perfuaded, to the fatisfaction of every unprejudiced reader, anfwered several of our author's impertinent cavils against what he calls the popular doc-trine, and refuted his unscriptural notions with regard to justifying faith, should have fo far mistaken bim, as to imagine it is his leading fentiment, that finners are freely justified by the righteousness of Chrift without respect to any thing in them or -about them, as a qualification for that purpose*. This, I own, I take to be not only a precious gofpel-truth, but the grand characteristic of the true apoftolic gospel: yet, if I mistake not, Palemon, in his letters on Theron, &c. has done more to darken, corrupt and pervert this fundamental article of the Chriftian faith, than any writer that has gone before him; though, as he has managed his oppofition thereto with so little caution, candor or decency, there is reason to think, his attempts of this kind will be attended with less success, and confequently be less hurtful, than those of fome others who have formerly been engaged in the fame unhappy undertaking.

Whatever just and strong things he seems to affert concerning the fovereignty of divine grace, and the imputed righteousness, as being the only ground of a finner's justification, upon inquiry, it will be found that thus he only endeavours to amuse, and impose upon the unwary reader, by an empty found of words without any meaning; or to establish the pernicious error above-mentioned, which we call his leading sentiment; and indeed it may be justly termed the capital characteristic of his doctrine.

**Script. Account, &c. p. 3.

But

But we proceed to examine another article of

Palamon's creed: for the more we dig into this well, the greater abominations we may fee.

3

ARTICLE VII.

in order to a

AS conviction of fin by the law is no way necessary believing on. Christ for righteousness and falvation, it is idle to affirm, or fuppofe, that by the law is the knowledge of fin, or that ever the Spirit of God makes use of it as a mean for convincing smners of their guilt and misery, or of their need of Christ and falvation; for it cannot be of the leaft advantage to an unbelieving finner in any of these refpetts: and those who exhort men to search and try their ways, by viewing them in the glass of the divine law, that they may be made fenfible of their fin and guilt, of the mifery and danger of their condition, and confequently of their need of mercy and salvation, through Chrift revealed and exhibited in the gospel, do only cut out work for the pride of the devotee, and teach men to establish a righteousness of their own in a new shape, under the deceitful notion of working their way toward that of Chrift.

THAT I have done Palaman no manner of in

justice in ascribing to him the sentiments expressed in this complex proposition, will appear from the following passages in his letters on Theron, &c. which I shall here take the liberty to transcribe. This Gentleman, p. 290. is pleased to say, "One " must have seen little of the deceits of the popular " fermons, if he has not perceived what large "work is cut out for the pride of the devotee, " in the doctrine about convictions of guilt." Again, p. 292. he expresses himself in the following manner: "In the death of Chrift, then, is held "forth the broadest view of human guilt and mi"sery, and the cleareft discovery of the all-fufficient

४८

remedy. There divine judgment itself is made to "reft for a light to the nations. There is no occafion " then for popular preachers to lead men through "their idle process of a law-work, before they will "condescend to display the glad tidings before them." And, p. 295. he scornfully censures Afpafio for exhorting Theron, who as yet appeared in a great measure ignorant of the divine law, of the evil, guilt and demerit of fin, and confequently of the misery and danger of his own condition, to study the law of God, and examine himself thereby; that he might get more just and affecting views of the infufficency of his own righteousness, and the vanity of his own endeavours to obtain righteousness and falvation by the works of the law. The letterwriter infinuates, that all exercises of this kind, are both unnecessary and unprofitable, and proceed on a false supposition; as if one could reap any fpiritual benefit from studying the divine law, or know how pure, how extensive, how fublimely perfect it is, before he knows Christ, the end thereof for righteoufness. And, if we may believe our author, to exhort unbelieving sinners to any fuch exercise, naturally serves to administer more delicate food for their pride.

We might also take notice of another extraordinary passage in Palemon's letters, which though it does not only respect conviction of fin, desire of falvation, and a prevailing concern to obtain it, with other dispositions, and exercises of foul, which neceffarily accompany a true sense of guilt and misery, but feems intended to pour contempt upon the whole work of the divine Spirit in the converfion of a fin

a finner, may fitly be allowed a place here. It is as follows: "We may now proceed to take notice " of the capital absurdity of the popular doctrine. "It leads us to read the New Testament back"wards. It fets before us the several effects or "fruits of faith, or rather certain operations of its " own, under the facred names of these effects; " and then prompts us to work our way to faith,

66

by first attaining or feeling these effects. Hence " it is that we have so many treatises describ"ing to us, the previous steps neceffary to be " taken, in order to converfion. Long and dreary " indeed is the path which they prescribe to us. "So that, while men continue obsequious hearers " of this doctrine, they may indeed be ever learn

66

ing, but they shall never be able to come to the knowledge of the truth. The writers of these "treatises, do in one respect, often resemble the " writers of romances. The latter, when, after " various difficulties, they have at length got the " hero and his damsel married, have generally lit"tle more entertainment to give us. The former " exhauft their genius, in leading the sferious foul " to the wished-for period of what they call con" version, and after that they give us little more " than infipid repetition*." In a note at the bottom of the page, he tells us, he must frankly acknowledge, "that he looks upon the first mentioned fort " of writings," viz. those of our most eminent reformed divines, concerning regeneration and converfion, " as much more hurtful to mankind," than the idle and lying romances he had been speaking of.

We might quote a number of passages in the letters on Theron, &c. wrote to the same purpose, and in the same spirit; but these may suffice as a speci

* Lettes, &c. p. 327.

1

men

men of the author's unfcriptural and corrupt notions on this head.

Before we proceed to a particular examination of his peculiar tenets and opinions, or rather impious and extravagant fancies, relating to the matter under confideration, it is proper to observe, that here, as his manner is, he artfully, and most deceitfully, misrepresents the sentiments of those eminent divines whose doctrine about convictions he endeavours to expose. He would have his reader believe, that when they affert the neceffity of conviction, &c. they teach, that men must perform fome laborious and painful exercises, before they can have a sufficient warrant to apply Christ and the promifes-to themselves, or to make the appro priation which is declared to be essential to faith; yea, that they must experience such and fuch a de gree of conviction, compunction, bumiliation, &c. which he profanely calls the idle process of a law work, before it can be competent to display the glad tidings of the gospel before them; or that conviction of fin and misery, and other dispositions and excercises of foul, that are supposed necessarily to accompany it, must be confidered as requifites to juftification *, with which a man must be furnished, that

* The words requifite to, or in order to justification, will admit of different fenfes. They may either signify what is fome way previous, or subservient to justification; or that which conftitutes a finner's justifying righteousness before God, either in whole or in part. There. are many things requifite to juftification in the former, which are not at all necessary in the latter sense. Thus, in order to juftification through the imputed righteousness-it is certainly requifite, that the report of the gospel concerning that righteousness be known and believed; and that the finner be convinced of the vanity of all other ways and means of relief; or, to speak in the