?*cv.-v m$wmv:. ^P;.; .**.'■'■■•■ -.M: . «t^^*- ■ ' •■■■ . • ■r jrl>' ' . ^ - "J >♦'':;■•/ 1 1 J? Q. 5 4 - - c^^^i.r^^ ' ^ '^' ^ i^ Q_ ^^ tu $ S o ^ LETTER I. SIR, I HAVE perufed your LeUers to Mr Glas^ and alfo your Defence of Believer-baptifm t in both of which pamphlets you have difplayed talents for controverfial writing of no inconfi- derable luftre. An acute difcernment quali- fies you for fpying out the weaknefs of your adverfaries ; while a clear and accurate ex- preffion affifls you in expofing them to public view in the ftrongeft point of light. A con- fcioufnefs, too, of fuperior abilities, fo appa- rent in your performances, prompts you to treat your antagonifl: with contempt, and to bring forward your own conceptions with fuch an af- furance; as throws an air of confidence around A ftU 2 -/'LETTERS. all you fay ; making the verleft fliadow of ar- gument pafs with the unwary for folid reafon- ing, and mere afTertion for truth. When to thefe qualifications wc add your profelTed zeal for the purity of the divine inftitutions, and ycur avowed indignation againfi: all who corrupt thefe facred ordinances, expreffed in the mofta- nimated dicflion, it muft be allowed that you pof- {t'i'i an alTemblage of talents, which qualify you in an eminent degree as the leader of a party. If we except MefTrs John Wefiey and Adam Gib, the prefent age docs not feem to furni{l:i another thampion equally qualified for the ar- duous taflc. In the matter of infant-baptlfm, appearances WouM feem to- indicate that you have gained a complete victory over your opponents, as they have retreated and left you mafter of the field. Many, indeed, feem to think that you. have flated their arguments with fairnefs, and re- futed them with evidence. Perhaps, how- ever, this viflory may be accounted the more cafy, in that your antagonifts have unwarily fur- nlfhed you with weapons againft themfelves. From the premifes they advance, your condu- iion feems unavoidable. This circumftance has y. LETTERS. ^ has doubtltfs contributed to the fuccefs of your caufe ; and on the blunders of your adrerfaries you have endeavoured to found your claim to the honours of a triumph. But you know who faiJ, " If a man firiveth "for mafteries, he is not crowned, unlefs hd ** ftriveth laivfiilly.''^ Your Victory would havd been honourable, nor fnouid I have vvKhed to tear a fingle laurel from your brow, had the weapons of your warfare been drawn from the:' armoury of truth. The man who has his qui- ver filled with thefe may fpeak unblufning to' his foes In the gate. Rnt 2.S, on the contrary, error and miftaken views of the fcripture Teem to me to have furnifhed you with the keeneft {hafts of argument, your_v]&^ry^ is unfa irly £urchaied, and__Ju(Uce_c annot award yo u the .crown. This you may think a very heavy charge ; but as it appears to me to be well founded, I hope your love of truth will difpofe you to allow me the fame freedom you ufe with others, in expofing the falfity of the prin- ciples on which your reafonings depend — prin- ciples which feem to me void of truth, and al- together repugnant to the dou m en t ftill hold s good. VTrTTrs^elHblinied prerequiSl^^ falvation of adults will not hold with refpecl: to t he falvation of inf ants -, n either will the prg^ reqmfi^tesrequ ir^ to adult baptifm hold with refpect to th e baptifm of infants^ This rea- foning I imagine, muft be obvious to every im- partial mind. There is another thing ftrikcs me in your reafoiilngs concerning infants. You admit that % !? L E T T E R S. / r tl^truejnvifiblcjcingd ora of Go d has infanyi injt, \vhjle_you wi U not al lowj hat there ^arg. any fuch^ir rthe churches j )fjhe_Jaint8j which' ' conj\;tute_his jMjlblekmfidoi'n on earth. A ftran^e afn^rtion indeed ! You admit that the' churches belong to \\\t appear an ce oi Chrift's' kingdom, or that they are vifible reprefentati-' ons of his invirible kingdom. Now what kind of a picture muft it be, that wants a principal feature of the original ! As nearly half of man- kind i\\t in nonage,' all which, acc2rilmg_Jo' your charity, are of theele dtion, far morethan the half of the true, invilible kingdom of God, is made up of_infants. Ir is iiiipoffible, then, that a baptift church, having no infants in it," can be a figure of th^t kingdom, of which in- fant falvation is the principal feature. Yourj^hajM^foHn^ Iftheydie, it afii^nis them^j)lace_mjieaven ; ifthejjivej, it ranks then^^wjth the chi l dren^ oT wrath. It fliuts them out froir. the church below, but allows th em the kingdom above. It gives the greater privilege, but withholds the lefler. In fhort, it will allow them any_ thing but water- baptifm. So__jvlumfical a thing 55; L E T T E R 5.V'' 9 thingis your charity ! It will be hard to re- concile her wit h herfelf ; and I may add, it is as diiiicult to reconcile her with the truth. The fcrlpture fays " Few are <* chofen" : but your charity avers, that at lead the half of the human race are chofen to falva- tion. This looks very like a lie, at ieaft. — A- ^in , fhe fp£aksof_ele£i: infan ts as among the unkr.czvn jXtCt . How are_t hey unknown, w^hea {he k nows all that die in nonage are ^el e^ed ? _ When I read your argument in fupport of the eledlion of infants, I know not whether to be moft furprifed at its intriniic weaknefs, or the air of confidence with which it is produced. Jacob was eleedjn whom the pr omifes were made. Could he be fo while an infant ? Surely no. Again, if this argum.ent means any thing, it will prove that Efan was a reprobated infant, as it is equally faid of him that he was hated before he was born. Now to what was he reprobated ? Why ta_lo{e__the_ birth-right, ♦ Defence of believer baptifm. p. 73. 10 y LET T E R'S. birth-ri ght. Dijl h£ tbis whjl^anjnfant ? >^o :' henDM_itvvhen_an^^ by eledb infants, you mean " that part of the ele£l who ^5_^^_diejr^nfancv.'' Did Jacob and Efau die in- infancy ? If not \ to what piirpofe is your ar- gument ? Jacob\s election to obtain a privilege" when become a man, can never p r ove the elec^ tjo n of^ fuc h as d ie jn infancy. — Again, if you concUide from this texr, that there are ele£b infants, dying in infancy ; you muflalfo con- clude that there are reprobate infants, who die in infancy, fince it is as exprcfsly faid of Efair that he was hated, as of J?.cob that he was lo- ved, before he was born. Injhis cafe_you__niii{L give_up that jjia rity, whic h inclines you " 1q_ *' jud^ e fav ^purably of _.the_flate_QralI infanta ** dying i n infancy. " — I m.ay add^ this argument will prove too much. The ele£t were chofen before the foundation of the world, /, ^, whert as yet they were not. Hence you muft con- clude, that fince we were all nothing before we were infants, there muft be ele£t nothings. A very odd argument indeed ! But you add, " there muft be elery quertionable hypothefis — That the Old and NewTeftament Churches arijotally dift indl the one from the^othcn/ Thefe focieties, you ima- gine, are different, ift. In their conftitution and deftgn^ — the former being a iype^ of which the latter is the antitype ; 2dly. In the cove- nants on which they were eftablilhed — the one upon the 0/J covenant, the other upon the A^i?^; 3dly. With^rei pe^ \9^}^ fee ds, who were mem- bers of thefe churches, and to whom thefe co- venants were given, the Old Teftament church being made up of the carnal or jlejioly feed of Abraham, who were only typically holy, as the Nev/ Tedament church confifts of iht fpi ritual ^nd truly holy feed of Abraham ; Thefe differ with -? L E T T E R S. i^" with Iregard to the manner of admilliori to their communion ; feeing thej^^^/y birth entitled men to the privileges of the formerj whereas the Jpiri-* tual birth or faith in Chrlft Jefus can only enti- tle any to a place in the church of the New Teftament. — Thefe are the leading id^as of jour fyftem : let us fee if they be to be found in the fcriptures of truth. ift. You view the Old Teftament church as of an earthly, carnal conftitution, having carnal ordinances, and fo only typical of the Nc^iv^ Teftament church, which is wholly fpiritual, the antitype of the other. — One part of this af- fertion is true : The Mcfaic church had carnal ordinances, and a worldly faniftuary. Her whole fyftem of facrificature j her laws and government, were fh ado ws of good things to c6me. Thus flie was a type ; but where flie U faid to be a type of a New Teftament church, fl^i(Stly fo called, I cannot find. There is a 'church, indeed, mentioned in the New Teftament, which is called " the ge- ** neral aftembly and church of the firft-born, *' which are enrolled in heaven: the whole fa- " mily in heaven and earth j the one body, ha- J^'ving the one fpirit," whereof Chrift is the B z head. 1^ LETTERS, head. This fociety is the true church or king- dom of Jefus Chri ft, into which no hypocrite nor unclean thing can enter — A church unfeen as yet by mortal eyes, but will be viiible, when Chrift comes the fecond time, to gather all his faints into one place. Of this church the Mo- faic one was a figure : >but this is not the New Teftament church or kingdom, as we find A- braham, Ifaac and Jacob in it, who furely lived under a former difpenfation. When we come to this church we come to the fpirits of juft men made perfetSt, Heb. xii. 23, 44. and fit down with Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God. This church, then, exifis under both Teftaments, and fo cannot be cal- led either the Old or New Teftament church. She is a kingdom prepared before the founda- tion of the world, to the promife of which all true believers have been coming from the be- ginning to this day— A kingdom, to which the prophets and apoftles bear witnefs, which fhall sppear, v/hen the prefent flate of things is paft. This church is wholly fpiritual *, her members are the truly holy feed, heirs of e- verlafting and heavenly privileges. — But the New Teftament church ftridly fo called, means thcfe 2yf L E T T E R S. 17 tltefc focieties, which the apoftles phntedj called churches of the faints, profeffing the faith and keeping the commandments of Jefus. Every fuch fociety or church, youjuftly call " a viji' *' his reprefentatiofj of that one body which is in- *« vifible" in its prefent ftate. A church of this kind is not wholly fpiritual, as you admit that ** hypocrites and unbelievers may enter into" her. • V/as the Old Teftament church, then, a type of a churcl; of this defcription ? It is ab- furd to fiy fo. Since every New TeRament church is by your own account, a vifible repre"- fentauon or la txpe^ how can (he be the antitype. It feems the Mofaic church was the type of a type, and the New Teflament churches both type and antitype ! What nonfenfe will men fpeak when they do not think ! The truth is, both thefe churches a're of the fame kind — both are viiible — both types or vi- fible reprefentations of the unfeen and heaven- ly kingdom — both are fchcois, in v/hicli the children of God are born, nurfed and trained up into a meetnefs for the everlafting inheri- tance. If the one had carnal ordinances, the other fiill has foms fuch. If hypocrites and B 3 . unbelievers 18 LETTERS. unbelievers were found in the antient churcb many ^Ifrael who were not Ifrael, fo it is in the New. Chrifc will not gather out of his king- dom all things that offend, and all that do iniqui- ty until he come again — In none of thefe rcf- peds, then, can thefe two focietiv^s be diftin- guifiied from one another. Both arc inclu(le>_ in the appearance of Chrift's kingdom in this world. In all the ftates of this kingdom, he is the king, the judge and lawgiver — the ruler of tlie fear of God. ** Noiu is my kingdom not fron^ ^Mience" — ^^tbis fuppofesthat he had a kingdom before noiv, V/here then lies the difference between thefe two churches ? — Paul tells us — *' Lite and Im- " mortality is bi^ught to light by the gofpel," the gofpel has thrown a fuperior luilre around the doctrines of life and immortality—" YVe are ** not ccme to Sinai but to Zion," not to hear the voice of terrible words, but the milder found of lo7e — '* AVe have not received the ** rpirit of bondage again to fear, but the fpi- '' rit of adoption crying Abba, father, the fpi- ** rit of love and of a calm mind. " The •^ priePchccd being changed , there mud of nc- ** ceffiiy be a change of the law we have got ^nether high pried, who has other fons, and confcquentl^ ^LETTERS. 19 cenfeqiicntly all the laws extxuted by, and con- nected with the pji^rthood of Levi, the public ordjnnnces of worlhip, order and difcipline, muft be^ ck^^LS^^j^- ^^^ ^^^ come nearer the heavenly Jerufalem, that of the living God, as the gofpel affords us brighter profpetils of her glories, (o^that^^our^Jaidi__^^ unfeen*- Every canie of enmity between Jow and Greek is flain by the crois, fo thnt Gentiles are no more called ftrangers and foreigners, but gno\V2burgefies3Jth_^^ hou(eiKdd_oLGj2il. — In tli^efe and fuch like ref- pefts, the New Teftament church difrcrs from the Old. arrtTrey~^o"l^otaiiier as the vihole or typi-' :al and true or fpiritual kingdom of Jefus C( inir. true invhible kingdom, confifts t: cf real believers, worQiipping God In Tpirit, has exifted in both, and has ahvays been the true ftaminal partof e^ch. It. has had and iVilI has i:s feat in the heart, unfeen of men : and with reu>3ct to viiibili.v;^ ^^s__ jct ro co me^ Chr'.ft's kingdom vvill only appear when he ap- pears himfelf ; he " fnall judge the quick and ** deaJj" fays Paul, " at his appearing, and his jeft 20 LET T E R'S. jt;(rt of hope under both Teftaments : " The " reftitution of all things 'God hath fpoken, of " by the: mouth of Iii., holy prophets, fince the "world began." If Peter uys we look for a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwel- leth righteoufnefs, Ifaiah fays the fame thing. The patriarchs looked for an heavenly country as- well as the apoftles. This heavenly king- dom is not yet come : Paul only faid " The Lord " will bring me to his heavenly kingdom ;" and Peter tells us that an abundant entraiice fliall be miniftred to us inro the evcrlafting kingdom" of our Lord and Saviour Jefas Chrift — How, then, it has entered the brains of mortals to' fay thaf a New Teftarnent church is the true fjpiritual, everlafting kingdom ofChrifc, is fur- prifmg. A church of this kind is only an ap- pearance, likenefs or figure of this kingdom, in her vifibie capacity j and is the fame with' that of Ifrael in a different drefs or under dif- ferent modifications. jf^TnTFead of faying the Old Teftament and New Teftarnent church, it \h more proper to fay the Old Teftarnent and ^JewJTef^ament flate of the church. ^In both ftates ilie is a viable fociety, having many hy- pocrites snd unbelievers mixed with the few chofeia ^^LETTERS. 21 diofen In her. Abraham is the ,(ather o^F hot h. The promife given to him, even the cverlaft- ing covenant is the ** root and fatnefs^f this ",^_oli££," asjiisjeedjias^beenjierj t^ braU " ches in both ftates. The Jews were the firft/ calkd both under the law and under the gofpel.) The apoftlcs as well as the prophets were Jews by birth. The Gentiles are_only ^^ild felons in^raffed intojh js oli ve. To this church how- beit, tl^J}axe..^d:2^v^__had_accefs ; at firfl in the cl'.aradler of ** {lran^ers_arKl^Jorei^^ but now as ** fellowrgitizens, fellow- heirs and *' of the fame body." — In both flates flie is a figure, a vifible reprefentation of the coming or everlafting ftate of the kingdom of Chrift. In both her office-bearers, ordinances of wor- iliip and pla'ce of aflembly are enrthy, typical and temporary. In both her candleftick is vifi- ble and can be removed out of its place. Rev. ii, 5. Her table of ilicw-bread, and laver of wafhing, is the fame, all are Jigfis of fpiritual and heavenly things, but are not the heavenly things themfelves. Only at the end of this Aate of things is the New Jerufalem to come down from God out of heaven. The former ftate of the church, then, is not fo properly called 22 L E TT E R S. called a type by figure of the prefent^ as of the ' unfeen and coming kingdom or church of Je- fiis. The Mofaic church had " an example ** and (hadow of heavenly things patterns of " things in the heavens," but thefe heavens, we are told by Paul, are the place into which Chrift has entered, " now to appear in the " prefence of God for us'*« Thcfe heavens, then, are not on earth. There are fome of thefe things prefigured by the law already come. TJie^ incarn^^ionj^^liir fenn^s^eath^ Jbuml^xe^ afcenfion andglori^cation of_Qhj-ifl: are paft ; but the af- fembly or church of which the Old Teftament one was a figure is not yet come. Thefe fa6ls did not take place in a NewTeftament church, although a profefHon of faith in them entitles us to a place in a church of that defcription. Thefe glorious fa<^h are exprefiTed in the ordi- nances of that church, and recognized as al- ready p:ift, in accomplifliment of the antient promifes. Yet this makes no material diffe- rence in the conftitution of the church vifible. Formerly flie exhibited or reprefented thefe fa6\s as about to ccme^ in all her ordinances ; now (he recognizes them in all her institutions" as ;^ L E T T E R S. 1,2 as come^i yet in both dates fhe looks forward to a new ftate of things, the new heavens and the new earth, to appear at. the time of the reftitution of all things ; and in both (lie is .a figure of the church of the firft-born to be ga- thered together on that glorious occafion. But did not Chrift fay " The kingdom of heaven is at hand ? And does he not mean . thereby the gofpel church ? — I anfwer, as the gofpel church is nearer in point of time to the coming kingdom, which (he has a more clear revelation, and a more fure and viiible ground of hope laid in the refurrecVion of Chrift from the dead-^as alfo flie has far lefs of an earthy and carnal nature in her laws and ordinances, the fpiritual intention of which is more eallly nnderftocd, — As, finally, fhe has no earthly kingdom between her and the heavenly one, to engage her attention to this world, or inter- cept her views of future things, — fhe may be called the kingdom of heaven with refpedl to the former ftate of the church. Yet flill the true kingdom is the objeratpii£.s^vej: e confined to the fe ed, of Abraham, and tj\at_in the J[ine of Ifaac. ^^ L E T T E R S. 37 The feed of IfaaC; the chjldren^ of the p roniife, in herited Q !M^?,^x\ \ and of hira ai --£oncei^riipj^ the iieili the {^zA came^ to whoinjh£_£rorrii{cs were al l madcj a\i d in w hoj u the nations^ juie. bleflec L ^ While fo large a portion of the earthly blef* fing continued in connedlion with the fpiritual and run parallel with it, a (ld^;:brancli_cfjhat 'ftream diverged towards^Arabia t^o bleiWilima^ el and his defcendents, where it has run and fliali continueto flow wliHe the earth remains . — ** Alfo of the Ton of the bond- woman will I ** make a great nation, becaufe he is thy feed." Gen, x xi. iii 183..,^^ ^„-— — In the time of Ifaac another part of the tem- poral promife was conveyed to Efau, "Behold/* fays his father, " thy dwelling flxall be the fat- ^* nefs of the earth, and of the dew of heavea " from above." This blefling continued with the defcendents of Efau or Edom, till the Edo- mites were finally fo incorporated v/ith Ifrael, that they were no more a diftlncSt people. ^ 2diy, From the above detail, I think it Is e- vldent, That the tempo i:al blefling never was j^jioUyJeparated^ ixom^J^ _ fpiritual ^ but the promife of earthly bleflings, in all its branches, D has \. 