An Answer To Fools And A Word To The Wis

Qa' ' ' _--- - 4 7 (7 - ' * ' 09 'all ' 'O - 57-- AN AN'SW-ER TO - FOOLS; AND A WORD TO THE WIs'E. ADDRESSED TO THE REVEREND MARIA DE iTLEURY, ', JoHN' RYLAND, AND co. , - BY-WIL-LIAM HUNTINGTON,S.S. /< nt-msſ'rzn or THE GOSPEL, AT PROVIDENCE culi-Et? 'A'r MONK- ' ' ' wem. s'run MEETING; AND AT HORSLEYDOWN 'UPRIGHT MEN SHALL BE ASTONISHED AT THXS, AND THE lNNO CENT SHALL STIR UP HlMsELr AGAlNST THE HYPOCRlTE. JOB, xvii. 8,---GIVE A ronnoN To SEVEN, AND ALSO TO EIGHT. ECCL. xi. z. - I L O N D 0 Nx ' Printed for G. Ten-w, Bookſeller, No 54, Patcrnoſter Ro'w; J. DAVID soN, N' 7, Poſtcrn Row, TowerHil'i; BAKEK, NQ 126, Oxford Six cet; and T. JAMES, N" 53, Tooley Street, Southwark. sum, alſo, at Pro vidence Chapel; at Monkwell Street Meeti'ng, every Tueſday [vening ; and at Horflcydown, every Thur-ſday Evening. ' ' M DCC xcfx. [PRICE ONE SHILLlNG'I I

PREFACE. TO MARIA AND CO. RIVERENÞ AND DEARLY RELOVED, I Have received your Treatiſe, intituled " A Farewell to Mr. Huntingtan."-And in that I ſee your laſt dying ſpeech and confeſfion as a cor reſpondent. Love, violent hot, is ſooneſt cold. Did I ſolicit your favour, your affections, or any correſpondence with you, at the firſt? B'y no means. You wrote to me once and again. Itreated you with ſome ſilence, and afterwards with an abrupt anſwer; not wiiling to be " raviſhed with a ſtrange " woman 2" till', with an impudent face, you ſaluted me from the preſs, and by twopenny pamphlets purſued me in the publick ſtreets; till your much fair ſpeech cauſed me to yield to anſwer you, and the flattering of your lips forced me into a contro verſy with you. And now you take a Farewell. A 2 , - Maria

17 - PREFACE. , Maria has acted as ſome people do, who condemn (good trade- becauſe they have been b'ankrupt in it. All the time Maria's pamphlets went off, there was no perſon worthy of an addreſs but the reverend Mr. Huntington, min'i-ſter of the Goſpel; but, now her trade fails, ſhe makes me contemptible, and quite beneath her notice. The Candour is now all turned into gall, and the philanthropy into hemlock. However, if ſhe has done with me, I have not , done with her. She began, and I am determined to finiſh-For diſcovering of a hypocrite is a good work, and I hope not to be Weary in well-doing; Therefore I ſhall examine this Piece, and return an Anſwer ſuitable to the contents; and ſuch an An ſwer as the Author's back calls for-for' " a ſool's " lips enter into contention, and his back calleth V for ſtrokes." I am, 0 Rev. and dear MARIA and Co. Faithfully yours--to diſcover you, WM. HUNTINGTON.

AN' ANSXVER To FOOLS; AND A W,ORD TO THE WISE. "no-'w - 'QEIOTATION. '* HERE is nothing perſonal in my Book," as to '5 any living characters." Answ. This is true. -Therc is not the perſonal character, in your book, oſ any one creature, either in heaven above, or in the earthbeneazh, or in the waters under the earth; neither of angel nor ſpirit, '' faint nor ſinner, brute nor deviL- And,-what the Retvtewers have ſaid of your Book, is trutF-That -, there are no ſuch characters, no ſuch Antinomlans, to be ſound, as are there deſcribed.' ' Quo'r' " It is poffihle that more than' one, or one hun; *'- dred perſons. may find their own ſentiments exploded, and * their own characters drawn, in this Piece." ' ' A 3 ' ANsw.

6 AN ANSWER TO FOOLS; AND - ANSW. Though Maria owns there is X nothing Lperſonal as to any living characters, yet a hundred living Perſons have found their characters drawn inher book; l cannot, for my own part, find out one character in it. There are ſeveral monſters, but no creature likeneſſes. There is a faint mentioned, with bis grace in capti'vity to ſn. -There is' an Armi nian half deſcribed, but he is called an Aminomian. There is a church mentioned like-the moon in ſam' rtzfimtion, but the real church has got the moon under'her feet. There is a triumpha'nt believer mentioned, and Faith gives him his victory. Faith is repreſented as cutting a ſinner off [air old ſtock in 'one place, and wor/eing 'vital union in him in another. And' there is Smnderþeg mentioned, but nothing deſcribed ſave his arm and his ſw0rd., Therefore, 'who theſe hundred Perſons there drawn can be, I cannot tell: but this I know, that there' is not one of them alive at this time in England' zIſ Maria was open to conviction, ſhe would own her characters a fiction, and her aſſertions a contradiction: but women, as well as pigs, love to run, their.own way, and- will make a terrible'noiſe if an attem'pt bcmad'e to ſtop them-ſilo we muſt go on. KQZO'r. " This has been particularly the eaſe with Mr; a YVilliam Huntington and Mr. Jones: they have met with a their ownlikeneſſes ſo ſtrong and pictureſquc, that they fl ſtart at the reſemblance ; and each one cries out, V This a is me!" - - ' Ausw. A

A worm TO 'run WISE. 7 ANsw. Let another praiſe thee, and not thy own mouth. Let thy own war/ty praye thee in the gate. However, my ugly face has hitherto baffled every artiſt that has attempted a likeneſs of it: but Maria has attempted a likeneſs of the inward ſtate of my mind; and I think that my heart is as puzzling to a hypocrite as my face is to an- artiſt. A hypocrite can no more delineate a ſinner ſaved, than a bat can pourtray an eagle flying in the face of the ſun. ' But Maria will infiſt upon it, that ſhe has hit a likeneſs. For my own part, I would not wiſh to be poſitive in this matter, though I am better acquainted with Mr. Huntington's caſt than moſt men are. Let us conſider the outlines that Maria has drawn. She has called mea miniſter of the Goſpel, and a liar; a Chriſtian, and a conjuror; a partaker of grace, and a graceleſs perſon; an Antinomian, and a diviner; a rancorous perſon to men, and yet familiar with the devil, or a dealer in hlacle and magic art. Now, 'though I am, no judge of pictures, yet I think that' no antiquarian in the world will allow, if he-is led by unbiaſſed reaſon, that all theſe lines can meet tio gether 'in any one likeneſs. Wonderful are the changes that I have 'paſſed under ſince I have been in' the metamorphoſing hands of this miſtreſs of artsg' and what ſhe will make of me next, Iknow not,' unleſs ſhe turn me into a 'na/cle, and carry me in a baſket; "or into a penny whzſtle, and ſell me at Bar tholomew Fair. A4 Q_10T.-,

8 AN ANSWER To FOOLS; AND Q_Uo'r. " Mr. Jones ſays, he has good grounds for con 'F cluding this book is aimed at him. " No," ſays Mr. " Huntington, ** it is a dreadful great balm intended to *,f choak me." ' ANsw. I ſeldom make any uſe of quaek medicines; for I believe quack doctors in phyſick, and quack doctreſſes in divinity, have ruined the bodies and ſouls of thouſands, and have drowned themſelves in' deſtruction and perdition by ſo doing, and for no thing in the world but to get an idle penny. I' have 'no doubt but Maria's pride, as a prophet'eſs, would rather choak me with a bolus, than ſuffer' me to take off any of her proud fleſh, pierce the ſkin of her proſeffion, or admit any ſalutary compoſition to her þleeding- conſcience. But, as 'many have tried to poiſon me, -I am very careful what I commit either to ſtomach or conſcienceſ I'apply nothing that comes from Maria's hands, nor even eat a black ' pudding, unleſs I know who made it. I am no friend to fortune-tellers, men-milliners, or women-clergy ; for I believe the devil is the ſole maſter of all ſuch. Qtro'r. " Now, whether the' book was aimed at Mr. ** Jones, o'r deſigned as a balizs'to Mr. Huntington, I can " aſſure thepublic, that neither of theſe gentlemen have been' a injured by it in the leaſt: they are both in good health V and ſpirits." - ANsw. A ſufficient proof that the Patients had better ſkill in drugs than the Lady of the ſaculty; ' and

A WOR'D TO THE WISE. '- 9 ' and more wiſdom too, ſeeing they preſerved their health when aplot was laid to choak them for the ſake ofa trifle of money. Mr. Ryland promiled in public, that he had prepared a pill for me; and would give me a holns, if that did not do. But then I did not know that they were to be pounded in Maria's mortar, or ſent out in her gallipor, till l ſaw her name on the label; and then I treated them with all the contempt that they deſerved; never dreatffing that a Phyſician would co'vet the ſa-nction of a woman, or that a maſter of arts would defy-his antagoniſt under the pitiful patronage of a pnri/h girl. QJOT. *' And, as a proof of this, they have each of them " publiſhed an anſwer, and defended their cauſe as well as " they are able." 4; ANSW.' I am glad that the cauſe of truth is counted mine, and that I am conſidered as a co workcr with Him who pleads his own cauſe againſt thoſe who " bring forth their ſtrong reaſons againſt - '5 the King of Jacob."' When a hypocrite becomes a plaintiff, and avb'e liever the defendant; when blind guides are made counſellors, and carnal reaſon draws the proceſs; when pride and deceit are the parties aggrieved, and the truth of the Goſpel the aggreſſor; when the Law is made the only rule of life, and the 'appeal is made to a candid world; there is never any doubt but the believer in Chriſt will carry the l'ui't, to as [0

to AN ANSWER To room; AND 1 to come off with a conſcience to God, and a- coun tenance to men. And, as to the applauſe of the world, and the ſeeking honour one of another, we leave that to Paulus and Maria, who cannot hclie've. Bo'r. a In making a few remarks upon their publica " tions, I mean to be as conciſe as poſſible." - ANSW? The reaſon is, Maria has ſqueezed out all the moths oſ her preſs. She has lately publiſhed a'ſfozzrncy to Endficld, &re. which muſt have greatly exhauſted both her matter and intellects. Let her , take another tour to the ſame place, and go part of the way by Lce river, and the reſt by land-carriage; and, at her return, publiſh both the voyage and the journal-it may be edifying to poor creatures like us, ' who ſeldom go out of the ſmoke oſ the chimney 5 and who know ſo little of the religion, cuſtoms, and manners, of the people of foreign countries! Uſeful writers ſhould not be too conci e. Maria's productions may ſerve as lark-lines, to entanglc many a reprobate in a proſeflion; as a ſhoeing-hom, to draw many an impoſtor to act upon the ſtage of Zion; and as a ſmoothing-plane, to finiſh the edu cation of many " who are ever learning, but never ** able to come to the knowledge of the truth." - Beſides, there may be other poor girls in the riſing generation, who may wiſh to mump a livelihood by ,a religious profeffion, (without ſtooping to the me nial drudgery of a ſervant) as well as Maria. Num bet-s

A WORD TO THE WlSE. II bers have attempted this in the days of old; 'as Judas, Simon Magus, Demas, Ananias, and Sapphira: however, they all failed, but Maria has ſucceeded a proof of her good ſenſe; and it is a pity that ſuch a fund of good ſenſe ſhould die with her. Maria's 'inſtructions to me have neither been unſeaſonable nor unprofitable; for I had never known_ what a ſiagle-player, in the Greek tongue, had meant; had it not been for an old miſtreſs of mine in the coal trade,and a longcorreſpondence with my dear Marial; ſothat every where, and in all things, Iam inſtructed. Iknow how to abound with governeſſes, and how to make ſhiſt without them. Qpo'r. a The'love oſ truth, and ſenſh of duty, conſtrain a me once more to take up my pen upon this ſubject." ANsw. A ſenſe of duty has conſtrained Maria to take up her pen: but where is the command that re quires this duty from Maria? God ſays-" I ſuffer, *' not a woman to teach, nor to uſurp authority overa the man, but to be in ſilence, as alſo ſaith the " Law." Indeed, the Lord ſaith-" As for my " people, children are their oppreſſors, and women " rule over them; they which lead them cauſe them " to err, and deſtroy the Way of their paths," (Iſa. iii. 12.)'which is verifield in Maria. But, then, this rule of women is uſurped. Neither God, nor his word, call Maria to this duty, but tell her to,

'a AN auswmz TO rooLs; AND to hold her tongue; therefore Maria's conſtraint td this branch of dur_y_ can only come from the devil. Let her not ſtart at the- name of her maſter; I ſay, from the' devil, who takes her captive at his will: while pride ccnſtrains her to diſplay the rebellion which dwelt firſt in her grandmother Athaliah, and the clerical authority of her mother fawe1; and which, I am perſuaded, both meet in this Re verend Maria alſo. " It is a ſmall matter," ſays Paul, ''-' that I ſhould be judged of man's judgment." But I cannot call mine aſmzzll, but a bulky, matter; , for mine'is not the judgment of a man, but of a woman. I have heard of- a Pope Joan in the Papal Chair; andI have ſeen a thing that wears petti Coats in Moſes's ſeat, who ſays much, and does no thing. I have received various mandates and wa mandatcs. But Qpo'r. a Mr. Huntington is too high-ſpirited, &e. he a diſdains to be bound in -the trammcls of good-ſenſe, &e. " Truth cannot bind him in her chains." , ANsw. This is true. The wiſdom that' come' from above to God's faints is too high for a fool', he cannot attain unto it; and good-ſenſe is too dea'r to be ſpent upon fooliſh women, whoſe, mouths muſt be ſtopped, and who are to be anſwered-ac cording to their folly. And as for the cHAms of Truth, we leave them for Maria- and her fellow-priſonets.

