  body,  being  many,  are  one 
 body  ;  so  also  is  Christ.  For  by  one  Spirit  are  we  all 
 baptized  into  one  body,  whether  we  be  Jews  or  Gen¬ 
 tiles,  whether  we  be  bond  or  free,  and  have  been  ail 
 made  to  drink  into  one  Spirit,”  ver.  7 — 13.  Here  the 
 different  gifts  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  in  the  true  body  of 
 Christ,  those  which  have  all  drank  into  his  Spirit,  are 
 as  clearly  set  forth  as  God  could  express  them ;  yet 
 thirteen  syllables  are  extracted  from  this  divinely- 
 inspired  chapter,  to  prove  that  God,  by  omnipotent 
 power,  regenerates  so  many,  and,  accordingto  his  divine 
 prescience,  leaves  the  rest  unregenerated.  Reader,  do 
 these  words  prove  this  ?  Did  God  inspire  them  with 
 a  view  of  proving  any  such  thing  ?  The  next  quotation 
 is  from  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  partly  from  chap, 
 i.  9,  and  partly  from  chap.  iii.  11.  Paul,  speaking  of 
 the  high  vocation  of  the  apostles  who  first  trusted  in 
 Christ,  according  as  they  were  predestinated,  that  the 
 mystery  hid  from  ages  might  be  revealed  to  them ;  that 
 thereby  God  in  mercy  might  gather  together  in  one  all 
 things  in  Christ,  says,  u  Wherein  he  hath  abounded 
 towards  us,  in  all  wisdom  and  prudence;  having  made 
 known  unto  us  the  mystery  of  his  will,  according  to 
 his  good  pleasure:  that,  in  the  dispensation  of  the 
 fulness  of  times,  he  might  gather  together  in  one  all 
 things  in  Christ,  both  which  are  in  heaven,  and  which 
 are  on  earth,  even  in  him  :  In  whom  also  we  have 
 obtained  an  inheritance,  being  predestinated  according 
 to  the  purpose  of  him,  who  worketh  all  things  after 
 the  counsels  of  his  own  will :  That  we  should  be  to  the 
 praise  of  his  glory,  who  first  trusted  in  Christ,”  chap. 
 
 A  4 
 
IM 
 
 Till 
 
 i.  8—12.  Having  completed  his  sentence,  and  to  give 
 a  proof  of  their  apostleship,  and  that  God  had  owned 
 stheir  work,  in  sealing  with  his  Holy  Spirit  those  who 
 had  believed  in  the  apostles’ preaching  and  doctrine; 
 he  immediately,  in  the  next  verse,  (13,)  addresses 
 the  Ephesians,  saying,  u  In  whom  ye  also  trusted ,  after 
 that  ye  heard  the  word  of  truth,  the  gospel  of  your 
 salvation  ;  in  whom  also,  after  that  ye  believed,  ye  were 
 sealed  with  that  Holy  Spirit  of  promise,  which  is  the 
 earnest  of  our  inheritance,”  &c.  &c.  But  I  shall  have 
 more  fully  to  enter  upon  this  in  the  body  of  the  work. 
 
 In  the  third  chapter  he  resumes  the  subject,  and  shews 
 again  for  what  end  these  holy  apostles  were  predesti¬ 
 nated,  chosen,  called,  and  faithful;  and  says,  u  Unto 
 me,  who  am  less  than  the  least  of  all  saints,  is  this  grace 
 given,  that  I  should  preach  among  the  Gentiles  the 
 unsearchable  riches  of  Christ,  and  make  all  men  see 
 what  is  the  fellowship  of  the  mystery,  which,  from  the 
 beginning  of  the  world,  hath  been  hid  in  God,  who 
 created  all  things  by  Jesus  Christ:  to  the  intent  that 
 now,  unto  the  principalities  and  powers  in  heavenly 
 places,  might  be  known  by  the  church  the  manifold 
 wisdom  of  God,  according  to  the  eternal  purpose  which 
 be  purposed  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.”  Now  which¬ 
 ever  of  these  passages  we  take,  (as  a  few  words,  or 
 syllables,  are  extracted  from  each,  and  put  together 
 by  Mr.  Scott  to  make  one  text,)  we  see  plainly  the 
 Intention  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  inditing  these  passages, 
 and  predestinating  these  men.  It  was  for  the  divine, 
 the  god-like,  the  benevolent  purpose,  of  gathering 
 together  in  one  all  things  in  Christ.  It  was  u  to  make 
 all  men  see  what  is  the  fellowship  of  the  mystery, 
 which,  from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  hath  been  hid 
 in  God,  who  created  all  things  by  Jesus  Christ.”  Here 
 is  a  purpose,  an  eternal  purpose,  and  predestination 
 worthy  of  a  God.  But  this  was  not  the  purpose  in 
 time,  which  Mr.  Scott  had  in  view,  in  uniting  these  two 
 half  texts,  chap.  i.  9,  and  chap.  iii.  11.  In  making 
 one  text  out  of  two,  his  purpose  was,  to  prove  that,  in 
 
regenerating  souls,  God  takes  in  one,  and  leaves  out 
 another,  u  according  to  his  eternal  purpose;”  and, 
 that  those  he  takes  in  by  regeneration,  u  he  will  keep 
 by  his  power  through  faith  unto  salvation.”  This  last 
 half  text  is  from  1  Pet.  i.  5. 
 
 The  holy  apostle,  himself  a  Jew,  writes  to  his  beloved 
 brethren,  the  scattered  believing  Hebrews,  the  children 
 of  the  covenants  and  promises,  the  elect  of  God;  and 
 says,  44  Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord 
 Jesus  Christ,  who,  according  to  his  abundant  mercy, 
 hath  begotten  us  again  unto  a  lively  hope,  by  the  resur¬ 
 rection  of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead,  to  an  inheritance 
 incorruptible,  undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not  away, 
 reserved  in  heaven  for  j  ou,  who  are  kept  by  the  power 
 of  God  through  faith  unto  salvation,  ready  to  be 
 revealed  in  the  last  time.”  Now  how  this  can  he  con¬ 
 strued  into  an  absolute  promise  to  individual  Gentiles 
 in  our  day,  that  God  itill  keep  those  of  them  whom  he 
 hath  regenerated  through  faith  unto  salvation,  1  leave 
 to  Mr.  Scott  to  explain,  and  to  make  as  plain  to  his 
 readers  as  he  can.  At  the  same  time,  lie  will  excuse 
 me,  when  I  positively  declare,  the  Scriptures  here  say 
 no  such  thing:  nor  is  there  the  most  remote  intimation 
 in  these  verses,  or  in  the  chapter,  of  any  promise  made 
 to  Gentiles;  no,  nor,  indeed,  strange  as  this  may 
 appear,  not  in  the  whole  epistle.  It  was  intended  for, 
 and  directed  to,  another  people,  the  elect  of  God,  the 
 royal  nation,  those  who  were,  till  lately,  as  sheep  going 
 astray,  but  were  now  returned  to  the  Shepherd  and 
 Bishop  of  their  souls.  And  although  the  Gentiles  are 
 twice  mentioned  by  name  in  the  epistle,  they  are  only 
 mentioned  as  the  people  among  whom  these  elect  were 
 scattered.  But  to  the  words:  64  Having  your  conver- 
 sation  honest  among  the  Gentiles;  that  whereas  they 
 speak  against  you  as  evil-doers,  they  may,  by  your  good 
 works  which  they  shall  behold,  glorifyGod  in  the  day 
 of  visitation.” — 44  For  the  time  past  of  our  lives  may 
 suffice  us  to  have  wrought  the  will  of  the  Gentiles, 
 when  we  walked  in  lasciviousness,  lusts,  excess  of  wine5 
 
I 
 
 X 
 
 revellings,  banquetings,  and  abominable  idolatries.”  I 
 leave  readers  to  find  out,  how  these  passages,  either  se¬ 
 parate  or  united,  can  prove  that  certain  individual  Gen¬ 
 tiles  are  regenerated  according  to  God’s  eternal  purpose, 
 and  unavoidably  kept  by  the  power  of  God  to  salvation. 
 
 I  cannot  help  thinking  there  was  some  wisdom  dis¬ 
 played  by  Mr.  Scott,  in  not  telling  where  these  half 
 texts  were  to  be  found  ;  he  only  incloses  them  u  thus,” 
 in  inverted  commas. 
 
 It  has  been  observed,  this  paragraph  is  a  fair  specimeu 
 of  the  manner  of  Mr.  Scott’s  quoting  Scripture  through¬ 
 out  his  u  Remarks,’’  and,  I  am  afraid,  throughout  all 
 his  writings  :  and  the  answer  here  will  also  be  found 
 a  tolerably  fair  specimen  of  the  answers  to  his  Remarks 
 in  the  following  pages. 
 
 As  [  have  no  favour  to  ask  of  his  lordship  the  bishop 
 of  Lincoln,  nor  any  thing  to  fear  or  hope  from  Mr. 
 Scott,  or  any  of  his  party,  only  that  they  would,  for 
 truth’s  sake,  for  Christ’s  sake,  read  with  candour 
 and  a  teachable  spirit  ;  it  will  not  be  expected,  that 
 f  shall  write  designedly,  either  to  please  the  one,  or  to 
 displease  the  other.  My  business  is,  to  defend  revealed 
 truth,  and  expose  error,  wherever  and  with  whomsoever 
 I  find  it.  1  am  now  to  examine,  whether  Mr.  Scott 
 gave  himself  time  to  think  deeply,  to  investigate  tho¬ 
 roughly,  before  he  wrote  so  copiously. 
 
 In  controversy,  offensive  wrords,  if  we  stand  to  the 
 truth,  will,  I  think,  unavoidably  occur.  In  defending 
 Gospel  revealed  truths,  in  which  every  human  soul  is 
 deeply  concerned,  I  shall  consult  no  individual’s  mo¬ 
 mentary  feelings.  Mr.  Scott  informs  us,  he  is  an  old 
 man,  and  has  been  busily  employed  in  preparing  w  orks 
 for  the  press,  considerably  more  than  thirty  years. 
 This  will  prove  a  lasting  misfortune  to  many,  if  those 
 works  are  all  like  his  favourite  Sermon,  published  thirty 
 years  ago  :  or  like  his  <c  Remarks,”  recently  published. 
 Old  as  he  is,  we  suppose  his  lordship  the  bishop  of 
 Lincoln  is  still  older;  and  it  is  now  many  years  since 
 the  author  of  the  following  remarks  was  young.  If, 
 
xi 
 
 therefore,  Mr.  Scott  claims  honour  because  of  age,  and 
 thinks  his  works  ought  to  be  read  because  of  his  seni¬ 
 ority,  I  have  some  claim  to  the  attention  of  the  public 
 on  the  ground  of  age  also.  And  if  he  has  an  advantage 
 over  me  as  to  age  and  learning,  I  possess  an  amazing 
 advantage  over  him  now ;  in  that  as  soon  almost  as  lie 
 began  seriously  to  think,  he  began  busily  to  write, 
 and  has  been  u  employed  in  preparing  works  for  the 
 press  ever  since;”  while  it  was  my  lot,  to  continue  to 
 read  seriously,  and  think  deeply  on  revealed  truths,  for 
 my  own  immortal  soul’s  sake,  for  more  than  thirty 
 years,  before  I  durst  begin  to  write  on  the  Scriptures. 
 
 Of  all  studies,  there  are  none  which  render  the 
 student  such  solid,  such  soul  satisfaction,  as  studying 
 the  Scriptures,  with  a  view  of  knowing,  enjoying,  and 
 doing  the  will  of  God  there  revealed.  Our  common 
 Lord,  our  divine  Master,  does  not  simply  command, 
 4<  Read  the  Scriptures;”  but,  64  How  readest  thou  ?  ” 
 — u  Search  the  Scriptures;  for  in  them  ye  think  that 
 you  have  everlasting  life,  and  they  are  they  which 
 testify  of  me:”  and  if  the  using  44  of  the  office  of  a 
 deacon  well,  will  purchase  a  good  degree,  and  great 
 boldness  in  the  faith  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus;”  O 
 what  boldness  will  searching  the  ScripJures  now,  with 
 the  intention  of  knowing,  doing,  and  enjoying  the  will 
 of  God,  inspire,  when  death  appears  in  view,  and  at 
 the  judgment-seat  of  Jesus  Christ.  That  trying  hour, 
 and  that  tremendous  day,  I  shall  endeavour  to  keep  in 
 view,  while  I  am  examining  Mr.  Scott’s  44  Remarks,” 
 and  answering  his  arguments.  > 
 
 One  thing  I  have  to  observe,  as  a  great  misfortune 
 in  Mr.  Scott. — Thirty  years  ago,  he  was  remarked  as 
 a  very  bad  speaker,  making  use,  in  his  sermons,  of 
 a  vast  many  words,  to  express  but  little.  Hence,  that 
 a  good  speaker,  such  as  the  then  Dr.  Peckwell,  or  the 
 Rev.  Mr.  Fletcher,  would  say  as  much  in  fifty  w  ords, 
 more  impressive,  and  w  ith  greater  effect,  than  he  would 
 in  a  hundred  and  fifty.  This  misfortune  attends  him 
 in  writing^  if  possible,  to  a  greater  degree  than  in  his 
 
I 
 
 preaching;  and  hence  the  length  of  his  44  Remarks,’' 
 or  the  bulk  of  his  book,  in  answer  to  his  lordship  the 
 bishop  of  Lincoln;  and  hence,  some  of  his  long  sen. 
 tences  are  so  in  and  out,  round  about,  that  if  he  were 
 not  a  clergyman,  with  an  education,  plain  people 
 would  say,  they  were  scarcely  intelligible.  Take  one 
 instance  from  what  is  before  us,  in  the  preface,  page  vii. 
 44  It  could  not,”  says  Mr.  Scott,  44  be  supposed,  that 
 4  the  Refutation  ’  would  be  left  unanswered,  by  the 
 whole  body  whose  principles  it  assails:  and  as  the 
 author  of  these  Remarks  is  one  of  the  senior  writers 
 of  that  body,  it  was  not  unnatural  for  him  to  think, 
 that  hoary  hairs  might  be  attended  with  some  abatement 
 of  that  eagerness  of  spirit,  which  is  unfavourable  to  the 
 discussion  of  such  subjects,  and  making  remarks  on 
 statements,  in  which  there  are  many  things  suited  to 
 discompose  the  mind ;  not  to  speak  of  higher  sources 
 of  meekness,  and  self-government,  which  either  are,  or 
 ought  to  be,  found  in  c  an  old  disciple.’  ”  Mr.  Scott 
 must  have  known  what  he  meant  to  say,  and  they  are 
 welcome  to  pick  out  his  whole  meaning  here  that  can  ; 
 but,  1  say,  a  plain  man,  with  less  learning,  would  have 
 expressed  the  meaning  in  half  these  words.  And  hence 
 the  reading  of  his  44  Remaiks,”  it  appears,  has  proved 
 such  a  heavy  task  to  the  purchasers  of  his  books;  and 
 hence,  a  bookseller,  returning  from  his  annual  journey 
 in  the  country  a  few  days  ago,  calling  on  me,  was 
 smiling,  and  saying  of  a  good  customer  of  his,  a  re¬ 
 spectable  gentleman  in  the  country,  whom  he  had 
 ■visited  that  time  twelve-months,  and  who  ordered  Mr. 
 Scott’s  44  Remarks  ”  from  him.  As  he  had  possessed 
 this  book  now  more  than  eleven  months,  he  asked, 
 44  Well,  Sir,  and  have  you  read  Mr.  Scott  yet;”  was 
 answered,  44  Yes,  read  him,  yes,  to  be  sure,  and  I  like 
 him  ;  the  bishop  has  no  chance  with  him.”  But  before 
 the  bookseller  left  the  house,  he  unfortunately  put  his 
 hand  on  the  book,  and  finding  more  than  eleven  parts 
 of  it  not  cut,  he  said,  44  Why,  Sir,  you  cannot  have 
 read  this,  for  it  is  not  cut  yet:”  to  which  he  was 
 
•  )« 
 
 XIII 
 
 I  y 
 
 answered,  ct  Well,  I  have  read  enough  of  it:  I  am 
 convinced  Mr.  Scott  is  right,  and  the  Bishop  is  wrong. ” 
 And  this  seems  to  have  been  the  case  with  the  copy 
 I  am  answering  ;  for  though,  in  a  few  months,  it  has 
 been  purchased  four  times,  and  the  second  purchaser 
 bought  it  for  two-thirds  of  its  former  price,  it  seems 
 never  to  have  been  all  read  to  this  day:  and  this,  1  ap¬ 
 prehend,  is  the  case  in  general.  Calvinists  will  buy 
 Mr.  Scott’s  books,  for  he  is  their  senior  writer ;  but 
 when  they  get  into  his  a  Remarks,”  the  mind  Hags, 
 they  soon  find  nothing  new,  not  one  striking,  forcible 
 argument;  nothing  instructing,  nothing  entertaining ; 
 not  an  idea  they  were  not  acquainted  with  ;  that  though 
 whatever  is  wanting  in  quality,  is  abundantly  made  up 
 in  quantity,  the  quantity  does  not  do,  even  with  in¬ 
 telligent  Calvinists,  because  the  quality  is  not  exactly 
 what  they  expected. 
 
 Having  said  so  much  in  preface,  upon  the  preface  to 
 Mr.  Scott’s  book,  that  I  may  not  have  continually  to 
 recur  to  these  defects,  1  beg  leave  to  say  a  few  words 
 upon  the  very  first  sentence  of  his  66  Remarks.”  His 
 wo.ds  are:  u  It  being  the  plan  of  this  publication,  to 
 follow  the  ‘Refutation  of  Calvinism’  from  page  to 
 page,  without  any  other  method,  it  is  needless  to  retain 
 the  reader  with  any  formal  introduction.”  Now  it  is 
 remarkable,  that  from  this  page,  down  to  the  last  of 
 the  u  Remarks,”  this  plan  is  never  once  acted  upon  : 
 but  step  by  step,  from  page  to  page,  Mr.  Scott  goes 
 before  the  Refutation,  sets  his  lordship  at  his  footstool 
 in  a  note,  says  what  he  will  of  him,  and  then  calls  him 
 up,  as  being  answered  and  completely  refuted.  This 
 was  the  very  first  thing  in  his  book,  which  struck  me 
 w  ith  amazement,  as  I  believe  it  is  such  a  compliment 
 a  rector  never  paid  his  bishop  before  :  nor  is  it,  indeed, 
 very  common,  in  questions  and  answers,  for  the  answer 
 always  to  be  set  before  the  question. 
 
 Let  it  ever  be  remembered,  however,  that  though  the 
 difference  between  pious  Calvinists  and  their  opponents 
 is  very  great,  they  all  agree  that  power  alone  belongeth 
 
 f 
 
-  * 
 
 xlv 
 
 unto  God  ;  that  as  when  man  was  without  strength, 
 Christ  in  mercy  died  for  the  ungodly  ;  so  when  God  in 
 mercy  sends  Christ  to  bless  us,  in  turning  every  one  of 
 us  from  our  iniquities,  that  power,  whereby  we  believe 
 on  him,  and  take  him  for  our  Saviour,  our  all,  comes 
 alone  from  him  also; — whether  we  are  able  finally  to 
 resist  that  power  or  not,  is  where  we  differ.  But  in 
 the  matter  of  the  origin  of  power,  wisdom,  and  good¬ 
 ness,  undeserved  goodness,  and  mercy,  we  sweetly  all 
 agree.  His  is  the  power  and  the  wisdom  ;  so  his  shall 
 be  the  glory  and  honour,  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen. 
 
 THOMAS  BROCAS. 
 
 N.  B.  Tn  reviewing  the  following  sheets,  the  author 
 is  afraid  the  reader  will  think  he  lias  dwelt  too  long 
 upon  the  four  main  pillars  of  Calvinism.  He  has  only 
 to  make  this  apology:  The  errors  here  rooted  up  have 
 been  cunningly  laid,  and  have  sunk  deep  in  the  minds 
 of  most  Calvinists.  This  being  done,  tediousness 
 is  avoided  as  much  as  possible,  however  long  it  has 
 been  found  necessary  to  dwell  on  some  articles,  and  to 
 return  again  and  again  to  some  of  those  articles. 
 
- 
 
 THE 
 
 BEAUTIES  OF  DIVINE  TRUTH, 
 
 MR.  SCOTT,  it  is  believed,  is  a  good  man ;  being 
 a  good  man,  he  wishes  to  do  good,  and  to  lead  sinners 
 in  the  right  way:  so  far  he  is  respectable.  And  if 
 mistaken,  his  mistakes  seem  to  have  arisen  out  of  some 
 notions  he  has  got  of  u  divine  prescience;”  a  certain 
 something  the  Scriptures  are  silent  about,  -and  neither 
 angels  nor  men  know  any  thing  at  all  of.  Having 
 imbibed  these  unscriptural  notions,  certain  Scriptures 
 have  been  laid  hold  of,  and  brought  forward  as  a  defence 
 of  these  notions. 
 
 In  two  chapters  of  the  Bible,  the  word  u  predesti¬ 
 nated”  is  found,  Rom.  viii.  and  Ephes  i.  Hence  it 
 is  concluded,  all  that  are  saved  in  time,  were  personally 
 and  exclusively  predestinated  to  it  from  eternity;  nor 
 could  things  happen  otherwise  than  they  have. 
 
 Elect”  is  a  word  found  written  by  Isaiah  in  three 
 chapters  in  the  Old  Testament;  and  in  three  out  of 
 four  of  the  evangelists  the  same  word  is  used,  Matt, 
 xxiv.  Mark  xiii.  and  Luke  xviii.  St.  John  never 
 mentions  the  term,  or  makes  use  of  the  word;  and  in 
 twelve  or  fourteen  places  in  the  epistles,  (Rom.  viii. 
 ix,  and  xi.  Col.  iii.  1  Thess.  iv.  1  Tim.  v.  21.  2  Tim. 
 ii.  10.  Titus  i.  1.  1  Pet.  i.  2.  and  2  Pet.  v.)  the  word 
 i(:  election,”  or  u  elect,”  occurs;  and  once  in  2  John. 
 Though  these,  I  believe,  are  all  the  places  in  Scripture 
 where  the  words  u  predestinated,”  u  elect,”  or  u  elec¬ 
 tion,”  is  found,  and  not  one  of  them  speaks  a  word 
 about  elect  Gentiles,  or  predestinated  Gentiles;  yet 
 
■1 
 
 o 
 
 ** 
 
 Mr.  Scott,  prescience  ”  in  his  view,  has  concluded, 
 that  all  who  ever  will  be  saved,  were  personally  and 
 exclusively  predestinated  to  be  the  elect,  who  should 
 be  regenerated  by  the  omnipotent  power  of  God,  and 
 so  will  be  kept,  through  faith,  by  the  same  power, 
 infallably  unto  eternal  salvation.* 
 
 Upon  the  doctrines  of  universal  redemption,  and 
 God’s  good  will  to  save  all  men,  the  Scriptures  are  so 
 full,  so  pointed,  that  Mr.  Scott,  not  like  Calvinists  in 
 general,  acknowledges  them  to  be  Scriptural  doctrines; 
 yet  that  God  only  so  wills  the  salvation  of  all,  as 
 designedly  to  withhold  the  means  and  power  of  salva¬ 
 tion  from  most  men.  That  provision  being  made  for 
 the  salvation  of  one  as  well  as  the  other;  nothing  is 
 wanting  to  effect  that  salvation  in  all,  but  a  proper  w  ill 
 and  inclination  in  man,  which  is  the  prerogative  of  God 
 alone  to  give;  <c  dividing  to  every  one  severally  as  he 
 will,”  he  gives  it  to  all  the  elect,  and  withholds  it  from 
 all  the  non-elect. 
 
 The  only  difficulties  I  have,  in  refuting  Mr.  Scott,  is 
 the  dreadful  length  of  his  book;  and  his  avoiding, 
 through  his  first  volume  particularly,  the  fully  and 
 plainly  declaring  his  sentiments. 
 
 He  calls  himself  a  Calvinist,  and  professes  to  write 
 for  that  body;  yet  when  the  worst  part  of  their  doc¬ 
 trines  are  brought  forward,  the  catching  him  defending 
 those  doctrines,  is  like  catching  an  eei  by  the  tail. 
 
 As  my  business  is  to  defend  truth  and  expose  error, 
 I  shall  now  examine  those  Scriptures,  upon  which  Mr. 
 Scott  builds  his  doctrine  of  personal  election  of  Gen- 
 
 *  In  a  late  publication,  a  Force  of  revealed  Truth  over  long- 
 triumphant  Error,”  the  author  has  collected  all  the  above  texts, 
 and  quoted  them  with  their-  several  contexts ;  so  that  a  person 
 with  common  sense,  and  an  honest,  upright  heart,  longing  to 
 know  the  truth,  that  he  may  obey  it  ana  enjoy  it,  in  an  hour, 
 may  see  all  that  the  Bible  says  about  predestinated,  the 
 elect,  or  election;  and  may  see  also  who  are  called  the  elect, 
 and  to  what  the  doctrine  is  applied.  And  I  appeal  to  every 
 man,  who  has  given  himself  the  trouble  to  examine  those  pas¬ 
 sages,  whether  the  applying  them  to  us  poor  Gentiles  now,  is 
 not  only  profound  nonsense,  but  presumption. 
 
I 
 
 3 
 
 tiles  unto  salvation ;  and  then  appeal  to  the  public, 
 whether  he  does  not  build  a  doctrine,  of  the  election  of 
 Gentiles,  upon  Scriptures  which  say  not  one  single 
 word  about  any  such  thing  ? 
 
 With  a  view  of  making  men  believe  there  are  certain 
 Gentiles,  as  observed  above,  to  whom  God  has  bound 
 himself  £<  to  give  a  new  heart,” — u  to  sprinkle  clean 
 water  upon  them,” — u  to  call  them  to  the  adoption  of 
 sons  by  Jesus  Christ,”  according  as  he  hath  predes¬ 
 tinated  them  before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  Mr. 
 Scott  calls  them  u  a  remnant,  according  to  the  election 
 of  grace;”  speaks  of  the  Almighty  making  them  to 
 differ  from  other  people,  the  same  as  he  makes  angels 
 differ  from  men,  or  men  from  brutes;  or  the  same  as 
 he  makes  the  eye  to  differ  from  the  foot.  For  the 
 establishing  of  these  favourite  sentiments,  he  frequently 
 quotes  the  following  Scriptures :  Ezek.  xxxvi.  26,  27, 
 Ephes.  i.  3 — 12,  1  Cor.  iv.  7,  and  Rom.  xi.  5,  7. 
 Upon  these  four  Scriptures,  as  upon  four  corner-stones, 
 or  four  main  pillars,  he  builds  his  favourite  fabric  :  and 
 although  other  half  texts  from  the  Bible,  and  quarter 
 sentences  from  the  Prayer-Book,  are  quoted;  they  are 
 generally  quoted  as  props,  or  ornaments,  to  these,  and 
 not  as  foundation-stones.  To  begin,  then,  with  the 
 first  of  these  sacred  passages,  Ezek.  xxxvi.  26,  27 ; 
 this  being  the  chief  pillar,  and  that  which  Mr.  Scott 
 rests  most  upon,  and  quotes  it,  in  his  first  volume,  eight 
 or  ten  times;  see  pages  23,  27,  61,  120,  191,  197, 
 204,  246,  &c. 
 
 Translating  a  passage  from  Melancthon,  part  of 
 which  his  lordship  the  bishop  of  Lincoln  had  brought 
 as  a  defence  of  his  doctrine,  and  which,  by  the  bye, 
 had  it  been  from  the  oracles  of  God,  as  it  was  from  the 
 best  and  most  pious  of  all  our  reformers,  would,  with¬ 
 out  going  any  farther,  fully  have  established  all  his 
 lordship  wants  to  prove,  and  which  ends  as  follows: 
 tk  But  though,  in  the  corruption  of  nature,  the  image 
 of  God  being  defaced,  these  things  known  do  not  shine 
 forth,  yet  they  remain;  but  the  heart  resists,  and 
 
 / 
 
4 
 
 certain  doubts  rush  in,  which  seem  to  contend  against 
 these  known  truths:”  Mr.  Scott  says,  u  The  reader 
 will  observe,  that  all,  except  the  last  sentence,  is  spoken 
 of  man  as  God  at  first  created  him;  sed  cor  repugnat , 
 the  heart  resists,  clearly  establishes  our  sentiments, 
 and  shews  the  need  which  we  have  of  u  a  new  heart,” 
 in  order  to  walk  in  66  newness  of  life;”  make  the  tree 
 good,  and  his  fruit  good,  for  a  corrupt  tree  bringeth 
 forth  evil  fruit.”  And  then  supposing,  from  this,  that 
 there  were  elect  Gentiles  among  us,  to  whom  the  pro¬ 
 mises  of  regeneration  were  made,  and  fully  exemplified 
 in  every  one  that  believeth  ;  in  page  27,  the  text  is 
 quoted  again,  with  some  small  additions,  thus :  u  A  new 
 heart  will  I  give  you,  and  a  new  spirit  will  I  put  within 
 you ;  and  I  will  take  away  the  stony  heart  out  of  your 
 tlesh,  and  I  will  give  you  an  heart  of  flesh;  and  I  will 
 put  my  own  Spirit  within  you,  and  cause  you  to  walk 
 in  my  statutes,  and  ye  shall  keep  my  judgments,  and 
 do  them.” — u  Do  not  err,  my  beloved  brethren;  every 
 good  gift,  and  every  perfect  gift,  is  from  above,  and 
 cometh  down  from  the  Father  of  lights,”  &c.  &c» 
 And  as  a  farther  encouragement  to  those  elect  people, 
 though  Gentiles,  to  look  for  the  fulfilment  of  these 
 divine  blessings,  because  made  exclusively  to  them,  in 
 page  29,  he  says,  u  The  duty  and  necessity  of  prayer, 
 as  well  as  exertion,  are  undeniable :  but  the  Lord 
 teaches  us  to  give  the  honour  to  him,  even  for  a  heart 
 and  disposition  to  pray:  4  I  will  pour  out  upon  the  * 
 house  of  David,  and  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem, 
 the  Spirit  of  grace  and  supplication,’  &c.  Zech.  xii.  10.” 
 
 In  page  61,  he  says,  u  To  the  same  import  are  the 
 promises  of  a  new  heart,  and  the  prayers  grounded  on 
 them;”  and  page  120,  we  are  told  of  these  favourites, 
 u  He  hath  fulfilled  his  promise  in  their  case:  i  I  will 
 put  my  laws  into  their  mind,  and  write  them  in  their 
 hearts,  even  these  two  great  commandments :  Thou 
 shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and 
 with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind,  and  with  all 
 thy  strength ;  and  thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as 
 
3 
 
 thyself.5  55  And  what  is  remarkable,  Mr.  Scott  quotes 
 Jer.  xxxi.  33,  as  cited  by  St.  Paul,  Ileb.  viii.  In 
 pages  190  and  191,  Ezekiel  is  again  quoted,  thus  : 
 u  Then  will  I  sprinkle  clean  water  upon  you,  and  ye 
 shall  be  clean ;  from  all  your  filthiness,  and  from  all 
 your  idols  will  I  cleanse  you  ;  a  new  heart  also  will 
 I  put  within  you,  and  I  will  take  away  the  stony  heart 
 out  of  your  flesh,  and  I  will  give  you  a  heart  of  flesh  - 
 and  I  will  put  my  Spirit  within  you,  and  ye  shall  walk 
 in  my  statutes,  and  ye  shall  keep  my  judgments  and  do 
 them.”  Did  not  the  apostle  allude  to  the  outward 
 sacrament  of  baptism,  under  the  Gospel  dispensation, 
 in  the  same  manner  as  Ezekiel  referred  to  the  external 
 ceremonies  of  the  Mosaic  law,  namely,  as  shadows? 
 and  substantial  spiritual  blessings  of  u  regeneration, 
 and  renewing  of  the  Holy  Spirit,”  to  inward  holiness, 
 manifested  by  walking  in  newness  of  life?”  And 
 page  197,  Ezekiel  is  brought  in  again  thus:  <c  If  we 
 know  that  he  is  righteous,  we  know  that  every  one 
 that  doeth  righteousness  is  born  of  God.”  Here  rege¬ 
 neration  is  spoken  of  as  evidently  to  be  known  by  its 
 effects,  even  the  uniform,  righteous  conduct  of  the 
 regenerate.  6i  A  new  heart  also  will  I  give  you,  and 
 a  new  spirit  will  I  put  within  you,  and  cause  you  to 
 walk  in  my  statutes,  and  ye  shall  keep  my  judgments, 
 and  do  them.” 
 
 The  above  are  great  and  precious  promises,  God  in 
 mercy  made  unto  the  fathers  by  the  prophets.  But  in 
 these  last  days,  he  hath  spoken  unto  us  by  his  Son. 
 Did  that  dear  Son,  who  spake  unto  us  as  never  man 
 spake,  in  teaching  the  children  of  men,  ever  apply  the 
 above  promises,  Ezek.  xxxvi.  25 — 27,  to  Gentiles,  as 
 promises  made  to  them  ?  Did  he  ever  give  Gentiles  to 
 understand,  from  such  promises,  that,  in  some  day  of 
 God’s  power,  they  might  expect  a  new  heart  and  a  right 
 spirit?  Or  did  ever  any  of  his  inspired  servants, 
 Peter,  James,  John,  or  Paul,  find  out  that  these,  or 
 those  similar  promises  in  Jer.  xxxi.  and  xxxiii.  were 
 then,  or  ever  could  be,  applicable  to  Gentiles  ?  If  ever- 
 
6 
 
 the  Lord  Jesus,  or  any  of  his  inspired  servants,  applied 
 them  to  Gentiles ;  then,  however  the  prophets  worded 
 their  prophecies,  Mr.  Scott  has  done  right  in  making 
 the  use  of  them  he  has,  and  of  building  upon  them  the 
 doctrine  of  election  and  predestination  of  Gentiles  as 
 he  has.  But  if  we  should  prove,  these  promises  were 
 made  unto  and  for  another  people  by  name ;  then  Mr. 
 Scott  has  done  wrong,  notwithstanding  the  hundreds  of 
 precedents  he  had,  and  notwithstanding  his  u  seniority.” 
 We  must  stand  or  fall,  by  every  word  that  proceedeth 
 out  of  the  mouth  of  God.  We  shall  now,  therefore, 
 try  this  doctrine  by  that  word. 
 
 Israel  was  a  people,  44  to  whom  the  Lord  was  nigh 
 in  every  thing  they  called  upon  him  for.”  Moses,  at 
 the  close  of  his  last  sermon,  said  unto  them,  u  Happy 
 art  thou,  O  Israel:  who  is  like  unto  thee,  a  people 
 saved  by  the  Lord,  the  shield  of  thy  help,  and  who  is 
 the  sword  of  thy  excellency  !  And  thine  enemies  shall 
 be  found  liars  unto  thee,  and  thou  shalt  tread  upon 
 their  high  places,”  Deut.  xxxiii.  29.  To  them  he 
 appeared  of  old,  saying,  44  Yea,  I  have  loved  thee  with 
 an  everlasting  love;  therefore  with  loving-kindness 
 have  I  drawn  thee,”  Jer.  xxxi.  3.  His  Son,  the  darling 
 of  his  soul,  was  in  them  ;  the  Saviour  of  the  wTorld  was 
 to  spring  out  of  them.  This  promised  holy  seed  was 
 the  substance  of  them,  or  they  had  long  before  44  been 
 made  likeSodom,  or  like  unto  the  people  of  Gomorrah.” 
 For  the  sake  of  this  seed,  he  said  of  that  nation,  44  De¬ 
 stroy  it  not,  for  a  blessing  is  in  it.”  As,  therefore, 
 Jehovah  had  kindly  and  condescendingly  entered  into 
 covenant  with  their  father  Abraham,  to  make  them  an 
 universal  blessing,  he  preserved  them  as  the  apple  of 
 the  eye;  he  raised  up  Pharaoh  to  thrust  them  out  of 
 Egypt;  that,  by  their  strange  deliverance,  his  glorious 
 name  might  be  declared  throughout  the  earth;  44  He 
 rebuked  mighty  kings  for  their  sakes,  saying,  Touch 
 not  mine  anointed,  and  do  my  prophets  no  harm.” 
 The  bringing  his  first-begotten  into  the  world,  was  the 
 grandest  object  God  had  in  view ;  and  it  was  appointed 
 
7 
 
 and  promised,  our  Lord  should  spring  out  of  Judah. 
 Therefore,  for  their  sakes  he  drove  out  and  destroyed 
 nations  mightier  than  they.  The  goodly  land,  the  land 
 of  Canaan,  spued  out  those  nations  for  their  wicked¬ 
 ness ;  so  he  planted  his  own  inheritance  in  their  stead. 
 They  were  to  him  a  kingdom  of  priests,  an  holy  nation, 
 a  peculiar  people,  that  they  might  shew  forth  the 
 praises  of  the  Lord.  He  planted  them  a  noble  vine, 
 altogether  a  right  seed;  but,  O  tell  it  not  in  Gath  i 
 they  polluted  also  the  goodly  land,  and  turned  into 
 the  most  degenerate  plant :  so  he  sold  them  into  the 
 hand  of  the  enemy,  and  they  that  hated  them  ruled  over 
 them.  He  brought  down  their  strength  with  labour ; 
 but  he,  being  a  good  father,  as  though  they  were  a  loving 
 child,  as  though  they  were  a  dear  son,  he  did  earnestly 
 remember  them  still.  In  the  midst  of  judgment  he 
 remembered  mercy  ;  and,  as  he  had  promised  to  their 
 fathers  to  be  a  God  unto  them,  and  to  their  seed  after 
 them,  to  many  generations  ;  lie,  in  remembrance  of  his 
 mercy,  raised  them  up  prophets  to  stand  before  them, 
 to  go  in  and  out  among  them,  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel, 
 who  said  unto  them,  when  in  a  strange  land,  u  But  ye, 
 O  mountains  of  Israel,  shall  shoot  forth  your  branches, 
 and  yield  your  fruit  to  my  people  of  Israel,  for  they 
 are  at  hand  to  come.” — u  And  I  will  multiply  men 
 upon  you,  all  the  house  of  Israel,  even  all  of  it;  and 
 the  cities  shall  be  inhabited,  and  the  walls  shall  be 
 builded.”- — u  For  I  will  take  you  from  among  the 
 heathen,  and  gather  you  out  of  all  countries,  and  will 
 bring  you  into  your  own  land.  Then  will  I  sprinkle 
 clean  water  upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be  clean ;  from  all 
 your  filthiness,  and  from  all  your  idols,  will  I  cleanse 
 you  ;  a  new  heart  also  will  I  give  you,  and  a  new  spirit 
 will  I  put  within  you;  and  I  will  take  away  the  stony 
 heart  out  of  your  flesh,  and  I  will  give  you  an  heart  of 
 flesh.  .  And  I  will  put  my  Spirit  within  you,  and  cause 
 you  to  walk  in  my  statutes,  and  ye  shall-  keep  my 
 judgments,  and  do  them.  And  ye  shall  dwell  in  the 
 land  that  I  gave  to  your  fathers,  and  ye  shall  be  xny 
 
8 
 
 people,  and  I  will  be  your  God,”  Ezek.  xxxvi.  8 — 28. 
 Now,  one  would  think,  neither  ingenuity,  nor  any 
 thing  else,  that  was  attended  with  the  least  reverence 
 for  God’s  revealed  word,  could  ever  build  a  doctrine 
 of  elect  Gentiles,  upon  any  words  found  in  this  blessed 
 chapter;  that  there  were  Gentiles,  to  whom  God  had 
 here  promised  to  give  a  new  heart,  to  sprinkle  clean 
 water  upon  them.  I  ask  again,  66  Did  ever  our  Lord, 
 or  any  of  his  inspired  servants,  find  out  this  mystery? 
 yet  the  senior  writer  of  the  Calvinists,  the  Rev.  Thomas 
 Scott,  Rector  of  Aston  Sandford,  through  a  vast  book 
 of  twelve  hundred  pages,  maintains  this  doctrine;  and 
 makes  the  25th,  26th,  and  27th  verses  of  this  divinely, 
 inspired  chapter,  the  foundation,  or  main  pillar,  of  its 
 support.  It  would  appear  more  strange  still,  if  we 
 should  prove  that  Mr.  Scott  knew  he  was  putting  a 
 sense  upon  these  texts,  which  he  acknowledges  was  not 
 ({  primarily  intended.”  Having  borrowed  his  Com¬ 
 mentary  for  the  purpose,  subsequent  to  making  the 
 above  remarks,  to  my  utter  amazement,  I  find  him,  at 
 the  close  of  his  notes  on  the  25th,  26th,  and  27th 
 verses,  saying,  c<  But  of  whom  was  this  spoken  ? 
 Doubtless,  many  of  the  Jews  who  returned  from  Ba¬ 
 bylon,  were  thus  renewed  and  sanctified;  yet  numbers 
 of  them  seem  to  have  continued  strangers  to  these 
 special  blessings,  though  cured  of  their  idolatry.  These 
 promises,  indeed,  are  pleaded  by,  and  fulfilled  to,  all 
 true  believers,  in  every  age;  and  this  may  be  called  the 
 spiritual  meaning.  But  the  context  speaks  so  expressly 
 and  repeatedly,  of  the  house  of  Israel  being  restored 
 to  the  land  that  the  Lord  had  given  to  their  fathers, 
 that,  in  the  prophetic  meaning,  I  apprehend,  it  greatly 
 confirms  the  opinion  of  those,  who  suppose  that,  after 
 the  Jews  shall  be  converted  to  Christ,  they  shall  also 
 be  restored  to  their  own  land.  Thus  these  promises 
 will  be  fulfilled  unto  them  in  their  fullest  meaning; 
 and  the  rest  of  the  prophecy  shall  be  accomplished,  in 
 tbe  literal  meaning  of  the  words,  in  the  sight  of  all  the 
 cations:  and  probably  the  Jew  s  are  reserved  a  distinct 
 
0 
 
 people,  on  purpose  to  make  way  for  this  great  display 
 of  the  Lord’s  power  and  truth  ;  and  that  to  demonstrate, 
 to  all  the  world,  the  divine  original  of  the  Scriptures.” 
 So  that  whatever  may  have  been  called  the  spiritual 
 meaning ,  and  however  pleaded  by  Gentiles,  Mr.  Scott, 
 the  commentator,  has  proved  this  is  spiritual  nonsense: 
 this  is  not  the  intention  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  these 
 sacred  passages.  That  the  context  so  expressly  and 
 repeatedly  speaks  of  the  restoration  of  the  house  of 
 Israel  to  their  own  land;  that  in  the  happy  event  of 
 their  conversion  to  Christ,  God  will  shewr  to  all  nations 
 the  divine  original  of  the  Scriptures,  in  the  literal 
 fulfilment  of  these  promises. 
 
 Thus,  however  awkwardly  Mr.  Scott  has,  in  his 
 commentary  on  this  subject,  expressed  himself ;  he 
 clearly  proves,  the  promises  here  were  made  to,  and 
 only  to  Jews,  and  not  to  or  of  Gentiles. 
 
 We  have,  therefore,  by  the  help  of  his  own  hand, 
 removed  the  first  pillar  from  under  the  Calvinistic 
 fabric.  O  party  zeal  for  a  favourite  doctrine,  what  art 
 not  thou  capable  of  doing  !  What  pity  that  a  God¬ 
 fearing  man,  (for  such  we  must  hope  and  believe  Mr. 
 Scott  is,)  should,  for  the  defence  of  Calvinism,  repeat¬ 
 edly  apply  sacred  texts,  to  a  sense  he,  as  a  commentator, 
 „knew  and  acknowledges  wras  not  the  literal,  prophetic 
 meaning  of  those  texts  !  When  I  consider  his  age,  and 
 character  in  the  religious  part  of  this  nation,  and  see 
 him  makiug  use  of  these,  and  many  more  passages  of 
 Scripture,  in  such  a  manner,  and  for  such  a  purpose, 
 my  heart  is  pained  within  me.  We  must,  however,  if 
 possible,  remove  men’s  prejudices  against  the  plain, 
 godly-inspired  letter  of  the  Scriptures. 
 
 The  next  passage  Mr.  Scott  produces,  for  the  purpose 
 of  strengthening  the  above  pillar,  is  Jer.  xxxi.  31—33. 
 We  before  just  noticed,  he  quoted  it  as  transcribed,  or 
 illustrated,  by  Paul,  Heb.  viii.  10.  It  is  to  be  ob¬ 
 served,  these,  like  those  by  Ezekiel,  chap,  xxxvi.  were 
 promises  made  unto  the  house  of  Israel ;  and  St.  Paul, 
 
 an  Hebrew  of  the  Hebrews,  writing  to  his  countrymen, 
 
 # 
 
x  10 
 
 applies  them  to  the  Hebrews,  and  to  them  only:  yet 
 Mr.  Scott  quotes  them,  to  prove  there  are  elect  Gen¬ 
 tiles  among  us.  That  to  them  God  has  bound  himself, 
 by  these  promises,  to  put  his  laws  in  their  inward  parts, 
 to  write  them  upon  their  hearts,  and  to  remember  their 
 sins  and  iniquities  no  more.  That  it  is  only  these  to 
 whom  God  gives  special  grace,  or  ever  designed  to  do. 
 That  he,  for  reasons  not  revealed,  withholdeth  saving 
 grace  from  all  the  rest.*  That  all,  to  whom  God  had 
 bound  himself  by -this  covenant  and  these  promises,  he 
 gives  a  new  heart  unto;  sprinkles  clean  water  upon 
 them  that  receive  this  new  heart:  and  so  are  regene¬ 
 rated  by  the  same  powrer  by  which  God  made  the  world. 
 
 The  manner  in  which  Mr.  Scott  introduces  the  pas¬ 
 sage  is  plausible  enough,  and  is  as  follows:  u  How 
 comes  it,”  says  he,  u  that  they  whose  mind  was  enmity 
 against  God,  and  could  not  be  subject  to  his  laws,  now 
 love  him?  He  hath  fulfilled  his  promise  in  their  case. 
 
 4  I  will  put  my  laws  into  their  mind,  and  write  them 
 in  their  hearts,  even  these  two  great  commandments : 
 Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart, 
 and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind,  and  with 
 all  thy  strength  ;  and,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour 
 as  thyself’  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  and  write 
 these  thy  laws  upon  our  hearts,  we  beseech  thee,  and 
 incline  our  hearts  to  keep  them.  This  view  unre¬ 
 servedly  ascribes  all  the  glory  to  God,  and  effectually 
 excludes  boasting.”  So  we  see,  if  Mr.  Scott  does  make 
 a  bad  use  of  the  Scriptures,  and  apply  them  to  a  purpose 
 God  never  did,  he  does  it  with  a  good  intention  :  it  is 
 to  secure  to  God  all  the  glory,  and  to  exclude  from 
 
 *  Query,  Would  it  not  have  been  well  for  the  non-elect,  if 
 Calvin’s  God  would  have  been  so  kind  as  to  have  kept  all  the 
 grace  to  himself?  For  if  the  grace  they  receive  cannot  in 
 salvation,  and  God  knows  it  must  end  in  damnation  ;  if  he  never 
 designed  it  should  end  in  salvation,  it  may  properly  be  called 
 damning  grace,  and  happy  is  that  soul  that  is  most  clear  of  it. 
 Let  the  reader,  however,  carefully  remembei,  “  the  grace  of  God 
 that  bringeth  salvation  to  all  men  hath  appeared.” 
 
 3 
 
11 
 
 sinful  men  all  boasting.  Indeed,  if  Mr.  Scott’s  doc¬ 
 trines  were  true,  the  greatest  part  of  them  will  have 
 very  little  to  boast  of  in  another  world.  They  will 
 not  boast  in  themselves,  and  sure  they  will  have  but 
 little  need  to  boast  in  God. 
 
 What  makes  the  matter  look  better  still,  Mr.  Scott 
 mixes  some  prayers  with  his  good  endeavours.  All 
 men,  I  know,  have  not  exactly  the  same  feelings;  but 
 the  author  of  these  pages  has  taken  notice,  for  near  forty 
 years,  if  he  did  wrong,  even  if  he  gave  way  to  it  in 
 thought,  it  had  always  an  amazing  tendency  to  hinder 
 his  prayers.  But  Mr.  Scott  can  do  wrong,  can  put 
 a  sense  upon  certain  texts  which  he  knows  God  never 
 put,  either  in  the  Old  or  New  Testament,  and  yet  go 
 on  with  his  prayers  regular  as  the  clock. 
 
 We  now  turn  to  St.  Paul,  and  see  how  he  quotes 
 Jeremiah,  and  whether  he  applies  the  above  promise 
 to  Gentiles,  or  exclusively,  by  name,  to  the  people  to 
 whom  they  were  made.  Behold,  the  days  come,  saith 
 the  Lord,  when  t  will  make  a  new  covenant  with  the 
 house  of  Israel,  and  with  the  house  of  Judah:  not 
 according  to  the  covenant  that  I  made  with  their  fathers* 
 in  the  day  when  I  took  them  by  the  hand  to  lead  them 
 out  of  the  land  of  Egypt;  because  they  continued  not 
 in  my  covenant,  and  I  regarded  them  not,  saith  the 
 Lord.  For  this  is  the  covenant  that  I  will  make  with 
 the  house  of  Israel  after  those  days,  saith  the  Lord; 
 I  will  put  my  laws  into  their  mind,  and  write  them  on 
 their  hearts;  and  I  will  be  to  them  a  God,  and  they 
 shall  be  to  me  a  people,”  Heb.  viii.  8 — 10,  and 
 x.  16,  17.  Now  as  in  both  these  passages  the  apostle 
 so  expressly,  by  name,  applies  these  promises  to  the 
 house  of  Israel,  the  house  of  Judah,  just  as  the 
 Holy  Ghost  spake  them ;  and  as  they  are  no  where  in 
 the  New  Testament  applied  to  any  other  people,  who 
 is  it  who  now  will  dare  to  say,  they  were  made  to 
 Gentiles,  and  so  applies  them  to  Gentiles?  Heaven 
 and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  God’s  word  shall  not 
 pass  away.  This  word  is  good  for  instruction,  for 
 
 B 
 
12 
 
 reproof,  for  correction,  for  doctrine.  Every  divine, 
 ought  to  build  all  his  doctrines  upon  it ;  but,  O,  let 
 him  take  heed,  how  and  what  doctrines  he  builds  there¬ 
 upon. 
 
 For  the  same  awful  purpose,  that  of  making  people 
 believe,  none  ever  pray  truly  and  acceptably  unto  God, 
 but  such  as  the  above  special  favourites,  Mr.  Scott 
 brings  another  text,  Zech.  xii.  10,  11,  and  in  answer 
 to  his  lordship  the  bishop,  who,  after  our  Lord,  had 
 been  urging  people  to  pray,  says,  44  The  duty  and 
 necessity  of  prayer,  as  well  as  exertion,  are  undeniable; 
 but  the  Lord  teaches  us  to  give  the  honour  to  him,  even 
 for  a  heart  and  disposition  to  pray:  4  I  will  pour  out 
 upon  the  house  of  David,  and  upon  the  inhabitants  of 
 Jerusalem,  the  spirit  of  grace  and  supplication.’  ”  I 
 need  not  comment  here.  The  promise,  as  here  quoted 
 by  Mr.  Scott,  is  so  expressly  made,  by  name,  to  the 
 house  of  David,  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  that 
 it  is  impossible  any  man  can  make  a  mistake,  but  he 
 does  it  wilfully.  Mr.  Scott,  the  commentator,  expressly 
 applies  this  promise  to  the  house  of  David,  the  inha¬ 
 bitants  of  Jerusalem.  But  though,  as  a  commentator, 
 he  applies  it  to  the  Jews ;  as  a  controversialist,  he 
 applies  it  to  another  purpose,  namely,  to  prove  elect 
 Gentiles.  But,  it  seems,  all  this  too  is  to  secure  to  God 
 all  the  honour.  Aye,  sure,  the  Lord,  not  man,  must 
 have  all  the  honour  of  every  good  disposition.  Yes, 
 and  so  he  ought,  and  so  he  shall.  But,  O,  let  us  not 
 pervert  the  Scriptures  for  his  honour  !  Do  not  let  us 
 think  this  can  either  terminate  in  our  peace  or  his  glory  ! 
 Let  every  thing  that  hath  breath  praise  the  Lord;  and 
 while  the  innocent  inhabitants  of  the  highest  heavens 
 cease  not  day  and  night  to  cry  out,  44  Holy,  holy,  holy, 
 is  the  Lord  of  hosts:  heaven  and  earth  is  full  of  his 
 glory;”  the  meanest  of  the  human  race,  falling  down 
 at  his  feet,  shall  weep  away  his  sorrows,  and  silently 
 adore  him  too.  Yes,  yes,  dreadfully  as  Mr.  Scott 
 seems  alarmed  lest  the  opposers  of  Calvinism  should 
 not  give  to  God  all  the  glory,  the  Searcher  of  hearts 
 
13 
 
 knows,  if  one  may  speak  for  all,  we  only  oppose  Cal¬ 
 vinism,  because  it  reflects  such  dishonour  upon  God, 
 is  a  flat  denial  of  his  written  word,  brings  thousands 
 of  its  friends  into  settled  despair,  and  is  calculated  to 
 fix  despair  everlasting,  on  the  minds  of  the  greatest  part 
 of  the  human  race. 
 
 We  cannot  think  that  false  doctrines  can  promote 
 God’s  glory ;  and  though,  at  the  turn  of  every  straw, 
 we  would  not  cast  out  our  brethren,  who  follow  not 
 with  us,  with  the  reproachful  names,  44  Blind  guides, 
 dumb  dogs,  carnal  ministers,  unenlightened  men,” 
 while  we  insult  the  nation  with,  44  Let  the  Lord  be 
 magnified  :  ”  for  ought  Mr.  Scott  can  tell,  the  happiness 
 and  souls  of  men  are  as  dear  to  us,  the  honour  of  God 
 lies  as  near  our  hearts,  we  are  as  deeply  concerned 
 44  to  set  forth  his  most  worthy  praise,”  to  encourage 
 men  to  hear  his  most  holy  word,  and  to  keep  his  com¬ 
 mandments,  as  ever  Mr.  Scott  or  any  of  his  party  were* 
 For  ought  he  knows,  we  devoutly,  as  deeply  penetrated 
 with  sorrow,  look  on  him  we  have  pierced,  and  mourn 
 for  him  as  sincerely  as  ever  Calvinist  on  earth  did.  It 
 is  God,  and  not  man,  that  is  to  be  judge  in  this  matter* 
 
 We  read,  from  the  mouth  of  our  Divine  Master,  that 
 44  he  would  give  his  flesh  for  the  life  of  the  world:” 
 from  the  pen  of  his  servant  Paul,  44  He  tasted  death 
 for  every  man :  ”  from  the  pen  of  Peter  the  aged, 
 44  that  he  would  not  that  any  should  perish,  but  that 
 all  should  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  from 
 both,  that  he  would  have  all  men  to  be  saved.  And 
 we  think  it  strange  we  cannot  profess  heartily  to  believe 
 these  divine  truths,  but  by  all  Calvinists  our  names  are 
 cast  out  as  evil ;  and  we  are  sent  into  the  world  with 
 that  frightful  badge  on  our  backs,  44  Workers,” 
 44  Freewillers,”  44  Legalists,”  44  Deniers  of  God’s  so¬ 
 vereignty,”  44  Deniers  of  Christ’s  righteousness,”  &c, 
 &c. 
 
 •  Many  of  the  Calvinists  have  been  good  men;  many 
 of  them  are  this  day  good  and  holy  people  :  with  them, 
 when  my  days  on  earth  are  numbered.  I  hope  too  to 
 
 B  2 
 
14 
 
 spend  a  happy  eternity,  in  the  presence  of  their  Lord 
 and  ours,  our  Prophet,  our  Priest,  and  our  King.” 
 But  their  writers  have  awfully  departed  from  the  sim¬ 
 plicity,  the  plain  truths  of  the  Gospel.  •  They  have 
 laboured  hard,  and  written  hundreds  of  volumes,  to 
 explain  what  they  say  u  God  has  been  pleased  not  to 
 reveal.”  These  are  broad  hints:  God’s  revelation  is 
 not  complete,  not  perfect.  They  have  made  mysteries, 
 awful,  profound,  frightful  mysteries,  where  God  has 
 made  things  so  plain,  a  child  can  understand  them. 
 They  are  leading  men,  particularly  young  awakened 
 clergymen,  after  them  as  fast  as  possible.  It  is  high 
 time,  that  those  who  can  handle  the  word  of  life,  who 
 dare  think  for  themselves,  who  dare  search  the  Oracles 
 Divine  without  any  other  guide  than  he  who  indited 
 the  Scriptures,  should  call  them  back  to  the  plain  reve¬ 
 lation  of  God.  O  Lord,  by  thy  good  Spirit,  in  mercy 
 assist  us  in  this  important  work. 
 
 We  shall  now,  by  quoting  a  noted  commentator,  as 
 before  hinted,  shew  that  Mr.  Scott  once  believed  those 
 promises  in  Zech.  xii.  were  not  made  to  Gentiles,  but  to 
 Jews.  On  the  controverted  passage,  he  says,  66  These 
 verses  further  confirm  the  supposition,  that  the  grand 
 accomplishment  of  the  prophecy  is  yet  future;  and  that 
 it  relates  to  the  times  when  the  Jews  shall  be  converted, 
 and  restored  to  their  own  land.”  And  on  ver.  10,  11, 
 he  says,  u  Their  ancestors  caused  Christ  to  be  nailed 
 to  the  cross,  and  pierced  by  the  soldier’s  spear,  as  they 
 employed  the  Romans  to  execute  their  sentence,  and 
 exclaimed,  4  His  blood  be  on  us  and  on  our  children;’ 
 and  their  posterity  have  ever  since  been  consenting 
 unto  this  deed  by  their  obdurate  unbelief.  But  at  the 
 predicted  period  they  will  know  who  this  crucified 
 Jesus  was,  and  then  they  shall  by  faith  look  to  him, 
 and  mourn  over  him  as  pierced  and  slain  by  them : 
 this  reflection  will  melt  their  hearts  into  extreme  sorrow^ 
 and  compunction  ;  they  will  repent  of  their  national 
 sins,  and  of  all  their  personal  transgressions,  as  men 
 are  used  bitterly  to  lament  the  death  of  an  only  or 
 
15 
 
 first-begotten  son  ;  for  they  will  perceive  that  they  had 
 wickedly  slain  the  hope  and  glory  of  their-  nation.’* 
 Thus  we  see  what  was  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Scott,  the 
 commentator,  upon  this  blessed  portion  of  Holy  Scrip¬ 
 ture  ;  and  thus,  by  help  of  his  own  pen,  we  have  com¬ 
 pletely  removed  his  corner-stone,  or  the  main  pillar  of 
 his  fabric;  and  proved  that,  as  a  controvertist,  he 
 has  made  use  of  texts  of  Scripture,  and  applied  them 
 to  a  sense  God  did  not  design,  and,  as  a  commentator, 
 he  has  proved  was  not  the  sense  of  those  texts.  That 
 they  were  written  concerning  the  conversion  and  resto¬ 
 ration  of  the  Jews;  but  are  made  use  of,  for  want  of 
 better  proof,  for  the  purpose  of  shewing  the  personal 
 election  of  Gentiles. 
 
 We  shall  now  come  to  Mr.  Scott’s  second  pillar, 
 fixed  upon  Ephes.  i.  3 — 12.  We  shall  endeavour  to 
 find  out  of  whom  St.  Paul  speaks  here,  whether  of 
 himself  and  brother  apostles,  or  of  himself  and  brethren 
 the  Ephesian  believers,  and  of  all  believers  in  every 
 subsequent  age  of  the  church.  The  latter  has  been 
 too,  too  long  the  opinion  of  both  Calvinists  and  Armi- 
 iiians ;  and  that  with  no  other  reason,  than  because 
 other  learned  men,  since  the  Reformation,  had  believed 
 so  before  them.  The  epistle  thus  begins:  u  Paul,  an 
 apostle  of  Jesus  Christ  by  the  will  of  God,  to  the  saints 
 which  are  at  Ephesus,  and  to  the  faithful  in  Christ 
 Jesus.  Grace  to  you,  and  peace  from  God  our  Father, 
 and  from  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Blessed  be  the  God 
 and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath  blessed 
 us  with  all  spiritual  blessings  in  heavenly  places  in 
 Christ:  according  as  he  hath  chosen  us  in  him  before 
 the  foundation  of  the  world,  that  we  should  be  holy, 
 and  without  blame  before  him  in  love:  having  pre¬ 
 destinated  us  unto  the  adoption  of  children  by  Jesus 
 Christ,  to  himself,  according  to  the  good  pleasure  of 
 his  will,  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace,  wherein 
 he  hath  made  us  accepted  in  the  beloved  :  In  whom  we 
 have  redemption  through  his  blood,  the  forgiveness  of 
 sins,  according  to  the  riches  of  his  grace;  wherein  he 
 
 B  3 
 
hath  abounded  towards  us  in  all  wisdom  and  prudence. 
 Haying  made  known  unto  us  the  mystery  of  his  will, 
 according  to  his  good  pleasure,  which  he  hath  purposed 
 iin  himself:  that  in  the  dispensation  of  the  fulness  of 
 limes,  he  might  gather  together  in  one  all  things  in 
 Christ,  both  which  are  in  heaven,  and  which  are  on 
 earth,  even  in  him  :  In  whom  also  we  have  obtained 
 an  inheritance,  being  predestinated  according  to  the 
 purpose  of  him  who  worketh  all  things  after  the 
 counsel  of  his  own  will :  that  we  should  be  to  the 
 praise  of  his  glory,  who  first  trusted  in  Christ.  In 
 whom  ye  also  trusted ,  after  that  ye  heard  the  word  of 
 truth,  the  Gospel  of  your  salvation:  In  whom,  after 
 that  ye  believed,  ye  were  sealed  with  that  Holy  Spirit 
 of  promise,  which  is  the  earnest  of  our  inheritance,’7 
 &c.  ver.  1 — 14.*  Nothing  is  more  clear,  than  that 
 there  are  tw  o  bodies  of  people  here  spoken  of.  That 
 the  one  people  first  trusted  in  Christ ;  the  other  trusted 
 in  him  afrerwards.  Of  those  who  first  trusted  in  Christ 
 we  are  told,  they  trusted  in  him,  according  as  God 
 bad  chosen  them  in  Christ  Jesus,  before  the  foundation 
 of  the  w  orld.  That  to  them  he  abounded  in  all  wisdom 
 and  prudence.  That  he  made  known  unto  them  the 
 mystery  of  his  will,  according  to  his  good  pleasure. 
 That  by  them  he  might  gather  together  all  things  in 
 Christ.  Then  the  question  is,  Who  did  first  trust  in 
 Christ?  Did  the  Ephesians  ?  No:  they  did  not  trust 
 in  Christ  until  they  heard  the  word  of  truth  afterwards. 
 Who  did  they  hear  the  word  of  truth  from  ?  From 
 those  who  first  trusted  in  Christ,  being  predestinated. 
 Then  who  could  they  be  to  whom  it  was  given  to  know 
 the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom?  It  was  the  apostles: 
 it  was  them  only.  To  whom  could  it  be  said,  6t  Flesh 
 and  blood  hath  not  revealed  this  unto  you,  but  my 
 Father  which  is  in  heaven?”  Apostles.  By  whom 
 
 *  Notwithstanding  this  has  been  spoken  to  already,  in  the 
 preface,  and  will  be  again  in  a  subsequent  page;  to  do  it  justice 
 it  is  necessary  in  each  place  to  go  through  the  whole  passage  ' 
 
did  God  intend  to  gather  together  all  things  in  Christ? 
 Apostles.  To  whom  did  he,  for  this  very  purpose, 
 abound  in  all  wisdom  ?  Apostles.  Then  it  was  the 
 apostles  that  first  trusted  in  Christ,  being  predestinated. 
 It  was  they,  and  only  they,  of  Avhom  Paul,  an  apostle, 
 speaks,  as  trusting  in  Christ,  being  predestinated.  He, 
 though  as  one  born  out  of  due  time,  was  not  behind 
 the  chiefest  of  the  apostles.  A  dispensation  of  the 
 grace  of  God  was  delivered  unto  him — toward  the 
 Ephesians — God  did  make  known  unto  him  the  mys« 
 tery  by  revelation  ;  so  that  under  the  spirit  of  Christ, 
 Paul  could,  as  from  the  apostolic  body,  write  with  as 
 much  assurance  to  the  Ephesians,  or  to  any  of  the 
 churches,  as  Moses,  the  man  of  God,  could  write  to 
 and  for  the  house  of  Israel.  And  having  shewn  the 
 Ephesians  what  blessings  accrued  to  them  through 
 Christ,  by  the  apostle’s  preaching  to  them,  chap.  iii. 
 he  resumes  his  subject,  and  shews  whose  authority  he 
 hath,  and  more  fully  explains  for  what  this  divine 
 mystery  was  revealed  to  the  apostles.  It  was,  that  we 
 poor  Gentiles  might  be  gathered  in,  and  with  them  be 
 partakers  of  heavenly  blessings.  44  If  ye  have  heard 
 of  the  dispensation  of  the  grace  of  God,  which  is  given 
 to  me  to  youward,”  says  he,  44  how  that  by  revelation 
 he  made  known  unto  me  the  mystery,  (as  I  wrote 
 afore  *  in  a  few  words,  whereby  when  ye  read  ye  may 
 understand  my  knowledge  in  the  mystery  of  Christ,) 
 which  in  other  ages  was  not  made  known  unto  the  sons 
 of  men,  as  it  is  now  revealed  unto  his  holy  apostles  and 
 prophets  by  the  Spirit;  that  the  Gentiles  should  be 
 fellow-heirs  and  of  the  same  body,  and  partakers  of 
 his  promise  in  Christ  by  the  Gospel :  Whereof  I  was 
 made  a  minister,  according  to  the  gift  of  the  grace  of 
 God,  given  unto  me  by  the  effectual  working  of  his 
 power,”  ver.  1 — 7.  These  holy  apostles  and  prophets, 
 therefore,  were  the  predestinated  of  God,  of  whom 
 Paul,  as  one  of  them,  speaks;  and  it  was  they  only  of 
 
 *  Chap,  i, 
 
 B  4 
 
18 
 
 ■whom  he  speaks  in  this  epistle  as  being  predestinated 
 It  was  not  the  Ephesians;  it  is  nonsense  to  apply  this 
 predestination  to  them.  They,  after  having  heard  the 
 Gospel  from  these,  who  first  trusted  in  Christ,  being 
 predestinated,  believed :  and  after  they  believed,  they 
 also  were  sealed  with  that  same  Holy  Spirit  of  promise 
 which  was  the  apostles’  inheritance;  so  that  he  who 
 notices  the  falling  sparrow,  made  these,  who  were 
 lately  aliens  and  strangers,  as  sure  of  salvation,  if  they 
 continued  in  his  love,  as  were  the  predestinated  who 
 first  trusted  in  Christ,  and  sure  this  was  enough  for 
 them.  Yes,  enough  to  sing  praises  for  in  heaven,  to 
 God  and  the  Lamb  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen. 
 
 This  matter  is  so  plain,  that  a  child  in  religion, 
 reading  the  epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  would  understand 
 the  predestinated  there  to  be  the  apostles  who  first 
 trusted  in  Christ,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  darkness  in 
 which  explainers  and  commentators  have  involved  it. 
 Nor  is  there  a  Calvinist  commentator  this  day  on  earth, 
 endued  with  a  good  share  of  common  sense,  looking 
 over  his  works  again,  and  seeing  he  had  endeavoured 
 to  make  the  Ephesians  the  predestinated  of  God  who 
 first  trusted  in  Christ,  duly  examining  the  first,  com¬ 
 paring  it  with  the  third  and  fourth  chapters,  but  would 
 blush ;  would  be  confounded  to  see  what  nonsense, 
 what  useless  nonsense  he  had  published  to  the  world, 
 as  coming  from  the  pen  of  an  inspired  apostle. 
 
 If  I  had  not  the  book  before  me,  I  could  scarce  have 
 believed  that  any  man  of  common  sense  could,  in 
 paraphrasing  upon  the  3d  verse  of  this  blessed  chapter, 
 personating  the  apostle,  have  said,  u  Praised  be  the 
 God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who,  not 
 confining  his  favours  to  the  Jews,  hath  blessed  us  Gen¬ 
 tiles  also  with  every  spiritual  gift  in  the  church  of 
 God.”  Is  it  possible  that  commentators  can  think, 
 that  an  Hebrew  of  the  Hebrews,  of  the  seed  of 
 Abraham,  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,’’  could  say, 
 Praised  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ,  who  hath  blessed  ns  Gentiles  also  ?  O,  what 
 
19 
 
 nonsense  has  error  led  good  men  to  be  guilty  off 
 Besides,  it  does  not  appear  that  the  Gentiles  were 
 blessed  with  every  spiritual  gift  in  heavenly  things  in 
 Christ  Jesus  ;  it  does  not  appear  that  these  Ephesians 
 abounded  in  all  wisdom :  they  were  not  endued  with, 
 apostolic  blessings:  no,  the  Head  of  the  church,  when, 
 he  ascended  on  high  that  he  might  fill  all  things,  gave 
 some  apostles,  and  some  prophets,  and  some  evangelists, 
 and  some  pastors,  and  some  teachers,  for  the  perfecting 
 of  the  saints,  for  the  wrork  of  the  ministry,  for  the 
 edifying  of  the  body  of  Christ,”  chap.  iv.  But  it  does 
 not  appear  that  he  also  gave  some  Ephesians,  and  some 
 Romans,  and  some  Colossians,  and  some  Corinthians, 
 for  this  work  whereunto  he  had  appointed  them ;  no, 
 this  was  a  work  appointed  to  others,  and  others  were 
 wisely  predestinated  unto  it.  It  is  true,  such  is  his 
 goodness,  in  a  sense,  the  only  sense  of  lasting  import¬ 
 ance  to  us,  God  made  no  difference  between  those  who 
 afterwards  heard  the  word  of  truth,  and  those  who 
 heard  it  and  preached' it  from  the  beginning.  Hear 
 what  an  inspired,  a  predestinated  apostle,  says  about 
 this,  when  his  brethren  called  him  to  account  for 
 preaching  free  salvation  to  the  non-elect,  those  not 
 predestinated.  It  is  to  be  observed,  he  had,  by  the 
 direction  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  preached  Christ  to  an 
 honest  heathen,  to  pious  heathen  people.  He  says  of 
 Christ,  <c  Him  God  raised  up  the  third  day,  and  shewed 
 him  openly ;  not  to  all  the  people,  but  unto  witnesses 
 chosen  before  of  God,  even  to  us,  who  did  eat  and 
 drink  with  him  after  he  rose  from  the  dead.”  Now 
 says  Peter,  u  And  as  I  began  to  speak,  the  Holy 
 Ghost  fell  on  them,  as  on  us  at  the  beginning,”  Acts 
 x.  40,  41,  and  xi.  11.  In  this  respect,  therefore^ 
 there  is  no  ditfeaence  between  the  Jew  and  the 
 Greek,  but  the  same  Lord  over  all  is  rich  unto  all  them 
 who  call  upon  him.”  To  make  this  truth  known  to 
 all  nations,  God’s  elect,  his  first-born,  him  in  whom  his 
 soul  delighted,  was  sent  from  heaven.  To  make  all 
 men  see  into  this  mystery,  prophets,  evangelists,  aud 
 
20 
 
 apostles  were  predestinated,  chosen  before  of  God,  and 
 sent  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature  which  is 
 under  heaven.  But  were  tc  all  the  people  ”  that  believed 
 on  him  thus  before  chosen  ?  No  :  not  the  least  distant 
 intimation  of  it  in  the  Bible. 
 
 Paul  had  an  important  point  to  gain,  or  establish  in 
 the  minds  of  the  Ephesians,  the  Romans,  the  Galatians, 
 &c.  He  was  not  one  of  the  twelve  called  at  first  to 
 the  apostleship  ;  nor  was  he  one  of  those  appointed  by 
 the  apostles  to  fill  the  place  from  which  Judas  by 
 transgression  fell;  though  it  seems  he  was  the  person 
 God  had  appointed  to  fill  up  that  sacred  office.  The 
 apostles,  therefore,  were  too  forward  in  their  appoint¬ 
 ments.  The  doing  good  to  these  churches,  and  to  all 
 subsequent  believers  by  his  writings,  depended  upon 
 his  satisfactorily  proving  to  them,  that  he,  though  as 
 one  born  out  of  due  time,  was  as  much  predestinated 
 and  before  appointed  of  God  to  be  an  apostle,  as  were 
 they  who  were  apostles  before  him.  That  the  blessings 
 attendant  upon  the  reading  of  his  epistles,  depended 
 entirely  upon  this.  (And,  O  what  blessings  have  not 
 attended  the  reading  of  this  holy  man’s  epistles !)  That 
 HMhis  to  them  was  left  doubtful,  he  wrote  in  vain ;  but 
 if  he  convinced  them,  he  was  one  predestinated  of 
 God,  chosen  to  be  an  apostle,  separated  unto  the 
 Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ :  he  knew  they  w  ould  receive 
 his  epistles  as  they  did  the  other  Scriptures — able  to 
 make  them  wise  unto  salvation.  And  this  is  what  he 
 so  carefully  asserts  in  the  beginning  of  all  his  epistles, 
 particularly  in  that  to  the  Romans,  also  to  the  Ephe¬ 
 sians,  and  to  the  Galatians.  In  this  he  magnifies  his 
 office.  But  to  make  the  Romans,  the  Galatians,  or 
 the  Ephesians  the  predestinated  of  God  also,  was 
 foreign  to  the  apostle’s  intention,  or  God’s  purpose. 
 
 Some,  willing  to  know  the  truth,  may  ask,  u  Why 
 does  Paul  speak  in  the  singular  number  in  the  begin¬ 
 ning  of  this  epistle,  6  Paul  an  apostle,’  if  he  means  to 
 include  the  rest  of  the  apostles?  and  why  does  he  not 
 jay,  6  Paul  and  Peter,  James  and  John,  apostles  of 
 
 / 
 
21 
 
 Jesus  Christ,  to  the  saints  which  are  at  Ephesus  ? ’ 
 To  this  I  answer,  Because  Peter,  James,  and  John 
 were  not  with  him  in  prison  at  Rome  when  he  wrote 
 this  epistle  ;  and  he  having  the  Spirit  of  God  to  unfold 
 the  mysteries  of  redemption  and  salvation,  the  epistle 
 was  as  much  apostolic  as  though  the  whole  body  of 
 them  had  been  together  in  one  place,  consulting  and 
 dictating  the  writing  of  it;  for  God  was  the  dictator,, 
 Nor  is  this  the  only  epistle  in  which  the  same  mode  is 
 adopted.  That  divinely-inspired,  that  useful  letter, 
 the  epistle  to  the  Romans,  begins  thus :  a  Paul,  a 
 servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  called  to  be  an  apostle,  sepa¬ 
 rated  unto  the  Gospel  of  God,  (which  he  had  promised 
 afore  by  his  prophets  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,)  con¬ 
 cerning  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  which  was  made  of  the 
 seed  of  David  according  to  the  flesh,  and  declared  to 
 be  the  Son  of  God  with  power,  according  to  the  Spirit 
 of  holiness,  by  the  resurrection  from  the  dead  :  By 
 whom  we  have  received  grace  and  apostleship,  for  obe« 
 dience  to  the  faith,  among  all  nations  for  his  name  % 
 among  whom  are  ye  also,  the  called  of  Jesus  Christa 
 To  all  that  be  in  Rome,  beloved  of  God,  called  to  be 
 saints,”  &c.  Now  here  it  will  not  be  denied,  by  the 
 term  we ,  Paul  means,  the  apostles  of  our  Lord  Jesus; 
 while  he  only  introduces  them  by  saying,  u  Paul,  k 
 servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  called  to  be  an  apostle,”  &cl 
 Then  as  here,  the  we  means  the  apostles,  and  the  yv 
 also ,  means  all  that  were  in  Rome,  beloved  of  Godj, 
 called  to  be  saints ;  so  in  the  epistle  to  the  Ephesians, 
 the  C(  we  who  first  trusted  in  Christ,  being  predesi 
 tinated,”  means  the  holy  apostles  called  to  the  work 
 whereunto  God  had  appointed  them,  and  the  u  ye  who 
 afterwards  believed,”  means  the  Ephesians.  The  one 
 were  predestinated  to  the  adoption  of  sons,  that  God 
 might  gather  together  by  them  all  things  in  ChrisL 
 The  other  were  not  predestinated,  but  afterwards  heard 
 the  word  of  truth  from  therd  who  were;  and  to  den^- 
 this,  is  to'  deny  as- plain  a  truth  as  any  is’  in  the 
 
-fr 
 
 22 
 
 and  to  make  mysteries  where  God  has  been  pleased  to 
 make  all  things  plain.  As  the  error  1  am  combating  is 
 of  so  long  standing,  and  deeply  rooted,  it  will  not  easily 
 be  given  up.  They  will  have  it,  that  the  we  here  means 
 you ,  and  they  may  just  as  well  attempt  to  prove  the 
 you  here  means  zie. 
 
 We  will  endeavour  to  illustrate  the  truths  contained 
 in  this  chapter.  Shrewsbury  is  an  ancient,  honourable 
 borough,  and  has  long  under  the  crown  enjoyed  great 
 privileges,  granted  by  the  king.  Aston  Sandford  is 
 a  place  of  no  repute,  scarce  noticed  in  the  history  of 
 England,  not  a  borough.  But  suppose  the  prince- 
 regent  is  determined  to  make  it  one,  and  grant  its 
 inhabitants  the  same  privileges  and  honours  that  the 
 inhabitants  of  Shrewsbury  enjoy.  The  mayor,  head 
 of  the  corporation  of  this  towrn,  in  the  name  of  all  the 
 aldermen,  being  appointed  by  the  prince  to  make  his 
 will  know  n  to  the  nation,  writes  a  letter  to  the  newly 
 created  burgesses  of  Aston  Sandford,  saying,  u  Peace, 
 honour,  and  prosperity  to  you  from  the  prince-regent. 
 Blessed  for  ever  be  the  memory  of  the  king,  who,  in 
 ages  that  are  past,  made  us  an  incorporated  people, 
 and  granted  to  us  peculiar  privileges,  according  as  he 
 hath  chosen  us  before  the  foundation  of  our  Guild-Hall 
 was  laid,  that  we  should  be  an  example  of  loyalty  to 
 the  nation,  according  to  the  good  pleasure  of  his  will, 
 wherein  he  hath  made  us  accepted  in  his  eldest  son ; 
 in  whom  he  hath  abounded  towards  us  in  the  knowledge 
 ©f  the  prerogative  of  his  crown,  and  blessings  of  his 
 government,  that  in  completing  the  happiness  of  all  his 
 subjects,  he  might  gather  them  together  in  one,  both 
 which  are  in  England,  and  in  Wales,  in  Ireland,  and 
 Scotland ;  in  whom  we  have  obtained  an  inheritance 
 called  Kingsland,  because  granted  by  him  who  hath 
 done  all  according  to  his  will ;  that  we  who  first  knew 
 his  goodness,  should  be  to  set  forth  his  praise.  In 
 whom  yd  also  trusted,  after  that  ye  heard  of  his  bene¬ 
 volence  ;  in  whom  also,  after  that  ye  confided  in  him* 
 
23 
 
 lie  took  you  into  favour,  and  ye  also  had  your  newly 
 bestowed  privileges  sealed  unto  you,  with  that  same 
 signet  wherewith  ours  also  was  sealed. 
 