38 LET T E R S, has ever had a radical connection with, and Its orl^injn, the promife of the Saviing_See_^ Thefe two Iiave been always ^ohl^c^tw]neJ_Jii^ gether asjie\^er_to_b e feparated. In proof of this, w« never find any earthly bleiung convey- ed to any, but by or througli him, in whom the feed was forjh,eJLirnej3r€jem Thus when a blefiing was given to the earth and every li- ving thing upon it, it was difponed through Noah, in w homj the ^ged ^atthattime was. In him God eftabliflied his covenant. If Iflimael received a bleifiing, it was becaufe he was Ab- raham's fe edo(T^^^airTra3"TTTeIlTn g d il^^oned him, b^iUjt^wasdiJTti^^ was th e feed of the promife. None but the fathers of w h o m C h r ift w as to come, could con- vey the blefiing to their c hildren ; and in eve- ry fuch conveyance we find boththepromhes united : the fame teftator conveys bothy ^Thc promife of the feed, indeed, was of fuch a na- ture that it could not be divided : one fon of a family only could be progenitor of the Mefli ah. ut the eartlilypromjie^coLuldJjei andaccord^ ngly was divided. Iihn.ael'?fccl^a^ fliare^fjtjie iut£uiJ.njTi_asjwcU.,jisJLii^ •, Efau as ^vell as Jacob; and all the twelve fons of Jacob ' "^ " 1h^ i^/y 39 "^.LETTERS. ^^ liad each his portion of Cana an af ll ^ed himj Yet sU thefe were raiUcally connecled with the {ecd, and the^^rincipa l bran ch of th e ftre .arn of earth- h blifs was never repaj^ 2led_jVgm_jhat_famjlxiri xvhorn^thej eed was. y 0£J\jdah_wa£J hiIoh toj ^ come, and Judah ha d the moil diftin^u iihc portion in^th e hojy land^^ David, for the fame reafon, was raifed to be king over Ifrael, and, had the royalty entaijcd on lus family, y The Moftjiig h had his abode where- the feed waSt and tli cre_the river united its flr eams of eartl-L- l y andj mrit ual blifs t2_ nial5e__gla d the ci ty of Go4« / Thus it muft have been j for Paul af- fures us thai to thef feed even Chrifl:, all the promifcs v/erc made; and ccnfequently he a.- ione had a right to difpofe cf them. 3dly, Hence arifes the propriety of calling Jcfus Chrift the covenant of the people. The blefling has been always lodged in him, and fo connected with him, that it cannot be fcpara* ted from him. Men have been, and fhall ^e blefied in himi: and all connedlions between Godand men haf^ been founded in hi m. _ _ l_ But to obtain juft ideas of this fubjes Tht prcmi/e on which the covenant is efta-^ bliflied is fometimes called covenant; as in Pf. 105. 8, 9, 10, II. There God is faid to mak< a covenant with Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob ;\ and the covenant is — " Unto thee will I give' •* tlie land of Canaan, the lot of your inheri- *^ tance.'' — Again the /aw eftablinied on the promife is called tlic covenant. Thus the hxf xvritten on flones is called the covenant and ta- Ijesofdie cove nants Riv en to IfrjL el at Sinaj.^ Deut. V. 3, 9, 15. In this fsnfe Paul ufes the word in his epiflles to the Hebrews. By the old covenant he means the law written on ilones*; bvthenevv^ij^e_Jaw__^^ lieart. Hcb. viii. 9, 10. — Fmally, the ieal qrj that which ratifies the c ovenant i s called the-' covenant.y^^Thus circunicifi^on iscalled the co-^ •enant in Abraham's fiefh. Gen. xvii. 11, i3< I, too, of thejac rjfice flain to ratif.e the covenant at Sin a i is called *^ the blood o f the covenant." Exod. xxiv, 8. S • Thf whole law of Mofes is faid to be written oa Ooi ^i. the t^a foundation-articles of thiU law were Co wri:Un„ ^^ L E T T £ R S. 41 The foundation of thefe different ideas mufl be nought for in the original word Berith, rendered ccvemmt in our verfion. This word is evidently derived from.BARR, to fcleEt cr chufe^ to purify or male clea?i. Sin is the pollu-' tionof th e world ; and^j\s.^jG£^djiv2]X)^^ t ake it away by_ a facrifice, ^very facriiice for. i\ n is_c a I le d^ B e r i t h , thejMjirifier. The blood of Je fuS) the Son, clean^s__us fr om all fi n, Hencehe is called- God's. Berith j and as e- very (licrifice was fclected or choien of God for tliat pnrpofe, hence th e word d enot ^ the c ho^ Jtfjij^ andj^fusj^jnoli^-ipha^^^ chofbn, as felecled and appointedf or the great pur££Ji-^L£lHI! J/^5 ^''C^'i "^ uririghteoufnefs. He is give n as a Ee ridi to the pecr.le. This facrifice is God's covenant. Hence God is laid to give or make a covenant with any, by Ihedding the blood of a facrifice, .snd people are faid to enter into covenant with him, by. having the blood of the facrifice fprinkled on T^iuTaTrTTodV f a i n 1 3 arelaiJ'to'T^^ covenant by facrifice. Pf. I. 5. There never was any other way appointed of God by which men could enter into his Berith, or take hold of his covenant: ar^d &11 v/ho are ^"""^ ^^^l"^^ Iprmkled 42 LETTERS. fprinkled with the blood of the covenant are faid to be fan5n the original Carat Berith, cutting of the pu» rifitr. By cutting gff the facrifice from the ^ — -" ' ^^^ ^^^ "^^TauJ" ^, LETTERS. land of the living, the promiled bleiiingis fecu-= red, and all who are fprinkled with the blood are engaged thereby to yield the obedience of faith to him who has bcught them with his blood, and fo is their Lord and fole lawgiver. So exj)!^{HveJs,thej)h n\reolog v of fcri prure j_ From what has been faid it iseafy to fee that God's covenant is very difi^^rent from that fo called among men-, even a deed of two or more parties agreeing mutually on certain terms and condhions. Here both parties are on a le- vel j both having rights, which they can either alienate or not at pleafure. But^Go d alotie rnal^^s^or gives his covenant — *^ I will Rrve_my *' covenant between me an d thee/ ^ So when the New Teftament fpeaks of God's covenant, it employs a word (diatheke) which always fignl- fies the deed of a fingle perfon making a con- veyance of his property to another in fuch a way as he fees proper. '£bjsniay_be_done_b£^ grant , djf^ofinonor^jx^ propofed to convey his property jtq men by the deatlTorhis fon, who is hence called a teftator the deed of conveyance Is hence called a tefia-^ wait by Paul. — This teilament^ not onl y con- tains ^ free and fcvereign grant of privileges^ but 44 letters: butalpj a _]aw exprcfli jig. the tenur e by w hich the y hold poireflion of thcfe privile g es, I'jiij^ law rcfuhs (rom the veryjnatureof t he tlun g. Faith in theccvenant j and a wiUin gnef s to hold: or r eceive its privileges as a free gift mufl: be necefH-ry to the r eceiving thc ile ben efits, aji d. gratitude or love toj1}e_^jverjirurt_be_^^ tiveJ^jilLoiLikiiJiilil* Hence, as love natu- iekis obedience, love is (aid to be thefiilr' of tlie law. yTFo defpife the covenant, was tfTdefpife the bleffing, and this naturally" cut of the dtfpiCer from all the enjoymeiit of ih Having afcertained the fcripture-idea of the word ccvenantj I fhall in my next examine more particularly your idea of the Abrahamic cove» na-nt. I am, S I R, Yours, 8;c. LETTERS. 45 LETTER IVe X OU have faid that the Abrahamlc cove- nant confifts of two covenants — the eld and neiv. What thefe two covenants are, Paul tells us clearly in the 8th of the Hebrews : but where he calls tliefe Abraham's' covenants, or covenants made with Abraham, is not fo clear. Neither of tl^e^covena jits v yere made in Abra- ha m's time. By the old covenant he evidently means the law given by Mofes, chiefly the Le- viticnl law, the law of a carnal commandmentj having ordinances of divine fervice, and a world- ly ran'hen he took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. Heb. viii. 9. And tills was 4 jo years after the covenant had been connrmtd of God in Chrifi: to Ab 3- rahaiD; 4^ LETTERS. raham^__GaJ^iii^^ Confcquently near 400 years after Abraham's death. Itieems very mIT then to caU a fyftem Abraham's covenant, which had no exiftence till fo long a time af- ter his death. "With refpecl: to the new covenant, it is atfo obvious that it is not faid to be made till the 0- ther " waxed old and was ready to vanijh a- " way." Under the law God indeed promiftd that he would make it in the^laft days, or " af- ** ter thoTe days," "the days of the firft cove- nant, Heb. viii, 10. BHiJi££5ll^iiil£J^2_E^H!Il re a fo n i ng it was not j iTaJe^tiH jChrifLil^LlIL^ i" the fleHi, who is__jts_mediator, pridl^an d_facri- fice. Conie^uenilythis covenan t was not tn ikdc till 1 Booyears aJjerAJMaliani \vas-^t hered to hls ^ Let us then fee what the Abcahamic cove- nant really was, and. what relation the old .and new covenants had to it. To underftand this, we muft ever keep in mind vyhat is called God's covenant. or Berith. The matter of it is a bleffing, propofed to ex- tend to the eartli and to the life of man \ v jijc h bl e i^]£|gjp ^ Uitsp^-tsw as^lodp,ed i. n_lhe^<^d ^ Chrifi: Jtfus, and fo hid up in hin: that ■ £ can^ not -^, LXT T E R S. 47 not be conveyed to any but throiifih him. This f^cd was dediaed to run through the veins of many generations in a dire6i line from AJam to the Virgin Mary, in whom he was made of the Cctd of Abraham and fo appeared in flefh, fraught with -all the blefTings of heaverv^/j-n whomfoever, -then, the feed was for the time then prefent, there was the. bleffing ; fo that it c ould be faid o f jhat perfon« thou _" fliahiie '* abkffing.'' N ow as God had purpofed__La_ _ convey this ble fiing t hroug h the death of his fon, tlj_e f eed, he m ade the coni in g of his foil a n d t h eJ ^IelTi njr . i n_h im , tiie fubject of a pro- m i\ ' ^ ' " ' 'which^^rjjm^iiejvas^ ly God with an oath , often__by^a_jacrifice, und Iways contained the rule or meafure of the di- vine condudl towards men, and alfo the rule W^rneafure of their c onduct tow^ards God. Thus in its fi mple form it is a pj:QmU e flricU y fo callec?; v^d^en^fvvor n it becanie an oath ; when co nfirmed by a facrific e it is a covenant ; or ra- ther teftament and as containing ru les of cQn° duct jrTs"~cal Ted 2ij aw. -^J^od's covena nt, the n, in its^perject^foi'm means— H i s free grant, pro-. mif?, or deed of conveyance of a blefling to a- ny, confirmed by his oath, ratified by a facrl- fice.^ 48 I. E T T E R S. fice, and having a rule or law annexed to it, or elVabliflied upon it, which rule is at once the meafure of condu«5l to the granter and to fuch as receive the grant^ / In the grant given to Abraham, we have a / plain inftance of each of the above forms. The J bleiling was firft given him in the form of pro- ( mife. Gen. xii. 2, 3. The fame promife v;^as / confirmed by oath j Gen. xxii. 16, 17, i3. / ** By myfelf have I fworn, faith Jehovah, that I " in bleffing I v/ill blefs thee," &:c. It was rati- fied by facrifice, Gen. xv. 8 — 17, and then it is called a covenant or Berlth. v. 18. " In ** that fame day Jehovah cut a Berith with Ab- <* raham." In Gen, xvii. we find the grant extended in full form; and then it con tains the law or commanclment_ofcircun-icifion, v. ix, X, xi. " This is my covenant, which ye (hall *' keep between n.e and you, and thy feed af- f* ter thee; every man child among you ftiall " be circumcifed." — We find this grant recei- ving all thefe epithets alfo in Pf. cv. 8, 9, 10, II, 42- — We may add, Paul calls it a tefla- ment (diatheke.) Gal. iii. 17. As it conveyed an inheritance, and that through the death of the teftator. Wc >>;,LETTERS. 49 We h ave traced tlie progrefs of this p romirg_ or granj^of Cod from its r if e in Eden tQ__tIie time of Abraham. Weh^v£JeenitexpandJ^ ft if into a twofold bleglng-— the ^ne refpejl ing^ the earth and the life that now is — the other refperiinsi the iifb an d world to come. It has ienToff a variety of ildc-branches in its courfe, not only to fertilize the ground, that (lie may- produce food for the fupport of man and beafb, while the earth remains, but alfo to fupport the hearts of the fmner withjhe^Ii cpe of a« tonementjand£onrequent]yofj> ardon and llfej , So juftly is it calle d a pure ri verof_watv;r^ me\ iiTuing^ from th e throne of God. -The miin dream of this river, howbeit, is now de- ftined to blefs the faaiily of Abraham, through whofe race it was propcfed to run for many coming ages, until fiie glorious period fhould come, when -al l nations rn ould be made equal fharers of its benign influtnces^^ A^cordin^lvjJlLfexa ni]r^^ Abraham, we iindjt _ containing bot h earthj^ a and fpiritual blcflingg. lnjhQ_di^oJhk^^ we have^^y? a right grant ed_ to_thg_land ojjCa- naan — " Unto thy feed_w]ll_I give this land •," econdly^ a feed promifed, and__th£j^w}^/^j£/j 50 L-ETTERSe Jing to all nations in him, to whom the inhe- ritance of Canaan is difponed — " Sarah fhall *' bear a fon — In Ifaac fliall thjjfeed_Jbe_called ** — In thy feed fhall all th e fam Uie^^o£ the ** ear't^r^?"5l£^d?^^^^A~vlflb^^ truth of each of thefe pronij^f es was alfo gi .'*-a to Abraham ; a facrlfice. of God. Appoint- ment confirmed his faith in the former ; and the feal or fign of c'ircumciii on ratified thelaN ter. Gen.^ xv. and xvii^_^.^ha 2ters.- — This^gr^nt^ was renewed to Ifaac, then to Jacob, and fi- nallydiftribiye^^ At lad the time came for fulfilling the firft part of the grant, — " Unto thy feed will I give ** this land," In terms of this promifet the fcvcrei^n proprietor orders the charter to be written_out, orext e nded in form^. u pon ft ojiag^ b^L-Miife an cl gives Ifrae j a^^/£A[g_jjr..,infeft^ ment by the Jymbol of facrifice, * t|^e infliniLed nTodeof entering on the promif ed inheritanc e* This charter, as all "bthers, fpedfies the man- ner of holding the pofiefiion, and the reddendo^ or duty owing by the vafial to the royal fuperi- or. In this refpecl it is called the law^ as the fu- . periorprcfcrlbesthe manner of holding the inhe- ritance >^^ L E T T E R S. 5$ ritance difponed, and the duty, or all the acts of gratitude, by which the vaflal muft expreft his dependance upon his lord. — By having the \ blood of the facrifice fprinkled on them, Ifra- cl entered on the pofleffion of the inheritance, or had their right fully conftituted, and conie- quently became bound to hold the pofTefiion by the tenure, and to perform the facrifices prefcribed in the chartei\^^^^_ This grant is called by Paul the Old Tefta- mcnt or^lifpoiition, and was evidently intend- ed to fulfil the promife made to Abraham, by putting his feed in pofleffion of the promifed inheritance. Yet thisdeed_was notjthe Abra-- hamic covenant ; as Paul aiTures us " God gave *' the in heritance to Abraham by prom llk, and " that the promife that he fliould be heir of ** the world was notthrou£hj he law. " The law was only added to the promife or difpofiti- qn confirmed by God unto^ ChriiL in the time of Abraham. This free grant was the origi- nal tenure by which the feed was to hold the land, and this deed, promulged by royal autho- rity, could not be reverfed by a law given 430 years afcer. Thus the law, or covenant at Si- nai, might wax old and vanlfli away, while E 2 ' the 52 ' LETTERS. the promife on which it was founded flill re- majned firtn^X Firmand furelF mu{rberior7 it was given to Chrift at firft, nor can it poflil>-\ Ij be feparated from him, for <* the gifti and cal- ** iJ51^f_2L2£l3^ without repentance, y Such as are Chrifl's have a right to the inheritance difponed to Abraham's feed, totally indepen- dent of the law : a right confirmed 430 years before the law was given. They that are Chrift's are Abraham's feed, and heirs,' not ac- cording to the law, but ** according to the *' promife." ^_________11 Th isjeads. me^^o £bjer ve^^th at the Jam Lnf Canaan, prorni fed to the feed of Abraham, was meant to be a figure of the h eave nly inheri- tance, and a k ind_of_earneft o f it._ Not only fo •, but it had been certainly revealed to Ab- raham himfelf in that light ; otherwife how could he have fought after another country, even the heavenly, in confequence of the pro- mife of the land of Canaan given to him ? In Heb. xi. 9 — 16. the apoftle tells us, that A- braham fojourned in the land of promife, as in a ftrange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Ifaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the fame promife j and that they fought " a better *' countryj 6^ ^, L^ETTERS. J J " tountry, ^ven an h eavenly ." Nov/ how could they feek a better country, if God had^ not promiied it to them- ?