A 'WORD TO THE WlSE. 13 priſoners. The free-born ſons of Zion never wiſh to exchange the Saviour's eaſy yoke for the fetters of aconvict. God bringeth out thoſe that are hound 'with chains; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land. Give us the cords and hands, but keep the trammel: and chains to yourſelves. QJOT. "' A character ſunk ſh low as this is truly cora ** temptihle; and falls ſo far beneath one's notice, that no '5 thing but a love of the Truth could induce me to take up '5 my pen once more againſt ſuch a'n opponent." ANS. It was Maria's own choice to take notice of - me at firſt; for I was determined never to take any of her: and it is ſtill my deſire, not only to appear contcmptible to Maria, but to every one of her aſſociates; for I know the religion oſ many of' them, and that it has no affinity with that which the Lord wrought in me, either in root or fruit, heart or lz' a- But the real truth is, that my dear and reverend Maria has not gained that idle penny by Mr; Huntington that ſhe expected; and ſo ſhe holds the commodity in contempt. And as for truth, 'Maria mightjuſt' as well tell me, that a blind man loves crinſon colo'nr, and a dead man [Milton oyſters; as, to tell me, that ſhe lows the, truth. Truth has a reviving and renewing -power in it, which ſhe never felt; and a beauty in it, which ſhe never ſaw. I pay no regard to a perſon's profeſ '" ' ſing

14. AN ANSWER TO FOOLS; AND ſing a low to truth, unleſs Truth conſeſs a love to them. It is not enough to praiſe the Truth, but to have praye of the Truth. QJO'r. " However, I can aſſure the public, that this 'a ſhall be the laſt time I will exerciſe their patience, and my '" own, in hunting Mr. Huntington out of the quagmire: "* of deception, the falſe cavern, the refuges of lyes, under *' which he is conſtrained to hide." ANsw. I will make no ſuch raſh vows. Maria began, and I am determined to finiſh. If her pa tience is worn out, mine is not: if ſhe is offended, I burn not. " The ſervant of the Lord muſt not " ſtrive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, " patient, inſtructing thoſe that oppoſe themſelves." I know God has ſent men to hunt his choſen people out oſ the holes of the rocks, £7er. xvi. 16. And if he has ſent Maria to be a cunning hunter, a woman of the field, I have no objection; let her purſue the chace, and not be weary in well-doing. But let mepreſume, for once, to dictate to my governeſs. Quagmire, in Scripture language, does not mean deception, my dear Maria. sticking faſt in the horrible pit, and ſinking' in the miry c/ay, mean de , ſpair, or deſpondency, when the ſoul is quickened to feel it's corruption, and ſinks into ſelf-deſpair of ever finding any ſolid foot-hold or foundation in the perſormances of fallen nature. And a refuge of be: 18

A WORD TO THE WXSE. 15 is the ſtarting- hole of thoſe Perſons who talk of the Goſpel, and yet make the Law their rule by which they hope to live: they ſeek righteouſneſs, 'as itl were, by the works of the Law, and ſo ſtumble at that ſtum'bling.ſtone. The table of the Law be came: a ſnare unto them; and the Goſpel, that is for our welfare, became: a trap. This is Maria's re fuge; and where God ſends a ſtrong delufion, I never expect to break it. QJOT. 5' It is my intention to take a laſt farewell of him " in theſe ſtrictures." / - ANsw. I have no ground to believe that we were ever made one in the ancient ſettlements of eternity. I never would havebany intimacy with you in time. We have never ſound any union, either in ſpirit, practice, or principle, in this world; and, it is' to be _ feared, we ſhall feel no more m the next than there is between ſheep and goats. (Am'r. " Unleſs Divine Grace ſhould make a won " derful change in him." ' ANsw. The change on my ſide is too great already to allow of any fellowſhip with the unſruitſul works' or Workers of darkneſs, only to reprove them. Be ſides, 'U a new'man, or a principle of grace, that is V taken captive by fin," ſuch as Maria deſcribes, ' would

16 AN ANSWER TO FOOLS; AND,, would make no change in me for -the better, but for the worſe. I expect grace to ſubdue my ſin, inſtead of being a captive to it. Qro'r. " And remove far from him the way of lying, 't which, I am ſarry to' ſhy, at preſent ſeems as natural to " him as to breathe." ANsw. Maria' is the firſt that has brought this charge-and I am ſorry to ſee ſuch a morſel of can dour break through all her parent trammels of good manners. I fear Maria's philanthropy will be found upon trial to be nothing but a cockatrice egg; and , I think'another cruſh or two will make it break out into a Viper. However, I ſhall turn theſe tables upon Maria herſelf before I finiſh this piece. QyoT. , V And enable him not only to preach the Goſ fl pel, but to give ſubſtantial proof that he is influenced by K the Spirit of the Goſpel." X ' a ANsw. All along the doctrine that I preach has been traduced (by this Maria) as Antinomianiſm and licentiouſneſs ; and now ſhe calls it Goſpel. In the laſt quotation (he would have nothing farther to do with me, " Unleſs Divine Grace ſhould make " a wonderful change ;"- in which ſhe repreſents me graceleſs: and now ſhe calls upon me to give ſubſtantial proof that I am influenced by the Spirit ' of

A WORD TQ THE WISE: 17 ''of the Goſpel ; which is what a graceleſs man can no more do than graceleſs Maria herſelſ. Quo'r. " Should this be the caſe, and I live to ſee it, V he may very likely bearfrom me again. It would give me i' the greate/I pleaſhre; and I would be one of the to f' congratulate him on ſo excellent and a'eſſrable a change." 'Ausw. I believe that you' both wiſh and deſire a change; for I know that a child of God is a living dagger to a hypocrite: and ſuehcharacters would be glad to make a faint juſt as vile as themſelves. And ſure I am, that a-dreadſul change for the worſe muſt take place on me, before any congratulation could be received from ſuch hands. I mhſt get into a far country, and join myſelf with the citizen of it, waſte my ſubſtance with riotous living, and ſpend all upon harlots, before I could feed ſuch ſwine, or ſit down to feed with them. And I think- - I have given ample proof of this ſome years ago, when Maria's hq/feſs came five or fix times repeat edly into the veſtry in the city, to invite me to her houſe; which ſhe did, till I was obliged to break through the trammels of good manners, and tell her abruptly, that I would not ſpend my time in gad£ ding after a parcel of old women ; for I know a ſo - ciety of hypocrites, who can do nothing but ſin, are very 'fond of getting a tool called a ''nimſter into their claſs, to give ſanction to their wickedneſs, that B they

18 AN A'NSWIR 'ro rooLs; ANU they may carry on their works of darkneſs with a' better grace; and by being viſited by a ſuppoſed miniſter of Chriſt, they may be leſs ſuſpected by the religious world, But this is no part of the miniſtry that I have received, and I hope never to fulfil It' The ſtanding crop oſcarbuncſes that appeared it' the ſace of Maria's boſtgſr, give me room to ſuſpect that ſhe was not a Rechaþita, or one that paid any regard to the commandment of Yonadab. Jer. Chap- xxxv. - QJO'r; 'V Mr. Huntington has thought pioper to ad a dreſs_ his anſwer to my book,'to the Rev. Mr. Rylantl, *' ſenior." I A'Nsw. And did not Maria addreſ's her anſwer to Miſs Morton's book, to the Rev. Mr. Hunting ton, finner ſaved ? Will my governeſs condemn me for copying after her example, when I have acted ſo agreeable to her only rule of life 9 Does ſhe bind burden: on others, and reſuſe to touch them ? Does the ſay, and do not? And if I do the' things con 'tained in the Law, ſhall I not judge her who tranſ greſſes the ſame? As you would that men ſhould do unto you, do ye ſo unto them; for this is the law and the prapbeta. Quo'r'. a And Chuſes to conſider that gentleman as U the/author of it, directly and repeatedly." -' ANsw. No

A WORD TO THE wist; 19 ANSW. No-I have repreſented it as coming in the natural way-from male and female; it was moulded together by a conjunction of heads. Mr. Ryland is the father of it, but Maria travelled in the birth of it, and brought it forth; and apoor little idiot it is, it will do little honour to the vene rable Parents. " A fooliſh child is the' calamity " of it's mother, and the father of a fool hath no '' joy_>> Qyo'i'. T Yet in doing this, he muſt have done violence ' " to his conſcience; and has aſſe'rted not only a falſhood, " but a wilful falſhoodz" ' 'ANSW. Then at whoſe door does' this ſalſhood lay? When Maria publiſhed her firſt twopenny Volume againſt me, I alked Mr. Ryland, before ten perſons in the veſtry, if he had not a hand in it? He declared, but not without ſome inward checks, that he had not. Three days after that, he acknow ledged to Mr. and Mrs. Terry, at their houſe, that he had a hand in it. If the declaration was true, the acknowledgment was faſt ; but then it lies with Mr. Ryland, not with me. When the volume entitled, Anti'nomiam'ſin Un inaſhed, appeared, Mr. 'George King, of Alderſgate Street, aſked Maria, " Does this book contain Mr. " Ryland's ſentiments i" She replied, " They ar- ſſ' 'F Mr. Ryland's ſcntiments. Mr. King has give- b B 2 " me

20 AN aNswm TO FOOLS; Arm " me leave to aſſertthis, with his name, in this boo ." Then of courſe I addreſſed my anſwer to the father of the ſentiments, but not to the excluſion of the mother, who bore the birth-throes in bringing them. forth. And if my calling the book Mr. Ryland's be falſe, where did the fal-ſhood originatc? It was Maria that ſpoke it-an'd when ſheſpoke it, ſheſpo/ee of her own. I can be no more than the propagator ; ſhe is the liar, and the mother of it. Let Mr. Ry-i land diſprove what he ſaid to Mr. Terry's face, and let Maria do the ſame to Mr. King-but this will never be attempted. Q_UOT. " There is no more ſimilarity between that- " gentleman's ſtyle and mz'ne, than there is between th' '5 twinkling of a taper and the bright henms oftheſim." ANSW. I, never knew that Mr. Ryland had any method, manner, or ſtyle, peculiar to himſelf, tilL now. He has 'always appeared to me to be only the ccho of Yo/cph Allen. His manner and matter appears to be all reflected from his-w0rks--and as for Maria, ſhe reflects from Mr. Ryland-and the light has gathered ſuch dimneſs by this treble re-fiection, that at laſt Maria acknowledges that her reſutations of error are nothing but a twinkling taper; (he might have ſaid a Will-olthe-wffp. QFOT. "- It is impoſſible for me to treat 'it as it ought to be a treated, withoutindulging thoſeflight: of hairy, and, pg - i" haPS' \

A woao 'ro THE wist. ' '21 l T haps, ſtooping to make uſe of' ſuch language as would ſet a me nearly upon a level with Mr. Huntington." ANsW. " Wiſdom dwells with Prudence, and " finds out knowledge of witty inventions." A prophet of the Lord doth ffimetimes indulge a little' good humour, even when the worſhippers of Baai ,,'are in the midſt of their devotio-ns, both trying and euttingjhemſeives. Let' Maria ſtick in the bog, and me ſtand upon the rock, and there will be no ſear of out getting upon a level. QZIOT. a Whilelhave got truth and right reaſon on my 1' fide, Mr. Huntington is welcometo have all the laugh up " on his," 'ANsvv, God and truth muſt not only be of your fide, but turn your cnptivity, beforeyour mouth enn hefilled' with laughter, or'yaur tongue with ſinging. Poor ſouls that have got nothing about them but theſheeffis eloathing, have little cauſe to laugh. They have got a guilty conſciencc, and a troop ofde'ſpain ing thoughts, inwardly preying' upon their 'vitals, which keep them doiwh; and if they make an effort to raiſe their ſhackled ſpirits out of the gloomy regions in chearſdl company, ſtill the joy-of the hypo crite is but for a moment. Yea, even in laughter, ' their heart isſhrrawful ; and the end of 'their mirth flhea'vineſr, Prov. xiv. 13. " But he that eats his ' B 3 fi' bread

zz AN ANSWER TO rooLs; AND V bread with joy, and drinks his wine with a merry F' nheart, knowing that God accepteth his worksjj his mirth is both food and Phyſick. A merry heart (ſaith Wiſdom) does good lihe a medicine; and he that huth a merry heart hath a continual feaſt. QyoT. '4 He ſays, " W'g'/lye not thatjireh a man "s I ran " certainly divine." Here our aſtoniſhment ceaſes; or, rather, V it greatly increaſes. What-l Mr, Huntington a Jiviner P" ANsw. Yes : and he hat\hfound out the iniquity of this pretendedſtrvunt of the Lord, who would fain paſs for a true propheteſs: but I ſay-Nay, but to ſee the nakedneſs of the land ſhe is come, not to buy corn, but to mump for bread; and, hy the life of Pharaoh, ſhe is nothing hut a ſpy, who comes' to ſpy out our liberty that we have in Chriſt, that 'ſhe may bring us into bondage, Qpo'r. u He has been, to be ſure, of various occuþationr, , a This he has informed the world of long ago; but, who *" ever'thought him acoNJuRoR before? This is a ſtrange U piece of news! ldon't know bow long Mr. Huntington " hasſtudied the BLACK ART: he has not informed us that. V However, we are obliged to him for the intelligence that -" he is a 'nel/ler ofit; and I preſume, in the next publica 4' tion, the letters M, B. A. will appear-in addition to S. S. a Many, no doubt, will ſtand in awe of this ſuhlime cha ſ' rqcter : many pens, which were about to be taken up, will, ' - ' ' ' is nq

A WORD TO THE WIS-E. 13 T no doubt, be laid down in ſilence ; and, indeed, it may be " prudent to keep out of the 'circle of Mr. Huntingto'n's MA 'Pdtc WAND." ' ANsw. The ReverendMaria here attempts a flight ofle-vity; and takes back a little, and 'but lit , tle, of the laugh to herſelf, which before ſhegranted wholly to me. Howeve'r, in this branch of buſi- , neſs I am not alone; others trade in a ſortof magic as well as I. Taſh-ſhe declared to the doctor, that Mar-rat and Mac-teſh had finiſhed ſeventeenbottles in fpurteeu days at Illington, and he feared they would kill themſelves. If this 'be true, there muſt be jwitehes as well as wizzara's in the world ; and that if I deal in magic art, ſuch muſt deal largely with familiar ffiirits. I know the Goddeſs of Endor fetched herſhirit out of the earth, but all do not: for ſome folks keep them, as doctors keep leeches; , ' I mean, in a bottle. Witneſs the long ſcore that ſtood a long time, for a long number of foreign, though not familiar ſpirits, at the end of St, Mar tin's-le-Grand. But what has this to do with my beloved Maria-2 Nothing a-t all, It is to whom it may concern: ſhe is for what ſhe calls per/mal ho Iineſt; and well ſhe'may, for ſuch waſhing muſt clean both cup and platter, Maria is for perſonal holineſs, I ſay. This ſound is gone out into all the world, and there is nothing wanting on our fide þutfaith to believe it 3 and if we cannot believe i? 1 B 4' - , - ,

24. AN ANSWER TO FOOLS; AND - what ſheſays and writes, our faith will get no helſſ froin what ſhe does; and, what is ſtill more wonder- , ' ful than even the picture of magic itſelf, is, theſe two venerable ladies were both, in pretence, great advocates for the holy Law of God. Yea, one of them was, at the ſame time, even a writer of -mora- ' lity, a propagator of good works, and an oppoſer of Antinomianiſm, licentious doctrines, and all looſe living in perſons againſt whom no ſuch Charge could ever be brought. Now, if truly pious Maria would know who this ſpirituous propheteſs is, let her divine, as I do; let her divine hy her god, or enquire of her neighbour. She has one god, named BELLY; and one neighbour, and that is the ſame: either of them can inform her. I have one favour to begof Miſs' De Fleury, and that is, that ſhe' would be par-' ticular in pointing out the place of her reſidence in 'all her titlcupages for the future, leſt ſhe hurt the - ſale of herbooks. Mr. Davidſon, ſtatio'ner, at Tower-Hill, [who was ſo kind as to procure me the Laſt Farewell to Mr. Huntington, enq'uired for Maria. from one end of Jewin Street to the other, without the leaſt intelligence; till a thought ſtruck him to enquire nt a GIN-SHOP, and the firſt'w'ord ofen quiry there brought out both the name of the pro pheteſr and her hoſteſs together. Importers offoreign jþirits, and dealers in familiar, generally know one another; they are like ſhiggot and foffiet, one cannot do without the other; one will peep for the money; ' ' and

'A WORD TO THE WISE. - 25 'and the other will mutter about religion, in order to get it. ' / QUoT. " Many pent that were about to be taken up, , V will no doubt be laid down inſile'nee." Ausw. Many agooſe has run at me when l was young, and many guilts have been ſhaken atme' ſince I have been old ; butI am no more afraid of the quill, than I was of the gooſe : the former was no thing but a noiſe, and the latter is nothing but a vapour. QtJoT. '6 However, as I have God and truth, and a good 'U conſcience on m ſide, I think I need not fear either Mr. , Y " Huntingtan, or his familiar ſhirit, who, I believe,- reſmler 55 not a hundred milerfram Paternqſter Row," - Answ. I would charitably hope, that in this laſt quotation, Maria has ſpoken allegorically; that is, that ſome things are mentioned, and others meant. If, by' " her God," ſhe means what Paul calls Belly, no doubt but this god " is of her fide," though, even that deity ſometimes riſes up againſt; worſhipper, that makes it ſick with an abundance of drink offerings. And if, by " Truth," Maria means the chimeras of her own brain, ſhe is right; theſe are chiefiy of her own fide, for there are but , Igw, yea, very few to be found in all the Bible, which

26 AN ANSWER TmrooLs; AND l which I ſhall hereafter endeavour to prove. A' for my dear Maria's " good eoizſcience," I can ſay nothing to ; I have not wiſdom enough to fathom that proſound depth, nor (kill enough in naviga-tion to explore that vaſt expanfej " and if I have " one poor familiar ſpirit in Paternoſter Row,"- the propheteſs greatly exceeds me, both in number and nearneſs; for 'ſhe has a thouſand favourite and fami Ziarjþirits m every ſtreet in Ldndon, and may con ſult either of them whenever ſhe pleaſes, for twa pem-e or three pence a time. And in this the prophet. eſs has gone to the utmoſt of her ability; yea, and I bear her record, beyond her ability: witneſs- 'the long ſcore above-mentioned. QJOT. A" For ſurely, there is no em'lyantment againl a Jacob, nor divination againſt IlZrael." ANsW. Yes there is ; Joſeph's divination ſtands on record againſt eight Iſraelites at once; and he brought them all to confeſs, that 'they were verib guilty concerning their brother. And I ſhall yet di 'vine againſt this SERPENT, whofeigm to bite 'with out ENCHANTMENT ; forſhe is a BABLER in religion, and that is no better, Eccl. x. 1 I. (luo'r. a Familiar ſpirits, I am told, are always lying a ſpirits," Axsir".

