Spirit, as it is maintained in the three Creeds, not being at all affected by any of his peculiar sentiments.

But you possibly imagine, Sir, that he has lately changed his doctrine, and adopted a new system. If you do, you are under a very great mistake, and to convince you of it, permit me to conclude this letter by a par agraph of one which I received from him last spring.

"I always did (for between these thirty and forty years) clearly assert the total fall of man, and his utter inability to do any good of himself: the absolute necessity of the grace and Spirit of God to raise even a good thought or desire in our hearts: the Lord's rewarding no work, and accepting of none, but so far as they proceed from his preventing, convincing, and converting grace through the beloved. The blood and righteousness of Christ being the sole meritorious cause of our salvation. And who is there in England that has asserted these things more strongly and steadily than I have done?" Leaving you to answer this question, I remain with due respect, Hon. and Rev. Sir, your obedient Servant, in the bonds of a peaceful gospel,

MADELY, July 29, 1771.

J. FLETCHER.

Second Letter to the Rev. Mr. Shirley. HON. AND REV. SIR, HAVING proved that Mr. W's doctrine is not heretical, permit me to consider the propositions which close the Minutes of his last Conference, on which, it seems, your charge of dreadful heresy is founded.

They wear, I confess a new aspect, and such is the force of prejudice and attachment to particular modes of expression, that at first they appeared to be very unguarded, if not altogether erroneous. But when the din of the severe epithets, bestowed upon them by some warm friends, was out of my ears; when I had prayed to the Father of lights for meekness of wisdom, and given place to calm reflection, I saw them in quite a different light. Our Lord commands us "Not to judge according to the appearance, but to judge righteous judgment;" appearances therefore did not seem to me sufficient to condemn any man, much less an elder and such an elder as Mr. W. I considered besides, that the circumstances in which a minister sometimes finds himself with respect to his hearers, and particular errors spreading among them, may oblige him to do or say things, which though very right according to the time, place, persons, and junctures, may yet appear very wrong to those who do not stand just where he does. I saw for exam. ple, that if St. Paul had been in St. James's circumstances, he would have preached justification in as guarded a manner as St.

James; and that if St, James had been in St. Paul's place, he would have preached it as freely as St. Paul; and I recollected that in some places St. Paul himself seems even more legal than St. James. See Rom. ii. 7, 10, 14. Gal. vi. 7, &c. and 1 Tim. vi. 19. These reflections made me not only suspend my judgment concerning Mr. W's propositions, but consider what we may candidly suppose was his design in writing them for, and recommending them to, the preachers in connection with him. And I could not help seeing, that it was only to guard them and their hearers against Antinomian principles and practices, which spread like wild fire in some of his Societies; where persons who spoke in the most glorious manner of Christ, and their interest in his complete salvation, have been found living in the greatest immoralities, or indulging the most unchristian tempers. Nor need I go far for a proof of this sad assertion. In one of his Societies not many miles from my parish, a married man, who professed being in a state of justification and sanctification, growing wise above what is written, despised his brethren as legalists, and his teachers as persons not clear in the gospel. He instilled his principles into a serious young woman; and what was the consequence? Why, they talked about finished salvation in Christ," and "the absurdity of perfection in the flesh," till a perfect child was conceived and born; and to save appearances the mother swore it to a travelling man that cannot be heard of. Thus to avoid legality, they plunged into hypocrisy, fornication, adultery, perjury, and the depth of ranterism. Is it not hard that a minister should be traduced as guilty of dreadful heresy for trying to put a stop to such dreadful practices? And is it not high time that he should cry to all that regard his warnings, take heed to your doctrine. As if he had said,

"Avoid all extremes. While on the one hand you keep clear of the pharisaic delusion that slights Christ, and makes the pretended merit of an imperfect obedience the procuring cause of eternal life; see that on the other hand you do not lean to the Antinomian error, which under pretence of exalting Christ, speaks contemptuously of obedience, and makes void the law through a faith that does not work by love. As there is but a step between high Arminianism and self-righteousness, so there is but one between high Calvinism and Antinomianism, I charge you to shun both, especially the latter."