^ A_ nd nnce .we read' of no proniife of a country ^iven them , bat that ofCanaan, v\^e mufi: nectiTarily conclude^' ■ fro m hence, that God had opened to theii^ minds a jTior£ extenxiv e view of that promife aa- ineh idicg the heavenly country^ . Thus the promifed inheritance was lodged in Chrift Jefus — the right to it was given to him, and frill remains with him. ■ Even the figurative Canaan, the earneft cf the heavenly^ could not be held but- by faith in him. Eveiir the law itfclf was not disjoined from, but - " added to the promifej" fo as to fubverfe it? purpofes. The carnal ordinances it contained were all fhadows of good things to come — the whole fyflem was divinely appointed to be a fchool-mafler to lead men to Ch'riil, that they might be jullined by fa!th.-~The Old Teaa^ ment,- then, was never feparated from the Newj. but was euaolimed upon it, and fubferyierit to it. With refpeft to the new covenant or teft^-' . ment— As Paul calls the law of Mofes, v/ritten ^n^ones, the old teftament j fo be plainly calls . 2^ 3 . ,^-^^« -^ 54 -^^ LETTERS. ^h e kw of Chrifl:, th e f pirit or end of the law of rvlofes, writte n in the heart, a nd founded ^ o n better promifes, even_ the^ knowl edge of Ood^_j)ardon_ofal^^ her kance^ — the New Tcftament, Heb. viii. lo, Ti, 12. The ^ rant, or difpofitive part_of_tbis charter, \v^smade_Jn_th£_tija^^ and lo dged w ith him ^ mLJi[§_ib£dj in^Jii^ie^ word s, '* In thy feed fiiall ail the nations of ...CJ>!l^.££l!iL^L_y£i?5^*'* put it^was_j2 pt ex- tend ed in fu l l form ^ nor its ful l jmport reveal- ed,^t Ul__t!-ie proniifed feed came. Then the right was written at large, and confirmed by the blood of the facrifice, offered by the medi- ating prieft, while the nations receive the fym- bol Q^ fdfine and infeftmetit by the fpr ink ling of the facrificial Llcod upon them iri^b^piifbi, — ** Be baptized for the remiffion of your fins,'^ that is, as afymbol of y^ure ntering on the poffeiTion of the privileges ,difp_oned_in the New ^Teftament, even the for^iv^nds^^fjin^^ htrUance a m ong them t hat are ian clified. — Tills gra ntwhen ^ given in tlie iimple forni of a promife to Abrahamjjs called a cov enant orteftament ; b iU J^ is only called the Nenu Teftam ent. when fully e^^tcnUcd a nd ratiiicd b] facrif-ce. L E T-T E R S. 5^ I fliould now confider whether the promiie on which the olJ covenant ftood be done away wirh that covenant-, as alfo, whether, as you aver, the churches of the Old and New Tefta- ments were really eftablillied upon different covenants. But before a proper anfwer can be given to thefe queftions, it is necefiary to exa- mine your ideas concerning the two feeds to whom the promifes and covenants were made. I am, S I R,' Yours, Sec, LETTER V. I N your 7rh letter to Mr Glas (p. 65. 66.) you aflert '* that the old covenant was carnal and <* earthly, in hsfuhjecis, or people covenanted, " they being the fie (lily feed of Abraham, ** children of the temporal prcnui'e, related ta l[ God as his typical people, and to Chrifl as "hi5 S6 LETTERS. " his kinfmen according to the fieih : which ^* typical and flefhly relationavailed them much? •* for the enjoyment of the typical and earthly pri* ** vilegesof this covenant rbutasHagar the bond- *' woman wascaftout with her Ton born after the ** fleilijfo the covenant itfelf being an-tiquated,it9 " temporal typical privileges vaniihed, its fubjc^ls ** were caft out and di{inherited,"&c. Whereas ** the new covenant is fpiritual and heavenly-— ** in Its fubj eel J J they being the fpiritual feed of *^ Abraham, typified by the flelhly feed ; being ** chofen in Chrift before the fouadation of the ** world, predeftinated to the adoption of chil- " dren and redceijied by the blood of Ghrlft— " By their faith they appear to be the kcd of " Abraham, children of the free woman and " heii*s according to the promife," &c. By this account, the two promifes and co- venants were totally dil'tin wa s the fpiritual feed a figure of^ tfslLf — The. fcrip tures n o where fay fo : and i ndeed , to an- fwer_either of tjh^ffij^ngilip"'' ^'" ^hgJl^^lI^^f^^r wo uld _be_cqually _un(c riptural and irrational. That the difpenfation the Jews were under was figurative is evident — That the tabernacle and all its ordinances of divine fervice were typical, or ferved to the exampler and fhadow of heaven- ly things is no lefs clear — and that all the zCis of God towards that people in feparating thejn F frona 62 LETTERS. from the nations, and taking them into a pe- culiar relation to himrelf, through his Berith, was all a fifi ure_pf what he^w oulvl do in a fu- ture period js abundantly la aijiffiilj. But that as children of the flelh they were types of th© children of promife is manifeftly falfe, ' Such as beUevcd in Go d and obeyed him were pat- tcrns to belie versi n future ages. Thefe, who walked in the fleps of Abraham's faith, were the children of Abraham. So it was then; and fo it is ilill : for he is the father of them that believe in al l di (pen fat ions. But the con- duct and actions of his fleihly feed, as oppofed to the believing, was fo far from being a type of the temper and conduct of the children of faith, that it is fet forth as a b£L 3con or caveat |> that_all_gro feirQrs o f his faith majjtvoid it. ** All thcfe things happened unto tkem for " typfs : and they are written for our admoni- «* tion, upon whom the ends of the world are « come." 2. Cor. x, ii. Stephen informs us of whom the unbelieving carnal feed under the law were types—" Ye do always refift the <« Holy Ghoft j as your fathers did, fo do ye/' A£ls, vii. 51. But 3dly. You aver, that a fleflily relation to Abraham «^^ L E T T E R S". 63 Abraham and to Chrift as his kinfmcn accord- ing to the Hefli " availed the Jews rauch for the enjoyment of the typical and earthly privile- ges of this covenant." The enjoy^neat of Ca- raan is certainly the privilege you here intend, as this is tlie fubjei?ir:^l one to that enjoyment, I cann ot find in fcrip Uux^Wh y did fuch multitudes of Ifrael fall in the " Wildernefs ? "VYas it bec auf^ they had no fleflily reia^on_t QAb- raham or does notPaulalT ure us that <* j heycould '* n ot enter in becauf e of unbelief: '^ not be^ caufe t hey wanted th ejf^ buMhe ^^-//.^ o f Ar bra ham. Again, why do not the Jewilh nati- on fkill enjoy Canaan ? Or why were they caft out of it, when it was given to them ** for an " cvcrlafting pofieflion ?" Are they not ftili the children of the fiefli ? Paul ^ives the an- fwer — " Becaufe of unbe lief they were b rokeiL * * off.^ ^^'iJV-^l^l^l As foon as any man de- n ied the faith of Abraham, he forf eit ed every claim to Canaan an d its privileges: no flffhly birth could avail him a ny thing. This is To e- vident, that you are forced to recant the abore aiTertion in your defence cfheliever haptifm^ where (p. 78) you allow that <* the flefldy birth did ** not entitle to the temporal privileges of the F 2 " earthly <>4 LETTER S. "earthly kingdom. Old Ifrael^ obtained the " earthly inheritance by the covenant made " with their father Abrahaai, Gen. xv, 8. jtb- ** fe^^tjroi p this the y had no claiijt to it upon ** the footinjj^cf ^lteir bji xh or rip ^ htcoufnefs ** more than any other j^ gmjle.'' So far you fay right yet Oill you err in the main point, i- iTiagining that on account of the faith of their father and of the promife made to him>. the children had a riglit to the inheritance, whe- ther they held the faith of their father or not. Hereyouerr not knowin£theJcn£tures^ inform Ifrael, that_ although _LdKiyahJbved their fathersandthj^sc hofe their feed after them to inherit C anaan, yet heh ad chofen them to be a holy peo^ple , to fear th eJLtord their God, to w a Ik J n h is w a ;s_a n d to^ lo v e h i oi , and to ferve him with all their heart . *< Cir- ** cumcife therefore the forefMin ofjour^ ** heart and be nc^ more ft iff necked . But *' if thine heart turn away, fo that thou wilt ** not hear, but (halt be drawn away,, and wor- ** fhip other Gods and ferve them *, I de nounce " unto y ou this day, that ye fliall fuj'ely perifli > ** ye fliall not prolong your days upon t he land ■ ** whither thou palieft over Jordan, to go to " poflefa ^ , L E T T E R S. 6s ** P^flg^s it." No flelhly connection availed the difobedient Ifraelrte ; nor did it avail him that his father had believed, while he him- felf d i d not walk in the fteps^of his faith._ ^ 4thly. You aHlrt, that the old covenant had not the ipiritual, but the carnal or unbe- lieving Ifrael for its fubje£^li!l^ anJ^jphJraal^ wns_ made to Chrift a t firg^haiid. 'Fhe J^- cr ^difi poned to. him the kingdom ; and co n:eqii':nt_iy no man could have any tit le to any part of the blefiing^ but through Chrid" , to whom thepr(> mifes were ajlrnade^ and wlio alone has the power of difpoung of them> to v-.ihcni and in what meafu re he fees pro^)£r . N ew the fcrip- ture alTures us that fuch' as are Chriil's can a« lone 61 LETTERS, lone have a right to the privileges ^iven to A« brabam^ml hi s feed — ** If ye j>e Cbrlft's then , ** arc ygAb raham's Cetdy andjheir s according •' to^thc proiriife /^ Nor is it lefs certain, that none are Chriit' s but thcf'e, to whom it_ is g i> ven to believe — Ye are all the children of God ** ^y fna/j in ChrifJ: Jefus ^*' and ''thej^jwhi^ji *' ^^^jUfj^^^^ bleffed with faitJ^ jid Abraham." No connection with Abraham's fielh, then, en- titled to any bleffing given to that patriarch. Even tli e kiu^Jom of Canaan belonged to Chriit. This he di fponed to Jlraej , to all inch of t he defcen dants ofJacob_asj2rofcfleiljta_be- lieve ?.nd obey him. To all fuch be gave in- feftment and f^iine of the inheritance^, in tfae_ moft folemn form j but at the rame_Ume,_ t he preamble and whole tenor o f that d e ed of con - veyance (licws thecii that they could only re- tam or hold the poUeflion by uich a faith in him as works by love. " l^liiS^^ilLiiHI^^ *' to the voice of Jehova h thy God — Love Te- ** hovah thy God with all t hine he art~-believg. '« andjhoiTji^U bej:ibtbmiied.^' This is jhe doiSiri ne of the la\y : this t h e d ojbjne_of_xhe . ^oftjel. " If je were Ab raham ^s chi^ldrent _xg_ ** would do the works of Abraham ;" y e v^ould believe ^L E T T E R S. ^9 believe and obey. Every unbeliever, in the *. — ^. ,-, ,,'>_ ->-^— *—'■>— — '« -~_ ^ — houfehold of Abraham, is like Ifhmael : to him, none of the promifes belong ; bejng the fiave o f_ fin, he '^ ablJeth n ot in the houT e for ever ^^ but fliall be caft out. Thus I think it evident to a demonftration that both pron^.ifcs or covenants were given to the fame feed, and that none had a claim to ^^^^"^ ^}}}j3..li^S.jl^j}.iStSihlJ^ or by faith in his name ; and confequently all that you have faiu concerning the two i^ ^s t o '.vhom the promiies were iuudc: is one co^itiimc d feries of . blun dering._ It is furprizing that your own reafonings did not lead you to the truth. Speaking of the promife of Chrift and fpiritual bleffings, you fay*. "-It appears that the promifes, madeun- ** to the ]Qw\i\\fochersy had a primary refpe_.^^^^"» onj y ref- pectedjjie^elleving feed of Ifr ael, for if jtxef^ peeled the natural feed <3j- ^^^, then the pro- mife of God bath failed^ and his word ** narh_ ** taken no effect." The word preached g/?/j> prolited, when " it was incorporatedJby_faithL ** ^^[2!i-iiicm^thaJtJi^^ But you will fay, were there rot many un- bclieyers in heart to he found in poflelTion of the land of Canaan and its privileges ? To this I anfwcr, many of that defcription were taken into the covenant at Sinai, and many fuch af- terwards appeared in Canaan, in fuccecding a- ges. But thc^were admitte j at J i ritj^ndcon- tinued afterwards in the pofTeflion, o nly on the^Sro lHlIoircf faUhL-V^-Jlil-SbLejiklKg^ So foon as thevj;eje^jed_the_fkitli»^,a nd forfook t he_God of thel^ fatherSj^they wereeitlier de-^ ftroyed immediately, or thixatcncd_whii^jic-__ Aru 'r]l£j33i_JlijcyyJo_calledj_vva^ ment of theocracy^_or__dmn£goven^ mcng Ifrael as a nation, propcQn^jnaxiavs andTiiles of conTIucI to th^tpeople, calculated to promote national happin^fs, and fanctioned^ by temporal rewards and punidin-ePits. This G incention. 74 LETTERS. intention of the law is Co obvious that it ne^ds no illuftration. 3^dly, It was intendeclto juj>. 1[ervejhe grand^^romUe^ theje^ fpiiMtualjydBngsin^^ it did byoi-' joining circumcillou. t];e token oj" the cove- nant of the feed as ab out to come of their fiefli ; by commanding them to believe in him when ]^ fliould come — " him fhall ye hear in all ^things/' while that part of it cal led the Le- vitical law, with its whole fyftem of ordinan- /ces, was intended to prefigure that feed with all his fpiritual bleffings, — to keep alive the knowledge of the plan of the remiflion of fins through faith in the blood of atonement, — to convey to them an earneft of the fpiritual blef- fings in the promife, by admitting them to a delightful fellowfliip with God in the fan£\ua- ry, the figure of Chrifl: — and, in fhort, by fliut- ting them out from all hope of juftincation inK any ot her w^ayb ut by faith in atoning bloocL-— ( So properly does Paul %Xi_^i^l^^55^^-iLil°^ ^" gainft, but added to the pro mjfej ap^i_t2_£?t a full view of this important fubje(Sl it wil l be neceflary to attend to that apoftle*s illufkratjons ofTtT ~"~'' — In ^LETTERS. 75 In the end of the third and through the whole of the fourth chapter of his epiftle i6 the Galatians he fets this matter in a ftrong and full point of view, jft, " It was idded /** hecaufe o£ tranfgrellions." As neither pe- nitence, nor prayers, nor pious rcfolution?, nor good deeJ* of any kind could procure p^.r- don for a finner by the law, unlefs he brought the lacriljce for his fin, and had it offered by t!:e priclt according to the law, this method of acceptance with God w,^s obvicufly intend- ed to prevent men from tranfgrefling, or go- Tne lavv' contained precepts fo numerous, and fo impoffible to be obferved even for a iing]^ day, that it made every man a finner ; and as no {inner could draw nigh to God but through a pricft and a facrifice, this effecVuaHy exclud- ed all dependance on works of rigiiteoufnefs the finner could do to conciliate his maker's re- gards, and ** fliut him up to the faith," or to live by faith in th^itficrifice, which was for e- ver^_toj)er^£^^jhe_fm£^ T h u 5 he h a d daily fet before his eyes the truth of IIabak« kuk's maxim — " He, who is righteous by faith G 2 andly, T6 letter S. 2ndly, V<.u\ views the bw as a rchool-mafter, including the idea of a teacher and a governor^ inftrucling the children of God's family in the elements of divine knowledge, and keeping them in fervile awe and dread by temporal pe- nalties, until the time appointed of the father. Such was the ofiic^^fli^nedjjie^J^aw^^^ ilLii^^i£Hi£ii-££iA_^IliLis it poflible, then , that the law could be i ntend ed to teach the children difobedicnce to their parent? Yet this the law muft have done, if it taught them to attempt to live in oppolition to the plan efta- blilTied and publiflied in an irreverfible decree by the LGrcl^_of^ UveJan2ily._4?o years before ^this fame pedagogue had any office afli^ned him jn^^the houfehold. — The ordinances and in- fiitutions of the law were the a]ph^-£t_ofO}r]£- tianity or the rudiinemsjo£j];ie_^oJpxl: and it was the office of the law to teach the children the pozver cf thefe elementary characters, and to form them in fuch combinations, as when properly arranged, "like wowls forming a fen- tence, fhr uld point out fom^nidi_of_the_jot P£l •, iornejwt of the charaL^.er__Qr office_c_f Je- fiisChrrft, whoi s the end ojLlhe la\vJoTjighg tcoufnefs. As the fchohrs, however, were generally ^LETTERS. 77 generally dull of hearing, and the characters . - themfclves, being of the hieroglyphic kind, numerous and difficult to be underflood, the progrefs in learning them was flow at all times. At lail, tji£jcey to 0j2en ^ thefe cha r acters be- - ing loO, the van ity Q £i mafiinr.tian put a fenf^; on them, far more favourable to the pr ide ct K, -«i .. . , _^ — — "*■ the human heart , a Tej rdej3^^_wh[d i the la^ a: - was t r uW_ajain{lth ^ c m i fe . It taught them to fay, that the governor of the uiiiveife put oti:' the cliara£ler of creator and, in condefcen*- iion to the favoured nation, of Ifrael, alTumed th.e form of a moral gqvenicr, propofiiig to give his creatures eternal life on condition o^f" their performing obedience to a certain fet of external rules propounded in the law. Thus men were led to reft on the morphofis, the mere form antl letter of the law, iii oppoiition to the true fpirit or fenfe of ir^ Tl^.is is tl ie idea which enflamedt he opp otitioij^ to IMcfiiah, w]\en lie came ; this is the fource^of.jjil^oppoj]ti- on toj lte gofpel_ftiU. I>lHle d by this falfe.co nv. mentai;jj_j^^jmd_j5^any^_niod^ of no meaji^ nanie, have iiuerpreted^UieJaw_i5_-i^^ The^ojpeh. According to yen, the law was n ^*ere covenani of peculiarhies, made with the G 3 carnal ^^ L .E T T E R S. carnaj^ (eed of Jacob, _£ro£olin^ii3t|QnalJi?