A WORD To THE WIS'B. 27 ANsW. And they are ſometimesſtaggeringſhirits ; witnefs the hohh/ing walk from the D--r's acroſs Bartholome'w Cloſe : and ſometimes they are noiſvſhi rits; witnefs Paulug', or J-n d, ſcnior, laſt ſummer, at a coa'ch-door, with two gentlemen, one on each ſide.of him, at the Torkſhire Stingo. But theſe are not the baſe acts of Antinomians, though they were rather ſtumbling to a gentleman of out" veſtry, named Randall ; nevertheleſs, theſe are good works: this is not will-worſhip and neglecting the hody; no, no; " no man ever yet hated his own " fleſh, but nouriſheth and cheriſheth it." The belly is a near neighbour, and a man muſt love his neighbour as himſelf. This is letting their light ſhine before men: this is preaching by example as well as precept. QUo'r. U Without any further introduction, I ſhall now, V by Divine affiſtanee, proceed to make a few ſtrictures upon '* the Brohen Cz'ſtern and springing' Well." Answ. Divine affiſtanee is never granted, to aid a rebel in the act ofdiſobedience. " God will never -" caſt away a perfect man, nor will he help an =" e'vil doer." I (ſaith God) ſuffer not a woman t' teach. (Lo'r. 5' I ſhall, in the next place, ſhew what ideas '5 Mr. Huntington entertains of my book, and what he 55 ſays of itl', ANsw.

28 AN ANSWER TO rootsranb ANsw. I ſay, the book is a turning things upfidc down ; inverting the order of Chriſt and his apoſtles 5 and a rowing againſt the whole current of Scrip ture. Chriſt and his apoſtles begun with the Law, and ended with the Goſpel; Maria begins with Chriſt, and ends in the Law. They preached the Law to ſinners, to ſhow thernxtheir loſt eſtate ; and then pointed out the R'rfugeſi Maria, begins with the Refuge, and then' points to the Law. They made the Law a ſchoolmaſter to bring us to Chriſt; Maria makes Chriſt a ſchoolmaſter, to bring us to the Law. [Paul ſays, thoſe that are in Chriſt, are no longer under a ſchoolmaſter but Maria makes Chriſt's ſcholars to be-iall under, that ſchoolmaſter ſtill, as their only Rule 6f conduct; yea, as the only Rule of right and wrong. Chriſt repreſents Moſes as an accuſer, that we may-apply to him''as thead vocate ; Maria brings us from the advocate, and delivers us up to the accuſer. The apoſtlcs lead us from the works of the fieſh under the Law, to end in the works of the Spirit ; but Maria begins with the letter of the miniſtration of the Spirit, and ends in the ficſh. The apoſtles proclaimed a di vorce from Moſes, and a marriage with Chriſt, that we might bring forth fruit unto God, Maria takes us from Chriſt to-the Law, that 'we may- not be li centious Antinomians. This is the drift of her book, and the 'baſe purpoſes that it was intended so anſwer; andit was publiſhed at the requeſt of M'r. -' ' Low

A WORD TO THE WI'E. 29 - Lovegro-ve, who promiſed a little money to the An; thors of the book; and who himſelf has been twice -an Arminian, and twice a Calviniſt. Arm', V I ſhall prove that they are founded on the a wordof God, and are clear Bil/[e and EXPERIMEN'rAL *' TRUTHS; not head-notions, but heart-religion; not vain " jangling, butſound doctrine." ANsw. And my buſineſs ſhall be, when I come to her doctrines, to clear that bleſſed book from thoſe things that have no foundation there; and conſider the ſingular exþerience contained in what Maria. calls cxperimema/ truth. For I ſay, and will inſiſt upon it, that if every unregenerate perſon in the world was to read that join! work, called Antinomi anffm Unmaſhed, till they acquired all the experi mental knowledge that it treats of, they would be without a good hope through grace, and without; any ſaving knowledge-of God in this world. G-race leſs perſons may make 'graceleſs proſelytes; hypo critcs may gain hypocrites to contend for their no tions, and eſpouſe their cauſe; but they never ſhall bring one ſoul t_o 'cloſe in with Chriſt Jeſusr God ſets no ſeal to an uſurper; he never bleſſes with his power the ſpecious pretences of impoſtors. " They 'F ran, I have not ſent them," ſaith God; " there " fore they ſhall not profit this people at all." ' Let us come to ſacts. Let me appeal to the bottomleſs,

30' an ANSWER TO roots; AND bottomleſs, boundleſs abyſs, of Maria's conſcience. Was one ſoul ever effectually awakened, or one graſi cious weakling ever eſtabliſhed, by any productions of Maria's pen, except the man 'in Hertfordſhire, and the other in London-enemies to me, and to my doctrine-mentioned in my laſt Anſwer? Theſe, it is' true, were built up greatly; they eſpouſed Maria's cauſe, circulated her books, and oppoſed Antinomianiſm to the laſt : but then the former fled his country forſodomy, and the latter hanged himſelf; and all for want of the grace of God. Maria la boured hard, and laboured long, with a certain nobleman, lately circumciſed and become Jew, to bring him from the Law to the Goſpel; and, on the other hand, this Zipporah would have tal-en a ſharp ſtone, and have done the office of a bloody wife to me, in order to bring me under the L'aw. And in this ſenſe ſhe becomes all things to all men, that ſhe may gain ſome things, by'all means: but then both the nobleman and myſelf remain juſt where we were. She may have received an alms from him; and, by her books, made a penny of me; but then the one remains a yew, and the other an Antinemian ſtill: ſo that, in this ſenſe, Maria runs in vain, and labours in vain; her preaching is vain, and her ' faith vain; and, for aught ſhe has done for us, we are yet in our fins. - " Maria has laboured hard, I believe, almoſt five years, againſt my licentious life 'and doctrines, and without

A wono *ro 'me wise. 3' without proving one juſt charge againſt me of immorality; and; on the other hand, ſhe has not produced one perſon to bear witnefs, beſore the churches, of any one-good woik-either work of the Law, work of faith, or work of the hands-that ever ſhe performed, but one; and that was cooking the miſs-head, the night that the ſynod was con vened againſt me, and ſhe threw that into the aſhes. As ſaith the poet " Malice concerts in Envy's ſtrains, " O'er Heads of Calves, and brutal Brains: " But, ere the gueſts procur'd the lot, " The Head was leaping from the pot; ' The diſh defil'd, that Nature crav'd, " The Clergy ſmil'd, the Cook was ſav'd." A It was deemed'no Ieſs than a miracle that Maria was not drowned in the pottage-pot; but ſome of' the oppoſite party viewed it as a bad omen to them, that their councils and their religious proſeſſion would as ſurely fall to the ground, as the Calſ's head fell into the aſhes. * QgoT. V Give me leave to obſerve here, that it is very " ſtrange that the ignorance and fooliſhneſs of the Au " thors-to uſe Mr. Huntington's expreffions-aſhould be '5 confuted and gflabIzj/Iud by this book: it is a contradiction " in terms, and muſt ſtrike every reader of common ſenſe, " as being an aſſertion not one ſtep above nonſenſe." '- Answ.

32 AN' ANSWER 're/mors; AND Ausw. If it be no'ſenſe, it reſts with my op ponent. What I have aſſcrted is good ſenſe. The Authors confute .their own aſſertions; and, by ſo doing, eſtabliſh themſelves, in the judgment of diſ cerning Chriſtians, as ignorant and fooliſh in the things of God. For, as the Wiſe Man ſays, " The a lips ofa fool ſwallow up himſelf;" that is, he is entangled in his own words, caſt by his own coun ſels, 'and falls into his own pit; and ſays to every one that goes by the way, " Iam afool!" And ſo do the Authors of this book. They ſay, " The Law " is done away as a covenant of works." In this, the Law has loſt all it's power; " and yet every be " liever is under it, as the only rule of life and con " duct, and of right and wrong." And afterwards, the Antinomian is charged 'with declaring that the Law is done away, Theymake the Antinomian guilty, for declaring what they themſelves aſſert; and confu'te in one place what they ſtate in another, and ſo eſtabliſh nothing but their own fooliſhneſs; in the judgment of the wiſe and diſcerning reader; _' or, to repeat the Wiſe Man's word-s, Such an one ſays to all that go by lbe way, " Iam afool I" And, if a diſcerning perſon hears the ſaying, and obſerves the conduct of ſuch a perſon, and finds they cor roborate, then they eſtabliſh their fooliſhnels; I have called the Treatiſe of theſe co-workers an iniquitous publication, and a vile book, intended to debaſe the Goſpel, and I ſtand to it. The Law is * ' brought

A worm TO THE WISE. , 33 ' brought in as the believer's only rule of conduct, which takes in every thing in this liſe; and, in the matter of David, it is brought in as the only rule ' or ſtandard of right andwrong. - If the myſtery of Faith be no law, what is the obedience of Paſt/o? Nothing but a phantom! If the Goſpel be no rule of liſe,'how came tbejuſt to live by Faith ? And if it be no rule of wrong, how come the diſobedient thereto to be judged by Cbriſt's word, and to be con demned for infidelity already P' And if the Goſpel be no rule of walk, how comes the juſt to walk byfaith, and -be bleſſed in ſo doing? And if it be no rule of conduct, how come the Scriptures to declare, that whatſoever is not of Faith, or in obedience to the law oſ Faith, is ſin, and without Faith it is impoſ ſible-to pleaſe God ?' And if the Law be the only rule, how is it that the Father ſhould tell us to obey' the voice of his Son, and threaten the ſoul with everlaſting deſiruction that reſulies to hear his 'word ? - The Goſpel ſays, it is more bleffed to give than to receive. Some judge it more profitable to receive than to give; ſome favourers oſ the Goſpel have worked-with their own hands, to have to give to them'that have need; when ſome ſolks have made 'others needy, rathenthan work with their own ' hands. My dear Maria wants 'Candour-ſhe is too haſty with_ her aſperſions; ſhe ſhould not magniſy herſelf ' C t ll I: tr' .',

34 AN ANSWER TO FOOLS; AND till our feet ſlip; ſhe ſhould ſee that we are down before ſhe cry, "Aha! aha! ſo would we haveit :" ſhe ſhould have ſomejuſt ground for a charge ofimmo rality, before ſhe ſets us forth as looſe livers, licen tious perſons, enemies to holineſs, and to every good work reprobate ; leſt, after all, ſhe be found to be not a' door of t/oe Law, but ajudge. The ſpiritual man [not woman] judgeth all things, but himſelf is judged of no man, much leſs ofa woman. Fur thermore, people ſhould know th'e force of truth before they pretend to refute error; they ſhould [enow the Scriptures and 'he power of God, the force of the Law, and the power of the Goſpel too, or elſe they will only doat about queſtionZs whereof cometh ſtrife and envy. No ſoul will ever prize a throne of grace, till he has been at a throne ofjudgment; no man will prize,acceſs to God by faith, till he has attempted to gaze at the bounds of the mount; he will ever love MountZion, who has felt the ſtorm of Sinai; he will prize the bleffing, who has felt the eurſe ; he will be thankful for a free Spirit, who has felt she Spirit of bondage; and rejoice in the pro miſe of life, who has felt the ſentence of death: he will bleſs God for a court of equity, who has been arraigned in a court of judicature; and they that have been galled with the yoke of the Law, will value the yoke of the Goſpel : they will ſing of mercy beſt, who have felt moſt of the force of judgment; and thoſe will prize the Lord's goodneſs, who

A WORD TO THBWISE. a who have felt his ſeverity ; and thoſe who know that without Chriſt they cando nothing, will bleſs God for working all their works in them. More over, before good old women get into Moſes's chair, to iſſue out their womandates, in order to make the Lord's ſervants obedient in word and deed,-it is ne ceſſary that they ſet ſomething of an example before us, as a pattern of good works. They ſhould leave off the uſe of the noggin, and leave off tattling; they muſt not be idle nor buſy bodies, nor wander from houſe to houſe; they muſt work with their own hands, that they may have to give to them that have need ; they muſt not teach, nor uſurp authority over the man, but be in ſilence; yea, they muſt be well reported of for good works. But what does my dear Maria work? Does ſhe lodge ſtrangers? Does ſhe bring up children? Does ſhe waſh the ſaints feet ? Does ſhe relieve the afflicted? Does ſhe make gar ments for the poor? No.-She does not. Women muſt not be accuſers-they muſt not be given to wine--they muſt be diſcreet, chaſte, and keepers at home. But are theſe the good works of my dear Maria? No.-She uſed to make ſcraps of poetry, and carry them, and read them to Mrs. Boffiwell a- good banking-houſe. And when ſhe died, and ' that bank failed, ſeveral novices who had uſurped the miniſtry, envious at God for ſendi'ng me into the miniſtry-theſe little maſters of arts employed or prompted Maria and Co. againſt me, and ve'nded Ca - her '

l' ' / 36 AN' ANSWER 're-mors; AND her dommodities 'among their people. 'A gentle- . man'of Heathfield, in Suſſex, who received my fa vours' in town, did this'at'the ſame time in the country. ' ' , - Andrwhen a hymn is wanted for achfirity ſermon by them who know nothingof God, then giving to poor children is ſtiled 'the " Triumphal car of " charity divine." Giving a trifle of money is that charity that nezrerfaileth. Thus to the blind Maria becomes ignorant, and to the ſtrong ſhe becomes' weak; to them that are under the Law ſhe is for the Goſpel, and to them in the Goſpel ſhe becomes a Jeweſs; and by all theſe time-ſerving labours, Maria's own hands have miniſte'red' to her neceſ fities. - Now, reader, I am going to conſider Maria's eaqoerimental tmtbs, which ſhe calls ſound doctrine, and heart-religion, 'all founded (as ſhe ſays) upon the word of God. 'Therefore, reader, judge for thy-- ſelf as 'thou readeft; for in examining her ſcraps, I ſhall drop a few 'words to t/oe Wiſe, and here and there a fragmentfor a Foolt -- 3 :, Qpor. U Stop a moment, Mr. Huntiingtonz for-i " am afraid you have run yourſelf out of breath alreadyulf ANsw. I thank Maria, that'her candour and care for me have flouriſhed again. However, I be lieve ſhe will find me full as long-winded as The would

t A WORD TO THE WlSE. \ would wiſh; for I intend to purſue this wild aſs of the wilderneſs, till I chace her out of the King's meadows inio her own deſarts, and her foals with her-for the Lord has no need of them. a' Qyo'r. *' What think ye of Chriſt? Of all queſtions " which it is poflible to propoſe to mankind, this is one ," of the moſt important." ANsw. This is one of Maria's experinzental truths, a part of what ſhe calls bean.religion, ſhe thinks; but, bleſſed be God, we, through grace, are enabled to believe. What Maria tlain-ty, ſhe ſpeaks; but we [enow what we do ſpeak, and teſtify that , which we have ſeen. Believing is more than think ing-and Chriſt in the heart is more than either. Qpo'r. *' This is life eternal, to know thee, the oniy *' true God, and Jeſus Chriſt, whom thou haſt ſent." ANSW., Where is Maria's experience of this oxperimantal trutb .? 'as ſhe is pleaſed to call her head notions. Satan knows God, believes and trem bles; in which, I believe, he goes beyond Maria. Satan' feels the chains of his ſin, and the curſe or God's- law, which is ſtill further. Satan knew Chriſt, confeſſed his knowledge of him, felt the power of his arm, and the dint of his ſwordp; all which Maria could never ſay, with the teſtimony * C 3 either

