have arifen from your not having paid fufficient attention to the sense in which the word juftification is used in the articles here alluded to, The word jufti fication, as it was used at the Reformation, was con fidered as fynonimous with baptifm. In CRANMER'S Neceffary Doctrine, in the article of justification, baptifm is mentioned as the "way by which GoD hath determined, that man, being of age and coming to Christendom, fhould be justified." In the Homily on Salvation (3d part) it is faid," Our duty is not to pass the time of this prefent life unfaithfully and idly, after that we are baptized or justified." According to this idea, by our justification is primarily to be understood our admiffion into Christianity, because it was fometimes used in that fenfe by the facred writers. The Apostles preached to grown perfons, to prejudiced Jews, and unconverted Heathens. The fubftance of their doctrine was falvation through CHRIST. Whofoever could be brought to profefs their faith in CHRIST, as their only Saviour, was immediately baptized; by which fervice he was justified freely from all the fins of his, corrupt nature, and placed in a new state of grace and acceptance with GOD. This admiffion into the Christian covenant is fometimes diftinguished by the

title of man's first justification; and because by this justification man is placed in a way to be eternally happy, he is therefore frequently faid to be then faved. "By grace are ye faved," fays the Apostle, Eph. ii. 8; which, Mr. LOCKE has fhewn in a note on the text, well worth your attention, applies to admiffion into the Gospel Covenant. "Man (fays a learned Profeffor*)" is justified, either when delivered from the flavery of fin, and put into a way of obtaining happiness, under the Christian religion; which is fometimes called being faved; or when at laft his falvation is fixed for eternity. As thefe two inftances of the justification of mankind have been fometimes confounded, and the confufion has occafioned difpute, divines and our church have called the admiffion into Christianity our first juftification, and our falvation after death our final juftification." HEY's Lectures, art. xi. fect. 14. The foregoing remark folves, I prefume, the apparent difficulty here alluded to; and will, I trust, leave us perfectly reconciled upon this fubject. I am not very forry, however, that the difficulty has been stated; because it has given me an opportunity of explaining a word,

L

* Dr. HEY.

which is much abused by fome ill-formed Christians, who conceive it as giving a title to eternal happiness, which cannot be forfeited; a conceit which has enthusiasm for its parent, but which receives not the least countenance, either from the letter of scripture, or the doctrine of our church.*

I have the honour to be,

&c. &c.

* The Reader will find the subject of this Letter more fully, and I truft, fatisfactorily handled in answer to Mr. OVERTON's objections, in chap. vi. on the Doctrine of Juftification in " Vindicia Ecclefia Anglicana;" in which some of the false reasonings, incorrect statements, and palpable mifreprefentations, in a publication entitled "The True Churchman afcertained," are pointed out.

LETTER IV.

SIR,

IT is not without fome confiderable degree of re

luctance that I enter upon your third letter, because it is on a fubject on which I entertain but flender hopes that we can ever agree; and ftrongly difinclined, as I am, to dispute with a refpectable man, I cannot help wifhing it had not been introduced. Indeed I fee no good purpose that can be answered by any difcuffion of a fubject, on which no complete fatisfaction can be gained; because no data have been vouchfafed to man, by which his judgment on it can decidedly be determined. Hence it is that good. men on both fides have formed, and will continue to form upon this fubject, according to the light in which they have been accustomed to fee it, very different opinions. The only rule that I know of, by which Christian conduct should be governed under fuch circumftances, must be a rule funilar to that laid down