 Now  who,  endued  with  common  sense,  does  not  see, 
 that  however  the  new  burgesses  of  Aston  Sandford  are 
 united  in  spirit  with  the  burgesses  of  Shrewsbury,  who 
 were  first  appointed  to  know  the  king’s  will  and  good 
 pleasure,  and  particularly  with  the  mayor  and  aldermen 
 their  leaders ;  yet  that  the  zee  who  send  greeting  to 
 their  brethren  of  Aston  Sandford,  are  not  the  ye  to 
 whom  the  greeting  is  sent :  that  the  zee  who  were 
 appointed  in  ages  that  are  past  to  be  his  majesty’s 
 favourite  servants,  and  to  make  known  his  will,  are 
 not,  cannot  be,  the  ye  who  lately  were  aliens  from  the 
 commonwealth  of  England,  but  are  now7  brought  nigh 
 by  the  prince,  the  eldest  son,  who  thinks  it  no  robbery 
 to  be  equal  to  his  father?  How7,  then,  is  it,  they  will 
 not  use  their  reason  when  they  hear  or  read  the  Scrip¬ 
 tures?  How  can  commentators  so  completely  give  up 
 their  senses  to  ancient  prejudices  and  opinions,  as  to 
 believe  the  zee ,  in  beginning  of  Paul’s  epistle  to  the 
 Ephesians,  who  first  trusted  in  Christ,  being  predes¬ 
 tinated,  are  the  ye  also  at  Ephesus  who  afterwards 
 believed  ? 
 
 Plain  as  the  Scriptures  appear  to  the  author  of  these 
 remarks,  (and  with  humility  and  gratitude  he  blesses 
 God  he  has  enjoyed  increasing  light  in  them  for  near 
 forty  years,)  there  is  not  a  chapter  in  the  Bible  appears 
 more  easy  to  be  understood  than  this  blessed  chapter, 
 the  first  to  the  Ephesians.  And  if  when  good  men  or 
 women,  instead  of  reading  Scott’s  Commentary,  or  any 
 other  commentary  upon  it  that  I  know  of,  would  read 
 Paul’s  own  commentary  upon  it  in  the  third  and  fourth 
 chapters  of  the  same  epistle,  they  would  see  the  whole 
 is  so  plain,  that  positively  a  child  is  capable  of  under¬ 
 standing  it  aright.  I  am  not  speaking  against  those 
 helps  to  devotion  found  in  some  commentaries:  I  be¬ 
 lieve  no  good  man  or  woman  can  in  their  closets  read 
 Matthew  Henry,  or  Mr,  Burkitt,  half  an  hour,  but  they 
 
 i 
 
24 
 
 finis t  be  better  for  it.  Much  less  am  I  speaking  against 
 wise,  impartial  Macknight,  Calvinist  as  he  was*  nor 
 against  u  Dr.  Adam  Clarke’s  Commentary,  and  Critical 
 Notes  on  the  Scriptures.”  These  will  be  lasting  bless¬ 
 ings  to  ages  yet  unborn  ;  because  the  writers  thought 
 before  they  wrote,  and  thought  very  deeply,  very 
 seriously,  while  they  wrote  upon  the  mind  and  will  of 
 God.  But  it  is  Bible-mendei's  I  am  combating.  The 
 Scriptures  are  complete.  The  word  of  the  Lord  is 
 perfect,  and  he  has  done  a  bad  work  that  has  attempted 
 to  mend  them. 
 
 As  the  author  ventured  to  say,  in  u  Force  of  re¬ 
 vealed  Truth  over  long-triumphant  Error,”  in  para¬ 
 phrasing  upon  the  eighth  and  ninth  chapters  of  the 
 epistle  to  the  Romans,  u  The  best  exposition  upon 
 these  chapters  I  ever  read,  is  the  tenth  and  eleventh 
 chapters  of  the  same  epistle so  here,  the  best  expo¬ 
 sition  of  the  first  chapter  of  the  epistle  to  the  Ephesians 
 he  ever  read,  is  the  third  and  fourth  chapters  of  the 
 same  epistle.  Pious  Calvinist,  whoever  thou  art,  make 
 the  experiment;  read  the  four  first  chapters  before 
 thou  risest,  see  what  Paul  is  insisting  upon,  and  see, 
 at  least,  if  thy  prejudices  will  not  vanish. 
 
 O  !  it  w  as  an  important  point  the  apostle  had  to 
 establish :  it  was  to  make  alt  men  see  into  the 
 mystery  of  godliness.  For  this  purpose  the  apostles 
 were,  in  a  supereminent  degree,  to  be  God’s  mouth  to 
 the  people,  the  salt  of  the  earth,  the  light  of  the  world. 
 And  without  pFeSumption  (hey,  and  only  they,  could 
 say,  u  Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord 
 Jesus  Christ,  who  hath  blessed  us  with  all  spiritual 
 blessings  in  heavenly  things  in  Christ  Jesus,  according 
 as  he  hath  predestinated  us  before  the  foundation  of 
 the  world:  having  made  known  unto  us  the  mystery  of 
 his  will,  according  to  his  good  pleasure  which  he  hath 
 purposed  in  himself,  that  in  the  dispensation  of  the 
 fulness  of  times,  he  might  gather  together  all  things  ill 
 Christ :  ”  and  all  this  predestination  was  strictly  true, 
 and  divinely  wise,  as  well  as  infinitely  good,  *whek 
 
applied  to  the  chosen  apostles  •,  bat  not  true  as  applied  to 
 the  Ephesians,  ranch  more  when  applied  to  the  English 
 in  our  day.  They  the  Father  did  give  to  the  Son; 
 they  the  Son  did  choose.  To  them  it  was  given,  to 
 know  the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom.  To  them  it  was 
 given,  to  preach  among  the  Gentiles  the  unsearchable 
 riches  of  Christ.  They  it  was  who  did  first  trust  in  him. 
 But,  O  let  no  poor  Gentile  in  our  day  dare  be  so  pre¬ 
 sumptuous,  so  arrogant,  as  to  set  himself  up  as  a  person 
 predestinated,  and  set  up  from  everlasting,  for  the 
 purpose  of  gathering  together  all  things  in  Christ. 
 Enough  for  him  to  know  he  is  adopted  into  the  family 
 of  God,  built  upon  the  foundation  of  these  predestinated 
 apostles,  bound  in  the  bundle  of  life,  perhaps 
 Gather’d  into  his  fold, 
 
 With  his  people  enroll’d, 
 
 With  his  people  to  live  and  to  die. 
 
 But  I  find  I  have  gone  far  beyond  my  limits,  in 
 writing  upon  a  passage  which  is  so  plain  in  itself.  So 
 plain,  that  Mr.  Scott  of  the  Lock,  finishing  his  comment 
 an  the  twelve  first  verses  in  the  first  chapter  of  Paul’s 
 epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  says,  66  By  virtue  of  their 
 relation  to  and  union  with  Christ,  the  apostle  and  the 
 Jewish  converts  had  obtained  a  share  in  their  glorious 
 inheritance;  having  been  predestinated  according  to 
 the  decree  and  sovereign  appointment  of  that  glorious 
 God,  w  ho  carried  on  his  w  ork  of  creation,  providence, 
 and  redemption,  according  to  those  wise  counsels,  and 
 that  perfect  plan,  which  he  hath  seen  good  to  form. 
 And  whilst  most  of  their  countrymen  had  been  left  to 
 judicial  blindness  and  unbelief,  to  be  monuments  of 
 God’s  awful  justice;  they  had  been  selected  for  the 
 praise  of  his  glory,  by  being  brought  to  trust  in  Christ 
 for  salvation,  by  the  power  of  divine  grace,  and  as  the 
 first-fruits  of  the  Christian  church,  though  in  themselves 
 as  deserving  of  wrath  as  their  unbelieving  Jewish 
 brethren.”  I  here  say  nothing  of  the  correctness  of 
 this  statement ;  nor  of  the  bad  style  of  writing ;  nor* 
 whether  the  former  part,  upon  the  third  and  fivd 
 
26 
 
 following  verses,  be  sense  or  nonsense,  truth  or  error; 
 but  I  say,  Mr.  Scott  of  Aston  Sandford  has  flatly  con¬ 
 tradicted  Mr.  Scott  the  commentator. 
 
 Some  ill-natured  critics  would  say  he  has  flatly  con¬ 
 tradicted  himself,  in  commenting  on  the  first  chapter 
 to  the  Ephesians.  First  saying  it  was  the  believing 
 Gentiles  that  were  predestinated ;  then  forgetting  him¬ 
 self,  and  saying  it  was  the  apostle  and  his  believing 
 brethren  the  Jews  that  were  thus  predestinated,  as 
 a  kind  of  first-fruits  of  the  Christian  church. 
 
 I  have  now  removed  Mr.  Scott’s  second  pillar,  not 
 only  by  comparing  Scripture  with  Scripture,  and 
 thereby  shewing  what  the  Scriptures  mean ;  but  also 
 by  aid  of  Mr.  Scott’s  own  hand  proving,  that  as  a  con- 
 trovertist  he  had  put  a  sense  upon  the  Scriptures  of 
 truth,  which  he  believes  as  a  commentator  is  not  the 
 sense  the  Holy  Ghost  put  upon  it :  but  that  the  pre¬ 
 destinated,  spoken  of  in  the  first  chapter  to  the  Ephe¬ 
 sians,  was  the  apostles  and  their  Jewish  brethren. 
 
 But  what  a  serious  thing  is  this,  that  a  doctrine, 
 which  fixes  the  unalterable,  eternal  state  of  all  that 
 breathe,  in  the  highest  heavens  with  God  and  the 
 Lamb,  or  in  the  deepest  misery  in  the  lowest  hell  w  ith 
 devils  and  damned  spirits,  should  be  sent  into  the  world 
 by  an  old  divine,  who  knows  he  was  forcing  the 
 Scriptures  to  speak  what  the  Holy  Ghost  did  not  intend 
 by  those  Scriptures.  At  least  twenty  times  does  Mr. 
 Scott  quote  or  refer  to  the  above  passages,  to  prove  the 
 predestination  of  Gentiles;  see  vol.  i.  page  v.  preface, 
 and  page  124,  quoted  three  times,  209,  &c.  and  in 
 vol.  ii.  pages  3,  42,  78,  84,  91,  115,  144,  174,  200, 
 391,  491,  528,  659,  and  660;  thus  supposing  God 
 had  bound  himself  by  those  promises,  Ezek.  xxxvi.  to 
 give  a  new  heart  to  certain  individual  Gentiles.  These 
 believing  Ephesians  are  therefore  supposed  to  be  some  of 
 those  children  of  the  covenants  and  promise ;  and  thus 
 to  be  made  to  differ  from  unbelievers,  the  same  as  a  man 
 is  made  to  differ  from  an  angel,  or  a  horse  is  made  to 
 differ  from  a  man. 
 
27 
 
 We  shall  now  endeavour  to  remove  the  third  pillar 
 from  under  Mr.  Scott’s  fabric  of  predestination,  and 
 which  he  builds  upon,  1  Cor.  iv.  7.  u  Who  maketh 
 thee  to  differ  from  another,  and  what  hast  thou  that 
 thou  didst  not  receive?  Now  if  thou  didst  receive  it, 
 why  dost  thou  glory  as  if  thou  hadst  not  received  it?” 
 Without  going  again  through  Mr.  Scott’s  two  volumes, 
 it  is  to  be  observed,  he  quotes  this  text  to  prove, 
 that  each  one  who  believes  now,  believes  in  conse¬ 
 quence  of  each  being  the  subject  of  that  promise,  u  I 
 will  give  them  a  new  heart.”  And  that  all,  continuing 
 unbelievers,  continue  in  unbelief  in  consequence  of 
 God  not  taking  them  into  his  covenant,  and  his  with¬ 
 holding  the  power  of  believing  from  them.  Page  104, 
 he  says,  u  It  does  not  become  us  to  assign  limits  to  the 
 Almighty,  in  his  manner  of  bestowing  of  his  benefits. 
 He  confers  or  withholds  them,  in  perfect  wisdom, 
 justice,  goodness,  and  truth,  whether  we  can  discern  it 
 or  not.  His  reasons  for  making  these  differences, 
 which  to  us  may  appear  arbitrary  or  capricious,  will, 
 when  made  known  at  the  great  decisive  day,  be  found 
 so  unanswerable,  as  to  stop  the  mouths  of  all  his 
 enemies,  and  constrain  the  wicked  to  be  silent  in  dark¬ 
 ness,  while  all  his  friends  will  be  filled  with  admiration, 
 gratitude,  and  love.”  And  page  189,  he  further  says, 
 u  Redemption  is  considered  as  the  common  benefit  of 
 mankind ;  but  how  was  it  that  the  apostle,  and  Titus, 
 and  their  fellow-Christians,  were  made  partakers  of 
 this  common  benefit,  while  such  numbers  still  continued 
 i  foolish,  disobedient,  deceived,’  &c.  ?  Who  made 
 these  to  differ  from  others  ?  ”  u  It  was,  therefore,  the 
 effect  of  the  mercy  of  God  our  Saviour,  even  as  much 
 as  redemption,”  &c.  Here  the  difference  subsisting 
 between  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  between  the 
 unbeliever  and  believer,  is  said  to  be  the  effect  of  the 
 mercy  of  God,  even  as  much  as  the  work  of  redemption 
 is.  This  is  speaking  out,  here  is  no  covering  of  prin¬ 
 ciples.  Let  us,  then,  look  at  what  difference  the 
 apostle  is  speaking  of  in  this  1  Cor.  iv.  Is  he  really 
 
28 
 
 speaking  of  the  difference  subsisting  between  the  wicked 
 and  the  righteous  man,  and  that  to  make  this  difference 
 is  as  much  the  work  of  God  as  is  the  work  of  redemp¬ 
 tion  ?  or  is  he  only  speaking  of  one  good  man  differing 
 from  another,  in  the  gifts  of  knowledge,  eloquence, 
 &c.  ?  Plain  natural  answers  to  these  plain  questions 
 would  settle  the  dispute  at  once.  Let  us,  then,  examine 
 the  epistle,  especially  this  chapter. 
 
 The  Corinthians  were  guilty  of  a  kind  of  idolatrous 
 partiality  for  one  minister  above  another.  They  had 
 said  of  Paul  the  aged,  u  His  bodily  presence  is  con¬ 
 temptible,  and  his  speech  without  power.” — u  I  am  of 
 Paul,  and  I  of  Apollos,  and  I  of  Cephas,  and  I  of 
 Christ.”  Now  saith  this  holy  man,  who  only  wanted 
 glory  to  be  given  to  God,  to  whom  alone  it  was  due, 
 66  Is  Christ  divided  ?  Was  Paul  crucified  for  you  ?  Or 
 were  ye  baptized  in  the  name  of  Paul  ?” — u  But  with 
 me  it  is  a  very  small  thing  that  I  should  be  judged  of 
 you,  or  of  man’s  judgment:  yea,  I  judge  not  mine  own 
 self.  Therefore  judge  nothing  before  the  time,  until  the 
 Lord  come,  who  both  will  bring  to  light  the  hidden 
 things  of  darkness,  and  will  make  manifest  the  counsels 
 of  the  heart;  and  then  shall  every  man  have  praise  of 
 God.  And  these  things,  brethren,  I  have  in  a  figure 
 transferred  to  myself  and  to  Apollos,  for  your  sakes : 
 that  ye  might  learn  in  ns,  not  to  think  of  men  above 
 that  which  is  written,  that  no  one  of  you  be  puffed  up 
 for  one  against  another.  For  who  maketh  thee  to 
 differ  from  another ,  and  what  hast  thou  that  thou  didst 
 not  receive?  Now  if  thou  didst  receive  it,  why  dost 
 thou  glory  as  if  thou  hadst  not  received  it  ?  ”  1  Cor.  iv. 
 3 — 7.  Mr.  Scott  will,  perhaps,  be  surprised,  when  he 
 is  told,  these  who  were  made  so  much  to  differ  from 
 others,  were  in  greater  danger  of  losing  their  souls, 
 and  missing  of  heaven,  than  were  the  others  they  were 
 made  so  much  to  differ  from.  These  made  to  differ,” 
 were  proud  boasters ;  those  they  differed  from,  were 
 humble,  holy,  wise  souls.  These  who  were  made  to 
 differ,  had  knowledge,  and  could  speak  as  with  the 
 
29  . 
 
 tongues  of  men  or  angels;  those  they  differed  frot% 
 were  poor,  despised,  in  general  like  their  master, 
 rejected  of  men,  men  of  sorrow  and  acquainted  with 
 grief.  The  chiefest  of  them  could  say,  66  I  am  poor 
 and  needy,  but  the  Lord  thinketh  on  me  ;  poor,  having 
 nothing,  yet  making  many  rich.”  Let  any  man  read 
 the  text,  ver.  7,  with  its  context,  and  see  if  Mr.  Scott 
 has  not  put  a  sense  upon  it  that  is  unnatural,  quite 
 contrary  to  what  the  Holy  Ghost  intended?  44  For 
 who  maketh  thee  to  differ  from  another,  and  what  hast 
 thou  that  thou  didst  not  receive?  Now  if  thou  didst 
 receive  it,  why  dost  thou  glory  as  if  thou  hadst  not 
 received  it.  Now  ye  are  full,  now  ye  are  rich,  ye  have 
 reigned  as  kings  without  us:  and  I  would  to  God  ye 
 did  reign,  that  we  might  reign  with  you.  For  I  think 
 that  God  hath  set  forth  us  the  apostles  last ,  as  it  were 
 appointed  to  death ;  for  we  are  made  a  spectacle  unto 
 the  world,  and  to  angels,  and  to  men.  We  (that  you 
 are  made  to  differ  from)  are  fools  for  Christ’s  sake, 
 but  ye  are  wise  in  Christ;  we  are  weak,  but  ye  are 
 strong ;  ye  are  honourable,  but  we  are  despised. ,J 
 O  what  difference  was  made  here !  Yea,  saith  he, 
 44  even  unto  this  present  hour,  we  both  hunger,  and 
 thirst,  and  are  naked,  and  are  buffeted,  and  have  no 
 certain  dwelling-place;  (so  much  did  they  drink  of 
 their  master’s  cup  !)  and  labour,  working  with  our 
 hands :  being  reviled,  we  bless ;  being  persecuted,  we 
 suffer  it;  being  defamed,  we  entreat;  we  are  made  as 
 the  filth  and  off-scouring  of  all  things  unto  this  day.” 
 These  were  the  persons  the  others  were  made  to  differ 
 from.  O  how  much  better  characters  than  those  who 
 had  been  made  to  differ  from  them !  I  cannot  help 
 praying,  when  I  see  their  dispositions  and  tempers,  that 
 I  and  mine,  Mr.  Scott  and  his,  may  be  safe  with  these 
 from  whom  the  others  had  been  made  to  differ,  to 
 behold  their  Master’s  glory. 
 
 Mr.  Scott,  when  he  writes  an  answer  to  his  bishop, 
 would  have  us  believe  these,  whom  the  others  were 
 made  to  differ  from,  were  the  wicked,  who  would  soon 
 
30 
 
 foe  “silent  in  darkness,”  page  104;  but  let  it  foe 
 remarked,  this  too  is  Mr.  Scott  the  controvertist,  not 
 Mr.  Scott  the  commentator.  Mr.  Scott  the  expositor, 
 in  commenting  on  this  1  Cor.  iv.  wrote  so  much  like 
 the  good  divine,  that  had  he  been  at  that  time  the  co¬ 
 partner  of  the  same  pulpit,  or  the  successor  of  the 
 eloquent  Decotligon,  and  was  smarting  under  the 
 reproach  brought  on  him  by  Decotligon’s  superior  gifts 
 and  eloquent  tongue,  he  could  not  have  written  more 
 feelingly.  Copious  as  he  is  on  this  chapter,  and  it  is 
 a  vast  deal  indeed  he  writes  upon  it,  there  is  scarce 
 a  sentence,  so  far  as  I  can  understand  him,  but  I  could 
 put  my  amen  to  it.  On  the  the  6th  and  7th  verses  he 
 says,  “  This  matter,  which  especially  related  to  those 
 who  had  acquired  an  undue  ascendency  in  the  church 
 of  Corinth,  the  apostle  had  spoken  of,  as  if  he  and  his 
 beloved  brother  apostles  had  been  the  only  persons  con¬ 
 cerned,  and  had  thus,  by  a  figure,  or  as  in  a  parable, 
 transferred  it  to  them,  whom  he  could  not  be  supposed 
 to  undervalue ;  and  in  them  the  Corinthians  might  leam 
 not  to  think  too  highly  of  men,  calling  them  masters, 
 or  glorying  in  being  their  disciples,  and  thus  esteeming 
 them  something  more  than  servants,  or  stewards,  or 
 above  what  he  had  written  according  to  the  word  of 
 God,  and,  on  other  accounts,  than  because  of  their 
 faithfulness.  Indeed,  both  they  and  the  teachers  (whom 
 they  placed  in  competition  with  each  other,  and  were 
 so  puffed  up  about,)  should  inquire,  Who  had  made 
 them  to  differ,  either  in  spiritual  gifts,  or  by  converting 
 grace,  from  their  idolatrous  neighbours  or  their  fellow- 
 Christians  ?  Was  this  difference  the  effect  of  their 
 superior  merit,  dociiity,  or  natural  goodness,  surely 
 they  would  not  say  so;  but  would  ascribe  it  to  the 
 distinguishing  mercy  and  unmerited  grace  of  God. 
 What  had  they  which  they  had  not  received  as  free 
 gifts,  or  as  talents  committed  to  their  stewardship? 
 Why  then  did  they  glory  in,  and  boast  of  them,  as  if 
 they  had  been  the  independent  authors  of  their  own 
 wisdom  and  grace ;  or  as  if  they  had  not  been  sinners, 
 
.11 
 
 who  might  justly  have  been  left  to  perish  for  ever  ? 
 Surely,  upon  the  principles  of  the  Gospel,  a  sinner, 
 a  sinner  snatched  from  destruction  by  sovereign  grace 
 alone,  must  be  the  most  absurd  and  inconsistent  being 
 in  the  universe,  if  he  grew  proud  of,  or  gloried  in,  the 
 free  gifts  of  God  ;  and  such  self-exaltation  must  be  most 
 abominable,  and  even  sacrilegious.”  Yet,  strange  to 
 tell,  this  is  the  sacrilege  Mr.  Scott  supposeth,  in  his 
 answer  to  his  lordship  the  bishop  of  Lincoln,  existed 
 in  the  humble  followers  of  JesuS  Christ.  But  in  his 
 practical  observations  on  the  same  chapter,  in  his  own 
 peculiar ,  elegant,  impressive  style  of  writing,  he  says, 
 66  Professors,  like  glow-worms,  shine  most  in  the  dark, 
 as  to  their  own  opinion  of  themselves;  and  in  the 
 absence  of  faithful  ministers,  converse  with  the  smooth 
 and  enticing  words  of  false  teachers,  to  buoy  them  up 
 in  vain-confidence,  and  to  lead  them  to  admire  the 
 wisdom  of  avoiding  the  cross,  of  attempting  to  serve 
 God  and  mammon,  and  of  deeming  self-indulgence  the 
 summit  of  Gospel  liberty.  Such  ministers  as  most 
 desire,  and  would  most  rejoice  in  their  prosperity,  will 
 be  the  last  to  congratulate  them  on  their  admission  into 
 such  a  fool’s  paradise;  and  they  may  know  what 
 a  precarious  and  carnal  kingdom  they  are  advanced  to, 
 by  their  shyness  towards  those  pastors,  who  will  also 
 reign  with  them,  if  ever  they  are  admitted  into  the 
 kingdom  of  heaven.”  I  have  not  made  these  quotations 
 because  of  the  sublimity  of  their  language,  or  depth  of 
 thought  therein  discovered;  not  because  they  are  so 
 well  written,  such  good  sense,  and  so  easy  to  be  under¬ 
 stood  :  but  simply  and  only  to  shew,  that  Mr.  Scott 
 the  commentator  thought  that  those  spoken  of  1  Cor.  iv. 
 who  were  made  to  differ  from  others,  were  not  a  bit 
 better  characters,  not  better,  either  before  God  or  man, 
 than  were  those  they  were  made  to  differ  from.  That 
 those  they  were  made  to  differ  from,  stood  a  better 
 chance  of  entering  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  than  those 
 did  that  were  made  to  differ  from  them.  And  of  these 
 he  further  says,  u  They  whom  God  has  most  honoured, 
 
32 
 
 have  always  been  proportionally  despised,  hated,  and 
 abused  by  men,”  &c. 
 
 But  Mr.  Scott  the  controvertist,  on  the  contrary,  as 
 observed  above,  supposejth  those  who  were  made  to 
 differ  from  others,  were,  in  their  degree,  like  their 
 Lord,  humble,  holy,  harmless,  the  sons  of  God,  without 
 rebuke,  in  the  midst  of  a  crooked  and  perverse  gene¬ 
 ration.  That  those  they  differed  from  were  the  passed 
 by,  left  out  of  the  covenant,  the  wicked  who  would 
 soon  be  silent  in  darkness ;  while  all  his  friends,  them 
 he  had  made  to  differ,  u  will  be  filled  with  admiration, 
 gratitude,  and  love.”  And  Mr.  Scott  adds  a  half-text 
 to  it,  and  says,  u  At  present  he  giveth  not  account  of 
 any  of  his  matters but  silences  our  presumption  with 
 another  half-text,  u  Nay,  but,  O  man,  who  art  thou 
 that  repliest  against  Goehr  ”  In  this  too  Mr.  Scott  is 
 mistaken  ;  for  though  in  Job’s  time  a  full  revelation  of 
 God’s  will  might  not  have  been  given,  subsequent  to 
 that  time,  by  his  Son,  he  hath  made  his  whole  will  and 
 counsel  known  ;  and  by  prophets  and  apostles,  pre¬ 
 destinated  to  the  adoption  of  sonsr  for  the  work  where- 
 unto  he  called  them.  These  were  made  to  understand 
 those  mysteries  hid  in  Job’s  time,  and  u  from  ages  and 
 generations.’’  Besides,  if  Mr.  Scott’s  scheme  be  true, 
 why  should  the  wicked  be  silent  in  darkness  ?  If 
 before  the  world  began,  his  friends  were  predestinated 
 to  life,  and  to  be  his  friends,  and  the  others  to  be  left 
 out,  no  special  grace  being  provided  for  them,  but 
 were,  by  design,  left  to  perish  in  their  sins,  the  sins  in 
 which  they  were  to  be  born  ;  why  should  they  be  silent 
 in  darkness  ?  Why  not  at  least  have  the  privilege  of 
 saying  each  for  himself,  66  Lord,  why  me,  why  me!” 
 Who  hath  made  this  difference  ?  What  had  I  done 
 more  than  they  ?  Before  we  were  born,  why  were  they 
 taken  into  favour,  and  I  left  out?  left  to  be  the  subject 
 of  lamentation,  mourning,  and  woe  for  ever?  O  thou 
 who  calledst  thyself  a  merciful  God,  without  respect  of 
 persons,  why  me,  why  me,  why  me  ?  Why,  when 
 many  of  us  were  sent  to  the  gallows,  was  John  Brad- 
 
ford,  and  his  fraternity,  by  grace  made  to  differ  from 
 us  ?  and  why,  before  we  were  born,  were  we  not  to 
 have  grace  enough  given  us  to  prevent  these  misfortunes  ? 
 That  special  saving  grace  was  designed  to  be  withheld 
 from  us;  so  we  were  hanged  in  that  world,  and  are  for 
 ever  to  be  damned  in  this !  Ah,  why  me,  why  me ! 
 hard  was  my  fate  indeed  !  why  me,  why  me  ! 
 
 But  Mr.  Scott  thinks  he  can  silence  them  all  by 
 another  half  text :  u  Nay,  but,  O  man,  who  art  thou 
 that  repliest  against  God?”  No  creature  in  hell  will 
 have  justly  to  reply  against  God,  and  that  is  one  reason, 
 why  we  know  Calvinism  is  not  from  heaven.  Mr.  Scott 
 had  quite  forgotten  the  connexion  in  which  this  half 
 text  stands :  the  holy  apostle,  in  that  verse,  Rom.  ix.  20, 
 is  not  speaking  of  burning  or  destroying  vessels,  but 
 of  making  them ;  not  of  making  them  for  sport,  or  to 
 destroy  them,  but  of  making  vessels  for  use,  one  to 
 honour,  another  to  dishonour,  and  of  such  there  are 
 many  in  God’s  great  house.  Yes,  says  the  same 
 apostle,  6C  But  in  a  great  house  there  are  not  only 
 vessels  of  gold  and  of  silver,  but  also  of  wood  and  of 
 earth,  and  some  to  honour,  and  some  to  dishonour. 
 If  a  man,  therefore,  purge  himself  from  these,  he  shall 
 be  a  vessel  unto  honour,  sanctified,  and  meet  for  the 
 master’s  use,  and  prepared  unto  every  good  work,” 
 2  Tim.  xi.  20,  21.  And  if  Mr.  Scott  would  carefully 
 examine  those  passages  in  Rom.  ix.  and  compare  them 
 with  chap.  ii.  3 — 12,  he  would  see,  that  to  this  day 
 Ged  does  make  one  vessel  to  honour,  and  another  to 
 dishonour,  whether  the  shoe  or  the  washpot,  the  lordly 
 dish  or  the  chamber-vase,  each  and  all  were  designed 
 for  use,  and  not  for  destruction.  And  looking  again 
 at  2  Tim.  ii.  20,  21,  he  would  see  the  vessels  made, 
 whether  honourable  or  dishonourable,  for  God’s  large 
 house,  were  men,  free  agents;  that  in  the  fountain 
 provided,  they  might  purge  themselves  from  youthful 
 lusts  and  false  doctrines,  so  as  to  become  honourable 
 in  the  sight  of  God  and  men.  Comparing  all  these 
 texts  together,  Mr.  Scott  would  see,  that  in  pity  God 
 
34 
 
 endured,  with  much  long-suffering,  every  vessel  of  wrath 
 which  had  fitted  itself  to  destruction.  St.  Peter  says, 
 In  all  Paul’s  epistles,  he  wrote,  according  to  the  wisdom 
 given  him,  about  God’s  long-suffering  being  salvation, 
 not  willing  that  any  should  perish,  but  that  they  should 
 be  saved.  And  on  this  account,  and  only  on  this 
 account,  a  the  wicked  will  be  silent  in  darkness,”  nor 
 have  any  thing  to  reply  against  God.  For  though  in 
 hell  they  lift  up  their  eyes,  they  will  acknowledge 
 66  God’s  mercies  were  over  all  his  works,”  and  that 
 ce  he  was  loving  to  every  man.”  But,  oh  1  what  will 
 not  systematic  men  do,  for  the  support  of  a  favourite 
 system  \ 
 
 As  the  text,  u  Who  maketh  thee  to  differ,”  &c.  is 
 frequently  preached  from,  and  perhaps  more  frequently 
 quoted  by  Calvinists  than  any  text  in  the  Bible,  for  the 
 purpose  of  proving  the  election  of  Gentiles  to  grace 
 and  glory,  and  the  rejection  of  others  from  grace  and 
 glory,  I  shall  transcribe  the  words  of  honest  Macknight 
 on  that  text:  as  a  Calvinist,  he  was  certainly  the  best 
 writer  on  the  sacred  Scriptures  that  has  lived  since  the 
 Reformation.  Paraphrasing  upon  the  7th  and  8th 
 verses,  he  says,  u  Besides,  to  the  false  teacher  I  say, 
 who  maketh  thee  differ  from  others?  For  what  spiri¬ 
 tual  gift  hast  thou,  that  thou  didst  not  receive  from 
 some  apostle  ?  And  now,  if  thou  didst  receive  thy  gift 
 from  the  apostle,  why  dost  thou  boast  as  not  receiving 
 it,  by  setting  up  thyself  against  me  who  am  an  apostle? 
 Now  ye  false  teachers  are  living  in  plenty;  now  ye 
 are  become  rich  with  the  presents  ye  have  received  from 
 your  admirers;  you  have  reigned  during  my  absense, 
 and  I  wish  indeed  ye  had  reigned  in  a  due  subordination 
 to  Christ,  that  we  also  might  rule  the  church  at  Corinth 
 with  you.”  Here  seems  the  plain,  natural  sense  of  the 
 words;  yet,  O  how  have  they  been  wrested  to  a  direct 
 contrary  meaning !  and  the  language  of  the  proud 
 pharisee  put  into  the  mouth  of  the  simple,  humble 
 believer,  u  Stand  by,  I  am  holier  than  thou,”  the  dis¬ 
 tinguishing  grace  of  God  has  made  the  difference. 
 
35 
 
 Thank  God,  I  am  now  not  as  other  men  are,  nor  as 
 this  publican,  whatever  I  was  by  nature.”  I  have 
 attained  ;  yes,  thank  God  for  his  special  grace.  Ah  ! 
 no  good  thing  in  me  by  nature,  I  am  sure,  till  God  by 
 his  grace  put  it  in  my  heart.” 
 
 O  how  has  my  soul,  thousands  of  times,  sickened  to 
 hear  this  language,  perverting  and  contradicting  of 
 Scripture  !  And  what  is  still  more  amazing,  many  of 
 these  profess  love  to,  snd  reverence  for,  the  Bible  all 
 this  while : — love  for  that  book,  in  which  the  best 
 Christians  that  ever  adorned  human  nature  have  ex¬ 
 pressed  themselves  in  language  like  the  following,  and 
 when  speaking  of  some  of  the  worst  of  characters  too  : 
 cc  What,  and  are  we  better  than  they  ?  No,  in  no 
 ways,  for  we  have  before  proved  that  they  are  all 
 under  sin.” — u  It  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of 
 all  acceptation,  that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world 
 to  save  sinners,  of  whom  I  am  chief.” — u  Depart  from 
 me,  O  Lord,  for  I  am  a  sinful  man.” — u  Not  as  though 
 I  had  already  attained,  or  were  already  perfect;  but 
 as  though  I  might  attain,”  See.  Sec . 
 
 Having  now  removed  Mr.  Scott’s  third  pillar,  by 
 shewing  not  only  from  his  own  pen,  when  he  wrote 
 as  a  commentator;  but  also  from  another  Calvinist 
 writer  of  the  first  repute,  who  has  proved  the  text, 
 ((  Who  maketh  thee  to  differ?”  was  written  for  a 
 purpose  directly  contrary  to  that  Mr.  Scott  quotes 
 it  for  in  answer  to  his  bishop ;  to  leave  his  fabric 
 without  a  foundation,  we  shall  now  come  to  his  fourth 
 pillar.  This  is  built  upon  a  misunderstanding  of  some 
 texts  in  the  eleventh  chapter  of  the  epistle  to  the 
 Romans:  u  Even  so,  then,  at  this  present  time,  there 
 is  a  remnant  according  to  the  election  of  grace;  and  if 
 by  grace,  then  is  it  no  more  of  works,  otherwise  grace 
 is  no  more  grace,  otherwise  work  is  no  more  work. 
 What,  then !  Israel  has  not  attained  that  which  he 
 seeketh  for;  but  the  election  hath  obtained  it,  and  the 
 rest  were  blinded,”  ver.  5 — 7.  From  this  passage 
 Mr,  Scott  concludes,  that  all  who  believe  now,  Jews 
 
 C 
 
or  Gentiles,  believe  in  consequence  of  their  being  of 
 the  election  of  grace.  And  although  his  lordship  the 
 bishop  of  Lincoln  is  in  many  places  so  strait  upon 
 Calvinism,  that  he  forces  Mr.  Scott  once  or  twice  to 
 give  this  passage  its  true  meaning;  nevertheless,  from 
 the  same  texts  he,  in  many  places,  infers  also  an  elec¬ 
 tion  of  Gentiles  unto  eternal  life,  while  the  rest  are 
 blinded.  And  however  these  texts  are  by  Calvinists 
 constantly  perverted ;  yet  as  Mr.  Scott  first  gives  the 
 true  natural  meaning  to  these  texts,  w  hatever  he  does 
 afterwards,  I  shall  not  need  take  much  pains  in  re¬ 
 moving  this  his  last  pillar  now". 
 
 From  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  epistle  to  the 
 Romans,  Paul  speaks  of  God’s  good-wili  to  man;  and 
 of  the  riches  of  his  goodness,  forbearance,  and  long- 
 suffering,  leading  even  those  to  repentance,  who  trea¬ 
 sure  up  to  themselves  wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath. 
 That  because  God  is  love,  he  endured  with  much  long- 
 suffering  even  the  vessels  of  wrath  that  were  after  fitted 
 for  destruction.  That  as  grace  abounded  much  more 
 than  sin,  he  is  particularly  merciful  unto  all  that  call 
 upon  him  :  that  whosoever  call  upon  him  shall  be  saved. 
 That  though  the  Jews  are  his  people,  his  elect,  he 
 commands  the  Gentiles  to  rejoice  with  his  people;  and 
 again,  6(  Praise  the  Lord  all  ye  Gentiles,  and  laud  him 
 all  ye  people.”  And  again  Esaias  saith,  66  There  shall 
 be  a  root  of  Jesse;  and  he  that  shall  rise  to  reign  over 
 the  Gentiles,  in  him  shall  the  Gentiles  trust,”  chap.  xv. 
 Now  that  he  might  open  a  way  for  the  conveyance  of 
 bis  mercy  to  all  people,  and  ail  the  ends  of  the  earth 
 might  see  his  salvation,  he  called  Israel  to  his  feet,  to 
 be  a  people  near  unto  himself,  above  all  people  upon 
 the  face  of  the  earth;  ordained  that  he  should  come  of 
 them,  whose  goings  forth  have  been  from  of  old,  from 
 everlasting ;  from  them  he  raised  up  prophets,  and  his 
 harbinger  to  go  before  his  face,  to  prepare  the  way 
 before  him;  to  make  in  the  desert  an  highway  for  our 
 God.  To  these,  his  own,  he  came  in  the  flesh,  and 
 called  twelve  from  among  them  to  be  with  him,  coming 
 
In  and  going  out  while  he  tabernacled  among  men. 
 Then  he  called  seventy;  these  he  sent  to  the  work 
 whereunto  he  had  ordained  them.  To  these  he  ap¬ 
 peared  alive  after  his  passion ;  not  to  all  the  people, 
 but  unto  witnesses  before  appointed.  These  received 
 the  inheritance  according  as  God  had  predestinated 
 them.  To  them  it  was  given  to  know  the  mysteries  of 
 the  kingdom  of  heaven ;  but  to  others  in  parables, 
 until  these  were  fully  prepared  to  make  all  men  see 
 into  the  mystery  hid  from  ages  and  generations.  They 
 had  then  this  treasure  in  earthen  vessels;  that  the 
 excellency  of  the  power  might  be  of  God,  and  not  of 
 men.  They  were  ambassadors  for  Christ.  They  were 
 a  remnant  according  to  the  election  of  grace,  the  rest 
 were  blinded.  God  concluded  them  all  in  unbelief, 
 that  he  might  have  mercy  upon  all.  It  was  a  mercy  to 
 all  that  these  were  elected.  The  greatest  mercy  to  me, 
 to  Mr.  Scott,  to  all,  that  God  according  to  hi3  eternal 
 purpose,  was  pleased  to  elect,  call,  and  reveal  his  will 
 to  these.  He  did  this,  that  I,  that  Mr.  Scott,  that  all 
 we  poor  Gentile  outcasts  might  be  gathered  in,  and 
 with  them  be  the  happy  partakers  of  the  fatness  and 
 riches  of  the  olive-tree.  It  was  not  by  works  of  right¬ 
 eousness  which  these  had  done,  but  by  his  mercy  he 
 saved  them.  He  called  them  with  an  holy  calling, 
 according  to  his  own  purpose  and  grace,  which  was 
 given  them  in  Christ  Jesus,  before  the  world  began. 
 The  kindness  and  love  of  God  our  Saviour  toward* 
 man,  was  always  the  same;  ere  the  heavens  were 
 formed,  ©r  the  foundations  of  the  earth  were  laid,  hi* 
 delights  were  w'ith  the  sons  of  men.  But  now  was  the 
 time  when  this  fully  appeared;  now  he  gave  his  own 
 Son,  the  Son  in  whom  his  soul  delighted,  to  the  end 
 that  whosoever  believed  in  his  name  might  not  perish, 
 but  have  everlasting  life.  For  God  sent  not  his  Son 
 into  the  world  to  condemn  the  world,  but  that  the 
 world  through  him  might  be  saved.  But  first  he  saved 
 those  whom  he  had  chosen,  by  the  washing  of  regene¬ 
 ration,  and  the  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  h@ 
 
3$ 
 
 shed  on  them  abundantly  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
 Lord.  The  election  obtained  it.  Afterwards  on  the 
 Gentiles  also  did  he  pour  out  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
 Ghost.  He  endured  with  much  long-suffering  the 
 vessels  of  wrath  fitted  to  destruction  ;  and  that  he  might 
 make  known  the  riches  of  his  glory  on  the  vessels  of 
 mercy  which  he  had  afore  prepared  unto  glory,  u  even 
 ns  (saith  the  apostle,)  whom  he  hath  called,  not  of  the 
 Jews  only,  but  also  of  the  Gentiles.  As  he  saith  also 
 inOsea;  I  will  call  them  my  people  which  were  not 
 my  people,  and  her  beloved  which  was  not  beloved; 
 and  it  shall  come  to  puss,  in  the  place  where  it  was 
 said,  Ye  are  not  my  people,  there  shall  they  be  called 
 the  children  of  the  living  God.” — cc  That  if  thou  shalt 
 confess  with  thy  mouth  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  shalt 
 believe  in  thine  heart  that  God  has  raised  him  from  the 
 dead,  thou  shalt  be  saved.  For  the  Scripture  saith, 
 Whosoever  believeth  on  him  shall  not  be  ashamed.” 
 According  to  his  eternal  purpose,  he  predestinated 
 a  few,  to  whom  he  would  make  known  his  mysteries, 
 that  he  might  gather  all  in  one,  even  in  Jesus  Christ, 
 that  all  might  believe.  For  there  is  no  difference 
 between  the  Jew  and  the  Greek,  but  the  same  Lord 
 over  all  is  rich  unto  all  that  call  upon  him ;  for  who¬ 
 soever  shall  call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall  be 
 saved.”  This  is  scriptural  election  and  salvation,  an 
 election  and  way  of  salvation  a  child  can  understand, 
 an  election  and  6alvation  by  which  the  world  is  bene¬ 
 fited.  But  Mr.  Scott’s  election  of  grace,  and  the  Cal- 
 vinistic  idea  of  grace  and  salvation — an  election  of 
 Some  to  everlasting  life,  to  the  exclusion  of  others,  and 
 blinding  them  by  design  to  perdition — is  an  election  of 
 cruelty,  an  election  of  worse  than  diabolic  wickedness, 
 an  election  of  grace  the  Bible  is  an  enemy  to,  an  evil 
 God  cannot  be  tempted  with.  He  that  framed  this 
 election,  alone  tempts  men  to  believe  it,  after  he  has 
 framed  it.  Header,  do  observe  the  words  of  St.  Paul, 
 u  The  election  hath  obtained  it,  the  rest  were  blinded.” 
 
 • — u  Blindness  in  part  has  happened  to  Israel,  until  the 
 
39 
 
 fulness  of  the  Gentiles  be  come  in  Rom.  xi.  He 
 does  not  say,  The  election  shall  obtain  it,  and  the  rest 
 shall  be  blinded.  No  :  he  wrote  by  inspiration  of  God, 
 and  knew  when  to  speak  in  the  past  tense,  when  in  the 
 present,  and  when  in  the  future.  Pity  but  commen¬ 
 tators  would  learn  of  him  to  write  and  speak ;  and 
 attend  more  to  what  he  hath  said,  than  to  what  men 
 have  said  about  him.  Pity  but  they  would  learn  of 
 him  to  think  as  they  write,  and  not  let  others,  who 
 have  lived  in  error,  think  for  them. 
 
 In  a  former  tract,  I  have  challenged  the  world  to 
 produce  one  single  promise  in  the  New  Testament,  made 
 to  Gentiles  as  to  the  elect  or  predestinated  of  God ; 
 and  I  here  take  the  liberty  of  renewing  the  challenge. 
 
 Though,  in  several  places  in  his  book,  Mr.  Scott 
 admits,  that  the  election  who  obtained  what  the  others 
 sought,  not  by  faith,  but  as  it  were  by  the  deeds  of  the 
 law,  were  Jews,  u  elect  people  within  an  elect  nation,” 
 see  his  second  volume,  pages  41,  43,  70,  71,  98,  and 
 114.  Yet  even  here,  and  in  pages  122,  140,  157,  613, 
 and  636,  the  text  is  brought  forward  to  prove  an 
 election  of  Gentiles:  that  is,  the  words  of  Scripture 
 are  made  use  of  for  the  purpose  of  proving  an  election 
 of  Gentiles,  while  Mr.  Scott  admits,  the  words  by 
 which  he  endeavours  to  prove  it  were  written  by  inspi¬ 
 ration  of  God,  for  the  proving  the  election  of  Jews: 
 
 An  election  within  an  elect  nation.” 
 
 Thus,  without  straining  one  single  text  of  Scripture, 
 or  one  single  sentence  of  Mr.  Scott’s  writings,  by  aid 
 of  his  own  hand  we  have  proved  his  fabric  is  without 
 foundation.  The  four  corner-stones,  or  chief  pillars, 
 are  removed;  and  it  is  proved  from  his  own  writings, 
 the  Scriptures  on  which  he  builds  his  doctrine  of  the 
 election  of  Gentiles  to  eternal  life,  were  written  to 
 prove  the  very  contrary.  That  the  promises  he  applies 
 to  Gentiles,  concerning  giving  certain  individuals  of 
 them  a  new  heart,  and  putting  his  laws  there,  were 
 promises  made  to  the  Jews,  concerning  their  return 
 again  to  the  land  of  Judah. 
 
 €  3 
 
40 
 
 The  author  knows  the  force  of  revealed  truth,  nor 
 irould  he  ever  write  another  line  in  controversy,  but 
 as  he  believes  his  arguments,  simple  as  they  are,  will 
 recommend  themselves  to  every  man’s  conscience  as  in 
 the  sight  of  God.  Mr.  Scott  has  unhappily  supposed, 
 and  endeavoured  to  make  the  world  believe,  there  i& 
 an  election  of  Gentiles  still  in  unbelief.  That  these 
 being  foreknown,  were  predestinated  unto  the  adoption 
 <©f  sons  by  Jesus  Christ.  That  these  44  he  calleth, 
 jjustifieih,  and  finally  glorifieth.”  That  the  foreknown, 
 predestinated,  election,  are  the  only  persons  whom  God 
 from  eternity  designed  to  save.  That  only  on  these  he 
 promised  to  sprinkle  clean  water,  to  give  a  new  heart, 
 and  to  regenerate  them  by  the  same  power  he  exerted 
 in  making  the  world.  That  he  thus  makes  them  to 
 differ  from  others,  the  same  as  he  made  the  sea  to  differ 
 from  the  dry  land. 
 
 But  when  Mr.  Scott  writes  for  another  purpose,  and 
 not  as  a  controvertist,  or  as  a  Calvinist,  he  proves  the 
 Scriptures  say  nothing  at  all  about  any  such  thing; 
 and  that  the  texts  on  which  he  founds  this  grand  fabric, 
 speak  only  of  the  election  of  Jews. 
 
 1  hope  Mr.  Scott  was  sincere,  when  he  said  he 
 44  desired  and  prayed  that  others  would  discern,  and 
 point  out  in  him,  what  was  his  own ;  and  would  dis¬ 
 tinguish  between  what  was  his,  and  what  was  God’s 
 word.”  If  he  was  sincere,  he  will  be  thankful  to  God 
 and  to  me,  that  he  has  lived  to  see  his  errors  pointed 
 out,  and  has  met  with  one  who,  instead  of  flattering 
 him,  has  made  the  distinction  between  what  is  properly 
 God’s  holy  word,  and  what  is  properly  Mr.  Scott’s 
 Word,  sometimes  under  the  form  of  the  word  of  God. 
 So  that  he  will  now  have  an  opportunity  of  publickly 
 renouncing  Calvinism,  and  of  shewing  the  dangerous 
 tendency  of  those  doctrines  he  has  been  busily  pub¬ 
 lishing  to  the  world  for  more  than  thirty  years,  under 
 the  sacred  titles  of  44  Evangelical  Truth,”  44  Fre® 
 Grace,”  44  Gospel  Truth,”  44  The  Scriptures  of  Truth,” 
 &c.  O  the  evil  these  doctrines  have  been  the  cause  of, 
 
41 
 
 under  these  borrowed  sacred  titles  ?  O  what  progress 
 has  Calvinism  made,  wrhat  Hl-will  (not  to  say  malice,) 
 has  it  engendered  among  brethren !  The  Scriptures 
 cannot  be  broken.  They  inform  us,  God  is  love — 
 loving  to  every  man.  That  without  respect  of  persons, 
 he  will  judge  every  man  according  as  his  work  shall 
 be.  That  God  was  in  Christ,  reconciling  the  world 
 unto  himself,  not  imputing  their  trespasses  unto  them. 
 That  as  sure  as  all  were  dead,  so  sure  he  died  for  all. 
 That  his  long-suffering  is  salvation,  not  willing  that 
 any  should  perish,  but  that  all  should  come  to  repent¬ 
 ance.  That  as  a  wise  and  merciful  God,  he  has  done 
 all  for  the  salvation  of  a  ruined  world,  which,  as  a  just 
 God,  he  could  do.  That  if  any  ere  lost,  this  is  their 
 condemnation,  Light  is  come  into  the  world;  but  men 
 loved  darkness  more  than  light,  because  their  deed* 
 are  evil.  They  would  not  come  unto  him.  They 
 perish,  therefore,  by  denying  the  Lord  that  bought 
 them.  These  are  divinely-inspired  truths:  truths 
 against  which,  since  the  Reformation,  more  malice, 
 more  rancour  has  been  shewn,  than  against  all  the 
 doctrines  of  devils.  Need  I  refer  here  to  Calvin 
 himself,  to  the  synod  of  Dort,  to  the  fury  of  the 
 Dutch  divines,  the  late  Sir  Richard  Hill,  or  him  the 
 Calvinists  called  their  champion,  the  late  Mr.Toplady. 
 You  who  knew  them,  and  you  who  read  their  con¬ 
 troversial  works,  say,  did  meekness,  gentleness,  and 
 such  a  spirit  that  naturally  qualifies  men  for  an  happy 
 departure  out  of  this  world,  mark  their  footsteps  ? 
 Against  the  above  divine  truths,  in  a  more  quiet  way, 
 Mr.  Scott  has  been  busily  writing  for  more  than  thirty 
 years.  All,  all  he  wants  to  prove,  in  all  his  writings, 
 seems  comprised  in  this:  God  is  a  sovereign  ;  as  such, 
 whatever  from  the  beginning  he  designed  to  do,  he  does 
 do.  Every  soul  he  designed  to  save,  he  does  save, 
 and  them  only.  That  though  God’s  dear  Son  tasted 
 death  for  every  man,  the  Father  so  far  wills  that  he 
 should  die  in  vain,  as  that  he  designedly  withholds 
 special  saving  grace  from  most  men.  In  high  Calvinism 
 
 C  4 
 
42 
 
 there  is  consistency ;  but  in  Mr.  Scott’s  Calvinism  there 
 is  no  consistency ;  it  is  one  large  jumble  of  truth  and 
 error :  and  this,  if  my  life  is  spared,  and  business  will 
 permit  me  to  go  through  his  books,  I  shall  prove  to  the 
 world. 
 
 God  is  truth,  light,  love :  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  in 
 the  bosom  of  the  Father,  is  that  truth,  and  light,  and 
 love,  by  whom  he  made  the  world.  So  in  the  eternal 
 purpose,  before  the  w  orld  began,  was  Christ  the  light 
 of  man,  whom  he  made  in  his  own  image.  When 
 Satan  had  led  him  captive,  and  effaced  that  image  from 
 his  soul,  death  passed  upon  all  men,  rind  the  light 
 became  darkness.  Satan  had  diffused  his  nature 
 through  the  whole  man,  darkness  covered  the  earth ; 
 but  the  true  light  shined  again,  now,  in  a  new  way; 
 now  mercy  divine  first,  shewpd  itself ;  he  now  became 
 the  advocate  of  man  with  God ;  in  the  name  of  the 
 woman’s  seed,  the  advocate  of  God  in  man.  From 
 that  day  to  this,  the  light  has  been  shining  in  darkness, 
 even  where  the  darkness  comprehended  it  not :  so  if 
 darkness  covered  the  earth,  and  gross  darkness  the 
 people,  still  God  did  not  leave  them  without  witness. 
 In  mercy  a  light  was  shining ;  the  candle  of  the  Lord 
 in  the  spirit  of  man  ;  the  true  light,  which  lighteneth 
 every  man  which  cometh  into  the  world.  This  always 
 has  been,  and  still  is  striving  with  man,  though  he  will 
 not  always  strive.  By  this  light  God  has  been  shewing 
 man  what  is  good  and  what  is  evil.  But  when  that 
 light,  to  a  certain  degree,  has  been  resisted,  it  has 
 become  darkness,  and  how  great  is  that  darkness  ? 
 This  is  the  condemnation  of  a  guilty  world.  This  is 
 denying  the  Lord  who  bought  them.  I  know  of  no 
 other  unpardonable  sin.  This  is  resisting  the  Holy 
 Ghost,  which  persevered  in  will  prove  a  sin  unto  death. 
 This  is  a  treading  under  foot  the  blood  of  the  covenant; 
 and  rejecting  this,  there  appears  no  more  sacrifice  for 
 sin.  These  bring  upon  themselves  swift  destruction. 
 1  tremble  while  I  write;  but,  O!  who  hath  believed 
 their  report?  Thousands  professing  to  believe  th® 
 
43 
 
 Bible,  believe  no  more  of  the  above  truths,  than  I  be¬ 
 lieve  in  the  Alcoran  ;  and  1  could  appeal  to  the  con¬ 
 science  of  any  high  Calvinist  on  earth,  though  I  can 
 give  chapter  and  verse  for  the  whole,  does  he  pay  any 
 more  regard  to  them,  than  though  they  had  been  quo¬ 
 tations  from  the  history  of  Jack  the  giant-killer. 
 
 Let  us  not  be  ashamed  of,  or  afraid  to,  declare  the 
 whole  truth.  No  man  on  earth  more  firmly  believes 
 in  the  one  only  consecrated  way  of  salvation  through 
 Jesus  Christ,  than  the  author  of  these  pages  does.  But 
 as  he  became  the  intercessor,  the  day  when  sin  entered 
 the  world,  and  Adam  was  driven  out  of  paradise;  how 
 many  happy  millions  of  his  posterity  will  come  from 
 the  east  and  west,  and  from  the  north  and  from  the 
 south,  and  will  sit  down  with  Abraham,  Isaac,  and 
 Jacob,  through  Jesus  Christ,  who  knew  nothing  of  his 
 blessed  name  till  they  got  there?  To  how  many  millions 
 will  he  kindly  impute  righteousness,  in  the  day  of  our 
 Lord  Jesus,  according  to  the  Gospel  Paul  preached, 
 though  their  faith  was  but  as  a  grain  of  mustard-seed? 
 O  ye  ends  of  the  earth,  thousands  of  whom  worship 
 him  ignorantly,  comparatively  in  the  dark,  what  glory 
 will  you  not  see  then  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ? 
 
 What  a  pity  Mr.  Scott,  or  any  man  who  ever  melted 
 in  love  before  a  bleeding  Saviour,  should,  in  all  he 
 does,  endeavour  to  prove,  that  none  but  those  with 
 whom  God  has  made  an  everlasting  covenant,  and  pro¬ 
 mised  to  give  a  new  heart,  shall  finally  be  saved :  that 
 none  but  the  predestinated  shall  finally  be  benefited  by 
 that  grace  of  God,  which  bringeth  salvation  to  all  men. 
 
 I  am  sorry  I  have  found  it  necessary  to  spend  so 
 much  time  in  removing  the  false  foundation  from  Mr. 
 Scott’s  Calvinism.  But  if  the  Scriptures  be  true,  it  is 
 removed ;  and  as  purposed,  I  appeal  to  every  impartial 
 man,  is  it,  or  is  it  not?  Is  it  not  proved,  those  very 
 texts  upon  which  Mr.  Scott  builds  his  doctrine  of  elect 
 Gentiles  in  our  day,  prove  the  very  contrary  of  what 
 they  are  quoted  for?  Thus  the  foundation  being  de- 
 stroyedj  I  shall  not  need  to  dwell  long  on  any  other 
 
 C  5 
 
 \ 
 
44' 
 
 part  of  Mr.  Scott’s  remarks*  and  shall  therefore,  as 
 much  as  possible,  avoid  being  tedious. 
 
 Mr.  Scott,  in  his  preface,  page  v.  says,  u  The  re¬ 
 mainder  of  this  infection  in  the  regenerate,  rendering 
 all  which  they  do  imperfect  or  defiled,  shews  that  jus¬ 
 tification  must  be  of  grace  in  Christ,  and  by  faith  alone, 
 not  of  works,  from  first  to  last ;  and  that  good  works 
 can,  in  this  respect,  do  no  more  than  evidence  faith  to 
 be  living  and  justifying  :  for  the  alloy  ef  evil  connected 
 with  them  needing  forgiveness,  they  can  do  nothing, 
 either  towards  justification,  or  continuing  us  in  a  jus¬ 
 tified  state.”  As  Mr.  Scott,  in  part  of  this  sentence, 
 makes  use  of  Paul’s  words,  he  had  done  well  had  he 
 stopped  where  the  apostle  does.  For  that  man,  in  the 
 first  instance,  either  regenerate  or  degenerate,  could  do 
 nothing  towards  bringing  Christ  down  from  above  to 
 die  for  the  ungodly,  and  whereby  alone  the  free  gift 
 came  upon  all  men  unto  justification  of  life,  is  certain; 
 Rom.  v.  18.  Here  we  are  all  justified  by  grace  alone, 
 without  works,  or  faith,  or  any  such  thing ;  and  when 
 we  believe,  it  is  by  faith  we  embrace  this  mode  of  jus¬ 
 tification.  But  to  add  to  it,  u  by  faith  alone,  not  of 
 works,  from  first  to  last,”  is  an  awful  addition  to,  if 
 not  a  flat  denial  of,  God’s  holy  word.  For,  in  the 
 first  place,  man  is  justified  by  grace,  without  faith, 
 faith  has  nothing  at  all  to  do  with  it.  And  in  the  last 
 instance,  final  justification,  in  the  day  and  at  the  bar 
 of  God,  faith  will  not  abide,  will  not  be  in  existence, 
 any  more  than  it  was  in  the  first  stage  of  man’s  justi¬ 
 fication.  Works,  and  only  works,  will  be  the  criterion 
 by  which  we  shall  stand  or  fall.  Therefore  to  add, 
 ii  they  can  do  nothing  towards  our  continuing  in  a 
 justified  state,”  is  to  say  in  direct  terms,  God  is  not 
 true;  that  each  shall  not  receive  according  to  the  deeds 
 done  in  the  body :  it  is  to  say,  the  cup  of  cold  water 
 shall  be  forgotten  in  that  day  :  it  is  so  make  that  divine 
 sermon,  our  Lord’s  sermon  on  the  mount,  a  body  of 
 false  divinity.  And  though  Mr.  Scott  repeats  it, 
 page  xi.  and  says  of  good  works,  they  are  in  no 
 
degree  conducive  to  our  justification,  or  to  our  con¬ 
 tinuance  in  a  justified  state.”  A  more  bold  assertion, 
 by  a  man  professing  to  believe  the  Bible,  was  never 
 made. 
 
 Our  Lord,  in  his  improvement  on  prayer,  addressing 
 himself  to  his  justified  disciples,  says,  46  For  if  you 
 forgive  men  their  trespasses,  your  heavenly  Father  will 
 forgive  you;  but  if  ye  forgive  not  men  their  trespasses, 
 neither  will  your  Father  forgive  your  trespasses.”— 
 u  Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall 
 enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven ;  but  he  that  doeth 
 the  will  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven.”  And  this 
 sermon  ends  with  these  thundering  words :  u  Therefore 
 whosoever  heareth  these  sayings  of  mine,  and  doeth 
 them,  i  will  liken  him  unto  a  wise  man,  which  built 
 his  house  upon  a  rock  :  and  the  rain  descended,  and 
 the  floods  came,  and  the  winds  blew,  and  beat  upon 
 that  house;  and  it  fell  not,  for  it  was  founded  upon 
 a  rock.  And  every  one  that  heareth  these  sayings  of 
 mine,  and  doeth  them  not,  shall  be  likened  unto  a 
 foolish  man,  which  built  his  house  upon  the  sand:  and 
 the  rain  descended,  and  the  floods  came,  and  the  winds 
 blew,  and  beat  upon  that  house;  and  it  fell,  and  great 
 was  the  fall  of  it,”  Matt.  vi.  14,  15,  and  vii.  21,  27. 
 Thus  ends  the  sermon  of  him  who  is  appointed  to  be 
 the  judge  of  quick  and  dead.  And  hard  as  the  expres¬ 
 sion  may  appear  to  many,  and  hard  it  will  appear, 
 every  work  should  be  begun,  continued,  and  ended,  in 
 reference  to  our  final  justification,  and  of  our  accept¬ 
 ance  at  the  awful  day  of  judgment.  Yea,  as  believers 
 in  Christ  Jesus  we  should,  in  every  good  word  and 
 work,  like  him  u  have  respect  unto  the  recompence  of 
 reward.”  And  as  to  believe  in  his  name  is  the  work 
 of  God,  or  the  first  work  he  demands  of  the  unbeliever, 
 even  so  saith  the  apostle,  we  have  believed  that  we 
 might  be  justified.  And  I  would  almost  say,  No  man, 
 divesting  himself  of  preconceived  notions  and  prejudices, 
 can  read  over  one  single  chapter  in  Paul’s  epistles, 
 but  he  must  be  astonished  that  ever  such  a  doctrine  as 
 
46 
 
 Calvinism  prevailed  on  earth,  where  free  access  could 
 be  had  to  the  sacred  volume. 
 
 With  respect  to  that  general  justification  which  came 
 upon  all  men  through  the  obedience  of  Jesus  Christ, 
 or  that  spiritual  or  new  life  which  the  believer  enters 
 upon,  when  as  a  guilty  soul  he  flies  for  refuge  to  the 
 hope  set  before  him  in  Christ  Jesus,  I  trust  we  are  all 
 agreed,  however  we  word  our  ideas  in  different  ways. 
 But  in  the  important  article  of  a  saint’s  justification  at 
 the  bar  of  God  in  the  day  of  judgment,  we  widely 
 differ:  in  this  we  are  as  far  from  each  other,  as  the  east 
 is  from  the  west. 
 
 No  man  doubts  of  the  apostle  being  clear  as  to  the 
 sinner’s  justification  by  grace,  as  declared  in  his  epistle 
 to  the  Romans.  But  even  here,  he  is  so  full  upon 
 justification  or  condemnation  at  the  day  of  judgment, 
 not  by  faith,  but  according  to  works,  that  no  man  with 
 a  tender  conscience  can  read  such  passages  as  the  fol¬ 
 lowing  without  awe  and  reverence :  44  Or  despisest  thou 
 the  riches  of  his  goodness,  and  forbearance,  and  long- 
 suffering;  not  knowing  that  the  goodness  of  God 
 leadeth  thee  to  repentance?  But  after  thy  hardness 
 and  -impenitent  heart  treasurest  up  unto  thyself  wrath 
 against  the  day  of  wrath,  and  revelation  of  the  right¬ 
 eous  judgment  of  God,  who  will  render  to  every  man 
 according  to  his  deeds:  To  them  who  by  patient  con¬ 
 tinuance  in  well-doing  seek  for  glory,  and  honour,  and 
 immortality,  eternal  life :  But  unto  them  that  are  con¬ 
 tentious,  and  do  not  obey  the  truth,  but  obey  unright¬ 
 eousness,  indignation  and  wrath,  tribulation  and  anguish, 
 upon  every  soul  of  man  that  doeth  evil,  of  the  Jew 
 first,  and  also  of  the  Gentile :  for  there  is  no  respect  of 
 persons  with  God,”  To  these,  and  very  many  more  like 
 Scriptures,  Mr.  Scott  seems  to  pay  no  more  regard  than 
 though  they  were  not  in  the  Bible.  44  Not  the  hearers 
 of  the  law  are  just  before  God,  but  the  doers  of  the 
 law  shall  be  justified,”  Rom.  ii.  4,  13.  44  God  sending 
 
 his  Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  and  for  sin  con¬ 
 demned  sin  in  the  flesh,  that  the  righteousness  of  the 
 
4  7 
 
 law  might  be  fulfilled  in  us,  who  walk  not  after  th$ 
 ilesh,  but  after  the  Spirit.”  —4 4  Love  worketh  no  ill  to 
 his  neighbour,  therefore  love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the 
 law,”  chap.  viii.  3,  4,  and  xiii.  8  — 10.  Mr.  Scott 
 says,  44  Numbers,  however,  do  not  allow  or  perceive 
 this,  and  hold  the  grand  outlines  of  the  doctrine,  here 
 called  Calvinistic,  very  decidedly  and  practically; 
 either  silently  excluding  perional  election  and  final 
 perseverance  from  their  creed,  or  directly  disavowing 
 them.”  Now  how  they  can  disavow  personal  election 
 and  final  perseverance,  and  yet  hold  the  grand  outlines 
 of  Calvinism,  I  leave  Mr.  Scott  to  explain. 
 
 That  there  are  thousands  of  pious  souls  who  sit 
 under  Calvinistic  ministers,  and  yet  are  shocked  at  the 
 idea  of  personal  unconditional  election  of  Gentiles 
 unto  eternal  life,  and  the  unavoidable  perseverance  of 
 others  in  sin,  we  are  certain:  nay,  we  hope  and  think 
 that  these  make  up  the  best  part  of  their  congregations. 
 But  these,  in  general,  have  not  had  opportunity  of 
 hearing  awakened  evangelical  ministers  of  the  other 
 side  the  question.  And  to  keep  them  from  roving, 
 dreadful  things  are  often  said  of  Arminianism,  and 
 Arminian  ministers.  I  know  whereof  I  affirm,  having 
 so  long  sat  constantly  under  none  but  a  Calvinist 
 ministry.  But  do  not  let  Mr.  Scott  say  again,  Those 
 persons  hold  the  grand  outlines  of  the  Calvinistic 
 doctrines,  while  they  deny  personal  election  and  final 
 perseverance :  no,  these  are  among  the  grand  and 
 leading  doctrines  of  Calvinism,  and  whoever  denies 
 them,  denies  the  very  fundamentals  of  that  doctrine. 
 
 It  should  appear  his  lordship  had  said,  44  St.  Paul, 
 in  referring  to  the  ancient  Gentile  world,  as  contra¬ 
 distinguished  to  the  Jews,  says,  that  4  the  Gentiles 
 were  a  law  unto  themselves ;  that  the  law  was  written 
 upon  their  hearts.  Surely,  then,  it  wras  possible  for 
 them  to  obey  it,  otherwise  how  could  their  consciences 
 bear  them  witness,  and  their  thoughts  accuse  or  excuse 
 one  another  ?  Indeed,  he  expressly  says,  that  the  Gentiles 
 which  have  not  the  law,  do  by  nature  the  things  con- 
 
48 
 
 tamed  in  the  law:5  that  is,  the  Gentiles,  through  the 
 natural  suggestions  of  their  own  mind,  discharge  the 
 moral  duties  enjoined  by  the  law  of  Moses.”  This  is 
 *o  plain,  that  whoever  with  an  unprejudiced  mind  reads 
 St.  Paul,  must  approve  of  it.  But  Mr.  Scott’s  design 
 being  to  shew  his  dislike,  and  not  his  approbation  of 
 his  lordship,  answers  him  as  follows :  The  Gentile* 
 were  a  law  to  themselves;  their  own  reason  and  con¬ 
 science  formed  the  law  to  which  they  ought  to  have 
 been  obedient,  and  for  violating  which  they  merited 
 condemnation.  The  apostle  does  not  say,  that  the  law 
 was  written  upon  their  hearts,  but  they  shew  the  work 
 of  the  law  written  in  their  hearts.  Many  things 
 required  by  the  divine  law  were  evident  to  their  reason 
 and  conscience,  and  obtained  their  approbation,”  &c. 
 This  is  most  curious  criticism  of  an  old  divine  upon  the 
 word  of  God :  some  would  call  it  vain  fangling,  and 
 disputing  about  words  to  no  profit.  u  Their  own 
 reason  and  conscience  formed  the  law  to  which  they 
 ought  to  have  been  obedient.”  66  The  apostle  does 
 not  say,  that  the  law  was  written  upon  their  hearts; 
 but  they  shew  the  work  of  the  law  written  on  their 
 hearts.”  That  is,  they  were  their  own  lords  and 
 masters,  and  ought  to  have  obeyed  themselves ;  and  for 
 violating  which  they  merited  condemnation  of  them . 
 selves.  All  this,  it  seems,  is  to  prove  that  God  had 
 nothing  to  do  with  their  mind  and  conscience.  Mr. 
 Scott  should  have  remembered,  that  the  apostle  had 
 before  said  of  the  heathen,  c<  That  which  may  be  known 
 of  God  is  manifest  in  them,  for  God  hath  shewed  it 
 unto  them.” — <c  And  even  as  they  did  not  like  to 
 retain  God  in  their  knowledge,  God  gave  them  over  to 
 a  reprobate  mind,  to  do  those  things  that  are  not  con¬ 
 venient.” — u  Who  knowing  the  judgment  of  God,  that 
 they  that  commit  such  things  are  worthy  of  death,  not 
 only  do  the  same,  but  have  pleasure  in  them  that  do 
 them.”  Then  addressing  himself  to  the  person  who 
 having  the  form  of  the  law,  yet  sinned  against  the  law, 
 he  says,  u  Or  despisest  thou  the  riches  of  his  goodness 
 
amd  forbearance,  and  long-suffering,  not  knowing  that 
 the  goodness  of  God  leadeth  thee  to  repentance.  But 
 after  thy  hardness  and  impenitent  heart  treasurest  up 
 unto  thyself  wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath,”  See .  &c. 
 & c.  And  then,  <fi  For  as  many  as  have  sinned  without 
 law,  shall  also  perish  without  law  ;  and  as  many  as 
 have  sinned  in  the  law,  shall  be  judged  by  the  law: 
 for  not  the  hearers  of  the  law  are  just  before  God,  but 
 the  doers  of  the  law  shall  be  justified.  For  when  the 
 Gentile^  which  have  not  the  law,  do  by  nature  the 
 things  contained  in  the  law,  these  having  not  the  law 
 are  a  law  unto  themselves ;  which  shew  the  work  of 
 the  law  written  on  their  hearts,  their  conscience  also 
 bearing  witness,  and  their  thoughts  the  mean  while 
 accusing,  or  else  excusing  one  another,  in  the  day  when 
 God  shall  judge  the  secrets  of  men  by  Jesus  Christ, 
 according  to  my  Gospel.” — 44  Therefore  if  the  uncir« 
 cumcision  keep  the  righteousness  of  the  law,  shall  not 
 his  uncircumcision  be  counted  for  circumcision  ?  And 
 shall  not  uncircumcision  which  is  by  nature,  if  it  fulfil 
 the  law,  judge  thee  who  by  the  letter  and  circumcision 
 dost  transgress  the  law.  For  he  is  not  a  Jew  which  is 
 one  outwardly,  neither  is  that  circumcision  which  is 
 outward  in  the  flesh ;  but  he  is  a  Jew  which  is  one 
 inwardly,  and  circumcision  is  that  of  the  heart,  in 'the 
 spirit  and  not  in  the  letter,  whose  praise  is  not  of  men, 
 but  of  God.”  See  Rom.  ii.  the  whole  chapter.  Now 
 was  not  this  saying,  plain  as  words  could  express  it, 
 that  the  finger  of  God  had  written  his  law  on  the  hearts 
 of  the  heathen,  who  had  not  the  outward  law  ?  And 
 that  according  to  their  obedience  or  disobedience  (not 
 of  themselves  or  to  themselves,  but)  to  this  law,  they 
 should  be  justified  or  condemned  in  the  day  when  God 
 judges  the  world  by  Jesus  Christ  ?  And  does  Mr.  Scott 
 speak  as  a  man  who  reveres  the  Bible,  in  saying,  44  The 
 apostle  does  not  say  that  the  law  was  written  upon 
 their  hearts.”  u  That  which  may  be  known  of  God 
 was  manifest  in  them,  for  God  had  shewn  it  unto 
 And  his  intention  in  all  this  was,  that  they 
 
5Q 
 
 ftiiget  be  justified  in  the  day  of  our  Lord  Jesus.  O  what 
 has  he  not  done  that  they  might  be  saved  !  !  ! 
 
 The  apostle  having  proved  that  the  Gentiles  who 
 bad  not  the  law  might  be  saved,  and  that  the  ends  of 
 the  earth  might  see  the  salvation  of  God  as  well  as  the 
 Jews  who  had  the  law,  sees  an  objection  might  be 
 started:  44  What  advantage  then  hath  the  Jew?  or 
 what  profit  is  there  of  circumcision  ?  ”  Why,  says  he, 
 44  much  every  way : — chiefly  because  unto  them  were 
 committed  the  oracles  of  God.”  And  then,  lest  Jews 
 or  Gentiles  should  suppose,  that  because  the  doers  of 
 the  law  shall  be  justified  before  God,  their  doings  were 
 the  primary,  first  cause  of  their  salvation ;  he  shews, 
 not  only  in  the  first  and  second  chapters,  but  in  the 
 subsequent  part  of  the  epistle,  that  through  one  man 
 all  were  under  sin,  death  has  passed  upon  all  men ; 
 that  we  were  without  strength;  that  Christ  died  for  the 
 ungodly  ;  that  consequently  if  any  worked  the  work, 
 of  God  acceptably,  whether  they  all  knew  it  or  knew 
 it  not,  it  was  because  ever  since  sin  entered  the  world, 
 Christ  was  the  Mediator  between  God  and  man ; 
 44  that  he,  in  the  end  of  the  world,  tasted  death  for  every 
 man,  as  well  for  those  before  as  those  after  the  cruci¬ 
 fixion,  as  well  for  those  that  were  without  law,  as  for 
 those  that  w  ere  under  the  la  w.  And  therefore,  although 
 the  Lord  God  said  unto  Cain,  44  If  thou  doest  well, 
 Shalt  thou  not  be  accepted  ?  and  if  thou  doest  not  well, 
 sin  lieth  at  the  door:”  no  sinful,  fallen  mortal,  can  be 
 accepted  of  an  offended  just  God,  but  through  the 
 Beloved,  the  Mediator.  But  God  being  in  Christ, 
 reconciling  the  world  unto  himself,  not  imputing  their 
 trespa-sses  unto  them;  every  soul  that  is  not  accepted 
 at  the  last,  is  rejected  because  that  sin  lies  at  the  door. 
 O  that  Mr.  Scott  would  submit  to  learn  this  lesson  of 
 the  Bible  at  last!  and  then  he  would  no  louger  go 
 about  to  prove,  that  all  those  who  have  not  the  law 
 must  perish.  His  words  are,  44  After  all  the  apostle 
 says,  As  many  as  have  sinned  without  law,  shall  perish 
 without  law ;  but  he  gives  no  intimation  of  their  accept- 
 
51 
 
 ance  and  salvation.”  Surely  Mr.  Scott  is  not  here 
 trifling,  by  telling  us,  u  the  Holy  Ghost  gives  no  inti¬ 
 mation  of  the  acceptance  and  salvation  of  those  who 
 perish;”  yet  that  is  what  he  says,  mean  whatever  he 
 may.  But  to  do  him  justice  we  will  suppose,  dreadful 
 as  the  supposition  is,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  gives  no 
 intimation  of  the  acceptance  and  salvation  of  those  who 
 are  without  law,  but  are  a  law  unto  themselves. 
 
 He  says  again,  page  19,  u  The  apostle’s  avowed 
 design  was  to  prove  both  Jews  and  Gentiles,  that  they 
 are  all  under  sin.”  Mr.  Scott  is  mistaken  here  also : 
 Paail  had  a  nobler  point  in  view.  His  was  a  more 
 grand  design  than  this.  His  grand  design,  from  the 
 beginning  to  the  end  of  the  epistle,  and  which  he  never 
 seems  to  lose  sight  of  for  a  moment,  was  to  prove,  that 
 as  all  were  dead,  so  Christ  died  for  all.  That  as 
 through  the  offence  of  one,  judgment  had  passed  upon 
 all  men  to  condemnation,  even  so  the  free  gift  had 
 come  upon  all  men  unto  justification  of  life.  That  as 
 the  circumcision  and  uncircumcision  were  all  under  sin, 
 so  God  would  justify  the  circumcision  by  faith,  and 
 the  uncircumcision  through  faith.  That  God  would 
 through  their  faith,  whether  it  was  as  a  grain  of 
 mustard-seed,  or  as  a  large  spreading  tree,  impute 
 righteousness  without  wrorks.  That  though  the  Jews 
 were  the  children  of  the  covenant  and  the  promise: 
 that  though  the  adoption,  the  glory,  the  service  of  God, 
 and  the  promises,  pertained  unto  them :  that  though 
 for  their  sakes  Pharaoh  was  raised  up,  and  kings  had 
 been  rebuked  ;  yet,  says  he,  Jesus  Christ  was  a  minister 
 of  the  circumcision  for  the  truth  of  God,  to  confirm 
 the  promises  mads  unto  the  fathers,  and  that  the 
 Gentiles  might  glorify  God  for  his  mercy ;  as  it  is 
 written,  a  For  this  cause  I  will  confess  to  thee  among 
 the  Gentiles,  and  sing  unto  thy  name.”  And  again 
 he  saith,  u  Rejoice,  ye  Gentiles,  with  his  people.” 
 And  again,  <c  Praise  the  Lord,  all  ye  Gentiles,  and 
 laud  him,  all  ye  people.”  And  again  Esaias  saith, 
 u  There  shall  be  a  root  of  Jesse;  and  he  that  shall  ris# 
 
to  reign  over  the  Gentiles,  in  him  shall  the  Gentiles 
 trust,”  chap.  xv.  These  are  divine  truths,  in  this 
 epistle  proved  from  Old  Testament  Scriptures;  and 
 when  the  apostle  is  about  to  finish  it,  and  although  it 
 was  a  mystery  in  good  measure  kept  secret  since  the 
 world  began,  he  declares  as  he  closes  the  whole,  66  it  is 
 now  made  manifest,  and  by  the  Scriptures  of  the 
 prophets,  according  to  the  commandment  of  the  ever¬ 
 lasting  God,  made  known  to  all  nations  for  the  obedi¬ 
 ence  of  faith.”  This  was  the  apostle’s  avowed  design 
 in  writing  this  epistle,  and  not  to  prove  that  all  were 
 under  sin. 
 
 The  inspiring  an  apostle  to  write  an  epistle,  with  the 
 avowed  design  of  proving  that  Jews  and  Gentiles 
 were  all  under  sin,  would  be  about  as  wise  as  writing 
 to  one  of  our  infirmaries,  to  prove  that  all  the  patients 
 taken  in  there  were  labouring  under  some  disease ;  or 
 proving  all  that  are  confined  in  fetters  in  Bedlam? 
 were  lunatics  that  could  not  help  themselves ;  or  as 
 proving  all  the  prisoners  in  heavy  irons  confined  in  our 
 goals  for  highway  robbery,  were  criminals  who  had  all 
 forfeited  their  lives,  in  a  manner  dead  by  the  laws  of 
 the  land.  But  our  apostle  had  better  business  than 
 this.  He  went  as  ambassador  of  the  King  of  heaven, 
 to  prove  to  the  Romans  he  had  a  balm  for  every  wound, 
 a  medicine  for  every  disease,  pardon  for  every  crime  of 
 every  guilty  soul.  As  he  went  he  pointed  out  their 
 desperate  wickedness,  and  shewed  the  evil  of  sin  by 
 the  misery  it  had  brought  on  the  human  race.  But 
 this  was  that  they  might  be  prepared  to  receive  the 
 glad  tidings  of  great  joy,  which  shall  be  to  all  people. 
 His  business  was,  to  prove  the  remedy  was  coextensive 
 with  the  disease. 
 