^ nefs as the reward of exreiral obedience. O- " thers view it as a covenant of works, annexing eternal life to perfefGodj and heirs of the p romife. All j.ad tlie fame iign of the coven.int in their ficihj_ the Teal of, the righteoufnefs of the f«ith j nor was t here, *--^'" ' ' ~~ any 82 LETTER S. anyextern^l b ad^e of diftint^ion amonfi them; All profefled the fame faith, wor [hipped at the fame place and according to tire fame ritual. During that ftatc of minority, ail were equally fubjecSbed to the fevere difcipline of the law, in- fpiring a fpirit of bondage to feiir, while they learned the elements of this world under the lafh of the angry pedagogue. " The heir, **jyhile a c^^^^\> is_no betterjLhan a flave ; tho* ** he be lord of all." Some, indeed, (erv ed God only from fervile cuftom or a fpi rit of fea r ; o- thers from faith in the promife. The[e_Yi^x^ born by pr omifes ; thofe of the i^t f h» Bu t their ^ bUJi was fecret, n ot publiilied a s yet^ lo ^the ^orld. Each too, had his own ncurifhment : the one imbibed the fpirit of fervility ; the o- ther fucked the breafts of the confolations of the promife. This, hcvrever, was invifiblc, they both cat the fame vilible bread, and drunk tlie fame viable cup. * Both lived togetiier as brethren of the fame family, and in the fame houfe, until the time appointed of the fnher for emancipating the heir of the promife from the difcipline of the pedagogue and weaning him from the breafts of » ceremonious ritual. Sometimes /^L E T T E R S. 83 Sometimes before this,* the feed of the bond- -^'oniati had interpreted the law as a covenant of works, promiiing rigbteoufncrs and eternal life to all her fons on_account of their fijflily c onnedlion with' Abraham , and on condition of their performing the mere external works or deeds of- the law, without regard to thr.. end^ and fpirit^ ofji. If they ferved God ** in ** the oldnefs of the letter," they laid in their claim to life eternal, and the poileffion of the^ pr omifed^inheritance . T-ms K a gar had be- come a rival to S arah ; the^niijtrofs inft ead of tjiejervant j thejaw_w as truly ? £ainfl: the pro. miie j)f GoJ . Thus the bond- woman and her feed pcrfecuted the free*v/oman and her feed with " cruel mockinp^s/ * This_j>roduced a chan ge in the family.. The bond-\toman and her fon, having forfaken their ftation in the hcufeJ^oId and become open enemies Inftead ef friends, Sargh in the figur e had faid " caft *' out this bon d-woman and her Ton : for the '^ f on of this bond-woman (liall no t be heir " *' with my fon , e ven with Ifaac.' * Thi s was_ _ ipoken^^s^^pro phjcv of what _ would happen '.n an after-period of the Abrahami c family. 84 LETTER f5. This is tlie Hi^gar of whom Paul fpeaks ; this the Jerufal^m, which then wns, and was, asfheftilHs, inbonch)gc_jftith_Ji£Ti_cI^^ jWhile the covenant of Sinai, or the law, kept its flation afllgned it in the houfc of GoJ, it was no ihfgrace to be under it; more tlian it ig flianiefiil for the child of a nobleman to be in the nurfery, under t he tuto rage of an handmaid. In this view, the law was fpirlttial, holy, juft and good; coinciding with and fubferving the dsifigns of the promUe^Tri'lliTIiTI^^ of the free woman ftill remember her kind oiSces with gratitude, and r^coIleO: the inftruc- :ions of their ancient nurfe and tutor with )rofit, as enforcing the precepts and throwing a luftre around the n^ axims of their paj ^ei But as foon the law fet up a-s a rival to the protiiife, pretending to be the true mother of the family, and claiming the inheritance in her own right, independent of, and exclufive of the promife, ihe was not only ufelefs but hurtful in the fitnily, and was tjedled accojrd- ingly with^aUJ ^er fons. It is now clear, that Paul does not oppofe the Jerufalem of old, or the church as confti- tuttd at Sinai, to the Jerufalem from above,, or i^^ L E T T E R S. 85 or the church under the New Teftament. He only contrafts thfe law as explained by the un- believing Jews in his time, and the Jerufaleni or church conflituted on it in that view, with the promife and church or children adhering l2^^Jl'^ P^^^'%--^^-^^^^--^^-^^^^^£- ^^"^ all. >The law, indeed, was always dijlmci from the promife, as the hand- maid from the miftreff, and fo could be put away at th ep leafure ot the head of the ^mn)vyHence the fault of the true fons or believers of the promife in the days of Paul, who would be ftlU under the tutelage of the dry-nurfe, even after their fa- ther had difmifTed her from his fervice — would be under the difcipline of the pedagogue, when the father had declared them to be of age. This^ was highlyjundutiful. Bjit^jhe^_condu£c of the unbelieving Jewwinountedj^^ beUioTK/ They avowed the law as their true 'niother, and defpifed the promife, perfecuting her {t^^ and refufuig to hold the inIi£ritaiKc/ butjolelyjn^jjb^^ of theja^^v The ori- ginal right came by promife ; but they v^ould [not fubmit to the righteoufnefs of God, and hence they have not attained to righteoufnefs, but have fallen from grace, as every one muft, who claims the inhcriujice in risht of law H I 85 LETTERS. I may add, that when Ifhmael was eje£led from Abraham's houfe, he had a place of re- fuge provided for him by God, and a promife that he fliould dwell there in the prefence of all his brethren, and even increafe fo as to be- come a great nation ; and that becaufe Jhe_was_ Abraham^ feed according to the flefh. Gen. xxi, 13. — The unbelieving Jews have been treated in t he fan ie manner. " TheY^areJjel oyed for the_ * ^ father's fake ;" and although cafl: out of his houfe and inheritance, yet God has afliired them of an_aj ylum in all places whit lier he has fcattere d them ; where they fhall increafe and (^ multiply, dwelling in the prefence of all their brethren, fo that it ihall not be in the power of all the nations, combined together, to ex- tirpate them. " I will not make a full end of *• thee." How pun(5lually has this promife been accomplilhcd ! This has certainly come forth from the Lord of hofts. I am, S I R, Yours &c. LETTER LETTERS. 87 LETTER VII. S I R, I HOPE you will now fee what anfwer muft be given to the qiiefiion propofed in the end of my 4th Letter, viz. v^rhether, as you aver, the churches of the old and new teOamenti were really eftabhdied upon different cove- nants. The promij e of the feed with the uni- verf^tl blcflio^^ inh iin was the real foundation of both chu rches. Faith_in the promife as a» ^ II I ■ bout to be ac compHf hed was the mother of the children of God froin^the beg innin g un- till Chrift came. . " The hope of the promife *' made of God unto our fathers •," fays Paul, ** unto which, our twelve tribes inftantiy fer- " ving God, day and night, hope to come '* Acts, xxvi. 6, 7. Peter, too, addreiHng the Jews, fays — ** Ye are the children of the co- ** venant, which God made with our fathers, ** faying unto Abraham, and in thy feed iliall H2 "all S3 LETTER S. A raham^ The Jews we re the fb m-inal b£anches cf the ch urch under the law^ a nd ofj lie m alfo- th e firfi: chriftian churches were wholly coi^ f^i- tnted. We are but advenjjti^ousjci ons^ graf»; f c-d in contrary to nature, a nd would _ jia.well r»ot to be hifdi-ml nded, h^ X ffri'' - This leads me to correct a very common iT'.iflake on fpeakingon this fubjedl. You and many others call th-e New Tjt/lament church the Gentile church , in- on-polltion to that under the law J forgetting that " we are built upon the *' foundation of the apoftles and prophets, Jefus *^ Chrifr hinifelf being the chief-corner ftone,"" a!l of whom we re Jew s. Our Saviour and falvat Ion are o f the Jtws^ All the apoltles, who preach- 'd the gofpel, and planted the firfl new tefta- ment churches were Jews by birth. To the Jews the gofpel was firft preached; and of th^m the firft churche s^in C hjjft were confti- **ul too has affured us, that although bccaufc VL E T T E R S. 91 b^caufe ox urtbelief many of that people ar«, broken off, yet God is able to graff them in again. Not only fo, but he will gr^ff them in ; for " thefe have now not believed, that ** through our mercy, tkey alfo may obtain mer" « cy" Yes : " Row much .more . fhajl . tUefc, «< which be the natural branches be grafFed into ** th'eir own olive tree" ? — Is this properly a Ge ntile-church ? " Boaft ngt againil the bran ; **chesjl_ ** But by far the greateft number of the <* members of the new tePcament churches con- ** fill _of Ge ntiles." Very tru e : but we re there no Gentiles in the old ten-arn erUchurchj Abraham's family was the radical church of If^ rae], and was not by far the greateft part of that iittle fociety made up of ftrange rg ^ /. e. Gentiles ? Did not even the conftitution at^ U n ai make o ne law in religious matters for Jew and Gentile? Did^ it noj^ fay, " as ye are, fa ** fhall all the (Vrangers beJ3 efore the Lord. One ** law and one manner fiiall be for yoU| and *^ for the ftranger that fojourneth with you ?" Numb. XV. 14, 16. This ordinance too conti- nued through all the generations of that ftate : in confecjuence of wui^h, multitudes of G^n- tiks 92 L E T T E R S. , ^ tiles becam e Jews in after-periods , fo that the t emple had a court of the Gentiles as well as of t he Jevvs . Not only in the profperous days of Solomon but even during the captivity at Babylon, ** many of the people of the land be- ~ ** came lews." Lfth. viii. I7» % til ^11 1 ""I - 'i -ii - — Where, then, l ay the (iiiJcrencet in thii^ref* pedt, betwixt theoht and New-jCglhuB- ent dates of the cb urchJ-~This_deferves^arti £ular at* tent ion. — The Gennjes, \ ve have feen , were admitted to both ; but notio n the fame footing. The civil polity or law of the ftate did rot ad- mit Gentiles to become paatu raiizcd Gabje^s of- t he Jew ish co mmonwealt h. Canaan, by the law, was divided among the t j-jbes of Hrael ac- cording to their families, and whatever portion of the land was afligned by lot to a family, it was^ hereditary in tbatfaniiiy, fo that it could not be alienated, even to a brother-Jcvv, but for a time •, much k fs could i t become the pro « perty of a Aranger 5?L?^ir»— P'* cXlCLJi'^ ^ ^"'' gle day. Gentiles, then, could only be ad- mitted an-iong Ifrael in the char;i6ler of ftran- gers and ibjourners, ijicapable of^b eing fellow- heirs, or__ofJioldhj^_hnde^ tbem. Servants they miglu be acccrding to " " the /.LETTERS. 93 the law, or they might trade with the Jews o^cafionally ; hu^_brethren jhej^£oi^^ So high, fo ftrong was the wall of partition rear- ed by the political law of that nation between Jews and Gentiles. With refpedt to the ceremonial or religious law ; as Gentiles were excluded by the law of the ftate from fulfilling any office in the depart- ment of government, fo by th e laws^regulatin^ the offices of religion they wereequallyjnca:^ P3£itated_for offici ating in any order of the Erieflhood. In this refpe^l, however, they were only ugon the fa^me foot with eleven tribes of Ifrael, a£ the facerdotal officeswer e the fo le prerogati ve of the fon s of Levi. But with re- gard to all the ordinary fervices of religion, aS/ bringing facrifices, worfhipping at, and praying towards Jerufalem, there was one law and one manner appointed for the Ifraelite and for the Granger fojourning whh him. The ftranger , profeffing faith in the pr omife given to Abrg Iiam, v/as ad mitted to the church by the fam e- rites which admitted an Ifraelite., In this rei ^ pe-ct the people of the- heathen lands might b e^ 4-ome Jews, and worfliip the Lord of hofts at Jerufaicm. Accpjrdinglx_we read ^Adls, ii. lO.) 94 LETTERS. 10.) of profelyt e s as welj^as_Jews afTenTbled at JeruTalern to keep the % al^of Fentecoft, whtiT' had come from rery dlihint reoiom for t ljat purpofe. In the fecond temple, indeed, there' had been a wall of partition ere^ed between the outer court where the Jews were admitted and the court of the Gentiles, in which profe— lytes alTembled for worfliip ; but _that t hij was A ofjJivinc_ap£ointmemJs^io_w^ \^ure. From the above review, then, it feems evi- dent, that the laws from Sinai, dire(fting reli- gious fervices, did not, prop erl y fpeaking _forn> a v/all of partition betwee n Tew and Gentile. They were direcTced to^he Jgw firft, i ndeed ; but they all had a fecondary refpetSl t o the G emTie^ Thejani g^ is alfo t ruejyich_ refgeifl to the gorpel-inftitutions^ ^^ "V\[jiatevcrjjie gol> pel fays, it fays it " tothej£wJirft _^d then ^" ^o the Greek ." Rom. i. 16. ii. 10. Ge ntiles are ble iTed in C hrm ; bu£jhcjews_were_jb_ ^rjl Unto jhem firjl_ God_havjn^j-a[(ed_j^ his fon, len t him 1 J )ldsJL]l£m^ gutthe civil_orJ^a^e4aws,oiUfcagUP^ ^^ cffeOuaHejiai^tii^^ 3* we have fcen already. No lleafKen, or one V'LETTERS. 95 > not of Abraham*s{eed^_jcouI^^ with ifrael, hold landed pro perty in Canaan , or be a fellovv-he [r and of the fame body , ha- ving a tide to th e pn vllegcs of the common- wealt h of Ifrael . A Gentile was only a ftran- ger and foreigner in the eye of the ftate even when admitted to all the inftitutions of the church. — Thiswall_ of X^p aration tb e_gofgel has d emolifh ed ;_fQ that Ge ntiles are no more ftrangers and forei gners, but fe llow-citizens, fellow- bur gefles with the faints and of th^ houfeliold of God. Here, then, Ues the true difference between the two churches, with refpe^l: to the admiifi- ,on of the Gentiles. Eve n when brethren in the Old Teftamen^ church y they were ftill viewed as **^liens^from ^ the commonweal thjjf ** Ifrael, and ^ftr3ngers_to_the__covena^^ ** promife :"pthey had^no title to thep romifed I inheritance nor to have t he feed of the promife j defc endnig from Them.y B ut now the ^fe is totally alt ered . J[ews_and_^_Gent]Ie3_ar€^b^^ ren in all refpe£ls : " fellow-h eir s^and of the fani e body, partakers of the fanie_Kr:groife.^' The new covenant includes both equally ; giving them both tHe fanie right to the in heritance, and 96 LETTERS. and_to.3lM£iritua^ 'C hrift. The Gentiles have their part and lot \ with the Jews in the inheritance of the gofpelj / jhat^ ere is _ no di^re.nce^ — ^. This is what Paul calls " fellowfhip of the^ ** myftery," or the myfterious fellowfhip. That the Gentiles (liouid be admitted to church- memberflup with the Jews was no myftery at / all. The law itlelf had enjoined this union, prefcribing one law and one manner of wor- ihip to Ifrael and to the ftranger fojourning^ with them. But that the Gentiles ftiould be fellow-citizens, joint-heirs of the fame inheri- tance with them *, of the fame polity or com- monwealth, wasai]m^fterjM^ Tjie law ha d mention e d no fuch thing . It made ti Q^n tiles aliens and ftrangers . The prophecies, indeed had given obfcure hints of this fellow- fhip ; but the go^pgl alo ne has rev ealcd_jlifiL myfte ry, which was hid in God from ag es ^nd^ g eneration s. I Ihall now confider the other queftion pro- ' pofed in the end of my 4th letter — " A Vhet her ** the promife, on which the old covjuiajit ** ftood, be done_away wjtli that_oov enan t.* !^ -—According to your ;. r. the vulgar opinion,'' botk ■ VL E T T E R S. 97 both vaiiiilied away together, both being ful- iilled and antiquated. Perhaps this is a mil- take let U5 confult the unerring articles and fee* .( That the old covenant has waxed old and \ jvanilhed away, is a point indifputably evident s/ ^ but that the promife, on which it was founded, is fulfilled and fo done away as of no more fc^[££>_( ' is not jb.cieai\/^y this promil'e Abraham's feed had a title to the land of Canaan — *' Unto thy " feed will I give this land." This pronilfe was originally unconnected with the law, or what Paul calls the old covenant •, " for the ** promife that he fliould be heir^of the v/orld ** was not to Abraham, or to his feed through " the law, buJ__throuRh the righteoufnefs of <* f aith." If then the right to the inheritance came not by the law, the abolition of the law- could not deftroy that right : and flnce Paul afTures us that the right came by faith, or, what is the fame thing, byp^omife, it^^would feem, eviden t that the right ftands as valid, .^^ ever^ an d ^hat nothi ng can excl ude his feed from thepofTefiion of that i nheritance but their unbelief of the promife m.ade to their_fathei:. This idea agrees exactly with the original grant *— "Twill givT untolheeTanJ to thy feed — 98 LETTERS. ** an^dieJajidoiXanaar^qr_an everlaflin^ poj. ^ ^feJUotrr Gen. xvii. 8. You tell us, incleetl, that Canaan is called an everlafting pofleflion, becaufe though given to Ifrael for. a iliort time only, >:etjhg_tlujn^Jl^mfied_byJi^ T his idea throws fuch an air of unc ertainty a- roujid the f cripture , th at it is im poflible to_af« certain their true fenfe. If the term everlojlingy when applied to Canaan, means only a tempo- rary duration, how can we be aflured that it has another fenfe, when applied to the hea- venly inheritance ? — Th e truth is, t he original word, rendered eve rlajlwg ha s always th ejame idea a nnexe d to it : it unifgrm]y_denotes_a_pe- riod including aUthe^_a£es_of Mefll ah*s king - d^m— tjiedurat^^ c X t e n d i n gto the time, when ^1 e fli ajijhalj, de- liver up the kingdom to thc fa ther, and Go d ill all be a ll in sll^ This kingdom fhalljnot end in ti-me, or give place to another \ but it fl^all beloij: i n eternity . With the durati on naan is cojpmenfurate ; f or ^* t he gifts and^ cal- <* lin^sof God_arejvithoTatjrepem^Mce." God gav e Canaan to jfraelj^and al though the a(flu- al polTclIion of that land depend^uj)onjtheir^ faith :^L E T T E R S:. fa-ith and the obedienc e connecled wich it] their right ftan ds fo tirDi,-that even in Baby - ion, they could rtilj_call [uJea their owiLiiiiid 'rhe cafe is thie r^i-n^ JlJlL By unbelief, rejec- 'sing the Meffiah, they have been long fcatter- e J like vagabonds among the nations, yet ^RIc- fes affures them, that if they returned to the Lord their God, and (liould obey his voice, hs w ould return and gath erjhem fromalI_thena? tions, whither he had fc attered them. Not only fo, but he adds, " If any of thine be drU ** ven out unto the outmofl parts of heaven, " from thence will the Lord gather thee — and " will bring thee to the land whieh thy * ' fad-ier_ pofIH l£d^nd__t liou - fhalt poile fs . i t." Deut. XXX. 1 — 6. Here k no time limited; but if at any time, during"the exiftence of that people, they Ihall obey the voice of their God, their rcftoration to Canaan is certain : and that this (liall happen in a yet future period is in- difputably evident. Mofes, in his fong, (Deut. xxxii,) fpcaks of the ftate of the Jews, after the coming of MefEah and the calling of the Gen- tiles, for fo Paul explains verfes 21ft and 43d in Rom. x. rp. xv. 10. There Mofes fore- tells their fcattered and wretched (late, during I 2 the loo LETTERS, the times of the Gentiles •, but concludes wltli" a