33 AN ANSWER TO FOOLS; AND ' either of truth or conſcience. Yea, Satan acknow ledged that he knew Jeſus, and Paul too; and that - Paul and Barnabas were ſervants of the moſt High God: but Maria don't know a ſervant of God from a liar, nor a ſpiritual miniſter from a conjuror; ſo that, to give the Devil his due, he goes in many things beyond Maria: and I cannot but believe, that Satan has ſome hateful knowledge of me, and ' of the work in which I am engaged, or elſe I ſhould never have had ſo many addrefi'es from this daugh ter of his-for Truth hath ſaid, that children will do their father's worker. Qyo'r. " The Scriptures alſo ſpeak of the Lord Jeſus " undeethe dignified character of a KING." ANsw. Where is the experience of this experimen ta] truth ? The King of Babylon brought this con feſiion from his own heart: -" His kingdom is an " everlaſting kingdom, and his dominion is from " generation to generation. Now I, Nebuchad " nezzar, praiſe and extol and honour the King of " Heaven, all whoſe works are truth, and his ways i' judgment; and thoſe that walk in pride he is " able to abaſe." Dan. iv. 4. 37. All this was brought from viſion, and the experience of terrible majeſty; but Maria only cites a paſſage of Scrip ture. In this the King of Babylon beats Maria in experience and confeſiion, and does exceed her as much in this quotation as the Devil did in the laſt;

A WORD TO THE WISE. ' ' 39 laſt; and yet the King of Babylon appears to have no more of that experience that warketh hop: than Maria herſelf, who has boaſted that ſhe " can " write upon any ſubject." She ſhould have add ed, except the ſubject of exþerinzentalgodlimſs. QUO'r. V Offering himſelf up a ſacriſice to God, to " make reconciliation, ahd purcbaſe an atonement." ANsw. The latter part of this is not a Bible truth, it is not to be found in God's book. Chriſt, as a prieſt, offered up himſelf; an atonement was made; peace alſo was made; and in Chriſt, God did reconcile the world to himſelf, and the churcb is bought 'with a price ; the Redeemer laid down his life, he paid the price of' Zion's redemption, and ſhe is lois purchaſed poffcffion. This is Bible truth, the other is head notion. Qyo'r. " The dntinomian denies vital, experimental, '5 perſonal union, 'wrought in tbeſoul byfaitb." ANsw. Then the Antinomian is right, for this is a head notion, not a Bible doctrine; it is not a Scrip ture truth, but an arrtmt Zye. The bond of union is God's love to his choſen in Chriſt Jeſus, which is from eternity; the manifeſtation of this union appears by drawing us to Chriſt, and to a participa 5 tion of this love in Chriſt,' which love is ſhed C 4. abroad

40 AN ANSWBR 'to FOOLS; AND , abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghoſt, who, as a Spirit of Love, maintain; love there; 'which is the jaint by which we are joined to the Lord, and the band of union by which we are made one ſpirit faith him, being under the influence of the Spirit oſLove. But then, who works this? Maria ſays, Faith 'wor/ts it; but Goo ſays, lie does. " I," ſaith the Lord, " will cireumcffe their hearts, that they may lo-ve me " with all their heart and with all their ſaul, that *' they may live." This union, in the higheſt ſenſe and enjoyment, is called a mutual indwelling: He that loveth dwelleth in Ged, and God dwelleth in him. But then I aſk, does Faith work God in the finner, or does God work Faith in him? Maria is (or the former, but the Scripture is ſorthe latter: This is the werk of God, that ye helie've on him whom he hathſetzt. lſ Faith is God's workmanſhip, i: is not likely that the thing formed ſhould produce HIM that ſormed it. This is ſuch an experimental truth as never was found in the Bible, nor in the expe rience of the church ofGod, it is,all of Maria's fide. Qio'r. V The Lord Jeſus Chriſt is made of God, ſanc ** tiriczition to his people, as he is their great head of influ cnce, who impai-is to every member of his myſiical bo dy, by virtue of his kingly office, his Holy Spirit, to ,-" ſanctify them." \ ANsw. This is another of Maria's experimental truthe. However, in the firſt place, the Scriptures aver,

A WORU TO THE WISE. 4.' aver, that we were ſanctified and cleanſed by God the Father, in his ſecret purpoſe, from eternity. " _VVhat God hath cleanſed, (Ft'ter) that call thou 'f not common. I Pot. i. 2. Acts x. 15. Secondly, Chriſt ſanctiſied the elect by his ſacrifice in his office of prieſthood: " For your ſakes l ſanctify my ' " ſelf." And, " That he might ſanctiſy the people " with his own blood, he ſuffered without the gate." And, " By his one offering, he hath perfected for " ever all them that are ſanctiſied." So that he is made ſanctification to us as a prie'ſt, and that work was perfected for cve'r when his ſufferings were ac compliſhed. Thirdly, the elect are ſanctified in- * ternally by the Holy Spirit, " That the offering up " of the Gentilcs might be accepted, being ſancti " fied by the Holy Ghoſt." What Chriſt did up on the croſs, Maria entails upon the Spirit in conr , verfion. What was compleated, fimſhed, and for ever perfected, in dearh; is, according to Maria, now doing in glory. What'was effected by one per ſon, is attributed to the other; and the benefits that flow from the Lord's prieſthood, are all aſcrib ed to his kingly office; and for what cauſe, I cannot tell. Chriſt was anointed to be a Prieſt, as well as a King; both theſe offices meet in our Melchize dek, and he is ſtill inveſted with them both. zIaron had an unction, as well as David, whicb ran to bis beard, and to the ſhirts of bis clomb-ing. Chriſt is ſtill our high-Prieſt, and ever lives to intercelde, as ' ' well

42 AN ANSWER TO FOOLS; AND well as to reign. It was in his prieſtly habit that he appeared among the golden candleſticks. Jefus is a prieſt upon his throne, as well as a king;-and the deſcent ofthe Spirit is as much from the prieſt as the king. Read Pfalm cxxxiii.-How theſe poor night birds do puzzle themſelves, for want of knowing ' the Scriptures, and the power of God! Quor. 5' By hisjuſ'cifying righteouſneſs he ſaves them V from the guilt and eondemnation qfſin." ANsw. In this Maria makes Sin thejudge, and 'the ſentence to come of it: but I fay, condemnetion is not ofſin, but of God; nor from ſin, but from the judge it comes, and that forſin. I read, that it is the blood of Chriſt that purges the conſcience, and cleanſes us' from all ſin, or makes us clean; X and by the righteouſneſs of Chriſt we arejuſtified, or made righteous as well as clean. By the former we are waſhed, by the latter we are eloathed ; the former delivers us from the curſe of the Law, the latter from the yoke of precept. The Saviour's obe dience unto death juſtifies us from the demand of vindictive juſtice ; his obedience to the precept juſtifies us from Maria's Rule of Life, or from the command, Do and live. Maria's guilt and ſentence are both of ſin, and righteouſneſs ſaves from both; though Chriſt is made of God unto us, wiſdom, righteouſnefs, fanctification, and redemption. But ' then

A WORD TO THE wise. 43 then this is Bible doctrine, the others are Maria's propoſitions. - QJOT. V The Church ſhall not only be clear as theſten V in her jufiificarion, but ſhe ſhall alſo befair as the moon '" in her ſanctification." ANsW. In the Antediluvian world, and in the days of the Patriarchs, the church is compared to the looking forth of the morning. Under the Moſaic diſpenſation, her appearance is compared to the fairmſr of the moon. Under the Goſpcl,thechurch is declared to be clear as the ſun, having riſen under the beams of the Sun of Righteouſneſs, above that moon light diſpenſation; on which account ſhe is re preſented as cloathed with the ſun, and having the moon (or that moon-light diſpenſation) under her feet. Maria's ſanctification is under the church's feet, inſtead of being her inward glory. However, Maria is more honeſt here than ſhe intended, and this agrees with all her ſtrivings about the Law. She looks to the ſun, and moon too; to Chriſt for righteouſneſs, and to the Law for ſanctification; and her account amounts to this, that the church's ſanctification under the Goſpel by the blood of Chriſt, and by the Holy Ghoſt, is as fair as the Law, or the moon-light diſpenſation, which made nothing perfect. But as the moon is a liquid light, perhaps Maria means no more by it than a little

44. AN ANSWER TO FOOLS; AND little French. eye-water; what theſmugglers in my country call moon-ſhine, becauſe they are obliged to carry it in the night for fear of the exciſe-officer: which, I believe, is all the ſanctification that Maria knows any thing of; and which, when in her god, which Paul calls belly, affords her all that aid in writing, which ſhe in one place calls Divine affiſt am'e, which gives her, herſenſe of duty. QYJOT. " This faith unites the ſoul to the Lord Jeſus " Chriſt." ANsw. The elect were united to Chriſt before ever faith was found upon earth; and this union will ſubſiſt after the believer has received the endof hisſaith, the ſalvation of his foul, and the glory of his hope. Charity never faileth. This doctrine, as well as Maria's conſcience, is all on her own ſide; Faith is never called the uniting bond in Scripture, though there is a um'ty, or ſimilarity of faith, in which the faints muſt all meet. Qpo'r. " This faith makes Chriſt precious: it purifies T his heart, and conſtrains him to hate ſin, becauſe of a itis deformity, becauſe it is Chriſt's enemy, and crucificd " him,. and becauſe Chriſt abhors it, and a triune God ab " hors it." r ' ANsw. That Faith puriſies the heart by an appli-' cation of the blood of atonement, is granted, for it - is r

'A WORD TO THE wiss. 45 is a Scripture phraſe. But it is the preſence of Chriſt enjoyed that makes him precious to the helleven- But Paul ſays, it is Love that conſtrains the heliever, not Faith ', and, as to the"deformity of ſin, fin never ap pears to have any but where God ſhines into the heart, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jeſus Chriſt. But this Maria never ſaw, nor has her faith produced any one thing of all this in her, nor has ſhe any one of theſe works to pmiſe her in the gate. If ſhe has, let her produce them, and bring her witneſſes to prove them; and if ſhe can charge her ſuppoſed Antinomian with living in any allowed ſin or act of wickedneſs, let her, point it out, a'nd prove the ſame. And 'as to loving of holineſs, becauſe of it''s him heuuty and excellence, is a doctrine, that Maria never learned from the Law, for that worketh wrath ; fin takes an occaſion by it, and all concupiſcence 'i's ſtirred up. We lowe God, (who is the fountain of holineſs, and perfection of Zion's beauty) beazu'e he firſt loved us. Ver. a Faith gives the foul victory over- fm, Satan, '5 and the world." 1 ,A-NSW. Every word of this is a palpable Jye. There is an incomparable difference between two armics engaged in a field of battle, and the God ofarmies who dwells in heaven. There is a great difference ,

46 AN ANSWBR To FOOLS; Am) difference alſo between the 'victory gained by one army over the other, and God, who giveth that ar my the victory. Faith, which is a fruit of the Spirit, is one thing, but the giver of faith is ano ther. VictOU is Faith, and the gi-oer of victory is GOD. " This is the VICTORY that o-vereomeththe world, " even ourfaith." And, " Thanks be to God, who " giveth us the vie-tory, through our Lord Jeſus " Chriſt." Theſe are the refuters oferror, who know no diſtinction between a grace of the Spirit and the God of all grace I (hymn " In this way the Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſanctiſies " his people, and actually ſaves them from the love and a power of ſin." ANsw. And I aſi'ert, that there never was one ſoul ſanctified and actually ſaved, either from the love or power of ſin in this way, except Maria herſelf, who fetches all her ſanctity from what ſhe calls the moon, or from what the ſmugglers call moon/hine. Qyo'r. V Holineſs of heart and life is indiſpenſibly ne " ceſſary to enable the believer to maintain communion 5' and fellowſhip with God." Ausw. This doctrine, as here ſtated, has no foun dation in God's book. Fallen man has no holineſs, either of heart or life, till God, by his Spirit, takes

A WORD TO THE WISE. 1 takes up his dwelling in the foul; at which inſtant union and communion take place, and the foul be comes the ſeat, and body the temple, of the living God. But where this holineſs of heart and life is to come from previous to this, which, as Maria ſays, is ſo indiſpenſahbv neceſſary to this communion andfel lo-w/hip, I know not. Maria's heart-holineſs comes from her moonſhine, and fellowſhip follows that. But we know that God communicates his Spirit to us, and takes up his reſiden'ce in us, and'brings us into fellowſhip with himſelf and his dear Son, that 'holineſs of heart and life may follow 'his poſſeſiion 'vof us, and flow fromxhisindwelling in us. Bo'r. " Sanctification, then, it appears from the word "z of God, is a pe'final thing, wrought upon the ſoul' by the f' power of the Holy Ghoſt." ANsw. There is no ſuch language as this in the - Bible; this is not the voice of God's oracles. The man that has made his calling and election , ſure, knows that God ſanctified him in Chriſt Jeſus from eternity; and, hy coming to the blood ofſprinh ling, he knows that Chriſt ſanctified him \by his death on the croſs; and by his ſpiritual birth he knows that God the Spirit is in him, and has ſancti fied him; and ſuch an one poſſeſſes his Veſſel in ſanctification and honour, and not in the luſt of concupiſcence; but as for Maria's pe'ſonal thing. wrought