 Mr.  Scott,  labouring  so  hard  to  prove  the  depravity 
 ®f  man,  brings  into  my  mind  what  I  heard  twenty  years 
 ago  from  a  clergyman,  an  admirer  of  his;  who,  coming 
 to  preach  for  a  neighbour  in  one  of  our  large  churches, 
 instead  of  preaching  the  Gospel,  sweat  and  laboured 
 an  hour,  to  prove  that  man  was  a  fallen  creature* 
 
Coming  out  of  the  church  one  said,  a  He  has  laboured 
 hard  for  an  hour,  to  prove  what  not  one  single  soul  in 
 that  church  doubted.”  Another  answered,  Yes;  the 
 Calvinists  love  to  work  in  the  mud  ;  they  are  always 
 dabbling  in  the  dirt  if  they  can.  Instead  of  telling 
 what  God  has  wrought,  what  Christ  has  done  and  is 
 doing  for  the  good  of  man,  they  are  always  telling 
 what  the  devil  is  doing  and  has  done. 
 
 In  answer  to  his  lordship,  who  had  been  saying, 
 <£  It  will  scarcely  be  denied,  that  some  acts  of  mercy, 
 justice,  and  self-denial,  are  recorded  in  profane  history,” 
 Mr.  Scott  says,  u  There  never  was  on  earth  a  wretch 
 so  abandoned  to  vice,  as  not  to  do  externally  some  acts 
 of  justice,  mercy,  and  self-denial.”  This  is  easier  said 
 than  proved.  Mr.  Scott  speaks  this  with  a  vast  deal  of 
 confidence  ;  but  he  can  make  positive  assertions  faster 
 than  he  can  prove  facts.  He  goes  on,  <c  Even  mur¬ 
 derers,  under  a  special  impulse,  have  been  known  to 
 shew  mercy ;  and  seducers,  whose  general  conduct  is 
 as  cruel  as  that  of  murderers,  are  not  unfrequently 
 noted  for  a  sort  of  liberality  and  partial  beneficence : 
 but  is  there  in  all  this  any  good  thing  in  the  sight  of 
 God?”  Amaaing!  !  !  Sure  the  best  thing  the  mur¬ 
 derer  could  do,  in  the  sight  of  God  and  man,  would  b© 
 to  have  mercy,  and  spare  the  marked  victim  of  his 
 hellish  rage.  And  the  best  thing,  in  the  sight  of  an 
 holy  God,  the  seducer  could  do,  is  to  turn  from  his 
 wickedness,  and  in  mercy  spare  the  innocent  object  of 
 his  cruel  desires.  Surely  the  special  impulse  by  which 
 the  murderer  withholds  his  uplifted  hand,  and  the 
 seducer  suddenly  turns  away  in  mercy  from  the  pitied 
 object,  is  the  same,  and  from  the  same  source,  as  is  that 
 special  grace  Mr.  Scott  supposes  is  given  to  the  elect. 
 Yes,  these  special  impulses  and  the  special  grace,  must 
 be  from  the  same  heavenly  fountain.  Yes ;  it  all  comes 
 from  him  who  says,  u  Let  the  wicked  forsake  his  ways, 
 and  the  unrighteous  man  his  thoughts,  and  let  him 
 return  unto  the  Lord,  and  he  will  have  mercy,  and  t© 
 ®ur  God,  for  he  will  abundantly  pardon.”  If  in  this 
 
54 
 
 naughty  world  there  is  any  thing  good  in  the  sight  of 
 our  heavenly  Father,  it  is  that  of  seeing  the  seducer, 
 hired  to  the  god  of  this  world,  coming  6C  under  special 
 impulses  ”  unto  himself,  and  rising  to  come  to  his 
 Father.  The  idea  of  this  not  being  good  in  the  sight 
 ©f  God,  is  an  awful  delusion  of  the  devil,  calculated  to 
 encourage  the  murderer  to  strike  the  deadly  blow,  it 
 not  being  good  in  the  sight  of  God  in  mercy  to  spare ; 
 and  the  seducer  to  pursue  the  innocent  forbidden 
 object  of  his  beastly  passions,  u  it  not  being  good  in 
 the  sight  of  God,  that  he  should'  from  partial  bene¬ 
 ficence  shew  liberality  ”  to  her  he  has  or  designed  to 
 ruin.  Ah  !  had  David  followed  the  66  special  impulse” 
 of  an  awakened  conscience,  when  he  first  saw  Uriah’s 
 wife,  the  poor  man’s  ewe-lamb  had  been  spared.  And 
 even  after  he  had  taken  her  to  his  bosom,  instead  of 
 adding  drunkenness  to  his  adultery,  had  he  attended  to 
 the  impulses  of  that  mind  which  had  been  after  God’s 
 own  heart,  and  the  strong  intimations  God  in  his  pro¬ 
 vidence  had  given  him  that  his  sin  should  not  be  hid 
 from  the  world,  the  voice  of  Uriah’s  blood  had  not 
 from  the  ground  called  for  vengeance  on  his  guilty 
 head.  But  blinded  by  the  god  of  this  world,  lust  was 
 conceived,  and  it  brought  forth  sin,  sin  when  it  was 
 finished  brought  forth  death.  He  added  iniquity  to  his 
 sin ;  then  God  6(  added  grief  unto  his  sorrow,”  and 
 the  sword  never  departed  from  his  house.  Let  it  ever 
 be  observed,  that  though  when  he  repented  God  was 
 pleased  to  put  away  his  sin,  yet  with  such  abhorrence 
 did  he  look  at  his  crimes,  that  he  raised  up  enemies, 
 and  suffered  such  disorders  to  arise  in  his  family,  that 
 were  calculated  to  bring  the  gray  hairs  of  the  stoutest 
 man  with  sorrow  to  the  grave.  Mr.  Scott  asks,  u  Were 
 then  J ob,  and  Zacharias,  and  Elizabeth,  righteous  before 
 God,  by  natural  good  disposition  or  by  special  grace?” 
 
 I  suppose  by  neither.  Did  ever  Jesus  Christ  or  any 
 of  his  inspired  servants  say  they  were  ?  or  did  any  of 
 them  ever  ask  such  a  question  as  this  ?  Did  ever  they 
 talk  about  special  grace  ?  I  should  suppose,  if  Job, 
 
55 
 
 and  Zacharias,  and  Elizabeth,  were  just  before  God,  it 
 was,  first,  because  the  grace  of  God  that  bringeth  sal¬ 
 vation  to  all  men,  had  appeared  to  them,  as  it  does  in  all 
 the  world  ;  and  then,  that  they  walked  in  the  ordinances 
 and  commandments  of  the  Lord  blameless.  These  and 
 many  more  were  perfect  and  upright  in  their  generations. 
 They  feared  God  and  eschewed  evil.  They  walked 
 with  God,  and  had  this  testimony,  that  they  pleased 
 him.  But  the  Bible  says  not  one  word  about  Mr.  Scott’s 
 special  grace  being  given  them  as  the  cause  of  all  this. 
 For  that  would  have  been  plainly  to  intimate,  that  the 
 cause  of  the  wicked  walking  in  all  their  abomination 
 was,  God  not  being  pleased  to  give  them  special  grace. 
 Thaf  his  withholding  that  only  thing  which  could 
 enable  them  to  walk  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord  blameless, 
 was  the  sole  cause  of  their  continuing  to  walk  according 
 to  the  god  of  this  world,  according  to  the  prince  of  the 
 power  of  the  air;  so  that  God,  and  God  only,  made 
 the  difference.  Indeed  we  need  only  turn  the  tables, 
 or  transpose  the  argument,  and  Mr.  Scott  admits  this, 
 and  endeavours  to  defend  it.  That  is,  he  will  not  say, 
 God  makes  the  wicked  to  differ  from  the  righteous, 
 but  that  God  makes  the  righteous  to  differ  from  the 
 wicked.  Let  us  look  at  this  once  more.  Suppose  in 
 Aston  Sandford  there  are  one  hundred  desperately 
 wicked  persons.  They  are  not  only  helpless,  but  they 
 are  hell-deserving.  Common  grace,  that  brings  sal¬ 
 vation  to  all,  will  not  do  for  them;  never  delivered 
 one  soul  out  of  the  gall  of  bitterness,  the  bonds  of 
 iniquity.  -They  are  all  equally  helpless  as  they  are 
 desperately  wicked,  and  nothing  but  special  grace  can 
 reach  their  desperate  case.  God  can  as  easily  give  this 
 special  grace  to  them  all  as  he  can  to  ten,  but  his 
 goodness  does  not  reach  so  far.  We  will  also,  to  go 
 to  the  fountain  of  Calvinism,  suppose  every  thing 
 comes  to  pass  in  time,  according  to  the  fore-knowledge 
 and  predestination  of  God.  That  the  fall,  and  all  its 
 awful  consequences,  came  to  pass  exactly  as  he  was 
 pleased  to  design  and  permit  it;  and  suppose  in  this 
 
 l 
 
56 
 
 predestination  he  chooses  ten  out  of  the  hundred  to  be 
 his  elect.  These  he  makes  willing  to  be  holy  in  the 
 day  of  his  power  by  invincible  grace,  and  to  be  saved 
 in  God’s  own  way.  These  were  all  he  ever  intended 
 effectually  to  call  out  of  darkness  into  his  marvellous 
 light.  The  ninety  he  designed  and  determined  to  leave 
 to  perish,  and  to  continue  to  be  conquered  by  their 
 own  invincible  sins;  and  as  they  really  were  all  born 
 subject  to  vanity,  not  willingly,  but  by  reason  of  him, 
 5  ask  any  honest  man  of  common  sense,  whether  God’s 
 design  is  not  as  much  the  cause  of  the  ninety  continuing 
 In  sins  and  being  damned  for  them,  as  it  is  the  cause 
 of  the  happiness  and  salvation  of  the  ten,  the  little 
 remnant  ?  And  while  the  ten  are  each  crying  out,  Why 
 me,  why  me !  wThy  this  discriminating  mercy  to  me? 
 who  hath  made  me  to  differ?  The  ninety  passed  by 
 according  to  the  eternal  design  of  God  might  each  cry 
 out,  Lord,  why  me,  why  me !  why  this  abundant  wrath  ? 
 why  this  discriminating  vengeance?  for  what  had  I 
 done  more  than  the  ten  righteous  persons  ? 
 
 His  lordship  and  Mr.  Scott  both  seem  perfectly  clear 
 In  the  awful  doctrine  of  the  fall  of  man,  and  his  lord- 
 ship  speaks  of  it  in  a  very  becoming  manner,  and  as 
 the  Scriptures  speak  of  it;  yet  wishing  it  to  be  believed 
 that  he  had  maintained  it  was  only  a  partial,  not  a 
 total  defect,  which  we  have  derived  from  Adam,  Mr. 
 Scott  informs  us,  (C  In  the  first  chapter,  his  chief  object 
 is  to  prove  that  original  sin  is  a  totals  not  a  partial 
 defect,  derived  from  fallen  Adam,  of  all  that  is  spiri¬ 
 tually  good  in  the  sight  of  God,”  &c.  &c.  preface, 
 page  ix.  yet  page  26,  he  says,  u  His  lordship  grants 
 that  our  weak  and  unassisted  nature  will  not  allow  us 
 to  perform  an  action  good  in  the  sight  of  God.”  And 
 page  163,  he  quotes  his  lordship  again,  as  speaking  so 
 like  the  humble  Christian  and  the  sound  divine,  that  it 
 is  matter  of  wonder  how  Mr.  Scott  could  go  about  to 
 prove,  in  answer  to  his  lordship,  that  the  defect  was 
 total,  not  partial,  &c.  His  lordship’s  words  are  these: 
 w  It  is  acknowledged,  that  man  has  not  the  disposition, 
 3 
 
and  consequently  not  the  ability,  to  do  what  is  good 
 in  the  sigkt  of  God,  till  he  is  influenced  by  the  Spirit 
 of  God.”  This,  then,  by  Mr.  Scott  being  allowed  as 
 that  which  is  proved  and  declared  by  his  lordship; 
 how  he  can  answer  to  God  and  his  conscience,  in  so 
 far  trifling  with  precious  time  as  to  write  one  hundred 
 and  fifty  pages  in  this  chapter,  chiefly  in  proving  that 
 man  is  totally,  not  partially  fallen,  as  a  refutation  of 
 what  he  would  have  the  world  believe  his  lordship  had 
 maintained,  I  cannot  tell.  For  when  I  see  how  excel¬ 
 lently  his  lordship  has  written  upon  this  very  funda¬ 
 mental  in  Christianity,  as  in  many  places  quoted  by  his 
 opponent,  I  am  amazed  that  ever  a  book  of  twelve 
 hundred  pages,  price  one  guinea,  should  be  written  by 
 a  divine  of  the  church  of  England,  a  rector  in  the 
 diocese  of  the  bishop  of  Lincoln,  with  the  design  of 
 refuting  those  doctrines  maintained  by  his  lordship. 
 This  is  not  only  trifling  with  his  own  time,  but  also 
 with  the  precious  time  of  his  readers;  aye,  and  with 
 the  character  too  as  a  divine,  of  an  elder,  his  superior 
 in  the  church,  his  bishop.  For  to  religious  people, 
 nothing  is  more  shocking  in  the  character  of  a  minister 
 of  the  church,  than  that  of  denying  the  total  depravity 
 of  the  human  race;  because  it  naturally  and  unavoid¬ 
 ably  leads  to  the  denial  of  the  proper  divinity  and 
 atonement  of  the  Lord  our  righteousness.  I  am  not 
 writing  in  defence  of  any  man;  but  quoting  the  fol¬ 
 lowing  passages  from  his  lordship’s  u  Refutation,”  as 
 has  been  done  by  Mr.  Scott :  and  I  ask  here,  How  could 
 he  justly  accuse  him  with  denying  the  total  depravity  of 
 man,  and  with  writing  a  ponderous  book  in  answer,  to 
 refute  this  idea  ?  Obedience  is  commanded,  and  is 
 therefore  our  duty :  our  practicable  duty,  or  it  would 
 not  have  been  commanded.” — u  It  is  one  thing  to 
 trust  to  the  goodness  of  God,  as  declared  in  the  Scrip¬ 
 tures,  for  the  effectual  assistance  of  the  Holy  Spirit; 
 and  another  to  assert,  that  from  our  own  intrinsic 
 merit  we  have  a  right  to  divine  favour  here,  and  reward 
 hereafter ;  the  promise  of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  of 
 
58 
 
 that  which  is  to  come.” — u  The  means  of  grace,  and 
 the  hope  of  glory,  we  owe  solely  to  the  Undeserved 
 mercy  of  God,  through  the  merits  and  mediation  of  his 
 blessed  Son.  It  is  not  possible  for  man,  with  reference 
 to  the  original  connexion  between  the  creature  and  his 
 Creator,  to  have  any  merits  towards  God;  for  what¬ 
 ever  power  and  qualification  he  possesses,  he  has 
 received  them  all  from  God,  and  God  has  a  right  to 
 every  exertion  which  man  can  make.  But  God  has 
 been  pleased  to  enter  into  a  covenant  with  man,  sub¬ 
 sequent  to  the  rules  and  directions  which  he  gave  him 
 at  his  creation ;  and  to  promise  certain  privileges  and 
 blessings,  upon  the  performance  of  certain  conditions. 
 This  new  dispensation,  so  far  from  being  the  consequence 
 of  any  right  conduct  in  man,  is  founded  in  his  mis¬ 
 conduct;  the  first  intimation  of  future  redemption 
 being  given  immediately  after  the  fall,  at  the  moment 
 God  was  denouncing  punishment  upon  the  disobedience 
 of  Adam.  It  is  to  be  acknowledged  in  all  its  parts  as 
 entirely  gratuitous,  as  proceeding  solely  from  the  free 
 mercy  of  God  ;  and  our  performance  of  the  required 
 conditions,  is  not  to  be  considered  as  constituting  any 
 merit  in  us,  or  conferring  any  right  to  reward,  inde¬ 
 pendant  of  his  promises.  If  the  conditional  offer  of 
 spiritual  aid  in  this  world,  and  of  eternal  happiness  in 
 the  next,  had  not  been  made,  the  same  conduct  in  us, 
 supposing  that  possible,  would  have  given  no  claim  to 
 favour  or  reward  from  God  here  or  hereafter,  a  right 
 to  any  recoinpence  from  God  being  absolutely  impos¬ 
 sible.  I  am  here  speaking  upon  the  ground  of  strict 
 justice,  and  upou  no  other  ground  can  the  abstract 
 question  of  merit  be  argued.  The  question  becomes 
 of  a  totally  different  nature,  where  promises  arising 
 solely  from  kindness  and  mercy  are  concerned.  We 
 know  that  6  he  who  hath  promised  is  faithful,’  and 
 therefore  we  rely  upon  his  promises,  without  feeling 
 that  we  had  any  reason  to  expect  them.” — 66  It  is  an 
 easy  thing  for  a  wrangling  sophister  to  dispute  of 
 merits  in  the  schools,  or  for  a  vain  orator  to  declaim 
 
metits  out  of  the  pulpit ;  but  when  we  come  to  lie 
 wpon  our  death-beds,  and  present  ourselves  at  the  last 
 hour  before  the  tribunal  of  Christ,  it  is  high  time  both 
 for  you  and  us  to  renounce  our  own  merits,  and  to 
 cast  ourselves  naked  into  the  arms  of  our  Saviour. 
 That  any  works  of  ours,  (who  are  the  best  of  us  but 
 unprofitable  servants,)  which  properly  are  not  ours,' 
 are  a  just  debt  due  unto  him,  setting  aside  God’s  free 
 grace  and  gracious  acceptation,  should  condigniy,  by 
 their  own  intrinsic  value,  deserve  the  joys  of  heaven, 
 to  which  they  have  no  more  proportion  than  they  have 
 to  satisfy  for  the  eternal  torments  of  hell:  .this  is  that 
 which  we  have  renounced,  and  which  we  never  ought 
 to  admit.”  Thus  ends  Mr.  Scott’s  first  chapter,  or 
 rather  the  quotations  in  this  chapter  he  makes  from  his 
 lordship.  1  And  though  there  is  nothing  in  the  whole 
 which  militates  against  Calvinism,  there  is  such  depth 
 of  thought  manifest  in  these  few  sentences,  which  Mr.1 
 Scott  has  not  been  much  in  the  habit  of  transcribing  or 
 publishing  to  the  world.  They  are  thoughts  which  do> 
 his  lordship  honour,  nor  can  we  help  feeling  reverence 
 for  the  author.  Here  grace  and.  w  orks  are  each  put 
 into  its  right  place;  and  since  the  fall,  man  is  not 
 required  to  work  the  works  of  God  by  his  own 
 strength,  and  without  the  assistance  of  God’s  graces 
 but  it  is  shewn,  the  moment  condemnation  was  passing 
 upon  all  men,  grace  interposed;  and  so  man  went  out 
 of  paradise,  rather  under  a  dispensation  of  grace  and 
 mercy,  than  of  wrath  and  indignation.  And  if  obe« 
 dience  is  still  demanded,  though  man’s  strength  is? 
 gone  and  his  life  forfeited,  it  is  demanded  upon  new 
 ground,  the  ground  of  mercy  and  pity  through  the 
 hands  of  a  Mediator.  Consequently  obedience  to  the 
 commands  of  God,  whatever  they  are,  is  practicable^ 
 or  a  wise  legislator  and  good  God  would  not  have 
 commanded.  Mr.  Scott  wishes  the  world  to  believe, 
 that  his  lordship  in  particular,  and  the  Arminians  in 
 general,  set  people  to  work  out  their  own  salvation, 
 upon  the  ground  of  their  being  not  so  far  fallen,  but 
 
 D 
 
60 
 
 that  they  can,  independent  of  the  grace  of  God,  and 
 mediation  of  Jesus  Christ,  walk  before  the  Lord  unto 
 all  well-pleasing.  O  cruel  suggestion,  which  from  Mr. 
 Scott’s  pen  has  gone  through  this  nation  !  No  ;  we  re¬ 
 nounce  the  horrid  idea;  and  feel,  and  groan  beneath  the 
 weight  of  human  depravity,  and  mourn  before  our  God 
 on  its  account,  as  much  as  ever  Mr.  Scott  did.  And 
 although  we  dare  not  plead  this  as  an  excuse  for  bad 
 tempers  and  actual  transgression,  seeing  all-sufficient 
 grace  is  treasured  up  in  Christ  Jesus  for  every  soul  of 
 man,  and  if  we  have  not,  it  is  because  we  ask  not; 
 W'e  no  more  depend  upon  our  own  natural  strength,  or 
 goodness  of  heart,  for  happiness  on  earth  and  glory  in 
 heaven,  than  we  do  upon  the  gentleness,  meekness,  and 
 quietness  of  Mr.  Scott’s  spirit.  And  we  repeat  it,  we 
 admire  the  declaration  that  his  lordship  here  makes  s 
 The  promise  of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  of  that  which 
 i$  to  come ;  the  means  of  grace  and  the  hope  of  glory, 
 we  owe  solely  to  the  undeserved  mercy  of  God  through 
 the  merits  and  mediation  of  his  blessed  Son.  It  is  not 
 possible  for  man,  with  reference  to  the  original  con¬ 
 nexion  between  the  creature  and  his  Creator,  to  have 
 any  merits  towards  God;  for  whatever  powers  and 
 qualifications  he  possesses,  he  has  received  them  all 
 from  God,  and  God  has  a  right  to  every  exertion  he 
 <can  make.”  And  in  the  very  next  sentence  he  informs 
 n;s,  all  our  power  is  derived  from  the  second,  not  the 
 first  covenant.  That  we  must  therefore  be  saved  by 
 grace,  and  grace  alone:  for,  says  he,  u  But  God  has 
 been  pleased  to  enter  into  a  covenant  with  man,  sub¬ 
 sequent  to  the  rules  and  directions  which  he  gave  him 
 at  his  creation ;  and  to  promise  certain  privileges  and 
 blessings,  upon  the  performance  of  certain  conditions.” 
 In  the  whole,  we  cannot  but  admire  the  condescension 
 and  mercy  of  God,  in  a  second  time  entering  into 
 a  covenant  with,  and  again  commanding  man.  He 
 expected  nothing  from  him ;  nor  could  man,  even  in 
 lijs  first  estate,  augment  God’s  riches  or  happiness  in 
 glory.  The  best  offering,  therefore,  mortal  can  offer, 
 
61 
 
 Is  utterly  unworthy  of  his  notice ;  and  no  good  man 
 can  read  with  attention  the  following  Scripture,  without 
 being  inclined  to  love  and  worshsp  his  Maker.  O  come 
 ye  humble  tribes  of  every  denomination,  attend  while 
 I  read  you  something  that  will  do  you  good,  because  it 
 is  from  a  book  that  you  love,  and  in  which  you  have 
 everlasting  life :  u  And  the  Lord  smelled  a  sweet 
 savour ;  and  the  Lord  said  in  his  heart,  I  will  not  again 
 curse  the  ground  any  more  for  man’s  sake,  for  the 
 imagination  of  man’s 'heart  is  evil  from  his  youth; 
 neither  will  I  again  smite  any  more  every  thing  living 
 as  I  have  done,”  Gen.  viii.  21. 
 
 His  lordship  takes  a  proper  view  of  God’s  undeserved 
 mergy,  and  of  man’s  evil  heart  and  ways,  when  in  the 
 very  next  sentence  he  says,  u  This  new  dispensation* 
 go  far  from  being  the  consequence  of  any  right  conduct 
 in  man,  is  founded  upon  his  misconduct,  the  first  intL 
 matron  of  future  redemption  being  given  immediately 
 after  the  fall,  at  the  moment  God  was  denouncing 
 punishment  upon  the  disobedience  of  Adam.  That  w© 
 are  so  fallen,  so  corrupt  in  the  sight  of  an  holy  God 
 that  however  while  lusty  aud  young  we  may  be  guilty 
 of  vain-glory  respecting  our  characters;  when  we 
 come  upon  our  death-beds,  and  stand  at  the  tribunal 
 of  Jesus  Christ,  we  shall  have  other  views  of  the  matter* 
 And  that  the  best  that  men,  even  the  best  of  men  can 
 do,  is  to  u  cast  ourselves  naked  into  the  arms  of  our 
 Saviour.”  u  That  the  best,”  at  best,  a  are  but  no* 
 profitable  servants.” 
 
 This  little  body  of  sound  divinity,  delivered  in  such 
 plain  words,  and  in  such  a  small  compass,  abundantly 
 proves,  that  though  his  lordship  urges  the  slothful  to 
 work,  the  sleeper  to  awake,  the  dead  to  arise,  it  is 
 because  the  Holy  Ghost  does  the  same,  annexing  this 
 gracious  promise,  u  and  Christ  shall  give  thee  light,”’ 
 Ephes.  v.  14.  And  when  the  dead  are  called  to  arise* 
 the  sleeper  to  awake,  and  the  indolent  to  work  the 
 work  of  God  while  it  is  called  to-day ;  it  is  not  because 
 lie  thinks  the  dead  can  arise  of  himself,  or  til@  sleeps 
 
 D  2 
 
62 
 
 awake  of  himself,  or  the  indolent  can  do  any  thing  of 
 himself,  but  because  we  know  God  worketh  in  them 
 both  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good  pleasure  That  he 
 so  works  within  and  without  them,  that  they  may 
 either  yield  themselves  to  obey  him,  or  they  may  resist 
 bis  Holy  Spirit.  His  lordship  has  the  authority  of  the 
 Holy  Ghost  for  saying,  the  resisting  of  this  striving 
 Spirit  will  be  the  condemnation  at  the  last.  44  Know 
 you  not,  that  to  whom  ye  yield  yourselves  servants  to 
 obey,  his  servants  ye  are  to  whom  ye  obey,  whether  of 
 sin  unto  death,  or  of  obedience  unto  righteousness.” — 
 *4  For  if  ye  live  after  the  flesh,  ye  shall  die;  but  if  ye 
 through  the  Spirit  do  mortify  the  deeds  of  the  body,  ye 
 shall  live,”  Rom.  vi.  10,  and  viii.  13.  44  While  they 
 
 promise  them  liberty,  they  themselves  are  the  servants 
 of  corruption  ;  for  of  whom  a  man  is  overcome,  of  the 
 same  is  he  brought  in  boudage,”  2  Pet.  ii.  19.  “Jesus 
 answered  them,  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  whoso¬ 
 ever  committeth  sin  is  the  servant  of  sin  ;  and  the 
 servant  abideth  not  in  the  house  for  ever,  but  the  son 
 abideth  ever.  If  the  Sou  therefore  shall  make  you 
 Jfree,  ye  shall  be  free  indeed,”  John  viii.  34 — 36. 
 £e  Light  is  come  into  the  world,  but  men  love  darkness 
 rather  than  light,  because  their  deeds  are  evil.”  And^ 
 this  is  their  condemation,  they  will  not  come  unto  the 
 light;  and  it  is  upon  these  grounds,  and  these  only, 
 that  his  lordship,  and  all  holy  ministers,  urge  fallen 
 man  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  corne.  It  is  because 
 light  is  come  into  the  world,  because  the  kingdom  of 
 beaven  is  at  hand,  they  say  unto  some,  44  Repent,  and 
 believe  the  Gospel,”  Mark  i.  15.  44  Bring  forth  fruits 
 meet  for  repentance.  And  now  also  the  axe  is  laid 
 unto  the  root  of  the  trees :  therefore  every  tree  which 
 bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit,,  is  hewn  down  and  cast 
 into  the  lire,”  Matt.  iii.  8 — 10.  To  others:  “He 
 that  hath  two  coats,  let  him  impart  to  him  that  hath 
 none;  and  he  that  hath  meat,  let  him  do  likewise.” 
 To  others:  u  Exact  no  more  than  that  which  is  ap¬ 
 pointed  you.”  To  others;  “  Do  violence  to  no  man? 
 
63 
 
 neither  accuse  any  falsely,  and  be  content  with  your 
 wages,”  Luke  iii.  9,  13.  To  unbelieving  souls  they 
 say :  44  This  is  the  work  of  God,  that  ye  believe  on 
 him  whom  he  hath  sent.  Because  he  that  cometh  unto 
 God  must  (first)  believe  that  he  is,  and  that  he  is  the 
 rewarder  of  them  who  diligently  seek  him.”  To 
 awakened  souls  they  say,  44  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved.”  And  ail  this  is  quite 
 in  the  order  of  God. 
 
 But  here  a  question  must  be  answered.  It  has  often 
 been  asked,  44  But  do  you  believe  the  bishop  is  an 
 enlightened  man,  an  awakened  sinner  ?  Do  you  think 
 he  knows  the  plague  of  his  own  heart  ?  And  if  he  does 
 not,  how  can  he  accept  of  salvation  by  grace  ?”  To  this 
 I  answer,  I  do  not  know.  Nor  am  1  quite  positive 
 that  this  is  a  business  which  either  Mr.  Scott  or  I  are 
 to  decide  upon.  From  the  representations  I  had  had 
 of  the  bishop’s  book,  I  had  no  more  intention  of 
 defending  his  lordship,  than  I  had  of  defending  Mr; 
 Scott,  when  I  engaged  to  answer  Mr.  Scott’s  remarks. 
 But  the  more  I  examine  the  extracts  which  Mr.  Scott 
 has  made  from  the  Refutation,  upon  the  fall  of  man  by 
 sin,  and  his  recovery  by  Jesus  Christ,  the  more  I  am 
 convinced  his  lordship  is  right,  and  Mr.  Scott  wrong, 
 upon  this  awfully  important  point;  nor  has  Mr.  Scott 
 refuted  his  lordship  in  one  single  argument  throughout 
 this  chapter.  I  hope  it  will  not  be  thought  the  above 
 is  the  result  of  want  of  proper  respect  to  Mr.  Scott;  or 
 that  I  am  too  severe  when  I  say,  If  the  above  be  true, 
 then  a  good  part  of  this  long  first  chapter  is  vain 
 jangling ;  and  I  cannot  but  look  upon  what  is  said 
 page  27  and  28,  to  be  peculiarly  so.  His  lordship 
 had  said,  44  4  That  on  the  good  ground,’  says  Christ, 
 4  are  they  which  in  an  honest  and  good  heart  having 
 heard  the  word,  keep  it,  and  bring  forth  fruit  with 
 patience.’  Here  we  have  again  our  Saviour’s  authority 
 for  saying,  that  there  is  some  honesty,  some  goodness 
 of  heart  in  the  human  race ;  and  that  ditferent  men 
 possess  these  virtuous  qualities  in  ditferent  degrees., 
 
 D  3 
 
64 
 
 since  of  the  seed  which  fell  upon  good  ground,  some 
 brought  forth  an  hundred-fold,  some  sixty,  some  thirty." 
 As  these  words  so  directly  militate  against  Calvinism, 
 yet  as  his  lordship  had  the  authority  of  the  Scriptures 
 for  what  he  here  says,  would  it  not  have  been  more  to 
 Mr.  Scott’s  honour,  if  he  had  passed  silently  over  all 
 this  part,  and  taken  no  notice  of  it?  But  instead  of 
 this,  he  objects,  and  brings  several  Scriptures  to  back 
 ins  objections;  and  which  Scriptures  I  shall  have  to 
 prove,  as  I  have  proved  in  part  already,  have  no  more 
 to  do  with  the  matter,  than  though  he  had  said,  u  Now 
 the  song  of  songs  is  Solomon’s  song."  He  says,  u  6  That 
 on  the  good  ground,’  &c.  Will  his  lordship  then 
 maintain,  that  the  honest  and  good  heart,  in  which  the 
 word  of  the  kingdom,  the  good  seed,  takes  root  and 
 brings  forth  fruit,  is  uniformly  the  effect  of  some 
 honesty  and  goodness  of  heart  in  the  human  race  ;  and 
 if  this  be  not  always  the  case,  what  reason  is  there  to 
 believe  it  ever  is?"  And  will  Mr.  Scott  attempt  to 
 prove  the  contrary  ?  Is  there  a  text  in  the  Bible  to 
 that  effect  ?  66  6  A.  new  heart  will  I  give  you,  and 
 a  new  spirit  will  I  put  within  you,  and  I  will  take 
 away  the  stony  heart  out  of  your  flesh,  and  will  give 
 you  a  heart  of  flesh;  and  I  will  put  my  own  Spirit 
 within  you,  and  cause  you  to  walk  in  my  statutes,  and 
 ye  shall  keep  my  judgments,  and  do  them." — u  Do  not 
 err,  my  beloved  brethren,  every  good  gift  and  every 
 perfect  gift  is  from  above,  and  cometh  down  from  the 
 Father  of  lights." — 46 1  have  planted,  Apollos  watered, 
 but  God  gave  the  increase." 
 
 With  respect  to  the  first  of  these  texts,  6i  A  new 
 heart  will  I  give  them,"  we  have  already  proved,  from 
 Mr.  Scott’s  own  pen,  that  however  it  is  sometimes 
 pleaded  by  Gentiles,  yet  the  context  speaks  expressly 
 and  repeatedly  of  the  house  of  Israel.  That  their 
 return  to  their  own  land  must  be  the  literal,  prophetic 
 meaning  of  the  words.  And  as  there  is  no  instance 
 in  the  New  Testament  of  these  passages  being  applied 
 to  Gentiles,  Mr.  Scott  must  answer  for  it  that  he  here* 
 
85 
 
 I 
 
 as  elsewhere,  applies  the  sacred  Scriptures  to  a  sense  he 
 knew  was  not  intended  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  That  the 
 plain  literal  meaning  was  quite  another  thing,  and 
 intended  of  God  for  quite  another  purpose.  And  that 
 the  Jews  are  reserved  a  distinct,  or  separate  people, 
 for  the  purpose  of  giving  these  texts  their  full  accom« 
 plishment,  in  returning  to  their  own  land. 
 
 With  respect  to  the  next  text,  u  Every  good  gift, 
 &c.  cometh  down  from  above,”  there  is  no  dispute 
 about  this,  we  are  all  perfectly  agreed,  that  God  is  the 
 fountain  of  all  goodness.  But  this  was  not  what  his 
 lordship  wras  speaking  of,  having  our  Lord’s  authoritj^ 
 for  saying,  there  was  some  honesty,  some  goodness  of 
 heart  in  the  human  race;  and  reading  the  passage 
 alluded  to  I  will  ask,  appealing  to  universal  experience, 
 whether  he  had  not  proper  authority  for  so  saying? 
 The  parable  of  the  sower  is  recorded  by  the  three 
 evangelists,  Matt.  xiis.  Mark  iv.  and  Luke  viii.  But 
 his  lordship  seems  to  allude  particularly  to  Luke  viii.  1  5. 
 The  Saviour  of  man,  ever  ready  to  inform  the  honest 
 inquirer  after  truth,  answers  his  disciples’  inquiry,  and 
 says,  1,4  But  that  on  the  good  ground  are  they  which, 
 in  an  honest  and  good  heart,  having  heard  the  word, 
 keep  it,  and  bring  forth  fruit  with  patience.”  Now* 
 in  every  case,  whether  on  the  rock,  by  the  way-side, 
 among  thorns,  or  on  the  good  ground,  u  the  seed  is 
 the  word  of  God,”  the  same  to  each.  The  >>ower  the 
 same,  equally  liberal  to  all.  The  whole  difference  at 
 time  of  harvest,  is  attributed  to  the  cilterent  dis~ 
 positions  of  those  who  receive  the  seed,  and  not  to  any 
 difference  the  sower  made  in  them,  prior  to  tiie  seed 
 being  sown.  Yet  Mr.  Scott,  seemingly  in  the  spirit  of 
 triumph,  answ  ers,  But  where  he  saj  s  that  there  is 
 some  honesty,  some  goodness  in  the  human  race, 
 except  as  implanted  by  the  grace  of  God,  does  not 
 appear.”  And  I  ask  Mr.  Scott,  where  in  the  word  of 
 God  does  the  contrary  appear?  What,  is  every  man. 
 that  receives  the  word  of  truth,  and  brings  forth  fruit 
 with  patience,  changed  by  divine  grhce  before  that 
 
 D  4 
 
 * 
 
66 
 
 word  is  preached?  And  if  first  made  an  honest  and 
 good  man  by  the  special  grace  of  God,  is  not  preaching 
 to  him  in  vain.  St.  Paul,  speaking  of  God’s  design  in 
 sending  him  to  preach,  says,  44  It  was  to  open  men’s 
 blind  eyes,  and  to  turn  them  from  darkness  to  light, 
 and  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God.”  I  would 
 rather  my  tongue  should  cleave  to  the  roof  of  my 
 mouth,  and  my  right  hand  should  forget  its  cunning, 
 than  derogate  from  God’s  glory.  But  I  dare  not 
 attribute  that  to  him  the  Scriptures  do  not  attribute  to 
 him.  And  this  idea  of  a  new  heart,  honesty  of  dis¬ 
 position,  and  goodness  of  spirit,  being  given  to  some, 
 or  being  implanted  in  some,  (in  all  the  elect,)  previously 
 to  their  hearing  the  word  of  God,  is  making  preaching 
 vain,  faith  vain,  aud  the  word  of  God  of  none  effect. 
 
 We  have  before  said,  that  44  Christ  is  the  true  light, 
 which  lighteneth  every  man;”  that  44  he  is  the  light 
 of  man;”  that  44  this  light  shineth  in  darkness,  where 
 the  darkness  comprehends' it  not.”  Every  human  being 
 becomes  so  far  the  child  of  light  or  the  child  of  dark¬ 
 ness,  just  so  as  he  attends  to,  and  suffers  that  light  to 
 shine,  or  as  he  suffers  it  to  become  darkness.  From 
 this  light  thousands  become  honest  men,  though  it  does 
 not  appear  that  God  by  his  Spirit  had  implanted  any 
 special  grace,  so  as  to  make  them  truly  and  eternally 
 honest  and  holy.  While  they  have  the  light,  let  them 
 walk  in  the  light,  and  they  shall  become  the  children 
 of  the  light  and  of  the  day.  And  in  the  text  connected 
 with  the  one  under  consideration,  ver.  18,  if  I  am  not 
 mistaken,  our  Lord  is  speaking  of  this  very  thing: 
 6i  Take  heed  how  you  hear;  for  whosoever  hath,  to 
 him  shall  be  given ;  and  whosoever  hafh  not,  from  him 
 shall  be  taken  even  that  which  he  seemeth  to  have:” 
 And  as  a  proof  it  was  grace  of  the  right  kind,  it  is 
 ordered  to  be  given  to  the  diligent  servant,  to  be  given 
 to  him  that  had  improved  what  he  had.  And  with 
 respect  to  those  who  brought  no  fruit  to  perfection, 
 our  Lord  gives  us  to  understand,  the  good  seed  was  as 
 much  sown  in  their  hearts,  as  in  those  who  brought 
 
67 
 
 fruit  to  perfection.  Their  failure,  we  are  informed) 
 was  because  they  had  no  root  in  themselves,  see  ver.  13? 
 and  Matt.  viii.  21.  We  know  that  every  believer;  in 
 earth  and  in  heaven  will  willingly  say,  44  By  the  grace 
 of  God  I  am  what  I  am.” 
 
 44  Grace  first  contriv’d  a  way 
 To  save  rebellious  man.” 
 
 By  grace  Paul  was  sent  to  plant,  Apollos  to  water*' 
 and  by  grace  God  gave  the  increase.  It  was  undeserved 
 mercy  who  sent  his  word  to  heal  us ;  and  every 
 unfruitful  receiver,  as  well  as  the  fruitful  ones,  ought 
 to  love  and  praise  God  for  sending  it,  for  sowing  the 
 good  seed  in  the  heart.  For  as  they  for  a  time  believed* 
 and  endured  for  a  while;  they  might  have  continued 
 unto  the  end,  and  have  been  saved  if  they  would.  It 
 was  their  faults  that  they  suffered  the  devil  to  pick  the 
 good  seed  out  of  their  hearts.  And  he  must  be  a  devil 
 indeed,  as  foolish  as  he  is  wicked,  in  taking  so  much 
 pains  to  pick  it  out  of  their  hearts,  but  as  he  knew  if 
 it  continued  there  they  would  finally  be  saved.  If  our 
 Lord  is  to  be  credited,  Satan’s  desire  is  that  he  might 
 have  us;  that  he  sifts  us  as  wheat;  he  has  no  other 
 end  in  view,  but  that  he  might  have  us.  O  believing 
 souls,  therefore  take  heed  to  yourselves  !  see  that 
 ye  receive  not  the  grace  of  God  in  vain.  Not  a  damned 
 soul  in  hell  will  have  to  accuse  God  of  not  giving  him 
 the  grace  of  a  new  heart,  a  right  and  honest  spirit. 
 None  will  have  there  to  accuse  him  as  the  cause  of  their 
 continuing  in  sin,  by  designedly  withholding  the  honest 
 heart  from  them,  and  only  giving  it  to  the  elect. 
 
 The  following  is  equally  f  rivolous,  or  jangling,  as  the 
 foregoing.  Mr.  Scott,  constrained  to  acknowledge  the 
 justness  of  his  lordship’s  reasoning,  says,  44  If  men. 
 neither  have  by  nature,  uor  can  have  by  grace,  power 
 to  comply  with  the  advice  given,  it  would  certainly  be 
 given  in  vain.  But  will  his  lordship  maintain,  that 
 men  have,  without  the  grace  of  God,  power  to  do  all 
 those  things  which  are  here  mentioned}”  Is  there 
 nothing  like  designed  provocation  in  this?  Did  ever 
 
 D  5 
 
& 
 
 68 
 
 his  lordship  say  or  intimate,  That  we  can  of  ourselves 
 abstractedly  from  the  grace  of  God,  Jive,  move,  or  have 
 our  being  ?  Has  not  Mr.  Scott  read  enough  of  his 
 lordship’s  Refutation,  to  know  he  could  not  mean  any 
 such  thing?  Has  not  Mr.  Scott  transcribed  enough 
 from  his  lordship,  to  convince  any  impartial  reader 
 that  he  believes  all  the  power  a  man  has  to  exert  him¬ 
 self  in  the  work  of  obedience,  comes  from  the  grace  of 
 God  ?  That  it  comes  to  him  by  a  new  covenant,  made 
 with  man  subsequent  to  the  fall  ?  That  we  are  to  trust 
 in  God  according  to  the  Scripture,  for  the  effectual 
 assistance  of  his  Holy  Spirit,  see  pages  16b — 169. 
 Mr.  Scott  seems  to  speak  of  the  human  race,  particularly 
 the  non-elect  part  of  it,  not  as  probationers,  under 
 a  second  covenant;  not  as  redeemed  creatures,  under 
 a  dispensation  of  grace  and  mercy;  but  as  without 
 God,  as  much  as  the  people  in  hell  are.  That  there  is 
 as  much  power  in  the  dead  and  damned  to  do  works 
 meet  for  repentance,  as  there  is  in  any  of  the  non-elect 
 on  earth,  to  whom  God  has  not  promised  a  new  heart. 
 
 *  Aye  ;  and  if  his  scheme  be  true,  these  have  no  more 
 power,  and  are  as  sure  to  go  there  at  last,  as  the  other 
 are  there  already.  Our  Lord,  who  never  trifled  with 
 the  souls  of  men,  has  taught  us  a  better  lesson.  He 
 spake  a  parable  that  men,  elect  or  non-elect,  should 
 pray  always  In  his  sermon  on  the  mount,  with  what 
 (earnestness  did  he  urge  this  duty  upon  the  multitudes, 
 Matt.  vi.  5 — 14,  and  vii.  7 — 12.  “Ask,”  says  he, 
 i(  and  it  shall  be  given  you;  seek,  and  ye  shall  find; 
 knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you.  For  every 
 ©ne  that  asketh  receiveth  ;  and  he  that  seeketh  findeth  ; 
 and  to  him  that  knocketh  it  shall  be  opened.  Or  what 
 man  is  there  of  you,  whom  if  his  son  ask  bread,  will  he 
 give  him  a  stone  ?  or  if  he  ask  a  fish,  will  he  give  him 
 a  serpent?  If  ye  then,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give 
 good  gifts  unto  your  children,  how  much  more  shall 
 your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  give  good  things  to 
 them  that  ask  him  ?  ”  Or  as  St.  Luke  wrords  it,  u  If  ye 
 then,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  to  your 
 
69 
 
 children,  hpw  much  more  shall  your  heavenly  Father 
 give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him,”  chap.  xi.  13.’ 
 Is  there  any  intimation  in  this  sermon,  that  these  evil 
 men  had  special  grace  implanted  in  their  hearts  ?  Or 
 are  these  proofs  evil  men  can  do  nothing  spiritually 
 good  ?  My  soul  is  pained  within  me,  when  1  think  of 
 such  doctrines  having  been  sent  into  the  world  by  corn* 
 mentators  on  the  HolysScriptures.  O,  how  many  times 
 have  evil  men,  when  sinking  in  the  mighty  waters,  in 
 their  trouble  called  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord ;  and 
 he,  because  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever,  has  heard  and 
 delivered  them!  O  that  men,  instead  of  believing 
 these  commentators,  would  u  praise  the  Lord  for  his 
 goodness,  and  for  his  loving-kindness  to  the  children 
 of  men  !  For  he  satisfieth  the  longing  soul,  and  filleth. 
 the  hungry  soul  with  goodness.  Such  as  sit  in  darkness 
 and  the  shadow  of  death,  bound  in  affliction  and  iron, 
 because  they  rebelled  against  the  words  of  God,  and 
 contemned  the  counsel  of  the  Most  High:  Therefore 
 he  brought  down  their  hearts  with  labour;  they  felt 
 down,  and  there  was  none  to  help,  evil  men  as  they 
 were.  Then  they  cried  unto  the  Lord  in  their  trouble, 
 he  saved  them  out  of  their  distresses.  He  brought 
 them  out  of  darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death,  and 
 brake  their  bonds  in  sunder.  O  that  men  would  praise 
 the  Lord  for  his  goodness,  and  for  his  wonderful  works 
 to  the  children  of  men,”  Psalm,  cvii.  It  is  not  Mr. 
 Scott’s  quoting  the  17th  Article,  the  27th  or  37th 
 Article,  or  all  the  articles  that  ever  were  drawn  up  by 
 fallible  men,  that  can  prove,  even  evil  men  cannot  so 
 call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord  in  their  trouble,  that 
 God  can  hear  their  prayer  and  deliver  them.  Yes: 
 men  that  yet  are  no  more  the  subjects  of  lt  implanted 
 special  grace  ”  than  other  people  are.  Fes :  these  evil 
 men  are  throughout  the  Scriptures  encouraged  to  call 
 upon  the  Lord,  that  he  would  give  his  Holy  Spirit,  to 
 enable  them  to  conquer  their  lusts,  to  subdue  their  evil 
 propensities.  These,  in  the  gall  of  bitterness,  in  the 
 bonds  of  iniquity,  are  encouraged  to  “  pray  that  the 
 
70 
 
 thoughts  of  their  hearts  may  be  forgiven  them;  that 
 the  deserved  judgments  of  God  may  not  come  upon 
 them.”  Scriptures  in  abundance  rush  upon  my  mind 
 to  prove  this,  but  the  above  are  sufficient. 
 
 Nothing  can  be  more  injurious  to  the  souls  of  men 
 who  are  yet  in  their  sins,  than  to  make  them  believe 
 they  cannot  do  any  thing  well-pleasing  in  the  sight  of 
 God,  until  he  has  given  them  special  grace,  44  implanted 
 in  their  hearts  his  grace,  and  whatever  is  good.”  Ah ! 
 men  are  too  apt  to  wait  for  this  unpromised  blessing. 
 They  are  backward  enough  in  the  duty  of  entering 
 their  closets,  and  praying  to  their  Father  who  seeth  in 
 secret.  These  are  willing  enough,  not  only  to  say,  (as 
 many  have  to  me,)  44  Ah!  what  can  we  do,  if  God 
 does  not  help  us  ?  ”  They  are  ready  enough  too  to  act 
 upon  these  principles:  they  need  not  be  encouraged  t© 
 it  by  commentators. 
 
 O !  what  a  curse  would  Mr.  Scott’s  doctrines  have 
 been,  had  they  generally  been  believed  at  Nineveh, 
 when  Jonah  went  through  it,  crying,  44  Forty  days, 
 and  Nineveh  shall  be  destroyed.”  Our  dear  Lord 
 says,  44  They  repented  at  the  preaching  of  Jonah.” 
 Yes;  we  are  told,  44  They  believed  God, — and  turned 
 from  their  evil  way,  and  from  the  violence  that  was  in 
 their  hands.”  Man  and  beast  were  to  be  covered  in 
 sackcloth,  and  to  cry  mightily  unto  God.  44  For,” 
 say  they,  44  w  ho  can  tell  if  God  will  turn,  and  repent, 
 and  turn  away  from  his  fierce  anger,  that  weT perish 
 not.”  •  And  though  Mr.  Scott  will  not  say,  that  it 
 appears  God  had  implanted  saving  grace,  or  special 
 grace,  in  their  hearts;  yet,  such  is  the  goodness  of  his 
 nature,  he  was  pleased  with  what  they  did.  44  And 
 God  saw  their  works,  that  they  turned  from  their  evil 
 way  ;  and  God  repented  of  the  evil  that  lie  had  said 
 that  he  would  do  unto  them,  and  he  did  it  not,” 
 Jonah  ii.  2. 
 
 It  is  not  for  the  refuting  of  Mr.  Scott  that  I  am  taking 
 this  pains  now.  If  any  one  of  the  above  Scriptures  is 
 true,  he  is  refuted,  and  in  the  eyes  of  every  impartial 
 
n 
 
 honest  man,  proved  to  be  wrong.  But  my  view  is  here, 
 by  quoting  and  referring  to  so  many  texts,  to  encourage 
 the  wicked,  in  whom  the  grace  of  God  is  not  yet 
 u  implanted,”  to  forsake  his  ways,  and  to  turn  unto 
 the  Lord,  and  he  will  have  mercy  upon  him,  to  our 
 God,  for  he  will  abundantly  pardon.  Let  the  wicked 
 know,  he  never  will  have  more  power  to  turn  than  he 
 has  now.  If  he  does  not  turn  unto  the  Lord,  he  never 
 will  have  more  grace  implanted  in  his  heart  than  he  has 
 now.  Now  is  the  accepted  time,  now  is  the  day  of 
 salvation.  To-day  if  thou  wilt  hear  his  voice,  harden 
 not  thy  heart.  The  man  who  tells  thee,  u  If  thou  art 
 one  of  God’s  elect,  he  will  make  thee  willing  in  the 
 day  of  his  power,”  is  deceiving  thee,  is  robbing  thy 
 soul,  and  giving  thee  to  hope  for  what  God  has  never 
 promised  to  give.  The  new  heart,  the  right  spirit,  is 
 promised  to  the  Jews,  as  being  the  elect  of  God;  and 
 to  the  Jews  only  when  they  shall  return  unto  their 
 own  land. 
 
 Page  31,  Mr.  Scott  quotes  his  lordship,  saying, 
 u  There  is  not  a  single  passage  in  the  New  Testament, 
 which  leads  us  to  suppose  that  any  supernatural  power 
 was  exerted  over  the  minds  of  ordinary  hearers ;  and 
 therefore  we  are  authorised  to  attribute  their  faith  to 
 the  voluntary  exercise  of  their  reason.”  Now  either 
 there  are  Scriptures  which  attribute  faith  of  ordinary 
 hearers  to  supernatural  power,  or  there  are  not.  Mr. 
 Scott  quotes  four  texts,  or  half  texts,  to  refute  his 
 lordship,  as  follows  :  u  The  hand  of  the  Lord  was  with 
 them,  and  a  great  number  believed  and  turned  to 
 the  Lord,”  Acts  xi.  21.  i  dare  say,  there  is  no  Cal¬ 
 vinist  who  reads  this  from  Mr.  Scott,  but  will  think  it 
 excellent.  But  unfortunately  for  him,  it  so  happens, 
 this  text  does  not  say  one  single  word  about  the  hand 
 of  the  Lord  being  with  either  ordinary  or  extraordinary 
 hearers,  but  expressly  of  the  extraordinary  preachers, 
 u  who  were  scattered  abroad  upon  the  persecution  that 
 arose  about  Stephen.”  Besides,  it  appears,  the  great 
 number  who  believed  were  not  ordinary  hearers,  such 
 
72 
 
 as  as  Gentiles,  but  Jews,  u  children  of  the  covenant 
 and  promise  which  God  made  with  their  fathers  :  ”  for 
 it  was  only  to  them  the  word  was  there  preached,  see 
 verse  19.  The  next  text  is  about  Lydia,  Acts  xvi. 
 Could  not  Mr.  Scott  have  fixed  upon  some  better 
 instance  than  this  of  u  ordinary  hearers  ?”  Does 
 Mr.  Scott  call  Lydia  u  ordinary  hearers  On  the 
 contrary,  do  not  these  Scriptures  speak  of  her,  and 
 do  not  all  ordinary  writers  who  mention  her,  mention 
 her  as  an  extraordinary  person  ?  At  any  rate  she  was 
 not  £<  ordinary  hearers.”  The  next  text  referred  to  is 
 1  Cor.  iii.  6,  u  I  have  planted,  Apollos  watered,  but 
 God  gave  the  increase.”  Christ  promised  to  his  mi¬ 
 nisters,  to  be  with  them  u  always,  even  unto  the  end 
 of  the  world.”  He  never  falsified  his  word  at  any 
 time :  and  as  every  good  man  on  earth  prays  to  God 
 for  his  guidance,  protection,  and  blessing,  when  going 
 on  a  journey,  or  on  business  ;  and  being  preserved, 
 protected,  and  prosperous,  does  as  uniformly  return 
 God  thanks  for  that  prosperity,  without  thinking  a 
 miracle  was  wrought;  so  does  the  apostle  here.  But 
 he  does  not  intimate,  that  it  was  extraordinary  for  God 
 to  prosper  the  work  of  a  good  man’s  hands.  No,  no, 
 he  speaks  of  the  grace  of  God  which  bringeth  salvation, 
 as  being  a  common  thing.  So  every  pious  minister, 
 knowing  the  awful  responsibility  of  the  minister  of  the 
 evei  lasting  Gospel,  seeing  the  work  of  God  prospering 
 in  his  hands,  naturally  gives  God  all  the  praise,  and 
 willingly  adopts  the  apostle’s  language  in  this  epistle, 
 <(  Not  I,  but  the  grace  of  God  that  was  with  me,” 
 chap.  xv.  And  what  was  it  in  which  this  holy  man  so 
 laboured  among  this  people?  Why,  it  was  first  of  all 
 to  inform,  or  to  impress  upon  their  minds,  u  That 
 Christ  died  for  our  sins,  according  to  the  Scriptures ; 
 and  that  he  was  buried,  and  that  he  rose  again  the  third 
 day,  according  to  the  Scriptures;  and  that  he  was  seen 
 in  different  places  by  divers  people,  infallible  witnesses.” 
 This  was  the  simple,  divine  story  he  told  them,  and 
 which  they  received,  and  wherein  they  stood,  and  by 
 
which  they  were  saved  if  they  kept  it  in  memory  what 
 he  preached;,  there  it  all  hinged.  If  they  did  not,  then 
 they  had  believed  in  vain.  It  was  the  Lord,  it  is  true, 
 who  gave  the  word,  and  great  was  the  company  of  them 
 who  published  it.  But  is  there  something  so  dark  and 
 unintelligible  in  this  plain  revelation,  that  honest  common 
 hearers  could  not  receive  it,  without  some  uncommon 
 or  supernatural  povoer  ?  The  other  text  Mr.  Scott 
 quotes  is  James  i.  18.  u  Of  his  own  will  begat  he  us 
 with  the  w7ord  of  truth,”  &c.  Unhappily  Mr.  Scott 
 stops  in  the  very  middle  of  the  verse,  in  the  very  middle 
 of  the  sentence  too,  and  only  says,  u  &c.”  Now  this 
 u  &c.”  unfortunately  for  Mr.  Scott,  tells  the  world 
 who  these  66  us  ”  were,  that  then  were  begotten  again 
 unto  a  lively  hope  by  the  word  of  truth ;  it  was  those 
 u  who,  were  intended  of  God  to  be  a  kind  of  first-fruits 
 of  his  creatures.”  This  latter  part  of  the  verse  should 
 have  been  brought  in  by  all  means.  And  although  this 
 is  the  chapter  in  which  it  is  said,  u  Every  good  gift, 
 and  every  perfect  gift,  is  from  above,  and  cometh  down 
 from  the  Father  of  lights,  with  whom  is  no  variable¬ 
 ness,  neither  shadow  of  turning;”  it  so  happens,  it  is 
 in  the  very  same  chapter  where  any  man  that  lacketh 
 wisdom,  whether  he  has  special  grace  implanted  in  his 
 heart  or  not,  is  exhorted  to  ask  of  God  ;  and  because, 
 saith  he,  u  God  giveth  unto  all  men  liberally,  and 
 upbraideth  not;”  and  saith  he,  u  and  it  shall  be  given, 
 him.”  And  what  may  appear  still  more  strange  to 
 some,  as  a  proof  that  man  can,  long  as  he  is  a  pro¬ 
 bationary,  do  something  towards  his  own  salvation; 
 God  is  pleased  to  make  the  word  of  truth,  the  power 
 of  God  unto  men’s  salvation,  as  faith  cometh  by  hearing 
 it.  In  the  very  next  verse,  the  whole  of  which  Mr. 
 Scott  ought  to  have  transcribed,  instead  of  “  &c.”  the 
 apostle  urges,  u  Wherefore,  my  bcdoved  brethren,  let 
 every  man  be  swift  to  hear,  slow  to  speak,  slow  to 
 wrath,”  ver.  19  And  however  the  bishop  may  offend, 
 by  urging  wicked  men,  or  all  men,  to  flee  from  the 
 wrath  to  come;  it  is  clear  St.  James,  in  this  chapter, 
 
 + 
 
74 
 
 was  as  legal  as  his  lordship  to  the  full.  Nor  does  it 
 appear  that  Paul,  or  Peter,  or  any  of  them,  asked, 
 66  Whether  he  though  people  could  do  tins  of  them¬ 
 selves?  whether  they  could  believe  by  nature?  or 
 whether  it  was  the  special,  supernatural  grace  of  God, 
 whereby  they  believed?’’  Mr.  Scott  goes  on  in  what, 
 I  suppose,  he  would  call  improving;  but,  as  of  his 
 commentary,  what  [  would  call  spoiling  the  subject, 
 and  says,  u  Indeed,  every  time  the  apostle  thanks  God 
 for  the  success  of  the  Gospel  in  the  conversion  of  his 
 hearers,  he  evidently  ascribed  that  event  to  a  super¬ 
 natural  power,  giving  efficacy  to  the  word  of  truth  ; 
 unless  he  used  this  language  in  the  same  formal  and 
 unmeaning  manner  as  the  pharisee  at  the  temple  said, 
 6  God,  I  thank  thee  that  I  am  not  as  other  men  are,5 
 &c.”  It  is  quite  in  the  ordinary  course  of  things,  for 
 all  good  men  to  thank  God  for  all  the  good  that  s  done 
 on  earth,  whether  the  instrument  he  does  it  by  be  king 
 or  minister.  And  hence,  though  the  apostle  himself 
 was  sent  of  God,  66  to  open  men’s  eyes,  and  to  turn 
 them  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power  of 
 Satan  unto  God,  that  they  might  receive  the  forgive¬ 
 ness  of  sins,  and  an  inheritance  among  them  which  were 
 sanctified  by  faith  that  is  in  Christ,”  Acts  xxvi.  18:  he 
 always  ascribed  the  success  of  his  ministry  to  the 
 common  grace  of  God,  that  bringeth  salvation  to  all 
 men;  but  never  to  extraordinary  power,  as  though  it 
 was  quite  uncommon,  or  supernatural,  for  God  to 
 attend  with  his  blessing,  the  faithful  ministry  of  his 
 word.  And  let  me  tell  Mr.  Scott,  these  strokes  of  his 
 are  very  awful  reflections  on  the  ceaseless,  undeserved 
 mercies  of  God. 
 
 But  why  should  Mr.  Scott  accuse  the  poor  pharisee 
 in  the  temple  of  using  the  language,  6i  God,  i  thank 
 thee  that  I  am  not  as  other  men  are,”  in  a  formal  and 
 unmeaning  manner?  Has  not  Mr.  Scott,  a  thousand 
 times  in  public,  and  in  a  thousand  places  in  his  writings, 
 endeavoured  to  tea,  h  people  to  be  thankful  for  the  very- 
 same  thing,  and  in  the  very  same  manner,  in  which 
 
/ 
 
 75 
 
 and  for  which  the  pharisee  thanked  God  ?  What  waff 
 the  blessing  for  which  the  pharisee  thanked  God?  It 
 was,  as  he  thought,  because  God  had  made  him  to 
 differ  from  sinners  around  him,  and  particularly  that 
 he  had  made  him  so  much  better  than  a  certain  publican 
 in  the  neighbourhood.  He  as  much  as  says,  he  did  not 
 effect  this  amazing  change  by  any  power  or  goodness 
 of  his  own;  no,  it  was  all  the  work  of  special  grace , 
 u  God,  I  thank  thee’’  for  it.  So  he  thanked  God  for 
 blessings,  no  one  but  himself  thought  existed  :  so  in 
 him,  as  in  many  a  one  in  our  day,  the  words  of  the 
 witty  poet  were  verified, 
 
 66  Tom  his  own  merit  sees^ 
 
 This  gives  him  pride, 
 
 That  he  sees  more  than  all  the  world  beside.” 
 And  I  ask  any  reasonable  man,  who  has  had  patience 
 to  read  Mr.  Scott’s  guinea  book,  or  his  more  tedious 
 Commentary,  what  is  the  whole  tendency  of  those 
 writings,  but  to  inspire  in  the  minds  of  uninformed 
 -  people,  who  can  believe  that  they  are  the  elect  of  God, 
 the  peculiar  favourites  of  heaven,  the  children  of  the 
 covenants,  with  a  vain  conceit  of  their  own  attainments 
 in  a  state  of  holiness?  And  these  attainments  being 
 so  great,  they  are  taught  by  these  writings,  that  it 
 cannot  be  natural,  or  the  effect  of  their  own  honesty 
 and  prudence,  or  the  goodness  of  their  hearts  ;  but  it  is 
 all  to  be  attributed  to  the  special  or  supernatural  grace 
 of  God.  (i  God,  I  thank  thee.” — u  Thou  hast  made 
 me  to  differ.” — Ci  Stand  by,  f  am  holier  than  thou.”-—' 
 u  I  give  God  the  praise,  for  he  has  made  the  difference.” 
 I  ask,  Is  this,  or  is  it  not,  directly  or  indirectly,  the 
 chief  thing  that  runs  through  all  Mr.  Scott's  writings? 
 And  however  formal  and  unmeaning,  in  the  sight  of  an 
 heart-searching  God,  the  language  may  appear,  it  seems 
 the  very  same  language  the  pharisee  of  old  made  use 
 of.  O,  had  he  of  old,  or  Mr.  Scott  of  the  present  day* 
 drank  deep  into  the  Spirit  with  which  the  holy  apostle 
 was  blessed,  the  language  would  not  have  been, 
 i6  Thank  God  for  his  special  grace ;  ”  but,  ii  What  l 
 
?6 
 
 and  are  we  bet'ter  than  they  !  No,  in  no  wise.”— 
 i(  Not  as  though  I  had  already  attained,  or  were  already 
 perfect.”* — u  Less  than  the  least  of  all  saints,  not  meet 
 to  be  called  an  apostle.” — u  Christ  came  into  the  world 
 to  save  sinners,  of  whom  I  am  chief.” 
 
 As  the  pharisee  in  the  temple  thanked  God  for  blessings 
 given  as  to  a  peculiar  favourite,  and  that  all  the  goodness 
 he  possessed  was  the  gift  of  God;  and  as  no  one  but 
 himself  had  any  idea  he  possessed  such  extraordinary 
 blessings ;  so  it  is  with  men  of  the  same  spirit  in  our  day. 
 For  while  they  are  thanking  God,  who  has  made  them 
 to  differ  from  others,  people  about  them  see  none  of 
 that  difference.  They  talk  of  the  supernatural  efficacy 
 and  power  of  special  grace  on  their  hearts;  but  to 
 England  I  appeal,  do  their  customers,  their  employers, 
 or  employed,  derive  any  benefit  from  this.  I  am  not 
 speaking  of  the  real  influences  and  effects  the  Spirit  of 
 God  has  on  the  hearts  and  lives  of  Christians;  but  I  am 
 speaking  of  those  ministers  and  people,  who  have  been 
 and  are  noted,  for  their  glorying  in  the  effect  divine 
 grace  has  had  on  their  hearts.  That  the  change  and 
 difference  has  been  so  great,  nothing  but  supernatural 
 power  could  have  effected  it.  The  world  sees  they 
 have  changed  their  amusements,  perhaps  their  company, 
 and  perhaps  their  places  of  worship.  But,  ah  !  has 
 the  change  made  them  as  little  children  in  the  sight  of 
 God  and  the  world  ?  Do  men  see  they  have  humbled 
 themselves,  and  have  received  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
 as  a  little  child  ?  Are  they  easier  to  make  a  bargain 
 with?  Would  they  more  willingly  u  suffer  themselves 
 to  be  defrauded,”  than  that  they  would  outreach  any 
 man  ?  It  is  a  melancholy  truth,  that,  without  attaching 
 blame  to  one  party  more  than  to  another,  the  most 
 covetous  wretches,  and  the  vilest  tempers  we  have  met 
 with,  have  been  among  those  who  have  made,  and  are 
 making,  the  loudest  boasts  of  their  attainments  in  the 
 divine  life,  through  the  influences  of  extraordinary 
 grace.  These  people  can  easily  quote  different  parts 
 of  the  7th  chapter  of  Romans,  and  endeavour  to  prove 
 
 I 
 
77 
 
 that,  throughout  his  pilgrimage  the  holy  apostle  was> 
 sold  under  sin,  as  an  excuse  for  themselves  being  led 
 captive  by  the  devil  at  his  will;  instead  of  seeing  this 
 was  only  while  he  was  in  the  pangs  of  the  new  birth. 
 Indeed,  who  is  he  that  is  willingly  led  away  by  his  own 
 passions,  but  can  easily  lay  hold  of  Scriptures  which, 
 he  can  wrest  to  his  own  destruction  ?  And  if  there  is 
 any  thing,  which  at  first  sight  appears  a  little  hard  t© 
 be  understood,  in  the  7th  or  in  the  9th  to  the  Romans., 
 this  by  thousands  is  committed  to  memory,  and  at 
 every  turn  quoted,  as  a  proof  of  the  truth  of  what  they 
 wish  to  prove :  but  which  of  them,  ah  1  which  of  us 
 all,  have  deeply  studied  what  is  in  the  6'h  chapter? 
 44  Know  you  not,  that  so  many  of  us  as  were  oaptized 
 into  Jesus  Christ,  were  baptized  into  his  death? 
 Therefore  we  are  buried  with  him  by  baptism  into 
 death  :  that  like  as  Christ  was  raised  up  from  the  dead 
 by  the  glory  of  the  Father,  even  so  we  also  should  walk 
 in  newness  of  life.  For  if  we  have  been  planted 
 together  in  the  likeness  of  his  death,  we  shall  be  also 
 in  the  likeness  of  his  resurrection.  Knowing  this,  that 
 our  old  man  is  crucified  with  him,  that  the  body  of  sin 
 might  be  destroyed,  that  henceforth  we  should  not 
 serve  sin:  for  he  that  is  dead  is  freed  from  sin.  Now 
 if  we  be  dead  with  Christ,  we  believe  that  we  shall 
 also  live  with  him.” — 44  But  God  be  thanked,  that  ye 
 were  the  servants  of  sin,  but  ye  have  obeyed  from  the 
 heart  that  form  of  doctrine  which  was  delivered  you. 
 Being  then  made  free  from  sin,  ye  became  the  servants 
 of  righteousness.” — 44  But  now  being  made  free  from 
 sin,  and  become  servants  to  God,  ye  have  your  fruit 
 unto  holiness,  and  the  end  everlasting  life.” 
 
 It  should  appear  his  lordship  had  asked,  of  men  in 
 general,  44  Why  shonld  they  not  be  competent,  by  the 
 use  of  their  natural  faculties,  to  understand  that  Jesus 
 was  the  promised  Messiah  ?  ”  And  Mr.  Scott  answers^ 
 44  Because  their  minds  were  blinded  by  prejudices  and 
 corrupt  passions.”  True;  but  is  this  a  proper  answer  ? 
 Spiritual  truth  and  natural  truth  is  presented  to  tha 
 
7B 
 
 mind  of  rational  men,  while  their  day  of  grace  last?. 
 They  have  power,  while  God  spares  their  faculties,  to 
 weigh,  examine,  and  to  receive  or  reject  natural  truth. 
 A  minister  of  the  Gospel  preaches  in  their  hearing  the 
 unsearchable  riches  of  Christ,  in  hopes  of  making  all 
 men  see  it.  He  proves,  by  the  birth,  life,  death, 
 resurrection,  ascension,  and  intercession  of  the  Saviour 
 Jesus,  that  he  must  be  the  promised  Messiah;  for  that 
 in  every  thing  he  exactly  answered  the  description  that 
 the  prophets  gave  of  him.  Have  not  men  here  as  much 
 power,  by  the  use  of  their  redeemed  restored  faculties, 
 of  judging  and  of  receiving,  or  of  rejecting  this  Gospel 
 truth,  as  they  have  of  judging  of,  receiving,  or  of 
 rejecting  natural  truth?  I  do  not  like  shutting  and 
 evasion  in  religion  :  therefore  if  people’s  minds  are  only 
 blinoed  by  prejudices  and  corrupt  passions,  can  they 
 not,  while  assisted  by  the  grace  of  God  that  bringeth 
 salvation,  so  conquer  those  prejudices,  as  to  be  able  to 
 receive  the  love  of  the  truth,  or  to  put  the  word  of  God 
 from  them,  and  to  judge  themselves  unworthy  of  ever¬ 
 lasting  life?  Is  it  not  within  their  own  power,  either 
 so  to  conquer  those  prejudices  as  to  receive  the  truth 
 as  it  is  in  Jesus,  or  to  reject  the  counsel  of  God  against 
 themselves  ?  Or  because  they  received  honour  one 
 from  another,  does  our  Lord  intimate  that  it  was  im¬ 
 possible  for  them  to  seek  that  honour  that  cometh  from 
 God,  so  that  they  might  believe  in  him  whom  he  hath 
 sent  ?  Or  when  our  Redeemer  speaks  of  the  stumbling- 
 blocks,  or  hindrances,  which  lie  in  the  way  of  men’s 
 believing  the  Gospel  unto  righteousness;  does  he  inti¬ 
 mate,  much  more  say,  that  it  was  impossible  that  they 
 should  so  remove  those  hindrances,  as  to  come  unto 
 him  for  life?  Nay,  all  his  exhortations  to  such,  are  to 
 take  these  stumbling-blocks  out  of  the  way,  and  to 
 come  unto  him  ;  to  hear,  that  their  souls  might  live. 
 Surely  men  will  not  suppose  our  Lord  was  mistaken, 
 when  he  said  to  these,  “  Ye  will  not  come  unto  me.” 
 Surely  they  will  not  contend  that  he  ought  to  have 
 said, (C  Yre  zmnot  come  unto  me.”  Ah  !  men  will  not 
 
at  the  last  day  be  cast  off  for  ever  because  they  could 
 not,  but  because  they  would  not  come  unto  him.  And 
 if  we  may  judge  from  the  Scriptures,  it  does  not  appear 
 that  much  will  be  said  to  them  about  their  never  having 
 natural  power,  but  plenty  of  physical  power;  or  their 
 having  natural  power,  but  no  physical  power.  -  All 
 this  trumpery,  brought  now  into  the  church  of  God  to 
 delude  and  bewilder  precious  souls,  will  then  be  sent 
 to  the  place  from  whence  it  came ;  and  man,  the  truth 
 hath  said  it,  will  be  accepted  or  rejected,  according  to 
 that  a  man  had,  not  according  to  that  he  had  not. 
 
 Mr.  Scott  goes  on,  page  33,  u  Indeed,  if  merely 
 understanding  that  Jesus  was  the  promised  Messiah 
 were  the  living  and  saving  faith  which  the  Gospel 
 requires  ;  numbers  in  the  day  of  our  Lord,  and  in  every 
 subsequent  age,  have  thus  believed  without  special 
 grace.  But  his  lordship  elsewhere  repeatedly  allows 
 the  distinction  between  this  dead  faith,  and  that  living 
 faith  which  worketh  by  love.” 
 
 But  these  who  believe  and  understand  that  J<-sus  is 
 the  promised  Messiah,  so  far  do  well.  And  though 
 not  the  subjects  of  special  grace,  by  that  sa  ne  grace 
 which  enabled  them  to  understand  that  Jesus  is  the 
 promised  Messiah,  they  might  have  added  to  their  faith 
 virtue,  and  to  virtue  knowledge,  and  to  knowledge 
 brotherly-kindness,  and  to  brotherly-kindness  charity. 
 44  4  For  so  an  entrance  shall  be  ministered  abundantly 
 unto  you,  into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  our  Lord 
 and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.’ — 4  But,’  O  let  us  read  and 
 tremble,  for  whatever  special  grace  he  has  received, 
 4  he  that  lacketh  these  things  is  blind,  and  cannot  see 
 afar  off,  and  has  forgotten  that  he  was  purged  from  his 
 old  sins.’  ”  The  Scriptures  are  so  pointed  here,  that 
 I  feel  a  kind  of  hope  Mr.  Scott  himself  will  no  longer 
 deny  the  awful  truth. 
 
 He  sa\s,  44  His  lordship  repeatedly  allows  the  dis» 
 tinction  between  this  dead  faith,  and  that  living  faith 
 which  worketh  by  love.”  It  would  have  been  more 
 
80 
 
 Satisfactory  if  Mr.  Scott  had  here  quoted  his  lordship, 
 or  told  us  on  what  page  we  might  have  found  some  of 
 these  many  repeated  sayings.  For  if  his  lordship  has 
 repeatedly  allowed  the  distinction  between  living  and 
 dead  faith,  he  has  repeatedly  allowed  what  the  Bible 
 never  allows.  The  Bible  knows  nothing  of  two  kinds 
 of  faith,  whatever  it  says  of  the  degrees  of  it.  Whether 
 it  be  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard,  as  a  large  tree,  as 
 a  little  leaven,  or  as  three  measures  of  meal,  it  is  the 
 same  in  kind.  If  a  man  only  believes,  as  the  devils 
 do,  that  there  is  one  God ;  or  as  many,  in  all  ages 
 subsequent  to  the  days  of  the  apostles  have,  that  Jesus 
 is  the  promised  Messiah,  without  the  special  grace  of 
 God,  so  far  they  have  done  well.  And  it  is  remarkable, 
 that  such  are  never  exhorted  or  commanded  to  change 
 their  faith,  but  to  add  to  it.  And  sure  if  it  was  not 
 right  in  its  kind,  the  Holy  Ghost  would  never  have 
 exhorted  its  possessors  to  add  to  it.  It  would  be  easy 
 to  write  a  volume  upon  this  important  point,  but 
 I  must  proceed :  only  let  us  remember,  that  when  the 
 apostle  speaks  of  some  as  cc  waxing  wanton  against 
 Christ, he  does  not  attribute  their  ruin  to  spurious 
 faith,  but  to  their  casting  off  their  faith. 
 
 The  foundation  of  Mr.  Scott’s  error  is  this :  he 
 believes,  God  from  eternity  predestinated  to  bring  to 
 glory  so  many,  whom  he  had  chosen  from  among  man¬ 
 kind.  That  he  as  much  predestinated  the  means  of 
 their  salvation,  as  he  did  the  end.  That  faith  being 
 the  grand  means,  in  the  day  of  God’s  power  these  are 
 effectually  and  irresistibly  called  out  of  darkness  into 
 God’s  marvellous  light;  and  true  saving  faith  as  much 
 given  to  them,  as  breath  or  being  is  given  them* 
 Their  faith,  therefore,  must  be  true  and  genuine,  be¬ 
 cause  it  is  the  peculiar  gift  of  God  to  his  own  elect, 
 Whatever  belief,  therefore,  other  people  may  have,  ir¬ 
 is  not  jiving  faith ;  but  something  that  arises  out  of 
 their  own  industry,  such  as  hearing,  reading,  reasoning, 
 (and  I  would  say,  praying;  only  that  Mr.  Scott  will 
 
not  admit  of  non-elect  people  praying  effectually.) 
 This  is  a  regular  system  ©f  divinity  :  and  in  order  that 
 it  may  be  believed,  a  number  of  detached  or  abstracted 
 scriptural  words  are  generally  interwoven  with  it* 
 Bat  it  has  this  defect,  it  is  a  system  of  man’s  invention* 
 The  Bible  knows  nothing  of  it.  It  is  clear,  then,  that 
 if  this  system  had  been  divine,  there  must  necessaiily 
 have  been  two  k  nds  of  faith  ;  that  which  is  the  gift  of 
 God  to  the  elect,  and  that  which  honest  men  in  general 
 possess,  without  the  special  grace  of  God. 
 
 His  lordship  had  said,  u  A  sincere  disposition  to 
 obey  the  divine  will,  was  therefore  all  that  was  neces¬ 
 sary,  to  enable  a  person  to  judge  whether  the  doctrine 
 preached  by  Christ  was  the  invention  of  man,  or 
 a  revelation  from  God.”  And  he  quotes,  or  refers  to, 
 John  vii.  17,  as  illustrative  of  our  Lord’s  words  in 
 chap.  vi.  44,  45,  (55,  which  passages  read  thus,  a  No 
 man  can  come  to  me,  except  the  Father  which  hath  sent 
 me  draw  him  .*  and  i  w  ill  raise  him  up  at  the  last  day. 
 It  is  written  in  the  prophets,  Aud  they  shall  be  ail 
 taught  of  God.” — u  Every  man,  therefore,  that  hath 
 heard,  and  that  hath  learned  of  the  Father,  cometh 
 unto  me.” — u  And  he  said,  Therefore  said  I  unto  you, 
 that  no  man  can  come  unto  me,  except  it  were  given 
 unto  him  of  my  Father.”  The  other  text  reads  thus, 
 u  If  any  man  will  do  his  will,  he  shall  know  of  the 
 doctrine,  whether  it  be  of  God,  or  whether  I  speak  of 
 myself.”  That  one  text  here  is  clearly  explained  and 
 illustrated  by  the  other,  is  certain  ;  nor  couid  his  lord*! 
 shfp  be  more  happy  in  his  reference,  or  quotation ;  for 
 Mr.  Scott,  for  some  reason  or  another,  does  not  tell  us 
 which  it  is ;  but  says,  u  A  sincere  desire,  &c.  This  is 
 the  undoubted  import  of  the  words  of  our  Lord  ;  but 
 it  determines  nothing  concerning  the  source  of  this 
 sincere  disposition,  whether  from  fallen  nature,  or  from 
 the  special  grace  of  God.”  Ah  !  what  a  pity  that  the 
 Scriptures  should  be  so  deficient  as  not  to  clear  up  this 
 difficulty  !  ! !  How  is  the  world  beholden  to  commen¬ 
 tators,  who  have  written  so  much  more  plain  upon  the 
 
source  of  good/’  than  the  writers  of  the  Scriptures 
 have  !  !  I  suppose,  he  who  spake  as  never  man  spake, 
 thought  in  one  of  the  above  passages  he  had  sufficiently 
 explained  the  other  ;  and  that  St.  John,  who  wrote  for 
 him,  thought  so  too.  But  somehow  or  other,  they 
 have  forgot  to  speak  of  the  source  from  whence  the 
 good,  or  sincere  disposition  in  man  proceeded.  If 
 Mr.  Scott  had  candidly  attended  to  the  book  he  sat 
 down  to  make  remarks  upon,  he  would  have  found  his 
 lordship  had  clearlv  proved,  and  that  from  the  Scrip¬ 
 tures,  that  the  source  of  goodness  was  God.  The 
 source  of  goodness  to  man  at  his  creation  :  since  man  is 
 a  fallen  creature  ;  the  source  of  goodness  through  Jesus 
 Christ,  by  redemption.  See  Mr.  Scott’s  quotations 
 from  his  lordship,  pages  167 — 169.  But  did  not  Mr. 
 Scott  make  this  remark,  pa^e  34.  with  a  view  of 
 making  people  believe  his  lordship  had  insinuated,  that 
 a  sincere  disposition  to  know  the  will  of  God  and  do 
 it,  was  all  from  fallen  nature?  If  there  is  any  sense  in 
 his  remark,  this  is  it.  And  if  this  be  his  meaning,  I 
 would  ask,  was  it  very  pious,  was  it  very  religious,  for 
 Mr  Scott,  almost  in  every  page,  to  throw  out  these  insi. 
 nuations?  especially  as,  in  several  places,  he  proves, 
 from  the  bishop’s  pen,  these  insinuations  were  ground¬ 
 less  ?  That  his  lordship  had  as  clear  and  as  distinct 
 views  of  the  depravity  of  human  nature  as  ever  Mr. 
 Scott  had  :  and,  I  am  bold  to  say,  a  thousand  times 
 more  clear  views  of  the  restoration,  or  all  the  sincere 
 and  good  disposition  that  is  now  in  man,  being  the 
 consequence  of  a  new  covenant,  than  ever  Mr.  Scott 
 possessed.  Are  these  insinuations,  then,  the  fruit  of 
 special  grace  ?  And  if  they  are,  would  not  Mr.  Scott 
 have  written  more  like  a  uew  creature,  more  like  a 
 Christian,  if  he  had  only  been  in  possession  of  common 
 grace,  such  as  brings  salvation  to  all  men,  and  such  as 
 we  non-elect  people  possess  ? 
 