predi(flion, that at the laft God *< will be >*' merciful to liis land and to his people." [Both Canaan and Ifrael, then, have ftill a pe- culiar relation to God — the cne is flill his land, and the other /^/V-neo ^le : and mercy is ref erV' UyCd ^oj^o^h^'W^i^^^nd h^ f jiall this h ap« pen ? IMeaanfWers, " Ifrael flvall_abide man y * * daysjvlthout^ikin^^ <* — afterwa rd fhall th e children of Ifrael^jrg:: ** turn, and feek the Lo rd their G o d, and Da - *rvid their king; a nd (hall fear the Lor d^ and *' his goodncfs in t he Ir^tter days. " Hof. iii. 4, 5. Zechariah alfo informs us that at that time Jerufalem (hall ** be lifted up and abide U in her place : the jufl fhall dwell in it, and *^ there fliall be no more curfe, and no more ** the Canaanite in the houfe of the Lord of ** hofts." Zech. xiv. 10, n, 21. Then, fap God, " I will rejoice in Jerufalem^ , and joy^ " hiniy people ; an d the voi cej^weeping JIiaU " be no mo re heard in _beTa nor^the voice^ <« of crying /* If. Ixv. 19. TIm^^£eriodj__the time of the reftitution_of_anj]ii^^ Js _not yet come: but come it fhall, Jehovah will haften It in Its time. Of 7' LETTERS. lox Of this period all the prophets fince the be- ginning of the world have fpoken. We. may explain away the plain obvious fenfe of. thefe prophecies as we will, to fait our fyftems, ae- commodating themto events whick have already happened, but ail in vain. While the NewTefta- ment writers (Rom. xi. 2. Pet. iii. 13. Rev. chap. 2ifi: and 22d) alTure us that this period is ft'.U future, it is vain for us to perplex our- felves in- wrefting the fcriptures. For this pc- riod I frael ar e preferv ed a dittinct pe ople^ fe^ parated from all the nations, whith er th ej;_are, fcattered in the evil day. G od has (h ut__th£m up in ua belief, only that they may obtain mer° - cy. helrprophecies concerning the humble^ fuifcring ftate of Meiliah are hid from the minds of the Jews. Here lies their error: hence when Meffiah came to his own, his own received him not. But all their ideas of his glorious appearance are jufb and accurate. We laugh at the expectations of Ifrael j but their hopes fliall not be difappointed. They expeft Meiiiah to appear in glory, in the clouds of heaven, that they (liall fee him and know him ; that he will come for their falvation and toJ ^"^^ — J 3 ^^^i^g j lis e-N 0^ 102 LETTERS. ring them to their own land, while all hi ncmies ihall be deftroyed. ^the^rophecies^ fy thefe expeiSlations^^" They lliall look upon (^ ** him, whom they have pierced and they {hall " mourn," as Saul their pattern did, when he faw him. Then God " will avenge the blood •* of his fcrvants, and will render vengeance ** to his adverfaries, and will be merciful •* unto his land, and to his people.'* When the redeemer comes to ZIon to turn away ( ungodlinefs from Jacob, then " all Ifrael fhall ** be faved." lam, ,„- . — »-^ S I R, Yours, &c. LETTER VIIL SIR, X KEATING on the two covenants, the earthly and the fpiritual, you confider the fub- je<^5 LETTERS. 103 jciSts of the latter as having no right to the promifes of the former. Earthly blellings were promifed to the Jews only, in which pro- mifes New Teftament believers have no inte- reO:. The promifes of the old covenant, you fay, were " carnal bleflings in earthly places, ** refpe(Sling only a profperous life in the earth- ** ly Canaan •, tj}e_fubje6ts, ofl ^hjch were the « flefhly feed of Abraham ." Letters, &c. p. ^4> ^5* "While the promifes of the new <« covenant are fpiritual bleflings in heavenly " places." This idea Is very common : let us fee whe- ther it be juft. We have feen the two promi- fes, or the two great branches of the original promife, conveying earthly and fpiritual blef- fings, both fo connected together that they have never been feparated, from the beginning of die wo rld to the firft appearance of Mefl jaha^ I n Jefu s Chri ft all the promifes were originally laid : and Paul tells us, that when he came, '^ jnhim aU^the promifes are_jea and ajn en." 'The promifed blellings, then, muft be all in him ; and hence one would be apt to conclude that believing in Chrift, we are ftill heirs of the promifed blefling? , whether earthly or fpi- yitu|i^B"eli€Ying ia Chriil; Abraham had the promife 104 LETTERS, promife of being heir of the world : but It feems now this promife is long ago fully accom- plished, and is no more to be looked for in Chrift i although Paul aflures us, that they that are Chrift's are Abraham's feed, and fo heirs acccrding to the promife. The promife that Abraham fhould be heir of the world feeips to be much miftaken^. ift, It is imagined, that the country promifed to him was only the jarid_of_Canaan) pro perly fo called^i and doubtlefs this land was not obvi- oiifly included in the grant, when God faid to him " I will give to thee, and to thy feed af- " ter thee, th^kn d oftliy fo joumin^ s^ all the " jand of Canaan. " In this refpedl the promifs was fulfilled in tlie days of Jofhua, when Ifra- el got pofiefTion of Canaan. Yet this was but a fmall part of the inheritance intended in the grant. In Ex. xxiii. 31. G od fays " I w jU *' fet th y bounds from the red fea even w ntQ, ** the fea oft he Philiftines, and fromjhede- ** fart untotheriv^ i" /, e. thydo minions ih alTextendJronObeJRed.^^ terranean on the weft unt o, the Euphrates on the eaft. This promife wasj ^t accom pliflied. until the days of Solomon^ who, we are toU^ *^ reigned <^"l E T T E R S. ^ 105 '* rei gned over all kingdom?, fro m thg river ■ *' (Euph r.Ues) uiu o the land ofjhe PhiljjVine?, " andj 3^ino the bord er of Eg ypt." i Kirgs, iv. 21. — Yet even this dominion, exteniive as it was, is but an earneft or fpecimen oT the purchafed poflclTion, or of the land conveyed jy; promjfe. Paulfajs_jhat_Abrahai^^ he jt' of the world ^ and not o nlyof_^a_Jima U co untry in it : and that t he whole g arth was intended by th e^grant^ which God_ gave him , is clear from the in terpretation of it given j Q h|s Jfeed^ Chri{l_ Jefus. When h e rofe frora the dead, the fure decree was declaredt o him> or he got th e fiire mercies o f Dav id. A part ofthat^decree, or of David's mercies, wejiavg inPr._l xxii. S^ " He^fhajj^ ha\Lg d ominion al- *^ fo from Tea to fea, and fr om the river un to *' the ends of the earth." ^Solomon enjoyed a part of tliis, but Jcfiis got the whole: as it is ^y^:itt en in P r ii. 8. Szc. " Afk of me and " I will giv e thee the heathen _foi' thjne inhe-_ ** ritance, and the uttermoft parts of the_earth ''"FoTa^^Jcflcfi^^ Thus the whole omh^^ given to t he feed o f Abraham. . ThuTthTland ofCanaan, ftriaiv fo called, was but an «arnefl: or fmall fpecimen or fample of the ic6 LETTERS. the inheritance given to Abraham and his -feed by promife. Salomon had a far larger donriiniori given him; and Chriil: is mad e Lo rd cf ^ the whole earth. This_ isj iot aH. iVb ra h a m^ x plained the £romUe^asji^ea4i£^^Jai^^ ^%_YiSWi.4 it as j^pix>mife_o£_a^bet ter coun try even an hea- venly_o ne. Such a country he and the other patriarchs fought, as v;e are cxprefsly told, Heb. xi. 10, 15, 16. They fojourned in the land of promife, as in a ftrange country, look- ing for a City which hath foundations, whofe buUder and maker is God. Thls^cirg ^was not i n Jjie_^Qanaan j jv hich Ifi ael^ in herited of old •, for we are informed it_ was prepared Jor theni in that country they d e fired , evcn_2hejieavcri- Jyi„JIuJ-fc~ Asce rtain proof tliat_the heavenly ^ountj'yiyasincU ided in the promife. Abra- ham fought this country by faith ; and this faith was lratab?lief^fthe proi^^ If this country, then, had not been meant in the promife, his faith _could avail nothing. 2dly, This promife is explained__as_meant to be acco mplilhed to his feed^j_nQt Jo_hIjmfelf^ inp crfon^ Th is fcems n ot^ja-taljy_ with the_ terms of the grant — " I will give unto tbeey and *■ ■ ' — ^^^ »<^unU) i- ophets and of the atSoftles of Chrift. That the meek > ( ftiall inherit the earth, when the wicked fhalL be cut off is foretold again and again in David's Pfahiis : and that the "whole earth fliall be given them for a pofTeflion is clearly expreflld inDan. vii. 27. " The kingdom and dominion, *' and the greatnefi of the kingdom under the' \ *' whole heaven, Ihall be given to the people of ^ *' the faints of the mofi: high, whofe kiiigdoni \j^ ij " ij an everlafti n^ kingdom^^^^his fhali hap- pen, we are told, when *^ the judgment fiiall *'' fit, and they fhall take av/ay his dominion," the dominion of the bead, " to confume and <• to deftroy it to the end." This is the beail of whom Paul fays, 2. Thef. ii. 8. " whom " the Lord will confums with the fpirit of his " mouth, and deitroy with the brightnefs of *^ his coming," — Such is the kinjzdom given to the faints, acc ording to the GId Teuament prophets. Nor is the New Teftam.ent lefs ex- plich ^ in afcer tain ing our title to the earth. When our Lord isopeninghis mouth toproclaim no LETT E R S. the blcfTings of the gofp-l, he does rot Htr that his friends fliall fojourn on the earth as Grangers, or even have a refidence in it only, but " blefled are the meek: for they ihall i n- herit the earth/y^MattTv. 5. This predic- tion we know is not verified in the prefcnt ftate of things, as all, even the bcft, are but Grangers and pilgrims on the earth. But Pe- ter informs us that this happy ?era will com- mence atthe dfflpjmion ofjhe pjefe nt fyflem \ when God will create a new h eaven s and a new earth, a£corduTg^jtoJ}]s^j)r£m^, If. Ixv. 1 7. Ixvi. 22. This is the hope, not of fuch as fliall be born at that period only, but of all the faints All are reprefented by Peter as " looking, for / " and hafting the coming of the day of the Lord, *' whereinthc heavens being on fire fliall bedifol-^ ** ved, and the elements fhall melt with fervent ** heat, the earth alfo and the works that are ** therein fliall be burnt up." This, however, fhall not make void the promife of God, for *' ncv^rthelefs ive^ according to his promife, *^ look for a new heavens and a nev*r earth, <« wherein dwelleth righteoufnefs." This was the hope of cliriftians even in Peter's time, ipr he^adds ** wherefore, beloved, feeing that s <9 L E T T E R S. look for fuch things, &c." 2. Pet. Ill :; ? This hope is coinnion to all the re- deemed : and hence is made the fubjedl of their fong. Rev. v. 9, 10. ** thou haft made us to ** our God kings and priefts : and ive Jhall ** r^i^jT^ the earth.^^ This niuft be in the new hea-^ens and the new earth, according to ithe prophecy of Ifaiah. c. Ixvi. 21, 22. — So true is it, that of " the time of the reflitution 1" of all things God hath fpoken by the mouth ^* ofj jiUiisjiQly^i'o phets, fi ncethe _\vorId began .*^ Thus ti'.e church of God has, in all periods, a title to earthly as well as to fpiritual privi- lege?, an earth as well as a heaven. Edeu v/asjliit^owenjojj^^^ : and Ed ea t lien w as a f^y^cj nien of wha t the vvhole eartli fhall be in the ;:rocers of Aoes. Therpiritual bldnn gs man enjoy ed therein mad e it alfo an apt figure of the new heavens, as well as_of t he new ear t Ik ^Ehe throne of G06, the rive r and tree of life^_thej3]tffiri^s_£f_jh^e_j^^ all defi. ribcd in terms obvioufly borrowed from tli e riate of thi iigs in Eden. — -The fame may be faiJ of Canaan. This land was difponed to I f racl, both a s ajjiec^ men and fig u^re_of_llig^ new heavens and new earth. The Terufalem K 2 built 112 LETTER S. bulk il l it was a fi.^u re of hgavcnly thin^p^ or cf that new Jcrufuk'm, wliicli fluH co rr^c down TFom God out crTTcavcn, to be the glory cf THc new earth. Rev. xxi. lo, ii. Then the tabernacle of God fliall be with men, and he iliall dwell with them ; wl^ en he fhall h ave made all thins* new. This new Terufalem i^ preparin g in. heaven — it is referved i£J_Jhea^^ for us ; and hence is called the heavenly Jeru- ialem, a cityno!^^o£ thi s, bnil uing ; but at laft flie fhall come down from God out of heaven, that the nations of them that are faved may wal k in t he lij^hj^t ji_ereof . Then all the king- doms of this world iliall become the kingdom of the Lord and cf his Chrift, a nd the_ fai nts in all r e i g n\ v i t h h i m jg n t h e ea rtii . This king- dom, perhaps, fhall at firft only extend to the utmoil lines of the Roman empire, v/here the papal authorityhas bee n acknowledged. This i t .-isprcbable^^ t he fain ts flir.U reign with_QlirifL a ll;ouiancl years •, while the civil powers or beafts beyond that boundary, in the four quarters of the world, fnall be in perfect fubjet^tion to Jtfus, being awed by the .fword proceeding out_of_his mouth, or by the terrors of hisauthority^ This feems (iOl E T T E R S. 113 feems to agree with Danlci's_dercription, c. viii. II, 12. When the judgment lits and the books are firft opened, v. 10, only the Ro- man beaO: is flain, and his body deflroyed, and given to the burning flame j while his kingdom is givenjo the^ Taint^ c f the molV Hj^i, v. 27. yet after this we are told, that as to " the reft " of the bcafts they had their donriinion taken " away; yet their lives were prolonged for a " feafon and a tiiiie," oj,tiiUh£ jhourand years \v£reeA£|rech_Rev. xx. 7,8. Durjng this pe- riod all jFiefe^doniini ons f l^all ferve and o- _ bey Ch r^ii>, Dan, vii. 27. fo that ^^jhere^OiaiL *' hi one Lord and h is nam e Qnc>" Zech. xiv. 9. Again, at the end of this feafon and time, the rebellion cf thefe other beafts or nations fliall bring en the general judgment, the final deftru£i:!on of the world cf the ungodly; and the new heavens and new earth fh all appear in full perfection, when " the finner fhall be con- *' lumed from the earth, and ill men fliall no '^ more be." Pf. civ. lafr. Thus he will drive out the Canaanites before us by little and little, until " there fhall be no more the Canaanite " in the houfe of the Lord oi hofls."—- This is the cverh'ling kingdom of quv Loy£j7^ K ^ Chriil 114 LETTERS. SliiB^^Jlli^J^iislL?" abundant entrance ftiaU be iTii nnn-ed to all tjiejain ts of God . |3utjrou^UMJj^^ will not pro\;e that believei;_s ij[LChj;iil: Jha ve a n }- prefent ri.^ht to^ an eartl^ly i nheritance . To t h is I rejj jy — The earth is ..^iven to Chriil: for a poniiTion T and tonfcquemly to hisj)C0£h? ; for hehas dir^oned to theni a kingdo m evenas _tlie f.uher has dif- ]Toncd it to him. But^here is ajliff erence be* t'weciiar^j6/and^^ AUthekingdcnx on earth belong to Chrifc by rieht, but he fuf- fers Ills enemies t op fie fs tji^m ^^refenty un- till the time appointe d by the ..father. His ft C hrlff s ap* f carance and his kingdom. ' ^ ^ " To 4^. L E T T E R S. 115 To uncierfhind this fully, we nuifl: att(=nd to the caic of Abraham and his iti:d. He had the grant of the land of Canaan given to him and his feed, when he came out of his native land, yet when he came to th'e land of promife, he was but a flranger and pilgrim in it, having not a foot of property fave a burying-place for himfelf and family ; nor did his feed get actual poflcfiion of that inheritance, till 430 years aft er the r ight was confirmed by God jn Chriil, In like manner they that are ChriiVs and fo Ab raham 's feed, muft fojourn as firan^ers in the earth ; they m uft ferve, likeljrael^ the Pha- raohs and Nehudiadnezzars of the wo rld, who have now aflii6led and opprefTed th em fo r, many centuries. The chains of the fpiritual 'Eabylon and Egypt have, indeed, been broken, and liberty proclaimed to Ifrael for fome time paft, yet ftill the wiidernefs is before them, wliich they m^ ft pafs before they can enter the promifed inheritance^ Sucli the prefent ftate of things is to the chriftian : and fuch the coming fcenes wiihbe, until JJie ^time of th e reftitTjtion of all things. Then " evil doers " fiiall J)e cut off; Jerufalemjliall be built on «' her own hill, the joy of all the earth. The meek ii6 LETTERS. " meek fliall inherit the earth ; and ftiall " delight thenifelves with tlic abundance cf TVusjh£2»2]^j^lJ|£^^^ \vici{lcTi was heredi tary, to the old Ifra* ♦ *l£l> ^"^ ^y God's appointment entailed on *' ^i€ir^_^fli]j_f£ed--T,h5^^^ ** born of the flefli^ — The ordinance of_clrcurnj *' cifion belonged only to^t he tempox aL^pro* *' n^ife, ?.nd tiiej£n^oj^_tj:^ca^l__j;eh^ be- ** twjxt GodandAbraham^s feed a ccording ^J^o "Th?lS^^IlTl^r~fle'fliIy birth iuffi£i£ntlxjii&r " tinguifhcd the rubje<5ls of circumcirion— To ** parta!^^of t1Ttr''pnvil£g£^ it wa2._il£n^^3JXi- «< they (hould be the ikOdy ktd of Abraham.^' p-Tpsr —^ - " ' Such is your opinion : and it mufl: be own- ed it isv neither /7C'y^/ nor ^/;^w/jr. Mr Booth has quoted a multitude of celebrated author?, all agreeing with you, on tlie whole, in your ideas of the Abrahamic covenant and its token. Error, however, cannot plead prefcription •, nor can all the writings in the world change a falfeliood into truth. ift. According to you, circumcifion belong- ed only to Abraham's feed according to the fielh-, which llelhly birth fufiiclently diftin- guithed the rubje<3:s of circumciuon.— Here a - variety ,f)l. E T T E R S. 11^ Tariety of difficulties occur. Did Abraliam be- g>et Eliezer of Damafcus, and all the fervants of his houfehold, born in it, or bought with his money ? Yet were not all t]\efe command- ed to be circumcifed at the f:.me time with , - ^ -— - ■ — ■ ■ -— ^ V himlelf and his feed ? G».^n. xvii. 12, 13, 27. ] Now as we xre told, (Gsn. xiv. 14.' thatjip : h^daneaft3i8 men-fervan ts train e d for war, befides children, all fons of t he i lra nger. not V. ' _ • ' ~ ■ of his feed, is it not evident that dejcent fro in Abraham'-s flelh cave no exclufive title to cir- ^^mcifion ; y_ea tha t one on jy of h is feed was^ cTrcumcifed at iirft, while abov e fcu r^ hundred Gcntllcs received the fame token of ^t he co ve- rant ? Again, every profelyte from among the Gentiles to the faith of Abraham was circum- cifed in all the ages of the Jewiili ftate ; fo that many thoufands received the token of the covenant, who had no flefld y_conn_ e6tjon_with Abraham. Every fuch^profeljte too^ had _a > right to circumcife his cl^ild . Was this by defcent from Abraham's fiefh ? Befides, was anyfTranger of any nation, Amaltk and afew others excepted, excluded fiora the congrega- tion of the Lord o n profeilin^ the faith ? Or, -£«>uld they be fidmittcd to thr.t congregation without 120 LETTERS. witl\out clrcumcifivon ? IF nof^Jho w diJ << the ** flefl ily birth fuiTiclent lydiftihg uilhthe jubjeds " of tiii-^ infrituticn :'/ — What abfurdity fo big *' tl^at prej-'dke cannot fwallow ! 