48 AN ANSWER TO FooLs; AND wrought UPoN tþeſoul, it is nothing but a ſpark of wild-fire from he' own tap'er. 'We have nothing to do with that-let her walk in the light oſ her own fire, and in' the ſparks that ſhe has kindled. The holineſs oſthe faint conſiſts in the Spirit's being a well of living water in himi not in a thing put upon him: it conſiſts in the indwelling or inbeing of the Spirit of God, for ever; but as to Maria's peiſonal thing, we have nothing to do with that. (lUO'L a Sometimes Divine Grace treads indwelling U Sin under it's fief, and then the Chriſtian is holy, U humble, and happy in his God. At other time's, Sin a rouſes up all it's powers, attempts to ſhake off the yoke, If and even prevails ſoſar as to into 'be maw MAN CAP " TIVB; and then the Chriſtian groans, being hurdenedo -<* Rom. vi. 23, 24," ANSW. Maria told us, ſome time ago, what a deep ſenſe conſtrained her to this cluty of" writing),and a claim was made upon Di'ozſine oſſſtamc lin' the diſcharge of it: and all that 'we have ſeen as yet, has been mſt'tring her mouth againſt the heavens," and telling lyes ih the name of God. Maria can ſee no (li'ffeience between PauZ,'and the grace of God in Paul; no difference between''aſaiizt, who is cal: led- a new creature in'C/orzſt ffſſus, and the prihcipf? of grace in the ſaini', v'vhich is called the new man; or hidded mon oft/se bear', Paul does ſay, *' I find' 't a law in my-niembers warring' againſt the lavir or ' ' ," mY

, A worm TO 'me w1st.* a. i? " law of ſin which is in my members;" but that me is not the new man. 'Thejeed of God cannot/in; the inward man is renewed day lay da), even though the outward man periſh. The grace of God is produced inthe foul by the Spirit of Grace: the Holy Ghoſt produces it under his operations, and he is the life of it, the Spirit of it, the defender 'of it, and the protector of it ; he is the wind that gives it motion, and the river that gives it refreſhing; and it ſhall reign through the righteouſneſs of Chriſt 'to eternal life: it never was, and it never ſhall be, ta ken capti-oe by ſin. r Theſe are Mr. Ryland's j'entiments, and Maria's experimental truths 3 ſo that they give usa deſcription of Mr. Ryland's head, and Maria's hearzgand both are nothing but lyes. Their grace has got feet, and when theſe feet tread 'upon indwelling ſin, then they are holy, &e. and when ſin takes their grace captive, then they groan. If ſin could ever prevail and cap ture grace, ſure I am that there would be great reg ſon to fear that the devil, who is fin's great ally, would never open the door to this his priſoner. Ma tia has attempted to tell the public what ideas I en certain of her book; if ſhe can do, it, let her: but I never ſhall be able to deſcribe the awful thoughts that I have of it, nor the awful thoughts that I have of' their ſtate who wrote it. However, it may do for perſons who are inwardly feared with a hot iron; D ' rvain l 'V my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the '

5q AU ANSWER To FOOLS; AND vain in life, and empty of thought deſtitute of ' grace, and at enmity with the power of it: but the time will come when ſuch, lyes and liars will be weighed in an even balance; and we ſhall ſee what they are, as well as hear what' they ſay. The Lord ifs a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. ,' QJCT. N That to the believer in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt', V the Moral Law has ceaſed to exiſt asa covenant of works, " is a grand and glorious truth." ANsw. Every new-born ſoul under heaven, that is a twelvemonth old in grace, will prove this aſſerq tion to be a lye, from his own teſtirnony. Let the believer loſe ſight of Chriſt, and doubt of his intereſt ' in him, the old veil will gather on his mind; legal bondage will find him out, and will gender fear in him, and ſet him to legal ſtriving and working ; the Law will work wrath in him, Ptir up his corruptions, , and the enmity of his heart; and fin will prevail over him, for the ſtrength tffſin is the Law; the old yoke will gall him, and terrors will beſet him round about; and ſuch an one will cry out, " Bring my if ſoul out ofpriſonf'- or elſe, " Reſtore unto me the fig joys of thy- ſalvation, and uphold me with thy fret f', Spirit." The Law can entangle a fooliſh Galaq , tian ſtill, if he looks there: hence the exhortation, i' stand faſt in the liberty wherewith Chriſt has- " made you free, and be not again entangled with 'f the yoke of þondage." Many ſouls, who have laſted

A WORI) 'to Tn: wiss. 51 " taſted that God is gracious, have been brought into and kept long in bondage by' ſuch ſcribbling fools as the Authors of this book-I ſay, fools; and Paul calls them the ſame: Forye ſufferfools glaa'l , ſeeing ' ye yourſel'ves are wiſe; for yeſuffer if a man bring you into hondage. Rom. xi. 20. If the Law has ceaſed to exiſt as a covenant of works, then it's authority muſt of courſe ceaſe alſo. It never had any power but to command to do, and to condemn for not doing ; and if theſe are gone, where is it's authority over the believer? The Engliſh of this is, that the believer_ is under a power that has no exiſtence. This at once pulls down all that Maria has built, and muſt ſap the foundation of all that ſhe intends to build. A certain preacher in the Borough is ten times more honeſt than theſe authors-for, when he was going to preach from this teitt, Unto me, who am leſſ. than the leaſt of allſaints, is this grace given, that I ſhould preach among the Gentiles the unſearch able riches of Chriſt-he confeſſed, that he could not ſay, with' Paul, that to me is this grace given: " But," ſays he, '* I can preach the utſearchahle riches of " Chriſt." The former is an open and ingenuous confeffion, but the latter is a myſtery: for how a , man, deſtitute of grace, can preach the unſearchable riches of Chriſt, is whatI cannot comprehend; ſee ing the riches of Chriſt do not lie in a knowledge of the letter- of Scripture, which a man may preach, hut in the redmption of his ſoul, and the forgiveneſs -D 2 of

52 AN Auswstt to'rooLs; AND of his/int, [which he muſt have an experience of] according to the riches of his grace. Epheſ. i. 7. But theſe Authors have no ſuch honeſty in them: they will injurethe Law, and bclyc both God and conſcience, rather than not make ſome pretcnſions to grace, in order to oppoſe the myſtery of it 3 but, when they come to deſcribe it, tho weakeſt believer may ſee that it has not the leaſt reſemblance of the grate of God. I ſhall not preach the Law into non exiſtence. I ſay, as God's word does, that the be liever is redeemed from the Law, and delivered from it; that he is not under it, but under Grace; that he is no more a ſervant, but a ſon; no longer under a ſchoolmaſter, but under the great Prophet oſ the Church.' This' is his liberty, his glory, and his privilege: but, if he abuſes this liberty, or ſuffers fools to ſeduce him from it, it is his folly, and his ſharne 1 and ſuch a backſlider in heart ſhall be filled with his own ways. - . Qpo'r. f'' Becauſe the Lord Jeſus is become the End of " the Law, both Moral and Ceremonial, to every one that *' believeth," ANsw. By the perfect obedience of the Saviour to the precept oſ the Moral Law, he became the end r thereof for righteouſneſs to every one that believeth 3 and for ever delivered the believer from the yoke of that precept, which is, Do, and live. And, by his ſacrifice, he became the ſulfilling end of the Ceremo nial

A wonp To THE WISB. '53 nial Law for ſancttfimfion: for " by his one offering ' - " he perfected for ever all them that are ſanctified." QJOT. " That the Moral Law ought ſtill to be con a ſidered as the Rule of a believer's conduct, is as great a " truth: it is the eternal Rule of rigbmuſmfi, and is inca ** pable of any variation." _ 'ANsw. 'It is impoſſible for a' dove to wriggle' through every maze that a ſerpent 'can crawl through; only to 'diſcover that all it's ways 'are crookt-'dy " That the Law has ceaſed to exiſt as a covenant " o'fwork's, is a grand and glorious truth." This Maria 'affirms; and then ſays, " The Law is the i' be'l'iever's rule of conduct, being the eternal rule 'f ofrighteouſneſs; and is 'incapable qf any 'varia " tion." If 'it ever was a covenanfof works, and lias now ceaſed to eſimſt as ſuch; it muſt have 'varied ſorne way or othen- If' this is not 'vain jangling, what is? Hence it follows, that there needs' no exhortations ſito ſtand faſt' in' the liberty wherewith Chriſt has made us free; no call' to caution believ crs againſt the yoke of bondage, and the wrath that is revealed in the Law, and that Chriſt ſhall profit them nothing who ſeek perfection by it. Paul's , labour with the Galatians was all in vain, for the Law has ceqſed-to' exiſt as a covenant of works; and yet it is the believcr's only rule of works, which is Here called his conduct', by which he is to live and walk. Theſe are Maria's experimental truth; theſe ' D 3 , 'are

54, AN ANSWER TO rooLs; AND are her reſutations'of error, and Mr. Ryland's ſen timents ; and ſuch I am willing to call them, for they have no more foundation in the Scriptures of truth, than Truth has place in Maria's heart, a QUOT. *' Among men, the idea of a king and peoq - W ple ſuppoſes alſo a law ſubſiſting between the parties, ' FF gation, and a ſþiritual obligation, 830." V agreeable to which, the king is to rule, and the people to a frame their actions; The ſubjects of Chriſt are undera V three-fold obligation, a natural obligation, a'moral obli ) ANsw. They that were leſt to uſe the natural obligation, acted the ſame rebellious part that Ma ria does, by preſuming, as a woman, to teach, and uſurp authority over the man, which is ſtrictly for-p bidden by Chriſt. They ſaid in words, as ſhe doth by works, We will not have, this man to reign over us t and, as for the moral obligation, that was given by' Moſes, and thoſe that cleaved to that were the great eſt enemies to Chriſt, but grace and truth came by Jeſus. ' The ſpiritual obligation is that which came by the King qf Zion'.- " The Law of Faith was to ** go forth out of Zion, and the word of' the Lord " from Jeruſalem." But this is what Paul calls " the Law of the Spirit of Life in Chriſt Jeſus,' U that made him free from the Law of fin and " deathf', This came' not by Moſes, but by Chriſt; as it is written, zI law ſhall proceed from me, and

- -- A ','l , - , ' A WORD' TO THE WISE. and I will make my judgment to reſt'for a light of the Gentiles, and the i/[esſhall 'waitfor my Law. In ſhort, the kingdom of God ſtands not in the letter of the Law, nor yet in the natural obligations offleſh and blood, which is nothing: nor yet in word ; no, not i'n the word of the Goſpel, much leſs in theſþeecb qf them that are puffen' up : but the kingdom ſtands' in powenin the inward reign of ſpecial grace, ſu per a'boundmg in power over fin; and it ſtands in' righteouſneſs, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoſtſi One pillar of Maria's kingdom ſtands in fallen na-' ture, the other in the killing letter given at Horeb: but ſelf is to be denied, and the Law, which'work: eth wrath, is to be fied from, and the KingbſZi'on to be adhered to. " I have ſet my King upon my " holy hill-Kiſs the Son-Bleſſed are all they that put' F" their truſt in him." ButMaria owns, that her new' man of grace is taken captive byſin; ſo that ſhenee'ds' the afliſtance of her natural and moral obligations' to pick her new man up, and keep him upon his fect. ' a (Luoau a As for me," ſays Paul, ''i I am determined '5 to know nothing but Jeſus Chriſt. God forbid that I a ſhould glory, ſave in the croſs of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt." fl But he alſo adds, '* l am not without Law to God, but 3' under the Law to Chriſt." ANsw. Paul is oſ age, 'We can aſk him, what LAW he beldto- God: heſhatlſpeak for himſelf. *< God D 4. " hath

56 AN ANSWER 'to rooLs ; And 'F hath ſaid," ſaith Paul, " the time cometh that I 'f Will make a new covenant with the houſe of if IſtaeL-ln that he ſaith, anew covenant, he hath " made the firſt old: now, that which waxeth old, fſſ and deeayeth, is ready to vaniſh away-And this if ſhall be the covenant that -I will make with them: *' after thoſe days I will put my laws in their hearts, 'f and in their minds will I write them; and I will " be mercifulh to their unrighteouſneſſcs, and their '*f- fins I will remember no more." And this law, Written in the mind, is the Law that proceeded from Chriſt, which, in Chriſt Jeſus, Paul calls the Law (if the Spirit of Life; which, when communicated to Paul, " made him free from the law- of (in and 'fl death." And this new covenant, oriaytof faith, written on Paul's mind, is what he'means, when he ſays, I delight in the Law of God aftenthe inward, man, as he afterwards explains it himſelf: '' Bat I 'f ſhe another Law in my members, 'warring again/i " the LAW or MY MlND." Rom. vii, 22, 23. Here Paul declares, that God's new covenant is not according to the old : that was written on tables of ſtone; this is written in the mind, and on the fleſhly tables of the heart: that' with the finger of God, this by the Holy Ghoſt': that Law i's the kil ling letter given by Moſes; this is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Chriſt Jeſus. That was the Law of Works, this is the Law of Faith, - Faith (ſays Paul), is the gift of God; and God writ this

' -' A worm TO 'me wist. 57 ' this Law of Faith on Paul's mind, ſo that he 'was not without law tahGod 3 and Paul receiving deli v-ering grace ſrom Ch'riſt's fullneſs, ſays, The Law of the Spirit of Life in Chriſt hath made mefreefrom the Law offln and death; and this he calls being under the Law to Chriſt, or under grace, which means one and the ſame thing. But the Law of Moſes is the law oſ the bond wo man and her children, for they that are of the works of the Law are under the curſe; but the Law of Faith is the law of theſaint's inward man, which aſ ter the inward man Paul loued. But he ſound ano ther law, warring againſt that law of the inward man, which he afterwards explains thus, The fltſſz, Iuſteth again/t theſpirit ; but the Law cannot be call ed the Spirit. In all this Paul ſpeaks confiſtent with himſelf. ' - God (ſays Paul) promiſeda new covenant, which is a- covenant of grace. " And I (ſaith the apoſtle) am V under this grace." " This covenant (ſaith the Moſt High) ſhall not: U be according to the old." "Then (ſays theapoflle) " I'am not under-the Law." , , ' ' " I- will put my laws in their hearts," ſays God. " And I lo've this law (ſays Paul) after the inward " man." I ' - " I will (ſays God) write my laws in their mind." " And I, with my mind,ſer'v5 the law aſGad,"ſaith Paul. "' But ul

58 AN ANswl-zk TO PooLs;'ANn " But Ifind another law in my members warring again/t " the law oſm)l mind." - " I will give them a new heart and a new ſpi '* rit," ſaith the Almighty. " That we might he deli X" veredfrom the Law, (ſays Paul) aim' ſerve in the " newne/r of the Spirit, not in the oldmy's of the letter." But thoſe authors, by enforcing that Paul's law of the mind is the Moral Law, do make Paul contra dict himſelf throughout. As it follows, " We are a deliveredfrom the law, (ſaith Paul) that we ſhould " ſerve in the newneſs of the Spirit 3" and yet adds, " I am not without law to God." Here is a de liverance from it, that we might be' under it to ' God. " The Law (ſaith Paul) was our ſchoolmaſter '4 to bring us to Chriſt; but after faith is come, we " are nolongerunderaſchoolmaſter." Gal. iii. 2405. And then he adds, '' l am under the law to Chriſt." Ac-" cording to XMaria's ſenſe, we are no longer under a ſl'hoolmaſter, when faith comes, that we may be un a'er a ſehoolmaſter' as ſoon as we are enabled to believe' in Chriſt: this is what theſe authors make Paul ſpeak. Again, '5 The Law is againſt us and contrary to us," ſaith the apoſtle; and yet adds, " I delight in the Law' K after theinwardman." This is acontradictiomunlbſs , - the two laws are brought in. " The Law is the miniq' " ſtration ofdeath," ſaith Paul. " That itmight bethc' " believer's only Rule ofLife,"\ſays Maria. i' You are '3 become dead to the lawby the body of Chriſt," ſays' Paul, " ThattheLawmight become the only Rulcof - X f' conduct