 Again  his  lordship  says,  page  39,  40,  c<  Hence  it 
 appears,  that  the  faith  of  the  Bereans  was  the  result  of 
 the  candour  with  which  they  listened  to  the  preaching 
 
&3 
 
 of  the  apostle,  and  of  the  diligence  with  which  they 
 Inquired  into  the  evidences  of  the  Gospel.  Mr.  Scott 
 answers,  44  But  does  it  also  appear,  that  this  candour, 
 and  this  diligence,  were  the  produce  of  fallen  human 
 nature  without  special  grace  ?”  And  then  he  gives  us 
 that  text  again,  James  i.  16,  17,  44  Do  not  err,  my 
 beloved  brethren,  every  good  gift,  and  every  perfect 
 gift,  is  from  above,  and  cometh  down  from  the  Father 
 of  lights. ”  There  are  several  texts,  in  this  same 
 chapter,  which  fully  explain  this;  and  which  fully  and 
 clearly  answer  all  Mr.  Scott’s  curious  questions  on  this 
 head  ;  but  unfortunately,  he  can  never  remember  them 
 when  he  brings  in  the  16th  and  17th  verses.  That 
 short  text,  verse  5,  would  fully  have  answered  his 
 hackneyed  question,  44  From  whence  does  diligence  in 
 searching  the  word  of  God  proceed,  from  fallen  nature, 
 or  from  the  special  grace  of  God?  For  the  apostle 
 says,  4  If  any  of  you  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God, 
 that  giveth  to  all  men  liberally,  and  upbraideth  not, 
 and  it  shall  be  given  him.’  Here  the  liberality  of  God 
 is  said  to  extend  to  all;  and  that  he,  kind  Father  of 
 mercies,  does  not  upbraid  any  poor  ignorant  soul  that, 
 lacketh  that  wisdom  which  is  from  above,  which  is  first 
 pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle,  and  easy  to  be  entreated, 
 full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits,  without  partiality,  and 
 without  hypocrisy.”  These  texts,  fully  and  satisfactorily 
 to  every  pious  mind,  answer  the  curious  questions  Mr. 
 Scott  so  continually  makes,  and  fully  proves  the  impar¬ 
 tiality  of  God  in  his  love  to  a  guilty  world.  Yes,  let 
 every  soul  rejoice,  this  redeeming  love  is  without  par¬ 
 tiality,  and  his  offer  of  it  to  all  men  is  without  hypo¬ 
 crisy.  He  works  in  the  human  mind,  both  to  will  and 
 to  do  of  his  good  pleasure.  This  is  the  source  from 
 which  all  good  in  man  proceeds,  and  therefore  he  says 
 to  all  that  sleep  in  sin,  44  Awake,  thou  that  sleepest.’5 
 To  all  that  are  dead  in  trespasses,  44  Arise  from  the 
 dead,  and  Christ  shall  give  thee  light.”  O,  these  texts 
 prove  the  abundance  of  Christ’s  goodness,  in  receiving 
 gifts  for  the  rebellious,  that  the  Lord  God  might  dwell 
 
 E 
 
84 
 
 i 
 
 a,mong  them.  They  prove,  compared  one  with  another, 
 46  God  is  good  to  all,  and  his  tender  mercies  are  over 
 all  his  works.”  That  if  invited,  sleepy,  dead  souls, 
 perish,  they  perish  by  denying  the  Lord  that  bought 
 them.  That  they  had  it  in  their  power  to  have  awoke, 
 to  have  arisen,  to  have  received  pardon,  life,  and 
 salvation  from  him  who  waiteth  that  he  may  be  gracious, 
 is  exalted  that  he  may  shew  mercy,  or  it  would  have 
 been  hypocrisy  to  have  invited  them.  O  could  men 
 but  remember  these,  and  many  more  such  Scriptures, 
 how  happy  would  they  be  !  How  would  the  guilty 
 plead  with  him  for  mercy !  How  would  the  love  of 
 Christ  constrain  them!  For  they  would  judge,  u  if 
 one  died  for  all,  all  w  ere  dead  : ”  and  he  died  for  all, 
 that  they  who  live  should  not  live  to  themselves,  but  to 
 him  who  died  for  them  and  rose  again.  They  would, 
 seeing  that  Christ  died  and  rose  again  for  all,  know  no 
 man  after  the  flesh,  count  not  any  man  common  or 
 unclean,  but  each  as  the  object  of  God’s  pity  and  love, 
 the  purchase  of  Immanuel’s  blood,  they  would  love  as 
 brethren.  O  !  had  Mr.  Scott  thought  more  on  such 
 texts,  and  upon  the  whole  revelation  of  God,  he  would 
 not  a  thousand  times  have  asked,  Was  this  from  fallen 
 nature,  or  from  the  special  grace  of  God?  He  would 
 have  spent  his  life  in  proving,  that  as  Christ  died  for 
 man  when  he  was  without  strength,  every  man  had 
 strength  in  Christ  to  obey  the  Gospel.  That  the  head 
 of  every  man  is  Christ.  That  all  is  done  for  man’s 
 salvation,  that  a  just  God  could  do  for  him.  O,  what 
 pains  would  he  then  take,  to  make  all  men  see  what  is 
 the  love  of  Christ  to  a  guilty  world!  How  would  he 
 w  eep  before  the  Lord,  that  he  had  spent  so  much  time 
 in  endeavouring  to  prove,  that  God  designedly  with¬ 
 holds  the  power  of  believing  in  his  Son  !  With  what 
 sorrow  of  heart  would  he  read  over  many  parts  of  his 
 Commentary,  and  heartily  wish  it  had  never  been  sent 
 in  such  a  state  into  the  world !  He  would  see  there 
 was  a  happy  medium  between  fallen  nature  and  special 
 grace,  w  hich  unavoidably  insures  eternal  salvation  but 
 
85 
 
 to  a  few.  That  after  nature  was  fallen,  and  con. 
 demnation  passed  upon  all  men,  there  appeared  the 
 grace  of  God,  bringing  salvation  to  all  men;  a  free 
 gift,  which  came  upon  all  men  unto  justification  of  life. 
 That  he  giveth  to  all  men  liberally,  and  upbraideth  not, 
 a  common  salvation,  without  partiality  and  without 
 hypocrisy.  That  this  brought  forth  fruit  in  all  the 
 world.  That  now,  if  God  required  of  fallen  man  to 
 do  justly,  to  love  mercy,  and  to  walk  humbly  with  his 
 God;  it  was  because  he  had  shewed  him,  in  a  clear 
 or  in  a  more  obscure  way,  what  is  good.  That  the 
 man  whose  goings  forth  were  from  of  old,  from  ever¬ 
 lasting,  great  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth,  is  for  peace. 
 That  peace,  through  him,  is  made  betwixt  God  and 
 man.  This  is  the  source  of  all  good.  On  this  ground, 
 and  only  on  this  ground,  from  the  third  chapter  of 
 Genesis,  down  to  the  18th  verse  in  the  twenty-second 
 chapter  of  the  book  of  Revelation,  are  men,  fallen, 
 helpless  men,  exhorted  to  work  out  their  own  salvation. 
 It  is  because  help  for  them  is  laid  upon  one  that  is 
 mighty. 
 
 Mr.  Scott  says,  page  45,  <c  They  who  for  a  while 
 believed,  and  in  time  of  temptation  fell  away,  had  no 
 root  in  themselves.’  They  were  never  rooted  and 
 grounded  in  love,  they  never  shewed  the  work  of  faith, 
 and  labour  of  love,  and  patience  of  hope,  in  our  Lord 
 Jesus  Christ.”  I  wonder  who  told  him  this  tale ! 
 That  because  they  had  no  root  in  themselves,  they  had 
 no  root  in  Christ !  That  because  they  abode  not  in  the 
 truth,  they  never  were  in  the  truth  !  That  because  they 
 only  endured  for  a  while,  they  never  endured  at  all ! 
 Mr.  Scott  had  done  better  if  he  had  thought  before  he 
 wrote  upon  this  point :  he  is  an  old  man,  or  I  should 
 here,  and  in  many  other  places,  take  66  a  higher  ground,’9 
 and  rebuke  him  sharply  for  so  flatly  denying  the  word 
 of  truth,  and  merely  to  support  a  favourite  system.  If 
 Mr.  Scott  continues  to  write  on  the  Scriptures,  he 
 should  think,  and  think  seriously,  that  truth  hath  said, 
 u  Because  iniquity  shall  abound,  the  love  of  many 
 
86 
 
 shall  wax  cold. — u  Now  are  ye  clean  through  the 
 word  which  I  have  spoken  unto  you  ;  abide  in  me,  and 
 I  in  you.  As  the  branch  cannot  bear  fruit  of  itself 
 except  it  abide  in  the  vine,  no  more  can  ye,  except  ye 
 abide  in  me.” — e£  If  a  man  abide  not  in  me,  he  is  cast 
 forth  as  a  branch,  and  is  withered;  and  men  gather 
 them,  and  cast  them  into  the  fire,  and  they  are  burned.” 
 — u  As  the  Father  hath  loved  me,  so  have  I  loved  you; 
 continue  ye  in  my  love,”  John  xv.  3,  4,  6,  9.  Here 
 are  souls,  wrhom  the  Saviour  loved,  who  were  made 
 clean  through  his  word,  were  in  him,  members  of  his 
 flesh,  of  his  body  and  his  bones,  are  warned  of  the 
 danger  of  not  abiding  in  him — are  told  plainly  what 
 would  be  the  consequence  of  not  abiding  in  him.  It  is 
 not  for  Mr.  Scott  to  tell  us,  they  never  were  in  Christ, 
 loved,  and  clean  by  his  word,  that  should  weigh 
 any  thing  against  the  truth.  They  were  grafted  into 
 the  true  vine,  and  were  partakers  of  the  root  and  fatness 
 of  the  olive-tree.  Yet,  says  the  apostle,  with  many 
 of  such  u  God  was  not  well  pleased.” — u  Thou  wilt 
 say  then,  The  branches  were  broken  off,  that  I  might 
 be  grafted  in.  Well,  because  of  unbelief  they  were 
 broken  off;  and  thou  standest  by  faith.  Be  not  high- 
 minded,  but  fear.  For  if  G  od  spared  not  the  natural 
 branches,  take  heed  lest  he  also  spare  not  thee.  Be¬ 
 hold,  therefore,  the  goodness  and  severity  of  God:  on 
 them  which  fell  severity ;  but  towards  thee  goodness,  if 
 thou  continue  in  goodness:  otherwise  thou  also  shalt 
 be  cut  off,”  Rom.  xi.  17,  22.  What  are  a  thousand 
 Scotts  before  passages  like  these?  Our  Lord  could 
 not  be  mistaken  :  his  holy  apostle,  writing  as  he  was 
 inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  could  not  be  mistaken. 
 Hence,  says  he,  though  made  clean,  a  chosen  vessel, 
 drawn  by  loving  kindness,  u  I  keep  under  my  body, 
 and  bring  it  into  subjection  ;  lest  that  by  any  means 
 when  I  have  preached  to  others,  I  myself  should  be 
 a  cast-away,”  1  Cor.  ix.  27.  He  speaks  of  some  who 
 had  u  damnation,  because  they  had  cast  off  their  first 
 faith.’’  He  declares  that  “  The  just  shall  live  by  faith ; 
 
8? 
 
 but  if  he  draw  back,  my  soul  shall  have  no  pleasure  in 
 him.”  How  any  human  being  dare  enter  his  protest 
 against  such  divine  truths,  I  cannot  tell.  How  ho 
 dare  say,  u  They  never  shewed  the  work  of  faith  and 
 labour  of  love.”  Hear  once  more  what  the  holy 
 apostle  says  concerning  some  apostates,  and  some  whom, 
 he  mentions  by  name.  It  is  an  affecting  account,  must 
 be  so  to  every  one  who  believes  it.  a  This  thou 
 knowest,  that  all  they  which  are  in  Asia  be  turned, 
 away  from  me;  of  whom  are  Phygellus  and  Her  mo- 
 genes.  The  Lord  give  mercy  unto  the  house  of  One- 
 siphorus ;  for  he  oft  refreshed  me,  and  was*  not 
 ashamed  of  my  chain.  But  when  he  was  in  Rome,  he 
 sought  me  out  very  diligently,  and  found  me.  The 
 Lord  grant  unto  him  that  he  may  find  mercy  of  the 
 Lord  in  that  day:  and  how  many  things  he  ministered 
 unto  me  at  Ephesus,  thou  knowest  very  well,”  2  Tim. 
 i.  15,  18.  One  may  transcribe  ten  thousand  of  Mr. 
 Scott’s  sentences,  without  feeling  any  emotions  of  gra¬ 
 titude  or  love.  But  who  can  transcribe  sentences  like 
 these,  without  feeling  the  heart  melting  with  joy  and 
 fear?  One  can  scarce  transcribe  a  sentence  from  the 
 lips  of  Jesus,  without  feeling  love  to  him,  and  an 
 almost  determination  to  follow  him  whithersoever  he 
 goes.  Reader,  rise  and  follow  him,  for  he  calleth  thee  ; 
 and  leave  Mr.  Scott  and  l  to  settle  this  dispute.  He  is 
 in  very  good  hands.  The  Lord  helping  me,  thou 
 mayest  leave  him  with  me.  Only  allowing  revelation 
 to  be  true,  and  1  find  no  more  difficulty  in  refuting 
 Calvinism,  and  Mr.  Scott,  than  I  should  in  proving  the 
 history  of  Jack  the  giaht-killer  was  a  fable. 
 
 Page  48,  he  says,  in  answer  to  his  lordship,  (c  No 
 information  in  the  understanding,  however  correct  and 
 full ;  no  conviction  in  the  conscience,  however  strong, 
 if  not  attended  or  followed  by  4  faith  which  worketh 
 by  love,’  is  so  much  as  the  beginning  of  that  4  good 
 work,  which  he  who  hath  begun  w  ill  perform  until  the 
 day  of  Christ.’  ”  Pity  that  Mr.  Scott  should  speak 
 with  such  confidence.  Bold  assertions  are  not  always 
 
 E  3 
 
88 
 
 the  best  arguments :  nor  do  they,  unless  with  weak 
 people,  always  carry  conviction.  The  apostle  might 
 speak  of  the  confidence  he  had,  that  every  one  of  the 
 Philippian  believers  would  perform  good  works  until 
 the  day  of  Jesus  Christ.”  He  had  this  confidence  in 
 them  all  because  of  their  fellowship,  from  the  first  day 
 until  the  time  he  wrote;  and  because  he  had  them  in 
 3iis  heart,  inasmuch  as  both  in  his  bonds,  and  in  the 
 defence  and  confirmation  of  the  Gospel,  they  all  were 
 <c  partakers  of  his  grace,”  or  of  the  same  grace  he 
 himself  possessed.  But  does  it  follow,  that  if  any  of 
 them,  espoused  as  a  chaste  virgin  unto  Christ,  should 
 wax  wanton  against  Christ ;  that  w  axing  wanton  against 
 Christ  would  be  a  proof  they  never  were  espoused  as 
 a  chaste  virgin  to  him  ?  Correct,  full,  and  clear  infor¬ 
 mation  in  the  understanding,  with  strong  conviction  in 
 the  conscience,  are  the  greatest  blessings  an  unsanctified 
 sinner  can  possess;  and  they  are  among  the  first-fruits 
 of  the  Spirit  of  God  upon  the  soul,  Avhether  it  flies  to 
 the  open  fountain,  or  whether  it  puts  this  heavenly 
 light  under  a  bushel.  What  evils  have  attended  the 
 preaching  of  these  ideas  of  Mr.  Scott?  What  horrid 
 despair  are  they  not  calculated  to  produce?  Aye, 
 what  despair  have  they  really  produced  already  ?  Look 
 at  the  countenances  of  one-half  of  the  attentive  hearers 
 of  high  Calvinist  minister^,  and  tell  me  if  you  do  not 
 see  misery  and  settled  despair  imprinted  there  ! 
 
 For  a  minister,  who  should  be  the  ambassador  of 
 Christ,  seriously  to  tell  his  congregation,  66  They  may 
 have  the  most  correct  information  in  their  under¬ 
 standing;”  u  the  strongest  conviction  upon  their  con¬ 
 science;’’  and  yet  that  this  may  not  even  be  the  begin¬ 
 ning  of  that  work  which  they  are  to  perform  until  the 
 day  of  Christ,  is  to  drive  awakened  souls  to  distraction. 
 It*  is  to  set  at  nought  the  commands  and  invitations  of 
 our  Lord :  for  in  order  that  the  unconverted  may  have 
 u  correct  information  in  their  understanding,”  he 
 commands  them,  “Search  the  Scriptures ;  for  in  them 
 you  jlhink  that  you  have  eternal  life,  and  they  are  they 
 
 / 
 
$9 
 
 which  testify  of  me,”  John  v.  39.  In  order  to  work 
 conviction  upon  the  conscience  of  the  men  of  this  world, 
 he  hath  sent  the  Spirit  of  truth  from  the  Father.  But 
 I  will  turn  and  quote  that  passage  in  full,  only  making 
 use  of  a  word  in  the  margin,  or  giving  the  marginal 
 reading  in  preference  to  the  other:  66  Nevertheless, 
 I  tell  you  the  truth :  it  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go 
 away :  for  if  I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter  will  not 
 come  unto  you;  but  if  I  depart,  I  will  send  him  unto 
 you.  And  when  he  is  come,  he  will  convince  the  world 
 of  sin,  and  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment.  Of 
 sin,  because  they  believe  not  on  me;  of  righteousness, 
 because  I  go  to  my  Father,  and  ye  see  me  no  more;  of 
 judgment,  because  the  prince  of  this  world  is  judged,” 
 John  xvi.  7,  11.  Yet  Mr,  Scott  makes  no  scruple  at 
 declaring,  a  person  may  have  the  most  correct  infor¬ 
 mation  in  his  understanding,  and  the  most  strong  con¬ 
 viction  of  sin  in  his  conscience;  and  if  something  else 
 does  not  follow,  this  is  no  part  of  that  work  which  he 
 who  hath  begun  will  perform  until  the  day  of  Jesus 
 Christ.  One  would  think,  reading  these  passages,  that 
 whether  the  man  go  on  to  perfection  or  not,  yet  this 
 was  a  good  beginning. 
 
 O,  wherever  the  blessings  of  an  enlightened  under¬ 
 standing,  and  strong  conviction  for  sin,  are  possessed  ; 
 how  careful  should  ministers  be  to  urge  such  souls  to 
 the  Lamb  of  God,  which  takcth  away  the  sin  of  the 
 world!  How  careful  should  each  one  be  to  set  forth 
 Christ  crucified  among  them !  How  should  his  kind¬ 
 ness  to  them  be  proved,  not  only  in  that  when  they 
 were  without  strength  Christ  died  for  them  ;  but  in 
 that  he  has  already  blessed  them  with  an  enlightened 
 understanding,  and  strong  convictions  for  sin.  Then, 
 instead  of  dark  despair,  they  would  see  waters  break 
 out  in  the  desert,  and  the  lame  w  ould  leap  as  an  hart. 
 Then  they  would  see  the  desert  appearing  like  the 
 garden  of  the  Lord,  and  hear  the  tongue  of  the  church 
 sing  praises.  Error,  what  hast  thou  done  !  Into  what 
 numerous  channels  does  one  grand  leading  mistake 
 
 E  4 
 
$0 
 
 branch  out  itself!  This  of  Mr.  Scott’s  too,  arises  Out 
 of  that  leading  doctrine  of  Calvin  : — so  many  are  to  be 
 saved ;  and  the  rest  are  to  have  so  many  blessings, 
 through  grace,  as  to  render  them  without  excuse  at  the 
 ia&t.  But  that  only  grace  which  could  insure  salvation 
 as  withheld  from  them.  Those,  therefore,  who  add  to 
 their  enlightened  understanding  and  strong  convictions, 
 faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  go  on  to  perfection, 
 prove  they  are  the  elect  of  God  ;  that  these  are  the 
 persons  eternally  designed  of  God  to  be  saved.  Those 
 who  do  not  improve  their  talent,  but  hide  it  in  the 
 earth,  or  in  a  napkin,  shew  by  their  non. improvement, 
 that  they  are  the  persons  not  elected,  never  of  God 
 designed  to  be  saved.  As  Mr.  Scott  here  quotes  that 
 text,  Philippians  i.  6,  and  quotes  it  in  such  a  manner 
 as  to  leave  it  doubtful  how  he  understands  it,  u  Being 
 confident  of  this  very  thing,  that  he  which  hath  begun 
 a  good  work  in  you,  will  perform  it  until  the  day  of 
 Jesus  Christ;”  I  shall  take  the  liberty  here  of  saying 
 something  upon  that  hackneyed,  constantly  quoted 
 text.  I  shall  do  it  the  more  willingly,  because  to  the 
 best  of  my  recollection,  I  never  wrote  any  thing  upon 
 that  text  before.  I  have  not  spoken  upon  it,  because 
 for  more  than  thirty  years  I  had  my  doubts  as  to  the 
 true  meaning  of  it.  Let  it  be  taken  in  which  sense 
 soever  it  may,  it  does  not  at  all  militate  against  any 
 favourite  opinion  of  mine.  But  no  honest  man  will 
 give  a  sense  or  meaniug  to  an  inspired  truth,  unless  he 
 is  persuaded  that  is  the  sense  the  Holy  Ghost  intended 
 should  be  put  upon  it.  Who,  then,  is  meant  by  “  He 
 that  has  begun  a  good  work  in  you?”  The  answer, 
 I  know,  from  all  is,  u  God,  to  be  sure.”  If  the 
 apostle  means  here,  that  it  was  God  that  was  performing 
 the  good  work ;  why  does  he  add,  u  Even  as  it  is  meet 
 for  me  to  think  this  of  you  all,  because  I  have  you 
 in  my  heart;  inasmuch  as  both  in  my  bonds,  and  in 
 the  defence  and  confirmation  of  the  Gospel,  ye  all 
 are  partakers  of  my  grace  ?  ”  There  can  be  no  dispute, 
 whether  or  not  God  worked  in  them  to  will  and  to  do 
 
of  his  good  pleasure,  chap.  ii.  13;  but  is  that,  what 
 the  apostle  means  in  this  text?  Or  does  he  not  mean 
 
 A 
 
 the  same  as  in  the  twelfth  verse  of  that  chapter  ? 
 <c  Wherefore,  my  beloved,  as  ye  have  always  obeyed, 
 not  as  in  my  presence  only,  but  now  much  more  in  my 
 absence,  work  out  your  own  salvation  with  fear  and 
 trembling.”  If  we  narrowly  examine  the  text  with  its 
 context,  we  shall  have  some  reason  to  believe,  that  the 
 44  he,”  in  the  Philippian  church,  who  had  begun  a  good 
 work,  was  each  one  who  had  always  obeyed  the  truth; 
 and  in  consequence  of  this  steady  obedience,  the  apostle 
 had  confidence  in  them  all.  I  am  inclined  to  think, 
 this  is  the  apostle’s  meaning,  because  he  conveys  the 
 same  idea  of  an  individual  hoiy  man,  Philemon 
 44  Having  confidence  in  thy  obedience,  knowing  that 
 thou  wilt  do  more  than  I  say.”  But  if  the  apostle  had 
 meant  God,  by  44  he  that  hath  begun  a  good  work  in 
 you,”  would  he  not,  instead  of  immediately  adding, 
 44  even  as  it  is  meet  to  think  this  of  you  all,”  have 
 said,  44  Even  as  it  is  meet  for  me  to  think  this  of  him, 
 because  of  his  unmerited  goodness  ?  ”  I  have  not  met 
 with  a  single  writer  upon  the  passage,  who  to  me  seems 
 to  cast  the  least  light  upon  it;  rather  the  contrary,  ex¬ 
 cept  Macknight,  who  says,  44  According  to  Pierce,  the 
 good  work  of  which  the  apostle  speaks,  is  that  which 
 the  Philippians  performed,”  &c.  And  I  confess,  only 
 as  the  very  contrary  is,  by  the  help  of  commentators, 
 the  generally  received  opinion,  or  1  should  have  won¬ 
 dered  how  any  man  of  common  sense,  looking  at  the 
 context,  should  have  thought  otherwise.  But  we  must 
 not  make  use  of  our  common  sense  when  we  search  the 
 Scriptures,  lest,  forsooth,  we  should  be  guilty  of  carnal 
 reasoning ! ! ! 
 
 Mr.  Scott  quotes  his  lordship,  as  citing  a  passage 
 out  of  Acts  ii.  38,  and  paraphrasing  upon  the  text 
 as  follows:  44  4  Repent,  and  be  baptized  every  one 
 of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remis¬ 
 sion  of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
 Ghost,’  without  which  your  present  belief  cannot  be 
 
 E  5 
 
m 
 
 improved  into  that  true  and  lively  faith  which  is  essen. 
 tial  to  salvation.  The  rite  of  baptism  was  ordained  by 
 Christ  himself,  and  its  two-fold  office  is  here  described 
 by  his  apostle,  namely,  that  it  washes  away  the  guilt  of 
 former  sins,  and  imparts  the  Holy  Ghost  to  those  who 
 shall  previously  have  repented  and  believed.”^  To 
 this  Mr.  Scott  smartly  answers,  u  Repent,  &c.  The 
 apostle’s  exhortation  intimates  nothing  like  the  lines 
 which  follow,  not  as  a  comment,  but  as  if  spoken  by 
 Peter,  and  which  are  an  evident  addition  to  the  word 
 of  God.”  This  is  an  hard  saying ;  because  the  two 
 lines  immediately  follow  ing  the  word  u  Repent,”  are 
 the  express  words  of  St.  Peter;  and  if  Mr.  Scott  has 
 marked  the  passage  quoted  from  his  lordship  exactly 
 as  he  found  it,  the  lines  which  follow  are  properly 
 pointed,  not  as  an  addition  to  the  word  of  God,  but  as 
 a  paraphrase,  or  comment,  upon  what  went  before. 
 And  if  every  thing  of  this  kind  is  u  an  evident  addition 
 to  the  word  of  God,”  1  beg  leave  to  ask  Mr.  Scott, 
 where  he  will  lind  a  Bible  without  these  u  evident 
 additions?”  AVhat  are  all  those  words  written  in 
 Italics,  found  throughout  our  Bibles,  but  u  evident 
 additions :  ”  Therefore  this  accusation  of  the  rector 
 against  his  bishop,  does  not  come  with  a  good  grace ; 
 and  if  I  had  a  mind  to  w  rite  with  a  view  of  provoking 
 my  opponent,  instead  of  exposing  error,  1  would  tell 
 liim,  the  accusation  was  false.  Mr.  Scott  goes  quibbling  r 
 on,  and  says,  44  The  persons  addressed  were  not  called 
 believers;  but  they  were  exhorted  to  repent  and  be 
 baptized,  (as  professing  faith  in  Christ,)  for  the  remis¬ 
 sion  of  sins,  and  thus  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
 Ghost.”  Lest  Mr.  Scott  should  be  thought  guilty  here 
 of  what  he  has  just  been  accusing  his  bishop  of,  he 
 incloses  his  addition,  or  paraphrase,  in  crochets,  thus  : 
 
 44  (as  professing  faith  in  Christ.)”  But  in  other 
 places  he  forgets  himself,  and  leaves  out  the  crochets, 
 as  may  be  seen  in  hundreds  of  places  in  his  book. 
 
 44  The  persons  addressed  were  not  called  believers.” 
 True;  but  though  the  apostle  does  not  stop  to  call  them 
 
93 
 
 believers,  do  not  all  his  exhortations,  all  his  preaching 
 to  them,  prove,  he  considered  them  as  persons  who 
 believed  in  the  oracles  of  God?  And  could  not  he 
 justly  have  addressed  them,  appealing  to  their  con¬ 
 sciences,  and  have  said,  in  the  language  of  Paul  to 
 Agrippa,  fiC  Believe  ye  the  prophets  ?  1  know  that  ye 
 
 believe. ”  As  Mr.  Scott  asks  the  strange  question,  one 
 would  think  he  wrote  without  thought,  u  Did  they  at 
 all  believe  in  Christ,  before  they  repented  of  having 
 crucified  him  ?  ’’  Yes,  to  be  sure  they  did,  or  how 
 could  they  have  repented  of  crucifying  him  ?  It  was 
 their  belief  in  him,  which  begat  that  true  repentance  of 
 having  crucified  the  Lord  of  glory. 
 
 I  find  no  difficulty  in  refuting  Mr.  Scott  in  every 
 page;  but  really  many  of  his  u  Remarks  ”  are  too 
 trifling  to  demand  notice.  Besides,  if  I  did  this,  my 
 book  would  swell  to  the  size  of  his  at  least,  and  would 
 be  too  expensive;  and  I  find,  to  my  cost,  I  have  not 
 such  opportunities,  or  the  hundredth  part  of  chance  of 
 selling  books  as  he  has.  Having,  therefore,  removed 
 his  foundation,  I  must  omit  noticing  many  pages;  and 
 as  I  intend,  if  spared,  shall  speak  briefly,  and  yet  fully, 
 upon  the  ordinance  of  baptism,  in  some  subsequent 
 part  of  this  answer,  shall  therefore  not  enter  fully  upon 
 it  at  present. 
 
 I  cannot  well,  however,  avoid  noticing  Mr.  Scott’s 
 remarks,  pages  63,  64.  His  lordship  says,  u  All  the 
 language  of  this  remarkable  chapter,  (Rom.  viii.)  pro¬ 
 ceeds  in  the  same  strain;  namely,  that  after  the  Spirit 
 of  God  is  given,  it  remains  and  rests  with  ourselves, 
 whether  we  avail  ourselves  of  it  or  not.  c  If  ye  through 
 the  Spirit  do  mortify  the  deeds  of  the  flesh,  ye  shall 
 live.’  It  is  through  the  Spirit  that  we  are  enabled  to 
 mortify  the  deeds  of  the  flesh.  But  still,  whether  we 
 mortify  them  or  not,  is  our  act,  because  it  is  a  subject 
 of  precept  and  exhortation  so  to  do.”  Here,  as  in  the 
 preceding  pages,  his  lordship  speaks  so  much  like  the 
 Christian,  not  to  say  like  the  pious,  inconsistent  Cal¬ 
 vinist,  that  one  cannot  help  being  amazed  at  seeing  him 
 
 l 
 
u 
 
 contradicted  or  controverted.  But  Mr.  Scott  unhappily 
 controverts  the  passage  thus :  44  (After  the  Spirit  of 
 God  is  given,  it  remains  and  rests  with  ourselves  whether 
 we  avail  ourselves  of  it  or  not.)  St.  Paul  is  not 
 speaking  of  the  Spirit  of  God  being  first  given  to 
 sinners, ”  &c.  No;  nor  was  his  lordship  speaking  of 
 it  being  first  given  to  sinners,  but  expressly,  and  by 
 name,  of  what  happens  afterwards.  Are  such  remarks 
 worthy  an  old  man,  an  old  divine?  But  to  go  on  with 
 the  quotation,  44  St.  Paul  is  not  speaking  of  the  Spirit 
 of  God  being  first  given  to  sinners ;  but  distinguishing 
 between  those  4  who  walked  after  the  Spirit,’  and  those 
 *  who  walked  after  the  flesh,’  those  who  had  the  Spirit, 
 and  those  who  had  not.  4  Ye  are  not  in  the  flesh,  but 
 in  the  Spirit,  if  so  be  the  Spirit  of  God  dwell  in  you  : 
 now  if  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none 
 of  his.’  If  men  lived  and  walked  after  the  flesh,  it 
 was  because  4  they  had  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  and 
 were  none  of  his.’  But  if  through  the  Spirit,  depending 
 on  him  to  teach,  incline,  and  enable  them,  and  praying 
 for  these  blessings,  4  they  mortified  the  deeds  of  the 
 body,’  they  were  Christ’s,  had  his  Spirit  dwelling  in 
 them,  and  would  live  by  him.  Certainly  4  mortifying 
 the  deeds  of  the  body’  must  be  our  act,  if  done  at  all, 
 and  so  is  every  act  of  obedience;  but  then  it  is  done 
 by  the  special  grace  of  God,  putting  into  our  minds 
 good  desires,  and  by  his  continual  help  enabling  us  to 
 bring  them  to  good  effect,”  &c.  This  is  the  way  the 
 word  of  God  is  handled  by  party  men  ;  and  this  is  the 
 way  the  true  meaning  is  filtered  down  to  any  thing  men 
 please.  Where,  in  this  chapter,  does  the  apostle  make 
 these  distinctions  ?  The  Romans,  to  whom  he  wrote, 
 were  44  beloved  of  God,  called  to  be  saints,”  who,  he 
 was  44  persuaded,  were  full  of  all  goodness,  filled  with 
 all  knowledge,  able  also  to  admonish  one  another.” 
 To  them  he  says,  44  But  now  being  made  free  from 
 sin,  and  become  servants  to  God,  ye  have  your  fruit 
 unto  holiness,  and  the  end  everlasting  life.”  Yet  to 
 these  very  persons,  in  this  same  eighth  chapter,  as  his 
 
95 
 
 lordship  had  said,  he  addresses  himself,  ver.  15,  u  For 
 if  ye  live  after  the  tlesh,  ye  shall  die;  but  if  ye  through 
 the  Spirit  do  mortify  the  deeds  of  the  body,  ye  shall 
 live.”  Are  these  words  written  by  inspiration  of  God? 
 And  if  they  are,  then  they  point-blank  prove  what  his 
 lordship  quoted  them  for,  namely,  that  u  after  the 
 Spirit  of  God  is  given,  it  remains  and  rests  with  our¬ 
 selves,  whether  we  avail  ourselves  of  it  or  not.”  And 
 addressing  himself,  in  the  eleventh  chapter,  as  to  an 
 individual  that  was  then  in  the  goodness  of  God,  Paul 
 says,  u  Behold,  therefore,  the  goodness  and  severity  of 
 God;  on  them  which  fell  severity,  but  towards  thee 
 goodness,  if  thou  continue  in  goodness;  otherwise  thou 
 also  shalt  be  cut  olf,”  ver.  22  And  so  pointed  is  the 
 holy  apostle,  in  this  epistle,  upon  this  awfully  important 
 subject,  that  it  is  matter  of  wonder  how  men,  who 
 believe  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures,  should  ever 
 have  fixed  upon  this,  as  the  standard  of  the  doctrine  of 
 absolute  predestination  unto  life  of  individual  Gentiles. 
 1  defy  any  man  to  write,  in  few  words,  more  directly, 
 more  decidedly  against  that  doctrine,  than  does  the 
 apostle  in  this  epistle.  u  For  sin,”  saith  he,  <c  shall 
 not  have  dominion  over  you  ;  for  ye  are  not  under  the 
 law,  but  under  grace.  What  then  ?  shall  we  sin 
 because  we  are  not  under  the  law,  but  under  grace  ? 
 God  forbid !  Know  ye  not,  that  to  whom  ye  yield 
 yourselves  servants  to  obey,  his  servants  ye  are  to  whom 
 ye  obey ;  whether  of  sin  unto  death,  or  of  obedience 
 unto  righteousness,”  chap.  vi.  14 — 16.  u  Whosoever 
 shall  call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  saved. 
 Now  if  the  fall  of  them  (Jews)  be  the  riches  of  the 
 world,  and  the  diminishing  of  them  the  riches  of  the 
 Gentiles,  how  much  more  their  fulness?  For  I  speak 
 to  you  Gentiles,  inasmuch  as  I  am  the  apostle  of  the 
 Gentiles,  I  magnify  my  office:  If  by  any  means  I  may 
 provoke  to  emulation  them  which  are  my  flesh,  and 
 might  save  some  of  them.  For  if  the  casting  away  of 
 them  be  the  reconciling  of  the  world;  what  shall  the 
 receiving  of  them  bey  but  life  from  the  dead?”— 
 
96 
 
 C£  Behold,  therefore,  the  goodness  and  severity  of  God; 
 on  them  which  fell  severity,  but  towards  thee  goodness, 
 if  thou  continue  in  goodness;  otherwise  thou  also  shalt 
 be  cut  off.  And  they  also,  if  they  abide  not  still  in 
 unbelief,  shall  be  grafted  in ;  for  God  is  able  to  graft 
 them  in.” — <£  For  as  ye  in  times  past  have  not  believed 
 God,  yet  have  now  obtained  mercy  through  their  un¬ 
 belief;  even  so  have  these  also  now  not  believed,  that 
 through  your  mercy  they  also  may  obtain  mercy.  For 
 God  hath  concluded  them  all  in  unbelief,  that  he  might 
 have  mercy  upon  all,”  chap.  ii.  u  But  if  thy  brother 
 be  grieved  with  thy  meat,  now  walkest  thou  not 
 charitably.  Destroy  not  him  with  thy  meat  for  whom 
 Christ  died,”  chap.  xiv.  15.  And  instead  of  that 
 blessed  eighth  chapter  only  speaking  of  distinctions, 
 the  apostle  plainly  tells  those  who  were  66  beloved  of 
 God,  called  to  be  saints,”  chap.  i.  that  if  they  lived 
 after  the  flesh,  they  should  die;  but  if  through  the 
 Spirit  they  mortified  the  deeds  of  the  body,  they  should 
 live.  And  because,  at  the  close  of  the  chapter,  Paul, 
 a  Jew,  glories  in  the  unchanging  love  of  God  to  the 
 Jews,  as  the  children  of  the  promise,  whose  fathers 
 God  did  foreknow,  predestinate  to  be  conformed  to  his 
 dear  Son,  calltd,  justified,  and  glorified;  therefore 
 superficial  writers  among  us  Gentiles  have  vainly 
 conceited,  that  they  themselves  were  predestinated, 
 called,  justified  too.  And  though  there  is  not  the 
 shadow  of  a  text  in  the  whole  Bible  to  countenance 
 them  in  this  doctrine,  Mr.  Scott  has  been  writing 
 thirty-four  years  in  order  to  make  people  believe  it. 
 But  this  we  must  leave  at  present;  I  may  have  to 
 return  to  this  subject  again:  only  I  must  say,  that  till 
 it  can  be  proved  the  eighth  chapter  of  the  epistle  to  the 
 Romans  was  not  written  by  inspiration  of  God,  what 
 his  lordship  says  of  it  remaining  with  us,  whether  wre 
 avail  ourselves  of  the  benefits  of  the  operations  of  the 
 Spirit  of  God  or  not,  must  and  will  be  found  built  upon 
 an  immoveable  foundation.  What  Mr.  Scott  says, 
 therefore,  that  u  obedience  is  done  by  the  special  grace 
 
97 
 
 of  God,”  is  an  awful  delusion,  an  evident  addition  to 
 the  word  of  God,  as  no  special  grace  is  there  promised 
 to  Gentiles.  And  though  I  believe  he  a  thousand 
 times  holds  this  out  as  a  promise  to  the  elect  Gentiles, 
 and  seems  to  rely  upon  it  more  than  upon  all  the  great 
 and  precious  promises  found  in  the  Bible;  I  here 
 declare  to  the  world,  this  special  grace  never  was  found 
 there;  and  if  what  I  say  is  true,  then  the  hopes  built 
 upon  this  special  grace  are  delusive  hopes,  and  the 
 doctrines  built  upon  it,  are  built  upon  a  false  foun¬ 
 dation;  though  other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than 
 that  which  is  laid,  which  is  Christ.  O  God,  in  mercy 
 deliver  immortal  souls  from  these  false  foundations, 
 these  abominable  delusions ! 
 
 Grace,  in  the  Scriptures,  is  that  which  is  represented 
 as  being  common,  as  reaching  to  the  whole  human 
 race,  as  u  bringing  salvation  to  all  men,”  Titus  ii.  13. 
 u  For  you  know  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
 how  that  though  he  was  rich,  yet  for  your  sakes  he 
 became  poor,  that  ye  through  his  poverty  might  be 
 rich,”  1  Cor.  viii.  9;  as  u  abounding  to  many;”  or, 
 as  Macknight  the  Calvinist  translator  translates  that 
 text,  u  However,  not  as  the  fall,  so  also  the  gracious 
 gift.  For  if  by  the  fall  of  one  man  the  many  died, 
 much  more  the  grace  of  God,  and  the  gift  by  grace, 
 which  is  of  the  one  man  Jesus  Christ,  hath  abounded 
 unto  the  many,”  Rom.  v.  15;  and  the  following  is 
 part  of  his  excellent  comment  upon  it :  “  Since  all 
 mankind  were  made  mortal  for  Adam’s  sin,  and  the 
 apostle  by  the  many  certainly  means  all  mankind. 
 Besides,  Christ,  in  speaking  upon  this  very  subject, 
 used  the  word  in  that  extensive  sense,  Matt.  xxvi.  28, 
 6  This  is  my  blood  of  the  newr  covenant,  which  is  shed 
 for  many;’  that  is,  for  the  collective  body  of  mankind. 
 And  as  the  many  who  died  are  all  mankind ;  so  the 
 many  in  the  end  of  the  verse,  to  whom  the  gift  by  grace 
 is  said  to  have  abounded,  are  all  mankind.”  This  il 
 the  true  grace  of  God  and  eternal  life,  and  we  know  of 
 no  other.  Mr.  Scott  will  tell  us,  that  u  special  grace 
 
98 
 
 Is  found  in  the  Prayer-Book,  if  not  in  the  Bible;”  and 
 I  answer,  it  may  be  in  the  Prayer-Book  for  ought 
 I  know;  but  not  being  found  in  the  Bible,  it  is  a  new- 
 fangled  doctrine,  and  I  here  will  just  remind  Mr.  Scott 
 of  what  I  find  in  the  Prayer-Book  too:  66  Holy  Scrip¬ 
 ture  containeth  all  things  necessary  to  salvation ;  so 
 that  whatsoever  is  not  read  therein,  nor  may  be  proved 
 thereby,  is  not  to  be  required  of  any  man  that  it  should 
 be  believed  as  an  article  of  the  faith,  or  to  be  thought 
 requisite  or  necessary  to  salvation,”  Article  6.  I  will 
 remind  Mr.  Scott  also  of  some  other  things,  w  hich  are 
 most  excellent,  found  in  the  Prayer-Book.  u  Christ, 
 In  the  truth  of  our  nature,  was  made  like  unto  us  in  all 
 things,  (sin  only  excepted,)  from  which  he  was  clearly 
 void,  both  in  his  flesh  and  in  his  spirit.  He  came  to 
 be  the  Lamb  without  spot,  who  by  sacrifice  of  himself 
 once  made,  should  take  away  the  sins  of  the  world.” — 
 u  The  offering  of  Christ  once  made,  is  that  perfect 
 redemption,  propitiation,  and  satisfaction  for  ail  the 
 sins  of  the  w  hole  world,”  Articles  xv.  and  xxxi.  And 
 finding  these  things,  and  many  others  so  excellent,  in 
 our  Prayer-Book;  I  do  think  our  church  fathers  were 
 to  blame,  for  suffering  the  Calvinists  in  their  dayr  to 
 frame  and  bring  in  the  xviith  Article.  And  yet,  as 
 I  was  informed  by  a  venerable  bishop,  it  was  done  with 
 the  best  intention:  u  For,”  said  his  lordship,  “in 
 those  days  there  were  a  vast  many  Cajvinists  in  the 
 land  ;  and  for  fear  of  making  the  breach  wider  than  it 
 was,  and  if  possible  to  reconcile  all  good  men  in  one 
 body,  it  was  proposed  to  them  to  write  something 
 moderate,  in  which  however  their  opinions  would  be 
 expressed,  and  here  they  brought  in  the  xviith  Article. 
 But  as  a  proof  they  never  thought  the  church  was 
 Calvinistic,  they  have  twice  or  thrice  attempted  to 
 introduce  very  high  Calvinism;  and  hence  what  passed 
 at  the  Hampton-Court  conference,  and  the  Lambeth 
 articles,  which  they  fain  would  have  brought  in  as 
 articles  of  the  church.” 
 
 The  first  time  we  notice  Mr.  Scott  making  use  of 
 
99 
 
 this  special  word,  or  word  special,  is  beginning  of  his 
 preface,  page  2,  and  carrying  it  on  he  says,  4C  Even 
 murderers,  under  a  special  impulse,  have  been  known 
 to  shew  mercy,”  page  21.  And  having  laid  hold  on 
 such  a  convenient  word,  he  takes  care  to  hold  it  fast, 
 introduces  it  beginning  of  the  very  next  page,  and  so 
 never  lets  it  go  till  he  finishes  his  book.  And  though 
 we  find  very  little  in  ©ur  Articles,  Liturgy,  or  Prayers, 
 about  this  same  convenient  special  grace ,  and  only  in 
 our  catechism  something  like  a  question  is  put  to 
 a  child  about  special  grace ;  yet  of  such  special  service 
 does  Mr.  Scott  find  it,  in  distinction  from  that  grace  of 
 God  that  bringeth  salvation  to  all  men,  teaching  us 
 that  denying  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts,  &c.  that 
 three  times  in  a  few  lines  it  is  called  into  the  service, 
 in  answer  to  what  his  lordship  says.  Mr.  Scott  quotes 
 him  thus :  u  Health  is  the  gift  of  God,  but  what  use  we 
 make  of  it  is  our  choice.  Bodily  strength  is  God’s 
 gift;  but  of  what  advantage  it  shall  be  to  us,  depends 
 upon  ourselves.  Even  so  the  higher  gifts  of  the  Spirit 
 remains  a  gift,  the  value  of  which  will  be  exceedingly 
 great,  will  be  little,  will  be  none,  will  be  even  an. 
 increase  of  guilt  and  condemnation,  according  as  it  is 
 applied  and  obeyed,  or  neglected  and  withstood.” 
 This  is  reasoning,  which  not  only  recommends  itself  to 
 every  man’s  conscience  as  in  the  sight  of  God;  but 
 must  and  will  stand  unrefuted,  till  rationality  dies,  and 
 the  Scriptures  are  found  of  none  effect.  For  where 
 much  is  given,  much  will  be  required;  and  the  servant 
 who  knows  his  master’s  will,  and  does  it  not,  shall  be 
 beaten  with  many  stripes.  Yet  Mr.  Scott  ventures  to 
 throw  away  twenty  lines  upon  it,  as  follows :  “  Health 
 and  strength,  with  very  many  other  things,  are  gifts  of 
 God,  or  talents  committed  to  our  stewardship,  of  which 
 a  good  or  bad  use  may  be  made.  Depraved  nature 
 disposes  us  to  make  a  bad  use  of  them,  to  waste,  or  to 
 bury  them ;  but  special  grace  teaches,  inclines,  and 
 enables  the  possessor  to  improve  them,  to  the  glory  of 
 God,  the  benefit  of  mankind,  and  eventually  to  hi& 
 
 i 
 
100 
 
 own  abundant  advantage.  The  strivings  of  the  Spirit, 
 producing  convictions  and  transient  effects,  are  in  some 
 respects  of  the  same  nature.  Even  the  gifts  of  prophecy 
 and  miracles  might  be  improved  or  perverted ;  but 
 u  the  sanctification  unto  obedience,”  or  special  grace ^ 
 is  wholly  of  another  nature,  and,  as  far  as  it  is  vouch¬ 
 safed,  it  efficaciously  leads  men  to  improve  every  talent, 
 and  to  employ  aright  every  other  gift  of  God.  But 
 what  is  there  in  fallen  man,  which  can  improve  as 
 a  talent  the  special  grace  of  God  ?  c  The  flesh  lusteth 
 against  the  Spirit;’  fallen  nature  against  that  which  is 
 born  of  the  Spirit;  ‘  man  is  of  his  own  nature  inclined 
 to  evil,  so  that  the  flesh  lusteth  always  contrary  to  the 
 Spirit.’  ”  Now  I  appeal  to  any  impartial,  honest  man, 
 is  this  an  answer  to  what  his  lordship  had  said  ?  Except 
 it  was  written  without  reason,  it  must  be  intended 
 either  as  a  refutation  or  confirmation  of  his  lordship’s 
 assertions.  If  as  a  confirmation,  and  intended  as  a 
 proof,  that  whatever  talent  God  gives  to  man  he  looks 
 for  improvement,  and  if  it  is  not  improved  will  be 
 taken  away;  I  ask,  but  had  not  his  lordship  expressed 
 himself  a  thousand  times  better,  and  in  one  quarter  of 
 the  words  Mr.  Scott  makes  use  of?  And  if  it  was 
 intended  as  a  refutation  of  his  lordship,  I  ask,  in  what 
 part  of  the  twenty  lines  is  that  refutation  found  ? 
 Mr.  Scott  says,  66  The  flesh  lusteth  against  the  Spirit;” 
 but  he  forgot  to  say,  u  and  the  Spirit  lusteth  against 
 the  flesh,  and  these  are  contrary  one  to  another.” 
 This  is  evidently  a  diminishing  from  the  word  of  God. 
 u  Fallen  nature  is  against  that  which  is  born  of  the 
 Spirit.  Man  is  of  his  own  nature  inclined  to  evil.” 
 Be  it  so :  what  has  that  to  do  with  what  the  bishop  was 
 asserting?  Though,  to  our  sorrow,  we  cannot  do 
 the  things  that  we  would ;”  yet  u  if  we  are  led  by  the 
 Spirit,,  we  are  no  longer  under  the  law.”  And  Mr. 
 Scott  knew  his  lordship  was  not  speaking  of  what  man 
 would  or  could  not  do  as  a  fallen  creature  without 
 strength;  but  of  what  he  could  do,  since  Christ  died 
 for  the  ungodly — what  he  could  do  under  the  influence 
 
101 
 
 of  the  gifts  of  God,  under  u  the  higher  gifts  of  the 
 Spirit.”  Mr.  Scott  ought  to  have  remembered,  u  the 
 fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering, 
 gentleness ,  goodness,  faith,  meekness ,  temperance ; 
 against  such  there  is  no  law.”  O  that  these  fruits 
 might  be  in  us,  and  abound ;  then  should  we  be  neither 
 barren  nor  unfruitful  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord 
 and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  But  if  Mr.  Scott  cannot 
 refute  his  lordship,  he  can  talk  about  special  grace , 
 and  that  will  answer  every  purpose.  Yes;  nothing 
 better  serves  to  draw  off  the  mind  from  attending  to 
 his  lordship’s  arguments,  and  then  the  end  is  answered. 
 
 Mr.  Scott  goes  on,  u  David  grieved  the  Holy  Spirit 
 as  much,  perhaps,  as  this  possibly  could  be  done;  yet 
 the  joy  of  God’s  salvation  was  restored  to  him.” 
 I  ask,  When  ?  When  was  the  joy  of  God’s  salvation 
 restored  to  the  treacherous  adulterer  ?  Was  his  children 
 first  defiling,  then  murdering  each  another,  the  joy  of 
 God’s  salvation  ?  Was  the  sword  never  departing  from 
 his  house,  in  consequence  of  his  wickedness,  the  joy 
 of  God’s  salvation  ?  But  this,  I  am  afraid,  is  brought 
 forward  to  prove,  David  was  one  of  the  special  gracey 
 privileged  children.  That  if  he  had  not  been  a  special 
 grace  man,  he  had  been  lost;  but  in  consequence  of 
 this,  he  was  restored  to  the  joy  of  God’s  salvation. 
 Ah !  bad  improvement  of  a  bad  doctrine !  Mr.  Scott 
 should  have  known,  that  when  God  was  pleased  to 
 choose  David,  David  was  a  man  after  God’s  own  heart. 
 When  David  turned,  like  a  dog  to  his  vomit,  God’s 
 anger,  in  heavy  judgments,  came  upon  him  and  his 
 family.  When  he  acknowledged  his  transgression,  and 
 feared  to  be  found  blood-guilty,  and  his  sin  was  ever 
 before  him,  God  in  pity  also  put  away  his  sin.  But 
 so  far  from  the  joy  of  God’s  salvation  being  restored, 
 he  went  mourning  all  his  days :  yea,  so  much,  that  it 
 appears,  sometimes  life  was  a  burden  unto  him,  the 
 guilt  and  consequence  of  his  sin,  a  burden  too  heavy 
 for  him  to  bear.  Supposing  the  Spirit  of  God  can 
 never  be  finally  withdrawn  from  those  who  have  once 
 
 / 
 
/ 
 
 102 
 
 received  special  grace ,  Mr.  Scott,  in  answer  to  his  lord- 
 ship,  who  says,  u  c  Grieve  not  the  Spirit  of  God:7 
 therefore  he  may  be  grieved  ;  being  given,  he  may  be 
 rejected ;  rejected,  he  may  be  withdrawn.”  <£  The 
 apostle  does  not  say  this.  A  father  may  be  grieved  by 
 the  misconduct  of  his  son,  yet  he  may  not  disinherit 
 him  :  a  husband  may  be  grieved  by  the  misconduct  of 
 his  wife,  and  yet  not  divorce  her.”  Very  true:  but  is 
 this  proving,  the  father  never  can,  and  never  does  dis¬ 
 inherit  his  son?  That  the  husband  never  does  justly 
 divorce  his  wife  for  misconduct  ?  How  many  unhappy 
 instances  have  vve  this  day  in  England,  both  of  the  one 
 and  the  other  ?  And  though  this  should  never  take 
 place  on  earth,  Mr.  Scott  should  have  remembered, 
 that  St.  Paul  says  to  the  Corinthians,  6i  I  am  jealous 
 over  you  with  godly  jealousy :  for  I  have  espoused  you 
 to  one  husband,  that  I  may  present  you  as  a  chaste 
 virgin  to  Christ.  But  I  fear,  lest  by  any  means  as  the 
 serpent  beguiled  Eve  through  his  subtilty,  so  your 
 minds  should  be  corrupted  from  the  simplicity  that  is 
 in  Christ,”  2  Cor.  xi.  2,  3.  But  as  Mr.  Scott  talks  of 
 returning  to  this  subject  in  his  observations  upon  the 
 fourth  chapter,  I  shall  now  say  no  more  upon  it,  but 
 shall  take  care  to  refute  him  then.  Indeed,  this  is 
 a  very  awful  subject;  and  when  we  consider  the 
 apostasy  of  angels  that  sinned,  of  the  effects  of  the 
 serpent’s  subtilty  with  Eve,  and  the  dreadful  departures 
 from  the  Christian  faith  that  have  happened,  and  shall 
 happen  through  the  abounding  of  iniquity;  to  me  it 
 has  always  appeared  shocking,  to  see  men  setting  about 
 proving  there  is  no  such  thing.  Did  they,  with  Paine, 
 set  about  proving  the  Bible  is  not  true,  it  would  not  so 
 much  surprise  me;  but  allowing  the  inspiration  of  the 
 Scriptures,  it  is  truly  unaccountable  to  see  them  attempt 
 proving,  u  that  none  have  damnation  because  they 
 have  cast  off  their  first  faith.” 
 
 I  did  not  intend  saying  any  thing  more  upon  this 
 part  at  present,  but  to  hasten  towards  the  close  of  this 
 first  volume;  but  really  1  can  scarcely  examine  one 
 
105 
 
 single  page,  but  I  feel  as  though  it  was  my  duty  to 
 expose,  or  shew  the  weakness  and  inconclusiveness  of 
 Mr.  Scott’s  arguments.  1  shall,  therefore,  transcribe 
 part  of  pages  67  and  68.  His  lordship,  it  should  seem3 
 makes  some  quotations  from  bishop  Bull,  as  follows ; 
 speaking  upon  2  Peter  iii.  16,  18,  he  says,  44  Hence  it 
 appears  that  there  was  danger,  lest  those  4  who  had 
 obtained  like  precious  faith  ’  with  St.  Peter  himself, 
 those  to  whom  4  divine  power  had  given  all  things  that 
 pertain  unto  life  and  godliness;’  there  was  danger  lest 
 persons  of  this  description  4  should  be  led  away  with 
 the  error  of  the  wicked;’  lest  they  should  4  fall  from 
 their  own  steadfastness,’  an  J  wrest  the  Scriptures  to 
 their  own  destruction.”  Mr.  Scott  answers,  44  Peter 
 addresses  the  churches  in  Asia,  as  those  4  who  had 
 obtained  like  precious  faith;’  and  as  those  to  whom 
 4  divine  power  had  given  all  things  that  pertain  to  life 
 and  godliness.’  But  can  it  be  supposed,  that  he  in¬ 
 tended  to  warrant  the  sincerity  of  every  professed 
 Christian  in  all  these  churches  ?  or  that  none  but  true 
 Christians  would  ever  read  his  epistle?  Many  warnings 
 shew  the  contrary.  Men  professing  Christianity  might 
 be  hypocrites,  (what  church  hath  hitherto  been  free 
 from  them  ?)  and  some  true  Christians  might  4  fall 
 from  their  steadfastness;’  yet  God  might  give  them 
 repentance,  and  so  they  might  recover  themselves  4  out 
 of  the  snare  of  the  devil,1  and  therefore  not  be  among 
 those  who  wrested  the  Scriptures  to  their  own  destruc¬ 
 tion.”  All  this  maybe  true;  but  what  in  the  world 
 has  all  this  to  do  with  the  point  in  hand?  Would  any 
 impartial  man,  reading  the  bishop’s  note,  suppose  that 
 the  above  is  sent  out  as  a  refutation  of  it?  nay,  would 
 any  one  suppose  that  Mr.  Scott  had  sent  it  out  as  an 
 answer?  Peter,  it  is  true,  did  address  the  churches  in 
 Asia.  Those  churches  had  obtained  like  precious  faith 
 with  the  apostle.  There  might  be  hypocrites  among 
 them,  (though  it  does  not  appear  that  there  really 
 were.)  Real  Christians  might  fall  from  their  own 
 steadfastness,  and  God  might  give  them  repentance, 
 
104 
 
 But  does  it  follow,  that  those  that  were  once  washed 
 were  hypocrites  when  they  were  once  washed  ?  What 
 were  they  washed  from,  if  not  from  all  filthiness  of 
 flesh  and  spirit?  And  if  washed  from  these,  in  what 
 fountain  were  they  washed  ?  Is  there  some  other  pool, 
 in  which  polluted  souls  like  these  can  be  washed  from 
 their  iniquities  ?  And  if  washed  by  faith  in  the  blood 
 that  cleanses  from  all  sin,  does  it  follow,  that  if  they 
 had  added  to  their  faith  virtue,  &c.  that  an  entrance 
 should  not  have  been  ministered  abundantly  unto  them, 
 into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour 
 Jesus  Christ  ?  But  if  they  lacked  these  things,  does  it 
 not  follow  that  they  became  blind,  and  could  not  see 
 far  off,  and  that  they  had  forgotten  they  were  purged 
 from  their  old  sins  ?  Can  Mr.  Scott  disprove  what  the 
 bishop  has  asserted  ?  Not  till  he  can  prove  St.  Peter 
 was  mistaken. 
 
 His  lordship  observes,  u  The  precept,  (  Grow  in 
 grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour 
 Jesus  Christ,’  proves  that  there  are  degrees  in  grace 
 and  Christian  knowledge,  and  that  the  growth  and 
 increase  of  these  spiritual  endowments,  must  be  the 
 consequence  of  our  own  exertion.”  To  this  Mr.  Scott 
 answers,  u  The  precept,”  &c. — 66  This  modern  Cal¬ 
 vinists  would  generally  allow ;  provided,”  &c.  This 
 is  an  honest,  though  a  strange  confession.  Then  there 
 are  some  modern  Calvinists  would  not  allow  of  the 
 apostolic  precept,  u  Grow  in  grace,  and  in  the  know¬ 
 ledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.”  But 
 they  would  in  general  allow  it,  6  provided  the  word 
 consequence  be  explained  in  their  own  way,’’  not  else. 
 This  we  have  long  known  was  a  Calvinistic  sentiment. 
 Yes;  that  the  elect  are  in  such  a  manner  accepted  in 
 Jesus  Christ’s  righteousness,  that  nothing  can  be  added 
 to  that  righteousness  in  which  they  are  found,  nor  any 
 thing  diminished  from  it.  Therefore  they  will  not 
 allow  of  believers,  in  their  own  persons,  so  growing 
 a  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and 
 Saviour  Jesus  Christ, — that  so  an  entrance  should  be 
 
105 
 
 ministered  to  them  into  his  everlasting  kingdom. ”  And 
 all  this  again  rises  out  of  the  mystery  of  Calvinism. 
 They  believe  a  certain  number,  which  they  call  66  the 
 number  of  God’s  elect,”  were  from  eternity  the  ex¬ 
 clusive  objects  of  God’s  love  and  pity.  That  as  they 
 should  fall  into  condemnation  through  Adam’s  trans¬ 
 gression,  they  should  infallibly  be  restored,  without 
 their  co-operation,  to  the  favour,  image,  and  kingdom 
 of  God.  That  as  without  Christ  man  can  do  nothing, 
 every  man  having  a  willing  mind,  proves  thereby  that 
 he  is  one  of  God’s  elect.  That  any  of  the  rest,  endea¬ 
 vouring  to  work  the  work  of  God,  being  devoid  of  the 
 special  grace  of  God’s  elect,  are  only  working  upon 
 the  ground  of  fallen  nature.  For  such  to  grow  in 
 grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour 
 Jesus  Christ,  were  impossible ;  and  for  the  other,  the 
 elect,  aided  by  special  grace,  not  to  grow  and  go 
 forward  until  God  shall  take  them  to  his  kingdom  and 
 glory,  were  impossible  too.  Here  is  the  foundation  of 
 all  Mr.  Scott’s  mistakes,  as  has  before  been  proved. 
 The  greatest  misfortune  of  his  life  is,  that  he  began  to 
 write  before  he  had  taken  due  time  to  read  and  think. 
 Had  he  properly  thought  of  the  nature  and  extent  of 
 the  grace  promised  and  contained  in  the  following 
 Scriptures,  he  would  not  have  began  to  write  in  defence 
 of  Calvinism  so  soon.  u  The  seed  of  the  woman  shall 
 bruise  the  serpent’s  head.”  Here  he  would  have  seen, 
 that  every  human  being  was  as  much  in  the  loins  of 
 Adam  then,  and  as  much  included  in  the  promised 
 grace,  as  he  had  been  concluded  and  involved  in  Adam’s 
 fall.  And  lest  he  should  have  made  a  mistake,  he 
 would  have  seen  that,  in  the  very  next  plain  promise  of 
 a  Saviour,  Jesus,  the  words  are  so  plain,  no  one  could 
 mistake  (without  design)  the  meaning  of  the  Holy 
 Ghost:  u  And  in  thee  shall  all  families  of  the  earth  be 
 blessed.”  Again,  u  And  the  Lord  said,  Shall  I  h:de 
 from  Abraham  that  thing  which  I  do;  seeing  that 
 Abraham  shall  surely  become  a  great  and  mighty 
 nation,  and  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  shall  be  blessed 
 
106 
 
 in  him  ?  ”  Gen.  xii.  3,  and  xviii.  18.  Again,  chap, 
 xxii.  u  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  called  unto  Abraham 
 out  of  heaven  the  second  time,  and  said,  By  myself 
 have  I  sworn,  saith  the  Lord ;  for  because  thou  hast 
 done  this  thing,  and  hast  not  withheld  thy  son,  thine 
 only  son :  That  in  blessing  I  will  bless  thee,  and  in 
 multiplying  I  will  multiply  thy  seed  as  the  stars  of 
 heaven,  and  as  the  sand  which  is  upon  the  sea  shore : 
 and  thy  seed  shall  possess  the  gate  of  his  enemies ; 
 and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  th’e  earth  be 
 blessed,  because  thou  hast  obeyed  my  voice,”  ver.  15, 18. 
 And  unto  Isaac,  Abraham’s  son  by  Sarah,  in  remem¬ 
 brance  of  the  covenant  he  had  made  with  his  father,  he 
 said,  u  I  will  make  thy  seed  to  multiply  as  the  stars  of 
 heaven  ;  and  will  give  unto  thy  seed  all  these  countries  : 
 and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  be 
 blessed,”  chap.  xxvi.  4.  And  to  remove  all  doubts, 
 as  to  the  extent  of  the  promised  blessing  unto  Isaac’s 
 son  Jacob,  he  said,  u  I  am  the  Lord  God  of  Abraham 
 thy  father,  and  the  God  of  Isaac :  the  land  whereon 
 thou  liest,  to  thee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy  seed./  And 
 thy  seed  shall  be  as  the  dust  of  the  earth ;  and  thou 
 shalt  spread  abroad  to  the  west,  and  to  the  east,  and 
 to  the  north,  and  to  the  south  :  and  in  thee  and  in  thy 
 seed  shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed,” 
 chap,  xxviii.  13,  14.  From  this  time,  and  in  conse¬ 
 quence  of  his  grace  who  made  these  promises  unto 
 these  fathers,  the  Jews  became  the  children  of  the 
 covenants  and  promise.  They  now  became  his  elect, 
 his  married  wife,  his  elder  son,  ever  with  him,  and  all 
 that  he  had  was  their’s.  But  for  poor  Gentiles  to  style 
 themselves  the  children  of  the  covenant,  the  elect  of 
 God,  because  they  are  now  through  mercy  received 
 and  grafted  with  the  elect  into  the  true  olive-tree,  is 
 presumption,  nonsense,  and,  I  was  going  to  say,  blas¬ 
 phemy:  nor  is  there  a  text  in  the  Bible  to  countenance 
 them  in  this  doctrine. 
 
 If  w  ith  the  above-cited  texts,  Mr.  Scott  had  compared 
 the  following  in  the  New  Testament,  what  harmony 
 
 \ 
 
s 
 
 107 
 
 had  he  seen  in  the  Scriptures !  What  boundless  lev® 
 in  God  the  promise-maker  S  44  Behold  the  Lamb  of 
 God,  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world!”— 44  And 
 I,  if  I  be  lifted  up,  will  draw  all  men  unto 
 44  For  we  thus  judge,  if  one  died  for  all,  then  were  all 
 dead;  and  he  died  for  all,  that  they  which  live  should 
 not  henceforth  live  unto  themselves,  but  unto  him  that 
 died  for  them  and  rose  again.  Wherefore  henceforth 
 know'  we  no  man  after  the  flesh ;  yea,  though  we  have 
 known  Christ  after  the  flesh,  yet  now  henceforth  know 
 we  him  no  more,”  2  Cor.  v.  14 — -16.  44  Then  Peter 
 
 opened  his  mouth,  and  said,  Of  a  truth  I  perceive  that 
 God  is  no  respecter  of  persons;  but  in  every  nation,, 
 him  that  feareth  God,  and  worketh  righteousness,  is 
 accepted  with  him.”— 44  But  the  voice  answered  me 
 again  from  heaven,  What  God  hath  cleansed,  that  call 
 not  thou  common.” — ~u  God  hath  shewed  me,  that 
 I  should  not  count  any  man  common  or  unclean,”  see 
 Acts  x.  and  xi. 
 
 And  holy  Paul  says  of  Jesus  Christ,  44  The  promise 
 to  Abraham  was,  that  he  should  be  heir  of  the  world.” 
 And  it  is  upon  this  ground,  and  only  upon  this,  Peter 
 exhorts  men  to  44  grow  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge 
 of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.”  St.  Paul9 
 44  Work  out  your  own  salvation  w  ith  fear  and  trem« 
 bling,”  &c.  Because  they  remembered  their  great 
 Lord  had  set  them  the  example,  by  saying,  44  Strive  to 
 enter  in  at  the  strait  gate.”— 44  Labour  not  for  the 
 meat  that  perisheth ;  but  for  that  which  endureth  unto 
 eternal  life.” 
 
 1  confess  I  am  not  very  fond  of  curiosities  in  religion, 
 or  of  new-fangled  doctriues;  but,  pages  84  and  85,  Mr, 
 Scott  gives  us  something  truly  curious ;  he  says,  44  The 
 word  co-operation  is  not  found  in  the  New  Testament, 
 And  in  all  the  places  where  God  and  man  are  spoken 
 of  as  co-operating,  the  salvation  of  others,  not  of  the 
 person  or  persons  thus  working  together  with  God„ 
 is  uniformly  meant.”  To  this  unaccountable  assertion 
 i  just  observe,  without  going  to  any  other  text  than 
 
 F 
 
108 
 
 that  already  quoted,  the  believing  Romans  had  received 
 the  Spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  the  believing  Jews 
 cried,  Abba,  Father.  Yet  the  apostle  had  just  before 
 told  them,  6<  For  if  ye  live  after  the  flesh,  ye  shall  die; 
 but  if  ye  through  the  Spirit  do  mortify  the  deeds  of 
 the  body,  ye  shall  live.”  Again,  another  of  Mr. 
 Scott’s  curiosities  is  in  the  following  words:  u  If,  in 
 producing  the  willing  mind  to  turn  to  God,  the  sinner’s 
 co-operation  with  God  be  admitted,  not  only  is  the 
 glory  divided  between  two  agents,  and  boasting  intro¬ 
 duced  ;  but  the  will  of  man  takes  the  lead,  and  seems 
 entitled  to  the  precedency.”  First,  then,  u  the  glory 
 divided  between  two  agents,  but  boasting  introduced.” 
 What,  before  God  ?  I  ask  the  plain  question,  and 
 1  ask  it  with  the  apostle’s  assertion  in  view,  Was  the 
 sinner  even  justified  by  works,  without  any  respect  to 
 the  grace  of  God,  what  had  he  to  glory  in  before  an 
 holy  God  ?  Yea,  if  he  did  all  that  is  commanded,  he 
 must  to  the  Almighty  be  an  unprofitable  servant ! 
 
 But  Mr.  Scott  goes  on,  and  informs  us,  ((  Not  only 
 boasting  is  introduced ;  but  the  will  of  man  takes  the 
 lead,  and  seems  entitled  to  the  precedency.”  Paul, 
 speaking  of  his  state  when  he  was  sold  under  sin,  says, 
 ct  To  will  is  present  with  me.”  But  if  God,  working 
 in  the  sinner  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good  pleasure, 
 says,  <£  Awake,  thou  that  sleepest,  and  arise  from  the 
 dead,  and  Christ  shall  give  thee  light ;”  the  sinner  hears 
 his  voice,  and  so  follows  him  as  to  receive  of  him  eternal 
 life;  “  the  sinner  takes  the  lead,  and  seems  entitled  to 
 the  precedency.”  Enoch,  however,  walked  with  God, 
 and  he  had  this  testimony,  that  he  pleased  him ;  yet  it 
 does  not  appear  that  in  walking  with  God,  he  took  the 
 lead  and  went  before  him.  And  though,  for  ought 
 I  know,  there  may  be  an  happy  contest  between  Enoch 
 and  his  God,  while  the  Judge  iu  condescension  will  say 
 to  his  servant,  66  Thou  hast  been  faithfnl  over  a  few 
 things.” — £t  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant, 
 enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord;”  it  does  not 
 appear  that  Enoch,  or  any  of  his  brethren,  will  think 
 
1G§ 
 
 the  glory  should  be  divided ;  ”  for  he  will  insist  upon 
 it,  and  glory  in  it  to  eternity,  It  was  44  thy  pound  that 
 gained  ten  pounds.”  And  such  boldness  will  these 
 meek  and  lowly  souls  display  before  assembled  woilds, 
 that  they  will  be  ready  to  challenge  their  Maker,  while 
 he  lays  this,  and  that,  and  the  other  to  their  account, 
 with  44  When  saw  we  thee  an  hungred,  and  fed  thee  ? 
 thirsty,  and  gave  thee  drink  ?  naked,  and  clothed  thee  ? 
 sick,  and  in  prison,  and  came  unto  thee  ?  No,  no,  it 
 was  him  that  loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in 
 his  own  blood,  that  brought  us  here.”  Mr.  Scott 
 should  not,  therefore,  have  so  committed  himself. 
 
 Believers  of  the  above  description  might,  perhaps,  m 
 an  hour  of  temptation,  while  here  below,  say,  44  We 
 have  forsaken  all  and  followed  thee,  what  shall  we 
 receive  therefore  ?  ”  yet  they  never  dreamed  of  running 
 before  him  while  they  followed  him,  nor  of  taking  the 
 precedency  of  their  Lord.  Little  as  Mr.  Scott  may 
 think  of  it,  these  assertions  of  his  are  not  more  wild 
 and  irrational,  than  they  are  dangerous  to  the  souls  of 
 men.  It  is  as  much  as  saying  to  sinners,  while  God 
 worketh  in  them,  44  Do  not  you  think  of  working  out 
 your  salvation,  for  that  would  be  like  co-operation. 
 Do  not  you  aspire  at  walking  with  God ;  for  then  you. 
 would  take  the  lead,  and  walk  before  him.  Do  not 
 you,  that  have  no  special  grace,  think  of  working  the 
 work  of  God  while  it  is  called  to-day ;  for  then  boasting 
 would  be  introduced,  and  the  glory  would  be  divided 
 between  two  agents.”  O,  if  Mr.  Scott’s  Bible  is 
 fraught  with  reasoning  like  this,  what  a  blessing  it 
 must  prove  to  mankind ! 
 
 The  more  I  see  of  the  bishop’s  Refutation,  though  it 
 is  only  as  cited  by  Mr.  Scott,  the  more  cordially 
 I  approve  of  it  in  general.  Mr.  Scott  brings  him 
 forward,  page  85,  as  saying,  44  And  is  not  this  similar 
 to  what  took  place  in  our  blessed  Saviour  himself?  He 
 was  God  and  man  in  one  Christ.  He  was  perfect  God 
 and  perfect  man.  Though  in  him  dwelt  all  the  fulness 
 of  the  Godhead,  yet  he  was  in  all  things  made  like  to 
 
110 
 
 I 
 
 his  brethren,  6  and  was  in  all  points  tempted  like  as  we 
 are.’  We  Christians  are  imperfect  men,  improved  and 
 assisted  by  that  portion  of  divine  grace,  which  it  pleases 
 God  to  bestow  upon  us.”  One  would  have  thought, 
 no  creature,  especially  if  he  loved  the  Lord  Jesus  in 
 sincerity,  would  have  made  any  remark  of  disappro¬ 
 bation  upon  this.  Yet  Mr.  Scott  gives  us  sixteen  lines 
 in  answer  to  it,  whether  in  approbation  or  as  a  refu¬ 
 tation  I  will  not  say,  I  leave  that  entirely  to  the  judg¬ 
 ment  of  those  who  can  understand  his  meaning.  lie 
 says,  u  In  the  person  of  Christ,  c  perfect  God  and 
 perfect  man,’  the  divine  nature  has  in  all  things  the 
 precedency;  but  in  the  co-operation  intended  to  be 
 illustrated  by  it,  the  power  and  will  of  man  precede 
 and  render  effectual  the  supernatural  powers  of  the 
 Holy  Spirit,  unless  we  unreservedly  ascribe  our  willing¬ 
 ness  to  obey  the  call  of  the  Gospel,  to  his  special 
 preventing  grace.  How  far  the  intended  illustration, 
 from  a  topic  so  extremely  different,  is  admissible,  may 
 be  questioned ;  for  the  union  of  the  divine  and  human 
 nature  in  the  person  of  Christ,  has  scarcely  any  thing 
 which  accords  to  the  co-operation  of  tw  o  agents  in  one 
 work.” — u  6  Even  the  chiefest  of  the  apostles  were 
 imperfect  men.’  Surely  the  epithet  is  too  feeble  for 
 the  character  of  man  as  he  is  by  nature.”  These  are 
 some  of  Mr.  Scott’s  remarks. 
 
 Again,  u  Modern  Calvinists  generally  avoid  the  use 
 of  the  word  irresistible ,  as  exceptionable,  and  not 
 scriptural;  and  necessary ,  in  this  connexion,  belongs 
 not  to  the  system  of  those  who  believe  the  predesti¬ 
 nation  of  an  infinitely  wise,  just,  and  merciful  God; 
 but  to  that  of  fatalists,  heathen  fatalists,  and  modern 
 necessarians.”  But  if  the  Calvinists  avoid  the  use  of 
 these  two  words,  do  they  not  steadfastly  believe  the 
 things  intended  by  them  ?  Does  not  Mr.  Scott,  for 
 instance,  believe  that  every  subject  of  special  grace 
 necessarily  believes  the  Gospel,  and  is  irresistibly  made 
 willing  to  obey  it  ?  That  there  is  no  co-operation  in 
 the  producing  of  the  willing  mind  in  the  elect?  And 
 
 i 
 
Ill 
 
 tli at  the  passed~by,  the  non-elect,  as  necessarily  go  on 
 In  their  sins,  until  they  are  cast  off  for  ever?  It  is 
 the  doctrine,  therefore,  of  predestination  of  Gentiles, 
 Mr.  Scott  and  all  Calvinists  should  be  ashamed  of,  and 
 not  the  harmless  words,  irresistible  and  necessary. 
 And  as  to  what  Mr.  Scott  says  about  the  difference  of 
 the  predestination  of  God,  and  the  doctrine  of  necessity 
 held  by  heathen  fatalists;  if  a  man’s  soul  is  lost  for 
 ever  through  predestination  or  necessity,  what  does  it 
 signify  to  him  in  hell,  whether  he  is  there  by  the 
 doctrine  of  necessity  held  by  heathen  fatalists,  modem 
 necessarians,  or  the  predestination  of  Mr.  Scott’s  God, 
 never  to  make  him  elect,  or  give  him  that  special  grace, 
 which  that  God  knew  alone  could  be  effectual  to  his 
 salvation?  If  Mr.  Scott’s  doctrines  were  true,  every 
 lost  soul  lifts  up  his  eyes  in  hell,  through  God’s  pre¬ 
 destinating  not  to  give  him  special  grace ;  or,  as  Mr. 
 Scott  words  it,  u  his  withholding  from  him  special 
 grace.”  Had  Mr.  Scott,  for  the  last  thirty-five  years, 
 been  half  as  busily  employed  in  reading  and  thinking 
 as  he  has  in  writing,  he  would  have  known,  the 
 doctrine  of  predestination,  as  held  by  the  Calvinists, 
 originated  wifh  the  heathen  fata'ists.  That  Augustine 
 was  an  heathen  fatalist:  that  while  he  was  a  fatalist, 
 he  heard  the  Gospel  and  embraced  it:  that  he  brought 
 with  him  from  the  heathen  schools  this  dreadful  doc¬ 
 trine,  and  incorporated  it  w  ith  his  Christianity  :  that  it 
 never  was  received  in  the  Christian  church  till  then, 
 and  we  defy  Mr.  Scott  to  prove  the  contrary.  There¬ 
 fore,  let  whoever  will  be  ashamed  of  it,  modern  pre¬ 
 destination,  modern  necessity  of  necessarians,  and  the 
 fatalism  of  the  heathen,  is  one  and  the  very  same  thing. 
 
