disputes of the remonftrants or anti-remonftrants, &c. &c. but to put themfelves under the tuition of the primitive church, by reading downwards from the first beginning of Chriftianity to the present time; thus deriving their faith from a pure fountain, instead of drawing from ftreams which have been troubled, in confequence of the impure channels through which they have paffed. And the more this plan of reading is purfued, the more fatisfied fhall we be, that the doctrine of the church of England, as it has been here reprefented, is conformable to the primitive pattern; and that by the rejection of Calvinifm our clergy returned to the original ftandard of faith, -and ought not to be made anfwerable for the mifapprehenfions of their predeceffors, who chose to understand the words of CRANMER and RIDLEY in facfenfe different from what CRANMER and RIDLEY ever intended.

The conclufion from the foregoing considerations shall be drawn from your own premises laid down in p. 83. "What was truth at the Reformation, that truth now is; it cannot change with the fluctuating minds of men, but, like its Divine Author, is the fame yesterday, to-day, and for ever." Ergo, inftead of excommunicating me for my fuppofed de

parture from the established doctrine, you

must come

over to me, if you would poffefs the character of being a confiftent member of the church of England.

In what has been already fuggefted on this fubject, I am willing to flatter myself an answer may be found to every part of your third letter before me. But that I may pay all poffible attention to every thing that you have thought proper to submit to my confideration, I will yet add a few further remarks on the feveral prominent parts of it, as I pafs on.

In page 63, you describe the state of grace and acceptance with God, in which fallen man is placed by the redemption of CHRIST, as a ftate big with defpondency; because I reprefent it as a state of poffible, but not certain falvation. A notion this (you fay) which tends to make the stupendous fcheme of redemption dependent on the fickle will of the creature, &c. A notion, which totally contradicts the whole plan of the Gofpel, and overturns every idea of grace, by making the favour of GoD to wait on the actions of men, that it may be difpenfed towards them, according as they shall behave themselves towards Him. A notion, by which a man may be one day an heir of Gon and a joint heir with

CHRIST, and the next day a child of wrath, and an heir of hell."

The notion here defcribed as big with defpondency, appears to be the only notion which the Bible furnifhes on this fubject. The notion of abfolute uncon ditional falvation, independent of human conduct exists no where but in the heads of Calvinifts. GoD deals with man as a rational creature, and He will judge him as fuch.

He fets life and death before him, and furnishes him with the means of grace to enable him to make a proper choice. Should he act wifely, he will receive the reward of his promised inheritance, through the merits of a crucified SAVIOUR fhould the gifts of Divine grace, by which he be enabled to work out his falvation, be thrown may away upon him, he will ftand condemned for the neglect; to fuch a man, there remains only a fearful looking-for of judgment. Such is the Gofpel plan of falvation: I am much mistaken, if in the Bible any other is to be found. The favour of GOD is there described, as waiting on the actions of men; and from the plain letter of fcripture it is to be proved, that man may be one day an heir of GOD, and the next day a child of wrath, according to his ufe or abuse of Divine grace.

Now, Sir, either your notion on this fubject is right, or mine; for no room is left for any other. The standard by which this point must be determined is the scripture. To this ftandard you make no appeal; for I do not find a fingle text brought in fupport of your pofition of abfolute unconditional falvation. On my fide an appeal to fcripture fcarce need be made; for every one but a rigid Calvinist is convinced, that the doctrine maintained by me is to be found either in direct or indirect terms in almost every part of it. One or two plain paffages it will be fufficient to point out to confideration, as decifive on this subject. In the 18th chapter of EZEKIEL, GOD fpeaks by the mouth of his prophet in the following unequivocal style, 18, 26, &c. "When

a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them: for his iniquity that he hath done fhall he die." Again, "When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall fave his foul alive. Because he confidereth, and turneth away from all his tranfgreffions that he hath committed, he shall furely live, he fhall not die."

Admitting that there is any fenfe in the foregoing language, it follows, that your doctrine of justification, by which we understand that a man once juftified is always juftified, and cannot fall away from grace, cannot be true doctrine; on the contrary, it is as evident from the foregoing paffage, that a righteous man may turn away from his righteousness and die in fin, and a wicked man turn away from his wickedness, and thereby fave his foul alive, as the clearest demonstration of the clearest propofition in EUCLID; and confequently that a man may be, according to his use and abuse of Divine grace, one day an heir of God, and the next day a child of wrath, and an heir of hell. 2 e. d..

Again, ST. PAUL defcribes the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of GOD in the following plain manner: "Who will render to every man according to his deeds," &c. Rom. ii. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, II. "For there is no refpect of perfons with GOD." From the foregoing paffage the conclufion appears to be incontrovertible; that the favour of GOD does in fome fenfe wait upon the actions of men, fince thofe only who patiently continue in welldoing will finally be partakers of it. "He that endureth to the end (fays our SAVIOUR) fhall be