T' A WORD TO JPHB WlSl. i'r " conduct to them that are in Chriſt," ſaith Maria. " The firſt hulband isdead, and 'ye are married to '5 anothe'r,":ſaith the apoſtle. "That your'ſruitfulneſs " may ſpring from the embraces ofthe firſt huſband," , ſaith the propheteſs. Theſe are the ſelſ-contradic-ffl "tions that theſe poor blind bats palm upon Paul; theſe are their reſutations of' error, theſe are their experimental truths. Alas ! alas! they neither know the Scriptures, nor the power of God. Q1_IOT. 'i What law? the Moral Law? Some ſay the - 'i Law of love, - and I grant it 5 for the Maral Law, and -" thtſelf-ſame thing." '5 the Law afLave, are ſynonymous terms, and mean one and '- ANsW. There certainly is ſuch a law as the 'Law afLo-ve. Paulſays, " Bearye one anather's hurdens, and -'\ "ſafulfilthe LAW o'F cnn'ls'r." Andit certainly was the Law zfflofve in Chriſt, that inoved him to pity, and' to bear the 'hurden of us; as it is WrittenL-QREATEX LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay dawn his li e for hisfriends; Yet, I think there is ſome dif-Z ference between the Law of lo-ve in Chriſt's heart; which moved him to pity us, and the' Moral Law, that curſed him for his kind undertaking, and 'worked ſuch wrath in him as made him cry out " I am poured-out like water, and all my hones are '6 out ofjoint: my heart is like wax, it is melted in " the mid/lofmy hewels," Pſalm xxii. 14. ' The 7

60 AN ANSWER TO FOOLS; ANÞ The wrath of God is rcvealed in'the Law; the Law worked: wrath, and they that are under it are under the curſe of it, as we all were. , The Re deemer, to redeem us, ſuffered this wrath, and en dured the curſe, out of love and pity to his elect: but thoſe who can make the love of Chriſt, and the mimſtmtion of death, "one and the-ſame thing;" who can make theſentenee of condemnation and re deeming grace, or eternal death and everlaſting life, _ſ_ynonymous terms, are guilty of ſuch lyes as never came out of the mouth of a devil. The Almighty does not call the Law the effect of his cl'emency, hat afiery Law ; not a beatn of his love, hut afire kind/ed in his anger; not to raiſe ſouls to heaven, hut to burn to the loweſt heit. The Spirit of the Law is not to enlarge the heart, hut it is of bo'ndage to ' fear; it does not proclaim a priſoner's enlargement, but ſhuts him up till Faith is revealed 3 when it comes to the finner's heart, it does not miniſter love, hat revives his/in, and hills him. This'laſt quotation jets aſide all the uſe of a Sacrifice, and of the Mercy. ſeat, and makes the redemption of' Chriſt nothing worth; 'Maria has implored'the' Divine affiſtance, that ſhe might give God himſelf the lye, and belye the teſtimony of all the-'cloud of witneſſes, and- the terrible experience of 'the whole church of God. And if ſuch vile writers as theſe, who are driven on " by pride and envy to utter ſuch arrogance againſt the Goſpel, do not find', ſooner or later, ſomething ' in

A woao To "run wist. 61 in God's Law beſide Io-ve, whenever they come to a reckoning, I am willing to be called a falſe prophet for ever. - QJOT. a Neither Paul nor James had any idea that the a Law was ever aboliſhed or done away." _ , ANsw. Maria ſays, " it has ceaſed to exiſt as a " covenant of works;" and this," ſhe ſays, " is a " gldrious truth :" then itmuſt be done away as to it's authority' andr power. But neither Paul' not' James had any ſuch ideas. The Law is ſtill a co venant oſ works to them that are under it, for they are of the works of it, and under the curſe of it; yea, the very heathens have got the works of it writ ten on their hearts; and by it, the ungodly world will be found guilty at laſt, and bejudged and curſ ed by it. But I ſay, the believer in Chriſt is not un 'der it, but under grace ;- not under the curſe of it, but under the bleſiing of Abraham. However, I am informed that Mr. Towrffend ſays, that the Lawi belongs wholly to the believer; for as to the carnal man, (he ſays) his mind is enmity againſt it, and not ſubject to it; therefore the Law is to be preached to believers only. This is his reaſoning: however, the Scriptures teſtiſy the reverſe of this. ' Let us enquire. For whom is the Law made? , Ausw. '* Knowing this, (ſaith the apoſtle) that the - if

6'2 AN ANSWZER TO FOOLS; AND ' " Law is not made for a righteous man, hut for the " la'wleſs and dſſohedient, for the ungvdiy and forſin '* ners, for unhoiy and profane, for murder.ers offa " thers and murderers of mothers, for man-ſlayers, for " whoremongers, for them that defl/e themſelves with *' mankind, for men-ſtealers, for liars, for peljured '* perſons, and if there he any other thing that is ton " trary toſounddoctrine." I Tim. i. 9. According to this declaration, if my dear Maria be la'wleſst that is, if the Law of Faith, the Law of Truth, the Law of Liberty, the Law of Life and Peace, be not put into her mind, and written on the fleſhly tables of her heart, ſhe is intitled to all the benefits of this Law of works. Furthermore, if ſhe be diſbhedient to the Goſpel, if ſhe has not received grace for the ' obedience of Faith, the Law is made for her. If ſhe be ungodiy, deſtitute of the image of Chriſt ; if aſnner, neither pardoned nor juſtified; if unhoiy, deſtitute of the Holy Ghoſt; if profane in mind, life, or converſation ; if a murder-er, or hater of the brotherhood; if a thief, or a liar; if a perjured per ſon, the Law is made for her; it is her only Rule of life, walk, and converſation: for the above text declares, it is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawleſs and diſobedient. ' Having taken notice, who the Law is made for, we will now proceed - to enquire, who the-'Law ſpeaks to. , _ - L Now we know, that what things ſoever the Law ſaith,

A worm TO THE WISE. - 63 ſaith, itſuith to them that are under the Law; that every mouth may be ſtopped, and all the world may heeome guilty before God, Rom. iii. 19. According to this text, and what goes before in this chapter, ifmiy dear Maria, or any of her company, be unrighte ous, if ſhe has no underſtanding, if ſheſee/es not after God, if ſhe is out of the way, if ſhe is unprofitable, iſ her throat be an open ſepulchre, if her tongue has uſed deceit, if the poiſon of aſps be under her- lips, ifher mouth be full of curſing and bitterneſs, if her 'feet be ſwiſt to ſhed blood, if deſtruction and miſery are in her ways, if ſhe is a ſtranger to the way of peace, if there be no fear of God before her eyes,' ſhe is entitled to the yoke of this Law: for,(accord-ing to Paul) zhm are the things which the Lawſaith, and it ſaith them to thoſe that are under the Law, that Maria's mouth may be ſtopped, and that ſhe, with the reſt of the world, may become guilty before God. - - Having extracted the characters deſcribed in the Scriptures that the Law is made for, and the perſons that the Law ſpeaks to ; I ſhall, in the next place; deſcribe the characters that are entitled to the wrath of God revealed in the Law. The Law is a Voice of wrath. " Fury," ſays God, " is not in me." Itis revealed in the Law: " For the wrath of God is 'f revealed from Heaven againſt all ungodlineſs and " unrighteouſneſs of men, who hold the truth in *" ' unrighteouſneſs." Ram. i. 1'_8. - T-' - - ' , i . Hence,

64 AN ANSWER TO rooLs; no Hence God ſpeaks not to his believing children in the Law, becauſe it is a voice of wrath; but by his holy Spirit of Promiſe, and by his Son: God hath, in theſe lar/2 days, ſpoken to us by his Son, " whom he hath appointed heir of all things." Heh. i. 2. Now, let us conſider the objects, and the characters of thoſe objects to, whom God ſpeak: in his wrath; which wrath is revealed in the Law. " Why do the heathen rage, and the people imaa *' gine a vain thing? The kings of the earth ſet " themſelves, and the rulers take counſel together, " againſt the Lord, and againſt hisAnointed, ſaying, a Let us break their bands aſunder, and caſt away " their cords from us. He that ſitteth in the hea " vens ſhall laugh, the Lord ſhall have them in de- , ' V riſion, THEN SHALL HE SPEAK uNTo THEM IN' " ms wRhTI.t, and vex them in his ſore diſp/eaſure. " Yet have I ſet' my King upon 'rny holy hill of " Zion." Theſe perſons here deſcribed are heathens, u-nregenerated 'perſons, who neither worſhip God in truth, nor pray in the Spirit. They 'rage at the power and ſueceſs of the Goſpel of Chriſt. They imagine a vain thing againſt the Lord's Anointed, by oppofing his Goſpel, and cleaving to the Law, which can nei ther juſtify them, ſanctiſy them, encourage them, not help them. They oppoſe the dominion of Chriſt's grace, and contend for works, which is vain jangling. They imagine a vain thing againſt hisſaints, in reproaching them, and condemning them, as - crtoneous a

Awoko To THE WISE. 65 erroneous and licentious perſons, which are God's precious ones. Tour brethren that hated you, that caſt you out for my nome'sſa/ee, ſaid, Let the Lord be gloriſied : but he ſhall appear to your joy, and they ſhall be aſhamed. Iſai. lxvi. 5. They take counſel together againſt the kingly power ofJeſus, and exalt Moſes againſt him, and above him. " We know " that God ſpake to Mtffes; but as for this fellow, " we knawnotwhenee he is." They break Zion's bands aſunder, in that they ſpeak and preach againſt the con ſtraining influence of the Law of the Spirit, which binds the Church to Chriſt the head, from which all the body byjoints and BANDS having nouriſhment minz'flered, and knit together, increajeth with the increaſe of God. Col. ii. 19. They caſt Zion': cords from them; they either oppoſe the Goſpel altogether, or they turn from the holy commandment after a pro feffion of it; and ſet themſelves againſt the con ſtraining ties, and the alluring cords of the everlaſt ing love of God, Father, Son, and Spirit, that three fold cord which can newer be broken; that is, it never can be broken by a ſoul ſecured by it, though an hypocrite may caſt 'it from him, not being an object of it, and having never felt the power of it. Now if Maria rages at the Goſpel, which-is the power of God to ſalvation; if ſhe is vain enough to imagine, that ſhe ſhall get help for herſelf, or Others, by the Law, as her rule of life 5 if ſhe ſets herſelf in behalf of the Law againſt Chriſt, againſt the power in which E his

66 ' AN ANSWER TO FOOLS; AND his kingdom ſtands, againſt the empire of his Grace, which is ſet up in the hearts of his Saints; if ſhe levels her rage at-Zion's bands, that hold head and members together 3 or at the influence oſ the Spirit, by which we are joined to the Lord, and caſts away the cords of love, and contends for the Law that worketh wrath; the wrath of the Law is pointed to her: Godſþezzhs to her in his wrath, and will vex her in his dfflp/mſure. This is the portion of a wicked man from God, who is under the Law; and the he ritage appointed unto him by God-(in the Law.) Furthermore, the Law of God is armed with the avenging ſword of Juſtice, and muſt undoubtedly fall upon them who make the Law of Works their rule ofliſe, inſtead of the Law of Faith :' " For as many " as are of Faith, are bleſſed with faithful Abraham; " but as many as are of the Wor/es of the Law, are *-' under the cuiſe;"- and are expoſed to the avenging ſword of Juſtice, having never fled from the wrath to come, nor taken ſhelter in the ſatisſaction of Chriſt, in whom the ſword was bathed. Foramy ſcvord (ſays God) ſhall he bathed in Heaven : hehald, it ſhall come down upon Idzzmea, and upon the people of , my curſe ,to judgment. Iſa. xxxiv. 5. This is- the Scripture's account of'- the perſons for whom the Law is made, to whom the Law ſpeaks, and againſt whom the wrath of the Law is revealed; and- upon whom the avenging ſword of Juſtice will undoubt edly come down to judgment, though ſuch ſools ' may

A WORD TO THE WlSE- 67 rmay contend'for it, and ſport with it, and 'make their boaſt of it, as the Phariſees of old did, till they had their bellyful of Sinai: as Paul ſays, But Hagar is Mount Sinai, in Arabia, 'which anſwereth to J'cflt/flbfflt that now is, and is in bondage 'with her children. But we go on again. - ' Qso'r- " Some ſay the Law cannot be a perfect rule of " conduct, becauſe it ſays nothing upon ſome ſubjects ' " which are noted in the precepts of the NewTeſtament." ANsw. The Law calls for doing, and the Goſpel for believing: he that contends for the Law, and does not continue in all things written therein, is curſed of God; and he that hears the Goſpel, and , believes not, ſhall be damned by Chriſt. The Law is not of Faith, nor is Faith of the Law; nor does God miniſter the Spirit by the works of the Law, but by the hearing of Faith; nor does God work any thing in them who cleave to the Law but wrath; but by the Goſpel he works in us both to will and to do, of his own good pleaſure. Nor'does God attend with his ſeal the preaching of the Law, ' but he gives teſſimony to the word of his Graee. Nor did the Apoſtles ever drop one hint to any one be liever in' their days, that the Moral Law was their rule of life, but committed them to God, and'to the'word of, his Grace, and commendedthem to the Lord, on whom they believed. And I infiſt upon it, that there never was, and that there never will E a. be,

68 AN ANswzR TO FooLs; AND a be, one good work found in, nor one good work performed by any one ſoul in this world, till union takes place between the foul and the Saviour; till the good tteaſure of Grace be put into the earthen Veſſel, and' until God work both inclina'ion and motion in ſuch a ſoul. But Maria and her company can no more deſcribe or explain any one of thoſe branches of vital godlineſs, than the Pope oſRome, or one of the Lapland witches. Qyo'r., a All this is true; though the authors know " nothing what they ſay, nor what they mean." ANSW. This I did ſay: and yet I thought it needful to waſte a page in anſwering it; and in this I am not without a precedent. When the devil told Chriſt that he knew who he was, and called him the Holy One of God; Chriſt rebuked him, and ſuffered him not to ſpeak any more of that matter. And, ' when the devil cried up Paul and Barnabas as ſer vants of the Moſt High God, they rebuked him, though he ſpoke ſome things that were true. And, , if Maria learns a word of Scripture, and ſets hcrſelf up as' a teacher, ſhe muſt be rebuked for her iniquity, becauſe ſhe is not permitted to teach: her preach ment, as well as the devil's coufeffion, are both rejected by the word of Chriſt. Qpo'r. a Ifye keep my commandmentt, yeſtmll abide in my " law, even as I kept my Father's commandments, and " abide in his love." ANsw.

