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 PRINCETON, N. J. 
 
 H 
 
 Presented by Mr. Samuel Agnew of Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 Agnczv Coll. on Baptism, No. ^'0 f J 
 
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 A « V 
 
I 
 
 'Jf 
 
 SCRIPTURE 
 THE ONLY GUIDE TO RELIGIOUS TRUTH^ 
 
 A 
 
 NARRATIVE 
 
 OF 'i'HE 
 
 PROCEEDINGS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 SOCIETY OF BAPTISTS 
 
 In YORK, 
 
 IN RELINQUISHING THE 
 
 POPULAR SYSTEMS OF RELIGIONT, 
 
 FROM TKK 
 
 STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES. 
 
 TO WHICH IS ADDED, 
 
 A BRIEF ACCOUNTt 
 
 Of their prefent VlIVVS ol the 
 
 FAITH AND PRACTICE OF TfiE GOSPEL. 
 IN A SERIES Of LETTERS TO A FRIEND. 
 
 By D. ^'E a T O N. 
 
 ** But we defire to hear of thee what thou tfiinkeft •. for as concerning thW Sc<3: 
 we know that every wheie ifis fpoken againft " Act* xxviii. 22. 
 
 rORK: 
 
 PftlNTEtl FOR THE AUTHOR, BY L. LUND, Lt T T L P.-Ston I G AT F.. AKD SOT.t> 
 
 BY ). JOHNSO^:, St. Paul s Church Yard, and J. MARSOM, No. li".;., 
 HiGH-'HoLBORN, London i and by -^.he Bookszllsh* i.n Y;)fe'i.'. 
 
 I 800.'' 
 PRICE TWO SHILLINGS. 
 
i ' i>»i l f ), ii » i l i- W ii r i . 1 af t, ; . ' 
 
 ^\ ' , ■ - — "-^ , 
 
 PREFACE. "^^^ > . 
 
 "^»VVVvWii 
 
 IT msy be ezp^^id that Come reafons fhould be given idt 
 prefentin-g the following pages to the Public, efpeciall-f 
 as it is known by many that, at one period, we were not the 
 moil friendly to publications on Religion. This arotc from 
 the certain knowledge we had gain^i^d by experience, as well as 
 obfervation, that a very iaiproper ufe is too often made of thein, 
 f nd from thinking that a fimple hcneft attention to the fcrip- 
 tures would anfwer every beneficial purpofc .; far it is evideitt 
 that great numbers of religious peo-ple, of certain defcription^ 
 ■<3o in fa<ft, though not in profefHoD, feck more for a knowledge 
 ■of rheir ftate, and more for aflifl^.nce and affurance of their 
 fafe-ty from the writings and experience of men, ihan th^y de 
 from the fcriptures. Neither Is this to be wondered at, whcR 
 ■we confwicr their ides»s of the depravity of their nattire, and that 
 the ' fcriptures cannot be underftood without fiJpcrnaturad ai- 
 fiftance. However, we can aflare the Reader that thefe Letters 
 ^vere originally written at the carntft requeli of a Friend, with- 
 out any <3eterftiinate idea of publifiiing them. Since they wert 
 -Sni^Kd, a number of fcafons prefenfcd thtmfelves which have 
 induced us to make them public. We have been grofsly -roifre- 
 prcfentcd. We have been made to fpeak d'niimerits which wc 
 ^o not believe. We have been confidered as enemie-s to reh- 
 gion, almoft without a hearing, it has been thought thit we 
 <l€ny the -ufe of prayer and the work of the Spirit ; that- we have 
 ao tstperience, are contrary to all men, and maintain that noiic 
 ®iU be i^vsd i>«J our&Tvcs, &:c.— That every fituatioc has u? 
 
fvi) 
 
 4)wn e^iperlence is evident to any man who knows any thing. 
 That one fituation has not the experience of another, is no- 
 thing to the purpofe. A do^rine in its own nature is either 
 true or falfe, independent of the experience either of its friends 
 or enemies. Therefore this objcdion is too weak to require 
 any farther notice. That none will be faved but ourfclvcs, is 
 a fentinnent far loo flrong to be maintained by any fallible rnen, 
 however right thefr views may be. This attaches too much 
 merit to mere opinions, and is only infifted upon againft us for 
 want of better arguments. What any man's final fituation 
 will be, we leave to '* the Judge of all the earth, who will 
 do right." Without going thus far, we ncverthelefs do not 
 helitatc tp pronounce falftiood to be falfhood, and to maintain 
 error to be error, whatever the conftquencc of it may be. If 
 a man through blind ptejotiice, or intereded views, hardens hii 
 mind againft convi£ti«n, and is nearly determined to be no- 
 thing but what he is, right or wrong, or \i he from any worldly 
 motives whatever fcrupuloufly avoids all inquiry, and will not 
 exercife his mind upon what is truth, " that man ftull bear bis 
 own burden, whofoever he be." 
 
 It is true we do mofi pofitively deny that finncrs are ever 
 taught to pray for faith as a gift, or for the influences of the 
 Spirit to work in them any fuch work, as will be fccn more at 
 large in the lollowmg pages. We there have fcripturally con- 
 fidered the fubjeft, and given our reafons for what we fay. If 
 in our interpretations we have given the plain fenfe of iheiciip- 
 tures alluded to, then the do£lrmes of Original Sin, the \Vork 
 of the Spirit, that Faith is the Gift of God, file£tion and Re- 
 probation, the Sacisfa£lion of Chrift, and the Trinity, accord- 
 ing to the common ideas, all of courfe fall to the ground. This 
 is no trifle nor mere matter of diftindlion, nor is it to be re- 
 garded as fuch ; but it is tntr.ely a different fyitem, an oppo- 
 Ute view of things j and if what is here premiled be true, aU 
 
( vii ) 
 
 ihe fcriptures brought to fupport thefe doctrines a,re mifapplie3^ 
 the true fenfe of every text employed for this purpofe is per- 
 verted. To be at all confiftent, this is the only conclufion to 
 which we can come ; a conclufion that will equally apply to 
 either fide on which the truth may be found. 
 
 Should any perfqn attempt to refute what is here advanced, 
 if he can fliew it to be irrational or unfcriptural he will have 
 our fincere thanks, he will be attended to in the moft refpcfk- 
 ful manner, and have every acknowledgment made which he 
 can defire. We feek only for truth. We have little honour 
 to lofe in the fcaie of things, and for motives of intereft we 
 have none to b'unt the edge of convicfiion. Our own hands 
 conftantly minifter to our own neceflities, therefore in our 
 fituation there is little to hinder any argument that is really 
 fubftantial from being impartially examined. We are fully 
 perfuaded that candid difcuffion is always friendly to truth. 
 But vi^e cannot confider ourfelves anfwered by ridicule, or by 
 firft mifreprefenting fa6ls, and then drawing conclufions, a 
 praftice by much too common amongft Difputants on Reli- 
 gion ; nor will it at all help the matter to fay that the doc- 
 trines here objefted to have been fandlioned by time and num- 
 ber?, and by learned men. No length of time can fapiiify 
 error, or convert it into truth, nor can any arguments from 
 numbers be confidered as conclufive j they can be ufed to fup- 
 port a lie as wejl as truth, and can be produced with much 
 better efFeft by a Mahometan than a Chriftian. VVe want no- 
 tair.g but the plain fenfe of the fciiptures, and no argument 
 whatever, which is not fupported by their authority, will brin"- 
 convidion to the reiledling mind. 
 
 jl; As it is impciTible that we fliould have the leaft claim to li- 
 terary merit, being deftitute of every requifite for fuch preten- 
 fions, learned crincifms, however juft, cannot affedl us, be- 
 caufe we have no means of judging of them. Ignorant as wc 
 
3rt^ of ths rules of compofition, this fmail work was compofetf 
 after the manual labours of the day, principally in thofe hours 
 v/hich Nature has allotted to reft. To us it appeared of great 
 importance, and that thought enabled us to furmount all diffi- 
 culties, and we are not without feme hopes of its doing Tome 
 good. However, we have ufed our beft endeavours to be un- 
 derftood ; if we have fucceedcd i^re, our principal intentioii 
 IS gained. 
 
 York, Goodramgatt^ 
 S.ept, 30, 1799. 
 
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 f^: 
 
 ^s J'V 
 
 ir== 
 
 LETTER I. "^^ 
 
 DEAH FRIEND, 
 
 N compliance with your requeft, fome time 
 
 ago, that we would give you, in writing, an 
 
 account of the origin,. proo;refs, and eftabhrnment 
 of tlie Baptifl: Church in the City of York, after 
 this interval of time we have prevailed on ourfelves, 
 however ill fuited our abilities may be to the 
 "undertakincr, to give, as well as v;e can, a plain an\l 
 iimple account of the various proceffes through 
 which We have gone, previous to our fettling in 
 our prefent views, together with fome of the 
 principal reafons that have induced us to differ 
 from others. To a mind enlightened by truth, 
 and in love with rational principles, the perufal 
 will not be found uninterefling, efpecially if it has 
 been bewildered in the fame dreary path, and 
 duly confiders the characler and fitualioa of the 
 ]:^iple about to be defcribed. 
 
 Figure to yourfelf a number of plain illiterate 
 perfons without learning, or any of the advantages 
 vi an improved education; moil of them in the 
 Jdwefl: Ifations of liie ; journeymen, mechanics, 
 with one or two exceptions, thus iltuated in the 
 mafs of fociety, and, of courfe, iicirs to the pre- 
 judices and habits of thought which prevail there, 
 but who, notwitMtandino- the influence of rooted 
 
( 2 ) 
 
 tradition, and that powerful bias in favor of what 
 is eftabliflied by authority, by learning, and the 
 lan^lion of ages, fo natural to the human mind, yet 
 have by an unwearied purfuit of rational truth, 
 without any patronage, and unafTifted by any pilot 
 to guide them in the florm of oppofition and 
 perplexity, overcome every djiticulty, and have 
 now, after luffering much odium and contempt, 
 refted on the immoveable bafis of reafon and 
 truth, and you will then fee the fubftance of their 
 proceedings. 
 
 While we implicitly receive all that we arc 
 taught, notwithftanding the folly and falihood 
 which may prevail, there is no chance of any 
 improvement, and it is no wonder if opinions arc 
 impofed uponus that have neither fcripture nor com- 
 mon fenfefor their fupport ; yetfo averle ^re people 
 of all ranks to change any fentiment of which they 
 liave been accuftomed to think well, that it is a 
 work of the greateft difficulty to perfuade them to 
 examine into the propriety of what they believe 
 and attend to in religious matters ; and though 
 the fatal effects of this condu^fl have been feen in 
 the ages that are pait, when the errors of Popery 
 univerfally prevailed, yet people now as much 
 take things upon trull', and as much depend upon 
 others, as if no fuch evil had ever exifted. From 
 a furvey of mankind, in this refpe6t, the truth in 
 a great meafure feems to be this, that ChriiVianity 
 in fome form or other being eftablilhed in thefe 
 parts of the world, we are born, as it were, to 
 the profeflion of it of courle, and though it is 
 obvious, from the cppofite and contradictory 
 Tyilcms that are built upon it, that error an4 
 
( 3 ) 
 
 ilarknefs greatly prevail, vet without the leaft 
 enquiry we receive our fathers' creed, and think 
 we Sufficiently fhevv our zeal for truth, by tena- 
 cioufly fupporting the religion to which we were 
 born, not confidering that, by the fame rule of 
 condu(!:l:, had we fprung from Jewifti parents, we 
 fhould have been Jews; or had we entered upon 
 life in Spain or Italy, we fhould have been Catho- 
 licks; or in Turkey, Mahometans; and llioald 
 have equally prided ourfelves on fupporting the= 
 religion to which we v^'erc born — the religion 
 of our fathers : but when people are fo aftive and 
 inquifitivc in almoft all the ordinary concerns of 
 life, where can lie the merit of this implicit faith, 
 or this paffive condu6l, in matters of rehgion? a 
 fubje6t. which on all hands is allowed to be of the 
 very laft importance to our prefent peace of 
 mind, and our future w^ell-being, and yet "without 
 the leaft hefitation we truil to others the concerns 
 of eternity, when we would not fuffer them to 
 difpofe of a few pounds of our money without a 
 proper examination. Thefe remarks {eem to us 
 io plain and ftr iking that any per fan. with the leail 
 attention mud feel their force. 
 
 But howeve'r general this want of enquiry 
 into the truth of dodrines may be, there are, 
 neverthelefs, fome remarkable exceptions, and 
 perhaps few that are more (Iriking than that of 
 the people whole religious hillory we are now 
 about to give. 
 
 Without (topping to make more remarks, we 
 fliall begin our account by oblerving that w^e 
 were originally of the EitablKhed Church, and 
 that we became ferious pretty early in life, feme 
 
 B 2 
 
( 4 
 
 hy one means, and fome by another. We alter- 
 nately attended Churches and Chapels in all their 
 frequent and varied means of inftru^lion, but 
 principally confined our attention to the preachino; 
 of the Methodifts, and thouu;h their name then 
 was not fo honourable as it is now, yet, re^ardlefs 
 of all confeqnences of this fort, with j^reat indnftry 
 and the beif intentions we endeavoured to reach 
 to all the great attainments and polTeffions that 
 their fyftem holds out, rightly judging that the 
 l^nowledge of the love of God, and the enjoyment 
 of truth, are the greatefh of all human blelfings. 
 Indeed all parties equally hold out this good to 
 their adherents; happinefs here, and happinefs 
 hereafcerj is the end they all have in view, how- 
 ever they may differ, and however ill adapted 
 the means they infilt upon may be for its attain- 
 ment ; and as we fincerely defire not to mifrepre- 
 fent any man's views, we fliall Ifate the leading 
 features of the fyilems to' which we attended. 
 
 The Methodifts, as well as the Calvinifts, main- 
 tain that we are conceived in fin and fliapen in 
 iniquity, in the mod literal fenfe; that we come 
 into exigence with a nature totally deprayed, and 
 that the foul is fo polluted by original fin and 
 inbred guilt, that man naturally is unable to do 
 91 good work, or even to thuik a good thought, and 
 in this loft and corrupt fituation the pure law of 
 a puje God calls aloud for pure obedience, and 
 threatens, in the moff unconditional manner, the 
 foul thit finneth with death, and filleth it with 
 fear and trembling, and the mofl awful apprehen- 
 iions ; that the icntcnce of the law feizes upon 
 ■our gUiity confcience, aud makes it a remembrancer 
 
{ 5 ^ 
 
 nnto us, v!n wliofe ample llore-honfe is I?/id up all 
 the fins of our youth, ar d of all our follies, and 
 that vvjien our minds are awakened, it bruits 
 them a! 1 back upon ns with double force, echoincr 
 through the miferable foul the wrath of an -angry 
 Ood, and the fentcnce of eternal darnnarion. 
 
 jn this fituation, no man can help his fellow, 
 Uor even his own foul : here all the (Lrenoth of 
 man is perfqtl weaknefs, there is no clcnpe, no 
 place ot refuge, but in the grace and mercy of 
 God, manifefted in the gofpcl, or in the blood and- 
 righteouincls of the atoning Lamb. 
 
 Under this gracious difpenfation, it is believed 
 all are invited to come and take o[^ the water of 
 life freely. The Lord Jefus is reprefented a*; 
 ftanding with open arms, inviting guilty fmners to 
 come and partake of the benefits of his death and 
 fufferings, aifuring them that he died that: thev 
 might live, th.at he paid the debt due to fm, and 
 fatisfied divine juftice, and, now all thatcome unto 
 him he will in no wife caft out; that' they rau-fc 
 come unto him by faith, entirely llripped of all 
 dependence on their own ri*;hteoufnfisi^ and good 
 works, iolely relying on the merit- prions blood of 
 the crols, on that acceptable; ficritice that Chriit 
 offered when he olfered himtelf without fpot unto 
 God, and by vvhich he purchaf?d eternal redemp- 
 tion for them : and farther, that that divine faith 
 which favcs the foul is the gift of God, aa.l is 
 wrought or implanted in the ioul by tlie operation 
 ct tlie Ipirit, by the previous internal workings 
 ^ of which man is made to fee his loll condition by 
 nature, and liis jieed of a Saviour ; that it difcovers 
 to the finner his ignorance, and the deceitfnlnefs 
 of his own heart works in him conMctioti, 
 
( 6 ) 
 
 r<?pentancc, and that holy confidence which en-* 
 ab!<fs him to fay, that he is paffed from death 
 unco life ; that gives him to feel the regenerating 
 iniinence of the holy Ipirit, fpeaking peace to his 
 wounded confcience through the apphcation of the 
 precious blood of Chrift, which cieanfeth from 
 ^1 fin. 
 
 By this inward evidence he is afTured of the 
 pardon of his fms, and his intereft in the Jove of 
 God : he is now born again, becomes a new man, 
 kads a life of faith above the fiefli, and has his af- 
 fedions placed on hi}:;h, where Chrift fitteth at 
 the rio;ht hand of God ; and that this faith and evi- 
 dence, which is productive of fuch happy cffc£is, is 
 to be obtained by attending on the means of 
 preachings praying, feeking, &c. &c. 
 
 Thisj and much more that might be faid to the 
 fame purpofe, includes the leading ideas of the 
 .Methodiih, Thefe fentiments were by us cordi- 
 ally believed, and we had no doubt of them that 
 they were thepeculiar do^^lrines of Chriflianity, and 
 that could we only acquire the pofTeffion of them,^ 
 of this work;, and witnefs of the fpirit, we fhould 
 then attain the fummit of all our wifhes. 
 
 For this we attended meetings and facraments j 
 for this we failed and prayed to God that he would 
 be gracicufly plealed to fave us, and blefs us with 
 ilie knowledge of his truth; that he would work 
 in us true and faying faith ; that he would give iis. 
 to fee the merit, and know our intereft in the 
 blood of a crucified Redeemer, and were ferioufly 
 difpofed not to deliil: till, by happy experience, wc 
 ienfibly kne'vv that Chrift loved us aad died for us* 
 
C 7 J 
 
 in purfuin^ this great end, we met with var\.i|i. 
 luccefs, fometimes full of the mofl: pleadng hops 
 and fometimes of the moll: haralling and perplexii?;! 
 fears; and, in the mean-time, we were dilicrent ir^ 
 attending upon Preachings, Clafs Meetings, Prayer 
 Meetings, &c. &c. as well as the moil earneft 
 fupplication in private. 
 
 In the courfe of our attendalice upon the{<* 
 means, we were, at times, elevated to an high de- 
 gree, which led us to think we were .near being 
 made happy, and that God was now working iii 
 ns all the good pleafure of his will; but the ftrength 
 of thefc feelings foon failed us, and we w^re led to 
 conclude, they were only momentary impulfes, 
 ' the unavailing effects of our own exertions, and 
 with no fmall degree of dejection we believed we 
 were yet unregenerated, and of courfe expofed i& 
 the wrath of God. This unfcttled ftate of mind 
 was productive of many uneafy days and weari- 
 fome nights, and nothing was fo much longed for as 
 the happy time when we lliould be delivered frorft 
 the bondage of fin, and be brought into the glo- 
 rious liberty of the children of God, 
 
 Thus unpieafantly circumftanced, we went on 
 till the time came, when, as we thought, we had 
 attained all we fought for, viz. the alfu ranee of 
 faith, the witnefs of the fpirit witnefTirig with our 
 fpirits that we were the children of God, and had 
 a faving interefi in his love. 
 
 Nothing now but heaven and happinefs en* 
 gaged our thoughts, and we mQil ardently wiflied 
 that all mankind knew and enjoyed the fam^ 
 bielTednefs. 
 
( 8 ) 
 
 Onr hearts were now filled with p;|adners, and 
 jur coinitenai cCvS wore afmile of joy ; our mouths 
 were full of praifc, and v\e foared on tlie win^s of 
 liope. W'e law, or thou<^:ht we favv, fo much of 
 tl e woild to come, that we were in a n;reat mfea- 
 fure rcfio-rcd either to Jive or die, to be any thinjs; 
 or 110'. hinji, as it (liould plcufc God. But this 
 liealon of gladnefs was not of very lor.rr continuance : 
 our extaiic frames bejran to fail us; our ^lou- 
 ing ienlations lolt their fervency and cooled, ire 
 fomuch tliat, notwithftanciing all our efforts, which 
 were not few, we were again fiiled with doubts, 
 and began to fear we had been deceived, or that 
 we had grieved the holy fpirir, and that he had 
 withdrawn his prefencc from us.. 
 
 Thcfe things naturally led us to apply to the 
 Preachers and others for inftrudions and affiitance 
 in this cafe, for they, as is ufual, had congratulated 
 us on our happinefs in being fet at liberty, in 
 having the evidence of the forgivenefs of our 
 fins, ike. 1 hey affured us it was nothing un- 
 common for perfoiis, in our fituation, to be thus 
 cxerciied, that God frequetitly tried his people, 
 and proved them by different ways ; and farther, 
 that the enemy of fouls would take every oppor- 
 tunity of filling our minds with evil thoughts, and 
 thereby rob us of our joy, or that we had been fo 
 much elated as to flacken in our attention upon 
 the niearis ; but that, by and by, we iliould foon 
 feel ourfelves renewed, and again enjoy the light 
 of his countenance. 
 
 In thcle cales, likewife, we took to the reading; 
 of the Icripiures for afliflance ; but here wc werii 
 not fo iuccelsful as \ve«eould have wilhed, for ^vc 
 
( 9 ) 
 
 iinfortunately read them with the idea already 
 fixed in us, that they were a fealed book, and 
 that we could not underftand them except the 
 fpirit 'opened and applied them to our minds, fo 
 that from them we derived little advantage. We 
 "Were then led to read the lives and experience of" 
 thofe who were efleemed good men, of their trials 
 and their triumphs, how they lived and how they 
 died. Here we felt ourfelves greatly intereiled, 
 and often read with much pleafure and fatisfaclion, 
 for in them we faw our own likenefs, our own 
 experience, and thence took courage. Thus we 
 w^ent on for years, till we came to be not a whit be- 
 hind the chiefeft of our brethren. Although we 
 now fomewhat affumed a different appearance, 
 and talked in the language of confidence and alTu- 
 rance,and continued to do fo for a confiderable time» 
 yet we frequently had our fecret mifgivings that 
 all was not right from the fluctuating ftate of our 
 experience. 
 
 This led us to examine more into the truth of 
 the opinions we had adopted, the refult of which 
 was a diffatisfa^fion with fome of our views, and 
 with our fituation as members of the Eifablifhed 
 Church. Though for the prefent we found little 
 fault with the do6lrines, yet we thought that her 
 practice and diicipline were ibangely degenerated 
 into a (ource of corruption. 
 
 We perceived that the cure of fouls was bar- 
 tered and bargained for at tlie expence of better 
 principles; that it was little more than a trade, a 
 iyffem of revenue and power, where men did not 
 ^nter upon the Minifleriai character as being pre- 
 
 C 
 
( 1° ) 
 
 vioufly men of enlijrhtened underftandings, and 
 eminently diftin^uiflied fiir a ferious adherence to 
 religious principle, but that too often perfons of 
 immoral character, and otherwifc unfit for the 
 difcharjre of the moft important duties, were pre- 
 ferred through the patronage of great men, or 
 the influence of friends, from the fecondary con- 
 fideration of providing for thcmfelves and their 
 families. 
 
 When Religion is viewed in its purity and im- 
 portance, when it is confidered that its concerns 
 extend beyond the perfonal interefts of this life, 
 confequently that all its fcrvices and ordinances 
 fhould be adminiftred with reverence and upright- 
 nefs, it cannot but affcdl the ferious mind to fee 
 a man, whofc improper condudl both as a man 
 and a miniilcr is notorious, with an hypocritical 
 fanftity adminifter the fymbols of the death and 
 fufferings of Chrifl:. Is it to be wondered at if 
 fuch perfons are not particular in their inquiries 
 into the conduft of their communicants, or that 
 they fhould be at little pains to prefs their parifli- 
 ioners to purity of principle and deportment ? Thefe 
 bad examples, in fuch characters, tend too much 
 to fix in the minds of the people a diftafle for 
 their whole order, or a belief tiiat an attention 
 upon ceremonies will fupply the defeats of moral 
 principle and virtuous conduct. 
 
 Another confideration that tended greatly to 
 lefl'en our attachment lo the Eilablilhed Church 
 was, that in her ample inclofure all are confidered 
 as Chrillians, independent of their principles and 
 conduct, thus making a certain form of Church 
 government, and extent of territory the confli* 
 
( •» ) 
 
 tuent parts of Chriftianity, inftead of the belief 
 and pradice of the gofpel. 
 
 The articles of the Church (not, as it appears to 
 us, very confiftently with her ^rovernment j make 
 repentance, faith, and a change of heart and of 
 condu6l neceffary for falvation. But when men 
 come into a ftate of death, ready to be depofited in 
 the grave, whether they in their life-time were 
 believers or unbelievers, riohteous or unrighte- 
 ous, the Minilrer thanks God for receiving the 
 foul of their dearly-beloved brethren departed, See 
 and commits their bodies to the dull:, in fure and 
 certain hope of a glorious refnrredion. 
 
 This practice either is indefenfible and (lands for 
 nothing at all, or the way that leadcth unto life is 
 jufl: the reverfe of what the fcripture reprefents it. 
 If men can follow the moll licentious and aban- 
 doned principles, riot in vice and iniquity, be traf" 
 fickers in human blood, and violators of every moral, 
 duty, Deills, or Atheifts, and ftill be confidered 
 dearly-beloved brethren departed, then the way 
 that leadeth unto life is a broad way indeed, and 
 many go in thereat. When wc lay that thefe 
 things ftruck us as grofs abfurdities, or as fomething 
 worfe, we think we run no danoer of incurring 
 the charge of hngularity from fober, enlightened 
 people ; befides, the do6lrines of the Church ap- 
 peared to us to be Calviniftic, a fcheaie to which 
 we were, at that time, rather inclined ; but the 
 idea of Eftabliihed Churches confiderino; all the 
 inhabitants of the countries under their government 
 as Chriilians indifcriminately^ appeared to us con- 
 trary to the genius and fpirit of Calvinifm, for, 
 
 C 2 . 
 
( '^ ) 
 
 in that cafe, inftea^ of the eled number, or chofe^ 
 few, we fhoiild fee elect nations without any regard 
 to moral appearances, an idea than wliich nothing 
 is more contradictory to the Ciiviniliic fcheme. 
 Thefe, and a number of other thiags, upon which 
 it is very unpleafant to dwell, made us very uneafy 
 ■with our condition as Churchmen, and finally led 
 us to bear another character. 
 
 One of the ftrongeft reafons which induced u\ 
 to leave the Methodifts and become Independent, 
 Calvinids, was the very great diiference that ex- 
 ifted between our general principles and what we 
 obferve J to take place in the world ; for nothing^, 
 Avas clearer to us than that all men had not faving; 
 faith, and as we, with others, confidered human 
 H ture as fo depraved that man could not beheve 
 ot himfelf, but that faith was the gift of God, and 
 the work of the fpirit, from thefe premifes ii; 
 was plain to us that, on this fcheme, God was 
 partial in his regards to his creatures, and thofe 
 only, on whom he bellowed true and living fajth, 
 "were chofen to life, while the red were left to 
 pel ifli in their depravity and their fms. 
 
 We were aware fome would here urge that 
 man is a free agent, and as life and death are fet 
 before him with a will free to choole, or to refufe, 
 if he do not choofe life the fault muft be entirely 
 his own ; arguments which, in a great meafure, 
 muft be true, lo long as man is confidered as a re- 
 fponfible being. But while the total depravity of 
 human nature is believed, fo that man nacuraily 
 cannot have any the leaft inclination after that 
 which is good without fupernatural aififtance, 
 all fuch rcaibning, in our humble opinion, wiii be 
 
( 13 ) 
 
 found lighter than the duft in the balance. As v>cU 
 might we talk of a blind man painting a portrait, 
 or any other impoflibility. 
 
 But to return. Thefe, and other arguments 
 that we had heard and read, led us to attend to 
 thofe fcriptures that are iuppofed to fpeak plainly 
 upon the fubjecl;, which, after much cOnverfation 
 and uneafmefs, we had received as fo doing, not 
 having been able otherwife to explain them ; and 
 though on embracing the fcheme of Calvinifni as 
 truth, we felt feveral obje(5lions not lefs hard to be 
 removed confidently with reafon and the acknow- 
 ledged goodnefs of God, yet we relieved our minds, 
 like others before us, by refolving ail into his 
 fovereignty. 
 
 As there were a number of us who v/ere friends 
 intimately acquainted with each other, and prin- 
 cipally on the fcore of religion, we often met to- 
 gether, and often talked with each other about 
 Our religious experience, by means of which we 
 gained an underlfanding of each other's fituation 
 relative to thcfe things ; and although we did not 
 all alike readily come into thefe views, yet moil of 
 us a6led together in them afterwards ; and here 
 we muft take this credit to ourfelves, that \^'hether 
 we aded right or wrong, we always adied from 
 principle, which led us, as we had made up our 
 minds, to declare ourfelves Calvinills, and to 
 confider what (ieps would be moil proper to 
 profper the fame. 
 
 After much confultation, (as there were no Dif- 
 fenters of this fort in this City at that time) we 
 agreed to form ourfelves, in an orderly way, into 
 a Connedjon upon Calvinillic principles, and fent 
 
( u ) 
 
 for a Minider from London^ who accordingly 
 cume, and thus we endeavoured to fpreaJ, by every 
 means in our power, what we thought was the 
 truth. 
 
 Lein^- thus fettled in our new fyftem, we now 
 made ule of all likely means to acquaint ourfelves 
 more thoroughly with the nature and extent of 
 our principles, by perufmg the works of differ- 
 ent Authors, eminent for their abilities, fome of 
 whom contended that the eie£f were chofen before 
 all worlds, out of the pure mafs ; while others 
 contended they were chofen after the fall, out of 
 the impure mafs ; things, perhaps, indifferent in 
 themlelves; for, upon the whole, it is of little confe- 
 quence wdien they were chcfen,if they were chofen 
 jit all. Some contended that here the elecSf have 
 pofitive evidence and affurance of their elecSlion ; 
 others, that here they have no pofitive certainty of 
 this, but only the hope of it. 
 
 "Ihefe, and a number of fych doctrines, as 
 cicding love, effeclual calling, eternal decrees, &c. 
 were attended to, that by proper information we 
 might be able to defend our fcheme. In the 
 mean-time our public preaching was well attended, 
 and our fociety increafed; a circumlfance which 
 to us v.'as extremely agreeable. But now it fo hap- 
 pened that fome private affairs of our Minifter 
 made it nectirary for him to leave us, and we were 
 once more without a Leader; during which pe- 
 riod we had occafional ledfures from different 
 Minillers,but no one upon whom we could regularly 
 depend. I'his fuggeiied the idea of applying to 
 Lady Hurit'uigton tor a regular fupply, which fhe 
 readily granted. This continued for a confiderablf 
 
{ '5 ) 
 
 time, dnringj which we felt the weio;bt of ih\> 
 porting our Minifter, and other exj)ences, to he 
 very heavy, and Ibmetimes more than we Vvt-ll 
 could bear; yet fuch was our zeal for the canfe 
 that we made otlier confiderations give wav lo 
 this. All this time our experience was of a very 
 flu^luatino- kind, and very often not of that fort 
 which we liked bell. 
 
 At feafons, indeed, we felt tranfported with iov 
 at the prolpecls of rhecled,and our hearts bounded 
 with o;rat'tude to God, from the confideration of 
 our beinjr the objc6ls of his eternal love ; but, for 
 a large portion of our time, our experience did 
 not at all anfwer thefe views, by reafon of which 
 our minds were often a prev to gloom and heavi- 
 iiefs, and we were often led to queftion ourfehes 
 whether we really were of the eletl. 
 
 As we were not mentioned by name in the 
 fcriptures, we had, of courfe, like others, to de- 
 pend upon our evidences, our marks, and our 
 frames. When thefe were favourable, or when our 
 pafhons were warmed and affected by hearing 
 fermons, or by other means, our hearts were 
 filled with joy ; but when we were dull and lan- 
 guid, they were opprelfed v/ith forrow; and as 
 clouds and darknefs often furrounded us, we were 
 often fubjeft to the molt alarming doubts and fears. 
 Thefe circuiiiilances increafed our diligence and 
 our inquiries, and, among other fnbjecls, led to the 
 confideration of Baptifm, which ended in our obe- 
 dience to that ordinance by immerfioii. TJiis ialb 
 flep compelled us unavoidably to break with Lanfv 
 Huntington s Connection, an event which did rjoc 
 give us much concern, not only as we felt ourfelves 
 
|iiflified in attendinpr to what we thought right; 
 but, independent of this, as we had a fiicccffion 
 of Minifters, we w^ere fometimes fnpplied with 
 young men more diftinguifhed for their miniftcrial 
 confeqnence than for their humility and prudence. 
 This {Vep not only made confiderable noife with- 
 out doors» but alfo occafioned fome confufion 
 among ourfelves; for all did not lee alike the pro- 
 priety of the meafure, and befides our being left 
 again without a Minidcr greatly deranged our 
 proceedings. 
 
 We had been baptized by a Calvinift Minifter 
 in the Weft Country, near Lee^s ; to him wc had 
 recourfe, and he frequently came and preached 
 for us, but it was attended with a very confiderable 
 expence, that greatly affe^led our finances ; what 
 was ilill worfe, we were greatly haralfed in our 
 minds in thofe folemn moments of refied;ion, 
 when we looked at the awful majefty, wrath, and 
 imappeafed juilice of God, and again at the dread- 
 ful condition of the reprobate, inevitably doomed 
 to endlefs torments for the crime of another. 
 The bare poffibility of our being of that unhappy 
 number filled us with Uttle lefs than horror and 
 dtfpair. 
 
 In thefe feafons of apprehenfion and perplexity 
 we reheved our minds by -the various maxims 
 which are applied in thefe cafes, namely, That the 
 Lord trieth his people ; that afflictions await the 
 righteous; that we mull go to the kingdom 
 through much tribulation, and that whom the 
 Lord loveth he chafteneth ; that though the 
 enemy of fouls, and of the faints in particular, 
 may take every means to harafs our minds, and 
 
( 17 ) 
 
 fuggeft evil things, yet greater is He that is for 
 us than he that is againft us, and that in the end 
 none fhould be able to lay any thing to the charge 
 of God's ele6l, &c. &cc. 
 
 Though thefe things aiTifted u^, yet fo greatly 
 did our fears preponderate that we tried every 
 • means to gain light upon the fubjecSt, infomuch 
 that wherever any man was particularly talked of 
 as a fine man, an enlightened man, &c. we were 
 fure to hear him, if poffible. Upon thefe occa- 
 fions we not unfrequently went ten, fifteen, twenty, 
 and thirty miles to hear a fermon, and to talk with 
 the Minifter ; and it fometimes happened that 
 ■when we arrived at the place there was no preach- 
 ing, which to men in our fituation was no little 
 difappointment. 
 
 We now by fome means became acquainted 
 with the works of a Mn '^ohnjlon^ of Liverpool^ 
 one main end of whofe writings (at lead of thole 
 that firft fell into our hands) was to prove that 
 both the Calviniits and Methodifts were efientially 
 wrong, that their fchemes were full of darknefs, 
 confufion, and hypocrify. Such aifcrtions^ fup- 
 ported as they feemed to be, excited in our uneafy 
 minds the mod painful alarms, and Itirred within 
 us every fource of anxiety. In the moll earnell 
 manner we examined into the difference between 
 his views and their's* In doing this, we found 
 that Mr,JohnJlon\Vi{\\XQdi there was no fuch thing in 
 exiftence as a doubting believer, and for a man to 
 be fuppofed to doubt and to believe in any thin"-- 
 at the fame time was a grofs ir.fult upon common 
 fenfe. This increafed, if podible, our perplexity, for 
 itdire^^lv (iriick at the root of every religious prin- 
 
 D 
 
( i8 ) 
 
 ciple we had hitherto imbibed. Here aU our ex- 
 perience was lofl; for if what he afierted with 
 fnch confidence and plaufibility was rip;ht, all our 
 ideas were wrong. In our confufion of mind 
 what was to be done ? We referred to the works 
 of thofe we efleemed excellent men, who had writ- 
 ten on the different fyftems. We revolved in our 
 reflections the different workings of their minds, 
 and the fluftuating ilate of their experience ; and 
 although thefe confultations gave us fome eafe, 
 yet they could not flielter us from the effefts 
 produced by Mr, yohiiJlon\ reafoning, for in pur- 
 fuing his arguments we found he rejefted all 
 thefe authorities, and appealed only to the fcrip- 
 tures, in numerous quotations from w^hich he deeply 
 intrenched himfclf. 
 
 In following him to thefe cited paffages, we 
 found they always fpake with the greateft confi- 
 dence ; that the firit Chriflians did not run at un- 
 certainties, did not Humble about in the dark, 
 that they were not in doubts whether they were 
 in a fafe fituation, or whether they had received 
 faving faith, or had an intereft in the love of God, 
 &c. (iic.but that thev knew their callinu;, and were 
 filled with confidence and the moft pleafing ex- 
 pectation, and could rejoice in hope of the glory 
 of God without fear. 
 
 As thefe confiderations did not at all agree with our 
 feelings, as we often had diftreffnig doubts, we were 
 led to conclude that wc had not real Chriltian expe^ 
 riencc, that we had been led by miilaken notionSj 
 and that all was adelufion, fo that we were inrircly 
 liripped naked, as it were, of all our religion, that 
 had cof): us fo much trouble, and which we had 
 
( ly. ) 
 
 been years in acquiring. We were now broiigbt 
 into as lingular circumftanccs as perhaps ever 
 people were, for we met together confeffedly as 
 a fet of unbelievers, not that we denied or dil- 
 puted the truth of revelation, but as being igno- 
 rant of the faith of the goiiDeL However, as we 
 were determined to be right, we with ail poflibie 
 attention fearched,iV/r. JuhnJ}o}i*s writings for that 
 purpofe. 
 
 But here we fell into a great error, for we fol- 
 lowed him inifead of the fcriptures, never fufped- 
 ing that he who had expoied to our view fach 
 darknefs could fail of leading us into the llo'ht. 
 This was a great weaknefs after all we had fuf- 
 fered, for by this meafure we only left one fet of 
 men to follow another. As faving faith was the 
 great object of our concern, we (Iridlly attended 
 to it ; and though he feverely reprobated the com- 
 mon notions about it, yet he made it, if poffible, 
 more myfterious, calling it a divine commrunica- 
 tion from God, that gave men fuch poiitive aiTu- 
 rances as to preclude all doubts ; and to prove this, 
 he almoft filled lialf a volume with texts of fcrip- 
 ture, which to us afforded the moil ample fatisfac- 
 tion. Another of his leading ideas was, that, af- 
 ter receiving this juftifying faith, we were con- 
 ftantly to wait and expeft the fame efiuuons of tlie 
 fpirit that the firft Chnftians enjoyed; and he af- 
 ferts, that fmce the Baptiiin of the Spirit was firlt 
 given, there never was a real Minifter of the gof- 
 pel who had it not in the Ikme manner. Ail tnis, 
 and much more, we recer/ed, for we attended to 
 his writings as thouo;h they had been oracles 
 
 I) 2 
 
( 20 ) . 
 
 of infallible truth, never difputing ; for wc did not 
 examine them to fee whether they were truth, but 
 in order to underftand their fenfe, purfuing every 
 good tiiey held out, and that for a confiderablQ 
 time, though we never were fo fortunate as to 
 attain it. 
 
 It is not our intention to trouble ycu with an 
 account of all this Geinleman's*fentiments, or to 
 make obfervations on his ideas of the Fall, the 
 nature of the punifhment confequent thereupon, 
 on Redemption, the Soul of Man, and the God- 
 liead, &c. &c. wliich would greatly exceed our 
 intended limits. By the remarks that have been 
 already made it will be feen how powerfully his 
 reaioning operated upon us, and how far it re- 
 moved us from the common fyftems. We fliall 
 now by a remark or two fhew how we left Afr, 
 ^ohTiJion's principles. 
 
 It happened one day that one of our leading 
 friends was reading one of his works, in which he 
 was'attempting to prove that the Ipirit was prayed 
 to in the icnpture. After referring to feveral paf- 
 fages, he feemed to lay confiderable llrefs upon 
 the Apoftles concluding their epilHes with a bcne- 
 didion for the churches. Althouoh our friend 
 at that time believed the thino- true for which he 
 \vas contending, yet his arguments from the above 
 leemed fo forced and weak, that from that time 
 Lis confidence was fliaken, and he rather fufpcded 
 a like fallacy in other inflances. This led to a 
 more ftricl examination of his fcntiments, and the 
 authorities upon which he grounded them ;. the 
 refult of which was, that his arguments appeared 
 ou other fubjecls ofrcii forced and irrational, and 
 
( ^' > 
 
 that be feemed as often to mifapply the fenfe of 
 the fcriptures as thofe he condemned. Thus, by 
 reading his works with other eyes than we had 
 been accuflomed to do for fonie time pait, we loO: 
 all confidence ; and as he drew us off from others 
 by expofmg their errors and inconfutenci^s, fo by 
 the fame difcoveries we alfo rejected him. 
 
 We had now raifed in ourfelves a real f^^irit of 
 examination, and in all our inquiries we fought 
 after, and aimed at, confiftency. We concluded 
 that truth muft be confiitent, and that where con- 
 fiftency is wanting there muft be error and dark- 
 ncfs. As we had long fought for this in vain in 
 the writings of men, as we had oft with a heavy 
 heart and faultering ftep travelled through vo- 
 lumes of doctrines of experience and controverfy, 
 without meeting with confiftency and reft, we 
 now grew weary of the purfuit, and. came to a 
 determination entirely to lay afide all men and 
 iheir books, of whatever fort they might be, and 
 to ftudy and follow the fcriptures only, which de- 
 termination we put into immediate execution. We 
 fgon experienced the happy effefts of a praftical 
 adherence to this refolution, for by refleclion and 
 attentive reading of the fcriptures v.^e difcovercd 
 that faith is not the ^ift of God, or the immediate- 
 work of the fpirit, as commonly believed, but tha*: 
 it comes by hearing, and is the refult or cffccl of 
 evidence alone. Here light began firft to dawn upon 
 our minds, and to (lied its genial iniiuence over our 
 longing fouls. With joy unfpeakabie we rejoiced 
 in the freedom of the gofpel. We now faw v/itli 
 pleafurc that the iii'vation of God was not involved 
 in m-yftcries, or furrounded with diilicuities ; tiiat 
 
(■ 2 2 ) 
 
 1 t:rder to attain to the enjoyment of it, it was 
 .ot neccflliry that we fliould experience fome im- 
 nliivc workino;s on the mind, or fome unaccount- 
 >.ble frames, evidences, or apphcations wrought in 
 US by the agencv of the fpirit. We came fimpiy 
 to this point : Do the fcriptures contain the mind 
 of God, and does he fpeak the truth? May he be 
 eonlided in, or credited? If fo, then whatever 
 ;.';ood they contain is infured to the man who be- 
 lieves and obeys them with uprightnefs. By this , 
 difcovery we fav/ that moft of otw former religi- 
 ous proceedings were labour in vain, being made 
 life of as means to attain an end to which they 
 were never appointed, but by the wifdom of men, 
 which, without the guidance of fcripture, is fel- 
 dom ufeful in matters of religion. In fliort, we 
 iav/ into the nature of many religious fubje(Sts, and 
 difcovered them to be very different from what 
 they had appeared before, and we now enjoyed 
 fucii compoiure and tranquillity of mind as till that 
 time we were utter flrangers to. While by the 
 operation of rational truth upon our minds our 
 knowledge increafed, our powers expanded fo as^ 
 more fully to comprehend the defigns and pur- 
 pofes of God, and we were delivered from error 
 and darknefs juft fo far as we received light and 
 truth from the fcriptures themfelves ; thus we be- 
 came rational creatures. 
 
 The meafure of leaving all men and their books, 
 and betaking ourfelves folely to the reading of the 
 fcriptures as our only rule and guide in matters of 
 religion, is to us one of the molt memorable events 
 of our lives ; an event which, even at this dillance 
 of time, we contemplate with the warmeft gra- 
 
( 23 ) 
 
 titude, and on which we never think but with re- 
 newed fatisfaftion. To the rational, reflecti no; mind 
 it may, in fome fort, fhew the powers of the human 
 intelleft of unaflillcd reafon, even in the lowelt 
 fituations, where there is previonfly a jrennine 
 fpirit of inquiry, and an ardent defire after truth, 
 even to the overcoming the force of prejudice, and 
 every other difficulty that may ftand in the way. 
 
 Our minds being thus fatisfied, and now at 
 reft refpe6ling faith and do<^rine, we fet about 
 forming ourfelves into a body upon th'efe principle?, 
 for every honeft mind in all its refearches will ever 
 be careful to combine principle with pra<9;ice, in 
 order that the good, the fubilance of all may be 
 entjoyed. Order and difciplinc are elfential to the 
 exiftence^ peace, and-well bein^ of every commu- 
 nity; accordingly we laid afide all the articles, 
 creeds, and orders of men, and refolved, in matters 
 of church government and difcipline, ftridtly to ad- 
 here to the primitive practice of the Apoltles, fo 
 far as the difference of circumftances would admit. 
 No perfon, therefore, amongft us is boupd by any 
 law whatever, or called upon to fubmit to any 
 rule but what is evidently contained in the New 
 Teftament ; he may follow any diret^ion contained 
 there, without making a fchifm in the body. 
 
 Following then this rule, we found there, and 
 •ftili find, that the very firil: (lep any perfon v/as 
 called to take after his believing Jeius to be the 
 Meffiah, was openly to confels hmi as fuch, by 
 being baptized in his name. By this he became 
 a difciple of Chrilf, and was initiated a member 
 of the Church; and as infant fprinkiing is foiely a 
 tradition cf men, the fcriptures never once no- 
 
{ u) 
 
 ticing it, we copied after the example of the firft 
 Chrillians ; and though we know the pra6tice to 
 be now unfafhionable, and of courfe confidered as 
 ridiculous and unacceptable to the generality of 
 profeffing Chriftians, yet we feel perfectly juftifled 
 in ailing from the fiiperior motive of duty, rather 
 than that of pleafing men, for if we a6ted to pleafe 
 men, we (lioald not be the fervants of God. But 
 our beft apology for being Baptifts is, that we find 
 none but Baptifh in the New Teftament. Our 
 Lord was aBaptift; he commiffioncd his Apoftles 
 to preach it ; they were Baptift Miniflers, and 
 all that gladly received their word were baptized. 
 But we are wandering too far ; we mean not to 
 argue the matter here, but merely to defcribe our 
 ©wn proceedings. I am, 
 
 Your's, &c. Scci 
 
( ^5 ) 
 
 LETTER ir. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 IN the foregoing letter we have in part com- 
 plied with your requed, by giving you a brief 
 relation of our ideas and experience, and of the 
 fad ftate of uncertainty we were in during our 
 progrefs through the different fyftems we have 
 mentioned. But that you may be the better able 
 to judge of the propriety or impropriety of our 
 condu6l,-we fliali recapitulate the leading doctrines 
 we had before embraced, and give fome of the 
 principal reafons that have i reduced us to leave 
 them; and though we, did not relinquifli our for- 
 mer opinions, nor acquire ne\V ones in any orderly 
 way, but. as we have ah eady oblerved, firil got 
 fome light by the conhderation of faith coming by 
 hearing and depending upon evidence, yet it ap- 
 pears to us molt proper to proceed with our re- 
 marks in the following order, for the fake of per- 
 fpicuity : 
 
 ill. Original fin, and the inability of man to do 
 the will of God. 
 
 2diy. 'I'he work of t!ie Spirit. 
 
 3dly. Faith, as the gift of God. 
 
 E 
 
4ibh'. ileetion nnd Reprobation. 
 
 $tMy. Satiffailion of Clnifl:, 
 
 6thiy. The IVinity. And 
 
 Larijy, A brief view of our prefent fentiments. 
 
 Firfl, With rcfpe£l to the tranf^rcfiion of Adam, 
 Various texts of fcripture are quoted to prove that 
 its effe<rts upon his offspring are of the moH: dread- 
 ful nature, no kfs than a total depravity of mind, 
 and a fpiritual and eternal death ; or, in other 
 words, that they were made liable to fuffer eter- 
 nal torments. No notion can be more unrcafon- 
 able and unicriptural than this. The fentence 
 pafTed upon Adam wa<:, " The day thou eatefi: 
 thereof ihou Hiak fureiy die''." Now though Adam 
 finned and incurred this penalty of death, and 
 •* that by his offence judgment came upon all men 
 to condemnation, and io death reigned over all 
 Inen'V' y^^ ^^'^^ fuffering by the fall is chiefly of a 
 corporeal and temporal natnrc ; and though by 
 forrow and pain, and the force of bad example, &c. 
 the mind of man may be greatly affeded, and he, 
 by his difordered paffions and propenfities, may 
 be hurried into great exceffes, yet here is certainly 
 nothincT that can imply fuch a total depravity of 
 foul as that man cannot think a good thought, or 
 work a good work, as is generally afferted to be 
 ihe natural etTecl of Adam's fall. 
 
 Anotlier paflage brought to this end is from 
 Genefis "^^ " And God law that the wicked nefs of 
 man was great in the earth, and that every imagi- 
 nation of the thoughts of his heart was only evil 
 continually. God looked upon the earth, and be- 
 
 aGcntfi:, ii»- 17.— *»f«.oinan6 v.—cGea. »i. i, iz 
 
( 27 ) 
 
 bold It was corrupt, for aU fJefh hnd corrupted 
 his way upon the earth/* From theie, and fimilar 
 
 pafTage?, we were ftiflly fat h Bed of the depravity 
 of the world, not only of the period af which v/c 
 are now fpcakiiif^, but of every period (loce than 
 time. Tills is never difpiued by any one; but 
 our inquiry is, Whether it was, or is, of real ne- 
 ceffity the inevitable efteet of orio;inal depravity, 
 or voluntary ? If of inevitable original depravity, 
 tlien it miiit have been nniverfal; but there are 
 feveral drong exceptions to fnch a ccjncloiion. 
 That it was not ttniverfal, is piain ; for in the fame 
 chapter, verfe 9th, it is faiJ, ** No^h was a juft 
 man, and perfe<^ in his generatsan, arjd that he 
 walked with God.^ And aj.!;am> becsnle God law 
 hitn righteous, he faved him in the lirk. But if 
 ail flefh had corrupted his way fo as to merie de- 
 ftru^tion, this itnplies choice and at^ion, therefore 
 a gradual or vohiatary corruption ; for God jniU- 
 iies his canduft in deft roy log them, becaiile of 
 their wickedneis: hm if it was an unavoidable, 
 natural corruption, they could noi help it ; and 
 for Infiniie Goodntfs to deitroy his creiitures for 
 what they coiild nQi Mp, ia as coiitiary to our 
 reaioQ as it is to the declaration of icrip'cure. We 
 there leai"a that '■'■ lus gooduei's and mercy are over 
 all his works » ;'' that *^ he do-.h not \viliio*^ly aitltO: 
 the cmldrcR of men ^j.** but *•'• coinp,aiSana.i.eiy coiv- 
 iiders the feebkneis of ihelr franie^" Thtie re~ 
 marks do not r-^fer to ifuea being broiigiit inta a 
 rtate of death by natnral caniecuence, but to the 
 
 £ z 
 
 * Pfalaa t:<v!»\ 3? — ^'^ Ls^i^-rnvaSHR^s Ui. 2^— ' PCiln -;!«, \^ 
 
( 28 ) 
 
 idea of God infli^linp; pofitive punifhments, as in 
 the cafe of the flood, &c. &cc. 
 
 From this early period of the world till the 
 time of David, a period of eight or nine hundred 
 years, there is little or nothingr urged in behalf of the 
 total depravity of man, even by the friends of the 
 do6i:rine. In this long period Abraham is called ; 
 God blelTes him with great promifes, and make$ 
 of him a great nation ; they go into Egypt, and ard 
 there brought into bondage. After a long capti- 
 vity, they are delivered by the greatelf difplays of 
 Al/nighty power. In their journey through the 
 Vvildernefs they are prcferved and lupplied by the 
 extraordinary interpofition of the Divine Being: 
 they prove ungrateful, and difobey ; and though 
 they liave the Urongefl evidences of God being 
 their deliverer and guide, yet have not confidence 
 and unfhaken faith in him. God reproaches them 
 with their ingratitude and unbelief, and deftroys 
 them for it before they enter the Promifcd Land. 
 
 In al' this there is not one word of the Com- 
 plete depravity of their nature; they arc avow- 
 edly deftroyed for their difobedience and unbelief: 
 but if they could not believe nor obey, that would 
 have been a plea fufficient in their favour with a 
 merciful and com})afrionate God ; if not, then their 
 deftruction jultly lies upon God for withholding 
 faith, for not changing their hearts, as they could 
 not do it of themfelves ; a thought molt injurious 
 to the charafter of a jutt and good God. 
 
 farther: Their defccpdants who entered the 
 Proniilcd Land had given for their cblervance a 
 law, holy, jull, and good, the obedience or difo- 
 bedience to which it was declared fhould he at- 
 
( =9 ) 
 
 tended by great temporal rewards or piinifhrneTit?^, 
 Mofes, their law-giver, fnppofes them capable (£ 
 ohferving it, by his earneit and pathetic exhorta- 
 tions in which he preffes them *'■ to obey 'Gcd^ m 
 keep the law, and to perform all that he h^ 
 commanded them ,'' but lays not a wx^rd {of the 
 total depravity of their nature, or of t be irjn ability 
 to do the will of God, but en the cuiytrary felLJB 
 them, that if they did well it Ihonld ooAvefl w^itih 
 them, and if they did evil it Ihor.ld op ]\\ wb.b therm': 
 be called heaven and earth to witnels that he bjid 
 fet life and death before them, a!>d left them to 
 choofe whether they wonld fervethe Lord oraiot.; 
 but if they were incapable of inclining sfter ttbaa: 
 which is good, they could not choofe the fei'v;icc 
 of the Lord, much leis could they il:T\^G lUm. 
 
 Ao-ain : We are tt>ld that " Ifrae-l ferved d've 
 Lord all the days of Jofhua, and all tbc day^ df 
 the Elders who lived after Joihua, and wh© Ihad 
 known all the works of the Lord that ke bad done 
 ibr Ifraelh.'* Thus, in ourfuincr the hiflory of this 
 people till the gofpel, we find an aoconnst (csff a 
 -great many good men, of their greit :zcslI m the 
 fervice of God, and their great advance*; liiin jpiictj 
 iind holinefs ; alio of many bad men, fbear wiice 
 and wickedneis, and of the corrupt tis^c d£ the 
 people as a riaiion ; but thcih vices arc ao^ver 
 referred by the icripture to the total depm^iity 
 of their nature by tlie lin of Adam, lihe uc-ailknis 
 ailioiied for it in tije fcripture are " ih^ ^issfi-^m^ 
 the law of their youth," '' poiO'T a-wlii:.)rjin52- z^fi&t 
 the il range gods of the Heathen," and jacgilscftiiiiT^ 
 
 a See the obrerv"!"'.v;e ftii'y cohhrmed m D^'m-f-i "rtiw.-n-/. 
 
( 3" ) 
 
 the worlfiTp of the Lord God of Ifrael, ^ dealing 
 themfeJves with all iincleannefs, and for^ettiihg to 
 do judgement, rij!;hteoufners, and truth/' &c &c» 
 Tl>ef"e are all voluntary a^s of difobedience, and 
 upon this very principle are all the admonitions^ 
 threatnings, -^^nd exhortations applied, it is true 
 there are fome fingle texts in the Pfalms and the 
 Prophets, which are iUppofed to fpeak another 
 knguage, as when David fays " he was {hapen. in 
 iniquity, and in fin did his mother conceive him.^** 
 Again :. " The wicked are ellranged from the 
 wODTib) they go aftray as foon as they are born, 
 fpeaking lies*^/' Surety fuch language as this 
 will Rot bear to be underlliood literally, for wheii 
 a child is born ii cannot fpeak at ali> jnnch iefe 
 fpeak lies. If they will bear another jneaning, 
 it is neither fafe nor wife to oppofe iingie figurative 
 texts to the general fcope of fcripture, which, io 
 fuch cafeSy ought always to preponderate- That 
 thefe tei-Lts. cannotr eftablifii ibe notioa of s total 
 depravity of intelledy we think mnf^ be evident 
 to every attentive mind ; for all the pleadings cF 
 David for himfelf and the righteous^ as well a& 
 the wickedj proceed q,uite iipon other priuciplesj^ 
 jiameiy, thofe of choice and refpoBfibility* Tliey 
 jnay, indeed,, prove the prevalence and extreme 
 danger of early habits of vice^ and of great cor- 
 ruptnefs of prineiple^ or the weaknefs and finful^ 
 sielb of the age in which he lived, hut furely tbey will 
 not prove a natural neceEity of finning againlt 
 God from the womb, fo as to be incapable of aSh 
 sending to any thing that is good. 
 
 . aPfalin li. 5— -Ij Pialmlviii^j 
 
i 3^ ) 
 
 It Is contrary to all our idea^ of the perfectiotV 
 of God to fuppofc that !ie wouid place or lulFer Im 
 Creatures, b}' any means, to be brought ioto fuch a 
 ftate as to be tinder an abfokite neceffity of con- 
 Oantly cffend'.ng againii him fo that their very 
 bell works lhoiil/3 oi)Iy be fpleiidid fins, and theu 
 punilh them everlaftingly for it : this is sa idea of 
 •our mercifui Creator fo revoltino; to the thinlcirg 
 mind as to require the plaineli and (trongeft 
 evidence to fnpport it. 
 
 Without (lopping to make more obfervations on 
 the Old Teftam^nt, we ihail now proceed in our re- 
 marks to the New Tcftament, relative to the fame 
 fubjedl. There we find that our Lord. confidered the 
 Jews as being capable of adling right, and being 
 juftly refponfible for not doing fo. He aiks them, 
 ** Yea, and why even of yourfelves cannot ye Judge 
 what is right 2?" In all his miniftry lie never incul- 
 cates any fuch notion in plain terms, never ac- 
 quaints them with the radical corruption of their 
 nature by the £m of Adam^ Indeed it h hard to 
 fuppofe that he who was fo eminently diflinjrulOied 
 for his g;oodnefs, tendernefs, and moderation, 
 fhould fo feverely rebuke the Jews for their blisid- 
 defs, hypocrify, and difobedience, If he knew that 
 they were under an invincible necelTity of being; fo, 
 through the depravity of their nature. It rather 
 appears that if he reproached them, it was for 
 the p€r\^erfion of their difpenfation, their mi Icon- 
 duQ:, their infenfibjlity, and wickednefs, by making 
 the fcriptures of no eifed: by their traditions; 
 ibr their carnal attendaiKC upon the pure worihip 
 of God, and thereby unfitting themleives for re- 
 C€i¥iog him (the MeHiah) the end and fubftance of 
 
( 3^ ) 
 
 chefe fcriptures, but he did not reproach ih^rn 
 all; of hme he fpoke hij^hly. Whence then carrie 
 rhi8 diflerence ? Did their merit confdt in their 
 virtuous adherence to the fervice of God volun- 
 tarily, from choice, or was it the difcriminating 
 inEuence of the fpirit on their minds? /f the latter, 
 they had no more merit, and were no mt)re the 
 fubjccfis of praife than tbofe he condemned, fince 
 chat fame fuper-natural influence, which made 
 £ome good, could equally hav^e made all fo, for the 
 difference in that cafe lay not in them, but in the 
 work of the fpirit ; ideas quite foreign to every 
 thing that is recorded concerning them. 
 
 In like manner, the Apoftles in all their 
 preaching never tell the people they were fo cor- 
 rupt by nature that they had no power to do the 
 will of God, nor do they ever refiett on 'them, or 
 upbraid them for their natural depravity ; but, 
 en the contrary, they uniformly addrefled them as 
 being capable of hearing and obeying; and when 
 they reject the Apoftles and their words, they con- 
 demn them for it, as being capable of doing better. 
 There are other texts that might be noticed here, 
 but tiiefe wiil fall better under our confideration 
 in the next fubje^t. 
 
 Thus it was from a furvey of the fcope of the 
 fcriptures, which is allowed on all hands to be the 
 unly true way of coming at their ftnfe, we per- 
 ceived that neither Mofes nor the Prophets, 
 Chrift nor his ApoRles, ever taught the world that 
 mankind are fo depraved and corrupted by realbn 
 of original fur, that they cannot hear, believe, and 
 obey God. When men attempt to deduce this 
 dodriiie from fmgle exprcflions, and appeal i% 
 
• ( 33 ) 
 
 the bad conduct of men as a proof of the total pol- 
 lution of their nature, they a<ft a violent and un- 
 warrantable part, which cannot be jullified by any 
 fair mode of interpretation. With equal jullice 
 might we argue the good fide, and conclude, from 
 the good condu^i; of fome, the univerfai purity of 
 all. All men have their infirmities and vveaknelfes, 
 but certainly not to this amount ». 
 
 To confider the fubjecl philofophically, or ac- 
 cording to the a£lual ftate of things. It evidently 
 appears that men, without revelation, in number- 
 lefs inflances have maintained a worthy and highly 
 generous conduct, and by the proper exercife of 
 their reafonable faculties in fludying the works of 
 the univerfe, the nature of moral principles, and 
 the powers of the human mind, have been capable 
 of attaining to an high degree of cultivation and 
 virtue ; and moreover, that if men could make 
 difcoveries in abftrufe iciences, and explain other 
 great difficulties in nature, they furely were not 
 under fuch a natural debility as not to be able ta 
 underftand and believe a plain, fimple, well-attefted 
 fact, revealed from heaven. If men are aifefted 
 by communications from men, according to their 
 nature, why may they not be afledled by commu- 
 nications from heaven, fuitabie to their nature ? 
 
 F 
 
 a It is generally confidered as a conclufive argument, that becaufe all 
 have finned, all of coari'e are depraved, buppofe this fliould be admitted, 
 4oes this prove any more than thar all mankind Itand in need of mercy ? 
 As the ApoUle,reafons, " God hath concluded aii under lin, that he 
 might have mercy upon all." Bat is there the moii dillant hint given 
 in the New Tellanicnt that man, impcrfed as he is, cannot receive the 
 mercy that Goi has gradouily anU freely protiauncd lor hiai? ijurciy 
 
 ao:. 
 
t u ) 
 
 Farther : Human nature, even in its word elktrj 
 has fomething in it that approves of virtue, jufticej 
 and mercy ; and that there is fomething in the 
 breaft of the moft profligate that feels indirrnatiou 
 when innocence and virtue fuffer unjufHy^ or are 
 treated with cruelty ; that the moft vicious and 
 abandoned of men, in their moments of reflection, 
 give the preference to purity and goodnefs, and 
 moft ardently wifli they had been fiich, rather 
 than what they are, cannot be controverted. But 
 if man were unable to incline after that which is 
 good, thele things could not be ; however, as they 
 are true in fa6t, and true in nature, they cannot 
 be falfe in religion. There is not a profligate or 
 libertine to be found, but that if he had an aged pa- 
 rent, or helplels infant, whom he tenderly loved, to 
 fettle in fome family, he would place them in a 
 virtuous one, and not in a brothel, though the 
 latter he loved beft for himfelf. In fupport of this 
 principle we could produce a number of illuftra- 
 tions, but we think more would be unnecefiary. 
 
 Fromthefe, and fimilar confiderations, it ap- 
 peared to us that the depravity of the human 
 mind, by original fm, is unfupported either by 
 fcripture or reafon. This dodlrine, however, is 
 the ground- work of many popular dcd:rines in 
 the orthodox fyftems of religion. 
 
 From this is inferred, that man has no power to 
 do the will of God ; hence arifes the fuppofed ne* 
 ceflity of the work of the fpirit, that faith is the 
 gift of God, &c. &c. but as the docStrine itfelf is 
 not founded in truth, all that is built upon it js 
 of the fame nature ; for if the premifes arefalfe, 
 
( 35 ) 
 
 fo arc the conclufions % as we fhall attempt to fliew 
 moe at large in another letter, 
 
 Your's, &c. &c. 
 
 F 2 
 
 a. As the New Teftament Preachers never, in plain terms, aflert the 
 ladical corruption of man, by Adam's fin, fo that he cannot be in- 
 fluenced by motives to do aay thing good, any more than a dead 
 man can rife and walk, this doiftrine is fupported only by inferences and 
 reafoning ; and as it is a grofs reftedlion upon the Deity, as well as a libel 
 upon human nature, there is the heft ground to fufpeft that the argu- 
 ments are fallacious which are adduced in its fupport ; for what is it 
 but an attempt to prove by rcafon, that reafon itfeif is corrupt, and thus 
 tp \nvalidate their own argumeiit. 
 
( 36 ) 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 THE dodtrine of the Spirit next claims our at- 
 tention ; a dodtrine fo intimately connected 
 with the fubjcdt confidered in the foregoing letter, 
 that however they may be diftinguiflied, they 
 are not to be feparated. The work of the fpirit 
 upon the mind» in the view of religious people of 
 this perfuafion, is fo plainly and clearly revealed in 
 fcripture as to be the life and fpring of the whole ; 
 and hence they infer the total depravity of human 
 nature that thus made it neceiTary. Thus they firft 
 labour to prove the radical corruption of man by 
 nature, to fupport their notion of the prior work of 
 the fpirit upon the heart; and, on the other fide, 
 taking it for granted that the work of the fpirit, 
 in their fenfe, is fcriptural, conclude that man mud 
 be very corrupt indeed to make fuch a work upon 
 the heart necefTary. By this notion of the fpirit 
 influencing and pervading the whole religious 
 ccconomy of the world, man is reduced, not- 
 withftanding his boafted powers of reafon, to 
 a mere cypher, a paffive inftrument, fought for, 
 and alternately poflelfed and ufed by God and the 
 Devil; and as the cne is weakened, the other 
 
( 37 ) 
 
 prevails. Be fides the abPardity of making tba 
 Devil nearly equal with God in the conteft, and 
 thereby expofing revelation itfelf to the unjuft ai- 
 fcrtions of the gain-fayer, the reafonable powers 
 of man are loft fight of, and the fcripture dod:rine 
 of man's refponfibility, appears with the moft har(h 
 and unjufHfiable afpeO:. 
 
 However, we fliall proceed to review the fub- 
 je^L, and give our reafons for wh^-t we fay; hut it 
 will perhaps be hard for you, or any perlon, not 
 under the farhe previous influences^ to conceive, 
 what difficulties attended this part of our progrefs. 
 Our minds were fo immerfed in the commcniy 
 received notions, that long after we faw into 
 their fallacy we Vi^ere frequently taken by furprize 
 with a number of texts, as we iuppofed them to be, 
 becaufe commonV quoted as fuch, that bound our 
 minds, and cramped our refledtions ; which, how- 
 ever, upon clofe examination were found to have 
 no exiftence in fcripture, but to owe their being to 
 Catechifms, Common Prayer-Book, and other 
 works of men; expreffions that are not fufpeded, 
 becaufe commonly ufed. 
 
 But we wifh to obferve, left we be mifunderftood, 
 that we do not intend to deny that God can affift 
 his people, or to difpute tlie propriety of his people 
 praying for, and expecting fuch affiftance, by no 
 means, for th:s the fcriptures teach us to look for, 
 and reprcfent it as our duty, as well as our priv}«» 
 lege, to make ufe of every means that the Father of 
 Mercies has afforded us. The fpirits of all men 
 are in his hands; in him we live, and move, and 
 have our being ; he can change, imprefs, and affect 
 them according to Lis good pleafure; he can work 
 
i 38 ) 
 
 by means unfeen by us ; he is the Governor of the 
 World ; natural or providential circumftances, and 
 the relative conditions of human life, are the inftru-* 
 ments of his power, as well as the miniftry of the 
 word, and the energy of his fpirit. In fliort, the 
 Chriflian is encouraged to pray, and to pray in 
 faith^ for the " eyes of the Lord are over the righte- 
 ous, and his ears are open to their prayers." The 
 drift of our reafoning is dircd:ed againft the com- 
 mon belief, that men are fo depraved, that 
 they can neither defire nor believe the gofpel, 
 without the prior work of the fpirit upon the 
 heart. On this we have carefully fe arched the fcrip- 
 tures, and do moft pofitively affert that they contain 
 no fuch dodrine ; and we farther affert, that no mai\ 
 can read the New Teftament with the leaft atten- 
 tion, and maintain or give one example from thence 
 of our Lord ever, on any occafion, inftruiSling 
 unbelievers to pray for faith, or for the internal, 
 evidence and operation of his fpirit, to enable them, 
 to believe^ but that he uniformly calls unbelievers 
 to believe on him whom the Father hath fandtified and 
 fent into the world. Ail the works that he did w^ere 
 for this end, to eftablifh his character as the Meffiah, 
 not that men might pray and wreftlc for the inward 
 evidence of the fpirit, but that men might believe 
 that he was the Chrift, and, by believing, have lif^ 
 through his name. 
 
 Speaking to the Jews, he fays, *' If ye believe 
 not that I am he, ye fhall die in your fins, and 
 where I am, there ye cannot come.'* What lan- 
 guage is this for the mild and compaffionate Jefus 
 to make ufe of? that if the Jews did not believe, 
 they Ihould die in their fins, and lofe happinefs, 
 
f i^ ) 
 
 if at the fame time they had no power to beilcie 
 without the prior work of the fpirit? And how 
 could they feek for it when they were never told fo 
 to do ? or how could he command them to pray to 
 God that he would give them to know their intereft 
 in Chrift, when they did not believe in Chrift, and 
 inore efpecially when he knew their hearts were fo 
 corrupt that God could not hear them? When 
 the Jews, through blind prejudice, did not believe 
 on him through his word, nor yet through the 
 works that he wrought, they were confidered as 
 difobedient, ftifF-necked finnerSj and threatened 
 with an cxclufion from happinefs. But furely this 
 evidently fuppofes that they could believe and at- 
 tend to his words, or where would be the juflnels 
 of the threatning? Our Lord ufes fuch expreffions 
 as thefe: " Come unto me all ye that are weary 
 and heavy laden., and ye (hall find reft to your fouls.** 
 ** He that cometh unto me, I will in no wife call 
 out." " Ye will not come unto me that ye might 
 have life," &c. We could not fee the propriety of 
 this manner of fpeaking, w^ithout fuppoiing that 
 men could come unto him, and cou'd believe on 
 him. The language and fpirit of his preaching is 
 not, that ye muft pray for the work of the fpirit, 
 that ye cannot believe^ or that ye cannot come unto 
 me, but that ye will not believe, that ye will not 
 come unto me. 
 
 We could not think that the facred writers 
 would fay," He that believeth not fliall not fv^e life, 
 but the wrath of God abideth on him ;** '* he that 
 believeth not is condemned already;" *' he that be- 
 lieveth not maketh God a liar, becauG; he believeth 
 not the record that God gave of his Son," &c. &c. 
 
- ( 40 ) 
 
 if meri were not able to believe. This woiild b'6 
 condemning men for not doing what was not ire 
 their power to tlo. With thefe views we could no^ 
 confidcr God either good orjuft. 
 
 It is exactly the lame on the other fide of the 
 queftion : " Believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and 
 thou (halt be faved;" " he that believeth (hall 
 be laved,** *^ hath eternal life," ** is barn again," 
 " is a fon of God," " ftiali inherit the kingdom,** 
 &c. &c. We could not, nor can we now, fee 
 the propriety of exhorting men to believe, and 
 telling them they (hall be faved by it, if to be- 
 lieve was not in their power, but the gift of the 
 fpirit, and depending upon another, not on thcm- 
 felves; and we have already faid they were never 
 taught to fecJk it by prayer, &c. 
 
 Farther: In examining the miiliftry of the 
 Apoftles, we never found them inftruding the 
 people that faith is a gift, that they muft pray for 
 it, or that they muft have the influence ofthe fpirit 
 to enable them to believe, t© reveal Chrift in their 
 hearts, or to apply his atoning blood to their finful 
 confcience, according to the language commonly 
 ufed by modern Preachers. 
 
 From time to time we have had much converfa- 
 tion with religious people, and with Minifters not a 
 few. During thefe converfations, we conftantly 
 urged, that as they would not, as honeil men, re- 
 commend any thing in matters of falvation, with- 
 out having good fcriptural authority for it, we 
 hoped they would give us their authority for their 
 ufing fuch expre(rions as we have juft mentioned^ 
 namely, where unbelievers are taught to pray for 
 the infiueuce of the fpirit, or for the gift of faith, &c. 
 
( 40 
 
 when, after an unpleafant pau^(^ they have an- 
 fwered, They thought there were plenty of fucH 
 texts, but that juft then they could not recollect 
 them. This was, and is, the common reply ; and 
 though we allow them ever (o much time, flill 
 their memory fails them ; and no wonder, for that 
 man muft have a notable memory indeed that can 
 furnilh him with- palfages where there are none! 
 No; the Apoftles always audrclTed men as rational 
 creatures, capable of underftanding, believing, and 
 obeying what they preached. We confefs that in 
 following the Apoftles through all their travels, 
 looking carefully at what they preached to all forts of 
 people v/herever they came, we could not, nor can 
 we find one inftance of their ever telling their hear- 
 ers to pray for the influence of the fpirit, the gift 
 of faith, dzc. Alas ! then, what numbers of fer- 
 mons have been, and are confiantly preached, which 
 anfwer no purpofe but to delude and miflead the 
 hearers ! 7 his cannot be confidered as a fimple er- 
 ror, or a trifling difference of opijiion ; for hence 
 arifes that middle character of people, called Seeders, 
 who are very numerous in fome Conne(ftions. 
 Thefe Seekers a'-e a new character, and not to be- 
 found in the New Tcftament ; there all are cOnfi- 
 dered either as believers or unbelievers, laints or 
 finners. In the New Teilament there is no middle 
 chara(n:er, 'no medium. Thefe Seekers are a com- 
 pound charader, faid to partake of both, but are 
 completely neither. This is a novel impiovement 
 onthe Apoftles' plan,, tlie ill efFtds of which are, 
 that on tliis principle tbouUnds of ignorant, though 
 ferious and well-diipofed people, r; ■ 0,1 to feek for 
 
 G 
 
( 4^ ) 
 
 months and yeftrs, often with tears and a heavy 
 hearty for the gift oF faith, for the marks and ma- 
 nlfcflatlons of their intereft in the love of God by 
 the aflfurance of the fpirit, confining in fome rap- 
 turous emotions, or energetic workings upon the 
 mind, the great uncertainty of which, with the 
 fluctuating ftate of the experience and of the mind, 
 makes this work of fecking to be attended with the. 
 moft painful anxiety, fo much foy tfiat great num- 
 bers of ferious people may date their for rows from 
 the time they became religious, fo tortured have 
 they been between the contending pafiions of hope 
 and fear, or of hope and defpair ; and perhaps the 
 inftances are not a few in which they have finally 
 fallen into a total derangement of the underftand- 
 ing. However, to fupport this ftrange, unfcriptu- 
 ral dodlrine, the Teachers of it mifapply a number 
 of texts, though not intentionally, citing every 
 pafTage that has the leaft appearance of counte- 
 nancing their views, without paying fufficient at- 
 tention to the natural meaning of fuch paffagcs, 
 and they confound all the diftinclions the infpired 
 writers have made, in this cafe, between the faints 
 and the world, by indifcriminately applying thofe 
 fcriptures that are only addreffed to the Churches, 
 to either believers or unbelievers. 
 
 Now w^hatever is addreifed to faints or believers, 
 cannot furely be applied to, or belong to any other 
 of oppofite chara(Ster; but when they are addrefled 
 to charadlers to which they do not in truth belong, 
 then their meaning is proftituted, and their defign 
 loft. In thefe refpeds we found religious people 
 greatly erred from, not underftanding, or not at- 
 
( 4J ) 
 
 tending to the particular character to whom thefe 
 fcriptiiies were addrefled. 
 
 Believers, or difciples, are encouraged to pray by 
 every argument, or figure of fpeech, and are as 
 conftanily enjoined to pray in faith, or they have 
 no afturance of receiving what they allc from God. 
 Unbelievers are confidered as "wicked inen,**thofe 
 that " make God a liar, becaufe they believe not 
 the record that ht gave of his Son." They are con- 
 fidered as " enemies to truth," to '' be of the world,'* 
 thole *' that do not p'leale God," &:c. &c. of which 
 number all are confidered who pay no regard to 
 religion, though they may have the name. 
 
 If *' the prayers of the wicked are an abomination 
 to God ;" if ^^ whatfoever is not of faith be fin ;" if 
 " without faith it is impoffible to pleafe God;'* then 
 it is no wonder that unbelievers are never taught to 
 pray by the Apoftles, for *' the Lord heareth not; 
 finners." Their cont^ant theme was, " Believe on 
 the Lord Jelus, and thou fhalt be favcd ;" but the 
 advocates for unbelievers feeking the fpirit and 
 faith by prayer, bring a number of texts to prove 
 their dodlrine, which wc fhall now notice. The 
 firft and principal is from our Lord's fermon on the 
 Mount; " Aflc, and itlliall be given you; feek, and 
 ye iliall find ; knock, and it fhalt opened unto you : 
 for every one that feeketh, findeth ; and he that 
 afketh, receiveth; and to him that knockcth, it 
 ihall be opened.** Now the queflion is, Who are 
 here addrelTed ? for whoever the perfbns were to 
 whom our Lord fpeaks, ihefe inftruclions belong to 
 them, and to none eife. The fermon begins thus: 
 ^* And feeing the muhitude, he went up into a 
 
 G 2 
 
( 44 ) 
 
 mountain, and v^hen he was Tit, his difciples came 
 unto him, and he opened his mouth and taught 
 Them." For any peiTon ferloully to confider the 
 iublime truths theie chapters contain, and fuppofe 
 them to have been ipoken to the unbelieving multi- 
 tude, who neither believed on him nor regarded his 
 authority, is perfectly abfurd. However it is plainly 
 expreiTcd, that they are the difciples who arc here 
 taught to pray, thofe who believed on him, which 
 is confiftenr with the whole chain of fcripture, 
 and not unbelieving Seekers ; therefore this proves 
 nothing to their purpofe. . The parable of the 
 unjuft Judge ar.d the importunate Widow, is much 
 ufed^to encourage the Seekers. But this, unfortu- 
 nately for them, is as unfriendly as the former, 
 for it is not fpoken to unbelievers, but to the difci- 
 ples, for their fupport, by ihev^ing them that God 
 will not be unmindful of his people. It concludes 
 thus : " And ihall not God avenge his own eied,*- 
 his fervants, and not unbelieving Seekers ? 
 
 The following paflages are fuppofed to be dcci- 
 five upon this matter: ** No man cometh to me, 
 except the Father which f.^nt me draw him^" Here, 
 without taking the context into the account, it is 
 interred that no man can come to God, unlefs he 
 be inwardly wrought upon by the fpirit ; a con- 
 clufion perfedly arbitrary, and which is not ex- 
 prefled. Our Lord goes on to obfcrve, " It is 
 written in the Prophets, and they (hall be all 
 taught of God. Every man therefore that hath 
 beard, and hath learned of the Father, (viz. by the 
 teaching of the Prophets) cometh unto me." If 
 the charadler and works of the promifed Meiliah 
 had not been defcribed by the Prophets, how could 
 
 » John vi, 44. 
 
( 45 ) 
 
 the Jews have known by their fcrlpturcs who he 
 was ? But as thefe charaders and thefe works were 
 deTcribed, all who loved and attended to the Pro- 
 phets could know the Mcffiah when he made his 
 appearance, by his charader and wcTrks anfwering 
 to the defcription there given of them. By means 
 of the prophecies, men could learn of the Father, 
 and^to them Chrift refers his hearers. "Search the 
 fcriptures, for they are they that teftify cf me, or 
 elfe believe on me for the very works fake.** Jf his 
 miraculous works were not to prv:>ve him the Mef- 
 fiah, for what were they intended ? or how can we 
 prove hira the Mefl'enger of God but by thofc 
 means ? All this amounts to no more than that men 
 were drawn to Chrid by the writings of the Pro- 
 phets, which defcribed his charadler and works, 
 which proved him to be the Mefliah, i. e. by the 
 power of evidence, of motives, and of ordinary in- 
 ftrudlion ; all which fuppofes that men have power 
 to attend to them. " Without me, ye can do no- 
 thing 3." This pafTage by modern Preachers is ufed 
 to fhew that man can do nothing profitable in reli- 
 gion without the inward alFiflance of the fpirit. it 
 is really alloniiliing how" men can impoie upon 
 ihemfelves fo, when, by a very little attention, 
 they may ftc. it means no fuch thing. 
 
 In this paflage our Lord in highly figurative lan- 
 guage tells his friends, jufl before he leaves them, 
 *' that he is the true vine, and that they, as branches, 
 carinot bear fruit, except they abide in the vine; 
 tor v/ithour him they can do nothing, or bear no 
 fruit asChridians.'* He could not mean that with- 
 out the energy of the fpirit they could not believe, 
 for they -were bc!i:;vers and Apoftles already. Be- 
 
 . a John XV, 5. 
 
( 4(5 ) 
 
 fides, he is not fpeaking of the natural powers of 
 man» but of the liojinel's of life and ufefulnefs of 
 conduct that his gofpel would produce in them, if 
 rhey did not abandon it, but abode in him. " To 
 be carnally minded, is death; but to be fpiritually 
 minded, is life and peace. The carnal mind is en- 
 riity againft God, for it is not fubjecl to the law of 
 God, neither indeed can be: fo then they that,arc 
 ill the fiefn cannot pleafe God^'* It is a plaiji truth, 
 that they who indulge in the lufts of the fl»,lh can- 
 not pleafe God, and that the carnal mind was, is, 
 and always will be at war with the fpirit of purity. 
 All this is fell evident, but it is little to the puvp^^fe. 
 It is not here faid that man is under a neceffity of 
 thus being carnally minded ; or that if he is car- 
 nally minded, he cannot turn from his evil ways, 
 , and receive nhe mercy of God. The following 
 paflage is nearly fimilari **" But the natural man 
 recei veth not the things of the ipirit of God, for ihey 
 are fooliflinefs unto him; neither can he know 
 them, becaufe they arc fpiritually difcerned *-*,'* 
 True, while the natural or leniual man only ieeks 
 the indulgence of his ienfual appetites, he leeth not, 
 nor careth for the things of the fpirit ; they are 
 looiifhnefs unto him, or of no account. But here 
 the queftioa returns agaiiv. Is he compelled to do 
 the lufis of the flclh? cannot he repent and become 
 a gooci man :' cannct he believe and obey the gofpel ? 
 or vvliere is it recorded that man cannot repent,, 
 and believe, and obey God ? 
 
 " For our gofpel came not unto you in word only,, 
 butalfoinpciwer, and in the Holy Ghoft,andinmuch 
 aiTursnce, as ye know what m.anncr of men we were 
 among you for your fakcV* The fame Apoftle has 
 
 ^ Romans viii. 7, ^.— b j CoUDthians ii. i^.—c i Thcffalonians i. 5. 
 
( 47 ) 
 
 a fimilar pafTage to the Corinthians : " An^ m^' 
 fpeech and my words were not with enticing words 
 of man's wifdom, but in demonftration of the fpirit 
 and of power, that your faith fhoii'.d not ftand in 
 the wifdom of man, but in the power of God^" 
 It appears to us that thefe paffages have no atiu- 
 iion to an inward work of the fpirit upon the mind, 
 but to the entrance of the Apoftle among thofe 
 people, when he nrft preached to them. He here 
 calls their attention to the circumftances in which 
 he firft made known the gofpel to them, that it 
 was not in word only, but with the power of 
 working miracles, which they faw, giving i'uch 
 demonftration of the fpirit as gave them much 
 aifurance that he, the Apoftle, was the true meiTen- 
 ger of God ; and thus their faith did not reft on the 
 wifdom of man, nor on his words only, but in the 
 manifefted power of God. 
 
 As the end of miracles was to eftabli(h the gofpel, 
 it is obvious that this is his meaning, and it is 
 altogether conformable to the reft of the Apoftles' 
 preaching. Our Lord afTures his difciples, that It' 
 he. goes away, ** he will fend them the Comforter, 
 who, when he was come, ftiould reprove the world 
 of fin, of rlghteoufnefs, and of judgment," It h 
 generally read, lonvifice the world of fin ; and as all 
 are not convinced of fin, the Calvinifts ccnlider 
 this paflage as relating only to theelevt world, and 
 then they urge it as being deeifive, that the ipiric. 
 is appointed to work in the minds of men convic- 
 tion for fin. But they ought to know, that by the 
 law is the knowledge of fin^, and not by the work 
 ®f the fpirit. Surely there is a great deal of differejice 
 
 * ^1 Corinthians II. 4, 5.—^ Romans iii, 20.— -vii. 7. 
 
( 48 ) 
 
 between reproving the world of fin, and convinc- 
 ing it. We may reprove a perfon for tinning, and 
 not fucceed in convincing him. But Chrift went 
 away, and the Comforter came; the Apoftles le- 
 ceived him on the day of Kentecoft, and. ht hy 
 them reproved the world of fin, in crucifying the 
 Prince of Life, their prdmifed MeiTiah, as an Im- 
 poftor, by the outward evidence of miracks acd 
 tongues in his name, and not by any inward woi Ic- 
 ing m the Jews. Befides, when our Lord made 
 this promife to the difciples, he tells them the world 
 could not receive it. How can men reconcile their 
 creed with this declaration? Unbelievers, in this, 
 as well as in all other parts of fcriptare, are called 
 the world; and yet it is ftrangely contended, that 
 unbelievers, in the firft.inftancc, muft feck for the 
 fpirit, \whcn our Lord afferts, as above, that the 
 world cannot receive it. Now they muft admit 
 one of thefe two things : either that unbelievers are 
 not the world, or of the vsrorld, unfcriptural as it is, 
 or that their fyftems, in this refpedl, are in flat 
 contradidion to our Lord's affirmation. 
 
 There is one paiTage more that w^e had nearly 
 overlooked, upon which is laid the greateft poffible 
 ftrefs. It occurs in the converfation held between 
 Nicodemus and our Lord : " The wind blowcth 
 where it lifteth, and thou heareft the found thereof,but 
 canft not tell whence it cometh, and whither it 
 goeth : fo is every one that is born of the fpirit." 
 It muft be allowed that there is fomc difficulty at- 
 tending thefe words ; the language is highly figu- 
 rative, and not. eafy to be underftood. While it is 
 almoft generally thought, and confidently af- 
 firmed to aftert that man is changed, renewed, and 
 
( 49 ) 
 
 born again, by the inward operation of tlie fplrlt 
 Upon the foul, there are others who think that our 
 Lord alluded merely to that extraordinary efFufioii 
 of the fpirit, which the diiciples received at the day 
 of Pentecoft, whereby they fully opened and efta- 
 blifhed the gofpel or fpirinial difpenfation, into 
 which the Jews were born, by their receiving him 
 as the Meffiah, and thus delivered from the law of 
 commandments contained rn ordinances, &c. &c. 
 Be this as it may, no candid mind would wifh to 
 build any dodrine upon one dark paffage, for this 
 text has not a parallel in all the New Teflament. 
 We think it much the fairer way, when a dark paf- 
 fage occurs, to explain it according to the obvious 
 fenfe of thofe pafTages that fpeak plainly on the 
 fame fubjed, and which is furely more reafonable 
 than to put fuch a fenfe upon it as heft fuits our 
 own fcheme, and then to refolve all the plain texts 
 into it, becaufe they do not otherwife agree with, 
 our fentiments. By this rule, then, we are not 
 confined to this dark pafTage, nor to any fingle paf- 
 fage, to know the fcripture fenfe of the new birth. 
 The fcriptures frequently fpeak of it, and confider 
 all as being born again who receive the gofpel, oc 
 this fpiritual difpenlation in the love of it; all who 
 believe in the Lord Jefus Chrift, and work righte- 
 oulnefs, as appears from the following texts : 
 *' For ye are all the children of God by faith in 
 Chrift Jefus %*' "being born again, not of corruptible 
 feed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, 
 which liveth and abideth for ever"^/' " If ye know 
 that he is righteous, ye know that every one that 
 doetU righteoufnefs is born of himt^^." " Whofoever 
 
 H 
 
 « Gal. iii. 26. — b I Peter i. 23. — c i John ii. 29. 
 