 Again,  Air.  Scott  brings  forw  ard  his  lordship,  p.  92, 
 quoting  Sherlock,  as  follows:  44  We  say  that  of  our¬ 
 selves  we  can  do  nothing;  whence  they  conclude,  that 
 we  have  nothing  to  do.  We  say,  that  it  is  the  grace  of 
 God  which  enables  us  to  do  every  thing;  from  whence 
 they  conclude,  that  every  thing  must  be  left  to  the 
 grace  of  God,  and  that  we  need  only  work  ourselves 
 
 F  3 
 
m 
 
 into  a  strong  persuasion  that  God  is  at  work  for  u§, 
 and  may  sit  still  ourselves.  And  this  persuasion,  which 
 is  generally  mere  enthusiasm,  they  dignify  with  the 
 name  of  Christian  faith.”  To  this  Mr,  Scott  answers. 
 There  have  been,  and  still  are,  a  considerable  number, 
 to  whom  the  rebuke  in  the  quotation  from  Sherlock  is 
 justly  applicable;  but  I  have  a  confidence,  that  they 
 receive  it  as  frequently,  constantly,  and  decidedly,  from 
 the  evangelical  clergy,  as  from  any  other  ministers, 
 either  of  the  establishment  or  elsewhere.  The  author 
 of  these  remarks,  during  more  than  twenty  years,  was 
 subject  to  very  much  censure,  and  many  painful  effects, 
 for  plainly  protesting  against  this  very  enthusiasm,  and 
 antinomian  delusion  :  and  he  cannot  but  think  it  hard 
 to  be  included  in  the  same  general  sentence  of  condem¬ 
 nation  with  the  persons,  whose  pestiferous  tenets  he  so 
 long,  and  he  trusts  successfully  opposed.  We  require 
 nothing  of  our  opponents  beyond  a  fair  discrimination. 
 Let  them  state  the  censurable  tenets,  bring  clear 
 evidence  against  the  accused,  and  having  proved  them 
 guilty,  proceed  to  pass  sentence  on  them.”  Without 
 going  on  with  this  strange  paragraph  at  present,  in 
 which  nothing  is  proved,  but  that  his  lordship  and 
 Sherlock  were  right,  and  that  Mr.  Scott  and  his  party 
 have  published  many  books ;  let  us  examine  some  of 
 the  remarks.  u  There  have  been,  and  still  are,  a  con¬ 
 siderable  number,  to  whom  the  rebuke  in  this  quotation 
 is  justly  applicable.”  Then  the  rebuke  was  wise  and 
 just.  And  as  to  what  Mr.  Scott  has  been  doing  for 
 twenty  years :  that  he  has  written  strange  contradictory 
 things  in  that  time,  is  not  denied;  but  among  his 
 writings,  has  he  ever  attempted  to  prove,  that  the  elect 
 can  be  lost  by  wicked  works,  or  that  the  salvation  of 
 the  non-elect  can  be  furthered  by  good  ones,  or  that 
 special  grace  can  ever  be  lost?  Here  are  plain  ques¬ 
 tions  :  and  if  the  whole  bent  of  his  soul  during  that 
 time  has  been  to  prove,  that  wicked  works  have  nothing 
 to  do  with  endangering  the  salvation  of  one,  nor  good 
 ones  of  furthering  the  salvation  of  the  other,  what  ha& 
 
113 
 
 lie  been  urging  the  necessity  of  good  works  for  ?  Does 
 he,  then,  endeavour  to  prove,  they  are  only  necessary 
 for  political  purposes,  but  have  nothing  to  do  with 
 fixing  our  eternal  state  ? 
 
 Among  other  things  during  that  twenty  years,  Mr. 
 Scott  published  and  re-published  his  sermon  upon 
 u  Election  and  Final  Perseverance.”  But  will  it  not 
 be  allowed,  that  any  man  reading  and  seriously  con¬ 
 sidering  that  sermon,  and  believing  the  whole  of  his 
 doctrines,  has  a  mind  that  is  capable  of  believing  any 
 thing  ?  That  Christ  tasted  death  for  every  man ;  that 
 the  offering  of  Christ  once  made,  is  the  perfect  redemp¬ 
 tion,  propitiation,  and  satisfaction  for  all  the  sins  of  the 
 whole  world :  and  that  he  did  not  so  taste  death  for 
 every  man,  that  all  the  sins  of  the  whole  world  are  made 
 satisfaction  for.  That  God’s  will  is,  that  all  should  be 
 saved,  and  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth :  that 
 God’s  will  is,  that  all  men  should  not  be  saved,  or  else 
 they  would  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  and 
 be  saved.  That  God  has  sworn  by  himself,  he  has  no  ' 
 delight  in  the  death  of  a  sinner,  but  that  the  sinner 
 should  return  and  live  :  and  that  it  is  his  will  to  with* 
 hold  saving  grace  from  all  but  the  elect. 
 
 And  if  this  is  striving  successfully  against  antinomian 
 delusion,  certainly  Mr.  Scott  has  done  enough.  But 
 as  he  requires  nothing  of  his  opponents  but  what  is 
 fair,  and  that  the  censurable  tenets  should  be  brought 
 forward  as  clear  evidences  against  the  accused;  we  will 
 bring  Mr.  Scott  as  the  accused,  and  the  censurable 
 tenets  as  dropping  from  his  pen.  a  The  remainder  of 
 this  infection  in  the  regenerate,  rendering  all  which 
 they  do  imperfect  or  defiled,  shews  that  justification 
 must  be  of  grace  in  Christ,  and  by  faith  alone,  not  of 
 wrorks,  from  first  to  last;  and  that  good  works  can,  in 
 this  respect,  do  no  more  than  evidence  faith  to  be  living 
 and  justifying;  for  the  alloy  of  evil  connected  with 
 them  needing  forgiveness,  they  can  do  nothing,  either 
 towards  justification,  or  continuing  us  in  a  justified 
 State.”  Preface,  page  v.  Are  these  words  Mr.  Scott’s  ? 
 
 *4 
 
1 14 
 
 Js  he  the  author  of  them }  Here,  then,  is  the  cen¬ 
 surable  tenet;  and  a  more  dangerous,  more  presump*, 
 iuous  one,  never  dropped  from  the  lips  or  pen  of  man. 
 Our  Lord  hath  said,  44  If  thou  vrilt  enter  into  life, 
 jkeep  the  commandments.”— 44  This  do,  and  thou  shall 
 3ive.” — 44  For  by  thy  words  thou  shalt  be  justified.”— 
 44  All  that  are  in  their  graves  shall  hear  his  voice,  and 
 shall  come  forth ;  they  that  have  done  good  unto  ever¬ 
 lasting  life,  and  they  that  have  done  evil  to  the  resur¬ 
 rection  of  damnation.” — 44  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my 
 Father,  receive  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the 
 foundation  of  the  world:  for  I  was  an  hungred,  and 
 you  gave  me  meat ;  thirsty,  and  you  gave  me  drink ; 
 naked,  and  ye  clothed  me;  sick,  and  in  prison,  and  ye 
 came  unto  me,”  &c. — 44  Then  shall  he  answer  them  on 
 his  left  hand,  saying,  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  inasmuch 
 as  ye  did  it  not  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these,  ye  did  it 
 not  unto  me.  And  these  shall  go  away  into  everlasting 
 punishment:  but  the  righteous  unto  life  eternal,” 
 Matt.  xxv.  34 — 46.  And  do  look,  candid  reader,  at 
 the  reasons  our  Lord  condescends  to  give,  why  the 
 ©tie  part  enter  into  eternal  life,  the  other  into  ever¬ 
 lasting  punishment:  44  For  I  was  an  hungred,”  &e, 
 44  For  1  was  an  hungred,  and  ye  gave  me  no  meat,” 
 <&c. 
 
 And  before  this,  when  the  Shepherd  of  Israel  was 
 ©n  the  mount  with  the  flock,  encouraging  them  to  do 
 good,  he  says,  44  That  ye  may  be  the  children  of  your 
 Father  which  is  in  heaven,”  &c.  And  again,  in  chap, 
 xvi.  27,  44  For  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  the  glory 
 ©f  his  Father  with  his  angels,  and  then  he  shall  reward 
 every  man  according  to  his  works.”  All  these  are  the 
 true  sayings  of  God,  not  spoken  by  a  mere  man,  but 
 by  the  lip  of  truth.  To  say  nothing,  then,  of  what  his 
 faithful  servants,  Peter,  James,  and  John,  have  declared 
 in  his  name,  (such  as,  44  The  doers  of  the  law  shall  be 
 justified.” — 44  Ye  see,  then,  how  that  by  works  a  man 
 is  justified,  and  not  by  faith  only,”  James  xi.  24. } 
 are  we  to  cieflit  the  words  of  him  that  cannot  lie?  If 
 
115 
 
 I 
 
 what  lie  hath  said  in  these  passages  be  true,  Mr.  Scott 
 is  presumptuous,  and  is  leading  his  followers  into  dan¬ 
 gerous  error.  If  what  he  says  is  true,  then  the  above 
 exhortations  and  declarations  are  made  void,  and  of 
 none  effect.  The  matter  is  serious ;  too  serious  to  be 
 lightly  passed  over.  Ilis  lordship,  Mr.  Scott,  and  the 
 author  of  these  remarks,  will  soon  be  silent  in  the 
 grave  •  but  the  word  of  our  God  shall  stand  fast  for 
 ever.  What  then  is  the  recompence  of  the  reward  of 
 every  faithful  servant,  in  doing  good  works,  and  com¬ 
 municating  in  his  name  ?  (Be  not  ashamed,  brethren, 
 of  your  Master,  nor  of  his  words,  and  then  he  will 
 own  you  before  his  Father  which  is  in  heaven.)  It  is 
 u  that  ye  may  be  the  children  of  your  Father  which  is 
 in  heaven,  ?  when  the  Son  of  man  shall  descend  in  his 
 glory.  There  can  scarce  be  a  God-fearing  man,  who 
 trembles  at  his  word,  but  on  reading  Mr.  ^cott,  and 
 turning  to  the  above-cited  texts,  and  a  hundred  more, 
 but  must  be  convinced  he  is  the  guilty  man,  who  has 
 long  been  propagating  the  censurable  tenet. 
 
 But  to  look  at  the  sentence  again :  u  Justification 
 must  be  of  grace  in  Christ,  and  by  faith  alone,  not  of 
 works  from  first  to  last.”  Had  Mr.  Scott  said,  66  By 
 grace  alone  from  first  to  last,”  he  would  not  have  been 
 so  censurable ;  because  it  is  alone  through  the  inter¬ 
 ference  of  the  undeserved  grace  of  God,  as  his  lordship 
 has  proved,  that  man  is  again  able  and  inclined  to 
 perform  good  works.  And  even  at  the  tribunal  of 
 God,  when  the  Judge  shall  plant  a  crown  of  glory 
 upon  the  head  of  all  saints;  wearing  that  crown  to  his 
 honour  through  a  vast  eternity,  it  will  be  a  grand  part 
 of  their  happiness  to  ascribe  the  glory  to  him,  and  to 
 acknowledge  the  recompence  of  the  reward  was  a 
 reward  of  grace. 
 
 But  having  the  glory  of  Calvinism  in  view,  and 
 forgetting  the  plain,  simple,  easy-to-be-understood 
 word  of  God,  Mr.  Scott  says,  “  By  faith  alone,  not  of 
 works  from  first  to  last.”  Now  it  so  happens,  that 
 justification,  as  has  been  clearly  proved,  at  first  and  at 
 
116 
 
 last,  is  completely  without  faith.  The  justification  of 
 souls,  first  and  last,  is  positively  without  faith 
 a  justification  through  which  happy  millions  of  the 
 human  race  will  stand  innocent  before  God  for  ever. 
 Our  first  parents  stood  justified  before  their  Maker, 
 without  auy  respect  to  faith ;  but  as  that  is  not  what 
 Mr.  Scott  is  speaking  upon,  though  this  proves  him 
 incorrect,  but  of  the  justification  of  fallen,  redeemed 
 man,  we  shall  confine  ourselves  to  the  consideration  of 
 the  justification  of  these.  The  apostle  says,  66  There¬ 
 fore  as  by  the  offence  of  one,  judgment  came  upon  all 
 men  to  condemnation  ;  even  so  by  the  righteousness  of 
 one,  the  free  gift  came  upon  all  men  unto  justification 
 of  life?”  Rom.  v.  18.  Here  then  stand  the  human 
 race  in  the  two  Adams.  The  first  Adam  is  of  the 
 earth,  earthy ;  the  second  Adam  is  the  Lord  from 
 heaven.  All  subject  to  condemnation  by  the  offence 
 of  one;  even  so  all  raised  to  justification  of  life  by  the 
 righteousness  of  the  other.  Through  this  justification, 
 all  children  taken  hence  in  their  infancy  will  inherit 
 glory,  u  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.”  Yet 
 faith  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  matter.  This  is  so 
 plain,  it  will  scarce  be  controverted ;  yet  I  know 
 objections  will  be  made.  <c  But  to  the  law  and  the 
 testimony  ;  Holy  Scripture  containeth  all  things  neces¬ 
 sary  to  salvation ;  so  that  whatsoever  is  not  read 
 therein,  nor  may  be  proved  thereby,  is  not  required  of 
 any  man  that  it  should  be  believed  as  an  article  of 
 faith,  or  be  thought  requisite  or  necessary  to  salvation.” 
 And  having  seen  how  justification  was  first  without 
 faith,  we  must  now  shew  how  it  will  be  at  last  without 
 faith  also.  Mr.  Scott  says,  It  is  u  by  faith  from  first 
 to  last.”  We  will,  then,  consider  Mr.  Scott,  and  all 
 his  admirers,  before  the  judgment-seat  of  Jesus  Christ 
 at  the  last.  They  must  then  be  justified  or  condemned, 
 Christ  being  judge,  according  to  their  works.  Mr. 
 Scott  insists  upon  it  that  it  is  by  faith  alone;  and  that 
 their  works  can  no  nothing,  either  towards  justi¬ 
 fication,  or  continuing  us  in  a  justified  state.  Through 
 
117 
 
 faith  alone  at  the  last.  In  that  important  day,  faith 
 will  cease  for  ever,  nor  will  it  be  permitted  to  stop, 
 either  to  justify  or  condemn  any  one.  No,  no,  they 
 must  stand  or  fall  by  their  works ;  and  according  to 
 these,  their  state  will  be  fixed  in  ceaseless  torments,  or  in 
 uninterrupted  happiness,  for  ever  and  for  ever.  I  know 
 this  will  be  an  hard  saying  to  many ;  they  will  not 
 hear  it.  But  I  cannot  soften  down  God’s  holy  word. 
 The  sweet  mediatorial  hour  of  mercy  will  then  be  over 
 for  ever.  The  kingdom  of  the  Mediator  will  then  be 
 delivered  up  unto  the  Father,  and  God  be  all  in  all. 
 No  fountain  opened  there  for  the  guilty  to  fly  unto ; 
 or,  O,  how  many  guilty  souls  would  eagerly  fly  to  it 
 then,  who  despise  and  reject  it  now!  But,  ah!  no 
 faith  in  a  Redeemer’s  blood  will  then  avail :  no  u  Come 
 unto  me,  then,  all  ye  who  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will 
 give  you  rest;”  or  how  would  they  press  into  his 
 tender  arms,  who  now  pierce  him  to  the  heart.  The 
 day  was  they  had  their  good  things :  they  had  Moses, 
 and  the  law7,  the  evangelists,  and  apostles ;  and  many 
 of  them  fared  sumptuously  every  day.  But  now,  what 
 would  they  give  in  exchange  for  their  soul  ?  What 
 would  they  give  for  one  of  the  days  of  the  Sen  of  man  ? 
 But  the  garments  must  then  be  proved  to  be  clean,  or 
 they  must  be  filthy  still ;  for  there  will  be  no  faith  then 
 to  justify  the  ungodly.  And  now  though  Mr.  Scott 
 thinks  it  hard  that  he,  and  what  he  calls  the  evangelical 
 clergy,  should  be  charged  with  propagating  antinomian 
 tenets;  we  will  see  whether  the  charge  be  just,  or 
 whether  Mr.  Scott  has  a  right  to  complain.  Chambers 
 says,  u  Antinomians,  in  church  history,  denote  those 
 who  maintain  the  law  of  no  use  or  obligation  under 
 the  Gospel  dispensation,  or  who  hold  doctrines  that 
 clearly  supersede  the  necessity  of  good  works  and 
 a  virtuous  life.  The  antinomians  took  their  origin 
 from  John  Agricola,  about  the  year  1538,  who  taught 
 that  the  law  is  no  ways  necessary  under  the  Gospel ; 
 that  good  works  do  not  promote  our  salvation,  nor  ill 
 ones  hinder  itj”  &c.  Now  if  this  be  the  history  of  the 
 
113 
 
 origin  of  the  antinomians,  and  this  the  doctrine  of 
 which  they  are  charged,  and  Mr.  Scott  stands  to  it  that 
 good  works  u  can  do  nothing,  either  towards  justi¬ 
 fication,  or  continuing  us  in  a  justified  state;’*  they 
 may  attempt  to  clear  him  of  antinomianism  who  love 
 hi?  doctrines  if  they  please,  and  he  may  boast  of 
 
 successfully  opposing  it  for  twenty  years;”  while 
 tv of d s  have  meaning,  in  the  strict  and  proper  sense  of 
 the  word,  Mr.  Scott  is  justly  charged  with  being  an 
 antinornian. 
 
 I  have  avoided  being  tedious  upon  this  point,  or 
 I  could  have  quoted  hundreds  of  passages  from  his 
 books  to  prove  the  charge  is  just :  but  while  his  preface 
 lies  open  before  me,  shall  quote  the  close  of  one  more 
 paragraph  from  it,  page  xi.  where  he  says,  u  Good 
 ■works  follow  after  justification,  and  are  the  only  scrip¬ 
 tural  evidence  of  a  living  and  justifying  faith,  and  are, 
 for  various  purposes  indispensably  necessary  and  highly 
 useful;  but  in  no  degree  conducive  to  our  justi¬ 
 fication,  or  to  our  continuance  in  a  justified  state.” 
 It  will  be  objected,  u  But  Mr.  Scott  speaks  well  of 
 good  works,  and  says  they  are  highly  useful.”  Yes; 
 and  who  ever  said  the  contrary?  Who  ever,  among 
 antinomians,  endeavoured  to  prove  good  works  were 
 not  good  works,  and  highly  useful?  But  to  thinking 
 men  I  appeal,  if  good  works  can  in  no  degree  conduce 
 to  our  final  justification  ;  then  the  want  of  them  can  in 
 no  degree  conduce  to  our  condemnation:  and  then, 
 I  ask,  what  will  it  signify  to  us  on  a  death-bed,  a  few 
 years  hence  at  most,  and  through  a  round  eternity, 
 whether  wTe  had  good  works  or  bad  ones  in  time  ? 
 Reader,  think  seriously  on  these  things ! 
 
 Mr.  Scott  quotes  his  lordship,  page  104,  as  saying, 
 te  It  is  a  gift  not  bestowed  arbitrarily,  capriciously,  or 
 irrespectively.”  He  might  as  well  have  told  us  what 
 it  was  his  lordship  had  said  was  u  a  gift,”  and  not 
 have  quoted  him  as  speaking  nonsense.  But  let  the 
 gift  be  whatever  it  may,  Mr.  Scott  answers,  u  It  does 
 not  become  us  to  assign  limits  to  the  Almighty,  in  his 
 
 3 
 
119 
 
 manner  of  bestowing  his  benefits.  He  confers  of 
 withholds  them,  in  perfect  wisdom,  justice,  goodness, 
 and  truth,  whether  we  can  discern  it  or  no,”  &c.  But 
 we  can  very  easily  discern,  that  all  God’s  works  d# 
 praise  him  ;  that  all  he  does,  whether  in  giving  or  with¬ 
 holding,  is  in  perfect  wisdom,  justice,  goodness,  and 
 truth.  It  was  in  justice  and  wisdom  too  that  he  gave 
 us  being ;  that  he  gave  us  human  natures,  not  angelic 
 forms.  It  was  goodness  caused  him  to  give  us  human 
 forms,  and  not  the  nature  of  brutes.  And  when  our 
 nature  fell,  it  was  mercy,  as  w7ell  as  justice,  truth, 
 wisdom,  and  goodness,  that  caused  him  to  give  us 
 eternal  life  again,  and  that  eternal  life  should  be  in  his 
 Son.  O,  it  was  pity,  divine,  undeserved,  caused  him 
 to  deliver  up  his  Son  for  us  all,  and  u  with  him  also 
 freely  to  give  us  all  things.”  6t  All  things  richly  to 
 enjoy.”  But  if  by  the  benefits  which  Mr.  Scott  says  he 
 withholds,  he  means  the  benefits  of  a  Saviour’s  mediation 
 and  death;  we  prove  he  withholds  them  from  no  man, 
 but  would  that  all  men  should  come  to  the  knowiedge 
 of  the  truth,  and  be  saved.  Nor  would  u  the  wicked 
 be  silent  in  darkness,”  as  Mr.  Scott  says,  nor  own 
 God’s  goodness,  or  justice,  or  wisdom,  either  if  he  saw 
 that  before  he  was  born  God  had  designed,  and  ac¬ 
 cording  to  that  design  did,  through  life  withhold  the 
 means  and  possibility  of  salvation  from  him.  We  know 
 that  every  mouth  should  be  stopped,  and  the  whole 
 world  become  guilty  before  God ;  but  then  we  know 
 it  is  in  consequence  of  all  having  sinned,  and  he  having 
 of  his  goodness  blessed  us  with  means  of  salvation 
 which  we  did  not  deserve.  Mr.  Scott  quotes  that  text 
 in  the  book  of  Job,  chap,  xxxiii.  13,  u  He  giveth  not 
 account  of  any  of  his  matters.”  But  if  1  had  been  to 
 have  advised  him,  I  would  not  have  advised  him  to 
 have  quoted  that  text  for  such  a  purpose,  because  he 
 knows  it  was  not  written  for  that  purpose.  Whatever 
 he  had  not  done  in  Job’s  days,  he  hath  in  these  last 
 days  spoken  unto  us  by  Ids  Son,  whom  he  hath  ap- 
 
120 
 
 pointed  heir  of  all  things,  by  whom  he  made  the  worlds. 
 That  here,  things  hidden  from  prophets,  kings,  and 
 righteous  men,  are  fully  revealed.  That  which  he  hath 
 known  and  seen  with  the  Father,  he  hath  declared 
 to  us.  And  the  important  reason,  why  some  are  saved 
 and  others  lost,  is  not,  as  insinuated,  because  God 
 made  the  difference  ;  but,  t6  For  one  was  righteous, 
 and  the  other  wicked — as  plain  a  reason  is  given  as 
 God  himself  could  give.  u  For  then  shall  ye  return, 
 and  discern  between  the  righteous  and  the  wicked, 
 (not  between  him  that  possessed  impelling,  special 
 grace ,  and  him  from  whom  special  grace  was  withheld; 
 no,  all  refuges  of  lies  will  be  done  away,  but)  between 
 him  that  serveth  the  Lord,  and  him  that  serveth  him 
 not,”  Mai.  iii.  18.  People  attributing  diabolic  dis¬ 
 positions  and  acts  to  God,  call  them  acts  of  his  sove¬ 
 reignty;  and  then  call  us  wicked,  and  threaten  us  with 
 silent  darkness  if  we  expose  them.  But  as  Mr.  Scott  is 
 a  great  man  at  supposing  doctrines  that  never  were  in 
 the  Bible,  let  him,  among  his  suppositions,  suppose  his 
 majesty  was  to  command  him  to  become  twenty-five 
 years  of  age  again ;  then  condemn  him  to  a  joyless  dark 
 dungeon  for  life  for  disobedience.  Would  he  in  this 
 darkness  be  silent?  or  would  he  acknowledge  the 
 command  was  given  in  wisdom  and  goodness,  because 
 others  were  twenty-five,  and  say  so  ought  I  to  have 
 been;  and  therefore  it  is  in  strict  justice  he  has  seen 
 the  puuishment  due  to  disobedience  was  inflicted  upon 
 me :  he  is  a  sovereign,  and  has  a  right  to  do  as  he 
 pleased.  Or  would  the  king’s  favourites,  those  he  has 
 been  pleased  to  make  his  friends,  seeing  Mr.  Scott 
 turned  in  utter  darkness,  be  a  filled  with  admiration, 
 gratitude,  and  love  ?  ”  especially  if  Mr.  Scott  happened 
 to  be  a  brother,  the  child  of  the  same  mother,  a  father 
 or  child  of  these  friends.  At  seeing  such  punishment 
 inflicted  for  such  kind  of  disobedience,  must  they  not 
 first  become  a  set  of  unnatural  monsters  if  they  rejoiced 
 at  it?  Yet  Mr.  Scott  conveys  ideas  to  the  public,  of 
 
God  sending  men  into  the  world  without  inclination 
 to,  or  power  of  obeying  the  Gospel,  unless  God  by 
 special  grace  imparts  that  power:  that  though  he  com¬ 
 mands  all  men  every  where  to  repent,  he  makes  a 
 difference  among  them,  by  imparting  special  grace  to 
 one,  and  withholding  it  from  another;  then  requiring 
 the  same  obedience  from  those  from  whom  he  withholds 
 that  power  to  obey,  as  he  does  from  those  to  whom 
 alone  he  imparts  it,  and  then  to  eternal  torments 
 consigns  them  for  disobedience.  And  then  Mr.  Scott 
 assures  us,  that  while  these  wicked  are  silent  in  dark, 
 ness,  u  all  his  friends  will  be  filled  with  admiration, 
 gratitude,  and  love ! !  !  ”  Were  I  to  see  Mr.  Scott 
 again,  I  should  be  apt  to  ask,  Why  should  these 
 favourites  be  so  filled  with  admiration  ?  Is  it  at  the 
 justice,  the  wisdom,  or  the  goodness  of  this  sovereign, 
 that  they  are  so  filled  with  admiration  ?  But,  O  Bible 
 Christian  !  do  i(  the  Scriptures  contain  all  things  ne¬ 
 cessary  for  salvation  ?  Or  is  it  required  that  doctrines 
 not  contained  therein,  or  can  be  proved  therefrom, 
 should  be  ”  believed  ?  It  is  a  very  easy  thing  for  Mr. 
 Scott  to  make  positive  assertions  concerning  doctrines 
 that  are  contrary  to  the  Scriptures,  and  then  quote 
 a  detached  text  from  those  Scriptures,  in  order  to  make 
 them  go  down  as  Scriptural  doctrines.  And  something 
 of  this  kind  appears  in  this  place ;  for  lest  his  doctrines 
 should  be  objected  to,  he  very  conveniently  quotes 
 St.  Paul,  saying,  u  Nay,  but,  O  man,  who  art  thou 
 that  repliest  against  God  ? ”  Rom.  ix.  20.  As  it  is 
 possible  some  may  wrest  hard  sayings  in  Paul’s  epistles 
 to  their  own  destruction,  it  may  not  be  improper  to 
 examine  this  chapter,  and  particularly  this  text.  From 
 the  first  verse  to  the  twenty-second,  Paul  has  been 
 speaking  of  the  Jews  being  the  children  of  the  covenants 
 and  promise :  of  God’s  choosing  that  the  promised 
 Messiah  should  come  through  Isaac,  not  Ishmaei ; 
 through  Jacob  and  his  posterity,  not  through  Esau  and 
 his  posterity;  though  Ishmaei  and  Esau  were  the  elder 
 brothers  of  Isaac  and  Jacob ;  that  as  Ms  covenant  was 
 
with  these,  he  had  done  perfectly  right  when  Egypt 
 sorely  afflicted  them  without  cause,  he  raised  up 
 Pharaoh  as  a  fit  instrument,  in  whom  he  should  shew 
 his  power,  and  make  his  glorious  name  known,  in 
 destroying  him  and  his  hosts,  and  delivering  his  own 
 people  thus,  with  an  high  hand,  and  an  out. stretched 
 arm:  that  in  this  he  had  mercy  on  the  Jews,  and 
 hardened  the  Gentiles;  but  not  to  their  destruction, 
 until  they  had  filled  the  measure  of  their  iniquities; 
 for  he  endured  with  much  long-suffering  these  vessels 
 of  wrath  fitted  to  destruction.  C6  Therefore  hath  he 
 mercy  on  whom  he  will,  and  whom  he  will  he  hardeneth. 
 These  have  now  for  a  time  not  believed,  that  through 
 your  mercy  they  also  might  obtain  mercy.  These  have 
 not  believed,  that  through  their  fall  salvation  might 
 come  on  the  Gentiles;  through  their  unbelief  you 
 might  obtain  mercy.  6  Thou  wilt  say  then  unto  me, 
 Why  doth  he  yet  find  fault?  For  who  hath  resisted  his 
 will  ?  Nay,  but,  O  man,  who  art  thou  that  repliest 
 against  God  ?  ’  ”  To  say,  None  have  resisted  his  will, 
 is  to  reply  against  God:  u  This  people  have  always 
 resisted  the  Holy  Ghost ;  as  their  fathers  did,  so  did 
 they.”  And  if  thou  canst  not  comprehend  God’s 
 reasons  for  now  breaking  off  these  natural  branches, 
 and  canst  not  with  him  see  the  end  from  the  beginning; 
 yet  this  thou  canst  easily  comprehend,  that  u  he  hath 
 concluded  them  all  in  unbelief,  that  he  might  have 
 mercy  upon  all,”  see  chap.  ii.  11 — 32. 
 
 Now  for  Mr.  Scott  to  bring  in  this  half-verse,  detached 
 from  its  natural  connexion,  in  which  the  objector’s 
 expressions  are  quoted,  saying,  u  Why  doth  he  yet 
 find  fault?  for  who  hath  resisted  his  will?”  for  the 
 purpose  of  proving  God  withholds  the  power  and 
 means  of  salvation  from  one,  while  he  bestows  this 
 special  grace  upon  another,  and  then  saying,  u  Nay, 
 but,  O  man,  who  art  thou  that  repliest  against  God  ?  ” 
 is  to  make  use  of  a  portion  of  sacred  Scripture,  for  the 
 direct  contrary  purpose  for  which  it  was  written.  And 
 Mr,  Scott  must  answer  for  this  another  day.  Nor  can 
 
a  good  man,  endowed  with  a  good  share  of  common 
 sense,  with  an  unbiassed  mind,  sit  down  for  an  hour, 
 to  read  first  the  eleventh  chapter,  then  the  ninth,  in 
 this  epistle  to  the  Romans ;  then  compare  the  hard  to 
 be  understood  verses  in  the  ninth  chapter,  with  their 
 explanatory  verses  in  the  eleventh  chapter ;  but  he  must 
 be  amazed  that  such  doctrines,  as  are  propagated  by 
 Calvinists,  should  ever  have  been  fathered  upon  that 
 blessed  ninth  chapter  of  the  epistle  to  the  Romans. 
 And  I  verily  believe  the  eleventh  chapter  was  inspired 
 and  dictated  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  on  purpose  to  explain 
 any  hard  sayings  that  might  appear  in  the  ninth.  And 
 yet,  how  seldom  is  the  eleventh  chapter  quoted  or 
 referred  unto  ?  And  although  it  is  the  closing  of  the 
 sacred  subject  the  apostle  had  through  preceding  chapters 
 been  insisting  upon ;  and  of  the  greatest  importance  to 
 be  known,  in  order  to  understand  the  whole;  alas! 
 how  few  people  take  any  pains  to  be  well  acquainted 
 with  its  contents;  or  to  make  use  of  it  for  the  intention 
 and  use  for  which  God  gave  it. 
 
 I  see  nothing  in  the  106th  page,  that  materially  enters 
 into  the  subject  of  the  controversy ;  but  the  lofty  lan¬ 
 guage  is  admirable.  Here  Mr.  Scott  judges  the  bishop’s 
 thoughts,  accounts  for  his  mistakes,  looks  down  upon 
 him  as  a  conquered  foe,  or  refuted  opponent;  then, 
 assumes  the  meek  and  good  Christian,  in  not  taking 
 the  advantage  of  an  enemy  at  his  feet,  which  another 
 would ;  and  then  begins  saying  prayers  u  for  all 
 bishops,  priests,  and  deacons;”  and  then  warns  others 
 that  they  do  not  fall  into  the  same  errors  as  this  one 
 has  done.  This  is  capital.  He  begins  with  supposing 
 the  bishop  was  reading  a  modern  Calvinist  author ;  but 
 did  not  know'  whether  w  hat  he  read  was  modern,  or 
 whether  it  was  from  an  old  reformer.  It  is  a  remark¬ 
 able  pretty  compliment ;  but  as  it  is  only  one  of  Mr. 
 Scott’s  suppositions,  or  curiosities,  I  shall  take  no 
 more  notice  of  it,  or  of  the  improvement  he  makes  of 
 his  lordship’s  ignorance. 
 
 What  Mr.  Scott  says,  pages  1  19  and  120,  has  been 
 
124 
 
 answered,  and  completely  refuted.  And  it  is  proved 
 Jie,  according  to  his  own  Commentary,  makes  use  of 
 certain  Scriptures,  and  applies  them  to  a  purpose  and 
 people  God  never  intended.  That  though  Mr.  Scott* 
 to  support  a  favourite  doctrine,  applies  that  text, 
 u  I  will  put  my  laws  into  their  mind,  and  write  them 
 in  their  hearts,”  to  every  sincere  believing  Gentile, 
 supposing  all  sych  prove  by  their  obedience  to  the 
 Gospel,  that  they  were  the  children  of  the  covenants, 
 and  heirs  of  the  promises ;  yet  in  other  of  his  writings 
 he  urges,  that  these  promises  were  not  made  unto,  nor 
 spoken  of  Gentiles,  but  unto  Jews,  and  of  their 
 returning  to  their  own  land  at  the  time  God  appointed. 
 Some  people  would  ill-naturedly  call  this,  u  Making 
 the  Scriptures  into  a  nose  of  wax.” 
 
 Mr.  Scott,  page  123,  in  answer  to  his  lordship,  says, 
 The  words,  joint,  contemporaneous,  not  being  Scrip¬ 
 tural,  there  can  be  nothing  wrong  in  our  attempting  to 
 express  our  meaning  by  other  words,  which  do  not,  as 
 we  think,  so  much  appear  to  divide  the  glory  between; 
 the  God  of  all  grace,  and  his  sinful  creatures  ?•” 
 
 Soon  as  the  French  declared  war  against  England, 
 they  found  it  necessary  to  load  us,  in  the  eyes  of  the 
 world,  with  the  character  of  every  thing  that  was  bad  ; 
 and  we,  on  our  part,  too  apt  to  learn  bad  lessons,  and 
 forgetting  they  were  fellow-creatures  that  would  soon 
 meet  us  at  the  bar  of  God,  have  paid  them  in  their  own 
 coin,  with  every  epithet  that  was  vile.  So  the  sup¬ 
 porters  of  Calvinism,  in  order  to  making  their  opposers, 
 appear  monstrous,  have  represented  us  as  robbers  of 
 God,- — as  those  who  wished  to  divide  the  glory,  which 
 only  belongs  to  him,  between  him  and  his  sinful 
 creatures;  and  Mr.  Scott  has  learned  this  bad  les&on 
 to  perfection.  From  the  beginning  to  the  end,  he  thus 
 represents  us ;  and  his  tender  heart  seems  pained  within 
 him,  at  seeing  us  dividing  the  glory  with  our  Maker. 
 Either  his  fears  are  mere  pretence,  groundless;  for 
 he  must  mean  that  it  is  either  the  righteous  or  the 
 kicked  ih^t  are  here  guilty ;  or  they  are  well  founded* 
 
 % 
 
125 
 
 If  he  means,  wicked  men  teach  wicked  men  to  divide 
 the  eternal  glory  of  God  between  him  and  themselves; 
 then  his  fears  must  be  a  phantom,  nothing.  For  what 
 glory  do  they  bring  to  God  in  time  ?  or  what  glory 
 does  he  think  they  will  have  to  divide  between  God 
 and  themselves  to  eternity  ?  Mr.  Scott,  therefore,  must 
 be  quite  certain,  if  he  will  but  think,  there  is  no  danger 
 from  this  quarter.  And  if  he  means,  the  righteous, 
 happy,  awakened,  blood- washed  sinners  are  taught  to 
 divide  the  glory  between  the  God  of  all  grace  and 
 themselves,  then  he  knows  this  is  a  phantom  too ;  for 
 that  they  would  rather  cease  to  be,  than  to  arrogate 
 any  glory  to  themselves,  or  derogate  from  the  glory  of 
 him  who  loved  them,  and  washed  them  from  their  sins 
 in  his  own  blood.  And  a  leading  Arminian  of  the  last 
 century,  has  excellently  expressed  himself  on  this  head 
 in  the  following  lines : 
 
 66  I  loathe  myself  when  God  I  see, 
 
 And  into  nothing  fall; 
 
 Content  if  thou  exalted  he, 
 
 And  Christ  is  all  in  all.” 
 
 These  words  have,  thousands  of  times,  been  sang 
 with  the  spirit,  and  with  the  understanding  also,  by 
 thousands  of  the  warmest  and  most  successful  op- 
 posers  of  Calvinism  in  this  land.  But  look  at  facts : 
 The  late  Mr.  Wesley,  and  the  late  Mr.  Fletcher,  were 
 the  warmest  and  most  successful  opposers  of  Calvinism 
 that  we  have  had,  since  it  was  introduced  by  Calvin  at 
 the  Reformation.  Mr.  Huntington  and  Mr.  Toplady 
 were  the  most  bitter  supporters  of  it  that  we  have  had 
 during  that  time.  I  ask  the  public,  and  such  who 
 knew  them,  which  of  these  most  glorified  God  in  their 
 bodies  and  spirits,  which  were  his?  The  two  former 
 were  born  gentlemen,  both  having  family  property. 
 They  were  known  to  be  meek  and  lowly  too  in  all 
 manner  of  conversation  and  godliness,  and  easy  to  be 
 intreated.  Did  they  make  a  gain  of  godliness?  Had 
 they  their  many-gained  thousands  to  be  divided  among 
 
their  favourites  and  friends?  Speak,  you  who  knew 
 them  and  have  read  their  wills.  The  other  two  gentle* 
 men  were  both  poor  when  they  turned  Calvinists,  or, 
 if  it  is  best  approved  of,  when  they  were  converted : 
 though  Mr.  Toplady  was  not  so  low  as  Mr.  Huntington. 
 Now  they  soon  got  favourites  and  supporters,  and 
 riches  increased  upon  them.  Do  their  wills,  do  matters 
 of  fact  prove,  that  in  order  to  give  God  all  the  glory, 
 they  took  up  their  cross,  they  denied  themselves,  they 
 crucified  the  flesh,  they  forsook  all,  and  followed  him, 
 who  <c  though  he  was  rich,  yet  for  our  sakes  became 
 poor,”  and  had  not  wherein  to  lay  his  head.  Mr. 
 Fletcher  was  an  excellent  writer,  always  master  of 
 whatever  he  undertook ;  yet  we  never  heard  of  him 
 selling  the  copyright  of  any  book  he  thought  might  be 
 Useful,  for  even  two-pence.  And  it  is  well  known, 
 that  for  his  services  in  writing  one  of  his  publications, 
 the  late  lord  North,  then  in  the  administration,  sent  to 
 offer  him  any  recompence,  or  place,  or  situation,  that 
 might  fall  out  suitable  to  him:  but  he  utterly  refused 
 any  reward ;  said  God  had  blessed  his  poor  labours, 
 made  them  useful  among  the  poor  in  the  obscure  place 
 where  he  was,  and  he  wished  to  live  and  die  among 
 them.  Does  M.  Scott  think  such  men  would  not  stand 
 as  good  a  chance  of  a  reward  at  the  resurrection  of  the 
 just,  as  those  men  would  who  were  so  careful  for  God 
 to  take  all  the  glory  to  himself,  so  that  they  might 
 divide  the  riches,  i  speak  what  1  know.  So  tender 
 were  Mr.  Wesley  and  Mr.  Fletcher  of  the  honour  and 
 glory  of  God,  that  sooner  than  go  to  law  with  a  brother 
 or  a  friend,  and  that  before  unbelievers,  they  would 
 suffer  themselves  to  be  defrauded.  Mrs.  Fletcher  has 
 declared  to  the  world,  how  that  when  something  had 
 happened  that  was  likely  to  injure  the  church,  or  wound 
 Christ  in  the  house  of  his  friends  ;  though  Mr.  Fletcher 
 was  not  personally  concerned  in  the  matter,  he  had  no 
 rest  in  his  spirit,  and  day  and  night  his  sleep  would 
 depart  from  him. 
 
 X  think  it  strange,  soon  as  X  had  made  the  above 
 
remarks,  being  called  to  breakfast  with  my  family, 
 before  the  table  was  discharged,  my  son,  reading  in 
 a  pocket  volume  which  I  did  not  before  knowr  we  were 
 in  possession  of,  or  that  such  sentences  were  published; 
 being  struck  with  what  he  was  reading,  began,  unasked, 
 to  read  out  as  follows,  from  the  Posthumous  Pieces  of 
 the  late  Rev.  John  William  de  la  Flechere,  page  362 
 —364. 
 
 U  HEADS  OF  SELF-EXAMINATION.' 
 
 iC  J,.  Do  I  feel  any  pride  ?  or  am  I  a  partaker  of  the 
 meek  and  lowly  mind  that  was  in  Jesus  ?  Am  I  dead 
 to  all  desire  of  praise  ?  If  any  despise  me,  do  I  like 
 them  the  worse  for  it?  or  if  they  love  and  approve  me, 
 do  I  love  them  more  on  that  account?  Am  I  willing 
 to  be  accounted  useless  and  of  no  consequence,  glad  to 
 be  made  of  no  reputation  ?  Do  humiliations  give  me 
 real  pleasure  ?  and  is  it  the  language  of  my  heart, 
 
 6  Make  me  little  and  unknown, 
 
 Lov’d  and  priz’d  by  God  alone.’ 
 
 2.  Does  God  bear  witness  in  my  heart  that  it  is  puri¬ 
 fied,  that  in  all  things  I  please  him  ?  3.  Is  the  life 
 
 I  live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God ,  so  that  Christ 
 dwelleth  in  me  ?  Is  Christ  the  life  of  all  my  affections 
 and  designs,  as  the  soul  is  the  life  of  the  body  ?  Is  my 
 eye  single,  and  my  soul  full  of  light ;  all  eye  within 
 and  without,  always  watchful  ?  4.  Have  I  always  the 
 
 presence  of  God  ?  Does  no  cloud  come  between  God 
 and  the  eye  of  my  faith?  Can  I 2 * * 5  6  rejoice  evermore, 
 pray  without  ceasing,  and  in  every  thing  give  thanks  ?  ’ 
 
 5.  Am  I  saved  from  the  fear  of  man  ?  Do  I  speak 
 plainly  to  all,  neither  fearing  their  frowns,  nor  seeking 
 their  favours  ?  Have  I  no  shame  of  religion ;  and  am 
 I  always  ready  to  confess  Christ,  to  suffer  with  his 
 people,  and  to  die  for  his  sake  ?  6.  Do  I  deny  myself 
 
 at  all  times,  and  take  up  my  cross  as  the  Spirit  of  God 
 leads  me  ?  Do  I  embrace  the  cross  of  every  sort,  being 
 willing  to  give  up  my  ease  and  convenience  to  oblige 
 
others;  or  do  I  expect  them  to  conform  to  my  hours, 
 ways,  and  customs?  Does  the  cross  sit  light  upon  me, 
 and  am  I  willing  to  suffer  all  the  will  of  God?  Can 
 I  trample  on  pleasure  and  pain  ?  Have  I 
 
 4  A  soul  inur'd  to  pain, 
 
 To  hardship,  grief,  and  loss; 
 
 Bold  to  take  up,  firm  to  sustain, 
 
 The  consecrated  cross  ?  ’ 
 
 7,  Are  my  bodily  senses  and  outward  things  sanctified 
 to  me?  Do  I  not  seek  my  own  things,  to  please 
 myself?  Do  I  seek  grace  more  for  God  than  myself; 
 preferring  the  glory  of  God  to  all  in  earth  or  heaven, 
 the  giver  to  the  gift?  8.  Am  I  poor  in  spirit  ?  Do 
 I  take  pleasure  in  infirmities,  necessities,  distresses, 
 reproaches ;  so  that  out  of  weakness,  want,  and  danger, 
 I  may  rest  myself  in  the  Lord  ?  Have  I  no  false  shame 
 3n  approaching  God  ?  Do  I  seek  to  be  saved  as  a  poor 
 sinner  by  grace  alone  ?  Do  I  not  lean  to  my  own 
 understanding;  am  I  ready  to  give  up  the  point  when 
 contradicted,  unless  conscience  forbid ;  and  am  I  easy 
 to  be  persuaded  ?  Do  I  esteem  every  one  better  than 
 myself ;  am  I  as  willing  to  be  a  cypher  as  to  be  useful ; 
 and  does  my  zeal  burn  bright,  notwithstanding  this 
 willingness  to  be  nothing  ?  10.  Have  I  no  false 
 
 wisdom,  goodness,  strength,  as  if  the  grace  I  feel  were 
 my  own?  Do  I  never  take  the  glory  to  myself,  which 
 belongs  to  Christ?  Do  I  feel  my  want  of  Christ,  as 
 much  as  ever,  to  be  my  all ;  and  do  I  draw  near  to 
 God  as  poor  and  needy,  only  presenting  before  him  his 
 well-beloved  Son  ?  Can  I  say, 
 
 4  Every  moment,  Lord,  I  need 
 The  merit  of  thy  death.’ 
 
 4  Still  I’ll  hang  upon  my  God, 
 
 Till  I  thy  perfect  glory  see, 
 
 Till  the  sprinkling  of  thy  blood, 
 
 Shall  speak  me  up  to  thee  ?  * 
 
 Do  I  find  joy  in  being  thus  nothing,  empty,  undeserving, 
 
129 
 
 giving  all  the  glory  to  Christ  ?  or  do  I  wish  that  grace 
 made  me  something,  instead  of  God  all !”  These  are 
 ten  articles  of  self  examination,  out  of  twenty-one,, 
 which  this  successful  opposer  of  Calvinism  seemed  to 
 have  imposed  upon  himself.  I  did  not  intend  to  tran¬ 
 scribe  so  many  of  them ;  but  never  having  read  them 
 before,  I  felt  better  as  I  transcribed  them.  And  I 
 believe,  if  Mr.  Scott  would  transcribe  these  articles  of 
 self-examination  as  in  the  presence  of  God;  then, 
 willing  to  know  and  embrace  the  truth  wherever  he 
 found  it,  read  over  the  rest  of  Mr.  Fletcher’s  works, 
 the  next  book  he  published  would  not  be  so  swelled 
 with^fhis  accusation,  of  the  opposers  of  Calvinism  at¬ 
 tempting  to  u  divide  the  glory  between  the  God  of  all 
 grace  and  his  sinful  creatures.”  To  conclude  this 
 part  of  the  subject:  no  soul  turned  off  at  the  left  hand 
 of  Christ,  will  have  any  glory  to  divide  between  God 
 and  himself ;  and  no  soul,  standing  boldly  at  the  right 
 hand  of  Christ,  will  have  the  least  temptation  to  any 
 such  thing :  consequently  the  continually  harping  upon 
 it,  almost  in  every  page,  serves  only  to  make  opponents 
 appear  what  they  really  are  not;  and  to  swell  a  book, 
 without  in  the  least  informing  the  judgment. 
 
 His  lordship  translates  a  note  from  Melancthon,  as 
 follows :  4C  Two  errors  of  fanatical  men  are  to  be 
 briefly  refuted,  who  have  feigned,  that  the  regenerate 
 cannot  fall ;  and  though  they  do  fall  against  conscience, 
 they  yet  are  righteous  persons.  This  madness  is  to  be 
 condemned,  and  the  examples  and  sayings  of  Scripture 
 are  to  be  opposed :  that  Saul  and  David  pleased  God 
 and  were  righteous ;  yet  they  afterwards  fell,  so  that 
 the  one  perished,  the  other  was  again  converted  to 
 God.”  This  is  so  much  to  the  point,  that  if  I  thought 
 
 Sit  would  be  no  affront,  I  would  humbly  and  heartily 
 tender  my  thanks  to  his  lordship  first  for  translating 
 it;  and  to  Mr.  Scott  secondly,  for  transcribing  it,  and 
 for  making  the  following  acknowledgment :  66  That 
 Melancthon  did  not,  when  he  wrote  this,  believe  the 
 doctrine  in  question,  is  indisputable;  whatever  he  might 
 
130 
 
 afterwards  do,”  &c.  This  is  more  than  I  ever  saw  or 
 heard  from  a  professed  Calvinist  before.  Wherever 
 I  have  met  with  them,  they  have  uniformly  boasted, 
 44  All  the  reformers  were  Calvinists  to  a  man.”  And 
 considering  they  had  till  lately  been  popish  fatalists,  or 
 followers  of  St.  Augustine,  it  is  well  they  were  not  so; 
 and  it  is  rather  to  be  wondered  at  that  any  of  them 
 were  not.  But  here  is  a  plain  confession,  by  the 
 44  senior  wTriter  of  that  party,”  that  44  though  it  is 
 generally  allowed,  Melancthon  possessed  more  real 
 religion,  more  of  that  mind  which  also  was  in  Christ, 
 than  all  the  rest  put  together  did ;  ”  yet  when  Me¬ 
 lancthon  wrrote  the  above,  he  did  not  believe  the 
 doctrine  in  dispute.  But  to  the  latter  part  of  the  note 
 Mr.  Scott  objects,  and  says,  44  But  how  does  it  appear 
 that  Saul  pleased  God  and  was  righteous,  or  one  of  the 
 regenerate.  The  Scriptures  do  not  say  this.  4  God 
 gave  him  another  heart,’  &c.”  This  is  an  hard  ques¬ 
 tion,  and  an  hard  saying  :  not  a  question  hard  to  be 
 understood,  for  a  child  in  religion,  or  Bible  knowledge, 
 could  easily  answer  it;  but  it  is  a  question  and  saying 
 that  does  not  divide  glory  with  God,  but  reflects  the 
 deepest  stain  upon  what  I  beg  leave  to  call  his  moral 
 character.  It  intimates,  indeed,  that  God  did  give 
 Saul  another  heart ;  but  that  this  heart  was  full  as  bad 
 as  his  own.  That  out  of  this  heart  proceeded  not  only 
 evil  thoughts,  rebellion,  witchcraft ;  but  from  its  dic¬ 
 tates  44  he  acted  in  the  most  wicked  and  infatuated 
 manner  imaginable  to  the  end  of  his  days.”  First, 
 then,  as  to  the  question,  44  Howr  does  it  appear  that 
 Saul  pleased  God  and  was  righteous?”  Why,  in  that 
 he  was  little  in  his  own  eyes,  and  accepted  of  God. 
 Does  God  accept  the  persons  of  the  wicked!!! 
 4,4  Blessed  are  the  meek  and  lowly.”  Saul  was  meek 
 and  lowly.  44  Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit.”  Saul 
 was  poor  in  spirit.  Besides,  he  believed  in  God,  and 
 in  the  word  of  his  servant.  44  He  that  believeth  shall 
 be  saved.”  Saul  wras  then  in  the  way  of  salvation. 
 Hear  him  speaking  to  his  servant:  44  Behold,  now? 
 
131 
 
 there  is  in-  this  city  a  man  of  God,  and  he  is  an  honour* 
 able  man ;  all  that  he  saith  cometh  surely  to  pass,” 
 
 1  Sam.  ix.  6.  And  Samuel  said,  u  And  let  it  be,  that 
 -when  these  signs  are  come  upon  thee,  thou  do  as  occa¬ 
 sion  shall  serve  thee,  for  God  is  with  thee.  And 
 thou  shalt  go  before  me  to  Gilgal ;  and,  behold,  I  will 
 come  down  unto  thee  to  offer  burnt-offerings :  seven 
 days  shalt  thou  tarry  till  I  come  to  thee,  and  shew  thee 
 what  thou  shalt  do.  And  it  was  so,  that  when  he  had 
 turned  his  back  to  go  from  Samuel,  God  gave  him 
 another  heart :  and  all  those  signs  came  to  pass  that 
 day.”  So  that  promise  was  fulfilled  unto  him,  ver  6, 
 a  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  shall  come  upon  thee,  and 
 thou  shalt  prophesy  with  them,  and  shalt  be  turned 
 into  another  man,”  chap.  x.  6,  9.  u  Then  came  the 
 word  of  the  Lord  unto  Samuel,  saying,  It  repenteth 
 me  that  I  have  set-up  Saul  to  be  king ;  for  he  is  turned 
 back  from  following  me,  and  hath  not  performed  my 
 commandments.  And  it  grieved  Samuel :  and  he  cried 
 unto  the  Lord  all  night,”  chap.  xv.  10,  11.  u  And 
 Samuel  said,  When  thou  wast  little  in  thine  own  sight, 
 wast  not  thou  made  head  of  the  tribes  of  Israel,  and 
 the  Lord  anointed  thee  king  over  Israel.”— -u  Where¬ 
 fore  then  didst  thou  not  obey  the  voice  of  the  Lord ; 
 but  didst  fly  upon  the  spoil,  and  didst  evil  in  the  sight 
 of  the  Lord.” — u  And  Samuel  said,  Hath  the  Lord  as 
 great  delight  in  burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices,  as  in 
 obeying  the  voice  of  the  Lord  ?  Behold,  to  obey  is 
 better  than  sacrifice,  and  to  hearken  than  the  fat  of 
 rams.  For  rebellion  is  as  the  sin  of  witchcraft,  and 
 stubbornness  is  as  iniquity  and  idolatry :  because  thou 
 hast  rejected  the  word  of  the  Lord,  he  also  hath  rejected 
 thee  from  being  king,”  ver.  17 — 23.  Now  in  order 
 to  support  a  favourite  doctrine,  for  Mr.  Scott  to  suppose, 
 that  while  Saul  was  little  in  his  own  sight,  God  had 
 given  him  another  heart,  he  was  turned  into  another 
 man,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  was  upon  him,  he  was  all 
 this  while  an  unrighteous  man,  is  shocking  in  the 
 extreme.  But  let  it  be  remembered,  u  God  was  with 
 
 G 
 
132 
 
 him  nor  could  he  have  turned  aside  from  following 
 the  Lord,  if  he  never  had  followed  him.  But  let  us 
 consider  the  consequences  of  this  idea  of  Mr.  Scott. 
 According  to  this,  that  grace  of  God  which  bringeth 
 salvation  to  all  men,  did  not  appear  the  same  grace  to 
 Saul  and  Judas,  as  it  did  to  David  and  Peter.  To  the 
 two  former  it  appeared  only  common  grace,  not  such 
 that  bringeth  salvation,  but  such  that  never  leads  the 
 soul  to  repentance,  holiness,  and  heaven.  To  the  latter 
 it  appeared  special  grate ,  which  is  never  finally  lost; 
 but  whatever  sin  of  pleasure  or  profit  is  in  its  way, 
 infallibly  brings  the  soul  to  heaven  :  so  that  had  God 
 given  the  same  grace  to  Saul  and  Judas,  as  he  did  to 
 David  and  Peter,  the  two  former  would  have  been  as 
 infallibly  saved  as  were  the  two  latter ;  so  all  the  failure 
 was  on  God’s  part,  by  giving  Saul  and  Judas  the  wrong 
 kind  of  grace.  Query :  If  soul  was  never  saved  by 
 the  sort  of  grace  given  to  Saul  and  Judas  ;  had  it  not 
 been  better  for  the  receivers,  if  the  giver  had  been  so 
 kind  as  have  kept  this  grace  to  himself  ?  If  he  fore¬ 
 knew  such  kind  of  grace  must  be  received  in  vain,  and 
 infallibly  leave  the  soul  in  misery  world  without  end  ; 
 it  would  have  been  mercy  in  him  never  to  have  given 
 this  grace  to  any  one.  But,  O,  to  be  serious,  is  God 
 thus  to  be  mocked,  by  being  charged  with  mocking  his 
 miserable  creatures,  with  giving  the  wrong  kind  of 
 grace  to  them  ?  If  these  are  the  sentiments  that  run 
 through  Mr.  Scott’s  Commentary,  may  the  G-od  of  all 
 grace,  who  has  sent  his  Gospel  to  be  preached  to  every 
 creature  which  is  under  heaven,  prevent  that  Com¬ 
 mentary  being  read  as  it  has  been.  God,  I  tremble  at 
 his  word,  is  always  of  one  mind,  good  to  all.  His 
 grace,  in  whatever  portion  it  may  be  given,  is  always 
 saving,  if  improved  as  it  might  be.  The  same  in  kind, 
 though  perhaps  not  always  in  degree,  whether  given  to 
 Saul,  David,  Judas,  Peter,  Scott,  or  any  one  else.  He 
 is  the  Fountain  of  life  and  of  love;  and  from  him 
 cannot  proceed  sweet  water  and  bitter,  saving,  or 
 special  grace,  and  damning  grace.  He  could  not  be 
 
133 
 
 tempted  with  the  evil  of  giving  Saul,  or  Judas,  or  any 
 human  being,  that  grace  which  he  knew  would  ulti¬ 
 mately  prove  their  ruin.  All  his  gifts,  like  himself, 
 are  good  and  perfect.  And  I  am  sure  Calvinists  must 
 be  hard  run,  to  charge  God  foolishly  with  giving  such 
 bad  gifts  to  men.  But  after  all  the  hard  speeches  that 
 have  been  made  about  Saul,  and  the  insinuations  of 
 God  dealing  so  hard  with  him ;  how  would  Mr.  Scott 
 be  surprised,  if,  instead  of  lifting  up  his  eyes  in  hell, 
 he  should  see  Samuel,  and  Saul,  and  Jonathan,  together 
 with  David,  in  the  presence  of  him  who  died  for  the 
 ungodly  ?  Samuel  thought  that  Saul  and  Jonathan 
 would  be  with  him  ;  and  I  have  no  idea  of  Samuel  and 
 Jonathan  being  in  hell.  What  if  it  should  be  proved, 
 that  in  his  distress  he  called  upon  the  name  of  the 
 Lord,  and  said,  u  O  that  1  knew  where  I  might  find 
 him,  that  I  might  come  even  to  his  seat !  ”  What,  and 
 if  it  should  be  proved,  God  delivered  him  unto  Satan 
 for  the  destruction  of  the  flesh,  that  the  spirit  might  be 
 saved  in  the  day  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ!  What,  aud 
 if  he  should  have  experienced  such  an  hope  as  the 
 penitent  poet,  Mr.  Charles  Wesley  describes  in  that 
 beautiful  little  piece  of  his  on  Apostasy  ?  and  which 
 closes  thus : 
 
 u  I  never  shall  rise 
 To  my  first  Paradise, 
 
 Or  come  my  Redeemer  to  see; 
 
 But  I  feel  a  faint  hope, 
 
 That  at  last  he  will  stoop, 
 
 And  his  pity  shall  bring  him  to  me.” 
 
 Or,  as  he  expresses  himself  in  his  Short  Poems  on 
 Select  Texts  of  Scripture,  on  the  very  point  in  dispute, 
 upon  those  words,  u  To-morrow  shalt  thou  and  thy 
 sons  be  with  me,”  he  says. 
 
 What  do  these  solemn  words  portend? 
 
 A  gleam  of  hope  when  life  shall  end ! 
 
 Thou  and  thy  sons,  tho’  slain,  shall  be 
 To-morrow  in  repose  with  me ; 
 
 G  2 
 
134 
 
 Not  in  a  state  of  hellish  pain, 
 
 If  Saul  with  Samuel  doth  remain ; 
 
 Not  in  a  state  of  damn’d  despair, 
 
 If  loving  Jonathan  is  there.” 
 
 Saul  had,  as  to  soul  matters  and  eternal  concerns,  God 
 to  deal  with,  not  man ;  and  that  was  the  best  of  it. 
 
 His  lordship  maintains,  44  That  every  true  Christian 
 is  inspired,  enlightened,  sanctified,  and  comforted  by 
 the  Spirit  of  God;  but  he  rejects  all  claim  to  private 
 revelation,  all  pretensions  to  instantaneous  and  forcible 
 conversions,  and  the  sensible  operation  of  the  Spirit. 
 He  disclaims  what  in  the  language  of  modern  Calvinists 
 are  called  experiences ;  that  is,  suggestions,  or  per¬ 
 ceptions,  known  and  felt  to  be  communicated  by  the 
 Immediate  inspiration  of  God.”  Here  is  little  or  no 
 difference:  Mr.  Scott  does  not  attempt  to  refute  his 
 lordship.  And  let  it  be  observed,  we  are  all  perfectly 
 satisfied  there  has  been,  at  times ,  both  among  the  pious 
 Calvinists  and  the  Anti-calvinists,  men  that  have  not 
 known  the  law:  men  of  little  or  no  education,  who 
 have  said  to  their  rulers,  44  Never  man  spake  like  this 
 man.”  44  Will  ye  also  be  his  disciples?”  Being 
 44  turned  from  darkness  to  light,”  they  scarce  knew 
 how,  44  they  have  leaped  up,”  thrown  us  quite  into 
 a  perspiration  and  fear,  44  stood,  and  walked  with  us 
 into  the  house  of  God,  walking,  and  leaping,  and 
 praising  God.”  And  were  I  worthy  to  give  advice, 
 
 I  would  say  to  his  lordship,  44  and  his  orthodox 
 divine,”  Do  as  we  are  obliged  to  do,  44  let  them  atone, 
 lest  peradventure  we  be  found  even  to  fight  against 
 God.”  The  soul-saving  religion  of  Jesus  Christ,  is 
 a  soui-changing  religion,  a  spirit-quickening  religion, 
 a  religion  that  enables  thousands  in  our  day,  Calvinists 
 and  Anti-calvinists,  to  say  to  their  brethren,  44  Did 
 not  our  hearts  burn  w  ithin  us  while  he  talked  to  us  by 
 the  way,  and  while  he  opened  unto  us  the  Scriptures  ?” 
 And  if  44  the  orthodox  divine,”  who  believes  44  That 
 every  true  Christian  is  inspired ,  enlightenedy  sanctified, 
 and  comforted  by  the  Spirit  of  God,”  was  to  divest  ■* 
 
w.  . 
 
 135 
 
 himself  of  prejudice,  and  a  few  times  go  and  hear  some 
 of  those  ministers  that  have  only  studied  the  will  of 
 God,  as  revealed  in  the  Bible,  the  worth  of  immortal 
 souls,  and  how  he  may  save  them,  though  at  present  he 
 would  scarce  suffer  them  to  sit  with  the  dogs  of  his 
 flock;  we  are  far  from  being  positive  that  he  would 
 not  find  something  like  a  disposition  to  <fi  fall  upon  his 
 face,  and  own  God  is  with  you  of  a  truth.”  That  it 
 would  be  likely  such  a  spirit  would  come  upon  him, 
 that  beginning  to  prophesy  about  Christian  experience, 
 and  the  awful  state  those  are  in  who  are  strangers  to 
 Christian  experience,  that  they  would  say  in  proverbs, 
 44  Is  Saul  among  the  prophets  ?”  Private  revelations, 
 and  such  as  many  call  Christian  experience,  we  utterly 
 disclaim,  as  much  as  the  orthodox  divine  can  do ;  but 
 real  Christian  experience  we  hope  to  enjoy  unto  our 
 latest  breath.  Every  true  Christian  going  to  receive 
 bread  and  wine,  in  memory  of  the  love  of  his  departed 
 Lord,  at  the  hands  of  the  orthodox  divine,  says  of  his 
 sins,  and  upon  his  bended  knees  too,  44  We  do  ear¬ 
 nestly  repent,  and  are  heartily  sorry  for  these  our  mis¬ 
 doings;  the  remembrance  of  them  is  grievous  unto  us; 
 the  burden  of  them  is  intolerable.  Have  mercy  upon 
 us,  have  mercy  upon  us,  most  merciful  Father;  for  thy 
 Son  Jesus  Christ’s  sake  forgive  us  all  that  is  past,”  &c* 
 Now  when  the  pitifulness  of  God’s  tender  mercy  relieves 
 them,  and  the  44  Spirit  of  God  enlightens,  inspires^ 
 sanctifies,  and  comforts”  such  souls,  they  enjoy 
 44  Christian  experience:”  and  whether  Calvinists  or 
 Anti-calvinists,  it  is  much  to  be  feared,  the  person 
 ignorant  of  or  an  enemy  to  such  experience,  is  yet 
 a  stranger  to  that  religion  which  will  support  the  soul, 
 in  the  agonies  of  death,  and  make  him  stand  boldly 
 before  the  Son  of  man  at  his  coming.  And  whether 
 this  comfort  be  communicated  by  the  mediate  or  imme¬ 
 diate  inspiration  of  God,  the  orthodox  divine  acknow¬ 
 ledges  it  is  done  by  the  Spirit  of  God  :  so  that  upon 
 this  serious  point,  I  trust,  there  is  little  or  no  difference 
 between  his  lordship,  the  orthodox  divine,  and  Mr* 
 
 G  3 
 
136 
 
 i 
 
 Scott.  And  it  would  be  well  if  divines,  who  hope  to 
 spend  a  happy  eternity  together  in  heaven,  would  take 
 more  pains  to  know  each  other  better  on  earth.  What 
 3s  to  be  feared,  and  to  be  lamented  as  a  heavy  mis¬ 
 fortune  too,  is,  many  of  these  souls  who  have  received 
 Jesus  Christ,  instead  of  so  walking  in  him,  are  taught 
 by  their  ministers,  or  by  books,  to  look  upon  them¬ 
 selves  as  the  peculiar  favourites  of  heaven,  the  parti¬ 
 cular  recipients  of  special  grace.  And  hence  many  of 
 them  in  time  become  self-conceited,  self-righteous, 
 self-admirers,  the  elect  of  God;  while  many  more  of 
 them,  when  the  impression  is  worn  off,  are  brought 
 into  trouble  and  temptation,  and  have  been  taught  to 
 believe  in  the  doctrine  of  predestination,  find  their 
 spots  are  not  the  spots  of  God’s  children,  and  go  into 
 despair.  Hence  lamentation,  mourning,  and  woe,  is 
 their  sad  portion  to  their  lives’  end ;  and  this,  if  f 
 mistake  not,  is  the  evil  his  lordship  wwites  against  and 
 exposes,  nor  can  he  expose  it  too  much. 
 
 He  says,  as  quoted  by  Mr.  Scott,  page  149,  The 
 delusion  of  spiritual  pride,  and  against  unscriptural 
 notions  of  the  manner  in  which  the  Holy  Ghost  operates 
 upon  the  minds  of  men  ;  it  is  to  prevent  the  rapturous 
 flights  of  a  heated  imagination,  and  to  call  the  attention 
 to  the  plain  and  practical  duties  of  rational  devotion  ; 
 at  is  to  invite  men  to  confide  in  the  promised  support 
 of  divine  grace,  without  fostering  an  unwarranted . 
 conceit  of  familiar  intercourse  with  God.”  As  this  is 
 worded,  no  one  can  disapprove  of  St;  but  little  as 
 I  think  of  Mr.  Scott  as  a  writer,  and  as  a  divine  in 
 general,  most  cordially  do  I  approve  of  the  wThole  of 
 his  remarks  upon  this  passage.  He  speaks  here  like 
 one  who  had  forgot  Calvinism,  and  the  systems  of  men, 
 and  only  wished  to  promote  the  knowledge  of,  and 
 union  with,  his  Lord  and  Master.  And  were  his  books 
 chiefly  made  up  of  paragraphs  or  chapters  like  this, 
 
 I  would  freely  burn  what  1  have  written,  and  attempt 
 to  expose  his  doctrines  no  more.  My  business  is,  to 
 defend  truth,  and  expose  error,  wherever  I  find  it, 
 
137 
 
 1  hope,  therefore,  his  lordship  did  riot  mean  to  descry 
 that  holy  intercourse  with  his  Maker,  which  is  the 
 privilege  of  every  Christian.  That  coming  boldly  to 
 the  throne  of  grace,  that  he  might  obtain  mercy,  and 
 find  grace  to  help  in  every  time  of  need.  If  I  thought 
 this  was  his  intention,  I  should  be  ready  to  ask,  What 
 did  the  apostle  mean  when  he  said,  44  Therefore,  being 
 justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace  with  God  through  our 
 Lord  Jesus  Christ.  By  whom  also  we  have  access  by 
 faith  into  this  grace  wherein  we  stand,  and  rejoice  in 
 hope  of  the  glory  of  God.  And  not  only  so,  but  we 
 glory  in  tribulation  also;  knowing  that  tribulation 
 worketh  patience,  and  patience  experience,  and  expe¬ 
 rience  hope :  and  hope  maketh  not  ashamed,  because 
 the  lore  of  God  is  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts  by  the 
 Holy  Ghost  which  is  given  unto  us,”  Rom.  v.  1 — 5. 
 Let  none  think,  however  warmly  44  the  orthodox 
 divine  ”  may  recommend  44  doing  duty  regularly,” 
 that  doing  duty  only,  will  either  please  God,  or  satisfy 
 the  awakened  soul,  without  the  faith  of  access  to  his 
 throne.  But  as  his  lordship  is  speaking  of  devotion, 
 or  what  is  man’s  duty  towards  God,  perhaps  he  only- 
 meant  to  say,  44  My  duty  towards  God,  is  to  believe 
 in  him,  to  fear  him,  and  to  love  him,  with  all  my  heart, 
 with  all  my  mind,  with  all  my  soul,  and  with  all  my 
 strength;  to  worship  him,  to  give  him  thanks,  to  put 
 my  zvhole  trust  in  him ,  to  call  upon  him ;  to  honour 
 his  holy  name  and  his  word,  and  to  serve  him  truly  all 
 the  days  of  my  life.”  And  if  this  is  44  the  plain  prac¬ 
 tical  duty  of  rational  devotion”  44  the  orthodox 
 divine  ”  would  call  his  hearers  to,  we  all  say,  May  God 
 speed  him  in  his  work.  But  if  he  means,  no  Christian 
 has  now  the  love  of  God  shed  abroad  in  his  heart  by 
 the  Holy  Ghost  given  unto  him:  that  no  soul  now  by 
 faith  and  prater,  mounts  up  as  upon  the  wings  of  an 
 eagle :  that  no  soul  on  earth  is  now  so  dead  that  he  has 
 his  life  hid  with  Christ  in  God;  we  must  beg  leave  to 
 differ  from  him,  and  to  insist  upon  it,  44  The  kingdom 
 of  God  is  peace,  and  righteousness,  and  joy  in  the  Holy 
 
 G  4 
 
138 
 
 Ghost.”  That  u  he  who  in  these  things  serveth  Christ, 
 is  acceptable  to  God,  and  approved  of  men.”  Dead 
 as  devotion  may  be,  alas!  at  present,  in  general,  both 
 among  Calvinists  and  Anti-calvinists,  there  are  yet, 
 blessed  be  God,  an  happy  few  among  them,  who  without 
 presumption  can  say  each  for  himself,  u  I  called  upon 
 the  Lord,  and  he  heard  me.” — u  This  poor  man  cried, 
 and  the  Lord  heard  him,  and  delivered  him  out  of  all 
 his  trouble.” — u  I  love  the  Lord,  because  he  has  heard 
 my  voice  and  my  supplication ;  because  he  hath  deli¬ 
 vered  my  soul  from  death,  mine  eyes  from  tears,  and 
 my  feet  from  falling.” 
 
 Man  cannot  with  too  much  awe,  and  reverence  pro¬ 
 found,  approach  the  throne  of  the  Almighty.  But 
 when  we  get  such  view's  of  the  dreadful  majesty  of 
 God,  as  to  deter  us  from  approaching  him  as  our 
 reconciling,  reconciled  Father,  we  dishonour  God,  aud 
 rob  our  own  souls.  They  of  old,  both  Jews  and 
 Gentiles,  were  used  to  approach  him  by  the  Spirit, 
 whereby  they  wrere  permitted  to  use  the  familiar  lan¬ 
 guage  of  children,  crying,  Abba,  Father,  Rom.  viii. 
 On  the  right  hand  of  the  majesty  on  high,  they  saw  as 
 it  were  a  Lamb  newly  slain  ;  a  man  once  tempted  in 
 all  points  us  we  are,  yet  without  sin  ;  in  the  form  of 
 God,  equal  with  God,  filled  with  the  glory  of  God 
 bodily.  This  emboldened  them  to  ask  in  familiar 
 language  what  they  would,  and  receive  it.  And  God 
 is  still  the  same,  man  the  same,  sin  the  same,  grace  the 
 same,  the  devil  the  same,  grief  the  same,  and  so  is  holy 
 joy.  And  about  souls  thus  first  coming  to  God,  an 
 able  minister  of  the  New'  Testament  in  the  church,  in, 
 the  last  century,  sweetly  sang  as  follows: 
 
 “  How  happy  are  they 
 Who  the  Saviour  obey, 
 
 And  have  laid  up  their  treasure  above  ; 
 
 Tongue  cannot  express 
 The  sweet  comfort  and  peace 
 Of  a  soul  in  its  earliest  love. 
 
139 
 
 That  comfort  was  mine 
 When  the  favour  divine 
 I  first  found  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb: 
 
 When  my  heart  first  believ’d, 
 
 What  a  joy  I  receiv’d, 
 
 What  a  heaven  in  Jesus’s  name  ! 
 
 I  rode  on  the  sky, 
 
 Freely  justified  [, 
 
 Nor  envied  Elijah  his  seat: 
 
 My  soul  mounted  higher, 
 
 In  a  chariot  of  fire, 
 
 And  the  moon  it  was  under  my  feet. 
 
 O  the  raptuous  height, 
 
 Of  that  holy  delight, 
 
 Which  I  found  in  the  life-giving  blood : 
 
 Of  my  Saviour  possess’d, 
 
 I  was  perfectly  bless’d, 
 
 As  though  fill’d  with  the  fulness  of  God.” 
 
 And  although  this  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory, 
 is  the  privilege  (we  must  still  insist  upon  it,)  of  every 
 believing  soul  who  flees  from  the  wrath  to  come;  yet 
 what  with  the  discouragements  many  sincere  people 
 meet  with,  from  their  ministers,  from  themselves,  from 
 books,  and  from  the  devil,  but  few  of  them,  we  are 
 afraid,  walk  up  to  the  privilege  of  this  high  vocation. 
 The  true  orthodox  divine,  therefore,  in  hopes  of  pre¬ 
 senting  many  before  the  throne  of  God  with  exceeding 
 joy,  urges  upon  the  serious  part  of  his  congregation, 
 who  have  received  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord,  the  necessity 
 of  having  their  lives  hid  with  Christ  in  God;  in  hope 
 that  when  Christ,  who  is  their  life,  shall  appear,  they 
 also  shall  appear  with  him  in  glory.  And  as  his  lord- 
 ship,  towards  the  close  of  this  chapter,  speaks  so 
 excellently,  however  guarded,  upon  this  point,  as  also 
 in  many  other  places;  we  cannot  but  hope  and  believe 
 lie  meant,  by  u  Christian  experience,”  the  very  same 
 thing  as  all  holy  men,  in  all  ages  of  the  Church,  have 
 meant  by  it.  And  as  Mr.  Scott  informs  us,  page  169, 
 
 * 
 
140 
 
 he  quotes  the  last  passage  of  his  lordship’s  first  chapter, 
 ic  merely  to  express  unqualified  approbation  of  it;’7 
 we  hope  there  is  not  much  difference  of  opinion  as  to 
 what  is  really  and  truly  u  pure  and  undefiled  religion 
 before  God  and  the  Father.”  The  only  difference  is, 
 whether  or  not  every  child  of  man  is  so  far  benefited 
 by  the  mediation  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  assisted  by  his 
 Spirit,  that  God  has  made  it  possible  that  any  man, 
 and  every  man  born  into  this  world,  might  enjoy  and 
 practise  this  true  religion.  His  lordship  with  the 
 Scriptures  says,  Aye;  Mr.  Scott  with  the  Calvinists 
 say,  No.  The  ayes  have  it. 
 
 In  the  second  chapter  his  lordship  enters  upon  a  very 
 nice  point,  u  Regeneration,  or  the  New  Birth.”  And 
 whether  or  not  he  treats  the  important  subject  strictly 
 as  the  Scriptures  speak  of  it,  or  only  more  strictly 
 according  to  the  language  of  his  own  church  ;  had 
 Mr.  Scott,  a  minister  of  that  same  church,  duly  con¬ 
 sidered  the  matter  before  he  began  his  answer,  he  would 
 not  have  written  as  he  has. 
 
 That  we  u  must  be  born  again  of  water  and  of  the 
 Spirit,”  whatever  is  meant  by  those  words,  is  certain. 
 And  the  learned  inform  us,  that  the  ancient  fathers 
 uniformly  speak  of  a  regeneration”  and  of  u  baptism  ” 
 as  being  synonimous ;  and  Mr.  Scott  forgot  to  prove, 
 that  what  the  learned  have  said  upon  this  point  is  not 
 true. 
 
 As  I  have  only  bound  myself  to  oppose  Calvinism, 
 and  as  the  doctrine  of  regeneration  has  little  or  nothing 
 to  do  either  with  Calvinism  or  Arminianism,  1  shall  not 
 fully  enter  upon  it  here,  yet  must  make  a  few  remarks 
 -  upon  it. 
 
 His  lordship  says,  a  Those  who  are  baptized,  are 
 immediately  translated  from  the  curse  of  Adam  to  the 
 grace  of  Christ;  the  original  guilt  which  they  brought 
 into  the  world  is  mystical!}  washed  away,  and  they 
 receive  forgiveness  of  the  actual  sins  which  they  may 
 themseives  have  committed ;  they  become  reconciled  to 
 
141 
 
 God,  partakers  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  heirs  of  eternal 
 happiness ;  they  acquire  a  new  name,  a  new  hope, 
 a  new  rule  of  life.  This  great  and  wonderful  change- 
 in  the  condition  of  man,  is,  as  it  were,  a  new  nature, 
 a  new  state  of  existence;  and  the  holy  rite  by  which 
 these  invaluable  blessings  are  communicated,  is  by 
 St.  Paul  figuratively  called,  u  Regeneration,’ ’  or  new 
 birth.  Many  similar  phrases  occur  in  the  New  Testa¬ 
 ment ;  such  as  a  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit;” 
 u  begotten  again  unto  a  lively  hope;”  u  dead  in  sins, 
 and  quickened  together  with  Christ;”  a  buried  with 
 him  in  baptism;”  66  born  again,  not  of  corruptible 
 seed,  but  of  incorruptible.”  These  expressions  all 
 relate  to  a  single  act,  once  performed  upon  every  indi¬ 
 vidual, — an  act  essential  to  the  character  of  the  Chris¬ 
 tian,  and  of  such  importance  that  it  is  declared  to  be 
 instrumental  to  our  salvation  ;.  u  Baptism  doth  now 
 save  us,  by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ.” — u  Ac¬ 
 cording  to  his  mercy  he  saved  us,  by  the  washing  of 
 regeneration,  and  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost.” — - 
 u  Except  a  man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the 
 kingdom  of  God.”  If  his  lordship  here  means  by 
 baptism  and  regeneration  what  he  expressly  says  ;  then 
 he  only  teaches  what  he  himself  was  taught  from  his 
 infancy,  namely,  that  this  sacrament  of  baptism  consists 
 of  two  parts.  And  I  cannot  express  myself  better 
 than  in  the  words  of  our  Catechism: — u  Q.  What  is 
 the  outward  visible  sign,  or  form  in  baptism?  A, 
 Water,  wherein  the  person  is  baptized,  in  the  name  of 
 the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost. — * 
 Q.  What  is  the  inward,  spiritual  grace?  A.  A  death 
 unto  sin,  and  a  new  birth  unto  righteousness:  for  being 
 by  nature  born  in  sin,  and  the  children  of  wrath,  we 
 are  hereby  made  the  children  of  grace.”  And  Mr. 
 Scott,  as  well  as  his  lordship,  has  been  taught,  that  in 
 this  baptism  he  was  u  made  a  member  of  Christ,  the 
 child  of  God,  and  an  inheritor  of  the  kingdom  of 
 heaven.”  As  the  last  Scripture  but  one  his  lordship 
 quotes  so  clearly  fixes  his  meaning,  u  According  to  his 
 
< 
 
 .  '  I 
 
 142 
 
 mercy  lie  saved  us,  by  the  washing  of  regeneration, 
 and  the  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost.”  How  an  old 
 divine$  a  rector  in  his  lordship’s  diocese,  could  so 
 manage  to  torture  words,  as  to  make  the  serious  part 
 of  this  nation  believe  his  lordship  had  declared  and 
 maintained,  that  the  simple  act  of  a  man  dipping  in, 
 or  sprinkling  water  with  his  hand,  was  the  baptism  of 
 the  Holy  Ghost,  the  a  only  part  of  baptism  which 
 now  saves,  and  the  exclusive  act  which  regenerates 
 souls,”  I  cannot  tel).  Only  this  we  know,  that  such 
 an  idea  is  gone  abroad,  and  believed  both  by  Calvinists 
 and  Anti. calvinists. 
 