2ndly, You fay, That *' circuaicifion was *' hereditary to old Ilrael and entailed by God's " appointn^.ent on their fleOily feed.'* — How then did Ifiir.iiel pa rtake of it^ who was -not of. Ifrael at all ? Ho w couw l Abra ham g'-ve3_ or 400 (Irangers an equal iliare 'nj ^jv] tih his own fon ? The fame thing was done by his pofteri- tv in future ages. It Teems Ilrael niuft have been complaifant indeed, when they admitted ftrangers fo readily to fhare with them in an in- heritance entailed on them by divine appoint- ment ! MoreoveVi if th ey inherited b^^entail, the privilege was unaliena^lvjfixeiljn^the^^ fons. How came they then to lofe it ? Thej are Abraham's flelhly feed ftilli yet Paul tells them they are now the conciftm only, and not the circuuiciiion at all. Philip, iii. 2, 3. Now believers in Chrill: o nly are the circumcif ion. Again, Efau loll his birthright, for himfelf and his oiTspring, and confequently all title to circumcilion as a fign of right, to the temporal promife •, yet was not he and his fons of Abraham's flelhly feed as well as Jacob ? c^LETTERS. 121 3dly, Xgu ^avery That circum cifi on " didln^ ** guillied the flelhly feed^ of Abraham :" yet we hav€ Teen multitudes circumcrfed , an dthat by divine appointment , who were not of Abra- ha m's feed . How could this badge diflirguifh Ifaac and Ifhmael from the fervants of the houfehold, bought with money, or begotten by flaves ? The Egyptians, Ethiopians and fome others prartifed circumcifion alfo. M ud: they too be fi>t-un2 from Abraham ? Yea, anyiruii, ofan yjiation had a divine title to circn mfiilo^i on profeffing the faith of Ifrael : co uld t\\\i_ make him the off spring of Abraham's fl-jih ? 4thly, You confider ci rcumcirion as a (iga or token of a right to the temporal pron-.ife, or inheritance of Canaan . It was certainly then the fign of a He. Iflimael was circumcifed by divin e appoin tm ent, a nd yet at thefametime God e xclude d him from any title to Canaan, or any temporal privilege of Abrah am's co venant/ Tlie fan-ie is true of Efau and all his pofterity: they were circumcifed, but had no inheritance in Canaan, Prcfelytes, too, were circumcifed, as were the flaves and fervants of Ifrael, yet this rite conferred no right on them to inherit the land given to If- L rae]. 122 LETTERS. rael, as I have already demonftrated. — Your afiertion, then, is Co paradoxical, that I know- not how to make either fenfe or truth of it. 5thly, Circumclfion , you fay, wa^jJign__Q£_ t he- old covenant , or*'belonged2othe^^ * ' ^^^ promife" — ^the promife of the temporal pofTefiion of Canaan. — This is a leading prin- ciple in y our fyfle m, andasHochjiieritsj^p^ ticular confiderati on. "What renders it at leaft doubtful is, that Paul tells us the old covenant was not made tUl4^oj3rs_after_th2^ whgl£-_ of circu mclfion was the tokc n^ andjusjn^iker informs us that circumc jfiaa-^iagj ^not of hl o^ " fes but of the fathers."' — Add to thTs,^wge n^ the old coven a nt was ratifie d no perfon was cir cumcifed at all ; yea for 36_ year3 after thisj circu mclfion was in defuej ud g amon^^ vj - p^ j until they had arrived at Canaan.^^ lt is not cafy to fee, then, how this rite could be the token of that covenant, fince it was not per- formed, neither at the ratification of it nor fo long after. The truth is, this matter hitherto has been altogether miftiaken. The temporal promife given to Abr aham, which was the bafi s of the Sinai covenant, is to be found in t he 15th' chapter \ . _ ^LJ E T T E R S. 123 chapter of Gt;neiis. There we read of a gr^i t or covenant God gave to Abram, faying ** un^ " to thy feed will I give tliis land/' marking; out iit the fame time, th e boimd ciri es of that tcniporiil poflefiion vvitji tlie utmofi: accuracTa and afcerraining the period of entry to the pof- felnon of the promifed inheritance, v. 13 — 21. Oj^thjs grant Abrann defireda token, f aying» ** Lord God) wl'>ere by ihall I know th ^t_I^ " fliall inherit it ?" v. 8. On t his o ccafion God fliewed him the token, t he fymbol of ra- tificanon, in a yifion.^ A facrifice of beafts is ord ered, that Abram m ight fee by vj\\ztfymbcl his feed was to take infeftment of the land, when the pr omife fhould receive its final rati ^ fi cation at Sinai. Her e is not a word of cir « cumcifion but of facrifice.. The blood ofbcaf^Sj not the blood of circumcificn, v/as the token or feal of that old covenant. .V - _ - The covenant, whereof circumcifion was the ft^fj^ is recorded in the 17th Chapter of Gen. This you call the old covenant, which has now vanilhed away with it^fymhol. AlTertions, however, avail nothing : Let us examine its contents, that we may fee what it really is, L 2 ift, 124 LETTERS. I ft. The prcmife or grant here given by God to Abram is — " Thou fhalt be a father, cf " many nations — I will make nations cfrhee.'* T. 4, 5, 6. Now, whatever reference this may have to the numerous ifllie of his body, yet Paul ailares us this was not the principal bicfling in- tended in the promife. He quotes this very pro- mife in Rom. iv. 17. and explains it in the moft unequivocalterms. Abraham ** received theji^ji •' ofcirc umciiio n — thathemlght^be the father ** ofallthemthatbelie ve, whet j^erc ircumcifedor ** uncirVamc^^d^—Who is the fatherofjis_al]^ ** as it is written, I haveinadetheeafather «* of many nations." v. 1 1 — 17. By this grant, then, he is not m2d^^^_hthcr_oi_3,^czrr^^ believing feed, but of a believing; feed am ong all nations, even of all who waJ^jiLllvcJleps of bisjaith. This promife ftands to all generati- ons, and is moft fully accomplifhed under the pew teftament difpenfation. Is it pofiible, then, that this can be the covenant or grant, which waxed old and vaniflied away in Paul's time, while Paul aiTures us, that it^ onlx-had. begun to receive its fuU a^cc om pliOiment in rhrit very period . — This grant, then, is not the lame with that in Gen. xv. as this laft relpedhonTjr his ^LETTERS. I2S his natural feed , who { hould beiiev e, convey- ing to the m a temporal iiiheritance : whereas^ tiie p romife under review reipecSts all that be^" lieve, whether Jew or Greeks This promife,. then is the fame with that recorded, Gen. xii. 3. " In thee fhall all the families of the earth " bebleiieJ"; and confequently is the bafls of what Paul calls the NewTellamen t or Diatheke, 2ndly, In this grant we find aUo the promife of the land of Canaan, v. 8. " I will give to " thee, and thy, feed after thee, the land of " thy fojournings, even Vd the land of Canaan." Is not this, you wHTlay, the old covenant ; the lame with that mentioned in Gen. xv. 1 8 — 21 ? I anfwer, It is not. The jeed there fpoken__of^is_evjden^ the natural feed o rAb- ram, and none elfe, — a feed who were to ferve l^Egyptiang, and^ agicled 400 years ;j^^ ter which they (hould come out with great fub- ance, and enter Canaan in the fourth genera- "i5.— iiuTthe leed Tn tion^v. 13—16.— ij-j_t the; fegn g^nrrrrTth diapt'eiMncludesaH bel ievers ; to all whoni_ A^ raham is here conftituted a father , as we ji ave, ^a^^^eadyj^en. — The Canaan, too, defcribed ia chapter 15th is the land which was g iven only tolirael after the Udh ; partly in the days of 1 3' T^hii^,, 226 LETTERS. J[ofhua, andjjie_remainderjij j rcign of Da - v^d and Solomon . This was but a pledge and figure of the land promifed in Chapter 17th. The^Can^an jdifpone d here is an inheritance fcetoalUhe believn^^ So. Paul explains it — "The promife that he fliould ** be heir of the World is of grace, to the end ** that the promife may be fure to all the feed» ** not to that only which is of the law, but to ** that alfo which is of the faith of Abraham^ **^[ho is the father of us alL" Rom. iv. i?» j6. Now jf ajl the ^b elieving fg^d (hall inhe« rit th at^Cana an i t his cann ot take place till thefe«_ cond appearance of M djiah^ as they will not ^ — ~ ■ ~~ — be all born before t hat perJQ ^. When he comes men will be marrying and giving in marriage. Confequntly, the land here pro- xnifcd is the inheritance refcrved in heaven for us J a_kjn£doni which iha U appear j yifh Chri{\ inthe new heayens and ne^ ^arth. — In this fenfe Abraham himfelf underftood this pro- mife ; for he fought " a better country, even «* an heavenly :" and if his God had not pro- mifed him fuch a country, how could h e feek it in faith ? Id ^L E T T E R S. 127 In correfoond e nce with this view of the_prQ;^ miicd land, it is faid to be piven " for an ever- ^^ laftin;' jDoileilion .'^ v. 8. and Xu^ -^rant dij ^^,^ pofing it " an everlaftina covenant. " No fuch _ epithet is co nferred on the covenant in Gen. 15. as it only granted the temporal poiieflion of a fmall p^rt or fpecimen of Abrahaai's in- heritance. — To get rid of this argument you aver, that " this covenant is called everlafting * [ vyith refj^f^ to the antitype. " — How jejune and evaiive this comment ! h overthrows the , fa ith of chriftians. The new roven^rft ir. ral. l ed the everlafting covenant. Th is by your in« terpretanonmeans a covenant of fhort durati- on. Faresvel, then, y e fweet hopes of the gcfpel ! — Poetry may admit of fuch liberties of expreiiion, but law requires words and phrafes of the moft afcertained and unequivocal fenfe. Now the grant before us is written in the ftyle cflav/j and confequently in terms of no ambi- guity. — A mercv it is you was not ma de a law- yer ! Every Chart er, conveyi ng property In fee Jlmple or for ever mufl have been expl a ined by yo u_ as a Tach of limited duration .! Or are the words bf God kfs accurate than theie of men I 128 LETTER S.?^ 3dly, The antients only got -a- ;;^-ia nam?, when cxal ted^ to higher ofrikK)d of bulls was the fole lignpf lirael's en-te^4 t-ig into that tempora ry conftltution of thin<;s.- Ex^xx'^v. Let us, then, take Paul's plain account of this inftitution, and we may be afTurcd it will bear the ftrideft fcrutiny — " He received t he " figa LETTERS. 133 •^^ fign of circumcifion, a feal of the ri.^hteouf^ * * ncfs of the faith, which he li ad being uncjr- ** cumcifed " Rom» iv. 11. It w as a fiPn and feal, n ot of thej ric^ hteournefs of the law, of cf any r/'z^t to privileges ^gonferre d by the law^ but of the rigjiteoufneis of the faith, or in o- t her wor ds, of a ri^ t of pure grace. — Xhis ^ ih all be the fubje cl of my next. In the mea n ■time I remain, SI R, Yours, &c. LETTER X S I R, JL HILOSOPHERS and wits of the infidel-^ clafs have long confidered circumcifion as a y fabjeiH: of derifion. An operation, fo indeli-\ cate and To needlefs in their view, muft be un- ) M wortlij- '34 worthy of Infinite wifcfom : and in deed if thj ) end and defign of that appoint ment be not pro-- perly attend^djOj^eyen thejvire_aruJ g ood muil be^puzzled^ j^n a ccounting fo r its propriety. Your ideas on this ^ head fe em to me: jverYL_ab« furd — calcul ated only to darken the fubje^l . Indeed if human- autliorities^could juftify your miftakes, you can produce an abundance of that kind. Your brother Mr Booth has per- formed this fervice for you, in his Padobaptifm fxamined, Sec; in which fifty eminent authors are quoted in fupport of your opinion, whofc ideas on this point I now propofe to examine. ifi:. By your opinion, circumcifion was in- tended to be ** afign^^of__£^m2/^j£^Cvi[X^' or oT d efcent from the flefh of Abraham: — If_tlus was the intention of God in ^poi nting cir - cumcifion, it never did no ^ coul d^anTw er its end. Even Ifaac by this mark could not afcer- tain his defcent, as all the numerous mal^fer- ' vants of the houfehold wore jthe fame badg e. ' Any man of any nation might become a profe- lytc to Abraham's faith ; an d every fuch p ro- fely t e waj circumcifed. Was- tjiis_a_b adge_of carnal defcent? Com man fenfe will ma ke a pro- 2ndly, /i g us m^^oji_£iia^^mire_c^ We have feen that circumcifion was made tlie iign or token of the everlaftiiig covenant,, given to Abraham. Its defign in general, then, mufl have bsen to confirm the faith of Abra- ham and his feed in the truth of the promife, and of right which they had by faith to all the romifed bleflinps. ut to obtain a full view of this fubje^l it is neceffary to undcrftand, ift, What in t hi^s co» ye£a2it_circumcifi^^ 2ndly, What, it fignified or fealed with rerpe2//ythat ^or ious facfV, This is what Abraham believed, when it was reckoned to hjp-ijorjiglueoufncfs^^ 3 — 7, And Paul tells tis that circumcifion * ^ ' was JfPr, E T T E R S. 137 wasareal^of j^Iie rLghtepurii ers_Qf the faith s \Yhich h e had before he was c ir cumcifed ; con« feque mly it was a fign of this ve ry fa£l, which belie ved pr oduces the fame eff scV , a fenfg_ of^ riRhteouffielsor acc eptance with God, in the hear ts of all the c hildre n of the promife. In this view, how proper was the fign of circurn- cifion ! S£^led in ^ the h ill of _the foreikin/' th^ appointed vehicle for convej^ng jhe elements , of human exifte nce, it li vely expre fTed theje_ Uaths, Meffiah w as to be a man and that he y'oul d tak e flcfli of the feed of __Ab rahani. — Wifdom h erfclf coul d not h ave chofe n a morg , exprefiive fiizn. 2. CuUm^^off^heJorefK: in this Tle\7, e- vident]2;^^exprdl£dt in which the 3\l dliah, the {zt<\ of Abraham, fhould convey the promifcd bleilings to ni aiskind \ even by bcin^ _^ "^ ^Q death in the flefn, cu t off from " 'iHJ^^^*^ of the living, or by the blood of his *liI2Hx ^NotT^^MTblrtir^ by jhe blood of h is cutting off ^ or jj^ the cir^ cumcHioncf his liefh by death, does the blef- £n g of Abraham come on all the fpiritual feed, nJence his blood is called *' The blood of the > " New Teaah^cnt," the true feal of the Tefta-' jr*€nt given to Abraham in its new ftate^ where- 138 LETTERS. ^J3Jiiil£Si3.£!3I?JiU!X-^nainiik^ to all, the_ ch ildren of the promife. 3. Through this blood of Mefiiah's death, or cutting offj the body of the fmsof our fiefh is cut off alfo, or " our old man is crucified ** w'lth him." Rom. vi. 6. Believing that he was put to death in the fiefh, we arm ourfelves with the fame mind, and are difpofed to give up this mortal body with all its lufts into the hand of God, that it may be deftroyed, that henceforth we o^^^Jjot fg rve fin. That^^kr ciimcifion was intended jo^be_a fign of thisj 15 iitteficd both by Mofes^a nd Pauj . " Circum- .^_^-0' cife or cut off," fays_Mofe3, " the^foreil dn of ^ j !<' ^mjriiearts?_Deut. x. j6^ " In^ whom I ^ '■«« (in Chrifi) alfo ye are circujiicijed with^tjie L 1^!** circulTlciil^n^^deJ^^^ *IL£^yi5^ I I V^ off the body.ofj^eJins_oLthe_%fh, bj^the. \J, J^" circumcifion of Chrift," f ay s Pa ul, CoLJu_ ^X^ii. .Here it is evident, tliatj^utti ng off ihe V ' ^- > bodTi nwhich fin dwells is the thin^fi gnifieJ V^'^ |by circumcifion^^d jhat this is e^ aedJLbyL vv \^l»^^^Tg7i7^^ ^ ofCh ria," or b^isjieajh^ K \%'^' ''^^ is repr e^Tented bo t h_ by^ circumcifioji_ai^ ^%ba?.tirm. It is alfo plain from thefe texts that 'i I^^^T^ofes call s '' the fo rdkm of theheaiV* vNi /'^LETTERS. 139 Paul_ca]IsJt_^Mh£boc^^ " — our old man. '^ This- outward man muft be pat off, that the inward man may exert Ivimfclf in all the delightful exercifes of divine love. The heart, eullaved by the fl'efli and its lufts, cannot love God. Hence, fays Mo- **' heart to love the Lord thy God with all thine '* heai;t, and with all thy foul Z^ Abraham on the Gentiles as well as the Tews, K\ %. -— InJ^erms of the promife, in tlrvJeecWljjjj. J j^^ afuhTfamiii^^ Alfc? g^^X by beftowin g it^n infants^ h e fliowed, th a t f «^ of fuch is tlirkbsdoiirS~G7d/^ r^^¥^|->l 140 LETTER S. III. With regard to the perTjns circumclftd ; every adult by fubmitting to this operation profefTed faith in the accomplifliment of the promifes made to Abraham, thatjhe_SaviouE_ were conn e^^ed with him . In this rcTpe^ the circumcifer J^^^_the_circumci|ed_jft^^ 'he rite itfelf was a fign and.feal of the right- ] feoufnefs of the faith, or of our juftiiication by / f a i t h . y\Iu s_it^_fi^nifij;^^ !lij^"_^ .to his houfeholj. It is not prob\ble, that any adult would have fufFercd Abraham to perform fo painful an operation upon him^ ha d be_n_ot bejieve d_in^h.£ div inity of its in- , ftitution, and been infl ru^Tted jt lea ft in its^ principal defign. .^ But you CT^ji " circumcifion is indeed called j ^'" a fcal of the righteoufnefs of the faith j but ' '* it was a feal only to Abraham ofJjia_ ^wn _ 4*^ith/^He received circumciiiGn as a " fa- ** thsr to his natural feed as fuch." p. 60, 6t, So you and many bej ore you have faid. But- let us hear Paul — " He received die iifin of *' circum cifion — thai he mi ght be the father of " ^// them that hilieve'l ^Vulwefpe6Llo_cir- cOmciiion, then^ as well as ungircum9ifion,-he /A L E T T E R S. 141 W3S a father onl y to them that believed. Now ^ did his natural children as.fuch believe \ if not, how could circunicinpsi li giiify t hat he was a father to his nat u ral feed as [uch] Since it only denoted him to be ^he fa ther of believ ers ?. This circumcifion evidently pointed out — tell- ing his natural offspring that they could not be counted as Abrahani's feed, unlefs they be- lieved in the feed of the prbmife ; m__confe- quence o£ _wh ich^elief_he himfelf h ad been circumcifed . Not as a natHral btft- as a hejte^ vin^ father did Abraham receive the fign of clrcumchion : confequently none could be his children in that refpecl in v^hich he vv'as cir- cumcifed, but fjch as ^-eljeved^s he did. — Thjs_ 13 the uniform dc clrine of Pauly^^Ie aUures the Jews, that where faith in the Meffiah is wantirig, outward circumcifion cannot denote any man to bj the fee d of Abraham •, as it was originally intended to be a feal of the righteoufnefs of the faith. Ke never was a Jew who v/as only fuch outwardly. — This is com.m on feiife y _ ^ , ^ — EuMiow abfli^rd is you r liypothefis ! If Ab- raham received circumcifion as ^ natural hthxr, T»hy did he cTrcun\cife th« fervants of his houfe- hold, 142 LETTER S. A^^I}> i£yGuridea be Juft, the blcflin^s of tlig covenant whereof circumc ifioiL -was the fign !?