{ so ) 
 
 believeth that Jefus is the Chri(t, is born of God^.'* 
 Paul tells the Corinthians, " he had begotten them 
 again, through the gofpel^" Peter tells the Chrif- 
 tians, " they were begotten again, through the 
 refurredion of Chrift from the dead ^." Thufc paf- 
 fages furely ipeak fufHciently plain, and are eafy to 
 be underftood ; there is no allufion to any inward 
 dark work upon the mind, to any fecret whifper- 
 ings, or private interpretations ; on the contrary, 
 they affirm that the man who fincerely believes the 
 word of God, and erabraceth Chrift, with all his 
 affedions, as the Meffiah, is born again by faith ; 
 by believing the gofpel he is begotten again to a 
 hope of life, i. e. a new fcene opens to his view, 
 he now afts upon new principles, is infpired by 
 new motives, he has new purfuits and new pleafures, 
 and his afred:ions arc fixed upon new objects. In 
 truth, he is, in all refpe<3:s, a new man; old things 
 with him are pafled away, and the more he is influ- 
 enced by thefe profpedts, and beholds the glories of 
 the world to come, the more he is alive unto God 
 and dead to the vanities of this world, over which he 
 gains a victory, even by his faith, i. e. faith in a 
 future life, as revealed and exemplified by Chrift. 
 
 Again : ** The manifeftation of the fpirit is given 
 to every man to profit withal '^." There are few texts 
 more perverted than this. The Apoftle is here 
 fpeaking of the miraculous gifts of the fpirit, and 
 in order to quell that envy and confufion which 
 prevailed in the Corinthian Church refpedting them, 
 aflures thofe to whom he writes that thefe gifts 
 were not given for any individual aggrandifement, 
 but for the edification of the whole body. For ex- 
 ample : Suppofing a member pofiefled the gift of 
 
 « 2 John V. I.— b 1 Cor, iv. i^.-^c i Peter i, 3.— d i Cor. xii. 7* 
 
( 5' ) 
 
 tonc^ues, it was not for hirnfelf, nor for them that 
 believed, but "for them that believed not," that they 
 might be converted to the gofpel. Bat inrtcad of 
 applying tlie text in this rational manner; according 
 to the Apoftle*s meanings (viz. to tliofe poffdlsd of 
 gifts in the Corinthian Church) it is applied to all 
 mankind in general, and hence concluded that: 
 every man in his natural ftate has a rr.t'afare of the 
 fpirit given him to prolit withal. This i,s fo obvi- 
 ous a perverfion of all that is faid or inrendid, rhr.t: 
 it feems unnecefiary to fay any more upon it. 
 
 Laftly, It is contended by iome that the extraor- 
 dinary gifts of the fpirit are flili the privilege of 
 the real Chriftian, and are to be expected and en- 
 joyed through the exercife of faith and prayer. This 
 is a confideration of {omc importance, and as fucii 
 we fiiall offer upon it a few remarks. 
 
 In the lirll: place, the baptifm &f the fpirit was 
 not originally received by this means: the firft 
 Chriftians did not exped it, nor feek for it, thrbugh- 
 the exercife of fiiith and prayer, it v/as a free gift 
 given them by heaven to anfwer a certain purpofc, 
 and generally was received by the laying on oF the 
 Apoftles* hands. Cornelius and his friends received 
 it while hearing Peter preach, even before he had 
 joined the Church by baptifm, fo that he had no op- 
 portunity of feeking it by any means whatever. 
 
 Secondly, When Vv'e fee the ufe and propriety 
 of any fuhjed: propofed to us, v/e feel a doubie 
 pleafure to what we do -vvhcii we oniy receive or 
 aflcnt to any thing as being true, merely becaufe 
 it is revealed as luch, v^iihout feeing its utility. 
 This obiervation applies in a ilriking m.anner to the 
 
 il 2 
 
( 5i ) 
 
 fubjed before us. We are told that the gifts of the 
 fpirit were given to comfort the dlfciples' minds, to 
 lead them into al! truth, and to aid the fpread and 
 confirmation of the gofpcl. But before this laft end 
 could be effected, when the (laie of the Apoftles' 
 minds is confidered previous to ihcir illumination 
 on the day of Pentecoft, we fee not only the ufe, 
 but the neceflity of the afiiRance of the Ipirit, for 
 they, in common with the reft of their countrymen, 
 were filled with the idea of a temporal Meffiah, 
 who flioukl aifcrt and eftablilh the independence of 
 their nation, raife it to fplcndor and dignity, and 
 reign glorioufly upon the throne of his father 
 David; and though their Mafter had told them 
 plainly and repeatedly, that " his kingdom was not of 
 this world, and that he fiiould be taken from them," 
 "be delivered to his enemies, and be by thern cruci- 
 fied, and that the third day he (hould rile again," 
 &c. (kc. and though they favv all this adlually take 
 place, yet " they trufted that it had been he who 
 iliould have delivered Ifrael^;" and though he rofe 
 from the dead, according tp his declaration, while 
 he was yet with them they ftill did not underftand, 
 but enquired if he would ** at this time rcftore, 
 again the kingdom to Ifrael '^ ?*' 
 
 With minds thus prejudiced, it was impoffible 
 they fhould preach to others what they themfelves 
 did not underftand. But fuppofing they had ap- 
 plied themfelves to the underllanding of the true 
 nature cf the iVIefriah's kingdom" in the moft carnefl; 
 manner, and fuppofing they had all made equal 
 
 a Luke xxiv. 21. b AiHs i. 6. 
 
{ Si ) 
 
 progrefs, a fuppofition extremely Improbable, ^ 
 great part of their lives muft have been confumed 
 before they, by the ufual operation of common 
 principles, could have been fit to preach it to the 
 world, and this delay would have been attended 
 with this great additional difadvantage, that the 
 fadts and circumftances which had excited fo much 
 attention, through length of time would have 
 died away ; or, what was ftill worfe, would have 
 been unfupportcd by evidence. But in the courfe of 
 their ftudies, had any of them fo mifapprehended 
 the truth, that they became not of one mind, and 
 all did not fpeak the fame things, then, of courfe, 
 all would have fallen to the ground. To fay 
 nothing of the fupport of which the firll Chririians 
 Hood in need, to be able to abide the fierv trials 
 that awaited them, we fee the abfolute necefTity of 
 the baptifm of the fpirit, to enable the Apoftles to 
 take advantage of all recent circumftances, and 
 without lofs of time to preach the gofpel with 
 effed: to the fons of men. It enlightened their 
 minds, and gave them fuch an underftanding of 
 their Mafter's v/ork and charader, and of the nature 
 and fpirit of the difpenfation, that from the day of 
 Pentecoft they totally abandoned all their Ideas of a 
 temporal or v/orldly Melhah, and devoted them- 
 felves entirely to the work of the miniftry, to the 
 glory of God, and the good of men. 
 
 Thirdly, The gifts of the fpirit were not given 
 to produce moral efTeds in thofe that received them, 
 farther than that in proportion as the mind is 
 enlightened and eftablilhed in truth, the ftronger 
 its confidence, and the fairer its profpeds will be j 
 
( 54 ) 
 
 anJ thus it will be furniQied with ftronger motives 
 to purity, virtue, and benevolence. That motives 
 only influenced the minds of the firft Chriftians in 
 common concerns, though baptized with the fpirit, 
 is nbundantly evident from their condu^b. We 
 find the Apoftles frequently ufing very ftrong lan- 
 guage, when reproving fome of the early Chriftians 
 for ading inconfiftently with their hopes and 
 calling, and in a manner unworthy of their pri- 
 vileges. This plainly {hews that the fpirit did not 
 produce in them any moral effects in an arbitrary 
 way : from all which it appears that the extraordi- 
 nary gifts of the fpirit were fent to enlighten the 
 Apoftles' minds, to enable them to open the nature 
 of the kingdom of the Meffiah, to make known 
 the good-will of God to his creatures, and to con- 
 firm it to them by the moft pofitive and ftriking 
 evidence. 
 
 We apprehend thefe were the plain ends for 
 which the fpirit was given, and thefe ends were all 
 clearly effected; and as they are, by the blefling of 
 Divine Providence, handed down to us in a plain 
 convincing manner, if we attend to them in 
 light and uprightncfs, we fliall feel an equal intereft 
 and enjoyment in the advantages of the extraordi- 
 nary gifts of the fpirit with the firft Chriftians, 
 though we receive them not in the fame manner. 
 The difference upon the whole between them and 
 us may not be fo great as is imagined, efpecially as 
 one end of the gifts of the fpirit, not mentioned 
 here, vras to give fatisfa6lion to the difclples' 
 minds, that Chrift had entered upon his reward : the 
 out-pouring of the fpirit, according to his promife, 
 
i S5 ) 
 
 afForded the compleatefl evidence that he was noW 
 feated on his Father's throne, and partook and dli« 
 penled of his fulnefs, and in this particular we, 
 of this day, have equal advantages. But if, after 
 all that has been faid, people v\7ill ftill contend for 
 the fame blefling in the fame manner, they muft 
 give the fame evidence, fhew the fame figns, 
 work the fame miracles, before they can be ere* 
 dited or liftened to with attention. 
 
 Your's, &c. Sec. 
 
( 56 ) 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 v%* t. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 HAVING in our remarks upon the dodrine of , 
 the fpirit aflerted that faith is not a fuper- 
 natural gift, as is generally maintained, we fliall 
 how make fome obfervations on thofe texts that 
 are fuppofed to fpeak that language. 
 
 " By grace are ye laved, through faith, and that 
 not of yourfelves, it is the gift of God, not of 
 works, left any man fhould boaft.'' The Apoftle, 
 in this connexion, endeavours to imprefs the 
 minds of the Ephefians » with a fenfe of their great 
 obligations to God, in their being faved from a 
 ftate of grofs ignorance and vice, folely by his 
 mercy, and urges it upon their attention that they 
 were faved not by works, or any purity, or exer- 
 tions of their own, but tells them, " by grace are 
 ye faved, through faith/* or believing, *^ and that not 
 of yourfelves ; it is the gift of God," and you enjoy 
 it freely by believing it, or receiving it by faith. 
 
 The words in the text, " it is the gift of God," 
 refer only to grace, and not to faith ; for believing is 
 only the channel or means by v/hich the grace of ' 
 God is received, or conveyed into the heart. This 
 feems plainly to be his meaning, and it is perfedly 
 
 ■a Ephefians ii. 8. 
 
( 57 ) 
 
 c6rtfohant with the refi: of the fcriptures; that the 
 gofpel, or lalvation or the grace o\ God, or eternal 
 life, are the gift ol God, but men only are faved by it 
 as thev believe and obey it. '' To another, faith by 
 the fame fpirit^.'l he Corinthian Church pofltlTcd ex- 
 traordinary gifts of the fpirit, for the edification of 
 the body, and for the fpread and eftabliQiment of 
 the gofpel; hut through the envy of fame, and the 
 imprudence ot others, much confufion had beea 
 bred in the Church. The Apoftle, appriled of this, 
 interferes, and gives them fome ufeful inftrudions 
 for the right ufe of thefe gifts, fhews them the 
 impropriety of their former condud, and gives 
 them to underlfand that thefe gifts were not 
 difpenfed for any individual diftindion, but to be 
 fubfervierit to the propagation of the gofpel. *' For/* 
 fays the Apoftle in this fame epiftle, *' tongues are 
 for afign, not to them that believe, but to them that 
 believe not." 
 
 The text under confideration refers to that ex- 
 traordinary gift of the fpirit that enabled the pof- 
 feflbr thereof to work miracles, as will appear more 
 evidently if we follow the Apoftle's reafoning into 
 the next chapter, where, fpeaking of charity, he 
 fays, " and though I had all faith, fo that I could 
 remove mountains, and had not charity, I fhould 
 be as nothing;" which demonftrates that he refers 
 to that peculiar faith, that fupernatural impulfe 
 upon the mind, which feems always to Iiave pre- 
 ceded the woiking of a miracle, and which was 
 the immediate gift of the i'pirit, and not to that 
 faith or belief which conftituies a man a Chrillian, 
 That he did not mean iaith in the common accep- 
 
 I 
 a 1 Cor. xii. 9. 
 
( 5!f ) 
 
 tatlon of the term, is 'evident, for this the Oatinthi- 
 ans already p^^fl'.-ired as a b.xly, ani this therefore 
 couid not be the caufe of their difference; hence it 
 appears, that this paiF^ge is nothing to the piirpofe* 
 that it docs not apply to the fiihje6l. But if it b6 
 ftill infifted upon, then we come to this concliifion, 
 that Jj'.ie reft of the Church, even thofe whop'offtffed 
 extraordinary gifts of another kind, for equally be- 
 neficial purpofes, had not faving faith, though, 
 men^.hers of the Cinirch, and thus ilkiiirioudy dif- 
 tinguiihed ; a juoft abfurd conclufion indeed, arid 
 which certainly proves too much. 
 
 *' Buried with himin baptiim, wiierein atfo ye are 
 rifen with him through the faith, or belief of the 
 operation of God, who hath raifed him from the 
 dead^" The Coloffians are here affured, that as they 
 have been buried with Chrift, by the figureof haptilm^ 
 fo by the fame figure they may confider themleives 
 as rifen with him from the grave through their faith 
 in the power of God, The operation of God here 
 fpoken of has not the ieaft allufion to any work upon 
 the mind, but to the energy or power that God 
 exerted when he raifed Chrift from the dead, and 
 "which to them was a fure evidence of their own 
 refurredion. It is fomewhat ftrange that any think- 
 ing perfon fhould infer that the opera^on of God, 
 in raifing Chrift from the grave, was an inward 
 work of faith in the believing Coloffians. 
 
 ** For unto you it is given in the behalf of Chrift, 
 not only to believe on him, but alfo to fuffer for his 
 fake*^." Any perfon paying the Ieaft attention to the 
 context, will readily fee that the Apoftle is encou- 
 raging the Fhilippians to bear up, and not be afraid 
 of their perfecutors, and that he fpeaks here not 
 a Colof, ii« 12.— b Phil. i. 29. 
 
f 5-9 ) 
 
 of faith, but of fufferings, and feems to nieaji no 
 more than this, *' you are not only called up'/n, or 
 have ai5 opportunity given you to believe, but alio to 
 fuffer for his name; therefore be not alhamed, nor 
 afraid of the teflimony of our Lord.'* But iuppofe, 
 for argument's fake, that faith is here called a gift, 
 by the fame explanation fufFering is a gift alio, foj: 
 believing and iuffering are cxacStly parallel c:?cpref- 
 fions in this text. What is the natural coneiufion, 
 but that the cruel perfegutions of the Church, vyhich 
 originated in the malice ar.d rage of their enemies, 
 are transferred from them to the holy fpirit; thus 
 making the wickedn^fs of evil men, and the i'uffer- 
 ings of the innocent Chriftians, equally the gift of 
 the fpirit with believing. Surely this reafoning.is 
 too grofs ihx anyjenfihle perfon to admit, for iuffer- 
 ing is never reckoned among the gifts of the fpirit 
 Thus having noticed the principal texts that are 
 commonly brought to prove the fentiments we are 
 now combating, we iliall beg leave to add, to w^hat 
 has already been laid, a few general remarks. a 
 
 12 
 
 a Upon reviewing die foregoing we find that we have unintentiorisllv 
 omitted two paffages of fcrip'.ure, which are adduced to the fame 
 purpofe, though, as it appears to us, with lefs plaufioility. Heb. xii. 2. 
 *' Looking unto jt-fus the author and finifher of our faith." h is ev-i- 
 denr, from confidering tlie context, that the Apoltle means no more 
 than that Jefus was the perfon whom the Father chofe to be the firit pub- 
 lifher of the important doctrine of a future life, and .to confirm it in his 
 own perfon bv rifing from the grave. 'J'hcfe words can never be fairly 
 conftrued that faith comes in confequence of any internal workings of 
 the fpirit. This fcnfe can only be difcovered in them by fhofe who are 
 previoufly determined to believe the doctrine. 
 
 The fccond paffage is lames i. 17. " Every good gift and every per- 
 feft gift is from above, ' &c This text can have no torce, if faithhe 
 not conf.dered as the gift of God ; and that it is nr>t a girt, we hope we 
 have in this letter fufficientiy p'^oved from the conttrit it cannot be 
 made to appear that James confidered it in this light. Neither-of thefe 
 pafTages, indeed, claim any notice here, only io far as if is dciirable that 
 no occafion fhould be given to affert, that wc have wilfully omitted any 
 text, generally quoted in defence of the dodlrine wc widi to oppofe. 
 
( 6o ) 
 
 The dodrlnes that man naturally cannot think 
 a good thought, or work a good work, without the 
 previous work of the fpirit on his heart; that the 
 fpirit is offered and given for this end; that ''faith 
 is the gift of God," \kc. &c. feem to us, ift. Con- 
 trary to the known powers of human nature. — 
 2dly. To all our ideas of the julVice and goodncfs of 
 God. — And jdiy. To all the principles upon which 
 he has ever revealed himfelf to his creatures. 
 
 Firfl:, Contrary to the known powers of human 
 nature. For ir appears that man, by virtue ot hi^ 
 reafonable faculties, is fully capable of underftand- 
 ing any truth or fad: that is plain, clear, and evi- 
 dent, whether natural or revealed ; and farther, 
 that he is capable of being affedted with thofe 
 truths, or fadts, according as they may refpedl his 
 fituation ; that he can be wrought upon by circum- 
 flances, or reprefentations, wlicther good or bad; 
 that his affections arc more or lefs })ure or impure, 
 according to the nature of the objects upon which 
 they are fixed ; that men are naturally filled with 
 gratitude, love, and admiration, when they behold 
 and benefit by difintertfted goodnefs in their fellow 
 creatures, and that thcfe fentiments lead them 
 to a£t agreeably to the didta es (>f thcfe obliga,t:ons, 
 to difcharge or return them, if poffible. If man can 
 feel and a6t in this manner, man with man, how 
 much more fo with God. on whom he continually 
 depends, in whom he " lives, and moves, and has 
 his being," ivho conftantly lupplies ail his returning 
 wants, and from whom are all his future exi>e<fla- 
 tions'' Here is a far greater force of obligation, 
 that will of courfe.^ when rightly attended to, pro- 
 duce much ftronger feelings, and naturally excite 
 
( 6« ) 
 
 an earneft willi and endeavour to return or ac- 
 knowledge them. 
 
 Again : It is evident that man is fo conuitured 
 at prefent that his ruling paffion is felf-love, and 
 that lelf-orelervation is the tirrt law of his nature, 
 as well as that of all othtr creatures. If danger 
 threatens and approaches him, his fiift concern is 
 to looic for a way of efcape, and w-hethcr the threat- 
 ning danger be of this world or of that which is to 
 come. Only let him fee it, and make him fuffi- 
 ciently fenfible of it, and it will on ihele natural 
 principles, and in this rational vv^ay, as effectually 
 work upon his mind as the common notion of the 
 work of the fpirit. it is true, indeed, that oppofite 
 influences may fo fully poffefs the mind as to pre* 
 vent thefe things from producing their natural good 
 effedis. But then this remark holds equally good 
 on any fcheme ; for few will argue that even the 
 fpirit works irrefijlibly upon the mind. In ihort, 
 the hope of reward and the fear of punifliment, 
 hut principally the latter, are the great operating 
 principles upon the mind of man. 
 
 Secondly, Thcfe dodrines are oppofite to all nur 
 ideas of tlie juftice and goodnels of God. It is an 
 eftabliflied fenriment among mankind, that the 
 Deity is pofl'elTed of all poffible perfection, confe- 
 quently chat he is borh jull and good. But that 
 which would be unjidl and unworthy in a good 
 man, and difgraceful to him as fuch, cannot be juO: 
 in God To fuppofe that God brings man ijhe 
 moft diilingu! filed of his lower works) into exift- 
 ence, or that he fuffered him by any means to be 
 brought into exigence, under a neceliity of conti- 
 nually finning againft him, without being able to 
 
( 62 ) 
 
 ftir hand or foot in that which rs good; and that 
 in this firualion God (hould make it his duty, and 
 call upon man to obey him with iiprightnefs; that 
 it iliould be his duty to love God, when at the fame 
 time it is impoffible for him to do it; to hear and 
 believe in God, yet that he has no power to hear 
 and believe on him; and that neverthelefs God 
 will fevercly punifh him for bis dilbbedience, as 
 the fcriptures abundantly declare; fuch condud; 
 fecm.s to us utterly unworthy of the juftice and 
 goodnefs of God, and fills us with horror and dif- 
 ' guft. He that can believe fuch things of an infi- 
 nitely goo'd and perfect Being, let him believe 
 ihem. Sqre we are, that if any man was fo fe- 
 verely to punifli any of his helplefs family, or de- 
 pendent creatures, for not doing what was impoiTiblc 
 for them to do, he would, upon refleftion, feem a ty- 
 rant to himfelf, while he appeared a monfter to all 
 around him. But on the fuppofition that God has 
 given fufficient evidence of his goodnefs, to entitle 
 him to the truft, the love, the obedience of all his 
 creatures, and that he requires nothing of them 
 but what they are able to do, then all thcfe hard 
 views of the Deity vaniOi from our nainds. 
 
 Thirdly, Thefe doctrines are contrary to all the 
 principles upon which God has ever revealed him- 
 felf to his creatures. The fcriptures conftantly re- 
 prelcnt to us, that it is man's greateft happineis, as 
 well as interefl, to obey God ; that he of all o'hcrs 
 is the only objedt worthy of his fupreme confidera- 
 tion and afTedtion as a rational being ; that God is 
 able to make him the beft, the wileit, and the hap- 
 piefl; thus, if poflible, to attracft him by the moft 
 endearing views, by laying hold of fom? of the 
 
( ^3 ) 
 
 ftrongeft principles of his nature, for furdy it is 
 one of man's firfl defires to l)e happy. Tliis is uis, 
 firft and iaft concern, his earlieft hope, his lateft 
 prayer, his conftant purfuit through life ; and what- 
 ever he underftands wili moil enfure him that end, 
 that he will unceiiiingJy purine, if it be through ten 
 thouland difficulties. The principle of intereft is 
 likewife appealed to ; that principle which fo pow- 
 erfully fways and influences the human mind. The 
 fcriptures, as above noted, offer the greateft good, 
 the greateft advantage, here and hereafter, to god- 
 linefs ; they fhew that " it is profitable to all things ; 
 having the promile of the Hfe that now is, and alfo 
 of that which is to come." 
 
 Again: God has conftantly revealed hlmfelf as 
 the future ditpenfer of equitable rewards and pu- 
 nifhments. This can never agree with the idea of 
 the total inability of man to do the will of God j 
 for he that is accountable for his a<3:ions muft have 
 the liberty of adling, or his actions are not properly 
 his own» and he cannot be puniihed for them upon 
 the principles of juftice. The fcriptures are exprefs on 
 this fubjed:, that ** every man (hall be rewarded ^c- 
 cordinu, to his works." What we do by invincible 
 necflity are not vo untary works, and cannot by 
 the above rule fubjed: us to pain or puniihment. 
 
 YourX Sec, 6cc, 
 
( H ) 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 THE dodrine of Eledlon we believe to be 
 plainly revealed In fcripture, but from this 
 "we draw very different conclufions from thofe that 
 are too often drawn from it. We propofed to give 
 you our rcafons for relinquifhing one doiftrine and 
 taking up another. We fliall Hill adhere to the 
 fame rule, only we muft remark, once for all, that 
 we do not pretend to enter at large into thefe fub- 
 je£ts, or to fay all that might be faid upon every 
 iingle text. This would be tedious for us to write, 
 and too dull for you to read. We fhall merely 
 give fome of our principal reafons, and what we 
 think fupported by the facred writers. 
 
 When we take a view of the great leading prln^ 
 ciples of the fcriptures, we find, wheiher wc con- 
 (ider them from the end to the beginning, or from 
 the beginning to the end, that Chtid, in a certain 
 fenfe, is the fubftance of all. In him all the pur- 
 pofes of God were treafured up; all were revealed 
 in him. *' He hath made known the will of the 
 Father : all the promifes are yea and amen in 
 Chrift." " He is the Head of all things to his 
 Church;" " is Heir of all things ;** " has a Name 
 
( 65 ) 
 
 given him above every name." " He is the only way 
 of accefs unto God," and without controverfy is the 
 firft elect of God ; whom " God gav^ a ranfom for 
 all, to be teftiiied in due time ;" '* whom. he hath let 
 to be a light to the Gentiles," and "given (not to a 
 few, but) for faivation to the ends of the earth, 
 that all &.e{h might fee the faivation of God." 
 
 We Qiali notice foRie of the inoft ftriking iu- 
 ftances of election. The firft is the call of Abraham. 
 Was he cholen from his country and his father*s 
 houfe that he only Ihould be blefled, and his coun- 
 try and his father's houfe left to perifh ? No, this 
 is not the account, but juft the contrary, viz. that 
 in him, and in his feed, *' all the families of the earth 
 might be bleffed." The calling of Abraham feems 
 to have been from a moft benevolent delign, that, 
 in making of him a great nation, the name and 
 government of God might be known and preferved 
 throughout thofe early, dark ages, when the know- 
 ledge of his providence was in danger of being to- 
 tally loft, till fuch time as his purpofes (hould be 
 more fully opened. The call of Abraham, then, 
 all the circumftances confidered, is a moft ftriking 
 inflance of ekd'ion. The end of his calling, as 
 avowed by God himfelf in the promiles made to 
 him, fhev/s that it was not, as has been obferved, 
 for his particular good, of for any conhned pur- 
 pofe, but in order that all the families of the earth 
 might be blefled through him. Let it here be ob- 
 ferved, that as this is the great ground-work or 
 caufc of all the peculiar privileges and diftindions 
 that were conferred upon Abraham's pofterity as a 
 nation, or upon any family or individual thereof, 
 
 K 
 
{ 66 ) 
 
 thefb privileges and diftinftions ought all to be re* 
 ferred to tlie lame principle, all being fuhfcrvient 
 to the fame end, Following, th n, tiiis fair confer 
 quence, we can eafily account for the tliffeient dif- 
 criminations of character that took place among the 
 Jews. If Ifaac, the heir of the promife, had two 
 fons, and the promife was to run in one only, it 
 \A?as folely at the good plealure of God in which it 
 fliould be. Jacob was not chofen for ids goodnefs, 
 nor was Efau rejeO:ed for his wicked nefs; for, be- 
 fore the children had either done good or evil, God, 
 according to his own counfel, choic Jacob, and re- 
 jected Efau; preferred the younger to the elder, 
 that his purpofe might ftand without the aid of hu- 
 man fagacity, for probably Ilaac would have chofen 
 the elder. This choice feems not fo much to re- 
 fped: the individuals as their pofterity, for, refped- 
 ing any worldly profperity, Efau feemed as great 
 a man as Jacob; and with regard to their felicity 
 in another w^orld, even if they had known any thing 
 about it, the good of both (according to the promife 
 in which ali vyere to be blefled) was equally confi- 
 dered. 
 
 As to the cafe of Pharaoh, that he was not a vef- 
 iel of wrath appointed by the decree of God to de- 
 ftrudion, but that he fitted himfelf by his iniqui- 
 tous treatment of the innocent Ifraelites, appears 
 from the Apoflle's account of the matter; for he 
 fays, " God endured with much hmg-luffering the 
 vcifels of wrath,** &c. Now for God to endure 
 v/hat he himlcif appointed, implies a ccntradidion* 
 it fliould rather appear, that their deftrudion was 
 not decreed, but on account of their impenitence, 
 and that they could, and had time to repent, thro* 
 
( 67 ) 
 
 ** his long-fufFering of them," or why this expreffion ? 
 However, be this as it may, it is plain their pu- 
 nilhment was of a temporal nature, and did not 
 refer to a ftate of fufFering after death, for about 
 this they knew nothing. 
 
 As among the Jews a number of perfons were 
 eledted for particular purpofes, we deem it unne- 
 celfary to notice them all. Let one inftance fufEce 
 as a Ipecimen of all the reft. Jeremiah was chofen 
 from the womb to be a prophet ; not that he only 
 fhould be faved, and the reft left to perifli, but it 
 was for the general good; '^ that he might ipeak 
 unto the houie of Ifrael all the words of the Lord, 
 that they might be faved," which is the proper end 
 of all prophets and of all meilages, to fave and do 
 good, if they are attended to. The v/hole nation 
 of the Jews, the offspring of Abraham, though 
 abounding with obnoxious characters, were conii- 
 dered as *^ the chofen of God," " the peculiar people 
 of God," " the eledt of God," " thofe only whom 
 he had known of all the nations of the earth." But 
 this evidently referred only to their r>ational advan- 
 tages, to their temporal privileges as a people, and 
 chiefly becaufe *' unto them were committed the 
 oracles of God." As refpe6ting futurity, they knew 
 little or nothing about it; and when they grievoufly 
 finned againft their God, he deftroyed them, and 
 delivered them to their enemies, who led them into 
 captivity, &c. In ihort, they were no more than 
 inftruments in his hand for the good of the whole 
 world. 
 
 The Apoftles were chofen " before the founda- 
 tion of the world" to be '' able Minifters of the New 
 
 K 2 
 
( 63 ) 
 
 Covenant," not for any individual exclufive benefit 
 to themfelves, but that they might " preach the 
 gofpel to every creature," and carry the glad ti- 
 dings of falvation to the four corners of the earth. 
 Much more might we add to the fame purpofe, as 
 ** that Chrift died for all," " gave himfeif a ranfom 
 for ail," '' gave his life for the world," " tafted 
 death for every man," &c. &c. which inclines us 
 to believe that it is the will of God that '* all Ihould 
 come to the knowledge of the truth, and be faved." 
 "We rejoice in the confjderation that the time will 
 come w^hen it (liall be fully fee a that all the pecu- 
 liarities of charatSler, gifts, and callings amonjg men, 
 had an immediate reference to this great end. 
 
 All who believe the radical corruption of human 
 nature contend that man is fo helplefs that he can 
 defire nothing that is good, fo that the firft inclina- 
 tion or motion to that w^hich is good is as much 
 the work of the fpirit upon the heart as what 
 they call fandification and pcrfevering grace. It 
 plainly follows, by this rule, that all ferious cha- 
 radlers, of whatever denomination, have been equally 
 wrought upon by the fpirit, are all equally the eledl, 
 for they could not of themfelves, by the force of any 
 motives whatever, change their old condu<ft for 
 a better. What is the confequence? Plainly this, 
 either that the favour of God is far more exienfive 
 than their fcheme admits, or that the fpirit, which 
 Was given at firfl to lead into a\l truth, and of 
 courfc led all in one way, and to be of the fame mind, 
 now adts quite differently, by leading men into 
 error and contention. One is now drav/n to be a 
 MethodiO:, another a Calvinift, and a third a 
 Quaker, and fo on ; all led and converted by the 
 
( % ) 
 
 fame fpirit, for it is already fettled that they could 
 not change themfelves. 
 
 Thus, inftead of the fpirit leading into truth, to 
 be of the fame mind, and to walk in the fame way, 
 it is made to be the author of confufion, by leading 
 men to think and adt quite differently, and to op- 
 pofe one another with ftrife and bitternefs. But 
 ** God is not the author of confufion, but of peace," 
 and cannot produce in men what is fo oppofite to 
 himfelf. But it is affirmed that thefe differences are 
 from the bewildered imaginations of men, and not 
 from the fpirit of truth. In that cafe then, who are 
 right? who are the eled:? They are not mentioned by 
 name in the fcriptures, and all thefe different reli- 
 gious characters lay equal claim to the fame things, 
 profefs the fame marks and inward evidences, and 
 have the fame moral and religious redlitude to 
 fupport their pretenfions. From the confufion, 
 darknefs, and contradidion that reign in the differ- 
 ent* prevailing fyfcems of religion, it is mofl rea- 
 fonable to conclude that the fpirit of God has no- 
 thing to do in the matter, and that men are what 
 they are by their education, by the operation of 
 circumftances, or from the different religious in- 
 ftru<^tion imparted to them ; for if they were led by 
 one fpirit of truth, and all drank at the true and 
 only fource of religious information, the fcriptures, 
 they would be of one mind in all great leading 
 truths, for '* Chrifl is not divided." There is one 
 fa£t that had on our minds decifive influence, 
 \vhich is, that the Apoflles make no fuch diflinc- 
 tions, they do not ufe fuch language as modern 
 Preachers, who harangue upon provifion being made 
 for part only, of Chrill: dying for the eledt only. 
 
( 7° ) 
 
 &c. Sec. and furcly their example ought to be of 
 the firfl: authority. Thefe Preachers readily confefs 
 that they do not know who are, and who are not 
 elected ; they invite all, prefs all to come in general 
 terms. But whilft thus employed, they ought to 
 recolie<f!:, that, according to their fcheme, the ina- 
 bility of man is fuch that he cannot attend to their 
 admonitions. On their own principles, therefore, 
 they labour to no purpofe, as the fpirit only can 
 quicken and bring in the eledt. 
 
 But it is urged by fome, in the juftification of 
 this proceeding, that the fpirit may make ufe of 
 them as inftrurnents for that purpofe, a fuppofition 
 which is not authorized by their fyftem, fo that it 
 muft be confefled there is a degree of uncertainty 
 in it, which ought not to be, and it is well known 
 that a great many of them have the mod ferious 
 fcruples on this head, and that not a few able 
 Calvinifl Minifters have entirely left off calling fin- 
 ners to do what they could not do, judging that 
 work to be the peculiar province of the fpirit. 
 Surely a dodrine of fuch importance as the repro-^ 
 bation of a great part of the human race ought not 
 to iland upon inferences, however ftrong, or on " 
 fingle pafTages that may well bear another meaning* 
 The dodrine is fo unworthy of a good God, and fo 
 dlihonourable to him, and of fuch importance to 
 men, that it ought to be fupported by the cleared 
 and mod indifputable evidence ; an evidence that all 
 might fee and feel before it be admitted as a truth. 
 
 But the advocates for the doctrine in queftion 
 lofe the pain that naturally fills the feeling mind in 
 reflecting on the confequences of their fyftem, 
 namely, that the greateft part of the human race 
 
( 71 ) 
 
 ^re broYight irtto exiftencc without any will of ['v.t-t 
 own, and by a chain of fixed events, or by tiie 
 cfFeds of Adam's fin, (a crime they had no concern 
 in; hurried through life to eternal perdition, inde- 
 pendent of their good or evil condu-fl, by virtue of 
 eternal decrees, by confidering themfelves as being 
 fafe, elected, and born to eternal joy. And though 
 unpleafant mifgivings may at times difturb their 
 peace, yet they ftifle the voice of reafon and of hu- 
 manity, and eafe their minds by contending that 
 God, as a Sovereign, has a right to do as he pleafes, 
 as if there were a neceflary connection between 
 abfolute fovereignty and mercilefs power. It is 
 true, indeed, that among men thefe chara£bers are 
 too frequently united, but we know that the 
 fcriptures uniformly fpeak of God as being " good 
 unto all," and declare that " his tender mercies are 
 over all his works," that " he is kind to the evil 
 and to the good," and is perfectly amiable beyond 
 all our conceptions. God being perfectly juft 
 can do nothing unjuft : if he haspre-doomed a great 
 part of his creatures to deftruclion, /bat may be 
 right; but is it right to fport with their miferies, 
 and to infult them in their locv and fallen condi- 
 tion, by calhiig them to believe this or that, to be- 
 lieve and obey his will, or be damned for not obey- 
 ing, when he knows that they have no power to 
 comply with the fmalleit injunction? Is this right, 
 or good, or juit ? 
 
 Thefe obieivatidns are not the effecls of preju- 
 dice, but the refult of very ferious inquiry. Many 
 of us were once firm believers in this particular 
 fcheme, and, to be confident with ourfelves, con- 
 fidered the helplefs infant of the non-eka, who 
 
( 7^ ) 
 
 died at a week old, as being equally an heir of 
 hell and of eternal torments as the old and grey- 
 headed finner, who went laden with iniquity 
 down to the grave ; Tor if men are condemned by 
 eternal decrees, neither years nor crimes make 
 any difference. Men are too apt to fpeak of God 
 as if he were actuated by fuch paffions as too often 
 fway themfelves ; but it is good for us that " his 
 ways are not as our ways, nor his thoughts as our 
 thoughts." The difference is immenfe. It is cer- 
 tain that " God is no refpe6lcr of perfons," but has 
 good-will towards all men ; and there is no evi- 
 dence, either from fcripture or reafon, that any 
 of the human race fhall be loll in eternal perdition 
 by virtue of eternal decrees. The firft wifh of 
 every feeling parent is for the happinefs of his 
 offspring. The whole race of men are the off- 
 spring of God ; and if he were only as good as 
 men, depraved as they are reprefented to be, the 
 fpontaneous defires of his heart (fpeaking after the 
 manner of men) would be for the eternal happi- 
 nefs of all his creatures. 
 
 
 Your's, &c. &c. 
 
( 73 ) 
 
 LETTER VL 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 THE next fubjed on which we propofed to 
 treat is the dodrine of the Satisiaclion of 
 Chrift, and how much foever it may be extolled by 
 its friends, there are no fuch words as " the fatif- 
 fadion of Chrift," or that " Chrift died to fatisfy 
 Divine Juftice," or " that he paid the debt due 
 to fin for us," or " that he died in our ftead," or 
 " that he by his fufferings reconciled an angry God 
 to his offending creatures." We repeat it, there are 
 no fuch words to be found in the New Teftament. 
 We know, indeed, that there are a number of texts 
 cited for the purpole of proving this doctrine, but 
 upon clofe examination we found that, in fad, 
 they neither fpeak the fame language or the fame 
 fentiments. For example, where can any man dif- 
 cover, in the New Teftament, that Chrift by his 
 blood quenched the flaming juftice of God ? or that 
 he died in our ftead, or by his fufferings reconciled 
 his angry Father to his oft'ending creatures ? &c. &c. 
 The generality of religious people are fo accuftomed 
 to hear thefe fentiments, that they never difpute 
 but that the fcriptures are full of them. It would 
 lead us far beyond our delign to enter into a minute 
 
 L 
 
( 74 ) 
 
 examination orfuch texts as the following: '' Chrift 
 died for us,'\*' was facrinced for us," " bore our 
 fins in his own body upon the tree," " was made 
 fill for us," " yc are bought with a price," ^c. &c. 
 They are in a great meafure ligurative, and are 
 borrowed from tb.e ceremonial law of the Jews, or 
 from the Jewifh fcrlptures. It is urged that the ex- 
 prejflion of *' Chrift bearing our fms," has a pointed 
 ailufion to the fcape-goat under the law, which bore 
 away upon his head the fms of the congregation of 
 Ifraei into an unknown land, and that, in the fame 
 manner, Chrift by his gofpel bears away, or removes 
 the fins of the world ; and in confirmation of this 
 idea, it is faid that when our Lord was healinj: all 
 that were fick, the Evangelifl: applied it as a fulfil- 
 ment of the prophecy of Ifaias the prophet, 
 *' himfelf took our infirmities and bare our ficknefs." 
 Now it is plain he did not bear the palfy, fevers, 
 and other diforders, in his own perfbn, in tiieir 
 ftead, but that he removed them, and that thefe 
 were m^erely figurative ailufions to prad:ifes men- 
 tioned in the Old Teftament, will further appear, 
 if it be confidered that there are a number of texts 
 in the New feftament that cannot be underftood 
 but in this mode of interpretation: as for inftance, 
 " ye are bought with a price." If we are to fup- 
 pofe either God or Chrift the buyer, and his blood 
 the price with v.dv.ch Chriftlans are bought, the 
 queftion will be afl^ed, of whom are they bought ? 
 To fay that Chrift, by his fuff'erings, bought them 
 of himfelf, is nonfonfe, that he bought them of God 
 is contrary to all fcripture language, which invari- 
 ably fays that " he brings us to God," " redeems us 
 to God," &c. and not of God. Some enthufiafts, 
 
( 75 ) 
 
 indeed, will fay, that *' he bought them of the 
 Devil," and thus make God bargaining with him, 
 as it were for the deliverance of his own creatures 
 from death, and thus exait the Devil to be nearly 
 as powerful as the Deity. This iurely is too ab- 
 furd to deferve any attention. How then is this 
 language to be underftood but upon the principle 
 above dated ? The very idea of Chriil: dying to 
 appeafe his angry Father, or to fatisfy his injured 
 juftice, reprefents God in an odious point of view, 
 as fo inflexibly auftere that he would remit notliing, 
 but wou!d have the uttcrmoH: farthing, a cfiaraiflcr 
 that is detefted amongff men; while God the Son is 
 reprefented as compafiionate and merciful, and 
 every way amiable, enduring fo much to appeafe 
 the wrath of God, and to fave finners. But are not 
 God the Son and God the Spirit as pure and holy 
 as the Father? confcquently muft not they equally 
 hate fin, and be as juitly offended at it? and who is 
 to fatisfy them? or if they be conlidercd as being 
 all one God, then God the Son died to fatisfy him- 
 felf, which is dbfurd to fuppofe. 
 
 Again ; If they be all one God, then the Father 
 muft have been as merciful as the Son, and did not 
 want fatisfying. But it is argued by fome, that 
 Chrifl is only confidered here r^fpedilng liis hu- 
 man nature ; while others confider him as proper'y 
 God and Man, making one Chrifl, and that no- 
 thing lefs would atone to Infinite Tuftice for infinite 
 fm ; to fay nothing of the abfurdlty of fuppofing a 
 finite creature cap.ible of committing or doing any 
 thing infinite, or of the great injuliice of God's pu- 
 nifhing any of his creatures in a fumre judgment, 
 after he had received infinite fatisfadion for all of- 
 
 L 2 
 
( 76 ) 
 
 fences. When we have allied the friends of this 
 dodrine if God really bled and died for the fins of 
 the world ? they have heeti obliged to paufe, till 
 common fenfe came in to their relief. Serioufly to 
 aflert that the Dcity> who is an immortal, infinite, 
 incomprehenfible Spirit, could bleed and die by any 
 means, much lets by the violence of men, atoms pf 
 the duft, is too monftroue an affertion to be feri- 
 oufly believed even by the greateft enthufiaft. If 
 the Godhead then did not fiaffer, it was only hu- 
 man nature that fufFered ; and could human nature, 
 however pure, that is only finite, by any ibfferings 
 render an infinite fatisfadion to Infinite Juitice ? No, 
 it is a plain contradidlion. But fome are fond of 
 extolling the jiiflice of God at the certain expence 
 of his other pejfedions. But furely, without going 
 fo far, God has not forgotten to exhibit proper 
 views of his jufticq. Let any man difpaffionately 
 confider the deftru6l:ion of the world by the deluge 
 of waters ; of Sodom and Gomorrah, by fire from 
 heaven; of Pharaoh and his hoft in the red Tea ; of 
 the Ifraelites in the wildernefs, for difobedience ; 
 of the nations of the Canaanites, for their idolatries; 
 and laftly, the deftrudion of Jerufalem and the dif- 
 perfion of the Jews, with a number of other fadts 
 that might be mentioned, and he will fee that God 
 has not left himfelf without witnefs on this head, 
 but " has gotten himfelf a name through all the 
 earth," and *' is greatly to he feared =*.'* But when 
 we add to thefe, the general judgment to come, 
 " when all liclh muil appear before the judgment- 
 
 a To tliefe hiflorical fadls may be added the doflrine contained in the 
 New Tcftarncnt, that the whole race of mtn are brought into a {late of" 
 sfflidicin and death by the ofFence of their fcederal head. The juftice of 
 God cannot be more clearly manifellcd than in this effld of Adam's 
 traaf^ireiricr. ♦ 
 
( 77 ) 
 
 feat of Chrijl:,'* when the wicked wHI meet with a 
 righteous fcntence of condemnation, of everlafting 
 puniOiraent, he will furely hnd that God has given 
 the moft ample fatisfadion, the mofi: complete evi- 
 dence to the world of his juftice and holinefs, of 
 his love of righrcoufners, and his hatred of vice 
 and fin. The notion of Chrifl's dying in our ftead, 
 will, upon infpedion, be found extremely weak. 
 It no where appears that man is exempt from any 
 fufferings ihat came by the fall on account of the 
 death of Chrifl:. In this refpeiH: his fituation is ex- 
 adlly the fame that it w?,s before; he is equally fub- 
 jetl to pain, afflid:ion, and death, as he would have 
 been had Chrifi: never been known in the world. 
 This ftrange idea originated in the fuppofition that 
 but for the death of Chrift the fouls of men would 
 have been liable to endure the pains of hell w^ithout 
 end, and that, to fave them from it, Chrift bore all 
 that vafl load of fufferinj^s that was their due. But, 
 happily for ug, this wild notion has neither fcrip- 
 ture nor reafon for its fupport. The death of 
 Chrift-, notwithftanding, may hafe anfwered feme 
 very important purpofes. By means of it he rati- 
 fied or fealed with his blood the New Covenant 
 God had made with his people, and eftabliihed his 
 own character as the iVlefTiah, as well as the truth 
 of his gofpel, by the mofl unparalleled evidence 
 the world had ever htn^ viz. by his refurreiftion 
 from the grave, and his afcenfion into heaven. 
 Thefe are the pillars which fupport the gofpel d f- 
 penfation in the world, on v^'hich all nar hopes of 
 future life and happinefs are founded ; and thtric 
 affurances of life to come, in theinfelves fo inefti- 
 mable, we could not have had without the death 
 and refurredion of Chrifl. 
 
( 78 ) 
 
 Again : By his purity of life, and obedience to 
 death to the will of his Father, and his confequent 
 glory thereupon, he has by his gofpel, and the 
 power of his own exatnple, furnifhed us with the 
 Iftrongeft motives to purity and obedience And as 
 the Captain of our falvalion was " made perfe6t by 
 fufferings," r.s " he learned obedience by the things 
 That he fuffered," he was by thefe means properly 
 prepared for his official charafters ; for " he was 
 tempted in all points like unto his brethren, that 
 he m.ight be a merciful High Prieft over the Houfe 
 of God " But had he not himfelf drank deep of 
 the cup of f Trow, he could not have felt for his 
 brethren as he can now, nor could they have en- 
 joyed fuch confidence in the fympathy of his cha- 
 radter ; for unlefs he had known pain as Head 
 of the Church, there could have been no corre- 
 fpondcnt feelings between him and his members. 
 But as God will caufe all things finally to work for 
 good to them that love and fear his name. 
 
 The prefent ftormy life may prore the beft 
 To fit us for the heav'n of endlefs reft. 
 
 Our prefent circumftances and experience may 
 l)e made the means of introducing us to the greater 
 happinefs ; if fo, hence the propriety of our Head 
 treading the loweft thorny path of human life. 
 Be this as it may, Chrift having died and rifen 
 again, we know that Vve have in the prefence of 
 God a Reprefcntative of human nature, and that as 
 he is now, fuch all his faithful fervants {hall here- 
 after be, for " they fhall fee him as he is." 
 
 It is obvious from the words and experience of 
 religious people who maintain the notion of the 
 uifinitc atonement of Chrift, that he is the firft ob- 
 
( 79 ) 
 
 je61; of their love and regard. To lilm they feel the 
 greateft obhgation, becaufe he appears the mtul 
 compaifionate, the moft amiable; while God, the 
 only reai fource of all goodnefs. is beheld in the 
 back ground, arrayed In aweful vindiclive niajefty, 
 not to be appeafed nor approached but by the 
 ilreaming facrifice of an innocent perfon, upon 
 whom neither law nor juftice could have any claiai. 
 How injurious is this to the God of mercy, whofe 
 moil diftinguilhing character is love ! We are taught 
 and called upon, as the higheft perfedion of our 
 nature in moral excellence, to imitate God ; but if 
 he be fo inflexibly fevere, fo unrelenting as this 
 doctrine reprefents him to be, and we were flrivftiy 
 to copy his example, what fort of charafters flioulti 
 we be ? It is good for the peace and happinefs of 
 fociety that the better principles of our nature de- 
 ftroy the influence of thefc fentiments ! 
 
 How infinitely fhort does this fcheme fall of the 
 engaging views which the Bible prefents to us, that 
 *' God fo loved the world that he lent his only-be- 
 gotten Son," bringing with him pardon and peace, 
 " that whofoever believed on him fliould not perifli^ 
 but have everlafling life.*' Here God manifei'led his 
 love to the world, that he wanted no ialisfaclion, 
 and gave his Son as an evidence there(^f to reconcile 
 his guilty creatures unto himielf, by delivering them 
 from their fins. This is the grand condition of 
 favor, that men do fincerely repent and obey the 
 gofpel of his Chrifl, and are thereby aiT.ired that, 
 " by a patient continuance m well-doing, they flial! 
 obtain glory, honor, and eternal life," and this with- 
 out any other confideration than that of his own 
 love. How much more comfortable is the idea of 
 
( «o ) 
 
 God and all his meflengers ailing folely upon one 
 grand principle of affe<ftIon and benevolence to the 
 Ions of men ! thus making the difplay of his own 
 ■ glory, and the eternil happinefs of the human racj, 
 the grand fpring of all his adiions ! This view of 
 God roufes all our generous powers into a'^ion, 
 and fills our breafts with the warming affedions 
 of gratitude, love, and admiration of his i^ooclnels, 
 in which we behold that whether he finiles or 
 frowns, threatens or promifes reward, or puniQies, 
 all are directed to the fame great end, and arc 
 only fo many modifications of his love. But as 
 very confiderable ftrefs is laid- upon thofe texts 
 that fpeak of Chrifi: as a facrifice for fin, we fliall 
 examine a little into the fubjed, and £hew that the 
 Calvinifiic ideas of it are deftitute of all lupport 
 either from the recorded fadts or analogy of the 
 fcriptures. 
 
 Whatever ftrefs may be laid on the arguments 
 of facrifices and off^erings being uled by the Jews, 
 agreeable to the known and general cuftom of the 
 Kaftern nations, on their entering the prefence of 
 fovereigns or great men, or whether they were in- 
 tended to operate as a kind of puniihmcnt upon 
 the grofs-minded Jew, or otherwife, we Ihall not 
 at prefent confider, but obferve that they were the 
 appointment of God ; that he enjoined upon the 
 people of Ifrael, by his fervant Mc fcs, all the fer- 
 vices of the law, to be by them religioufly obferved 
 for the feveral purpofes for which they w^ere infli- 
 tuted. — From the attentive cconfideration of thcfe 
 things, it will probably appear that the chief end 
 of facrifices was to give to the Jews a way of accefs 
 to God. And as, un^er their ritual, a number of 
 
( 8i ) 
 
 things befides moral guilt rendered a perfon un- 
 clean, there was no enjoying temple worfhip, or 
 approaching God, withrut bringing ah offering 
 which flicuid remove thefe ritual tranlgrefTions, ac- 
 cording to the appointments of Mofes. But thefe 
 facrifices were never confidered as Handing in the 
 place of the fmner, as viflims ficrifired to fatisfy 
 or appeafe the juflice of God; nor was there any 
 inherent virtue in the blood of the flain beaft that 
 could take away their moral fins, as the author of 
 the cpiftle to the Hebrews argues, that " the law 
 made nothing perfed," and that " it was not pof- 
 fibte that the blood of bulls and of goats (hould lake 
 away fin." Neverthelefs the few, oxi properly pre- 
 fenting his offering, had his fin or unclean nefs re- 
 moved. Wherein then lay the advantage ? It con- 
 fifted folely in his obeying the will of God in thefe 
 appointments. If the Jews lived only as they obeyed 
 the pure requirements of the moral law, then the 
 leaft flip or breach of duty marked their difgrace, 
 and fealed their deftrudion, y^r a broken taw ad^ 
 m'lts of no repentance^ the penalty muft be in- 
 curred. But God, in condelcenfion to human in- 
 firmity, joined the ceremonial to the moral law, and 
 by the means of facrilices was pleafed to (hew his 
 mercy to the offending Jews. 
 
 Again : *' By the law is the knowledge of fm.'* 
 In the nature of things any one who feeks to be 
 juftihed or accepted by offerings or facrifices, or by 
 any name whatever, is taught hy that very zCi the 
 isr.perfedion of his character, and the impurity of 
 his ccndudt. This pra6:!ce teaches him humility, 
 and fpeaks tt) his heart that he is a fmner; and it 
 ' M 
 
( S2 ) 
 
 he fenfibly feels and un'.lerftands the rcrloufnefs of 
 the addreis, it is then that he profitably enjoys the 
 mercy that God dilpenfes in thefe mediatory means. 
 But it is contended that thefe facrifices were typi- 
 cal, and immediately referred to the great facrifice 
 of Chrili. This we do not mean to controvert, but 
 only to obferve that it was exactly parallel in its 
 efFedls with the facrifices under the law, i. e. it is, 
 like them, the only way cf accefs unto God : for 
 be it remembered, that we have already (hewn that 
 tile victims under the law were never offered to 
 appeafe the wrath of God, nor confidered as Hand- 
 ing in the place of the fmner, nor as being at al! 
 poifeffed of any inherent virtue capable of remov- 
 ing fin ; and that we have alfo fhewn that Chrift 
 was not lacrificed to the vengeance of God, to re- 
 move his wrath, or to appeafe his juftice in the fm- 
 ner's ftead. Then to keep the parallel clearly in 
 view, we Ihall obiervc that the ceremonial law an- 
 fwered to the few juft v^^hat the throne of grace 
 Joes to the Chriftian, v/ith this difference, that the 
 facrifices under the law were attended with a great 
 deal of labour and expence, on account of their 
 conilant repetition, and were folely confined to the 
 people of Ifrael, and led no farther than the holy 
 of holies within the temple ; whereas the facrifice 
 of Chrifl is free from all labour and expence, and 
 is every way more excellent, as it *■ leads into 
 heaven itfelf," and in its advantages extends unto 
 all men, for '* he is a propitiation for the fins of 
 the whole world.'* Here then you will perceive 
 an elfential difference between this view of the fa- 
 crifice of Chrift and that of a vicarious facrifice, 
 which bears not the lead refemblancc to thofe of- 
 
( 83 y ' 
 
 fered under the law. Therefore this latter view, 
 however numerous its fupporters may be, is not 
 founded in juftice nor fcripture, for jiifrlce never 
 can punilh the innocent for the guilty, and let the 
 guilty go free ; while the former perfedly harmo- 
 nifes with tlie fcripture (eni^e of facrifices, and is 
 attended with no contradiction nor abfurdity what- 
 ever, and yet affords every good that the fituation 
 of men requires, or that a vicarious ^ficrifice pro- 
 pofes. Here the facrifice of Chrifl: is r)ot rendered 
 a nullity on the one hand, nor yet fubjecl to the 
 juft objections of a vicarious facrifice on the other, 
 and gives, by the fpecial appointment of God, to 
 all believers in the gofpel of his Son, in all ages 
 throughout the world, a way of accefs unto himfelf. 
 
 Tour's, &c. &c. 
 
( 84 ) 
 
 LETTER Vil. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 ANOTHFR important doflrine yet remains to 
 be noticed — the dcdtrine of the Trinity — a 
 fubjed: to which learned men of all parties have 
 paid great attention, and fo thoroughly invefli- 
 gated as hardly to leave room for any new obferva- 
 tions. After it has been exhaufted by luch fupe- 
 rior abilities, it would be highly improper for us to 
 attempt a full difcuffion, and this is an apology 
 fufficient for our only remarking on fuch parts as 
 may fhew' the conviction of our own minds ; for 
 though we have feen what both fides have to fay, 
 yet we wifti to obferve that our minds were nearly 
 made up by attendmg to the fcriptures alone, be- 
 fore we had read any ot their works. As you are 
 lo well fatisfied upon this fubjed^ we (hall avoid 
 being tedious, by confining ourfelves to nearly ge- 
 neral remarks 
 
 It appeals to us, in. the mod fatisfadory manner, 
 that the fcriptures do not fpeak of a Trinity ot Per- 
 fons in the Godhead, but on the contrary declare, 
 in the moft decifive language, that there is but one 
 true, felf-exiftent Being, the Firfl Caufe of all 
 caufes; and that, however exalted and dignified 
 
( 85 ) 
 
 Other beings may be, they are all derived from, 
 and dependent on, Him the Ible Author of Uni- 
 verial Nature, Jlhovah, who created the heavtnti 
 and the earth, who called Abraham, fpake to 
 Mofes, revealed hinifelf to the Prophets, and was 
 worfhipped by the whole Jewilh Nation as the one 
 true God- The very firft commandment exprefles 
 this great fentiment : *' Thou iLalt have no other 
 gods before me." The word 7?ie is fmgular, and 
 expreffive of one perfon only, otherwile it would 
 have been. Thou (halt have no other gods before 
 us. — *' Hear, O Ifrael ! the Lord your God is one 
 Lord" (not three). " Is there any god befides me ? 
 (not us J There is no god, I know not any." "■ i 
 am the Lord, and there is none elie." *' There is 
 no god befides me." To whom will ye liken me, 
 or fliali I be equal ? faith the Holy One" (not holy 
 three). We might tranfcribe great part of the Old 
 Teftament, where God conftantly fpeaks of himlclf 
 as one only, and, what is more, the jews always 
 underftood him in this fmgular fenfe, and con- 
 ftantly fpeak of him, and pray to him, as one per- 
 fon only. " O thou tnoft high God ! pofleffor of 
 heaven and earth!'* *' O thou God of Abraha:n, 
 Ifaac, and Jacob :*' and '* Thou God of our fathers V* 
 *' Hath not one God created us ?" &c. &c. This 
 decidedly was the fentim-^nt and language, of the 
 Jewilh nation, and continues to be fo amongft that 
 people ui.til this very day. 
 
 <. onfidering the Old and New Teflament equally 
 to contain the revealed mind of , God, it is highly 
 reafonable to fuppoi'e that they could not fo eifen- 
 tiaily contradi<ft each other, as for one to reveal 
 and mfift upon One God only, and the other to 
 reveal Three Gods, equal, eternal Beings. But 
 
( 86 ) 
 
 we have not to reft upon fuppofitlon, however rea- 
 fonable, for we never find our Lord preaching any 
 Uich do6t:rine as that he was the eternal, felf-exiftent 
 God, that made all worlds, or that he was God 
 nnd Man, Sec. The Apoftles evidently did not un- 
 derftand him fo, for they, like him, never preached 
 to their hearers the blefied Trinity, nor Chrift, the 
 God-Man, or that the eternal God veiled himfelf 
 in human flefh. Indeed we were ftruck with the 
 queftions which unavoidably occurred to our minds. 
 Could the Immortal God become a helplefs infant? 
 Could God die ? Could God be buried ? Could a 
 womb or a grave hold Him whom heaven and earth 
 cannot contain ? Could he be the infinite, the in- 
 conceivably glorious God, and at the fame time th^ 
 finite, defpifed Man of Nazareth ? Surely if this 
 were true, the Apoftles would not be (o totally 
 iilent upon it. They furely could preach as well 
 and as plainly as any that followed them. But now 
 it is become fo fundamental a do6trine that it is 
 founded from one end of the land to the oiher, and 
 he that does not believe it muft be damned. But 
 if this dodlrine had been true, might we not have 
 expedled to have feen the Apoftles exprefs the 
 greareft aftoriifliment when they difcovered that he 
 whom they had feen poor and defpifed, and laftly 
 put to a.fliameful death, was their God.? And how 
 would they not have harangued the Jews on the 
 fubjetft, (hewing them that the lowly Jefus, in 
 point of real dignity, exceeded all their lofty ideas 
 of a glorious temporal Mefliah ? and, proving this, 
 how could they have appeared fimple and foolifti 
 to the wife Philofopher ? The offence of the crofs 
 would then have ceafed. This would have gained 
 
( S7 J 
 
 them more honour and more rcfpedthil attentioii 
 than the fimp'e relation of a man being put to 
 an ignominious death, and raifed again by the 
 power of God. But in their preaching we find 
 nothing of the fort ; their language uniformly is, 
 " Ye men of Ifrael, hear thele words : [ofus of 
 Nazareth, a man approved of God amongft you by- 
 miracles, wonders, and figns, which God did by 
 him in the midft of you, as ye yourieives alfo 
 know, him being delivered by the determinate 
 counfel and fore-knowiedge of God, ye have taken, 
 and by wicked hands crucified and (lain, whom God 
 hath raifed up, having loofed the pains of death," 
 &c. &c. This manner of fpeaking exa<£tly corre- 
 fponded with his life and appearance ; and though 
 the Apoftle who here fpeaks was jufl divinely in- 
 fpired by the defcent of the Spirit, yet he fays no- 
 thing of Chrift being God and Man, nothing of 
 his Divine nature. Here is no myftery whatever, 
 and yet how fit an opportunity for fo great adifcoveryl 
 But the grand reafon why the Apoflles, like mo- 
 dern Preachers, did not conftantly urge this topic 
 in their preaching, was, that they were not tau^\ht 
 it. Their affertion that *"■ there is none other God 
 but one;** for '' though there be that are called 
 gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be 
 gods many, and lords many) but to us there is but 
 one God, the Father,'* feems fully to expreis their 
 fentiments upon this great fubjed;. 
 
 The following declarations of our Lord are, in 
 our minds, decifive. *' I came not of myfelf, he fent 
 me a." "The dodrine is not mine, but his who 
 fent me b<." *' Many works have I ihewn you from' 
 
 a John viii. 42 — vi. 28— xiii. 3. — b vi. 16. 
 
( 83 ) 
 
 my Father c." '' I have not fpoken from m-yfelf, but 
 the Father who fent me. Himfelf gave nrz a com- 
 mandment what I fhould fay and what I fliould 
 fpeak: even as the Father hath fpoken unto me, 
 lo 1 ipeak^l'* " I have fpoken the truth whicli I 
 have heard from God ^." '* The Son can da nothing 
 of himlelf^" *' My Father is greater tlian Is.*' 
 *^' But of that day and of that hour knoweth no 
 man, no not the angels which are ia heaven, nei- 
 ther the Son, but the Father '\** &e. &zc. In thefe 
 pafHiges Chrift declares the words that he fpake are 
 not his own, that the wa')rks that he wrought are 
 not his, but the Father's who fent him, and that 
 he ot himfeif couM do nothing ; declarations utterly 
 incompatible with the idea of his being really God. 
 To fuppofe him to have been God and to have 
 fpoken in this manner, is to luppofe him capable of 
 deceit and prevarication; for, in that cafe, his works 
 and words were his own, he could do every thing 
 of himfeif, he knew to a certainty when the judge- 
 ment-day (hould come, and pofltflcd inherently aii 
 poffible fulnefs, without praying for it; for he 
 that prays is always fuppofed to Aand in need of 
 what he prays for. If a man, in any important 
 matter, was to trifle and prevaricate in this man- 
 ner, he w^ould be degraded, and juftly loaded with 
 contempt, and if it be fo amongft ordinary men, 
 how could Chrift exemplify the perfections of God, 
 or be a pattern to the world of ail purity, truth, and 
 obedience, and have a£led in this difingenuous man- 
 ner ? But perfons who hold this doftrine and feel the 
 force of theie declarations of our Lord above cited, 
 
 c John X. 32. — <3xii. 49, 50. — e viii. 40. xiv. 10. — ^ y. 19.— Sxiv. 28. 
 h Maikxiii. 32. 
 
( ;89 ) 
 
 and the very great difficulty of forming any thing 
 like an anfwer, take Ihelter in a molt unwarrantable 
 aflertion that they refer only to his human nature. 
 We fay unwarrantable, becaufe the fcriptures make 
 no fuch diftindions, ncr ever ufe any fuch phrafes 
 as his human nature or divine nature, and lureiy a 
 fuhjedt on which they are fiient isnottobe regarded 
 as found dod:rine, and therefore the diftm6tions of 
 his human nature and divine nature are fallacious, 
 and to be regarded folely as a cunning invention of 
 men. We know there are a great number of texts 
 cited, and much faid upon them, to prove Chrilt to be 
 God, but whether they will bear a comment more 
 rational, more confonant with the nature of things, 
 and the tenor of fcripture, is worthy of inquiry. 
 We thought of noticuig lome of thefe, but found 
 that doing this would lead us too far, befides we 
 could not fay any thing rnore upon this fubje<fl, as 
 has been already obfcrved, that has not been already 
 faid, and much more ably than we could pretend 
 to do a. And as they are full and dired: upon the 
 fubjed, as lovers of truth we recommend them. 
 
 N 
 
 a There are, however, two or three texts that are thought to fpeak 
 plainly that Chrift is God, fuch as " I and my Father are one," In 
 fcripture, God and his people are faid to be one, i e. of one mind, oc 
 otone fpirit, and Chrift prays that his difciples may be one with God, 
 as he was one with him Are they therefore gods ? iee John xvii. 20. 
 •* Know ye not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?" The 
 Saints are faid to be " the Temple of God,"' and that " God dwtUs in 
 his Church," and that •* his Church dwells in Him " Are they therefore 
 gods ? '« He that hath feen me hath feen the Father." .Surely this cannot 
 allude to the feeipg his perfon as a Jew ; but that in feeing the miracles 
 that Chrift did by the divine power that dwelt in him, they faw the 
 goings forth of God, or thus faw God manifefting himfelf in Chrift; 
 and perhaps rhis is all that is meant by *♦ God being manifeftcd in thefi€lh»'* 
 i. e. io Chrift, in this cxi'^aordjoafy way of working miracles. 
 
( 9° ) 
 
 with confidence to the attention of every inquiring 
 inind, where, when they have feen the iuhjetO: fully 
 dircuffc'd, they then may judge for themfeiv^s. 
 In the mean 'time ^ve would caution every perr6h 
 not to be kd away by founds and appearances, but 
 to be careful to '' judge according to truth;" for 
 fuppofing that fomc fcriptures prove Chrift to have 
 prc-exiffed, that is not proving him the only true 
 God. Nay, farther, fuppofing fjme texts Ihould 
 call him God, even that is far from being conciu- 
 five, when there is fuch a mafs of evidence on the 
 contrary fide. The word Ged bears different 
 meanings in fcripture ; men in authority, fuch as 
 princes, magiflrates, and prophets, are there called 
 gods ; (o that the real queftion will be. Is Chrift 
 any where let forth as being the only true God? 
 If not, then he only, Hke others before him, is 
 called God in a ftcondary fenfe. Take, for ex- 
 ample, the account we have of Mofcs being fent 
 into tgypt. " And the Lord faid, I will make thee 
 a god unto Pharaoh.'* Would it not be prepofterous 
 for any perfon to conclude, that becaufe he was 
 made as a god, could work miracles, and exceeded 
 all that had been feen or heard of in the world be- 
 fqre, therefore that he was really the true God who 
 made all 'things ; and this notwithflanding he de- 
 clared that it was the true God who fent him, and 
 delegated to him thele powers for certain purpofes? 
 To us it is mofl evident that the fcriptures refer all 
 to God the Father in the firft place, and to Chrifl 
 only in a fecondary fenfe, as the means or inftru- 
 ment. 
 
 Did Chrifl come into the world ? " God fent 
 him." — Did he perform miracles and wonders ? " It 
 
( 91 ) 
 
 was by the power of God : they were the works of 
 Gi d." — 'Did he (peak as "never man spake ? " They 
 were the words of Him who fcnt him." — Kad he 
 power to lay down his life, and take it np again ? 
 ''He had received this power from his Father." — 
 Was he railed from the dead, and exalteci to the 
 right hand of God ? '' It Vv'as by the operation of 
 the power of God.*' — Is all power given ii-ito h.im 
 in heaven and in earth? "It pleafed the leather that 
 in him Ihould all fulntfs dwell " — So that what- 
 ever he was, or is, it is all from the power ot God ; 
 and when all things fhall harmonize in fuhiev^Vipn 
 together, ** then Ihali the Son alfo be fuhjed: to him, 
 and God be all in all." 
 
 The dodrine of the Spirit being God, or the 
 Third Perfon in the Trinity, appears equally inde- 
 fenfible, and what has already been laid will, in a 
 great meafure, apply to this. We find, indeed, 
 that the fpirit, or power of God, is fojnetimes per- 
 fonified in fcripture on account of its operations 
 and the characters it bore, as that of com.forter, ad- 
 vocate, 6cc. &c. but though thus fpoken of as a 
 perfon, ftill it is far from proving that this perfon 
 is the only true God. It is not unufual for the 
 fcripture to perfonily things that have no real intel- 
 ligence, no animate exigence, fuch as the attributes 
 of God, death, the grave, charity, &c. czc. It, 
 according to this interpretation, we fhould make 
 them gods becaufe they are fpoken of as perfons, 
 what confufion Ihould we introduce? There would 
 be a Trinity of Trinities. To us, as men, the fpirit 
 of God feems as ciTcntial to his exiftence as God, 
 as the fpirit of a man is eflential to his exiflencc, as 
 
 N 2 
 
( 92 ) 
 
 a man ; and, to talk of a man and his fpirit being 
 iwo men, is an abfurdity. We might here fay much 
 to the fame purpofe, but we haften to obferve, that 
 the fcrip ures know nothing of the phrafes God 
 the Son, and God the Spirit, nor yet of the notion 
 itfelf ; for Chrill never once prays to God the Spi- 
 rit, but always to the Father. What is the reafon 
 of this? Again, we never find the Apoftles praying 
 to either the Son or the Spirit; but why not, if they 
 were God equal with the Father I Again, they ne- 
 ver inilruO: the Churches to pray to any but to God 
 the Father. All this is furely not to be explained 
 but on the fuppoiltion that there is no god but the 
 Father only. Here then we are left without either 
 precept or example from fcripture, a circumftance 
 which to the candid mind mud come with irrefiftible 
 force. The Trinity is confefTedly a myftery that 
 even its bell friends can neither fully underftand 
 nor explain ; yet, llrange to tell, the belief of it is 
 inadc the gate of heaven, and they are ready to cry 
 out, the fcriptures are fo plain that he who runs 
 may read. The man that can run and read that a 
 fon is as old as his father, muft be very quick-fighted 
 indeed. If he can upon fober refledion believe this, 
 and that three are one, and one is three, great is 
 his faith ; he is prepared to receive any thing which 
 thofe who may happen to be his Teachers may 
 choofe to impole upon him. 
 
 We fay, then, with the Apoftle Paul, "to us 
 there is hut One God, the Father," the Firft Caufe 
 of all cautes, the Maker of all things, the lource of 
 all perfection, and confequently the only objed: of 
 religious Worflrip and adoration ; for the very idea 
 of a man^s equally loving and worfliipping three 
 
( 93 ) 
 
 perfons is im practicable; one obje£l will be fiir 
 prcme in his affeftions. It is certainly a ferious 
 thing to rob God of his peculiar honours : he is de- 
 kribed in the Jewifh fcriptures as '* a jealous God, 
 who will not, and cannot give his glory to another." 
 They then who worftiip a creature inftead of their 
 Creator, and who give themfelves no trouble to in- 
 quire whether it be right or wrong fo to do, may 
 one day, when it is too late, fee the folly and im- 
 propriety of their conduct. It is a ftrange miftaken 
 notion that men Should think they pay refpe£t to 
 Chrift by afcribing to him honours whitch do not in 
 truth belong to him, and which he no where re- 
 quires at their hands. They would bring more real 
 honour to his name by obeying his gofpel in truth 
 and fimplicity, and by joining in the fpirit thereof, 
 to worfhip his God and our God, his Father and 
 our Father, in fpirit and in truth, agreeably 
 to his own words : " Thou (halt worfhip the Lord 
 thy God, and him only Ihalt thou ferve." 
 
 Your's, &c &c 
 
( 94 ) 
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 WK have epdeavoured in our obfervations on 
 the leading doctrines of religion, now com- 
 monly received as Chriftianity, to fhew plainly our 
 reafons for abandoning the popular fyftems ; and 
 though from what has been faid our prefent ideas 
 in a great meafure may be gathered, yet we thmk 
 it neceffary to give, in a ftill plainer and more ex- 
 plicit manner, our views of the faith and pradice 
 of the gofpel. 
 
 We, like others, believe it to be good news unto 
 men, and to confift chiefly in God's blefTmg the 
 world with the revelation of his will, in granting 
 them repentance unto life, the forgivenefs of fms* 
 the hope of an endlefs exiftence in another and a 
 better world, by a refurredion from the -lead. This 
 could not fail of proving to men, in i ftate of fm 
 and death, good news or glad tidings ; and in or- 
 der that man might enjoy the intended love and 
 goodnefs cf God in the go'pel of his grace, it was 
 found neceffary to prepare him for it by {hewing 
 him his need of it, and his helplefs condition with- 
 out it. To this end the law was given as a fchool- 
 mafter till the Seed or Chriftihould come, for " by 
 
{ 95 ) 
 
 the law is the knowledge of ^ln^" (and not by the 
 inward work of the fpint) and the law was added, 
 that the offence might abound, and that fin might 
 appear exceedingly finfid ; that man, being exhi- 
 bited to himfelf in ail his weaknefs, might be able 
 to fee, that by the works of the law, or, in otlier 
 words, his own rectitude, that no lielli could 
 be juftified before God ^ It is true in the very nature 
 of things, that impure fervices can never be fatif- 
 fadtory to a holy and a jull law; here all the world 
 was found guilty before God ; " he had concUided all 
 under fm, that he might have mercy upon all ^," for 
 fin and death had completely feparated man from 
 his Maker '^. By no efforts he could make, could he 
 redeem his foul from death in this fitualion; he was 
 without hope, all his fairefl profpeds were bounded 
 by the grave, and fvvallowed up in death. 
 
 Without this neceffary knowledge, man could not 
 be difciplined, could not fee the beauty of the ^ol- 
 pel, nor fenfibly enjoy the mercy of God. In this 
 loft condition did the gofpel find and confider the 
 world, and brought to man the be ft news that 
 could poffibly reach his ears, viz. that he ftiould 
 not be loft in death, but live agahi, anJ that for 
 ever; that God was his friend, the God who made 
 him, and againft whom he iiad offended, and who, 
 as an evidence and pledge of his love, "'■ had giveri 
 liis only-begotten Son, that wholbever believeth and 
 obeyeth his gofpel ftiould not perifti, but have evcr- 
 laftinglife.'* Man is herefpoken, or appealed to, as a 
 reafonable creature, as a creature of motives, and 
 called upon to enjoy all this good by finccre obe- 
 dience to the will of God; and this call is enforced. 
 
 * Romans iii. 2C.— vii. 7. — ^ ill, 20.— <^ ili.. 23. — <^ xi. 32. 
 
( g6 ) 
 
 cn the one hand, with an alfurance of being blefled 
 hereafter with greater felicity thail can be conceived 
 of in this life ; and^ on the other hand, by the mo/^ 
 awful fanitions of inconceivable filLurcpuniniment.^. 
 Men could not obey, with all their hearts, vvithotic 
 fincere repentance, on account of their former lin- 
 ful purfuits ; hence it is, that " men are every where 
 called upon to repent." This is one of the firft fab- 
 jedis infilled upon by the New Teftament wntcrs: 
 John the Baptift began his minillry by preaching 
 repentance; our Lord began his miniflry by preach- 
 ing repentance; Peter began his miniilry by preach- 
 ing repentance ; Paul preached that " men (hould re- 
 pent and turn to God :*' all from the powerful con- 
 fideration of a righteous judgment to come, in 
 which *' every man (liould be rewarded according to 
 his works.** By all which is plainly meant, that men 
 lliould turn from evil to good, from ail idolatrous 
 worfhip, and the fervice of falfe gods, to the fervicfi; 
 and worfliip of the true God, who made all things. 
 Religious people feem, in general, to have very 
 imperfect ideas of repentance; for when a man 
 begins to be ferioufly concerned about religion, and 
 is much diftreffi^d for fear of being damned, in- 
 Head of leading him to the word of God, to the 
 mercy and forgivenefs that is there revealed for 
 fuch characters, they tell him to pray and wreflle 
 with God till he obtain the bleffing, and, by way 
 of encouragement, afTure him that the Lord has 
 begun a good work in him; that the Spirit is 
 working convi(^ion and a fpirit of repentance, and 
 is fliewing him the finfulnefs of his nature, and the 
 corruption of his heart, and that, by and by, this 
 godly forrow will work in him fuch repentance as 
 
( 97 ) 
 
 need not be repented of. It is true, godly for^ 
 row leadeth to repentance, and, in moii cafes, is 
 the companion of it, but forrow is not repentance* 
 There may be much forrow and fadnefs, and no 
 real repentance. Real repentance is the turning 
 from one thinp: to another: and in religion it is the 
 turning with all the heart from falQiood to truth, 
 from the power and (ervice of fin to the fervice of 
 God, and to the practice of virtue and benevolence. 
 It is a real change of heart and manner of proceed- 
 ing, the entire adoption of new habits and of new 
 purfuits. No man can reap the fruits of repent- 
 ance, except a door or way of acceptance be opened 
 to him by the Being againft whom he has offended. 
 A man in a ftate of death cannot turn to life with- 
 out a way of life be opened to him. This, amongft 
 other mercies for which we have to thank God, is 
 given in the gofpel. This glorious difpenfation gives 
 man an opportunity of turning unro God, and of 
 enjoying a hope of life. Chrift " is exalted to be 
 a Prince and a Saviour, to grant repentance unto 
 Ifrael, and forgivenefs of fins;'* and not to Ifrael 
 only, but alfo to the whole world. Hence the 
 Apoftle Peter exclaimed, when he faw the Holy 
 Spirit defcend upon Cornelius and his friends, who 
 were Gentiles, '* Then hath God alfo unto the Gen- 
 tiles granted repentance unto life." Many ferious 
 people think Chrift was exalted to grant repentance 
 by the Ipirit working inwardly upon the heart, 
 whei'eas it is plain that nothing of the kind is in- 
 tended by the text, but merely that the golpel given 
 by Chriit, and novv cftabliihed by the endowing the 
 Apoflles with power from on high to preach it, 
 
 Q 
 
( 98 ) 
 
 grants unto the Jcv/5, notwithilanding their wick- 
 ednt^fs and ill treatment of the Meffiah^ mercy and 
 repentance, and gives all men, notwithftanding 
 Vi^hat ihey may have been before, an opportunity 
 of turning unto God, with an aflurance of his fa- 
 vour and protection, if they obey him. It feemed 
 to us proper to make thefe obfervations on repent- 
 ance, left we ft^ould be mifunderflood, and we fliall 
 now puifue our repnarks on the faith and pra<5lice 
 of the gofpel. 
 
 The faith of the gofpel, in the fir ft inftance, is-, 
 to believe Jcfus of Nazareth to be the Chrift, or 
 Mefliah. This is clearly the firft great truth that 
 Chrift and his Minifters called upon the world to 
 believe. And the fitnefs and rcafonablenefs of this 
 meafure moft evidently appears ; for whatever good 
 the gofpel contains, no man, as a rational agent, 
 could enjoy it, without he believed it with an ho- 
 iieft mind. U-pon this, all depends ; for if we 
 truly receive him as the Great Meflenger of God, 
 we of courfe receive his meflage ; and the man who 
 fincerely believed and obeyed him as fuch, was 
 confidered by the Apoftles as a Chriftian or a Dif- 
 ciple, u^hether he knew much or little. This, were 
 it needful in this place, we could fully {hew from 
 various paiTages in the New Teftament. Indeed all 
 the mighty works that were done by Chrift and his 
 Minifters were to give fufficient evidence of this 
 great truth, namely, that we might believe that 
 *' Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of God, and that be- 
 lieving we might have life through his name».'* 
 The phrafes " believe on the Son of God,'" ** believe 
 in the gofpel," or ** in the Lord Jefus Chrift,*' or 
 
 » John XX. 3 ! . 
 
( 99 ) 
 
 ** In the truth,** do not mean that if men believe in a 
 fuperficial, or limply in an hiftorical way that 
 Chrift is the Meffiah, (juil as they believe that 
 there were fach men as Mofes, Solomon, Cromwell) 
 that therefore they fhall be faved, without paying 
 refpe<fl or pure obedience to him as fuch, by no 
 means. A traditional, diftant acknowledgment, or 
 a mere nominal belief of Chrift belnir come in the 
 flefh, certainly is net what is meant by the faith of 
 the g:)rpel, for this men in general do, without re- 
 garding it, or deriving any advantage from it^. On 
 the contrary, the (cripture fenlb of the ivords " to 
 believe in Chrift," &c. is to receive and obey him 
 as the Meffiah with all our hearts, to be iniiuenced 
 and guided by him as King of the Chriftians, and 
 Head of the gojpel difpenTation. This appears to 
 us the true fenfe of the terms " believing in Chrift," 
 or in the gofpel, and which belief oniy hath the 
 promife of eternal life. The news of a life or world 
 to come, wherein dwelleth righteoufnefs, could of 
 itfelf yield little ox no fatisfadtion to finful man, 
 more efpecially when he is allured that " nothing 
 unclean can enter there," " that without hoiinefs 
 no man can fee the Lord." And indeed it muft 
 ever be true that there can be no fellovvdiip be- 
 tween purity and impurity, light and darknefs, 
 
 O 2 
 
 ^ It IS worthy of remark, the very great difFcrence that there is between 
 Relieving in a man and in his doctrine. We may eafily believe in the ter- 
 mer, and through ignorance, or the bias of fyitciDs, rejeft the latter; a 
 ftriking inflance of which we have in the condu»5^t of the Jews; for while 
 they boafted ii being the difciples of Mofes, yet they made his dodrine, 
 or the law, of no e^feft by their traditions. They thought they were 
 walking in the light, when they ftumbled in darknefs, and knew not 
 whither they were going. This, we are afraid, is too faithful a liker.cfs 
 of the profciTing chriftian world. 
 
( lOO ) 
 
 truth and falHiood, between God and the unclean 
 finner, as fuch Hence the prooriety of our Lord's 
 words to the Jews : ^' If ye die in your fms, where 
 I am, there ye cannot come * But when God in 
 the riches of his grace, amoni^fl other mercies, de- 
 clared to his offending creatures the forgivenefs of 
 fins, then every bar, every impediment to their 
 happinels on his part was removed. They then 
 could joy in God, and rejoice in hope of a life to 
 come. This is one of the grand dodtrines of the 
 gofpel minift'V and what makes the golpel to be 
 iruiv glad tidings to the heavy ladened and the 
 burdened mind, the fulfilment of the New Cove- 
 nant God had made with his people : " 1 will be 
 merciful to their unrightc'^ufnefs, and their fins 
 and iniquities will I remember no more a." 
 
 The Apoftles preached this good news to the 
 world, declaring the remiflion and forgivenefs of 
 fins in the name of Jefus, as he himfelf informs 
 them, faying. *' ? hus it is written, and thus it be- 
 hoved Ciirift to fufFer, and to rife from the dead 
 the third day, and that repentance and remiflion of 
 fins fhould be preached in his name among all na- 
 tions, beginning at Jerufalem^." Paul tells the 
 Corinthian converts that '•■ God was in Chrift, re- 
 conciling the world unto himfelf, not imputing 
 their tiefpafles unto them^.'* Yes, without any re- 
 ftridions, without any exceptions. That fhould 
 we fuppofe the fin of the world ten thoufand times 
 greater than it was, or fhould wq fuppofe the fins of 
 the whole world, laid upon tlie head of one man, if 
 God declared by his Miniflers that he would re- 
 
 a Hebrews viii. I2.~b Luke xxiv. 47. — Ads xiii. 38. •— 
 caCor. V. 19, 
 
( tot }> 
 
 member them no more, would not impute them to 
 him, but would cleanfe him from all guilt in his 
 mercy (the only way by which fin is removed j if 
 he turned unto him and obeyed his will; the man 
 complying with thele conditions, and repofmg the 
 fulieft confidence in what God declares, would feel 
 juftified before him, and in his own confcience, as 
 much as though he had never finned. We might 
 here eafily illuilrate cur meaning by fuppofing a 
 great part of the fubjed:s of this kingdom in open 
 rebellion agalnft the laws and their rightful Sove- 
 reign, in which cafe {hould his Majefty be pfeafed in 
 his clemency to iffue an a.^ of grace to ail his re- 
 bellious fubjeds, offering them a full and free par- 
 don for ail offences, on conditions that they lay- 
 down their arms, lurrender themfelves, and return 
 to their allegiance within the time limited, all that 
 complied with the fpirit of the conditions would be 
 as free and as much under the prote<3;ion of the 
 laws as though they had never finned againft them. 
 Religious people, unhappily for themfelves, have 
 too much forfaken the fountain of living waters, 
 inftead of taking tidvantage of the act of grace that 
 God has proclaimed to mankind by Jefus Chriil, 
 and reiyn^g itedfaftly^ on his veracity therein. 
 Their I eachers endeavour to (hew them that they 
 are finners, and labour to convince them of the ne- 
 ceflity of obtaining pardon, or they will fuiFer the 
 dreadful confequences of their fins. So far v^ery 
 good; but their peace and pardon is not drawn from 
 the a6t of grace publilhed in the gofpel, but from 
 fenfible communications of the ipirit to the m'lad. 
 To attain thefe, they are fet to feek, to pray, and 
 wreftle> and to attend upon means, earneitiy p'ay- 
 
( 102 ) 
 
 ing God to give them to know that he loves them, 
 that he has pardoned their (ins, &c. by the witnefs 
 of the fpirit. This work of uncertainty frequently 
 continues a long time, wherein the greateft anxiety 
 is felt and endured, before they receive the fuppc^fed 
 bleffing, and lome, with all their labour, never fa- 
 tisfadtorily acquire it. How different is this from 
 the Apoflles' plan ! They not only teach men the 
 neceility of receiving pardon, but alfo declare it to 
 them. They do not direct men to the round-about 
 way of praying, feeking, wreftling, and attending 
 wpon means, with a peradventure they will receive 
 it this time or that time, but offer them a prefent 
 good, fo that they have nothing to do but to receive 
 and rejoice in what is freely given them of God.— • 
 To illuflrate this fubjedl. Suppofe a man under fen- 
 tence of death for a capital offence againft the laws 
 of his country, is there not the greatefl difference be- 
 tween one perfon's attempting to convince him of the 
 necefTity of feeking and obtaining a pardon, or he 
 will furely be executed, (a truth of which he is al- 
 ready convinced) and that of a fecond perfon, who 
 fhall declare a free pardon in his ears ? While the 
 former perfon only makes him more fenlible of the 
 defperatenefs of his fituation, and flirs him up to 
 feek with tears and a heavy heart, by the means of 
 friends, for that pardon, which he is quite uncertaia 
 whether he fliall attain or not; the latter, by de- 
 claring a free pardon to him, and fhewing it to him, 
 figned and fealed, fills him with a prefent good 
 that difpels all his doubts, removes condemnation 
 and the fear of death from his mind, and fills it 
 with peace and rejoicing. 
 