 Upon  the  above  quotation  Mr.  Scott  remarks  as 
 follows:  u  Waving  for  the  present  the  consideration 
 of  infant  baptism;  it  occurs  to  inquire,  whether  the 
 opus  operation ,  the  mere  administration  of  baptism  in 
 the  case  of  adults,  necessarily  produce  all  these  elfects? 
 If  this  be  the  doctrine  of  protestants,  in  what,  as  to 
 this  particular,  do  they  differ  from  the  papists  ?  Indeed, 
 is  not  this  precisely  the  error  of  the  Jewish  scribes  and 
 people,  which  John  the  Baptist  so  decidedly  opposed 
 in  those  who  came  to  be  baptized  by  him?”  To  this 
 i  answer,  No.  This  does  not  seem  to  be  any  part  of 
 their  error.  No,  nor  even  the  error  of  that  arch- 
 herctic,  Simon.  He  66  saw  that  through  laying  on  of 
 the  apostles’  hands,  the  Holy  Ghost  was  given.”  He 
 does  not  seem  even  to  have  dreamed,  that  the  Holy 
 Ghost  given  was  laying  on  of  the  apostles’  hands. 
 And  he  only  wished  the  gift  of  power,  that  on  w  hom¬ 
 soever  he  himself  should  lay  hands,  might  receive  the 
 Holy  Ghost,  Acts  viii.  18,  20.  Fool  as  he  was,  it 
 never  entered  his  wild  brain,  that  one  man’s  putting 
 his  hands  on  another  was  giving  him  the  Holy  Ghost. 
 Yet  this  is  the  abominable  nonsense  that  is  attributed 
 to  the  bishop  of  Lincoln;  and  to  make  the  detection 
 and  refutation  of  th.s  error  appear  plausible,  it  is  really 
 controverted  seriously. 
 
 Mr.  Scott  inquires,  whether  u  the  mere  administration 
 of  baptism  produces  all  the  effects  u  of  washing 
 
143 
 
 away  original  guilt,  forgiveness  of  actual  sins;  being 
 reconciled  to  God,  partakers  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
 being  made  heirs  of  eternal  happiness  ;  acquiring  a  new 
 hope,  a  new  faith,  a  new  rule  of  life,”  &c.  &c.  whether 
 the  holy  rite  by  which  these  invaluable  blessings  are 
 communicated,  is  the  real  communication  of  them,  and 
 not  the  channel  through  which  God  in  mercy  commu¬ 
 nicates  them.  No,  no,  Mr.  Scott  will  have  it,  his 
 lordship  say  whatever  he  will,  that  he  meant  the  mere 
 act  of  “  administration  of  baptism, ’’  was  the  real 
 communication  of  all  these  heavenly  and  divine  blessings. 
 And  then,  to  make  this  error  which  he  charges  upon 
 his  lordship  appear  as  monstrous  as  he  could,  he  says, 
 it  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  papists,  and  of  the  Jewish 
 scribes  ;  although  the  very  first  text  his  lordship  quotes, 
 fixes  his  meaning  of  baptism  to  be,  u  the  outward 
 visible  sign,  and  the  inward  spiritual  grace,”  by  saying 
 of  the  person  truly  baptized,  he  is  66  born  of  water  and 
 of  the  Spirit.  Yet  Mr.  Scott  will  have  it,  and  more  is 
 the  pity,  he  knows  he  can  make  thousands  believe  it, 
 that  his  lordship  had  only  meant,  by  baptism,  such  an 
 act  as  any  u  authorised  person  can  perform  on  an 
 hypocrite;”  and  that,  u  it  should  be  noted,  that  bap¬ 
 tism  is  stated  to  be  regeneration.” 
 
 u  The  error  of  the  papists ,”  is  a  doctrine  then 
 necessarily  erroneous,  because  it  is  held  by  the  papists! 
 Do  not  the  papists  hold  every  essential  truth  of  reve¬ 
 lation  dear  as  their  lives,  and  sacred  as  ever  Mr.  Scott 
 did  ?  Select  the  most  zealous  papist  priest  Mr.  Scott  is 
 acquainted  with,  and  ask  him  whether  he  does  not, 
 with  all  his  heart,  with  all  his  soul,  with  all  his  strength, 
 u  believe  in  God  the  Father  Almighty,  Maker  of 
 heaven  and  earth  :  And  in  Jesus  Christ  his  only  Son 
 our  Lord,  wTho  was  conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  bom 
 of  the  virgin  Mary,  suffered  under  Pontius  Pilate,  was 
 crucified,  dead,  and  buried  :  he  descended  into  hell, 
 the  third  day  he  rose  again  from  the  dead  :  he  ascended 
 into  heaven,  and  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  God  the 
 Father  Almighty,  from  thence  he  shall  come  to  judge 
 
144 
 
 the  quick  and  the  dead.”  Whether  he  u  believes  in  the 
 Holy  Ghost,  the  holy  catholic  church,  the  communion 
 of  saints,  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  the  resurrection  of  the 
 body,  and  the  life  everlasting.  Amen.”  And  he  can 
 conscientiously  answer,  u  All  this  I  most  cordially 
 believe.”  And  is  not  every  essential  truth  necessary 
 unto  salvation,  comprised  in  these  few  words  ? 
 
 And  now  for  the  error  of  the  Jewish  scribes  and 
 people,  which  John  the  Baptist  so  decidedly  opposed 
 in  those  who  came  to  be  baptized  by  him !  Matt.  iii. 
 7,  12.  1  confess,  if  Mr.  Scott  had  not  said  so,  1  had 
 
 never  known  that  these  people  were  in  an  error  at  all, 
 in  coming  to  John  to  be  baptized,  or  that  he  decidedly 
 opposed  them.  Neither  Matthew,  Mark,  nor  Luke, - 
 who  have  taken  notice  of  the  circumstance,  have  pointed 
 out  this  error,  and  which  Mr.  Scott  says  u  is  precisely” 
 the  error  of  the  bishop  of  Lincoln.  They  were  children 
 of  wrath  even  as  others,  is  certain ;  and  hearing  the 
 kingdom  of  God  was  at  hand,  to  it  they  endeavoured 
 to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.  The  Baptist  solemnly 
 reproved  them  for  their  past  misdoings,  and  calls  them 
 a  generation  of  vipers,  for  such  they  had  been  ;  but  as 
 he  believed  they  were  now  sincere,  two  of  the  above 
 evangelists  expressly  tell  us,  u  he  baptized  them  all:” 
 would  he  have  done  this  if  he  had  believed  them  in 
 a  fatal  error?  But  as  a  proof  of  their  sincerity,  when 
 they  saw  they  must  lead  a  new  life,  they  earnestly  asked 
 him,  u  What  shall  we  do  then?”  u  And  what  shall 
 we  do?”  Then  he,  as  a  faithful  minister  of  God,  did 
 not  judge  them  as  hypocrites  in  a  fatal  errror;” 
 and  u  decidedly  oppose  them /”  or  suppose  their  in¬ 
 quiry  was  unimportant:  but  in  hope  of  meeting  many 
 of  their  precious  souls  in  a  better  world,  plainly  told 
 them  what  each  in  his  respective  station  of  life  should 
 do.  May  the  Shepherd  of  Israel  bless  Mr.  Scott,  and 
 ali  his  hearers,  and  all  his  readers,  with  such  a  dis¬ 
 position  as  these  ancient  heretics ,  which  he  thinks  were 
 as  bad  as  the  bishop  of  Lincoln,  were  blessed  with, — - 
 an  earnest  desire  to  know,  and  an  hearty  wish  to  do 
 
145 
 
 the  will  of  God.  O,  what  capital  errors  are  these  in 
 Mr.  Scott’s  view ! 
 
 Ah  !  he  must  be  in  an  error  indeed,  who  can  suppose 
 the  mere  application  of  water  to  the  flesh,  can  of  itself 
 cure  the  deformities  and  diseases  of  a  polluted  soul. 
 No:  it  is  the  Spirit  and  water  must  do  the  important 
 business.  But  as  our  Lord  hath  said,  44  The  kingdom 
 of  God  is  within  you.” — 44  He  that  believeth  on  me, 
 as  the  Scripture  hath  said,  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow 
 rivers  of  living  water :  but  this  spake  he  of  the  Spirit, 
 which  they  that  believe  on  him  should  receive.” — 
 44  Let  little  children  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them 
 not;  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.” — 44  Go 
 ye,  therefore,  and  teach  all  nations,  (or,  make  disciples 
 or  Christians  of  all  nations,  for  so  is  the  marginal 
 reading,)  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
 and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost:  teaching  them 
 to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded 
 you :  and,  lo,  1  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end 
 of  the  world.  Amen.”  Matt,  xxviii.  19,  20.  How 
 far  he  may  condescend  to  bless  the  ordinance,  when 
 performed  only  with  a  view  to  please  him,  and  accord¬ 
 ing  to  his  divine  will,  whether  on  an  infant  or  on  an 
 adult,  so  as  through  it  to  quicken  and  regenerate  the 
 soul,  is  rather  more  than  Mr.  Scott  is  prepared  to 
 describe. 
 
 By  representing  man  as  much  unable  to  turn  to  God 
 as  a  dead  corpse  is,  alt  those  w  ho  have  lived  in  sin  till 
 sickness  overtakes  them,  and  death  and  hell  present 
 their  frightful  forms  to  their  view,  are  excused  for  not 
 doing  better.  Yes,  and  if  visited  by.  a  Calvinist  mini-  . 
 ster,  are  taught  to  make  use  of  that  excuse;  and  if 
 recovered,  and  brought  to  sit  under  that  ministry,  which 
 is  often  the  case,  glory  in  their  own  inability  to  have 
 done  better  than  they  have :  so  instead  of  deep  humi¬ 
 lity,  instead  of  self-abasement  and  self-abhorrence, 
 self-conceit  is  substituted.  We  need  not  search 
 London,  we  need  not  go  round  this  town,  to  And 
 instances  of  this.  1  scarce  know  a  single  high  Calvinist 
 
146 
 
 this  day,  but  speak  to  him  closely  of  the  damnable 
 nature  of  disobedience,  and  the  necessity  of  inward 
 and  outward  holiness,  in  order  to  be  truly  happy  on 
 earth  and  in  heaven;  but  our  ears  are  made  to  tingle 
 with  the  following  language:  44  Well,  what  can  the 
 poor  creature  do  of  himself?  Can  I  change  my  own 
 nature  without  Christ  ?  Can  you  convert  men’s  souls  of 
 yourself?”  And  as  a  young  religious  coxcomb,  some 
 time  since,  in  the  midst  of  a  company  of  fiiends,  put¬ 
 ting  his  hands  on  his  sides,  in  a  very  magisterial  tone, 
 said,  44  Sir,  I  tell  you,  I  can  as  easily  create  a  world, 
 as  1  can  create  faith  in  my  own  heart.”  And  Mr.  Scott 
 is  continually  glorying  in  this  same  inability;  and 
 asking,  44  Can  man  do  any  tiling  spiritually  good,  until 
 God  put  the  good  desire  in  his  heart?”  &c. 
 
 O,  for  Christ’s  sake,  for  the  sake  of  immortal  souls, 
 do  not  thus  requite  the  Iloly  One  of  Israel !  What 
 could  he  have  done  that  he  has  not  done  ?  He  does 
 put  holy  desires  in  the  heart  of  every  intelligent  child 
 of  man.  44  The  Spirit  of  man  is  the  candle  of  the  Lord, 
 searching  the  inward  parts  of  the  belly,”  Prov.  xx.  27. 
 This  light  shineth  even  where  the  darkness  comprehends 
 it  not.  To  this  light  our  Lord  appealed,  when  he 
 preached  to  the  unconverted  Jews.  To  this  light  his 
 servant  Paul  appealed,  when  preaching  before  the  king; 
 44  Believest  thou  the  Scriptures?  i  know  that  thou 
 believes!.”  It  was  (his  caudle  of  the  Lord  that  was  in 
 them,  which  constrained  men  to  say  of  Jesus,  44  This 
 is  the  heir;”  saying,  44  Let  us  kill  him,”  was  causing 
 that  light  (hat  was  in  them  to  become  darkness.  From 
 this  light  Gamaliel  said,  44  Let  (hem  alone:  for  if  this 
 counsel,  or  this  work,  be  of  men,  it  will  come  to 
 nought;  but  if  it  be  of  God,  ye  cannot  overthrow  it, 
 lest  haply  ye  be  found  even  to  tight  against  God.”  It 
 *  was  to  this  light  Stephen  appealed,  when  in  his  last 
 sermon  he  so  faithfully  preached  to  his  unconverted 
 brethren.  Nor  would  a  wise  God  ever  have  sent  men 
 (o  preach  this  Gospel,  but  as  this  light  is  in  man. 
 This  is  the  water  of  life,  springing  out  of  the  belly  of 
 
f 
 
 147 
 
 him  that  believeth.  Quenching  the  Spirit,  is  causing 
 u  this  light  to  become  darkness;  and,  O,  how  great  is 
 that  darkness!”  To  this  candle  of  the  Lord  in  man 
 Paul  had  reference  throughout  that  eloquent  sermon  of 
 his,  preached  to  the  people  of  Athens,  saying,  u  God, 
 that  made  the  world,  and  all  things  therein,  seeing  that 
 he  is  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  dwelleth  not  in  temples 
 made  with  hands:  Neither  is  worshipped  with  men’s 
 hands,  as  though  he  needed  any  thing,  seeing  he  giveth 
 to  all  life,  and  breath,  and  all  things;  and  hath  made 
 of  one  blood  all  nations  of  men,  for  to  dwell  on  all  the 
 face  of  the  earth  ;  and  hath  determined  the  times  before 
 appointed,  and  the  bounds  of  their  habitation ;  that 
 they  should  seek  the  Lord,  if  haply  they  might  feel 
 after  him,  and  find  him,  though  he  be  not  far  from 
 every  one  of  us  :  For  in  him  we  live,  and  move,  and 
 have  our  being;  as  certain  also  of  your  own  poets  have 
 said,  For  we  are  also  his  offspring.  Forasmuch,  then, 
 as  we  are  the  offspring  of  God,  we  ought  not  to  think 
 that  the  Godhead  is  like  unto  gold,  or  silver,  or  stone 
 graven  by  art  and  man’s  device.  And  the  times  of  this 
 ignorance  God  winked  at ;  but  now  commanded!  all 
 men  every  where  to  repent :  Because  he  hath  appointed 
 a  day  in  the  which  he  will  judge  the  world  in  right¬ 
 eousness,  by  that  man  whom  he  hath  ordained ;  whereof 
 he  hath  given  assurance  unto  all  men,  in  that  he  hath 
 raised  him  from  the  dead.”  And  however  some 
 mocked,  when  they  heard  of  the  resurrection  of  the 
 dead,  u  others  said,  We  will  hear  thee  again  of  this 
 matter:  so  Paul  departed  from  among  them.  Howbeit 
 certain  men  clave  unto  him,  and  believed.”  But  none 
 would  have  believed  this  strange  report,  only  as  it  was 
 an  echo  to  that  voice  and  light  within.  In  those  who 
 yielded  to  this  light,  it  shone  brighter  and  brighter 
 unto  the  perfect  day.  In  them  who  continued  to  mock, 
 it  became  darkness. 
 
 And  it  is  very  remarkable,  that  after  St.  Paul  had 
 so  plainly  asserted  to  the  Romans,  the  total  fall  and 
 depravity  of  the  human  race,  u  that  they  were  all  gone 
 
 « 
 
148 
 
 # 
 
 out  of  the  way,”  and  that  the  remedy  provided  without 
 money  and  without  price,  was  also  co-exfensive  with 
 the  disease:  that  u  as  by  the  offence  of  one,  judgment 
 came  upon  all  men  to  condemnation ;  ev£n  so  by  the 
 righteousness  of  one,  the  free  gift  came  upon  all  men 
 unto  justification  of  life,”  Rom.  v.  18;  in  the  very 
 next  chapter,  having  proved  that  vrhen  we  were  without 
 strength  Christ  died  for  the  ungodly,  so  that  no  excuse 
 could  be  made  for  disobedience,  he  urges,  u  Let  not 
 sin  therefore  reign  in  your  mortal  body,  that  ye  should 
 obey  it  in  the  lusts  thereof.  Neither  yield  your  mem¬ 
 bers  as  instruments  of  unrighteousness  unto  sin  :  but 
 yield  yourselves  unto  God  as  those  that  are  alive  from 
 the  dead,  and  your  members  as  instruments  of  right¬ 
 eousness  unto  God,”  chap.  vi.  13,  14.  Again  ,  ver.  lb, 
 66  Know  ye  not,  that  to  whom  ye  yield  yourselves 
 servants  to  obey,  his  servants  ye  are  to  whom  ye  obey, 
 whether  of  sin  unto  death,  or  of  obedience  unto  right¬ 
 eousness.”  And  again,  ver.  19,  u  I  spegk  after  the 
 manner  of  men,  because  of  the  infirmity  of  your  flesh: 
 for  as  ye  have  yielded  your  members  servants  to  un¬ 
 cleanness  and  to  iniquity,  unto  iniquity ;  even  so  now 
 yield  your  members  servants  to  righteousness,  unto 
 holiness.”  In  all  these  passages,  nothing  can  be  more 
 clear  than  that  whether  Paul  preached  to  the  uncon¬ 
 verted  Athenians,  or  wrote  to  the  converted  Romans, 
 be  addressed  them  as  being  made,  or  remade,  free 
 agents.  That  when  they  had  done  evil,  they  might 
 have  done  good;  and  when  they  did  good,  they  might 
 have  continued  to  do  so  if  they  would.  That  it  was 
 their  own  act  and  deed.  That  while  God  blessed  them 
 with  life,  and  breath,  and  all  things,  they  had  power 
 to  do  good  or  to  do  evil  as  they  pleased.  They  had 
 power  either  c£  to  yield  their  members  as  instruments 
 of  righteousness  unto  God,”  or  as  u  instruments  of 
 unrighteousness  unto  sin.”  That  if  he  in  infinite 
 goodness  66  give  unto  all  nations  life,  and  breath,  and 
 all  things:  and  hath  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of 
 P?en,  for  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  earth ;  and  hath 
 
149 
 
 determined  the  times  before  appointed,  and  the  bounds 
 of  their  habitation  ;  ”  it  was  only  that  they  should  seek 
 after  the  Lord,  if  haply  they  might  feel  after  him,  and 
 find  him:  so  whatever  Jesus  did  or  said  on  earth,  it 
 •was  to  draw  men,  to  draw  all  men  unto  him,  that  they 
 might  be  saved.  None  of  that  awful  dangerous  lan- 
 guage,  so  dreadfully  common  now,  ever  dropped  from 
 his  lips,  or  the  lips  of  his  inspired  servants :  44  O  if  God 
 does  not  give  you  his  grace,  you  cannot  turn  to  God.” 
 44  You  have  no  more  power  to  turn  unto  God  of  your¬ 
 selves,  than  a  corpse  has  to  turn  himself  in  his  grave.” 
 
 4 4  He  may  command  all  men  every  where  to  repent  as 
 much  as  he  will,  not  one  soul  ever  will  repent,  unless  he 
 gives  them  faith  and  repentance.”  Ha  1  44  Whenever 
 he  is  pleased  to  give  repentance  unto  his  own  people, 
 they  will  repent ,  and  till  then,  all  the  efforts  of  man 
 are  in  vain:  there  is  no  co-operation,  unless  God  first 
 begin  the  w^ork.”  No :  they  all  asserted  in  behalf  of 
 the  Most  High ;  he  had  helped,  he  did  help,  that  he 
 would  help:  that  44  he  was  a  very  present  help  in  time 
 of  trouble;”  44  a  God  always  at  hand,  and  not  afar 
 off;”  44  not  far  off  from  every  one  of  us,”  until  we  are 
 either  in  hell,  or  have  sinned  the  sin  that  directly  leads 
 to  it ;  and  woe  be  to  that  man,  when  the  Lord  departs 
 from  him. 
 
 What  our  Lord  said  to  the  unconverted  Jews  may, 
 with  the  strictest  propriety,  be  applied  to  every  wilful 
 unbelieving  Gentile  in  England  ;  44  If  ye  were  blind, 
 ye  should  have  had  no  sin.”  'No  :  it  would  have  been 
 the  sins  of  our  first  parents,  or  original  sin,  we  might 
 have  complained  of ;  but  since  the  free  gift  is  come 
 upon  all  men  to  justification  of  life,  44  man  has  no 
 cloak  for  his  sin.”  But  1  cannot  express'^  better  than 
 in  my  Divine  Master’s  words :  44  If  I  had  not  come 
 and  spoken  unto  them,  they  had  not  had  sin:  but  now 
 they  have  no  cloak  for  their  sin.  He  that  hateth  me, 
 hateth  my  Father  also.  If  I  had  not  done  among  them 
 the  works  which  none  other  man  did,  they  had  not  had 
 
 / 
 
150 
 
 sin  .*  but  now  have  they  both  seen  and  hated  both  me 
 and  my  Father,”  John  xv.  22,  24. 
 
 And  though  those  people  hated  him,  to  whom  he 
 says,  u  Ye  will  not  come  to  me  that  ye  might  have 
 life;”  yet  let  it  ever  be  remembered  to  his  honour, 
 and  to  his  honour  it  will  be  remembered  to  eternity, 
 to  this  very  people  he  said,  u  But  I  receive  not  testi¬ 
 mony  from  man  ;  but  these  things  I  say,  that  ye  might  - 
 be  saved,”  chap.  v.  34,  40.  Yes,  yes;  for  this  he  left 
 the  glory  he  possessed  with  his  Father  before  the  wTorld 
 began.  The  world  lieth  in  wickedness,  the  world  will 
 be  condemned  at  last;  yet  if  guile  was  not  fouud  in  his 
 lips,  and  he  spake  the  truth  at  all  times,  then  u  he 
 came  into  the  wrorld  to  save  the  world.”  Consequently 
 there  is  not  a  soul  lost  but  might  have  been  saved  :  not 
 a  soul  walking  in  the  broad  road  this  day,  but  might 
 and  ought,  and  it  would  be  joy  to  angels,  and  even 
 to  God,  if  they  w7ould  turn,  and  walk  in  the  narrow 
 path  that  leadeth  unto  eternal  life.  Yes,  and  their  not 
 doing  it  when  they  might,  in  this  day  of  salvation,  will 
 be  their  condemnation.  This  is  the  sin,  if  God  be  true, 
 that  remaineth,  and  which  will  be  laid  to  their  charge, 
 and  be  to  their  condemnation. 
 
 Let  no  one  call  these  u  nice  points,”  u  speculative 
 doctrines,”  “  non-essentials.”  The  sun  does  not  shine 
 more  bright  when  in  its  meridian  glory,  than  these 
 truths  shine  throughout  the  revelation  of  God.  It  is 
 the  cursed  systems  and  doctrines  of  men,  which  have 
 thrown  mists  and  darkness  upon  these  divine  truths. 
 Serious  young  men  and  women,  who  have  heard  or 
 read  those  doctrines,  have  not  their  hearts  prepared  to 
 receive  these  truths  as  little  children.  And  the  heaviest 
 misfortune  this  day  in  the  Christian  church  is,  that 
 most  books  written  upon  religion  since  the  Reformation, 
 were  written  by  Calvinists.  And  if  it  were  not  for 
 such  as  Matthew  Henry’s,  Macknight’s,  some  of  Bun- 
 yan’s  and  I)r. Watts’s,  and  some  others;  I  would  say 
 with  all  my  soul,  u  Would  to  God  they  might  be 
 
151 
 
 brought  to  every  market-place  to-morrow  at  twelve 
 o’clock,  and  there  be  burnt  together.”  The  sweetest 
 truths  that  ever  God  revealed,  are,  in  those  works  in 
 general,  so  interwoven  with  the  most  delusive  doctrines 
 ever  invented  by  men,  that  it  is  hard  for  simple  souls 
 to  read  those  books,  and  be  able  to  separate  truth  from 
 error.  But  the  day  is  coming,  when  all  the  wood,  and 
 hay,  and  stubble,  of  men’s  invention,  will  be  burnt  up; 
 and  the  word  of  our  God,  which  the  apostles  preached, 
 will  stand  for  ever. 
 
 In  that  day  we  shall  return,  and  discern  not  only 
 between  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  but  also  between 
 truth  and  error.  Then  Mr.  Scott  himself  will  know, 
 and  acknowledge  too,  the  division  for  heaven  or  hell 
 will  be  made,  because  the  one  yielded  themselves  ser¬ 
 vants  to  obey  God,  and  their  members  as  instruments 
 of  righteousness  unto  holiness ;  the  other  yielded  them¬ 
 selves  servsnts  to  obey  unrighteousness,  and  their 
 members  instruments  of  unrighteousness  unto  sin.  This 
 division  will  be  seen  to  be  so  wise,  so  holy,  so  just, 
 that  u  every  guilty  mouth  will  be  stopped.”  No 
 shuffling,  nor  quirking,  nor  devices  then.  Nothing 
 about  the  father’s  eating  sour  grapes,  and  their  children’s 
 teeth  were  set  on  edge ;  but  u  every  one  shall  die  for 
 his  own  iniquity.”  This  is  the  sin  that  remaineth  :  He 
 put  his  light  under  a  bushel:  he  denied  the  Lord  who 
 bought  him :  nothing  about  him  having  saving,  or 
 special  grace,  for  the  elect;  but  only  common  grace, 
 such  as  man  was  never  saved  by,  for  non-elect :  nothing 
 about,  u  Man  could  do  nothing  spiritually  good,  until 
 God  operate  upon  his  heart,”  66  nor  does  the  co¬ 
 operation  begin  till  then.”  No  :  it  will  be  proved  to 
 astonished  worlds,  u  God  was  loving  to  every  man 
 consequently,  not  a  lost  human  soul  but  was  once  the 
 object  of  God’s  love,  and  might  have  been  the  subject 
 of  his  favour  for  ever*’.'.' 
 
 Speaking  of  the  awful  events  of  that  day,  Dr.  Young 
 has  most  beautifully  expressed,  and  majestically  de¬ 
 clared,  the  above  sentiments,  in  the  following  words ; 
 
1 52 
 
 44  Who  conscience  sent,  her  sentence  will  support ; 
 
 And  God  above  assert  that  God  in  man.” 
 
 But  I  am  aware  of  the  digression  :  my  subject  warmed 
 my  heart,  and  has  carried  me  a  little  from  the  point. 
 
 His  lordship  had  spoken  of  the  truly  baptized,  being 
 44  born  of  water  and  the  Holy  Spirit;”  Mr.  Scott  will 
 have  it  his  lordship  meant,  being  only  baptized  with 
 water  was  that  which  regenerates  men.  And  to  confute 
 this  dangerous  error ,  Mr.  Scott  labours  through  many 
 a  tedious  page;  and  what  is  worthy  of  remark  too 
 is,  that  upon  this  point  he  labours  successfully !  !  ! 
 Yes,  he  most  clearly  proves,  and  from  vast  numbers  of 
 authors,  that  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  essen¬ 
 tial  part  of  it,  is  not  the  other  part  of  it  performed 
 by  water  1  !  !  His  lordship,  quoting  a  passage  from 
 Whitby,  on  Mark  xvi.  16,  says,  “Baptism  conveys 
 the  promise  of  those  privileges  and  blessings,  which 
 God  has  been  graciously  pleased  to  annex  to  the  pro¬ 
 fession  of  Christian  faith.”  And  again,  44  It  is  de¬ 
 clared  to  be  instrumental  to  our  salvation.’’  Now  had 
 Mr.  Scott  gone  about  to  prove,  and  been  successful  in 
 proving,  that  obedience  to,  and  compliance  writh  the 
 ordinances  and  commandments  of  God,  is  neither  in¬ 
 strumental  to  our  salvation,  nor  the  channel  44  through 
 which  God  is  graciously  pleased  to  convey  it,”  he  had 
 then  clearly  refuted  an  opponent.  But  this  was  not 
 quite  so  easy  to  do,  as  proving  that  the  outward  visible 
 sign,  or  form  in  baptism,  is  not  that  other  and  essential 
 part  of  it,  44  the  inward  spiritual  grace” 
 
 In  reviewing  the  passages  Mr.  Scott  objects  to,  and 
 comparing  them  with  the  Prayer-Book,  I  am  astonished 
 to  find  how  closely  his  lordship  has  stuck  to  the  doc¬ 
 trines  of  the  church.  I  am  still  more  amazed,  to  see 
 an  old  minister  of  that  same  church,  going  about  to 
 expose  and  refute  his  lordship.  I  shall  take  the  liberty 
 of  quoting  a  few  sentences  frUn  that  book,  and  then 
 appeal  to  the  reader,  has  his  lordship  gone  beyond,  or 
 stretched  the  doctrines  of  his  church.  Soon  as  persons 
 are  baptized  with  water,  the  priest  says,  44  Seeing  now, 
 
 / 
 
153 
 
 Nearly  beloved  brethren,  that  these  persons  are  rege¬ 
 nerated,  and  grafted  into  the  body  of  Christ’s  church;, 
 let  us  give  thanks  unto  Almighty  God  for  these  bene¬ 
 fits,”  &c.  And  at  last,  speaking  to  the  new-baptized 
 persons,  he  says,  u  And  as  for  you,  who  have  now  by 
 baptism  put  on  Christ,  it  is  your  part  and  duty  also, 
 being  made  the  children  of  God  arid  of  the  light,  by 
 faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  to  walk  answerable  to  your 
 Christian  calling,  and  as  becometh  children  of  light.” 
 And  in  the  very  next  section  in  the  Prayer-Book,  the 
 baptized  person  says  of  his  baptism,  u  Wherein  I  was 
 made  a  member  of  Christ,  the  child  of  God,  and  an 
 inheritor  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven.”  Without  going 
 any  farther,  I  appeal  to  every  candid  man,  Calvinist  or 
 Anti-calvinist,  who  has  without  prejudice  read  the 
 Refutation,  has  his  lordship  said  more  on  baptism  and 
 regeneration,  than  his  church  authorized  him  to  say  ? 
 Nay,  seeing  the  words  in  the  Prayer-Book  are  not  so 
 guarded  as  most  good  men  who  love  the  church  have 
 wished  they  had  been ;  does  not  his  lordship  act  with 
 wisdom  and  candour,  when  he  guards  the  terms  u  bap¬ 
 tized”  and  u  regeneration,”  with  44  born  of  water, 
 and  of  the  Spirit  ?”  44  washing  of  regeneration,  and 
 renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost?” 
 
 It  is  a  little  remarkable,  that  when  his  lordship 
 makes  a  quotation  from  Hooker,  which  speaks  con¬ 
 siderably  more  strong,  upon  baptism  making  people 
 ;  Christians,  than  he  himself  had  ventured  to  do  before ; 
 that  as  Hooker  is  a  favourite  author,  Mr.  Scott 
 thinks  this  quotation  quite  passable,  and  says,  44  It 
 evidently  lies  against  the  sentiment,  that  baptism  is 
 regeneration,”  page  173.  O  blind  prejudice,  what  art 
 not  thou  capable  of  doing!  The  passage  his  lord- 
 ship  quotes  is  as  follows :  44  As  we  are  not  naturally 
 men  without  birth,  so  neither  are  we  Christian  men  in 
 the  eyes  of  tlje  church  of  God,  but  by  nezv  birth ;  nor, 
 according  to  the  manifest  ordinary  course  of  divine 
 dispensations,  new  born ,  but  by  that  baptism  which 
 both  declareth  and  maketh  us  Christians,  in  which 
 
 4 
 
154 
 
 respect  we  justly  hold  it  to  be  the  door  of  our  actual 
 entrance  into  God’s  house,  the  first  apparent  beginning 
 of  life.”  Mr.  Scott  answers,  u  In  this  quotation  from 
 Hooker,  the  words  ;  manifest  ordinary  course  of  divine 
 dispensations,’  may  obviate  the  objection  as  to  his 
 views,  which  so  evidently  life  against  the  sentiment, 
 that  baptism  is  regeneration.”  How  this  appears  so 
 evident,  I  suppose  is  best  known  to  Mr.  Scott.  For  if, 
 as  Hooker  says,  u  we  are  not  Christian  men  in  the 
 eyes  of  the  church  of  God,  but  by  new  birth,” — u  by 
 that  baptism  which  both  declareth  and  maketh  us 
 Christians:  in  which  respect  we  justly  hold  it  to  be 
 the  door  of  our  actual  entrance  into  God’s  house,  the 
 first  apparent  beginning  of  life:”  why  then  reason 
 says,  baptism  is  the  new  birth,  the  apparent  beginning 
 of  life,  the  actual  entrance  into  the  house  of  God ; 
 regeneration,  that  which  maketh  us  Christians.  But 
 as  I  say,  Hooker  is  a  favourite  author:  say  what 
 he  w  ill  occasionally  in  favour  of  a  particular  opposed 
 point,  his  words,  Mr.  Scott  assures  us,  must  u  evi¬ 
 dently  lie  against  the  sentiment:”  and  as  this  is  so 
 evident  to  him,  we  must  leave  him  to  make  it  evident 
 to  the  public. 
 
 But  is  it  not  also  remarkable,  that  a  clergyman,  pro¬ 
 fessing  to  believe  that  u  all  Scripture  is  given  by  inspi¬ 
 ration  of  God,”  should  on  the  (note  from  Whitby,  in 
 a  way  of  triumph  ask,  u  In  what  part  of  Scripture  is 
 baptism  said  to  convey  the  promise  to  those  who  receive 
 it  ?  Or  what  are  the  privileges  and  blessings  which 
 God  has  been  graciously  pleased  to  annex  to  the  pro¬ 
 fession  of  Christian  faith?”  To  the  first  of  these 
 questions,  u  In  what  part  of  Scripture  is  baptism  said 
 to  convey  the  promise  to  those  who  receive  it?”  if 
 there  were  no  other  Scripture  for  it,  I  w  ould  say  the 
 very  text  Mr.  Scott  has  quoted  to  refute  that  idea, 
 1  Pet.  iii.  21.  Few,  that  is,  eight  souls,  were  saved 
 by  water.  The  like  figure,  even  baptism,  doth  now 
 save  us,  (not  the  putting  aw  ay  of  the  filth  of  the  flesh, 
 but  the  answer  of  a  good  conscience  towards  God,)  by 
 
155 
 
 the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ.”  Here,  as  expressly 
 as  Peter  asserted,  44  eight  souls  were  saved  by  water,55 
 he  declares,  44  baptism  doth  now  save  us.”  That  how¬ 
 ever  the  Holy  Ghost  is  pleased  to  qualify  the  word 
 baptism ;  yet  the  plain  declaration  is,  44  baptism  doth 
 now  save  us.”  There  are  other  passages,  I  think, 
 equally  full  to  the  point,  such  as  Rom.  vi.  1—4,  Gal. 
 iii.  27,  and  Col.  ii.  12.  In  the  two  latter  texts  it  is 
 expressly  said,  44  As  many  of  you  as  have  been  bap¬ 
 tized  into  Christ,  have  put  on  Christ.  5  5 — 4  4  Buried 
 with  him  in  baptism;  wherein  also  you  are  risen  with 
 him,  through  the  faith  of  the  operation  of  God,  who 
 hath  raised  him  from  the  dead.”  Now  is  it  possible 
 that  his  lordship  should  speak  higher  of  baptism  than 
 the  Holy  Ghost  does  in  these  texts,  whatever  may  be 
 the  meaning  of  the  word ,  or  the  intention  of  the  Holy 
 Ghost  in  making  use  of  it?  But  waving  the  consider¬ 
 ation  of  these  texts,  I  insist  upon  it,  the  text  Mr.  Scott 
 quotes,  fully  answers  his  inquiry.  The  other  question 
 
 IMr.  Scott  asks  is,  44  What  are  the  privileges  and  bless¬ 
 ings,  which  God  has  been  graciously  pleased  to  annex 
 to  the  profession  of  Christian  faith  ?  ”  and  without  fear 
 of  contradiction  I  answer,  To  this  good  profession 
 God  has  promised  a  44  crown  of  righteousness,  which 
 God  the  righteous  Judge  has  promised  to  every  one 
 who  loveth  his  appearing.” — 44  Whosoever  therefore 
 shall  confess  me  before  men,  him  will  [  confess  before 
 mv  Father  which  is  in  heaven,”  Matt.  x.  33.  and 
 Luke  xii.  8.  To  say  nothing  of  a  good  part  of  the  • 
 whole  New  Testament,  especially  the  third  and  fourth 
 chapters  of  the  Revelation,  here,  as  plain  as  words  can 
 speak,  our  Lord  has  told  us  what  inestimable  blessings 
 are  promised  to  the  profession  of  his  faith  before  men. 
 
 Mr.  Scott,  quoting  a  text  from  John  i.  11,  13, 
 remarks,  44  Whatever  be  the  impost  of  this  passage  in 
 another  respect;  it  seems  absolutely  certain,  that  ex¬ 
 ternal  baptism  is  not  meant,  at  least  exclusively,  by 
 4  born  of  God.5  Whether  being  born  of  God,  be  con¬ 
 sidered  as  the  cause  or  the  effect  of  believing,  in  the 
 
 H 
 
 1 
 
156 
 
 persons  spoken  of;  it  cannot  mean  external  baptism, 
 of  which  not  the  most  remote  hint  had  previously  been 
 given.  This  is  a  point  which  I  wish  especially  con¬ 
 sidered  in  this  argument.”  This,  I  say,  is  too  bad. 
 Misrepresentation  is  bad  in  any  man ;  it  is  doubly  bad 
 when  done  by  a  minister  of  religion;  it  is  worse  and 
 worse  when  done  seriously  by  an  old  divine  of  the 
 Establishment.  Would  not  any  man,  reading  this  note 
 as  an  answer  to  something  his  lordship  the  bishop  of 
 Lincoln  had  said,  conclude  he  had  declared  66  that 
 external  baptism  was  exclusively  meant  by  being  6  bom 
 of  God?’”  especially  when  he  finds  that  Mr.  Scott 
 labours  through  near  eighty  pages  in  this  chapter  to 
 refute  that  idea.  Is  it  not  strange,  when  we  find,  that 
 according  to  Mr.  Scott’s  quotations  from  his  lordship 
 in  this  chapter,  not  the  most  remote  hint  is  given  by 
 his  lordship,  either  that  external  baptism  was  meant  by 
 the  terms,  u  born  of  God,”  much  more  not,  u  that  it 
 was  exclusively  meant  by  being  born  of  God  ?”  Having 
 minutely  examined  every  note  throughout  this  chapter, 
 to  the  249th  page,  I  am  not  afraid  of  a  contradiction 
 of  what  I  here  say.  But  it  will  appear  still  more 
 strange  to  every  honest  man,  that  if,  instead  of  finding 
 his  lordship  had  insisted  upon  it,  that  external  baptism 
 was  the  exclusive  meaning  of  the  term  u  born  of  God  ;” 
 we  should  find  that,  from  first  to  last,  his  lordship  had 
 insisted  upon  the  very  contrary.  We  will  see  therefore 
 whether  this  can  be  done.  We  have  already  noticed, 
 that  in  the  second  note,  quoted  from  the  u  Refutation,” 
 on  this  subject,  his  lordship  said  of  regeneration,  it 
 was  being  u  born  of  water,  and  of  the  Spirit .” — 
 Ci  According  to  his  mercy  he  saved  us,  by  the  washing 
 of  regeneration,  and  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost.” 
 And  in  the  very  last  note  quoted  from  his  lordship,  in 
 this  chapter,  he  says,  6i  Water  applied  outwardly  to 
 the  body,  together  with  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
 applied  inwardly  to  the  soul ,  regenerates  the  man ,” 
 page  245.  Now  with  passages  like  these  before  him, 
 without  u  the  most  remote  hint”  of  a’  contrary  idea 
 
157 
 
 from  any  part  of  this  chapter ;  how  Mr.  Scott  could 
 make  op  his  mind,  from  such  passages,  to  represent  his 
 lordship  as  maintaining,  that  external  baptism  44  was 
 meant  by  being  4  bora  of  God;’”  and  that  it  was 
 44  exclusively  meant  by  4  born  of  God,’  ”  he  himself 
 best  knows,  and  he  must  answer  for  it.  For  my  own. 
 part,  seeing  what  Mr.  Scott  has  said,  and  again  and 
 again  examining  the  quotations,  I  have  had  enough  to 
 do  to  believe  my  senses;  and  that  such  inferences 
 could,  by  any  rational  mortal,  be  drawn  from  such, 
 premises. 
 
 Mr.  Scott,  at  the  close  of  the  above  paragraph,  says, 
 44  This  is  a  point  which  I  wish  to  be  especially  con¬ 
 sidered  in  this  argument.”  Why  this  wish  is  so  ear¬ 
 nestly  expressed,  is  hard  to  say ;  because  no  rational 
 man  could  ever  say,  much  more  endeavour  to  prove, 
 that  external  baptism  was  exclusively  meant  by  44  bom 
 of  God.” 
 
 It  is  God’s  prerogative,  and  his  only,  to  search  the 
 heart,  and  to  judge  of  motives.  But  when  we  see 
 Mr.  Scott’s  wish  appear  so  ardent  upon  this  point,  and 
 then  see  him  seriously  labouring  so  hard  through  near 
 eighty  pages  to  refute  his  lordship,  by  proving,  from 
 vast  numbers  of  authors,  that  external  baptism  cannot 
 exclusively  be  meant  by  44  born  of  God;”  we  cannot 
 but  suppose,  at  least,  that  he  wished  it  to  be  believed 
 his  lordship  the  bishop  of  Lincoln  had  maintained,  that 
 external  baptism  was  really  and  truly  internal  baptism, 
 all  that  was  meant  by  such  Scriptural  terms  as,  44  Ex¬ 
 cept  a  man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  enter  the  kingdom 
 of  heaven.”—*44  Born,  not  of  man,  or  of  the  will  of 
 the  flesh,  but  of  God,”  &c.  &c.  Nor  can  it  be  won¬ 
 dered  at,  that  Mr.  Scott’s  wish  should  have  been  so 
 successful ;  and  that  through  this  nation,  men  of  different 
 denominations  should  so  continually  assert,  44  that  the 
 bishop  had  maintained,  and  endeavoured  to  prove,  water 
 baptism  was  all  that  was  meant  by  being  born  again.”  * 
 
 *  Since  writing  the  above,  a  gentleman,  a  dear  friend,  has 
 been  warning  me  not  to  attempt  to  defend  the  bishop,  because, 
 
 H2 
 
158 
 
 Having  shewn  what  is  the  general  tendency  of  this 
 second  chapter,  namely,  that  it  is  to  refute  an  idea  that 
 is  proved,  by  Mr.  Scott’s  own  quotations,  the  bishop 
 never  propagated  ;  it  would  be  killing  time,  (and  I  find 
 it  goes  fast  enough,)  to  follow  Mr.  Scott  from  page  to 
 page  throughout  the  chapter.  I  shall,  therefore,  only 
 make  a  few  more  short  remarks  on  different  points, 
 and  so  conclude. 
 
 I  remark  first,  then,  that  instead  of  calling  this 
 chapter  44  on  baptism  and  regeneration,”  and  the  pre¬ 
 ceding  one  upon  44  original  sin,’’  44  Remarks  upon  the 
 Refutation  he  should  have  called  them,  44  Remarks 
 upon  what  is  not  said  in  the  Refutation.”  For  really 
 the  most  serious  remarks  in  this  part  of  Mr.  Scott's 
 book,  are  rather  remarks  upon  what  he  supposeth  the 
 bishop  thinks,  and  which  he  wishes  the  world  to  believe 
 he  meant,  than  upon  what  he  hath  said. 
 
 Page  202,  Mr.  Scott  quotes  a  text  out  of  1  John 
 y.  18,  and  comments  upon  it  as  follows  :  u  We  know 
 that  whosoever  is  born  of  God,  sinneth  not;  but  he 
 that  is  begotten  of  God  keepeth  himself,  and  that 
 wicked  one  toucheth  him  not.’  The  apostle  is  speaking 
 concerning  4  a  sin  unto  death ;’  and  his  words  clearly 
 mean,  that  no  one  who  has  been  4  born  of  God,’  or 
 4  begotten  of  God,’  committeth  this  sin  unto  death.” 
 Mr.  Scott  should  not  speak  so  positive  of  what  is  the 
 meaning  of  Scripture;  especially  when  there  is  any 
 reason  to  doubt  what  is  exactly  the  meaning  of  it. 
 Adam  was  called  the  son  of  God,  created  in  righteous¬ 
 ness  and  true  holiness,  yet  he  sinned  a  sin  unto  death: 
 and  this  holy  apostle  wrote  to  them,  whose  sins  were 
 forgiven  them  for  Christ’s  sake;  yet  he  strongly  inti¬ 
 mates,  chap.  ii.  12,  they  might  fall  from  their  own 
 
 as  he  said,  the  bishop  had  maintained,  that  all  that  was  meant 
 by  regeneration,  or  born  again,  “  was  water,  or  outward  baptism.” 
 This  1  have  often  been  told  ;  but  only  by  those  who  have  read 
 straps  of  Mr.  Scott’s  Remarks,  but  have  never  seen  the  Refu¬ 
 tation:  so,  in  fact,  Mr.  Scott  seems  to  have  gained  his  end,  in 
 £bus  representing  bis  lortlslnp. 
 
159 
 
 steadfastness,  and  commit  sin  :  his  words  are,  u  My 
 tittle  children,  these  things  write  I  unto  you  that  ye 
 sin  not.  And  if  any  man  sin,  we  have  an  Advocate 
 with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous,  and  he  is 
 the  propitiation  for  our  sins:  and  not  for  our  sins  only, 
 but  also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world.”  Now  so 
 far  from  supposing,  it  was  as  impossible  for  them  to 
 sin,  as  it  is  for  God  to  be  tempted  with  evil,  he  inti¬ 
 mates  his  fears,  that  they  might  fall  away  from  their 
 own  steadfastness:  nevertheless,  there  wras  no  occasion 
 for  their  declension;  44  He  that  loveth  his  brother, 
 abideth  in  the  light,  and  there  is  no  occasion  of  stum¬ 
 bling  in  him.  Let  that  therefore  abide  in  you,  which 
 ye  have  heard  from  the  beginning.  If  that  which  ye 
 have  heard  from  the  beginning  shall  remain  in  yon,  ye 
 also  shall  continue  in  the  Son  and  in  the  Father,” 
 chap.  ii.  12 — 24.  Again :  44  Whosoever  committeth 
 sin,  transgresseth  also  the  law:  for  sin  is  the  trans¬ 
 gression  of  the  law.  And  ye  know  that  he  was  mani¬ 
 fested  to  take  away  our  sins;  and  in  him  is  no  sin. 
 Whosoever  abideth  in  him  sinneth  not:  whosoever 
 sinneth  hath  not  seen  him,  neither  known  him.  Little 
 children,  let  no  man  deceive  you;  he  that  doeth  right¬ 
 eousness  is  righteous,  even  as  he  is  righteous :  he  that 
 committeth  sin  is  of  the  devil,  for  the  devil  sinneth  from 
 the  beginning.  For  this  purpose  the  Son  of  God  was 
 manifested,  that  he  might  destroy  the  works  of  the 
 devil.  Whosoever  is  born  of  God,  doth  not  commit 
 sin;  for  his  seed  remaineth  in  him,  and  he  cannot  sin, 
 because  he  is  born  of  God,”  chap.  iii.  6 — 9.  Now  to 
 suppose  that  because  they  that  are  in  the  flesh  cannot 
 please  God,  they  therefore  have  no  power  ever  to  turn, 
 and  yield  themselves  servants  unto  righteousness,  unto 
 holiness ;  would  not  only  be  the  height  of  absurdity, 
 but  extremely  dangerous :  so  it  is  equally  absurd  to 
 suppose,  that  because  while  that  holy  seed  remaineth 
 in  them  that  are  born  of  God  they  cannot  commit  sin, 
 therefore  they  can  never  let  that  holy  seed  slip. 
 While  a  man,  born  of  God,  takes  earnest  heed  to  the* 
 
 11  3 
 
4 
 
 / 
 
 160 
 
 things  which  he  hath  heard,  he  cannot  commit  sin  ;  the 
 light  of  God’s  reconciled  countenance  shines  upon  his 
 soul,  and  he  is  taken  up  with  God  and  spiritual  things, 
 so  that  that  wicked  one  toucheth  him  not :  he  cannot 
 commit  sin :  and  we  have  already  described  his  state, 
 In  the  words  of  Mr.  Charles  Wesley.  But,  ah  !  how 
 many  of  these  have  suffered  in  time  the  enemy  to  pick 
 that  good  seed  sown  out  of  their  hearts,  and  then 
 where  are  they  ?  Holy  Paul  had  a  large  portion  of 
 this  good  seed  sown  in  his  heart;  but  he  was  afraid, 
 while  struggling  with  the  desires  of  the  flesh,  and  the 
 temptations  of  the  devil,  lest  he  should  one  day  be 
 a  cast- aw  ay.  David  had  such  a  measure  of  this  holy 
 principle,  that  God  calls  him  a  man  after  God’s  own 
 heart.  But  he  lost  his  character,  and  was  afraid,  for 
 what  he  had  done,  God  would  bring  him  in  u  blood- 
 guilty.”  And  repenting  bitterly,  he  devoutly  prays, 
 God  would  not  put  him  away  from  his  presence,  nor 
 take  his  Holy  Spirit  from  him.  Neither  David,  nor 
 Paul,  nor  John,  nor  Peter,  had  ever  learned  that  most 
 dangerous  of  all  doctrines,  that  if  a  man  had  been  once 
 horn  of  God,  he  could  never  commit  the  sin  unto  death. 
 That  whatever  other  sins  he  might  commit,  his  con¬ 
 version  proved  his  election,  therefore  his  soul  was  safe. 
 The  very  belief  of  this  error  has  proved  the  downfal  of 
 thousands.  Here  they  have  got  into  the  snare  of  the, 
 devil  at  once:  and  every  sin  he  hath  tempted  them  to, 
 they  have  concluded,  Well,  it  is  but  a  little  one;  God 
 will  forgive  me;  he  will  never  suffer  me  to  sin  the  sin 
 unto  death :  he  wilt  bring  me  back :  there  is  no  per¬ 
 fection  in'  the  flesh ;  1  am  perfect  in  Christ,  and  accepted 
 in  him. 
 
 Some  of  Christ’s  own  disciples  turned  away  from 
 him,  and  walked  no  more  with  him.  Some  of  Paul’s 
 dear  friends  did  the  same,  and  turned  away  after  Satan  : 
 aye,  and  some  who  still  lay  near  his  heart  too.  They 
 were  not,  as  Mr.  Scott  supposeth,  hypocrites,  while 
 they  walked  to  the  house  of  God  in  harmony  with 
 Christ  and  his  disciples.  But  Mr,  Scott  supposeth  that 
 
161 
 
 all  that  ever  were  born  again,  were  frotn  eternity  pre¬ 
 destinated  so  to  be :  and  therefore  he  concludes  those 
 who  in  the  day  of  temptation  fall  away,  were  never 
 delivered  from  the  gall  of  bitterness,  from  the  bonds 
 of  iniquity;  and  he  quotes  this  epistle,  chap.  ii.  19, 
 66  They  went  out  from  us,  but  they  were  not  of  us : 
 for  if  they  had  been  of  us,  they  would  no  doubt  have 
 continued  with  us;  but  they  went  out,  that  they  might 
 be  made  manifest  that  they  were  not  all  of  us.”  If 
 one  was  inclined  to  wrest  Scripture  to  one’s  own 
 purpose,  I  could  easily  go  about  to  prove,  and  with 
 force  of  argument  too,  that  as  the  apostle  says  of  these 
 apostates,  i6  they  were  not  all  of  us,”  he  evidently 
 means,  some  of  them  were  of  us,  but  not  all.  But 
 taking  no  advantage  of  the  word  all ,  how  many  times 
 have  we  seen  something  similar  to  what  St.  John  here 
 complains  of?  We  have  seen  people  setting  out  in 
 religion,  they  could  not  tell  why  or  wherefore.  They 
 seemed  to  have  no  idea  of  entering  their  closets,  and 
 shutting  the  door,  and  there  worshipping  God  as  a 
 spirit,  there  confessing  their  sins;  but  were  only  making 
 a  fair  shew  in  the  flesh :  their  own  sins  were  never 
 grievous,  nor  their  burden  intolerable;  but  soon  as 
 the  novelty  was  over,  and  they  were  frustrated  in  the 
 end  they  some  of  them  had  in  view,  they  took  the  first 
 fair  opportunity  of  going  from  us.  They  went  out 
 from  us,  because  they  were  not  of  us ;  for  had  they 
 been  of  us,  hearty  in  the  cause  of  God,  deeply  sensible 
 of  their  own  depravity,  and  that  there  was  none  other 
 name  under  heaven  given  whereby  we  can  be  saved, 
 than  Jesus  Christ ;  had  they  u  first  given  themselves 
 unto  the  Lord,  and  then  unto  us  as  his  servants,”  u  no 
 doubt  they  would  have  continued  with  us.”  And  were 
 I  present  with  Mr.  Scott,  I  would  ask  him,  as  in  the 
 presence  of  his  Maker,  whether  he  does  not  believe 
 that  is  the  simple  meaning  of  the  text. 
 
 I  hinted,  Mr.  Scott  should  not  speak  so  positive  of 
 what  is  or  is  not  the  meaning  of  controverted  texts, 
 whose  meaning  to  some  is  doubtful;  especially  he 
 
 H  4 
 
I 
 
 1 62 
 
 Should  not  speak  so  till  he  has  duly  examined  the 
 passage.  He  says,  44  The  apostle  is  speaking  concerning 
 a  sin  unto  death.”  No  such  thing:  he  is  expressly 
 speaking  concerning  sin  which  is  not  unto  death  ;  and 
 as  he  goes  on  only  says,  44  There  is  a  sin  unto  death, 
 I  do  not  say  that  he  shall  pray  for  it it  is  not  that 
 he  is  speaking  concerning ,  but  concerning  a  sin  not 
 unto  death.  However,  we  had  better  transcribe  the 
 whole  passage :  44  If  a  man  see  his  brother  sin  a  sin 
 •which  is  not  unto  death,  he  shall  a£k,  and  he  shall  give 
 him  life  for  them  that  sin  not  unto  death.  There  is 
 a  sin  unto  death,  I  do  not  say  that  he  shall  pray  for  it. 
 All  unrighteousness  is  sin;  and  there  is  a  sin  not  unto 
 death.  We  know  that  whosoever  is  born  ©f  God, 
 sinneth  not;  but  he  that  is  begotten  of  God,  keepeth 
 himself,  and  that  wicked  one  toucheth  him  not,”  or 
 holdeth  him  not,  for  so  the  word  is  in  other  places 
 translated.  Thus  we  see  the  apostle  is  speaking  con¬ 
 cerning  a  sin  not  unto  death,  and  which  he  sees  a  man 
 that  has  been  begotten  of  God,  a  brother,  may  fail  into ; 
 yet  may  through  prayer  be  recovered  from  the  snare  of 
 the  devil,  and  receive  life  again,  such  is  God’s  goodness, 
 in  answer  to  his  brother’s  prayers,  in  whom  the  seed 
 xemaineth.  And  taking  the  whole  passage  into  con¬ 
 sideration,  comparing  it  with  chap.  ii.  1,  44  And  if  any 
 man  sin  we  have  an  advocate,”  how  sweetly  doth 
 holy  John  here  corroborate  with  his  brother  James  ?. 
 Chap.  v.  44  But  let  your  yea  be  yea,  and  your  nay, 
 nay;  lest  ye  fall  into  condemnation.  Is  any  among 
 you  afflicted?  Let  him  pray.  Is  any  merry?  Let 
 him  sing  psalms.  Is  any  sick  among  you  ?  Let  him 
 call  for  the  elders  of  the  church;  and  let  them  pray 
 over  him,  anointing  him  with  oil  in  the  name  of  the 
 Lord  :  And  the  prayer  of  faith  shall  save  the  sick,  and 
 the  Lord  shall  raise  him  up;  and  if  he  have  committed 
 sins,  they  shall  be  forgiven  him.”  As  these  two  por¬ 
 tions  of  Scripture  are  part  of  two  important  epistles, 
 written  by  two  holy  apostles;  and  as  neither  of  the 
 holy  apostles  drew  such  conclusions  from  the  words, 
 
163 
 
 as  Mr.  Scott  draws  from  that  text,  cc  Whosoever  is 
 born  of  God  sinneth  not;”  I  would  recommend  in 
 future  to  Mr.  Scott,  whenever  he  is  about  to  give  his 
 own  opinion  upon  any  text,  as  being  decisive,  that 
 which  God  must  mean  by  it,  always  to  turn  to  that 
 text  coolly,  and  deliberately  see  what  the  holy  penman 
 has  in  view ;  how  the  text  stands  connected,  whether 
 any  inference  is  drawn  from  that  text,  and  see  what 
 the  inference  is.  I  do  not  say,  see  what  commen¬ 
 tators  have  said  upon  it;  for  excepting  Dr.  Mack- 
 night  and  Dr.  Clarke,  where  is  he  that  has  dared  to 
 think  for  himself?  but  in  general  they  only  say  what 
 others  have  said  before  them. 
 
 Would  Mr.  Scott  so  humble  himself,  as  to  take  this 
 advice  in  future,  he  would  be  more  cautious  how  he 
 comes  forward  with  u  must  mean,”  a  clearly  means,” 
 u.  is  speaking  concerning  a  sin  unto  death,”  when  the 
 apostle  is  speaking  concerning  the  very  contrary, — a 
 sin  not  unto  death. 
 
 In  Mr.  Scott  we  here  see  the  sad  effects  of  Calvinism, 
 Before  he  puts  pen  to  paper,  he  is  settled  in  a  certain 
 system,  and  has  imbibed  certain  doctrines  of  men,  as 
 though  they  were  of  God.  He  sets  about  answering 
 his  lordship  the  bishop  of  Lincoln,  who  has  successfully 
 refuted  those  doctrines;  and  though  he  is  not  speaking 
 of  the  perseverance  of  saints,  or  saying  any  thing  about 
 it,  Mr.  Scott  having  to  quote  such  a  blessed  text, 
 44  Whosoever  is  born  of  God,  sinneth  not;  but  he  that 
 is  begotten  of  God  keepeth  himself,  and  that  wicked 
 one  toucheth  him  not;”  cannot  let  pass  so  fair  an 
 opportunity  of  saying  something  in  favour  of  another 
 part  of  the  favourite  system,  and  therefore  this  text  is 
 dragged  neck  and  crop  into  the  service  of  Calvinism. 
 Yes,  Mr.  Scott  tells  us,  u  1  might  here,  with  a  force  of 
 argument  not  easily  answered,  maintain  the  final  per¬ 
 severance  of  all  who  are  born  of  God.”  Now  I  really 
 believe,  on  the  contrary,  that  no  force  of  argument 
 Mr.  Scott  is  capable  of  bringing  in  favour  of  the  final 
 perseverance  of  all  those  that  are  born  again,  but  might 
 
 II  5 
 
164 
 
 very  easily  be  answered  by  any  one  well  conversant 
 with  the  Scriptures :  and  that  he  will  never  be  able  to 
 prove,  u  none  shall  depart  from  the  faith,”  u  having 
 damnation  because  they  have  cast  off  their  first  faith,” 
 until  he  has  proved  the  Scriptures  are  not  written  by 
 inspiration  of  God. 
 
 In  the  third  chapter,  which  treats  a  of  justification, 
 faith,  and  good  works,”  the  quotations  Mr.  Scott 
 makes  from  his  lordship  are  so  excellent,  through  near 
 thirty  pages  of  the  chapter,  and  so  much  in  the  language 
 of  pious  Calvinists  too,  that  Mr.  Scott  seems  to  quote 
 a  good  part,  to  shew  his  marked  approbation  of  them. 
 As  my  business  is  therefore  only  to  prove,  Calvinism  is 
 not  from  God,  not  Scriptural;  I  have  but  little  or 
 nothing  to  do  with  the  beginning  of  this  chapter.  But 
 bis  lordship  says,  page  283,  66  Calvin  concludes,  that 
 If  works  have  any  share  in  justification,  there  is  a 
 boasting  in  works:  this  by  no  means  follows ;  for  we 
 do  not  say  that  works  have  any  intrinsic  merit,  but 
 that  they  are  the  appointed  condition  of  justification. 
 The  same  objection  would  hold  against  the  doctrine  of 
 justification  by  faith  ;  for  we  are  not  allowed  to  boast 
 of  faith,  or  to  consider  it  as  possessing  any  intrinsic 
 merit.”  One  would  have  thought  this  passage  so  pure 
 and  undeniable,  that  no  man  using  his  reason,  or 
 reading  his  Bible,  could  have  objected  to  it.  But  Mr. 
 Scott  in  answer  says,  u  We  can  bear  it  with  calmness, 
 when  faith,  or  even  repentance,  is  called  the  condition 
 of  justification  ;  though  we  think  the  language  inap¬ 
 propriate  and  un, scriptural :  but  we  must  most  decidedly 
 oppose  the  idea  of  our  works,  in  any  sense,  being  the 
 appointed  condition  of  justification :  not  merely  be¬ 
 cause  there  is  boasting  in  works,  but  also  because  it 
 is  antiscriptural.  Faith  is  the  .gift  of  God;  and  so 
 boasting  is  excluded.” 
 
 This  is  getting  pretty  much  to  the  point  again,  and 
 we  must  again  refute  Mr.  Scott  on  this  point.  This 
 enters  into  the  very  vitals  of  revealed  religion.  44  We 
 
165 
 
 must,”  says  Mr.  Scott,  a  decidedly  oppose  the  idea  of 
 our  works,  in  tiny  sense ,  being  the  appointed  condition 
 of  justification,”  u  because  it  is  antis criptural We 
 shall  now  enter  fully  again  into  this  doctrine,  and 
 consider  man,  1.  As  a  fallen,  helpless,  condemned 
 creature:  2.  As  freely  justified,  through  the  redemp¬ 
 tion  which  is  in  Jesus  Christ:  3.  As  taking  hold  of 
 that  justification,  when  he  believes  in  Jesus  Christ,  for 
 the  remission  of  his  sins,  and  acceptance  of  his  person : 
 and,  4.  As  he  will  stand  at  the  bar  of  God,  justified 
 or  condemned,  and  in  that  state  to  remain.  May  the 
 good  Lord  who  indited  the  Scriptures  strengthen  my 
 memory,  that  I  may  write  upon  this  most  of  all  im¬ 
 portant  doctrines,  as  always  having  a  reference  to  the 
 e?ents  of  that  awful  day. 
 
 When  God  created  man,  he  created  him  in  righteous® 
 ness  and  true  holiness.  In  the  image  of  him  who 
 created  him,  he  possessed  peace,  happiness,  life,  spiri¬ 
 tual  and  immortal.  For  this  peace,  happiness,  and 
 immortal  life,  he  was  beholden  to  his  Maker:  it  was 
 all  the  unmerited  gift  of  God.  But  in  this  honour  he 
 abode  not.  The  serpent  being  more  subtil  than  any 
 beast  of  the  field,  deceived  him,  defiled  him,  infused 
 diabolic  and  a  beastly  nature  into  him,  cast  him  down, 
 and  left  him  a  dying  creature.  God  had  given  him. 
 a  law,  holy,  just,  and  good,  suited  to  his  nature :  u  but 
 sin,”  the  offspring  of  the  devil  and  Satan,  u  taking 
 occasion  by  the  commandment,  deceived  him,  and  by  it 
 slew  him,”  gave  him  his  death-w  ound.  Pain,  sickness, 
 fear,  weakness,  death,  took  the  place  of  those  divine, 
 but  departed  joys,  innocence,  happiness,  health,  peace, 
 strength,  boldness,  spiritual  and  immortal  life.  Beget¬ 
 ting  a  son  in  his  ow  n  likeness,  from  that  day,  66  the 
 creature  was  subject  to  vanity,  not  w  illingly,  but  by 
 reason  of  him  w7ho  hath  subjected  the  same  in  hope.” 
 Here  <s  death  passed  upon  all  men,  because  all  have 
 sinned.”  Here  u  by  the  offence  of  one,  judgment 
 came  upon  all  men  to  condemnation.”  This  caused 
 the  psalmist  in  trouble  to  cry,  <€  Enter  not  intejudg® 
 
165 
 
 tnent  with  thy  servant ;  for  in  thy  sight  shall  no  man 
 living  be  justified.”  The  apostle  therefore  said,  u  By 
 the  deeds  of  the  law  there  shall  no  flesh  be  justified  in 
 his  sight:  for  by  the  law  is  the  knowledge  of  sin.’’ 
 
 So  far  his  lordship,  Mr.  Scott,  and  the  Calvinists  for 
 whom  he  wrote,  and  we  the  Anti-calvinists,  go  hand  in 
 hand,  and  sweetly  all  agree.  Some  say,  No;  but 
 they  are  not  telling  the  truth.  Having  received  this 
 sentence  of  death  within  ourselves,  we  are  no  more 
 trusting  to  ourselves  that  we  are  righteous,  thaAwe  are 
 trusting  to  the  innocence,  gentleness,  goodness,  and 
 long-suffering  of  the  pope  of  Rome,  or  the  emperor  of 
 France. 
 
 As  we  are  all  agreed  as  to  the  extent  and  demerit  of 
 sin  ;  so,  if  Mr.  Scott  stands  to  the  doctrines  of  his 
 church,  and  what  he  has  published  in  his  favourite 
 sermon  thirty-two  years  ago,  as  he  tells  us,  whatever 
 the  high,  consistent  Calvinists  do,  we  shall  not  differ 
 much  as  to  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  redemption 
 which  is  in  Jesus  Christ.  In  an  early  part  of  this 
 answer  it  was  observed,  that  in  the  eye  of  God,  Adam 
 went  out  of  Paradise  rather  an  object  of  pity,  a  re¬ 
 deemed,  a  subject  of  grace,  than  the  subject  of  wrath, 
 the  child  of  the  devil.  For  in  his  own  eternal  purpose, 
 in  his  love,  and  in  his  pity,  he  had  redeemed  him;  and 
 in  consequence  of  that  redemption,  he  has  borne  with 
 man  until  this  day.  Christ  being  with  him,  set  up  from 
 everlasting,  his  delight  is  still  with  the  children  of  men. 
 They  are  a  poor,  a  worthless  race  of  beings,  it  is  true; 
 and  it  will  be  the  wonder  of  men  and  angels  to  eternity, 
 how  an  infinitely  holy  God  could  ever  delight  in  such 
 creatures.  But  so  it  is  :  and  let  admiring  angels  wonder, 
 in  love  and  pity  having  redeemed  the  helpless  creature; 
 that  creature  is  now  enabled  to  offer  sacrifices  to  God 
 well-pleasing.  66  For  when  he  was  without  strength, 
 in  due  time  Christ  died  for  the  ungodly.” — u  The  free 
 gift  came  upon  all  men,  unto  justification  of  life, — 
 w  hich  came  unto  the  Colossians  as  in  all  the  world.” 
 — _4<  So  having  made  peace  through  the  blood  of  his 
 
 *  V 
 
167 
 
 Cross,  by  him  to  reconcile  (or  unite)  all  things  unt<$ 
 himself,  whether  things  in  earth,  or  things  in  heaven,, 
 And  you  that  were  some  time  alienated,  and  enemies 
 in  your  mind  by  wicked  w^orks,  yet  now  hath  he  re¬ 
 conciled.  In  the  body  of  his  flesh  through  death,  to 
 present  you  holy,  and  unblameable,  and  unreprovable 
 in  his  sight :  If  ye  continue  in  the  faith,  grounded  and 
 settled,  and  be  not  moved  away  from  the  hope  of  the 
 Gospel  which  ye  have  heard,  which  was  preached  unto 
 every  creature  which  is  under  heaven,  whereof  I  Paul 
 am  made  a  minister,”  Col.  i.  6,  20,  24.  Now  without 
 going  any  farther  to  prove,  that  Christ  was  the  Lamb 
 of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world  ;  if 
 these  Scriptures  mean  any  thing,  they  mean  that  u  as 
 through  the  offence  of  one,  judgment  passed  upon  all 
 men  to  condemnation :  even  so  the  free  gift  came  upon 
 all  men  to  justification  of  life,”  Rom.  v.  18.  “  That 
 
 not  as  was  the  offence,  so  also  was  the  free  gift.”  This 
 justification  has  come  upon  all  men,  upon  every  de¬ 
 scendant  of  Adam,  to  whom  the  promise  was  first 
 made,  without  any  condition,  without  any  condition  of 
 obedience  to  the  law,  or  even  belief  of  the  Gospel. 
 1  cannot  express  my  sentiments  on  this  head,  better 
 than  in  his  lordship’s  own  words,  page  167,  u  This 
 new  dispensation,  so  far  from  being  the  consequence  of 
 any  right  conduct  in  man,  is  founded  in  his  misconduct; 
 the  first  intimation  of  future  redemption  being  given 
 immediately  after  the  fall,  at  the  moment  God  was 
 denouncing  punishment  on  the  disobedience  of  Adam.” 
 This  is  wholly  and  entirely  by  and  through  him,  u  who 
 was  delivered  for  our  offences,  and  was  raised  again 
 for  our  justification.”  In  consequence  of  this  justi¬ 
 fication,  and  only  in  consequence  of  this  general  justi¬ 
 fication,  our  Lord  says,  u  Suffer  little  children  to  come 
 unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not ;  for  of  such  is  the 
 kingdom  of  heaven.”  And  thus  every  infant  stands 
 freely  justified  by  grace,  through  the  redemption  which 
 is  in  Christ  Jesus;  and  therefore,  and  on  no  other 
 account,  ought  every  infant  to  be  given  to  God  in 
 
baptism,  for  it  is  bis  own:  his  own  by  creation,  and 
 when  lost  by  original  sin,  made  his  own  again  by  pur¬ 
 chase;  and  so  dying  while  in  a  state  of  infancy,  it  dies 
 in  a  justified  state,  ana  will  be  with  him  where  he  is 
 through  eternby  :  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
 
 But,  in  the  third  place,  man  is  sensibly  made  the 
 happy  partaker  of  this  free  justification,  when  growing 
 up,  and  being  in  the  world,  he  feels  the  effects  of  a 
 fallen  nature;  that  in  his  flesh  there  dwells  no  manner 
 of  good  thing.  That  the  flesh  lusteth  against  the  Spirit, 
 and  the  Spirit  against  the  flesh,  and  these  are  contrary 
 one  to  th£  other,  so  that  he  cannot  do  the  things  that  he 
 would  ;  but,  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  he  flies  to  the 
 Lamb  of  God,  as  to  the  only  hope  for  a  guilty  soul  to 
 fly  unto.  Here,  believing  on  him  who  justifies  the  un¬ 
 godly,  he  obtains  remission  of  sins  that  are  past,  through 
 the  forbearance  of  God.  It  is  by  faith,  and  faith  only, 
 he  takes  hold  on  Christ,  his  righteousness  and  strength ; 
 and  without  money,  without  price,  he  is  freely  justified 
 by  grace.  Had  Mr.  Scott  contented  himself  in  defend¬ 
 ing  Calvin  on  this  part  of  justification,  or  salvation, 
 we  most  decidedly  should  have  acquiesced  with  him. 
 But  w'hen  he  says,  u  We  must  most  decidedly  oppose 
 the  idea,  of  our  works,  in  any  sense,  being  the  appointed 
 condition  of  justification ;  not  merely  because  there  is 
 boasting  ir>  works,  but  also  because  it  is  antiscriptural 
 we  must  beg  leave  to  contradict  him,  and  prove  to  the 
 world,  that  if  an  angel  from  heaven  were  to  make  such 
 declarations,  we  ought  not  to  receive  his  doctrine,  but 
 most  decidedly  to  oppose  him. 
 
 We  have  already  proved,  that  Christ,  being  lifted  up 
 as  an  ensign  to  the  nations,  drewr  all  men  unto  him. 
 That  he  is  become  the  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the 
 whole  world.  That  man,  therefore,  dying  before  he  is 
 guilty  of  actual,  wilful  transgression,  stands  justified 
 and  accepted,  through  the  redemption  which  is  in  Christ 
 Jesus:  u  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.’’  If 
 he  does  not  stand  justified  before  God  in  the  day  of 
 judgment,  it  is  because  he  has  u  received  the  grace  of 
 
169 
 
 God  in  vain;”  because  “his  works  are  not  fount! 
 perfect  before  God.’1  When  all  flesh  had  corrupted 
 its  way ;  when  all  had  gone  astray  like  lost  sheep, 
 so  that  in  God’s  sight  no  flesh  could  be  justified; 
 then,  when  without  strength,  “  in  due  time  Christ  died 
 for  the  ungodly;”  “  all  men  were  drawn  unto  him;” 
 and  he  became  “  the  true  light,  which  lighteneth  every 
 man  that  cometh  into  the  world.”  So  that  upon  new 
 ground,  under  a  new  covenant,  by  restored,  imparted 
 strength,  man  is  now  commanded,  “Work  out  your 
 own  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling;  for  it  is  God 
 that  worketh  in  us,  both  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good 
 pleasure.” — “  He  that  doeth  righteousness  cometh  unto 
 the  light,  that  he  may  shew'  that  his  works  are  wrought 
 in  God.  According  as  these  works  shall  be  found  to 
 be  in  you,  and  to  abound,  they  make  you  that  you  are 
 neither  barren  nor  unfruitful  in  the  knowledge  of  our 
 Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ:  for  so  an  entrance 
 shall  be  administered  unto  you,  into  the  everlasting 
 kingdom  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  But  he  that  lacketh 
 these  things  is  blind,  and  cannot  see  far  off,  and  hath 
 forgotten  that  he  was  purged  from  his  old  sins,”  2  Pet„ 
 i.  8,  9.  This,  if  there  was  not  another  text  of  the  kind 
 in  the  Bible,  is  all-sufficient.  In  this,  as  in  the  next 
 chapter,  some  souls,  once  purged  from  their  sins,  are 
 said  to  be  blind :  “  wells  w  ithout  water,  clouds  that 
 are  carried  with  a  tempest,  to  w  hom  the  mist  of  dark¬ 
 ness  is  reserved  for  ever.” — “  For  if  after  they  have 
 escaped  the  pollutions  of  the  world,  through  the  know¬ 
 ledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  they  are 
 again  entangled  therein  arid  overcome,  the  latter  end 
 is  worse  with  them  than  the  beginning.  For  it  had 
 been  better  for  them  not  to  have  know  n  the  way  of 
 righteousness,  than  after  they  have  known  it  to  turn 
 from  the  holy  commandment  delivered  unto  them.  But 
 it  has  happened  unto  them  according  to  the  true 
 proverb,  The  dog  is  turned  to  his  own  vomit  again ; 
 and  the  sow  that  was  washed,  to  her  wallowing  in  the 
 mire.”  For  my  own  part,  while  I  transcribe  these 
 
170 
 
 Scriptures,  and  think  of  others  which  this  moment  rush 
 upon  my  mind,  and  then  turn  again  to  Mr.  Scott’s 
 declaration,  page  283,  I  can  scarce  believe  my  senses. 
 il  We  most  decidedly  oppose  the  idea,  of  our  works, 
 in  any  sense,  being  the  appointed  condition  of  our 
 justification.”  Ilad  there  been  a  text  of  Scripture 
 that  had  said  this,  the  Bible  might  at  once  as  well  have 
 been  burnt;  for  the  Scriptures  contradicting  the  Scrip¬ 
 tures,  would  have  proved  they  were  not  of  God,  and 
 therefore  could  have  been  of  none  effect.  And  now 
 for  a  few  more  plain  texts  on  this  most  of  all  important 
 point:  44  Rejoice,  O  young  man,  in  thy  youth,  and  let 
 thy  heart  cheer  thee  in  the  days  of  thy  youth,  and  walk 
 in  the  ways  of  thy  heart,  and  in  the  sight  of  thine  eyes  : 
 but  know  thou,  that  for  all  these  things ,  God  shall 
 bring  thee  into  judgment.” — 44  Let  us  hear  the  con¬ 
 clusion  of  the  whole  matter:  Fear  God,  and  keep  his 
 commandments;  for  this  is  the  whole  duty  of  man. 
 For  God  shall  bring  every  work  into  judgment,  with 
 every  secret  thing,  whether  it  be  good,  or  whether  it  be 
 evil,”  Eccles.  xi.  9,  and  xii.  13, 14.  44  But  I  say  unto 
 
 you,  that  every  idle  word  that  men  shall  speak,  they 
 shall  give  account  thereof  in  the  day  of  judgment:  for 
 by  thy  words  shall  thou  be  justified,  and  by  thy  w  ords 
 thou  shalt  be  condemned,”  Matt.  xii.  36,  37.  44  Good 
 Master,  what  good  thing  shall  I  do  that  1  may  have 
 eternal  life?  And  he  said  unto  him,  Why  callest  thou 
 me  good  ?  There  is  none  good  but  one,  that  is  God  : 
 but  if  thou  wilt  enter  into  life,  keep  the  command¬ 
 ments,”  Matt.  xix.  16,  17.  44  Blessed  are  they  that 
 
 do  his  commandments,  that  they  may  have  right  to  the 
 tree  of  life,  and  may  enter  in  through  the  gates  into 
 the  cityr,”  Rev.  xxii.  14.  44  For  not  the  hearers  of 
 
 the  law  are  just  before  God,  but  the  doers  of  the  law 
 shall  be  justified,”  Rom.  xi.  13.  44  Owe  no  man  any 
 
 thing,  but  to  love  one  another;  for  he  that  loveth 
 another,  hath  fulfilled  the  law.  For  this,  Thou  shall 
 not  commit  adultery,  Thou  shalt  not  kill,  Thou  shalt  % 
 not  steal,  Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness,  Thou 
 
171 
 
 shall  not  covet ;  and  if  there  be  any  other  command¬ 
 ment,  it  is  briefly  comprehended  in  this  saying,  namely, 
 Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself.  Love 
 worketh  no  ill  to  his  neighbour:  therefore  love  is  the 
 fulfilling  of  the  law,”  Rom.  xiii.  8 — 10.  u  For  if 
 any  be  a  hearer  of  the  word,  and  not  a  doer,  he  is  like 
 unto  a  man  beholding  his  natural  face  in  a  glass :  for 
 he  beholdeth  himself,  and  goeth  his  way,  and  straitway 
 forgetteth  what  manner  of  man  he  was.  Rut  whoso 
 looketh  into  the  perfect  law  of  liberty,  and  conti nueth 
 therein,  he  being  not  a  forgetful  hearer,  but  a  doer  of 
 the  work,  this  man  shall  be  blessed  in  his  deed.  If 
 any  man  among  you  seem  to  be  religious,  and  bridleth 
 not  his  tongue,  but  deceiveth  his  own  heart,  this  man’s 
 religion  is  vain.  Pure  religion,  and  undefiled  before 
 God  and  the  Father,  is  this,  To  visit  the  fatherless  and 
 widows  in  their  affliction,  and  to  keep  himself  unspotted 
 from  the  world,”  James  i.  22—27.  <c  If  ye  fulfil  the 
 royal  law,  according  to  the  Scripture,  Thou  shalt  love 
 thy  neighbour  as  thyself,  ye  do  well,”  chap.  ii.  8» 
 66  But  wilt  thou  know,  O  vain  man,  that  faith  without 
 works  is  dead  ?  Was  not  Abraham  our  father  justified 
 by  works,  when  he  had  offered  Isaac  his  so-n  upon  the 
 altar  ?  Seest  thou  how  faith  wrought  with  his  works, 
 and  by  works  was  faith  made  perfect.” — a  Ye  see,  then, 
 how  that  by  works  a  man  is  justified,  and  not  by  faith 
 only.  Likewise  was  not  Rahab  the  harlot  justified  by 
 works,  when  she  had  received  the  messengers,  and  had 
 sent  them  out  another  way  ?”  chap.  ii.  20 — 26.  66  But 
 we  must  most  decidedly  oppose  the  idea,  of  our  works, 
 in  any  sense,  being  the  appointed  condition  of  justi¬ 
 fication,”  u  because  it  is  unscriptural.”  Scott,  p.  283. 
 