"You know, by sad experience, that at this time we stand particularly in danger of splitting upon the Antinomian rock. Many smatterers in Christian experience talk of finished salvation in Christ, or boast of being in a state of justification and sanctification, while they know little of themselves and less of Christ. Their whole behaviour testifies

that their heart is void of humble love, and full of carnal confidence. They cry, Lord, Lord, with as much assurance, and as little right, as the foolish virgins. They pass for sweet Christians, dear children of God, and good believers; but their secret reserves evidence them to be only such believers as Simon Magus, Ananias, and Sapphira."

"Some with Diotrephes love to have the preeminence and prate malicious words, and not content therewith, they do not themselves receive the brethren, and forbid them that would, and even cast them out of the church' as heretics. Some have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; they are wells without water, elouds without rain, and trees without fruit:' with Judas they try to load themselves with thick clay, endeavour to lay up treasures on earth, and make provision for the flesh to falfil the lusts thereof. Some, with the incestuous Corinthian, are led captive by fleshly lusts, and fall into the greatest enormities. Others, with the language of the awakened publican in their mouths, are fast asleep in their spirits; you hear them speak of the corruptions of their hearts, in as unaffected and airy a manner, as if they talked of freckles upon their faces: it seems they run down their sinful nature, only to apologize for their sinful practices; or to appear great proficients in self-knowledge, and court the praise due to genuine humility."

"Others quietly settled on the lees of the Laodicean state, by the whole tenor of their life say, they are rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing utter strangers to hunger and thirst after righteousness, they never importunately beg, never wrestle hard for the hidden manna: on the contrary, they sing, a requiem to their poor dead souls, and say, 'Soul, take thine ease, thou hast goods laid up (in Christ) for many years, yea for ever and ever; and thus, like Demas, they go on talking of Christ and heaven, but loving their ease, and enjoying this present world.'

"Yet many of these, like Herod, hear and entertain us gladly; but like him also they keep their beloved sin, pleading for it as a right eye, and saving it as a right hand. To this day their bosom corruption is not only alive, but indulged; their treacherous Delilah is hugged; and their spiritual Agag walks delicately and boasts that the bitteruess of death is past, and he shall never be hewed in pieces before the Lord: Nay, to dare so much as to talk of his dying before the body, becomes an almost unpardonable crime."

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Forms and fair shows of godliness de ceive us many, whom our Lord might well compare to whited sepulchres, look like angels of light when they are abroad, and prove tormenting fiends at home. We see them weep under sermons, we hear them

pray and sing with the tongues of men and angels; they even profess the faith that removes mountains; and yet by and by, we discover they stumble at every mole-hill; every trifling temptation throws them into peevishness, fretfulness, impatience, ili humour, discontent, anger, and sometimes into loud passion.'

"Relative duties are by many grossly neglected: husbands slight their wives, or wives neglect, and plague their husbands: Children are spoiled, parents disregarded, and masters disobeyed: Yea, so many are the complaints against servants professing godliness, on account of their unfaithfulness, indolence, pert answering again, forgetfulness of their menial condition, or insolent expectations, that some serious persons prefer those who have no knowledge of the truth, to those who make a high profession of it."

"Knowledge is certainly increased; many run to and fro after it, but it is seldom experimental; the power of God is frequently talked of, but rarely felt, and too often cried down under the despicable name of frames and feelings. Numbers seek by hearing a variety of gospel ministers, reading all the religious books that are published, learning the best tunes for our hymns, disputing on controverted points of doctrine, telling or hearing church-news, and listening to or retailing spiritual scandal. But alas! few strive in pangs of heart-felt convictions, few deny themselves and take up the cross daily; few take the kingdom of heaven by the holy violence of wrestling faith, and agonizing prayer; few see, and fewer live in, the kingdom of God, which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. In a word, many say, Lo! Christ is here; and lo! he is there; but few can consistently witness that the kingdom of heaven is within them."

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Many assert that the clothing of the king's daughter is of wrought gold, but few, very few experience that she is all glorious within; and it is well if many are not bold enough to maintain that she is • all full of corruptions,' With more truth than ever we may say,

Ye different sects, who all declare
Lo! here is Christ, or Christ is there;
Your stronger proofs divinely give
And shew us where the Christians live:
Your claim alas! Ye cannot prove,
Ye want the genuine mark of love.