{ '03 ) 
 
 In a religious fenfe, the fame happy experience is 
 enjoyed by a finner, who is affedied with his Titu- 
 ation, on receiving the Ibripture doctrine of the for- 
 givenefs of (ins ; it not only delivers him from feaf 
 and condemnation, but generates in him every 
 fentiment of liberty, gratitude, and rejoicing, and 
 every affection that can enable him to ferve and 
 worfliip God in fpirit and in truth. He loves God 
 becaufe God firft loved him; love begets love, good- 
 nefs begets goodnefs. In a word, he is a ffeifted deeply 
 by the divine perfections, and irrefiftibly drawn to 
 admire and imitate them. We repeat it with con- 
 fidence, that the do(ftrine of the remiffion of fins 
 being received and enjoyed by faiih, prepares the 
 mind for every good word and work, and generates 
 in him every principle of love to God, and good- 
 will towards man. He that believes this, harh, in 
 truth, the witnefs in himfelf. Inftead of bondage 
 and condemnation, as above noted, he has liberty 
 and rejoicing ; inftead of fear and difmay, a well- 
 grounded hope; inftead of a fearful apprehenfion 
 or looking-for of vengeance, he has the faireft prof- 
 pedts, and the moft enlarged expectation. In (hort, 
 he is a new man, and it is his plealure to walk wor- 
 thy of him who has called him to virtue and g'ory. 
 
 That a finner (hould eftablifh himfelf in habits 
 of rectitude for a courfe of lime, or that he fhouid 
 feek by prayer and crying, for months or years, 
 for marks and figns, or inward evidences of the fpi- 
 rit, before he can lift up his heart with pleafure or 
 confidence to God, feems to us perfectly unfcriptural ; 
 for before either of thefe can be effeCted, as both 
 require time, he may be taken from the land of 
 the living: of courfe thefe views do not meet the 
 
{ 104 ) 
 
 prefent wants and candition of man. That a man 
 ih©iild have fotne aflurance of his life before he can 
 do any thing that requires much time, 4S an objec-^ 
 tlon that never could be bron^ht to the Apoftles* 
 doiStrine. Let any man carefully examine rheir 
 preaching to the world, and he will find they never 
 fet men to wait or feek for any thing which the' 
 fpirit had yet to work or to do; no, their cry was 
 to this purpofe, " to-day if ye will he;\r his voice.** 
 In fhort, they always offer m^n a prefent good^ 
 fuitable to their fmful condition. They had not by 
 prayers to " bring Chrift down from above," or to 
 ** bring him up from the deep;" the '* word was nigh 
 them, even in their hearts.; and in their mouths." 
 The word of faith, which the Apoftles preached, 
 that if they " believed in Chrift with their hearts, 
 confefled him with their mouths, and obeyed him 
 in their condud, they were aifured of being laved a," 
 and which thoufands received with joy whilft hear- 
 ing the Apoftles preachy for they wanted nothing 
 as a preparative, but to underftand what they heardb. 
 We hope we fhall not be underftood as meaning to 
 infinuate any thing againft virtue, reditudc, and 
 prayer ; no, we regard them as of the hrft import- 
 ance; we only mean them to be confidered as the 
 effeds, and not the caufe of our receiving the mercy 
 of God ; neither do we mean that a man may have 
 been very wicked, and a flave to the lufts of a cor- 
 rupt mind the greater part of his life, and that 
 being made ferious by afflidion, or the fear of ap- 
 proaching death, and under the influence of thefe 
 circumftances praying to God to have mercy on him, 
 or that by receiving lacraments, hearing prayers, 
 
 a RomanSX. 7, t, 9. — b Afts iii. 
 
( 105 ) 
 
 or by believing, that he can be changed and crn- 
 Tcrted into a faint in a moment. This is not what 
 we mean. We have been merely dating how men 
 were made Chriftians at fiift, and not Ipeaking of 
 their condiidt as Chriftians. If a man^ as a Chrift- 
 tian, fins, and commits iniquity, he muft wafh 
 out his fins by unfeigned repentance and contri- 
 tion ; he muft confefs and forfake them with all 
 his heart, or he cannot have the favour of God ; 
 and although we incline to think that fmcere genu- 
 ine repentance at any period of life will be accepted, 
 yet we are fully fatisfied that to let the right feafoa 
 of improvement pafs away unemployed, and to 
 truft to a death-bed repentance for future happi- 
 nefs, is trifling, delufive, and dangerous to the laft 
 degree; for however any man may wifh or hope to 
 die, his death may be fo fudden, or attended with 
 fuch painful circumftances as to exclude every op- 
 portunity of effedling fuch an important work. 
 
 We have obferved already that the forgivenefs 
 of fins, and the hope of life and happinefs in ano- 
 ther world, is enjoyed only by faith : we come now 
 to (hew what faith is. — To have faith in any thing 
 is fimply to believe or credit that thing to be truth. 
 To have faith in Chrift, is to- believe and receive 
 him as the true Mefliah, the Son of God, and to 
 rely or confide in what he has Ipoken to be the 
 truth of God. The woxd^ faith and believing meaii 
 juft one and the fame thing, and they are ufed ia 
 fcripture indifcriminately for this purpole. For in- 
 ftance : " Being juilificd by faith., we have peace 
 with God, through cur Lord Jefus ChriftV* Again, 
 
 P 
 
 * Roa^ans v. i. 
 
( 1CJ6 ) 
 
 the fame Apoftle fays, " Be it known unto you 
 therefore, men and brethren, that through this Mm 
 is preached unto you the forgivenefs of fins ; and 
 all that believe are juftiiied from all things from 
 which they could not be juftified by the law of 
 Mofes ^." In the fir ft paffage they are faid to be 
 juftified by faith, and in the fecond by believing^ 
 which Ihew^s that the Apoftle ufed them as fynoni- 
 mous terms. Faith is fometimes put for the gof- 
 pel itfelf ; but, as touching our fubjed, faith or 
 believing is the fame in all cafes : whether we call 
 it human or divine faith, the difference arifes folely 
 from the nature of the thing believed, and not ip: 
 believing itfelf. If we believe in human teftimony, 
 that may be called human faith; if we believe in 
 divine teftimony, that may be called divine faitl:^. 
 So that to credit or believe the gofpel of Chrift tQ 
 be the truth of God, is true and faving faith. 
 
 Thus having ftiewn what faith is, and as we have 
 Vfo^e proved that it is not 4 gift, we (hall now 
 Ihew how it is received. — To us it appears rnoft 
 evident, both from fcripture and reafon, that faith 
 Cometh by hearing, and in all cafes depends upori 
 evidence, and the credibility of attendant circum-!- 
 ilances. We cannot believe in any report till we 
 hear it ; and when any report is founded in our 
 €ars in which, if true, we are greatly interefted, 
 our firft inquiry is. Is it true ? If there appear fuf- 
 ficient evidence of its truth, we of courfe believe it. 
 Thus the Apoftle Fr;'il: " So then faith cometh by 
 hearing, and hearing by the word of God ^" The 
 Apoftle could not be fo inconfiftent with himfelf as 
 to teach, in one epiftle, that faith cometh by hear- 
 
 a Adis xiii. 38— b Romans x. 17. 
 
( i07 ) 
 
 ^g; and W another that it is a gift. This would 
 be fuch a contradidion in terms and ideas as would 
 ill accord with the harmony of truth and the Apo- 
 ftle's character. Some perfjns, feeling the force of 
 this difficulty, rather than give up their unfcriptural 
 tenet have endeavoured to make both thefe ftatc- 
 ments fpeak the fame thing, very aukwardly in- 
 deed, as all rpun; do who attempt to reconcile con- 
 tradictions. But the fcripture language of faith 
 toming by hearing, and hearing coming by the 
 jrreaching of the v;ord of God, and depending on 
 evidence, is perfedly agreeable with all our rational 
 principles, and with the experience that is felt and 
 aded upon amongft mankind, who generally be- 
 lieve and ad from evidence in all their common, 
 (toticerns with one another. God, who i^ gracious, 
 and confiders our frame, has condefcended to treat 
 its according to our clrcumftances and capacities, 
 a!nd Has made ufe of means and terms correfpond- 
 ing thereto, and hao called us to believe nothing 
 but upc-n the cleareft evidence. Thus our Lord 
 appeals to his miraculous v/orks, to the evidence 
 which he gave, and calls the Jews to believe on 
 htm for " the very works' fake," telling them, that 
 f' if he had nor done the works which no other man 
 did, then had they been without im^" i. e. if tiie 
 miracles which he wTought among them had not 
 proved that he was really fent from Godt they 
 would have been guiltlefs in not receiving him as 
 their expeded iVieffiah. When our Lord had left 
 this world, his Apofties fucceeded him in preach- 
 ing the cjofpel, and were endued with power from 
 
 P 2 
 
 a John X. 38— xiv. n. 
 
( loS ) 
 
 ©n high to work fimilar miracles*, in confirtnatioii 
 thereof; and they, like their Maftcr, appeal unto 
 their works, that they had given the figns of an 
 Apolile \ Paul tells the Churches that ** their gof- 
 pel came not unto tliem in word only^, but in 
 power and demonftration, that their faith might 
 not reft upon the word of men.** The Writer to the 
 Hebrews expreflcs himfelf thus: "How fhall wc 
 efcape if we negle£t fo great falvation, which at 
 the firft began to be fp oken by our Lord, and was 
 confirmed unto us by them that heard him> God 
 alfo bearing them witnefs both with figns and 
 wonders, and with divers miracles and gifts of the 
 Holy Ghoft, according to his own will d.** But if 
 faith does not come by hearing, and does not de- 
 pend upon evidence, to what purpofe were all thefc 
 wonders ? What was this great evidence of miracles 
 for ? If faith is the gift of God, the work of the 
 Spirit upon the heart, it vvfas not needful, and we 
 think upon this fuppofition that no man can fhew 
 any great ufe in muacles or preaching. But as 
 prf aching is the ordinary means that God has ap- 
 pointed to favc men, we fee the wifdom and abfo- 
 lute nectffi(y of thefe evidences, as without them 
 no preaching could have affeded the mind. That 
 men were faved by preaching, by hearing, and by 
 evidence, plainly appears from the following paf- 
 fages : " I hou haft the words of eternal life.*' ** Ye 
 are clean through the word.** *' As many as gladly 
 received his word.** Cornelius, though he had had 
 a vifion, and heard an angel, yet was ordered to 
 fend for Peter, who (hould tell him words by which 
 
 a John xiv« 12.— b 2 Cor. xii. 12. — Afls ii. 43 — c 1 Ihef. i. jj.ir- 
 <1 Hcb. ii. 4. 
 
1 i<99 > 
 
 lie atid his houfc fliould be faved. The Bercaas 
 
 *' recti ved ihe word with all readinefs." The Co- 
 
 rinth'ans *' heard and believed." The Thed'alonians 
 
 ** received the word, not as the word of men, but 
 
 . as it is in truth the.vvord of God, which alfo work- 
 
 €th efftduallyi in all that believe." Paul was *•• not 
 
 . afliauied o£ the gofpel of Chrift, for it was the 
 
 ■ power of-^Gpd to lalyation to everyone that be- 
 
 _lieveth.**; *' Ihe preaching of the Crofs to them 
 
 . that periih was fooliihnels, but to them that were 
 
 iaved, the power of God, and the wildom of God." 
 
 *" It hath pleafed God by the fooli(hneis (or means) 
 
 of preaching to lave them that believe.'* " Th€ 
 
 word is nigh thee, the word of faith which we 
 
 preach." " So we preached, and fo ye believed." 
 
 j.'>' iMoreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gof- 
 
 pel which I preached unto you, which alfo ye have 
 
 received, and wherein ye ftand, and by which alfo 
 
 ye are laved, if ye keep in memory what I preached 
 
 unto you, unlefs ye have believed in vain," ^a 
 
 Here is fuch a mafs of evidence that men wer«e 
 faved by believing, or outward teftimony by tho 
 means of preaching, a,nd not by any inward wark 
 pf the Spirit, that we are utterly aflonifhed how 
 ferious honeft men can read the fcriptures and I40t 
 fee that this was the means which God made xdt 
 of to fdve the world — preaching, fupported by evi- 
 dence. As the fcheme of faivation is recorded in 
 the fcriptures, the fcriptures are the light of men: 
 without them we know little of God, nothing of a 
 world to come, or of our future deftlhy. They are 
 the only fource of information in matters of ireJi* 
 gion. Of what vai\ importance then are the fcrr^* 
 .tures to us, and wh^t is equal to a iriie ratioiisd 
 
( fio ) 
 
 underftanding of them ! How ought th^y t6 be re- 
 verenced and obeyed, as they only are capable of 
 making us wife unto falvation ! Imprefled With 
 thefe lentimenls, how painful is it to hear ferious 
 people, through the influence of falfe and mif- 
 chievou9 notions, fpeak of the fcriptures as a fealed 
 book, a dead letter^ the bare word, only ink and pa^ 
 pery &c. &c. which evidently proves the prejudice 
 and weaknefs of their minds in religious concerns. 
 They would not talk in this manner about an In- 
 denture, an Adl of Parliament, a Bank Note, or a 
 Royal Proclamation. What fhould we think of that 
 man who fhould maintain that a Royal Proclama- 
 tion parted againft a wall was only a dead letter, 
 infignificant ink and paper, and not to be depended 
 upon, unlefs efficacioufly applied by fome foreign 
 power ? Has it not the fame fpirit and force pafted 
 upon the wall ? Is it not as obligatory as if we had 
 heard his Majefty fpeak it himfelf in his Cabinet? 
 If the Proclamation then contains the fpirit of its 
 author concerning the matter of which it fpeaks, 
 in the fame manner as every book (let the fubje<lt 
 be what it may) contains the fpirit of its author, 
 when we receive the book, and approve of it cor-r 
 dially, believing what it contains, we receive its 
 fpirit, and become of the fame mind with its author. 
 In like manner, the fcriptures contain the fpirit and 
 mind of God, and as far as we receive them, and 
 they have a dwelling in our hearts, fo far do we 
 receive his fpirit, and become of one mind with 
 him. 
 
 We cannot but think, notwithftanding great pro- 
 feflions and apparent fandity, that it is a very irre- 
 verent manner of ipeaking to call the words of 
 
( in ) 
 
 Eternal Truth, the living words of the Living Ood^ 
 a dead letter. It refledis no credit on a man's fanc- 
 tity, or on his acquaintance with that book, ais may 
 appear from the following fcriptures: " Thou haft 
 the words of eternal life.*' Our Lord fays, ** My 
 words, they are fpirit and they are life." Paul 
 fays, " The word of God is quick and powerful, 
 (harper than a two-edged fword," &c. and lie thanks 
 God that the Theffalonians received it, not as the 
 word of men, but as it is in truth the word of 
 God, " which worketh effedually alfo in them that 
 believe.'* Peter tells the Churches that they were 
 •* born again, not of corruptible feed, but of incor- 
 ruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and 
 abideth for ever.'* When perfons who aflert that 
 the fcriptures are a bare word, a dead letter, &c. 
 read fuch pafiages as thefe, '* that the word is the 
 power of God to falvation to every one that be- 
 lieveth," what can they honeftly think or fay? 
 Need any man hefitate a moment which he is to 
 regard? Is it not plain that they neither underhand 
 nor believe thefe fcriptures? 
 
 We might here remark how much fome very re- 
 ligious people expofe them fe Ives by the incoherence 
 of their notions. It is very common to hear them 
 ftrenuoufly contending for the infpiration of the 
 fcriptures ; but flioulU this be taken for granted, 
 and it be argued from thence their iufficiency xo 
 fave without any thing elfe, they then change their 
 ftrain, and affirm that they are a dead letter. Again: 
 It is common to hear them pafs all the line enco- 
 miums upon the fcriptures that they can exprefs, 
 and, amongft others, that they are fimple and eafy 
 tQ be underftood, fo that " he who runs may read/' 
 
( Hi) 
 
 Here fivoiiM we take up their owh argument, arid 
 affirm that they are (b plain, and io wdl adapted 
 to the meaneft capacity, that every attentive mind 
 may be fully able to underOand and enioy all the 
 good they hold out, and to comprehend all the 
 truths neceiTary to falvation, they then again change 
 fides, and contend that it is a fealed book, and can- 
 not be favingly imderftood but by fupernatural af- 
 fiftance. Can any condudl be more inc uifirtent ? 
 Paul folemniy charges Timothy, before the Lord 
 Jefus Chrift, to preach the word. But what great 
 good could the preaching of a cle^id letter do then, 
 more than now? What good effeds could be pro- 
 duced by the bare word? The common reply is, 
 It is powerful when the fpirit accompanies and 
 applies it to the foul, or opens it to the mind. We 
 ferioufly afk any man what fcriptural authority he 
 has for talking in this manner ? When and where 
 is the fpirit and the word feparated ? f f the word 
 of God is quick and powerful, and the power of 
 God unto falvation to every one that believeth; if 
 the words of Chrift are fpirit and life, when is the 
 fpirit and word afunder ? To this queftion the greateft 
 advocates for the work of the fpirit, in the popular 
 fenfe, will find themfelves not a little puzzled to re- 
 turn a fcriptural anfwer. Extraordinary as it may 
 appear, it is neverthelefs true, that the warm advo- 
 cates for the fpirit ftrongly refift the fpirit, by de- 
 preciating the word of God, in which it dwells, and 
 by which it fpeaks unto men. It is here they op-' 
 pofe the fpirit, as might clearly be (hewn from the- 
 facred volume, and from which we fhall give an 
 inftance or two. ** God fpake unto the fathers ^ 
 (not inwardly, but) by the Prophets." "Holy- 
 
( 113 ) 
 
 nv^n of old rpake as they were moved by the Holy . 
 Ghoil ;" and the Jews, who rejedied the' Prophets, 
 and hearkened not to their xvords, are charged with 
 relifting the fpirit. Nehemiah in his prayer to God 
 confeires, ** Yet many years didft thou forbear^ 
 t]jem» and teftifiedft againft them by thy fpirit in 
 . thy Prophets." Thus Stephen tells the Jews: " Ye' 
 ftiff-necked and uncircuniciied in h<^art and cars, ye' 
 do always refill: the iloly Ghoft.'* '' As your fathers 
 did. lo do ye ; which of the Prophets have not Yoyc^' 
 fathers perfecuted ?" &c. In latter days God fpake- 
 unto the world by his Son, and his Son by hi!>' 
 Apoftles, who were baptized with the fpirit, that 
 tliey might be Ambailadors for ChriD:, and able, 
 Minifters of the New (^ovet^ant, f^r they were ap- 
 pointed to teach unto men the way of falvation. it 
 is by rejeding their words that men reject the 
 counfel of God againft thenafelves, for all who re- 
 jed: the Apofiles do as much refiPi the fpirit as the 
 Jews did when they rejected the Prophets. Whe- 
 ther men do not in reality refift the fpirit when 
 they declare the fcriptures (which contain it) a dead 
 letter, a fealed book, and thus in fad of no eired, 
 we leave to the candid enlightened mind to judge. 
 
 But it is objeded, if we affirm: that attention to the 
 fcriptures is the only means of falvation, we nlakb 
 void prayer and the affitlance of the fpirit, and repre- 
 fent them as of no uie. We anfwer, No. We only 
 deny that they make men ChriUians, by woVking faith 
 in them, &c. for it is only the Chriftian that is encou- 
 raged to pray, or is affured that his prayers will be 
 either heard or regarded, and to fuch it is the higheft 
 privilege. There are a number of circiunilanees in 
 
 a 
 
( "4 ) 
 
 human life, fuch as trials, affl'dions, temptatioms, 
 &c. &c from which the fcriprures, although they 
 may greatly fupport us under them, yet do not pro- 
 pofe to deliver us. In refpcd; of thefe, God does 
 u'hat he pleafes. By prayer we worfhip and adore 
 the one living and true God- as the great fource of 
 all perledion and the Firft Caufe of all things, 
 more eipecially for the gift of his Son and the hope 
 of eternal life. We acknowledge our entire de- 
 pendence upon him, and offer him, with the deepeft 
 gratitude., our beft facrinces of piaife and thankf- 
 giving for the countlefs mercies we enjoy. By prayer 
 we bcfeech God to enlarge our minds, that we may 
 be able to comprehend more of his fulnefs,andof that 
 love which pvff- h knowledge: that we may know 
 more of what is the hope (f our calling, and the 
 riches of the glory of the inheritance of the faints, 
 and lee more clearly ** what is the exceeding great- 
 nefs of his power to usward who believe *' We 
 pray that he would help our infirmities, and aflift our 
 endeavours to confirm to his will ; that he would 
 fave us from evil, and pardon our fins. This is on^ 
 of the peculiar excellencies of the gofpel difpenfa- 
 tion ; the Ipirit of which is a fpirit of favour and 
 mercy. A broken law admits not of repentance; 
 but here, if any man fins, we have an Advocate 
 with the Father, Jefus Chrift the Righteous. 
 
 What a mercy it is that frail and erring men, in 
 all circumftances, can, by fincere repentance, come 
 unto God with confidence, and find mercy and ac- 
 ceptance at the throne of grace. Thefe are fome of 
 the ufes of prayer, and to which may be added, the 
 good effeds that the due exercife thereof has upon 
 the pious mind, which, however, we conceive do 
 
( "5 ) 
 
 not confift in fenfible communications, or rapturous 
 feelings ; and this reprefentation of the nature and 
 ufe of prayer by no means militates againft the 
 fcriptures being able to make us wife unto falvation, 
 though, by the very religious, called a bare word ; 
 but happy had it been for the Chriflian world if 
 they had confided in, and contented theaifeives with 
 the bare word of God, inftead of lofing fight of 
 truth and common knit in the numerous fubftitutes 
 and experiments they have made ufe of, and parti- 
 cularly in that labyrinth of error, the fuppofed work 
 of the fplrit, a fathomlefs gulph that alike fwallows 
 up both fcrlpture and reafon, and where all is 
 wildnefs or defpair. By the word of God the 
 worlds were made, and all things are ftill upheld by 
 the word of his power, and the bare word of God 
 will ftand and (hall endure, when heaven and earth 
 are pafled away ; when all thefc unwholefome no- 
 tions are gone to their own place, and are loft in 
 eternal darknefs. 
 
 The man who draws all his hopes and confolation 
 fromthe wordof God, and builds upon that alone for 
 eternal happinefs, builds upon a folid and immuta- 
 bie foundation that will refill all the iliocks and vi- 
 ciffitudes of mortal life, and be able to ftand the 
 tell in the day of trjal, when the fandy foundation 
 of enthufiaftic frames, and all the feelings of a 
 heated imagination, with ali the erroneous notions of 
 men, (hall fink with the tern pert, and vanifh away 
 like a midnight vifion, or a morning dream. 
 
 Thus, to the beft of our power, have we com- 
 plied with your requeft. We have fpoken but 
 biiefly of our religiQus difficulties and of our prsfent 
 
( 1 ''6 ) 
 
 fentimenrs; however, from what^'e have fait^, '^t 
 will fufficiently appear how d?fFereat our views 'dfe 
 ■from the opinions of rhofe who do not priperty 
 draw their hopes and coniblation from the confider- 
 ation of the fcriptu'-rs being the true hiftoiy «.f the 
 revelation of God unto men, but from their ovx-n 
 agreeable marks and frames, or the fuppofed evi- 
 dences and manifeRations of the fpirit to their 
 minds. Hence it is, that when they meet they 
 "are conAantly inquiring of each other how they 
 feel? What is the ftate of their fouls? What tke 
 lord has done for them ? Do they feel him pre- 
 cjous? &c. &c. A .foundation that muft be as 
 changeable as the wind, for our frames or fenfations 
 rife or fall, are pleafant or unpleafant, in a ^reat 
 degree, according to our exertions, or to local and 
 ' conftitutional circumftances. However defirable 
 happy experience may be, the partial w^^nt of it 
 cannot fhake the confidence, nor alter the toimda* 
 tion of him who flands upon the fcripturcs, for 
 '* the word of the Lord endureth for ever;" *• and 
 this is the word which by the gofpel is preached 
 unto us,'* fo that nothing in nature, in life, or 
 death, can affed: the Chriftian's hope, if he main- 
 tain a converfation becoming the gofpel. 
 
 If the fcriptures then be true, if Chrift be rifen 
 from the grave, and be now at the right hand of 
 God, Chrillians are fafe; they fhall be like unto 
 him. 1 his is the ground of our hope, here we 
 have nothing to fear, nothing remains for us to do 
 IfUt to to be ftcadfaft, immovable, and to abound 
 more and more in the v;ork of the Lord, for herein 
 we are aflured that our labour fliall not be in vain. 
 We ftiall now conclude by obferving briefly what 
 
{ ii7 ) 
 
 our ilate of Connedloh is, and how wc condu.^ 
 ourfelves as a religious Society. 
 
 Our numbers are not great; we may amount at 
 prefent to one hundred and fifty, or thereabouts. 
 Of thefe feveral are refideat in the Country in dif- 
 ferent places, but particularly at Hull, where one 
 of our friends, very refpedtable both for his abiii- 
 ties and charader, is gone to minifter. Befidcs 
 thefe, we have loft many by death, and fome haye 
 gone away from us. However, even here it is 
 fome confolation to us that few, if any, have hi- 
 therto turned away on account of our doctrines be- 
 ing conlidercd by them untrue. This was not their 
 plea ; the caufe has generally been their own impro- 
 priety of condu(fl. 
 
 Relpe<fling our manner of condudtlng religious 
 wor{hip% you will recoiled: that we have made no 
 mention of any fettled Minifter fmce we parted 
 with Lady Huntington ^. The very unfettled ftate 
 of mind that pervaded the Connection at that pe- 
 riod, prevented any farther en»^agenients. From 
 that time to the prefent the Society is indebted: to 
 the labours of a few of her own IViembers, but; more 
 abundantly to the unwearied exertions of him who 
 is now their Minifter, to whofe zeal, perfeverance, 
 
 a We ought to mention the extreme CiTibaraffmciu wc felt in ufijig the 
 common collefiions of h) mas which fo conftantly exprefs ftntiincnts con- 
 trary to the ideas we had nc'W received, and though we tried to feleil-the 
 jnoft unexceptionable, yet this expedient tailed to give compierc flitis- 
 tadion. This circumitance fuggeited tr.e notion of arte'ir.pting to make 
 our. own, though greatly uaquaiified for fuch an attt'mpt, beinsJ al-i^'ft 
 ignorant ot the rules of poetry 5 notwithftanding which, we compoled ;» 
 number of hymns upon oar own principles, m;iny of which we continwc 
 to ufe in tnanufcrspt, and which nili afford us fatisfa^tion ; and though 
 there may be in them poetical or grammatical errors, yet thefe, even to a 
 refined ear, cannot be lb difagreeabiv as the tiet^ucnt e;cpreilion of ienti- 
 Rents at wbich the heart revolt*. 
 
f ii8 ) 
 
 and prudent management, the Conne<^ion is under 
 every obligation, and whole memory they will ever 
 defervedly refped: and cherifh when he is no more; 
 vphen his fenfibility cannot be offended by that ho- 
 neft tribute of refped which we cannot refrain from 
 paying to his chara(fler, without hurting our own 
 feelings, when fpeaking of thofe circumftances in 
 \vhich he was the principal adlor for a number of 
 years. 
 
 We have already hinted that we formed ourfelves 
 into a Body upon Primitive Principles, and that wc 
 have no rules of difcipline but fuch as we found in 
 the New Teftament. We perceived, both fromi 
 theory, obfervation, and experience, that neither 
 order, propriety, nor purity of charadter, as a Body, 
 could be maintamed, in any proportionate degree, 
 without difcipline. A pure creed and a pure wor- 
 ship, however right in themfelves, feem not fufE- 
 cient. A pradlical obfervance of the fcripture in- 
 jundions appears requifite to form the complete 
 charader of a Chriftian Church. Tndeed there are 
 many injunctions which cannot be attended to pro- 
 perly but in this colled:ive point of view, fuch as 
 loving, exhorting, admonifhing, w^arning one ano- 
 ther, rejoicing and fympathiling with one ano- 
 ther, &c. all which implies conne(3:ion and adion. 
 However perfeClly a compofed mind may hear or 
 dwell on certain fubjeOs, or with whatever pleafure 
 it may indulge in grand and ufeful contemplations, 
 and make progrefs therein in private meditation, 
 let thefe thoughts only be applied to the concerns 
 of adiive life, where many differences of fenti- 
 ments and proceedings occur which of courfe af- 
 fed the temper, and the difference between theory 
 
( iig) 
 
 and pra<5:ice will be felt and known ; a fad tliat 
 
 may teach us this very important leflbn, that a cha- 
 ra(Ster formed by praftice knows more of itfelf what 
 it can do or bear, and alfo more of others, than 
 what a charad;er formed principally by fyftem can 
 attain to : of crsurfe this laft is not fo excellent. Bui 
 even Ihould we not lUnd in need of alTiftance froin 
 others, la cafe lomewhat rare) yet if others ftand in 
 need of alTifiance from us, the obligation is equally 
 ftrong ; and though, in lome inftances, clofe con-* 
 ne<ftion may not be approved of, yet, upon the 
 whoie, it is evioent there are advantages to be en- 
 joved, and gf od to be done in fellowfliip, that are 
 not to be found and attended to any where elfe ; 
 and it is very ohfervable, that where difcipline is 
 not attended unto, that eit!»er there is exhibited a 
 diftant uiiaff ding appearance, not at all equal to 
 that inttrell which is felt where perfons confider 
 themlelves united together as brethren, members of 
 one another, and ot the body of Chrift, or there 
 appeals to be, and is found inch a mixture of op- 
 pofite and i'rspropcr charader as cannot be recon- 
 ciled to the fpirit ani.! piadice of the gofpel : thus 
 cfptcially it IS, and lb it, muft be, in all national 
 cftabiiihments. With the bell attention it will be 
 imprffifVe to remove every defed from a fociety 
 made up of imperfed creatures. This is not to be 
 cxpeded ; but in a body of people where there are 
 -all lorts ot'diipofitions, placed in very different cir- 
 cumftances, lufceptible of very different impref- 
 fions, it will be found impraclicable to maintain a 
 character at all worthy cf their calling, without dif- 
 cipline, operating upon the juft and moderate prin- 
 ciples of truth and utility in refped of all, without 
 
(I20) 
 
 diftindion of intereft, or privilege of character*. 
 There are feveral obvious reafons why difcipline ha& 
 fallen into difufe ; amongft others, are the follow- 
 ing : The bad ufe that has been made of it, and the 
 wicked purpofes for which it has been applied. By 
 many it is not underftood ; it is no part of their 
 concern ; they do not fee the utility of it : nay, by 
 fome the very term is difliked, they not being per- 
 haps fufficiently able to diftinguifti between the 
 mild and wife difcipline of the fcriptures and that 
 of the Star Chamber and the Ecclefiaftical Courts, 
 not to mention that diabolical perverfion of every 
 thing human and divine, the detefted Inqulfition, 
 all founded on the pretended authority of Icripture. 
 Again: It fo ill accords with the fuperficial diftinc- 
 tlons of fociety, the rich do not like to be confi- 
 dered, in any refpeft, as being on a level with the 
 poor. Moreover, it is utterly repugnant to the 
 falfe ideas of honour and good breeding which prer 
 vail ; for, notwithftanding all the profeffions of atr 
 tachment to virtue that may be made, even by the 
 better fort of people, honour is with them before 
 hunfiility ; they feem to forget that we are all equally- 
 dependent cr(;aiures upon God, and that in religion 
 and the grave there is no real diftin£tion. It muft 
 be confefled, however, that the poor have contri- 
 buted their {hare by uncouth manners, and by pre- 
 fuming too much on tliofe who, in every other 
 rcfped:, are their fuperiors, taking the moft im- 
 proper advantages of their religious privileges. 
 
 Our method of a£bing, in refpedt of difciphne, is 
 fimply this : If one member knows that another has 
 been overtaken in a fault, it is his duty to endeavour 
 to reftore fuch a one in the fpirit of meeknefj. 
 
( 121 ) 
 
 If he has been guilty of criminal condud, he is fe* 
 rioufly to tell him of it by himfeif ; if the offending 
 brother hear him, " it is well he has gained his 
 brother." If he fiear him not, then he is to take 
 anc-ther or two with him, to reafca with h'm; if 
 he hear them, it is well. Here it is ended, and 
 the offence is remembered no more ; but if he hear 
 them not, then it is told to the Church. If the of- 
 fender hear the Church, it is well, all is ended If 
 he hear her not, then he is fcparated, and becomes 
 *' as an Heathen man and a Publican," However, 
 this only takes place when there is an evident vio- 
 lation of moral and religious duty ; and after aU 
 lowing confiderable time for ferious reflection, in 
 all thefe cafes endeavours arc made to imprefs the 
 minds of both parties that the voice of the Church 
 in her government and difcipline is the voice of 
 God^ as far as die adls confiftently with truth ; fo 
 thtit any perfon feparated from, her lies under the 
 juft difpleafure of God, till he repents of the fin 
 committed. This was the pra(5\ice of the Apoftles 
 and the Firft Churches, and what is enjoined up- 
 on all Churches that walk by the New Teftament. 
 This practice we adopt not by any authority of our 
 own, but as members of the Apgdolic Church; for 
 while we govern ourfelvt^s by the rules, and con- 
 form to the pradiiccs which the Apoftles laid down, 
 we do not think that diftanoe of time produces any 
 feparation ; but, ad:ing upon the fame principles 
 with them, we regard ourfelves as of the fame 
 body. This conduct tends to correal grofs charac- 
 ters and practices, and to maintain that order, peace, 
 and harmony whi-ch are ornaments to anv bodv of 
 
 R 
 
( S.Z1 ) 
 
 people polTeiOing lliem. A^I felftfli, arVilrary, aidi 
 p&itial coai3«di being idireiSily contrary to the cka-> 
 iraQcf and principies of the Apoftles, caa nevcf be 
 admitted by any who conform to their rules » ^nd 
 arc tfMC members of the Church wiiich they found- 
 ed. Had this ortdcr of th^ gorpd been prad:ifed 
 vnth only moderate fucctf?, what a very diffe-petit 
 appearanoe wotil<i the Oiriftian world have exhi- 
 bited! What crimes wouM have been prevented, 
 which ha'ST^e unhappily difgraced the Ciuillian 
 name! Btit wearied with a talk to which, from 
 various reaftms, W€ were unecjual, but which we 
 have executed in. tliQ hcik manner circ«mftanc€s 
 would ailow^ wc now fubmit the whole to y^H* 
 peruCal, from whofe cultivated mind and goodticli'^ 
 of heart every allowance is exp*d:ed^ of which 
 tmth aad propriety will admit. 
 
 Your\ with the greated: condderation, 
 
 a EATON. 
 
 4 
 ^ 
 
i iQj } 
 
 SUPPLE M E N T. 
 
 EVERY inteiijgent Reader wwc eafily psrceiit^ 
 that Ehe Author ef'tbiji vz:t>rk: l.n2&.'s?:ji!Jtto ap 
 «>a ibe Frrrjciples of >]ateriaJi:!?-^^ srsd th^t ^^iie people 
 hgre rpok-£Ti of rejt'fl the j?cvpaIiF doclu^kise r>f tiae- 
 ^Igwr>jt»rrnlity of th-ie SonL B'aa W0 sbi* ilioiiM x^fst 
 appear fiaffiicieatly clear, we shi»k pjf^per to ba 
 more explicit nvon it, a?s<i fe>. gn"c focxse ces^WDS £«»• 
 2?£J^<£lirig rr, S2. vcc baire d&se -^cstk i eipati: tp ike 
 ether fabjecls. 
 
 Ib- tke 6r^ pl3ce» we So. nocr Ss^ Ij y^fiF^alacl J2i 
 
 It forms no pent of the law, arvd ira Jbe gc-^^pe^ «isi- 
 
 ^lity m kimfelf 3i'' S€.:o?r5<,iW» vre oD^.&Jejrk t& ha 
 febiloJaphkatiy fslfe. We &e sm'mrsg: bi) ?5>.as5 ^nt 
 
 she ear? lily sntl: Irresthed ?DtD k'ra s^Mi^»5•s• the We-rcik 
 f)f life, an-d m-^Q bcct^,?r>e a bvi^g S>ol^v** Bstbrc 
 th.i& mfaikm c)f I'^f^v lie was. a liickfa s'sia-fs^ siid if 
 lite brcj^tb of life ^?5^s wirhdravsij^ ^s& Ta;as t!^ cafe) 
 l^e' wosld be ■ iiiil :be iarae ufdi^li* dsT l^iC was c*:- 
 "" - ' R 2 
 » ^ i Ties. T^L 5,6., - ** Gt?& 1% -7- 
 
 ^'^^^^'^^-^^^'^^J^ 
 
 
(124) 
 
 fore. No other fenfe of the pafTage can be admitted 
 ■without violating the meaning both of the word« 
 ?ind Iplrit of it. 
 
 It is farther to be obferved, that this pafTage doe^ 
 not fay that God breathed into his noRrils an im- 
 mortal foul, as numbers do unwarrantably afTert, 
 but *' the breath of Hfe, and man became a living 
 foul.*' This breath of life put the organs into mo- 
 tion, and conftiruted him what he vv.s^ a living 
 man. Upon this principle only can we fee any 
 propriety in the fentence paiTed upon Adam, " duft 
 thou art, and unto duft ihalt thou return." For 
 what lofs vrould Adam, or any other good man have 
 fuftained by the death of the body, if he poffefTed 
 an immortal foul that would enjoy greater happi- 
 nels without it, when the fentence fhould take 
 place ? By this means, indead of its proving an 
 awful fentence, it would be a real blefhng 
 
 From a review of this paflage, which is the mofl 
 pointed upon the fubjedt, it appears fo far from 
 proving man immortal, that it plainly afferts that 
 he is wholly conftiruted of matter, animated by 
 fpirit, or life; and few, we imagine, will be fo 
 abfurd as to argue that this life was intelligent be- 
 fore it was communicated to man. However, fhould 
 any attempt this, they will labour under fuch difh- 
 culties as they will find, upon confioeration, hard 
 to obviate ; for, in the firft p'ace, we fliy God pof- 
 ftfTes certain attributes, amop.gft which immortality 
 is one. If it is confidcred intelligent, w^hy not the 
 reft intelligent alfo ? And to coniider the difterent 
 attributes of God as fo many uparate intelligent 
 perfons, all dwelling in one Being, p'eleiu& an idea 
 to our minds pregnarft with the greateft confufion. 
 
( 125 ) 
 
 Secondly, the fame arguments that are Ibrcniglit to 
 prove the breath of life in man intelligent, e<ijijali)' 
 -applies to the brute creation, for it mull be obvioU'S 
 that all have the fame breath; for, ph;lof(>phiGal!y 
 fpeaking, nothing lefs than life can atiiinate^aTiy 
 living creature. Indeed this the Iciiptare repciitedly 
 affert, that " we have ail one breatii^.*' trhe drf- 
 ference then between a man and a beafl lies not in 
 the breath, or life, but in the conflrusSlion ami or- 
 ganization of their frames. For who in oi^pofitiofi 
 to fa£ls will contend that a bead has the lame intel- 
 ligent foul as a man ? Yet, revolting as rhis condl-ti- 
 fion may appear, it is neverthelefs the ainavoidabie 
 confequence of proving life inreliigent^^ 
 
 However unimportant this fubje6l may appear to 
 others, to us it is not a matter of curioEty OTcamuke- 
 ment, but of the lall importance, for here only 'have 
 we hope of life after death ; a circumftance that Ten*- 
 ders revelation doubly precious to ti«. Vhe igr^at 
 point under confideratlon is, Whethcr;a life 'lo come 
 is fet foith under the idea of man poiTdlTiag ani^m- 
 mortal foul, or by a relurredion iro;r. the di^ail.'— 
 The rule by which we judge of every dotirme is 
 ■ this: When the fcriptures are filent ai-pafta 'kt, '^cvs 
 look upon it as iufficiently refuted. Notv*i,pon ih'e 
 former of thefe opinions, the immortahty of ttxaft, 
 the Chriiiian as well as the Jewifh IcriiplurA^jS :a're 
 wh0l}y fi.er;t; not (o upon tiie dodrvive --^i th-t Te- 
 furredion. On this the ApoftltS foticKbd at! u'beJT 
 arguuients of a world to come, ana ii&m ih.s alone 
 
 a Ecclcf. iii. — G-^n y\. -. 
 b What is here (Itid will fufHoiently reply to aH t'^at .mm^'%e;tr-'»>'?^;fe«i 
 thofe two or :hree texts that fpeak of the " fpirit, or trii-a 'r-^timiitv^ 'xo 
 God who gave ir;" if it is not intel]i<jent, ita like •£ ^-iir>> ;l.jng Slii-, 
 fclurns to ii!i Lurce. 
 
cfiey rai^^V horpc and expectation m their adherents 
 Q:nd Eeprgfent It to- us as the only hope of a fiiture*- 
 hfe. i'eter tei's the (Churches that '* they were be- 
 gotten again to a lively h^pe by the reilirredtion of 
 Shj^iflifrom the dead,*' or (as fome render it, t,>the 
 hope of living again. Paul fays, " If Chrift be 
 not rii'en> then is our preachings vain, and. your 
 faith 18 alfo vain." Again, **- If there be no re&r- 
 reifcion of the dead, then they that have fitUen afleep- 
 in Chrifl: h^ive perifhed '* *' If the dead rHe. not, 
 &t us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die^ " 
 
 li appears from l^a^l's exprCiTions here-, as weit 
 as the rei\ cf his writirig;s on the fubfeil, that fie- 
 bad nx} expt^ation of Uving againj.. if the doftrine 
 of the refurr€(ilk)n wav not true. Had; Paai be- 
 lieved th& r^otions fo: cr.mmonly held m tiiefe days, 
 concern iog immortality^ this language woaki' not 
 liav:e efcaped him. What ! give the reins to law^ 
 lefD inclination,, give free licence to depraved- taiie 
 aad corrupt appttite,. to indulge in every iieentiotis 
 Q'sceky. to. the deftroying of every viEtuoas^ andi 
 moral prineiple, if the immortal, fool- w&s at t-Iae 
 ferae time aceountabie to God^ and wo^Id enjoy 
 lisjppinefs, or fyffer punifhment, according to their 
 Gosducl in this life, independent of a refurre-fllbs:!?' 
 Sueh< lang'jage is utterly unworthy of the ApojSiev 
 AW the proiniles of the gofpel,. made^ nnn> the 
 ipJitMul in ChriQ: Tefus,, have t,heir G07i.u.imin2£iQS 
 in, his *- feeoiid- coming, without fin unco .feivatioa^'*" 
 Our Lord tells bio diiciplGs,. " if he goes away,, he: 
 V. iil* Gome again and receive them unto^ hin>feif,f'* 
 mot a word of tiieir enjoymg happineis until tfeat 
 period,. Paul,, \Nhen he was going to- be oWsiod 
 
 * 3. Cor,, xw.,. 
 
jsip, "fpealc?; on "."Ms wite-: ^ I have fonefnt a jt^c^^^ 
 fight. 1 hav^ fio'ihed mv com fe, [ have kept the 
 faith, "henceforth there is laid up for me a c/own 
 •of T^hteoiifnefs, which the Lord, the rijihteoDs 
 J'ude.e, ihallgive me at that da", an J nat to me 
 (Only,but unto all them alfo that Jove hisappearino;."'* 
 Here Paul had no idea cf wearing his crown before 
 the day of righteous ret rilxition. We might here, if 
 it was neceifary, tranfcribe a great part of the 
 New Teilament to ilinftrate our fentiments, to 
 proye that kfe and immortality are only bronght 
 ■fully to light by the refurre^bion of Chrift froiai 
 the dead; for they evidently contrafl: this dn^brine 
 with the fall, ihewing that what was loO: to msLSt 
 by the £rft Adam, was regained in the fecon4 
 Adaai, ** as in Adam all die, fo in Chrifl:" fliaiJ aii 
 be nsade alive ; but every man m his own order::; 
 Chrill, the firil fruits, afterwards they that are Ms 
 at his coming,** and not when they die. 
 
 Wc 'have found that whenever favjurite princi- 
 ples are attacked, or difputed, men generally have 
 recourfe to dark ambi^oous palTages to fiipport 
 theiH. This is neither ingenuous nor wife. " Every 
 one who doeth or feektth the truth, cometh to the 
 light/* When any docbr ine requires to be fupperred 
 by doubtful or mi (applied paifages, it caules every 
 thinking perfon to iufpc£i: its truth. We a^'e not 
 ignorant of tlie objeftions ihat are raifed, nor of the 
 palTages that are brought againft this do6lrii>e, 
 the Ih'ongeft of which are the following: 1 he 
 thief upon the crofs petitioned, " Lord, remember 
 me when thou comeft .into thy kingdom."" Our 
 Lord replied, " Verily I fay ynto tivee, to-d^y 
 {halt thou be with me in paradiie.'' it dotis jjusz 
 
<i|Tp<?3r ri<?re r!iat the word paradife mea^«? r^d H 
 dcaih^ f^)r this, to the tl.ief, was «-rra tn^^ n6 
 favour, that he would have had witho-.t pj ayincr 
 for it ;^^ noi- CAP the pafl'u^e m an that they went 
 that day to lieaven, becaufe the fcripture ipeaks 
 to the contrary, namely, that Jefus was " three 
 days in the heart of the earth «," and fronn what 
 the Lord' hmilelf fays to Maryj " Touch me not, 
 for I am uot yet' ale ended to my Father," &c. ^c. 
 It is ibmewhat curious that people flieuld contend 
 that here he immediately afcended up to heaven, 
 and at the iarae time believe in what is called the 
 Apollles' creed, that " he deiccnded into hell, and 
 tlxc third day only rofe again." Hc! e then' faith 
 and their creed arc certainly at variance. 
 
 The fenfe of the paffi ge appears to us this : 
 Verily I fay unto thee to-day, (1. e. I promife thee 
 this day of my humiliation) thou flialt be with me 
 in paradile. 1 his reading of the paflage feems 
 confuient with the vvkoie of the account, and does 
 uo violence to the text, only removing the ftop. 
 
 The caie of Lazarus is gentraliy aliovv-ed to be 
 a parable^ and indeed it canuoc be read otherwife : 
 " carried into Abraham's boiom" is a parabolical 
 exprciiion ; beiides, it is not laid that the foul of 
 Lazarus was carried by angels into Abraham's bo- 
 iom, l)ut Lazarus himfeif : likewife the rich man 
 was buried, and in hcil he lift up his eyes^ not his 
 foul, and prayed that Lazarus might be lent to dip 
 his Jinger in water to cool hi:, tongue, which are 
 members of the body. Iheie exprelfions render it 
 impoffible to conceive of it otherwife than a para- 
 ble, and parables never can be interpreted lite- 
 a Mat. xii. 4». 
 
( 129 ) 
 
 rally; if they coiild» they would ceafe to be pa- 
 rables. This paflage, therefore, caanot anfwer the 
 end for which it is brought. It does not belong to 
 us in this place to (hew the meaning of the parable, 
 it is fufficieat for us to prove that it does not teach 
 what is ufually attributed to it. " Fear not them 
 which kill the body, but are riot aKle' to kill the 
 foul ; but rather fear Him which is able todeftroy 
 both foul and body in hell^" This pafiage is of 
 no difficult interpretation ; the context clearly makes 
 known its meaning. Our Lord was here fending 
 his Difciples forth to preach, and acquaints theni 
 before-hand what kind of reception they fhould 
 meet with, namely, *' that they (hould be perfe- 
 cuted and hated of all mert for his name's fake,** 
 and advifes them, even in thefe difcouraging cir-^ 
 cumftances, not to fear men, but to confide in God, 
 from thefe ftrong motives, that men, when they 
 had done the worft, could only dellroy their pre- 
 fent exiftence, whereas God could riot only punifli 
 them in this life, but alfo in that which is to come; 
 hence the propriety of fearing him rather than men. 
 He does not here tell them that they had immortal 
 fouls that would be punilhed in a feparate ftate, but 
 of both foul and body (the whole man) being caft 
 into hell. 
 
 The transfiguration of Chriil: is adduced to the 
 fame purpofe, when Mofes and Elias talked with 
 him. This is merely arguing from inferences, and 
 betrays a very fuperticial acquaintance with the fub- 
 jedl J for when they came down from the Mount 
 Jefus charged them that " they t^U the Vision to 
 
 S 
 
 » Man X. 2i> 
 
( i3<^ ) 
 
 vr(j man.** ^ We think no fober mind would wifii to 
 lav any great ftrefs upon vifionary evidence. 
 
 The !aftobje<Sioh that we fhall notice is fome pr*r- 
 ticubr expreflions of the Apoftle Paul. " Therefore 
 we are always conjfident, knowing that whilil w6 
 are at home in the body, we are abfent from the 
 Lord." *' We are confident, I fay, and willing ra- 
 ther to be abfent from the body, and to be prefent 
 with the Lord^" The fame Apoftle fpeaks in fimi- 
 lar language to the Philippians : ** lor 1 am in a 
 jftrait betwixt two, having a defirc to depart and to 
 be with Chrift, which is far better^.'* When thefe 
 ejcpreflions are candidly confidered in their con- 
 nection with the chapter, they will be found to 
 bear a very different meaning. In the chapter from 
 wlijch the former of thefe quotations is feleded, he 
 fays, *' For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, 
 being burdened, not for that we would be unclothed, 
 but clothed upon, that mortality might be fwallowed 
 up of life." When can mortality be fwallowed up 
 of life but at the refurre<Stion, when ** this mortal 
 fhali put on immortality." And to this event the 
 Apoftle evidently carries the fubjed:; ** for (fays he) 
 we muft all appear before the judgment-feat of 
 Chrift." Add to this the trying circumftances in 
 which Paul was placed : to ufe his own words, in 
 want and neceflities of every kind, and forced to 
 labour night and day; not only perfecuted by the 
 Heathen, but in danger from falfe brethren, with 
 the weight of all the Gentile Churches upon him.-— 
 Amidft thefe trials, if we admit the poflibility of his 
 becoming " a caft-away," as his own words to the 
 Corinthians imply, where is the impropriety of his 
 » 2 Cor. Y. 6> t.— b Phil. i. zy 
 
( '3« ) 
 
 defiring a fafe and fecure retreat ? for " blcifed are 
 the dead who die in the Lord." That he could noi; 
 deiire to lie fo long in the grave, and be feparated 
 from that enjoyment which he lo ardently longed 
 for, arifes from not confidering that there is no 
 fpace between death and life, and that to all ap- 
 pearance the refurredtion will be as inftantaneous as 
 the foul going to heaven, according to the common 
 notion. The very circumftance of God railing his 
 Son from the dead ftrikes at the root of this fa- 
 vourite fentiment, for while his rifmg and afcenfion 
 into heaven fealed the truth of his do(fLrine, it fuiiy 
 proved to the world, by thefe inconteftible evidences, 
 that God had provided a kingdoni, wherein dwelleth 
 righteoufnefs and eternal life, an evidence that v/as 
 not needful for this purpofe, if the foul was immor- 
 tal and could enjoy greater happinefs without it, 
 if it be true, as forne contend, that the body is a 
 clog to its enjoyments. The fcripture informs us 
 of perfons bemg brought to life again that were 
 dead, yet upon none of thefe occai.ions is there any 
 mention made of immortal fouls, which, according 
 to the common notion, muft have been either in a 
 ftateof happinefs or mifery, and muft have been 
 recalled from thence to their old habitations ; and if 
 the foul thus recalled was in a flate of happinefs 
 (which muft be the cafe of a good man) iuliead of 
 being railed from the dead proving a blelling, it 
 muft have proved juft the reverfe, in being cailed 
 from a ftate of tmmixcd happinefs to the troubles 
 and mifenes of this Itfe, fubject once more to the 
 pains of affliction and death. This dodtrine moit 
 evidently forms no part of revelat'on,^bat is ako- 
 
 S z 
 
( IJJ ) 
 
 ^ether of fleathen extradtion. What could indues 
 the Chriftian? to admit it into their creed wc know 
 nf't, but it appears to have been done without pro- 
 per confide rat ion. for it even deftroys fome of the 
 favourite popular fentiment?. 
 
 If man is confidered as pofleffing an immortal 
 foul, he muft either receive it at the birth, or in the 
 womb, or odierwife it m\}i\ come by generation, 
 a fourth way cannot be thought of. If the firft of 
 theie be admitted, it dejlroy? the favourite notion 
 of hereditary corruption. Few will argue that God 
 breaths corrupted fouls into men; whatever co.mej 
 from God rouft be pure. If the latter, then the doc- 
 trine of immortality falls* to the ground, for it is an 
 infult upon common fenle to fuppofe that a corrupt 
 mortal can engender immortality. This is not the 
 only abfurdity to which the dod:rine leads: it iup- 
 pofes that the fouls of men, which have been fuffer- 
 ing the torments of hell for thoufands of years, will 
 hereafter be brought out to take their trials; like- 
 wife tliat thofe which have been ei^joying happinefs 
 as long, will be brought out to receive their re- 
 wards The judgment-day is one of the greateft 
 events that the fcriptuves record, yet this fiippofition 
 renders it perfeclly ufclefs, not to fay triflmg. If it 
 do not make the refurredion void, it greatly leiTens 
 its confequence, in as much as it promifes future 
 lite iiidependently of this. 
 
 1 he dodlrine we arc now combating has given 
 rife to enormous evils. In the dark ages of Popery 
 thi landified Hypocrite and mercenary Prieft alike 
 avaped thernf Ives of this principle to impofe upon, 
 the minds ot their fervile devotees the giolfeft frauds 
 aud impofitions. They taught them that the de^ 
 
( ^33) 
 
 parted fouls of the faints were ever attentive to their 
 deceafed bodies, and that they attended thofe with 
 a guardian care who venerated and refpgdfully 
 treated their relics, till this notion fo greatly pre- 
 vailed that people only thought themfelves fafe 
 from dangers and evil influences as they poiTefTed 
 (lore of holy relics, confifting of rotten bones, the 
 profefled remains of eminent faints. This gainful 
 trade was fo gratifying to the avaricious Priefts, 
 that they took care to procure a plentiful fupply, for 
 rotten wood or bones were almoft as good to them 
 as ready money, till nearly as much old wood was 
 difpofed of in this way, faid to be of the Holy 
 Crofs, as would have made crcfles for nearly half 
 the people of Jerufalem. 
 
 To this may be added, the dodrine of purga- 
 tory, the invocation of faints praying to dead men, 
 &c. flavifli fuperftitions, whofe natural tendency 
 was to debafe the mind of man, and to fill him 
 with low unworthy notions of a merciful God. But 
 for this fentiment, none of thefe evils could have 
 exifted ; take it away, and the dodtrine of purgatory, 
 and all its wretched coni'equences, crumble to the 
 duft. Befides all this, it is the foul of infidelity j 
 for while the Deift has fo much reafon to believe 
 ill the do<ftrine of immortality, he will pay little re- 
 gard to the fcriptures. Take away this filfe prop, 
 and he mufi either receive their teiiimony concern- 
 ing a life to come, or he muft wander in ignorance 
 and total darknefs in a matter that fo much concerns 
 the happinefs of man, for there is nothing in nature 
 that tells him he fhall live again. The continual 
 uncertainty of what ihall be his future deftiny 
 would prove a continual fource of anxiety. 
 
( 134 ) 
 
 The pleafures arifing from a well-grounded hope 
 of future happinefs 
 
 Miift never gild his gloomy cell, 
 Nor cheer his drooping head ; 
 He knows not whether he (hall dwell 
 In, life, or with the dead. 
 
 But the forrows and evils incident to human 
 life are of fuch a nature as to require fomething 
 more fubftantial and fatisfadtory than the dark and 
 intricate fpeculations of bewildered imagination. 
 
 We have given our thoughts but briefly upon 
 tlys fubje{^, and for the fake of that brevity we mull 
 conclude, we know it is hard to remove deeply- 
 rooted prejudice from the minds of men, which has 
 been fandioned by ages, learning, and authority; yet 
 what is here faid may excite the mind to inquire 
 into the propriety of its faith, for it is an evident 
 truth that people in general believe more from tra- 
 dition than from convidion, or fcripture authority. 
 What has been faid may ferve, we hope, to fhew 
 that man is dependent upon God for life in this world, 
 and that which is to come; whereas the immortality 
 of the foul makes ufelefs the grandeft dodrineof 
 the fcriptures, a refurreSfion from the dead) and 
 , renders man, as far as a future exiftence is concerned, 
 independent of God, for he cannot die: in leaving 
 this world he only changes his place of exiftenc^. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 1« LUND, PRINTER, LlTTLE-STONECATE, YORK. 
 
LETTERS 
 
 Addrefled to the 
 
 REV. JOHN GRAHAM, 
 
 In ANSWER to his 
 
 -DEFENCE OF SCRIPTURE DOCTRINES, 
 
 As underftood by the 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND i" 
 
 And in VINDICATION of 
 
 « A NARRATIVE OF THE PROCEEDINGS 
 
 OF A 
 
 SOCIETY OF BAPTISTS 
 
 IN YORK, 
 
 In rerirqui(Jiing the 
 
 POPULAR SYSTEMS OF RELIGION," Sec. 
 By DAVID ^£AT0N. 
 
 " Blame not before thou halt examined the Truth : underdand firft, and then 
 
 rebuke." 
 
 Son of Sirach. 
 " Is not this the Carpenter .'—And they were offended at him." 
 
 Mark. 
 
 YORK: 
 
 Printed for the Authos, by L. Lund, LittJe-Stonegate ; and fold by J. Johnsow, 
 St. Paul's Church Yard, and J. Marsom, No. 187, High-Holborn, London; 
 and by the Bookfellers in York. 
 
 i8of. 
 Price 3s, 
 
Scripture the only Guide to Religious Truth, 
 
 Lately Publi/fied by the fame Author, 
 A ■ • 
 
 NARRATIVE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 PROCEEDINGS 
 
 OF A 
 
 SOCIETY of BAPTISTS 
 In roRK, 
 
 In relinquiftiing the 
 
 POPULAR SYSTEMS OF RELIGION, 
 
 From the 
 
 STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURE^. 
 
 . "^o which is addeff, 
 
 A BRIEF ACCOUNT 
 
 Or their pr<;fent VIEWS of the 
 
 FAITH AND PRACTICE OF THE GOSPEL, 
 
 IN A SERIES OF LETTERS TO A FRIEND. 
 
 " But we defire to hear of thee what thou thinkeft : for as concerning this Se& 
 we know that every where it is fpoken againft."—— Acts xxviii. 22, 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 nr'HE reafons zvhich have induced the Writer of 
 the following pages to fend them into the worlds 
 U'ill be found in the work il/elf. He had judged it 
 unnecejfary to fay any thing by way of Preface^ untill 
 he had iearnl by extenfive ana repeated informa-. 
 tion that /y&^ Narrative which he lately publiflded^ 
 and of which this is intended to be a Defence, // 
 confidered by many as the produSlion of afiother pen ; 
 or, to fay the leajl^ that it is believed that no uneducat- 
 ed per/ons could derive fuchfentiments^ much lefs could 
 they 'Write fuch a book from the fimple fiudy of the 
 Scriptures, Thefe ajfertions and conjeifures receive 
 no little countenance from fome pajfages of Mr. 
 Graham's Reply, and from an article in the 
 Monthly Review for 'July, 1800, containing the 
 following article — ** The Society profeffes to have 
 derived its prefent tenets from the Study of the Scrip- 
 tures ; but we difcern clear proofs that itfludied them 
 with theaffiflance of certain late celebrated writings:'^'* 
 Thefe confiderations render it necejfaryfor him to give 
 all the infonnation in his power, in order to repel the 
 above infinuations, and to explain the matter to the 
 fatisfaElion of the unbiaffed reader. He ajferts po- 
 fitively, as in the Jitfl Letter of this work, that the 
 Society (a Narrative of whofe Proceedings be 
 wrote) received their religious fentimc?tts without 
 the life or afii (lance of any books whatever ; from 
 the fimple ftudy of the Scriptures alone. But. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 while he makes this unreferved declaration^ he is at 
 the fame time ready to acknowledge^ that being oj a 
 fludious turn^ and fond of reading, he has fince exa- 
 mined the fiihjlance of what has been written on the 
 different theological fulje&s recommended to public 
 attention^ and which 710 doubt has ajfijied him to ex- 
 prefs himfelf much better than he othcrwife ctdd., 
 in difcujfing the various topics in debate^ and which 
 will account for any fimilarity of thought or ex- 
 preffion ivhich may occafionally occur. But how^ 
 ever extenfive the affiflance received may be confi- 
 dered^ that does not^ in his apprehenjion^ at all 
 offeEl the truth of the flatement fo repeatedly made-, 
 that the People in queflion received their prefent 
 views previous to their acquaintance with any fuch 
 books. They Jiudied the Word of God^ and thence 
 deduced the opinions they now hold^ before they had 
 feen a line from the pen of any one of tho/e cele- 
 brated Writers to whofe creed their fentiments^ on 
 many points^ fo nearly approach. "I he want of 
 ingenuoufnefs, therefore,, with which they are 
 charged^ would have been rightly attributed to 
 them^ had they not declared^ as they have done^ 
 that their prefent views arife folely from the unbi^ 
 ajjed and unaided fludy of the f acred Scriptures. 
 
 Geodramgate^ York^ 7 
 June 20, 1 80 1. J 
 
LETTER I. 
 
 Reverend Sir, 
 
 1HAVE read with attention the Letters you 
 lately addrefled to me, (of which yon was fo 
 obliging as to fend me a copy) and ihajl freely 
 give you and the reader my opinion of their con- 
 tents. Believe nle, Sir, inltead of being offended 
 at your piibliftiing againft me or my fentiments, I 
 rather feel a pleaiiire, and am difpofed to thank 
 you for thus giving me an opportunity of more 
 fully difcuffing the important fubjefts in difpute ; 
 more efpecially as this circumftancc may excite 
 the thinking part of the public to inquire into the 
 real ground of difference between us. To exa- 
 mine is the likelieft way that 1 know of to come 
 to the truth ; and if this important end (liould be 
 promoted, I fhall fit down fatisfied, expecting the 
 moft favourable ilfue, for it is an obfcrvation that 
 ftill holds good, " that the difcovery of Truth 
 can never injure a True Religion." 
 
 Defirous, however, as I may be of exciting at- 
 tention to the moft interefting inquiries, I fhould 
 not have troubled you or the public with any reply, 
 provided you had fairly met my arguments ; for 
 although your realomng and mode of interpreting 
 fcripture fhould have proved ineffedlual to con- 
 vince myielf or others, ftill it would have been 
 right to have left thele things to the reader to 
 
 B 
 
( - ) 
 
 decide for himfelf. I confefs, however, I was not a 
 little furpriled, on perufing your book, to find many 
 mirreprefentations, as well as^lanjruage which I did 
 not expe<Sl, particularly in the Preface, where you 
 throw out a ftrong infinuation of a political nature 
 againft myfelf and others, who oppcfe your reli- 
 gious principles. You fay,* " It mull: be confeft 
 that in thefe perilous times, when the enemies of 
 eftabliflied order are fo determined in their pur- 
 pofe, and indefatigable in their labours to fubvert 
 the mild and tolerating J religious eftablifliment 
 of their country." Is this extraordinary language 
 fair and becoming the Chriilian character and the 
 advocate for humility, whofe fubje^fl is folely that 
 of religion? Did you not intend. Sir, to alarm 
 your reader, and to give an undue bias to his mind 
 in the very outfet of your work ? For what has the 
 fober difcufTion of a religious fubje6l: to do with 
 " perilous times, or eilabliflied order?" Would you 
 contend that we ought not to touch, or venture to 
 difcufs any religious tenet that is eftabhftied, 
 mereiy becaufe it is fo ? Is this then the principle 
 on which your own Church juRifies her departure 
 from the See cf Rome? Or don't you well know 
 that fhe herfejf on that memorable cccafion acled 
 upon the very principle that you here fo unge- 
 neroufly condemn? How could you, on reading a 
 fmall pamphlet, written by an obicuie Individual, 
 and in a m^anner which 1 hope no one will deem 
 uncandid, alarm your readers by inhnuating that 
 the Church is in danger ? I'or what elfe does 
 
 * i'age 3. 
 
 ^ To fay that the Churcli is tolerant, while {[\s fupporrs ftauites that 
 would punifli (if the State wo*ld tntorce ihcm) the vvoiihippers of the 
 God and i at tier of the Univcrfe a*- blafphcmers or propliane pcrluns; is 
 contrary re every principle of tdi^ini and the reafun of man, if not to 
 the very genius of toleration. 
 
( 3 ) 
 
 your language amount to ? Are you prepared to 
 maintain the polkion that a man cannot reject 
 your creed and remain a loyal fbbje^l ? Is not the 
 experience of ages again ft you ? It furely would 
 give you no pleafure to fee the depredations of a: 
 iawlefs mob committed upon men who are as 
 peaceable and upright fubjeds as yourfelf or your 
 brethren. If this you would deteft, as I believe 
 you would, you ought equally to deteft expreffions 
 that have the lead tendency to promote fuch deeds. 
 Your apparent uneafmefs has almofl: made me 
 fancy that I am a man of far more importance 
 than I thought I was. I did not apprehend that fo 
 fmall a work as mine would endanger the " reli- 
 gious eflablifliment of my country ;" an old 
 malTy compai^ fabric, fo fupported by immenfe 
 buttrelTes on every fide, that the club of a Hercules 
 could not make her to totter: yet true it is that 
 great things often arife from fmall beginnings. 
 
 But as it is poffible that both you and I may 
 err in fubjeds of a doctrinal nature, we ought to 
 know that neither our confidence nor our zeal, how- 
 ever exerted, will permit us to " do evil that good 
 may come ;" to violate the plaineft duties by in- 
 dulging a fpirit of " evil furmifing ;" or. to rob, 
 unjuftiy, our " neighbour of his good name.? 
 
 The argument above noticed is a ftale and 
 hackneyed objeftion, totally unworthy the coun- 
 tenance of a liberal mind. It has been urged in 
 every age, by the bigotted and interefted friends 
 of eftablifhed error, againft thole who confcien- 
 tioufly differed from them. The Apoftles vv^ere 
 confidered as " pellilent fellows, who went about 
 turning the world upfide down,'* merely for their 
 
 B 2 
 
( 4 ) 
 
 pppofinp; the idolatrous notions that prevniled ; and 
 the Saviour of the World was acciiled, by the 
 religions of the clay, when truth and argument 
 failed them, with being a " blafphemer of God, 
 and an enemy to Csefar." EftecUially to filence 
 all unfounded clamour of this kind, I truft it will 
 ever be my higheft ambition, and that of my 
 friends, to lead a quiet and peaceable life, and en- 
 deavour upon all occafions to maintain a confcience 
 void of offence both towards God and towards 
 inan^ and thus do juftice to our principles, which 
 is not at all connefted with the confulion or ad- 
 vantages of the preient life, but chiefly aims at 
 the purity and ha^pinefs of a better world. 
 
 Befides offering fome additional arguments to 
 prove the truth of the dodrines contained in the 
 narrative which you oppole, 1 ftiall carefully point 
 out to the reader foxne of the numerous mifi'epre- 
 fentations which you have given in your book. 
 The firft occurs in the very firft page of your firfl 
 letter, where you fay, " I cannot, however, agree 
 with you in confidering the holding or rejeding 
 the doftrines in queliion as no mure than matter 
 of mere opuuon." Now, Sir, on the contrary, I 
 hold the dodrines in queftion to be of the very 
 firft importance, and have repeatedly expreffed 
 inyfelf fo, and indeed the whole book is an evi- 
 dence of the truth of what is here declared. But 
 that the eternal falvation of men Ihould de- 
 pend on their believing abftrad: principles, in- 
 dependent of moral or religious character, is 
 what 1 will not venture to aftirm, being taught by 
 the apoftle James " that a man is not (aved by faith 
 alci e." It is in this abftracl view merely that I 
 com^der thefe things aa mere opinion., and not in 
 
( 5 ) 
 
 tiieir relation to practical importance, as you would 
 infiniiare. To illuftrate my meaning by a paflage 
 from your fundamental creed: " Except a man be- 
 lieve the Catholic faith, without doubt he fhall 
 perilh everlaftingly ;" which affirms, that although 
 a man in his condii6l were to exhibit the faired 
 emblem of purity, virtue, and holinefs, yet if he 
 cannot believe the Trinity, " without doubt he 
 fhall perifli everlaftingly." This is what I call 
 attaching too much merit to "mere opinions." The 
 next mifreprefentation occurs in page 3, where 
 you reprefent me as having faid, that the majority 
 " through blind prejudice or intereited views har- 
 den their minds againfl conviction, and fcrupu- 
 loufly avoid ail inquiry.'* On the contrary, my 
 fentence begins thus : " If a man through blind 
 prejudice," &c. Could any fair writer, by any 
 rule whatever, conltrue the fenfe of this" condi- 
 tional expreffion to mean that the majority really 
 did harden thus their minds, &c.? Surely not. 
 However unfair this conduft may appear, I agree 
 with you, " that 'Iruth is no Icfs venerable be- 
 becaufe it has flood the tell of feventeen centuries, 
 nor is it any difgrace to it to have numbers on its 
 fide." But here yoa take for granted that which 
 is the matter in diipute, that the doctrines of the 
 Church of England are the fame with genuine 
 Chriftianity. However, you cautioufly carry us 
 no farther back than feventeen centuries, and much 
 do I commend your prudence; for fuch a ftrufture 
 as the Church is, with her ufelefs parade and code 
 of ecclefiailical laws, penal ftatutes, worldly pomp 
 and grandeur, with a long glittering fword by her 
 fide, would have been as great a wonder and no- 
 velty to the Chriftians of the firft century as to fee 
 
( 6 ) 
 
 a man flying in an air balloon. Yon find fault with 
 my interpretation of the vine and the branches in 
 the xvth chap, of John, particularly that fcntence, 
 " without me ye can do nothin|T." You mufl: ad- 
 mit, however, that it has no relation to the end for 
 which it is generally cited ; which is, that a man 
 cannot believe or do any thing profitable in reli- 
 gion without the inward affiilance of the Spirit. 
 This could not apply to the Apoftles, as they were 
 believers already, who our Lord Jcfus fays in this 
 very context, " vvere clean through the word 
 which he had fpoken unto them," and not by the 
 work of the Spirit. Neither does it refer to the 
 natural powers of man, which is all that I con- 
 tended for. As to the reft, abiding in him in the 
 faith or in the fpirit of the gofpel, makes nothing 
 againft a fpiritual union'*', and does not feem very 
 much to differ from what you contend for. But 
 do you think it right for us at this day to confider 
 ourfelves in ail refpedts in the very fituation of the 
 
 * You feem fo in love with myftery that you cannot admit of my ex- 
 plaining the fcntence, "If ye abide in nie," to mean, if ye obey or abide 
 in my gofpel, as if it was too low a fenfe. What then will you fay to the 
 following paffage,or to the Apoftie : "Whofoever tranfgrt^ffeth and abideth 
 rot in the doihine of Chriit, hath not God; he that abideth in the 
 dodrine (or gofpel) of Chrift, he hath both the Father and the Son," 
 ii John, ver. 9. '3 his language is more deciflve than mine, and this 
 Apoftie frequently in his epiltles fpeaks to the fame purpofe. yet you can- 
 not admit of it. Ycu alio call in Quintilian, the Roman critic, to de- 
 cide how figures or metaphors ought to be introduced when ufed with 
 propriety. Now I know little about (Quintilian. He flourifhcd about 
 the year eighty of the Chriftian aera, but it appears that the Apoftles had 
 linifhed their writings btfore his time, therefore not by his rules. But I 
 would aik. Do you think it likeiy that plain illiterate fifhermen, &c. 
 wrote by the nice rules ot criticifm and rhetoric ? If they did not, would 
 it not be highly improper and unfair for any man to criticife their 
 writings by rules by which they never wrote? Wight you not with as 
 much propriety criticife my book according to the elementary rules of 
 Quintilian or Lord Kaims, although 1 know nothing of either but their 
 names ? Is not, therefore, this authority of yours perTedly inapplicable to 
 the cafe I 
 
{ 7 ) 
 
 Apoflles? Is every thing applicable to us in the fame 
 manner as it was to them ? I think this remark is 
 worth our mutuarconfideration. Bui the mean- 
 ing of this paflage may perhaps be ftill more 
 clearly expreffed .than either of us have yet done. 
 " I am the vine, ye are the branches ; he that 
 abidcth in me, and T in him, the fame bringeth 
 forth much fruit, for without me ye can do no- 
 thing," or bear no fruit, i. e. make no converts as 
 my Miniders, or as Apoiiles of Chrift. This ap- 
 pears the mod probable meaning, and which is 
 implied in " ufefulnefs of condu^l," as expreifed in 
 the narrative. 
 
 Again: Under your third head, fpeaking of the 
 inability of man*, addrefling yourfelf to me, 
 you obferve, " It feems highly neceflary in this 
 place to fet the fubjedt in its proper point of view, 
 as by this means the reader will get rid of an ap- 
 parent difficulty which would otherwife befet him 
 from almoft every page of your book.'* The truth, 
 of the matter, however, is, you feera to have been 
 ftrongly befet with the difficulty yourfelf, which 
 makes you poffefs fuch a tender feeling for your 
 reader. But what are the means by vvhich you at- 
 tempt to get rid of it ? Why, by dexter ou fly 
 Ihifting the ground of the argument from natural 
 inabihty to the inability ariling from confirmed 
 vicious habits. *' if this is not confouiiciing two 
 things, between which the cleareft diftin^tion lies,"J 
 I leave to every intelligent reader to judge. I am 
 as willing, Sir, as you can be, to allow that a man 
 may fo fully give himielf up to commit iniquity 
 with all greedinels, that by a courfe pf wicked neis 
 he may have become io determined a finner as to 
 
 • Page 8, J Page 8. 
 
{ 8 ) 
 
 be altojretber incapable of feeling the influence of 
 better principles, which you call " an indirect ina- 
 bility." But all this has nothing to do with my 
 argument. My queftion is fimply this : Is the 
 wicked conduft of men the unavoiiiable confe- 
 quence of Adam*s fm? or, in other words, are they 
 linners by virtue of their nature fo as to be inca- 
 pable of attending to that which is good, though 
 ever fo ftrongly called to it by God himfclf ? 
 
 Thus having ftated and cleared the fubjed from 
 the obfcurity into which you had thrown it, I 
 w^ould aflc how could you, as a man of common 
 information, undefignedly confound the inability 
 arifmg from a voluntary vicious courfe of life 
 with a natural inability that is altogether involun- 
 tary, and then, as a natural confequence from thefe 
 faile premifes, charge me with making " all ina- 
 bility innocent ?" Going on as follows : " If fo, 
 wicked men would be innocent ; nay, the more 
 wicked and enflaved in fm they are, the lefs would 
 they be anfwerable to God ; the molt abandoned 
 of men would be blamelefs ; there would be no dif- 
 ference between the worll of vices and the mofl: 
 excellent of virtues." Thefe are the horrid con- 
 fequences that are to be drawn, you fay) from a 
 number of paffages in the word of God, unlefs I 
 allow with you the inability of man in an indireft 
 fenfe." * But is there a line in my book that de- 
 nies the indiredl inability and the accountablenefs 
 of man arifmg from vicious habits? 
 
 I never read of God promifing his Spirit to renew 
 thefe wicked chara£lers,after they have rejected the 
 ordinary means of converfion, a point which ycu 
 ought particularly to have noticed, as it materially 
 
 • Defence, page lo. 
 
( 9 ) 
 
 afFecls your aro-ument. Do you g^ive up then the 
 direct {enfe, and will the Church thank you for 
 ilich a conceflion and defence of h .r dodrines, by 
 contending;, contrary to her articles, and to your 
 owji argnments in other parts of your book, * only 
 for an indireft inability, whereas the Church con- 
 tends for one that is dired ? We read in the 9th 
 and loth articles, " That original fin is the fault 
 and corruption that naturally is engendered of the 
 offspring of Adam, whereby man is far gone from 
 original righteoufnefs, and is of his, own nature 
 inclined to evil, &c. and therefore in evxry perfon 
 born into the world it deferveth God's wrath and 
 damnation, &c. ; that tJie condition of man, after 
 the fall of Adam, is fuch that he cannot turn and 
 prepare himfelf of his own natural ftrength and 
 good works to faith and calling upon God," &c. 
 Here your indired fcheme and the articles are at 
 variance. You have mofl obvioufly miiVeprefented 
 my reafoning by fliifting the argument from na- 
 tural to moral inability, and fhould you allow 
 yourfejf upon every (trait the liberty of ftiifting 
 the ground of argument, there is no antagonift, 
 however firongjvvhom you cannot defeat, nor any 
 reafoning, however rrue, wliich you cannot eafily 
 refute ; and tho' by this kind of management you 
 may appear to gain an eafy vidory, yet, in truth, 
 the reafoning which you labour to confute flill 
 remains unanfwered in all its force. 
 
 As there is nothing more in your firfl letter that 
 requires my notice, I lliali proceed with my re- 
 marks upon fome other matters: In page 96 you 
 feem in a very happy itrain to be extremely un- 
 willing to credit what w^e declare, (though you 
 
 C 
 
 * Defence, letter 6. 
 
( «o ) 
 
 bring no evidence to the contrary) that we came 
 into our prefent views by the fimple lUidy of the 
 Scriptures. You iay, " And give me leave to ex- 
 prefs my fufpicion, that fince you inform us that 
 you have feen books, far abler books than yours, 
 which are full and direct upon the fubjeft." 
 Though you take no pilot on board in your ex- 
 pedition for difcoveries, you may even perhaps, 
 without perceiving it, have formed fome notion 
 before you put to fea what direftion you would 
 take, and in v^^hat region you meant to land. 
 Under thefe circumllances, your unprejudiced 
 readers and mine will not be fo much difpofed, as 
 you may wilh them, to receive your prefent views, 
 as the original fyftem of " a few plain unlearned 
 men," derived from " the fimple lludy of the 
 Scriptures ;" nor will your difpofition to depart fo 
 far from the dotlrines you now oppofe, be gene- 
 rally confidered to have refulted from a difreliih 
 of them, arifmg out of a convidion of their being 
 falfe, prior to your having read theSocinian creed, 
 (which you ftudied in thofe able anonymous books 
 you recommend) but to have been occafioned by 
 reading thofe books." 
 
 I lliall anfwer this very fufpicious paragraph 
 by fimply ftating the truth of the cafe, which 
 is, that being worn out with the uncertainty 
 and contradiction of the different confufed fyf- 
 tems of religion to which we attended, we 
 determined to leave them all, and betake our- 
 felves to the reading and fludy of the Scriptures 
 alone, and it was by this fimple unaffifted means 
 that we came into our prefent views. We read 
 the works of no authors whatever, neither Socini- 
 ans nor Arians, nor did we then know that there 
 were any fuch people or fuch books, and it was 
 
( " ) 
 
 not till upwards of feven years after the Society 
 was eftabiiflied in its prefent form that any Soci- 
 nian books fell into our way, and I pledge the 
 honour of the whole Society upon the truth of 
 what is here alTerted. I don't wonder that you 
 Jdiould w^ifh to doubt the truth of this (latement. 
 For if any man with an unbiased mind attentively 
 confiders the circumftance of a body of people who, 
 by ferious inquiry and deep reflexion, without any 
 affiftance w^hatever, fliould, contrary to their edu- 
 cation, prejudice, intereits, focial connections, &c. 
 leave the popular fyftems of religion and become 
 rational Chriftians ; it will appear to him fuch 
 a flrong prefumptive argument of the truth of the 
 Unitarian Doftrine, that I am not furprifed at your 
 unwillingnefs to receive the account, nor at your 
 endeavours to counterad its effeds. If you Ortho- 
 dox Gentlemen could produce fuch an evidence of 
 a fociety of ferious reflefting Unitarians, who, by 
 the fimple procefs of fair examination, had, con- 
 trary to their intereft and education, become ftrict 
 Churchmen, would not Unitarians have heard of it 
 in every part of the country ? Had you, Sir, no 
 intention of prejudicing your reader by introduc- 
 ing the term Socinian fo often? Where do you find 
 that we callourfelves Socinians, or avow the fim- 
 ple humanity of Chrift, which is what is generally 
 underftood by the term ? Whether Chrift pre- 
 exifted or not, is a matter of comparatively little 
 moment in our view% compared wdth the important 
 dodrine of the Unity of God ; and fo far are we 
 from being a part of the great body of Socinians, 
 that we had not the leaft acquaintance with any of 
 them till within thefe five years paft, whereas our 
 
 C 2 
 
( .= ) 
 
 Society has been what it is for fifteen years. *Tis 
 true, 1 have in fome few places fpoken of CiiriCt 
 as a man, but am I a Socinian on that account ? if 
 fo, why don't you call the ApodlesSocinians ? They 
 call him a man much oftener than I do, though 
 perhaps, properly fpeaking, there are no real So- 
 cinians in this country. 
 
 I (houkl not have noticed this, but it occurs fo 
 often in your book, that I rather fufpe6l it was in- 
 troduced from another motive than that of mere 
 convenience, viz. that of prejudicing the mind of the 
 reader. In order that you fliould fully fee v. hat 
 it is that I mean, how would you feel if I fliould 
 throughout this book confider you as a Papift ? You 
 certainly believe as many doctrines of the Church 
 of Rome as I do of the do6lrincs of Socinians ; but, 
 Iiotwithflanding this, were I to do fo, would you 
 think it fair treatment? You would not. There 
 is a paragraph in your Preface, page third, which 
 I ftiall notice laft, though it ought perhaps to have 
 bten noticed firft. " Although this little work has 
 kept the Narrative (to which it was intended as a 
 reply) clofely in view, yet 1 have endeavoured fo to 
 frame it, that it may upon the whole be perfetSlly 
 intelligible to thofe who have not feen that publi- 
 cation.'* This is really an extraordinary paflage. 
 Could you tell the public in plainer language, with 
 the leall mod efty, that they need not read the Nar- 
 rative to which you reply — that they would fee it 
 fufficiently clear in your anfwer — that you kindly 
 liad faved them the expence of the book, and the 
 trouble of reading it ? Does not this, after all, ar- 
 gue, that you have no great corfidence in your 
 own book ? Indeed you have paifed over many 
 fubftantial arguments which it certainly concerned 
 
( '3 ) 
 
 you to notice, and have made fiich a partial felec- 
 tion of paflap;es for animadverfion, that no man can 
 form any fuitable or adequate idea of the Nar- 
 rative from reading your account of it, nor can 
 it be other wife, fince you confefs that " it is not 
 your defif!:n to notice all that my publication con- 
 tains." How then can it be " rendered perfectly 
 inreliioible'' to the reader of your work? Amidfl the 
 diverfity of fentiment that prevails upon the truly 
 important fubjecl of religion, would you advife 
 the honeft inquirer after truth to read only one 
 fide of the queftion, or would you feel no uneafi- 
 nefs at the idea of your own hint being improved 
 upon with refpecl to yourfelf ? However, it fhall 
 not be my bufinefs on the prefent occafion to imi- 
 tate your example, for " Truth has no deformities 
 to hide." 1 beg this favour of the reader, there- 
 fore, independent of any citations that I may make 
 from your book in the courfe of this work, that 
 he will read both fides with the greateft attention 
 before he forms a judgment on the important 
 fubjeds in dilpute. 
 
 Your's, &c. See. 
 
( 14) 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 Reverend Sir, 
 
 ^r'HE Doctrine of the Trinity has been fo am- 
 JL ply difcuffed, and fo fully exhaufted by the 
 ableU; writers, that I purpofely forebore entering 
 minutely into it in the Narrative, fatisfying myfelf 
 with making fuch general obfervations as might 
 (how the convidion of our own minds ; and, I am 
 flill perfuaded, that little new, of any importance, 
 can be added upon the fubjed, even by the ableft 
 pens; however, I fhall not fcruple to urge fuch 
 arguments as the prefent occafion may require, 
 though they may have neither novelty nor origi- 
 nality to recommend them. And I feel myfelf fa> 
 tisfied in this conclufion, from the confideration 
 that however ably and regularly the fubjeft may 
 have been treated by others, fuch works are nei- 
 ther fo generally read, nor fo fufficiently known as 
 to prevent me from noticing your arguments, or 
 from availing myfelf of the intereft that may have 
 been excited in this place by our controverfy. 
 Plain arguments are more ufeful to fome readers 
 than thofe that are more learned. And as, on 
 perufmg your remarks on this fubjecl, 1 obferve 
 nothing new, the apology will equally ferve us 
 both. You colled fome palfages which you think 
 teach the do6lrine in queition, and you introduce 
 
( 15) 
 
 them for that purpofe, without giving any fuf- 
 ficient reafon, or tofliovv that fuch mull neceffarily 
 be the fenfe of the writers of them, much in the 
 fame way that a Cathohc would cite texts to prove 
 the truth of tranfubltantiation, or any other tenet 
 to which you may object. This mode of proceed- 
 ing can determine nothing ; and that fuch a crowd- 
 ing of paff^ges together, without a proper exa- 
 mination of tlieir meaning, cannot prove fatisfac- 
 tory to me and others, mufl: be evident, who, 
 upon tlie deepeft refledion, are convinced that the 
 palfages alluded to are no more intended by the 
 the Sacred Writers to teach that JeCus Chrift is the 
 only true God, than that the globe we inhabit is 
 the centre of our fyftem. MoR thinking men will 
 allow that myftery can be no recommendation to 
 a dodrine, upon the belief of which depends the 
 lalvation of men. However, in the Narrative I 
 have only noticed the terra myjlery incidentally, 
 yet you beftow two or three pages upon it, as if I 
 had urged it as the main argument againft the 
 Trinity. And you obferve, " Now, unfortunately 
 for you, the Doctrines of the Gofpel are not only 
 declared in general to be myllerious,* but St. 
 
 * This aflertion of yours might have paffed better had not the Apofi'c 
 Paul declared, on the contrary, that it was the great end of his calling 
 and miniftry to •* make known the revelation of God, even the myftery 
 which had been hid from ages and generations, but now is made mant- 
 feft to his Saints ;" and he befeechcs the brethren to " pray to God for 
 him, that he might open his mouth boldly to make known the myftery of 
 the Gofpel," fee Ephef. i. 3, 4, 9 — chap. vi. 19 — Col. i. 26, 27, 
 chap. ii. 2 — chap. iv. 3. When any thing (however mylkrioas it was 
 before) is explained and fully made known, it then ceafes to be a myftery, 
 for Revelation and Myftery deftroy each other ; befides, the myftery here 
 fpoken of is not that of the Trinity, but the calling of the Gentiies to bo 
 fellow-heirs of the promifes, and to have an inheritance among all thstn 
 that are fanftified in Chrift Jefus. This is the myftery which was hid 
 in God, but is now fully brought to light by'the Gofpel, and which can 
 afford no fort of countenance whatever to your aiT^rtioh. 
 
( ><5 ) 
 
 Paul, fo far from wifhin^ to get rid of a myflcry 
 in this Scripture Doctrine in particular, allows anil 
 maintains it: ' Great is the myftery of godlinefs. 
 God was manifeft in the flefh', &c."* 
 
 Is not this text given up by fome writers on 
 your own fide, as affording no fupport to your 
 argument ? And do you not know that this text 
 is rendered by learned men very differently to 
 what it is in our tranflation ? You are a fcholar, 
 and have taken the very jufUfiable liberty of alter- 
 ing our tranflation where you thought it for the 
 bejiter; and as I am no fcholar, you cannot weil 
 objeft to my calling in the aid of thofe who are. 
 Take the following then as a fpecimen : " And 
 confeifedly great is this myltery of godlinefs v,'hich 
 was manifefted in flefh, vindicated by the Spirit, 
 feen by meflengers, proclaimed among Gentiles, 
 believed on in the world, taken up with gloi ies."| 
 
 • Ycu objeft to my remarks on thefe paffages, page 89 of Narrative; 
 ** He that hath feen me, hath feen the Father." Surely this cannot al- 
 lude to the feeing the perfon of Chrift as a Jew, but that in feeing the 
 miracles that Chrift wrought by the Divine Power that dwelt in him." 
 They faw the goings forth of God ; or thus, faw " God manifcfiing him- 
 felf in Chrift," and perhaps this is all that is meant by " God being ma- 
 feft in the flefti ;" i. e. in Chrift, in this extraortiinary way of working 
 rriir.'icles and making known the mind of < lod This ycu rejeifl, and 
 alk, *' if I would admit that yon fpoke intelligibly, if, becanfe Feter and 
 John cured a lame man, you fhould fay Cod was manifeft in the flefh in 
 Peter and John ?" Such a mode of cxpreflion might indeed lound ob- 
 jedlionable, becaufe it is not common ; but would you. Sir, deny that the 
 power of Cod was manifeftcd in the Apoftles ? Don't they always afcribe 
 all to God ? and would not you contend that God the Holy Ghoft 
 dwelled in ihem r However, the following pailages, with others, put the 
 matter with me out of all difpute : *' God anointed Jcfus of Nazareth 
 with the Holy Spirit, and with power, who went about doing good and 
 healing all that were oppreffed of the Devil, lor Cod was with him,'* 
 Afts X. 38. ; i. e in the extraordinary way of working miracles. If this 
 be not convincing, what fenfe do you give to the words, " manifefled in 
 theflefti?" If you mean became vifible, and was feen of men, how do 
 you reconcile tliis with the text that decjjreth " no man hath leen God 
 at any time ?*' 
 
 i Wakefield's Tranflation of the New Teftament. 
 