 Now  are  the  last  foregoing  lines  a  direct  attack  upon, 
 and  plain  contradiction  of,  and  in  opposition  to,  the 
 above  nine  or  ten  Scriptures,  or  are  they  not?  If 
 I  have  misquoted  Mr.  Scott,  or  any  of  the  above  texts, 
 so  as  to  force  a  meaning  upon  them  which  the  Holy 
 Ghost  never  intended,  bear  witness  of  the  evil  I  have 
 done,  If  I  have  taken  half  verses,  and  that  from 
 
their  connexion,  so  as  to  abstract  an  unnatural  sense 
 from  them,  which,  if  viewed  together,  and  in  their  own 
 divine  form  and  connexion,  would  prove  a  direct  con¬ 
 trary  doctrine,  then  am  J  in  danger  of  my  name  being 
 blotted  from  the  book  of  life.  Then  am  I  in  danger 
 of  God  and  man  accusing  me,  as  I  have  accused  Mr. 
 Scott  before  the  world,  of  putting  a  sense  upon  Scrip¬ 
 ture,  in  defence  of  a  doctrine,  which  by- his  own  pen  he 
 has  proved  is  not  the  sense  the  Holy  Ghost  intended. 
 
 The  matter  is  truly  serious. 
 
 There  will  not  be  a  glorified  saint  in  heaven,  who 
 lived  long  enough  on  earth  to  66  know  how  to  refuse 
 evil,  and  choose  good,”  but  will  by  the  just  Judge  be 
 pronounced  justified  according  to  their  works,  justified 
 by  their  works.  They  that  have  done  good  shall  enter 
 into  life ;  they  that  have  done  evil  shall  go  away  into 
 everlasting  punishment:  nor  is  there  the  shadow  of 
 a  text,  nor  half  a  text  in  the  whole  Bible,  to  contradict 
 me  here.  We  are,  it  is  abundantly  proved,  as  ruined 
 souls,  all,  first,  freely  justified  by  grace,  through  the 
 redemption  which  is  in  Christ :  the  free  gift  has  come 
 upon  all  men  unto  justification  of  life.  2dly,  We 
 sensibly  enjoy  the  benefit  of  this  pure,  undeserved 
 favour,  and  are  made  partakers  of  this  grace,  when  we 
 by  faith  receive  the  atonement  into  our  own  souls,  and 
 trust  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  This  justification,  or 
 degrees  or  different  stages  of  justification,  is  freely, 
 without  money,  and  without  price.  u  To  him  that 
 worketh  not,  but  believeth  on  him  that  justifies  the 
 ungodly,  his  faith  is  counted  for  righteousness,”  Rom. 
 iv.  5.  Here,  with  all  the  apostles,  we  glory;  from 
 our  souls  we  rejoice,  and  are  glad  at  the  remembrance 
 of  this  mercy.  But  for  this  undeserved,  unsought 
 mercy,  no  human  being  had  ever  ascended  the  mount 
 of  God,  or  joined  the  angelic  choir  in  singing  the 
 praises  of  God  and  the  Lamb.  But  all  this  grace  and 
 mercy  is  exercised  towards  sinners  on  earth,  u  now  is 
 the  accepted  time,  now  is  the  day  of  salvation,”  and 
 not  towards  saints  in  heaven,  or  at  the  day  of  judg- 
 
175 
 
 / 
 
 ment.  The  kingdom  will  be  delivered  up  unto  the 
 Father.  The  day  of  mercy,  and  justification  by  faith, 
 will  be  over  for  ever.  The  sweet  hour  of  clemency, 
 the  mediatorial  hour,  will  be  gone,  never,  never  more 
 to  return.  No  one  then  to  say,  u  Father,  forgive 
 them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do.” 
 
 No  man  can  have  views  too  exalted  of  the  person 
 and  work  of  the  Mediator ;  or  sufficiently  adore  him 
 for  coming  down  from  heaven,  to  justify  sinners  by 
 grace  through  faith  on  earth.  Here  he  delivered  him. 
 from  the  horrible  pit,  from  the  miry  clay ;  and  set  his 
 feet  upon  a  rock,  and  established  his  goings  in  a  new 
 way.  But  it  is  with  man  whether,  as  he  receives  Christ 
 Jesus  the  Lord,  he  will  walk  in  him  or  no.  Having 
 this  candle  lighted,  it  is  with  man  whether  he  will  put 
 it  on  a  candlestick,  or  under  a  bushel.  God  has 
 fulfilled  that  most  blessed,  most  extensive  of  promises 
 to  a  guilty  world,  and  that  without  condition: 
 66  Wherefore,  I  say  unto  you,  all  manner  of  sin  and 
 blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven  unto  men.”  The  hand- 
 writing  is  blotted  out  by  the  cross.  But  it  is  with  me, 
 with  Mr.  Scott,  with  his  lordship  the  bishop,  with  all, 
 whether  we  live  a  life  of  faith  on  the  Son  of  God,  who 
 loved  us  and  gave  himself  for  us;  or  whether  we 
 trample  under  foot  the  blood  of  the  covenant  wherewith 
 we  were  sanctified.  Called  by  grace  and  pity  alone  to 
 life  from  the  dead,  it  is  with  Mr.  Scott  whether  he 
 66  continues  to  live  a  new  life,  exercises  a  lively  faith 
 in  God’s  mercy  through  Christ,  and  lives  in  perfect 
 charity  with  all  men,’’  or  not.  It  is  with  him,  and  he 
 “must  account  for  it  at  last,  whether  he  is  i(  soon  angry,” 
 or  u  not  easily  provoked ;  ”  whether  he  has  attained 
 and  lives  that  happy  life,  wherein  sooner  than  cause  his 
 weak  brother  to  offend,  he  has  long  determined  u  to 
 eat  no  flesh  white  the  world  standeth,  lest  he  make  his 
 brother  to  offend;”  u  lest  through  his  knowledge  the 
 weak  brother  perish,  for  whom  Christ  died.”  These 
 are  the  things  will  be  brought  forth  at  the  day  of  judg¬ 
 ment;  and  according  as  they  have  been  wanted,  or  as 
 
174 
 
 they  abounded,  Mr.  Scott  and  I  shall  stand  justified  or 
 condemned,  then  and  for  ever.  66  He  that  in  these 
 things  serveth  Christ,  is  acceptable  to  God,  and  ap¬ 
 proved  of  men.”  n 
 
 Such  is  God’s  mercy  now,  that  he  often,  while  here, 
 (i  justifies  the  ungodly.”  u  But  will  the  ungodly  stand 
 in  the  judgment,  or  be  justified  when  God  appeareth?” 
 O,  where  will  the  ungodly  and  the  sinner  appear  then? 
 All  the  justifications  that  can  take  place,  or  can  pass 
 upon  the  human  soul,  whether  on  earth  or  in  heaven, 
 will  be  in  consequence  of  Christ  dying  for  the  ungodly, 
 when  we  were  without  strength.  But  the  justification 
 by  faith,  must  be  the  justification  of  a  sinner  while 
 here,  and  not  a  justification  of  a  saint  at  the  bar  of 
 God,  or  in  heaven  ;  because  faith  will  not  there  abide, 
 will  not  exist;  but  their  works  shall  follow  them. 
 u  No  one  shall  have  left  house,  or  land,  or  brethren, 
 or  sisters,  for  Christ’s  sake  and  the  Gospel’s,  but  in 
 the  world  to  come  he  shall  receive  everlasting  life.” 
 And  although  u  Abraham  (as  his  lordship  most  justly 
 observes)  seems  to  have  been  justified  three  times; 
 first,  when,  by  the  command  of  God,  he  left  his  own 
 country;  secondly,  when  he  believed  God’s  promise  of 
 numerous  descendants ;  and,  thirdly,  when  he  obeyed 
 God’s  command  to  offer  his  son  ;”  yet  what  are  all 
 these  justifications,  which  only  take  place  on  earth, 
 however  great  in  their  origin  and  exalted  the  privilege, 
 when  compared  with  that  justification  which  will  be 
 pronounced  upon  the  heads  of  the  righteous  by  the 
 Judge  of  all,  before  assembled  worlds  ?  O,  if  Mr. 
 Scott  and  I  stand  condemned  then,  because  we  w7ere 
 cruel  and  unforgiving  towards  our  fellow-servants; 
 what  will  it  avail  us  that  our  Lord  once  forgave  us, 
 because  we  desired  him  while  we  were  here?  O  think, 
 and  think  seriously,  my  soul,  how  many,  on  whom 
 while  here  the  free  gift  came  unto  justification  of  life, 
 will  have  damnation  there,  for  denying  the  Lord  that 
 bought  them  1  And  how  many  will  4£  have  damnation, 
 because  they  have  cast  off  their  first  faith!”  How 
 
175 
 
 / 
 
 a  Christian  minister  could  say,  44  We  must  decidedly 
 oppose  this  idea,  because  it  is  antiscriptural,  and  there 
 is  boasting,”  is  best  known  to  himself ;  and  he  ought 
 to  answer  it  to  the  world,  as  he  must  answer  for  it  to 
 Almighty  God.  I  appeal  to  God  and  man,  whether  it 
 be  antiscriptural  or  not. 
 
 Hut  Mr.  Scott  says,  44  There  s  boasting  in  the  idea, 
 of  works  being  the  condition  of  justification.”  Boast¬ 
 ing  !  I  repeat  the  question,  Where?  What!  before 
 God?  Will  Mr  Scott  flatly  contradict  the  apostle  here 
 also  ?  See  Rom.  iii.  27,  and  iv.  2,  44  Where  is  boast¬ 
 ing  then  ?  It  is  excluded.  By  what  law  ?  Of  works? 
 Nay,  but  by  the  law  of  faith.” — ;4  For  if  Abraham 
 were  justified  by  works,  he  hath  whereof  to  glory  ;  but 
 not  before  God.”  Here  the  inspired  apostle  speaks 
 of  what  has  and  does  take  place  on  earth  :  of  the  uni¬ 
 versal  depravity  of  man.  And  if  here,  and  in  this 
 state,  a  man  were  justified  by  works,  as  it  would  be 
 a  singular  case,  he  would  really  have  to  boast,  and  say, 
 44  Stand  by,  I  am  holier  than  thou.”  But  (O  how 
 guarded  is  the  apostle!)  not  when  he  stands  justified, 
 even  by  works,  before  God. 
 
 I  think  this  as  much  to  the  point,  as  though  the 
 apostle  had  been  inspired  on  purpose  to  silence  this 
 part  of  Calvinism.  And  now'  let  us  look  at  souls, 
 justified  by  works,  when  they  stand  before  God.  Let 
 us  see  whether  boasting  is  introduced.  Let  it  be  kept 
 in  view,  that  it  was  asserted  that  the  apostle  is,  in 
 Rom,  iii.  and  iv.  speaking  of  what  takes  place  on 
 earth;  not  the  justification  or  condemnation  of  souls 
 at  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  It  is  where  44  every 
 mouth  is  stopped,  and  all  the  world  become  guilty 
 before  God,”  chap.  iii.  19.  But  will  this  be  the  case 
 in  the  day  when  time  shall  be  no  longer?  Will  not 
 happy  millions,  instead  of  being  condemned,  instead 
 of  their  mouths  being  stopped,  then  lift  up  their  heads 
 with  joy  ?  Let  us  hear  how  they  boast,  while  the 
 Judge  justifying  them  says,  44  For  I  was  an  hungred, 
 and  you  gave  me  meat;  thirsty,  and  you  gave  me 
 
176 
 
 drink;  naked,  and  you  clothed  me;  sick,  and  in 
 prison,  and  you  came  unto  me.”  And  when  the  kind 
 Judge  insists  upon  laying  these  things  to  their  account, 
 and  rewarding  them  with  44  life  eternal,”  and  in  good¬ 
 ness  remembering  the  cup  of  cold  water,  and  44  blessing 
 him  that  considered  the  poor*”  instead  of  boasting, 
 the  righteous  shall  answer  him,  saying,  44  Lord,  when 
 saw  we  thee  an  hungred,  and  fed  thee?  or  thirsty,  and 
 gave  thee  drink?  When  saw  we  thee  a  stranger,  and 
 took  thee  in  ?  or  naked,  and  clothed  thee  ?  Or  when 
 saw  we  thee  sick,  or  in  prison,  and  came  unto  thee  ? 
 
 This  will  be  the  happy,  sweet  kind  of  boasting  of  the 
 righteous  to  eternity  ;  but  he  that  lacketh  these  things, 
 (O  let  us  never  be  ashamed  of  Christ,  or  of  his  word  !) 
 will  be  cast  out.  The  righteous  man,  who  turned  away 
 from  his  righteousness,  and  committed  iniquity,  and 
 died  in  them,  44  will  go  away  into  everlasting  punish¬ 
 ment;”  44  all  his  righteousness  which  he  had  done 
 will  not  be  mentioned.”  He  was  not  faithful  unto 
 death,  and  cannot  receive  the  crown  of  everlasting  life. 
 Will  any  one,  then,  dare  lift  up  his  head,  and  say, 
 44  I  most  decidedly  oppose  the  idea,  of  our  works,  in 
 any  sense,  being  the  condition  of  justification  ?  ”  I 
 would,  in  the  most  solemn  manner,  ask  the  serious 
 question,  44  Upon  what  other  condition  will  man  be 
 justified  or  condemned  in  that  awful  day  ?  Upon  what 
 other  ground  will  the  just  Judge  proceed,  in  judging, 
 justifying,  or  condemning  the  children  of  men?  Do 
 the  Scriptures  know  of  any  other  cause,  but  that  of 
 works,  for  the  separation  that  will  for  ever  then  take 
 place  between  the  righteous  and  the  wicked  ?  ”  So 
 manifold,  so  uniform  are  the  Scriptures  upon  this  im¬ 
 portant  point,  that  it  would  be  easy  to  write  a  volume 
 in  its  defence,  which  neither  men  nor  devils  could 
 refute ;  but  two  or  three  more  texts  shall  suffice  for 
 the  present.  44  He  that  soweth  to  the  flesh,  shall  of 
 the  flesh  reap  corruption ;  but  he  that  soweth  to  the 
 Spirit,  shall  of  the  Spirit  reap  life  evedasting.” — -> 
 *  More  of  tins  hereafter,  at  the  close  of  this  volume. 
 
1 
 
 177 
 
 a  Marvel  not  at  this;  for  the  hour  is  coming,  in  the 
 which  all  that  are  in  their  graves  shall  hear  his  voice, 
 and  shall  come  forth  :  the>  that  have  done  good,  to  the 
 resurrection  of  life ;  and  they  that  have  done  evil, 
 unto  the  resurrection  of  damnahion,”  John  v.  28 — 30. 
 u  With  good  will  doing  service  as  to  the  Lord,  and 
 not  to  men  :  knowing  that  whatsoever  good  thing  any 
 man  doeth,  the  same  shall  he  receive  of  the  Lord, 
 whether  bond  or  free.  And  ye  masters,  do  the  same 
 things  unto  them,  forbearing  threatening ;  knowing 
 that  your  Master  also  is  in  heaven,  neither  is  there 
 respect  of  persons  with  him,”  Ephes.  vi.  7,  9. 
 
 As  there  is  nothing  of  equal  importance  with  that  of 
 justification  or  of  condemnation  at  the  day  of  judgment, 
 because  what  is  then  done  is  done  for  ever;  so  there 
 is  nothing  the  Scriptures  so  continually  remind  us  of, 
 and  so  plainly  and  minutely  describe:  yet,  strange  to 
 say,  which  Mr.  Scott,  in  the  heat  of  his  controversy, 
 seems  totally  to  have  lost  sight  of.  With  his  mind 
 absorbed  in  the  justification  of  a  sinner  by  faith  on 
 earth,  the  justification  of  saints  at  the  day  of  judgment 
 and  in  heaven  to  all  eternity,  is  treated  as  a  nonentity, 
 or  a  trifle  of  no  concern  ;  whereas,  in  a  very  little  time, 
 Mr,  Scott  and  I  shall  look  on  every  thing  else  as  trifles, 
 as  nothing,  when  compared  with  the  events  of  that  day. 
 Mr.  Scott’s  conduct  is  here  quite  natural:  it  is  quite 
 common  and  natural  for  high  Calvinists  to  treat  the 
 day  of  judgment,  not  as  a  day  of  trial  of  men’s  works, 
 in  which,  without  respect  of  persons,  each  shall  receive 
 according  to  the  deeds  done  in  the  body,  whether  they 
 be  good,  or  whether  they  be  evil;  but  only  as  a  day 
 when  God  will  publickly  own  and  pronounce  eternal 
 happiness  upon  his  elect,  whom  he  chose  without  con¬ 
 ditions,  without  regard  to  works  good  or  bad,  before 
 the  foundation  of  the  world;  while  he  as  publickly 
 disowns,  and  condemns  the  non-elect  to  endless  tor¬ 
 ments,  as  persons  from  whom  he  withheld  special  grace, 
 for  reasons  only  known  unto  himself.  And  Air.  Scott 
 asks,  u  Who  is  to  call  him  to  an  account  for  this  ?” 
 
178 
 
 \ 
 
 Concerning  44  works,  in  any  sense,  being  the  cause 
 of  our  justification,’’  he  says,  44  No  one  passage,  either 
 in  Scripture,  or  in  the  authorised  writings  of  our  church, 
 can  be  adduced  in  support  of  the  sentiment.  The 
 language  of  St.  James  implies  no  such  thing:  4  Seest 
 thou  how  faith  wrought  with  his  works,  and  by  works 
 faith  was  made  perfect  ?  And  the  Scripture  was  fulfilled 
 which  saith,  Abraham  believed  in  God,  and  it  was 
 imputed  unto  him  for  righteousness  ;  and  he  was  called 
 the  friend  of  God.’ — 4  As  the  body  without  the  spirit 
 is  dead ;  so  faith  without  works  is  dead  also,’  being 
 alone.  Working  and  moving,  evidence  a  man  to  be 
 alive,  and  distinguish  him  from  a  dead  corpse;  but 
 they  are  not  the  condition  of  his  being  made  alive  in 
 any  measure  or  degree,  being  entirely  subsequent  to  it, 
 as  good  works  are  to  our  justification.”  44  No  one 
 passage  in  Scripture  can  be  adduced  in  support  of  the 
 sentiment,  of  works  being  the  condition  of  justification.” 
 44  The  language  of  St.  James  implies  no  such  thing: 
 
 4  Seest  thou  how  faith  wrought  with  his  works,’  ”  &c. 
 In  general,  Mr.  Scott  is  careful  to  give  the  number  of 
 chapter  and  verse  whence  he  makes  his  quotation, 
 though  he  perhaps  quotes  not  half  a  text,  or  half 
 a  sentence;  but  here,  as  though  for  some  reason,  he 
 leaves  his  readers  to  find  out  the  chapter  and  verse 
 where  this  language  of  St.  James  is  found.  And  when 
 we  look  for  it,  and  find  its  immediate  connexion,  we 
 cannot  help  thinking  Mr.  Scott  here  acted  with  a  deal 
 of  caution.  He  has  a  doctrine  to  defend  and  support; 
 and  the  verse  immediately  preceding  the  cited  passage, 
 and  the  verse  immediately  following,  flatly  contradict 
 Mr.  Scott,  and  prove  the  doctrine  he  defends  is  not  of 
 God.  He  therefore  wisely  keeps  them  totally  out  of 
 view;  and  as  the  two  verses  can  scarcely  be  seriously 
 read  without  the  reader  being  struck  with  their  divine 
 connexion,  he  as  carefully  omits  informing  us  in  what 
 part  of  St.  James’s  epistle  Abraham  is  spoken  of  as 
 being  justified  by  faith.  The  words  are  in  chap.  ii. 
 22,  23,  but  verses  21  and  24,  are  as  follows:  44  Was 
 
 I 
 
l?9 
 
 aot  Abraham  our  father  justified  by  works,  when  he 
 had  offered  Isaac  his  son  upon  the  altar?”-—44  Ye  see, 
 then,  how  that  by  works  a  man  is  justified,  and  not  by 
 faith  only.”  Are  these  words  of  divine  inspiration, 
 or  are  they  not  ?  Did  ever  Mr.  Scott  quote  them  in 
 the  pulpit  in  his  life  ?  I  can  safely  say,  many  Calvinists 
 as  I  have  heard,  and  I  have  heard  most  of  them  who 
 have  been  men  of  note  within  the  last  forty  years,  and 
 for  many  years  I  heard  no  other ;  yet  1  never  heard 
 the  above  two  verses  quoted  by  them  in  my  life,  nor 
 several  other  verses  in  this  same  chapter.  And  if  these 
 texts  are  by  Calvinist  ministers  never  quoted,  never 
 referred  unto ;  is  it  not  because  these  texts  strongly 
 enforce  a  doctrine  which  the  Calvinists  do  not  believe? 
 
 If  Mr.  Scott  wanted  to  enforce  the  idea,  that  man 
 being  redeemed  from  the  curse  of  the  law  by  Christ 
 being  made  a  curse  for  him;  and  being  justified  freely 
 as  a  sinner  by  his  grace  through  faith  on  earth ;  every 
 one  that  believeth  on  him  shall  ultimately  and  eternally 
 be  justified  before  God  by  his  works;  he  could  not  do 
 it  more  effectually  than  by  proving  St.  James  wrote  as 
 he  was  inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  when  he  committed 
 these  omitted  texts  to  paper:  64  Was  not  Abraham  our 
 father  justified  by  works,  when  he  had  offered  Isaac 
 his  son  upon  the  altar  ?”— -a  Ye  see,  then,  how  that 
 by  works  a  man  is  justified,  and  not  by  faith  only. 
 Likewise  was  not  Rahab  the  harlot  justified  by  works, 
 when  she  had  received  the  messengers,  and  sent  them 
 out  another  way  ?  ”  This  would  have  been  quite  to 
 his  purpose.  Yet  Mr.  Scott  assures  the  world,  64  The 
 language  of  St.  James  implies  no  such  thing:”  and  he 
 takes  care  to  quote  such  a  part  of  a  passage  that  does 
 not  imply  any  such  thing  sure  enough,  and  to  leave  out 
 that  part  which  does:  that  part  which  positively  de¬ 
 clares  it. 
 
 Mr.  Scott  goes  on,  44  How  far  this  note  accords  with 
 his  lordship’s  statement  in  the  preceding  pages,  others 
 must  judge.”  This  note,  as  well  as  the  next,  will 
 appear  perfectly  to  accord  with  the  statements  in  the 
 
 I 
 
180 
 
 preceding  pages,  to  every  one  who  seriously  believes  in 
 the  degrees,  or  different  stages,  of  a  man’s  justification ; 
 as,  first,  purely  by  the  redemption  which  is  in  Jesus 
 Christ,  without  any  condition  on  men’s  part :  such  is 
 the  state  of  all  infants.  2.  Justification  by  faith  through 
 the  forbearance  of  God ;  when  all  past  sins  are  forgiven, 
 and  cast  as  a  stone  into  the  depth  of  the  ocean  ;  such  is 
 the  state  of  the  man  who  can  say  with  the  apostle, 
 
 Ci  Even  we  have  believed  in  Jesus  Christ,  that  we  might 
 be  justified  by  the  faith  of  Christ,  and  not  by  the  works 
 of  the  law :  for  by  the  works  of  the  law  shall  no  flesh 
 be  justified.”  3.  When  the  trial  of  the  Christian’s 
 faith,  being  much  more  precious  than  gold  that  perishes, 
 he  is  called  upon,  and  willingly  takes  up  his  cross, 
 denies  himself,  and  owns  Christ  and  his  cause  before 
 men,  he  is  justified  by  works :  such  is  the  state  of  that 
 man,  who,  having  experienced  redemption  in  the  Sa¬ 
 viour’s  blood,  counts  all  things  but  loss  for  the  excel¬ 
 lency  of  the  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ  his  Lord.  He 
 wars  a  good  warfare,  and  his  light  so  shines  before 
 men,  that  they  seeing  his  good  works,  glorify  his 
 Father  which  is  in  heaven.  When  faith  in  the  Son  of 
 God  shall  by  the  Christian  be  exercised  no  longer,  and 
 grace  and  mercy  in  God  be  exercised  towards  the 
 human  race  no  more,  but  each  one  shall  receive  of  the 
 J^ord  according  as  his  works  shall  be:  when  they  who 
 have  clone  good  shall  enter  into  life.  And  such  will 
 be  the  case  of  all,  out  of  every  nation  under  heaven,  \ 
 who  have  u  feared  God  and  worked  righteousness,” 
 according  to  the  light  they  had,  and  not  according  to 
 vhat  they  had  not. 
 
 Whoever,  I  say,  believes  in  these  different  states  of 
 justification,  as  set  forth  in  the  Scriptures  of  (ruth,  will 
 see  no  discordance  in  his  lordship’s  notes,  and  the 
 declarations  found  in  the  foregoing  pages. 
 
 To  suppose  that  the  justification  of  souls  immortal 
 in  the  day  of  judgment,  u  is  that  one  permanent  act 
 of  God,”  which  takes  place  in  the  believer,  when  he 
 flees,  a  guilty  sinner,  to  lay  hold  on  the  hope  set  before 
 
181 
 
 him  in  Christ ;  is  one  of  the  highest  absurdities  a  human 
 being  can  be  guilty  of.  O,  what  a  mock,  farcical  day 
 of  judgment  Mr.  Scott’s  scheme  of  permanent  abiding 
 state  of  acceptance  with  God  makes  of  it. 
 
 Speaking  of  Abraham,  he  says,  44  His  faith  was  after- 
 wards  especially  evinced,  when  he  obeyed  the  hard 
 command  of  offering  Isaac  as  a  burnt-offering ;  but  it 
 is  not  said  in  the  history  that  he  was  then  justified.” 
 This  I  also  call  a  blow  at  the  root:  for  whatever  Mr, 
 Scott  means  by  44  the  history,”  it  is  expressly  said  by 
 the  Holy  Ghost,  44  Was  not  Abraham  our  father 
 justified  by  works,  when  he  had  offered  Isaac  his  son 
 upon  the  altar?”  Mr.  Scott  says,  44  It  is  not  said  that 
 he  was  then  justified.”  This  Scripture  expressly  says 
 it  was  then ,  when  he  had  offered  his  son  Isaac  upon, 
 the  altar.  So  that  however  the  44  bishop’s  note  and 
 foregoing  pages  may  be  in  discord  or  accord,”  Mr. 
 Scott’s  writings,  and  the  sacred  Scriptures,  will  never 
 accord. 
 
 He  proceeds,  44  His  lordship  hath  fully  shewn,  that 
 such  a  faith  as  is  here  described  cannot  justify/5 
 44  But  how  could  they  be  kept  in  a  state  of  justification^ 
 who,  having  only  a  dead  faith,  never  were  justified.’7 
 Paul  tells  us,  that  44  by  the  righteousness  of  one  the 
 free  gift  came  upon  all  men  unto  justification  of  life;’7 
 yet  Mr.  Scott  talks  of  some  who  never  were  justified. 
 This  also  is  dreadful  discordance. 
 
 intimating  that  none  are  ever  forgiven  of  God  but 
 the  elect,  and  that  consequently  they  once  forgiven  are 
 for  ever*  and  ever  justified,  whatever  changes  may  take 
 place  in  their  conduct,  page  290,  he  says,  44  It  need 
 not  here  be  argued,  whether  living  faith  ever  fails  or 
 degenerates  into  dead;  but  the  language  of  Scripture 
 is  very  expressive  respecting  forgiveness  of  sins  :  4  As 
 far  as  the  east  is  from  the  west,  so  far  hath  he  removed 
 our  transgressions  from  us.’ — w  I  will  forgive  their 
 iniquity,  and  I  will  remember  their  sin  nojnore.’— 
 4  The  iniquity  of  Israel  shall  be  sought  for,  and  not  be 
 found ;  for  1  will  pardon  them  whom  l  reserve.’— 
 
 I  2 
 
1S2 
 
 ,  6  Thou  hast  cast  all  my  sins  behind  thy  back.’ — 4  He 
 will  subdue  our  iniquities,  and  thou  wilt  cast  all  their 
 sins  into  the  depth  of  the  sea.’  ”  And  he  comments 
 upon  these  sacred  texts  thus:  64  What  is  sunk  in 
 shallow  water,  may  be  got  up  again ;  but  that  which 
 sinks  to  the  bottom,  in  the  depth  of  the  sea,  will  never 
 more  be  brought  forth.”  To  say  nothing  about  this 
 being  a  truth  or  an  error,  and  without  proving  how” 
 many  things  once  sunk  in  the  depth  of  the  sea,  have 
 been  thrown  up  and  brought  back  to  shore,  and  by  the 
 which  the  blackest  of  crimes  have  come  to  light ;  one 
 would  have  thought  an  old  divine,  and  one  who  un¬ 
 happily  has  been  commenting  upon  the  Scriptures  for 
 more  than  thirty  years,  when  he  wanted  to  prove, 
 Gospel  blessings  conferred  upon  Gentiles,  and  that 
 they,  once  pardoned,  were  also  for  ever  and  ever 
 justified,  would  have  been  able  to  have  thought  of  some 
 plain  Scripture  in  the  New  Testament,  which  speaks 
 of  Gentiles  being  the  elect  of  God,  when  once  pardoned 
 and  adopted  into  God’s  family,  were  for  ever  perma¬ 
 nently  justified.  But  as  there  is  no  Scripture  in  the 
 New  Testament,  that  speaks  of  this  changeless  state  of 
 a  justified  Gentile,  Mr.  Scott  quotes  five  texts,  or  half 
 texts,  out  of  the  Old  Testament;  but  unfortunately  for 
 him,  all  these  texts  are  spoken  exclusively  of  Jews  by 
 name,  and  of  two  individuals  of  the  Jewish  nation ;  nor 
 is  there  in  any  of  them,  one  word  said  about  justi¬ 
 fication  of  Gentiles;  see  Psalm  ciii.  12,  Jer.  xxxi.  34, 
 and  1.  20,  Isaiah  xxxviii.  17,  Mic.  vii.  19.  As  most 
 of  these  texts  have  before  been  proved  to  have  nothing 
 at  all  to  do  with  the  subject  Mr.  Scott  has  in  hand,  and 
 by  his  own  pen  are  proved  to  have  been  written  for 
 quite  another  purpose,  namely,  as  promises  of  the 
 restoration  of  Israel,  1  need  not  quote  them  again  to 
 refute  him.  But  as  he  here  finds  out  a  fresh  text,  to 
 prove  that  a  Gentile  on  earth,  once  pardoned,  is  from 
 that  time  for  ever  justified,  I  shall  quote  the  text  with 
 its  context:  44  lie  will  turn  again,  he  will  have  com¬ 
 passion  upon  us:  he  will  subdue  our  iniquities:  and 
 
183 
 
 thou  wilt  cast  all  their  sins  into  the  depths  of  the  sea. 
 Thou  wilt  perform  the  truth  to  Jacob,  and  the  mercy 
 to  Abraham,  which  thou  hast  sworn  unto  our  fathers 
 from  the  days  of  old.”  So  ends  Mr.  Scott’s  quotation, 
 and  the  prophecy  of  Micah.  And  I  appeal  to  men  of 
 common  sense  of  every  denomination,  is  there  any  thing 
 here  to  prove  the  pardon  and  permanent  justification 
 of  a  Gentile,  or  of  any  Gentiles?  Yet  by  quoting 
 passages  of  this  kind  continually,  Mr.  Scott  deceives 
 the  unsuspecting  reader,  and  makes  him  believe  there 
 are  texts  in  the  Bible,  which  plainly  speak  of  the  elect 
 Gentiles,  and  of  their  unconditional,  everlasting  justi¬ 
 fication,  and  their  infallible  salvation ;  though  when 
 we  come  to  examine  those  texts  referred  to,  we  as  con¬ 
 stantly  find  they  are  spoken  of  quite  another  subject, 
 and  of  another  people. 
 
 However  Mr.  Scott  gets  over  difficulties  in  general 
 without  much  trouble,  by  quoting  texts  and  half  texts, 
 which  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  subject  in  hand ; 
 he  finds  some  hardish  work  when  he  answers  the  fol¬ 
 lowing  statement:  44  Indeed  the  servant,  whose  debt 
 was  forgiven  by  his  Lord,  but  who  afterwards  refused 
 to  forgive  his  fellow-servant,  was  severely  rebuked, 
 and  delivered  to  the  tormentors,  to  suffer  punishment 
 for  that  very  debt  which  had  been  forgiven. ”  Mr. 
 Scott  answers,  44  And  how  far  this  single  instance  of 
 a  cancelled  forgiveness,  so  much  as  intimated  in  Scrip¬ 
 ture,  is  to  preponderate  against  all  the  texts  before 
 quoted,  the  reader  must  determine.  Expositors  in 
 general  think,  that  circumstances  in  parables  are  to  be 
 explained  according  to  the  clear  import  of  other  Scrip¬ 
 tures,  and  not  used  to  decide  controverted  points  of 
 doctrine.”  So  far  expositors  are  certainly  right.  But 
 for  a  Christian  minister  so  much  as  to  intimate,  that 
 there  is  a  single  instance  of  a  text  in  the  Bible,  spoken 
 by  the  Lord  of  glory,  which  stands  in  opposition  to 
 other  texts;  and  to  give  a  kind  of  warning  to  the 
 reader,  not  to  let  this  text  44  preponderate  in  his  mind,” 
 is  not  right;  and  it  is  doing  that  by  the  Scriptures, 
 
 I  3 
 
which  no  serious  Anti-calvinist  durst  do.  Mr.  Scot! 
 calls  this,  u  a  single  instance  intimated  in  the  Scrip¬ 
 tures.”  If  it  be  a  u  single  instance  of  a  person  having 
 Jiis  forgiveness  cancelled,”  it  is  an  instance ;  and  that 
 Instance  is  quite  sufficient  for  any  man,  who  believes 
 
 all  Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God.”  And 
 if  Mr.  Scott  had  carefully  examined  this  parable,  with 
 our  Lord’s  application  of  it  to  his  own  disciples,  whom 
 he  had  freely  forgiven,  he  would  have  been  a  little 
 more  careful  how  he  spoke  so  loosely  of  it.  The 
 parable,  and  our  Lord’s  improvement  of  it,  finishes  as 
 follows:  u  And  his  Lord  was  wroth,  and  delivered 
 him  to  the  tormentors,  till  he  should  pay  all  that  was 
 due  unto  him.  So  likewise  shall  my  heavenly  Father 
 do  also  unto  you,  if  ye  from  your  hearts  forgive  not 
 every  one  his  brother  their  trespasses.”  Here  can  be 
 210  mistake,  if  our  Lord  was  not  off  his  guard,  and 
 spoke  in  ua  legal  spirit,”  (and  who  dare  accuse  him  of 
 this?)  then  if  Mr.  Scott  does  not  from  his  heart  forgive 
 his  brother  his  trespasses,  then  with  all  his  fancied  or 
 real  election,  with  all  his  talk  about  u  permanent 
 justification,”  he  is  in  danger  of  being  cast  to  the  tor- 
 menters  at  last  to  be  punished.  These  are  no  specu¬ 
 lations.  It  was  no  parable  our  Lord  spake,  when  he 
 Said,  u  So  shall  my  heavenly  Father  do  also  unto  you, 
 (forgiven,  accepted  disciples.)  if  ye  from  your  heart 
 forgive  not  every  one  his  brother  their  trespasses.” 
 Mr.  Scott  may  affect  not  to  understand  the  parable, 
 u  and  may  not  use  it  to  decide  controverted  points  of 
 doctrine;”  but  he  cannot  misunderstand  this;  and 
 I  pray  God  he  may  not  be  the  cause  of  others  mis¬ 
 understanding  it. 
 
 He  quotes  part  of  Rom.  viii.  as  follows,  page  290, 
 ££  There  is  no  condemnation  to  them  that  are  in  Christ 
 Jesus,  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the 
 Spirit:”  and  when  I  examine  his  quotation,  and  turn 
 to  the  text  as  in  my  Bible,  I  am  here  also  really  asto¬ 
 nished.  Mr.  Scott,  it  will  be  observed,  in  all  this 
 wants  to  prove,  that  if  a  person  be  once  in  a  state  of 
 
183 
 
 justification,  he  never  hereafter  can  so  fall  away,  as  to 
 be  brought  into  a  state  of  condemnation  again.  The 
 holy  apostle  says,  ( 6  There  is  therefore  now,  no  con¬ 
 demnation  to  them  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  who  walk 
 not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit.”  Mr.  Scott 
 docs  not  want  to  prove  what  is  really  now ,  that  the 
 justified  person  walking  after  the  Spirit  has  no  con¬ 
 demnation  now  ;  but  that  being  once  in  a  justified  state, 
 once  forgiven,  there  never  will  be  any  condemnation  to 
 him,  let  his  subsequent  conduct  vary  however  it  may: 
 he  says,  u  It  has  been  proved,  that  good  works  are 
 not  necessary  to  justification.”  He  therefore  leaves 
 out  the  u  therefoie  now ,”  as  though  he  could  word 
 the  sentence  better  than  the  apostle ;  and  says,  66  There 
 is  no  condemnation  to  them  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus, 
 who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit,” 
 instead  of  saying,  There  is  therefore  now%  no  con¬ 
 demnation  to  them  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus,”  &c. 
 
 Though  Mr.  Scott  was  never  deemed  a  very  ingenious 
 writer,  it  must  be  allowed,  there  is  as  much  ingenuity 
 as  there  is  piety,  displayed  in  these  little  alterations. 
 Happy  for.  the  church,  if  commentators  would  all  wil¬ 
 lingly  agree  to  let  the  Holy  Ghost  speak  as  he  pleases, 
 and  cordially  believe  what  he  says.  But  so  long  as 
 heterogeneous  doctrines  are  to  be  defended,  the  Scrip¬ 
 tures  must  be  bent,  and  wrested  down  to  their  defeuce. 
 
 When  we  look  at  the  holy  apostle,  whom  the  Spirit 
 of  life  in  Christ  Jesus  had  then  made  free,  and  at  the 
 believing  Romans,  u  beloved  of  God,  called  to  be 
 saints,”  chap.  i.  7,  we  see  those  who  were  once  in 
 a  state  of  condemnation ;  but  they  were  not  in  that 
 state  then,  when  the  apostle  wrote  :  for  then  they  were 
 called  to  be  saints.  The  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in 
 Christ  Jesus  had  then  made  them  free.  There  was 
 then  no  condemnation  to  them.  But  it  did  not  follow, 
 that  if  they  made  shipwreck  of  faith  and  of  a  good 
 conscience,  that  if  they  drew  back,  and  cast  off  their 
 first  faith,  that  they  never  should  have  a  damnation.” 
 No,  the  holy  apostle  always  guarded  his  doctrine  of 
 
 I  4 
 
 > 
 
186 
 
 free  grace :  knowing  that  he  that  treadeth  under  foot 
 the  Son  of  God,  and  counteth  the  blood  of  the  covenant 
 "wherew  ith  he  was  sanctified  an  unholy  thing,  will  have 
 a  sorer  punishment,  seeing  he  crucifies  the  Son  of  God 
 afresh,  and  puts  him  to  an  open  shame.  That  he  i& 
 then  twice  dead,  plucked  up  by  the  roots,  his  latter 
 end  is  worse  than  the  beginning;  and  therefore  he 
 wisely,  divinely  taught,  guards  this  holy  sentence  with 
 * a  (i  therefore  now :n  u  There  is  therefore  now ,  no 
 condemnation  to  them  who  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  who 
 walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit.”  For 
 says  he  in  subsequent  verses,  u  Therefore,  brethren, 
 we  are  debtors,  not  to  the  flesh,  to  live  after  the  flesh : 
 For  if  ye  live  after  the  flesh,  ye  shall  die ;  but  if  you 
 through  the  Spirit  do  mortify  the  deeds  of  the  body, 
 ye  shall  live,”  ver.  12,  13.  u  Thou  wilt  say  then. 
 The  branches  were  broken  off,  that  I  might  be  grafted 
 in :  Well ;  because  of  unbelief  they  were  broken  off, 
 and  thou  standest  by  faith:  Be  not  high. minded,  but 
 fear.  For  if  God  spared  not  the  natural  branches, 
 lake  heed  lest  be  also  spare  not  thee.  Behold,  there* 
 fore,  the  goodness  and  severity  of  God :  on  them  which 
 fell,  severity;  but  towards  thee,  goodness;  if  thou 
 continue  in  his  goodness :  otherwise  thou  also  shalt  be 
 cut  off,”  cap.  xi.  19,  22.  And  to  the  Corinthians  this 
 pious  apostle  writes  thus  concerning  himself :  u  I  there¬ 
 fore  so  run,  not  as  uncertainly  :  so  fight  I,  not  as  one 
 that  beateth  the  air :  but  I  keep  under  my  body,  and 
 bring  it  into  subjection,  lest  that  by  any  means  when 
 I  have  preached  to  others,  I  myself  should  be  a  cast¬ 
 away,”  1  Cor.  ix.  26,  27.  Aye,  and  every  Christian 
 while  here,  had  need  to  learn  the  same  lesson ;  yes, 
 and  from  the  same  motive,— lest  by  any  means  he 
 should  become  a  cast-avvay. 
 
 Sin  is  not  less  deceitful  now  than  it  was  then  ;  human 
 nature  not  less  corrupt  now  than  it  was  then.  The 
 world,  and  the  things  of  the  world,  not  less  alluring ; 
 nor  Satan  less  deceitful,  less  wicked,  less  malicious, 
 less  desirous  that  he  may  have  believers,  that  he  might 
 
sift  them  as  wheat.  O  that  we  might  be  enabled  so  to 
 root  out  these  doctrines  of  men,  as  to  set  every  Chris¬ 
 tian  upon  his  guard,  by  proving  to  him,  as  Paul  did 
 to  the  Corinthians  and  the  Romans,  that  while  he  is 
 here  he  is  in  danger. 
 
 His  lordship  has  an  excellent  note,  as  follows  r 
 ((  That  belief,  or  faith,  may  exist,  unaccompanied  by 
 any  of  the  Christian  virtues  and  graces,  appears  from 
 the  case  of  Simon  Magus,  already  referred  to,  who  is 
 said  to  have  6  believed,’  and  yet  his  heart  was  not  right 
 in  the  sight  of  God;  he  was  in  the  gall  of  bitterness, 
 and  in  the  bond  of  iniquity.  As  it  is  here  supposed 
 that  this  faith  might,  in  fact,  be  separated  from  love ; 
 it  cannot  signify  the  same  as  in  the  epistle  to  the 
 Romans,  where  it  is  such  an  assent  to  a  divine  decla¬ 
 ration,  as  produces  a  suitable  temper  and  conduct.  We 
 have,  therefore,  this  apostle’s  authority,  not  only  for 
 maintaining  the  possibility  of  faith  existing  without 
 charity,  and  its  utter  inefficacy  in  that  case;  but  also 
 for  considering  charity  as  superior  to  faith,  when  they 
 c  abide  together.’  Nor  is  it  difficult  to  comprehend 
 the  reason  of  this  superiority ;  for  surely  it  is  more 
 easy  to  convince  the  understanding  of  the  truth  of  the 
 Gospel,  than  to  correct  the  selfishness  of  our  nature, 
 and  to  impress  our  minds  with  the  principles  of  divine 
 love,  or  piety  towards  God,  and  of  universal  bene¬ 
 volence  towards  men,  so  as  to  practise  both  in  the 
 degree  required  by  our  holy  religion,  namely,  to  love 
 God  with  ail  our  heart,  and  soul,  and  strength,  and  our 
 neighbour  as  ourselves.”  Mr.  Scott  answers,  6 4  Dead 
 faith  may  thus  exist,  and  often  does ;  but  not  the  faith 
 which  is  living*  and  operative,  and  which  worketh  by 
 love,  overcometh  the  world,  and  may  as  evidently  be 
 known,  as  a  tree  is  discerned  by  the  fruit.”  Mr.  Scott 
 may  think  this  kind  of  argument  is  demonstration ; 
 and  so  it  may  be,  for  ought  I  know,  to  many  of  his 
 
 *  We  will  tliauk  Mr.  Scott  to  inform  us,  in  his  next  pub¬ 
 lication,  where  or  what  kind  of  faith  is  called  “  living  faith/’  , 
 
 I  & 
 
readers:  but  in  the  name  of  common  sense,  I  ask,  is  ft 
 any  answer  to  what  his  lordship  has  declared,  much 
 less  is  it  any  refutation  of  him?  u  Faith  may  exist 
 ■without  Christian  virtues  and  graces.”  This  is  all  his 
 lordship  was  proving,  namely,  that  a  man  might  have 
 all  knowledge,  understand  all  mysteries,  have  all  faith, 
 and  yet  be  dead  to  God.  But  the  two  kinds  of  faith, 
 continually  talked  about  by  Mr.  Scott,  the  Bible  knows 
 nothing  of,  as  has  before  been  abundantly  proved. 
 Faith,  if  it  has  not  works,  is  dead,  being  alone;  but  if 
 virtue,  knowledge,  brotherly-kindness,  and  charity,  be 
 added  to  it,  it  is  no  longer  dead;  and  it  is  expressly 
 said  of  the  person  who  had  faith,  but  not  works,  that 
 concerning  his  faith  he  did  well. 
 
 But  the  idea  is,  u  God  gives  living  faith  to  his  own 
 elect,  and  only  dead  faith  to  the  non-elect.  That  the 
 faith,  (he  gift  of  God  to  the  elect,  is  operative;  but 
 that  possessed  by  the  non. elect  is  dead.”  Of  this  too 
 the  Bible  knows  nothing. 
 
 Mr.  Scott  says  of  the  living  faith,  It  u  may  be  as 
 evidently  known,  as  a  tree  is  discerned  by  the  fruit.” 
 May  be  so:  but  who  can  prove  that  the  fruit  does 
 discern  the  tree  ?  or,  as  Mr.  Scott  words  it,  u  that  the 
 tree  is  discerned  by  the  fruit”  at  all?  or,  as  we  must 
 suppose  he  means,  That  people  discern  a  living  tree, 
 by  the  fruit  that  it  bears?  Some  people  think)  that 
 a  tree  can  as  easily  be  discerned  without  fruit  as  with. 
 
 «r 
 
 Besides,  trees  in  general  live  a  long  time  before  they 
 are  even  known,  much  more  u  discerned  by  their 
 fruits.”  And  I  would  observe  once  for  all  upon  this 
 head,  It  would  be  hard  to  prove,  because  a  tree  ceased 
 to  bear  fruit,  that  therefore  it  was  never  a  living  tree: 
 or  that  because  a  tree  has  yet  brought  forth  no  fruit,  it 
 therefore  is  dead :  or  that  the  persons  to  whom  our 
 Lord  addressed  those  words,  u  Ye  are  the  salt  of  the 
 earth;  but  if  the  salt  lose  its  savour,  wherewith  shall 
 it  be  seasoned?”  had  only  dead  faith,  because  they 
 were  in  danger  of  losing  what  they  had.  A  man  or 
 woman  will  never  be  damned  for  losing  dead  or  spurious 
 
189 
 
 faith;  yet  we  read  of  some  who  have  damnation, 
 
 64  beaause  they  have  cast  off  their  first  faith.” 
 
 His  lordship  observes,  44  It  is  certain,  by  God’s, 
 word,  that  children  which  are  baptized,  dying  before 
 they  commit  actual  sin,  are  undoubtedly  saved.”  Mr, 
 Scott  remarks  upon  this,  44  We  cannot  be  authorised  to 
 confine  the  salvation  to  those  who  die  in  infancy,  to 
 such  as  are  baptized.  A  few  presumptuous,  extravagant 
 Calvinists,  have  spoken  shocking  things  of  the  dam¬ 
 nation  of  infants;  but  to  consign  the  innumerable 
 multitudes  of  those,  all  over  the  world,  and  in  every 
 age,  who  die  before  they  commit  actual  sin,  and  die 
 uubaptized,  to  eternal  damnation,  is  far  more  shocking,. 
 Such  Calvinists  may  suppose  some  of  these  chddren  to 
 be  elect,  and  saved;  but  this  sentiment  excludes  them, 
 all.  On  both  sides,  however,  it  is  a  presumptuous 
 intrusion  into  things  unseen  and  unrevealed,  and  a 
 practical  forgetfulness  of  the  words  of  God  by  Moses; 
 
 4  The  secret  things  belong  unto  the  Lord  our  God; 
 but  those  things  which  are  revealed  belong  to  us,  and 
 to  our  children  for  ever,  that  wre  may  do  all  the  words 
 of  this  law.’  ”  I  have  made  this  long  quotation,  to 
 shew  and  declare  my  approbation  of  it  in  general* 
 Presumptuous,  extravagant  Calvinists  have  they  been? 
 indeed,  who  have  written  in  favour  of  infant  damnation,, 
 or  of  the  salvation  of  some  because  they  were  elect® 
 But  what  is  the  unconditional  election  of  Gentiles  to 
 salvation  built  upon,  but  the  practical  unbelief  of  God’s 
 holy  word?  For  there  is  not  a  text  in  the  Bible  to 
 build  this  doctrine  upon.  It  is  all  fancy  :  a  mere  con*, 
 jecture.  What  is  all  their  doctrine  of  the  divine  pre¬ 
 science, -but  a  prying  into  a  something  not  revealed, 
 and  which  they  know  no  more  about  than  the  Hottentot 
 does?  What  is  the  doctrine  of  the  infallibility  of  the 
 final  perseverance  of  Gentile  saints  built  upon,  but 
 a  practical  disbelief  of  the  whole  Bible:.  It  is’ a  prac¬ 
 tical  denial  of  the  words  of  our  Lord  and  his  apostle, 
 who  declares,  44  Because  iniquity  shall  abound,  the 
 love  of  many  shall  wax  cold.” — 44  I  will  spue  thee  out 
 
 j 
 
190 
 
 of  my  mouth,  because  thou  hast  forgotten  thy  first 
 love.” — 44  Having  damnation,  because  they  have  cast 
 off  their  first  faith.” 
 
 It  is  an  encouragement  to  those  old  professors,  who 
 have  retained  just  religion  enough  to  make  them  the 
 most  miserable,  vile,  covetous,  ill-tempered  wretches 
 on  earth. —  [  know  what  I  say,  and  so  does  all  England 
 too. — It  is  an  encouragement  to  those  who,  in  sight  of 
 death  and  eternity,  have  once  loathed  themselves, 
 repented,  and  believed  in  Jesus  for  salvation ;  to 
 return  when  recovered  to  their  uncleanness,  like  a  dog 
 to  his  vomit,  and  like  the  sow  that  w’as  washed,  to  her 
 wallowing  in  the  mire. 
 
 His  lordship  says,  44  Repentance  therefore,  and  faith, 
 if  sincere,  will  in  all  cases  procure  justification  ;  but 
 •obedience  must  be  added,  to  preserve  the  state  of  jus¬ 
 tification  when  obtained.”  Mr.  Scott  answers,  44  True 
 faith  will  always  be  accompanied  with  repentance,” 
 &c.  &c.  But  the  Scriptures  do  not  say  so  ;  and  if  they 
 did,  our  Lord’s  enforcing  repentance  so  earnestly,  was 
 all  perfectly  unnecessary  :  44  Except  ye  repent,  and  be 
 coverted;”  and,  44  Except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  like¬ 
 wise  perish.”  But  this  idea  too  arises  out  of  Cal¬ 
 vinism  :  That  none  have  true  faith  but  the  elect,  and 
 they  not  till  God  gives  it  them;  and  then  that  God 
 with  this  faith  gives  repentance,  and  every  other  grace 
 necessary  to  salvation.  But  this  has  already  been 
 proved  to  be  only  an  airy  dream.  That  true  faith 
 always  ought  and  might  be  attended  with  repentance, 
 is  certain;  but,  alas!  too,  too  many  have  made  ship¬ 
 wreck  of  it,  and  of  a  good  conscience,  until  it  was 
 impossible  to  renew  them  again  to  repentance. 
 
 As  in  the  former  part  of  this  volume  Mr.  Scott  laid 
 hold  of  that  unscriptural  phrase  special  grace ,  and 
 brings  it  forward  till  the  reader  is  disgusted  with  the 
 sight  of.  it;  so  towards  the  close,  he  has  caught  hold 
 of  what  is  equally  unscriptural,  44  a  distinction  between 
 living  and  dead  faith  ;”  and  this  is  brought  continually, 
 to  remove  any  difficulty  his  lordship  throws  in  his  way. 
 
191 
 
 As  I  have  already  touched  upon  this  once  and  again, 
 I  am  sorry  to  have  to  return  to  it  here;  but  I  must 
 once  for  all  give  it  a  particular  answer:  Mr.  Scott  is 
 aware  of  what  advantage  his  lordship  has  over  him,  in 
 proving  the  horrid,  extravagant,  and  abominable  doc¬ 
 trines  that  Calvinists  have  propagated;  and  he  in 
 several  passages  acknowledges  this.  And,  page  328, 
 he  asks,  44  Does  his  lordship,  or  do  any  of  our  oppo¬ 
 nents,  suppose  that  the  evangelical  clergy,  and  indeed 
 that  almost  any  Calvinists,  deny  this,  or  4  in  their  zeal 
 against  the  obnoxious  doctrine  of  justification  by  works 
 In  any  sense  or  degree ,  forget  this  caution,’  and  this 
 distinction  between  dead  and  living  faith  ?  Indeed,  it 
 is  impossible  to  say  what  extravagant  and  abominable 
 sentiments  some,  who  are  classed  among  a  large  body 
 by  themselves  and  by  our  opponents,  may  hold;  but 
 once  for  all,  I  must  declare,  that  I  should  abhor  the 
 idea  of  pleading  in  behalf  of  any  who  suppose  justifi¬ 
 cation  attached  to  dead  faith,”  Ac,  Ac.  Much  as 
 Mr.  Scott  makes  of  this  distinction,  and  much  as  he 
 glories  in  making  it,  it  is  a  distinction  the  Bible  never 
 made.  It  speaks  of  the  man,  who  believes  what  God 
 hath  said,  as  possessing  faith.  The  apostle  Peter, 
 writing  to  his  brethren,  the  believing  Jews,  says  con¬ 
 cerning  the  risen  Advocate,  44  Who  by  him  do  believe 
 in  God,  that  raised  him  up  from  the  dead,  and  gave 
 him  glory,  that  your  faith  and  hope  might  be  in  God. 
 Seeing  you  have  purified  your  souls  in  obeying  the 
 truth  through  the  Spirit,  unto  unfeigned  love  of  the 
 brethren;  see  that  ye  love  one  another  with  a  pure 
 heart  fervently,”  1  Pet.  i.  21,  22  ;  yet  in  the  beginning 
 of  his  second  epistle,  he  exhorts  these  very  souls,  once 
 purified,  thus:  44  And  besides  this,  giving  all  diligence, 
 add  to  your  faith  virtue,  and  to  virtue  knowledge,  and 
 to  knowledge  temperance,  and  to  temperance  patience, 
 and  to  patience  godliness,  and  to  godliness  brotherly- 
 kindness,  and  to  brotherly-kindness  charity.  For  if 
 these  things  be  in  you,  and  abound,  they  make  you 
 that  ye  shall  be  neither  barren  nor  unfruitful  in  the 
 
192 
 
 knowledge  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  But  he  that 
 Jacketh  these  things,  is  blind,  and  cannot  see  far  off, 
 and  hath  forgotten  that  he  was  purged'»from  his  old 
 sins.  Wherefore  the  rather,  brethren,  give  diligence 
 to  make  your  calling  and  election  sure:  for  if  ye  do 
 
 THESE  THINGS,  YE  SHALL  NEVER  FALL:  for  SO  an 
 
 entrance  shall  be  ministered  to  you  abundantly,  into 
 the  everlasting  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
 Christ.”  Here  are  souls  who  had  true  and  living  faith. 
 Their  faith  and  hope  was  built  in  God  ;  yet  their  final 
 entrance  into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and 
 Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  depended  on  their  u  adding 
 virtue,  knowledge,  godliness,  brotherly-kindness,  and 
 charity  to  their  faith.”  That  if  they  did  these  things, 
 they  should  never  fall ;  but  if  they  lacked  these  things, 
 though  they  had  once  purified  their  souls  in  obeying 
 the  truth  through  the  Spirit,  they  were  now  blind,  and 
 could  not  see  far  off,  and  had  forgotten  that  they  were 
 once  purged  from  their  old  sins.  And  so  much  did 
 this  inspired  apostle  see  the  danger  of  those  who  had 
 now  “true”  purifying  faith,  “  turning  into  the  most 
 degenerate  plant ;”  that  his  second  epistle  seems  chiefly, 
 if  not  entirely,  written  to  warn  them  of  that  danger, 
 and  to  encourage  them  to  diligence  and  perseverance. 
 It  is  the  Scriptures,  and  the  Scriptures  alone,  upon 
 which  all  doctrines  must  stand  or  fall.  It  is  according 
 to  the  Scriptures,  Calvinists  and  Anti-calvinists  must  be 
 tried  at  last;  and  as  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  trans¬ 
 cribing  a  pretty  large  portion  of  the  first  chapter  of 
 this  epistle,  instead  of  half  verses  and  sentences,  I  hope 
 1  shall  be  excused  if  I  also  transcribe  several  verses  of 
 the  two  next  chapters.  From  my  soul  I  believe,  there 
 never  was  a  time  when  this  blessed,  solemn,  loving 
 epistle  needed  more  to  be  known  and  to  be  enforced, 
 than  in  the  present  day.  “  But  there  were  false 
 prophets  also  among  the  people,  even  as  there  shall  be 
 false  teachers  among  you  ;  who  privily  shall  bring  in 
 damnable  heresies,  even  denying  the  Lord  that  bought 
 them,,  and  bring  upon  themselves  swift  destruction,,. 
 
 v 
 
193 
 
 And  many  shall  follow  their  pernicious  ways,  by  reason 
 of  whom  the  way  of  truth  shall  be  evil  spoken  of. 
 And  through  covetousness  shall  they  w  ith  feigned  words 
 make  merchandise  of  you;  whose  judgment  now  of 
 a  long  time  tarrieth  not,  and  their  damnation  slumbereth 
 not,”  chap.  ii.  1 — 3.  And  though  these  had  purified 
 their  souls  in  obeying  the  truth,  he  reasons  thus  upon 
 their  danger:  u  If  God  spared  not  the  angels  that 
 sinned,  but  cast  them  down  to  hell,  and  delivered  them 
 into  chains  of  darkness  to  be  reserved  unto  judgment; 
 and  spared  not  the  old  world,  but  saved  Noah,  the 
 eighth  person,  a  preacher  of  righteousness,  bringing  in 
 the  flood  upon  the  world  of  the  ungodly.” — u  The 
 Lord  knoweth  how  to  deliver  the  godly  out  of  temp¬ 
 tation,  and  to  reserve  the  unjust  unto  the  day  of  judg¬ 
 ment  to  be  punished.” — 66  Which  have  forsaken  the 
 right  way,  and  are  gone  astray,  following  the  way  of 
 Balaam  the  son  of  Bosor,  who  loved  the  wages  of 
 unrighteousness:  But  was  rebuked  for  his  iniquity: 
 the  dumb  ass  speaking  with  man’s  voice,  forbad  the 
 madness  of  the  prophet.  These  are  wells  without 
 water,  clouds  that  are  carried  with  a  tempest,  to  whom 
 the  mist  of  darkness  is  reserved  for  ever.  For  when 
 they  spuak  great  swelling  words  of  vanity,  they  allure 
 through  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  through  much  wanton¬ 
 ness,  those  that  were  clean  escaped  from  them  who  live 
 in  error :  While  they  promise  them  liberty,  they  them¬ 
 selves  are  the  servants  of  -corruption ;  for  of  whom 
 a  man  is  overcome,  of  the  same  is  he  brought  in  bondage. 
 For  if  after  they  have  escaped  the  pollutions  of  the 
 world,  through  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  and  Saviour 
 Jesus  Christ,  they  are  again  entangled  therein  and 
 overcome,  the  latter  end  is  worse  with  them  than  the 
 beginning.  For  it  had  been  better  for  them  not  to 
 have  known  the  way  of  righteousness,  than  after  they 
 have  known  it,  to  turn  from  the  holy  commandment 
 delivered  unto  them,”  &c.  &c.  chap.  ii.  4,  5,  15 — 21. 
 The  holy  apostle  never  hints  to  them,  that  if  they  had 
 true  faith,  it  would  preserve  them  from  all  this.  He 
 
 i 
 
194 
 
 knew  well,  that  those  who  had  purified  their  souls, 
 who  had  clean  escaped  from  them  who  live  in  error, 
 through  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
 Christ,  had  possessed  true  faith  ;  and  therefore  he  closes 
 the  epistle  with  these  words,  u  Ye  therefore,  beloved, 
 seeing  ye  know  these  things  before,  beware  lest  ye  also 
 being  led  away  with  the  error  of  the  wicked,  fail  from 
 your  own  steadfastness.  But  grow  in  grace,  and  in 
 the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ: 
 to  him  be  glory  both  now  and  for  ever.  Amen.” 
 The  best  gift  of  God  that  ever  was  in  man,  may  be 
 neglected,  has  been  neglected  ;  by  being  neglected,  may 
 be  lost,  has  been  lost  to  millions.  Lest  the  light  that 
 is  within  us  become  darkness,  w  e  are  commanded  to 
 add  to  our  fait  ft  virtue,  &c.  To  be  told,  if  we  have 
 true  faith  we  must  and  shall  do  it,  is  to  contradict  the 
 God  of  truth.  The  apostate  is  never  exhorted  to 
 change  his  faith,  but  to  change  his  practice;  to  repent, 
 and  do  his  first  works.  That  however  true  his  faith 
 may  have  been,  he  is  in  a  state  of  condemnation  who 
 has  cast  it  off.  Or  if  he  retains  his  faith,  while  it  is 
 alone,  and  hath  not  works,  it  is  dead.  That  though 
 dead  at  present,  if  he  will  add  virtue,  knowledge, 
 and  godliness  to  it,  these  works  will  perfect  his  faith. 
 Mr.  Scott’s  distinction  between  the  faith  which  God 
 gives  to  the  elect,  and  that  which  is  possessed  by  the 
 non-elect,  which  is  always  dead,  makes  all  the  exhor¬ 
 tations  to  virtue,  godliness,  temperauce,  charity,  null 
 and  void,  and  not  of  the  least  effect;  for  the  elect  will 
 have  the  living  faith,  as  Mr.  Scott  says  it  is  the  gift  of 
 God;  u  but  withheld,  for  reasons  not  revealed,  from 
 all  but  the  elect.” 
 
 While  faith  remains  alone,  though  it  may  be  of  the 
 best  kind  that  ever  human  being  possessed,  it  is  dead  : 
 but  let  a  man  add  virtue  to  it,  the  faith  is  still  the 
 same,  but  it  is  now'  not  alone,  but  good  works  make 
 that  faith  perfect.  The  man  addressed  by  St.  James, 
 believing  as  the  devils  do,  is  not  accused  of  want  of 
 proper  faith,  but  so  far  is  told  he  does  well.  And 
 
1S5 
 
 8:  -  * 
 
 , 
 
 what  the  holy,  vehement,  fervent  servant  of  God 
 exhorts  such  double-minded  sort  of  Christians  to,  is 
 not  a  change  of  faith,  but  a  change  of  conduct.  It  is 
 to  draw  nigh  to  God ;  it  is  to  resist  the  devil ;  tc> 
 cleanse  themselves;  to  confess  their  faults;  to  lay 
 apart  all  filthiness,  and  superfluity  of  naughtiness,  and 
 to  receive  with  meekness  the  engrafted  word  of  God, 
 that  was  able  to  save  their  souls ;  to  be  doers  of  the 
 word,  not  hearers  only,  deceiving  their  own  souls. 
 Nor  is  there  a  single  intimation  in  this  epistle,  nor  in 
 the  Bible,  that  those  who  for  a  time  believed,  but  in 
 time  of  temptation  fell  away,  did  not  for  that  time 
 believe  aright.  Where  are  any,  having  yet  only  dead 
 faith,  exhorted  to  change  that  faith  for  another?  Nay, 
 Simon  Magus  himself  believed,  as  declared  by  his 
 lordship ;  and  though  in  the  gall  of  bitterness,  and 
 bonds  of  iniquity,  he  was  not  exhorted  by  the  apostle 
 to  change  his  faith,  but  to  pray  unto  God,  in  whom  he 
 believed,  that  the  thoughts  of  his  heart  might  be  for¬ 
 given  :  and  he  might  so  have  prayed  unto  God,  or  the 
 Holy  Ghost  had  not  exhorted  him  to  it. 
 
 The  pious  Calvinists  know  from  the  Bible,  that  some 
 shall  depart  from  the  faith ;  that  some  have  departed 
 from  the  faith  ;  and  those  who  believe  the  whole  truth 
 know  also,  some  of  these  u  did  run  well,  who  are  now 
 hindered;’1  consequently  their  faith  was  of  the  right 
 kind.  It  was  justifying  faith  while  they  had  it,  or 
 they  could  not  have  damnation  for  casting  it  off.  No, 
 had  it  been  a  bad  faith,  an  hypocritical  faith,  their 
 casting  it  off  would  have  been  commendable ;  it  would 
 have  been  a  virtue  to  have  cast  it  off,  instead  of  being 
 punished  for  it.  Those  who  turned  back,  and  walked 
 no  more  with  Jesus,'  were  once  his  disciples,  and  be¬ 
 lieved  aright.  Mr.  Scott  and  all  Calvinists  believe, 
 none  that  ever  having  justifying  faith  but  the  elect  of 
 God,  those  who  were  predestinated  to  have  it:  no  one 
 can  fall  away  that  ever  had  justifying  faith.  Hence 
 when  they  see  any  one  turned  like  a  dog  to  his  vomit, 
 it  is  his  faith,  instead  of  his  conduct,  that  is  found 
 
196 
 
 fault  with.  It  is  proof  to  them,  the  soul  was  never 
 espoused  to  Christ  as  a  chaste  virgin,  or  Satan  could 
 not  have  beguiled  it;  and  they  may  as  well  believe  at 
 once,  Adam  was  not  the  son  of  God,  or  David  was 
 never  a  man  after  God’s  own  heart,  or  Solomon  when 
 young  was  not  beloved  of  God,  because  when  old, 
 women  and  wine  turned  both  their  hearts  from  God. 
 We  have  too  much  proof,  Solomon  loved  and  long 
 lived  in  sin ;  and  not  the  shadow  of  proof  he  did  not 
 die  in  it. 
 
 I  am  now  not  writing  merely  as  a  controvertist, 
 I  am  writing  truths  of  the  Bible,  at  the  reading  of  which 
 my  soul  has  trembled.  Truths  that  say  to  his  lordship 
 the  bishop  of  Lincoln,  to  Thomas  Scott,  rector  of 
 Aston  Sandford,  to  me,  to  all  who  stand  by  faith,  Say 
 not,  u  My  mountain  stands  strong,  I  shall  never  be 
 moved;”  Take  heed  u  lest  you  fall ;”  66  Be  not  high- 
 minded,  but  fear ;  for  if  God  spared  not  the  natural 
 branches,  take  heed  lest  he  also  spare  not  thee.  Be¬ 
 hold,  therefore,  the  goodness  and  severity  of  God:  on 
 them  which  fell,  severity  ;  but  towards  thee,  goodness, 
 if  thou  continue  in  goodness:  otherwise  thou  also  shalt 
 be  broken  off.”  I  know  these  truths  occupy  so  pro¬ 
 minent  a  part  in  the  Bible,  they  had  never  been  con¬ 
 troverted  by  men  professing  to  believe  66  all  Scripture 
 is  given  by  inspiration  of  God  ;  ”  but  through  a  mistake 
 about  secret  decrees, — about  the  foreknowledge  of  God, 
 about  predestination  of  Gentiles  individually  to  eternal 
 life.  To  remove  this  stumbling-block  out  of  the  way, 
 it  is  abundantly  proved,  the  Scriptures  say  nothing 
 about  such  decrees,  and  such  a  predestination  :  u  Holy 
 Scripture  containeth  all  things  necessary  to  salvation  :  so 
 that  whatsoever  is  not  read  therein,  nor  may  be  proved 
 thereby,  is  not  required  of  any  man  that  it  should  be 
 believed  as  au  article  of  faith,  or  be  thought  necessary 
 to  salvation.”  Scott,  page  3,  from  the  sixth  Article 
 of  the  church  of  England.  And  we  defy  the  world  to 
 produce  one  plain  text  from  the  Bible,  which  speaks 
 of  a  single  individual  Gentile,  as  being  foreknown, 
 
197 
 
 the  elect  of  God,  or  predestinated  to  eternal  sal¬ 
 vation. 
 
 A  sentiment  equally  dangerous,  and  I  shall  in  a  few 
 words  prove  it  equally  unscriptural,  is  found  in  one  of 
 Mr.  Scott’s  notes,  page  334,  as  those  are  which  he 
 makes  about  his  dead  and  living  faith.  He  says,  44  No 
 doubt  a  gracious  recompence  is  frequently  connected 
 with  exhortations  to  duties,  especially  such  as  are 
 peculiarly  self-denying;  and  our  faith  must  be  shewn 
 by  our  works,  in  order  that  it  may  be  approved  to  be 
 living  and  genuine  :  but  the  general  style  of  Scriptural 
 exhortation,  especially  in  the  New  Testament,  proposes 
 motives  taken  from  the  honour  of  the  Gospel,  the  glory 
 of  God,  the  love  of  Christ,  love  of  the  brethren,  and 
 good  will  to  mankind  at  large;  rather  than  from  any 
 thing  immediately  connected  with  the  salvation  of  the 
 persons  exhorted;  except  as  some  doubt  is  intimated 
 that  they  are  in  danger  of  deceiving  themselves.”  This 
 is  not  a  blow  at  the  root,  but  a  blow  at  a  venture ;  and 
 had  Mr.  Scott  read  the  Bible  more  as  a  private  Chris¬ 
 tian,  and  less  merely  as  a  preacher,  writer,  and  contro- 
 vertist,  he  would  not  have  made  this  assertion.  I  know 
 it  is  no  new  sentiment;  it  is  old  as  Calvinism;  but 
 I  bless  God,  I  have  lived  to  enjoy  the  day,  when  I  no 
 longer  revere  error  because  of  its  antiquity.  Con¬ 
 sidering  that  as  God  for  Christ’s  sake  has  forgiven  us, 
 we  for  the  honour  of  God,  in  love  to  the  brethren, 
 ought  freely  to  forgive  one  another.  We  ought,  con¬ 
 sidering  the  manifestation  of  such  undeserved  mercy, 
 whether  we  eat  or  drink,  or  whatever  we  do,  to  do  it 
 to  God’s  glory.  But,  ah  !  44  God  knows  what  is  in 
 man,”  even  in  his  best  estate,  better  than  Mr.  Scott 
 does;  and  therefore  44  in  the  New  Testament”  he 
 exhorts,  44  Give,  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you.” — - 
 64  Ask,  and  ye  shall  receive.” — 44  Except  you  from 
 your  hearts  forgive  men  their  trespasses,  neither 
 will  your  heavenly  Father  forgive  you.” — 44  Be  thou 
 faithful  unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown 
 of  life.”-— 44  Blessed  are  they  that  do  his  command. 
 
198 
 
 meats,  that  they  may  have  right  to  the  tree  of  life,  and 
 enter  through  the  gates  into  the  city.”  And  Paul  the 
 aged,  writing  to  his  son  Timothy,  whom  he  addresses, 
 not  as  a  person  of  whom  he  66  entertained  some  doubt 
 lest  he  should  be  deceived,”  says,  u  But  thou,  O  man 
 of  God,  flee  these  things ;  follow  after  righteousness, 
 godliness,  faith,  love,  patience,  meekness fight  the 
 good  fight  of  faith ;  lay  hold  on  eternal  life.”  Thus 
 concerning  himself :  and  then  concerning  his  hearers 
 he  says,  u  Charge  them  that  are  rich  in  this  world, 
 that  they  be  not  high-minded,  nor  trust  in  uncertain 
 riches,  but  in  the  living  God,  who  giveth  us  richly  all 
 things  to  enjoy:  that  they  do  good,  that  they  be  rich 
 in  good  works,  ready  to  distribute;  willing  to  com¬ 
 municate;  laying  up  in  store  for  themselves  a  good 
 foundation  against  the  time  to  come,  that  they  may  lay 
 hold  on  eternal  life,”  1  Tim.  vi.  12,  17,  19.  And 
 while  my  Bible  lies  open  before  me,  I  am  amazed 
 unexpectedly  to  see  in  this  same  epistle  a  similar  text, 
 and  therefore  shall  go  no  farther  upon  this  head: 
 
 Take  heed  unto  thyself,  and  unto  thy  doctrine ; 
 continue  in  them:  for  in  doing  this,  thou  shalt  both 
 save  thyself  and  them  that  hear  thee,”  chap.  iv.  16. 
 And  these  are  the  kind  of  motives  held  out  in  general, 
 in  the  exhortations  throughout  the  New  Testament. 
 Scriptures  expressly  to  the  point  rush  on  my  memory ; 
 but  these  are  sufficient :  the  man  who  can  evade  the 
 force  of  these,  can  evade  the  force  of  them  all. 
 
 Mr.  Scott  speaks  rather  of  what  might  be,  and  if 
 man  was  not  an  ungrateful  creature,  what  would  be, 
 than  of  what  really  is;  that  mail  ought  to  act  from  the 
 noble  principle  of  love.  But  holy  Paul,  who  knew 
 the  world  well,  and  was  a  better  Scripturian  than  Mr. 
 Scott  is,  though  he  took  care  always  to  prove,  u  God 
 was  in  Christ,  reconciling  the  world  unto  himself,  not 
 imputing  their  trespasses  unto  them  ;”  was  as  careful, 
 knowing  the  terrors  of  the  Lord,  to  persuade  men. 
 
 It  is  true,  while  the  Christian  retains  a  lively  sense 
 of  his  obligation  to  God  ;  of  the  awful  state  of  those 
 
199 
 
 who  shall  be  driven  from  his  presence,  and  the  glory  of 
 his  power;  of  the  unutterable  joys  of  heaven,  and  the 
 lasting  pleasures  that  are  at  God’s  right  hand :  while 
 he  keeps  a  proper  view  of  the  agonies  of  a  suffering 
 Saviour;  of  the  sorrows  of  his  tortured  soul;  and 
 considers  for  what,  for  whom  did  he  endure  all  this, 
 and  he  wants  no  other  motives  of  action.  Here  he 
 lets  go  the  world,  its  pleasures,  its  honours,  yea,  and 
 its  riches  too.  He  sees  riches,  honours,  cannot  pur¬ 
 chase  one  quarter  of  an  hour’s  intercourse  with  God. 
 He  sees,  whatever  tends  to  hinder  this,  is  real  loss  to 
 him;  and  whatever  tends  to  further  it,  is  real  gain. 
 But,  O,  these  moments,  rich  in  blessings,  how  rare! 
 How  few  that  have  thus  received  Christ  Jesus,  are 
 careful  through  the  world  always  so  to  walk  in  him. 
 Wherever  this  good  seed  is  sown  in  the  broken  heart, 
 what  need  is  there  that,  as  with  a  flaming  sword,  the 
 person  should  guard  the  sacred  treasure ;  lest  the  enemy 
 should  return  again,  find  the  house  clean  and  garnished, 
 then  bring  with  him  seven  other  spirits  more  wicked 
 than  himself,  and  the  last  state  of  that  man  be  worse 
 than  the  first!  Mr.  Scott  thinks,  that  election  will 
 secure  the  covenant  people  of  God  from  all  this  danger. 
 But,  O  Christian,  w  hoever  thou  art,  let  no  man  deceive 
 thee  with  vain  words;  the  Bible  knows  nothing  of  this 
 security:  it  knows  nothing  of  Gentiles  being  the  cove» 
 nant  people  of  God:  it  knows  nothing  of  the  election 
 of  Gentiles  according  to  the  foreknowledge  of  God. 
 These  the  Bible  expressly  by  name  applies  to  another 
 people, — a  people  u  to  whom  pertaincth  the  adoption, 
 and  the  glory,  and  the  covenants,  and  the  giving  of  the 
 law,  and  the  service  of  God,  and  the  promises :  Whose 
 are  the  fathers,  and  of  whom  as  concerning  the  flesh 
 Christ  came,  who  is  over  all,  God,  blessed  for  ever. 
 Amen.”  Rom.  ix.  4,  5.  And  remember,  whenever 
 you  hear  men,  how  ever  venerable  in  appearance,  talking 
 of  Gentiles  as  the  covenant  people  of  God,  the  people 
 whom  he  foreknew,  his  elect,  in  whom  his  soui  delight- 
 eth,  to  whom  he  appeared  of  old,  saying,  Yea,  I  have 
 
200 
 
 loved  thee  with  an  everlasting  love ;  you  hear  him 
 talking  learned  nonsense,  and  venerating  a  lie.  And 
 too,  too  often  we  hear  men  guilty,  though  undesignedly, 
 of  the  highest  blasphemy.  We  hear  them  attributing 
 that  to  us  poor  islanders  that  were  afar  off,  which  God 
 never  attributes  or  applies,  but  to  his  own  dear  Son, 
 his  attendant  angels,  ministering  spirits,  or  his  holy 
 nation,  the  Jews;  or  individuals  of  that  nation,  as  the 
 chosen  apostles,  the  election,  who  obtained  that  know¬ 
 ledge  of  God,  which  had  been  hidden  from  ages  and 
 generations.  This  is  the  election  of  the  Bible;  and 
 I  challenge  all  the  sophists  on  earth,  with  all  their 
 learning,  and  with  all  their  cunning,  to  find  in  the 
 Bible  another  doctrine  of  election.  And  yet,  O  la¬ 
 mentable  truth  !  how  many,  in  church  and  out  of 
 church,  in  London  and  out  of  London,  have  risen  in 
 our  day  to  eminence  in  the  world,  by  preaching  and 
 writing  upon  another  doctrine  of  election  ?  How  many 
 study  nothing  else,  but  how  to  preach  a  doctrine  of 
 elect  Gentiles?  You  who  venerate  your  Bibles,  as 
 being  able  to  make  you  wise  unto  salvation,  by  faith 
 which  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  take  them  up  for  Christ’s 
 sake,  and  see  if  you  cannot  detect  the  author  of  these 
 assertions  in  an  error.  See  if  you  cannot  find  the 
 election  of  Gentiles  according  to  the  foreknowledge  of 
 God  ;  see  if  you  cannot  find  Gentiles  spoken  of  as  the 
 covenant  people  of  God.  You  are  cowards  if  you  say, 
 It  is  too  great  a  mystery  for  me  to  look  into;  com¬ 
 mentators  have  failed  here,  and  therefore  I  shall  not 
 dare  to  pry  into  it.  Modern  commentators,  it  is  true, 
 have  failed  here,  because  their  creed  was  settled  before 
 they  meddled  with  the  Bible  ;  nor  durst  they  ever  dare 
 to  think  or  write  upon  certain  texts,  but  a3  they  could 
 find  commentators  to  hide  themselves  under.  But  so 
 plain,  so  clear  is  the  Bible  doctrine  of  election,  that 
 a  good  child,  of  common  sense,  at  ten  years  of  age,  is 
 as  capable  of  fully  comprehending  aud  understanding 
 it,  as  is  the  venerable  commentator  of  seventy  years  of 
 age:  yea,  and  will  understand  it  better,  unless  the 
 
 ✓ 
 
 ) 
 
commentator  humbles  himself,  so  as  to  receive  the 
 kingdom  of  heaven  as  a  little  child  at  last. 
 