}HJLJ1^Z5J£^"^-H^I^^JH1J ^ entailed on Abra« bam*s pofterity as yj^r^^wjie thcr they believed or not. Why then, did God exclude Ifhmael and Efau from thefe privileges ? Why did mul- titudes of Ifrael fall in the virilderners, and came fhort of the promifes ? Why exclude all the unbelieving Jews from all thefe privileges for 1 700 years ? Are they not A braham's na- tural feed ? Your hypothefis can furqifh you with no anfwer : butwmildj^ouftoop^o^ Paul, he vv^ould tell you, no pr o f c fi edj in bel ie^ ver had a ny title to circum ciflon or the bleflin gs it fealed. Hence Iflimael was caft out becaufe he perfecuted the child of the promlfe with cruel mockings ; Efau, becaufe he dcfpifed the promifed Ctcd ; Ifrael in the wllde^nefs, " be- ** caufe they believed not God, nor truAed ia *^ his falvation j" the Je ws after Me fQah came, becaufe they b eljeved not that Jefus of j Jaza-^ rethwa2d2£_?liEiiii, ^"^ ^'^'^^> " Th is is the ** heir, come l et us kill him." The fe have prac- tifed circumciiion, but ic is of theEg^^^li^^il- kind, not Abraham's j the concj/tGn, a mangling /^/LETTERS. 143 mangling of the fl dh, not: a fign of the right- eouinefs of the faith , which was the circum- ciilon given to Abraham. .^Bij|,tj:^iJLidlJLx£|2l; — Where are wfi toM tjiat Abralj^ni^ fervant j believed \,y L E T T E R S. 151 clfion J or that baptirrn ferves the fanie_[ ^urpo- fes in the Ngw-Teflarnen t iiate of the church .» which circumciil mi aniwered in the old. Your arguments on this fubje//j of_the fefi gave a claim to circumcifion \ \\^hereas_^W/4_or_ regeneration ^^L E T T E R S. 153 rf£Cfi£rati:n onlY_rurni rh a title to baptlfm* Hence it is concluded, with an air of triun^ph, that baptifm has a defign totally different from circu mcifion . It is truly aftonifhing with what infolence you and your brethren talk on this f u bj e cc . Mr Booth (Pedobaptifm^ p. 3^ ^^.^— averSt that x'ibraham^s male infants^ a ^.d even adults,- were entitled to c !rrnpi^;irinn, " niere^- *' IZJi^ v^^J^^^ of their carnal defcent. This_right '* they enjoyed in dependent of ran( StifYJn^^ grace "either in themfelves or t heir parents ; and " eve n detached from every i d ea of a pji etenfc^. " on to it, in the o ne or the other. Nay, the " domeflics of Abraham, whether born in his ** houfe, or bought with his money ; whether ** in a carnal or- a regenerate ftate j were as " fully intitled to this rite as their venerable riafter>l^— im pious aiTertions, though pro- duced by p'o us writers ! — Was circumcifion ap- £C^inted without refp^Ji: to Abraham's faith ? Does not Paul fay that he received it as " a ^' Teal of the righteo ufnel^s of the faith ?" Hov/ then could hi s feed j -iave a ri^ht to tliis rite " indep'^ndent of fait h cither ia themlelves or " their parents, and even detached fro m every ** idea ct a pretennon to ir^, in the one or the other 154 LETTERS. ** Slhp^ •'*" Djwr^/v religious, and intended for purpofes eniirely fpiritual : but circumcifion had a poli- tical afpedl, being a fign of carnal defcent, a mark of national diftindtion, and a token of intereft in thofe temporal bleffings that were' promifed to Abraham.--*' That baptifm is an in{Htution purely religious is_gra nted \ but that circumcifion had any{uch_ ^g////'r^/ a fpetl as 13 above mentioned i s falfe, as I hav e atreadyj^roj- V e d . It was , i n d ec d , 3 _inark_jifL-diiliaci j on between believers and heathens ; but_diiejiiiie_. is true ofba2nfin. It was no mark jofjiation- . aj diflindtion, as many nQt_of that nation re- ccivcd ir.. N m; \vd,SA^^c/?aracIen/Iic o^ judai fm (as Dr Erikiae pbrafc s it) in any_ other_fenfe thaa >/ L E T T E R S. 159 than that m wl^ic h baptirm is a characlcrift c of cl vj- iftiaiiity. No man was confidered as a Jew who was not clrcnn-;ciied ; nor can a ny bs; baptized, or at, lead is ready to fubmit to baps - tifai. If the DG6U)r_i rieans, that bapti (jn_is, not a certain fign of re al c hriiVianity ; it is e- qually true that circum cidon wa s not a certain fign ofrg g/ - Judaifai . *^ For he is a Jew that ** is one irmardly, a nd circumcifion is that of *< the fpirit.", Bui, fays th e Dodlor, " Circumcifion \vc\^ ** pr eir^d an ab iding mark: wh£reas__b34iuiin ** |mj>rdlesji o_abiding mark ." This certainly means, that th.is abidin^^ mark ferved to afci r;^ tain Ills defcent, bot h to himielf wl-.en r^rowg. up__a £d 2i\(o to others. Thus D' An vers ex- ' plains it, a nd adds — By^this mark one knows not only that b.e was a Tew, but that he had - I - -<■ . • a ri^iit to his father's temporalites. Strange i- dcas thefc ! the daugh.ters of Z elophehad, I ^-2£poJ£>_ were at no lofs to know their defceji t or their rig ht to their father's inhe ritance, aU :. fnoiigh^ hey had_l iQ iuch m arE As^ many neighbo uring nations, alfo, praaifed circu mci- Con, no man, merely by infpecling this mark " aT~ hT j6o letter S. inj}i£ flefh, could_be certain whether he jvas^a Jew by birth or not. In vainj^ too, would the ion of a profelyte have produced thjs marlr in a plea of right to an inherijUnce-ia, Ca naan. -rri ^o~e vIdent is it that, by this_niarkj^ jig_jTian_ could afcertain his dsfcent either to himfclf or to others. "^njKI^j-dpe^V^then^ ^circumcifion had no pre-e minence above baptifm. One^could^now th at he had beeji_circumcifed in infancy by _a_ 1 ewjjpnl y by_£ji r ey i ous knowje d o, e^_o f his dcC- cent and by the teftiir.ony ofJj^edatorSi.. In the fa m em an n ercai}_on^s_ba£tHm_jr^ be asce rtain ed. The parochial regifter, with the tcftimony of his parents and other witnef- fes, renders the faft indubitably certain : where- as although baptifm had imprefTed an abiding mark on his flefh, he could not b^e 'certain whether he had been baptized into the faith ofChrift or not, as many pagans pra(Stife in- fant-baptifm. 5thly, Venemay as quoted by Mr Booth, fees a propriety in ** imprinting this mark of ** circumcifion in memhro genitalia as a fign of *' a numerous offspring and of t emporal bejie^" ** fits conne^cd with their very nattv ity -," and hen ce >5^. L E T T E R S. i6t hencelnfers that th ere Is no analogy bet weeri clrcumcifi on and baptifm. — But did not many Jews die in infancy without ifiue ? and of fuch as grew up to manhood many hr.d few children and others none at all. If circumcifton, then^ was to be a fij^n of a nurrierous offsprin g, jt__ was, in m^n y inftances the fign of a lie j A--_ gain, what te mporal benefit was connefled with th e nativity of a fLa ve, or the Ton of a profe-^ lyte ?_ NQne at all .— So a^urd a re the ideas of Mr Booth's learned and ^iudicious pro feiTnrl. Butvie\ving this mark a s align of the diving purpofe t o raife up to Ifrael a Saviour of_ lhg> feed of Abra ham, we at once fee an obvious x_— — — '■ ■ _— — — - - l^ropriety in imprinting it ^emtali membro. Hence alfo we can eafilyfe gjvhy no fuch mark j^j_2pP2l£!l ^- nosv.^ j(''TET^^rth^_jndicated by circumcinon is already produced, and has open- ly appeared to men. While the Son of the promiie was yet the feci-ei Onc y the mark of Taith mnhis appearance might well be worn in. the moCx fecret pa rt of the body ; but now he is publicly manifefted his fervants muft wear • his mari^ in xht'w foreheads, ^6Mjj^MrJgoo\\x^z^^s^^ baptifm fucceed^- <' ed in the place of circumciiion^ how cam.e "1X3" ~ " *^ ll: i62 LETTERS. ** it abo ut that both of them we re i n full forc e " at the fame time ; th at is, fro^ n__t^he__xaDis ** mencement of John's M iniftry ^c> the dgath ** of Chrill: V\ A more ^abfurd queftion was nc; yer pu t ! This author ad mits that the chriftian bapt^fm wa s^not inft k^ uted till after the reftir. r eflion of Chrifi: : how, then, co iild it be in full force befo re his death ? I] he baptifm of John was not Chrift's. — Of thefame ^ kind is_ t he queftion he adds — " A gain : ad mitting the •* fucceflion pr etended, ho w came it that Pau l ** circumcifed Timothy, af ^r he had been bap- ** t ized ? " I anfwer. If Paul had cir ^ur r]rifpr|: Timotliy by divine authority , or h ^d inioincd the obfervation of tha t rite on all chriftians, this queftion would have had fome foundation r but we are exprefsly told, that he performed t his ceremo n y, not from con fci ence towards God, but from maxims of prudence, " be"_ •* caufe of the Jews, which were in thofe ** qua rters." ^ ^^y ^v^* 3* T^hly^ D'Anvers ^ays^baptjfm_ does not an« f wer the^nds of circumcifion,, rftl ^ becaufe " c ircumcifion was a fign of Clirifi: to come in * \ the^flerh ; and ba ptifm. that he was already <* come in the flefh, witneffing to his incarn a- """^ <« tion /^^ LETTERS. \6i *^ tion, death, burial and refurreflion ." — So, far as it g oes this is a jufl: enou^^h account of_ the defign of thefe ordinancei ; b ut if the ar^u- merit founded on it be jufl:, we mu ft^ alfo con- clude that the apofl ohc gofpelj iges^not anAver the end of the Rof pel preached to Abraham, ^ . — — - — — — becaufe th is declares that Chrifl was to come in the fleih •, and that teftilies that he is already come, ^ ^.-^v^ 2ndly, ** Cir cumcifion wns to be a partition " wall betwixt Jew and Gentile ; but baptifm^ " teflified the contrary,. " I anfvver, if this was the deiign of circumcifion^ \vas ^ not Qrang e that God, at its firfl: inftitution^ ordered at ka{\ an hundred Gentiles toi?e circu nic jfed for one Jew ? An odd kind of partition this ! The truth is, circumcifion was only a partition be- twixt pro fefTors of Abraham^s faith and the heathens ; and fuch is baptifm IVdh But as a- ry man of any nation, profelyted to the faith, has now a title to baptifm \ fo ha^d he of old to circumci fion. . — - 3dly, He adds " c ircu mcifion Ini tiated the ** carnal fee d into the carnal churchy and gave ** the m a rifiht tot he carnal ordinances j but <* baptifm gives the fpiriiual fe edjxn entran^ e_tQ_- ^- — - — ' " ' ""■ ^T^hT I 64 LETTER S. " the fpjritjm/ chur^h^ and a r jgh t to partake * ^^ of \.\ vt /pintua l_grd ina}n-iis, .' ' — TMs is all over a mitlah?. Cii^cumcifion initia ted men to the Abra hamic church y whi ch ftood entirely by faith. Was this a carnal church ? Had it been intended as a fig^n of initiiition to the Mofaic church, conftitutcdatSinai^ it would have certainl y been performed a t t he giving of the la\y^ a snunibers of i nfants had been born fince the Exodus from Egypt : yet this w^as fo far. from being the cafe, that circumcinon was al- together omitted during the forty years* journ« cy in the wildernefs. S^ prinklin^ with the blood of bull s w^as the llgn of entring into the Sin ai- ^ X^ con stitution i as <:'■ r etime iiion was the token of faith in the promife. The law was added to the promife, and the C\gx\ of the law to that of the promife. — Again^Ifcirciimci^ in- ten ded to init iat e the carn al feed y Ifh mael and his feed only ha d^__righ t to it. as they were bor n after the flefli. Ayii j circumc ife the fa- ther of t he faithful, and Ifaac the fon of th_ promife ? Surethey were not the carnal feed. — Th e tri Uh_is^jrcunicifion_a^ were _ both inftituted f o initia te the pr ofeflbrs of th e faith of Abraham into the vifthk church of God, ' ^ a? //LET T E R S. i5f as a f ign oi ri^lu to tV.e yi/Jbk ordinntices. Thefe ordinancss, though carnal or earthly in their nature, w ere fpiritu al_to i he fpiritual under the ]^\ astheyall had a fpiritual dengn. This is ftill tru e under the gofpel. — To call I.frael the carnal feed and me mbers of vifible churches^ «- ^ — " — - — ■ — " — - ^ now the fi:>iritual, isjL lie higheft abfurdity. Writing to the Corinthians, Paul fpeaks " not ** to them as to fpiritual ; but as to carnal^ and '* babes in Chriil." Inftead of eating the Lord's Supper, he tells them, they only eated their own Supper, and not the Lord's. Was this to thsm a fpjr itual ordinance ? — Befides, are not I frael calle d a holy nation ; and did t hey no t all eat the fame fpiritual m est and al l dr h^kthe f^^mt fpiri tual drink P ^S[\\tvt then Iresjhe difFerejQcej^ 4thly, *' Trees and fruits were capable of " circumcifion.'* — It is ftrange what abfurdities me n wi U prod jace in fu pport of a iavourite o- pinion ! Was circumcinon of trees and fruits a tok en of the covenant ? W ere they circumci- fed_*s the l u iicr is -^ pled p-e or ear neft_oflwh'at j t ^reprefents.,, Wl^ere he finds- thi s diflinclion I know no t. The ver y reverfe feems to be the truth. Circumcifion was a .figfi of ^< the putting off the body o£ the_iln3- **^ of tlie flefh i" andwasr)ot_amrt_^ ry body, as a pledge or earnellafjthc_wh»ole, a^ua lly p ut oil in circumcifionj ^ Baptifm is a. fign or fi;;ure of the raaie th in:?: but wafhing the b ody does r.ot cr.t off any j j art of it ; and conPtquently i n baptiim we have no pledge or earncfi: of the thing fu'.nincd , but an exu rdHxg, fign orfigure. — If you fay, remifficn of_JH3S. is connected with baptifm as a pledg* of_aUfpi- riuual bleffings — What remidion o L iins had Si mon Ma.g.uS) wh o after baptif m was yet ia the gall of bitternef s and bond of inJquitj Li— ThusI have examined your ideas of circum- cifion and baptifm, and alfo all the arguments- produced, by Baptifts and felf-inconliftent pc- do«baptixU~ ' //I. E T T E R S. ,67 dobaptifts, in refutation of the idea of baptifm as fiicceeding circuir.cifion, with refpea: to its •ends and purpofes, in the church of God : and I hope you now fee that the whole is one con- tinued fyftem of abfurdity, founded on the mod: falfe and millafien views of fcripture, that ever ignorance prefumed to publiih to man- kind. When it is jaid, however^ that h^tiim fuc- ^edj_circumcifionMn _the Ne^v Teftamcnt church ^it is not meant that this is the fcle of- fice of biptifai. As an initiatory fymbol or t^okcn^^Qf ^fniiTion to the vifible chu rck-jif on ^ divine appointment; but this is not all. Injiiy^miei^ati m^ on Bapt ifm, I liave jliewed t hat''g^dfar^:;^r^oim the hou fe and ferv;ice of God. It was fo b e- ^,2IlJ^hB}^:^.^L^^^^ : jt_was fo injba^ law, ^}l^!lJo.MiiJ l£>^vs3 male a nd female, ^^ oun^ .^"^ 9^^', By this too a ll profeljites to the ^!'^^^ ^ !j^^ ^^"-^ ^yg^e admitted to the r^ceived^ Tojhjg^^^ ^j^ ^ed the fpTii^kih^f blood, ^^^h was alfo adminiftered 168 LETTERS. ^dminiftered to all. By this €j^ietbaptlijn_is alfbcalled. — Now what can be concluded from all this ; but that baptifm not only fills the •fame place, in the New Teftament church, which it had in the old, l ^Jt h as alfo^ juperred* cd circumcifion an d the ij^ri n k 1 1 n^ of blood-, anfw enng the Umc e nds i>ow whi ch they Tub - Served of old .^ TKe conf equenc cj'sjvi^^ and Jnevitable: infants had a iliare in each of thefe rites formerly ;_ and Co can not be excluded from this clai m, unlefs by divine authority. Ijen^e^ as Jefus ChriO: made no alteration in this rei^ pefl, to diveft infants of this right, is to act Trom caprice, not from refpeiSl to the laws of ^ li gion. / I know, indeed, what your brother Mr Booth has obJ€<5ted to the praiTtice of baptifm under the Old Tef^ament ; and I am aftonifh- ed to find him calling it " a Rabbinical cuftom, ** Rabbinical baptifm, Talmudical bathing" &c* intimating that fiich a practice had no exiftence, but in the reveries of the Talmud. On this fuppofitio n he fays many fevere things ; only, ho wever , to difplay his own weaknefs and the power of prejuaiceover the belt. — I n narrating this fa;^ we have every reafon to believe that the /^LETTER S, the Rabbin s fpeak truth : es : ■ Wx'iter s j^^^ree , both with j;efpe\^: i6g tl:e Tewifli nee, and circiiryil>a nce3 of this p-.'::,C rT.f.._sidij cut a j arring vot e. INIore overT had Jt^ be-^r^ a. falfehood, it could^ not have l:^n invent : J hy t he Rabbins , the moft invej^^rrt e enemies of Jefus Chriil. It is well known, that the prin- cipal objection of the Jews againft Jeius wa?, that he chani^ed the law and cuj\cms of Mo-, fev^rJow John Baptift and J.fus Chrift prac-) tiled profelyte baptifm ; which pra(^ice wa$ made a fl:andin^_j_a_w in the £!irH )ian chj irch J In this the ordinances of our Lord correfpond-j €d with the law of Mofes, fuppofing the afler- ^tiono£^he_R^ibbinsj^^bejx^^ and is it cre- dible, that his moO: malignant enemies would/ have invented a ftory, which, they thenifelves muft have known, reflected no fmall honour on the chara_— — w. I now proceed to obviate an obj^flion, which I know will arile in your mind againfl: my i- deas of circumcifion. If circumcifion v/as a fcal of the rigliteoufnefs of the faith, or of the everlafting covenant given to Abraham, and not of the law or old covenant, h^wcamejhat^ rit e to be abolKhed w hen the faith came, or^ t li ! s ever 1 a u i r. g coven_>^^nt \vas ratificd_by the blood of Tefus ? Why alfo was not baptifm made void at the fame time. WhjJieUUL'^il^ enforce the latterj_ju2cWacate J;h£^lig?ilon_oX^ the for in cr ? In anfwer to thefe queftions, we muft ob- ferve, thatcirxumcifio^ ed to be a iign cfthejromii£2 ^hat^jv^'ffiah^ ihould, y>?. L E T T E R S. 175 {liouldtake fielli of t hejced of Abrsharn ,ju2d that in hi m all nations J}iiouId_b e bkiTcd. • jri_ this vie^v, circ iimdiion ferved as a memoria Lof thepromile, and tended to keep alivejhe Jiope of^believers, and to fuppo rt their fa| th_jn_thc^ accomplifhment of the ^romife in due tim e« But when the feed came, and the promife was fulfilled, it is eafy to fee, that circum cifion, the fign of his bei ng about to com.e , could__an- fvv£rnopiir£G{e. "^To^^omimj^^the^jra^^ of circumciiicn after this , wou ld rot only h?.