(>7) 
 
 If this be a juft tranflation of the paflage, fo far 
 is it from proving a Trinity, that the word 
 God is not fo much as once mentioned in it. And 
 as you cannot but have heard of the objediions 
 tJfBit have been made to the prefent tranflation of 
 this and other texts v^^hich you have quoted, by 
 learned men, fupported by a mafs of critical evi- 
 dence, v^ould it not have been right to have given 
 your reafons why you confider difputed paffages as 
 authentic, that the honell inquirer may be able to 
 judge " v/hat is the truth ?" 1 do not know that 
 Unitarians rejedl the Trinity merely becaufe it is 
 myilerioiis, notwithftanding the great contradic- 
 tions and abfurdities involved in every definition of 
 it. There may be many things myllerious, of the 
 truth of which we cannot doubt, fuch as the eter- 
 nity, prefcience, and omnipreicence of God ; the 
 creation and order of the world, &c. But our faith 
 is not founded on their myfterioufnefs, but on the 
 evidence produced of their exigence and reality. 
 
 Religion, Sir, is a reafonable fervice, and we are 
 all called upon to give a reaion of the hope that is 
 in us, and the fpirit of the times requires that we 
 fliould be able fo to do. But if our foundation be 
 that of myftery, of which we ourfeives have " no 
 diltindl idea,'* and we require people to believe we 
 know not what, and fliould we even fucceed with 
 them in this, might it not be aflced, fhall we thereby 
 render any real fervice to a religion whofe prin- 
 cipal aim, by enlightening the mind, is to purify 
 the heart? When once a docTtriae is declared to 
 be a myftery, it is then veiled from reafon and 
 underltanding, and is effectually fecured from the 
 unhallowed approach- of argument. But, on tlt^ 
 
 D 
 
{ >8 ) 
 
 contrary, a reafonable fervice direftly appeals to 
 the underftanding as well as the heart. Would its 
 friends produce myftery as an evidence of the truth 
 of any religion ? What then can they oppofe to the 
 pretenfions of the Church of Rome ? Have not num- 
 berlefs abfurdities obtained in the world, under 
 the awful drcfs of holy myfteries, to the difgrace 
 of all religion ? Has it not tended to enflave man- 
 kind to the practice of the moft debafing fuperlVi- 
 tions ? Has it not deceived even its own fuperfti- 
 tious votari-es, while it has hardened the Sceptic 
 and the Unbeliever? And on this fandy foundation 
 of myftery it is that the Myftic eftabliihes his 
 fancies, and the Enthufiaft his dreams. However, 
 if the Doctrine of the Trinity was a revealed 
 truth, it ought implicitly to be believed, and no 
 argument, from the fuppofed impoffibility or 
 myfterioufnefs of the fubjed, would determine 
 againft it with the Lover of the Gofpel. There- 
 fore the great queftion to be decided is, Is it re- 
 vealed? When this is once determined, all other 
 inferior arguments will repair to their own ftation. 
 Our mutual appeal then is to the. Scriptures, and 
 on examining your evidence from thence, I cannot 
 think that you have ever clofely confidered the 
 fubjed ; for the citations which you bring to prove 
 Chrift the only true God, are given juft as they 
 ftand in our tranflation, and as they were under- 
 ftood by the Trinitarians who tranflated them. 
 But to fay nothing of their being mifled by this 
 prejudice, might they not in their circumflances, 
 with the bed intentions, err in fome cafes through 
 ignorance ? And by the increafing light of latter 
 times, has not this been proved to be the cafe 
 in many inftances, not only by Unitarians, but 
 
(19) 
 
 alfo by many Writers of your own Church ? Yet 
 of thefe criticifms you take no notice, nor of the 
 numerous able explanations that have been given 
 of the paflages which you felecl, but bring for- 
 ward your trite fentiments of them as if they had 
 never been anfwered. I would detell the man who 
 would prefume to alter the tranflation merely to 
 anfwer a purpofe ; and fuppofing that Unitarians 
 ill altering them will lean to their own fide, will 
 not Trinitarians do the fame ? Is not human na- 
 ture the fame in both ? ^I'he fafe way then for 
 an unlearned man to take, is carefully to examine 
 the tenor of Scripture, and to adhere to that fide 
 on which there is a preponderance of evidence. 
 
 After all that has l3een written upon the fubjeft, 
 it would be unwife for me to enter into a full in- 
 veftigation of it ; for brevity's fake, then, I fhall 
 merely notice fome of your texts, and your prin- 
 ciples of reafoning. — The titles afcribed to Chrift, 
 you fay, * are, i . " God," John i. i . You ought to 
 have proved that the Word here i'poken of means 
 Jefus Chrift, and that he was the immortal felf- 
 exiftent God, but was now become a mortal man ; 
 but this you have not even attempted. It is con- 
 tended by many learned men, that the Apoltle 
 fpeaks not of Jefus, but of God himfelf, and that 
 the Word ought to be rendered Reafon or Wif- 
 dom, and will read thus : " In the beginning was 
 wifdom, and wifdom was with God, and was not 
 a diftind perfon from God, but God himfelf, be- 
 ing an attribute under which he is very frequently 
 defcribed. The fame was in the beginning with 
 God," &c. This reading of the palfage, therefore, 
 
 .D 2 
 * Defence, page iS. 
 
( 20 ) 
 
 refers not to an agent, but to an attribute of De- 
 ity, and cannot relate to Clirift nor his divinity, 
 but is a delcription of Divine Wifdom, as mani- 
 felted in the works of creation, but particularly in 
 the difpcnfation of the Gofpei ; that Wifdom by 
 which the heavens vi^ere made, and the founda- 
 tions of the earth were eftablifhed, &c. but now 
 more glorioufly and confpicuoufly exhibited in the 
 perfon of Chrift. 
 
 Again : It is contended by others, equally re- 
 fpectable for their abilities, that the Apoftle is not 
 here fpeaking of the beginning of the world, nor 
 of the wifdom by which it was made ; neither of 
 which had, it is fuppofed, any immediate relation 
 to his fubjecl, but of the beginning of Jefus's mi- 
 niliry, the hiflory of whofe life and public mini- 
 ftry he had fat down to write ; and that the phrafes 
 *' Coming from God, coming into the world," &c. 
 mean (by a common mode of fpeech) his fcoming 
 from the retirement in which he had hitherto 
 lived, by entering upon his miniftry, and alfuming 
 his public charader of the Meffiah ; and in this 
 character, owing to the intimate union and imme- 
 diate communications which he had with his Fa- 
 ther, is faid to be " the Word, to be with God, and to 
 be God," becauie he p^iifeired the immediate mind 
 of God. In Ihort, that Jefus is called 1 he Word, 
 becaufe he preached the word, and it dwelt in him, 
 as he ellewhere calls himieif, 1 he Relurredlion and 
 the Life, becaufe he taught the refurreclion and 
 the life to come, and exemplilied them in his own 
 perfon, when we are at the lame time told that 
 " the gift of God is eternal life," and that Jefus was 
 raifed, not by his own power, but by the power 
 
( " ) 
 
 of God. If either of tliefe explanations are true, 
 yoiir's muit be wrong.* 
 
 But fuppofino; that Jefus is here, and in other 
 parts, called God, (as the word in itfelf means 
 power or dignity, and in Scripture is applied to 
 angels and to men in authority, as well as to the 
 Supreme God) you ought to have proved that it 
 is applied to Jefus in the firft and higheft fenfe of 
 tha terra, before we can admit your reafoning. 
 But what determines me that the Apoftle is not 
 here fpeaking of the Supreme God, is his own 
 words, verfe 14:" And we beheld his glory, the 
 glory (not of the Supreme God, but) as of the 
 only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and 
 truth." Again, the very reafon which this Apoftle 
 affigns for writing his gofpel is, that thofe to whom 
 he wrote " might believe (not that Jefus was him- 
 felf the only true God, but) that Jefus was the 
 Chrift, the Son of God, and that believing they 
 might have life through .his name," John xx. 3 1 . 
 And as an eminent Writer obferves, " Can it be 
 imagined that a pious Jew, like our Apoftle, fhould 
 bring in a new God, a new and before unknown 
 Creator of the world, in flat contradidion to -the 
 Firft and Second Commandments of their Divine 
 
 • '*^ There either are two Supreme Gods mentioned in this paffjge, or 
 there are but one; you will not fay there are two, therefore God in both 
 claufes means one and the fame Supreme God. 1 he Apollle's narrative 
 therefore will ftand thus : fefus Chrift was in the beginning, and 'efas 
 Chrift was with the Supreme God, and Jefus Chrift was the Supreme 
 God, withr whom himfelf was; i. e. he was the Supreme God, affociated 
 with, and accompanied by himfelf. You will not deny the Father to be 
 Supreme God; read, therefore, the Son inftead of the word, and the 
 text will run thus : In the beginning was the Son, and the Son was with 
 God ; i. e. with the Father, and the Son was God. There is, however, 
 .but one Supreme Cod therefore the Son was the Father. One would 
 hope you would be cautious of faying this for the fake of common fenfe." 
 See Remarks on Dr. Burgh's Scriptural Confutation, by a Member of the 
 Church of Chrift. 
 
( 2- ) 
 
 Law, and in the face of thofe many declarations of 
 Jehovah by his Prophets, that he only was God, 
 and no other befides him ; he only Creator of all 
 things? And this, moreover, to be but once af- 
 ferted, without any proof, in the beginning of his 
 book, and never to recur to it afterwards ; never 
 again to ftile Jefus the Word, or call him God, 
 but to fpeak of him and defcribe him as fpeaking 
 of himfelf, as being nothing of himfelf, but, what- 
 ever he was, receiving it from God ? Such fuppo- 
 fitions are not within the line of credibihty." * 
 
 2. '* Lord and God." Can you ferioufly think, 
 Sir, that this expreffion of Thomas's proves that 
 Jefus Chriil: is the only true God? He who as a 
 Jew believed in the God of Abraham, could he 
 believe that Jefus, whom he had received as the 
 MefTiah, (a quite different Charader from God) 
 and who appeared as a man like himfelf, and with 
 whom he daily aflbciated, was the God of Ifrael, 
 *' whom no man could fee and live ?" Could he, 
 who had given up his Mafter as abfolutely dead, 
 and could not be prevailed upon by evidence that 
 was fatisfaftory to others, to believe but that he 
 really was dead ; could he, with fuch fentiments, 
 inftantly addrefs Jefus as the Mod High God, 
 whom, till that moment, he had fuppofed to be 
 without life, merely becaufe he had been in an 
 error concerning his refurrcdtion ?" f Chrift's 
 being brought to life again, could be no proof 
 that he was the Moft High God, any more than 
 it was a proof that Lazarus was God, becaufe 
 'he was brought to life again from the dead, and 
 this circumftance alone engaged Thomas's faith 
 and attention. The exclamation, therefore, of 
 
 * Vide Lindfey's Catechift, f Vide the fame publication. 
 
( 23 ) 
 
 ** My Lord and my God/* may be confidered as 
 an imperfe£V prayer, expreffive of Thomas's joy 
 and thankfgiving to God at feeing his dead Mafter 
 alive again : as if he had faid, My Lord and my 
 God hath done this ! Or it may be confidered as 
 the language of furprize and aitoniihment at his 
 beholding fo unexpected a fight : as if he had faid, 
 My God, what do I fee ! But if it is (till contended 
 that Thomas believed that Jefus was God, may I 
 not afk from whence he got his information? 
 Where did Chrift inftru<5t him that he was God ? 
 And how happened Thomas to know more, and 
 exprefs himfelf better on this occafion, than the 
 relt of the Apoftles? On the contrary, we find our 
 Lord, a little before this great event, plainly teUing 
 them, that he had the fame God and Father ag 
 themfelves. They had heard him maintain the 
 Unity of God, and his own inferiority, to the 
 Scribe and to the rich Young Man ; and on other 
 occafions faw him pray to God like themfelves. 
 Was it likely then that they fhould believe Jefus, 
 whom they lately faw dead, to be the Everiaftijng 
 God who could not die ? therefore this cannot an- 
 fwer your purpofe. 
 
 3. " Mighty God." On this paflage I would 
 again obferve, that names of themfelves prove 
 nothing. Jefus bears various names : he is called 
 David, a Sun, a Lion, a Lamb, &c. &e. but cer- 
 tainly is not therefore really David, or a Lion, or a 
 Lamb, though called by their names ; and aifo that 
 it is very generally contended to be a very imper- 
 fe6l tranflation, and that, according to fome, the 
 words ought more properly to be rendered, A 
 Mighty God^ a name which may furely be applied 
 to Chrift with as much propriety as it was to Mofes 
 
or any other created being. 7he EverlaJImg Faibcr^ 
 Bifhop Lowth and many others tranflate it, The 
 Father of the Everlafting Age, i. e. The Founder 
 of the Chriilian Difpenfation. Mr. Dodfon, in his 
 Tranflation of Ifaiah, informs us, that it is highly 
 probable the original text is corrupted, as one 
 copy of the Septuagint wants the expreiTions, 
 " Wonderful^ Counfellor^ Mighty God^"* and reads, in- 
 ftead of them, " ne Mejfenger of the Great Defign^'' 
 But there is another reading, which appears to me 
 as probable as any, and that is the fenle in which 
 the Jews underftand it, who ought to be as good 
 judges of the meaning of their own Scriptures as 
 any other men, and it runs thus : " Unto us a Cliild 
 is born, unto us a Son is given, and the govern- 
 ment fhall be upon his fhoulder, and the Wonder- 
 ful, the Wife, the Mighty God, the Everlaft- 
 ing Father, Ihall call his name the Prince of 
 Peace."* And this reading feems confirmed by 
 the conclufion of the feventh verfe: " The zeal of 
 the Lord of Hofts will perform this." You might 
 perceive. Sir, that even in our tranflation there 
 are two perfons mentioned, the Child and Jeho- 
 vah, and whatever dignity or charader the Child 
 fliould bear, it was by the appointment and per- 
 formance of the Lord of Hofts. Again : Could 
 Ilaiah be fb inconfiftent as to infifl fo largely on 
 the Unity of the Almighty, that he only is God, 
 and that there is none elfe, and then make another 
 God of a child? Could he, who is without change 
 or (liadovv of turning, undergo the greateft of all 
 pollible changes by becoming an hclplefs infant, 
 and dependent on his own creatures ? 
 
 • Vide Palmer's Sermon on the Trinity, 
 
( 25 ) 
 
 4. " God with us." This expreflion, Immaniiel, 
 God with us, cannot denote that the child wiio 
 was to be born of Mary was God ; it intends only 
 that God would be with us by means of the childj 
 or that by him he would make a peculiar mani- 
 feftation of himfelf to his people. God is faid to 
 come and vtftt his people, or be with them, when 
 he fends them any extraordinary deliverance, as 
 might be evidenced by numerous paffages trom 
 the Old Teftament ; and in this lenfe he was with 
 them by Jefus Chrift. Luke vii. i6. 
 
 5. " God over all, bleffed for ever." It is not 
 ealy to imagine that St. Paul, who fii mly believed 
 in the one God of Ifrael, Jehovah, who changeth 
 not, would defcribe Jefus as a Jew, born of the 
 fiefli, and then call him the Mo(t High God. And 
 you mud be told, Sir, if you do not already know, 
 that men of fuch abilities and learning as demand 
 the greateft refped: have rendered the paffage very 
 dilferently to what it now ftands. The venerable 
 Mr. Locke reads it thus : " And of them (the Jews) 
 as to his fleflily extraction, Chrifl is come, he who 
 is over all, (i.e. by the Father's appointment) God 
 be blefled for ever. Amen." t Air. Wakefield in 
 his New Tranflation (and others) reads it thus : 
 " Whole are the Father's, and of whom was 
 Chriit, according to the flefh, who is as God over 
 all, bleffed for evermore. Amen." There are 
 other readings of the paffage, different ftill, fup- 
 ported by Do6lors Taylor and V/hitby. % If any 
 of thefe readings can be juftifi^d, they bring de- 
 ftrudion on your inference, and you ought to 
 have given your r.eaions why they could not, and 
 
 E 
 
 t See Locke on the paffage. % Whitby's Laft Thoughts, 
 
{26) 
 
 that the common reading conveys the indifpmablc 
 meanincr of the text. 
 
 ^ 6. " Lord of Lords, and King of Kings." Thefe 
 are names given to the Lamb who was flain, and 
 who in other parts of this book declares that he 
 was dead, but is now ahve. He, you contend, was 
 The Almighty, The Lord of Lords, and King of 
 Kings, in the highert fenfe of the terms. Then it 
 follows that Almighty God, the King of Kings, 
 was crucified and died. Is not this a fliocking 
 fuppofition ? Yet, fliocking as it is, it muft be be- 
 lieved, if thefe titles relate to the Supreme Being. 
 But we are affured in Scripture, that whatever 
 Jefus is, or whatever names he may bear, he is 
 w^hat God made him. " God hath exalted him to 
 be a Prince," " made him both Lord and Chrifl:,*' 
 " and appointed to him a kingdom," A6ls ii, 36 — 
 V, 31. Luke xxii. 29. Therefore we cannot re- 
 ceive your unfcriptural, irrational definition of the 
 expreflions.* 
 
 Again : The long firing of texts which you cite 
 to prove Chrift to be the Son of God, and to have 
 pre-exiiled, are all irrelevant, and nothing to the 
 purpofe. He is called the Son of God on account 
 of his miraculous conception, being produced 
 without a natural fath.er, out of the common 
 courfe of nature. He is declared to be the Son of 
 God with power, by being raifed from the dead, 
 being the firfl-born among many brethren, and by 
 
 * It does not appear that a fingle incommunicable attribute of God is 
 ever applied to Jefus in the facred bcriptures, nor that he bears any name 
 of God> but in a fubordinate fenfc ; and it is certain there are a number 
 of higli titles or epithets which are given to (Jod the Father only, fuch 
 as, ""Ihe God of Ilrad ; The God ol Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob; The 
 Oniy Wife God ; 1 he Living God ; The Invifible God ; 1 he Lord of 
 Heaven and Earth; The Almighty; Jehovah; The Moil High; The 
 Supreme God; Thctternal God, &.c, 5.c. 
 
( =7 ) 
 
 the voice at his baptifm. But all thefe confidera- 
 tions do not prove him to be the only true God, 
 any more than it proves Ifrael, who is called the 
 firft-born Son of God, Exod. iv. 22, to be God; 
 or the Chriftians, or Ifaac, or Adam, who are all 
 ftiled Sons of God, and the two latter pi'oduced too 
 out of the common way, by the immediate power 
 of God, as was Jefus. 
 
 Our Lord may have pre-exifted, and have even 
 been the maker of the worlds, under God, and 
 yet not be God hlmfelf. But by a httle refle£lion 
 and inquiry, (efpecially as you are a fcholar and 
 underftand the original) you might have iiived 
 yourfelf all your labour on the firll of Hebrews, 
 by confulting Mr. Wakefield's Trandation, who 
 renders the terms " by whom alfo he made the 
 world," " By whom he (God) made or eftablifhed 
 the ages:" by which we are to underftand the dif- 
 ferent difpenfations of God to the world, but more 
 particularly the difpenfation of the Gofpel, begun 
 and eftablifhed by Chrift. " Nor is there (fays 
 Dr. Sykes) any one inftance in the New Teftament 
 where more than this is meant by it.'' And the 
 term is alfo rendered age by Bifhop Lowth, Bifliop 
 Pearce, Dr. Lardner, Mr. Locke, Mr. Lindfey, 
 and many other learned Writers, who fupport 
 this reading by fuch authorities and reafoning as 
 you have not once attempted to refute. 
 
 The Author of this Epiftle, who here fpeaks 
 to Jews, endeavours to remove any unfavourable 
 impreffions which might have been made on their 
 minds by the meannefs of the outward appearance 
 of Jefus, or by the ignominy of his death, and to 
 prevent them from apoftatifing from the faith, by 
 
 E 2 
 
{ »8) 
 
 imprefTino: "pon their minds this great truth, th a 
 the miniftry of Mofcs was inferior to that of Chri ft 
 That however God mi^ht fpeak unto the fathers 
 by the Prophets, he had nov/ fpoken unto them by 
 his Sou, whom he had appointed heir of all thino;s, 
 one who had a greater name than the higheft 
 angels, a more glorious miniftry than Mofes, and a 
 more durable and excellent priellhood than Aaron, 
 unto whom all the angels are called to pay homage, 
 and to whom it is faid, " God is thy throne for 
 ever and ever," to fliew the fupport and durability 
 of his kingdom. But v^'ithoiit being more parti- 
 cular, notwithftanding the great dependence which 
 you feem to have on this chapter, it is exceedingly 
 evident that Chrifl: throughout the whole of it is 
 diftinguilhed from God in the fame manner as the 
 Prophets are ; he, therefore, cannot be God, He 
 is faid to be appointed by God heir of all things ; 
 but were he himfelf God, and the Creator of all 
 things, all things mufi: have been his own without 
 any fuch appointment. He is ftiled the brightnefs 
 of God's glory, and the exprefs image of his per- 
 fon ; but a ray proceeding from a luminous body 
 muft furely be inferior to the body from which it 
 proceedeth ; in like manner the image of a perfon 
 muft neceffarily be diilincl from the being or per- 
 fon whofe image it is. God is here called the 
 God of Jefus Chriil, and is faid to have anpinted 
 him w^ith the oil of gladnefs; but on the fuppofi- 
 tion that Chrift is himfelf God, all this was abfo- 
 lutely impoffible. Can the Son be equal to his 
 God and Father, who rewarded him with this 
 pre-eminence for his love of right coujnefi and haired 
 of iniquity f 
 
 Your arguments, page 22, to prove the God- 
 
( =9 ) 
 
 head of Chrift from his honours, his offices, &c. 
 his being appointed " Head of the Church," *' as 
 having the government of it upon his fhoulder ;" 
 ^* a faithful High Pried," " having an unchangeable 
 • priefthood," " to make reconciliation for fins," " to 
 make interceffion," *' to fave to the uttermoll all 
 that come unto God by him," " to be Judge of the 
 World,** &c. are furely as feeble arguments as 
 ever were applied to a needy caufe, having no 
 reference whatever to the lubje£t. 
 
 " Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in 
 the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the 
 Holy Gholl." Here, Sir, you make a ftand, and 
 declare, that " on this paflage you will reil the 
 Doftrine of the Trinity in Unity." And you obferve, 
 " by being baptized in the name of the Father, 
 Son, and Holy Gholl:, I declare my belief in each 
 of thefe perfons, my relation to each in their re- 
 iped:ive characters and offices, and my dedication 
 of myfelf to them equally and alike."* Really, Sir, 
 you muft have been a very intelUgent child thus 
 to beheve and adt at eight or ten days old. But, 
 ferioufly, Sir, nothing is here faid of the equality of 
 thefe perfons, or even that they all are perfons, 
 nor is it faid that thefe three are one being, or 
 that each of them is God ; | confequently " the 
 fair and natural interpretation" of this paflage can- 
 not prove a Trinity. Might we not as well con- 
 tend that Moles, Samuel, David, and the Elect 
 i\.ngels, were Gods, becaufe joined with the Su- 
 
 • Defence, page 25. 
 
 if ** You raaintain that the Father is God , the Son God, and the Holy Ghoft 
 C od , you maintain alfo that they are three diftinft perfons, i. e. that one is 
 not the other. On thefe principles it neceffarily follows that the Father is 
 God, exclufivcly of the Son and of the Holy Ghoft ; that the Son is God, 
 exclufively of the father and of the Holy Ghoft ; and that the Holy 
 
preme Beinp;?"And tlie people feared the Lord, and 
 believed the Lord and his fervant Mofes," Exod. y.iv. 
 31. " And all the people greatly feared the Lord 
 and Samuel," i Sam. xii. 18. "And all the congre- 
 gation blefled the Lord God of their fathers, and 
 bowed down their heads, and worfhipped the Lord 
 and the King," i Chron. xxix. 20. "I charge thee 
 before God and the Lord Jefus Chrifl:, and the Ele6t 
 Angels, that thou obferve thefe things," i Tim. v. 
 21. It does not appear that the Apoftles con- 
 fidered any thing important or myfterious in this 
 form of words, for we never find afterwards that 
 they confined themfelves to the ufe of it. You 
 inform us, that " when early Heretics began to 
 oppofe the co-eflentiality of the Son of God, we 
 find them departing from this form of found words 
 in their Baptifm." * Indeed, Sir, this doftrine was 
 early oppofed, and this form of " found words" 
 early departed from ; for when the Apoftles and 
 their affociates baptized, they baptized in the name 
 of the Lord Jefus (which abridgment might in- 
 clude the other). We are told this five times 
 over, J and of the form of found words not once. 
 Thus you have proved the firft Minifters of the 
 Gofpel " early Heretics," whilil writing profef- 
 fcdly in their defence ! 
 
 Ghoft is God, exclufivcly of the Father and of the Son : in other words, 
 it follows that there muft be three Gods, Now thefe three, taken toge- 
 ther, muil be n^ore than any one of them taken feparately. If, therefore, 
 one be of himfelf God, the three taken together muft be more than God ; 
 or if the three taken together make but one God. one of them taken fepa- 
 rately muft be lefs than God," i. e. God the Father, who is the Creator 
 3nd Supporter of the Univcrfe, is only a third part of God ! ! ! 
 
 Vide Porter's Defence of the Unity of God. 
 
 * Defence, page 26, 
 
 if Sec Afts viii. 16,— x. 48. — xh. 5. Rom. vii, 3, Gal. iii. 27. 
 
(31 ) 
 
 Yc I tell us, " if it (viz. the being baptized 
 in <!tifefe names) be an aft of worlhip and de- 
 dication," (as it undeniably " then the Son 
 and Holy Ghofl: are as truly objeds of worfhip as 
 the Father." In this light," you add, " the Primitive 
 Chriftians viewed it." * But you have not told us 
 where, and it is much ealier to affirm thaii prove. 
 We have proved already that the Apofties did 
 not confine themfelves to this form of words. 
 Can the fprinkling of a few drops of water upon 
 the face of a new-born infant be an a6t of worfhip 
 on its part, when the child is incapable of think- 
 ing, and wholly ignorant of the matter ? Such in- 
 fenfible worfhippers may be convenient enough 
 for your fcheme, but our Lord informs us that 
 " the true worfliippers" are (not thofe who worfhip 
 by proxy, but) thofe who " worfhip the Father 
 in fpirit and in truth." Paul informs us that 
 ** all the Ifraelites were baptized unto Mofes,*' and 
 if this, as you ftate, be " an aft of w^orlhip and 
 dedication, as it undeniably is," then Moles is as 
 truly an objeft of vvorlliip as Jehovah. This is 
 the revolting conckifion to which your unguarded 
 reafoning unavoidably leads. Baptifm was the 
 door into the Church, the way by which men 
 were made Difciples or initiated into the doftrine 
 of Eternal Life, which the Father of All revealed 
 to mankind by the miniPiry of his Son Jefus Chrift, 
 and confirmed by the miraculous gifts of Divine 
 Power communicated to Jefus and his Apofties. 
 In fhort, this form of w'ords of themfelves are fo 
 far from determining the matter, that they are 
 equally ufed by thofe who believe and thofe who 
 difbelieve the doftrine in queltion. Much more 
 
 * Defence page 2,6* 
 
itiight be faid upon the fubjed, but I believe by 
 this time the unbiaffed reader will fee that your 
 ground is untenable, and that you mufl: cither fall 
 with your argument, or fubmit to an honourable 
 capitulation. 
 
 You " affure your readers that you have not 
 produced even a fpecimen of fevcral kinds of ar- 
 gument ftill adduceable in fupport of this mofl im- 
 portant truth." This I fully grant ; but we may 
 expeft that you have brought forwards all your 
 belt arguments, otherwife you have not ufed yonr 
 readers w^ell, and if your main arguments will not 
 fupport you, the other of lefs account can affs rd 
 but httle aififtance, and notwithftanding the afler- 
 tion that " you have as fatisfadtory evidence as you 
 could wifh that Jefus is God,'* * I cannot but think 
 that you would feel a little happier if you could 
 read it in the Scriptures as plainly as you can read 
 it in Creeds and Articles, or even in your own 
 Book. I think 1 fee how you would triumph 
 could you read in the ApofUes' preaching or writ- 
 ings fuch expreffions as the Great Jriufie Being, The 
 Incarnate God^ The God-Man^ The Bleeding God^ 
 God the Son, God the Holy Ghojl, &c. but for fuch 
 expreflions you mufl: ever feek in vain in the 
 Bible. 
 
 I fhal) now notice the principle on which you 
 reafon, by remarking a few particulars in your 
 Book : \ — *' Chrift exercifed the power on earth of 
 forgiving fins, a power which God claims exclu- 
 fively as his own," he is therefore God. 1"he 
 Prielts of the Church of Rome and of the Church 
 of England forgive fins, therefore they are Gods, 
 
 * Defence, page 27. \ Defence, page 21 and 22. 
 
(33 ) 
 
 Nor will it at all afFc6l this ftatement to fay that 
 they do it only by virtue of authority derived from 
 Chrift, for Jefus declares that he acled folely by tlie 
 power derived from God ; that " all power was ^iven 
 him," and that " he of himfelf could do nothing ;" 
 becaufe he is faid to be " before all things," and to 
 have had " glory with the Father before the world 
 was," therefore " his exiftence is eternal/' He 
 may have been all this, and yet not eternal ; if he 
 was eternal, how was he begotten ? But, according 
 to your rule, if there were Angels before this world 
 was made, then their exiftence is eternal, confe- 
 quently they are Gods. Upon this plan we may 
 have a different God for every week of the year. 
 
 Again : " That which the True God fpeaks 
 exclufively of himfelf, (Ifaiah xliv. 6) is faid of 
 Chrift, that he is " the Firll and the Lall, the Be- 
 ginning and the Ending." Then, Sir, your argu- 
 ment is this : He who in Ifaiah Ifiles himfelf The 
 Fh'Jl and the Lafl^ is the one true immortal God, 
 who cannot die. But Jefus Chritt, in Revelations, 
 fliles himfelf The Firft and the La(l, who was 
 dead\ therefore Jefus Chrid, who was dead^ is the 
 Supreme God, who could not die. 
 
 Is not this reafoning curious ? for is it not evi- 
 dent that this defcription cannot apply to two be- 
 ings, whofe natures are fo oppofite, in the fame 
 fenfe ? " Chrilt is omniprefent ;" and this you prove 
 fram John iii. 13. " And no man hath afcended 
 up to heaven, but he that came down from hea- 
 ven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven." 
 From this you infer that Jefus was in heaven and 
 on earth at one and the fame time. Indeed, af- 
 ter your difcovery that at the fame moment of 
 
 F 
 
(34) 
 
 time he did know and did not know the day of 
 judgment, that at one and the fame time he was 
 ahve and not alive, afleep and not afleep, fuch in- 
 genuity may infer any thin^. 
 
 On this paflage 1 would obferve, that it is read 
 by learned men thus : " Even the Son of Man 
 ^^'ho was in heaven.'* This, they contend, reftores 
 confiftency to the text. However, without alter- 
 ing the reading, it is rtot difficult to underftand* 
 He mud have been a carelefs reader of John's 
 Gofpel who has not obferved that this Apoftle 
 conflantly introduces little comments of his own 
 for the elucidation of his Hiitory, and this ap- 
 pears to me to be one of thefe : " Even the Son of 
 Man who now (by his afcenfion fo long agoj is in 
 heaven." If either of thefe views be right, your 
 argument is loft. 
 
 Your next proof is, " I am with you always, 
 even unto the end of the world." I have already 
 produced fufficient authority that this is a falfe 
 reading of the paiTage, which ought to be, " the 
 end of the age ;" and, mod probably, as this pro- 
 xnife was made to the Apoilles to fupport and com- 
 fort them under the trials and hardfhips which they 
 iliould meet with in preaching the Gofpel, that it 
 refers to the Apcftolic age, when he would be with 
 them by the gifts of the Spirit, enabling them to 
 work miracles^ &c. " He is omnifcient :" In proof 
 you quote the words of Peter. John xxi. 17. 
 " Lord, thou knoweft all things." Then all John's 
 converts were Almighty Gods, for he tells them, 
 I John ii. 20, " Ye have an unftion from the Holy 
 One, and ye know all things." That the word 
 all ufed here is to be underftood in a limited fenfe 
 is evident, for our Lord declares that he did not 
 
( 35 ) 
 
 know when the day of judgment would be, and 
 certainly Peter did not know the extent of his 
 knowledcre better than he did himfelf. Indeed the 
 term fo iifed will apply to David or others as well 
 as to him. " My Lord (David) is wife, according 
 to the wifdom of an Angel of God, to know all 
 things that are in the earth," 2 Sam. xiv. 20 ; but 
 David is not therefore omnifcient. " He fearcheth 
 the reins and the heart." Peter is omnifcient, for 
 he fearched the reins, and detedled the deceitful 
 hearts of Ananias and Sapphira his wife. " He pof- 
 feffed Divine authority.'* Mofes pofleffed Divine 
 authority, therefore is God. " He is Almighty.*' 
 What, when he himfelf declares that he could do 
 nothing of himfelf, who bled and died, and did not 
 his own will, but the will of another who fent him, 
 and who was ignorant of the day of judgment? 
 " Honour and praife are due to him as the Supreme 
 God, even by Angels," Rev. chap. vi. * This is aa 
 aflertion fo extraordinary as hardly to require an 
 aufwer. I would, however, merely obferve, that 
 Chrift is not in all this chapter called God, but 
 only the Lamb, which is no name of God, as any 
 perfon may clearly fee by reading the chapter, and 
 that throughout the whole an evident diftinclion 
 is made between him (God) who fitteth on the 
 throne, and the Lamb, and that the praife here 
 
 F 2 
 
 - • •' I befought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me," 2 Cor. 
 x'n. 8. This you think proves that •' Chri(hans Irom the firft called upoa 
 Chrift."— Mr. Lindfey, Dr. Hammond, and others, contend that Paul 
 here prayed to God ; and alio in 1 Cor. i. 2, " To all that in every 
 place call upon the name of jefus Chrift," it is contended may be more 
 properly rendered, '♦ I o all that in every place are called by the name of 
 our Lord Jefus Chrift." As i do not anderltand the original, I muft 
 leave it to thofe who do ; but this 1 am fure of, that where ever we have 
 any prayers of the Apoftles recorded, they are always to God the Father, 
 
( 3« ) 
 
 given to the Lamb was not becaufe he was the 
 Supreme God, but becaufe he was worthy to open 
 the feais of the Book, and had only afcribed to 
 him fuch glory and honour as all Chriftians ac- 
 knowledg,e to be his due, which was conferred on 
 him by God as a reward for his fufFering. " We 
 fee Jefus, who was made a little lower than the 
 Angels for the fuffering of death, crowned with 
 glory and honour," Heb. ii. 9. But can God have 
 any reward given him for fuffering? Can God fuf- 
 fer or die? That blefhng, and honour, and glory, 
 and power fliould be given to God and to Chriffc 
 at the fame time, does not prove that it was given 
 in the fame fenfe, any more than it would prove 
 David to be God, becaufe it is faid, i Chron. xxix. 20, 
 " And all the congregation bleffed the Lord God 
 of their Fathers, and bowed down their heads and 
 worfhipped the Lord and the King." No one can 
 think from this that they worftiipped the King in 
 the fame fenfe as they worfliipped God, faying 
 prayers to him. I fcruple not to affirm that we 
 have no initance of Jefus ever being worfhipped 
 as the true God, never in any higher fenfe than as 
 the Meffiah ; and when we read of certain indi- 
 viduals worfliipping him, it fometimes means mi- 
 nittering to him, but more generally paying that 
 homage or reverence which in the Eaft is pra^tifed 
 to fuperiors or great charafters. The word wor- 
 JJoip has different meanings : A Juftice of Peace is 
 called His Worfliip, not meaning. Sir, his Godhead. 
 Certain Chartered Companies, and the Heads of 
 Corporations, are called Worfliipful, not meaning 
 that they are proper objects of prayer, but merely 
 worthy of great reiped. 
 
{S7) 
 
 " He is to judcre the world, therefore he muO: be 
 (Vod," Pray, Sir, did you ever read the following 
 paffage : " Becaiife he (God) hath appointed a day in 
 the which he will judcre the world in righteoufneis 
 by thatManwhom he hathor^^/V/^^, whereof he hath 
 given afllirance unto all men in that he hath raifed 
 him from the dead." Can the Man here fpoken 
 of, who was dead and raifed again, and appointed 
 Judge by the power of God, be God himfeif? 
 However, if judging the world proves him to be 
 God, it Vi/ill prove the Saints to be Gods, for 
 " know ye not that the Saints fhall judge the 
 world r 
 
 I think I have now noticed all your principal ar- 
 guments on this fubjed, and though but briefly, 
 yet enough has been faid, I truH, to fhew the ex- 
 treme inconclufivenefs of your arguments, and the 
 principle on which you reafon. The importance 
 of the doctrine is fuch, that it never can be proved 
 from inferences drawn from paflages fuppofed to 
 contain it by implication, which is the fubllance of 
 your reafoning. You certainly have not produced 
 
 . one Scripture which proves that the Son u^as any 
 thing which the Father did not make him, or pof- 
 fefled any powers which the Father did not give 
 
 'him. Should you alk then how I would have it 
 clearer fpoken of than it is, I anfwer, not by la- 
 boured inferences and doubtful difputed palTio^eF. 
 But were this do6lrine true, I lliould have expected 
 to have {een it revealed in the fame direct, plain, 
 pofitive, unequivocal language by which the TJnir.y 
 of God was made known to the Jews; but inltead 
 of this, when I fee Jefus Chrilf maintaining that 
 '' God is one, and that he only was to be worihip- 
 ped ;" that he himfeif prayed unto him, and taught 
 
(S8) 
 
 his Difciples when they prayed to pray unto the 
 Father only, declaring- that his " Father was 
 greater than he/* " that he of himfelf could do 
 nothing," but that ** all the works which he did, 
 and the words which he fpake, were not his own, 
 but the Father's who fent him ;" that he was ig- 
 norant of " the day of judgment ;" and farther, 
 that his Apoftles, who were divinely commifFioned 
 to preach the truth, never teach to their hearers 
 the myflery of the bleffed Trinity, nor Chriit the 
 God-Man, or that the Eternal God veiled himfelf 
 in human fielh ; but declare, on the contrary, " that 
 there was none other God but one," and that to 
 them there is but " one God the Father, of whom 
 are all things,*' the " God and Father of our Lord 
 Jefus Chrift," to wliom they always prayed ; that 
 there is ** one God, and one Mediator between God 
 and Man, the Man Chrift Jefus ;" " one God and 
 Father of all, who is above all ;" w^hen I fee all 
 this, I am convinced that no fuch dodrine as that 
 of the Trinity was ever revealed, but that the 
 Scripture evidence is altogether in favour of the 
 proper Unity of God. 
 
 Again : Chrift Jefus is fpoken of as our brother. 
 " A man in all things like unto his brethren," *' the 
 firft-born among many brethren," and even in his 
 bigheft ftate of dignity, as Judge of the World, he 
 fays, " inafmuch as ye have done it unto one of the 
 leaft of thefe my brethreti^ ye have done it unto 
 me." is it right to woiftiip him as the Supreme 
 God, who in his moft awful character owns us as 
 brethren ? We are called *' heirs of God," and faid 
 to be '* joint- heirs with Chrift.*' If he was God, 
 how can this be ? Can mortals be joint-heirs with 
 
(39) 
 
 the Divine Being ? What a degrading idea of the 
 Sovereign of the Univerfe ! 
 
 Permit me, on this occafion, to make a quotation 
 from the Narrative, which fully expreffes our 
 ideas: — " To us it appears mod evident that the 
 " Scriptures refer all to God in the firft place, and 
 " to Chrifl only in a fecondary fenfe as the means 
 *' or inftrnment. Did Chrifl: come into the World ? 
 *' * God fent him/ Did he perform miracles and 
 " wonders ? It was by the power of God ; * they 
 " were the works of God.* Did he fpeak as never 
 " man fpake ? * They were the words of him who 
 " fent him/ Had he power to lay down his life, 
 *' and take it up again ? * He had received his 
 ** power from the Father/ Was he raifed from. 
 ** the dead and placed at the right hand of God ? 
 " * It was by the operation of the power of God/ 
 " Is all power given to him in heaven and in earth ? 
 " * It pleafed the Father that in him fliouid all ful- 
 " nefs dwell/ So that whatever he was or is, it is 
 *' all from the power of God, and when all things 
 ** {hall harmonize in fweet fubjedlon together, 
 " ' then fhall the Son alfo be fubjed to him, and 
 " God be All in alL" 
 
 If we leave this clear account, we immediately 
 fall into fuch confufion of ideas as no conHderation 
 can regulate. In order to hold what is called the 
 Catholic Faith, we mud believe that Jefus was the 
 Creator of all things, and that he created nothing, 
 but was himfelf a creature ; that he was the Pre- 
 ferver of heaven and earth, and yet hungered, and 
 had not where to lay his head ; that he was the 
 object: of fupreme worfliip, and yet himfelf a wor- 
 {hipper of the Supreme Being; that he was the 
 
( 4° ) 
 
 foiirce of life, while he expired upon a crofs.t Wtf 
 mull: believe that three Infinite Beino;s are only 
 one Infinite Beincr ; tliat three dittind Perfons, 
 each properly God, are not three Gods, but one 
 God ; that a Son is as old as his Father, and a Son 
 Father to Iiimfelf ; and that Father and Son, Ser- 
 vant and Sovereign, Meflenger and Sender, Medi- 
 ator and Supreme God, are all one Being, though 
 in the plain fenfe of all human language they will 
 remain unequal, and feparate exigences and cha- 
 racters fo long as words have any meaning. 
 
 But you can get over all thefe, and many other 
 difficulties, by the unfounded notion of two natures 
 in Chrifl, the one nature the God of the other ; a 
 notion which is not countenanced by a Angle paf- 
 fage of Scripture, and which makes our Lord 
 guilty of the moft grofs equivocation ; a conduct 
 of which every good man would be afhamed, as 
 
 t You feem aware that it woulc' found aukward to anfwer in the af- 
 firmative to the queftion. Could God die : for}Ou inquire, page 12, 
 •* If I ever read or heard of any Trinitarian who was weak enough to 
 maintain that Chrift died as God r" and then quote the very paflage 
 which, as it ftands in our tranflation, feems more than any other to fpeak 
 this language, namely, *' feed the Church of God, which he hath pur- 
 chafed with his own blood," Afts xx. 28, and which might feem to 
 jiiftify this language. It is well known, however, that Billiop Pcaice, 
 an'i otiier Sehohirs of th.e fiift repute, read " feed the Church of the Lord, 
 (viz. Chrift) which he hath purchaied with his own blood." I would 
 alfo remark, that Mr. Burgh, in his Scriptural Confutation, reading it 
 according to our tranflation, fays, " \S hat can convince if this be un- 
 able? hhall we fee the blood of Cod himfelf fl reaming for our redemp- 
 tion, and ftill deny that Cod and Man arc one Chrift ;" It appears then 
 that there have been 1 rinitarians " fo weak" as nut only to avow the 
 fontiment, l.ut even to adopt the very language. It might have been en- 
 tertaining if this Writer had informed us who fupported the vaft and 
 complicated machinery of the univerfe when God poured forth his blood 
 and died ; or how it was that in that hour of horror, when Nature's Cod 
 groaned and expired, thnt ancient Chaos did not come again. — But this 
 is another evid>.nce, to the many, that might be fcledled from Writers of 
 this defcription, that fcarce any two Vv riters on this fubjeil defend it i» 
 the fame fcnfe, and precifely on tlic fame ground. 
 
( 4t ) 
 
 calculated only to deceive and to bewilder our 
 minds, confufe all our ideas, and deftroy the com- 
 mon meaning of words. How unworthy, therefore, 
 of the Saviour of the World, who came upon a 
 plain errand, with plain words to plain people, for 
 " the poor had the Gofpel preached to them."-— 
 You remind me, in a friendly way, that as I deny 
 Jefus Chrift to be the only true God, it behoves 
 me to think of that awful day " when he that de- 
 nieth Chrilt before men, fhall be denied before the 
 Anaels of God." If we attend to the fenfe of this 
 paitige, it will appear evident that it refpeds thofe 
 only who, having had a fair opportunity of receiv- 
 ing Chrifl, but who, notwithftanding, rejedted him 
 as the iVIefliah, and who were afhamed of him and 
 his Gofpel, and has not the moll diftant allufion to 
 thofe who with thankfulnefs and the moft cordial 
 affection receive him as the Meffiah, the Saviour 
 of the World, but who reject, with honell: zeal, 
 all unfcriptural, metaphyfical defcriptions of his 
 nature ; your application of it is therefore foreign 
 to its meaning. 
 
 It is almoft needlefs to remark, that a ferious 
 honeft mind, in receiving or rejedling any fenti- 
 ment, is not actuated by motives of fear or of 
 confequences, but ads according to its convictions 
 of their truth or falfehood. But were I difpofed 
 to recriminate, what might I not fay? I might 
 affirm that you have more objects of worfliip than 
 one, and that by worlhipping a likenefs, a fimili- 
 tude, you habitually break the firfl: aFid fecond 
 Commandments, that you worfhip God's fervant, 
 the Meffiah, an inferior fubordinate being to God 
 the Father, " of whom are all things," whomMoies 
 
 G 
 
( 42 ) 
 
 attd the Prophets, Chrift and his Apoftles, nnl- 
 tormly worfhipped and adored as the one living 
 and true God. ^ 
 
 I do not perceive that you have in your Defence 
 attempted to produce a fingle inllance that ever 
 A a^^ ^^^ prayed unto by either Chrift or the 
 ApoUles, though in your fcheme God, equal with 
 tlie bather. Your advancing nothing on the fub- 
 jedt proves certainly that you found it moft con- 
 venient to be filent; nor have you explained how 
 It was that Chrift aded as a dependent creature. 
 ±ie who prays with any propriety, ftands in need 
 ot what he prays for. Chrift, in " the days of his 
 llelh, prayed unto God with ftrong cries and tears.'* 
 iJoes this account agree with the charafter of a 
 perfea being, who poffeffed in himfelf all poffible 
 tullnefs? or was it that he prayed to himfelf, and 
 acted thus only to fave appearances? And can we 
 underftand his expiring prayer on the crofs, « My 
 God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me ?" to 
 mean, Myfelf, why haft thou forfaken me? No, 
 every impartial mind would perceive the abfur- 
 aity of fuch an explanation ; but our Lord's con- 
 duel was completely confiftent.with the integrity 
 of his charaaer and his own account of himfelf, 
 that he was a dependent being on God, who was 
 lent into the world, as he himfelf declares, by 
 him, «' not to do his own will, but the will of him 
 who fent him;" " that he fpoke not of himfelf, but 
 as he heard he fpoke ;" " that the works which he 
 did were the Father's who fent him ;" that he did 
 *' all by the power of God," for " the Son of him- 
 felf could do nothincr." 
 
 Your's, &c. &c. 
 
( 43 ) 
 
 LETTER in. 
 
 Reverend Sir, 
 
 IT is not my wifti to preclude you or any per- 
 fon from exprelling Scripture ideas in any 
 terms that may be moft convenient and fatisfac- 
 tory ; but when words are adopted for this purpofe 
 that exprefs more, or fomething different from 
 the Scriptures they are intended to explain, then 
 I conceive that they are juftly liable to objedion. 
 On this ground it was that I contended that the 
 phrafeology commonly ufed on the Do6lrine of 
 Atonement is not fupported by the fenfe of Scrip- 
 ture. I grant that fome things are faid plaufibly 
 enough upon it, and that fome texts, taken in a> 
 confined literal fenfe, give the dodtrine an air of 
 fupport. But when we take a clofe view of the 
 fubjed, and fcrutinize the fenfe of thofe paflages, I 
 am fatisfied that fuch a dodrine, in the modern 
 fenfe of it, is not diredly taught in Scripture. 
 And muft we build fo important an article of our 
 faith upon mere inferences from paflages that bear 
 fo much the air of figure, allufion, and accommo- 
 dation, and efpecially when we fee that thofe 
 figures are themfelves very obfcure,and that, when 
 applied to this fubjed, very frequently inconfiftent 
 with each other ? 
 
 G 2 
 
( 44 ) 
 
 The propriety of tbefe remarks, touching the 
 obfcurity of the facrifices under the law, when 
 applied to that of Chrift, will, I think, evidently 
 appear, if we confider the very diverfified order 
 in which they were to be attended to. For exam- 
 ple ; The bullock for the fm-offering was to be 
 killed before the Lord ; part of it was to be burnt 
 upon the altar, but the flefh, Ikin, &:c. was to be 
 burnt without the camp ; the burnt-offering was 
 to be wholly burnt upon the altar, for a fweet- 
 fmelling favour unto the Lord ; the peace-offer- 
 ing, the flefh of which, on the contrary, was to be 
 eaten the day on which it was offered ; while the 
 fcape goat, who bore away the fms of the congre* 
 gation of Ifrael into an unknown land, was not 
 {lain at all. Now, how is it poffible to give thefe 
 and others (fo oppofite in themfelves) a diredl ap- 
 plication to the facrifice of Chrift, which can 
 properly anfwer to none of them, but in a la- 
 boured qualified fenfe ? 
 
 Again : Chrift is reprefented as being made a 
 curfe for us, a facrifice for us, as our palTover, a 
 lamb without fpot and blemifli, and with being 
 made fin for us, &c. Can any one apply thefe 
 oppofite characters to Jcfus literally, and make 
 any fort of fenfe of them? Could he be the prieft 
 and the vidim at the fame time ? Could he be at 
 .once a curfe and a facrifice? Is it not plain, that 
 any thing that was held accuried or unclean could 
 not be offered as a facrifice under the Law ? With 
 all the afTiftance then of types and fhadows, is it 
 not evident that all fuch exprefTions are merely al- 
 lufive language to the ritual law of the Jews, 
 and that fuch is the variety of figure and expref- 
 
( 45 ) 
 
 fion made ufe of, that when they are applied to 
 Jefus, can only be underflood of him in a very li- 
 mited fenfe indeed? 
 
 But, to come nearer to the point: ** That facri- 
 fices under the law were appointed to make atone- 
 ment for the foul of the offender, and that without 
 ihedding; of blood he could obtain no remiffion, 
 and that the vidim was to be offered with this 
 view," I readily grant ; but how was the forgive- 
 nefs to be obtained, and wherein did the virtue of 
 all this confift ? Was it in the blood of the vidini, 
 or in the merit of its fufferings ? No, there is no 
 virtue in the blood of flain beafts to remove fm of 
 any kind. It lay folely then in the Divine Ap- 
 pointment, and the finner enjoyed the good folely 
 as he obeyed the will of God in thefe appoint- 
 ments. To attempt to convert this plain matter 
 into a myftery, by faying that the devoted vidim 
 was " endowed with a propitiatory efficacy to 
 make atonement for fm," is doing no good, for we 
 are not told any thing of the kind in Scripture, 
 nor have you brought any evidence in fupport of 
 the affertion. 
 
 Now, allowing that ** the blood of the vi£lim 
 maketh atonement for the foul" under the law, 
 and that this is typical of the death of Chrifl, as 
 it is an atonement and a more efficacious facrifice 
 for fm than the facrifices under the law, the quef- 
 tion then is. How is it typical ? If the vidims under 
 the law were not facrificed in the finners* ftead, 
 nor to fatisfy Divine Juftice, nor to purchafe fal- 
 vation, or reconcile an angry God to his offending 
 creatures, (of all which we have not one word in 
 the Legation of Mofes) then they could not typify 
 
(46) 
 
 that Chrift fhould do this, confequently your main 
 argument is ruined ; and ihould we grant what you 
 contend for, that " the facrifice of the vidim as an 
 atonement could only be typical of the death of 
 Chrifl-, as it is an atonement," it will not an* 
 fwer your purpofe ; for they, as we have air 
 ready obferved, merited nothing, nor purchafed 
 nothing, nor were they (lain in the fmners^ 
 flead. Therefore, however extenfive and pre- 
 cious the atonement of Chrift may be confi- 
 dered, if it, like them, is only fo by the appoint- 
 ment of God, it is not then owing to the dignity 
 of his perfon, nor the merit of his fufferings, a 
 conclufion that will not at all fuit your fcheme ; 
 but which, however, you muft adopt, or you cannot 
 with any propriety maintain any relation between 
 the type and the antitype, for in both cafes they 
 are the appointed means by which God made him- 
 felf known, and difpenfed his mercies to his crea- 
 tures ; by the firil: to the Jews, but by the fecond, 
 in a more liberal and glorious manner, to the Chrtr 
 llians. 
 
 It is obferved in the Narrative, that the phrafes 
 of " Chrift fuffering for us *, redeeming us, bearing 
 
 * The expreflions of" Chrift dying for us, fuffering for us," &c. can- 
 not, when coolly coiifidered, fupport the notion of a vicarious facrifice, 
 for Chritiians are called to poftefs the fame difpofition, and to imitate his 
 example, by laying down their lives for their brethren, when circum- 
 flances fo require it, i John iii. ; but which on the above principle would 
 Le impoffible. This duty Paul declares himfelf ready to perform fur the 
 churches, 2 Cor, xii. iq — z Coi. i. 24; and alfo that they were ready 
 to do the fame for him, Rom. xvi. 4; and the Chriftians are reprefented 
 as I cing ready to die for Chrift, and as rejoicing in tribulation for his 
 name's fake. Aits v. 41 — ix. 16 — xv. 26— xxi. 13. And as he is faid 
 to fuffcr tor us, fo are we faid to fufFer for him, Phil. i. 29 — 2 Lor. xii. 
 10. Thefe cnnfiderations wholly pnvent us from underftanding the ex- 
 prelFions of "Chrift dying for us, fuifcring for us,' &c. to mean that h(j 
 «lied in cur ftcad, in a vicarious fcnfc, but that he died in pcrfed obedi- 
 
(47) 
 
 oiir fins, purchafing us, beinp; facrificed for us, 
 ye are bought with a price," are in a great meafure 
 figurative, and are borrowed from the ceremonial 
 Law of the Jews, or from the Jewifli Scriptures; 
 but I decHned entering into a minute examination 
 of thefe phrafes, becaufe I wiflied to be as concife 
 as pofTible. However, as you are difpleafed with 
 this, and obferve, " that you do not wonder at my 
 not going farther into the fubject," thereby in- 
 finuating that the aflertion is incapable of being 
 fupported, I fliall offer the following brief remarks, 
 which may tend to fubftantiate the truth of it. 
 
 In order to underftand the notion of " buy- 
 ing and purchafing," as here applied, let it be 
 obferved, that buying is often ufed metaphorically 
 in Scripture, where it is common to meet with 
 buying without money and without price, or buy- 
 ing with a price, (improperly fo called:) *• Ho! 
 every one that thirfteth, (that is, defirous of life 
 and falvation) come ye to the waters, and he that 
 hath no money, come ye, buy and eat, yea, come 
 buy wine and milk without money and without 
 price," Ifa. Ixv. i ; which is explained, in verfe 3, 
 " Incline your ear and come unto me ; hear, be 
 attentive and receive my inilruftions, and your 
 foul (hall live." In this fenfe we buy when we fe- 
 rioufly apply our minds to ftudy and receive the 
 precepts of Divine Wildom, and the promifes of 
 
 ence to God, in the caufe of truth, to exemplify a life to come, and to 
 prepare himfelf for his oOicial charaders ; and all for us, or for '.he be- 
 nefit of men, and are expreffive or the fingular goodnefs and beneficence 
 of his charafter. But what common fenfe can underdand that when Paul 
 declares he is ready to die for Chriil, that he i: then paying a debt for 
 him ? Or when the Chriitians are faid to fuffer for Chrift, that then rhey 
 are fufFcring in his Head, to appeafe the wrath of God f 
 
{ 48 ) 
 
 t5*vine Grace ; and to make our conduct conform- 
 able thereto. Thus " we buy the truth," Prov. 
 xxii. 2'^, and thus *' buy white raiment and gold 
 tried in the fire," Rev. iii. i8. : i. e. the moft va- 
 luable endowments of mind. Thus the wife mer- 
 chantman, in Mat. xiii* 45, 46, " having found the 
 pearl of great price, (viz. the life and happinefs of 
 the Gofpel) went and fold all that he had and 
 bought it," i. e. he renounced all temporal enjoy- 
 ments, that he might prepare himfelf for eternal 
 life. And in this fenfe we fell, when through 
 carelefTnefs we fall into a courfe of fin, or through 
 obftinacy continue in it. Thus we may fell the 
 truth inflead of buying it. Thus " Ahab did fell 
 himfelf to work wickednefs," i Kings xxi. 25. 
 Thus " the Jews were fold under fin," Rom vii. 1 7. 
 Thus we buy when we ufe proper means to gain 
 knowledge and good habits ; we fell when we 
 abandon ourfelves to ignorance and vice. And God 
 is alfo in Scripture faid to buy and fell with refpeft 
 to his creatures ; he buyeth a people when he in- 
 terpofes in their favour, and employs means to 
 free them from any circumftances of vvretched- 
 riefs, and to raife them to a happy and profperou» 
 (late ; fo he purchafed or bought the children of 
 Ifrael, by bringing them out of the flavery of Egypt 
 to the liberty and privileges of Canaan, by his 
 mighty power, wifdom, and goodnefs. " For I am 
 the Lord thy God, the Holy One of lirael, thy 
 Saviour ; I gave Egypt for thy ranfom, and Seba 
 for thee, fince thou waft precious in my fight : 
 thou haft bten honourable, and I have loved 
 thee ; therefore will I give men for thee, and peo- 
 ple tor thy life,** Ifaiah xliii. 34. ** Do ye thus 
 
[49 ] 
 
 requite the Lord, O foolifh people and unwife ? Is 
 he not thy Father that hath bought thee ?" 
 Deut. xxxii. 6. On the other hand, he fells a 
 people when he withdraws his favours and bleflings 
 from them, Deut. xxxii. 30 — Judges ii. 14, &c. 
 And this notion of buying and purchafing is in the 
 New Neftament very properly applied to our fal- 
 vation or deliverance from fin and the grave by 
 Jefus Chrift. * 
 
 Is it poffible to underftand the above paffages, 
 otherwife than in a figurative fenfe, " I gave 
 men for thee, and people for thy life ;" " I 
 gave Egypt for thy ranfom," &c. ? You cannot 
 argue that thefe were proper facrifices, w^ithout 
 foot and blemifii, to redeem the Ifraelites out of 
 flavery, in a vicarious way, in your fenfe of reafon- 
 ing, for the reverfe is the fad:; they were punifhed 
 avowedly for their evil doing. 
 
 When I gave in the Narrative an inftance of the 
 difficulty of underllanding this figurative language 
 without recurring to the Jewifti Scriptures, by 
 alking, " If we are bought, in the literal fenfe, who 
 is the ftUer ?" You obferve, (page 35) " It is fuffici- 
 ent to reply to fuch a quibble, that this is a juft 
 tranflation of tlie original word ; if we talk non- 
 fenfe, fo does the Apoftle." It is furely a very ex- 
 traordinary way of anfwering an argument'^to con- 
 tend that the terms are rightly tranflated ; for, 
 granting this, may we not inquire what thefe 
 terms mean? What better is any man for the 
 Scriptures being rightly tranflated, if he does not 
 underlland them ? This mode of reafoning would 
 
 H 
 
 * See this kind of phrafeology explained at large in Dr. Taylor's Key 
 to the Apoiiolic Writings. 
 
( 5° ) 
 
 nearly fandlify every abfurdity that has been ^- 
 thered upon the Scriptures. For inftance, fnp- 
 pofe a perfon fliould exprefs the difficulty of un- 
 derftanding, " take, eat, this is my body which was 
 broken for you," jnO: as it reads, and as the 
 Catholics underftand it, by faying, How can Chrift 
 be bodily prefent all over Chriftendom and in hea- 
 ven at one and the fame time? and that, in an- 
 fwer, a Catholic ftiould fay, " ft is fufficient to re- 
 ply to fuch a quibble as this, that this is a right 
 tranflation of the original words; if we talk non- 
 fenfe, fo does our Lord, who elfewhere fays, " Ex- 
 cept ye eat the fle(h of the Son of Man, and drink 
 his blood, ye have no life in you, therefore 
 tranfubUantiation is a Scripture do<^rine." Would 
 you allow this to be " a legitimate rule of inter- 
 pretation?" You would not. Yet this would ac- 
 cord with your very principle of reafoning. 
 
 But, Sir, if we confider attentively the peculiar 
 circumftances in which the.Apoftles wrote, 1 think it 
 will appear that their reafoning and language is in 
 a great meafure that of accommodation to Jewifh 
 prejudices, to the particular manners and habits of 
 the times. A great part of the firft converts to 
 Chriftianity were Jews, and thofe acquainted with 
 the Jewifh religion and the Churches were from 
 the firft too much troubled with Jewifli teachers, 
 who wanted to enforce the obfervance of the 
 ceremonial Law along with the Gofpel. Add to 
 this, liow eafy it would be for fuch to raife doubts 
 in their, as yet, tender minds, who had probably 
 no very perfect conception of their new fituation 
 as Chriftians. Thus circumftanced, need we be 
 furprifed if, when they found in themfelves in- 
 ftances of defeiflive condudl, they fliould betray a 
 
( 51.) 
 
 leanino; towards thefe obfervances ? For when the 
 J^w had come fhort, and had done amifs, he re- 
 ported for deliverance from condemnation to the 
 appointments of the ceremonial law; but now, that 
 he is taught that it is abohfhed, is it not natural to 
 think that he would, in cafes of this kind, be fome- 
 what at a lofs what he fliould do ? Muft he return 
 again, from whence he came, to the law? The 
 Apoftles would anfwer. No, it is entirely done 
 away, that would be to build up what is already 
 pulled down. Chrift Jefus is to us all that we now 
 Itand in need of; regard not the blood of viftims 
 offered in facyifice, it is now rejected ; the blood of 
 Chrift cleanfeth us from all fm ; he is now our 
 peace-ofi^ering, our fm-offering, our paffover, who 
 was facrificed for us ; we have now redemption, 
 through his blood, from all offences ; he is now our 
 Great High Prieil, and hath offered himfelf once 
 for all, and has entered into the holy place above, 
 into heaven itfelf, by his own blood. Depend not, 
 therefore, on legal obfervances, nor feek accep- 
 tance in this offering, or that facrifice, for " ye are 
 complete in him," " who is appointed Head over all 
 things to his church." This is the " new and liv- 
 ing w^ay that God hath confecrated to himfelf," by 
 wdiich we Chriflians have, in all moral cafes and 
 circumrtanccs, accefs unto God, with confidence of 
 being heard and accepted, where we can " obtain 
 mercy and find favour in every time of need," if 
 we poffefs a ferious penitent mind, for " Chrift is 
 not a High Prieft who cannot be touched with the 
 feelings of our infirmities," but a " merciful High 
 Prieft, who knows our frailties, and is " able to fave 
 to the uttermoft all that come unto God by him." 
 
 H 2 
 
-( 52 ) 
 
 If this view of the fubjeci: be rioht, the blood of 
 Chrift, or the death of Chrift, which I a])prehend 
 means one and the fame thing, is not the efficacions^ 
 or procuring caufe of pardon, but the means by 
 which God was pleafed to difpenfe his mercy and 
 forgivenefs to his fmful creatures. " But, you 
 fay, if all this kind of expreffion means nothing 
 higher than that Chrift died to feal the new cove- 
 nant, the truth of his miffion, to exemplify a life 
 to come, and to eftablifli his chara^er as the Mef- 
 fiah, you fhould be glad to be told * why we are 
 not redeemed by the miracles of Chriil: and his 
 Apoftles, for you think they are the moft direct 
 and indifputable proof of his miffion ? alfo why we 
 never read the blood of the Apoftles cleanfeth us 
 from all fm, or have redemption through the blood 
 of the Martyrs, and that Stephen was floned for 
 us, &c.? and why the Apoftle exclaims, " God for- 
 bid that I Ihould glory, fave in the crofs of our 
 Lord JefusChrift?"t 
 
 * Defence, page 36. 
 
 X The offence of the crofs was not owing to an innocent perfon fuf- 
 fering for the guilty, nor was it on account of the dignity of his charac- 
 ter. That a being of a fuperangelic nature, or a Gcd, iTiould lay afide 
 his glory and majdlv, and condefcend to make a mean appearance, fub- 
 mit to voluntary fnfferings and death in the ftead of men, could not ex- 
 cite contempt nor incur odium, but rather admiration and the moft pro- 
 found eftecm. Ihe offence of the crofs then to the Jews could not be 
 the death of a God, but the difappointment of their higheft hopes and 
 expectations. They expeded a triumphant glorious Mcffiah, under 
 whofe reign they fliould enjoy worldly dignity, empire, and opulence. 
 Jefus, on the contrary, was a fuffering Meifiah, an obfcure charafter, of 
 jmean appearance, and who declares, that though indeed a King, yet 
 ** that his kingdom was not of this world," and by fubmitting to the 
 rage of his enemies, and expiring on the crofs as a criminal, he deilroyed, 
 even in his friends, all thoughts of worldly grandeur and advantages, and 
 though he rofe a conqueror over death, and by Ins afcenfion into heaven 
 opened wide the gates of light upon mankind, and though this truth was 
 recommended to their attention by the moft fplendid miracles wrought 
 by his Apoftles in his name, yet they could not be induced 10 forego 
 
( 53 ) 
 
 Now, Sir, were your mind calm and unbiaffed, 
 I could eafily give you fatisfa6tion upon thefe 
 queries. The grand reafon why we are not faid 
 to be redeemed by the blood of the Apoftles, of 
 Stephen, or the Martyrs, is becaufe they were none 
 of them the MefTiah, nor the perfon whom God 
 had chofen to be Head of the New Difpenfation ; 
 none of them were appointed to be the one only 
 way of accefs unto God ; none of them were ap- 
 pointed High Priefl: over the Houfe of God ; none 
 of them, like Jefus, have exemplified in their own 
 perfons a refurrec^ion from the grave, by breaking 
 the bands of death, and afcending into heaven. 
 But Jefus is fet down on the right hand of God, 
 and is there the reprefentative of the Chriftians. 
 You might as well alk why one annual facrifice 
 under the law would not^have done inftead of the 
 
 their delufive hopes of worldly greatnefs, to fubrait to have " this man 
 to reign over them," he was an offence to them. While this fubjeft was 
 *• a ftuinbling block to the jew,'' it was no lefs *♦ foolifhnefs to the wife 
 Greek." That Jefus of Nazareth was the Meffiah, the Saviour of the 
 "World, and fent by God in an efpecial manner to the Jewifh nation, but 
 who, notwithftanding, was rejefted by them, and put to death as an im- 
 poftor and malefador even by his own countrymen, was a ftory which 
 they could not away with. To fay nothing how much theGofpel fcheme 
 militated againft the notions of the fchools and of the different fyf^ems of 
 , Eaftern philofophy which then prevailed. Another obvious reafon why 
 the Apoftle was determined ta know nothing but Chrift and him cruci- 
 fied, among the Churches, was the exertion? that fome of the new con- 
 verts were making to reconcile Chriftianity to their philofophical no- 
 tions. The gnoitic error that Chrift was only a man in appearance, be- 
 gan to make its appearance in the Apoftles' days, and which they la- 
 boured to confute ; for if Chrift was only a man in appearance, and did 
 not adually fufFer, he only died in appearance, and of courfe was only 
 raifed in appearance ; notions incompatible with, and fubverfive of, the 
 moft important doftrines of the Gofpel. Hence the Apoftle John de- 
 clares, " Every fpirit that confelTeth that Jefus Chrift is come in the 
 flefh, is of God," and '* that every fpirit that confeffeth not that Jefus 
 Chrift is come in the fleih, is not of God." Again : " For many de- 
 ceivers are entered into the world, who confefs not that Jefus Chrift ii 
 come in the flefh; this is a deceiver andan antichrift." 
 
(54) 
 
 many ? or why the fcape-goat could not have borne 
 away the fins of Ifrael, without the innocent Iamb 
 or bullock being {lain for peace-offerings, fin-of- 
 ferings, &c. &c ? or indeed any thing elfe, and 
 one fhort anfwer will do for all, — becaufe they 
 were not fo appointed. 
 
 But there is one view of the death of Chrift, 
 given in the Narrative, which you have never 
 noticed, that it was neceffary to prepare him for 
 his official ftation and charaders, that he fhould be 
 " made perfect through fufferings," that he might 
 be " a merciful High Prieft over the Houfe of 
 God ;" but had he not been " a man acquainted 
 with grief," had known none of our forrows, nor 
 had ever tailed of the cup of human woe, he could 
 not have felt for his brethren as he can now, nor 
 could they have enjoyed fuch confidence in the 
 fympathy of his character ; for, unlefs he had 
 known pain, as Head of the Church, there could 
 have been no correfpondent feelings between him 
 and his members : in a word, by his pure obedi- 
 ence unto death, even the death of the crofs, in 
 perfect refignation to the will of God, he has, by 
 the brightnefs of his example, and the glorious 
 news and nature of his Gofpel, prefented us with 
 the mbft pov^^erful motives why every one that 
 nameth the name of Chrift fhould depart from all 
 iniquity. I have obferved in the Narrative, that 
 " the very idea of Chrift dying to' appeafe his 
 angry Father, or to fatisfy his injured juftice, re- 
 preientsGod in an odious point of view, as fo in- 
 flexibly aullere that he would remit nothing, but 
 would have the uttermoft farthing ; a character 
 that is detefied amongll men, while God the Son 
 is reprefented as compaffionate and merciful." 
 
( 55 ) 
 
 In commenting; upon this paflap^e, you tell us 
 " that God is never to be conlidered as a private 
 individual in his condud: towards men, but as a 
 moral Governor of theUniverfe," as if there were 
 one fet of principles of mercy, goodnefs, and juftice 
 for God, and another diiferent fet of principles for 
 men. But you proceed and inform us, that *' in 
 this character he threatened to fend defl:ru6lion on 
 kings, kingdoms, the whole human race," and that 
 ** he deftroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, Babylon 
 and Jeruialem, and drowned the world without 
 mercy, as he had threatened;" and you alk, with 
 no little confidence, if " he was auilere in ail 
 this ?" * 
 
 Now, Sir, you have left out what was mofi: ma- 
 terial for you to take in, to give propriety to your 
 reafoning ; namely, Did God deftroy them becaufe 
 no one made fatisfa£lion to his jufticeby fuffering 
 in their {lead ? or was it becaufe they did not re- 
 pent of their wickednefs, and turn to the fervice 
 of God ? Would he have deftroyed Sodom and 
 Gomorrah, Babylon and Jerufalem, or the Caana- 
 nitifti nations, if they had fmcerely repented ? 
 Would he have deftroyed the world by water, if 
 they had repented by the preaching of Noah ? If 
 you are at a lofs for an anfwer to thefe queftions, 
 look to Nineveh, and to the parable of the Prodi- 
 gal Son. 
 
 Thus, by not fairly meeting the fpirit of the 
 objeftion, ail your parade about aufterity comes to 
 nothing,' and the dodrine ftill paints God (and you 
 have not been able to remove the charge whicli 
 your fcheme involves him in) in an ungracious 
 charader. 
 
 ♦ Defence page 38. 
 
( 5« ) 
 
 Much to the fame purpofe are your remarks on 
 my obfervation that " Juftice can never punifli th^ 
 innocent for the guilty, and let the ♦];uilty go free." 
 This feems a felf-evident truth, that any lawyer in 
 the country will maintain ; yet you would in- 
 fmuate to the contrary, and fay, " before I had 
 ventured fuch an affertion as this, I ought to have 
 ihewn that there is nothing happening under the 
 government, by the permillion, by the direct ap- 
 pointment of God himfelf, that does not on this prin- 
 ciple demonftrate him to be an unjult and cruel 
 God." And in fupport of the above obfervation, 
 you afli, " How do you account for his permitting 
 all the human race to be brought into a ftate of 
 affliction and death by the fin of one man ?" * &c. 
 But I would alk. Did the guilty here go free? Did 
 not he fuffer with the reft ? I never yet read of 
 Adam being exempt from death. I need not, I 
 think, purfue this farther ; it is clearly irrelavent 
 to the cafe ; it has, and frequently will happen in 
 the prefent ftate of the world, that in the courfe 
 of events the innocent will fuffer with the guilty 
 for their crimes. But that God fhould caufe this 
 in a pofitive way, feems contrary to our befl re- 
 fledions, and to his own declaration to Abraham, 
 when he fays, " Far be it from me to flay the 
 righteous with the wdcked." Muft it not then be 
 farther from him ftill to flay the righteous, and let 
 the guilty go free ? 
 
 You think that our fcheme " reduces God to 
 little more than an idol of mercy." Pray, Sir, how 
 can this be? Is not Death the great deftroyer of 
 man, and all the accumulated mifery of human 
 life the effects of his juftice ? and will not the fu* 
 
 • Defence, page 37. 
 
( 57) 
 
 til re judgment, and all its dreadful evils, be the 
 moil awful expreffions of his julHce ? and is it not 
 feif-evident that no unholy, unrighteous perfon 
 can have favour or fellowfhip with a holy and 
 righteous God, without a radical change of the 
 heart and the affedions? Is it not more honourable 
 to the Divine Being to believe, with the Scripture, 
 that he is effentially of himfelf gracious and for- 
 giving, and that with our God there is plenteous 
 of mercy, than the fcheme that holds God forth 
 as being necefTitated by his own perfections to con- 
 tend againft the creatures, he has made, and bear- 
 ing fuch a vindictive charaCler, and fuch a fpirit 
 of implacable wrath againd his own works, even 
 before they are ufliered into being, as nearly to 
 reduce him to an idol of unreafonable juftice and 
 feverity, and fliadows from mortal view all his ten- 
 der and benevolent perfections ? But what, Sir, is 
 the tenor of our Lord's preaching on this fubjedl ? 
 He often fpeaks of his death to his Difciples and 
 the Jews, and though they had very erroneous 
 notions concerning the Meffiah, and were quite 
 ignorant of the nature of his death, yet does he 
 ever attempt to enlighten their minds refpeCling 
 it ? Does he ever fpeak of the neceflity of his death 
 to make atonement for fin, or to fatisfy offended 
 juftice ? Does he not, on the contrary, declare it 
 muft take place, that the Scripture JJjould be fulfilled 
 'which [poke of his future fufferings ^ fee Mat. xxvi. 
 53, &c. — Mark xiv. 48. — Luke xxiv. 25, 26, and 
 at large in ver. 44. John the Baptift preached that 
 men fiiould fiee from the wrath to comcj that they 
 JJjould repent t and bring forth works meet for repent" 
 ance, never Ipoke of any atonement, and enjoined 
 
 I 
 
(58) 
 
 nothing but dry moral duties, therefore he mufl be 
 given up as a mere legal preacher. The A]>oflles, 
 in all their addrcfles to Jews and Gentile?, are as 
 filcnt about this dodrine, as may be feen at large 
 in the book of A6ls. • 1 hey declaim freely againfl: 
 all grofs corruptions and vices, and call upon all 
 men every w here to repent and believe the Gof- 
 pel of Chi if! for the remiflion of fms, but not a 
 word of Chriil: being an atonement for fin, or of 
 being facrificed to appeafe the wrath of God, nor 
 does the word atonement occur in all the New 
 Teflament, lave once, and there the margin reads 
 it reccnciliation. When Philip was explaining to 
 the Eunuch that prophecy in the Old Teftament 
 which fecms molt to reprefent it in that light, he 
 never mxcntions any thing about an atonement ; 
 all that intitled him to baptifm w^as his believing 
 " that Jefus was the Son of God." Peter, in his 
 difcourfe to the Jews on the Day of Pentecoft, 
 paints in the blacked colours the fms of the Jews 
 in crucifying our Lord ; but though he exhorts 
 the inquiring penitents to repentance and baptifm 
 for the remiffion of fins, fays not a word of Jefus 
 inaking fatisfaclion to God for fmners. 
 
 Mull it not appear very ftrange, Sir, even to 
 you, why a doftrine, fo very fundamental, fliould 
 not be noticed or explained on fuch proper and 
 inviting cccafions ? How would not a fpiritual 
 preacher in our day have harrangued at fuch a 
 time ? Would he not have enforced, with all the 
 ability and pathos that he was mafter of, this fun- 
 damental of all real religion and acceptance with 
 God ? This would have been his firft and leading 
 theme. The vaft importance of the divine atone- 
 ment, by the precious blood of Chriil:, would have 
 
( 59 ) 
 
 been founded forth with all the energy and gran- 
 deur of expreflion. To what reafon then can we 
 attribute the filence of the Apoflles on this im- 
 portant matter, but this, that the Doctrine of 
 Chrift: dying to appeafe the wrath of God, &c. 1$ 
 not divine. It might have been ufefui if you had 
 explained or given a definitive meaning of the 
 terms generally ufed on this fubjeft ; for want of 
 explaining terms, great differences often uninten- 
 tionally arife. If the fmful world be as an infol- 
 vent debtor, and Chrift by his fufferings hath paid 
 the debt, then is not the world free ? or, if Chrift 
 Jiath fatisfied Infinite Juftice in the finner's ftead, 
 then the finner muft be free, juftice can have no 
 farther claim upon him. And here it is, perhaps, 
 where the Antinomian is the moft confiftent fatif- 
 fatftioriift, though I have no doubt but that you de- 
 left the glaring licentioufnefs of his fcheme, not- 
 withftanding his conclufions and conduct are the 
 legitimate confequence of the fentiment. To avoid 
 this argument, by faying that it is only conditional, 
 is what no honeft Calvinift, the maintainer of fub- 
 ftitutional fufferings and irnputative righteoufnefs, 
 will allow. He could not then ufe the common 
 cry, " It is finifhed," if the finner has any thing 
 to do. And lliould we, to remove thefe ob- 
 vious difficulties, confine the merit of the death 
 of Chrift to the eled: world, that would only 
 lead to other difficulties no lefs inexplicable in 
 their nature ; the queftion would then be. What 
 difcriminations mark the purity of their creed zjotd 
 characters, and to what particular part of the 
 Chriftian world do they belong, and who are they 
 for whom Chrift has not died ? 
 
 I 2 
 
(6o) 
 
 Give me leave, Sir, to afl< you another quellion 
 or two upon fome of the difficulties attending your 
 view of this fubjed : If Chrift, by his fufferin^s, 
 paid the debt due to fin, if nothing was reniitted, 
 but the claims of juftice were fully anfwcred 
 and fatisfied, does not Chriil:, who performed this 
 fervice for us, appear our greateil benefactor ? and 
 are not the unfpeakable obligations for redemption 
 principally owing to him ? and does not he appear 
 the molt compaflionate, the molt amiable ? Is this 
 honourable to the God of Love, whofe benevolence 
 is confpicuous throughout all his w orks, and whofe 
 Fatherly compaffion fhines through every page of 
 Revelation ? Does it not fupplant him in the fta- 
 tion he ought to hold in the univerfc, and in the 
 affedtion of all his creatures, and rob him of thofe 
 peculiar honours which are due to his great name 
 alone ? For, if all is paid, what room is there left 
 for him to exercife mercy or forgivenefs ? And 
 does it not oppofe the doctrine of free grace, 
 w^hich was the conftant theme of the Apoltles ? 
 " That we are jufiified freely by the grace of God, 
 thro' the redemption or deliverance that is in Chrift 
 Jefus ;" that we are " faved by Grace," and by " the 
 mercy of our God ;" " that he fo loved the world," 
 that " he fpared not his own Son, but freely gave 
 him up for us all," " that the believer might not 
 perifh, but have everlafting life." This w^as the 
 tenor of their preaching; they refer all to the love 
 of God difplayed in the perfon and miniftry of 
 Jefus. Does not the Apoftle charge the Jews with 
 murdering the Son of God, that they had taken 
 and with wicked hands flain the Prince of Life ? 
 
 Now, Sir, if Jefus was murdered and died un- 
 juftly, and that the Jews were juftly accountable 
 
( 6i ) 
 
 for this horrid crime, then is it not obvious that 
 he did not bear inflicted wrath from God ? If, 
 however, you will fiill contend that God punifhed 
 fm in the perfon of Jefus, and that the Jews were 
 only the means by which he inflifted his wrath, 
 then the Jews were as much ferving God in mur- 
 dering Jefus, as Jefus did in being obedient unto 
 death ; a conclufion which, I think, you will not 
 like to adopt. 
 
 But what is the lano-uao;e of the warm advocates 
 for the Doctrine of Atonement ? That the fms of 
 the world were transferred to the fpotlefs Jefus, 
 and that the Divine wrath, the juil punifhment of 
 fin, was poured upon him like a flood, or like the 
 fudden burfl:ing of a mighty volcano, that rufticd 
 in mighty torrents on his devoted head, and over- 
 whelmed his guiltlefs foul, and in that hour of 
 horror and extremity God turned away his face 
 from his innocent and beloved Son, as from a filthy 
 and abominable obje6l. 
 
 This is the revolting language of an unfcriptural 
 fyflem, language that is at once painful to the re- 
 flecting mind, and diflionourable to the Supreme 
 Being. In the death of Chriil, do you think the 
 Divine nature fufxered ? No. You aflc, *' If I either 
 read or heard of any Trinitarians who were weak 
 enough to maintain that Chrift died as God ?" If you 
 think the Divine nature did not fuffer, then there 
 may be jufi: as much merit in the fuffe rings of 
 Chrifl:, according to the Socinian fcheme, as there 
 can be according to your's. It is contrary to 
 common fenfe to contend that a finite creature, or, 
 in other words, the humanity of Jefus, could make 
 an infinite fatisfad:ion to an infinite God. This 
 ©ne argument always appears to mc to dellroy the 
 
(62) 
 
 very root of the Doftrine of Atonement, which 
 ftates, that God confiders fin an iiifinite evil, and 
 demands an infinite fatisfaclion, which could not be 
 given but by an infinite being; lience the reafon 
 vi'hy God the Son came to redeem the world. But 
 if the Divine nature did not fuffer, then the whole 
 argument is loll. When driven from this citadel, 
 you will no doubt contend that the fufferings of the 
 humanity received an infinite value from the union 
 of the two natutes. But. might not thefe fuf- 
 ferings receive as much value from the union of 
 the humanity with the whole Deity as with 'only 
 one perfon in Deity ? And if there could be any 
 difference, would not the value be greatly iii- 
 creafed upon the Socinian fcheme, which be- 
 lieves that God was in Chrifl: reconciling the 
 world unto himfelf, and (not reconciling himfelf 
 to the world, but the world to him) that the ful- 
 nefs of the Godhead dwells in him bodily ? Ac- 
 cording to your fcheme Jefus was at once prieft, 
 offerer, viclim, and, in the opinion of fome, the 
 God to whom the offering was made ; or, in other 
 words, God was facrificed to God, that God left 
 his imperial throne, took upon him the form of a 
 ■fervant, and hung upon the tree, wa^ buried, and 
 raifed himfelf from the grave, afcended into heaven, 
 and fat down at his own right hand. 
 
 How, Sir, can thefe things be? Are they not 
 abfurdities, or fomething worfe? Such a fyllem of 
 Divinity as this, the fimple Gofptl of Jtfus knows 
 nothing of. If the Father and Chrift be all one 
 ,God, he mufl: have been as merciful as Chrift, and 
 fo could not want fitisfadion, for we never read 
 of God the Son, or God the Spirit, wanting any 
 atonement cflered to their injured juftice ; yet. 
 
( «3 ) 
 
 as God, they mufl: be as holy and as much offended 
 at fin as the Father. Yet, becaufe we receive not 
 your view of the fubjedt, you charcre us with 
 *' denying the Lord that bought us." Now, if it be 
 really your opinion that none are bought but an 
 elect number, and that none of that number can pe* 
 rifh, have you not erred in configning to perdition 
 thofe whom the Lord has bought ? May not all 
 Arians and Socinians confider themfelves quite fife, 
 fince you have affured them that they are the he- 
 retics meant in the text, confequently thofe whom 
 the Lord hath bought, of whom not one can finally 
 perifh ? This is a favour we did not expect, and, if 
 I am not miftaken, will greatly injure your own 
 argument. 
 
 I fliall conclude this letter by obferving, that 
 thefe are fome of the ftubborn difficulties that Itand 
 in the way, and which prevent us from receiving 
 your views of the fubjed. If you, or any of your 
 brethren, would fairly meet thefe ohjedions, and 
 give a fatisfadtory folution of them upon your own 
 principles, and fhew how infinite love can be pur- 
 chafed, you would not only ferve your own caufe, 
 but alto render important fervices to the Chriftian 
 world at large, as that would open a door for 
 mutual reconciliation, confidence, and agreement. 
 This has never yet been done, and if you cannot 
 do it, we mufl fUil confider ourfelves as Handing 
 on rifmg ground, contending for that faith which 
 was once delivered to the Saints, againfl the inno- 
 vations and traditions of fallible men. 
 
 Ycur*s, Sic. 
 
( <54) 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 Reverend SiRj 
 
 AS you decline entering into a minute defence 
 of the Doctrine of Ele£lion and Reprobation, 
 and do not even attempt a refutation of the argu- 
 ments urged againft it in the Narrative, it vviJl not 
 be necelTary for me here to fay much upon the 
 fubjecl. I Ihall, however, advert to fuch parts of 
 your curfory remarks as may require notice. 
 