"The consequences of this high, and yet lifeless profession, are as evident as they are deplorable. Selfish views, sinister designs, inveterate prejudice, pitiful bigotry, party spirit, self-sufficiency, contempt of others, envy, jealousy, making men offenders for a word, possibly a scriptural word too, taking advantage of each other's infirmities, magnifying innocent mistakes, putting the worst

construction upon each other's words, and actions, false accusations, backbiting, ma lice, revenge, persecution, and a hundred such evils prevail among religious people, to the great astonishment of the children of the world, and the unspeakable grief of the true Israelites that yet remain among us.' "But this is not all. Some of our hearers do not even keep to the great outlines of Heathen morality not satisfied practically to reject Christ's declaration, that it is more blessed to give than to receive, they proceed to the pitch of covetousness and daring injustice, as not to pay their just debts; yea and to cheat and to extort, whenever they have a fair opportunity. How few of our Societies are there where this, or some other evil has not broken out, and given such shakes to the Ark of the Gospel, that had not the Lord wonderfully interposed, it must long ago have been overset? And you know how to this day the name and truth of God are openly blasphemed among the baptized Heathen, through the Antinomian lives of many, who say they are Jews when they are not, but by their works declare they are of the Synagogue of Satan. At your peril therefore my Brethren, countenance them not: I know you would not do it designedly, but you may do it unawares; therefore take heed; more than ever take heed to your doctrine. Let it be scripturally evangelical: give not the chil dren's bread unto dogs: comfort hot people that do not mourn. When you should give emetics do not administer cordials, and by that means strengthen the hands of the slothful and unprofitable servant. I repeat it once more, warp not to Antinomianism, and in order to this, 'Take heed, O!,Take heed to your doctrine."

Surely, Sir, there is no harm in this word of exhortation; it is scriptural, and Mr. W's pen cannot make it heretical. Take we then heed to the design of the directions which

follow.

It is evident that, in order to keep his fellow labourers clear from Antinomianism, he directs them first not to lean too much toward Calvinism and secondly not to talk of a jus tified and sanctified State so ungardedly as some, even Arminians, do; which tends to mislead men, and relax their watchful attention to their internal and external works, that is, to the whole of their inward tempers and outward behaviour. See No. 8.

He produces three particulars, wherein he thinks that both he and his assistants in the Lord's vineyard, having leaned too much towards Calvinism, each of which has a natural and strong tendency to countenance the Antinomian delusion. The first, being afraid or ashamed to maintain that every man is fuit hfully to employ his every talent, though our Lord himself goes so far in maintaining this doctrine as to declare that "if any man

is not faithful in the unrighteous mannion, God will not give him the true riches."-The second being afraid to use the expression working for life; although our Lord who must be allowed perfectly to understand his own gospel, uses it himself. And the third, granting without proper distinction, that a man is to do nothing in order to justification, than which, says he nothing can be more false; as common sense dictates that a rebel must lay down his arms before he can receive a pardon from his prince.

This being premised, Mr. W. invites his fellow-labourers to review the whole affair; and while he does it he saps the foundations of the babels built by those who call Christ, Lord! Lord! without departing from ini quity. Who among Christians, says he is now accepted of God? Not he that like Hymeneus formerly believed, and concerning faith hath now made shipwreck:Nor he that, like Simon Magus, actually believes with a speculative, Antinomian faith; but "he that now believes in Christ with a loving and obedient heart," or, as our Lord and St. Paul express it, he whose "faith works by love, and whose love keeps God's commandments." This must at once overthrow the pretensions of those whose feigned faith, instead of producing a change in their hearts, only adds positiveness to their self-conceit, bitterness to their bad tempers, and perhaps licentiousness to their worldly lives.

Still carrying on his point he observes next, to the shame of loose Christians, that none are accepted of God even among the Heathens, but those that fear him and work righteousness." Nor is his observation improper (you, Sir, being judge,) for you tell us in your fifth sermon, page 84,* that " Cornelius was a man of singular probity, humanity, and morality, and that a view of his character may perhaps convince some who consider themselves as Christians, how far short they are even of his imperfect righteousness."

This leads him, No. 3. to touch upon an important objection, that will naturally occur to the mind of a Protestant, and he answers it by standing for the necessity of works as firmly as he does against their merit in point of salvation; thus cutting down with one truly evangelical stroke, the arrogancy of self-righteous Papists, and the delusion of licentious Protestants. And lest Antinomians should, from the Protestant doctrine that good works have absolutely no merit in point of salvation, take occasion to slight them and live in sin, he very properly observes, No. 6, that believers shall be rewarded in heaven, and are even often rewarded on earth, because of their works, and according to their works, which he apprehends does not so widely differ from secundum merita operum, as Protestants, in in the heat of their

* London reprinted for J. Johnson, 1762.

contentions with the Papists, have been apt to conclude. No. 7. he starts another objec. tion which Antinomians will naturally make to St Peter's declaration, that God accepts those who fear him and work righteousness.