 1  would  not  say  a  word  against  such  writers  as 
 Matthew  Henry  ;  being  fully  persuaded,  no  Christian 
 can  read  him  an  hour,  but  must  be  made  better  for  it. 
 But  who  that  knows  the  Bible  well,  would  apply  even 
 to  him  to  have  difficulties  solved  ;  or  to  our  modern 
 Calvinist  commentators,  except  to  Macknight,  to  have 
 any  thing,  that  appears  hard  to  be  understood,  cleared 
 up  and  made  easy?  Nay,  have  not  their  criticisms,  on 
 many  controverted  texts,  a  natural  tendency  to  make 
 the  reader  believe,  the  will  of  God  is  so  revealed,  that 
 man  can  never  understand  it?  Whereas,  let  the  reader 
 turn  to  his  daily-used  Bible  in  the  humble  spirit  of 
 prayer,  and  view  the  controverted  text  with  its  context, 
 ask  his  conscience,  Of  what  is  the  Holy  Ghost  here 
 speaking?  and  in  general  he  will  be  astonished  to  see 
 hoxv  plain  it  is. 
 
 His  lordship,  quoting  one  of  the  homilies  of  our 
 church,  says,  44  I  can  shew  a  man  that  by  faith,  with¬ 
 out  works,  lived  and  came  to  heaven;  but  without 
 faith  never  man  had  life.  The  thief  that  was  hanged 
 when  Christ  suffered,  did  believe  onlyr ;  and  the  most 
 merciful  God  justified  him.  And  because  no  man  shall 
 say  again,  that  he  lacked  time  to  do  good  works,  for 
 else  he  would  have  done  them;  truth  it  is,  and  I  will 
 not  contend  therein,  but  this  I  will  surely  affirm,  that 
 faith  only  saved  him.  If  he  had  lived,  and  not  regarded 
 faith,  and  the  works  thereof,  he  should  have  lost  his 
 salvation  again. — Homily  of  Works,  quotation  from 
 Chrysostom.”  This  enters  into  the  very  heart  of  the 
 controversy :  this  it  seems  is  not  only  the  doctrine  of 
 the  church,  but  was  written  by  Chryrsostom  long  before 
 either  the  name  of  Calvinism,  or  the  doctrine  was 
 known  in  the  church  of  God.  And  the  answer  Mr. 
 Scott  makes,  which  occupies  about  three  pages,  is  done 
 in  such  a  manner,  that  whether  for  confirmation  or 
 refutation  of  this  note,  he  is  welcome  to  find  out  that 
 can;  his  remarks  upon  it  he  finishes  thus:  u  Had  he 
 
202 
 
 been  taken  down  from  the  cross,  and  lost  this  faith, 
 or  not  shewn  it  by  his  subsequent  works,  he  should 
 liave  lost  his  salvation  again.”  But  the  question  is, 
 whether  such  a  faith  is  ever  lost.  I  have  prayed  for 
 thee,  that  thy  faith  fail  not.”  Mr.  Scott  quite  forgot 
 those  words,  u  I  have  prayed  for  thee,  that  thy  faith 
 fail  not,”  were  not  spoken  to  nor  of  the  thief,  but  to 
 another  person,  and  that  upon  quite  another  occasion, 
 though  Mr.  Scott  very  frequently  quotes  them  for  an¬ 
 other  purpose :  it  will  be  well  for  him,  if  one  day  he 
 does  not  find  it  something  like  wresting  the  Scriptures. 
 And  if  he  had  fully  believed  the  note  taken  out  of  one 
 of  the  homilies,  he  would  have  made  no  question  about 
 
 whether  such  a  faith  be  ever  lost  or  not:”  or  if  he 
 had  duly  considered  what  the  inspired  apostle  says  of 
 some,  who  u  having  damnation  because  they  have  cast 
 off  their  first  faith,”  his  remarks  would  not  have  been 
 exactly  what  they  are. 
 
 In  answer  to  his  lordship,  page  338,  Mr.  Scott  asks, 
 6i  In  what  part  of  St.  Paul’s  epistles  does  he  so  much 
 us  hint,  that  the  justification  of  which  he  speaks,  is  the 
 justification  confirmed  by  baptism  ?  or  where  does  he 
 expressly  mention  baptism  in  connexion  with  justi¬ 
 fication  ?  Assertion  is  easy,  but  proof  is  wanting.” 
 Air.  Scott  might  as  well  have  kept  the  last  line  back. 
 Hoping,  however,  he  asks  for  information,  u  In  what 
 part  of  Paul’s  epistles?”  and,  u  Where  does  he  ex¬ 
 pressly  mention  baptism  in  connexion  with  justifi¬ 
 cation?”  I  answer,  Paul  expressly  mentions  baptism 
 in  connexion  with  justification,  in  his  epistle  to  the 
 Homans,  chap.  v.  and  vi.  and  in  his  epistle  to  the 
 Galatians,  chap.  iii.  In  the  former  passages  he  says, 
 chap.  v.  u  And  not  as  it  was  by  one  that  sinned,  so  is 
 the  gift ;  for  the  judgment  was  by  one  to  condemnation, 
 but  the  free  gift  is  of  many  offences  unto  justification. 
 For  if  by  one  man’s  offence  death  reigned  by  one; 
 much  more  they  which  receive  abundance  of  grace,  and 
 of  the  gift  of  righteousness,  shall  reign  in  life  by  one, 
 
 Jesus  Christ.  Therefore  as  by  the  offence  of  one? 
 
 * 
 
203 
 
 judgment  came  upon  all  men  to  condemnation ;  even 
 so  by  the  righteousness  of  one,  the  free  gift  came  upon, 
 all  men  unto  justification  of  life.  For  as  by  one  man's 
 disobedience,  many  were  made  sinners ;  so  by  the 
 obedience  of  one,  shall  many  be  made  righteous,” 
 ver.  16 — 19.  44  What  shall  we  say,  then  ?  Shall  wre 
 
 continue  in  sin  that  grace  may  abound  ?  God  forbid  ! 
 IIow  shall  we  that  are  dead  to  sin,  live  any  longer 
 therein?  Know  ye  not,  that  so  many  of  us  as  were 
 baptized  into  Jesus  Christ,  were  baptized  into  his 
 death  ?  Therefore  we  are  buried  with  him  by  baptism, 
 into  death,  that  like  as  Christ  was  raised  up  from  the 
 dead  by  the  glory  of  the  Father,  even  so  we  also  should 
 walk  in  newness  of  life,”  chap.  vi.  1 — 4.  Let  any  man 
 take  his  Bible,  and  read  the  ten  verses,  from  chap.  v.  165 
 to  chap.  vi.  3,  remembering  Paul  did  not  divide  his 
 epistles  into  verses  and  chapters,  and  he  will  be  asto¬ 
 nished  to  see  an  old  divine,  in  the  language  of  triumph, 
 asking,  44  Where  does  Paul  expressly  mention  baptism 
 in  connexion  with  justification  ?  ”  Here  they  are  ex¬ 
 pressly  mentioned  in  connexion.  But  they  seem  still 
 more  intimately  connected,  in  the  epistle  to  the  Gala¬ 
 tians,  chap.  iii.  where  the  apostle  is  speaking  of  the 
 very  same  thing,  justification  by  faith  ;  and  how  far  he 
 connects  baptism  with  justification  by  faith,  let  the 
 reader  judge.  The  inspired  penman  closes  the  blessed 
 subject  thus:  44  Wherefore  the  law  was  our  school¬ 
 master  unto  Christ,  that  we  might  be  justified  by  faith. 
 But  after  that  faith  is  come,  we  are  no  longer  under 
 a  schoolmaster.  For  ye  are  all  the  children  of  God, 
 by  faith  in  Christ  Jesus.  For  as  many  as  have  been 
 baptized  into  Christ,  have  put  on  Christ.  There  is 
 neither  Jew  nor  Greek,  there  is  neither  bond  nor  free, 
 there  is  neither  male  nor  female ;  for  ye  are  all  one  in 
 Christ  Jesus,  ver.  24 — 28.  Here,  as  plainly  as  it  is 
 said  of  a  man  who  answers  the  end  of  his  creation,  that 
 he  enters  the  honourable,  happy  state  of  matrimony, 
 at  the  time  of  his  marriage ;  so  as  plainly  does  ths 
 apostle  speak  of  the  Galatians  entering  the  happy  state 
 
 K 
 
204 
 
 of  justification  in  baptism.  And  it  is  very  likely  (he 
 apostle,  in  both  these  passages,  had  in  view  his  Divine 
 Master’s  words,  u  He  that  believeth,  and  is  baptized, 
 shall  be  saved.” 
 
 66  Then  Peter  said  unto  them,  Repent,  and  be  bap¬ 
 tized  every  one  of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ, 
 for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift 
 of  the  Holy  Ghost,”  Acts  ii  38,  u  And  now,  why 
 tarriest  thou  ?  Arise,  and  be  baptized,  and  wash  away 
 thy  sins,  calling  on  the  name  of  the  Lord,”  chap, 
 xxii.  1-6.  In  both  these  exhortations,  awakened  sinners 
 are  given  to  expect  justification,  or  pardon  of  sin,  in 
 the  act  of  baptism  ;  or  at  least  j  ustiiication  and  baptism 
 are  intimately  connected.  Some  of  Mr.  Scott’s  remarks 
 on  his  lordship’s  notes  are  so  frivolous,  so  little  calcu¬ 
 lated  either  to  refute  his  lordship  or  do  any  good,  and 
 are  so  unfair,  they  are  not  worth  noticing  :  I  cannot, 
 however,  let  all  these  pass  without  notice.  His  lord- 
 ship  says,  The  authors  of  these  epistles  were  there¬ 
 fore  chiefly  anxious,  by  the  use  of  plain  and  intel¬ 
 ligible  language,  to  induce  their  converts  to  walk 
 worthy  of  the  vocation  wherewith  they  were  called,  by 
 an  upright  holy  life;  to  make  professed  believers  in 
 the  Gospel  real  Christians.”  To  this  one  would  hardly 
 have  supposed  any  objection  could  have  been  made; 
 but  without  taking  notice  of  what  his  lordship  says  of 
 u  converts,”  and  66  of  their  high  vocation,”  Mr.  Scott 
 actually  labours  hard,  through  more  than  two  pages,  to 
 prove  his  lordship  was  wrong  in  supposing  the  churches, 
 to  whom  the  epistles  were  addressed,  were  made  up 
 only  of  professed  believers,  and  not  of  real  ones. 
 That  there  were  persons  in  these  churches  who  were 
 not  real  Christians,  will  hardly  be  disputed  ;  and  that 
 the  holy  apostles  ardently  wished,  and  earnestly  prayed 
 for  their  conversion  and  salvation,  on  the  ground  of 
 Christ  u  tasting  death  for  every  man,”  and  being 
 6i  a  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  (he  whole  world,”  is 
 certain  also;  and  that  in  all  the  episdes,  warnings,  or 
 exhortations  to  that  efl’ectr  is  undeniable.  But  for 
 Mr.  Scott,  with  his  lordship’s  words  before  him,  to 
 
205 
 
 represent  him  as  supposing  or  declaring  the  epistles 
 were  addressed  to  professed  believers  only,  and  not 
 real  Christians,  is  unpardonable.  He  begins  his  la¬ 
 boured  answer  to  the  bishop’s  note  as  follows,  p.  341* 
 44  Were  then  (he  churches,  to  which  the  apostles  wrote, 
 constituted  cf  professed  believers,  who  were  not  real 
 Christians?”  And  then  he  goes  about  to  prove,  that 
 they  wrere  converts,  called  with  an  high  vocation,  (just 
 what  his  lordship  called  them.)  To  make  a  man  an 
 offender  for  a  word,  is  not  always  right ;  but  Mr.  Scott 
 endeavours  to  make  his  lordship  an  offender,  for  words 
 he  never  spoke. 
 
 His  lordship  closes  another  excellent  note  thus, 
 44  An  illiterate  person,  and  the  bulk  of  country  con-, 
 gregations  consists  of  persons  of  that  description,  if  he 
 be  told  that  lying  and  drunkenness  are  forbidden  by 
 the  laws  of  God,  and  that  one  of  Christ’s  apostles  has 
 declared,  that  no  liar  or  drunkard  shall  inherit  the 
 kingdom  of  God  ;  will  see  in  this  plain  prohibition  and 
 declaration,  a  rule  of  life.”  To  this  Mr.  Scott  answers, 
 44  In  what  sense  is  the  declaration  here  quoted  4  a  rule 
 of  life?’  This  expression  is  used  in  different  senses. 
 It  may  signify,  a  rule  by  which  a  man  should  regulate 
 his  conduct ;  and  every  prohibition  of  lying  and  drunk¬ 
 enness,  and  other  vices,  as  well  as  every  other  command 
 given  to  love  God  and  our  neighbour  :  in  short,  the 
 whole  moral  law  of  God,  as  explained  in  the  New 
 Testament  by  our  Lord  and  his  apostles,  is  in  this 
 sense  4  a  rule  of  life,’  or  4  a  rule  of  duty,’  which 
 1  hope  few  of  the  evangelical  clergy  neglect  frequently 
 to  set  before  their  hearers,  with  suitable  warnings  and 
 exhortations.  But  by  4  a  rule  of  life,’  may  be  meant, 
 a  rule  by  observing  which  eternal  life  may  be  obtained  s 
 4  What  good  thing  shall  1  do,  that  l  may  inherit  eternal 
 life  ?’  Jn  this  sense,  no  prohibition  or  precept,  except 
 4  Believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be 
 saved,’  can,  to  a  sinner,  be  a  rule  of  life  ;  because 
 none  of  our  obedience  can  entitle  us  to  eternal  life, 
 which  is  4  the  gift  of  God,  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
 
 K  L2 
 
206 
 
 Lord.’”  This  is  fair  and  honest.  Here  is  nothing 
 dark,  hid  under  a  parcel  of  words,  so  put  together  as 
 to  mean  any  thing  or  nothing,  just  as  may  suit  the 
 writer  to  explain;  all  here  is  on  plain  ground.  Now 
 for  an  answer  to  this  dangerous,  rank,  antinomian 
 sentiment.  It  so  happens,  that  u  Believe  on  the  Lord 
 Jesus  Christ,”  (I  revere  the  expression,)  is  no  rule  of 
 life  at  all;  it  is  an  act  of  the  mind,  and  neither  pro¬ 
 hibits  nor  commands  anything  as  to  outward  conduct: 
 so  that  if  there  is  no  other  rule  of  life  but  “  Believe  v 
 on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,”  by  the  observing  of  which 
 a  person  is  to  seek  eternal  life,  the  believer  is  absolutely 
 without  any  binding  law  to  God  :  that  is,  there  is  no 
 sin  prohibited  to  him ;  the  commission  of  no  sin,  nor 
 ©mission  of  any  duty,  can  endanger  his  eternal  life;; 
 for  nothing  by  man  is  to  be  done,  in  order  to  his  ob¬ 
 taining  eternal  life,  but  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus. 
 The  apostle,  writing  to  the  beloved  of  God  called  at 
 Home  to  be  saints,  says,  66  For  if  ye  live  after  the 
 flesh,  ye  shall  die;  but  if  ye  through  the  Spirit  do 
 mortify  the  deeds  of  the  body,  ye  shall  live,”  chap, 
 viii.  13.  Here  is  a  plain  rule  of  life  laid  down,  and 
 life  expressly  promised  to  them  who  attend  to  it.  This 
 Tule  is  not,  u  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  thou 
 shalt  be  saved :  ”  no,  the  persons  did  believe  on  him  ; 
 but,  u  Mortify  the  deeds  of  the  body,  and  ye  shall  live.” 
 Mr.  Scott  quotes  the  words  of  the  good  young  man 
 who  came  to  inquire  of  our  Lord,  what  good  thing  he 
 should  do  in  order  to  obtain  everlasting  life ;  and 
 I  would  have  advised  him,  had  I  been  consulted,  to 
 have  given  the  answer  to  the  important  inquiry,  our 
 nuerring  Lord  gave  it,  u  Keep  the  commandments.” 
 This  Bible-mending  will  not  be  found  a  very  good 
 business  in  the  end.  When  an  unbeliever  asked  in 
 sincerity,  u  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved?”  it  was 
 divinely  answered,  u  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
 and  thou  shalt  be  saved.”  But  when  a  good  young  man 
 whom  our  Lord  loved,  who  believed  that  he  vvss  the 
 person  come  to  lead  men  to  everlasting  life,  came  and 
 
 5 
 
2@? 
 
 asked  him,  a  Good  Master,  what  good  thing  shall  I  do, 
 that  I  may  have  eternal  life?”  it  was  as  wisely  and 
 divinely  answered,  u  If  thou  wilt  enter  into  life,  keep 
 the  commandments,”  Matt.  xix.  17.  But  as  St.  Mark 
 says  of  this  young  man,  that  Jesus  loved  him, — and 
 surely  the  Searcher  of  hearts  did  not  love  him  for 
 insincerity,  or  hypocrisy,  or  telling  lies, — I  shall  take 
 the  liberty  of  transcribing  the  whole  affair  as  described 
 by  him,  chap.  x.  <4  And  when  he  was  gone  forth  into 
 the  way,  there  came  one  running,  and  kneeled  unto 
 him,  and  asked  him,  Good  Master,  what  shall  I  do 
 that  I  may  inherit  eternal  life?  And  Jesus  said  unto 
 him,  Why  callest  thou  me  good?  there  is  none  good 
 but  one,  that  is God.  Thou  knovvest  the  command¬ 
 ments,  Do  not  commit  adultery,  Do  not  kill,  Do  not 
 steal,  Do  not  bear  false  witness,  Defraud  not,  Honour 
 thy  father  and  mother.  And  he  answered  and  said 
 unto  him,  Master,  all  these  have  I  observed  from  my 
 youth.  Then  Jesus  beholding  him  loved  him,  and  said 
 unto  him,  One  thing  thou  lackest:  go  thy  way,  sell 
 whatsoever  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the  poor,  and  thou 
 shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven ;  and  come,  take  up  the 
 cross,  and  follow  me.  And  he  was  sacl  at  that  saying, 
 and  went,  away  grieved,  for  he  had  great  possessions,” 
 ver.  17 — 22.  Nothing  could  be  a  greater  proof  of  his 
 sincerity,  if  our  Lord  had  wanted  any,  than  Ins  being 
 sad ;  and  being  grieved  at  the  answer  and  rule  of  life 
 our  Lord  here  laid  down  for  him.  Had  he  been  in¬ 
 sincere  in  his  inquiry,  he  would  have  gone  away,  hold¬ 
 ing  our  Lord  and  his  advice  in  the  utmost  contempt : 
 but,  no ;  he  found  here  was  a  dear  right  hand,  a  dear 
 right  eye  to  be  parted  with,  in  order  to  inherit  eternal, 
 life,  and  at  this  he  was  sad.  Had  Air.  Scott  been  there, 
 he  would  have  told  him,  there  was  no  prohibition,  or 
 command,  or  rule  of  life  /or  him,  in  order  to  obtain 
 everlasting  life,  but  u  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ;”  and  then  in  all  probability  the  young  man 
 would  have  gone  away  rejoicing,  as  he  really  did 
 already  bejieve  in  him.  But  if  Jesus  Christ  was  right, 
 
 K  3 
 
V 
 
 20S 
 
 here  was  something  to  be  done,  as  well  as  something 
 to  be  believed ;  and  something  to  be  done  too,  in  order 
 that  the  young  man  might  have  treasure  in  heaven, 
 inherit  eternal  life.  'To  this  Mr.  Scott  cannot  agree ; 
 and,  as  having  authority,  insists  upon  it,  u  In  this 
 sense,  no  prohibition  or  precept,  but  ;  Believe  in  the 
 Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shait  be  saved,’  can  to 
 a  sinner  be  a  rule  of  life.”  I  would  rather,  I  confess, 
 he  had  made  the  bold  declaration  than  me,  and  shall 
 therefore  leave  him  with  Jesus  Christ  to  settle  the 
 dispute.  But  as  our  Lord  has  laid  down  a  rule  of  life, 
 in  order  that  men  may  inherit  eternal  life,  have  treasure 
 in  heaven,  namely,  keeping  the  commandments;  we 
 will  just  see  what  rule  of  life  St.  Paul,  his  faithful 
 servant,  laid  down,  see  Rom.  xiii.  and  Ephes.  vi.  To 
 begin  with  Romans,  u  Render  therefore  to  all  their 
 dues;  tribute  to  whom  tribute  is  due,  custom  to  whom 
 custom,  fear  to  whom  fear,  honour  to  whom  honour. 
 Owe  no  man  any  thing,  but  to  love  one  another;  for 
 be  that  loveth  another,  hath  fulfilled  the  law.  For 
 this,  1  hou  shait  not  commit  adultery,  Thou  shait  not 
 kill,  Thou  shait  not  steal,  Thou  shait  not  bear  false 
 witness,  Thou  shait  not  covet;  and  if  there  be  any 
 other  commandment,  it  is  briefly  comprehended  in  this 
 saying,  namely,  Thou  shait  love  thy  neighbour  as  thy¬ 
 self.  Love  worketh  no  ill  to  his  neighbour;  therefore 
 love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law.”  This  rule  of  life, 
 founded  upon  the  law,  or  commandments  of  God,  he 
 continues  to  lay  down  through  this  and  the  two  fol¬ 
 lowing  chapters  ;  and  in  the  next  chapter,  ver.  10 — 12, 
 he  guards  this  rule  of  life  with,  u  For  we  shall  all 
 stand  before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ.  For  it  is 
 written,  As  I  live,  saith  the  S^ord,  every  knee  shall  bow 
 io  me,  and  every  tongue  shall  confess  to  God.  So  then 
 every  one  of  us  shall  give  account  of  himself  to  God.” 
 And  he  before  had  told  them,  u  If  ve  fulfil  the  lusts  of 
 the  ties li ,  ye  shall  die;  but  if  ye  through  the  Spirit  do 
 mortify  the  deeds  of  the  body,  ye  shall  live.” — u  Good¬ 
 ness  towards  (Sice,,  if  thou  continue  in  goodness;  other- 
 
 9 
 
%Q9 
 
 wise  thou  also  shalt  he  cut  off.”  So  then  here  is  a  rule 
 of  life,  founded  on  the  commands  of  God  ;  and  the 
 believing  Romans  were  to  account  for  their  walking 
 according  to  it,  or  deviating  from  it,  at  the  judgment- 
 seat  of  Christ,  where  each  one  was  to  receive  according 
 to  the  deeds  done  in  the  body,  whether  they  were 
 good,  or  whether  they  were  evil.  These  deeds  were  to 
 be  the  turning-point  in  that  awful  day. 
 
 And  now  for  the  rule  of  life  laid  down  by  the  same 
 apostle,  for  the  Ephesian-s  to  walk  by:  44  Children, 
 obey  your  parents  in  the  Lord;  for  this  is  right. 
 Honour  thy  father  and  mother,  (which  is  the  first 
 commandment  with  promise,)  that  it  may  be  well  with 
 thee,  and  thou  mayest  live  long  on  the  earth.  And  ye 
 fathers,  provoke  not  your  children  to  wrath  ;  but  bring 
 them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord. 
 Servants,  be  obedient  to  them  that  are  your  masters 
 according  to  the  flesh,  with  fear  and  trembling,  in 
 singleness  of  heart,  as  unto  Christ:  not  with  eye- 
 service,  as  men-pleasers ;  but  as  the  servants  of  Christ, 
 doing  the  will  of  God  from  the  heart :  With  good-will 
 doing  service,  as  to  the  Lord,  and  not  to  men  ;  knowing 
 that  whatsoever  good  thing  any  man  doth,  the  same 
 shall  he  receive  of  the  Lord,  whether  he  be  bond  or 
 free,”  &c.  chap.  vi.  1 — 8.  This  rule  of  life  too  is 
 founded  upon  the  commandments;  or,  if  Mr.  Scott 
 likes  it  better,  the  moral  law.  u  He  that  does  good,” 
 according  to  this  rule  is  promised,  that  u  he  shall 
 receive  the  same  of  the  Lord,  whether  he  be  bond  or 
 free.”  I  see  I  might  have  brought  other  passages, 
 equally  strong  as  the  above,  out  of  either  of  these 
 divinely-inspired  epistles;  such  as,  4<  For  thus  you 
 know,  that  no  whoremonger,  nor  unclean  person,  nor 
 covetous  man,  who  is  an  idolater,  hath  any  inheritance 
 in  the  kingdom  of  Christ  and  of  God.  Let  no  man 
 deceive  you  with  vain  words;  for  because  of  these 
 things  cometh  the  wrath  of  God  upon  the  children  of 
 disobedience,”  chap.  v.  5,  6.  All  these  prohibitions 
 and  commands,  then,  are  given  as  a  rule  of  life  to  those 
 
 K  4 
 
210 
 
 who  through  grace  believe  in  Jesus  Christ.  And  what 
 is  remarkable,  they  are  all  given  with  an  eye  to  the 
 judgment-seat  of  Jesus  Christ.  By  their  walking  ac¬ 
 cording  to  this  rule,  eternal  life  is  held  out  as  a  reward 
 to  their  obedience.  Here,  then,  are  two  celebrated 
 writers  in  contact :  the  one  writes  under  the  influences, 
 and  for  the  glory  of  the  eternal  God  ;  the  other  under 
 the  influences  of  Calvinism,  and  for  the  glory  of  the 
 body  of  the  Calvinists.  The  one  brings  a  rule  of  life 
 according  to  the  commands  of  God,  u  commands  that 
 they  do  good,  that  they  be  rich  in  good  w  orks,  ready 
 to  distribute,  willing  to  communicate,  laying  up  in 
 store  for  themselves  a  good  foundation  against  the  time 
 to  come,  that  they  may  lay  hold  on  eternal  life,” 
 1  Tim.  vi.  18,  19.  The  other,  as  though  he  had  greater 
 authority,  says,  u  In  this  sense,  no  prohibition  or 
 precept,  except  c  Believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
 and  thou  shalt  be  saved,’  can  to  a  sinner  be  a  rule  of 
 life.” 
 
 Mr.  Scott  says,  u  The  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life, 
 through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.”  This  is  very  true: 
 but  it  is  also  equally  true,  that  this  eternal  life  is  given 
 to  u  them  that  obey  him.”  Eternal  life  to  a  ruined 
 world,  arises  out  of  the  eternal,  undeserved  goodness 
 of  God.  That  goodness  provided  such  a  mediator  as 
 Jesus  Christ,  as  a  means,  or  channel,  through  which 
 he  might  give  eternal  life  to  them  who  obey  him. 
 Hence  adoring  millions  of  redeemed  creatures,  out  of 
 every  nation,  will  join  adoring  angels  to  eternity,  in 
 looking  into  the  God-like  contrivance  of  human  re¬ 
 demption.  It  will  be  a  grand  part  of  their  eternal 
 employ,  to  look  how  the  law  was  magnified,  justice 
 satisfied,  the  attributes  harmonized,  and  once-con¬ 
 demned  sinners  everlastingly  saved  in  a  way  of  justice. 
 Nor  will  the  least  saint  that  ever  wore  a  human  form, 
 however  faithful  unto  death  he  fought  in  his  captain’s 
 strength  and  presence,  receive  his  crown  of  glory  but 
 as  a  free  gift.  It  is  true,  as  God  was  pleased  to  prepare 
 this  crown  of  glory  unasked,  and  to  hold  it  forth  as 
 
2tl 
 
 / 
 
 a  reward  of  grace  to  them  that  love  him:  everyone 
 who  loves  his  appearing  has  a  right  to  expect  it,  to 
 fight  for  at,  knowing  u  that  faithful  is  he  that  has 
 promised,  who  also  will  do  it.”  Let  us  therefore  not 
 deceive  our  fellow-creatures,  by  misrepresenting  each 
 other.  Do  not  let  us,  in  pretended  opposition  to  our 
 opponents,  contend  hard  for  what  they  never  contended 
 against,  but  perhaps  as  ardently  contend  for  as  our¬ 
 selves.  We  glory,  as  much  as  ever  did  Mr.  Scott,  or 
 or  any  other  Calvinist,  a  that  eternal  life  is  the  gift  of 
 God,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord;”  but  to  our 
 dying  moments  we  dare  not  deny,  but  that  the  way  to 
 receive  that  gift  of  God  is,  by  u  keeping  the  command¬ 
 ments.”  Some  will  say,  u  This  is  an  hard  saying,  who 
 can  hear  it?”  but  as  believers  we  dare  not  deny  our 
 Lord  and  Master’s  word,  any  more  than  we  dare  be 
 ashamed  of  him.  If  people  will  not  see  the  distinction  * 
 between  absolute  merit  and  the  kind  reward  of  grace, 
 we  cannot  help  it,  we  are  truly  sorry  for  it;  we  must 
 leave  it  until  we  meet  together  at  the  bar  of  God,  and 
 there  they  wall  see  it  settled.  May  God  grant,  it  may 
 not  be  settled  then  to  the  disadvantage  and  confusion 
 of  many,  who  now  think,  while  contending  for  Calvin- 
 ism,  they  are  only  u  earnestly  contending  for  the  faith 
 once  delivered  to  the  saints.” 
 
 Mr.  Scott  adds,  u  But  it  is  seriously  to  be  feared,  that 
 multitudes  expect,  by  abstaining  from  gross  vices,  and 
 practising  some  outward  duties,  to  obtain  eternal  life, 
 though  destitute  of  true  repentance,  living  faith,  and 
 inward  holiness,”  &zc.  I  do  confess,  when  I  see  or 
 hear  a  profound,  settled  Calvinist  expressing  sorrow 
 and  fear  on  this  head,  it  may  be  my  fault,  but  I  have 
 always  my  doubts  as  to  the  sincerity  of  that  sorrow. 
 Professions  of  godly  sorrow  are  very  easy  I  know, 
 while  proof  of  heart-felt  sorrow  is  wanting.  That 
 many  are  expecting  eternal  life,  as  a  reward  of  abstain¬ 
 ing  from  some  gross  sins,  to  which  perhaps  they  had 
 no  temptation,  and  the  performing  some  outward  duties, 
 though  destitute  of  broken-heartedj  weeping  repent- 
 
 Ii  5 
 
212 
 
 ance,  faith  In  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  inward  holiness, 
 is  too  much  to  be  feated.  But  as  a  Calvinist,  Mr.  Scott 
 must  look  upon  these  either  as  elect  or  non-elect.  If 
 lie  looks  upon  them  as  elect,  then  they  have  all  the 
 special  grace  of  repentance,  faith,  and  inward  holiness, 
 God  ever  intended  them;  or  at  least  they  soon  will 
 have  it.  If  not  elect,  then  44  God  designedly  withholds 
 from  them,  for  reasons  not  revealed,”  44  repentance, 
 faith,  and  inward  holiness.”  Then  Mr.  Scott’s  lamen¬ 
 tation  should  rather  be  over  God’s  want  of  goodness, 
 and  his  behaving  no  better  to  them,  than  to  withhold 
 those  necessary  graces  from  them,  ‘4  faith,  repentance, 
 and  inward  holiness.”  And  instead  of  preaching  to 
 these  the  necessity  of  repenting,  believing,  and  enjoying 
 inward  holiness,  he  should  rather  preach  to  God  the 
 necessity  of  turning  from  his  present  way,  and  of  giving 
 these  poor,  pitiable  creatures,  44  repentance,  faith,  and 
 inward  holiness;”  and  entreat  him  not  to  let  them  go 
 on  in  their  errors,  till  they  were  convinced  of  their 
 non-election  in  hell. 
 
 Mr.  Scott  says,  44  At  present  I  am  persuaded  that 
 the  evangelical  clergy  in  general  are  very  careful  to 
 caution  their  congregations  against  every  antinomian 
 perversion  of  the  doctrine  of  grace;  and  I  am  fully 
 assured,  that  there  are  very  few  in  their  congregations 
 •who  are  not  quite  convinced,  that  lying,  drunkenness, 
 theft,  and  fornication,  and  every  other  instance  of  im¬ 
 morality,  will,  unless  repented  of,  forsaken,  and  ab¬ 
 horred,  terminate  in  their  everlasting  damnation,  what¬ 
 ever  doctrine  they  assent  to,  whatever  confidence  they 
 may  express,”  &c.  This  appears  altogether  evasion'. 
 Do  these  Calvinist  clergymen  (for  such  I  suppose  are 
 meant  by  evangelical,)  tell  their  congregations,  that 
 notwithstanding  they  may  be  the  elect,  they  are  in 
 danger  of  everlasting  damnation,  if  they  live  in  any  sin 
 ©r  immorality  ?  That  though  with  the  dying  thief  they 
 may  be  justified  by  faith,  as  he  was;  yet  if  they  are 
 not  careful  to  maintain  good  works,  they  will  44  lose 
 that  faith  and  salvation  again,”  and  their  last  state  be 
 
213 
 
 worse  with  them  than  the  beginning?  That  though 
 they  may  be  the  uncircumcision,  not  the  elect;  yet  u  if 
 they  fulfil  the  righteousness  of  the  law,”  their  non¬ 
 election  shall  be  counted  for  election,  and  they  shall  as 
 sure  be  saved  as  though  they  were  the  elect?  Do  these 
 evangelical  clergymen,  or  dissenters  either,  tell  their 
 congregations  that  ever  there  was  an  elect,  or  any  of 
 the  elect,  damned  for  drunkenness,  lying,  theft,  or 
 fornication?  On  the  contrary,  will  Mr.  Scott  contra¬ 
 dict  me,  or  will  any  who  has  long  sat  under  these 
 evangelical  ministers  contradict  me,  When  I  vow,  that 
 when  these  congregations  are  reproved  for  lying, 
 drunkenness,  theft,  or  fornication,  they  are  as  uni¬ 
 formly  told,  that  if  they  are  the  elect,  God  will  not 
 suffer  them  to  die  in  those  crimes?  That  as  sure  as 
 God  made  them  his  elect,  he  will  take  care  of  them, 
 and  in  his  own  time  bring  them  back?  And  upon  this 
 head,  I  declare  it,  it  is  not  seven  years  since,  in  the 
 largest  parish  church  in  this  town,  I  heard  a  young 
 evangelical  clergyman,  while  he  was  very  severe  upon 
 ■what  he  called  the  wicked,  say,  u  But  the  elect  have 
 no  sins  to  answer  for;  no,  Christ  has  answered  for  all 
 their  sins,  and  therefore  they  have  no  crimes  to  answer 
 for:”  and  another  tells  us,  that  as  to  doing  any  thing 
 in  order  to  obtaining  everlasting  life,  (i  there  can  be 
 no  prohibition  or  precept,  except  4  Believe  in  the  Lord 
 Jesus  Christ,  arid  thou  shalt  be  saved,’  can  to  a  sinner 
 be  a  rule  of  life.”  He  should  have  added,  u  And  love 
 one  another,  even  as  he  gave  us  commandment.”  And 
 reason  says  it ;  it  is  neither  lying,  drunkenness,  theft, 
 or  fornication,  that  breaks  this  rule  :  that  none  of  thes& 
 crimes  are  prohibited  him  in  those  words. 
 
 I  would  not  add  grief  to  the  sorrow  of  a  self- 
 condemned,  broken-hearted  sinner,  by  setting  him  to 
 make  bricks  without  straw  or  proper  materials;  but 
 human  nature  is  such,  it  need  always  be  well  guarded : 
 and  let  a  man  be  fully  persuaded  in  his  own  mind  he 
 has  repented  and  been  converted,  this  repentance  and 
 conversion  proves  he  was  and  is  an  elect  of  God,  per- 
 
2X4 
 
 sonally  loved  with  an  everlasting  love,  without  any 
 condition  elected  to  eternal  life;  that  on  the  ground  of 
 obtaining  everlasting  life,  no  sin  is  prohibited  him,  no 
 duty  enjoined  him,  no  rule  of  life  laid  down  for  him, 
 but  44  Believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt 
 be  saved. ”  And  where  is  the  man  in  the  hour  of  fierce 
 temptation,  having  a  suitable  opportunity,  would  not 
 commit  any  besetting  sin  the  devil  might  tempt  him  to  ? 
 
 His  lordship  says,  44  Whosoever  has  lived  in  the 
 neighbourhood  of  certain  preachers,  will  testify  that  it 
 lias  taken  place/’  Mr.  Scott  answers,  44  Who  these 
 certain  preachers  are,  we  are  not  told ;  but  this  I  can 
 confidently  say,  that  I  have  witnessed  in  the  places 
 where  the  evangelical  clergy  are  stationed,  a  degree  of 
 moralily,  even  in  those  who  did  not  enter  into  their 
 views,  beyond  what  I  ever  saw  in  any  other  places.’* 
 This  is  fair:  then  without  entering  into  Calvinism, 
 a  degree  of  morality  may  be  w  itnessed,  beyond  what  is 
 found  in  any  other  places.  I  think  I  can  say  this  too, 
 as  confidently  as  Mr.  Scott  can.  Within  the  last  forty 
 years,  I  have  known  several  persons  turning  from  sin 
 tb  God,  who  have  immediately  been  drawn  away  by 
 Ihe  Calvinists,  and  have  become  their  constant  hearers, 
 without  entering  into  their  views;  and  among  them 
 have  not  only  set  an  example  of  strict  morality,  but 
 liave  enjoyed  true  repentance,  faith,  and  inward  holi¬ 
 ness.  But  one  instance  of  a  man  becoming  more 
 liberal,  more  easy  to  be  entreated,  more  diligent  and 
 strictly  honest,  less  covetous,  and  better  tempered,  by 
 turning  Calvinist,  within  the  last  forty  years,  I  do  not 
 kuow.  One  woman  adorned  more  with  shamefaced¬ 
 ness,  with  a  meek  and  quiet  spirit,  more  obedient  to 
 her  husband,  by  turning  Calvinist,  I  never  knew.  Holy 
 women,  wherever  and  whoever  you  are,  do  not  be 
 angry,  I  am  not  speaking  a  w  ord  against  you ;  many 
 of  you  sit  under  Calvinist  ministers,  yet  are  no  Cal¬ 
 vinists,  though  you  sometimes  think  you  are.  I  have 
 seen  instances  of  your  affections  being  good,  and  your 
 consciences  being  tender*  Calvinism  has  been  fully 
 
215 
 
 declared,  and  openly  shewn  among  you,  and  your  very 
 souls  have  started  with  horror.  But  there  is  no  re¬ 
 vealed  truth  of  the  Gospel  calculated  to  strike  with 
 horror  any  rational  soul,  blessed  with  a  tender  con¬ 
 science:  nay,  the  more  any  reasonable  man  knows  of 
 the  truths  of  the  Gospel,  the  more  he  admires  them; 
 therefore  the  Gospel  of  God,  and  the  system  of  John 
 Calvin,  are  two  opposite  systems.  The  one  is  a  blessing 
 to  mankind,  the  other  never  was  made  a  blessing  to 
 any  being  on  earth.  I  can  point  out  several  families, 
 more  than  one,  two,  or  three,  the  heads  of  whom,  from 
 twenty-live  to  forty  years  ago,  contended  hard  with 
 me  in  the  behalf  of  Calvinism,  that  are  now  ruined, 
 and  even  broken  up,  from  no  other  cause  than  by 
 acting  upon  Calvinism.  Yes;  families  who  were  then 
 opulent,  are  now  in  ruin,  by  acting  upon  that  principle, 
 
 I  have  no  sins  to  answer  for;  Christ  has  answered 
 for  all  my  sins,  therefore  I  have  no  sins  to  give  an 
 account  of.’’ — u  I  have  no  rule  of  life,  but  4  Believe 
 in  Jesus  Christ.’  ” — u  My  obedience  has  nothing  to  do 
 with  my  eternal  state:  that  is  all  secured  in  the  cove¬ 
 nant.” 
 
 I  am,  in  a  sense,  sorry  Mr.  Scott  touched  upon  this 
 point  ;  because  my  business  is  not  with  bad  practices, 
 but  bad  principles. 
 
 I  think  it  strange,  since  making  the  above  remarks, 
 a  relation,  a  Calvinist  too,  has  called;  and  while  we 
 sat  ten  minutes  together,  began  to  relate  the  death  of 
 one  of  my  oldest  acquaintances,  who  was  buried  this 
 very  day  in  which  I  am  making  these  remarks.  This 
 man  was  the  oldest  Calvinist  preacher  in  Shropshire, 
 and  the  stiffest  Calvinist  I  knew.  More  than  twenty 
 years  ago,  by  his  own  request,  I  had  three  set  disputes 
 with  him  upon  Calvinism:  each  of  these  lasted  several 
 hours  ;  and  in  two  of  these  disputes,  I  can  affirm,  he 
 literally  gnashed  upon  me  with  his  teeth,  and  foamed 
 at  the  mouth  like  a  mad  dog,  and  only  because  I 
 brought  plain  Scripture  against  his  favourite  doctrines* 
 
He  was  very  rich,  had  a  wife  and  one  only  child,  bift 
 (I  give  the  account  of  his  latter  end  in  my  relation’s 
 own  words,)  u  He  has  made  a  very  dishonest  will,  by 
 which  he  has  deprived  his  nearest,  and  indeed  all  his 
 relations,  of  what  they  expected,  and  indeed  of  what 
 was  their  due,  and  has  given  it  by  thousands  to  several 
 rich  people,  no  relations  to  him,  but  who  were  of  hi3 
 own  stamp,  very  high  Calvinists*” 
 
 Fellow-mortals,  we  all  want  a  religion  that  will  do 
 ns  good  in  our  latter  end.  The  Lord  has  in  mercy 
 spared  me,  to  see  most  of  my  oldest  acquaintances 
 gone  before  me;  1  too  must  soon  follow  them;  pre* 
 pared  or  unprepared,  at  death’s  summons  I  must  go4 
 Ilow  have  those  of  my  acquaintance,  ministers  and 
 people,  left  the  world  ?  Among  the  highest  Calvinists 
 I  have  known,  all  but  one  left  the  world  under  a  cloud, 
 took  a  leap  in  the  dark,  knew  not  where  they  wrcre 
 going  :  Captain  Jonathan  Scott,  indeed,  never  lost  his 
 piety  throughout  his  course,  but  really  was  known  to 
 have  lost  a  deal  of  his  fiery  zeal  for  Calvinism  and 
 controverted  doctrines,  long  before  his  departure;  and 
 looking  at  him,  and  his  dear  wife,  who  died  before 
 him,  my  two  most  dear  friends,  a  person  might  say, 
 44  Let  me  also  die  the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  let 
 my  latter  end  be  like  their’s.”  But,  ah  1  has  not  the 
 rector  of  Aston  Sandford,  in  talking  about  the  justi¬ 
 fication  of  sinners  on  earth,  throughout  this  first  volume^ 
 almost  forgotten  death,  justification  of  immortal  souls 
 at  the  bar  of  God,  eternal  joys,  and  eternal  torments? 
 I  hope,  in  following  him  through  his  next  volume,  we 
 shall  find  more  religion,  more  fervour  of  spirit  mani¬ 
 fested,  than  is  to  be  found  in  this.  1  hope  we  shall 
 have  full  reason  to  believe,  ce  lie  set  God  always  at 
 his  right  hand,  that  he  should  not  sin  against  him.” — 
 u  For  that  he  was  still  w  ith  him.”  That  he  never  sat 
 down  to  write  in  defence  of  religious  doctrines,  but  he 
 first  implored  help  from  God.  That  he  deeply  con¬ 
 sidered,  u  Thou  art  about  my  path,  about  my  bed,  and 
 
217 
 
 f piest  out  all  my  goings.”  That  u  there  is  not  a  word 
 in  my  mouth,  nor  a  thought  iri  my  heart,  but  thou 
 knowest  it  altogether.” 
 
 Were  observations  to  be  made  in  answer  to  every 
 article  or  note  in  Mr.  Scott’s  44  Remarks,”  this  answer 
 would  extend  to  such  a  length,  few  would  have  patience 
 to  read.  But  as  a  preacher  no  longer  preaches  for  the 
 information  and  good  of  his  audience,  than  he  can  keep 
 up  their  attention;  so  an  author  no  longer  writes  for 
 the  instruction  and  entertainment  of  his  readers,  than 
 he  can  keep  up  the  attention  of  those  readers,  and  draw 
 them  willingly  after  him.  I  am  obliged  to  omit  many 
 of  Mr.  Scott’s  remarks:  besides,  if  1  did  not  so,  there 
 would  unavoidably  be  as  much  tautology  in  this  answer, 
 as  is  found  in  his  44  Remarks.”  1  trust,  however,  it 
 will  be  found,  every  thing  that  materially  and  essentially 
 enters  into  the  controversy,  as  stated  by  Mr.  Scott  in 
 his  first  volume  in  answer  to  his  lordship  the  bishop  of 
 Lincoln,  is  not  only  answered,  but  refuted.  It  will  be 
 allowed,  (I  am  sure,  by  every  one  that  has  examined 
 the  controverted  texts  and  contexts,)  that  Mr.  Scott 
 lias  built  upon  a  false  foundation.  That  as  the  Scrip¬ 
 tures  speak  of  the  predestination  of-  patriarchs  and 
 apostles,  Rom.  viii.  and  Ephes.  i.  he  has  concluded 
 Rom  those  texts,  many  of  we  poor  Gentiles  were  pre¬ 
 destinated  too. 
 
 It  is  a  sad  misfortune  in  him  as  an  author,  he  is 
 settled  in  certain  favourite  doctrines;  he  has  no  doubt 
 but  the  Scriptures  are  in  favour  of  those  doctrines: 
 hence,  without  examining  those  texts  he  quotes,  to 
 see  how  they  are  connected,  to  whom  they  are  applied, 
 he  quotes  them  just  suitable  to  his  purpose.  But 
 when  we  minutely  examine  the  text  itself,  we  often  find 
 it  speaks  no  such  thing  as  he  supposed  it  spoke;  and 
 this,  I  say,  is  a  very  great  misfortune  in  him.  Take 
 one  instance  from  what  just  now  strikes  me,  in  again 
 looking  o\er  his  44  Remarks:”  his  lordship  had  justly 
 said,  44  St.  Paul  tells  the  Romans  and  Galatians,  (hat 
 they  have  been  justified;  and  yet  he  gives  them  rules 
 for  their  conduct,  the  observance  of  which  he  represents 
 
as  essential  to  their  salvation.  But  had  lie  considered 
 their  justification  as  necessarily  continuing,  had  he 
 conceived  salvation  in  the  next  world  as  inevitably 
 following  justification  in  this,  all  advice  would  have 
 been  superlluous,  nor  could  he  have  felt  or  expressed 
 any  anxiety  for  the  future  welfare  of  the  converts  : 
 nay,  he  speaks  of  some  who,  having  put  away  a  good 
 conscience,  concerning  faith  had  made  shipwreck. 
 These  men  must  have  lost  their  state  of  justification 
 which  they  once  had.  and  have  failed  of  salvation.” 
 To  refute  the  reasoning  here,  were  impossible:  but  to 
 evade  its  force,  page  307,  Mr.  Scott  remarks  as  follows: 
 C(  St.  Paul  indeed  says,  in  general,  to  the  Romans, 
 4  Therefore  being  justified  by  faith,  ye  have  peace  with 
 Cod  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ : 5  but  surely  no 
 one  will  infer  from  this,  that  he  considered  it  as  infal¬ 
 libly  certain,  that  every  professed  Christian  at  Rome 
 was  in  a  justified  state,  at  the  time  when  he  wrote  this 
 epistle  !  Raving  not  been  at  Rome,  he  had  no  personal 
 acquaintance  with  the  Christians  there,”  &c.  What 
 a  pity,  that  a  writer  of  so  many  books  should  thus  so 
 commit  himself!  Had  Paul  no  personal  acquaintance 
 with  the  chief  of  the  Christians  at  Rome?  Mad  he  ne 
 personal  acquaintance  with  Phoebe,  with  Priscilla  and 
 Aquila,  or  his  beloved  Epenetus?  Did  he  know 
 nothing  of  Mary  personally,  who  had  bestowed  much 
 labour  upon  them  ?  Nor  of  Andronicus,  nor  Junius 
 his  kinsman,  and  fellow-prisoners  ?  To  say  nothing  of 
 the  rest,  whose  names  he  mentions  in  the  last  chapter, 
 one  would  have  thought  it  impossible  that  a  commen¬ 
 tator  should  w  rite  till  he  had  so  far  forgot  himself  as  to 
 tell  the  world,  4C  Paul  had  no  personal  acquaintance 
 with  the  Christians  at  Rome.”  But  this  is  not  the 
 worst;  the  worst  of  it  is,  in  quoting  the  apostle  he  has 
 substituted  the  word  ge,  for  the  word  zee:  u  Ye  have 
 peace  w  ith  God,”  instead  of  u  We  have  peace  with 
 God.”  It  is  true,  he  has  in  his  errata  corrected  him¬ 
 self,  and  says,  44  For  ye,  read  zee :  ”  but  this  makes 
 the  matter  look  worse;  for  the  mischief  remains, 
 because  Mr.  Scott  has  expatiated  pretty  largely  upw* 
 
219 
 
 the  words,  through  more  than  two  pages,  as  though 
 the  apostle  had  said,  46  Ye  Christians  at  Rome  have 
 peace  with  God.”  He  should  therefore  also  have 
 informed  us,  that  what  was  said  upon  it  under  that 
 idea  must  be  perfect  nonsense.  He  should  think  before 
 he  writes,  and  especially  as  he  writes  upon  the  Scrip¬ 
 tures,  instead  of  thinking  after. 
 
 Again  :  his  lordship  has  an  excellent  note,  as  follows, 
 44  Our  Saviour,  in  his  awful  description  of  the  pro¬ 
 ceedings  of  the  last  judgment,  not  only  assigns  eternal 
 life  to  those  who  have  performed  acts  of  mercy  to  their 
 fellow-creatures,  bnt  expressly  on  the  account  of  those 
 acts :  4  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the 
 kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the 
 world;  for  I  was  an  hungred,  and  you  gave  me  meat. 
 — Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of 
 these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me.’  Is  if 
 possible  to  read  these  passages  of  the  New  Testament, 
 and  to  deny  that  works  are  clearly  made  the  grand 
 hinge  on  which  our  justification  and  salvation  turn  ; 
 and  not  be  astonished  that  any  person,  professing  belief 
 in  the  divine  authority  of  the  Scriptures,  himself  a  mi¬ 
 nister  of  the  Gospel,  should  with  marked  severity 
 inveigh  against  those  teachers,  who  make  works  the 
 grand  turning-point  in  the  matter  of  our  salvation.” 
 This  is  matter  of  astonishment  indeed;  and  one  would 
 think  no  man,  who  believes  he  shall  be  called  to  give 
 an  account  to  God  for  all  he  says  and  all  he  does, 
 would  dare  to  defend  such  men.  But  to  ward  off  the 
 force  of  his  lordship’s  arguments,  to  prevent  conviction, 
 Mr.  Scott  begins  a  laboured  answer,  as  follows,  p.  385, 
 44  Would  his  lordship  then  say',  that  an  habitual  adul¬ 
 terer,  a  thief,  a  drunkard,  or  a  perjurer,  will  be  wel¬ 
 comed  by  our  Saviour  in  the  w  ords  here  quoted,  because 
 he  has  4  performed  acts  of  mercy  to  his  fellow-creatures, 
 and  expressly  on  account  ot  those  acts?’  ”  As  Mr. 
 Scott  answers,  44  I  know  he  would  not;”  he  must 
 have  had  some  other  motive  for  putting  such  a  question, 
 or  making  such  an  inquiry.  Was  that  motive  mercy, 
 
-  220 
 
 Instruction,  correction,  or  for  provocation  ?  But  bad 
 the  question  been  put  to  me,  I  would  without  any  fear 
 have  answered  in  the  affirmative,  and  not  in  the  nega¬ 
 tive :  I  would  have  said,  Yes;  for  44  when  the  wicked 
 man  turneth  away  from  his  wickedness,  and  doeth  that 
 which  is  lawful  and  right,  he  shall  save  his  soul  alive. ” 
 — 44  All  his  transgressions  that  he  hath  committed,  they 
 shall  not  be  mentioned  unto  him;  in  his  righteousness 
 which  he  hath  done  he  shall  live.  Have  I  any  pleasure 
 at  all  that  the  wicked  should  die?  saith  the  Lord  God  ; 
 and  not  that  he  should  return  from  his  ways  and  live  ?” 
 - — 44  For  I  have  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  him  that 
 dieth,  saith  the  Lord  God:  wherefore  turn  yourselves* 
 and  live  ye,”  Ezek.  xviii.  22,  23,  27,  32.  Mr.  Scott 
 asks,  44  Would  his  lordship  then  say,  that  an  habitual 
 adulterer,  a  thief,  a  drunkard,  or  a  perjurer,  will  be 
 welcomed  by  our  Saviour,”  44  because  he  has  per¬ 
 formed  acts  of  mercy  to  his  fellow- creatures,  expressly 
 on  account  of  those  acts?”  With  my  Bible  in  my 
 hand,  and  God’s  word  in  my  heart,  fearless  of  con¬ 
 sequences,  I  would  boldly  answer,  Yes;  44  because  he 
 eonsidereth,  and  turneth  away  from  all  his  transgres¬ 
 sions  that  he  hath  committed,  he  shall  surely  live,  he 
 shall  not  die,”  ver.  28.  Ylere  is  God’s  holy  word; 
 and  we  know  him  that  has  said,  44  For  whosoever  shall 
 be  ashamed  of  me  and  of  my  words,  of  him  shall  the 
 Son  of  man  be  ashamed,  when  he  shall  come  in  his  own 
 glory,  and  in  his  Father’s,  and  of  the  holy  angels,” 
 Luke  ix.  26.  I  had  marked  several  texts  to  have 
 transcribed  on  this  occasion,  but  one  in  this  same 
 evangelist  shall  suffice.  Addressing  himself  to  one  of 
 the  chief  Pharisees,  when  he  marked  how  they  chose 
 out  the  chief  rooms  at  the  feast,  our  Lord  says,  44  But 
 when  thou  rnakest  a  feast,  call  the  poor,  the  maimed, 
 the  lame,  the  blind,  and  thou  shalt  be  blessed ;  for  they 
 cannot  recompence thee  :  for  thou  shait  be  recompenced 
 at  the  resurrection  of  the  just,”  chap.  xiv.  13,  14. 
 Here  is  a  recompence  at  the  resurrection  promised 
 even  to  the  pharisee,  whatever  his  past  deeds  had  been. 
 
221 
 
 if  he  would  at  last  learn  to  be  merciful.  a  Blessed  a  re 
 the  merciful,  for  they  shall  obtain  mercy.”— Forgive, 
 and  it  shall  be  forgiven.” 
 
 Narrow,  indeed,  is  the  way  that  leadeth  unto  life  ; 
 but  much  much  narrower  would  it  prove  than  it  is,  if 
 Mr.  Scott’s  glosses  and  comments  on  the  sacred  Scrip¬ 
 tures  were  to  pass  for  truth.  He  says,  u  Some  limi- 
 tations  therefore  must  be  admitted,  and  the  passage 
 itself  clearly  shews  what  that  is;  c  The  acts  of  mercy 
 are  stated  by  the  Judge  to  be  done  to  him,  because 
 done  to  these  his  brethren  :  ’  that  is,  not  done  to  their 
 fellow- creatures  from  any  motive  whatever,  but  from 
 love  of  Christ,  to  those  whom  he  owns,  and  will  ow  n 
 at  the  day  of  judgment  as  his  brethren.”  The  question 
 is,  not  what  the  kind  Judge  will  take  as  done  unto 
 himself,  accepting  not  according  to  that  a  man  hath 
 not,  but  according  to  that  he  hath  ;  but  whether  the 
 motive  of  every  action  laid  to  the  account  of  every 
 justified  soul  at  the  bar  of  God  a  was  love  to  Christ 
 we  must  have  no  evasion  here,  there  will  be  none  there; 
 Was  Mr.  Scott  to  be  assured,  that  in  a  very  few  days, 
 or  hours,  he  should  he  called  to  that  bar,  would  he 
 persist  in  it  that  not  an  human  soul  would  be  justified 
 then,  but  such  as  did  all  their  acts  of  mercy  from  love 
 to  Christ  ?  and  all  those  who  excited  their  pity,  and 
 on  whom  they  shewed  mercy,  were  friends  of  Christ  ? 
 He  now  stands  at  the  bar  of  the  public,  to  answer  for 
 what  he  has  w  ritten  ;  but  must  soon  stand  at  the 
 tribunal  of  Jesus  Christ  to  answer  for  it.  Is  he  not 
 positive,  without  going  to  any  other  passage  than  what 
 is  now  before  us,  that  neither  the  forgiven,  justified 
 prisoners,  crowned  with  honour,  glory,  and  immor¬ 
 tality  ;  nor  the  Lord,  the  judge  who  justifies  and 
 glorifies  them,  never  so  much  as  intimates  that  all  their 
 works  of  mercy  w  ere  done  from  no  other  motive  than 
 from  love  to  Christ,  and  because  these  belong  to 
 Christ  ?  Millions  of  them  will  come  from  the  east  and 
 from  the  west,  from  the  north  and  from  the  south,  and 
 will  sit  down  with  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  with 
 
222 
 
 Jacob,  in  the  kingdom  of  their  Father,57  who  never 
 heard  of  Jesus  Christ  until  they  got  there.  c(  God 
 being  in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  unto  himself,  not 
 imputing  their  trespasses  unto  them ; 55  being  no  re¬ 
 specter  of  persons,  in  every  nation,  he  that  feareth  him 
 and  worketh  righteousness,  is  accepted  with  him, 
 Acts  x.  34.  <£  And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up,  will  draw  all 
 
 men  unto  me.”  Bearing  away  the  sins  of  the  world, 
 for  u  the  Lord  laid  on  him  the  iniquities  of  us  all ;  ” 
 high  on  the  cross  he  hung  for  all  men.  u  The  Father 
 judges  no  man,  but  hath  committed  all  judgment  unto 
 the  Son,  because  he  is  the  Son  of  man.’5  He  is,  there¬ 
 fore,  the  appointed  Judge  of  all,  the  most  suitable  that 
 God  in  wisdom  and  goodness  could  appoint;  and  if 
 he,  through  his  abundant  goodness,  judges  those  at  his 
 right  hand  worthy  of  everlasting  life,  (they  shall  walk 
 with  me  in  white,  for  they  are  worthy ;)  and,  in  his 
 justice,  those  at  his  left  hand  worthy  of  everlasting 
 punishment,  it  is  because  those  were  righteous,  these 
 were  wicked.  Those  feared  God,  turned  to  him,  and 
 worked  righteousness  :  these  loved  darkness  rather  than 
 light,  because  their  deeds  were  evil.  These  are  the 
 reasons  a  God,  in  condescension  to  our  weakness,  is 
 pleased  to  give,  why  the  separation  shall  then  be  made 
 of  the  righteous  from  the  w  icked.  And  here  we  boldly 
 stand  now,  as  we  humbly  hope  undismayed  to  stand  at 
 his  right  hand  then. 
 
 The  trial  of  faith  at  the  day  of  judgment  by  works, 
 which  the  Calvinists  talk  of,  is  scandalous;  not  to  say, 
 a  direct  attack  upon  u  our  Saviour’s  description  of  the 
 awful  proceedings  of  that  day.”  He  is  the  best  judge 
 in  this  matter.  He  knows  best  whether  men  or  their 
 faith  is  to  be  tried  at  the  last  day.  He  knows  best 
 whether  men  or  their  faith  is  to  be  found  good  or  bad, 
 to  be  justified  or  to  be  condemned,  dead  or  living,  in 
 that  day.  The  idea  of  then  trying  whether  men’s  faith 
 was  living  or  dead,  and  trying  this  by  works,  is  not 
 only  antiscriptural,  but  there  is  something  truly  shock¬ 
 ing  in  it.  When  I  am  speaking  of  the  events  of  that 
 
 ■v 
 
day,  I  would  speak  of  them  with  awe,  and  with  reve* 
 rence  the  most  profound.  Yet  I  was  going  to  say, 
 Jehovah,  God,  will  have  something  else  to  do  in  that 
 day,  than  to  try  faith ;  to  see  who  had  the  faith  which 
 was  his  gift  only  to  the  elect,  or  who  had  only  dead 
 faith,  that  which,  he  designed  should  be  the  portion  of 
 the  non-elect:;  who  had  living  faith,  and  who  had  dead 
 faith  ;  who  were  they  that  he  gave  living  faith  to,  and 
 who  were  they  from  whom  he  from  eternity  designed 
 to  withhold  it. 
 
 Notwithstanding  faith  in  that  day  will  not  abide, 
 have  no  existence,  Mr.  Scott  speaks  of  it  as  follow  s : 
 u  Nothing  availeth  in  Christ  Jesus,  but  faith  which 
 worketh  by  love.  The  persons  spoken  of  in  this 
 account  of  the  day  of  judgment,  were  professed  be¬ 
 lievers  :  the  question  is,  had  they  the  true  and  living 
 4  faith  which  worketh  by  love  ?  ’  ”  The  work  of  faith 
 and  labour,  a  liberality  of  love  evinced  this  to  be  the 
 case  in  respect  of  those  on  the  right  hand.”  When 
 men  leave  the  Bible,  and  are  not  content  with  God’s 
 description  of  the  day  of  judgment,  what  absurdities 
 will  not  they  run  into?  How  do  they  expose  them¬ 
 selves  to  censure !  Who  told  Mr.  Scott,  those  44  at  the 
 right  hand  were  professed  believers?”  Our  L6rd 
 intimates,  it  was  only  those  on  the  left  hand  who 
 44  were  professed  believers.”  It  was  they  who  made 
 such  great  profession.  44  Not  every  oiie  that  saith  unto 
 me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
 heaven;  but  he  that  doth  the  will  of  my  Father  which 
 is  in  heaven.  Many  w  ill  say  to  me  in  that  day,  Lord, 
 Lord,  have  we  not  prophesied  in  thy  name?  and  in  thy 
 name  have  cast  out  devils?  and  in  thy  name  done 
 many  wonderful  works?  And  then  will  I  profess  unto 
 them,  I  never  knew  you  :  depart  from  me,  ye  that  wrork 
 iniquity,”  chap.  vii.  21 — 23.  Mr. Scott  has  a  favourite 
 doctrine  to  defend;  in  order  that  this  should  be  de¬ 
 fended,  it  was  necessary  that  all  at  Christ’s  right  hand 
 should  be  44  professed  believers.”  Our  Lord,  in  either 
 jq f  the  cited  passages,  says  not  ©ne  word  about  their 
 
224 
 
 great  profession,  or  about  their  profession  at  all,  and 
 •only  that  they  u  did  the  will  of  his  Father  which  is  in 
 heaven.”  But  it  is  many  of  those  who  unhappily  wiil 
 be  found  at  his  left  hand,  which  he  describes  as  making 
 such  flaming  professions  of  eating  and  drinking  in  his 
 presence,  of  doing  many  wonderful  works  in  his  name; 
 but  Mr.  Scott,  to  defend  his  favourite  system,  will  have 
 it,  those  at  his  right  hand  were  professed  believers. 
 
 When  I  review  his  remarks,  and  again  review  the 
 passages  in  Scripture  referred  to,  I  feel  myself  amazed 
 beyond  the  power  of  expression  ;  and  how  a  mortal 
 dares  so  play  w  ith  such  awfully  dangerous  edge  tools, 
 I  cannot  tell.  He  says,  <c  The  persons  spoken  of  in 
 this  account  of  the  day  of  judgment,  were  professed 
 believers;  the  question  was ,  Had  they  the  true  and 
 living  faith  which  worketh  by  love?”  He  does  not 
 say,  u  the  question  as  of  a  thing  about  which  we 
 are  disputing  ;  but,  u  the  question  was”  as  supposed 
 to  be  put  by  the  Judge  of  quick  and  dead,  as  described 
 by  our  Lord,  66  Had  they  the  true  and  living  faith,” 
 &c.  As  though  this  must  be  the  turning-point,  in  that 
 day  when  time  shall  be  no  longer.  As  in  the  presence 
 of  God  my  Maker,  at  whose  name  my  soul  bows  with 
 reverence,  I  ask  Thomas  Scott  where,  when  did  the 
 Judge,  describing  the  day  of  judgment,  say,  (as  being 
 the  turning-point  for  heaven  or  hell,)  u  Had  they 
 living  faith  which  worketh  by  love  ?  ”  When  did  Jesus 
 say,  u  This  was  the  question?”  If  I  thought  faith, 
 and  not  immortal  souls,  was  to  be  tried,  then  I  would 
 answer  Mr.  Scott,  and  say,  Many  of  them  at  the  left 
 hand  had  this  faith  once,  but  they  put  it  away  ;  and  as 
 the  work  of  putting  it  away  was  their  own,  they  have 
 damnation  for  this  work.  They  had  once  this  faith 
 and  a  good  conscience,  but  they  made  shipwreck  of  it. 
 They  continued  not  unto  the  end,  and  therefore  could 
 not  be  saved. 
 
 Mr.  Scottgoeson,  u  The  passage  (Mat.  xxv.  31 — 46,) 
 is  perfectly  conclusive  against  a  dead  and  solitary  faith, - 
 and  every  antinomian  perversion  of  evangelical  doc. 
 
;225 
 
 trines.”  Mr.  Scott  is  the  last  man  that  should  speak 
 against  antinomian  perversion  of  evangelical  doctrines, 
 while  he  declares  to  the  world,  44  the  believer  has  no 
 rule  of  life,  but  4  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,’  ” 
 with  respect  to  his  final  acceptance  with  God;  and 
 while  he  opposes  the  idea,  44  that  works  are  clearly  the 
 hinge  on  which  our  justification  and  salvation  turn,  or 
 that  works  are  the  turning-point  in  the  matter  of  sal¬ 
 vation.”  For  if  44  the  law  is  no  rule  of  life,  as  it 
 respects  believers’ justification  aud  final  salvation,  and 
 works,  such  as  are  commanded  in  that  law,  are  not 
 44  the  turning-point  in  the  matter  of  salvation;”  then 
 the  Gospel  we  are  called  to  believe  is  antinomian,  it  is 
 against  the  law.  Mr.  Scott  asks,  44  Where  is  such 
 language  to  be  found  in  Scripture,  or  in  our  own 
 articles  ?  ”  As  I  proceed  with  the  quotation,  my  amaze¬ 
 ment  is  heightened.  Without  going  through  the  whole 
 ■Scriptures,  two  strike  me,  and  I  shall  look  for  them^ 
 and  quote  no  others  to  answer  this.  The  one  I  find, 
 John  v.  28,  29,  44  Marvel  not  at  this  ;  for  the  time  is 
 conning,  in  the  which  all  that  are  in  thegiaves  shall 
 hear  his  voice,  and  shall  come  forth ;  they  that  have 
 done  good  unto  the  resurrection  of  life,  and  they  that 
 have  done  evil  unto  the  resurrection  of  damnation.” 
 The  other  text  is  in  the  last  chapter  of  the  book  of 
 >God,  ver.  14,  44  Blessed  are  they  that  do  his  com¬ 
 mandments,  that  they  may  have  right  to  the  tree  of 
 life,  and  may  enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the  city.” 
 Here  in  the  Scriptures  is  found  the  language  Mr.  Scott 
 militates  against.  He  proceeds,  44  By  grace  are  ye 
 saved  through  faith,  and  that  not  of  yourselves,  it  is 
 the  gift  of  God:  not  of  works,  lest  any  man  should 
 boast;  for  we  are  his  workmanship,  created  anew  in 
 Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works,  which  God  hath  before 
 ordained  that  we  should  walk  in  them.”  This  passage 
 is  generally  quoted  by  Mr.  Scott,  and  all  Calvinists,  to 
 prove  that  faith  is  the  peculiar  gift  of  God,  the  same  as 
 4he  light  of  the  sun  is,  or  the  same  as  iife  is.  That  it 
 is  given  to  all  those  for  whom  it  was  designed,  ami 
 
226 
 
 withheld  from  those  who  have  it  not,  those  from  whom 
 he  designed  to  withhold  it.  But  as  a  scholar,  divine, 
 and  commentator,  Mr.  Scott  ought  to  have  known,  and 
 to  have  published  to  the  world,  that  this  is  not  the 
 meaning  of  this  text;  but  that  the  antecedent  to  faith, 
 namely,  grace,  is  the  gift  of  God:  44  That  he  giveth 
 grace  and  glory,  and  withholdeth  no  manner  of  good 
 thing  from  those  that  walk  uprightly.”  That  is,  You 
 are  saved  by  grace;  all  your  salvation  is  of  grace,  it  is 
 not  of  yourselves.  Eternal  life  is  the  gift  of  God 
 through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  and  by  faith  you 
 receive  it.  Mr.  Scott,  being  possessed  of  some  learning, 
 knows  this  is  the  plain  meaning  of  the  text;  and  yet 
 where  did  he  ever  quote  it  to  prove  that  salvation  is 
 the  gift  of  God  by  grace,  and  that  faith  is  the  hand  that 
 takes  hold  of  it. 
 
 As  part  of  this  controverted  note  from  his  lordship 
 is  again  quoted  by  Mr.  Scott,  in  the  very  last  article  of 
 his  first  volume,  the  first  part  of  my  answer  shall  close 
 with  it  too.  Referring  to  our  Lord^s  44  description  of 
 the  awful  proceedings  of  the  day  of  judgment,”  as 
 given  by  St.  Matthew,  chap.  xxv.  we  have  observed 
 Air.  Scott  says,  44  The  persons  spoken  of  in  this  account 
 of  the  day  of  judgment,  were  professed  believers;” 
 and,  44  The  question  w  as,  had  they  true  and  living 
 faith  r  ”  The  passage  our  Lord  introduces  thus,  44  And 
 cast  ye  the  unprofitable  servant  into  outer  darkness : 
 there  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  When 
 the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  his  glory,  and  all  the 
 holy  angels  with  him,  then  shall  he  sit  upon  the  throne 
 of  his  glory.  And  before  him  shall  be  gathered  all 
 nations;  and  he  shall  separate  them  one  from  another, 
 as  a  shepherd  divideth  the  sheep  from  the  goats : 
 and  he  shall  set  the  sheep  on  his  right  hand,  but  the 
 goats  on  the  left.  Then  shall  the  King  say  unto  them 
 on  his  right  hand,  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father, 
 inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foun¬ 
 dation  of  the  world.  For  I  was  an  hungred,  and  ye 
 .gave  me  meat;  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  drink; 
 
227 
 
 I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  in ;  naked,  and  ye 
 clothed  me;  1  was  sick,  and  ye  visited  me;  I  was  in 
 prison,  and  ye  came  unto  me.  Then  shall  the  right¬ 
 eous  answer  him,  saying,  Lord,  when  saw  we  thee  an 
 hungred,  and  fed  thee?  or  thirsty,  and  gave  thee 
 drink  ?  When  saw  we  thee  a  stranger,  and  took  thee 
 in  ?  or  naked,  and  clothed  thee  ?  Or  when  saw  we 
 thee  sick,  or  in  prison,  and  came  unto  thee  ?  And  the 
 King  shall  answer  and  say  unto  them,  Verily,  I  say 
 unto  you,  inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the 
 least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me. 
 Then  shall  he  say  also  unto  them  on  the  left  hand. 
 Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  tire,  pre¬ 
 pared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels.  For  I  was  an 
 hungred,  and  ye  gave  me  no  meat;  I  was  thirsty,  and 
 ye  gave  me  no  drink ;  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took 
 me  not  in;  naked,  and  ye  clothed  me  not;  sick,  and 
 in  prison,  and  ye  visited  me  not.  Then  shall  they  also 
 answer  him,  saying,  Lord,  when  saw  we  thee  an  hun¬ 
 gred,  or  athirst,  or  a  stranger,  or  naked,  or  sick,  or  in 
 prison,  and  did  not  minister  unto  thee?  Then  shall  he 
 answer  them,  saying,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  inasmuch 
 as  ye  did  it  not  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these,  ye  did  it 
 not  to  me.  And  these  shall  go  away  into  everlasting 
 punishment;  but  the  righteous  into  life  eternal,”  ver. 
 30 — 46.  I  beg  leave  to  set  this  divine,  66  awful  de¬ 
 scription  of  the  proceedings  of  the  day  of  judgment,” 
 in  opposition  to  Mr.  Scott’s  description  of  that  day,  or 
 his  comment  on  this  sacred  chapter.  It  remains  with 
 the  reader  to  choose  which  he  will :  he  that  reads  them 
 both,  cannot  believe  them  both. 
 
 I  have  another  remark  or  two  to  make  upon  these 
 verses,  and  what  Mr.  Scott  says  upon  them.  Our  Lord 
 says,  they  were  “  all  nations  ”  who  stood  at  his  bar ;  Mr. 
 Scott  says,  they  were  u  professed  believers.”  Reader, 
 were  they,  or  were  they  not?  Our  Lord  says  of  the 
 righteous,  They  shall  go  into  life  eternal,  for  that  they 
 had  done  acts  of  mercy;  that  the  wicked  shall  go  into 
 everlasting  punishment,  for  they  did  not  those  acts  of 
 
snercy.  These  acts  of  mercy,  then,  done  or  not  done, 
 are  made  the  turning-point.  Mr.  Scott  says,  u  Nothing 
 availeth  but  ;  faith  that  worketh  by  love.’  ”  Reader, 
 which  is  right?  Will  there  be  then  a  deal  of  faith  to 
 work  by  love  ?  Whatever  the  precious  jewel  within  the 
 believer’s  heart  avails  with  his  God  at  a  throne  of  grace 
 on  earth;  however  by  it,  and  by  it  alone,  the  believer 
 comes  unto  God,  obtains  promises,  works  righteousness, 
 out  of  weakness  is  made  strong,  &c.  will  faith  abide 
 then  to  be  tried  by  works  ?  Answer,  conscience.  Will 
 not  faith  and  hope,  with  the  believer,  in  full  fruition  die? 
 When  our  Lord,  or  his  servant  Paul,  speak  of  a  sinner 
 on  earth  coming  to  God,  they  speak  of  this  being  the 
 work  of  God  which  the  sinner  is  first  to  do,  namely, 
 to  believe  on  him  whom  God  has  sent;  but  when  they 
 speak  of  man  as  at  the  bar  of  God,  and  of  what  is  to 
 decide  the  character,  and  be  the  turning-point  for 
 heaven  or  hell,  they  never  speak  of  faith,  but  of  works. 
 And  it  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  throughout  this 
 chapter,  and  from  the  forty-fifth  verse  of  the  foregoing 
 one,  our  Lord  is  only  telling  us  of  what  shall  transpire 
 at  the  day  of  judgment;  of  what  are  the  characters  of 
 those  who  will  be  saved,  and  of  those  who  will  be 
 damned.  Yet  throughout  the  whole  fifty-three  verses, 
 he  never  mentions  faith,  or  its  opposite,  uubelief ; 
 though  in  Mr.  Scott’s  short  and  light  description  of  that 
 awful  day,  not  less  than  fifteen  or  sixteen  times  is  this 
 same  faith  brought  forward,  as  that  which  must  be  the 
 turning-point  in  that  day.  I  see  several  texts  in  these 
 two  chapters  not  yet  quoted,  as  directly  in  opposition 
 to  Mr.  Scott’s  doctrines  as  any  of  those  that  are  quoted  ; 
 but  as  I  want  to  close  this  volume,  and  to  get  it  out, 
 and  as  l  have  said  two  texts  should  suffice  as  an  answer 
 to  his  inquiry,  and  as  these  are  before  the  reader, 
 I  must  postpone  any  farther  consideration  of  these  texts 
 at  present.  If  this  should  find  its  way  pretty  well  into 
 the  world,  and  meets  with  candour  in  general,  the 
 author  pledges  himself  to  bring  forward  his  second 
 part,  in  answer  to  Mr.  Scott’s  second  volume,  soon  as 
 
229 
 
 possible, — in  the  course  of  the  present  year  if  he  can. 
 And  as  it  will  be  found  Mr.  Scott’s  foundation  is  de¬ 
 stroyed,  or  removed  from  under  his  system,  tediousness 
 and  tautology  shall  be  guarded  against. 
 
 In  reviewing  the  whole,  I  have  to  observe,  from  the 
 representations  given  to  me,  by  several,  of  his  lordship’s 
 66  Refutation,”  I  had  no  more  intention  to  write  in  his 
 lordship’s  favour  when  I  began,  than  1  had  of  writing 
 in  Mr.  Scott’s  favour.  But  proceeding,  I  found  his 
 lordship’s  doctrines  were  not  only  according  to  godli¬ 
 ness,  but  so  truly  evangelical,  and,  in  general,  so  truly 
 scriptural,  that  £  have  defended  him,  quite  contrary  to 
 my  intention. 
 
 Another  thing  I  would  observe  before  £  close  this. 
 However  Mr.  Scott  and  Calvinists  in  general,  differ  from 
 the  Anti-calvinists,  with- respect  to  the  ability  of  man 
 to  believe  the  Gospel  whenever  it  is  preached,  and  of 
 justification  at  the  tribunal  of  God  in  the  day  of  judg¬ 
 ment  by  works;  we  as  well  as  they,  and  as  heartily 
 too,  believe  all  justification  of  any  of  Adam’s  offspring, 
 whether  by  grace  through  faith  on  earth,  or  by  works, 
 in  the  last  day,  originates  entirely  with  God,  is  the 
 fruit  of  his  mercy  and  goodness  through  Jesus  Christ 
 our  Lord.  That  all  power  to  believe  and  obey  him 
 here,  is  not  a  natural  power  that  is  in  man  ; — for  he 
 was  without  strength,  till  Christ  proposed  to  die  for 
 the  ungodly; — -but  is  a  restored  power,  given  to  the 
 rebellious,  that  the  Lord  God  might  dwell  among  them® 
 
 N.B.  The  author,  having  reviewed  the  above,  is 
 sorry  to  observe,  that  as  the  subject  throughout  is  In 
 a  sense  the  same,  some  parts  will  be  found  heavy,  dull 
 reading.  The  style  of  writing  too  is  not  such  as  he 
 could  have  wished.  He  hopes,  however,  as  the  argu¬ 
 ments  are  tolerably  plain,  and  very  important;  and 
 a  number  of  texts  will  here  appear  to  be  plain,  which 
 commentators  had  enveloped  in  darkness,  the  badness 
 
230 
 
 of  the  style  will  be  excused.  As  a  good  part  of  the 
 second  volume  is  now  ready  for  the  press,  and  this  day 
 having  read  what  is  written  of  it,  the  author  can  with 
 confidence  say,  the  second  part  will  be  more  perfect  as 
 to  style,  and  he  hopes  and  believes,  not  less  instructive 
 than  the  first.  To  every  pious  mind  he  can  w  ith  a  good 
 conscience  recommend  this  work;  not  to  read  as  a 
 controversy,  but  as  that  wherein  the  Scriptures  are 
 clearly  opened  and  illustrated  by  the  Scriptures :  and 
 that  darkness  and  mystery  they  thought  hung  over 
 Revelation,  will  be  found  to  disappear.  And  most  of 
 those  texts,  I  believe  every  one,  generally  made  use  of 
 for  the  purpose  of  proving  Calvinism,  will  be  found 
 noticed ;  and  on  investigation,  and  being  compared 
 with  other  texts,  be  found  clearly  to  prove  the  direct 
 contrary  doctrine:  so  that  the  whole,  I  trust,  will 
 prove  a  body  of  sound  divinity. 
 
 Shrewsbury , 
 
 May  7,  1814. 
 
 F  I  N  I  S. 
 
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