 You charge me (page 43) with "mifreprefenting 
 what, in terms at leaft, many ferious ChrilHans do 
 not contend for." That many ferious perfons, 
 who favour the notion of Eleftion and Reproba- 
 tion, do not contend for it in the ftrideft fenfe of 
 the terms, is evident from the great pains which 
 they take to foften it down. But what is all this 
 to the purpofe ? When w^e fairly examine a doc- 
 trine, we examine it upon its own principles, try 
 it upon its own ground, and by the Scriptures, 
 independent of what any perfon may contend 
 either for or agauiO: it. If, however, your ac- 
 count of the matter be true, would it not have 
 looked much more like argument if you had 
 pointed out thefe " mifreprefentations," and to 
 have detected their fallacy ? It is much eafier to 
 affert than to prove or to argue, and the foundeft 
 reafoning in the world may be oppofed, and be 
 
(«5) 
 
 charged with mifreprefentation by a bold aflertiorl. 
 But tho' this may be a fliort and eafy way of confut- 
 ing an opponent, yet no judicious perfon will ever 
 think of refting upon it. You and others may 
 wifh to exprefs yourfelves foftly and modeftly upon 
 this fubjedl, and extol the Church, in which " all 
 extremes, you fay, of Calvinifm and Arminianifm 
 are avoided.'* But this mode of fpeaking will not 
 fuit ,others, who, perhaps, thinking themfelves 
 more honed by the undifguifed avowal of their 
 fentiments, will not thank you. for your modera- 
 tion, and who will ftrongly contend for the fove- 
 reign difcriminating love of God as a " peculiar 
 doftrine of Chriftianity," and who have no hefita- 
 tion freely to declare, that thofe only who compofe 
 the ele6l number are fubje^ls of Divine Grace. I 
 entirely agree with you, that " rehgious people are 
 much more nearly agreed, in fadl, than they have 
 generally imagined ;" their experience, and the ef- 
 fects of their different views, are, as I apprehend, 
 nearly the fame. Thus, while the Arminian main- 
 tains that faith is a gift, and that man can neither 
 think a good thought, work a good work, nor be- 
 lieve to the faving of the foul, without the gifts 
 and afliftances of the Spirit, and affert that this 
 affiftance is only experienced by a few, and faving 
 faith only given to a few, compared to the many 
 who are without it, it appears, on the very furface 
 of the matter, that he differs not much in fa6t from 
 the Calvinifl:, however, he may differ in expreffion. 
 Nor is it of any confequence to fay, that the " love 
 of God is free for all," that " ChriH; died far ail," 
 and that " all are invited to come," &c. ; for if no 
 man can come or enjoy it, without the afaitance 
 
 K 
 
of the Spirit to work faith, &c. as this p;ift is 
 only given to fome, (for all men have not faith) 
 by thefe conditions the fcheme of the Arminian 
 does as efFe6liially limit the love of God as that of 
 the CalviniR, and perhaps the laft is the mofl con- 
 fiftent of the two. 
 
 I am charged (page 44) with " reviving a ftale 
 mifreprefentation of the advocates for Election," 
 as holding, " that a great part of the human race 
 are, without any will of their own, hurried thro' 
 life to eternal perdition, independent of their good 
 or evil conduct." This, " you dare venture to 
 afTert, is a language which has never been held by 
 any refpeclable PredeRinarian, nor is it, you think, 
 fairly deducible from his fyftem." 
 
 I would again remark, that we have in thefe 
 religious confiderations to do with fyftems or prin- 
 ciples, and not with men, however refpedlable ; 
 and alio, that there are Calvinifts who think them- 
 felves equally refpe<Slable with your Predeftinarian, 
 and who rejoice in the belief, that God has in his' 
 eternal purpofes cholen his " ranfomed throng," or 
 " eledl people in Chriil: Jefus before all worlds ;" 
 w^hilcjto Ihew his hatred of fm, he decreed myriads 
 of men to perdition ; or, what amounts to the 
 fame thing, has denied them an intereft in his love, 
 and left them to peri(h in their fins, without 
 making any provifion for them. If then God is 
 confidered as appointing fome to happinefs, while 
 the greater part are left in mifery through the fin 
 of Adam, it is a fair conclufion, that the reprobate 
 are hurried through life to eternal perdition, in- 
 dependent of their good or evil condudl, and that 
 they are cor.demned, not for their crimes or dif- 
 
( 67 ) 
 
 obedience, but by virtue of eternal decrees. Yet 
 we are told that this is a " dale mifreprefentation," 
 without one fmjjle argument being adduced in 
 fupport of the aflertion. But are the Articles of 
 the Church " ftale ?" We are told, Art. 9th, that 
 " Original fin is the fault and corruption of the 
 nature of every man that naturally is engendered 
 of the offspring of Adam," " and therefore in every 
 perfon born into the world it deferveth God's 
 wrath and damnation." — Again, Art. loth, " The 
 condition of man after the fall of Adam is fuch 
 that he cannot turn and prepare himfelf, by his 
 own natural ftrength and good works, to faith 
 and calling upon God ; wherefore we have no 
 power to do good works, pleafant and acceptable 
 to God, without the grace of God preventing us, 
 that we may have a good will and working with 
 us when we have that good will." Here we are 
 told that man can do nothing without the aflift- 
 ance of the Spirit. Who then fliall attain to this 
 ** preventing grace," " and be accounted righteous 
 before God ?" We are anfwered by the 1 7th Ar- 
 ticle, that " Predeftination to life is the everlafting 
 purpole of God, whereby (before the foundations 
 of the world were laid) he hath conllantly decreed 
 by his counfel, fecret to us, to deliver from curfe 
 and damnation thofc whom he had chofen in Chrift 
 out of mankind;' and this " eledlion in Chrift is 
 confidered as being full of fweec and unfpeakable 
 comfort to godly perfons, fuch as feel in them- 
 felves the working of the Spirit of Chrift." But I 
 would adc. What comfort can this adminifter to 
 the reft of mankind, out of whom the elect are 
 
 K 2 
 
{ 68) 
 
 chofen; who, being " corrupt by nature," and 
 " lacking the Spirit of Chrift," are, though equally 
 the creatures of God, denied any fhare in his 
 mercy, and who " have continually before their 
 eyes the fentence of God's predeftination" to end- 
 lefs fuiFerings for the crime of another ? Is this 
 " rtale?" or are you not oppofing the fpirit of the 
 Articles while writing in their defence ? for how- 
 ever you or others may wifti to qualify the mat- 
 ter, (as various expedients have been reforted to 
 at different times for this purpofe) yet when the 
 fubje6l is llripped of the various gloffes and dreffes 
 in which it has been made to appear, and brought 
 to a point, God is either partial refpe6ling his 
 creatures, or he is not ; he either has appointed 
 fome to happinefs, while others are left unprovided 
 for, to perifli in their fms, or he has not ; and tho' 
 it may be contended, that in Chrift Jefus there is 
 falvation for all ; yet, if the major part are denied 
 the means of attaining it, it (till amounts to the 
 fame thing, in the view of every ingenuous mind. 
 Thofe who confider themfelves the eled, and def- 
 tined from eternity to eternal felicity, have cer- 
 tainly, as far as refpefts themfelves, no reafon to 
 complain. But let fuch favoured ones fpeak to 
 the mafs of mankind, who are as deferving as 
 themfelves, but who ^re left, by their fcheme, to 
 perifli, unprovided for ; let them fpeak to fuch of 
 the love of God, of his glorious attributes and 
 perfe£lions, his abounding grace, &c. with all the 
 powers of their eloquence, they will fpeak in vain; 
 he will appear to them in quite different colours, 
 as unamiable, cruel, partial, and unjuft, having 
 po rational claim to their regards, and as a Go4 
 
(69) 
 
 whom they can never adore. Mankind may dread 
 or fear a God of fovereign power, but unlefs 
 they can behold him equally juft, benevolent, and 
 merciful, they never can love or admire him. 
 Can the very idea of infinite love exift with the 
 notion that a great part of our race are finally ex- 
 cluded from happinefs by abfolute decrees, or for 
 the fin of Adam, in which they had no concern ? 
 
 I wifli you had made an attempt to reconcile the 
 practice of the Church with the principles of par- 
 ticular redemption, and have fliewn how that inftead 
 of the " chofen few," or " c\e£i number," who arc 
 " predeftinated to life in Chrift Jefus,'* we have 
 now ele6t nations, all '' dearly beloved brethren," 
 although deftitute of the religious character and 
 of moral condud, or how the Scriptures can be 
 brought to countenance fuqh an heterogeneous 
 mode of proceeding? 
 
 But here I need not enlarge, as the arguments 
 againfl this dodrine in the Narrative remain un- 
 anfwered ; nor can 1 eafily account for the at- 
 tempt not being made. You have indeed, in fome 
 meafure, call: off^ your Methodift friends, declaring 
 that fome of their views and experience form no 
 part of real religion; * and whether you intended to 
 make a little atonement to them for this offenfive 
 declaration, by not appearing a Itrenuous advocate 
 for Eledlion, or that you felt tenderly for your own 
 popularity, I do not pretend to fay; but you and 
 others feem not a little alarmed at the extenfive 
 and extending influence of the Methodifts, judging, 
 perhaps, that they are in fome meafure a nurfery 
 for Dilfenters, and that their fuccefs tends not a 
 little to leflen the authority and importance of the 
 
 ♦ Defence, page 1 1 , 
 
( 70 ) 
 
 Church, and that, fliould they continue to prevail, 
 people will not only feel themfelves little depen- 
 dent for their religion on the Miniflry of the 
 Church, but alfo that their growing influence will, 
 in time, more effectually undermine its founda- 
 tions than the moft open hoftility of the Diflenters. 
 Be this as it may, it is certain that the Methodifts,. 
 upon the whole, are fome of the bell: Members of 
 the Church. In general they maintain her doc- 
 trines, and havej by their ferious demeanour, con- 
 tributed very much to improve her moral worth 
 and refpeclable appearance, though even their beft 
 friends may never be able to juftify that feparate 
 ceconomy which they fupport, and w^hich is con- 
 trary to, and fubverfive of, the government of 
 that Church of which they profefs to be members. 
 
 Your obfervations on the divifions which exilled 
 in the Church at Corinth, are certainly ingenious ; 
 but as their divifions refpedted their partial attach- 
 ment to particular Minifters, and the gifts and 
 iifes of the Spirit, and did not refpecl do6lrines, or 
 the leading views of the Gofpel, they cannot apply 
 to the prefent divided ftate of the ChriAian world, 
 becaufe the cafes are not at all fmiilar. Therefore 
 you are flill called upon to prove how^ the Spirit 
 can lead men to maintain oppofite fyftcms 'of faith 
 and dodrine, and thus be the author of confufion, 
 inftead of unity and peace. But if you decline 
 this, you muft acknowledge that the Spirit of 
 Truth has nothing to do in the matter, and that 
 jnien arc indebted for their different religious 
 views to their conceptions of Scripture, but prin- 
 cTpally to their education, to common inllruc- 
 tion, &c. 
 
( 70 
 
 ■ I fhall clofe this letter in the concluding; words 
 of the Narrative on the fame fubje£l : ** The firft 
 wifli of every feehng parent is for the happinefs 
 of his offspring. The vs^hole race of men are the 
 offspring of God, and if he v^^ere only as good 
 as men, depraved as they are reprefented to 
 be, the fpontaneous defire of his heart (fpeaking 
 after the manner of men) would be for the eter- 
 nal happinefs of all his creatures." 
 
 Your's, &c. 
 
(7-^ ) 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 Reverend Sir, 
 
 ■V. 
 
 EVER.Y Opponent, whatever may be his fitu- 
 ation in life, is refpe6lable only fo far as he 
 a£ls wjith fairnefs and candour concerning the mat^ 
 ter in difpute, and if he undertakes to difcufs any 
 fubjed: for the fake of difcovering or eftabliihing 
 Truth, and the expofing of what he conceives to 
 be error, I apprehend that his employment is of 
 the molt honourable kind, and the more fo, in pro- 
 portion to the importance of his fubje61:, and that 
 of courfe he demands fome degree of refpedl. 
 Thefe fentiments, Sir, I wiflied to have indulged 
 towards you, and to have treated you with the 
 fame refpedt on paper, which I fhould have wiflied 
 to have done in converfing with you perfonally* 
 But what can I fay to the confident alTertions that 
 are fo frequently to be met with in your Book, in 
 oppofition to the plained evidence; but particu- 
 larly in the firll page of your fifth Letter, * where 
 you charge me X with having " endeavoured to 
 leave men no Sg^viour, no Sacrifice for iln, no Me- 
 
 • Defence, page 47. 
 
 % You here inform us in a note, " that though we fpc? k of praying t« 
 God to enlarge our minds, &c. yet you cannot regard it, Cnce we explode 
 the work of the Spirit in ordinary Chriftians, and place all our reliance on 
 our rational powers. You can only look upon this as a kind ot accommc- 
 diitioa to our rcadexf, not yet iufficLently enlightened to throw off all 
 
■ ( 73 ) 
 
 diator and Interceflbr, no Prophet and King " and 
 'Aio '* would rob them of a Sandifier and Com- 
 forter." If this was all true, it certainly would 
 be a ferious charge ; but you know I prefume that 
 we profefs to believe in thefe characters as well as 
 you, though not in the fame fenfe ; and I would 
 aik, Does it follow, in any kind of fair argument, 
 that becaufe I do not allow a thing to exift in your 
 fenfe of it, that I do not tlierefore allow it to exilt 
 at all? For example : I do not allow the Trinity to 
 be a true dodrine ; does it then neceffarily fol- 
 low, that becaufe I do not believe in a Triune 
 
 L 
 
 dependence on Divine Teaching." Pray, Sir, where was your can- 
 dour when you wrote this note, that you fliould deliberately charge 
 a people with ufmg defigning craft and hypocrify of condud, with- 
 out the lelft evidence to fupport the charge, and that too in defiance 
 of their moft ferious declarations in page 37, 43, 114, of the Narrative, 
 that prayer is not only the duty, but the privilege of the Chriftian, and that 
 he is encouraged to prav by every figure of fpeech, being affured that 
 ♦« the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and that •his ear is open to 
 their prayers ?'* But what can be expected from a writer who, through a. 
 rafti zeal, is fo determined upon viftory as to feem regardlefs of truth'^ 
 or of the motives, however falfe, which he imputes to his opponent, pro- 
 vi.lcd he can injure his caufe ? The moft candid conftrudlion that we can 
 put upon fnch unchriftian conduft is, that yc u. feem to be mifled by an 
 error that runs through a grsat part of your book ; you m'sapprehend the 
 argnment which you intend to oppofe, and confound ** two things, be- 
 tween wkich the clcareft di'Hn(flion lies." The arg-ament uniformly in- 
 filled upon iq the iviarrative on ihis fulijefl is. That dur Lord and hia 
 Apoftles never inftruft uabelieving finners to pray for faith, nor that they 
 were fo depraved that they could not believe and obey without the aflift-. 
 ing influences of th^ Spirit to change their hearts, and to work faith in 
 them, or to difpofc their minds to believe. It is finners and unbelievers 
 which we contend are never taught to pray in Scripture, and it is here 
 only that we oppofe youP noHon of prayer, and not to Chriftians, who' 
 are cor.fidered as already p'jflefled of faith, and to ft^nd in quite a- dif- 
 ferent fkuation, and this remark alone will anfvver a great part of yocr 
 book. Bat you fpeak of us •• exploding the work of the Spirit in orJi-- 
 nary Chriftians," (though no part of our argument) as if there were any 
 other than ordinary Chriftians in our day. If there be any extra-ordinary 
 Chriftians in your view, I am wholly at a lofs to know who they can be,' 
 unlefs you refer to the pious Minifters of the Eftablilhment, who have 
 the power of " forgiving fins," and *• communicating the Spirit by the 
 laying on of hands." 
 
( 74 ) 
 
 God, that I believe in no God at all ? I think not. 
 T believe that God is the Saviour of men, in the 
 firft fenfe of the term, and thatChrift is the Saviour 
 of men by the appointment of God. * But is this 
 " leaving men no Saviour ?" In what fenfe Chrill 
 was a facrifice for fin, you can read at large in my 
 fixth Letter of the Narrative, and third of this work. 
 That Chrift is a Mediator between God and Man, 
 and King of the Chriflians, we not only aliow% but 
 have fpoken of him as fuch more than once ; there- 
 fore I cannot fee what ground you h^ve for milk- 
 ing fuch unqualified alfertions. 
 
 It is very generally underftood by Churchmen, 
 as well as others, that the Comforter promifed to 
 the ApofHes was the extraordinary gifts of the 
 Spirit, the power of w^orking miracles, which they 
 received on the Day of Pentecoft, and which ter- 
 minated with their miniftry ; and even you your- 
 felf allow (page 49) that " no man now expedls 
 the Comforter in this extraordinary way, except 
 fome enthufiaflic individuals." And where is there 
 another Comforter fpoken of than this, of which, 
 in W'hatever way we may be confidered to partake, 
 or however it may continue, can only be enjoyed 
 now in a fecondary, and not in its primary fenfe. 
 If you infift that 1 attempt to rob you of the Com- 
 forter, becaufe I deny ^he third perfon cf the 
 Trinity, I mull: Hill contend,, that the terms Spirit 
 of God, or Power of God, &c. mean God himfelf ; 
 and though fometimes it is fpoken of in Scripture 
 as a perfon, yet that mode of fpeakmg will no 
 more prove it an intelligent being, than it will 
 prove hills, trees, rivers^ death, the grave, charity, 
 &c. perions, becaule they are peribnified. And 
 
 ♦ Tit', iii. 4> 5* 6— J John i>'. «?. M« 
 
( 75 ) 
 
 farther, that the Scriptures know nothing; of the 
 phrnfes, " God the Spirit," and that therefore God 
 the Spirit is a mere nonentity, an imaginary being, 
 that has no exiftence but in Creeds and Articles, 
 as every unbiafled reader may be fully convinced 
 of by confultincr Dr. Lardner, or any other writer 
 upon the fubjed. * The Scriptures do indeed fre- 
 quently afcribe the converfion, the renewing of 
 the mind, and the change of heart and charac- 
 ter that took place on the Jewiih and Gentile be- 
 lievers, to the Spirit, becaufe they were begotten 
 or converted to Chriftianity by the means of 
 preaching, attended by the powerful evidence of 
 miracles, which were to them the demonftration 
 of the Spirit and Pov/er of God. Hence it is that 
 we are told in numerous paffages of Scripture, 
 that when the multitude or the people faw the 
 miracles and wonders which Chrifl: and his Apoftles 
 wrought, they believed. J Thus they believed, 
 through the Spirit, by the evidence of preaching 
 and miracles, and not, according to your fcheme, 
 by any inward work of the Spirit upon the mind. 
 You have colle^led a number of pallages that 
 fpeak of " the Comforter being promifed," " of 
 the Spirit enliahtenino; the underllandinor '' " of its 
 giving an increafe," " giving the believer joy," of 
 its " dwelling and working in believers," and " en- 
 abhng to pray," and " to obey the truth," &c. &c. 
 Novv% Sir, allowing all this and more to the fame 
 .effecSl, it will not anlwer your purpofe, for all thefe 
 
 L 2 
 
 • See a fiuall, but excellent Trad upon this fuhjeft, by John Marfomt 
 
 London. 
 
 X Afts ix, 42.— xiii. 12. John ii. 23.— ir. 53.— vii. 31, — %, 42,-* 
 xi. 45. — xii. n. 
 
( 76) 
 
 Scriptures evidently refped Believers, or the Chri- 
 Jliari Churches ; and that God blefled the Churches 
 at firll with the Baptifni of the Spirit for wife and 
 ufeful purpofes, is what, I prefume, no behever in 
 Revelation will deny. But our fubjed: is not how 
 far God did, or (hall even at this day, blefs the 
 fincere Chriftian with the aid of his Spirit, but 
 whether the Scriptures declare that men or un- 
 believers, through the corruption of their nature, 
 are incapable of beheving from evidence, however 
 Itrong, without the affiftance of the Spirit to work 
 faith In them, &c. 
 
 Now, as I think the paflages above noted muft 
 appear, upon reflection, even to you, to refped; a 
 quite different fituation and character than that of 
 unbehevers, it follows of courfe that they do not at 
 all apply to the fubje6l in queftion. Therefore, 
 however numerous your quotations, and however 
 clear and forcible your reafoning thereupon may 
 be, to prove that it is " the very genius and tenor 
 of Scripture, that if we be Chrillians indeed, not 
 only the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift and the 
 love of God, but alfo the communion of the Holy 
 Ghoft is oiirsJ*^ * All this, I contend, is entirely 
 irrelevant ; it is not " Chriftians indeed,'* of which 
 we are fpeaking, but of unbelievers, of thofe who 
 indeed are not Chriftians ; therefore, as your argu- 
 ment is not fupported by the premifes, your con- 
 clufion muft be nntrjie, and your reafoning fruit- 
 lefs, and I may ftill aflert that the New Teitament 
 never initruds unbelievers to pray for faith, or the 
 influence of the Spirit, &c. As for thofe pro- 
 phetic promifes, w^iich declare, " I will give them 
 a heart to know me, that I am the Lord " " I will 
 
 * Defence, page 70, 
 
( 77) 
 
 take away their heart of ftone, and p;ive them a 
 heart of flefh ;" " I will put my law in their inward 
 parts, and write it in their hearts;" " I will pour 
 out my Spirit upon them,** &c. &c. That thefe 
 promifes allude to the " Covenant of Grace, under 
 which men would be difpofed, by the power of the 
 Spirit of God, to receive the law of God into their 
 hearts as a rulino; principle of holinefs, and th'^t, 
 by fpirituaj teaching, they would be made ac- 
 quainted with the Divine chara(^er, in a way not 
 effected by mere human inftruftion ,"is what we 
 do not difpute: Here we are perfectly one ; and if 
 thefe Scriptures have no reference to the extraor- 
 dinary gifts of the Spirit which the firfl Chriftians 
 received, though it is contended they in general 
 have, the queftion will then be, How does the Spi- 
 rit teach and effedt this change on fmful men ? 
 You maintain that this effect is produced by the 
 Spirit's working upon the mind in an individual 
 way, to ** imprefs upon your mind your need of a 
 Saviour,-* to " give you fuitable conceptions of his 
 ability and willingnefs to fave," to " remove your 
 prejudices," and to ** incline your heart to be- 
 lieve." * 
 
 This view of the teaching of the Spirit 1 oppofe, 
 and maintain that it forms no part of the Gofpel 
 minillry, and that the Apoftles never gave fuch 
 defcriptions of the teaching of the Spirit, that it 
 wrought upon unbelievers in any inward indivi- 
 dual way to produce faith in them. The Scrip- 
 ture account of the teaching of the Spirit is, that 
 " holy men of old fpake as they were moved by 
 the Holy Gholl ;" X ** that God at fundry tirrfes, and* 
 in divers manners, fpake unto the fathers by the 
 
 * Defence, page 57. | 2 Peter i. 21. 
 
(78) 
 
 Prophets, but in thefe laft days hath fpoken unto 
 us by his Son,"* fo that God fpake unto tlie fa- 
 thers, not inwardly, ** by impreflions," but by the 
 Prophets, by words. 
 
 Again : How fiiall we efcape if we neglect fo 
 great a falvation, which at fii ft began to be fpoken 
 by ourLord,and was confirmed unto us by tliem that 
 heard him, God alfo bearing them witnefs both with 
 figns and wonders, and with divers miracles and 
 gifts of the Holy Ghoft, according to his own will ?t 
 The Apoftles were " endowed with power from on 
 high," to enable them to " preach the Gofpel to 
 every creature,'* to " teach all nations," " not with 
 the words Vv'hich man's wifdom teacheth,but which 
 the Holy Ghoft teacheth." Thus they were qua- 
 lified to " tell men words by which they fliould be 
 faved,*'t and hence the Chriftians are called to hear 
 ^ what the Spirit faith unto the Churches." Thus 
 the Spirit teaches, not by w^hifpering or im- 
 prefiions, but by fpeaking and miracles, and this is 
 the way by wliich " it hath pleafed God to fave 
 them that believe," and " the Go/per is now, as 
 vvell as in the Apoftles' days, " the power of God 
 to falvation to every one that believeth." In a 
 word, the Spirit does not teach privately, indivi- 
 dually, or partially upon fome, while his affiftance 
 is denied to others, but teaches in the Difpcnfation 
 of the Scriptures, v*'hich call upon all men to re- 
 pent, to believe, and obey God in the Gofpel of his 
 grace. Are not men renewed in the fpirit of* 
 their minds when they believe? and have not men 
 jiew hearts, or hearts to know God, when they 
 truly repent and receive his falvation .? and from 
 the Scriptures above cited, is it not undeniably 
 
 *Heb. i. I. t Heb. ii. 4. :t Ads xi. 14. 
 
(79) 
 
 clear that men were faved by hearing and believ* 
 ing; tjie^ Gofpel as preached by the Apoftles, at- 
 tended by trie power of the Spirit in the evidence 
 o£.4mir«^si>.Thi^ is fo obvioufly the Scripture 
 means of faving men, that you are conRrained to 
 achnit the fa6^ikthat;.the ^ord is the means," and 
 that " faving faitii ordinarily comes by hearing," 
 But to make your creed agree with this acknow- 
 ledgment, you have, like others, a faving claufe, 
 that " the Word is the mean's, in the hands of the 
 Spirit." Though this flatement be true in itfeif, 
 yet it is not true in the fenfe in which you ufe it. 
 The Word is the means or fvvord of the Spirit, as 
 ufed or weilded by Prophets and Apofties. ** Holy 
 men of old fpake as they were moved by the Holy 
 Ghofl." " In thefe lad days God hath fpoken unto 
 us by his Son," and his Son by his Apollles ; and 
 all, as above noted, fpeak unto us in the Scriptures. 
 But they are not of " any private interpretation." 
 The Spirit is not wanted to explain what is al- 
 ready clearly revealed, nor to apply it to the minds 
 of individuals ; a notion which has been the fruit- 
 ful fource of all the wildnefs and enthufiaiHc rant 
 that has fo mucii difhonoured the Chridian name. 
 You think, however, that Lydia is an inll:ance of 
 the way in which hearing is made eifectual, of 
 whom it is faid that " the Lord opened her heart, 
 that flie attended to the things that were fpoketi 
 by Paul." This text gives, on the firfi; appearance, 
 a ftronger air of fupport to the fentiment for which 
 you contend than perhaps any other paffage in the ' 
 New Teftament ; yet a Writer of your own (^hurch 
 endeavours to qppofe the conclufion which you 
 would draw from it. He contends tdat " to open 
 the heart, is a phrale ufed to fignify the rendering 
 
»ny perfon willing or inclined to any tiling ;" and 
 after giving feme iliuflrations to this purpofe, ob- 
 ferves, " TL'his God is fometimes faid to do, by 
 awakening men by his afflidling hand ; and that 
 fometimes he doth it by the preaching of the 
 Word ; for they who are faid to be taught by the 
 "Word, or the example of God, are faid to be 
 taught of God ; fo they who have their hearts af- 
 fected with it, and opened by it, may be faid pro- 
 perly enough to have their hearts opened by him. 
 And here it deferves to be noted, that the Lord is 
 faid to open the heart of Lydia, not to believe, 
 but to attend to the things fpoken of by Paul^ viz. to 
 weigh and ferioufly to confider of the greatnefs of 
 the ble (Tings promifed to believers, remiffion of 
 fms, and eternal life ; and that attention of her's 
 produced this faith in her.*' 
 
 This very rational account of the matter, from 
 fo great a writer as Dr. Whitby, * may probably 
 have more weight with you and the Reader than 
 any thing which I could fay. I would however 
 remark, that it appears from the hiftory of Lydia's 
 converfion that fiie and her affociates were already 
 religioufly difpofed, from the circumftance of their 
 frequenting a place of prayer by the river fide, 
 and who probably were Profelytes to the Jewifli 
 religion ; and if flie was not difpofed, or had her 
 heart opened to believe, by her attending to the 
 preaching of Paul, who, as his manner was, con- 
 Itantly reafoned out of the Old Scriptures to pro\ e 
 that Jefus was the Chrift ; if fhe was not con- 
 verted by thefe common means, but by the inter- 
 nal influence of the Spirit, I would afk. With what 
 jufUce could the reft of the auditors (or indeed any 
 
 * Sec Whitby on the FiLfiagc. 
 
( 8i ) 
 
 perfon elfe) be blamed for not believing, wheti 
 they had not received the fame affifting influence 
 of the Spirit ? an affiftance which they could not 
 command, but which was folely at the good plea- 
 fure of another to beftow, and without which all 
 their efforts to believe what Paul preached were 
 fruitlefs ; but if it had appeared right in the Di^ 
 vine proceedings to give feme extraordinary af- 
 fiftance, in a particular inftance, to aflifl: the intro- 
 dudlion of the Gofpel into any place at its firft 
 promulgation, ought that to be made a rule in all 
 ordinary cafes ? Lydia was a woman who worfhip- 
 ped God, and Ihould we grant that a Divine aflif- 
 tance was afforded her, inducing her to regard 
 Paul as a fpecial fervant of God, ftill fhe was not 
 faved by that, nor was it intended that fhe Ihould, 
 but by what Paul preached. The cafe of Cornelius 
 is nearly fimilar to her's ; he fincerely feared God, 
 on which account God bleffed him with the found 
 of the Gofpel ; he had a vifion, and was fpoken to 
 by an Angel, but he was not faved by this ; . no, 
 he was inflrudied " to fend for Peter, who fhould 
 tell him words by which he and his houfe Ihould 
 be favedr 
 
 Now, as we at this day, fince the Gofpel Dif- 
 penfation is fully eftablifhed, want neither angels, 
 vifions, nor affiitance of any kind to convince us 
 that the ApolUes were the meffengers of God, we 
 aU'eady admit the fadl ; we have with them the 
 preaching of Paul and the words of Peter, by which 
 we are faved. Our argument, therefore, is flill the 
 fame, " It hath pleafed God, by the means of preach- 
 ing, to fave them that believe.' But of all fuch rea- 
 foning as is here advanced, however found, ybii 
 
 M 
 
(8. ) 
 
 take no notice, but content yoftrfelf with ^ravelv 
 declaring, that if this paflage does not Ipeak your 
 view of it, it " has no meaning, or aflerts a falfity :" 
 " No man can come unto me, except the Father 
 who fent me draw him." This paffaoe I have 
 already explained in the Narrative to mean, ac- 
 cording to its connection, that men would, as it 
 was written in the Prophets, " be taught of God/* 
 The Prophets defcribed the character and works 
 of the Meffiah ; the Jews, who attended to their 
 own Scriptures, and faw that Chrilt, by his preach- 
 ing and miracles, anfvvered to the delcriptioils 
 there given of him, and to which he himfelf ap- 
 pealed for the truth of his miflion, would be con- 
 vinced that he was really thtir Promifed Meffiah, 
 and of courfe receive the ipiritual dodtrines of 
 that fpiritual kingdom which he was come to 
 erect in the world, where they could " learn of 
 the Father," and thus they would be " taught or 
 be made acquainted with God." But this you 
 treat as no better than the " teachino- of a nev^^s 
 paper," * and you think that nothing lefs can be 
 meant by the paflage, than that men would be 
 drawn unto Chrilt by the Spirit operating upon 
 their hearts. 
 
 To (hew that this is not the fenfe in which it is 
 generally underftood, even by Churchmen, I {l)all 
 prefent you and the reader v^ith Dr. Whitby's 
 Comment upon it : — i . " That to be drawn of 
 God, cannot import our being moved by any in- 
 ward irrefiftible impreffions from God to believe 
 in him, for then no man could come to Chrift 
 without thefe irrefiltible impreflions, and there- 
 fore none could be biame-Hvorthy for not believing 
 
 * Defence, page 58. 
 
( 83 ) 
 
 him, becaufe they could not do it without that 
 powerful impreffion which God was not pleafed to 
 afford them ; nor could it be praife-worthy to be- 
 lieve in him, becaufe they only did fo when they 
 could not choole but do it, as bein^ aded in fo 
 doin^, by a force which they could not redfl: ; and, 
 therefore, 2. To be drawn ofGod^ can only fignify 
 to be perfuaded and prevailed on fo to do by the 
 confideration of thofe mighty works which God 
 had done to teftify that Chrift was the true Mefliah 
 and that Prophet which he had fent into the world. 
 To thefe Chrift appeals as Divine teflimonies con- 
 cerning him, by faying. The works which my Father 
 hath given me to do^ bear ivitnefs of mc\ by the cpn- 
 fideration of them he perfuades others to believe 
 in him, faying, Believe me for the works* fake \ and 
 on this account he reprefents the unbehevingjews 
 as inexcufable, that he had done thofe works among 
 them which never man did ; and all thofe vv'orks are 
 faid to be recorded that men might believe that Jefus 
 is the Son of God^ and believing^ might have life 
 through his name ; all which things mutl convince 
 us that thefe thij]crs were fufhcient to draw men 
 to Chrift, whence he himleif fpeaks thus, when 1 
 am lifted up^ 1 will dravo all men after 'me^ viz. by 
 the power of my refurredlion, by which I fliall lb 
 fully be demonitrated to be the Son of God, by 
 the mifiion of the Holy Ghoft, to confirm my re- 
 furredion, and the truth of my do£lrines, by (igns 
 and wonders, and powerful diftributions of the 
 Holy Ghoft, fafficient to prevail upon all men to 
 believe in me; though the event fiievved that all 
 were not actually drawn to him by thefe means ; 
 or, 3 . To be moved by the great promife of ^tor- 
 
 M 2 
 
(84) 
 
 nal life to do it, for wherefoever there is any lively 
 feiife of that ineflimable blefling, it tlrongly muft 
 engage us to nfe the means by which we may 
 obtain it, and fo to come to Chrift, if from him 
 only this blefling is to be expelled; and this is a 
 familiar fenfe of the word draw, both in the Scrip- 
 tures and other WTitings : l^hus God is /aid to draw 
 them to him by the cords of love, who yet were bent 
 to backjliding from him : and men are faid to be 
 drawn away by their own liijls ; for, faith the Poet, 
 Every man's pleafure draws him to a compliance 
 with it. Thus fay the Jews : l^he mafter draws the 
 Jcholar by his parables, i. e. incites them to learn; 
 and a man is drawn by wine and by his pleafures ; 
 and it is a celebrated faying among them, that a 
 precept draws a precept^ and a tranfgrejjion draws on 
 a tranfgrejjion, i. e. one fm difpofeth us to commit 
 another, and obedience to one precept to obey 
 another ; and that we are only faid to be drawn by 
 the Father to Chriil:, viz. by his miracles and di- 
 vine inllru^lions, is evident from the words follow- 
 ing : As a proof of this, // is written, they fi all alt be 
 taught of God ; he therefore who hath heard of the 
 Father, i. e. perceived him fpeaking and doing his 
 mighty works by me, cometh to me. Without this 
 drawing none can come to Chrift, for none but 
 God can give this promife of eternal life to en- 
 courage us to do fo, and no power but that of God 
 can work'thofe miracles which proved his com- 
 miflTion from God ; and hence Chrift owns, that if 
 he had not done thefe miracles among them, they had 
 had no fm of infidehty." * 
 
 This comment corroborates at large my ex- 
 pla*ncition of the paflage ; . and while it proves that 
 
 * See Whitby on the Paflage. 
 
(85) 
 
 men were drawn to Chrift by the teaching of Pro- 
 phets, the power of miracles, and the force of 
 moral infl:ru£lion, it alfo fully proves that your 
 miftaken fenfe of it is unfounded in truth. The 
 ground of your argument is this : That becaufe 
 the word draw fignifies in fome places " more 
 than the eiFed of moral fuafion," therefore it muft 
 in this. This reafoning is in itfelf inconclufu e 
 and highly equivocal ; for few terms, if any, bear 
 precifely the fame meaning in all fituations. Per- 
 haps the beft general rule of underilanding the 
 meaning of words is to judge of their fenfe by their 
 connexion, or the fubje^i to which they are ap- 
 plied. This might be illuftrated in ten thoufand 
 different inftances, as well as by daily pradice ; 
 but this rule of found judgment you will not al- 
 low us to attend to, but pronounce " the man an 
 inflated and injudicious writer who Ihould ufe fuch 
 a term to reprefent the fuafive writings of the 
 Prophets in prevailing with a reader to believe in 
 Chrift ;" fo that Dr. Whitby is " an inflated and 
 injudicious writer," tho' a Defender of " Church 
 Do6lrines," if not the Apoftle James, who was 
 " injudicious" enough to declare, that a man is 
 tempted " when he is drazvn away of his own lulls 
 and enticed :" " By grace ye are faved through 
 faith, and that not of yourfelves, it is the gift of 
 God." 
 
 1 muft ilill contend that the Apo^'e had no in- 
 tention, in this paflage, of inflruclirig the Church 
 at Ephefus that faith was the gift of God, or the 
 effedl of any inward work of the Spirit upon the 
 mind, but that what he intended was to excite 
 their gratitude and raife their affections to the 
 great Author of their falvation, by endeavouring 
 
(86) 
 
 to imprefs their minds with a juft fenfe of their 
 great obligations toGod, uho had delivered them, 
 by the preaching of the Gofpel, from a ftate of 
 heathenifm, of jrrofs ignorance and vice, that they 
 fliould be no longer as *' aliens" and " without God 
 in the world," but that they were now raifed to 
 " fit in heavenly places," " to be fellow-citizens 
 with the Saints and of the honfliold of God ;" not 
 by their own works, purity, or exertion, but folely 
 by his favour and mercy ; and that, therefore,, as 
 they were faved folely by favour, and made " light 
 in the Lord," they ought to cafl: off all " the un- 
 fruitful works of darknefs," and to " walk as chil- 
 dren of the light." As I have no doubt but tliat 
 this is the real fenfe of the paflage, it mull ftiil ap- 
 pear to me that the words, " it is the gift of God," 
 refer to that grace by which they w^ere faved or 
 delivered, and not of their believing or their faith, 
 and which was produced in them by the miracu- 
 lous evidence w ith which the Apoftles confirmed 
 the truth of their million, and was only the chan- 
 nel by w hich they received that favour and mercy 
 which the do^lrines preached contained. 
 
 That this is the true meaning of the text, will 
 further appear from a review of the Apoftles' con- 
 dud:. In the Ads of the Apoftles we are made 
 acquainted with their mode of addrefs and manner 
 of proceeding, and though they preached the Gof- 
 pel in many dilFerent parts of the world, and to 
 various charaders of people, yet in all their ad- 
 drelfes they never once inform the people, that 
 faving faith was the gift of God, or the work of 
 the Spirit. If they had upon any occafion told 
 them io, no doubt you would have pomted out the 
 place. This then is not refting the truth of the 
 
( 87 ) 
 
 doftrine in queilion upon a difputed pafl^i'^e, not* 
 upon the niceties of any grammatical criticifnis, * 
 biit it is '* coming to the light," to the tenor of 
 ^riptnre. And is not the confideration that the 
 Apoftles never preach to the unconverted Vv^orid 
 that faith is a crift, enough to ftagcrer the boldeft 
 Defender of the irrational notion ? How, Sir, do 
 you account for this their omiffion ? Why did not 
 the ApblHes, who were " appointed to teacli men 
 the way of falvation," acquaint their ignorauE 
 hearers with this important dodrine? Was it that 
 they did not underftand the Gofpei ? or were they 
 not as able to teach the " pecuHar doclrines of 
 ChrilHanity", as you or any who followed after 
 them? That they were as able to preach the Gof- 
 pei as any of their fucceflbrs, you will not deny. 
 To what then can we attribute their filence on 
 this important matter, but that the fpurious un- 
 fcriptural tenet of faith being a gift, was wholly 
 unknown to them, and of courfe formed no part 
 of the Gofpei of our Lord Jefus Chrift. The Apoi- 
 tle Pauls account of faith is, that it " comes by 
 hearing, and hearing by the word of. God." Could 
 he contradid: himfelf, and in another place fay that 
 it was a gift ? No : he was too confillent a cliarac- 
 ter to be guilty of fuch contradiction and confu- 
 iion. The Apoftles,.like tlieir Mailer, always ap- 
 peal to their works ; but what is the ufe of works, or 
 of the mo[l flupendous miracles, if fciith be a gift, 
 
 * You tel! us, " that none but a confufed writer would place lils words 
 fo as tliat the relative fliould ftand (o tar from its anrccedent, as " that" 
 does from " grace," and (b near to another fubftantive, " faiih," But, 
 if I am not very much.mifiaken, for I am no Granimaiian, you have a 
 much more confufed paifage than this in pags 73 of the Defence, where, 
 fpeaking of the confequences of Adam's fm, five or fix fubitantives inter- 
 vene between the relative and what you intend to be its antecLdcnt, and 
 it is fo conftrufted as certainly not a little to obfcurc its fenfc. 
 
(88) 
 
 or the work of the Spirit ? To fay that the Spirit 
 opens the mind to perceive, or to apply the evi- 
 dence in an efficacious manner to the mind, is fay- 
 ing nothing to the purpofe ; for the Spirit could 
 work faith or a conviction of the truth of what the 
 Aportles preached, and affedl the mind fuitably 
 thereto, juft as well without evidence as with it ; 
 fo that by this fcheme preaching and miracles, 
 the " means by which it plcafed God to fave them 
 that believe," are nearly rendered of no effect.* 
 
 This fentiment, iike fome others that might be 
 mentioned, has not its pradtical influence upon the 
 mind; for, however it may be contended for in 
 theory, that faith is a gift, and that it is received 
 by prayer and the Spirit's influencing the mind, 
 yet, in fact, no man has a particle of faith in our. 
 day, but what he receives from evidence, from tef- 
 timony, and common inftruiTtion: in a word, there 
 is no faith refpefting any thing, whether human 
 or divine, but what refls upon evidence ; for how 
 can any man be jufl:ly condemned for not believ- 
 ing, when he has no power to believe ? or how 
 could God appear to us either good or juft, to pu- 
 
 * Many learned and well-difpofed men, of different pcrfuafions, have 
 nfed their beil endeavours to colleft, in the moil convincing point of 
 view, ihe evidence of the truth of the Chriftian Religion ; not only to 
 confirm the Chriftian in his faith, but alfo to convince the fceptic and 
 unbeliever, and to induce them to become its friends and votaries. But, 
 if faving faith does not depend upon evidence, however ftrong, to what 
 gnat pt-rpofe is all their pious labours ? If a fincere belief and reception 
 of the Gofpel be not the faith of the Gofpel, all their learned exertions 
 are loft ; for fiiould a Deift, by an impartial attendance upon the Scrip- 
 tures, and the evidence of their truth, be convinced of their truth and 
 excellence, and thou^li he ftaould rely with the utmoft confidence on their 
 veracity, regulating his condudl by their fpirit and doftrines, yet, ac- 
 cording to you, he is not a real Chriftian, he has not the faith, and that 
 the Spirit alone can produce the faving principle in his heart. What is 
 this but to lead men from thofe means of falvation which Infinite Wifdom 
 hath appointed ? It is leading men from the Scriptures, from the furtf 
 word of prophecy, to purfue a delufivc phaatooa of the imagination. 
 
( §9 ) 
 
 nifh men for not doing what it was impoflible fo^ 
 them to perform ? 
 
 As this is the only paflage that you have no- 
 ticed, in which it is fuppofed that faith is faid to 
 be a gift, and that the Apoftle had here no inten- 
 tion of teaching any fuch notion, I have, I truft, 
 fufficiently fhewn in my remarks upon it, I Ihall pro- 
 ceed to notice fome of thofe palTages from which 
 you have more particularly laboured to prove that 
 the converfion of finners is in Scripture afcribed to 
 the work of the Spirit : *' And my fpeech and my 
 preaching was not with enticing words of man's 
 wifdom, but in demonllration of the Spirit and of 
 power, that your faith fliould not ftand in the wif- 
 dom of men, but in the power of God ;" * " for 
 our gofpel came not unto you in word only, but 
 alfo ini power, and in the Holy Ghoft, and in 
 much aflurance, as you know what manner of 
 men we were among you, for your fake. J" 
 " Thefe nearly parallel Scriptures, you obferve, 
 fpeaking on the Narrative, appear to you to have 
 no allufion to a work of the Spirit, but only to re- 
 late to the power of miracles by which the Apoftle 
 introduced himfelf to ihem. But where do you 
 read of miracles having been wrought at Corinth? 
 The facred Scriptures mention none ; you have, 
 therefore, no right to fuppofe any. Your inter- 
 pretation is hypothetical, and the very premifes 
 which you allume are imaginary." t In this ex- 
 traordinary pafTage, you take it for granted, that 
 the Apollle wrought no miracles at Corinth, and 
 that therefore the above cited Scriptures cannot 
 refer to the power of the Spirit by miracles, but 
 
 N 
 
 * I Cor. ii. 4, y. ^ i ThelT. i. 5. f Defence^ page 6u 
 
( 90 ) 
 
 to the inward wdrk of the Spirit upon the minJ. 
 On the contrary, I contended in the Narrative, and 
 do ftill contend, that the Apoftle here calls their 
 attention to the circumftances in which he firft 
 made known the Gofpel to them, that it was not 
 in word only, but accompanied with the fatisfac- 
 tory evidence of miracles, which they favv, and 
 which gave them much afTurance that he, the 
 Apoftle, w^as the true meffenger of God, and thus 
 their faith did not reft upon the wifdom of tnan, 
 but in the demonflration of the Spirit in the ma- 
 nifefted power of God ; and Dr. Whiiby, in his 
 Paraphrafe, and others, explain both pafFages 
 exadlly in the fame fenfe, the evidence of miracles 
 with which the ApoRle confirmed the truth of 
 Jiis preaching. I have, 1 think, fufficient reafon 
 ■to contend that Paul wrought miracles at Corinth, 
 Jeyen though fiich a circumftance might not be 
 particularly rtientioned, the Apollle received the 
 power cf vvorking miracles for the eftablifiiment 
 of the Gofpel, and he declares, Rom. xv. 19, that 
 he ufed thefe powers for that purpole, " Through 
 mighty figns and wonders, by the power of the 
 Spirit of God, fo that from Jerufalem and round 
 about unto lilyricum I liave fully preached the 
 Go^Del of Chriff," and during his miniflry he efla- 
 blifhed a Church at Corinth, the members of which 
 polTeficd and exercifed the extraordinary gifts of 
 the Spirit, and the Apoftle, correding their want 
 of difcretion in the ufe of thefe gifts, appeals to 
 them, that he could " fpeak with tongues more 
 than they all," as a fa£l that they were well ac- 
 quainted with. But this reafoning, in your view, 
 is merely *' hypothetical" and " imaginary," and 
 you afk, with an air of triumph, " Where do I 
 read of Paul working miracles at Corimh ?" and 
 
(9') 
 
 declare, that " the facred Scriptures mention 
 none/' No? What fays the Apoftle, writing to 
 this very people ? " Truly, the figns of an Apof- 
 tle were wrought among you in all patience, in 
 Jigns and wonders^ and in mighty deeds. * Is this 
 " imaginary ?" or is it not " facred Scripture ?'* 
 But I will judge candidly, that in this inftance 
 your memory failed you, and that, when you wrote 
 the paffage, you recolleded no Scripture account 
 of Paul working miracles at Corinth : be it fo. 
 However, this may teach you to be more cautious, 
 and alfo this truth, that " a plain illiterate man" 
 may be as well acquainted with the Scriptures as 
 one who has enjoyed the advantages of a learned 
 education, and is dignified by the title of Reverend. 
 We fee then the way in which Paul came in the 
 ** Holy Ghoft'* to the firft Chriftians : it was in 
 miracles, in the power and demonftration of the 
 Spirit. 
 
 " The wind bloweth where it lifleth, and thou 
 heareft the found thereof, but canil not tell whence 
 , it cometh, and whither it goeth ; fo is every one 
 that is born of the Spirit." { — Remarking on 
 this text, which, for form of expreffion, has not 
 a parallel in the New Teftament, I allowed, 
 what moft writers upon it admit, that there was 
 fome difficulty in gaining the precife meaning 
 of the terms ; but, it feems, that to your fupe- 
 rior penetration no difficulty appears, and, with 
 no little parade, you even fpurn at the idea of its 
 being confidered obfcure. You cite John iii. 3, 
 " Except a man be born again, he cannot enter 
 into the Kingdom of God," and add, " we are 
 
 N2 
 
 • 2 Cor. xii. 12. % John iii. 8. 
 
(92) 
 
 conjured, however, not to meddle with any part 
 of this paflage." Why ? " It has not a parallel." 
 I have already quoted feveral," &c. Might not 
 the reader, from this explanation, be led to infer, 
 that it was contended the paflage was fo dark that 
 it was in vain to fearch for its meaning ? What 
 then will be his furprife, when he is told that it is 
 not true that I fpoke of the difficulty of John iii. 3, 
 nor have I faid that it has no parallel, for to it I 
 have quoted feveral, which you have not noticed. 
 This conduft, therefore, has more the appearance 
 of artifice than argument, and though fuch in- 
 genuity may fucceed with thofe fuperficial rea- 
 ders who are more alive to the honour of a party 
 than the advancement of truth, yet it will require 
 more fmcerity and candour to fatisfy the upright 
 and fenfible Chriftian. 
 
 But, however intelligible this part of Scripture 
 may appear to you, the following obfervations 
 on the different views entertained refpedting it, 
 will, it is prefumed, fully juftify my remark. By 
 the phrafe *' born of waterj" many underftand 
 Water Baptifm, and by the terms *^ Kingdom of 
 God," the fpiritual kingdom which Chrift has 
 erc(^ed in this world ; the fenfe of the paflage, 
 therefore, will be this: Whatever pretenfions 
 men may make, or whatever profeffions of faith 
 and efteem they may avow, yet, except they pof- 
 fefs a fpirit of humble obedience, which fliould 
 lead them publicly to put on Chrift, and openly 
 cfpoufe his caufe, by being baptized in his name, 
 they could not enter or be admitted members of 
 his Church. Others there are who oppofe this 
 very judicious explanation, and fay, that the 
 phrafe, "Kingdom of God," alludes to Chrift' 
 
( 93 ) 
 
 Kingdom of Glory in another world, and that 
 the terms, " born of water," have not any reference 
 to Baptifm ; for, in that cafe, none, fay they, 
 could be faved, but thofe who adually have been 
 baptifed, a conclufion that they cannot admit, and 
 which would fliut out, in their view, a great part 
 of the human race, and they contend that the 
 terms, '* born of water," here ufed, are not to be 
 underftood literally, but emblematically, reprc- 
 fenting the purity and fpiritual nature of the Chri- 
 Itian life and dodrine, and, if 1 am not miftaken, 
 amongft others of this latter opinion are the 
 people called Quakers, and who, conformable to 
 this view of it, do not, in their religious duties, 
 count the ordinance of Baptifm. T.'obe"born of the 
 Spirit,*' is generally received, in your fenfe of the 
 words, viz. that men are, under the covenant of 
 grace, regenerated or created anew in Chrift Jefus, 
 by the inward operation of the Spirit upon the 
 foul.* Others again contend, and, as I think, 
 
 • Pray, Sir, how (hall we reconcile your explanation of this text witK 
 the praftice of your Church ? A child is born, and in a tew days it 
 brought to be baptized. It is then born again, and " God is thanked 
 for regenerating this child by his Holy Spirit," when tlie little creature, 
 by the ufe of a kw formal words, as if touched with a magic wand, 
 lofes at once all its natural depravity, and is inftanrly chang(!d from be- 
 ing a child of wrath, to be a child of God, a member of Chrift, &c. 
 Now whatever may be done with a child, it cannot believe, and when 
 it grows up, in order to be in a ftate of falvation it muft have faitii in 
 Chrift, and as '• faith is a gift and produced in the heart by the Spirit, 
 wlio is to imprefs on the mind the need of a Saviour, to give fuitable 
 conceptions of his ability and vvillingnefs to fave, to difpel all doubts, 
 and enable it to believe" (Defence, p. 56) ; when this takes place, it muft 
 be a third birth ; aiul as no Scripture declares, that " except a man be 
 born a /hir^ time, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God," it mull; 
 be a work of fupererogation ; but if it is contended that, properly 
 fpeaking,- this is the only new birth, then the fecond birth may be con» 
 ftdered as a religious farce, and to ftand tor nothing. If you fay he h;^s 
 finned and broken his baptifmal covenant, it is granted ; and if a man'i 
 finning lays a foundation for his being born again, then a man muft un- 
 dergo as many births as he is months old ! Strange Divinity. 
 
(94) 
 
 with much more reafon, that to be " born of the 
 Spirit/' is to be brought into a new and better 
 (late; to be delivered from the dominion of 
 fm, from a ftate of heathenifh ignorance and vice, 
 or from under the legal economy of Moles, into 
 the fpiritual difpenfation or kingdom of the Mef- 
 fiah, that was opened by preaching, and ellablilhed 
 under the direction, and by the mighty power of 
 the Spirit of God in miracles, &c. * 
 
 Dr. Whitby lays, that " to be born again was a 
 phrafe in familiar ufe amongft the Jews, and was 
 applied to thofe who were prolelyted to their re- 
 ligion". Dr. Hammond gives the fame account, 
 and fays, that to be born again is a phrafe, in this 
 connedlion, to denote a profelyte of Chrift, J If 
 we are to admit this fenfe of the term, as given 
 by thefe Doftors of your own Church, we (ball 
 foon find they are of no very myfterious import. 
 *' The wind blov.eth where it lifteth," &c. Tho' 
 thele words, ufed as an illullration of the fubjed, 
 do not make the matter plani and eafy, it by no 
 means follows, " that our Lord could not fpeak 
 mtelligibly upon a fubjed with which our eternal 
 ftate is intimately conne6led ;" nor does this lan- 
 guage befpeak an intimate acquaintance with our 
 Lord's mode of addrefs, who ufed parables and re- 
 prefentations defignedly not very clear, until the 
 ftate of his work and miniftry fliould admit of 
 greater plainnefs of fpeech. 
 
 The term, " wind," fome render " breath" or 
 " fpirit," and underftand, by the " found thereof," 
 the voice of the Spirit, viz. as it fpeaks by Pro- 
 phets and Apoftles, and fupport, with confiderable 
 
 * See Taylor on the Romans. 
 :J See Hammond and Whitby on the paffage. 
 
(95) 
 
 (Irength of argument, the above readinp;. Others', 
 again, think that what is here faid is folely to be 
 referred to the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit 
 bedowed upon the firll Minifters of the Gofpel, 
 the gocxJ effefts of which God intended indiicri- 
 minately for the benefit of all, and that the terms, 
 ** the wind bloweth where it lifteth," are ilkiftra' 
 tive of the Spirit breathing where it choofeth, i. e. 
 It is not confined to any family or nation: the 
 wife and noble of Abraham's family have no ex- 
 clufive right to the honours of the MefTiah's king- 
 dom ; they are as extenfive and unredrained as 
 the wind. When Nicodemus was told that " he 
 mull: be born again," before he could be a fit fub- 
 jed: of the kingdom of God, or of the Melfiah, it 
 mult have appeared to him a matter of adonifli- 
 ment, fince he probably, with his nation, expelled a 
 fplendid worldly Meffiah, and that, becaiife defcen- 
 dants of Abraham, they were therefore children of 
 the promifes ; and that, how ever finful and defedive 
 their moral and religious condudl might be, that 
 the Meffiah, and all the glories of his kingdom, 
 would be the exclufive bleffings of his nation. 
 
 With thefe views, therefore, and the foiemn re- 
 iteration of the words, " ye muil be born again," 
 &c. he might well exclaim, " How can thefe 
 things be ?" Our Lord replies, " Art thou a 
 mafter in Ifrael, and knoweil not thefe thinp-s ?** 
 This queftion " implies, you think, that regenera- 
 tion is taught in the Old Teftament.'* That re- 
 generation is taught in Scripture, I would remark, 
 is not difputed, it is fully admitted ; and fliould 
 we leave this dark paffage, and again advert to the 
 general expreffion of Scripture on the fiibject, we 
 Ihall find it ufing a language fiviilcicntly plaitv 
 
(9(5) 
 
 and clear, and on which alone every fincere and 
 ingenuous mind would wifh to reft. 
 
 Our queftion then is, How is the change ef- 
 feded ? You think, by the inward agency of the 
 Spirit quickening and changing the mind, purify- 
 ing and renewing the foul, and producing faving 
 faith in the heart ; whilft I, on the contrary, con* 
 tend, " that the age of miracles is paft," and that 
 fuch kind of phrafeology more particularly re- 
 fpe6led the Heathen world, previous to their con- 
 verfion to Chriftianity. In this view the Scrip- 
 tures reprefent it as an outward change of ftate 
 and charader. Thefe, in their unconverted ftate, 
 are deicribed as " dead in trefpaffes and fms,'* as 
 " perfedly helplefs," '* without ftrength," and 
 " without hope;" but, when the light of the Gof- 
 pel fhone upon their dark and Pagan hemifphere, 
 when blefled with the"lip;ht of life," when enlight- 
 ened by the preaching of the Apoftles, and con- 
 vinced by the miracles which they wrought, they 
 are by equally (trong language reprefented as being 
 *' quickened" by the Spirit, (viz. by the power of 
 miracles) or " made alive from the dead," as " paf- 
 fing from death to life," " from children of 
 wrath," becoming " children of God," And 
 though we, in later times, are not exa<5lly in their 
 fituation, and have not our attention excited 
 and engaged to the ferious profeffion of the Gof- 
 pel, by the wonderful and affedling difplay of mi- 
 raculous powers which they faw, neverthelefs, if 
 we fully admit the truth of the Gofpel Hiftory, 
 we have, in fad, the advantage of them, and the 
 famereafons to rejoice in the falvation of God. And 
 under this confideration, the means of falvation 
 'are ftill the fame ; the Gofpel, as preached and 
 
( 97 ) 
 
 eftablilhed by the Apoftles : No other are appoint- 
 ed to fave finful men. They are not to be reg;e- 
 nerated, as before noted, by any partial impuifive 
 working of the Spirit, but by the renoating; in- 
 fluence of the Do6lrines of the Gofpel fincerely 
 believed and obeyed. 
 
 The Gofpel of the Grace of God is not a dead 
 letter, but " quick and powerful ;'* it is not weak 
 and inefficient, except when accompanied with the 
 Spirit, * but is in itfelf " Spirit and Life,** and 
 when embraced with all the heart, will now, as 
 well as then, " work effeftually all the good plea- 
 fure of God in them that believe." In a word, if 
 we attend impartially to the Scriptures, it will 
 evidently appear that they afcribe the change 
 
 O 
 
 • In the Narrative 1 have reprobated the pernicious notion which re- 
 iigious people are taught to entertain, that they cannit underltand the 
 Scriptures unlefs the Spirit afTifts them, or opens and applies them to their 
 minds ; by which they are not only led to place an undue dependence 
 on their Teachers, but by this notion the Scriptures appear to them as a 
 fealed book, and they are prevented from attending to them, as they 
 otherwife wpuld do, it they believed that by proper attention they could 
 undernand them as well as other fuhjefts. This reafoning gives you of- 
 fence, and you ttile it " a mifreprefentation," and contend "if any 
 perfon has ufed the expreffion, it can only be with propriety in this fenfe, 
 that fo long as a (inner continues in his natural (late of ignorance and 
 darknefs, the glorious truths of the Gofpel are hid from his eyes ; but 
 no one would fay to the humble inquirer after truth, the Bible is to you 
 a fealed book, and it is in vain to read it. On the contrary, every ju- 
 dicious Chriltian would fay to fuch a man, read the Word of God, and 
 pray to him for the help of his grace ; and if you meekly defire to know 
 "the truth, he will guide you into all truth, and enable you fo to under- 
 (land the Scriptures as to be made wife unto falvation." § This is a mere 
 change of expreflion, and not of ideas. ♦' Your earneft inquirer" cannot 
 underftand without " the help of his grace," and means ju(l what another 
 perfon would call " the help of his Spirit." The reader will judge how 
 iar this is ♦* a mifreprefentation," and how far this conduft is likely to 
 "teprefs in(idelity, and to promote a knowledge of the Scriptures, by 
 giving people to underftand that they cannot* by their beft efforts, com- 
 prehend their meaning, without " the help of grace," or '* the affiftancc 
 of the Spirit," 
 
 ^ Defence, page ^i. — Note. 
 
( 98 ) 
 
 called the New Birth, not to any private energy 
 or impreffions of the Spirit upon the mind, but 
 generally to the Word, to the Gofpel, to Preach- 
 ing, and to Faith — " I am not afhamed of the 
 Gofpel of Chrift, for it is the Power of God to 
 falvation to every one that believeth ;" * for " it 
 hath plcafed God, by the foolifhnefs (or means) of 
 preaching, to (ave them that believe." f ** To 
 you is the Word of this falvation fent ;" J " ye are 
 clean through the Word which I have fpoken 
 unto you," } " being born again, not of corrupti- 
 ble feed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of 
 God, which liveth and abideth for ever." |{ " He 
 that doeth righteoufnefs, is born of God ;" ^ v/ho- 
 foever believeth that Jefus is the Chrift, is born of 
 God.'* * it is perfedlly unneceffary to refer to 
 thofe numerous paffages which fpeak of being 
 faved by faith or by beiieving, as ''• He that be- 
 lieveth fhall not perifli," " fhall be faved," '' hath 
 remiffion of fins," ** is juftified from all things," 
 " hath peace with God," " is a Son of God," " fhall 
 obtain eternal life," &c. 
 
 You admit that men are faved by faith, and you 
 judge it necelTary to inquire what lavicg faith is. * 
 This indeed is a necelTary inquiry ; for it feems the 
 Scripture account of men believing unto ialvation, 
 is not, in your eftimation, the faith of the Gofpel.f 
 If to fincerely believe " that Jefus is the Chrilf," 
 or that a fincere belief ai:d reliance on his Gofpel 
 as the truth of God, be iaving faith, then " you 
 grant it would be improper to pray for it, and 
 
 • Rom. i. 16. t I Cor. i. 2x. i Aas xiii, 26. § John xr, 5^ 
 (I I Pet. i. 25. H I John ii. 29. . * i John v. 1. 
 
 * Defence, page 51, t Defence, page 53. 
 
( 99 ) 
 
 that fuch a faith muft depend on evidence ;'* but 
 you oblerve, *' if this be not a juft view of faving 
 faith, and there be fomethin^ more than this that 
 mull enter into the compofition of faving faith, 
 then my reafoning is irrelevant and mifapphed,* 
 a conckifion which I admit to be perfectly juft. 
 Here then we are come to a point, and we have 
 cnly to inquire what faith the Scripture upon this 
 important fubjed ; and here I would obferve, to 
 prevent all mifunderftandinrr, that you make " a 
 diilin^lion between believing in the Gofpel, and be- 
 lieving in its Do<ftrines ;" J as if it was one thing 
 to believe the Gofpel, and another to believe its 
 Declarations. This is a diftm(5lion which 1 cannot 
 admit; and though you confider this as an incon- 
 fiftence on my part, I muft contend, that to believe 
 the Gofpel is to believe its Dodrines and Decla- 
 rations, for thefe compofe the Gofpel, and a man's 
 enjoyment of its Do^rines will be in propor- 
 tion to his fmcerity and underftanding of them. 
 And fxrft I would obferve, previous to entering 
 upon the inquiry, that, to fnnplify the fubjedt as 
 much as poffible, it will be neceffary to notice 
 what the Apofties preached for men to believe, 
 for whatever they preached for this purpofe, the 
 belief of thai is the faith of the Gofpel. Attend- 
 ing then to their miniftry, we find that the firft 
 objed of their labours was to prove " that Chrift, 
 who was crucified, and flain, and buried, was 
 raifed again from the dead," and exalted to be a 
 Prince and a Saviour," and was indeed the Meffiah, 
 the Son of God ; they went " preaching Chrift 
 and the Refurre£l;ion ;" they contended, " that 
 
 O 2 
 
 • Defence, page 52. ^ Defence, page 53, 
 
( 100 ) 
 
 Jefus was Chrift, the Son of God," and *< rea- 
 foned out of the Scripture, to prove that Jefus 
 was the Chrift," and preached, in his name, the 
 forgivenefs of fins, the refurreftion of the dead, 
 the hope of eternal hfe, and a righteous judgment 
 to come ; and from this confideration, called upon 
 all men to repent and to obey the Gofpel of Chrift. 
 This is clearly the fubftance of what the Apoftles 
 preached, and muft not the man who fincerely re- 
 ceived them and believed their telHmony, have 
 the faith of the Gofpel ? hi confirmation of this 
 view of the faith of the Gofpel, let us inquire, 
 fecondly, what the Apoftles declare on this fubjed 
 to the jailor, " Believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift, 
 and thou fhalt be faved :" to the Romans, " If thou 
 Ihalt confefs with thy mouth the Lord Jefus, and 
 believe in thine heart that God hath raifed him 
 from the dead, thou fhalt be faved/' The Ethio- 
 pian's approved confeffion is to the fame purpofe : 
 " I believe that Jefus Chrift is the Son of God ;" and 
 the Apoftie John tells us, that " he that believeth on 
 the Son hath everlafting life ;" " he that hath the 
 Son, hath life ;" " whofoever believeth that Jefus 
 is the Chrift, is born of God ;" and " whofoever 
 believeth that Jefus is the Son of God, God dwelleth 
 in him, and he in God." Li aword, he informs 
 us that his defign in writing his Gofpel was, " that 
 we might believe that Jefus was the Chrift, the 
 Son of God." 
 
 Here then we fee, in the moft incontrovertible 
 manner, what the faith of the Gofpel is, viz. to 
 believe that Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of God, and 
 of courfe to attend to him as fuch, to be influenced 
 by his dodlrines, believing what he taught to be 
 the truth of God, as ftated again and again in the 
 Narrative, 
 
( lOl ) 
 
 No work of the Spirit is here fpokeii of, nor 
 are we to wait for any internal operation or evi- 
 dence that fhall affure us that God fpeaks the 
 truth, that we have an interell in his love, or that 
 Chrift died for us in particular, &c. That God 
 loves his rational creatures, and defires their hap- 
 pinefs without any exceptions, is fufficiently ma- 
 nifeft in the gift of his Son, in the gofpel of his 
 grace, and in the wife provifion which he has 
 made for their prefent and future happinefs, and 
 we have nothing to do, as men and finners, but to 
 embrace with all our hearts his goodnefs, to truft 
 in his faithfulnefs, and to render him cordial and 
 unfeigned obedience ; and though this appears to 
 you " a cheerlefs creed," it is a faith worthy of 
 God, becaufe adapted to the capacity and fituation 
 of man, affording happinefs and fecurity to the 
 unlearned as well as the ftudious, to the poor as well 
 as the rich. Here is no myftery nor confufion of 
 ideas to perplex the mind ; not the lead mention of 
 thofe human inventions now proudly dignified 
 with the title of " the peculiar Doctrines of Ciiri- 
 ftianity ;" here is not a fyllable about thefe " pe- 
 culiar do£lrines ;" nothing about believing in a 
 Trinity, or in the death of one Divine Being xo 
 fatisfy the injured juflice of anotJier, notions 
 wholly unknown to the Apoftles of the Lord, the 
 prevalence of which has greatly clouded and ob- 
 fcured tlie luftre and fnnplicity of the doclrines 
 of the Gofpel of Chrifi:. 
 
 This plain Scripture account of laving faith you 
 cannot admit, becaufe of its too liberal curifequences. 
 You obferve, * " then all perfons who believe this 
 have faving faith, let them hold what opinions 
 
 • Defence, page 52. 
 
( 102 ) 
 
 they may pleafe refpe^ting the contents of the Gol- 
 pel of ChrHt ; one man may conficler Chrift as 
 equal with the' Father, another as inferior to the 
 Father, another as a mere man ; oiie man may 
 believe that he (hall be faved by the righteoufnefs 
 of Chrifl-, another by his own merits, yet all have 
 true and faving faith. In fliort, you and I, each 
 being allowed really to believe the Gofpel of Chrift 
 to be the truth of God, may hold views diametri- 
 cally oppofite in the moft important do(fi:rines of 
 Chriftianity, and yet both have true and faving 
 faith. "Why, truly, if this were the cafe, the way 
 to heaven is broad indeed, and all controverfy on 
 this head is utterly fuperfluous." This argument, 
 upon the whole, may be true, provided that the 
 faith here fpoken of be not rendered of no effeft 
 by human traditions being fubllituted in its place, 
 and how far this is done by thofe who teach for 
 Scripture dodrines the commandments of men, is 
 not for me to fay ; but it may appear, by a little 
 attention, that the way to heaven is not quite 
 fo broad as your rcafoning may reprefent it ; for 
 though a man by repentance and faith in the 
 gofpel may enjoy, agreeable to its proclamation, 
 " the remifiion of fins that are paft,*' yet he is not 
 '* favcd by faith alone," for " faith, without works, 
 is dead." Except, therefore, his " faith works by- 
 love," and leads him to " deny all ungodiinefs and 
 worldly lull:?, and to live foberly, righteoufly, and 
 godly in this prefent evil world," " he is blind, and 
 cannot fee afar off, and hath forgotten that he is 
 purged from his old fins." To believe with " all 
 the heart," or " unto righteoulnels," is not a vague 
 notion, or traditional acknowledgment that " Jefus 
 is the Chriit," but is a pure vital principle of vir- 
 
{ 103 ) 
 
 tuous a6tion and religious obedience, and which 
 leads the fincere believer to " walk even as he 
 walked." 
 
 This account of the nature of fliith will, there 
 is reafon to believe, leave the road to heaven not 
 too broad for many of its profelTors : but T would 
 obfervc, that whether Chrift was equal to the Fa- 
 ther, was inferior to the Father, &c. was a meta- 
 phvfical confideration, which formed no part of 
 the Gofpel meffavre ; but to receive Chriit as the 
 MeiTiah, and to attend to him as fuch, conilituted 
 a man a Chriitian, whether he knew much or 
 little, and " other foundation can no man lay than 
 that which is laid," that Jeius is the Chnft. That 
 fome men believe they fhali be faved by their own 
 merits, is what I imajrine few will pretend to. A 
 great part of the above paragraph, therefore, has 
 little, in fadt, to do with the fubjecl. 
 
 Your account of faith, as far as 1 can colled it, 
 is " a believing in the Lord Jefus Chrili, as dying 
 for you, according to the Divine promife, for 
 forgivencfs of fms. It is an a£t of reliance upon 
 Chrift, as having made peace for you through the 
 blood of the crofs, built upon the teftimony and 
 promife of the Word, under the power of the 
 Holy Spirit, difpoihig and enabling you to believe 
 the promiie, truft in ChriR", and fo receive remif- 
 fion of fnis." * A man muft not only fiibicribe 
 to this defcription of faith, and to the way by 
 which it is produced, but he muft alfo believe in 
 your lift of do£lrines, or he cannot be faved ; for 
 Ihouid he profefs the faith as here ftated by you, 
 yet if unfortunately he difbeUeves the Trinity, 
 " without doubt he muft perifli everhftingly." 
 Thus a man muft receive ail that you coniider 
 
 * Defence, page 5J. 
 
( t(34 ) 
 
 as fundamentals for divine truth, or he cannot be 
 faved ; and as any other man of oppofite fenti- 
 ments to your's has an equal right to attach the 
 fame importance to the belief or rejection of his 
 principles, what a fcene of diftraflion and uncer- 
 tainty is the confequence ! one party anathema- 
 tizing another, and the other with equal zeal re- 
 torting the charge ! * And for what ? For de- 
 nying that Jcfus is the MefTiah, or for rejefting 
 his Gofpel ? No ; but for with-holding the aflent 
 of the mind from mere human creeds. This is a 
 remark which cannot be contradicted, for allowing 
 one fcheme to be right, many mull be wrong; 
 and the confufion here fpoken of is the baneful 
 and legitimate effect of converting every religious 
 notion into a fundamental, to the belief of which 
 is ridiculoufly annexed the hope of eternal life; 
 and from the confequence of thefe bewildering 
 confiderations there is no deliverance but by 
 throwing them all afide, and receiving the Scrips 
 tures as the only Guide to Religious Truth. 
 
 Though you contend that faith is the work of 
 the Spirit, yet you inquire " whether it may not 
 be at once the gift of God and the aft of man/* 
 and the following is your illuil:ration of the que- 
 flion : " When Jeroboam lifted his withered hand, 
 it was by the pov^^er of God, and it was the act of 
 Jeroboam. When the dead Lazarus came forth, 
 
 * That which is the true orthodox faith with one parly, is a damnable 
 herefy with another; and what is eftablifhed in one country as truth, is 
 condemned in another as talfehood. Indeed, were the very ptincipls 
 purfued on which you argue, it would not only unchriftianize yourfelf, 
 and every one elfe in their turn, but would alfo fupport every vague 
 c* r.ccit that a lupcrftitious, heat.d imagination may invent;' for 
 w -re is the Fanatic who has not confidered his fancies as fundamentals 
 necciTary to be believed, and who has not denounced thrcatnings againft. 
 the bold rcjeder of theru ? 
 
( «05 ) 
 
 it was by the power of God, and k was the aft of 
 Lazarus : in one and the principal fenfe, Jeroboam 
 and Lazarus were pajjive ; in another fubordinate 
 fenfe, they were the agents, and they ferve to 
 illuftrate the maiiT>er in which finners beHeve 
 and become alive unto God." * Did Jeroboani 
 lift his hand in aid of the Divine power, or only in 
 conlequence of the reftoration of its ufe? or did 
 Lazarus allift the word of power by which JefuS 
 commanded him to come forth, or only obey 
 the Divine influence here exerted upon him ? 
 As no man can admit the former, viz. that 
 either of thefe perfons aflifted the Divine power, 
 then tliey were purely paflive ; your reafoning 
 therefore throws no light upon the fubjed; we 
 can eafily admit that a living man may em- 
 ploy iiis powers, or that a perfon in the perfe<^ 
 pofl'efiion of his fenfes may ufe them, but we have 
 no idea of either a dead body or a dead limb being 
 .capable of action, and fome better illuftration is 
 called for to prove that man is naturally as inca- 
 pable of receiving the Divine word, or of believing 
 the Gofpel, as a dead body or a withered arm are 
 of animal exertion ; but much labour and ingenuity 
 mull be exerted to prove from Scripture the truth 
 of any dodtrine which they do not contain ; and, 
 in m.y opinion, few propositions are clearer than 
 this, that the Scriptures never inltrudt or dire6t 
 unregenerate flnners to pray for the influence of 
 the Spirit, or the gift of faith, and the declara- 
 tion of our Lord himfelf ftiall give the conclufion 
 upon the fubjeft. When he promifed the gift of the 
 Spirit to his Difciples and followers, he at the fame 
 time declared, that the world could not receive it*X 
 
 P 
 
 • Defciwe, page 5j. \ John xiv. 17. 
 
( io6 ) 
 
 How, Sir, can you oppofe the truth of this decia* 
 ration ? Is not the unbeUeving part of mankind 
 confidered the world? and are they not uniformly 
 confidered the world in Scripture ? and yet you 
 flrangely contend that unbelievers, in the firil in- 
 ilance, muft feck for the Spirit, when our Lord 
 aflerts, as above, that the world cannot receive it. 
 i Nqw you muft admit one of thefe two things, 
 either that unbelievers are not the world, or of 
 the world, glaringly unfcriptural as it is, or that 
 the whole of your reafoning on this fubjed is in 
 flat cojitradiclion to our Lord's affirmation. It fol- 
 lows then that faving faith is not a gift, that the Spi- 
 rit is never promifed to regenerate fmners, nor 
 are unbelievers ever taught in Scripture to feek 
 fipsFiitfor that purpofe; and that every unpreju- 
 diced mind can receive or believe any report or 
 declaration that is witnefled to be taught by indu- 
 bitable evidence. An extraordinary influence may 
 be necelTary to affift a man to believe a falfejhood, 
 but none can be wanting to enable a man to be- 
 lieve in him *' who cannot lie nor deceive,** or to 
 receive " the record that God hath given of his 
 Son." 
 
 Your's, &c. 
 
( »07 ) 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 Reverend Sir, 
 
 IN your fixth letter you avowedly contend for 
 the dired inability of man to believe and obey 
 God ; without the affiftance of the Spirit ; that 
 man, in confequence of original fm, " inherits a 
 nature radically corrupt," that he is " totally de- 
 praved in his heart, will, affections, and appetites/* 
 having " a carnal mind, and is inclined to do evil, 
 but not to do good ;" and in this fituation is ob- 
 noxious to the dreadful wrath of God, and liable 
 to the pains and torments of eternal mifery, and 
 though placed in this helplefs (late, and by the very 
 conftitution of his nature under a neceffity of con- 
 ftantly fmning againfl: God, yet that " man's moral 
 depravity is never admitted as a plea for fin or un- 
 belief;" * and from this wretched condition there is 
 no deliverance, but by the fupernatural aids of the 
 Spirit, which you fay are offered in the Gofpel ; 
 but thefe offers are of no ufe, fince we are told we 
 have no health in us, and are naturally unable 
 even to will what is right. As we cannot then 
 
 P 2 
 • Defence, page 87. 
 
( io8) 
 
 think a good thought, or defire what is good, our 
 very prayers, however fincere, proceeding from a 
 corrupt heart, mufl, according to this notion, be 
 offenfive to God, and may render the defired blef- 
 fing ftill more remote. What is the fair and in- 
 evitable confequence of this dreadful doctrine, but 
 that the major part of the human race are doomed 
 to eternal woe, for want of thofe influences which 
 they cannot defire, and which God will not other- 
 wife impart. Are thefe the glad tidings of falva- 
 tion ? Is this the Gofpel of the grace of God, that 
 he fo loved the world that he fent his merciful 
 Son to proclaim thefe horrors, from which the 
 multitude cannot efcape ? Is this doftrine worthy 
 of a merciful God, whofe very name and nature 
 is Love ? Dare, Sir, to look your own fcheme in 
 the face ; take a comprehenfive view of it, and fee 
 if you can, as a man, contemplate its confequences 
 without horror. Has it the leaft femblance of 
 that gopd news which the Apoftles preached to «l 
 finful world, which expreffes " the great love 
 wherewith God loved" all his intelligent creatures, 
 ** that he was not willing that any fliould perifti, 
 but that all (hould come to the knowledge of the 
 truth, and be faved ?" You and others of this fen- 
 timent feldom purfue your principles to their jull 
 and neceflary conclufion, fatisfied with being your- 
 felves of the elc^l, and h>n ing your intercft in the 
 . Gofpel fecured by the difcriminating influence of 
 the Spirit. You feel, comparatively, little concern 
 for the non-eie<^, or great mafs of mankind, who 
 are, by the neceffity of their circumllances, or the 
 fentence pafTed upon Adam, doomeil to endlefs 
 jnifery. Indeed, the only mitigation of this dread- 
 ful fentence is, " God having, out of his mere good 
 
( »op ) 
 
 pleafure, from all eternity eleded fome to everlad- 
 ing life, did enter into a covenant of grace to deliver 
 them out of the eftate of fin and mifery, and bring 
 them into an eftate of falvation through a Re- 
 deemer." * If the majority of the human race 
 mufl be eternally damned for a fin which took 
 place long before they had exiftence, for rejecting 
 the Gofpel, or for the commiflion of a6lual fins, 
 which their derived corrupt nature cannot avoid, 
 the obje^ion againft the do£lrine will not be 
 merely, that it is unfcriptural or irrational, but 
 that it is unjufl: and diftionourable to God ; the Di- 
 vine charader will be deeply impeached by it, 
 and though reafoning upon the fubje£l is confi- 
 dered as " rafh prefumption," we will neverthelels 
 venture, unterrified, briefly to inquire whether the 
 Scripture gives fuch a defcription of man by the 
 fall of Adam; in doing which we hope we fliall be 
 actuated folely by a concern for the honour of God 
 and of truth, and not by any juftly cenfurable defire 
 of extolling human nature in a way flattering to 
 human pride, that might lead man to deny his ori- 
 ginal depravity, or the native vilenefs of his con- 
 dition, were he really bor n fuch as fome reprefent 
 him. But if this were *' the wretched ftate of 
 man, the pollution would be univerfal throughout 
 the fpecies, and fo complete in each individual, 
 that our natures would exhibit a mafs of corrup- 
 tion inconfiftent with a ftate of fociety ; we fliould 
 be as the fierce beafts of the toreit, and the " pelU- 
 lence, inftead of walking in darknefs," would flalk 
 forth at noon-day." On what kind of evidence 
 then ought this dotlrine to reil? Surely on that of 
 the moft pofitive and unequivocal nature ; evidence 
 at once legible, convincing, and fatisfaclory. But 
 
 Affembly's Cateehifm. ^J^C<> 
 
(,ro) 
 
 in what part of Scripture are we taught, by any 
 cxprefs and regular inrtruftion, that the race of 
 men are naturally corrupt, deriving their finful 
 propenfities and vicious inclinations from the fm 
 of Adam ? If this were a Scripture-truth, might 
 we not reafonably expert an account of fuch an 
 important fad in the Hiftory of the Fall ; but there 
 it is not once mentioned, and can we fuppofe that 
 Mofes was infpired to defcribe that great event, 
 and yet could negled to mention one of the 
 chief circumftances attending it ? Or could he, in 
 delivering the mind and law of God to his fa- 
 voured people the Jews, amidft his great anxiety 
 for their information and happinefs, have omitted 
 to acquaint them with their fmful condition by 
 nature ? The fuppofition is extravagant, and per- 
 fectly inadmiflible. Chrifl: Jefus came into the 
 world to repair the ruin of the fall: and here 
 might we not naturally expedt that he would ex- 
 plain its extent and confequences ? But no expla- 
 nation of this kind is given ; never does he fpeak 
 of coming to fave the world from hereditary fm 
 and pollution, nor does he or his Apoftles ever, 
 during the whole ccurfe of their miniftry, declare 
 that men were fo corrupt by nature that they had 
 no power to believe or to do the will of God ; nor 
 do they ever refled on them or upbraid them 
 with their being naturally depraved. 
 
 This do6lrine then is not mentioned where it is 
 mod reafonable to expedl it ; where it ought to 
 have appeared the moft confpicuous, there it is 
 not to be found : and as the belief of it is confi- 
 dered of fo much importance, that it is deemed 
 *' awful prefumption" to doubt its truth, how can 
 you account for its omiffion ? Why did not the 
 
{ III ) 
 
 ApoiHes inculcate it as an eflential truth, the 
 knowledge of which was abfolutely neceflary to 
 the enjoyment of Chriflianity ? Yet, during the 
 whole courfe of their harangues to a people 
 generally ignorant and vicious, we never find 
 them either explaining or enforcing it ; and their 
 filence upon the fubject ought furely to make 
 you paufe, and calmly to inquire .why thofe 
 whofe peculiar province it was authoritatively to 
 enforce the do6lrine, if true, have not once noticed 
 it, but have left it to be gathered from a few fcat- 
 tered paflages of Scripture, which are ail capable 
 of a very different conftrudlion, and which are of- 
 ten forced from their peaceful ftation to give evi- 
 dence to a doctrine they never knew. Led away 
 by the found of Vv^ords, you have not (lopped fuf- 
 ficiently to inquire what is intended by them, or 
 in what particular circumftances they were fpo* 
 ken, by an examination of which it will appear 
 that they are defcriptive of particular circum- 
 ftances of extreme degeneracy, of the actual de- 
 pravity of men, without once referring tJieir vi- 
 cious conduct to the fm of Adam. 
 
 What then is your evidence from Scripture? 
 -** Adam finned ; by this one man fm entered into 
 the world, and death by fin; and fo death pafleth 
 upon all men, for all have finned." Infants who 
 die as foon as they are born, and who have vio- 
 lated no law, " are to be confidered as juftly fuf- 
 fering for fin ; confequently, as under the guilt of 
 fin, and if no original guilt is proved, this conclu- 
 fion, you think, is juilified by what is faid by an 
 Apoftle" — "Ye were by nature children of wrath, 
 even as others." — That death is the wages of iln, 
 and entered into the world By the offence of Adam, 
 
( «" ) 
 
 IS not difputed, by which offence he became the 
 parent of a mortal imperfedl race, who have lince 
 that event been guilty of much wickednefs and im- 
 piety. But how does this prove that men can do 
 nothing but evil, nothing but conftantly fin againft 
 God ; that they " naturally hate both God and 
 their neighbour,'* and that their " very beft worlcs 
 are only fplendid crimes," tho' prompted by the 
 love of man, and are productive of much good, in 
 forgiving of injuries, in ti^live benevolence, in re- 
 relieving diftrefles, and advancing human happinefs 
 a thou land ways? Catechiims may indulge this 
 wnwarrantable language, but it is utterly unworthy 
 of our countenance ; for the Scriptures, as we have 
 proved, defcribe no fuch confequence refulting 
 from the offence of Adam. " Ye were by nature 
 children of wrath, even as others." The Apoftk 
 here reminds the Chriftians at Ephefus, that they 
 were like other Gentiles, polluted with the vices and 
 idolatries of their heathen ft ate, " That in time paft 
 they walked according to the courfe of this world," 
 from which they were delivered by the preaching 
 of the Gofpel, and this paffage has no reference 
 to the fin of Adam. And here I niuft remark 
 how (Irangely perverted that mind mull be, how 
 influenced with a gloomy and unkind theology, 
 that can deviate fo far from the plain, literal, obi- 
 vious fenfe of words, as to imagine that the fen- 
 tence of death paffed upon Adam lliould fignify 
 eternal exillence in inexprelFible torment ; a no- 
 tion as cruel ar.d barbarous as it is unfcriptural, 
 and unworthy of a merciful God. That accumu- 
 lated depravity which preceded the flood, " when 
 God faw that the wickednefs of man was great in 
 the earth, and that every imagination of the 
 
( 113 ) 
 
 thoughts of his heart was only evil continually/' 
 you think " certainly telVify the univerfal preva- 
 lency of internal depravity/* That " all flefh had 
 corrupted its way/* and that iniquity flowed as a 
 river, is a fa6l which no one ever difputes ; but 
 the Scriptures never defcribe thefe evils as ftreams 
 which naturally flow from the fin of Adam ; never 
 affign it as their potent caufe, but reprefent it is as a 
 gradual acquired corruption, arifing from the pro- 
 greffive degeneracy of men " as they began to 
 multiply upon the face of the earth." This is 
 fully expreffed in the paffage above alluded to, 
 which defcribes the frail and imperfect flate of 
 our nature, which, inftead of exciting the Divine 
 wrath, is a fubjed of his commiferation. " The 
 Lord faid in his heart, I will no more curfe the 
 earth as I have done, for the imagination of man's 
 heart is evil from his youth."-—" Behold, I was 
 fiiapen in iniquity, and in fin did itiy mother con- 
 ceive me." This is generally allowed to be a part 
 of David's penitential pfalm, after being guilty of 
 the moft enormous fins, lamenting his horrid 
 crime, in which it is not likely that he wrote un- 
 der the guidance of the Spirit ; he adopted a lan- 
 guage feemingly proverbial among the Jews. The 
 terms, " born in fin," was ufed by the Pharifees 
 when they queftioned the man that had been born 
 blind, how he had received his fight ? Upon his 
 afferting " If this man (Jefus) were tiot of God, he 
 could do nothing." They anfwered, " Thou waft 
 altogether born in fin, and doft thou teach us? 
 That this kind of expreffion was familiarly ufed as 
 a mark of reproach applied to thofe who were 
 really regenerate, or fiippofed to be fo, Vi^ili farther 
 
('■4) 
 
 appear by the queftion of the Difciples relative to 
 the fame fubjed: : " Who did fin, this man or his pa- 
 rents, that he was born bhnd ?" This ignorant que- 
 ftion could not have been allied if they had been 
 acquainted with the dodrine of original fin, and 
 that the paflage under confideration has no refe- 
 rence to it, is moft evident from its application as 
 above given; for the Pharifees, with all their reli- 
 gious confequence, could not have the arrogance 
 to fuppofe their fed exempt from a flate of fm and 
 degradation, which neceffarily involved all man- 
 kind. In a word, men are no more born fmners, 
 than they are born Chriflians or Phvficians, Scho- 
 lars, &c. 
 
 " What is man, that he fiiould be clean ? or he 
 who is born of woman, that he fliould be righte- 
 ous ? * Thefe words of Eliphas we cannot regard 
 as of Divine authority ; it does not appear that he 
 was infpired, and to whom Job replies, " Ye are 
 all forgers of lies, ye are all phyficians of no value ;" 
 and Jehovah declares to Eliphas and his friends, 
 ** Ye have not fpoken of me the things that are 
 right," therefore it cannot be admitted in evidence. 
 " We ail, hke iheep, have gone aftray; we have 
 turned every one to his own way.'* f " God made 
 man upright, but they have found out many in- 
 ventions." Thefe palfages mofl evidently refer to 
 actual tranfgrefTion ; nor need I attempt to prove 
 that the Preacher is not fpeaking of Adam's fin, 
 but on common life ; that by man we are to un- 
 derfland mankind in general ; for we are told 
 " they found out many inventions.'* f *' Out of the 
 heart proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornica- 
 tions, thefts, covetoufnefs, wickednefs, deceit, lafci- 
 
 * Job XV. 14. % Ifaiahliii. 6. t Ecclef. vii. 29. 
 