£e been ul^eleTs, a merernangl ing of the fjefii to. no manner of purpofe; b'-Jt it m u ft haMg.. a- ni Qunt edjQ a dfnial of the truth , o Xtlie pofpel , t h at thej ^romife is fulfilled in J e fus of Nr.za- reth. In this cafe, what was the iign of faith before Chrifi: came, mud now be the niofl ol> viou s token of unbelief . Hence Paul boldly tell$ the believing Jews in the Galatian church- es, that whofoever is circumcifed is a debtor to do the whole law : that is," if any man inilfts upon circumcifion as necellary under the gof- Ipd difpenfation, he tacitly_ denies that Mefllah is comeintheflefh, and fo is yet under th at law which was int ende d to continue in for^ e till the faith fhoukl com e, Circumci fion had its end and accoBiplifhrnent in the incarnation an( 17(5 LETTERS, and d eath ofjefus^ Chrill, and confe qhently mufl: have vanifhed a\vay of itfe lfu- It is now, then, a mere letter without the fpirit ; not on- ly diverted of divine authority, but contrary to it ; a refuiing to fubmit to the rlghteoulnefs of God by faith in Jefus Chrift, and an attem£t^ to obtain fa lvation J 3 y a mere w ork_of pretended righteoufnefs, which a ma n c an d o. With great propriety, then, does the apoftle fay, that if a man be circumcifed with this view ** Chrifl: fliall profit h im nothing" — Seeking to be juftified by the law, a mere external rite, ** he has fallen from grace j" and cannot de- ferveeven the name of a chriftian. But wit h refpeft t ^ba^tifni, the cafe_was very differen t. iL-W T'S never i n_t ended to figni - fythe defcent of Mefiiah from A P£fhamj_and hence it did n ot receive its end and'acc otn^ plilliment by his incarnation, or t aking il ej7i of AFrah am^. It was not properly a /ign of the coming of Chriil: i n flefb ; but a ii gn of wh at he would do when he came. It teftifi- d that he would waili us from our fins in his wn blood, that we might be kings and priefts to God, being cleanfed from all fihhinefs of the flefh and fpirit. This_l ^ his^ work flilh ^ anU- ySLETTE R S. 177 and conrequenrlyit is pro per that the fi^n of this aiftion Jliouki continu-3 t o_b^ aJminil tered to all who believe in Chrift fo r the rem jffioa »- — r^^^ — 7- -^ -^ of nns. Accordinsfiy it is continued in the ^— — • ' church ftill, and is the fign of the fame blef- fing now as formerly ; only under the new dif- penfation it has fomething added to its iignifi- cation, — I t teAlfies that the p urifier has come to fulfil his^romife , or to ^ ^ fanctify the peo- ** pie wit h his own blood." You now fee the propriety of abolifliing cir- cumcifion and retaining baptifin under the New Teliament admin ifi ration. — I fliall here add, that v/hen itis (a id Baptifm fucceeds cir - cumcifion, it is not meant that t he former an- ^ — -* -^i '■ - _. I ^ I.. ■« . ^ - fvvers every p urpofe now , which the latter fub- fer ved before Clu-iO:_came^y ^ To prefic^r ijfv_our LordVt akIng flefli of the feed of Abr^diam was th e peccliar province cf circumcinon ; jnL„ v/hich ofiice it had neitl;er c olleague noj fuccefimv/ But coxjfidered as a bad^r of the houfehold of faith ; a Jign of initiation into a fociety pofiefiuig the bl filings prcmifed to Abraham, and a token of the putting ofi the body of the fips of the fle{h by the circumcifi- cn of Chrill, baptiun ferves the fame purpofe or 178 LETTERS. o r fignlfies the fame thin g_w h li^drcumcijion ; and {o in thefe refpe^Sls may be fai d to have fu^ j^^ecjed It. I fhall now conclude this eplOolary correl- pQndence with a few mifcellaneous obfervati- ons on what you have faid in your defence of BeUever-Bapttfm, In a note of the bottom of p. 27, 28. you reafon thus — ** As the Lord's Supper is among the all things^ which the bap- tized difciples muft be taught to obferv^e, it is plain, that none are proper fubjecSts of baptifiu but fuch as may immediately after receive the Lord's Supper. This is as if you had faid, The paffbvcr was amon^the f?//^i6/V; ^ which a Jew was bound to teach his ^Mldren_diiigentl^ to'^brerve^ none, therefore,_were pro per Tub- je6ls of circumcifion, but fuch as miglit imme- cfiateiy receive the pafiover. Is rK)t__tJ xis fine rcaioaing ! Every circumcife d child ha ^J fo o n as he was cap able^of it ; but canjvejVomJi^^ thaj^hc was bo^nd _to_eat it_jvj}eji_^2£hL--d3^ old ? — Again^_ymi__adcl, " Baptirrn is th £ fign " of the new birth, and the Lord's Sup per of ** feeding upon Chrift the true breaclj^ and^JiL, *' the connection between thefe two ordinances *« and V^/ L E T T E R S. 179 <^' and the things fignified by them is as in'^medi- ** ate and neceffary, as that betwixt a perfon ha^ " vw ^ life 2iX\diy\s tak'fi g focd to preferve it." Hence you conclude it abfurd to deny the Lord's Supper to luch as are baptized, or born into the church. Let us fee now where this a rgument w in lead us. — God gave fiefii to man for food, to fupport 'the animal life in man. Now when a chiki is born into the world, he has the animal life ; " and fo the connefiion *' betwixt his birth and eating flefli is as im- ** mediate and neceffary, as betwixt a perfon ^' havln;^ ll^e and his takii)£j(QOiLla.^ef£rveJi,!L Is not this an immediate and neceffary conclu- fion from the premifes you have laid down ? What then think you of your argument ? Paul tells us, milk is for bab^ si_but f^rojig meat for men of riper years. In the fame manner, although the Lord's Supper is a part of the food allotted for the children of God, yet as it is not the only vehicle for conveying the fpiri- tual rK^urlfhment, we cannot conclude from hence, that every baptized perfon mufl imme- diately eat the Lord's Supper. Every circum- cifed child had a right to eat the pafTove rj but this he was not bound to do, till arrived at i8o LETTERS, a certain age-, although in the meantime he was to be carefully inftrufted in the nature, d efign, a nd obli.^ati on of this ord i nance. So every baptized child has a right to eat the Lord*s Supper : but as it is required of every obferver of this inftitution, that he difcern the Lord*s body in its obfervance, none are bound to keep it till capable of fach difcernment. There is a great difference between a right to a privilege, and a capacity of immediate enjoyment of that privilege. It is incumbent, however, on fuch as have the charn;e of the education of fuch in- fants to confider them as ?Vz the lordy and to train them in the knowledge and difcipline of Chrifl:, that from childhood they may knojy the fcripture, which are a ble to make them wife to falviuion. In a note at the bottom of p. you aim a ftroke at a certain preface-writer, and through him at all congregational churches, who admit members to their communion, orWh£_ba£tHm they received in the national^ or fuch as would be national chu r ches ; a nd it nmlL ^be^Q^vnfd. your argu ments agr.inil: this practice feem fomewhat [>lau{VbIej ift, Miniftcrs,._ofLiilch_ churches have no ri^ht from Chrifi; to b ap* "^ ' tize /Z^ LETTERS. i8c tizc * 2nd!y, Infantsjnjhde^ch^^ confiJered as the offipr ing of believing parents^ — Perhaps "* The Baptifts themfelvcs hare now furnifacd other cengregational churches with a fufficient anfwer to this oh- jedton. Of late a young man, excommunicated by the Baptifts and who never had been verted with office-power in any church, took a fancy that he had a divine right t.> baptize. Dapcd by his pretenfions, three people in New- burgh, without calling for his. credentials, fubrr.itted to be plunged by him in the water of Tay. Soon after, however., doubting the validity of their baptifm, they applied for admiilion to the Baptift-church in Dundee; who agreed to fortain their baptifm as valid, and admitted thefe three candidates to their communion accordingly. Now as this fame young man is confidered by the Baptifls as a child of the devil, or at leaft, as an heathen and publican, with whom they will not eat even a common meal, with what confiftency can they exclaim againft other, congregational churches, for admitting members to tlieir feilowfhip on the baptifm received in a national church. Minirters in cur national church have certainly as good a right to baptize as a man of no church, an heathen and publican. They fcof- fing'y talk, indeed, of antichriftian-fprinkling ; but 1 lutn:- bly think tliis is as good as heathen-plunging. But it fceir.s if the devil took a fancy to plunge men in the name of Jc- fus, his baptifm mufi: be good chrifl^ian baptifm. He once plunged a herd of fwine in the water; and, alas, many a fow has been walhed fince, which has foon returned to her To i82 LETTERS. —^Perhaps, however, the follo wing thoughts may ferve to invalidate the force of thefe ob- jeclions To give the devil his due, however, he feems to pay a greater deference to church-order and the name of Jefus Chrifl than fome chriftlans do. In Paul's time, we are told of certain vagabond Jews, who claimed a right to cad out devils, and in performing the cer&mony they did it ex- aftly after Paul's mode, i. e. in the name of Jelus. Adj, xix. 13, 14, 15, 16. *' Then certain of the vagabond Jews, ".exorcifts, took upon them to call over them which had " evil fpirits, the name of the Lord Jefus,- faying, we ad- *' jure you by Jefus whom Paul preacheth." But was the devil fo weak as to admit their claim to fo facred an office ? No; he called them fcoundrels to their face — "Jefus I *• know, and Paul I know, but who are ye ?" Nor did he flay to difpute the cafe, but inftantly .the man, in whom the evil fpiiit *' was, leapt on them and overcame them, *' and prevailed againft: them, ia that they fled out of that ** houfe naked and wounded." Any Son of Sceva now, howbeit, if he but dips> in the name of Jefus, may claim au- thority to walli away the fm of the world ; and the validity of his claim be fuftained. That one's being baptized himfelf entitles him to bap- tize others has no authority from the fci ipture. John Bap- tift was never baptized himfelf: nor had any of the difci- plcs afTeitiblcd on the day of Pentecofl: ever been baptized in the name of the Lord Jefus. Thefe had a commiffiyn to baptize others, but no onler to be baptized themfelves. A divine commiffion alone qualified them for this office. V^:, L E T T E Z^ S. 183 jCv^cions, and to vindicate the conuuiTc of ccn- ni'CPjUiondl churches in this matter. The twelve U -Jbes^f Ihra^lhadbeen fepara- tcd froni idols to mai ntain the k n owledge and worlhip o f the true G od. But in the days of| Rehoboam king of Judah, ten of thefe tribes, lunder the conduct of Jeroboam the ion of Ne- ibat} apoftatized from the true faith and wor- fliip of Jehovah ; fetting up calf-gods at Dan and Btthel as obj^^cls of worfhip, and making priefts for facrifice, not of the order of Aaron — All in expr^fs contrddi ftion to the law of_ God, Rerew.is a very corrupt church, fub- J€^ to a mere king of this world, pretending a right to make laws for the better government of the church of God, as many have done fince his time. Yet corrupt and antichriftian as this V-— i -N.. — ■ . ■ . church was, fhe frems Hill to have practifedcir-^ cumciilon, according to the law of Mofcs ; aUed_lD_£ViieftU on ? So fara£jij^jgai^nts_jiad a£tc^d according to the divinej aia:., fo fsr thelr^conjiui^ wa5 ^^w^ ful and^co mmendab le. Hence we do noc find them condenmed for cin umcifing their chil- * — _— .i._____— - — ~ — — dren ; nor a re the ch i ldren co ndemned as un- circumcifed, provi ded they kept the lavy _of God vvlien they had arrived at nnatu rer_agg«. Yea, even among that people, God raifed up Prophets, whom he honoured to vindicate his truth, and that in times of the deepeft apofla- cy. Does he any v\rhere call thefe Proplietsjm^ circumcifed?/ This ftate of things, I hope you will allow, was a figure of the ftate of the church called chriftian, during the great apoftacy fo clearly predicted in the New Teftament writings. In this cafe, as the conduct of the apoflate church is ftrongly marked, that we may avoid the communion of any church we now fee of the fame charaderiftic, fo the cond ucl of the church of the faithful mufl be alfo fe t before us as a pattern for our imitation : and confe" quenTly iinceprofelytes from among th e apof^ tatc tribes were admitted to the fellowfhip of the faithful at Jerufalcm, wit hout a gueflion about y^ LETTERS. 185 about the validity of their circumcifion, I owg I cannot fee the inconfiftency of admitting a , m^^n to the pure ft church on ean h_without^ qu eftion anent the validity of the baptifm he received in an apot late church, fuch as that of Ifrae!. At leait I lliall retain this opinion, •»—__— *, .^ _.^___^— __— — — ■■ ■*■ — - — • till I tind it proved to oe contrary tQ_the j jc; tates of inrpiraticn. But if any man thinks that he has not received the baptifm of Chrifi:, I blame not your fociety, nor any other chrif- tian church, for receiving him into communion by baptizing him in the name of the Lord Je- fus. For my own part, although I do not ap- prove of national efrablifliments of religion, yet 23 I know I v/as baptized, under fuch an efta- bliihment, only in the way Chrift has appoint- ed by walhing with water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghofi, without the ad- dition of any inftttuted circumfbances, I feel the obligation of that ord inance on my confcLs. ence, engaging me to wa lk_with hjmj n new- nefs of jife. yy i-Iad Jefus commanded his difci- ] p ks to be re^ ^aptized^I Jh^j^kj^^ fub J /ii^t to his appointment : but as I cannot find a rj ji:chcon-.rr.and in the facred records, I re(l| f:;ti5iie d with his one baptifm. / If my parent X 85 LETTERS. c^meunder^anyjinla^^ that pc» caiion, with thefe I have no concern . I ap- PSI£ °^ ^"^ ^^ performed on mc, and am ^o^^jgj ous of the obligations Chrift has annexed ^ ^o it : and fmce he has not appoi n ted a fe» c ^nd bapti fm withjvv?£er j I.do not fu^^ ofe-tJiaJL ^__woukl_Jeelthe obligations to walk in him m ore forcible on my heart, although I fhnnl^ j be re-baptiaed a thoufand an d at houfand times . . 'FhQ Doruiti /h, the nioH: haughty, cj Hiel and f^otte cl fe(ft of antiquity , r ebaptized every prof( l yte to their opinions from any ot her chriftian les., ^ i't€t. T his tau gh t the convert toj^aife commo- tio nsintheftate, and to per jecut e and ana thema-^' tize his fellow-chriftiansofojher denominations. Like our more modern ^/wri/^^T-Anabaptifm, it put the fword of fteel in his hand, but did not add a iingle grain- w eight of .godUne fs to his heart. What Jefus has notappoi^ite d in reli gj. on can only tend to more un^^odlinefs^ '^u- muft feek for the fir fl: precedent for yciir prefent pra(5lice . It is yainj[Qjearchjhe New; JTejia ment for a ^ By fuch example. The re v/e find none c£-bap» tizf.d, who had onc ebe en bapti ze d in tl-tepi^n-iff cf Chrift. In the 3d century we lind a difpute jn y^ L E T T E R S. in the church of Rome about the validity of Novatian's baptifm, who had been fprinkled or anointed but not immerfed. Yet it merits ^obrervation, that It never entered the minds of even the moil zealous advocates for immerfioa _to defire his re-'baptifnT^.J^ Suciran idea was left to be hatched by the Donatifis and their oQ^»i fpr i n g — the Anabaptills of later times. The Greek church to this day is of the Bap- t'ld kind — She pra(flifes immerlion, and that of the triple kind. Take a vcyage to Ruffia, and you wid find millions of BaptiAs, all dipped with the moft ceremonious exa^tnefs.. Yet they have not jhe eifrontery to tell us, that im- merfion_H_ eflential to the baptifm of Chrill . Prpfelytes to their faith from among the hea- then are generally admitted by immerlion in a river. If however the perfon fhould be of too weak a conftitutlon to undergo fuch a violent initial h/7y a^ ^barrel f u H of water is poured ovey his head t jj^ree times . Where then fhall we look for an example of that furious ze.d for irn- merdon which agitates the prefent Baptifts? Water is a ragjng element ; Lf ee few rife out of it in the fpirit of t he lamb. When the winds of contcntica bloW; ho\Y many a wild beail i88 LETTERS. bead has rifen out of the Tea ! — The Difciples of the Biptiil: ftill come up out of the waters with his rough garment of hair. The oar- pient of Chrift is humility, love, mecknefs and gentlene-Ts : and *' as many as have been bap- tized into Chrifl: have /«/ en Chr'yl. I fhall now add a remark on your criticifm on the word Baphfma. This you fay denotes total immerfion ; and hence you boldly aver, '.that any thing l^fs than a total immerfion .of the body in wattr is not an ordinance cf Chrift, neillier in name nor thing, but a mere liuman ordinance. Let us fee where this reafoning will lead you. The chriftran ordinance of bread and wine is exprefied in Greek by the vyord deipmny which in all the Dictionaries of that language fijgnifies 2ifull meal and often a fiajl* In this fenfe the church of Corinth underftood k, when they eat and drunk and were drunk- en in their religious afiemblies : and indeed on your plan cf argument they were entirly in the right. Pity it is you was not then born ! When Paul re_lJi2^LL!l^^^ fcrved, that chriilians un der the .^ofpel are in tlie fame Rate with Abrahju5^v;heri_ajoiouiiir cr in Canaan and Ifr ael in the wildernefs. Ab- raham had both promifes, although he died, not havingreceived the things promifed. Thefe were the objects of faith, not of immediate polTefAon. His faith, however, was a prefent good : it gave a rellih to all the enjoyments, and fupported him amidft all the afflictions of life. Moreover, he had the promife of the divine prefence to be with him in the mean time, to furnifh him with all the neceflaries of life, to prote felves in an abundance of peace. FINIS. m:$- '^^: m^^k^.i^* ^' r. m