'I - A WORD TO THE WlSE. - 69 ANsw. What does Maria mean to prove by this text? Does this favour her notion, that the killing letter is the rule of the ſaint's life? The Saviour's commandment is not that which was given at Sinai, He brought no tables of ſtone with him: they were in the world before. Maria would have us believe that the Law was given by Jeſus, and that grace and truth came by Moſes. The Saviour mentions two commandments, that of his Father, and that of his own. The former was an intolerable yoke, but that of his own is light, which he tells us to take upon us. The Father's commandment is the Moral Law, which the Saviour magnified and made honourable; but the evangelical commandment that the believer is to keep, is not engraven on tables of ſtone, which ſays, " Do, and live," but it is a commandment " made " known unto all nations for the obedience of faith. " Upon Mount Zion God hath commanded the " bleffing, even life for evermore." This is the King of Zion's commandment, 'which we citizens hope ever to keep. The other commandment be longs to Maria and Co. it is for the lawleſs and out obedient; it is not made for a righteous man. " They U that are Chriſt's have crucified the fleſh, with the " affections and luſts; and againſt ſuch there is no " law." Another commandment of the Saviour is, that we fl-ould lo've one another. And I do believe, that if l was a real conjuror, a magician, an Anti nomian, and a liar, as Maria calls me, that ſhe . E 3 would

70 t AN ANSWER TO FOOLS; AND \ would have ſome affection for me; for hypocrites love hypocrites, drunkards love drunkards, ſinners love finners. But, as Maria cannot love me, 1 do conclude that God has made me of a different caſt becauſe there was a popular preacher' againſt whom Maria never wrote, though he was an Antinomian with a witneſs. Of this man Maria and Co. were doatingly fond. It was Brother B-., and Siſter M-, and Siſter 'D-e, to the end of the chapter. And, ſoon after, God diſcovered Brother B-, that we might ſee the bonds of iniquity that held Siſter M-- and D- to Brother B-. But my dear Maria is for piety: and ſo was Judas, or he would never have rebuked the woman for waſt ing the ointment. But the former ſceks her hell), and the latter ſought the hag. Mary had wrought a good work on the Saviour, and the Saviour haswrought a good work in me; and the latter is as diſpleafing to the hypocrite 'as the former was to the devil. from her Quo'r. " The Rev. Mr. Ryland, ſenior, is as far ſuperior V to Mr. Huntington's low calumny, as the moon walking V in brightneſs is to the barking of the village cur." ANSW. I want no female pufflrs at my auction. I would ſooner have Maria cry me down in three market-towns, than advance one penny upon my name. The teſtimony of man is not ſufficient to eſtabliſh the mind of a ſpiritual ambaſſador, much leſs that of a woman, and leſſer ſtill, that ofa hypo-, crite,

t ' A woRD TO THE WISE. '71 crite. The Pope will'not canonize for nothing; and I believe it has coſt Mr- Ryland ſome pounds to be put, in red letters, into Maria's almanack. However, I had rather be Maria's village dog than have my office ſtain-rd by the encomiums of ſuch a pitiful patroneſs; whom to reſiſt is as much my duty, as to reſiſt the devil himſelf-who, in a late work, has '5 invoked Hymen, the Sun in his firm'as " ment, and the Hony Gnos'r together, to attend, '' the marriage-bed, and the carnal embraces, ofa " new-married couple." ' God will, ſome time or other, let ſuch proſeſſors know, that the feigned deities of Heathens have no fellowſhip with HIM. But, as Mr. Ryland and Mr. Wills have been ſo kind as to recommend ſuch a work for Maria, it is but right that ſhe ſhould caſt her ſpihenard upon their name. - Bo'r. 5' Mr. Rylantl's name and Writings will be in a everlaſting remembrance, and a ſweet favour to thou- M'ſands, when Mr. Huntington's will be ſwallowed up in U the gulph of oblivion." . ANSW. I have learnt to be quite content with my preſent ſtate. I by no means envy the ſtate of Mr. Ryland, nor the everlaſting remembrance of his name or Writings. I know whom I have believed, - who pardoned me, who juſtified me, and who ſent me into the miniſtry; and that is enough for me. And I believe more than Mr. Ryland, or his- Pae' ' vroneſs, ever knew, or could ever ſay with truth on E a their

72 AN ANSWER TO FOOLS; AND their ſide. And if all my Writings are ſwallowed up in the gulph of oblivion, it will be no grief to me, becauſe the truths contained in them will then be found in the evangelical parts of the Scriptures, where many of Mr. Ryland's never were. Qpo'r. " The reader will obſerve, theſe are not my " words, but they were ſpoken by the lips of infallible a Truth: they are the words of out Lord Jeſus Chriſt a himſelf." John, xv. Io. ANsw. I know the words are true, but the ſenſe that you have put upon them is a tye. When Chriſt mentions theſe words, " MY commandments," he ne , ver once means, in all the four Evangeliſts, the Moral Law; he never puts the word MY to that : he men tions that on this wiſe: " Did not Moſes give you " the Law, and none of you keepeth the Law? " If thou wilt enter into life, keep the command ments.-What is written in the Law? how readeſt " thou?" He calls the Moral Law, The Law; and Moſes, the giver of the Law. And this Law, given by Moſes, Jeſus entails upon thoſe hond-children that oppoſed the Gcypel of his Graoe-and this Maria might have ſound, if ſhe had read the chapter throughout: " But this cometh to paſs, that the " word might be fulfilled that is written in their " Law--They hated me without a cauſe." John, xv. a 5. But my commandments, my words, and fiyſayings, are the words of eternal liſe ; and differ 33 'A a

'A WORD TO THE wise. 73 as much from the killing letter engraven on tables of ſtone, as the perverſions of Maria differ from the experimental truths of the Goſpel. The Law and the Prophets were until John, (ſays Chriſt :) ſince that time, (not the Moral Law) but the kingdom of God, is preached. Maria does pervert the Scriptures, and 'tells lyes in the name of God. Qyofr. V Hereby we do know that we know him, if we " keep his commandments. He' that ſaith, I know him, and " keepeth not his commondments, is a liar, and the truth is " not in him: but whoſo keepeth his WORD, in him verily " is the love of God perfected." ANSW. This text gives Maria the [ye in it's own explanation; and tells her, as plain as words can ſpeak, that the killing letter is never once intended. What is called the Saviour's commandments, is after wards called truth, and truth is afterwards called his word. " The commandment that the Father gave " me," ſaith the Saviour, " is life erverlaſting." " And truth," ſays John, " as well as grace, came " hy 7eſus Chriſt." And ſurely Chriſt's WORD, here mentioned, cannot be the killing letter. 'a No," ſaith the Saviour, " my word is'ſpirit, and my word is li e." The meaning of this text is this: Whoſoever receives Chtiſt's life-giving commandment, which is his word, and his truth, into his heart, in the power ofit, ſo as to believe it, and love it, to keep it, and hold it faſt ; in him 'verily is the love of God perfected : but as

74.' AN ANSW'ER TO FOOLS; AND as for the Law, neither life nor lo've come by that, but by Jeſus Chriſt. U He that loveth me, and *' keepeth my words," ſaith the Saviour, " I-will *' love him; but he that loveth me not, keepeth not V my ſayings." This is another of Maria's dam-' nable perverfions ofthe doctrines of Chriſt. QpoT. " This, to be ſure, preſſes hard upon hlr. Hun ** tington's idea<, that the believer has nothing to do with the " commandmentr." ANSW. I never ſaid, the heiiever had nothing to da with the commandments : that is Maria's own tye. I ſay, the righteouſneſs of the Moral Law is fulfilled in the believer who walks not after the fieſh, but aſ - , the Spirit; and, as for the [i e-gi'ving commandment of Chriſt, I know that that dwells richly in every l'aint oſ God; for God declares, V That the word << that he put into Chrifi's mouth, and the Spirit " that he put upon him, ſhall never depart out of 5' his mouth, nor out of the mouth of his ſeed, not' ' " out of the mouth of his ſeed's feed, from hence '' forth and for ever. This," ſaith God, " is my " covenant with them." Jj'oi. lix. 21. But, to make the incorruptible feed, the word of God, that liveth and abideth ſor ever, and hy which aſaint'i: horn again, to be the Moral Law, is a moſt dreade ful perverſion oſ Scripture. ' ' And why ſhould this preſs hard upon Mr. Hun.' ' ' tington,

A WORD TO THE WISE. tington, who has a good conſcience, in all things willing to live honeſtly? Indeed, ifI had guided my affairs with ſo much indiſcretion as to contract enormous debts, and never pay; or mump a liveli hood, by putting on oſa ſheep's-ikin, and telling lyes in the name of God; every part oſGod's word would doubtleſs preſs hard upon me, if I had any feeling at all. But then theſe things lie upon my enemies: they Can lay no ſuch things to my charge. Bleſſed be God, Ican ſay through grace, that if they come upon the ſooting oſgood works, Iſhould - have no objection to be weighed in an even balance with ten thouſand J-n R-ds, and all the prophet eſſes that have appeared in Great Britain ſince the firſt riſe of the venerable Mther Shiptan. Quofr. '5 As though the apoſtle had ſaid, I lay down 5' no new rule for you as believe-rs, to form your life and i' converſation by." ANSW. This lye never came out of the mouth-of John. He declared, that iſ " any man had not' " the doctrine of Chriſt, he had not God;" and, ifa man brought the Whole Law'of Moſes in his head into one of the ſaint's aflemblies, it had no weight with John.' " If a man come unto you, 5' and brin'g not this doctrine of Chriſt, receive F' him not into your houſe, nor bid him God 55 ſpeed," John, and all the reſt of the apoſtles, glVt: t

76 AN ANSWER TO rooLs; Arm give Maria the lye; as it is written, " Foraſmueh " as we have heard, that certain, which went out " from us, have troubled you with words ſubverting " your ſouls; ſaying, Ye muſt be circumciſed and " keep the Law: to whom we gave no ſuch com " mandment." Acts xv. 24. Hence we ſee, that this [ye is wholly Maria's own. John the Evangeliſt is by no means the father of it, though John at: Enfield may. Q_UOT. "' I lay down no new rule for you as believers." ANSW. This is another Iye: the apoſtles lay down a new rule for new creatures, and that in op poſition to Maria's rule: " For, in Chriſt Jeſus, " neither circumci'ſzon availeth any thing, nor un " circumciſion, but a new creature; 'and, as many '5 as 'walk according to this rale, peace be on " them, and mercy, and upon the Iſrael of God." Gal. vi. 15, 16. QyoT. " I refer you to the old commandment, the ſame V that was given to yzu from the beginning." ' ANsw. This oiti commandment is not the Moral Law; and that Maria might have ſeen, iſ ſhe had read the whole chapter. The old commandment, from theheginning'of Chriſt's miniſtry, was the commandment of Life upon Mount Zion, which John counſcls his diſciples to keep in their heart. '' '' " Let

A WORD TO THE WlSE. -' 77\ " Let THAT, therefore, ahide in you, which ye have i', HEARDfrom the beginning. If THAT which ye " have HEARD from the heginning ſhall remain m " YOU, ye ſhall continue IN the SON and IN the FA " THLR." 1 John, ii. 24. But the Moral Law, which worketh wrath, reveals no- ſuch union as this which is here called an ahiding in the Son and in the Father; ſor thoſe that ai'e of the works of the Law, are under the curſe; and, inſtead of being in the Son, and in the Father, they are without God, and with -out Chriſt, in the world; and as far from Fa' ther and Son, as the vengeance of Heaven can ſet them. \ Qpo'r. " If the Law is ſo done away, as that the believ K er, do what he will, cannotſin, becauſe there is no law to '' forbid; and, hyforhz'dding, render the action err'mz'nal, &C. " Why did the Holy Spirit dictate, under the Goſpel diſ " pcnſation, this Scripture-ſI/haſoever committeth ſin, ' W tran greſſeth alſo the Law, ſor ſm is the tranſgreffion of " the Law?" ANsw. My reader will ſee, that this is an ob lique ſtroke at the Goſpel of the Son oſ God; that the heliever in Chriſt, whom the Holy Ghoſt de clares, is redeemedfrom the Law, (GaL iii. 13.) deliq 'vered from the Law, (Rom. vii. 6.) and who is not under the Law, hut under grate, (Rom. vi. 14.) do what he will, (ſays Maria) cannot ſin; be cauſe, as he is delit'eretlſrom the Low, " there is (5 no

78 AN ANswER To' rooLs; AND \ \ U no Law to forbid ſin;" and as God has declarſi ed, that he is not under the Law, " there is no '5 Law forbidding, ſo as to render his actions cri " minal," ſaith Maria. This is making Chriſt the , minzſier efſin, and rendering the Goſpel as no Rule of right and wrong; for, if the believer is delivered from the Law, hecannotſin, for there is no other' Law toforhid, and not forbidding, cannot make the action criminaZ-ſo that, according to Maria, the Goſpel is an encourager ofſin. Maria knows nothing of any Law but the jl-FOHZZ Law: ſhe knows nothing of the Law of Egaity or Corfficience, againſt which the Heathens fin without the Moral Law, and ſhaliperzſh 'without law, being a Law to themſelves. She knows nothing of the Law of Faith, which is Ch'rzſt's Law, by which thoſe that heiie*ve,ſha/I he juſtified ; and thoſe that heiie've not, ſhall be damned; and, by tranſgreffing the ſame, they ſin againſt Chriſt. But I had forgot, that this Late) excludet boaſting, and therefore it muſt preſs exceeding hard upon Maria, John Ryland, and Co. who ſeek ho nour one of another. Maria-knows nothing of the Law of the Spirit ty' Life in Chriſt j'ejus; and that thoſe who do de ſpite to the Spirit of Grace, or ſin againſt the Hoty Ghoſt, have never ſorgiveneſs. Nor does ſhe know any thing of a throne of grace, nor ofthe Laws of Zion, where God cites his own

A WORD TO THE wise." , 79 own children for/their miſdemeanors, which Paul ſpeaks oſ: " If we would judge, ourſelves, we " ſhould not be judged; but, when, we are judg " ed, we are chaſtened of the Lord, that we ſhould '5 not be condemned with the world." I Cor. xi. 31, 32. , Nor does Maria know any thing of j'ames's glo rious Law, which regulates both the words and actions of the ſaints of God, and by which they muſt' all hejadged, and not by the Moral Law ; for God himſelf declares, that we are not under that. But this Law, mentioned by James, Maria never ſaw : " Soſpeakye, andſo do, as they that ſhall he - " JUDGED hy the LAW or LIBERTY: for heſhallhane " judgment without mercy, who hath ſhewed no mer " ey ; and mercy [in the heart of the ſaint] rejoiceth " againſtjudgment [by the law of Liberty."] James ii. chap. xii. 13. But Maria adds, QJQT. a Whoſoever committeth ſm, tranſgreſſeth alſo " the Law, for ſin is the tranſgreffion of the Law." ANsw. SiN is a tranſgreſiion of every Law of God and man; not can we ſuppoſe, that God " delivers his children from the Law, which is the ,"ſtrengthofſin,*'\(1 Cor. XV. 5.) that we ſhould live in every abomination. Paul ſays, that we are " become dead to the Law by the body of Chriſt, " that we ſhould be married to another, that we " ſhould

80 AN' ANSWER To FOOLS; ANb " ſhould bring ſorth fruit unto God." However, charging the gra'ce of God with ſuch conſe quences, has ever been the labour of the Armi nian, and oſevery bond child in a proſeffion. And Paul aſiigns a reaſon why we are delivered from the Law; not that we ſhould live in ſm, but that we ſhould be made fruitful by grace: For, when we were in fhe fleſſ), the motions of ſin, 'which were [ly the Law, did wor/e in our members to bring forth fruit unto death-therefore a deliverance from the Law was needful. " How ſhall the believer, who " is dead to fin, live any longer thereinE'I ſaith Paul. The ſoul that is born of God, cannot live in ſin; he is kept by the mighty power of God through Faith (not through the Law) to ſalva tion. Now, let us conſider the import of this text out of John. " Now are we the fims of God. " And when Chriſt ſhall appear, we ſhall be like *' him.--And every man that hath this hope in him ' " ſelſ [of appearing in glory, in the image ofChriſt] " purifieth himſelf [by faith in Chriſt's blood, and by " unſeigned love oſ the brethren] even as he ispure." This is the deſcription oſ a ſon of God, with a good hope through grace in his heart, and of the purity oſ one renewed and purified by the Spi rit of adoption. Now comes in the finſul hypo crite. " Whoſoever Committeth ſin, tranſgreſſeth " alſo the Law, for ſin is the tranſgreffion of the " Law.-Whoſoever finneth, hath not ſeen him, " [Chriſt]