("5) 
 
 vioufnefs, an evil eye, blafphemy, pride, foolifh- 
 nefs."* " There is none righteous, no not one,"t 
 &c. &c. Ail thefe texts which you depend on, 
 refer to a ftate of aclual depravity, without any 
 reference to its caufe, and cannot, without a man- 
 nifeft impropriety, be applied to the fubjedt. By 
 this loofe and injudicious application of Scripture, 
 you will find no want of evidence to fupport your 
 fentiments ; but, while you enjoy the facility of 
 multiplying authorities in fupport of your views, 
 it will alfo be attended with this evident difadvan- 
 tage, that by the fame mode of proceeding you 
 may prove the truth of any propofition whatever, 
 and quote text upon text, until the Scriptures are 
 rendered more indeterminate in their meaning 
 than a book of riddles. 
 
 The paffages you cite exprefs truths which no 
 man has ever difputed ; they defcribe the vicious 
 ftate to which individuals or large communities of 
 men may be reduced, or the depths of depravity 
 of which human nature is capable, without at- 
 tempting to explain its caufe, and may be referred 
 to the force of bad example, evil habits and propen- 
 fities, perverfe education, and other caufes, whofe 
 corrupting contagious influence is univerfally felt 
 and acknowledged, Man, as a moral agent, cer- 
 tainly can comply with vice as well as virtue ; and it 
 is evident that the prefent gratification of thefenies 
 are generally the moft grateful to unthinking man, 
 who, " looking at the things that are feen," for- 
 gets his high original, and the happy deftiny that 
 awaits the righteous, indulges perverfe propen- 
 fities, till his felfilh defires gain the afcendency in 
 
 Ct2 
 
 • Mark vii, 21, 22, t Rom. iii. 10. 
 
( ii6 ) 
 
 his mind, and fettle into confirmed fmfiil habits, 
 which prevail till he lofes all feelincr of virtue, 
 and all fear of God : all fenfe of the future is thus 
 lolt in the riotous indulgence of the prefent ; he 
 plunges into the depth of v^^ickednefs, till he be- 
 comes the juft, though lamented viftim of vice 
 and of the Divine difpleafure. The mind once 
 perverted, may be rendered capable of every ex- 
 cefs, and an aflemblage of perverted minds may 
 operate like a peRilence, as fhall exceed all calcula- 
 tion, or even the pov^er of reform. This feems 
 to have been the conduct and character of cer- 
 tain bodies of men, but particularly of the 
 world before the flood; but the above account 
 evidently relates to particular circumltances and 
 characters, and cannot be admitted as the true 
 hiflory of the human heart, nor of the ufual ftate 
 of things, any more than ilorms and tempefts are 
 indicative of the ufual ftate of the atmofphere, or 
 that pain and ficknefs is the ufual ftate of man, ov 
 of fociety. * 
 
 But you give us an illuftration : " Now 
 fiiould you be told of a community of per- 
 
 * I have in other places already noticed fome of the paffages you 
 quote on this fubjefl ; but there is one on which you lay particular llrefs, 
 and which you judge a fuflicient reply to an aflertion itated in the Nar- 
 rative, viz. •♦ 'Ihat the Apoftlcs, in all thtir preaching, never tell the 
 people that they had no power to do the will of God, but uniformly ad- 
 drefs them as capable of believing and obeying God." Let any man 
 impartially and carefully read the Bouk of Aits, and he will fee that the 
 above flatement is a truth. *' Is it poflible (you exclaim) that the man 
 who can venture fnch an alTertion as ihii!, has ever read the following 
 paflage ?" '* It is God who workcth in you both to uill and to do of his 
 good pleafure." The Apollle here cxh; rts the Philippians to proftcute 
 their Chriftian calling with fincerity and diligence, •• to work out their 
 own falvation with iear and trembling," advice not eaiily reconciled to 
 tl e nocion of irrefiftible grace ; and aads, as ^n encouraging motive, as 
 yc have been delivered from your Gentile rtate by the tjolpel of God 
 and the power of miracles, therefore ye know that this is his will. •♦ It 
 is God that worketh in you ^by tbefe means) both to will and to do of 
 his good pleafure," Your argunjent is merely that of inference^ and is 
 
( 117 ) 
 
 fons who have upon them the external marks of 
 leprofy, except one or two, and that even thefe 
 had once and ao;ain exhibited proofs of difeafe, 
 would you hefitate to pronounce that they were 
 under a general and hereditary taint in their very 
 fyftem and natural conftitution ? Such is the race of 
 man."f In reply I would remark, firfl:, crranting your 
 argument, let us fuppofe that this difeafed fociety 
 Ihould be attended by the King's phyfician, and 
 had the befl: advice and the mofl: elfcdual remedy 
 prefcribed and prepared for them, and recom- 
 mended by the highefl poffible authority; and 
 fliould they, thro' fome conceit, when urged to 
 take it, reply. Though we are extremely defirous 
 to be cured, and to be delivered from our loath- 
 fome fituation, yet this medicine, however excel- 
 lent in itfelf, we cannot take ; or if we could, 
 fuch is the inveterate nature of our complaint, it 
 could not cure us unlefs eificaciouny applied by 
 the Spirit of God, (liould we hefitate to conclude 
 that thefe lepers had added lunacy to their difor- 
 der ? Secondly, fliould you be told of a commu- 
 nity of perfons who had upon many cccafions ex- 
 hibited worthy, benevolent, and generous princi- 
 
 far from proving that faith is a gift, or that iman is fo depraved that he 
 cannot believe a declafed truth, though fupported by the molt fubltantial 
 evidence, or that the bleffings of the Spirit, peculiar to Chrillians, arc 
 given to the unbelieving world, who, our Lord declares, "cannot recei\e 
 it.*' Much to the fame purpole is your argument from children. " ao 
 tempting to deceive, before they can fpeak." You may take their little 
 inftances of perverfenefs, and we will oppofe to them their innocence, 
 gentlenefs, playfulnefs, ike. and which of thefe form moit their general 
 conduit ? buc this. Sir, muft have been a dip of your pf n; tor how can 
 thefe litile membeis of Chrift, and heirs of the kingdom, be corri:pt, or 
 attempt to " dsfceive before they can ipeak," who are jiiit come out uf the 
 laver of regeneration, where they were purified irom th^; poliuiion of o: i- 
 ginal fin by the h"f ;rit of God ? 
 
 • Defence, page 751. 
 
(1.8) 
 
 pies, excepting one or two, and even thefe had 
 once and again exhibited generous fentiments, 
 lionefty, temperance, and fecial affedlions, would 
 you liefitate to pronounce that they poflTeffed na- 
 turally and inherently thefe excellent qualities of 
 mind ? Thefe remarks may fliew that your illuf- 
 tration is not fo very decifive as you may have 
 imagined. The truth is, man is naturally weak 
 and imperfect, and difplays a virtuous or vicious 
 chara(Sier generally according to the circumOances 
 into which he falls, the inllrucftion imparted to 
 him, and the nature of the purfuits in which he 
 may indulge; and to fay more than this," cometh 
 of evil." But while the Scriptures fpeak of wicked 
 men, and of their vicious conduct, they alfo fpeak 
 of many good men, and of their righteous conduft, 
 of theif uprightnefs, integrity, and purity of heart, 
 and whom the Apoflles hold up as examples for the 
 Chriftian; and Ihould we adopt your mode of rea- 
 foning, we might conclude, from fuch Scriptures, 
 that mankind are naturally upright, and this con- 
 clufion would receive additional ftrength from 
 confidering " that the human mind is fo formed, 
 that while, in certain circumftances, it Ihews itfelf 
 prone to the commiifion of evil, the fame mind, in 
 certain other circumftances, ihews itfelf prone to 
 good alfo. And why may not this fadl be admitted 
 with equal propriety as an evidence of the univer- 
 fal excellency of our natures ? Why may we not 
 expatiate upon all the good obfervable in man, and 
 pronounce him perfedl, in confequence of his ap' 
 proved moral qualities, as legitimately as you llig- 
 matize him with the character of univerfal depra- 
 vity for his bad ones ? Should we infill on this rea- 
 foning, you would then be compelled to qualify 
 
( "9) 
 
 and explain, in order to protect your hypothefis. 
 Permit us to ufe the fame liberty with the paflages 
 you have advanced, in order to prote^l human 
 nature and its Author from being moil unjuftly 
 libelled, and the contefl will be terminated ; we 
 fhall then meet as friends on the centre of the 
 plain ; we fliall mutually acknowledge that both 
 Scripture and experience unite to reprefent man- 
 kind as imperfect creatures, as a wonderful com- 
 pound of good and evil ; that in the midil of 
 much depravity great excellencies are diicernable, 
 while many infirmities adhere to the characters 
 which the Scriptures themfelves pronounce to be 
 perfedl." * 
 
 But you think your evidence from Scripture 
 fully corroborated by moral appearances, from that 
 corruption of manners which have univerfally ob- 
 tained in all nations, " that it is the duty of men 
 to love God with all their hearts, to Uve to his 
 glory, to truft in him, and to love their fellow- 
 men, and to do to others as they would have 
 others do to them. Had not man been a depraved 
 creature, had he been only as well difpofed to 
 goodnefs as to fm, it mull be allowed, that with 
 the light of God's word, and under the influence 
 of awful threatnings againfl: fm, and rich promifes 
 to the obedient, there mud always have been 
 more of real goodnefs than vice in the world; 
 example mull have been in favour of true religion 
 and holinefs; but where has been the nation in 
 Vi^hich fm, ignorance of God, and rebellion againil 
 
 * See Letters addrcflfed to Mr. Wilberforce, on Heredi«:arv Deprai'ify, 
 by a Layman, a work which 1 liave made free with more than once iu 
 this letter, and wliich 1 beg to recommend to the feriojs reads r's atten- 
 tion, where he will fee the fuhjeft fu!!y difcufTed and ftated in the mofl 
 iatiffaftory and unanfwerable manner. 
 
( i^o ) 
 
 him, have not been predominant ? In vain will you 
 feek for that nation amonjift the civihzed Heathen, 
 the limple Savages, or the highlyfavonred people 
 of God themfelves. Have the Indian or Hottentot 
 tribes any corred ideas of the moral attributes of 
 the one true God, or know any thing of the Chri- 
 ftian virtues?" * 
 
 Much of your reafoning on this fubjed fuppofes 
 that we contend for the perfection of human na- 
 ture ; but as this is not a jufl view of our argument, 
 your reafoning mail: be greatly mifapplied. That 
 the manners of all nations are and have been cor- 
 1 upt, we never diipute ; but hovv'^ does this prove 
 that men are compelled to fm, and can attend to 
 nothing that is good, in confequence of an original 
 taint derived from Adam? Men, as before ob- 
 ferved, are creatures of circumftances, of inftruc- 
 tion, and of motives. The Heathen or flmple 
 Savages, therefore, having never been taught the 
 knowledge of the true God, or the Chriflian vir- 
 tues, cannot adore the one, nor praclife the other, 
 and muft be judged both by man and their Maker 
 according to their light and circumftances. The 
 argument then confines itfelf principally to thofe 
 who " have the light of God's word." Now, as 
 thefe are generally of the orthodox number, 
 *' dearly-beloved brethren,** who believe " the pe- 
 culiar doci^rines of Chriflianity," that are fo excel- 
 knily calculated to produce the greateft moral 
 effe(its, you mult allow there is more real good- 
 nefs than vice in the Chriftian world; or, to be 
 conlillent, you muft renounce thefe your other 
 favourite pofitions. That there is *' more real 
 goodnefs than vice in the world," many have coii- 
 
 • Defence, page 80. 
 
( I2t ) 
 
 tended, and an eminent writer of the prefent day 
 exprefles himfelf in the following manner on the 
 fubjed : " Charader is the fum total of habits ; 
 but in forming an eftimate of moral worth, it is 
 an invariable principle, that one vice ftamps a cha- 
 racfler vicious, while a thoufand virtues will not 
 atone for one immoral habit. If a man be a liar, 
 or diflioneft, or intemperate, or impious, his cha- 
 racter is denominated vicious, with whatever vir- 
 tues it might othervvife be adorned." " He who 
 keepeth the whole law, and offendeth in one pointy 
 is guilty of all," and the reafon is evident : virtue 
 is that fyftem of habits which conduces to the 
 greatefl: ultimate happinefs ; vice is that which di- 
 niinifhes happinefs, or produces mifery. The 
 union, therefore, of a fingle vice with a conttella- 
 tion of virtues, will contaminate them all, will 
 prevent them from producing their proper effedt, 
 and will, in proportion as it prevails, diminilh the 
 happinefs, or produce the mifery of the agent, who 
 can never attain the true end of his exiftence till 
 this vice is eradicated ; he cannot enjoy perfedt 
 moral health till every mental diforder is radically 
 removed. Hence it follows, that there may be a 
 coufiderable preponderance of virtues even in cha- 
 racters juitly eilimated as vicious, and likewife 
 that the quantity of virtue in the world may far 
 exceed that of vice, tho' the number of virtuous 
 characters may be lefs than that of vicious ones. 
 How much more frequent is moderation than 
 grofs intemperance, and veracity than falfehood ? 
 and though perfeCt rectitude is no where to be 
 found preponderant, virtue is alraoll univerfal.* 
 
 R 
 
 • Sec Mr.BeKham's excellent Review of Mr.Wilberforcc'sTrcatife, let, IV, 
 
( 1^2 ) 
 
 No argument is wanting; to prove the truth of 
 this very able ftatement ; we need only apply 
 the matter to admit the faft : Suppofe a per- 
 fon of habitual temperance fhould unfortunately 
 be feen intoxicated in the ftreets, and al- 
 though his being in that fituation was purely 
 accidental, yet when once banded about by the 
 Demon of malevolence, perhaps the molt un- 
 deviating re6i:itude of a long life would never be 
 able to obliterate the (lain from his charader. 
 Every human weaknefs is not a crime, nor every 
 eccentricity of charader a moral evil. If corrupt 
 propenfities operate in us like any other inftinft of 
 nature, then they muft be as innocent as the in- 
 ftin6l of hunger or third, and a criminal compli- 
 ance with them alone can lead to condemnation. 
 But though it fliould be admitted as a fadt, that 
 virtue in general prevails over vice, ftill it will re- 
 main a truth, that no confideration whatever can 
 compenfate for the want of the fupreme love 
 of God in the heart, influfencing and directing the 
 condui^ ; for the paying a due reg?ird to fociety and 
 its manners, and acting with ftri^l propriety in our 
 dealings with others, is not difcharging religioufly 
 our duty to God, nor is it bearing with the greatefb 
 propriety theChriftian name, to do which, requires 
 that we fliould a£t with the Chriftian fpirit, and 
 from the pure principles of the Gofpel; fo that 
 whatever excellent qualities may adorn the mind, 
 if the love of God be abfent, the character is defi- 
 cient of its liigheit ornament, and the mind of its 
 greatefl happinefs. But, in order to bring the ar- 
 gument to a point, we will allow that all mankind 
 are corrupt, that *' there is none righteous, no not 
 one," that " all men are concluded under fin," and 
 
( 123 ) 
 
 you may affign as the caufe what you pleafe. Yet, 
 if God has addrefled man in this very charafter, 
 if " the Gofpel of the grace of God, which bring- 
 eth falvation to all men, hath appeared," if it be 
 *' worthy of all acceptation," and is fuited to his 
 condition, and adapted to his circumftances, then, 
 if this be true, though he was ten times worfe 
 than he is with all his depravity, he can, by pro- 
 per attention, beheve it, experience its renovating 
 influence, and enjoy its bleflings ; and this is all that 
 we contend for. But if man cannot, by all his 
 endeavours, either believe or enjoy its bleffings 
 without fupernatural affiffcance, then the Gofpel 
 is neither adapted to his circumitances, nor fuited 
 to his finful condition ; and how God can appear 
 either juil or good, to threaten men with eternal 
 damnation for not believing the Gofpel, when to 
 believe an^ obey is out of their power, it becomes 
 you ferioufly to confider. Can they be his beft: 
 friends who can thus induftrioufly obfcure his per- 
 fedions, by reprefenting him in fuch ungracious 
 charadlers ? You may anfvver, that God has provid- 
 ed means which man naturally has the power to 
 ufe, and in the right ufe of which God has engaged 
 to blefs him with the help of his grace, fo as to 
 enable him to believe and obey his will. But this 
 reply, however pjaufible, will not prove fatisfac- 
 tory, nor remove the objection ; for, though you 
 grant " that man, by- the fall, has not loft the ufe 
 of his faculties, however perverted and impaired, 
 but is able to weigh evidence, and to feel the force 
 of motives,* yet he has not the inclination; "that 
 through the diforder of his darkened under- 
 (landing and corrupt ftate, he does not of him- 
 
 R 2 
 
 • Defence, page 7 1 , 
 
( '24 ) 
 
 felf form fpiritiial and fuitable conceptions of the 
 excellency of God's moral chara6ler,'* nor can 
 any arguments that can be urged produce them ; 
 all motives fail ; the hope of reward, and the fear 
 of punifhment, cannot affeft him ; threatnings are 
 in vain ; for being " naturally depraved" and " born 
 in fm," " he can defire nothing that is good ;" " the 
 very thoughts of his heart are evil, the natural 
 produce of that degenerate foil ;" therefore the 
 Spirit muft work the firft motion or defire in his 
 heart to that which is good, or he can have na 
 tafte for religion, confequently can neither believe 
 nor be faved. If man, therefore, can do nothing 
 without the influence of the Spirit, and is naturally 
 fo corrupt that he cannot even defire it, and which 
 God will not otherwife impart, does not the dam-. 
 Ration .of men juftly lie on God for withholding 
 the neceffary affiflance ? and what man can feel 
 compundlion of mind, or refiefl upon himfelf for 
 not doing what he had never the power to do ? 
 Nay, is it not a cruel infult upon the helplefs con- 
 dition of man, to fuppofe him called by the concur- 
 ring voice of Prophets and Apoftles ro turn from 
 the evil of his doings unto God, if he has no power^j 
 to turn to him, but only the power to turn from '™ 
 him ? If any man fhould require of his dependants 
 impofTibilities, and enforce his requeft with the 
 dread of fevere punifhments, (hould we not juftly 
 confider him a worthlefs tyrant ? and is God more 
 unreafonable than men ? Can this then be Chri- 
 ftianity, or a juft view of the God of Love, whofe 
 benevolence extends unto all men, and who mer- 
 cifully confiders the feeblenefs of their frame ? Can 
 he doom his creatures to eternal mifery, for no 
 other caufe than that of not delivering themfelves 
 
( 125 ) 
 
 fropi the fituation in which they are placed, with* 
 out the power to adl or defire that which is gnod? 
 A notion fo pernicious, fo hortile to the happinefs 
 of men, and that fo unjuftly libels the Divine cha- 
 ra£i:er, ought to be driven into oblivion, with all 
 the indignity it fo juftly merits. 
 
 But to conceive of man as a reafonable creature, 
 who can a£t according to his reafonable powers, 
 and that God addreffes him as fuch in the Gofpel 
 of his Grace, the glad tidings of which, accompanied 
 by the moft powerful evidence and motives which 
 fecures his intereft and his happinefs, and which 
 recommends it to his befl: attention and his 
 warmefl: affedions, and lays a juft and proper 
 foundation for faith and obedience, for hope and 
 joy, and confidence in God ; being then by thefe 
 means fully able to receive that " Gofpel which is 
 the power of God to falvation to every one that 
 believeth," and " which works elFedluaily in them 
 who cordially believe all the good pleafure of 
 Qod ;" if he rejects it, and indulges in carnal vici- 
 ous purfuits, if he renounces the felicity of the 
 world to come, and the favour of God, which is 
 better than life, for the fenfual enjoyments of the 
 prefent tranfitory fcene, and thus, by giving into 
 vicious or irreligious habits, difqualifies himfelf for 
 tlie Divine prefence and the realms of light, then, 
 in his confignment to punifliment, God is righte- 
 ous, and man will own and feel his fentence juft. 
 
 But you think our principles equally liable to the 
 above objedton. ** If the world be depraved and 
 wicked, and if the impenitent " wicked are to be 
 turned into hell, with all the people that forget 
 God, " then you alk how it is confiftent with our 
 ideas of the perfc(ftions of God, that he ihould fo 
 
place us, or fufFer us to be placed, that, through 
 any frailty and weaknefs, fo great a part of man- 
 kind fliould be led away to wickednefs and the 
 ruin of fouls ? God, who forefaw what would hap- 
 pen, is furely as chargeable with that frailty and 
 infirmity in man, which is the caufe of his prevail- 
 ing fin and guilt, as he is, according to your 
 views, with iuffering you to be born under a po- 
 fitive depravity of nature." * If man, as a moral 
 agent, has the power to a£l fo as to avoid coming 
 into that fituation, fo far the juftice of God is ac- 
 quitted ; but if he has not the power fo to aft, 
 then, beyond all contradiclion, the juflice of God 
 is impeached. But you contend, " Should his juf- 
 tice be acquitted, his goodnefs will Itill be involv- 
 ed :'* To this we may reply, that fuch is the gracious 
 provifions which he has made, both of providence 
 and of grace, for the welfare and happinefs of 
 men, both here and hereafter, as fufficiently exhi- 
 bits his goodnefs, and is capable of giving compleat 
 fatisfaftion to every fober-minded man, and there 
 is no neceihty whatever of conceding " that the 
 wicked fiiall be puniihed with eternal mifery." J Be 
 fjdes, how can this notion agree with your doctrine 
 of atonement ? If God has received an infinite fat' 
 fadtion for the fins of men, all muft be laved. Sup 
 pofing fin as an infinite evil, the fin of all men can 
 be no more than infinite ; and if Chrift has paid an 
 infinite fatisfadlion, the whole debt muft be dif- 
 charged ; infinite merit muft ftand againft injinite de- 
 merit ; the payment fully anlA^vers tiie demand. If 
 this be true, iiow can either the jufiice or goodnefs 
 of God be acquitted, if your notion of punilhment 
 be juft ? But that men, for the crimes of a fhort 
 
 • Defence, page 85. ^ Defence, page 73. 
 
 •e- 
 
 le % 
 
 ?i 
 
( 127 ) 
 
 life, which is but as a moment compared to eter- 
 nity, fhali be tormented throughout eternal ages, 
 even while God exifts, is a thought fo dreadful 
 and fo inconfiflent with infinite goodnefs, as to re- 
 quire (Ironger evidence to fupport it than ever yet 
 has been given. The idea is founded upon fome 
 obfcure figurative paflages of Scripture, and is by 
 no means proved to be the fenfe of them. Lan- 
 guage equally flrong has been applied to things 
 which have ceafed and come to an end, and it ap- 
 appears that much flronger arguments can be 
 urged from the Scriptures for the do6trine of de- 
 ftru6tion or annihilation of the wicked, that they 
 fhall be confumed as chaff or as ilubble, that 
 iliall be burnt up, &c. * And fo varied and meta- 
 phorical is the language of Scripture on this fub- 
 jed:, that an ingenious mind may apply it with 
 plaufibility to any of the three fides of the queftion. 
 I own, that after duly confidering all that can be 
 faid on the fubjefl, by the different writers who 
 have contended for mifery, for deftruction, and for 
 the rertoration of all things, it appears to me that 
 the Scriptures have not explained it. The fub- 
 flance of what they clearly teach on the fubjecl is, 
 that the wicked will be feverely puniihed, but 
 that what fhall be its precife nature or duration, is 
 hidden from mortal view ; and as the notion of 
 endlefs mifery cannot be reconciled to any known 
 principle of jullice which requires that the pu- 
 nifhment Ihould bear fome proportion to the 
 crime, and though, from the very conllitutlon of 
 things, it is evident that fin and vice invariably 
 
 * The reader may fee this fuhjedl handled in the mofl maflerly and ar- 
 gumentative manner in Marfom's Dodrine of Future Puniihinent Coafi- 
 dered, &c. 
 
{ 1=8 ) 
 
 lead to misery, yet it appears the liioii worthy of 
 God to conceive that, under the Divine govern- 
 ment, all evil will finally iffue in j^eneral good ; 
 that tjie intermediate ftate of fufferincr and dif- 
 cipline, however I'evere, will terminate ultimately 
 in the holinefs and happinefs of all his rational 
 creatures. This fentiment, however pleafing, I 
 \\n{h to exprefs with becoming diffidence, though 
 it appears to me to be mofl: reafonable in itfelf. A 
 good God, in creating intelligent beings, could in- 
 tend nothing but to difplay his glory and perfec- 
 tions in their happinefs; and, though more natural 
 and moral evil has bten permitted to intervene 
 (no doubt for the wifeft and bell: of purpofes) than 
 we could antecedently have expedlcd, yet we may 
 reft iatisfied, that an infinite wife Being will ufe 
 the beft means to accomplifli the beft ends. All 
 his difpenfations to the world manifeft his concern 
 and folicitude for its happinefs, the natural ten- 
 dency of which is to fecure that benevolent ob- 
 ject. In a future ftate, which may redify the in- 
 equalities, defeds, and evils of the prefent, the 
 Divine perfe6lions and economy will, no doubt, 
 appear infinitely gracious, wife, and juft, and fur- 
 rifli a fubjedt of admiration, of unceafing grati- 
 tude, and the moft exalted praife. 
 
 A remark or two on your mode of treating ob- 
 je£lions ftiall clofe the fubje^l of this letter. 1 have 
 Itated in the Narrative, that our Lord fpoke highly 
 of fome characters, and alk, " if their merit con- 
 fifted in tlicir virtuous adherence to the fervice of 
 God voluntary, from choice^ or was it the dilcri- 
 mniating influence of the Spirit on their minds? 
 If the latter, rhey had no more merit, and were 
 no more the fuUjccts of praife, than thofe he con- 
 
( 129 ) 
 
 demned, fiiice that fame fupernatural influence 
 that made fbme good, could equally have made all 
 fo ; for the difference in that cafe lay not in them, 
 but in the " work of the Spirit." What is your 
 anfvver? " If this be a jull and fcriptural ftate- 
 ment, then we fliall read that a man is faved by 
 his own goodnefs, that by his own powers and ef- 
 forts he is what he is ;" " without any fpiritual in- 
 fluence or help from heaven, he is indebted ulti- 
 mately to himfelf and to his own merit for eternal 
 life." * 
 
 T.'his language is fo contrary to truth, and to 
 every thing that we have faid upon the fubjeft, 
 that it hardly deferves to be treated ferioufly, and 
 is a fl:r iking inflance of the power of prejudice 
 on minds otherwife fenfible and well difpofed. That 
 men, feparate from the Gofpel, cannot, by all 
 their efforts, pardon their fins, raife themfelves 
 from death, or procure themfelves happinefs with 
 God, is felf-evident ; and that a Divine revelation 
 and influence is neceffary to enable man to partake 
 of thefc bleffrngs, has ever been the bafis of our 
 reafoning, and that fuch an influence is afforded us 
 in that grand diiplay of miraculous powers and 
 celeflial agency which recommended the Gofpel 
 from the firft to the attention of men ; and 
 the Gofpel itfelf contains a Divine influence, that 
 is not only " able to make us wile unto falvation," 
 but alfb to prepare us " to every good word and 
 work," and " to live to the praiie and glory of 
 God ;" and to God alone, through the means he 
 has appointed, it is that every fenfible Chriflian 
 gratefully afcribes his falvation ; the mercy of 
 
 S 
 
 * Defence, page 89. 
 
( 13° ) 
 
 God in Chrifl: Jefus is his refuse and hope of re- 
 joicinp:, and not to his own unallifled goodnefs, a 
 thought too extravagant ever to have met his at- 
 tention. This unfounded argument, then, can 
 only be urged to get rid of an unanfwerable dif- 
 ficulty. But, whatever pretenfions the advocate 
 for internal applications and impulfive impreffions 
 may make to fuperior influence and the Divine fa- 
 vour, he is the moft fafe and fcriptural Chriftian 
 who manifefts his love to God by keeping his 
 commandments, and he brings the moft honour to 
 his name who trufts his Divine veracity, repofing 
 with humble confidence in his manifefted good- 
 nefs and love, without engaging in any vifionary 
 purfuits, for fome imaginary token of his goodnefs 
 and truth. 
 
 Again : " If men have made difcoveries in ab- 
 Itrufe fciences, and can explain other great things 
 in nature, they furely cannot be under fuch a na- 
 tural debility as not to be able to underlland and 
 believe a plain, fimple, vvell-attefted fad revealed 
 from heaven." 
 
 This argument I urged in the Narrative in 
 oppofition to the notion that man's undeiftand- 
 ing, by the fail, is io darkened and difordered, 
 that he cannot perceive aright a plain declared 
 truth, without the affiUance of the Spirit. You 
 begin your reply, firft, by reminding y(>ur reader 
 that " faith is iomething effentiajly different from 
 believing the Golpel, thoiigh including that." 
 This notion of faith is, J truR, already proved 
 ei roneous in letter fifth ; and you urge, as an iliui- 
 tration, that " the Devils beiieve and trt mble ;** 
 and the inference is, that as they are no better 
 for believing, fo neither are we. 1 would obferve 
 
( '?t ) 
 
 here, that if the Devils had falvation propofed to 
 them on the condition of their beiievino; it they 
 would by behevino; be faved : but the Gofpel is 
 not preached to them; it is no a6l of grace to 
 them ; therefore they are not faved by beheving; 
 it. This argument, then, is eafily difpofed of, 
 and the reil of your reafoning on this matter is 
 equally futile ; for you, fecondly, confound your 
 opponent by evadinj]^ his argument. You contend 
 not fimply againft " man's natural inability to un- 
 derftand the GofJDel," which is the arg;ument in 
 quelbon, but that " man wants the difpofition 
 meekly to receive it.*' Now, every perfon muft 
 fee that this is not the objection above itated ; and 
 as you do not fpeak to it, your reafoning is en- 
 tirely irrelevant declamation, and though it may 
 iiupofe on the ignorant and unwary, cannot be 
 miftaken by the lenfible reader of your book and 
 mine. 
 
 I have already (hewn how man can have the 
 requifite difpofition generated in him, on rational 
 grounds, in the Narrative, page 6i, 62, 6^, and in 
 other places, by fuch arguments as you have not 
 thought proper to notice ; and though it is true 
 " that the poor are not fo well qualified to weigh 
 evidence as the man of rcadmg and refearch," yet 
 the poor have this advantage, that in general they 
 are not fo fceptical ; and if a man inquires at all, 
 he muft build on reafon and evidence ; and in- 
 deed, notwithftanding all that is faid to the con- 
 trary, this is the general pradice of men ; if man 
 acls in any thing with propriety, it is from the 
 conviction tliat it is reaionable and proper. You 
 yourfelf act by the fame rule : you oppofe my 
 
 S 2 
 
( 13- ) 
 
 views, becaufe you think tliein not only unfcrip- 
 tufal, but unreafonable, and you fupport your own 
 views for an oppofite i eafon. In (ubmitting your 
 book to the public, you requeft them to judge if 
 there is not more evidence on your fide than 
 on mine; fo that, in fpite of yourfelf, you at laft 
 build on reafon and evidence, and, ftrange as it 
 may appear, it is yet true, that you eftabliih the 
 argument that you intend to oppofe ; for you 
 here grant, that " the Gofpel is amply explained 
 in effential things, and fo plainly made known, 
 that nothing is wanting but a difpofition meekly 
 to receive it." * And this is juft what the argu- 
 ment you oppofe contends for. This is a curious 
 paragraph in other refpefts. In page y^ you 
 attempt to prove hereditary corruption true, by 
 t;he inilance of children, that they are fo depraved 
 that " they will attempt to deceive before they can 
 fpeak ;*' and here, in the words of our Lord, you re- 
 commend them as an example of humility, fimpli- 
 city,and teachablenefs,and affure us that it is necef- 
 fary to imitate them, in order to enjoy the Gofpel 
 and the Divine favour ; which is certainly excel- 
 lent advice and very true ; but, then, it confounds 
 your former argument. Again : You afk, " Did 
 not our Lord fix upon this as the peci^har glory 
 of his character and miflion, that to the Poor the 
 Gofpel is preached ?" And I may add, that in its 
 beft days the poor and the unlearned were its 
 beft friends and ableft minifters. But in the be- 
 ginning of this very argument, you appear to 
 ridicule the idea and condu6l that a plain, illiterate 
 perfon Ihould prefume to reafon on religion, and 
 are even tempted to iufpe£t that fome Philofopher 
 
 • Defence, page 93. 
 
( 133 ) 
 
 has made the experiment for him. But when we 
 confider how prejudice can bewilder the mind, 
 and alfo the little pains that is taken to underftand 
 do6lrines and reafoning tliat are attempted to be 
 refuted, together with the unmanageable nature 
 of the fyftem that mull: be defended, how can we 
 wonder at the glaring inconfiftencies that every- 
 where appear? 
 
 Your's, &c. 
 
( 134 ) 
 
 LETTER Vil. 
 
 Reverend Sir, 
 
 HAVING faithfully attended you through 
 your Defence of Church Doclrines, adopt- 
 ing your method, and following your order, I 
 ftiall not think, after travelling fo far together, of 
 rudely deferting you in the laft ftage of our jour- 
 ney, though you may neither thank me for my 
 courtefy, nor yet be much entertained with my 
 company. Your laft letter is compofed of mif- 
 cellaneous matters, but whicii you principally re- 
 duce to the three following heads : — ift, '* On the 
 reafons affigned for feparating from the Effabliflicd 
 Church ; 2d, On the qualifications neceffary for 
 the proper inveffigation of religious truth ; 3d, On 
 our prelent fylfem, when contrafted witii that 
 M hich we have left." Thefe fhall be all fpoken to 
 in their order : — iff, You introduce the fubjett by 
 fome very illiberal remarks ; but as they ferve to 
 fliew your zeal, and do not affedt me, 1 fliall pafs 
 on, and obferve, that it was not my intention, in 
 writing the Narrative, as I then exprefled, fully to 
 dilculs the queftion of Diflent, but merely to give a 
 
( 135 ) 
 
 few general reafons for that meafure ; and whe- 
 ther we had then fufficient reafons or not (of 
 which, however, we muli be the judges) to jnftify 
 our conduct, our fyftems, being now fo completely 
 oppofite, there can be no doubt of the propriety 
 of the meafure at prefent. The leading princi- 
 ples and foundation of all juft diflent are, the right 
 of private judgment, and that the Holy Scriptures 
 are the only rule of faith and praSiice for Chri/iians ; 
 that every man ought to examine for himfelf, and 
 have the full liberty of confcientioufly ailing ac- 
 cording to the honeft convi6lion of his own mind 
 in all his concerns between himfelf and his Maker. 
 On thefe principles your own Church adled when 
 fhe diflented from the Church of Rome. Thefe 
 arguments (he urged with irrefiftible power ; but, 
 to her diihonour be it fpoken, fhe no fooner re- 
 covered the enjoyment of thefe invaluable rights, 
 and found herfelf polfeffed of power, than flie, as 
 ungeneroufly as unjuftly, denied to others thofe 
 rights (he herfelf had been ftruggling for, and 
 ufurped the fame unhallowed authority over the 
 confclences of men that fhe {o loudly deprecated 
 and expofed in the other. Thefe privileoes, the 
 free exercife of the inalienable rights of judgment 
 and of confcience, you deny us by your Creeds 
 and Articles of human compofition, which, whe- 
 ther right or wrong, true or falfe, without inquiry 
 we muft believe, or, " without doubt, perifh 
 everlaftingly," Might I not here afk, Who gave 
 you or others the right to make Creeds for me, 
 and to bind my confcience ?-'i4as God gracioufly 
 revealed his will unto men? Tho* in our circum- 
 (lances many difhcuities unavoidably may attend the 
 inveftigation, yet is it " amply explained in effeatial 
 
( «3<i ) 
 
 matters ; is it a plain direction for all men, and 
 fitted to their common underftandings. Wliat a 
 prefumption then for any one to officioufly come 
 between me and my Maker, and fay, God defign- 
 ed not his revelation for you ; he has not fpoken to 
 your imderilanding, but to mine, and I mull: be to 
 you the interpreter of his will, and you mull be- 
 lieve my explanation of it, or be damned ! Were I 
 to admit the bold afilimption, and receive my faith 
 delivered in this mandatory way, from another, the 
 Scriptures would be as nothing to me, and my re- 
 ligion could not be pleafmg to God. Where fliall 
 I find the important truth, that God will require 
 an account of my faith and religious conduct of 
 another and not of me ? or, if the State provides 
 me with religion, where can I read that the State 
 will anfwer for me at the bar of Chrift ? If this 
 can never be true, nor can ever be done, but that 
 I muft give an account for myfelf, and by my own 
 conduct (land or fall, what is fo proper as that I 
 fhould read for myfelf, and with fuch helps as I 
 can get, exercife my own underilanding and judg- 
 ment, and, ufmg my bed: care and fmcereft endea- 
 vours, decide and a6l for myfelf? I cannot judge 
 for you, neither can you judge for me : I cannot 
 woifhip by your creed any more than you can 
 woribip by mine: to our own Mafter we muft 
 fland or fall, and to him alone, as King of the 
 Chriftians and the only Law-giver to his Church, 
 are we accountable for the ufe of the powers and 
 means afforded us, and hardv is the man who will 
 maintain the cout^.y. Inftcad of fuch daring 
 conduct proving his iiumility or meeknefs, it can 
 only prove his weaknefs or prefumption. We 
 fliouid acl far more like Chriftians to wait the 
 
(^37) 
 
 judgment of that day which fliall try every man's 
 work, and in the mean-time exercife the virtues 
 of charity and forbearance ; and though we are at 
 liberty to ufe all fair means of converting or en- 
 Jij2;htning our more ignorant and miftaken fellows, 
 yet the weapons of fuch a warfare are not carnal ; 
 we are allowed the ufe of no other than thofe of 
 reafon, of argument, and of truth. The Conflitu- 
 lion and Laws of your Church are extremely 
 objectionable in many refpeCls ; (he claims the 
 power of deciding in all matters of faith, fo that 
 a man's own mind is little concerned in afcertain- 
 ing the fenfe of Scripture ; he muft take her deci- 
 fion, or incur her refentment : alfo the power of 
 decreeing rites and ceremonies. Now, if (he has 
 the power of decreeing one rite, (he may equally 
 decree a thoufand, and impofe what (lie pleafes* 
 But how does this agree with Chriit being the 
 only Law-giver to his Church ? And what can be 
 faid to the oppreffive bufmefs of fubicription to 
 the Articles and Canons, that hot-bed of Clerical 
 perjury, by which men are compelled to fwear 
 that they are moved by the Holy Ghoft to the 
 work of the miniftry, and that they, bona Jide^ be- 
 lieve all the Dodrines of the 39 Articles of the 
 Church, when it is a notorious fact, that they are 
 defigned, by their parents or friends, for the 
 Church chiefly with a view of providing them 
 witii a genteel maintenance and fituation in life, 
 the fame as the putting of them to any other li- 
 beral profefficn, and are often found many of them 
 utterly deditute of every quaiificaticMi requifite for 
 the character they fuitain? and is it not evident tiiat 
 they do not, in general, beUeve one half of her doc- 
 
 T 
 
( 138) 
 
 trines, but differ nearly as much amongft them- 
 felves as the Diffenters do ? A bufmefs this, which 
 even the worthiefl: characters amongft them can- 
 not think of but with anxiety and regret ; for 
 very few indeed can cordially believe all her Ar- 
 ticles and Tenets to be truth. This law of bon- 
 dage is extremely pernicious in other refpefts; for 
 whatever may be wrong or defe«St:ive, it hinders 
 greatly all examination and improvement ; every 
 honell man knows before-hand that he cannot 
 change any of his fentiments, without either 
 wounding his confcience, or giving up his means 
 of fupport ; and fhould he even venture to think, 
 and thinking fliould lead him to change fome of 
 his opinions, what unworthy expedients muft he 
 not ufe to keep his fituation ? he muft have re- 
 courfe to artifices far beneath the honeft feeUngs 
 of an honeft mind, though perhaps the fault is 
 more in the inftitution than in the man, who too 
 often facrifices both principle and peace to his in- 
 tereft and character. *» That the admiffion of 
 men into the facred office refembles a trade, where 
 the cure of fouls are bartered and bargained for 
 at the expence of the better principles of inte- 
 grity and virtue, even while affuming the moii 
 holy character, attended too with many inftanccs 
 of immoral profligacy of manners, and that fuch 
 unworthy characters officiating in holy things muft 
 be extremely difgufting to the well-difpofed mind," 
 you admit is, to " a certain degree, well founded," 
 and aflv, " What had you to do with it ? Did the 
 fin lie at your door, or was the purity of the fcr- 
 vice thereby impaired? Can a religious eftablilh- 
 ment be devifed in which the immorality of a 
 Minifter could do lefs injury, &c. ? The fame 
 
( 139 ) 
 
 reafon would compel you to diflbciate yourfelf 
 from every religious community upon earth."* 
 Is it poflible, Sir, that you can be fo ignorant as 
 this reafonin^ reprefents you ? Is it nothing to a 
 ferious Chriftian whether his Minifter be vicious 
 or virtuous? And does not almofl: every Diflenting 
 Eftablifhment in the country deny the truth of 
 your itatement ? When any of their Minifters 
 prove incompetent or immoral, they immediately, 
 with a fpirit truly Chriftian, and becoming com- 
 mon decency, difcard him. When do you hear of, 
 or fee a profligate Minifter among the Diffenters ? 
 a thing common enough in the Church. And 
 though your people may wifh to do the fame in 
 fimilar cafes, yet they have not the power ; and 
 whether ** the fpirituality of the Liturgy be pre- 
 ferved" or not, the profligate condudt of its Mini- 
 fters produce the worft pofTible effedls. Example 
 is much ftronger than precept. When men, who a6b 
 in the moft folemn fervices of Religion, can openly 
 play the hypocrite, and in their manners pradir 
 cally deny its influence, if not its truth, they are 
 its worft enemies, and the common language of 
 people refpedliug them abundantly juftifies thefe 
 remarks. 
 
 Again ; You enter into a defence of the Burial 
 Service, and though you make as good an apology 
 for it as it can admit of, yet the ground itfelf is 
 perfedlly untenable. That the moft vile and li- 
 centious charadters, Atheifts or Deifts, dying in the 
 depths of wickednefs, Ihould be confidered '- dearly 
 beloved brethren," and be " committed to the 
 duft in fure and certain hope of a glorious refur° 
 
 T2 
 
 • Defence, page 98, 9S|. 
 
( Uo ) 
 
 region,'* is fiirely what never can be reconciled to 
 any principle of religion, and miifl: have a very 
 unfavourable efFed upon ignorant minds. Befide?, 
 how can this and the fervice of infant baptifm, wliich 
 indifcriminately makes all children of God lieirs of 
 the Kingdom, &c. agree with theDo(Slrine of Pre- 
 deflination before noticed ? Can the ufe of thefe 
 mere ceremonies increafe the number of the eleift? 
 or can the eternal decrees of God depend on the 
 will of man ? If not, then thefe ferviccs are cer- 
 tainly trifling and delufive, otherwife the do6lrine 
 jull: alluded to muft be falfe. For, if all are made 
 Chriftians by Baptifm, and all are confidered Chri* 
 ftians when buried, then Predeftination cannot be 
 true, and you muft, in order to be confiftent, give 
 up one of them. " Thefe, you fay, are the two 
 ilimfy reafons fet up for feparating from the 
 Church," &c. * But, with your leave, 1 will add 
 a third and a fourth reafon, which you have flip- 
 ped over in filence: — ift, " Another confidera- 
 tion, that tended greatly to leffen our attachment 
 to the Eftablilhed Church, was, that in her ample 
 inclofure ail are confidered as Chriftians, indepen- 
 dent of their principles and conducl, thus making 
 a certain form of Church Government and extent 
 of territory the coiiftiiuent parts of Cbriftianity, 
 inRead of the beliet and practice of the Gofpei." — - 
 Again: 2d. " The Dc 6lrines of the Church ap- 
 peared to us to be Calviniflic, a fcheme to which 
 v/e were at that time rathtr inclined ; but the idea 
 of Ellal.iiflied Chui ches confidernig all the inhabi- 
 tants of the countries under their government as 
 Chr iitians mtiifct iminately, appeared to us contrary 
 to the genius and Ipirii of Calvmifm ; for in that 
 
 • Uefencei page 8j>. 
 
( «4i ) 
 
 cafe, inftead of the eleifl number or chofen few, 
 we fhould fee eleft nations, without any regard to 
 moral appearances ; an idea, than which nothing 
 is more contradiclory to the Calviniftic fcheme." * 
 Permit me here to afk by what authority Chrifti- 
 anity is converted into a geop^raphical term, or 
 why its ferious .profeflion is made to depend on 
 the accident of place or birth, rather than on vir- 
 tue, faith, and knowledge? Is he really a Chriftian 
 who is one outwardly, whofe heart and condud: 
 never felt the power of religion ? Or is not the 
 faith and practice of the Gofpel that alone which 
 conftitutes a man a real Chriltian ? If fo, what can 
 you fay to the above objections ? Are they not evi- 
 dently on this principle unanfwerable ? and was it 
 not your confcious inability to oppofe them with 
 any thing like argument or truth, that made them 
 be paffed over in filence ? Let the reader then take 
 this part of your book as a fpecimen of your can- 
 dour, and he will fee that you were determined, 
 at all events, to defend Church Dodrines, however 
 indefencibfc in themfelves. 
 
 3d. You next attempt to " afcertain what are 
 the qualifications necefl'ary for the proper invefli- 
 gation of religious truth, and obferve, that real 
 Chriftianity is not like a fcience or fecret in na- 
 ture, the reward of laborious inquiry, the deduc- 
 tion of reafoniiig, or the refult of experiment, but 
 is a fyifem of truths revealed to us from heaven, 
 and at once complete, intelligible, and beyond the 
 power of man to improve." You add, " the Scrip- 
 tures, in calling us to become wife unto falvation, 
 infift not fo much upon the power of intelled: as 
 ppon a certain difpofition of heart, a diffident 
 
 • Narrative, page jo, 11. 
 
( U2 ) 
 
 teachable fpirit, a fpirit of humility," &c.* All this 
 I fully concede, and am only forry that the reft of 
 your creed is fo inconfiftent with what is here fo 
 well exprefled. When truth has been obfcured 
 by innovation, and made nearly of no effect by the 
 traditions of men, the pofleffion of it is then the 
 noble reward of laborious inquiry, and by ferious 
 inquiry alone can it be enjoyed. But is the Athe- 
 nafian Creed no pretended improvement upon 
 Chrirtianity ? If not, why not leave people to ga- 
 ther their faith on this fubje£t from the Scriptures 
 themfelves ? But where is there any thin^ like it 
 in the miniftry of our Lord or his Apoftles, and 
 is this Creed at once complete and intelligible ? 
 No, you confefs " that you have no diftind idea 
 upon the fubje6l ;" f yet you ftatedly and religioufly 
 doom all to perdition who do not believe it, and 
 then plead for humility ! A compilation this at 
 once lb abfurd and unfcriptural, Uiat it is a dif- 
 grace to Chriftianity, the fource of much infidelity, 
 and which even the moderate and enlightened 
 Clergymen of your own Church are alhamed of. J 
 You quote feveral paffages to prove " that humi- 
 lity is infifted upon in the word of God," to whofe 
 authority I moft fubmiffively bow. But you alk, 
 " How do thefe texts apply to your fpirit and fen- 
 timents ? Is there in your procefs, or in your pul> 
 lication, any proof, any fymptom of humility ? a 
 queftion this which mult be left to the judgment 
 of the reader. On the contrary, you fay it is the 
 
 • Defence, page 103. f Defence, page \6, 
 
 t Aroongft the many liberal writers of this clafs, not one of the leaft 
 is the prefept Hifhop of Lincoln. In an elementary work lately publilh- 
 cd, his Lordlhip Hiles it " prefumpiion" for any man to enforce the 
 damnatory claules of th^s obnoxious Creed. 
 
( t4S ) 
 
 Very genius and charafleriftic of your principles, 
 that they proclaim aloud the fufficiency of man, and 
 lead him to boafl: and be confident,"* This fen- 
 tence much wants explanation. If you mean the 
 fufficiency of man independent of revelation, that 
 he boafts with confidence in his own power to fave 
 himfelf without the Gofpel, as fome of the hum- 
 ble writers on your fide would infinuate, nothing 
 can be more falfe or injurious, and you muft adopt 
 a more candid Ililc before we can have an exceffive- 
 ly high opinion of your meeknefs. But if you mean 
 the " fufficiency of man" to underftand the Scrip- 
 tures, or to receive the mercy of God, and to be 
 confident of the truth of what is there proclaimed, 
 it is granted. 1'his charaderilHc of our principles 
 we rejoice in, and who can prove them unfcrip- 
 tural or untrue ? Again ; You afk " if it be a mark 
 of humility that a few illiterate men fhould reje£b 
 doctrines which have been held as true by many 
 of the molt cautious, wife, and excellent men that 
 ever lived," and " that, after every change we 
 have made in religion, we are now more confi- 
 dent "f* we are right than ever ;" and " is it a 
 mark of humility, that we engrofs to our opinions 
 the exclufwe title of rational truth,'* &c. ? J I 
 
 • Defence, page 104. 
 
 t You here find fault with us for fpeaking with confidence, or as if 
 our creed were fixed ; and in page 23 with Dr. Prieftley, for faying he 
 does not know when his will be fixed. You cannot have the advantage 
 of the argument both ways; if he, in this inftance, be wrong, we are 
 rights and vifc verfa : and though this great man has incurred much 
 odium from Gentlemen of your feniiments, yet his laborious refearches 
 tfter truth, and his fearlefs avowal of it when he thought he had found 
 it, will hand down his name and numerous productions to a grateful 
 |>oflerity, when moft probably both your's and mine '.vill be forgotten. 
 
 \ Defence, pa^e 105. 
 
( M4 ) 
 
 would afk, Did not the unlearned, as well as others, 
 at the Reformation, rejeifl doftrines that had been 
 held as true for many centuries by the mod cau- 
 tious, wife, and excellent men in the Roman 
 Church, and did ever any Proteftant think it was 
 owing to prefumption or want of humility ? If, as 
 we fhall be accountable for ourfelves, we choofe 
 to think for ourfelves, and will not pin our faith 
 upon the fleeves of any men, however wife and 
 excellent, but honeftly follow the conviftions of 
 our own minds, though this conduct ihould lead 
 us to differ from you, is this " a want of humi- 
 lity ?'* Suppofe a Catholic Ihould urge the fame 
 argument againfl: you for rejefting his ancient 
 Church, together with many of her doiStrines, 
 would you admit his reafoning ? Or fuppofe we 
 reverfe the argument, and fay, that becaufe you 
 differ from us you have " no humility;" do you 
 feel its force ? or does it prove that we have more 
 humility than you ? No : genuine humility is 
 afbamed of the whole argument. I cannot but. 
 here obierve how very differently the fame ob- 
 ject flrikes different minds : our changing our 
 lentimeuts, in your view appears " a want of hu- 
 mility ;" to another perfon it appears a fure mark 
 of an honeft and ingenuous mind, that, as foon 
 as convinced of being wrong, is not afhamed 
 of ownhig it, by following what is right. And 
 iurely if any perfons are allowed to call their 
 principles rational truth, it is thole who have tried 
 all things, ar.d now hold fall: to that which is good. 
 And why Hiould this offend you? Might you not 
 with the fame propriety be charged with a wane 
 of humility for engroffing to your opinions the 
 exclufive title of Orthodox ? and fuch reafoning i% 
 as conclufive in the one cafe as in the other. 
 
( 145) 
 
 *' It is time, you exclaim, that the province of 
 i^afon were defined." * I thought from readina; 
 this paflage that you was going to define it, and 
 to give us fome common principle by which we 
 fliouid underftand the Scriptures. No fuch thing: 
 We are only to ufe our reafon on the evidence of 
 revelation for afcertaining its truth, and " then we 
 are to receive by faith, unrefervedly, all things 
 that are revealed." But the queftion is, What are 
 the things revealed? for this defines nothing; all 
 fefts of Chriftians will fubfcribe to this llatement. 
 Indeed, nothing is more felfevident, than that if 
 the Divine Being, who made and governs the uni- 
 verfe, has condefcended to reveal his will to his 
 rational creatures, they ought with becoming gra- 
 titude, and in the mofl humble and affectionate 
 manner, to receive it as an eminent difplay of his 
 love and regard, an indilputable mark of his good- 
 will and concern for their happinefs. This being 
 admitted, the queftion returns, What are we " un- 
 refervedly to believe ?" The tenets of the Church 
 of Rome, that have ftood for fo many centuries, 
 fupported by wife and excellent men ? No. Thofe 
 of the Arians or of the Socinians? No. The pe- 
 culiar views of the different DiiT^nters or Metho- 
 difts ? No. What then? We muft" unrefervedly," 
 to fpeak out, beHeve the Articles of the Church 
 of England. But thefe were compofed by fallible 
 men, and which even half of her own Minifters 
 do not believe ! No matter for that, this is the 
 orthodox faith, and he that does not believe it is 
 a Heretic, Schiimatic, &c. Was ever a more vague 
 arud fuperficial definition of reafon than this given 
 
 • Defence^ page 105. 
 
( 146 ) 
 
 by any writer upon the fubje^l? But you allow 
 tbat it is lawful for reafon to examine the evi- 
 dences for the divine origin of the Scriptures. 
 Now, allowing that this has been done, and that 
 they are proved authentic, muft not reafon exa- 
 mine alfo what are the doftrines of the Scriptures? 
 For fince do6lrines, as above hinted, the moft ex- 
 travagant, fentiments the moft diametrically op- 
 pofite to each ether put in their claim ; we cannot 
 admit them all ; and as you allow that much falfe 
 religion has prevailed, it imports you to fhew how 
 we can dilHnguifh the true from the falfe, without 
 exercifmg our reafon. Does it not ftrike you 
 as fomething ftrange and contradi6lory, that we 
 ihould be allowed to ufe our reafon in order to 
 afcertain the truth of the Divine Records, and 
 when this is done to our fatisfaction, that then we 
 flaould no longer be allowed to ufe that very rea- 
 fon which fo fafely and wifely conducted us hither ? 
 But as we attend to the fenfe of Scriptures, and 
 ufe our own reafon upon them, then, upon your 
 own principles, reafon is our guide in attending 
 upon religion. What then can be your motive 
 for defcrying it, when it is of fuch infinite fervice 
 in'faving us from the haralling bondage of error, 
 and from the weak and fuperftitious vagaries of 
 heated fanatical minds, and by which we are en- 
 abled to enjoy the glorious doctrines of revelation 
 to appreciate their value and excellence, and which 
 enables us to worlliip God with underllanding, 
 with becoming fincerity and truth ; and as we do not 
 make reafon religion, but only its friend and affif- 
 tant, does it not appear that your fyftem cannot 
 bear its power, but is a plant of a foreign foil, of 
 too fickly a growth and flender texture ever to 
 
( 147 ) 
 
 thrive under its piercing rays ? For, in any cafe, 
 when you think reafon on your fide, then you are 
 eaorer to appeal to it, and warmly urge the reafon- 
 ablenefs of the matter. It is only when reafon 
 makes againft you that you want to ftifle its voice, 
 and. to difcredit its tedimony; and though with 
 this view you alTert, again and again, that " rea- 
 fon in our fyiiem exalts itfelf into the throne of 
 God, and fits as judge what he ought to reveal, and 
 what he ought not;" * yet we are juft as ready to 
 deny as you are to affirm. Our underftandings 
 decide with unerring certainty, that the God of 
 Nature and of Reafon can alone be the God of 
 Revelation and of <jrace ; and it w^ili ever be dif- 
 ficult to admit any thing as revealed from God 
 that is inconfiflent with his acknowledged perfec- 
 tions, and contradi6tory to the reafon of man. I 
 never hefitate to acknowledge that 
 
 " On argument alone my faith is built"—— and that 
 
 Fond as we are, and juftfy fond of Faith, 
 
 Reafon, we grant, demands our firft regard; 
 
 The mother honour'd, as the daughter dear ; 
 
 Reafon the root, fair Faith is but the flower : 
 
 The fading flower fhall die ; but Reafon lives 
 
 Immortal, as her Father in the Qiies. Young. 
 
 That there are difficulties in every fyftem to 
 our very limitted capacities, is certain, and fuch 
 moft probably as will require another ftate far 
 more perfedl than the prefent to explain, and to 
 enable us fully to fee that all the ways of God are 
 equal, v^ife, and juft. Feeling, as I do, the force 
 of this, I fhould be forry to oppofe any dodrine 
 if it appeared to be revealed, merely becaufe it 
 was difficult to comprehend in all its parts. 
 
 U 2 
 
 • Defence, page io6. 
 
( «48 ) 
 
 When we confider that the Gofpel was preach^ 
 cd and adapted to the Poor, and alfo I heir low 
 conceptions and flender capacities, we may well 
 fuppofe that the terms of falvation cominjr from 
 God, who confiders the feeblentTs of their frame, 
 would be as plain, fimple, and comprchenfihle, as 
 they are important in their nam re. But will you 
 contend that a man can eafily believe any thing 
 whereof he has no underftanduio; ? Or w ill you 
 contend that to believe the Athanafian Creed, 
 your term of falvation, and alfo your myOeriousL 
 definition of faving faith, are cafy terms of falva- 
 tion, adapted to the capacities of the Poor ; terms, 
 which even thofe of humble minds and cultivated 
 powers are unable to explain, and which " a plain 
 illiterate man" cannot reafon upon without incur- 
 ring the heavy charge of being " a felf-fufficient 
 vaunting reafoner ?" You *' confefs, that if we had 
 fet out from Socinianifm, and continued our pro- 
 grefs till we found curfelves amongft the humble 
 adorers of a crucified Saviour, you would have 
 been utterly at a lofs how to account for the pro- 
 digy."* Upon Scriptural Principles you certainly 
 would ; for, according to them, Chrill is not the 
 obje£l of worftiip or adoration. But, as I would 
 do any thing to ferve you, I will tell you how you 
 might folve the difficulty by juft hinting at the 
 work of the Spirit, or it may be by confidering us 
 of the ele6l number, who, you know, what- 
 ever they have been before, are lure, by one 
 means or other, to be brouoht in. But as w^e 
 liave ventuied to fwerve from the old path of 
 eftabliftied Creeds, to found our faith on the Scrip- 
 tures inftead of the traditions of Holy Church, 
 
 • Defence, page \oi. 
 
( 149 ) 
 
 you inform us, that " wc fhall not do full juflice 
 to our talents and principles till we difcard the 
 light of Revelation altoo;ether."* Men of fenfe 
 can never be rallied out of their principles; light 
 and convi£iion alone can induce them to give 
 them up. But, Sir, had it not been for the 
 ufeful labours of men of thefe very principles, 
 erroneous fyftems, like yours, w^ould have caufed 
 infidelity to abound, fcepticifm would have ftalked 
 forth in open day, and religion, the cheering 
 friend of man, the ornament of human life, 
 muft have funk before the (torm ; for men, 
 being unable to diftinguifli between Eftablilhed 
 Creeds and Chriftianity itfelf, are difpofed to 
 throw off Revelation altogether, rather than ad- 
 mit that fuch abfurdities could come from God. 
 But do not vou Trinitarians exalt your reafon 
 above the Scriptures, in changing the charadler of 
 Almighty God, he who changeth not, into the mu- 
 table character of a finite, fubordinate being, who 
 lived and died, and rofe again ? and affert that the 
 Eternal God became a child, a fervant, and hung 
 upon a tree ? And do you not, like Deifts, difcard 
 the rule given in Revelation, by fetting up new 
 objects of worfliip befides the God and Father of 
 All ; a practice which you cannot fupport from 
 Scripture, but by the ftrange efforts of perverted 
 reafon ? for do they not plainly declare, that God 
 and his Mefliah were two feparate beings, the one 
 infinite and felf-exiftent, and the other a finite de- 
 rived being, in fubjection to his Father? Yet thefe 
 two, of fuch oppofite and inconfiftent character, 
 yoq declare to be one God ; and that when God 
 
 * Defence, page io8. 
 
( '50 ) 
 
 (ent his Son and Meflenger, he then, you contend, 
 came himfelf. Is not this, like the Deift, making 
 God a liar, by denying the fimple record that he 
 has given of his Son ? Be careful, Sir, how you 
 contend that reafon muft give way to faith, or 
 how dodlrines mufl: be admitted that require the 
 facrifice of reafon. By fuch arguments as thefe 
 all the debafing errors of the Church of Rome 
 were impofed and prevailed. Reafon is the great 
 principle which God has given us to fave us from 
 all deluding impofitions, and by which only we 
 can judge either of the truth of any Revelation 
 from God, or of the fenfe in which any of its 
 doftrines are to be received ; though when thefe 
 are once obtained, we ought then implicitly to 
 fubmit to their direftion, and be guided by their 
 influence. The proper qualifications for examin- 
 ing religious truth, are a mind free from prejudice 
 and all undue influence, fenfible of the value and ex- 
 cellence of truth, and determined to follow it 
 wherever it may lead, impreifed with a deep fenfe 
 of its confequences, and that we are thinking and 
 a£ting for eternity ; that the glory of God, the ho- 
 nour of truth, and the happinefs of men, as far as 
 depends on us, as well as our own welfare, are all 
 involved in the important decifion. Thefe weighty 
 confideration?, exerting their due influence upon 
 the mind, will enable it to a^ wit-li becoming hu- 
 mility in fuch a ferious employment. 
 
 3d. You propofe to contraft our prefent fyflem 
 with that which we have left, touching its moral 
 eflcds. Here it will not be neceflary for me to 
 fay much ; if the f) Hem itfelf be true, its tendency 
 mufl be the beft. You here exhibit again the fame 
 iniperfed, not to fay uncar.did views of the fubjed 
 
( »5t ) 
 
 which you oppofe ; fuch as " that we boaft the 
 all-fufficiency of our moral powers, and that the 
 glory of our falvation is ours, inftead of afcribinor 
 it to God, to whom all glory belongs," &c.* 
 " That God is worthy to receive glory ; that our 
 redemption by Chrift Jefus was intended to be to 
 the praife of his glory ; that we owe all to the 
 grace and mercy of God ; that we have nothing 
 that we have not received ; that all boalling is ex- 
 cluded," &c. &c. we as fenfibly feel, and are as 
 ready to acknowledge as you, and with as much 
 fincerity and fervour to afcribe all the honour of 
 our falvation from fin and death to the free un- 
 merited mercy of God in Chrift Jefus ; and we 
 infift as much on devotednefs to God, and love to 
 man, and on the poffeffion of every moral excel- 
 lence, as you can do. 
 
 Which of the two fyftemsbefl: lays a foundation 
 for fupreme love to God ? We conceive that " God 
 is Love ;'' tiiat he is our Father and our friend in 
 the mofi: endearing fenfe of the characters, and 
 that infinite goodnefs alone prompted him to ac- 
 tion, to feek and to fecure, by the beft means, the 
 happinefs of his creatures. But what is the God 
 of your fyftem ? A being of vindictive wrath, who 
 doth not deliver any of his creatures out of the 
 wretched condition in which they are involved 
 out of pure benevolence, but out of regard to the 
 merits of another Divine Being, who is far more 
 gracious and companionate, and who, by his fuffer- 
 ings, made fatisfad:ion to him for the fins of men, 
 and to whom they are wholly indebted for their 
 reconciliation to God. Can a Being of fuch flern 
 feverity be the objed of our love and affedtion ? 
 
 * Defence, page .i op, no. 
 
( '52 ) 
 
 Your Do«^rine of Atonement, wliicli you think 
 lays a fure foundation for humility and all moral 
 obedience, does, in fa6l, with a lar^e portion of 
 the community produce a contrary efFe<fl. Alk 
 promifcnoufly any irreligious perfons liow, with 
 their conduct, they intend .to be faved, how they 
 ftiali efcape the wTath of God, or the punifhmcnt 
 threatened the unp;udly ? What is the common 
 reply ? That God is merciful, and as Chrill: has 
 died for them, they hope his righteoufnefs will 
 make out what they are deficient in ; that they 
 depend on his merit, &c. 1 am certain that this is 
 not the ufe which you make of it; fuch an ap- 
 plication is too grofs for any ferious fenfible man 
 to countenance ; and though the abufe of any: 
 dodlrine does not deftroy its truth, yet it is equally 
 true that doctrines are cheriliied by many weil-. 
 meaning people, which, did they fee their natural 
 tendency, they would abhor. 
 
 What are the proper confiderations for exciting 
 this difpofition and condud ? The hope of reward, 
 and the fear of puniftiment in another world, the 
 fliortnefs and uncertainty of human life, a due 
 Itnfe of the iniufuciency of all worldiy honours 
 a;.d purfuits, and of every thing on this fide tlie 
 grave, with all the other powerful motives which 
 Chriilianity infpires; fuch as the forgivenefb of 
 fin, the example of our Lord, the allurance of the 
 favour of God, and of endlefs felicity in his pre- 
 fence. Thefe powerful confiderations exertii^g 
 their falutary influence upon the mind, can dil- 
 pofe it to every good word and v^^ork, and can 
 raife it above this world and all its tranfitory en- 
 joyments, to place its.treafure in heaven, " where, 
 moth doth not corrupt, nor thieves break through 
 
( t5l) 
 
 and Ileal." Now all thefe motives are as fully 
 furnifhed on our fyltem as on yours. Where thea 
 is boafting? 
 
 You judge your fcheme more favourable to hu- 
 mility, becaufe you afcribe all to the work of the 
 Spirit. This may be fo in appearance, but it is 
 not fo in reality ; God is the giver of all things, of 
 every good gift, and without him we can do 
 nothing. If I have, with the alfiftance of the 
 means and motives afforded me in the Gofpel, the 
 power to do what God requires of me, yet, as that 
 power and thofe means are his gift, " what have 
 1 that 1 have not received ? How then can I glory 
 as if I had not received it ?" That we " are faved 
 by our own merit," is an idea foreign to truth, 
 and can never, with any propriety, be indulged 
 by any mortal man. In the pureft fervices of im- 
 perfect creatures, many imperfections will necef- 
 farily be found ; and though under this ferious 
 confideration, the Divine goodnefs can inlpire con- 
 fidence, it is the humble confidence of confcious 
 grateful minds. If for fins and many failures I 
 have recourfe to the Divine mercy at a throne of 
 grace, is not my gratitude as ardent, and my hu- 
 mility as great, when I conceive that 1 am in-, 
 debted for the pardon of fin to the free unmerited 
 goodnefs of God, as it could be were it purchafed 
 by any other means ? Our love to Chrill is direct- 
 ed as to the moit excellent of created beings, and 
 who merits our highefl regard, next to the true 
 God, as his repreientative, and the medium of his 
 love, and whofe example it is our glory to imitate ; 
 but we cannot pay him that love and homage 
 which is due to the Supreme Being alone, nor 
 
 X 
 
( 154 ) 
 
 does he ever require it at our hands. Were wc, 
 from reafoning on the fubjedl, to defcend to mat- 
 ters of fa6l, how eafy were it to decide the quef- 
 tion ? Look to the vicious multitude, to the profli- 
 gates in the fh-eets ; look into our gaols, and to the 
 yearly lifts of convidls throughout the land, and 
 fee if they are not generally Members of your 
 Church. Look to the bigotted and intollerant 
 perfecutors of every age, whofe names and deeds 
 of darknefs can never be mentioned but with exe- 
 cration, and fee if they were not the believers in, 
 and defenders of, your " peculiar doftrines." I'Ijis 
 evidence is clearly againll you, though I would 
 not be fo ungenerous as to urge it. It is a falla- 
 cious rule of judging to decide the truth of any 
 iyftem by the conduct of its profeffors. The 
 purefl principles have had falfe friends, and the 
 beft of caufes worthlefs profeiTors, though I own 
 that men of your principles have far lefs genuine 
 humility than they think they have, and are of- 
 tener filled with religious felf-importance, and 
 carried away with fpiritual pride, than thofe of 
 other principles. 
 
 You affert, that we " lay no claim to confola- 
 tion on the ground of freedom from fin." * You 
 might as well have faid that we lay no claim to 
 confolation on any ground, and there would have 
 been juft as much truth and candour in the one 
 as in the other. After having employed four pages 
 in the Narrative fpecifically upon the fubjeft, it 
 will be perfedlly unnecefluiry to urgeany remarks 
 on this groundlefs pafilige, mure than to refer the 
 reader t to what is there faid, by which he will 
 fee that this has greatly the appearance of an at- 
 
 • Defence, page 112. 
 t Narrative, page 100, 101, 102, 103. 
 
{ '55 ) 
 
 tempt to difcredit, by bold affertions, what cannot 
 be difproved by honeft argument. You propofe 
 the queftion, " Whether your fyftem or ours is 
 calculated to afford more foUd and abiding com- 
 fort to a fmner?"* We maintain, you obferve, that 
 a fuiner mufl repent and fincerely obey the Got- 
 peKr This very partial ftatement is to reprefent 
 our fyftem; and you proceed, " but a perfon, who 
 is well acquainted with his own character and 
 God's law, does not find any fuch declaration 
 given in Scripture, nor would he think it very 
 confolatory were it difcoverable." {This is rather 
 like judging '• what ought and what ought not to 
 be revealed.") " If he were fincere, his repentance 
 would appear to him fo defedive, and his obedi- 
 ence fo impcrfeft, that he would fear they could 
 not be accepted in atonement for his numberleft 
 and aggravated fins.'' And you again alk, " Does 
 this fyftem convey confolation to a humble finner 
 like tliat which a cordial belief of the following paf- 
 fages is able to infpire ? He has made peace thro* 
 the blood of his crofs ; weare reconciled to God 
 by the death of his Son ; whofoever believeth on 
 him fliall receive remiffion of fins," &c. You 
 would here infinuate that we make repentance 
 and obedience the only condition of falvation, and 
 leave faith entirely out of the queftion. Now 
 you mult know that this is a very unfair reprefen- 
 tation, and foreign to every thing contained in the 
 Narrative. Had you even attended to page loj, 
 which you quote, you muft have feen us declaring, 
 " that the forgivenefs of fins, and the hope of life 
 and happinefs in another world, was enjoyed only 
 bv faith." 
 
 X 2 
 * Defence, page n3. 
 
( «50 
 
 This paragraph, upon the whole, is the offspring; 
 of indifcretion, and I wonder not a little tliat you 
 (hould commit yourfelf fo far as to affert, fpeak- 
 ing of repentance and obedience to the Gofpel as 
 a condition of falvation, "that a perfon acquainted 
 with God*s law conld not find any fuch declaration 
 given in Scripture,*' when every reader, the moft 
 ibperficial, mufl: fee that they were leading topics 
 with the Apoflles : " Repent and be baptifed every 
 one of you, for the remiffion of fins ;" " Repent 
 ye, and be converted, that your fms may be blot- 
 ted out ;'* " Repent and turn to God," &c. &c. 
 If your fyftem can do without repentance and 
 obedience, it may be the moft coniblatory, for 
 repentance is often very bitter, and I defire not 
 to partake of your confolation. If you infift upon 
 them as much as we do, but only as the attendants 
 of faith, and not as a condition of falvation, which 
 mufl be too detective ever to be accepted as atone- 
 ment for your fms, we reply, that we never pro- 
 pofe our repentance, our faith, or our obedience, 
 as an atonement for fins ; no, w^e depend folely on 
 the unpurchafed love and mercy of God in Chrift 
 Jefus ;, and though we are as finners in the firft 
 inftance, *' juftified freely by his grace," or by faith, 
 and enjoy " the remiffion of fins that are paft," by 
 believing on Chrift, or in the ad of grace pro- 
 claimed in the Gofpel, yet the promife of eternal 
 life refts only on thofe " who obey the truth," 
 and " endure unto the end ;" thofe " who, by pa- 
 .tient continuance in well-doing, feekfor glory and 
 immortality." Chrift is not become the author of 
 eternal life to the ungodly and difobedient, but to 
 them " who obey him ;" nor is it true that " our 
 obedience is our own unaffifted performance." 
 
{ 157 ) 
 
 Man is a creature of reafon and of motives ; the 
 Gofpel is a fyflem of truth and of the powerfulleft 
 motives, and is the crift of God. Thefe enlighten- 
 ing our minds, and influencing our hearts, enables 
 us to will and to do his good pleafure, to obey the 
 truth, and to Jive to the praife and glory of his 
 great name. If men are affe^led by communica» 
 tions from men, according to their nature, why 
 may they net be affected by communications from 
 heaven, fuitable to their nature? Religious habits 
 are acquired in the fame manner as other habits ; 
 the mind is imbued with the fpirit of the Gofpel, 
 or imbibes the fpirit of religion and morals in the 
 fame way as it receives any other fpirit, by attend- 
 ing to them, being expofed to their influence, 
 yielding to their impreffions, and receiving, with 
 affed:ion, their truths as inhabitants of the mind. 
 
 Again : Ours muft be the happiell fyffem, be- 
 caufe we reft upon Scripture, upon truth and evi- 
 dence. Our convictions and faith, built upon 
 thefe ftrong foundations, abide with us ; but 
 your faith, which you efteem a gift, and to be 
 wrought in the heart by the fuppofed operation 
 of the Spirit, the evidence of which is not always 
 clear aUke, is therefore fubject to changes, anxiety, 
 and uncertainty. Sometimes you are " foaring on 
 the Mount, with the goodly land in view ;'* at other 
 times " fighing in the vale of humiliation ;" fome- 
 times " rejoicing fervently in the Beloved ;" at 
 other times " mournino- under the hidings of his 
 face, left you fhould be caft off from his prefence." 
 Indeed, the very thought, the bare poffibility that 
 you may not be " one of the eledt or ranfomed 
 throng," is enough to chili the fervours of the 
 glowing mind, or to damp the livelieft joy ; and 
 
( «58 ) 
 
 though you may exceed at times in rapturous af- 
 fedions, yet you cannot experience abiding peace 
 and tranquillity of mind like tbofe of other princi- 
 ples, who reft folely upon the Scriptures ; they know 
 who they have believed, and their foundation re- 
 mains fure and ftedfaft, confequently their fyftem 
 is the fafeft, for " the word of the Lord endureth 
 for ever, and this word is preached in the Gofpel" 
 on which they reft. You judge otherv.ife, " be- 
 caufe you reft on the atonement, and that, (hould 
 your God be found no more than man, you v%'ould 
 have only to anfvver for the additional un of idola- 
 try, and even then have all that we have to recom- 
 mend you to the Divine favour ; but, if we are 
 found wrong, we are found wrong not by excefs, 
 but by defeat ; and as we reject your fenfe of Chrift 
 being a facrifice for fm, we ihall have nothing that 
 can redeem our guilty fouls, and make atonement 
 for fin."* Your's then is judged the fafer fyftem. 
 A people then may go all the wicked lengths of 
 the Church of Rome, and ftill hope for mercy, be- 
 caufe they finned by exeefs ; but there is, it feems, 
 no chance for thofe who fin by J^eB. This is 
 really curious reafoning. Though a man rejects 
 God's method of falvation, it is like nothing, he 
 may ftill hope for mercy, as he fins by excefs. But, 
 without entering at large into the matter, we can- 
 not have fuch bad quarters as you aflign us ; for, on 
 your own principles, if we are of the e/e^i number, 
 though we fiiould fin even by defe^^ in the end all 
 will go well, and we ftiall at ialt meet as friends ; 
 but if we are not of the cbofen few^ all the religion 
 in the world cannot fave us, for his ceuncil will 
 Jland^ and none can pajs or break his decree, 
 
 * Defence, page 115, 1 16. 
 
( 159 ) 
 
 Thus much I have thought proper to advance, 
 by way of fhewing that you have not fo much rea- 
 foil to boaft in the fupcrior excellency of your 
 fyftem for producing moral effefts as you ima- 
 gined, thoup;h I am confident, at tlie fame time, 
 that " not he who commendeth himfelf is ap- 
 proved, but whom the Lord commendeth/' * 
 
 In conclufion, you expecft *' that I will favour 
 the world with my authority for faying that In- 
 fant Baptifm is but a tradition of men, and fhevv 
 that there is no direft or conllrudive command in 
 Scripture for infants to be baptifed, no evidence 
 of their being baptifed by the ApolHes and firft 
 Chriftians." Baptifm is a ceremony founded not 
 on moral but pofitive law ; and there is no law 
 given in Scripture for the baptifm of infants : 
 theirs is an age of innocence, untainted by moral 
 pollution, and wants it not. If any fuch law were 
 given, why did you not produce it? nor is there a 
 iingle inftance of infants being baptifed by the 
 Apofties or firll Chriftians, in Scripture, to give 
 fan6lion to th^ practice. They are completely 
 filent upon thf^fubje^t, and that is inftruclion fuf- 
 ficient for a Bible Chriftian. To talk of "no 
 conftruftive command," or that there is " no pofi- 
 tive injunftion againft it,*' are principles of too 
 loofe an application to be admitted in evidence. 
 Where is the Enthufiaft who cannot plead " con- 
 llru6live command" in fupport of his ridiculous 
 notions? Nor is there any " pofitive injundlion'* 
 agamft baptifing beils or fteeples, or any thino- 
 elfe. A weak and needy caufe alone could call 
 in the aid of fuch dangerous principles of reafon- 
 ing, which may be applied juft with as much pro- 
 
 * z Cor. X. i8. 
 
(. i6o ) 
 
 priety in its deftrudion as in its fupport. You de- 
 y fire alfo to be informed " when this corruption 
 firft infinuated itfelf into the Church." We are 
 informed by the moft refpedable authority, * that 
 the baptifm of new-born infants did not obtain till 
 the third century, when the Chriflian doftrine 
 and pra6bice began to be greatly corrupted. The 
 • fame diUinguillied Writer oblerves, with great 
 propriety, " that infants are mere machines, and 
 utterly incapable of every thing requifite to bap- 
 tifm. It fubverts the very bafe of the Chriilian 
 Church, by giving thofe the name who have not 
 the thing, and by transferring the whole caufe of 
 Chriltianity from the wife and pious few, to the 
 ignorant and wicked multitude, who, being fup- 
 pofed Chriftians, interfere in religion, derange the 
 community, invade the offices, and convert the 
 whole into a worldly corporation." That as we 
 have neither precept nor example in Scripture for 
 the practice, that is my authority for faying that 
 it is folely a tradition of men, and do you produce 
 as good authority to prove that infant baptifm is 
 from heaven. 
 
 When a man's reafon is at variance with his 
 faith, his mind is fubjeft to the moft unplealant 
 fenfations ; and as it appears that you labour under 
 feme embairaflinent of this kind, by the great ef- 
 forts which you make to iupprefs it, 1 fliould be 
 happy could I fay any thing that might relieve 
 you from fo uncomfortable a fituation ; for where 
 faith and reafon harmonize in 'the mind, that mind 
 enjoys true fubftantial peace. But fanguine in- 
 deed mull that man's hopes be who can indulge 
 the thought of prevailing, by any common argu- 
 
 • Robinfun's Hiftory of Baptifm. 
 
( i6i ) 
 
 menrs, with any of the Clerical Order ; they are 
 of too elevated a rank, and ftand upon too high 
 a ground, with too goodly a profped before them, 
 for any fuch confequences to follow. Bat power- 
 ful as thefe combined influences may be, there are 
 neverthelefs fome honourable exceptions to this 
 reafoning. The iiluftrious infl^ance of a Lindfey 
 and others, are ftriking examples of the omnipo- 
 tent power of truth upon honefl minds. 
 
 You have affumed a high corrective tone 
 throughout your book, no wife inconfiftent with 
 the above remarks, and which fully jaltifies an 
 alfertion of your much adeemed Mr. Fuller: " A 
 flight obfervation of human nature, (he remarks. 
 Letter 8th) will convince us that the adherents of 
 a religion eilablilhed by law, * let their fentiuients 
 be what they may, wiU always be under a power- 
 ful temptation to take it for granted that they are 
 right, and that all who di&nt from them are 
 contemptible Sectaries, unworthy of a candid and 
 refpedful treatment." f In this inquifiti^e age, 
 confident aifertions no longer pafs for felf-evident 
 truths, nor does a tone of conlequence add any 
 thing to the force of an argument, or the truth 
 of a doctrine. When people begin to examine 
 
 Y 
 
 * It may perhaps be uaneceiTary to inform the Reader that Mr. Ful- 
 ler is a Diffenting Miniller. 
 
 t It is worthy of notice, that this palTage occurs in a work which a 
 Clergyman of the Church of England (fee Defence, page loi) has ear- 
 neftly recommended to all thofe " who wilh to embrace that fyftem of 
 Religion which is bell calculated to produce glory to God, and holinefs 
 in man." That this work is not " irrefragable," as ftatcd by iVIr. Gra- 
 ham, may be feen in Dr. Toulmin's " Pra(ftical Efficacy of the Unitarian 
 Doarine confidered, in a feries of Letteri to the Rev. A. Fuller," 
 
 ..-^ 
 
( l62 ) 
 
 religion in earnefl. that fyftem which is of God, 
 whole foundation is Truth, will alone be able 
 to endure the penetrating power of reafon and 
 inquiry. T he po\^'erful convidVion that you 
 aie, in doctrine and difcipline, Diffenters from 
 Chrift, and that your fyftem is a new edition of 
 Chrillianity, far inferior to the pure and elegant 
 iimplicity of the original, and which greatly re- 
 tardb its ufefulnefs and obfcures its beauty, could 
 a one have induced me to defert, for a time, my 
 private and more fuitable Itatirn, to offer any 
 thnig for public confideration Called upon as I 
 was by you, I could not avoid coming forward, 
 however ill qualified for the undertaking, and 
 which I (liould have done much fooner but for. 
 adverfe circumftunces. 1 have fairly met your 
 arguments upon all the fubjccts in diipute, and 
 kept every hair's-breadth of my ground; and the 
 whole is now lubniirted to the judgment of the 
 leri'ins and candid reader. 
 
 With ftie mol\ perfect good will and refped^ I 
 remain, 
 
 Reve'rend Sir, 
 
 Your very obedient Servant, 
 
 D. EATON. 
 
To Mr. D. EATON. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 F at the conclufion of the work you are about to publifh you can find 
 r cm to inlert the following lines, I hope tbey will prove of feivice 
 to the vindication both of your character and my own. 
 
 Soon after the publication of your Narrative L learned, vvith furprife, 
 that common rum -^ur attributed much, if not all of that work to myfelf , 
 and to this day I believe it pafles for mine with many perfons in this 
 town. Led by what they have imagined fufficient internal evidcuce to 
 doubt the polfibility of its being the produdion of an unlettered man, 
 and knowing a little of the religious fentiraents we have in common, but 
 not at all aware how widely we differ upon fome points of which the 
 Narrative treats, many perfuns have not fcrupled, both in public and in 
 private, to exprefs their riim conviction that it owes its exiftence to me. 
 You are thus deprived of that degree of reputation to which I think you 
 are juftjy entitled, and I am confidered as guilty of mcannefs and cowar- 
 dice, in attacking popular opinions from behind thfe ftiield of another 
 perfon's name. 1 am anxious, from various motives, to clear myfelf 
 from this difgraceful charge. — For this purpofe I beg leave, through you, 
 to Itate to your readers my whole concern in that publication. 
 
 It is now, 1 believe, about five years fince I acciden;ally became ac- 
 quainted with <he exiftence of your fociety, and with fome of the lead- 
 ing members of it. From fome converfations which pafTed between 
 them and myfelf, I was much ftruck with the curious progrefs they feemed 
 to have made in paffing from Methodifm to the principles they now main- 
 tain, and 1 gladly fcconded the propofal of a particular friend that yoa 
 fliould draw up a plain and fuccinft Narrative of all the fteps you and your 
 friend took in efcaping from the errors in which you had formerly been in- 
 volved.* When, after being repeatedly urged, you continued to hefitate, no 
 more wa*- faid upon the fuhjcct. Some months having elapfed, I was agreea- 
 bly furprifed by your putting into my hands a long manufcript, containing 
 not otily a narrative of your proceedings, but, what I hid never ex^>e£led 
 dr requefted you to write, a defence of the doftrines you had embraced. 
 X7p n carefully evifing it, 1 found fome paffages, theimeaning of which 
 were, not obvious; thefe I marked as requiring complete alteration; 
 others faulty in refped of grammatical conftru flion ; thefe requiring 
 but a trifl'ng emendation, I corrcded as I paiTed along. In this ftate I 
 returned it to you, advifmg you to tranfcribe the whole, and inftead 
 of making it one long letter, to divide it into as many letters as there 
 were fubjedls of particular ciif.'uljion. This advice ybu adopted, and 
 after a few weeks brought it to me with its obfcuritics all removed, and, 
 with the exception ot a few folitary words, ready for the printer. 
 As the fheets were ftruck off, I a'HIled you in the correftion of the prefs, 
 a bufinefs to which you, of courfe, were an entire ftraager. During the 
 whole of this period I do not remember to have furnifhed yoa with any 
 book, or to have entered into any converfation with you particularly re- 
 lating to the fubjects upon which you were writing, or to have afforded 
 
( Ixiv ) 
 
 Jrou any othcJr affiftance than fuch Ht, refpofled the Janguage oj^ your pub- 
 lication. And even here my affiftance was far Jew than it is poffiblc for 
 thofe who do not know you to fuppofe. I am confident that few works 
 appear which have a fairer claim to genuinenefs thar^ the " Narrative of 
 the Proceedings of your Society." 
 
 All this and more I fully ftated to Mr. Graham juft '.)eforr his anfwer 
 to your Narrative appeared. It was my wi(h thai the correfpondence 
 which then pafled between us fhould now be publiiied, but as this doei 
 not meet with his approbation, I refort to this method of laying the 
 truth before the public. I am happy, however, in being able to add his 
 opinion expreffed in the moft fatisfartory terms, and of which he has per- 
 mitted me to make what ufe I think beft for the vindication of my cha- 
 tafter in thiv affair. " I am fully fatisficd," he obferves, in a note which 
 I received from liim yefterday, " from your own ftatements and declara- 
 tions, that for any thing you have contributed to that work Mt. D. Eaton 
 may be properly allowed to be the author of the Narrative." 
 
 I am apprehcnfive that the world will be more difpofed to qaeftion the 
 genuinenefs of the work you are now about to publilh, than of your for- 
 mer produdion. In this, however, you have had far lefs af?'ftance from 
 me. Much of the manufcript 1 never read, and with rcfped to the proof 
 fheets I have fcarcely ever done more than reftify the errors of the 
 printer. 
 
 You know my opinion refpC'Jling religious controverfy, and that had I 
 the inclination 1 fhould not have leifure to engage in it. My difpofitioH 
 and my employments j had nothing elfe prevented, would have been in- 
 furmountable obftacles to my being the author of the *• Narrative. Re- 
 ligious truth engages too little of the attention of men in the prefcnt day ; 
 and uncandid and falfe infinuations are too induftrioufly circulated, and 
 too eagerly bd|eved, to render me defirous of obtruding my fenti- 
 ments upon the world. What I am chiefly anxious to do is to de- 
 rive from the principles which I profefs all the conlolation, and all the 
 improvement they are in my opinien fo eminently adapted to afford ; to 
 live in the mutual exercife of forbearance and charity with men of every 
 feft and party, and to prove not fo much by affertion as b;' my conduifl^ 
 that the faith of the Unitarian is as friendly to perfonal virti-e, and the 
 
 f)eace and order of fociety, as that which is maintained by any other 
 >ody of ChriflianSi But, tf fairly called upon to vindicate or recom- 
 mend thefc principles, Ff)iall never fear the open avowal of my name, not 
 flirink from any of the confequcnces to which an unenlightened and un* 
 ■:!irlftian zeal may cxpofe «nei , 
 
 I am, 
 
 Tour's, &c, 
 \lrk, June z^d, I Sc : . C WELLBELOVED. 
 
 rrintcd by 
 L, l.iiiid, York. 
 