And now, Hon. Sir, reserving for another place the consideration of his answer, let me appeal to your candour. From the general tenor of these propositions, is it not evident, that Mr. W. (who is now among gospel-ministers what St. James formerly was among the disciples, and Mr. Baxter among the puritan divines, that is, the person peculiarly commissioned by the bishop of souls, to defend the gospel against the encroachments of Antinomians) aims at stemming the torrent of their delusions, and not at all at injuring the very fundamental principles of Christianity, or bringing "a dreadful heresy into the church."

If

You may reply, that you do not so much consider what he aims at doing, as what he has actually done. Nay, Sir, the intention is what a candid judge (much more a loving brother) should particularly consider. aiming to kill a wild beast that attacks my friend, I unfortunately stab him, it is a "melancholy accident;" but he wrongs me much, who represents it as a "dreadful barbarity." In like manner, if Mr. W. has unhappily wounded the truth, in attempting to give the wolf in sheep's clothing a killing stroke, his mistake should rather be called "well meant legality" than dreadful heresy.

You possibly reply: "Let any one look at these Minutes, and say whether all the unawakened clergy in the land would not approve and receive them.” And what if they did? Would the propositions be the worse barely for this? Is nothing gospel but what directly shocks common sense? And is the Apostle's Creed dreadfully heretical, because all the carnal clergy of the church of England, yea and of the church of Rome receive it? At this strange rate we must give up the Bible itself, for all the Socinians receive it. Ashamed of taking farther notice of an argument by which every Papist might attack the reasonable simplicity of our communion service, and defend the gross absurdity of transubstantiation, I come to an objection of greater weight.

"Mr. W. contradicts himself. He has hitherto preached salvation by faith, and now he talks of salvation by works as a condition: he has a thousand times offered a free pardon to the worst of sinners, and now he has the assurance to declare, that a man is to do something in order to justification. Where will you find such inconsistencies?" Where! In the Old and New Testament, and especially in the epistles of the great Preachers of free justification, and salvation by faith. There you will see many such seeming inconsistencies as these.-Eternal life is the gift of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Charge the rich to lay up in store for themselves a

good foundation, that they may lay hold on eternal life; we are temperate, to obtain an incorruptible crown.-By grace ye are saved through faith. In so doing thou shalt save thyself. Work out your own salvation. We are not sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves. The Gentiles do by nature the things contained in the law.—God justifieth the ungodly and him that worketh not. He shall render to every man according to his works, even eternal life to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory.— God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in the cross of Christ. As the truth of God is in me, no man shall stop me of this glorying, that I have kept myself from being burdensome.-I am the chief of sinners. I have lived in all good conscience before Goď until this day. We rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world.Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us: Not of works lest any man should boast; for if it is of works, then it is no more grace, otherwise work is no more work. I keep under my body lest I myself should be cast away. Be not deceived, whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap; he that soweth little shall reap little; he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting.—I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, neither things present, nor things to come, &c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Those that fall away crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame; for the earth which beareth thorns and briars, is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned. Some of the branches were broken off because of unbelief; thou standest by faith; be not high-minded but fear; continue in God's goodness, otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Now, Sir, permit me to beg you would lay your hand upon your heart, and say whether malicious infidels have not a fairer show of reason to raise wicked men against St. Paul, than you have to raise good men against Mr. W.? And whether a grain of candour with which you would reconcile the seeming* contradictions of the great apostle, would not be more than sufficient to reconcile the seeming inconsistencies of the great minister whom you have so warmly attacked?

Some persons indeed complain aloud that "Mr. W. in his new scheme of salvation by works, as a condition, fairly

renounces

Most of these seeming inconsistencies of St. Paul and those which are charged upon Mr. W. will be reconciled with the greatest ease, by considering the two axioms mentioned in my first letter. In the former part of the imaginary contradictions, those servants of God make use of the first gospel-axiom, in the latter part they employ the second, and thus declare the whole counsel of God.