FAMILIAR CONVERSATION 
 
 Religious Bigotry, Candor , and Liberality ; 
 
 Humbly intended as a 
 
 PERSUASIVE TO GREATER MODERATION, UNION, 
 
 AND PEACE, AMONGST THE FOLLOWERS 
 
 OF CHRIST. 
 
 By DAVId!£ATON. 
 
 " Above all things put on charity, which is the bond of perfcctnesSj and 
 let the peace of God rule in your hearts." ■ 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED BY C. STOWER, 
 Charles-Street, Hatton-Garden, • 
 
 AND SOLD BY J. MARSOM,l87, HIGH HOLBORN, W. VIDtER, 34g, STRAND, 
 AND J.JOHNSON, ST. PAUL's CHURCH-TARD. 
 
 1803. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 JLT may be necessary that the Author of the fol- 
 lowing pages should state some of the reasons 
 which induced him to send them into the world. 
 He does not recollect any thing written directly 
 aind exclusively on this highly interesting sub- 
 ject*, on the same plan, and in so small and 
 
 * The Author wishes here to notice, with respect, two works of 
 a similar nature : Mr. J. Evans's Sequel to his Sketch of the dif- 
 ferent Denominations into which the Christian World is divided. — 
 A work well calculated to promote candor and peace, and in 
 vvhich, by collecting together the testimony of a great number of 
 eminent writers of different persuasions, in favor of mutual cha- 
 rity, Mr. E. has rendered considerable service to the religious 
 public. Also, An Humble Attempt to promote Union and Peace 
 among Christians, by inculcating the Principles of Christian Li- 
 berty, by Mr. Wright, of Wisbeach ; in which the worthy Author 
 has treated the subject with great knowledge and ability. Had 
 not the present attempt been far advanced, and differed mate- 
 rially in its plan, when that work made its appearance, it would 
 certainly have been superseded by it. It is earnestly recom- 
 mended to every person who wishes to become acquainted with 
 the subject. 
 
 A 
 
II 
 
 cheap a form. He is aware that much has been 
 said upon it, and well said too, by men the most 
 respectable for their learning and abilities ; but 
 what they have written upon it, is generally mixed 
 or interspersed with other topics, and to be found 
 only in more voluminous and expensive works, 
 and which, for stile and manner, are more suit- 
 able for learned or very intelh'gent minds, than 
 for common readers. These latter are the class 
 of men for whom he writes, and to whom he 
 wishes to render service, who, for their numbers, 
 influence, and respectability, ought, in his opi- 
 nion, to be regarded with the utmost attention 
 and respect. No argumentation of a general me- 
 thodical anil prolix nature can, as he conceives, 
 be so well adapted to their time and circum- 
 stances, and to the purpose of extensive useful- 
 T^ess, as something short, cheap, and familiar, 
 lie has had, as well as others, frequently to re- 
 gret, that where a work of this nature has been 
 ihe most wanted, nothing of the kind has been at 
 Jiand, or could be referred to, calculated to give 
 some useful instruction, and, at the same time, 
 answer plausible objections. The plan of dialogue 
 
Ill 
 
 has been chosen as affording greater opportunity 
 for the stating of objections. Experience proves 
 that however sound and foicible any reasoning 
 of a general kind may l)e in itself, yet if it does 
 not reach a certain point in the mind, or affect 
 the particular arguments which live, as it were, 
 in the understanding of the reader or person 
 addressed, as forming the very pillars of the 
 scheme or sentiment opposed, Avhile these remain 
 unhurt, all such general reasoning, however ex- 
 cellent, will fail of answering its intended pur- 
 pose. On the contrary, it will often happen 
 that a lucky thrust, made in a random way, and 
 by a simpler hand, will inflict a deeper wound on 
 the objections of his opponent, so that they no 
 longer shall be able to maintain their place in 
 his esteem, or find a friendly reception in his 
 jnind. The Author has endeavored, according 
 to his wish, and to the best of his recollection 
 and abilities, to state impartially the leading ar- 
 guments urged against the general conclusion 
 here contended for. He has had only the pro- 
 motion of truth in view, and he believes that 
 truth is on his side : how far he has succeeded in 
 
 A 2 
 
his object, must be left to the judgment of the 
 candid reader. He expects that the principle 
 here enforced will, to many serious minds, ap- 
 pear dangerous, and of a bad tendency, as cal- 
 culated to relax the energies of the mind, and to 
 render it indifferent to truth, and to the import- 
 ance of Christian principles; but these objections 
 he has proved, he hopes, to be futile and ground- 
 less, and to proceed either from our prejudices, 
 from an undue attachment to certain points, or 
 to tlie not paying a serious impartial attention to 
 the subject. He has never contended that all 
 error is innocent: on the contrary, all error re- 
 sulting from negligence, or wilful prejudice, is 
 highly culpable. He has again noticed this broad 
 distinction, because he well knows that though 
 his reasoning may not be easily confuted, it can 
 be very easily misrepresented. The union of the 
 religious world has long been a favorite object: 
 it has been wished for by men of different cha- 
 racters, and from different motives in every age 
 of the church. The only serious enquiry was 
 how it was to be effected : to make all men think 
 alike by persuasion was found to be impossible. 
 
Nothing then remained but the exertions of power, 
 and the sword of the magistrate. The demon of 
 persecution was called in; the vilest passions were 
 let loose ; and every engine of torture employed, 
 but all in vain. History and experience both con- 
 cur in testifying the utter inability of racks and 
 tortures, fines and forfeitures, with every other 
 expedient of power or fraud to maintain the unity 
 of the faith, and the peace of the church, or yet 
 to controul the exercise of the free-born mind of 
 man. Persecution may make men slaves or hy- 
 pocrites, but can never engage the heart, or con- 
 vince the judgment. It was reserved for more 
 enlightened times, when the knowledge and spirit 
 of the Gospel shall have obtained a greater spread 
 to accomplish so great and desirable an object : 
 not by the cruel tortures of power, or the abject 
 degradation of every thing that is noble in the 
 rational mind, or generous in the human heart ; 
 but by the wide diffusion of the spirit of religious 
 liberty, — by the endearing influence of charity 
 and peace ; not by the chain of slavery and igno- 
 rance, but by the ties of friendship, mutual for- 
 bearance, and lov£ ; and happy shall those men 
 
VI 
 
 be, M'ho, by their wisdom, labors, and example, 
 shall be the illustrious performers of so glorious a 
 work. Their venerable names and labors of love 
 shall be immortalized, and held in everlasting re- 
 membrance: they shall live in the grateful af- 
 fections of a grateful posterity ; for they, in truth, 
 (under Divine Providence) will he the great and 
 real pacificators of the world. Under the reign 
 of kindness and brotherly affection, the peace of 
 the religious world would be secured, and the jar- 
 ring passions of men laid to rest ; the voice of the 
 oppressor would not be heard ; personal religion 
 would be cherished, and alone applauded ; and all 
 bitterness, rancour, and jealousy, would be .ba- 
 nished the bosoms of the disciples of Qhrist ; the 
 scoffer of religion would be dumb, and ashamed, 
 while infidelity would scowl back to the cave of 
 oblivion ; a truer value would be placed upon in- 
 tegrity, moral worth, and. excellence, wherever 
 found, as the very substance and perfection of all 
 religion. But these happy days can never come, 
 so long as salvation is made to depend upon an 
 agreement in doctrinal and speculative matters — 
 
 That fatal spear, on which our peace expires. 
 
Vll 
 
 It is not persecution of which we now so much 
 complain : increasing light, and the good sense 
 of mankind, now happily despise it. It has lived 
 its day, and it has been a long one ; we trust it 
 has now gone to its own home — in the regions of 
 darkness, — may it rest there undisturbed. It is 
 from a want of candor, and liberality of mind, 
 that our greatest evils spring ; and it is this chiefly 
 which demand our attention. May it be our hap- 
 piness, though in the humble character of pi- 
 oneers, to do something towards clearing of the 
 ground, however small our progress while laboring 
 and splashing in the mire of human passions and 
 errors, or struggling, in the sink of human igno- 
 rance, prejudice, and bigotry. It is some encou- 
 ragement that our merit does not depend on our 
 success, but in the uprightness of our intentions 
 and exertions. The Author of the following sheets 
 has not the vanity to think that he has added 
 much that is new on the subject, though he trusts 
 that this small work, with all its defects, may, 
 from its popular manner, be found, in the absence 
 of something more excellent, useful to the pro- 
 motion of Christian candor and goodness, as the 
 
Vlll 
 
 only possible ground of union and friendship td^ 
 all good men. 
 
 BiLLERICAY, 
 
 Julxf 30, 1803. « 
 
 # 
 
 Lately published by the same Author, 
 
 Scripture the only Guide to Religious Truth; being a Narra* 
 tive of the Proceedings of a Society of Baptists in York, in re- 
 linquishing the popular Systems of Religion, from the Study of 
 the Scriptures. Price 2s. 
 
 Letters addressed to the Rev. John Graham, in Answer to his 
 Defence of Scripture Doctrines, as understood by the Church of 
 England ; and in Vindication of a " Narrative of the Proceedings 
 of a Society of Baptists in York." Price 3s. 
 
 Plain Thoughts on the New Testament Doctrine of Atonement. 
 By John Simpson of Hackney. Price 2s. 
 
A 
 
 FAMILIAR CONVERSATION, 
 
 BETWEEN? 
 
 ZELOTES and CANDIDUS, 
 
 ON" 
 
 Religious Bigotry, &Ci, 
 
 «anQ2SZXxn>" 
 
 ddndidus. vjrOOD day, Mr. Zelotes, I am ex- 
 tremely glad to see you ; I have long wished to 
 meet you, not only to enquire after your welfare, 
 but also to have an opportunity of some friendly 
 conversation on those truly important subjects on 
 which we formerly were so unhappy as to differ. 
 I frankly own to you, my friend, that I regret 
 more than ever that serious good men of different 
 persuasions should, on that account simply, regard 
 each other with such unkindness and aversion, as 
 to feel no complacency whatever towards those 
 who think differently from themselves, though of 
 the most irreproachable characters. This, Sir, has 
 been too much the case with us. The strictest 
 friendship used to subsist between us on religious 
 accounts. We used to enjoy sweet fellowship to- 
 gether in the bonds of love, and to walk to the 
 House of God in company. We seemed to be of 
 
2 
 
 one soul and of one mind, until I ventured, from 
 honest conviction, to differ from you in opinion ; 
 and to indulge more largely that spirit ot charity 
 towards all good men M'ho think differently from 
 kie, ** which is kind, which thinketh no evil, 
 but which hopeth all tilings;" and paradoxical as 
 it ma}^ appear, the indulging of this spirit of love, 
 seemed effectually to destroy that brotherly af- 
 fection which had so long suhsis'"ed between us, 
 I may venture to say, to our mutual unhappiness 
 and regret. I am afraid, Sir, that there is a great 
 deficiency of Christian candor amongst us, and 
 that, with all our boasted increase of knowledge, 
 the sacred rights of conscience, and of private 
 judgment, are but very imperfectly regarded or 
 understood by us, though they are of the very last 
 importance to the peace and happiness of the 
 Christian world. 
 
 Zelotes. I thank you, Sir, for your kind en- 
 quiries after my welfare, and for the expression of 
 your continued regard and friendship for me; nor 
 has any thing, I assure you, lessened that esteem 
 I ever had for you as a man and a friend, though 
 I am equally free to acknowledge that the higher 
 considerations of duty and truth have led Die to 
 dispute the claims of those to be Christians, who, 
 I am satisfied, are unacquainted with the true na- 
 ture of Christianity and its doctrines ; nor do I 
 now see any reasons to change my mind ; that 
 they are serious, and mean well, 1 make no doubt. 
 But does that prove them to be in the truth ? Let 
 men profess what they may, if they are the warm 
 advocates of systems, of mere human invention, 
 and that to the prejudice of the pure doctrines of 
 the Gospel, they are in my opinion, whether they 
 intend it or not, the enemies of God and of his 
 
s 
 
 truth ; aiid ttf the very best interests of men. 
 This isj~in brief, my view of the matter, and 
 Avhich (the Scriptures being our rule) I am now, 
 or at any time, ready to discuss. I hokl the rights 
 of conscience and of private judgment as sacred 
 as any man, and so far am I from being their 
 enemy, that I am professedly their friend. I call 
 no man master in the church, but C-hrist Jesus, 
 the Lord of Christians. I think, and judge, and 
 speak for myself, and allow to every man the same 
 liberty in the most unqualified sense. I detest 
 the impious principle that M'ould dare to commit 
 violence on the person or property of any man, 
 merelv on a relio'ious account. I cannot, how- 
 ever, perceive that the just exposure and con- 
 demnation of destructive errors is at all incon- 
 sistent with those rights; for though we ought 
 ever to maintain a tender regard for men and their 
 characters, yet we can be under no obligations to 
 spare their principles, when we judge them to be 
 false and pernicious. 
 
 C. Your last observations may be liable to little 
 or no objection, and are altogether worthy of 
 yourself; nor could you, indeed, with any con- 
 sistency act otherwise as a Protestant, or a Dis- 
 senter, without incurring the severest censure 
 from your own principles. Mercenary priests, and 
 ignorant bigots, who are the slaves of a system or 
 creed, or those who are chiefly alive to the emo- 
 luments and honors of a worldly establishment, 
 may decry the right of private judgment as a 
 dangerous doctrine; but the disinterested mind, 
 possessed of common information, the friend of 
 personal religion, and of the improvement and 
 happiness of man, will, witK a cheerful ardour, 
 enforce the doctrine, explain its nature, and en- 
 
 B 2 
 
dcavour to give a practical direction to its vigor- 
 ous exercise. God has made us as men — rational, 
 thinkuig beings, and has given us no powers or 
 faculties that he did not intend us to use. He 
 has made us capable of judging between good and 
 evil, and has blessed mankind with the knowledge 
 of his will, by sending the gospel into the world 
 to be preached to every creature under heaven ; 
 in doing which, he has made it the duty of every 
 man to believe and obey the gospel of his Son. 
 But how can that be a man's duty, which he 
 pannot understand ; or how can a man understand, 
 believe, or obey, that which he has never studied 
 or examined. Our Lord himself instructs men to 
 *' Judge even of themselves what is right," and 
 to " Search the Scriptures," doubtless that they 
 might understand their meaning. Whatever he 
 calls men to do, that must be their duty ; but it 
 would be absurd to call men to " Search the 
 Scriptures," if they had no power or capacity to 
 judge of their meaning, and to regulate their con- 
 duct accordingly. It is then most unquestion- 
 ably every man's duty to enquire into the truth of 
 what is professedly a revelation from heaven, and 
 when the evidence of its truth appears jjerfectly 
 satisfactory to his mind, he is earnestly to enquire 
 further, what this revelation contains, what doc-^ 
 trines it calls him to believe, and what duties it 
 enjoins for his obedience ; and as this revelation 
 is given him by heaven for the rule of Jiis faith 
 and practice, and for the right use of which he 
 must hereafter be accountable, he ought to admit 
 of no other rule or authority whatever ; every man 
 ought to examine for himself, and have the full 
 liberty of acting agreeably to the honest cour 
 Viction of his own mind, in all his conce|-ns bcr 
 
twecn himself and his maker, without the least 
 censure or molestation. To the advocate for op- 
 pressive and unscriptural terms of salvation, who 
 would domineer over the liberty" and conscience 
 of his equals, I would say. Who gave you the 
 right to make a creed for me, and to bind my 
 conscience ? Has God graciously revealed his will 
 to men, and is it in all matters which respect their 
 salvation, plain and easy of comprehension? Is it 
 a plain direction for all men, and suited to their 
 common understandings? What a presumption 
 then for any one officiously to come between me 
 and my maker, and say, God has not designed 
 his revelation for you ; he has not spoken to your 
 understanding, but to mine, and made me the in- 
 terpreter of his will to you ; you must therefore 
 receive my explanation of it, or be damned. 
 Were I to admit the bold assumption, and receive 
 my faith delivered in this intoUerent and manda- 
 tory way from a fallible mortal, the Scriptures 
 would be as nothing to me, and my religion could 
 not be pleasing to God. Where shall I find the 
 important truth that God will require an account 
 of my faith and religious conduct of another, 
 and not of me? If the state or a synod provide 
 me with a religion, where shall I read that the state 
 or the synod will answer for me at the judgment 
 seat of Christ. If this can never be done, but I 
 must give an account for myself, and stand or fall 
 by my own conduct, what is so proper, as that I 
 should, with the best helps that I can get, exer- 
 cise my own understanding, and read and act for 
 myself? I cannot worship by your creed, any 
 more than you can by mine; to our own njaster 
 we must stand or fall; and to him alone, as king 
 of Chjistians and only lawgiver to his church, arc 
 
(S 
 
 we accountable for the use of the means and pow- 
 ers atibrded us ; and hardy is the man who will 
 maintain the contrary. Were I to sum up all tliat 
 might be said on the subject in a few words, I 
 would say, God has revealed his will to all man* 
 kind, consequently to every individual. As every 
 man will have to trive an account to God for the 
 use he may make of it, consequently he has a 
 right to enquire and judge for himself, and an 
 equal right to speak what he thinks, and to act 
 accordingly in all matters which respect the wor- 
 ship of Almighty God, and his own obedience to 
 him ; and when any man thus enquires and acts 
 in the best manner he can, according to his sense 
 of what is the will of God, he is a Christian ; and 
 however unjustifiable some of the conclusions 
 which he draws may be in our esteem, still he is 
 a Christian, whether he believes as you do or notj 
 or whether he believes as I do or not, or whether 
 he believes as this church or the other church be- 
 jfieves or not, still he is a Christian. He *' con- 
 fesses with his moutli the I^rd Jesus, and bc- 
 heves in his heart that God hath raised him from 
 ^he dead;"' and whether he enjoys all the goodj 
 or possesses all the hwuleclge, necessarily con- 
 nected with this proposition or not, is nothing to 
 the purpose ; for where, indeed, is the man who 
 does this : yet, if he believes that Jesus is the 
 Christ, and is supremely solicitous to obey his in- 
 structions, to imbibe his spirit, and to imitate his 
 example, according to the best of his knowledge, 
 he shall be saved. Whether therefore he knows 
 much or little, whether his creed be pure, or un- 
 happih', he has fallen into involuntary errors, he 
 is nevertheless a Christian, and '* God will accept 
 him according to what he hath, and not ac- 
 
cording to what he hath not." This conclusion 
 naturally results from the free . exercise of the 
 rights of conscience and of private judgment : it 
 is the conclusion of genuine candor, the dictate 
 of the liberal spirit of the Gospel, which allows 
 not that my liberty be judged of by another man's 
 conscience. For is it not an evident fact, that 
 our consciences differ according to the strength 
 or weakness of our capacities, and to the different 
 degrees of information which me may respectively 
 possess. Although, therefore, I perfectly agree 
 with you in your ideas of the rights of conscience, 
 and in condemning the wickedness and folly of 
 those who would impiously dare to invade the high 
 prerogative of heaven, by injuring the persons or 
 circumstances of men for the simple difference of 
 opinion, of which, however, no authority on earth 
 has any right to judge ; yet I by no means think 
 you are justifiable in denying to conscientious 
 men, whose characters may be as fair, and whose 
 conduct may be as truly upright and laudable as 
 your own, the honorable name of Christian, far 
 less ought you to cast them out as enemies to 
 God, while in the act of doing all they can to 
 serve him, according to their conceptions of his 
 will, and withhold from them that friendship and 
 respect which their virtuous conduct and many 
 good qualities deserve, merely for their supposed 
 errors of judgment. 
 
 Z. I must thank you. Sir, for the open and ex- 
 plicit manner in which you have expressed your 
 sentiments. The true difference between us is, I 
 conceive, justly stated in your concluding re- 
 marks : To that point therefore, it is that I wish 
 us to confine our observations. I am utterly 
 ayerse to the Scriptures being softened down and 
 
8 
 
 accommodated to the various conceits ^rid iidtiotiS 
 of capricious mortals. I allow, indeed, that we 
 differ much in our vicM's, our capacities, and 
 judgments; but what then? The *' truth chang- 
 cth not. We have a " sure word of pfophesy.'* 
 *' Christ is not divided." He is *' the same, 
 yesterday, to-day, and for ever." Now, if the 
 doctrines of Scripture be clearly revealed, on thtf 
 belief of which depends the salvation of men, and 
 if they were simply attended to in their obvious 
 sense, would not the receivers of them be of the 
 same mind, and walk i!i the same way? I con- 
 ceive they would. But men, as a matter of 
 Course, receive their religion from education or 
 tradition ; from those to whom they are previously 
 attached, either by the ties of nature or of friend- 
 ship, without any proper examination of theif 
 trutli : they believe systems and notions too im- 
 plicitly, instead of learning their religion from the 
 Bible, or from the guidance of the spirit of truth. 
 It is here where error most abounds, and it is here 
 where I conceive that their condemnation is just; 
 aind I am seriously afraid that your notions of li- 
 berality tend greatly to encourage men in their 
 indifference and delusions. What has done more 
 real mischief than the prevailing notion that 
 *' sincerity is all in all ;" and that " if people only 
 are moral in their conduct, all in the end will 
 be well ?" What can be more favorable to the 
 spread of ignorance and error, than th.e laxity of 
 these maxims, or lay a surer foundation for com- 
 pleat indifference to all religious truth, than by 
 thus teaching the non-importance of principle? 
 Can that sickly morality, Mhich is merely tlie ne- 
 gation of vice, ever be acceptable to heaven, 
 which might have existed just as well without the 
 
Gospel as with it; or at least nearly so, or that 
 which may be necessary to the bare existence of 
 decency of conduct and religious pretension, but 
 which forms a contrast sufficient y striking* to 
 -that real goodness, rectitude, and zeal, which 
 naturally flow from the pure and active principles 
 of the Gospel, when received into the understand- 
 ing and implanted in the heart. Allow me to 
 say, that sincerityj however laudable, is not trurh, 
 nor is any man dehcient in candor in condemning 
 of sentiments when he believes them to be false 
 and destructive. In' my apprehensioUj it is nei^ 
 ther candor nor charity to tell men they ure rights 
 when we believe them to be wrong : that they are 
 safe, and doing well, when they are in the high 
 road to destruction We certainly best prove oar 
 love to men, by speaking out, by dealing plainly 
 with them, and by seeking, by every means in 
 our poMTr, to convince them of their danger, and 
 snatch them from destruction. This, surely, is a 
 liiore proper conduct than a fallacious and un- 
 meaning parade of charity, which, after all, tliere 
 is too much reason to suspect that the advocates 
 for candor do not always contend for it from a 
 conviction of its excelltncy, or for its own sakCj 
 but that it may in some measure operate as a co- 
 lour for their ignorance, or jndolence, to shelter 
 themselves from iniputations Vv^hich they might 
 find it rather diflScult to repel ; they wish to com- 
 promise matters, and are willing not to disturb 
 others, that they in their turn may not be dis- 
 turbed themselves. In such characters, candor is 
 only another name for indifference, a mere sub- 
 stitute for the want of consistency and zeal in their 
 religious conduct ; and hence, to avoid suspicion, 
 they are eternally crying up the virtues of candor 
 
 c 
 
10 
 
 and charity, because of their specious and captf- 
 vating plausibility. 
 
 C I am truly glad, Sir, to find you so able and 
 so willing to discuss the subject before us. It has 
 often been well observed, that if serious well- 
 meaning men, of opposite perstrasions, could only-' 
 be prevailed upon to lay aside their prejudices, and 
 to converse more freely and frequently togethei', 
 they would soon be brought to a happier under- 
 standing with each other ; I hope we shall find 
 this remark true in our own case. We want only 
 to know what is truth ; and wherever found, let 
 that alone be our guide. I trust, that while we 
 are conversing upon the nature of candor, we 
 shall not forget to pay a practical attention to our 
 subject, nor fail to exemplify its friendly spirit ; 
 as we ought never to allow that in ourselves, 
 which we condemn in others. How often have 
 truth and decency been lost sight of by angry 
 disputants ? How often has the religion of Jesus, 
 whose voice is peace, and whose nature is love, 
 blushed for the conduct of her professed friends, 
 whose wild intolerant zeal and frantic rage gave 
 existence to that long black list of enormities re- 
 corded in the page of history, at the horrors of 
 which, humanity sickens, and the thinking soul 
 is confounded ? How bitter have been the fruits 
 of a blind and furious zeal ; and what enormous 
 evils have not bigotry and prejudice produced ? 
 How has it destroyed the peace of families and of 
 nations, and what vast numbers has it persecuted 
 to death and doomed to hell, which siiall shine 
 like stars in the kingdom of our Father? It is not 
 needful for us here, even were we able, to notice 
 all the abominable atrocities of it, as those evil 
 days are long since happily past ; and though we 
 
1! 
 
 Iiave still men amongst us, fierce In their zeal for 
 a particular church or creed, \vho sigh for the re- 
 turn of what they term vigorous and wholesome 
 laws against heretics, systematics, &c. yet, thanks 
 to a kind Providence, and to more equitable laws, 
 their hands are tied ; they can only discover the 
 deformity of their minds, and the perverseness 
 of their dispositions. While we detest the cause, 
 and abhor the excesses of M^iich we have been 
 speaking, how careful ought we to be that Ave 
 ourselves be entirely free from the same spirit, 
 that we be not deceived by a blind confidence : 
 for with all our care, when we look back even in 
 our more favorable circumstances, how often have 
 we been mistaken, and in how many instances 
 have we found it necessary to change our views, 
 even when we have previously thought that we 
 ■were the most right ? This consideration ought 
 most assuredly to teach us caution and modera- 
 tion. Daily observation teaches us that ignorant 
 and narrow-minded men are generally the most 
 positive and dogmatical. Circumstanced as we 
 are. amidst a vast variety of religious opinions, 
 and having unavoidably imbibed notions from our 
 earliest days, before we could be supposed capal)le 
 of judging either of their truth or falsehood, but 
 which, however, powerfully biases our minds in 
 riper years, this duly considered, the wonder 
 would be, if we were not greatly mistaken — in 
 many things experience proves it to be so. It is 
 a general truth, that our first conclusions are not 
 always true or correct. Where is the man who 
 knows any thing of himself, who can say that he 
 is free from error? Ought we not then, as men 
 who are liable to err, but who are desirous above 
 all things to be right, to be careful to keep our 
 
 c 2 
 
 ifi^^A 
 
12 
 
 minds open to conviction, and ever to enquire, 
 with that patience and concern wliich our own 
 good, and the importance of the truth requires — - 
 obscured, indeed, by error, but when found, 
 proves herself, by her consistent and benign in- 
 fluence, >vorthy of our best researches, and vill 
 be an ample reward for all our labor. We ought 
 never to be ashamed at the idea of being found 
 wrong: this would argue great weakness of mind, 
 as well as ignorance, of the nature of the circum- 
 stances in which we are placed. We become the 
 wiser and better as we part from our errors, by 
 whatever name we may be called ; and we are 
 the most safe when we take truth unreservedly 
 for our guide. It is true, that after studying 
 a subject as well as m'c are able, we must make up 
 our mind upon it, and form a judgment ; but 
 should we then remain stationary, and in effect 
 consider ourselves as absolutely fixed? — would not 
 that be the sure way to prevent the accession of 
 greater degrees of light and knowledge ? And as it 
 is, at least, possible that we may form a wrong 
 judgment, as Avell as a right one, such a conduct 
 would only confirm us in our delusion, perpetuate 
 error, and effectually stop all farther improvement. 
 To attain moral purity and truth, by a willing- 
 subjection to the will of God, is the great end of 
 our existence in this world ; and these are the 
 great and only preparatives for a higher state of 
 being and felicity in the world to come ; to attain 
 which, ought therefore to be the chief business of 
 life, and the prime object of all our pursuits. 
 As we then value our peace and welfare, or the 
 welfare of others, let us seriously cultivate that 
 disposition that loves and pursues truth, for its 
 own sake ; and as one chief means, by which we 
 
13 
 
 can attain to this noble and useful quality of mind» 
 let us be the friends of free and candid enquiry, 
 fearless of the consequences, for it is the guardiaa 
 of truth, the enemy of ignorance, and the grave 
 of error. Yon seem, my friend, entirely to as- 
 sume the question in dispute ; you take it for 
 granted, that all who diffier from you, differ from 
 the Scriptures, and are therefore the enemies of 
 God and of truth, and in the high road to de- 
 struction : this, on enquiry, may not prove to be 
 true. It is contended that your's is a rasli con- 
 clusion, even should your general views be right ; 
 while the general views of others may, in some 
 measure, be wrong : errors of judgment are com- 
 patible with great goodness of heart, and the most 
 benevolent and praise worthy conduct. I (as you 
 well know) once thought as you do, and used to 
 contend for the same merciless conclusion with as 
 much positiveness, as though I had been some in- 
 fallible being, exempt from human error and hu- 
 man frailty. But after much dispassionate deli- 
 beration, I am fully convinced of my folly, and 
 do not hesitate to acknowledge and condemn the 
 rashness of my conduct; and am now as ready to 
 give my reasons why I think that mere mental 
 error is in itself innocent ; that all men, who fear 
 God, who are upright in their hearts and conduct, 
 after gaining the best information they can, will 
 not, however mistaken, be excluded from the fa- 
 vor of God ; " but that in every nation, he that 
 feareth God, and worketh righteousness, will be 
 accepted of him." I fully grant, that many of 
 the contenders for candor are too indifferent, and 
 do too often, by their conduct, abuse the subject 
 on which they speak; but this can prove or de- 
 cide nothing : for if the abuse of any thing be a 
 
14 
 
 suflficient argument against the use of it, we may 
 then discard every thing that is good or useful: 
 for wliat is there that has not Ix-cn abused. Is not 
 zeal hable to all the force of your own reasoning? 
 In my opinion it is, and to much stronger ob- 
 jections : for what enormities has not a furious 
 zeal led to? It has led to almost every evil word 
 and work. Yet zeal in itself, when accompanied 
 with wisdom, is the most laudable and useful: it 
 is the strength of the Christian, one of the noblest 
 qualities of his character, and is, in a capital sense, 
 the promoter of every thing that is excellent and 
 praiseworthy amongst men. Yet how many pro- 
 fessors of religion deceive themselves with it? 
 Many of whom, in their wrath, think themselves 
 actuated by zeal for truth, when, in fact, they 
 are only indulging their passions and natural tern* 
 pers, in support of some figment of their own, or 
 of human invention. This is not a mere con- 
 jecture — Only recollect how many great names 
 the page of history records, not to mention those 
 of our own times, who, in their time, acted for 
 years in support .of their respective systems with 
 the greatest zeal, and the most unbounded con- 
 fidence ; yet, after all, found it necessary to 
 change their views, and, with more humility, to 
 regret the rashness of their folly, and the into- 
 lerance of their dispositions. These facts suggest 
 a caution worthy of our notice, were we not in- 
 formed by higher authority that the *' wrath of 
 man worketh not the righteousness of God.'* 
 You may indeed alledge, that I am now speaking 
 of times and of conduct which we all equally con- 
 demn, and that you are no advocate for bitterness 
 or intemperate zeal. If that is granted, I must 
 beg of you also to recollect, that in pleading the 
 
15 
 
 cause of Christian candor, I am not contending 
 for indifference, much less for a dereliction of 
 principle, or inconsistency of conduct. Moderate 
 men are seldom favorites with the zealous partizans 
 of any sentiments, no, not even with those of 
 their own party. Serious young Christians, or 
 those of strong passions, may have more zeal and 
 fervor ; but men of principle, and of sober re- 
 flection, will generally be found to have more 
 firmness and steady virtue; that " sincerity is all 
 in all," is a maxim of which I cannot think well, 
 unless, indeed, it be previously attended with se- 
 rious honest enquiry ; and, when thus accom- 
 panied, I hold it worthy of all acceptation. The 
 other maxim, that if " people are only moral in 
 their conduct, all in the end will be well." A 
 morality which you describe as no better than the 
 mere negation of vice, is what, I fancy, no party 
 will approve of, as justly descriptive of the Christian 
 character, and is another instance of the great 
 necessity there is of rightly explaining terms and 
 ideas. I would much rather, for my own part, 
 that people were moral, than immoral, even though 
 they acted from the lowest of motives; not but 
 that the actions of men will either be approved of, 
 or condemned, and derive their chief value, ac- 
 cording to the goodness or purity of the motives 
 from which they proceed. Many writers, and 
 good men too, seem rather to separate morality 
 from religion, and to treat of it in an abstract 
 "Way, as if only a mere necessary api)endage to re- 
 ligion, — as though it, in itself, were altogether of 
 Heathen extraction, and possessed of nothing but 
 Pagan qualities. A pure moral life is the grand 
 effect and design of the Gospel, and of all reli- 
 gion. The wisdom, therefore, of continually 
 
16 
 
 tlisting'uishing between morality and religion, may 
 very justly be called in question, if not censured i 
 it would, perhaps, prove equally salutary and in- 
 structive, were they to endeavor to strengthen 
 the moral feelings, to raise their tone and vigor 
 by the impressive considerations which a practical 
 application of the principles of tlie Gospel supply. 
 It is true, men may appear to be moral in their 
 conduct, who yet care nothing about religion ; 
 but a pure active moral conduct, flowing from 
 Christian principles, is religion, and that too of 
 the most evangelical kind, llemember what our 
 Lord says to the lawyer — " Thou shalt love the 
 Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and thy neigh- 
 Lour as thyself : this do, and thou shalt livcj for 
 upon these two commandments hang all the law 
 and the prophets." In this trui}' consists the 
 sum of all moral excellence — the highest of all 
 human attainments; a practical attention to which 
 is at once the glory of men and of Christians* 
 But it is time to define what candor is — If I un- 
 derstand it aright, it is to be strictly guided by 
 truth — it is to think, and speak, and act to others 
 with that justice and fairness, that we would wish 
 others, on a change of circumstances, to act to- 
 wards us. If we ought then " to do to others, 
 as we would that others should do to us," we can 
 easily draw the line. We M'ould not Mish ourselves 
 to be avoided, and iield up as dangerous characters, 
 for a mere mistake in our judgments ; we would 
 not wish to have the worst of motives imputed to 
 us, for a simple difference of opinion, as being the 
 enemies of God, of religion, of government, and 
 of social order, &c. &c. No ! our hearts revolt 
 at such unworthy treatment, and at the unchristian 
 t>itterness and illiberality of such conduct ; and 
 
17 
 
 We lament that men, professing to be the disciples 
 of Christ, should be so grossly deceived in them- 
 selves, as to be such intire strangers to his spirit, 
 and so destitute of his conduct. We would rather 
 have a just and friendly construction put upon 
 our motives, and be judged fairly by our conduct. 
 This is certainly the treatment which we wish to 
 meet with ourselves ; if so, we ought impartially 
 to maintain it towards all who differ from us, and 
 this I take to be true Christian candor. This de- 
 finition of candor does not imply that we are to 
 tell people they are safe, when, by their conduct, 
 they cannot be safe — or that we are not to oppose 
 those we judge to be wrong — or those sentiments 
 we deem to be false. By no means. Every good 
 man is ready to destroy what he believes to be er- 
 I'or, and to disseminate what he believes to be 
 truth, as far and wide as possible ; but, at the 
 same time, he will be careful to strive lawfully — 
 he will cheerfully distinguish between errors and 
 crimes — and he will spare the man, while he re- 
 probates his principles. And while engaged in this 
 work he will reject the pernicious and deceitful 
 aid of intolerant passions and of unhallowed zeal; 
 the weapons of his warfare will not be carnal ; he 
 will not be satisfied with irritating declamation or 
 invidious argument, and then, with presumptuous 
 confidence, condemn all to }>erdition, who receive 
 not his dogmatical conclusions — No ! he will 
 know that nothing but light can change the ho- 
 nest mind, or alter its sentiments, — 'that, though 
 people may be frightened or awed into silence, 
 they are not thereby convinced, or made the 
 wiser. He will, therefore, in the pursuit of his 
 object, wisely reject all intemperate means : con- 
 fident in the omnipotent power of truth, and sa- 
 
 \ ' 
 
18 
 
 tisfiecl with the goochiess of his cause, he will leave 
 it to time, to its own efforts, and to fair and li- 
 beral reasoning, for its compleat victory over ali 
 error and prejudice. 
 
 Z. We must ever allow that the abuse of any 
 thin<>- can be no just argument against the thing 
 itself, and that candor or zeal, however good in 
 themselves, may be used very improperly. I wish 
 as much as any nian to be guided by truth and^ 
 reason ; l)ut I contend that the decisions of Scrip- 
 ture aie to be vintlicated, though our specious 
 reasoning and piety should fall to the ground. 
 The most pernicious notions have their advocates, 
 and may be rendered too plausible by sophistry, 
 apparent goodness, and piety ; but *' let God be 
 true, and every man a liar." You maintain that 
 whatever notions a man holds, if he has thought 
 for himself, and is moral in his conduct, let hia 
 creed be ever so absurd, that he may yet enter 
 into life and happiness. If this statement of 
 yours be true, why, truly, then there need not 
 be so much ado aljout the true faith and doc- 
 trine of the Gospel ; for though you allow that avc 
 ought to oppose those we jutlge to be wrong, and 
 refute what we deem to be false, yet if the sub- 
 jects of both v/ill be saved, if equally sincere, you 
 make little difference between truUi and error, and 
 thus you destroy the strongest motives to sucli 
 impoi tant exertion ; and however we may lament 
 the "div'crsity of sentiment that obtains in the 
 Christian world, and the many sects and parties 
 into which it is divided, the very existence of 
 which proves that there must be a great deal of 
 falshood and erroneous practice amongst them ; 
 yet on your ground there is, it seems, no great 
 cause for sorrow, anxiety, or active concern. 
 
Great numbers of them are, it must ])e confessed, 
 sincere, inquisitive, and moral, in their conckict, 
 and will, of course, in the end be saved. Now, 
 if this be the case, where, I would ask, is the 
 superiority of truth above eriM'? All parties, how- 
 ever Avrong, believe they are right ; and as they 
 have here the adv^antage of this conviction, and 
 if it will operate in no wise to their disadvantage 
 hereafter, where is their loss? What advantage 
 then hath the enlightened disciple of Christ, or 
 what profit is there in a right understanding of 
 the Gospel ? And though you allow that we ought 
 to oppose all we judge to be wrong, yet Avhy 
 should we ? Can correctness of sentiment be an 
 object worthy of the time and labor necessary to 
 procure it, even were it possible? And why, I 
 Avould ask, should we excite in them uneasiness, 
 and disturb their peace, when they, it seems, can 
 be saved as they now are, without a right know- 
 ledge of the Gospel ? Now, as they can but be 
 saved, why should we disturb them, is a question 
 that necessarily presents itself to our attention ? 
 And allow me farther to ask if this doctrine does 
 not generate indifference to religious truth, as well 
 as non-attention to principle, and to the injunc- 
 tion of Scripture, that we " contend earnestly for 
 the faith once delivered to the saints;" and if it 
 be not opening the doors of the Christian church 
 to an inundation of error, as every man may, as 
 his interest or inclination prompts him. indulge 
 his fancies, and introduce for religious truth the 
 reveries of an enthusiastic and lawless imagination? 
 Would it not be like deserting our posts, and be- 
 traying our Lord and his cause, to consider such 
 men Christians ? And why should yon, through a 
 culpable spirit of benevolence, or love of charity, 
 
 p 2 
 
20 
 
 endeavor to reconcile those v/ho ought not to be 
 unitt'd ? It is impossible that light and darkness, 
 truth and falsehood, should ever harmonize to- 
 gether. The union of the first Christians, and 
 thtiy were as wise and well taught as we are, wa? 
 not founded in sincerity, charity, or perhaps, in 
 general indifference, but in the belief of the 
 truth — This M^as the ground of their union— It 
 w ig they that believed, that were of one heart and 
 of one mind. There M'ere then, as well as now, 
 divisions and divers sentiments obtruded into the 
 church by various pretenders, but all were zealously 
 opposed by the apostles and the first ministers of 
 Christianity; and on the same ground, every dis- 
 ciple of Christ, every follower of the apostles, 
 will oppose all error, multiplied as it has been 
 from that day to this, with equal firmness and 
 constancy: for neither time nor custom can alter 
 the immutable nature of truth. 
 
 C The false, though specious reasoning and 
 piety of men, must never, certainly, be put in 
 Competition with the decisions of Scripture — -of 
 this I am as tenacious as you can be ; but we 
 must not thence absolutely conclude that all rea- 
 soning and piety are false which do not proceed 
 from our principles ; that would be to assume the 
 question in debate, as well as prove a total want 
 of candor in us. The Scriptures are our last ap» 
 peal ; but they are equally open to all parties ; and 
 one man has just as much right to think, judge, 
 and act for himself, as another. It is true, no- 
 tions the most erroneous can he rendered too 
 plausible, by sophistry and false reasoning ; but 
 to what do all such observations tend r As they 
 can be applied to one side just as well as to the 
 other, they of course can prove nothing. Although 
 
21 
 
 Ave allow tliafe sincere virtuous men of opposite 
 sentiments will be saved, yet we cannot perceive 
 how this conclusion can confound all natural dis- 
 tincfion between truth and error, or how it will 
 prove that there is no difference U: tM-een the man 
 ot panitul research, who has endured much, and 
 inade ihe most costly sacrifices for the love of 
 truth ; or that he wiU have no advantage over the 
 man of acquie.>cin2^ manners, who, without much 
 enquiry, thinks himself very religious, because he 
 zealously maint-ins the most popular system, or 
 the creed in which he was educated. No, the 
 very enjoyment of truth is a blessing in itself, 
 even in this life; and we are well assured it will 
 lead its, advocates to very superior blessings in the 
 life to come : while those good men, Mho have 
 been misled by error, will suffer loss, probably the 
 reward of their niisemployed labors, though the}^ 
 themselves shall be saved ; and though all good 
 men, all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in siii- 
 cerity, shall be saved, hoM^ever they may differ, 
 yet while some shall receive " an hundred fold," 
 others will only receive " thirty;" some the reward 
 of *' ten talents," and others only of " two " If^ 
 then, the favor of God will thus be dispensed ac- 
 cording to character, even amongst the righteous, 
 why should men talk of the non-importance of 
 principle? Is it not appealing to the passions and 
 prejudices of men, and taking an unfair advantage 
 of the argument itself, seeing that it supposes 
 that no man will enjoy the favor of God, unless 
 he be diligent to know the truth, and rid himself 
 of all error, and be upright and faithful to his 
 principks. Every serious man's principles are sa- 
 cred to himself, and however erroneous they may 
 be, he regards them as truth, and follows them 
 
♦«: 
 
 from that conviction. In this honest conduct, the 
 moral worth of his character consists ; he is under 
 an obligation to follow these until he sees better. 
 If men are not to obey what they conceive to be 
 truth, what are they to do? Would you contend 
 tliat they ought to act contrary to their convic- 
 tions? It is a painful truth that the honest mind, 
 misled by erroneous notions, is to a certain degree 
 subject to many doubts and much anxiety ; but 
 the man enlightened by truth is exempt from these 
 perplexities : he enjoys clear and exalted views of 
 truth, and of the divine character: light and con- 
 sistency produces in his mind the most happy and 
 placid effects. In this world, therefore, he enjoys 
 considerable advantages ; he is not in a state of 
 uncertainty — the prey of despondency, of fear- 
 ful apprehension, and painful feelings which but 
 too much occupy the thoughts and employ the 
 minds of those of less happy religious perceptions, 
 but in his mind light dispels every sullen gloom ; 
 he can serve and praise God with gratitude, con-^ 
 fidence, and love- — aspiring in the fulness of ex- 
 pectation to the purity, glory, and felicity of an 
 immortal life. The friend of truth, rugged as his 
 road may be, need not therefore be dismayed : — 
 great Avill be his recompence — his unbending inte- 
 grity and labor of love shall not be lost, nor for- 
 gotten. This exhilerating thought stimulates him 
 to persevere through evil and through good report 
 till his work be done, when he shall enter into his 
 rest, and receive his great and superior reward. 
 Truth M'ill always have her peculiar advantages ; 
 and if we disturb people, to bring them in a greater 
 or less degree from error to truth, from darkness 
 to light, from a state of anxiety and doubt to en- 
 joy that peace and confidence which a right know- 
 
S3 
 
 ledge of the Gospel inspires, let us disturb them 
 to make them wiser and happier, even in this life ; 
 that their hearts may be enlarged, that human, 
 happiness may be increased, and that God may 
 be worshipped in spirit and in truth. Moreover 
 divine truth lays all who possess her, under the 
 obligation of supporting her interest in the world : 
 an opposite conduct to this would wholly exclude 
 them from her favor, and the reward reserved 
 for the virtuous in the world to come — This sen- 
 timent therefore cannot be favorable to inditfer- 
 ence. The knowledge of truth discovers the divine 
 perfections, and promotes at once the glory of 
 God, and the happiness of his rational offspring : 
 v/hile the natural tendency of error and supersti- 
 tion is to corrupt the mind, and to fill it with lo\r 
 unworthy notions, both of God and man, and is 
 unfriendly to the moral improvement and happi- 
 ness of the world. And does not the thought, that 
 we by our conduct are promoting the honor of 
 Almighty God, the progress of truth, and the 
 happiness of man, furnish powerful motives to 
 action ; the efficacy of which, if duly felt, will 
 impel the honest and virtuous mind to exerl itself 
 to the utmost in the pursuit of objects so per- 
 fectly congenial to its own nature. How then 
 can the indulging a spirit of charity render men 
 indifferent to religious truth ? Can charity or can- 
 dor at all alter the nature of things on any sup- 
 position? Will not the mind pursue what it su- 
 premely loves? Were we on this point to appeal to 
 matters of fact, we might produce the names of 
 those who shine in the historic page as the wisest 
 and the best of men, who were the unwearied ad- 
 vocates of moderation and charity, and who, in- 
 stead of becoming indifferent to truth, on tliat 
 
24 
 
 jKioount, were her firmest friends; whose kborj 
 were the most abundant, and who devoted their 
 whole Hves and studies to the pursuit and il- 
 lustration of truth. Let this, Sir, iujpress your 
 wind, subdue your fears, and correct the pre- 
 judices qi' ail who think that unless a particular 
 creed be maintained, or exclusive salvation be 
 contended for, there must be indifference or want 
 of zeal. I cannot but think that you, and others 
 who support your arguments, are either deceived 
 by their delusive plausibility, or greatly misap- 
 prehend the reasoning which you o[)pobe. What 
 tio we say ; that God will accept the faith and 
 conduct of men void of principle and goodness, 
 let them be ever so ignorant, careless or perverse? 
 No ! We declare tlie just judgment and indigv 
 nation of God against all such characters, as zea- 
 lously and as stedfastly as you do ; but we arc 
 equally ready to declare that the faith of a virtuous 
 upright man, though filled with involuntary er- 
 rors, when he has used his best endeavors to rid 
 himself of error, and t.) believe according to truth, 
 will not be rejected of God. And how, I would 
 ask, can this countenance carelessness ? If iguo- 
 lance in any case be an excuse for one man, it 
 cannot be so for him who knows better, or who 
 easily may know better, but who, through mere 
 indifference, cares nothing at all about the mat- 
 ter; or if it be an excuse for him M'ho does his 
 best, however faulty or deficient he may be, it 
 cannot surely be equally so for him, who neither 
 thinks nor cares whether he be right or wrong. 
 If any man be indifferent about truth, he is not 
 xising his best endeavors to find it, which is quite 
 an opposite state of mind to that for which I am 
 contending ; or if a man knows the truth, and 
 
25 
 
 through indifference, or worldly rtiindedness, does 
 not obey it, or does not obey what he believes to 
 be truthj he is condemned in his own conscience, 
 of all good men, and in the sight of that God 
 who knoweth the heart ; but the honest niindj 
 however erroneous, that thinks itself right, and 
 rejoices in the thought, cannot, while its conduct 
 is good, be either condemned in itselfj or in the 
 sight of God ; and who, that attentively considers 
 in Avhat the moral worth of character consists, caii 
 deny this conclusion? You think that, were a spi- 
 rit of liberality generally indulged the Christian 
 church would l3e inundated with error. But is this 
 probable ? How does it appear that the most narrow 
 and rigid discipline can prevent the existence of 
 error, or the introduction of those offensive tenets 
 to which you may allude ? With all your severity, 
 they now prevail, and in those ages of the church, 
 when the least deviation from the established creed 
 was attended with anathemas, penalties, and 
 death; even then, diversity of sentiment was the 
 most whim-sical and abundant ; and it would be 
 equally vain to refer this to candor or charity, 
 as its cause ; for in those days of intolerant 
 darkness, they could hardly be said to exist. It 
 is not our business at present to point out the 
 causes of religious error ; that it abounds, is evi- 
 dent ; that great diversity of sentiment prevails, 
 is a fact — and can intolerance or illiberality pre- 
 vent it ? No, they have been tried ; they have 
 been weighed in the balance, and found wanting ; 
 the test of experience is against them. On the 
 contrary, it is contended that they have an actual 
 tendency to increase their growth, and prolong 
 their noxious existence, by whetting the animosity 
 of parties, and giving additional life and vigor 
 
to the spirit of prejudice and ill will, and theyeby 
 preventing the cheering intercourse of friendship, 
 and tliat candid and liberal discussion which would 
 fairly try the merits of every sentiinenty and enable 
 good men of every party to view each other with- 
 out prejudice and disgust, not as enemies^ but a3 
 mistaken brethren and fellow disciples^ of on« 
 common master. Thus, by bringing them toge- 
 ther in the spirit of Christian charity, to view each 
 other as friends, would the baneful spirit of pr^ 
 judice and of violence be subdued. The Gospel 
 would, then be its own witness — it w^ould triumph 
 in its peaceable effects— it would appear in all ita 
 Riild lustre and benevolent tendencies, and re- 
 commend itself to the best regards and warmest 
 affections of men. Whether this conduct would 
 not promote its interests in the world better than 
 party rage, animosity, jealousy, and a furioiB 
 irritating zeal, judge ye. We admit thai? a belief 
 of the truth was the ground of union among the 
 primitive Christians ; but is not even this carried 
 too far, when it is made to extend to an. agree- 
 ment in every particular? For the lirst Christian* 
 had their differences as well as we, even while 
 they were under "^the guidance of tbe Apostles ; 
 and who, amongst us, shall authoritatively decide 
 what is right and what is wrong, wlial is true 
 and what is false? The doctrines and matters 
 about which we differ though obscure to us, proba- 
 bly through the distance of time, the rcv(>lution 
 of circumstances, customs and language, early 
 or established prejudices, or other causes were- 
 not equally obscure to them. A belief of the 
 truth is, however, still the grountl of union 
 aniongst Christians; a sincere belief that the Cios- 
 pei is of divine origin ; that Jesus is the Messiah ; 
 
27 
 
 t%iat he taught the M'ill of God, and is the way, 
 the truth, and the life; that lie died for our sins, 
 and rose again for our justification ; that he as- 
 cended into heaven, and is appointed judge of the 
 world ; that there shall be a resurrection of the 
 just and of the unjust, and a day of righteous re- 
 tribution, when every man will be rewarded ac- 
 t!ordiug to his works. A belief of these facts is 
 all that the Scriptures require to cenjjtitute a man 
 a Christian, and these every sincere mind that 
 believes in the truth of Revelation, cordially re- 
 «ceives; and who has a right to deny such the title 
 of Christian ? For " whosoever believeth on him 
 hath everlasting life." — "He that believeth that 
 Jesus is the Christ, is born of God." — " Wc ought 
 therefore -to receive each other, even as Christ hath 
 received us." But now, the ground of union with 
 you, and others, is not a sincere belief of the 
 truth, or of these facts, but a belief of your par- 
 ticular explanations of them. Do you believe 
 this, and do you believe that? What are your 
 views of this subject, and of the other doctrine ? 
 are the common questions; and if any one can- 
 <tiot agree >with you, or satisfy you in all these 
 enquiries, he is then no Christian, though he 
 may cordially believe all that the Apostles taught 
 ^or christianit}'. But should we allow, for the 
 'Sake of argument, that your views are, in general, 
 just and scriptural, and oF course salutary and 
 important, for all their respective purposes ; yet it 
 may be asked. Is the understanding and belief of 
 all of them absolutely necessary to salvation, and 
 to the title of Christian ? If so, how do you a-c- 
 count for the conduct of the Apostles in receiving 
 such vast numbers into the church, on their sim- 
 ply professing upon the evidence of miracles, that 
 
 E 2 
 
2S 
 
 *' Jesus was the Christ?" By which means, thou- 
 i»andb were added to the church in the short space 
 pt a day. Now, we well know, that the shortness 
 of the time rendered it utterly impossible that 
 they shoidd have any knowledge whatever of those 
 particulars, which you the most insist upon. 
 Your conduct, therefore, is evidently at variance 
 with the Scripture account, and the Apostles prac- 
 tice ; and if, since their days no change has taken 
 place in the oeconomy of salvation, either they or 
 you nmst be wrong in this matter. What divine 
 authority do you produce to prove that your com- 
 ments and explanations are right, and must be 
 believed, without which a man cannot be a 
 Christiau? Can you give us " the signs of an 
 Apostle," work miracles, or prove that you are in- 
 fallible, and cannot be mistaken, like other men, 
 in the sense of Scripture ? If you cannot do this, 
 let other men, who have as good an opinion of 
 their own judgment as they have of yours, enjoy 
 the same right, M^hich you take to yourself, of 
 judging for themselves ; and if, on doctrinal and 
 speculative matters, we cannot agree, and on 
 which the most studious, uprijght, and conscien- 
 tious men disagree, we ought to agree to differ 
 and consider the practice of charity, righteous- 
 ness, and benevolence, which flow from Christian 
 principles — a just and proper foundation for mu- 
 tual forbearance and esteem, still endeavoring to 
 keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. 
 We grant that every follower of the Apostles will 
 '' contend earnestly for the faith once delivered 
 to the saints," but not intempcratply, though with 
 zeal and firmness. The lover of truth, indeed, 
 can do no other; no consideration can induce 
 him lO renounce his integrity. No ! he knows its 
 
29 
 
 worth. The world may frown upon him, darkness 
 may cover his path, every friend may fail him ; 
 but his integrity will never forsake him : in the 
 darkest scenes it will be a secret but never-failing 
 source of consolation and support ; and without 
 which, notwithstanding appearances to the con- 
 trary, his root would be as rottenness, his religion 
 would be hypocrisy, and heaven itself could yield 
 him no joy. But while " he is determined to 
 maintain his integrity so long as he lives," still he 
 is equally sensible how criminal and M'orthless that 
 man must be, M'ho, through a disgusting fond- 
 ness for singularit}'^, breaks asunder all the bands 
 of \mion, and through a pernicious rage for di- 
 vision, and for the vanity of becoming an object 
 of attention, would madly rush into all the depths 
 of contention and religious animosity. No ho- 
 nest man, however, can deliberately act this guilty 
 part. It" he is at all influenced by truth, and the 
 love of mankind, he wishes that his singularity, 
 if he has any, may be lost in the general reception 
 of his sentiments, that the world may receive all 
 then* supposed advantages, and to this point will 
 all his labors be directed. If I have trespassed 
 too long upon your attention, the subject must 
 plead my excuse. It is much easier to state ob- 
 jections than to remove them. Difficulties may 
 with great facility be multiplied and thrown to- 
 gether, and thus a mound may be speedily raised, 
 the demolition of which, however easy or practi- 
 cable, may nevertheless be a Avork both of time 
 and labor. 
 
 Z. I am sensible. Sir, that you are capable of 
 presenting very formidable reasons against what 
 you think wrong, as well as in support of what 
 you judge right ; but that may only prove, that 
 
3© 
 
 no sj'stera, however true, is exempt from ob- 
 jections. Whatever your sentiments may be at 
 present, you once thought as I do now, and had 
 as much to say for it then, as you have now to say 
 against it ; and if I have been steadier to my first 
 convictions, that ought not in any respect to 
 operate to my disadvantage. May I here be al- 
 lowed to notice what I have often observed?— 
 Tliat many people, who have eagerly engag^ed in 
 religious pursuits, have zealously held on for a 
 time, but either through the want of success have 
 cooled, or in their too great haste have run them- 
 selves out of breath; and then, as a means of re- 
 lief, they have been disposed to compromise mat- 
 ters, and adopt the conciliating language of mo- 
 deration, and then every thing has become irk- 
 some to them which in any wise interfered with 
 their accommodatory scheme. Others again, pos- 
 sessed of benevolent minds and strong affections, 
 are very frequently carried away by the strength 
 of their natural sympathies ; and deceive them- 
 selves through the warmth of their own feelings ; 
 their understandings are thus insensibly biassed, 
 and they very naturally magnify the evidence in 
 favor of their own sentiments, until it becomes 
 quite convincing ; and then, with this ill-acquired 
 confidence, they contend for those views M'hich 
 are the most grateful to their own minds. I would 
 not be so destitute of candor, as to give an ob- 
 servation of this kind an indiscriminate applica- 
 tion to the conduct of particular individuals who 
 may differ from me, though I have no kind of 
 doubt but a man may very honestly be deceived 
 in himself. A man engaged in rebellious warfare 
 may honestly think that he is fighting for his 
 lawful prince, and for the good of his country ; 
 
3Jr 
 
 but h-e may not be the less sure on that account 
 of losing his head on a block. A false faith leads 
 to a false and a wrong conduct A man may be 
 veiy religious and very clever, aad yet be in high 
 rebellion against heaven. Paul, no doubt, was 
 very honest and very sincere, when he wasted the 
 churches ; as were those who verily thought they 
 were doing God service by destroying his saints. 
 But how did their sincerity prove that they were 
 right, or approved of by God ? False notions are 
 capable of producing more extensive mischief 
 than erroneous practices : for while the former 
 can be circulated far and wide, the latter, on ac- 
 count of their local nature, are necessarily cir- 
 cumscribed within narrower bounds. Immorality 
 can deceive no one — its turpitude is instantly 
 acknowledged and condemned. But pernicious 
 doctrines aie not so easily detected ; they lurk 
 unseen, and corrupt the mind unobserved ; they 
 deceive and bewilder the understanding, and 
 greatly indispose it for the relish and reception of 
 truth. These remaiks, I suspect, have some re- 
 lation to our subject, and to that prevailing libe- 
 rality of sentiment which I oppose, and which, in 
 my opinion, throws a strong reflection upon the 
 Scriptures, or upon the Author of them. It re- 
 duces them to a state of comparative insignifi- 
 cance, just to mean any thing, or nothing, ac- 
 cording to the various prejudices and conceptions 
 of men. The sacred Scriptures are not dark, and 
 incapable of explanation : they have one certain 
 specific meaning, and on all subjects connected 
 "with salvation are expressive and intelligible. 
 Now, if God, in his intinite goodness and love, 
 has condescended to make known his will to 
 men, that they might be made wise and happy ^. 
 
:55 
 
 and if tiicj' do not receive it, in the love of it, 
 agreeal)le to its design, they surely act a culpable 
 part, and their crime consist's either in their neg- 
 ligence, or in blindly following their prejudices 
 and human instruction, instead of learning their 
 religion from heaven ; and though I do not pre* 
 tend to have the powers of an Apostle, or to be 
 infallible, yet I cannot easily be mistaken in the 
 above conclusion ; and I am afraid that it is con- 
 venient prejudices M'hich, in too many instances, 
 make people what they are. They " look more 
 at the things which are seen, which are temporal, 
 than they do at the things which are not seen, 
 which are eternal in the heavens." It is admitted 
 that the Apostles offered life and salvation to men 
 on their professing to believe that " Jesus was the 
 Christ;" but we ought to enquire what these 
 words mean. They mean surely, that in " believ- 
 ing in him," or in receiving him as the Christ, 
 you are to receive his doctrines, instructions, and 
 practice. They imply, tliat you are to receive him 
 in these views, and in his various offices and cha- 
 racters, and to trust in him, and yield an entire 
 obedience to his authority, which is surely some- 
 thing very different from honestly believing that 
 he was no impostor, but really the Messiah, while 
 you may be still blinded in the spirit of your 
 mind, or reposing on the lap of carnal security, 
 through the- darkness which may be in you. The 
 first Christians certainly did not fully understand 
 all these truths at the lirst; yet they were received 
 into the church, where they were, by its laM's and 
 instructions, to be disciplined and taught them, 
 under the authority of the Apostles themselves ; 
 and their conduct is a safe and sullicient guide for 
 us in all tbese cases. 
 
33 
 
 C It is granted, Sir, that many, in their too 
 great religious zeal, have run themselves out of 
 breath, and grown faint and weary in their minds ; 
 while others have, without any proper argument, 
 been changed or deceived, either through .he 
 warmth ot their feelings, or other causes, and 
 thereby have been induced to adopt another kind 
 of language than what they formerly held. This 
 is what has happened in all ages of the Christian 
 church ; but would any man, on that account, 
 be so unjust, not to say ridiculous, as to argue 
 from thence, that no man, who has been a bigot, 
 or supported any notion in ignorance, can become 
 sensible, candid, and liberal, from reflection and 
 principle? Without judging or scrutinizing too ri- 
 gidly the motives of the conduct of others, we 
 ourselves profess to be guided by reaspn and evi- 
 dence, and let us be judged of according to our 
 arguments and conduct ; though even these, we 
 may observe, are liable to mistake and misrepre- 
 sentation, as they not unfrequently appear in dif- 
 ferent points of view to different persons. It never 
 can, however, be any discredit to a Christian to 
 liave the spirit of his master, or to " let his mo- 
 deration be known unto all men." That men may 
 intend well while they deceive themselves, and 
 even into the commission of cringes, is fully ad- 
 mitted; but whatever connection there may be 
 between principle and practice, with the latter, I 
 at present have little to do. The Scriptures most 
 decidedly condemn every action that is contrary 
 to justice and the love of our neighbour. The 
 wasting rage of Saul of Tarsus, with the more ex- 
 ecrable conduct of those who would murder men 
 for the honor of God, are alike subjects of repro- 
 bation and horror. Might it not be urged, that 
 
 F 
 
as Paul obtainerl mercy, because he did it igno* 
 rantly in unbelief, why may not those of less atro- 
 cious conduct, and of equal sincerity, or rather 
 of exemplary conduct, obtain forgiveness for mere 
 errors of faith? The divine goodness was not in 
 his particular case exhausted, — the source of mercy 
 was not thereupon dried up. Nor was that the 
 only instance in which the divine compassion 
 could be exerted. Tlie Gospel, however, affords 
 not one precept or example that can give the least 
 sliade of authority for cruelty, or committing per- 
 sonal violence upon men on religious accounts. 
 As I am not speaking of practice, nor of the in- 
 nocence of immoral or irreligious conduct, but of 
 mere mental error in the serious mind, your me- 
 taphor I must consider as somewhat misapplied; 
 for though a man may lose his head for rebellious 
 conduct, he can hardly be in much danger for 
 mere thinking, even should his thoughts be 
 wrong. That a false faith leads to a false con- 
 duct, is a maxim that has considerable weight in 
 the minds of many religious people ; and though 
 in a few instances it may be admitted, yet in re- 
 lation to our subject it is extremely fallacious, and 
 absolutely false. We know, from undoubted au- 
 thorities, that there have appeared amongst all 
 parties of Christians, characters possessed of the 
 most noble and amiable qualities — of the most 
 pure and benevolent hearts — of the most exem- 
 plary and praiseworthy conduct; and it is only 
 the narrow prejudiced mind that hesitates to admit 
 of this conclusion. Real moral excellence is ex- 
 clusively confined to no party: it can exist under 
 different names, and with multiformity of opinion, 
 and wherever found, will be admired and respected 
 bv the enlig*htened and viituous u^Iiul. The 
 
35 
 
 Gospel is a rule of life, as well as a system of 
 doctrines. The latter supply energy and motives 
 to the former. Its hopes and promises, its threat** 
 enings, and moral instructions, are common to 
 all parties, and these are the great operating prin- 
 ciples upon the human mind. Pernicious notions 
 can do much mischief; but I cannot admit that 
 their existence is at all ascribable to candor, or 
 liberality of sentiment. Much less can I perceive 
 how they can reflect upon the Scriptures, or re- 
 duce them to a state of uncertain insignificance, 
 to mean any thing or nothing, according to the 
 various prejudices of men. I earnestly contend 
 that the Scriptures are plain and determinate in 
 their meaning; and on those subjects which re- 
 spect salvation and doing the will of God, are le-? 
 vel to the meanest capacities ; but whether we can 
 agree in what is their plain and simple meaning, 
 lor not, is another question — Most probably every 
 man's views of them appear at least plain to him- 
 self. It has long been the language of religious 
 tyranny, and of excessive confidence, as well as 
 the plea of all persecutors, that if you do not re- 
 ceive them in a given sense, you then vilify the 
 Scriptures, and destroy their meaning, and of 
 course are an enemy to both God and man. But 
 I submit it to your better judgment, whether so- 
 ber criticism, free discussion, and calm reasoning,^ 
 are not likelier to discover their meaning, and to 
 establish their design in the minds of serious and 
 enquiring men, and thus promote their union andt 
 the knowledge of truth, than the ignorant, rude, 
 and overbearing voice of dogmatism ? But without 
 enquiring into Mhat may very properly be termed, 
 between us, the previous question (for that would 
 }ead us from pur present subject), viz. What are 
 ' ■ F 2 
 
36 
 
 the false notions to which you allude, and who 
 they are who hold them ? I will venture to say, 
 that niuch of the difficulty, uncertainty, and un^ 
 happiness, attending this single, though truly im-r 
 portant consideration, is owing to you and others 
 placing salvation on other terms than those on 
 which the Apostles placed it. You make salvation, 
 to depend on the agreement and belief of what 
 you call the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel. 
 Now, it is very evident, that every other party 
 has an equal right with yourself to insist upon the 
 belief of what it judges to be the fundamentals 
 of the Gospel ; and it is equally true, that >vhat 
 one party considers to be fundamental doctrines, 
 another views as very pernicious errors. Where 
 then, in this dilemma, are we to draw the line ? 
 Each party expresses itself with a confidence bor- 
 dering upon infallibility; and although they allow 
 that others are liable to err, they seem not to 
 suspect that they themselves may draw hasty and 
 unwarrantable conclusions, and that no man has 
 any right to prescribe rules of faith, or to judge 
 for another — That would be to become law- givers 
 in the church, and to assume an authority ini- 
 mical to the rights and honors of Jesus Christ. 
 The honest belief of the simple proposition, " that 
 Jesus is the Christ," on the profession of which 
 men \vere baptized and received into the church 
 ^t the first preaching of the Gospel, was all that 
 the Apostles required men to believe, in order to 
 become Christians ; and what right has any man 
 to require more ? Ought he not solemnly to pause 
 before he in.^ist upon other terms of salvation thai) 
 what the New Testament teaches? For " other 
 foundation can no man lay than that is laid, that 
 Jesus is the Christ, " To believe on the Lord 
 
sr 
 
 Jesus was the faith by which sinners were saved, 
 by which the Apostles converted men from the 
 error of their ways, and brought them to the 
 practice of hohness, to the service and worship of 
 the only true God. This was a faith worthy of 
 God, because wisely adapted to the situation and 
 capacity of man, affording happiness and security 
 to the unlearned, as well as to the wise and stu- 
 dious, to the poor, as well as to the rich. This 
 you seem constrained to grant, but you very sig- 
 nificantly enquire what these words mean ? They 
 mean most certainly^, that we are in believing that 
 Jesus is the Messiah, or the Son of God, to sub- 
 mit to his authority, receive his instructions, and 
 obey his will. But every man ought to read and 
 judge for himself what these are : he ought not to 
 be dictated to by his fellows, who have no more 
 right so to do than he has to dictate to them. 
 To explain what the above plain proposition means, 
 has been the work of learning and of ages ; and 
 attending to what has been said or written on the 
 subject, we perceive that it can be made to mean 
 all that the most copious creeds and articles of 
 the different sects and parties of Christendom con- 
 tain, however much they may differ one from 
 another. Thus, that which at the first was the 
 most simple, has become, through time and ex- 
 planations, the most complex and intricate thing- 
 imaginable. Men have so darkened divine coun- 
 sel by words without knowledge, that, as has been 
 well observed, the simplicity of the first times of 
 the Gospel has been intirely destroyed, and it 
 jiow becomes a matter of much subtilty and wit 
 to be a Christian. But if none were to be consi- 
 dered safe but those who believe every thing 
 ajight, when we reflect on the various definitions 
 
38 
 
 given by the different parties of tMe Christiait 
 world, we might justly exclaim, *' Who then can 
 be saved r" For " Who can understand his errors?" 
 Very few indeed believe alike in every thing; and 
 Tft'hat man can say that he has no errors of senti- 
 ment remaining? but if he can still hope notwith- 
 standing, and frame excuses for involuntary error 
 in himself, why not do so for another man, as well 
 as for himself,' who may be equally deserving, 
 equally conscientious, sincere, and upright? 
 
 Z. I readily allow, from what you have just 
 observed, that there are great difficulties in the 
 way, indeed, in absolutely fixing' what are the 
 fundamentals necessary to be believed before a 
 man can be saved. There are many useful and 
 imjX)rtant truths, the belief and understanding of. 
 •\i'hich may not be immediately needful to that 
 end, and which would, I am M'ell persuaded, if 
 insisted upon, greatly thin our ranks, if not re- 
 duce most of our churches to mere skeletons ; for 
 the studious and intelligent amongst any party 
 are comparatively few indeed. There must, not- 
 withstanding, be in every man's mind a line of 
 distinction drawn somewhere between what is ne- 
 cessary and what is not, to be believed and prac- 
 tised, in order to salvation ; and delicate as the 
 &ul)ject confessedly is, whatever any man con- 
 ceives to be the sense of the Scriptures upon it, 
 a love of truth, and a sense of duty, equally in- 
 duce him to support; however narrow and' un- 
 accommodating it makes him appear in the eyes of 
 men. If God in his revealed word has described 
 the faith and worship that are agreeable to his 
 M ill, and enjoined the observance of them upon 
 men, on pain of his displeasure, all other modes 
 qf faith and worship must be rejected as fahe^ 
 
39 
 
 every deviatton from the rule prescribed must bs 
 condemned by him ; and though men may have 
 some right ideas on some common subjects, yet 
 if their hearts are not renewed and made alive to 
 God by the power of truth, if their minds are not 
 enlightened by the light of life to feel and appre- 
 hend the nature of that spiritual worship whicU 
 God requires, they are yet in their sins ; and whilst 
 in that state, let them believe what they may, 
 they are deceived and lost in that carnal, wordly, 
 insensibility of mind, which their ignorance and 
 folly inspires. To pretend, therefore, any other 
 charity for such persons, in such situations, thaa 
 that which would readily attempt their conversion, 
 Avould only be contributing to their delusion, by 
 fixing in them a false hope : it would be using to 
 them the language of deception, as the serpent 
 did to our mother Eve, when he told her, that if 
 she broke the divine command by eatins; the for- 
 bidden tree, she should not surely die. We all 
 Hnow however, by experience, what truth there 
 "was in the assurance. Let us be careful that we do 
 not cry — " Peace, peace, to those to whom there 
 is no peace, lest sudden destruction come upon 
 them as travail upon a woman with chikl, and 
 there be none to deliver them." A nominal belief 
 in, or profession of Jesus being the Christ, is not 
 sufficient : this men, in general, believe, without 
 deriving any good from it. The Jews, as you 
 well know, believed in Moses, professed the great- 
 est attachment to him, thought that they had 
 eternal life in their Scriptures ; yet they rejected 
 the Messiah, the substance of those very Scrip- 
 tures, and made them and the law, in which they 
 boasted, of no effect, by their traditions. But 
 they were, notwithstanding their great pretensions, 
 
40 
 
 devoted to destruction, and involved m inevitable" 
 ruin and disgrace. Let their fate be a warning ta 
 professing Christians, that they do not, by an in- 
 attention to the divine commands, expose them- 
 selves to the wrath to come. 
 
 C If, Sir, you cast a thought to what has been* 
 advanced during our agreeable conversation, you^ 
 will, I think, be convinced that I have already 
 answered the substance of your last remarks. W& 
 all admit, that every thinking man must have 
 a mind of his own, and whatever he conceives 
 to be the sense of the Scriptures, that he is bound 
 to support, though it should cost him ever so dear, 
 and lead bim to differ from all the world beside. 
 This consideration, you think, justifies you in 
 maintaining that narrow uncharitable spirit, which 
 is conceived to be inimical to the very genius and 
 spirit of the Gospel, and which, if I am right, 
 exposes you to the justest censure, without your 
 reflecting at the same time with consistent candor 
 that the very same sentiment equally justifies 
 every other man who may differ from yourself. 
 It is granted that your conduct may be very con- 
 sistent with your present views, but it must be 
 ecpially proper in me, who think that your views- 
 of the sense of Scripture are wrong, to endeavor 
 to convince you that they are so, and even to ar- 
 gue on that supposition. However, your views- 
 can only affect your own mind; they cannot be 
 equally binding to the mind of another. The 
 Scriptures a'lone describe the faith and worship 
 which is true and acceptable to God. But is it 
 for you, or any fallible man, to make the assump- 
 tion, and say, I only am wise unto salvation, and 
 worship God aright with acceptable worship, while 
 all others who differ from me are wrong, and are- 
 
41 
 
 rejected of him? Allowing that you have far juster 
 conceptions of truth than others, is it for you to 
 say that a gracious God cannot receive the sin- 
 cere, though imperfect services of his creatures, 
 who may err unknowingly through mere igno- 
 rance or infirmity ? Would not that man be con- 
 sidered cruel, and destitute of affection, who 
 should treat his. children or dependants with the 
 utmost severity for an unintentional error, whilst 
 doing their utmost to serve iiim ? How careful 
 ought we to be how we impute a conduct to the 
 God of wisdom and goodness, which would re- 
 duce the man guilty of it to the lowest degrada- 
 tion of human characters. Invincible ignorance, 
 or invincible necessity or prejudice, must ever be 
 an available plea in the court of heaven ; where 
 voluntary sins, or errors only, which are the re- 
 sult of negligence, evil habits and motives, will 
 alone be condemned by a good and a righteous 
 God. With such persons as are yet in their sins, 
 who are strangers to the renovating power of re- 
 ligion, our subject, as we have repeatedly ob- 
 served, has nothing to do. The only charity 
 which can do them any good, is certainly that 
 which is the best calculated to bring them to a 
 sense of their danger, and to convert them from 
 the error of their ways to the knowledge and ser- 
 vice of God. Of these we are well convinced, 
 that the mere profession of the Christian name 
 can render them no service, but rather aggravate 
 their condemnation, as they knew, or might have 
 known their Lord's will, but did it not. It is 
 much to be regretted, that you and others, whp 
 speak on this subject, neither think nor speak with 
 sufficient calmness and discrimination ; for want 
 of which, you fail to do justice to your opponents, 
 
 o 
 
42 
 
 and are not unfrequently letl to confound tlic 
 just distinction tliat there is between invi)luntary 
 errors of the mind, and voknitary errors of con- 
 duct, which, in their nature and consequences, 
 are quite two distinct things. A man may have 
 strong doubts, or even very erroneous ideas of 
 some doctrines, and yet be very clear respecting 
 the path of duty. Nay, the very perplexities 
 which he experiences respecting the former, may 
 induce him to attend with the greater diligence 
 to those things in which he cannot be mistaken ; 
 and hence all arguments drawn from the language 
 of the serpent, or the conduct of the Jews, are 
 irrelevant ; and besides the question, for both his 
 language and their conduct were voluntary, and 
 knowingly contrary to positive divine law. The 
 Jews, according to all accounts, \vere in our 
 Lord's time grossly deficient, both in religious and 
 moral conduct ; and if the conduct-of those, which 
 j'ou are so ready to condemn, was like to theirs, 
 or was less laudable and becoming then your 
 own, then indeed your reasoning might be ad- 
 mitted ; but the Jews were not condemned for a 
 simple error of judgment, while their hearts were 
 sincere, and their conduct upright, which is our 
 only point of discussion. On the contrary, Na- 
 thaniel received the praise of Jesus, even whilst he 
 was prejudiced against him, being misled by a 
 local proverb, " that no good thing could come 
 out of Galilee." But however depraved the Jews 
 might have been, that was not so much the imme- 
 diate ^ause of their destruction, as their rejection 
 'of the Messiah, notwithstanding the many splen- 
 did miracles which he wrought, to prove that he 
 was, indeed, " the Christ that should come into 
 ^he world." As he says himself, " If I had iK5t 
 
43 
 
 clone among you the works wliich no other man 
 did, llien had ye been without sin, but now your 
 sill remaineth." It was for this th?.t their house 
 was left unto them desolate, and that God casl 
 them off from being his people. Had they cor- 
 dially received him as the IMessiah, thousih their 
 sins had been as the sand on the sea-shore, they 
 would have been blotted out, and forgiven them ; 
 but they not only evaded the force of positive in- 
 stitutions, but they had also corrupted the purity 
 of the moral law, and through their worldly mind- 
 ed ness had explained all the prophetic descriptions 
 of the Messiah's reign and character to centre in 
 that of a merely temporal prince. Thus their 
 minds were blinded, and they lost sight of tlie 
 very end of their dispensation, and of the sense 
 of Scripture, and thus " made them of no effect 
 by their traditions." But with what truth or jus- 
 tice can this mode of reasoning be applied to vir- 
 tuous and upright men, M^ho may entertain dif- 
 ferent views from us, who love and serve God, 
 and whose hfe and chief happiness is in the hope 
 of enjoying a glorious immortality in another 
 >vorld ; and who, for the sake of it, and rather 
 than forego their hopes, would make any sacrifice, 
 however costly ? Nor can there be any reason to 
 doubt their sincerity. Only look back, and see 
 with what patience and Christian fortitude men 
 hav^e suffered the loss of all things, and even of 
 life itself, who yet thought very differently indeed 
 from us on some doctrinal and circumstantial 
 matters appertaining to religion. If a holy life, 
 and a godly conversation in Christ Jesus, in hope 
 of eternal life, be the effect and end of our faith, 
 then those, whatever be their particular sentiments, 
 who act from these principles, and Avho arc truly 
 
 G 2 
 
44 
 
 sincere and exemplary in their conduct, can ne- 
 ver, in truth, be said, like the depraved Jews, to 
 have lost sight of the end of the dispensation, 
 and to have made the Christian Scriptures of no 
 effect — No 1 its best effects are already visible in 
 their lives antl conversation ; and such give the 
 best evidence — that they keep steadily in view the 
 grand desitzn of the Gospel dispensation, which 
 was to " Teach men to deny all ungodliness and 
 Avorldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, 
 and godly, in this present world, looking for that 
 blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the 
 great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who 
 gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from 
 all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar 
 people, zealous of good works. This, in one view, 
 is the end and design of the Christian dispensation; 
 and God, who is wise and good, and free from 
 our narrow prejudices, will judge all men accord- 
 ing to conduct and character, and honest endea- 
 vors ; and therefore can neither save nor destroy 
 men for mere speculation, whether right or wrong. 
 But 
 
 " To fear his power, to trust his grace, 
 Is our divinest skill ; 
 And he's the wisest of our race, 
 Who best obeys his will" — 
 
 L^t us not contend for faith at the expence of 
 charity — Every diversity of sentiment or departure 
 from established or particular views, is not a de- 
 parture from Christianity. " To love one ano- 
 ther," — *' To love like brethren," is the grand in- 
 junction of our Lord, and the very badge of 
 Christianity ; but men have ever been prone to 
 •substitute something in the place of the Gospel 
 itself. Thus, in every age, men have been forward 
 
45 
 
 to lay great stress on faith and feeling, on cere- 
 monies and positive institutions, rather than on 
 I'irtue, purity, and goodness; so much easier is it 
 to learn articles, doctrines, and notions of reli- 
 gion, and to contend for them, than to subdue 
 our passions, and bring " every thought and 
 imagination into subjection to the law of Christ.'* 
 But it is too observable, that men who contend 
 furiously for faith, generally lose sight of charity, 
 and of the amiable, courteous, and benevolent 
 spirit of the Gospel; and when this violent dispo- 
 sition has been suffered to prevail, instead of the 
 Gospel humanizing and ameliorating the condition 
 of mankind according to its benevolent design, 
 it has, in evil hands, and by misguided men, 
 been made, under specious pretences, the inno- 
 cent cause of the most enormous evils. 
 
 Z. It must, no doubt, be the ardent desire of 
 every lover of truth, . and of good men, to see 
 a better understanding and greater unanimity 
 amongst the professors of the Gospel, as public 
 good, individual happiness, and the honor of re- 
 ligion, would thereby be greatly promoted; but 
 however desirable that event, it must not be sought 
 for at the expence of duty and of truth. That 
 serious men, of whatever party, mean well, can- 
 not fairly be disputed. It cannot be conceding 
 too much to grant that they all have intentionally 
 at least one object in view, and all equally aim at 
 promoting what they conceive to be the cause of 
 truth — the good of mankind, and the honor of 
 Almighty God, however far they may miss in ac- 
 complishing it. The great unpopularity of some 
 of their views, and the odium and disadvantage 
 which they on that account sustain, sufficiently 
 evince their sincerity. It is an injunction of 
 
46 
 
 hi<rh aiitliority that we should '^ love as brethren," 
 and '* be kindly affectionate one towards another;" 
 and it we are guilty of a breach of this command, 
 it is certainly a charge of a very serious nature. 
 But wc are not enjoined to love the enemies of 
 Christianity as brethren, or as fellow-disciples, nor 
 can charity itself require that we should ; and such 
 wc conceive those to be, who, in our opinion, 
 *' preach another Gospel," than that which the 
 New Testament contains ; or, at least, they so 
 change and distort it, that it, as we conceive, 
 appears no longer to be the same. It may not be 
 done intentionally, but that does not at all alter 
 the nature of the case. We still read with awe 
 and submission, that *'ifany man (however pi- 
 ous or learned), or even an angel from heaven, 
 preach any other Gospel than that which the 
 Apostles preached, let him be accursed." This 
 serious and impressive language must be our apo- 
 logy, if we need any, especially when we hear 
 again Paul testifying to the Galatian converts, 
 *' That if they were circumcised, Christ should 
 profit them nothing." Thus, by their deviating 
 in one instance only, they were exposed to lose 
 all the blessings of the Gospel. If you can prove 
 that these important and alarming considerations 
 do not closely apply to our question, then cer- 
 tainly my views of it will be materially affected. 
 
 C. When any one undertakes to explain the 
 will of heaven, or to teach divine truth unto men, 
 he ought most certainly to be well persuaded in 
 his own mind, that he is qualified for the task, by 
 possessing the simple genuine sense of the apostolic 
 writings. To err here, or to teach another Gos- 
 pel, is truly an alarming consideration ; but this 
 reflection applies to one party, just as well as to 
 
47 
 
 another, all of whom probably in their turn have 
 made and received the charge of deviating from 
 the simplicity of the Gospel. Some deviations 
 may, in their consequences, be of such a capital 
 nature, as to prevent the persons who labor under 
 them from deriving any great good from their 
 profession. Thus, the Galatian converts, who 
 were circumcised, and who sought for compleat 
 justification from the law, could not for that rea- 
 son enter into the pure and generous spirit of the 
 Gospel : for, according to the tenor of the law, 
 whoever v^as circumcised was, by that very act, a 
 -debtor, to observe the whole of its ritual service, 
 just as a man baptized into the name of Christ 
 lays himself thereby under an obligation to obey 
 the Gospel. The former, therefore, while under 
 the law, observing its burthensome ceremonies, 
 were still under the yoke of bondage, and of course 
 could receive no advantage from that law of li- 
 berty wherewith Christ had made them free. 
 They thus excluded themselves from its privileges: 
 for without depending on it alone for salvation, it 
 could " profit them nothing." This, I conceive, 
 is the nature Of the Apostles reasoning. It could 
 not be that the simple act of circumcision, ab- 
 stractedly considered, had this deadly or disad- 
 vantageous effect j otherwise Paul would not, from 
 motives of mere policy, have circumcised his son 
 Timothy. He could not intend that *' Christ 
 should profit him nothing," or that Timothy, by 
 that one act, should have no share in the blessiiigs 
 of the Gospel, though one of its ablest ministers. 
 I cannot, therefore, admit of your arguments, or 
 that they have any decisive influence upon our 
 question ; much less can I see the practicabilitv of 
 apj)lying them to individuals, or to bodies of men ; 
 
48 
 
 for who, in the Christian world, can be said to 
 be in the same circumstances, and to be acting 
 from the same motives with the Judaizing teachers 
 above noticed? But without enquiring what re- 
 semblance there may be between those who sought, 
 in the very face of the Apostles, to pervert the 
 Galatian churches, and those in our day, to whom 
 you or others might refer or charge with the same 
 conduct, we ought to ask, Are you, and others, 
 who thus " judge another man's servants," Apos- 
 tles, or do you possess their powers? Are you, 
 like them, " divinely inspired?" Canyon "work 
 miracles," or "discern the spirits of men?" If 
 you cannot exhibit the " signs of an Apostle," 
 we cannot allow of your infallibility, — you are in- 
 competent to judge, and ought not to assume 
 their tone or authority. You may, indeed, be 
 Avell satisfied with your own views, and be con- 
 fident in your own mind that you are right ; still 
 others are equally confident, who yet diifer the 
 widest from your conclusions. You charge them 
 ■with being deluded, and in error : they retort the 
 charge, and with equal confidence. And what 
 are the feelings of your mind under it ? For, by a 
 reference to your OMai mind, you will be able to 
 judge of the state of others in the same situation. 
 Judge not rashly. The success of truth does not 
 depend on your intemperate zeal — " It is might}% 
 and must prevail ;" but it requires time. Though 
 slow in its progress, its triumph is sure. The full 
 delineation of principles and characters cannot 
 take place all at once, nor can we see to the end 
 of them. " We see only in part," and may see 
 some things amiss and imperfectly. Modesty, 
 therefore, and the thought that it is possible, at 
 least, that we may be mistaken in our judgments, 
 
49 
 
 ought to deter lis, as Christian men, froni pte^- 
 sumptuously interfering with the prerogative of 
 him who will '* bring to light the hiddeii things 
 of darkness," — " Who will judge the world in 
 righteousness," and who cannot be mistaken; 
 Rather let us regard the voice of Scripture, where 
 its language is the plainest, when it exhorts us 
 *' to judge not," — " To judge nothing before the 
 time;" and when it asks, with a well timed seve- 
 rity, " Who art thou that judgest another man's 
 servant ; to his own master he standeth or falleth?" 
 The conduct of our Lord ought here to be our 
 pattern. What uniform goodness, gentleness, and 
 forbearance, adorned his character ! When two of 
 his disciples, in their great zeal for his honor, were 
 for calling fire from heaven to destroy those who 
 did not receive him, he reproved them, and de- 
 clared that he " came not to destroy men's lives, 
 but to save them." When the disciples were sent 
 to preach, they saw a man teaching in the name 
 of Jesus, and they " forbade him," because, said 
 they, " he followeth not with us ;" but Jesus said, 
 *' forbid him not, for they that are not against 
 us are for us:" and Paul could rejoice that the 
 name of Christ was preached, even though it were 
 preached out of envy, with the view of adding 
 " affliction to his bonds." Let these examples 
 admonish intolerant men, who cannot bear that 
 the name of Christ should be preached, though 
 from motives of purity, affection, and love, by 
 any persons v/ho follow not Avith them. The Gos- 
 pel is a tolerant system, which forbids every spe- 
 cies of persecution, even that of the tongue. 
 The spirit which it breathes throughout is that of 
 benevolence and love. If \vt would therefore ad- 
 Vance the real interests of the Gospel, it must be- 
 
 n 
 
50 
 
 4n its own spirit — in the spirit ot* Jesus Christ, in 
 patience, meekness, and love, " instructing those 
 who oppose themselves." A proud domineering 
 spirit can do no credit to any man, but is a dis- 
 grace to a Christian. The very thought, that 
 we should, after all our confidence, be found 
 wrong, and all our labor and bustling zeal should 
 come to worse than nothing, and only end in our 
 confusion, in the detection of our rash judgment, 
 our bigotry, and narrowness of mind, — when it 
 may appear that we have impeded, rather than 
 facilitated the diffusion of knowledge, and the in- 
 crease of the spirit of purity and love. This very 
 thought, remote as it may appear, ought to teach 
 us more discretion and soberness of mind, and to 
 be disposed, even of ourselves, " to judge nothing 
 before the time." At least, if we must judge, let 
 us put the most favorable construction on the con- 
 duct of others that circumstances will allow. 
 *' God will judge the world in righteousness," 
 not according to their sentimeuts or opimons, but 
 *' according to their ziwrh.'" — " lie will give to 
 every man according to his deeds.'" This, you 
 well know, is the uniform language of Scripture; 
 let us act on the same principle. A man who 
 habitually practices goodness is a good man — 
 " lie that doeth good is good." — " Pie thatdoeth 
 righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous." 
 If then men will be judged according to character, 
 not seiillment, this consideration, if 1 am not mis- 
 taken, will, on your ground, be unanswerable ; 
 for, surely, if we must judge, we ought to be 
 guided by that great principle of judgment by 
 which God will judge the world. 
 
 Z. I must freely own, my good Sir, that I can- 
 liot resist the force of your reasoning; and, fur 
 
51 
 
 the future, shall accustom myself to reflpct more 
 on this matter, for the better instruction and sa- 
 tisfaction of my own mind. It is much to be re- 
 gretted, that the attention of the serious world 
 has not been more directed to this subject, and to 
 the discussion of its merits. I have not con- 
 tended for the sake of contention, the praise of 
 victory, or the more confined interests of a party; 
 and as I never M'ish to cherish any sentiment 
 without having some reasons to support it, whe- 
 ther strong or M'eak, I have endeavored, 1 trust, 
 from a love of truth, and a sense of the interests 
 which this question involves, to state the strong- 
 est arguments which occurred to my mind upon it. 
 In order to hear what you could advance against 
 them, I have listened with attention. My rea- 
 sons, I now think, will by no means warrant the 
 severe and confident conclusions which I have 
 been accustomed to draw ; for though I have a 
 right to think and judge for myself, I have no 
 right to judge for another. If men are sincere 
 and conscientious in their minds, and righteous 
 m their conduct, these amiable qualities and vir- 
 tues ought most certainly to bespeak my candor. 
 That men may assume these appearances, when 
 then* characters are destitute of religious sincerity 
 and moral worth, is very true ; but though they 
 may deceive men, they cannot deceive God, Avho 
 will reward them according to their cunning. 
 But as it is possible to regard the most Avorthy 
 characters with the most ungenerous suspicions, 
 it is much the safest to suspend our judgment. I 
 should be extremely sorry to be a bar to the greater 
 union and friendship of good men, or to obstruct 
 the floAv of human happiness. Yours appears to 
 be the pleasantcst and safest side — to say the least 
 
 H 2 
 
52 
 
 pf it But as we cannot all at once change our 
 habits of thinking and fe( ling, any more than 
 our conduct, I shall say little more at present; 
 but shall enquire and treat the subject with that 
 attention and respect which it seems so well to 
 merit. 
 
 C. Allow me, my good friend, to congratulate 
 you on your discretion, and on the prudence of 
 your determination. Every careful honest mind 
 would wish never to receive or reject any senti' 
 ment, but as the result of enquiry and reflection. 
 Sudden conversions are not always the best, or 
 most stable. It requires time to look on every 
 side, to weigh every argument, before we can de- 
 cide satisfactorily on any subject — Much has been 
 and may be said for and against the question in 
 hand. It is unnecessary, therefore, for me to say 
 much, or to detain you longer ; but before we 
 part, I wish to assist your considerations by a few 
 more observations. Is not the mind apt to dwell 
 with eagerness on those topics on which we differ, 
 rather than to contemplate with complacency the 
 many truly important matters on which we are all 
 agreed ? Do not we all believe in the existence of 
 one infinitely wise and good God, who is the 
 fountain of all excellence, perfection, and hap- 
 piness, — the object of gratitude, worship, and 
 praise, — and the creator, preserver, and ruler of 
 the universe? Do not we all believe that we are 
 sinpers, who need mercy and salvation, and that 
 our salvation is of God — the free gift of divine 
 favor? That it comes to sinners by Jesus Christ, 
 who is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, 
 sanctification, and redemption, and is enjoyed 
 only through repentance, faith, and obedience? 
 y^Q ^11 agree that Christ is the common Lord and 
 
53 
 
 bead of Christians, and the only way of access 
 unto the Father. Do we not all believe in his 
 death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, — in a 
 future life and a day of judgment, — that Christ 
 shall judge the world, and reward every man ac- 
 cordina: to his works ? We are all ao'reed in these 
 grand and important tacts. However we may dif- 
 fer respecting" the condition of man, the mode of 
 communicating these great Ijlessings to his mind, 
 their nature, or the inferences which we may draw 
 from them, still we all believe the truths them- 
 selves ; and these are infmitely superior to the 
 things about which we differ, important as our 
 differences are; and perhaps we differ more in 
 theory than in reality. Were any great evil or 
 persecution seriously to threaten Christians, then 
 all serious men would be alarmed for the common 
 cause and common interests of Christianity. A 
 deep-felt sense of their common danger would 
 make them for a season forget their differences. 
 It would unite them together ; and it would then 
 appear that their disagreements are not of that 
 mighty nature which they are too generally con- 
 ceived to be. Could we but lay our prejudices 
 uside, it might appear that we are much nearer to 
 eaph other in the main, than what we ever thought 
 of; and that the characters and practices of good 
 men, of all persuasions, are, with some excep- 
 tions, much the same ; and though, from the 
 state of our feelings, and the difference of our 
 views, it might not be practicable nor edifying to 
 have the closest religious fellowship together, yet 
 we surely ought not, for that reason, to deny to 
 good men, of different persuasions, the honorable 
 name of Christian ; much less ought we to attri^ 
 Ijute their conduct to the worat of motives. Let 
 
54 
 
 us avoid that unchristian levelling practice, Tvhicll 
 too often, with an envious disposition, and a de- 
 gree of malevolence of conduct, confounds all 
 distinctions, and demolishes all excellencies of 
 character, as if we M^re determined that none 
 should equal or exceed ourselves in reputation, or 
 have the praise of doing good, but in our own 
 way, or under our auspices and direction. It 
 may, nevertheless, be true, that though we may 
 have more knowledge, they may have more vir- 
 tue : if we are more orthodox, yet they may be 
 better men, and more acceptable characters before 
 God than ourselves. Every man is naturally and 
 morally under an obligation to follow his con- 
 science, whether it be ignorant or enlightened : 
 for no man can be saved in walking contrary to 
 the dictates of his conscience ; and when any man 
 thus religiously follows the best dictates of his 
 mind or conscience, that man is virtuous, and 
 justified in so doing, even though the following 
 of his conscience should lead him into error. 
 When men, therefore, are diligent to know the 
 truth, and have no interest against the truth, and 
 are exemplary in their conduct, mere mental error 
 is then a harmless thing. As we cannot help falling 
 into error, so, when we do our best to rid our- 
 selves of it, we can have nothing to fear; for no 
 man can feel compunction or guilty for an invo- 
 luntary error, any more than he can for the sin of 
 Adam. Who can command his convictions or 
 ideas ? In all our mental perceptions, the mind is 
 entirely passive. Here the will is not at all en- 
 gaged ; and how can that be sinful in which the 
 will is not concerned? Is it not then highly dis- 
 honorable to God? Is it not representing him 
 as a tyrant, who punishes men for mere errors of 
 
5S 
 
 speculation, which they can neither prevent nor 
 alter ? In this view, how ridiculous and offensive 
 is the notion that error is worse than vice. The 
 most worthy characters are thus sunk below the 
 most vicious, because they do not think just as 
 we do on some points, as if all wisdom and good- 
 ness were confined to our particular views or party. 
 How ought the abettors ot" this vile notion to be 
 ashamed of themselves ? If a man is not so happy 
 as to coincide with their particular views, he will, 
 it seems, be no better hereafter for being virtuous. 
 He needs not then care what he does, — he may 
 riot in iniquity and vice, and indulge every li- 
 centious lust, without being the worse oft' on that 
 account at the last. How pernicious is this no- 
 tion, and how ill calculated to improve or reform 
 the world, that because a man is not righteous in 
 our particular way, it is of no use that he is 
 righteous at all ? But it is impossible he should 
 please all who hold this language, they differ so 
 widely one from another. Could he even work 
 "wonders, he cannot hope to escape censure. He 
 must, therefore, be content to be rolled from side 
 to side in the wide gulph of condemnation — in the 
 abyss of perdition, by these mild and humane 
 preachers of glad tidings of mercy, forgiveness, 
 and love. Every serious man has a stronger mo- 
 tive within his own breast to believe aright, than 
 any which you can suggest to him, his own in- 
 terest, safety, and happiness, and needeth not to 
 be treated with bitterness and severity, that he 
 may obe}' what he conceives to be truth, or the 
 will of God. Sober argument, dispassionate rea- 
 soning, and a liberal conciliating conduct, are the 
 likeliest means, if he be mistaken, to render him 
 service; but a fierce intolerant spirit, swelled witli 
 
56 
 
 party rage, casting at the object of its displeasure 
 *' fire-brands, arrows, and death," is a nuisance 
 to society, and a disgrace to all religion ; and all 
 good men ought to unite to check its vicious in» 
 tluence as they would that of the plague, and to 
 treat it with that universal contempt which it me- 
 rits — It may irritate and destroy, but cannot con- 
 vince or improve the mind. Such is its virulent 
 polluting nature, that there is no man of sense or 
 breeding, who loves the Gospel, and is acquainted 
 with its placid heavenly spirit and benevolent ten- 
 dencies, to bless the world with, peace and love, 
 but what would be ashamed of its slavish spirit 
 and viler practice. Above all things, my friend, 
 avoid a party spirit ; it is the foe of every thing 
 that is good ; it is a spirit of rank intolerance and 
 religious separation ; it, -without mercy, separates 
 brethren, relatives, and dearest friends ; it is ca- 
 pable of steeling every tender sympathy of the soul, 
 and of extinguishing every generous emotion of 
 the heart; it observes the characters and conduct 
 of others with jealousy and suspicion, ever ready 
 to put the very worst construction upon their 
 words and actions ; it views their fame and good 
 deeds with envy and disgust ; and their faults, 
 however trivial, it magnifies into the greatest 
 crimes, while it is blind to the grosser evils of its 
 own friends or party ; like the jaundiced eye, it 
 sees every thing yellow without regard to the real 
 colour or quality of the object ; it walks aloft iu 
 the high regions of self-righteousness, and with 
 true Pharisaic pride, and the most ofi^"ensive con- 
 fidence ; it cries to the more sincere and unas- 
 suming servant of God, " I only am of the tme 
 faith." — " Stand off, for I am holier than thou." 
 Those who unhappily are under its baneful in- 
 
57 
 
 fluence, and who, confiding in the maturity of 
 their knowledge, measure the divine mind by their 
 own, imagining that God looks upon men and 
 things just as they do, they thus contract his di- 
 vine perfections, limit his smiles and favors to 
 themselves and friends, and thus flatter and give 
 the fullest scope to their narrow monopolizing dis- 
 positions. Whatever may be said of the merciless 
 tenets of election and reprobation, the notion of 
 limiting the favor of God to the belief of some 
 particular views, independant of the reception of 
 and obedience to the common doctrines of the 
 Gospel, must appear infinitely more cruel and re- 
 volting. The former probably provides salvation 
 for a third part of the human race ; while the lat- 
 ter frequently limits the salvation of God to a 
 mere handful of people. Thus the boundless man- 
 sions and glories of heaven are especially provided 
 and reserved for them — a chosen few indeed. 
 These therefore, notwithstanding their great pre- 
 tensions, must be considered as having the lowest 
 and most unworthy conceptions of the divine na- 
 ture. Any man of the smallest capacity, and who 
 considers impartially the real situation of the 
 world, must be convinced that it is morally im- 
 possible for all men to think with him, however 
 right he may be. Yet, with this evident truth 
 before us, mankind are to be coldly consigned to 
 perdition, for not doing what the power of cir- 
 cumstances will not permit to be accomplished, — 
 for not doing what is confessedly impracticable ; 
 yet such men will contend for reason, and the 
 glory of the perfections of God ! It is true, we 
 cannot but love those the best who are the most 
 like to ourselvTS, and between whom and us there 
 is, of course, the greatest interchange of mutual 
 
 I 
 
58 
 
 sympatbies. Yet why shoiikl we lo\ c them only 
 \dio love us? That is neither to iinl)ibe the spirit, 
 nor to imitate the example of our Lord. With 
 such a disposition, how shall we be alile to love 
 our enemies, or attain to that Christian perfection 
 of mind which longs fot the universal happiness 
 of mankind? After all, it may be asked. Is a per- 
 fect agreement in opinion necessary, in the present 
 imperfect state, to produce the greatest collective 
 or individual good ? If it is, Mould not the Father 
 of mercies, " who knoweth our frame,"' and the 
 frailty of our condition, have caused his revealed 
 will, in every particular, to have been as plain and 
 self-evident, as if written with a sun-beam, so that 
 men could no more mistake it than they can the 
 light of the sun when shining in his meridian 
 splendor? But would even that plan have been the 
 best for our moral iuijjrovement r Could it, like 
 the present, have so usefully exercised our facul- 
 ties and our faith, and of course have strengthened 
 and matured them in a rational gradual way by 
 experience and discipline; or have furnished mat- 
 ter for our hopes and our fears, which form so 
 great a part of our happiness and of our misery; 
 the management and due regulation of which so 
 essentially enters into and discriminates between 
 our characters and respective merits ? It may pos- 
 sibly be owing to the littleness of our minds, that 
 we look for the greatest moral good in perfect 
 unanimity of sentiment. Let us for a moment 
 suppose that all the men in England were exactly 
 of your mind in matters of religion, would all men 
 therefore be righteous ? Would all vice be banished 
 our streets and our dwellings? Would all be vir- 
 tuous, pure and good ? No ! — There is a vast dis- 
 proportion bet^veen knowledge or principles, and 
 
59 
 
 actual goodness and obedience. A pure creed is 
 not a pure heart and life. If all men were pure 
 and good, in proportion to tlicir knowledge of the 
 will of God, what a happy and wonderful trans- 
 formation would take place, both in public and 
 private life. This thought well illustrates the wis- 
 dom of the Gospel, being a rule of life and man- 
 ners, as well as a source of know ledge and of truth, 
 and the necessity of our so considering it. It is 
 thought by some, that if all were agreed, Are should 
 probably want some of the strongest motives to 
 action ; that society would be in danger of be- 
 coming like a standing pool — a putrid offensive 
 mass, for want of proper circulation and motion, 
 but that God, in his M'isdom and goodness, over- 
 rules the jarring minds and imperfections of his 
 creatures for their own good, by causing the dif- 
 ferent perceptions of short sighted men to operate 
 as a stimulus to the most usefid exertions*; that 
 while engaged in seeking the good of others, by 
 attempting to instruct and enlighten their minds, 
 they at the same time are most effectually securing 
 their own. This variety of circumstance also gives 
 opportunity for the growth and exercise of the most 
 useful and amiable dispositions of patience, for- 
 
 * God can bring good out of evil. Perhaps it is owing to the 
 circumstance above referred to, more than to any other under the 
 care of Divine Providence, that the Scriptures have been pre- 
 served and handed down to us in their present state. The jealousy 
 of parties, together with their veneration for the sacred writings, 
 was too great, and rendered them too vigilant to suffer any de- 
 scription of men to materially corrupt them. During the dark 
 ages, when the use of the Scriptures was denied to the common 
 people, and when the See of Rome gave laws to the world, there 
 could be little temptation to pervert them to answer any purpose 
 ia an ignorant age, and to an obedient people. 
 
 I 2 
 
60 
 
 bearance, humility, candor, charity, kindness, &c. 
 iind ^\•ere there nothing to oppose, zeal for truth 
 hardly could exist. Why then, it may be asked, 
 do men, on the authority of Scripture, seek to make 
 every man, within the circle of their inthience and 
 exertion, of their opinion? I repl}', that every 
 good man will labor, to the utmost of his power, 
 to bring men under the influence of every important 
 and usefid truth. But no thinking man, however 
 confident he may be in the truth of his views, can 
 be so sanguine as to imagine that he will be able, 
 even by the clearest reasoning, to make all men 
 think with him in every thing : a slender know- 
 ledse of human nature forbids the idea. The 
 Christian world does not now, nor ever did agree 
 on all religious subjects, nor probably, without 
 farther divine interference, ever will. The first 
 Christians were not agreed in all things ; and even 
 ijow, in the best informed churches, there is, no 
 doubt, considerable difference of judgment ; yet 
 while they " walk together in love as Christ hath 
 loved them," and " put on charity," which is 
 " the bond of perfectness, " and allow every man 
 full liberty of thought, they will experience no 
 inconvenience on that account, nor can their dif- 
 ferences of sentiment be any just reflection on re- 
 ligion itself, — men differ upon every other subject. 
 The fault is not in the subject itself, but in the 
 imperfection of our nature and condition. While 
 our minds are differently constituted and subject 
 to different instructions, and have various strength 
 of capacity and degrees of knowledge, we shall 
 never see every thing alike, or be perfectly agreed 
 iu our judgments : the very circumstances of the 
 case forbid it. Still, if honest good men, of dif-» 
 ferent persuasions, were to indulge largely a spirit 
 
61 
 
 of candor in their religious warfare, and exercise 
 it in their concerns one with another, there would 
 soon, notwithstanding their differences, be a 
 foundation laid for friendship, and the mutual 
 interchange of all the endearing charities and good 
 offices of social life. The pleasure and advantage 
 resulting from such a state of things is not to be 
 calculated, and would form a striking contrast to 
 the coldness, ill will, jealousy, and animosity, 
 which but too generally prevail amongst this class 
 of m-en. Let but the experiment be tried, and it 
 "will soon appear that we shall have nothing to fear 
 from indifference, or a want of zeal. Can we sup- 
 pose that the cultivation of the most exalted qua- 
 lities can ever alter the mind of man, but for the 
 better ? When we only consider how very tenacious 
 men are for their own opinions, even on subjects 
 of the most trivial and speculative nature, which, 
 whether they be right or wrong, are attended with 
 no loss or inconvenience, we need not be afraid 
 that they will be less concerned about subjects of 
 such vast importance as those of religion, for in- 
 dulging more largely a spirit of love, — for pursuing 
 with more eagerness that " more excellent M'ay;" 
 the practice of which would refine their natures, 
 and exalt their minds, — which would soften and 
 correct human asperities and errors, — which would 
 multiply abundantly human joys aqd happiness ; 
 and in the most effectual way alleviate human sor- 
 rows, befriend human distress, and pour the heal- 
 ing balm of consolation into the wounded heart. 
 This godlike principle " can never fail," when ap- 
 prehended aright, to warm our hearts, to engage 
 our best affections, and to excite our admiration : 
 it is the very bond of perfectness. If God were 
 not to treat us with love, with condescension, and 
 
62 
 
 forbearance, what would become of us ; and where 
 would our hopes be ? Who could stand in his pre- 
 sence, or abide his coming? Let us imitate his af- 
 fectionate conduct, and exercise towards our less 
 wise, or less informed fellows, a spirit of forbear- 
 ance and love ; and, surely, we ought to tolerate 
 what he sees fit to tolerate. What are we, com- 
 pared to the divine Being; or what is the wisest 
 and most orthodox of our race in his sight, but, 
 comparatively speaking, a compound of ignorance, 
 folly, and weakness? And shall we, atoms of the 
 dust, presume authoritatively to doom our fellow 
 men to perdition for mere accidental errors of the 
 mind? — No! God has made them for a higher 
 destiny ; he has more gracious designs, — more 
 noble purposes to accomplish upon them. Rather 
 let us lament their unhappiness, and '^ love as 
 brethren;" and to this motives the most powerful 
 are not, cannot be wanting, to excite us to attend 
 to the noblest of all examples. We are all proba- 
 tioners here below in a world of trial and diffi- 
 culty ; all concerned for the glory of our God and 
 Father, and for the honor of one common Master- 
 one Lord Jesus Christ; all cherishing the same 
 faith, and the same expectations ; all travelling 
 the same way, with our minds filled with the same 
 desires, and fixed on the same objects ; all subject 
 to the same frailties, hopes, and fears, and beset 
 Avith the same common dangers ; all equally a prey 
 to the great destroyer — death, and doomed to ex- 
 plore the dark and unknown regions of the grave; 
 all have to appear at the judgment seat of Christ, 
 but who, however, are animated with the same 
 hopes and pros)>ects, and alike candidates for the 
 favor of God and an immortal crown. And though 
 we are like a company of men who are travelling 
 
63 
 
 on a road, where each may prefer a difterent foot- 
 path to the other, and where, though some are 
 perplexed and heavy laden, while others are more 
 alert and cheerful ; where some have a smoother 
 path, and others a more rugged one ; where some 
 may walk on rising ground and enjoy a finer pros- 
 pect, while others walk on lower ground and have 
 a duller sky; where some may he strong and 
 healthy, while others are more weak and sickly ; 
 and where some may walk briskly on before, while 
 others are coming more heavily behind, — still, 
 while all hold on the same way, and are fellov/- 
 travellers in the same road, how much nobler, 
 praiseworthy, and becoming to their Christian 
 calling, if, instead of " falling out by the way ;" 
 of discouraging and impeding each others progress, 
 by " throwing stumbling blocks in the way," — 
 they should be employed "■ in lifting up the hands 
 that hang down, and in strengthening the feeble 
 knees;" in " cheering the fainting spirit, and in 
 raising the drooping head ;" in " weeping with 
 those that weep, and in lejoicing with those that 
 do rejoice;" in " bearing one another's burthens, 
 and so fulfilling the law of Christ." If we do err, 
 let it be on the side of kindness and moderation ; 
 let us rather think too highly of God, and of his 
 love and condescension, than think too low of 
 them : let us rather love mankind too much, more 
 especially the good and virtuous, than too little. 
 They have many errors which we wish did not 
 exist ; they have many faults which we wish were 
 removed ; whatever is wrong will be made right. 
 " Let us wait patiently until the coming of the 
 Lord," when every thing shall be finally adjusted, 
 and when every good man " shall have ])raise of 
 God," when all our frailties and errors shall l)f 
 
64 
 
 done RM'ay ; and when all that is notv^ dark shall 
 be explained. Now our sight is obscured, *' we 
 see through a glass darkly, but then " face to 
 face ;" now our knowledge is limited, *' we know 
 but in part, but then *' we shall know, even as 
 we are known ;" — " and now abideth faith, hope, 
 and charity, but the greatest of these three is 
 charity :" — 
 
 1st. It is greatest in its nature ; it is of the very 
 nature of the everlasting God — " God is 
 love." 
 2dly. It is greatest in its consequences: " for 
 love Vorketh no ill to its neighbour;" but 
 purifies and exalts the soul, and assiniulates 
 it to the likeness of the Divine Nature. 
 Sdiy. It is greatest in its duration: " for cha- 
 rity "never faileth." But whether there be 
 prophecies, they shall fail ; M'hether there be 
 tongues, the}' shall cease; whether there be 
 knowledge, it shall vanish away, " faith shall 
 be lost in sight, " and hope in possession. 
 But charity shall live and bloom through- 
 out immortal years; it shall survive " the 
 wreck of nature, and the crash of worlds;" 
 it shall be the joy of heaven, and a source 
 of inexhaustible felicity, and form those 
 rivers of pleasure which shall continue to flow, 
 in the presence of God, for ever. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 Printed by C. Stower, 
 Charles Street, Hatton Gardciv 
 
THE DESIHUCTION OF THE COMBINED FLEETS 
 OF FRANCE AND SPAIN, 
 
 As described in the Book of the Revelations 3 
 
 A SERMON, 
 
 PREACHED AT WORSHIP STREET, 
 Thursday i December 5, 1805, 
 
 To which is subjoined, 
 
 A LIST OF THE SHIPS TAKEN, SUNK, BURNT, AND 
 OTHERWISE DESTROYED, 
 
 IN THE 
 
 LJTE VICTORY. 
 
 BY JOHN EVANS, A. M. 
 
 BELLA— HORRIDA BELLA ! VIRGIL, 
 
 BRITAIN \ praise thy might)- GOD, 
 
 And make his honours known abroad : 
 
 HE bade the Ocean round thte flow ; 
 
 Not bars of brass could guard thee so ! . WATTS> 
 
 PUBLISHED BY REQUEST. 
 
 llonBon t 
 
 Printtd by C. Stoteer, 34, Pater-notter Rov; 
 
 AllTD SOLD BY H. D, SYMONDS, 20, PATER-NOSTER ROW J 
 
 S.CROSBY, STATIONERS' COURT,- AMD 
 
 W. VIDLER, HOLBORN. 
 
 1805. 
 
 (Price One Shilling J 
 
TO 
 
 WILLIAM JESSER COOPE, Esq, 
 Liverpool, 
 
 who, by his active services both at home 
 
 and abroad, 
 
 hath proved himself 
 
 the ardent and steady friend 
 
 OF HIS COtJNTRY, 
 
 THE FOLLOWING SERMON, 
 
 DRAWN UP WITH THE VIEW OF PROMOTING THI 
 
 BENEVOLENT OBJECT 
 
 OF THE PATRIOTIC FUND, 
 
 IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, 
 
 BY 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 Islington, 
 December 1. 1805. 
 
BY THE SAME AUTHOR. 
 
 I. Sieul of the Denominations of the Christian World— Ninth edition. 
 
 a. Tbe Golden Centenary ; Or Sequel to the Sketch of the Denominations 
 —Third edition — With eight Heads. 
 
 3. Juveaile Piecesy for the Youth of both Sexes— Fifth edition— Wit" 
 three Plates. 
 
 4. Juvenile Tourist, through England and Wales— Second edition— 
 With a Portrait. 
 
 5. Geography, /or tie use 0/ Sciaols and Families, intetSTpetSCd vnth Aaec* 
 dotes of History — Second edition. 
 
 6. Essay on the Education ef Youth— Toxxrxh edition. 
 
 7. Sermon on the Fast, Oct. 19, 1803 — Second edition. 
 
 i. Sermon on Enthusiasm and Supersticion>oSecond edition. 
 
ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 VV HEN it was recollected, that the Emperor of France 
 in his late address to his army, declaied, / want Ships , 
 Coloriies, and Commerce ; and \vhen it was considered 
 that the Combined Fleets of France and Spain^ were 
 soon after almost annihilated j the Author was led to the 
 selection of the following passage from the Revelations^ 
 with the view of impressing the subject on the minds of 
 his hearers. Should xhe portraiture of desolation^ which 
 he has attempted to delineate, tend to increase a hatred 
 of War, and to induce a lore of Peace^ together with 
 the practice of evangelical righteousness^ his labour will 
 be more than compensated. It is an excellent remark of 
 Sterne, in his Sermons — '■^ Peace was the only legacy 
 Christ bequeathed to his followers ; and how precious 
 the bequest appears ; from the many miseries and cala- 
 mities which have and ever will ensue from the want 
 of it !" 
 
The Author having on a late Fast (Oct. 19, 1803,) 
 thought it his duty, as the father of a family, as an in- 
 structor of the rising generation, and as the pastor of a 
 society of Protestant Dissenters, to rouse his countrymen 
 in the painful prospect of an Invasion ; no-ji) thinks it 
 equally proper '' to greet these first openings of deliver- 
 ance which God is giving them, with the earliest liymna 
 of grateful praise." It is true — his former effort subject- 
 ed him to abuse, from certain quarters, but such treat- 
 ment shall not deter him from discharging his duty to- 
 vizards his country, which, notwithstanding its need of 
 further reformation, is distinguished above all others, by 
 the blessings of civil and religious liberty. Let individu- 
 als, otherwise minded — follow their own convictions. He 
 condemns them not, but must for himself, claim and ex- 
 ercise a right, which he refuses not to others. It was a 
 wise apostolic injunction — Let every man be fully per^ 
 suaded in his own mind. And charity inclines bim to 
 hope, that whatever diversity of sentiment may prevail, 
 respecting the measures of successive Administrations— 
 all wish well to their country. 
 
 PULLIn's row, ISLINGTON, 
 
 December If 1805. 
 
 #1 
 
 IK. 
 
A SERMON, S;c. 
 
 Revelations viil. 9. latter Clause. 
 
 AND THE THIRD PART OF THE SHIPS WERE 
 DESTROYED. 
 
 X HE Book of the Revelations is confessedly 
 dark and mysterious. VVise and learned men 
 have applied their talents to the investigation of 
 its real meaning. Various schemes have been 
 proposed for its developement, and have been 
 adopted with an ardor proportioned to their ap- 
 prehended importance and utility. It is, how- 
 ever, on all hands acknowledged, that the con- 
 tents of this enigmatical book refer to the alter- 
 nate sufferings and triumphs of the Christian- 
 church, in different ages of the world. Accord- 
 ingly, those wars and contests which were to 
 arise between the nations, are not only marked 
 
 
in a pointed manner, but are delineated with 
 circumstances of peculiar horror and aggrava- 
 tion. Hence, in the chapter before us, some of 
 the most portentous images tliat can be well 
 conceived, are held up to our view ; and it is 
 impossible to contemplate them without the 
 most serious emotions of the heart. We adores 
 profoundly the dispensations of Heaven, in suf- 
 fering such judgments to befal the children of 
 men — we view with sentiments of pity and 
 commiseration the objects of the divine venge- 
 ance on such tremendous occasions — and we 
 are led fervently to pray for the arrival of that 
 period when war shall be no more, and when 
 truth J righteousness, ?iwd peace, shall extend their 
 empire to the uttermost ends of the earth ! 
 
 Among the affecting touches of the divine 
 pencil, in the dehneation of the picture with 
 v/hich we are presented in this chapter, the 
 words of my text are entitled to special atten- 
 tion — And the third part of the .ships were de- 
 stroyed I This declaration intimates the extent 
 of the desolation which had been effected at 
 the sounding of the trumpet by the second angeL 
 The circumstances, also, with which the de- 
 struction was accompanied, serve to heighten 
 
the horror of its effect — thus suggesting at once 
 salutary and awful lessons to mankind. 
 
 In illustrating my subject, permit me to- state 
 briefly the ineaning of the passage which I have 
 chosen for the foundation of my address this 
 day —to shew you how singularly the passage 
 describes the mctory which we are assembled to 
 celebrate — and to close, with suggesting a few 
 reflectiom which may prove conducive to our 
 moral and religious improvement. 
 
 Permit me to state briefly the niean'mg of the 
 passage which I have chosen for the foundation 
 of my address this day. 
 
 Of the various hypotheses which learned men 
 have formed for the explication of the Book of 
 RenelatmiSy that suggested by Mr. Lowman has 
 been thought, on the whole, best calculated to 
 answer the end. It has been adopted, with a 
 few variations, by the pious and ingenious Dod- 
 dridge, in his Famili/ Expositor ; and indeed it 
 seems to have met with general approbation. 
 
 It is not, however, my purpose, for it would 
 he foreign to the occasion — to give you a mi- 
 
mite account of this plan of interpretation. I 
 shall, therefore, only remark, that Mr. Lowmaft 
 supposes the seven Epistles, detailed in the second 
 and third chapters of the Revelations, not to be 
 prophetic- — but that the remainder of the book 
 is a prophetical representation of the most re- 
 markable events which were to befal the Chris- 
 tian church, from that time till the consumma- 
 tion of all things ; and he justly observes, as 
 Sir Isaac Newton had done, that there is in the 
 scenery here, and all along, a beautiful refer- 
 ence to the temple worship. He likewise divides 
 the whole into seven periods — the fit's i of 
 which, represented by the seals, shews the state 
 of the church under the Heathen Roman Empe- 
 rors, from A. D. 95 to 325 — the secoird, which 
 is that of the trumpets^ relates to what was to 
 happen in the Christian church, from Constan- 
 tine, A. D. 337, to 730, when the Mahometan 
 conquests ceased in the West — the third repre- 
 sents the state of the church and the w^orld, in 
 the time of the last head of the Roman govern- 
 ment, under the Pope, for 12(50 years, from A.D. 
 736 to 2016" — the fourth is that of a thousand 
 years, or tlie Milkjinium, in which the church 
 will be in a most prosperous state, from A. D. 
 2000 to 3000, so that the sexenih chiliad^ or 
 
II 
 
 thousand years, from the creation of the world, 
 is to be a kind of Sabbath — the fifth is the re- 
 newed invasion of the enemies of the church, 
 ioY a short time not defined, but which is to end 
 in their extirpation and ruin — the sivth is the 
 general resurrectiox and final judgment, 
 which terminate in the seventh grand period, in 
 which the saints are represented as fixed in a 
 state of everlasting triumph and happiness, in 
 the heavenly world. The great 7noral to be de- 
 duced from the whole is, that though tme 
 CHURCH OF Christ is to struggle with immense 
 difficulties, he will support it in the midst of 
 all, and make righteousness and truth finallv tri- 
 umphant *. 
 
 Having presented you with this very brief 
 outline of the Book of the Revelations, it may be 
 
 * See the Concltision of Doddridge's Lectures on Pneu- 
 matology, Ethics and Divinity. Thoiie who wish to study the 
 Revelations, aie rorerred to Daubuz and Fleming, who wrote 
 many years before Lowman ; to Bishop Newton, on the Pro- 
 phecies, as well as5ir Isaac Newton's Observations annexed to 
 his Dissertations on Daniel. A Commentary on the Revela- 
 tions has likewise been recently published by Dr. Johnston, a 
 respectable Clergyman of the Church of Scotland. See also 
 interesting Illustrations of Prophecy, in two volumes, which 
 attrs-cted considerable notice at the time of their publication. 
 
 B2 
 
1^ 
 
 asked — to what portion of this series of events 
 do the words of my text relate — And the third 
 part of the ships were destroyed! It is rephed 
 — they refer to the sounding of the trumpet by 
 the second angel — And the second angel sounded, 
 and as it were a great mountain, burning with fire, 
 was cast into the sea, and the third part of the sea 
 became blood, and the third part of the creatures 
 which wetx in the sea, and had life, died ; and the 
 third part of the ships were destroyed ! The de- 
 scription marks, in terrific characters, the ex- 
 tent of the ravages effected on this memorable 
 occasion. 
 
 I shall now proceed to shew you, how singu- 
 larly the passage describes the victory which 
 we are now assembled to celebrate. 
 
 And here I must caution you against suppos- 
 ing that the words of my text are prophetically 
 descriptive of the late victory over the com- 
 bined enemies of Great Britain. This would 
 be both presumptuous, and ridiculous. But it is 
 at the same time, not unnecessary to caution 
 some against the supposition — for since the 
 commencement of the French Revolution, the 
 Book of the Revelations hath been ransacked by 
 certain persons for prophecies, relative to the 
 
13 
 
 rise, progress, and termination of that commo- 
 tion in civil society. Nor was this rao-e confined 
 exclusively to one party. The friends and the 
 enemies of that Revolution, were equally intent 
 on their object. And even at this period, there 
 are publications issuing from the press, in this 
 metropolis; predicting from the same source, the 
 destruction of the Emperor of France, and the 
 utter annihilation of that despotism with which 
 he continues to afflict the nations of the earth. 
 
 My choice of the passage, therefore, arose 
 purely from the consideration, that the words 
 held up to view, a mighty maritime destruction — 
 so great, that it amounts nearly to the entire 
 oxierthroiv of an enemy ! And in this respect, 
 they are singularly applicable to the late dread- 
 ful contest on the ocean, when even more than a 
 third part of the enemy's ships were destroyed ! — 
 The victory, therefore, whether we consider the 
 particular period at which it took place ; the pe- 
 culiar circumstances with which it was attend- 
 ed ; or, the important consequences which fol- 
 low in its train, must be pronounced highly in- 
 teresting to our country*. 
 
 * Were I smitten with this rage of deriving every thing re- 
 specting this French Revolution from the Book cf the Revelations, 
 
14 
 
 This victory was obtained, at a period, when it 
 became a very desirablj circumstance, that more 
 than the third part of the ships of the enemy 
 ' should he destroyed! The unhappy war, in 
 which we are engaged, (may God send its spee- 
 dy termination !) ha.h more than once exposed 
 us to imminent danger, by the threatened hor* 
 rors of invasion. For these /zt'o 3^ears past, we 
 have been in an almost constant apprehension' 
 of that tremendous evil befalling us. Hence 
 government was under the necessity of taking 
 those means, which wisdom and prudence sug- 
 gest, for our national safety. Individuals from 
 every class of society, issued forth — buckled gn 
 their armour, and were ready to shed their 
 blood in the defence of their country. From 
 almost every pulpit in the land, (and from the 
 one in which I stand, among the rest) were our 
 
 I might insist that the words of my text were o-direct and literal 
 prophecy, for it may with truth be declared that a third part of 
 the French and Spanish Navy was destroyed, on the late occa- 
 sion ! The joint forces of France and Spain amount not to une 
 hundred sail of the line — and near thirty were destroyed or dis- 
 abled for service by the late victory. But I do not deem myself 
 warranted in such an interpretation. Prophecy is an interesting 
 and decisive evidence of Revealed Religion — and it be- 
 hoves the friends of Revelation not to diminish its force, or set 
 aside its efficacy by fanciful or strained illustrations. 
 
15 
 
 citizens exhorted to fight for iheir brethren, their 
 sons, their daughters, their wi'ces, and their houses. 
 We were an armed nation. The expences incur- 
 red, the inconveniences sustained, and the anxi- 
 eties, arising from this state of things, will not 
 be easily forgotten. Such a posture of affairs, is 
 by no means pleasant, but must be attended 
 with serious evils to society. _ Besides, the very 
 apprehension of having our substance wrested 
 from us ; our persons insulted, our liberties, ci- 
 vil and religious, destroyed ; fills the thought- 
 ful mind with the most distressing sensations. 
 The hallowed repose of our families is violated : 
 the quiet occupation of the husbandman and of 
 the artificer is interrupted ; and those regula- 
 tions essential to the welfare and happiness of 
 the community are oftentimes endangered and 
 destroyed; Now, it was at such a period, that 
 more than even a third part of the ships of the 
 enemy were destroyed ! They had been muster- 
 ing all their maritime strength, with the view 
 of overwhelming us in destruction. Under 
 Heaven, our superiority at sea hath hitherto been 
 GUI* only defence. It was meant, therefore, that 
 the union of their fleets should annihilate this 
 superiority. This was the only possible method 
 of overcoming us. But this, their last hope, has 
 been torn from them, by, the late victqry. 
 
16 
 
 Again, the late victory was attended with 
 circumstances^ which render it the more signal 
 and impressive. Here you will call to mind, 
 that the length of time which elapsed hefore 
 the fleet of the enemy could he met with, gave 
 them every opportunity to augment their 
 strength, and fit them for the contest they had 
 in view. Even that gallant Hero, who is now, 
 alas ! no more, had pursued them in vain, over 
 lialf the globe, before he encountered them on 
 the last grand final occasion. Nor must it be 
 forgotten, that when met with by another Bri- 
 tish Commander a few months ago ; how did 
 the ships of the enemy escape to the chagrin 
 and sorrow of the nation. Indeed, it seemed as 
 if the enemy were to elude the vigilance of our 
 most experienced guardians, and were destined 
 to strike some grand blow on our shores, which 
 might have sealed our destruction. In conse- 
 quence of these circumstances, the public curi- 
 osity was wearied out, by the perpetual disap- 
 pointment of their expectations, and they were 
 beginning to sink into a deep and sullen apathy 
 which might have been attended with the most 
 pernicious effects. But lo ! like a streak of 
 light, which sometimes, with a sudden and in- 
 stantaneous impulse, fires the horizon, and sets 
 
IT 
 
 the whole firmament in a blaze, the destruction 
 of the cotnb'med fleets of France and Spam, is an- 
 nounced — we are assured that more than a third 
 part oi thtu sliips zvere destroyed! That Hero, 
 who liad on a former occasion, chastised the in- 
 solence, and checked the pride of the present 
 Emperor of France, by destroying the fleet, 
 which had conveyed him to the arid plains of 
 Egypt, is ordained by Heaven, to inflict simi- 
 lar vengeance, for the security and defence of 
 onr country ! The mighty armament which the 
 malice of the foe had reared for the purpose of 
 aweing us into subjection, is no more ! Their 
 proud bulwarks which " tilted o'er the waves," 
 are vanished, and " like the baseless fabric of a 
 vision," may be said to leave scarcely a wreck 
 behind ! Even the elements seem to have 
 conspired for their destruction. I will not 
 detain you, by contrasting it with former 
 successes at sea; you have only to bear in 
 mind the peculiar circumstances with which 
 it was attended, and that these circumstan- 
 ces heighten the importance and splendour 
 of the victory^ 
 
 Once more— consider th^ important conse- 
 quences which must follow in the train of this 
 yjctpry, both to ourselves and to posterity. 
 
18' 
 
 I might here expatiate on the improbability of 
 the enemy now having it in their power, to in- 
 vade successfully this country. Humanly speak- 
 ing, our present decided superiority at sea, must 
 be an insuperable bar to their accomplishment 
 of any such design. Not that we are on this 
 account, to sink into a criminal negligence re- 
 specting the means of our safety. We are still 
 to exercise our accustomed watchfulness, but 
 we are never to despond as to our ultimate suc- 
 cess. We have conquered them on former oc- 
 casions, and we hope agabi to be triumphant, 
 should they dare to pollute our shores ! Besides, 
 the late victory ensures greater safety to our 
 merchandize — at once, the ornament, the glo- 
 ry, and the support of our country ! The 
 wealth and productions of foreign climes, will 
 not be suffered to enrich the finances or strength- 
 en the power of the enemy. This benefit is 
 highly to be esteemed ; for it affects the vitals 
 of a commercial country. But above all — we 
 would fain hope that the triumphs of victory 
 are destined to precede the blessings of peace \ 
 Not that we must expect the one to be irninedi- 
 ateli/ succeeded by the other; but it may tend 
 to facilitate its arrival. W^henever also peace 
 lihall approach us — it is certain that the victory 
 will be the means of securing more honourable 
 
IS 
 
 terrtis ; and thus imparting to it a more lasting 
 duration. And now it behoves the rulers of 
 the earth seriously to consider that it is high 
 time that the present unhappy contest should 
 cease ; that the European nations should breathe 
 in their career of slaughter — that man should no 
 longer, with a dreadful kind of insanity, labour 
 for the destruction of his species — and that lay- 
 ing aside all malice, strife and contention ; wc 
 should be united in the bonds of peace and 
 amity — and extend these blessings to the ends 
 of the earth. O God of mercy and of love! pity 
 thy creatures thus devoted to discord and con- 
 tention ; inspire them with kind and generous 
 sentiments towards each other; lead them to 
 the cultivation of true religion, which shall one 
 day shed its pacific influence on the whole race 
 of mankind ! 
 
 Thus have I stated the primitive meaning 
 of the words in the text, and the third part of 
 the ships were destroyed! and shewn how sin- 
 gularly they may be apphed to the mighty and 
 almost entire destruction of the enemy's fleet— 
 at a period — with circumstances — and carrying 
 in its train so many beneficial consequences, that 
 it must be pronounced a victory highly ser- 
 eg 
 
20 
 
 viceable to our coutitry. We now turn to thosTC 
 pj^actical ?'cflections which the \sLte victory elo- 
 quently suggests ; and without a view to which 
 I should not have addressed you on this occa- 
 sion. 
 
 Imagine not for a momenf, that because I 
 I call you to rejoice on account of the late vieio- 
 ry — that you are to view v/ar, and its attendant 
 horrors, with delight and coinplaceney. Nc. 
 the even more than third part of the ships that 
 were destroued, belonged to two powerful na- 
 tions'meditating your destruction ! That self- 
 love, which the Supreme Being hath implanted 
 in every bosom, was intended to pro\^e our best 
 security. Are we to stand like I'feless statues 
 and to open our bosom to the dagger of the 
 foe? Are we, by our insensibility, to provoke 
 them to the destruction of our persons, our 
 wives, and our children? Does reaaon or reli- 
 gion justify such unheard of indifference — sanc- 
 tion such criminal listnesses — or recommend a 
 behaviour which tends to invite the hostility of 
 tfie enemy ? It is on the ground oi' self-defence 
 alone that war can be tolerated. In itself it is 
 a most hateful thing. Wise men would, if pos- 
 sible, avoid it — Good men must always detest 
 it. In its agonizing struggles even when most 
 
SI 
 
 just; compassion weeps over its slaughtered 
 thousands, and humanity bleeds at every pore ! 
 Woe be to the real agressor — heinous is his guilt 
 —tremendous will be his punishment ; but war 
 there will be, till religion, the grand purifier 
 of the heart, takes up her abode in the hearts and 
 dispositions of mankind. Other expedients are 
 vain and futile. They may diminish, but will 
 not greatly remedy the evil — they may mollify 
 the rage of contending parties, inflamed by the 
 desire of mutual destruction, but they cannot 
 eradicate that root of bitterness whence these 
 tcide-ziasting evils have flown. But we return to 
 our practical reflections, 
 
 l5f»jLet us acknowledge the hand of God in the 
 late VICTORY. Creatures of a dsLj, and enve- 
 loped in the objects of time and sense, we arc 
 apt to confine our attention to seconda?y causes. 
 But it is our duty, and ought to be our pleasure 
 to ascribe fl// things to the superintendence of 
 the Deity. With the succession of events from 
 the creation to the destruction of the world, 
 he is minutely acquainted. Kingdoms, with that 
 apparently confused train of actions, which con- 
 stitute their history, lie open to his eye. Indivi- 
 duals, however sagacious in their plans, or how« 
 
fever skilful in their operations, are ordained to 
 promote his glory. In him do all things origi- 
 nate — with him is the issue of sublunary affairs, 
 and to him be all the praise and glory ! The 
 winds and the waives, than which nothing are 
 more variable and inconstant throughout cre- 
 ation, are under his controul and direction, 
 
 " Or bids you roar, or bids your roarings fall." 
 
 Have we not then every reason to recognise 
 his arm in the late victory ? Whatsoever the Lord 
 pleases that does he in heave?! and i?i earth ; in the 
 seas and all deep places. Great is the Lord and of 
 great power. Behold the nations areas a drop of 
 the bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the 
 
 ^ balance — behold he taketh up the isles as a very lit- 
 tle thing — all fiations before him are as ?toihing, and 
 they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity. 
 With //je^e sentiments of the Supreme Being — it 
 ^^ould be as iniquitous as it would be unfeeling, 
 not to recognise his agency amidst the storms 
 and desolations, of War. I heard as it were the 
 
 ^'voiceof a great multitude, and as the voice of viany 
 waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings say- 
 ing — in the sublime language of triumphant gra. 
 titude—rto.be adopted by us on the present oc- 
 
25 
 
 casion — Hallelujah — the Loiac God omni= 
 
 POTENT REIGNETH ! 
 
 2. While we thus recognise the hand of God 
 in the late mctory^ it behoves us to rejoice with 
 trembling. 
 
 The Supreme Being sustains the character of 
 the moral as well as natural governor of the uni- 
 verse. In this point of view, we ought to- 
 humble ourselves before him, on account of 
 our manifold transgressions. We are a sinful 
 nation, laden with iniquities ! This is a serious 
 consideration — and should be impressed upon 
 the minds of all ranks and descriptions of people 
 amongst us. Sacred and profane history \a- 
 forms us, that nations have flourished in exact 
 proportion to their love and practice of righte- 
 ousness. Examine the Grecian, the Roman, 
 and the Jewish states, by this criterion — you 
 will find the declaration abundantly verified. 
 As to the Jews, indeed, we learn from Josephus 
 - — that, " when Jerusalem was just going to be 
 (destroyed, first by the Chaldeans, and several 
 ages afterwards by the Romans, that a few 
 months before the fatal blow came, the hostile 
 armies which were encamped against the city, 
 
on a sudden raised the siege, and removed to 
 some distance, which afforded a short triumpli 
 to the wretched inliabitants. But, alas ! soon 
 did they return with redoubled terror, and exe- 
 cute the divine judgments upon them with a 
 severity hardly to be equalled in the history of 
 iany other country." 
 
 Let Britain, then, rejoice with trembling. To 
 tlie higher, to the middle, and to the lower 
 classes of our community, attach certain vices, 
 awfully provocative of the vengeance of Heaven. 
 Should we continue to adhere to our evil prac- 
 tices, serious judgments still await us and our 
 posterity ! Whilst, on the other hand, an un- 
 Jelgned repentance, and a timely reformation, may 
 prove the means of our temporal as well as spi- 
 ritual salvation. 
 
 It is recorded, to the disgrace of ancient 
 Israel, that they sang God's praises, but soon for- 
 got his works ! And indeed why should the 
 Deity interpose in our behalf, and effect so glo- 
 rious a deliverance, were it not that we might 
 Jrenceforth serve him without fear? Rescued 
 out of the hands of our enemies, we ought to wal/c 
 kef Ore him in holiness and righteousness ail ths 
 
25 
 
 days of our lives. Thou, ccen thou, art to he 
 feared ; and who may stand in thy sight when 
 once thou art angry ? Thou didst cause judgment 
 to be heard from heaven ; the earth feared and zvas 
 still ; xvhcn God arose to judgment, to save all the 
 meek of the earth. Surely the wrath of man shall 
 praise thee; the remainder of wrath shalt thou 
 restrain. 
 
 3. Let us never cease to supplicate the Divine 
 Majesty, that he will cause zvars to cease, and 
 truth, righteousness, and peace, to pervade every 
 region of the habitable globe ! 
 
 As we Imve already remarked, that the Su" 
 prenie Beino* sustains the character of the na- 
 tural and moral governor of the universe, so> 
 through his agency, will all things be conducte<l 
 to a happy conclusion. The history of man in 
 all gges has been the history of carnage and of 
 blood. Opposite opinions, conflicting passions, 
 and jarring interests, make up the series of sub- 
 lunary affaijis. Hence it has the appearance of 
 irregularity, disorder, and confusion. To the 
 visible eye, indeed, nothing appears but monarchs 
 reigning, senators sitting in council, armies 
 |i?eeting on the ensanguined plains of battle^ 
 
 D 
 
2,6 
 
 and parties reproaching each other with the bit- 
 terest asperity ! But the eye of faith penetrates 
 beyond these external objects of the senses. It 
 lifts up the veil, and discloses to view our Hea- 
 venly Father, "riding in the whirlwind, and 
 directing the storm ! " 77twe, O Lord ! is the 
 greatness^ and the power, and the glory ^ and the 
 ^victory, and the majesty : for all that is in the 
 heaven and in the earth is thine — thine is the king' 
 dovij O Lord 1 and thou art exalted as head above 
 all ! 
 
 Britain has many reasons to believe that 
 some of the most severe dispensations by which 
 her inhabitants have been exercised, were con- 
 ducive to their good. At certain periods of 
 her history, the clouds hanging over the politi- 
 cal hemisphere were dark and foreboding in the 
 extreme ; but at length they ' ' broke in blessings ' 
 on their head." Witness the Armada of 1588— 
 the meditated destruction of the King and Par- 
 liament in 1605 — the Revolution of 1688 — and 
 the Rebellions of 1715 and J 745 — which had 
 forged chains for us and our descendants. 
 Each of these events, at the time when they 
 occurred, filled the minds of many with painful 
 fears and corroding anxieties. But their ter^ 
 
inination was glorious ; and il diffused through- 
 out the breasts of thousands the purest sensa- 
 tions of triumph and joy. " The Lord is my 
 *' strength and song, and is become my salva- 
 ^' tion. Upon Mount Zion shall be deUver- 
 '' ance; and there shall be holiness; and the 
 " house of Jacob shall possess their posses . 
 y" sions" 
 
 From these particular instances of the divine 
 dispensations respecting our own country, 
 which were, in their commencement and pro- 
 gress, foreboding and disastrous, but in their 
 issue pregnant with blessings of the first order, 
 may we not infer the gradual melioration and 
 final improvement of the world ? The Supreme 
 Being is " from seeming evil still educing good, 
 and better thence again, and better still, in in- 
 * finite progression." We cannot suppose for a 
 moment that with him there is a deficiency ei- 
 ther of ability or of inclination to accomplish the 
 purposes of his benevolence. And the pointed 
 intimations of ancient prophecy, respecting the 
 ultimate spread of truth, righteousness, and 
 PEACE, have not been given in vain. Either 
 the children of men shall attain progressively to 
 
28 
 
 greater lieights of refinement, civilization, ztid 
 humanity — or some mighty influence shall de- 
 scend from heaven, to scatter the darkness of 
 prejudice — to allay tlie fury of passion — to sof- 
 ten the clashings ot' contending mterests — so 
 that " the wolf" shall eventually " dwell with 
 •' the lamb, and the leooard shall lie down with 
 *' the kid, and the calf, and the young lion, and 
 " the fatling together, and a little child shall 
 *' lead them, and the cow and the bear shall 
 *' feed— their young ones shall lie down toge- 
 *' tlicr, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; 
 *' and tiie suckling child shall play on the hole 
 " of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his 
 '' hand on tlie cockatrite-den. They shall not 
 *' hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain ; 
 *' for the EARTH," which hath hitherto been the 
 seat of ignorance and strife, of discord and con- 
 tention, '* shall be full of tlie knowledge of 
 " the Lord, as the w aters cover the sea !" — 
 " Let our eyes, then/' says tlie excellent Dod- 
 dridge, •' be lifted up towards Heaven, in 
 humble hope, and in fcjvent prayer, for the 
 public prosperity, for the prevalency of true 
 Christicuuty, m the \\hole world, especially in 
 our own country ; and above all, as it is thdt in 
 which we are first and most intimately concern- 
 
29 
 
 td, for its prevalency in our ozmi hearts, that we 
 may steadily retain it — that we may faithfully 
 practise it — that we may daily advance in our 
 conformity to it. So shall we understand the 
 lovingkindness of the Lord, in the general con^ 
 duct of present affairs ; and though there may 
 be mysteries of providence which we cannot 
 particularly explain, shall assuredly believe that 
 all the paths of it are mercy and truth, and find 
 the truest and the securest peace in our passage 
 to everlasting joy." 
 
 In the mean time, let us, according to our va- 
 rious capacities, put forth our powers to hasten 
 this blessed Epoch — when, through the medium 
 of TRUE RELIGION, the happiucss of man on 
 earth shall be consummated ; and it will become 
 us also, to do every thing to assuage the pains, 
 and mitigate the sorrows of suffering humanity. 
 The religion of Jesus, t\\c Prince of Peace, which 
 we have the honour to profess, teaches us not 
 only ta rejoice with those that rejoice, but to weep 
 with them that weep. You will not — you cannot,- 
 therefore, withhold your contributions this day 
 for the relief oi^the wounded, together with the wi- 
 dows and families of those who have fallen in behalf 
 of their Country I Patriotism cannot dictate a 
 
itiore acceptable offering — benevolence cannot 
 receive a higher gratification : 
 
 *' Whom have, tliei/ (5ared tJiefglit for ? for their King ? 
 
 To save themselves — or Kurl destruction's brand. 
 
 Fierce on the Foe ? No i nobler views were theirs ! 
 
 They fought for Liberty ! Thej/ fought to save 
 
 All that is dear in life — your peaceful homes— 
 
 Your helpless SireS) your Wives — your Innocents / 
 
 And not for these alone, but distant Heirs — 
 
 For generations yet unborn — the race 
 
 Of future Britons, down to farthest time ! 
 
 Who oft as they shall hear what those endured 
 
 To guard their rights — the precious blood they shedj 
 
 To make their lives secure, and bid the form 
 
 Of holy freedom ri^e — engirt with flowers, 
 
 That dare the breath of time — shall look to Heaven, 
 
 And with no common fervour, bless the names 
 
 Of those, their great Forefathers who for them 
 
 -Endured, but triumph'd — suffered, btit obtain'd !''' 
 
 I conclude, in the words of the evangelical 
 prophet. Isaiah — "Break forth into joy, sin* 
 *' together ye waste places of Jerusalem ; for 
 ** the Lord hath comforted his people — he 
 " hath redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord hatli 
 *' made bare his holy arn^j in the eyes of all the 
 '' nations; and all the ends of the earth shall 
 *' see the salvation of our God." Amen. 
 
A; 
 
 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 .S the Author '~f the preceding Discourse has founded it oq 
 a passage in the Revelations — expressive of a great maritime 
 destruction — a List of the Ships of the enemy, with the man- 
 ner after which they were disposed, is here subjoined, by way 
 of flt^;^/H/ exemplification. Dr. Dobdridge in his paraphrase 
 on the words, has with the view of heightening their effect — 
 added — " the skips uere destroyed — and all perished !" The ' 
 Reader, therefore, will better judge, from the inspection of the 
 following Catalogue, how far the "words chosen, are applicable 
 to the occasion. 
 ^ List of the Combined Fleets of France mid Spain in the Actioji 
 
 of2lsf October, 1805, oj' Cape Trafalgar, shewing how they 
 
 are disposed of . 
 
 1. Spanish ship San Ildefonso, of 74' guns. Brigadier Don 
 Joseph, De Vargas ; sent to Gibraltar. 
 
 2. Spanish ship San Juan Neporauceno, of 74 guns, Briga- 
 dier Don Cosme Churruca ; sent to Gibraltar, 
 
 3. Spanish ship Bahama, of 74- guns. Brigadier Don A. D. 
 Gadiano j sent to Gibraltar. 
 
 4 French ship Swiftsure, of 74 guns, JNIonsieur Villemadrin ; 
 sent to Gibraltar. 
 
 5. Spanish ship Monarca, of 74 guns, Je Don Jeodore Argu- 
 mosa ; wrecked off San Lucar. 
 
 6". French ship Fougeux, of 74 guns, Monsieur Beaudouin ; 
 wrecked off Trafalgar, all perished, and thirty of the Temerair's 
 men. 
 
 7. French ship Indomptable, of S4 guns, Monsieur Hubert 5 
 wrecked off Rota, all perished. 
 
 8. French ship Bucentaur, of 80 guns, Admiral Villcneuve, . 
 Commander in Chief; Captains Prigny and Magendie; wreck- 
 ed on the Porques, some of the crew saved. 
 
 9. Spanish ship San Francisco de Asis, of 74 gt^is, Don Lu- 
 is de Flores ; wrecked near Rota. 
 
 10. Spanish ship El Rayo, of 100 guns, Brigadier Don 
 Henrique Macdonel ; wrecked near San Lucar. 
 
 11. Spanish ship Neptuno, of 84 guns, Brigadier Don Caye- 
 tanoValdes : wrecked between Rota and Catolina. 
 
 12. French ship Argonaute, of 74 guns. Monsieur Epron; 
 on shore in the Port of Cadiz. 
 
 13. French ship Berwick, of 74 guns. Monsieur Camas; 
 wrecked to the Northward of San Lucar. 
 
 14. French ship Aigle, of 74 guns. Monsieur Courrege ; 
 wrecked near Ii^ ^. 
 
 15. French ship Achille,of 74 guns, Monsieur D'Nicuport; 
 burnt during the action. 
 
 16'. French ship Intiepide, of 74 guns. Monsieur Infornet ; 
 hurnt by the Britannia. 
 
 17. Spanish ship San Agustin, of 74 guns ; Brigadier Doi^ 
 Felipe X. Cagigal ; buriit by the Leviathan. 
 
32 
 
 IS. Spanish ship Santissima Trinidad, of 140 gun's, R car- 
 Admiral Don Baltazarll. Cisneros ; Brigadier Don F. Uriarte; 
 sunk by the prince, Neptune, &c. 
 
 19- French ship Redoubtabk% of 74 guns, Monsieur Lucas ; 
 sunk astern of the Swiftsure; Tcmeraire lost 13, and the Swift- 
 sure 5 men. 
 
 20. Spanish ship Argonauta, of 80 guns, Don Antonio Pare- 
 jo : sunk by the Ajax. 
 
 21. Spanish ship Santa Ana, of 112 guns, Vice-Admiral Doa 
 Ignacio D'AUiva ; Captain Don Joseph de Gardoqui^ taken, 
 but got into Cadiz in the gale, dismated. 
 
 22. French ship Algeziras, of 74 guns, Rear-Admiral Magon 
 (killed) ; Capt. Monsieur Bruaro; taken, but got into Cadiz in 
 the gale, dismasted. 
 
 23. French ship Pluton, of 74* guns. Monsieur Cosmao ; re- 
 turned to Cadiz in a sinking state. 
 
 24. Spanish ship San Juste, of 74 guns, Don Miguel Cas» 
 ton ; returned to Cadiz j has a foremast only. 
 
 25. Spanish ship San Leandro, of 64 guns, Don Joseph de 
 Quevedo ; returned to Cadiz dismasted, 
 
 26. French ship Neptune, of 84 guns, Monsieur Maistral ; 
 returned to Cadiz, and perfect ! ! ! 
 
 27. French ship Heros, of 74 guns, Monsieur Poulain ; rer 
 turned to Cadiz, lower masts in, and Admiral Rossillie's flag on 
 board. 
 
 28. Spanish ship Principe de Asturias, of 112 guns. Admiral 
 Don F. Gravina; Don Autonio Escano, &c. returned to Cadiz, 
 dismasted. 
 
 29. Spanish ship Montanez, of 74 guns, Don Francisco Al- 
 cedo; returned to Cadiz. 
 
 30. French ship Formidable, of SO guns, Rear-Admiral Du- 
 manoirj hauled to the southward and escaped. 
 
 31. French ship Mont Blanc, of 74 guns, Monsieiir Le Vi]- 
 Jegrisj hauled to the southward and escaped. 
 
 32. French ship Scipion, of 74 guns, Monsieuj Berenger j 
 hauled to the southward and escaped. 
 
 33. Frerch ship Duguay Trouin, of 74 g.uns, Mon. Touffet j 
 hauled to the southward and escaped. 
 
 N. B. These four ships were captured by Sir Richard SU^- 
 phan on the 4th instant. 
 
 ABSTRACT. 
 
 At Gibraltar 4 ^^ 
 
 Destroyed ^^ ** 
 
 In Cadiz, wrecks ^ 1 o 
 In Cadiz, serviceable 3 3 
 Escaped to Southward . 4 
 
 Total 33 ! ! ! 
 
 \Vhen t/i£ Judgments of the Lord arc thus abroad in the Eartl^ 
 —may the Inhabitants thereof learn right eovuness ! 
 
AN 
 
 ADDRESS 
 
 TO THE 
 
 INHABITANTS ov BRITAIN; 
 
 FOUNDED ON THE 
 
 Advice of Kehemiah to the Jews; 
 
 / looked and rose tip and said wito the Nobles, and Jo the 
 Rulers and to the rest qf the People — He not ye 
 AFRAID of them— He yii em be I the Loid, who is great 
 and terrible — and fight for your Brethren— ycwr 
 Sons and your Daughters— j/o«/' Wives and your. 
 Houses. 
 
 Neh. iv, 14. 
 
 When Danger calls, with Courage take the Field, 
 Draw the bright Sword, and lift *hc temper'd Shield; 
 Undaunted face the Foe; disclnm to Hy; 
 Coiiguer like Britons, or like Britons — die!! 
 
 SECOND EDITION. 
 
 L O N D O N: 
 Printed for j. ginger, 169, piccadillt, 
 
 AND J. ASPERNE, C RNHILL, 
 
 B3/ C Stouerj Charles Utreet, Hatton Garden, 
 
 Price 3d. or 2$. 6d. per Dozen. 
 
Jnd David said unto his Men — Gird you on every 
 Man his Sword. 
 
 1 Sam. XXV. 13. 
 
ADVERTISEMENT, 
 
 JLHE following animated and truly patriotic address wa* 
 diawn up by the late Mr. Robert Noyes, and delivered by 
 him at Cranbrook, December 14, 1755, occasioned by the 
 then popular apprehension of an Invasion. Having been 
 
 handed me by my friendjMr.T » just returned from that 
 
 part of Kent, I found that with a few alterations and omis- 
 sions, it was peculiarly adapted to the present alarming junc* 
 ture of alfaiis ; and by its republication, at this period, I 
 flatter myself that I am so far rendering a service to my 
 country. No apology then will be deemed necessary for the 
 step now taken — indeed (though legally^ excused hy the 
 nature of my profession, from joining the ranks of my 
 Countrymen) it would be doing violence to the best 
 feelings of my nature, to remain a mere indifferent spec- 
 tator on the present momentous occasion. For. recollect, 
 Britons; — 
 
 The First Consul of France threatens our destruction. 
 He vows vengeance on this nation, because we refuse to 
 crouch at his feet. Our persons are to be seized — our 
 wives and daughters brutally insulted — our houses plun- 
 dered — our property confiscated— our towns and cities set 
 on hie— and the whole island converted into one general 
 s^cene of rui» and devastation! Englishmen therefore 
 
 A ? 
 
 V . 
 
are called upon, by every solemn consideration, to prepare 
 vigorously for the repulsion of such a foe. And they 
 are obeying the call with alacrity ! The inhabitants of 
 Britain are buckling on their armour- — the courage of the 
 lion is roused — our posture shall be such that the First 
 Consul will meet with a due reception. Though accus- 
 tomed to success in other regions, where heat of climate* 
 and the slavish nature of their government, conspire to 
 debilitate the human species— yet landing with his legions 
 on the shores of Albion-— he shall be saluted with no 
 other accents than those already issuing from amidst the 
 waving banners of freedom — 
 
 Old England and Victory !l 
 
 AM^st\e,\m3. JOHN EVANS. 
 
 PUILIN 9 ROW, ISLINGTON. 
 
ADDRESS, ^c 
 
 / looked and rose tip and said inito the nobles, and to the 
 rulers, and to the rest of the people — Be lipt ye afraid 
 of them : remember the Lord, who is great and ter- 
 rible, and fght for your brethren, your sons and your 
 daughters, your wives and your houses. 
 
 Nehemiah iv. 14. 
 
 Countrymen ! 
 
 IT was a custom among the Jews (when they suspected 
 an invasion) to take a man of their coasts, and set him 
 for their watchman, who was to blow the trumpet of alarm 
 to warn the people of their approaching danger. — Now 
 ■when any one heard this sound, and took not warning to 
 prepare himself for defence, if the sword, by his own ne- 
 gligence destroyed him, his blood was to be upon his own 
 head — his death was chargeable upon himself, through his 
 indolence and folly : — But, on the contrary, if the watch- 
 man saw the sword coming, and blew not the trumpet to 
 warn the people, so that any among them, through his 
 omission, were exposed to the devouring sword, and lost 
 their lives by surprize, their blood was to be required by 
 the great arbiter of life and death, at the watchman's hand. 
 — The application of the foregoing passage is easy, and 
 may serve as an apology for the following Address — if an 
 alarm to vigilance, ynagnanimity and action, under po- 
 pular appiehensions of danger, from the attempts of a 
 foreign power, needs any apology. 
 
The more secret an enemy is in the plan and execution 
 pf his purposes, the greater is the necessity for a strict vi- 
 gilance, and pieparation against the worst. — Agreeable to 
 this observation, Nehemiah posted a proper guard around 
 the wall of Jerusalem, furnished them with swords, spears, 
 and bows, and then gave this heroic advice to the nobles, 
 to the rulers, and to the rest of the people — to the men of 
 dignify and power, as well as to the commonalty. Be Jiot 
 ye afraid of them — be not too timorous in your appre- 
 hensions of danger — nor yet too conjident of success — but 
 remember the Lord, tvho is great and terrible — recollect 
 what he has dc ne for you in times past — depend on him 
 710W and for the future — He is great to protect your per- 
 sons, and maintain your cause, — He is terrible to destroy 
 your adversaries, and avenge your wrongs — therefore in 
 an humble reliance on tiie divine aid, and in .league with 
 such an omnipotent ally- — if need be — Jight Jor your 
 brethren, your sons, your daughters and your wives — 
 stand firm in the defence of your countrymen, and those 
 connected with you in the more intimate ties of nature-— 
 but if these motives are not sufficient to awaken your cou- 
 rage, yet Jight for your houses — for the house of the 
 LORD, the interest of rehgion — fight for the houses of 
 your habitation, the seats of your grandeur, the repositaries 
 of your merchandize, and the calmer villas of your sober 
 contemplations! 
 
 Having remarked the nature of Nehemiah's address to 
 the Jews, I would adopt itas a suitable address to Britons, 
 in the present awful state of nafional affairs, and consider 
 it as recommending the three following things. 
 
 1. A certain magnanimity of soul, and nobleness of 
 spirit, in the view of suspected dangers — B4; not ye 
 afraid of them. 
 
 2. In connection with this — A religious and humble 
 dependance on the Supreme Being, for protection and 
 success — Remember the LOJiJJ, &cc. 
 
 3. An exemplification (if necessity require) of this mag- 
 
nenimity of soul, and nobleness of spirit, by a corres- 
 pondent greatness of action — Fight for your breik- 
 rt!?i, &c. 
 
 Fear is an affection of the mind, which is excited by 
 the apprehension of danger, real or imaginary ; and is im- 
 planted in man, as a centinel or monitor, to give him 
 timely warning to retreat, or make a bold resistance, ac- 
 cording as the danger may appear more or less formidable. 
 — To have iio fear, is rashness — to be all fear, is coward- 
 ice — we should therefore avoid both extremes, and call 
 reason to regulate our conduct, as the respective cases may 
 require — for instance, if a man unarmed, meets, in the 
 Lybian deserts, an hungry tyger in quest of prey, to retreat 
 then, is pi^ndcnce ; to advance is rashness. On the con- 
 trary, if a maivarmed, see in his way a lion chained and 
 muzzled, to fly then, is cowardice, because, under such 
 circumstances, it is to be presumed, the man is superior to 
 the beast ; neither of these, rashness or cozaai'dice, is com- 
 ' mendable ; let us therefore endeavour to take the middle 
 path, that so we may proceed in safety. 
 
 The medium of these extremes, is what we would pur- 
 sue, in considering what the passage recommends. 
 
 1. A certain magnanimity of soul, and nobleness of spi- 
 rit, in the view of suspected dangers — Be not ye 
 afraid of them. 
 
 This magnanimity of soul is wh^t the Romans distin- 
 guished by the name of heroism ; and in order to excite 
 such a nobleness of mind, their military laws appointed 
 honorary rewards to officers and soldiers, in proportion to 
 their respective heroic actions. Hence some of their he- 
 roes entered in triumph into the city, amidst the acclama- 
 tions of a free and unanimous people, crowned with lau- 
 rels, and laden with spoils — to others were erected statues 
 of marble, to perpetuate their memory and honour ; Sci- 
 pio, Pompey, and Caesar, for this greatness of spirit, shine 
 with a remarkable lustre in the Roman records ; Achilles 
 a^d Ajax, Alexander and Lysimachus, for the same un- 
 
daunted courage, stand eminently distinguished in the 
 Grecian annals ; nor has Great Brifain been without her 
 heroes. — She may boast of a Sydjiey, a Marlborough^ 
 and an ^^rgyle, — of a Jioxve, a Duncan^ a Nelson^ and an 
 Aberonvibic, who have been illustrious for magnanimity, 
 and as their actions have been great, scj their characters 
 should be dear to every Kngiishman. These few instances 
 of a noble spirit are mentioned to remind us how great 
 such persons ore in themselves, how serviceable to their 
 country, how worthy of imitation ; — which remark pro- 
 perly introduces here an address to you, my fellow-sub- 
 jects of a protestant, paternal king, to cultivate an heroic 
 disposition at the present juncaire of things. I would 
 therefore repeat and urge the advice of Nehemiah, Be not 
 ye afraid of them — be courageous, be loyal, be stout- 
 hearted, ouit yourselves like men ; and as motives to this, 
 let us consider who and what our enemies are, who and 
 what we are, — They " are the men that make the earth 
 to tremble, that shake kingdoms, that make the world as a. 
 wilderness, and destroy the cities thereof." — Our enemies 
 are the vassals of a tyrannical Despot — we are the free 
 subjects of a mild and compassionate King. Consider the 
 different cause in which we and they are engaged. We 
 are called to be magnanimous in the defence of our religion 
 and laws, our liberty and property, the best of Kings, and 
 the best of Countiies. — Our enemies fight to gratify the 
 ambition and exorbitant views of one who aims at universal 
 empire. Consider the consequences, if our adversaries 
 should succeed through our cowardice and fear — and who, 
 can, without horror, reflect on these ! — Theil must thy 
 fclds, O ! BRITANNIA !,be an Jceldevia; the riches of 
 thy cities bcc<'>mc the prey of rdpine ; ihy palaces a waste, 
 and thy churches the scenes of superstition and idolatry !— 
 then might thy children be dashed in pieces before the 
 eyes of their weeping parents; the houses of thy great 
 iTWfi b€ spoiled, and their ■uu'ves and daughters be violated 
 in the sight of the sun ! then might thy tcidou^s be plun- 
 dered, anci ihc fatherless find no mercy ! — then might thy 
 sons be chased as the hart, and eveiy one that is found of 
 them, bf- thrust through ! — then might thy shoes be tinc- 
 fujed with the blood, and disfigured with the mangled car- 
 
cases of the slain, and thy in'vo'S blush to be stainet! with. 
 the human dye ! — t/ie?i might thy remaining inhabitants 
 be slaves, and all thy glory fade like a winter flower !-*- 
 Shake off then yonr fears, 01 Britons ! at such an awful 
 prospect, and Sissumc ^ nobleness of spirit, a bold resolution 
 to oppose the common foe !— ^Let not the multitude of 
 their numbers terrify us, for the battle is not always to the 
 strong, and through God we shall do valiantly. — Be their 
 views ever so ambitious, yet wherein they deal proudly, 
 the Lord is above them. — Be their designs planned with 
 the deepest secrecy and cunning, yet an omniscient God 
 can take the wise in their own craftiness, and cast the 
 counsel of tlie froward headlong. — Be they most sanguine 
 in their hopes of success, yet we tiust the Lord will reject 
 their confidence, and they shall nor prosper; let not there- 
 fore our hands be faint, or our hearts meh, but let us gird 
 up our vtijids to courage, and remember the Lord who is 
 , great and terrible — He is on our side, let us not be afraid 
 "what man can do unto us. 
 
 Need any other pai ticulars be mentioned to awaken this 
 noble, this commendable, this necessary greatness of soul? 
 • — I trust you zvant not many motives to excite such a 
 principle — as true friends to your country, I am sure you 
 do not — and I hope you are so ; I believe you are — Yet 
 permit me to suggest what must certainly have a prevailing 
 influence on a great iind exalted mind, viz. the reproach 
 and contempt that ever attends cozt^ardice, and the applause, 
 the real honour that awaits valour and boldness of spirit. 
 Better, if Providence should appoint it our lot, better to 
 die honourably in the field, and so, by being serviceable 
 to our country, transmit a worthy name to posterity, a- 
 midst the little circle of our acquaintance — better this, 
 than to fly, or submit, as slaves, in a pusillanimous man- 
 ner, to an abandoned, a despicable set of men, and by such 
 an act, oblige ourselves to ilrag the chains of perpetual in- 
 famy and captivity ! It was a maxim among the Romans, 
 pulchrum est pro putrid mori — and shall rnen, who value 
 themselves as Britons, deviate from such a spirit of pa- 
 triotism.^ No! — when we read the lives of great men, 
 who have distinguished themselves in their Country's 
 
10 
 
 Cause, or view the monuments erected to their memories, 
 in the repositum of heroes, (St. Paul's, and Westminster 
 Abbey,) let it fire our souls to resolution, and invigorate 
 our drooping courage ! May a flame of magnanimity 
 warm every British heart, and become general, as it is 
 noble ! May the Sons of Britain abhor coxvardice and a 
 meanness of spirit, as they would the sins of rebellion 
 and wirchciaft ! May every Englishman resolve to prove 
 himself such, if need be, and shcv? the w.orld, that he pre-» 
 fers Death in a good cause, to Victory in a had one ! Yet, 
 let not the goodness of our cause, nor the greatness of our 
 courage, tempt us to a sole dependence on ourselves, but 
 amidst all our military preparations, and under the propul- 
 sion of our warmest resolutions to battle, let us remember 
 the Lord, "who is great and terrible — let us implore direct- 
 ion, assistance, and success from him, who rulethin the ar- 
 mies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of this lower 
 world ! This remark properly introduces here, the next 
 part of Nehemiah's address, which jecommends, 
 
 , 2. In connection with this magnanimity of soul, a 
 religious and humble dependence on the Supreme Being, 
 for protection and success. — Remember the Loi'd, &c. 
 
 . This dependence on God is a reasonable duty, and 
 taught by the light of nature : The heathens used to in- 
 voke their deities for assistance and success, when en- 
 gaged in war; and if ihey returned from the field vic- 
 torious, would erect temples to their tutelar gods, and 
 adorn them with the spoils of the conquered nations, as 
 testimonies of their gratitude, 
 
 God has encouraged us to trust in him, by the promise 
 of his divine assistance, and we know that God is able to 
 ptotcct, and faithful to perform his engagements* — Trust 
 yCi then, in the Lord for ever ; for in the Lord Jehovah 
 is^vcrlasting 6'i;'fn^/A.-— Expehcnce as well as reason, 
 teaches us, that success cometh from the Lord ; else why 
 have the weak conquered, and the po\Verful been van- 
 quished ? — Else why have the best concerted schemes, and 
 the fairest hopes of victory been blasted .?— Means, indeed, 
 
II 
 
 ■are to be used, which the nature of things require for the 
 accoiTiplishmeut of the proposed end. If we are surround- 
 ed by a powerful enemy, 'tis necessary to pr6vide fleets to 
 guard our coasts, to protect our commerce, and make re- 
 prizals — 'tis necessary to furnish our forts with arms and 
 ammunition, and post men there who are able and willing 
 to use them irt their countiy's cause; — 'tis necessary ti> 
 augment and discipline our forces, in order to strengthen 
 their power, and improve their military skill — but were 
 our fleets under the direction of the most experienced and 
 valiant commanders, were they manned with themost re- 
 solute sailors, and built tight as the hand of art could con- 
 struct them — were our forts of adamant, and aspired to the 
 clouds — were our forces numerous as those of Xerxes, and 
 all men of war from their youth, yet these could not ensure 
 success, without the divine assistance aud permission. 
 Wlien David engaged the champion of the Philistines in a 
 single combat, he was so unequal to his antagonist, that 
 when he saw him, 'tis said he disdained him, for he was 
 but a youth ; yet David was not dismayed, but boldly met 
 his adversary in a dependence on the God of Israel for 
 victory, as appears from his own language, " I come to 
 thee in the name of the lord of hosts, the God of the ar- 
 mies of Israel, whom thou hast defied; tin's day will the- 
 Lord deliver thee into my hand;" and' all the assembled 
 army by this act were convinced, that the battle is the 
 Lord's. Before king Asa went against Zerah the Et'nio- 
 pian, who had an army of a thousand thousand, and three 
 hundred chariots — He made supplication to the Lord of 
 hosts for assistance and conquest, notwithstanding his men 
 of valour. — " And Asa cryed unto the Lord ! it is nothing 
 with thee to help, whether with many or with them tiiat 
 have no power: help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on 
 thee, and in thy nanie we go against this multitude : O 
 Lord ! thou art our God, let not man prevail against thee." 
 This fervent prayer the Lord answered, and engaged him- 
 self in the good kmg's cause ; for 'tis recorded, that the 
 Lord smote the Ethiopions before Asa. When a nation 
 makes God its friend, by an humble dependance on him, 
 and a religious observance of his commands, 'tis secure 
 from all the encroachments of Its adversaries, and no wca- 
 
12 
 
 pon formed against it shall prosper. — Let us then make 
 God our trust, and look to him for success in all our un- 
 dertakings ! Without his gracious concurrence with law- 
 ful endeavours, they will prove ineffectual for the propos- 
 ed cni—Duty is ours, but success is God's. Our most 
 exalted hopes may be frustrated, when we rely not on 
 Heaven for the accomplishment of them. — The Mariner 
 who is bound for a distant port, may enioy a favourable 
 gale, a summer-sea, with the pleasing piospect of a success- 
 ful voyage, and yet be shipwrecked in sight of his haven. 
 — I'he Husbandman may sow seed, and temperate seasons 
 give him the pmmising hope of a plentiful harvest, yet, 
 Avhcn his fields are ripe for the sickle, the inclemencies 
 of the weather may blast all his expectations. — A General 
 may engage his enemy with premeditated conduct, with 
 unshaken courage, and all the regularities of war, and so 
 be animated with the fairest prospect of a victory, and yet 
 be disappointed in his views ; which verifies the observa- 
 tion of Solomon ; " That the race is not always to the 
 swiff ; nor the battle to the strong, neither bread to the 
 wise, nor riches to men of understanding." — Let us then 
 *' remember the Lord, who is great and terrible," and at 
 all seasons, especially the present, depend on him for di- 
 rection and success. — God, when the arm of flesh fails, 
 can easily frustrate the designs, and enervate the power of 
 that Despot, whose attempts are to enslave our persons, to 
 monopolize our property, to extirpate our religion, to de- 
 throne the King, and convert our land into the valley 
 of slaughter. — No nation under the sun has more whole- 
 some laws, rnore reasonable immunities, greater privi- 
 leges, or a better King upon the throne, as the father, 
 friend, and protector of his people, than Great-Britain ; 
 let us not then forfeit these mercies, by being forgetful of 
 God, who has done great things for us ! The language of 
 Azariah to Asa, when he returned victorious from the 
 battle in the valley of Zephathah, and to all Judah and Ben- 
 jamin, is worthy an attentive regard — " The Lord is with 
 you, while ye be with him ; and if ye seek him, he will be 
 found of you ; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you." 
 
 We proceed to consider, that this Address of NehemittK 
 excites us — 
 
13 
 
 ■ 3. To exemplify tliis magnimity of sou], and noblenejs 
 of spirit, if necessity require, by a correspondent greatness 
 of action. Fight for your brethren, &c. 
 
 The boast of courage is a trifle, an insignifiDant trifle, 
 unless attended with heroic action. — The coward may 
 vaunt more of his great spirit than the man of real valour ; 
 but 'tis the apprehension of danger, which is the test to 
 distinguish the hero from the coward. 
 
 Nehemiah exhorts the Jews to fight, supposing the case 
 required, and the recommendation of his advice is not un- 
 seasonable at present ; I would therefore now urge it as 
 worthy our regard, and suitable to our circumstances.-; — 
 The motives to action, mentioned in the passage, are very 
 interesting, and therefore, on Britons should be prevailing. 
 Were the brightest imagination employed to conceive argu- 
 ments to animate our hearts, to fire our zeal in our coun- 
 try's cause, and give vigour to the armed hand — Were the 
 most eloquent tongue engaged in the recommendation of 
 these arguments, they could not think of better, nor de- 
 liver them with greater pathos and energy than Nehe- 
 miah has done in the majesty and simplicity of scripture 
 style. — 
 
 These persuasive motives to action, I shall now endea- 
 vour to set to view, as they stand ranged in the passage be- 
 fore us — 
 
 Fight /or your Brethren! — 
 
 This expression may probably mean, fight for your 
 brethren in the ties of nature, and bonds of civil society. — 
 The Author of our being has wisely implanted in us an 
 affection for our kindred, and patriotism should awaken in 
 us a regard for the Land of our Nativity. Shall we be in- 
 dolent, shall we be pusillanimous, when called bv the voice 
 of Heaven to defend the children, who claim the same 
 parents as we ! What would not a man do or suffer to 
 protect his brother ! Shall the sword cut off the Partner 
 of my Fleshy and I standby an idle spectator ! No! — 
 
14 
 
 Let not sucTi a reproach be told in Gaih, nor published m 
 the streets of Askalon ! — If this motive is not sufficient to 
 rouse our languid resolutions, and deteimine us to >ake up 
 the weapon of war defensively, yet let the next prevail — ' 
 
 Fight for your Sons ! — 
 
 Tills is an address to fathers — Fight for your sons, who 
 are to perpetuate your names, to commemorate your 
 virtues, and inherit your estates I This is a powerful 
 argument, and speaks the most pathetic language — Can 
 the Father become a slave to a foreign power, and abandon 
 his Sons ? Can he tamely expose his children to the bar- 
 barities of a Gallic sword ? — Abhor the thought ! Fight 
 for your Sons. — If the safety of these is nor an incentive 
 powerful enough to awaken, if necessary, our resolutions 
 to battle, let us listen to a more tender persuasive ! — 
 
 Fight for your Daughters ! — 
 
 Exert yourselves for those who arc not expected to 
 fight for themselves. ' Shall a British parent permit, 
 through his cowardice, the most defenceless part of his 
 offspring to become a prey to the outrages of a dissolute 
 rabble ! What insults, what indecencies might be offered 
 to these ! Resolve, even iit the the thought of such a 
 scene, to defend them, — I would join tlie preceding motive 
 to this, and mention the Sons with the Daughters, if by 
 any means we might be persuaded to magnanimity. — You 
 cannot, surely, neglect to be valiant for these valuable Und 
 intimate favourites ! No ! As soon might the mechanic 
 right hand forget her cunning, or the tongue of eloquence 
 have been silent in the midst of a Roman Senate, when 
 Liberty was the subject, and Cicero present. — If the mo- 
 tives already urged, are ineffectual, permit me to recom- 
 mend another — 
 
 Fight for your Wives I— 
 
 For the protection of those who are least capable to pro- 
 tect themselves. Shall these become subject to the indig- 
 
V 
 
 15 
 
 nities and violence of an abandoned mob ! These whe 
 
 are your dearest property ; shall these be treated like the 
 Sabine women, and no eye pity them, no arm defend 
 them ! No ! — If the endearments of affection can sooth, 
 if the sanctity of connubial vows have any force, these 
 should be pi'otected ! Can a Briton, can any man, who 
 lays a claim to humanity, expose a Wife to the violations 
 of a wild and licentious Army !_ — If the most intimate ties 
 of nature and society, are not sufficient to excite an heroic 
 spirit, and a fixed resolution to action, I can propose a 
 motive which is frequently prevalent, viz. Secular In- 
 terest 
 
 Fight for your Houses ! — 
 
 Fight in the defence of your habitations, your patrimony 
 and possessions ! — Who could see the fruits of industry, 
 and the estates of nobility, violently wrested from the 
 proprietor, and be unconcerned or inactive! ' Shall the 
 Stately mansion be sacked, or even the humble cottage be 
 •usurped without opposition! — No! — If this was to be 
 permitted, through a meanness of spirit, the fathers might 
 be vagabonds, and their children beg ! Finally, I would 
 recommend the magnanimity of a certain woman, men- 
 tioned with applause, by the Rev. Mr. Hervey, as worthy 
 our imitation, who, when her son was going to battle, made 
 him a present of a shield, with this motto, " Bring it back, 
 my son, as a Trophy j or be brought back upon it, as thy 
 Bier."— 
 
 O 1, Britain ! May the Lord be thy helper — the 
 Lord thy shade upon thy right hand; thy refuge from 
 the stot^m, and thy shield front the devouring sivord ' 
 
 f 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 Printed by C. Slower, 
 Chwle* Sucet, Hitton Garden. 
 
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