' A WORD To THE w1sel' 81 " [Chriſt] neither known him:" ſo that the 'ſinner here, or the tranſgreſſor of the Law, is juſt ſuch an one as Maria herſelf, who never ſaw Chriſt, and who never knew Chriſt. John goes on, and ſays, " He that committeth ſin is not a believer, but " he is of the devil." This is the ſinner, not the faint : the one is a ſon with a good hope, the' other' is a (inner under the Law; the former purifies himſelf, the other tranſgreffieth the Law; the for mer has a ſeed in him, and- he cannot ſm, being born of God ; the other committeth fin, and is of the devil. And then John concludes-" In this " the children of God are manifeſt, and the chil " dren of the devil." tye/an, iii. 10. John yokes the Law upon the finner, who, he ſays, belongs to the devil, and who is a child of the devil; who is under the Law, and who tranſgreſſeth the Law; who hath never ſeen the Saviour, nor known the Saviour; therefore, it is impoffible that he ſhould be delivered from the Law, or from his (in, which is a tranſgreſſion of the Law. This is the very doctrine that I contend for. The Law is made for the ungodly and for ſinners, and upon them John ſaddles it: but the 'child of God is-under the grace of Chriſt, he hath ſeen Chriſt, he hath known Chriſt, he hath a hope of glory in himſelf, he is born of God, has a pure heart, and he cannot fin; he is delivered-from the Law, that he might bring forth fruit unto God; his iniquity is forgiven, his F ' ſfin

82 AN ANSWER TO FooLs; AND ſin is covered ; and to him God never will impute \ſ1n. The Law is not made for a righteous man: he is in Chriſt feſus, and has erueified the fle/h with the affections and luſts, and againſt ſuch there is no Law. Yea, he is delivered from the Law, he is , ' not under the Law ; and ſm is not imputed where there is no law. *' The ſins of Iſrael ſhall be fought " for, but they ſhall not be found; for there ſhall be " none," ſaith the Lord. Theſe are the children of God, and this is God's teſtimony concerning them. (luoan '' The Law is ſtill remaining in full force, as the " Rule of righteauſtzeſs. - ANSW' It is the only Rule of righteonſneſr, but not to the believer, but to the bond-woman, and all her children, who go about to eſtab'liſh their own righteouſneſs, not ſubmitting to the righteouſneſs of God, and ſo ſtumble at that Stumbling-flone. But the elect receive the abundance of grace and the giſt of righteouſneſs, and ſhall reign in life by J'eſus Chriſt. They are juſtified by Faith, live by Faith, and walk by Faith; they walk in the Spirit, and are not under the Law. Qtjo'r. " Zacharias and Elizabet'h were both righteous a before God, walkingin all the commandment: and or " dinances of the Lord, blamelcſs." Axsw.

A WORD 'TO THE WſSE. 33 ANBW. Then they were juſtified by Faith; and iſ they walked blameleſs, it is a full proof that the grace of God did'not lead them to liccntiouſ neſs, as Maria inſinuates. But Zacharias did not obtain a very good report through Faith, for he wa\s ſtruck dumb nine months for his infidelity, or dzſobedience'to the Law' of Faith; which looks, as if the Law of Faith was ſomething like a Rule of right and wrong, and a Rule oſobedience; though Maria ſays, it is not. If no Rule of right, why is the Virgin bleſſed for her obedience? and, if no Rule that forbids wrong, why was the Prieſt pu niſhed nine months for diſobedience? Maria has forgot, that the Old Teſtament faints were under the legal commandments and ordinances ; that the Law and the praphets' were until Yohn; and, ſince ' that time, the kingdom of God, is pieaehed. Qyo'r. Ye Davjd's conduct with Bathſheba and Uriah, ' " muſt be either right or wrong; and if it was wrong, what V conſtituted it ſo? It muſt be a deviation from the Rule U of right; and 'what CAN that Rule he, but the MORAL a LAW, which ſays, " Thou thalt not hill, thou thalt a not commit adultery?" ANSW. God will viſit the ſms of his children 'with the rod, and their iniquity with ſtripes; this he has declared he will do: but this is no proof that the Law, under the Goſpel diſpenſation, is the only Rule of life. Chriſt ſays, " The Law F 2 " and

84. AN ANSWER To FGOLS', AND " and the prophets were until Yohn." But even Da vid, if he was under the Moral Law as his only Rule of life, doubtleſs God muſt have proceeded againſt him according to that only rule; for, ſurely, the God of all the earth will do right. And yet God did not proceed againſt him according to that Law, for by it he muſt have been eurſed; for, by that, God never will clear the guilty. God proceeds againſt ſinners according to the law they are under: againſt the Heathens he proceeds according to their 3 conſcience, they being alaw to themſelves; againſt ' the bond-children under the Moral Law, according to that ; but thoſe-that are under grace, according to the Law of Faith. " If we wouldjudge ourſelves," ſays Paul, " we ſhould not be judged." - 1 Cor. xi. 31. And David was ſhewn, that he ought to have done this himſelf 3 but, as he neglected it, the paq rable of the eme-lamb is brought in to remind him of it, which ſets David upon the judgment-flat in unſuſpection ; and he paſſed the ſentence of the Law, which'is death, and ſwears to the execution of it : " And Danid's anger was greatly kindled againſt *'' the 'man; and he ſaid to Nathan, As THE LORD LIV *' ETH, the man that hath done this thing SHALL sunn " LY DIE." 2 xii. 5. Here is 'David (ac cording to Maria) under the Law; which, as ſhe aſſcrts, was his only rule of RlGHT and wRoNo; and he is here caſt by his own council, and condemned hy his own mouth; yea, and an oath of God by Da vid

A worm 'ro 'run wiss. r 85 vid aſſures the execution of the ſentence, and yet David lives. God does-not ſay to him, " Out of " thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wick " ed ſervant: caſt ye the unprofitable ſervant into " outward darkneſs." Nothing like it. God cer tainly viewed him under ſome other Law, and pro ceeded againſt him by ſome other Rule; ſor God is without partiality, and without hypocriſy. 'It was with David, as Paul ſays: " But when we [the '5 faints] are judged, We are chaſtened of the Lord, " 'that we ſhould not be condemned with the " world." 2 Cor. xi. 13. But this fat/perly chey' tz'ſement, and ſecurity from being condemned with the world, comes not from the two tables of ſtone; for that curſcs all that are under it, and all that are of ' the works of it; but it comes from the book of life, ctor Law of Faith, as it is written: " So ſpeak ye, 't andſo do, as THEY that ſhall'he JUDGED hy the " LAW or LlBERTY." James ii. 12. But thoſe my ſteries Maria and her company know nothing of; they are hid from the wiſe and prudent ; bond-ſer vants that are under the Law, know not what their Lord doth. " But I (ſaith the Saviour) have call - " edyou friends ; for all things that I have'heard of " the Father, I have made known untoyou." ' Q_UOT. " We find in David a moſt ſtriking example of ** evangelical repentance and godly ſorrow on the account U of ſin. He was a SINNER, but he was No Aurmo. " MrAN." ' F 3 ANsw.

86 AN ANSWER To rooLs; AND ANsw. " Here my amazement ceaſes ;' or, raſi ther, to uſe Maria's words, " it greatly increaſes." I never knew, till now, that the name Antinomian meant a ſaint that 'te'ver fell. David was a ſinner, but no Antinomian. I thought that, by the name dntinomian, Maria intended to have repreſented me' as one of the worſt of ſinne'rs, which is the ſole cauſe of my offence at the name ; knowing, in my own conſcience, that I have laboured hard through numberleſs temptations that have befallen me in the way, to ſhun the paths of the deſtroyer. But a fin ner and an Antinomian are two things-'then I have no objection to the name. ' Qpo'r. V Faith is the grand hond of union between Chriſt a and his people." ' - ANsw. This is one oſ Maria's experimentaltruths; which, by the by, is an arrant lye. The elect were united to Chriſt from eternity, before ever Faith 'was upon earth, and will be in union with him in hea ven to all eternity, when ſaith will be no more. I proved this to be a lye in my laſt Anſwer, and Maria muſt have the face of a devil to publiſh it the ſe cond time; but ſhe cannot deliver her ſoul from the works of her Father, nor ſay, " is there not a " [ye in my hand ?" Aror. U So that thoſe who live and die without being ' e' made'

A worm TO THE WXSB. 87 a made partakers of vital faith, it is evident, never were a united to Chriſt any other way." ' ANsw. This is half truth, and half lyes, They that live and die without real ſaith ſhall periſh. But all the elect were united to Chriſt, not byſaith, hut hy another way; namely, by the hond of God's everlaſting love to them in Chriſt jeſus; ſo that the bond of union is God the Father's love to us, not our faith in the Saviour. QyoT. 3 In the fulneſs of time he unites thoſe to him V ſelf, by implanting in their hearts vital faith, as a di " vine abiding, holy principle, by which they are eat oj' '* from their oldſtock, and are ingrafted into the new living a Iliac." K ' ANsw. " Chriſt-takes into union his people, by " implanting in their hearts vital faith. Faith euts V 'them offfrom the old/took, and Faith unites to the " living Fine." Here are three lyes. God, by lov ing-kindneſs, not faith, draws us to- Chriſt, and calls us to the fellowſhip of his Son. The ſword of the Spirit, which is the word, and not ſaith, cuts us from the old ſtock, and the Spirit of Love, not Faith, unites us to the living Vine. Qpo'r. a On this grand union, which is Faith, doth " allſhnctifieate'on, and communion, and walking with God, ** dey-out'G F 4 Ausw.

88 AN ANSWER TO FOOLS; AND ANsw. This is another be. Sanctzflcation, by the decree of God from eternity, and by the death of . Chriſt on the croſs, and by the reception and ope rations ofthe Spirit, does not depend upon faith; for faith is not that firſt and grand cauſe on which " ſanctification depends," but faith depends upon that, and is the- effect and fruit of it. Q_Uoir. '5 It is God the Holy Ghoſt who alone can *,* create thisfait/y." ' , ANsw. Real faith is produced under the opera tions of the Spirit, and is therefore called a fruit of his; but, as to Maria's created faith, I read no thing of that. It was made at Enfield; for I am ſure, that God had never any-hand in making ſuch a creature. '' 1 Qpo'r. " It is impoſſible for a dead finner; that is, a " dead man in fin; to give himſelf ſþiritual life, that is, a a'iwinefaiib." ANSW. I read of Chriſt living in Paul, and of Paul's living by thefaitþ of Chriſt; but there is a difference between CHRlST, who is the life, and faith, by which we live on Chriſt. Chriſt is the bread, ſaith is the hand; man's hands are-not his life, but bread; man live not upon their hands, which God makes, but upon loaves of bread, which the bakers make. ' Thou

A-WORD TO THE WISE. 89 Thou ſeeſt, reader, the drift and end aimed at in this myſtery of iniquity, in this compoſition of lyes and deception; it is to bring the child of God Þ under the unbearable yoke of the Law, and into the' ſpirit of bondage : for the Law is repreſented as the only rule of right and wrong, as the only Law that requires obedience. No obedience is mentioned in her whole piece but obedience to God, o'r to Chriſt, under the Moral Law, as the only Rule of life, walk, and conduct. The devil, that ſet theſe au thors to work, has blinded their eyes, -ſo that the light of the glorious Goſpel of Chriſt ſhines not un- to them. God has hid their heart from undizrſtand ing, and therefore he ſhall not exalt them ; and Sa tan, who ſets theſe blind hypocrites on, knows how prone weak believers are to ſeek heaven by the works of the Law; becauſe, ſuch a poor ſoul thinks it is making God ſome amends for paſt faults. Hence the wiſe man ſays, " There is a way that " ſeemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof " are the ways of death." This way is not the 'broad way, or way of ſin, for no man thinks that to be the way to heaven; conſcience will not allow of ſuch a thought: the Way to heaven, by the works of the Law, is the way that ſeems right. Hence ſome blind guides, who are called Goſpel Preach ers, cry out, " If we are- not under the Law, what " are we to obey ? What is the Rule of obedience? ' -'2 What, doth the believer yield no obedience? What, " live

90 AN ANSWER TO FOOLS; AND " live as we liſt ?" This is their ignorance; this their carnal logick, and their damnable deceptions: this is the very doctrine of the Judaiſing teachers, who followed Paul, and ſubverted the Galatians. " They had begun in the Spirit, and then they V aimed to be made perfect by the fleſh." Gal. iii- 3. The Galatians perfection by the Law, and Maria's conduct by her Rule, are ſynonymous terms, and mean one and the ſame thing. But what cloth God call this turning to the Law, for perfection or ſancti fication? he calls it dzſoheo'z'ence. And what does he call their conformity to the Law? he calls it foolfflhnq/Zr: Ofoolzſh Galatiam! And what name does he give the ſþirit of theſe, ſeducers? that of 'witchn-afl: who 'hath be-witchedyou? Maria's en perimental truths arenothing but witchtraft 3 and, if there is life in that muſcle, I hope to kill her by the ſword of the Spirit; for God hath ſaid, "Thou " ſhall' notſuffer a witch to live.-'Ofooltſh Galatians! " who hath BEWlTCHED you, thatyou SHOULD NOT " OBEY THE TRUTH; hefore whoſe eyes fiſu's Chriſt " hath hern evidentlyſet forth, cruczſied among you 2" Gal. iii. 1. But, perhaps, 'my reader will ſay, what does- Paui mean by ohoying the truth? Anſwer. Graae and truth are ſet in oppoſition to the Law. The- Law 'was given hy Moſes, but grace and truth came by Jefizs Chriſt. - Truth ſignifies the covenant of life andpoo'ce, which is ſometimes called a command - ment -.*

A WORD TO THE WlSE. _ 91' ment: as it is written. " And ye ſhall know, that' " I have ſent this commandment unto you, that my " covenant might be with Levi," ſaith the Lord of Hoſts. " My covenant was with him of life and " peace ; and Iga've them to him for the fear where " with he feared me, and was afraid before my *' name. The LAW or TRUTH was in his mouth, " and iniquity was not found in his lips; he walked " with me in peace and equity, and did turn many 'F' away from iniquity. For the prieſt's' lipsſhould '5 keep knowledge, and they ſhould ſeek the Law at " his mouth: for he is the mcſſenger of the Lord of "'Hoſts." 'Mal. ii. 4, 5, 6, 7. Now, reader, ob ſerve, here is, in' the firſt place, a commandment men tioned, which God ſays, is Mv covenant, the cove nant of life and peace. It is afterwards called the Law of truth; and afterwards it is called knowledge, that the pricſi's lips ſhould keep, and the Law that' ſhould be fought at his m'outh. This Law of truth is not now to be found in Levi, -but in Melchize dek; not in a legal Prieſt, but in our' great High priefl' ; for he is the great mcſſsnger of the covenant, and of the Lord of Hoſts: and thisLaw is to be ſound in the mouth ofe'very miniſter of the Spirit. As truth is here called a Law, which requires jþi ritual obedience and ſervice in the newneſs of the Spirit, and not in the oldneſs of the letter; it makes Paul cry put, " O fooliſh Galatians l who hath be 'f witched you, that you ſhould not obcy the truth? 5' Receive

92' AN ANSWER TO FOOLS', AND 1 " Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law, " or by the hearing of faith? Are ye ſo fooliſh, " having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made *' perfect by the fieſh P-Obey the truth, ſtick to this 'F--covenant of life and peace, and go on with your " ſervice in the newneſs of the' Spirit; for, as many " as walk according to this Rule, peace be on them, " and mercy, and upon the Il'rael of God." Receiv 'ing the truth in the faith of it, and in the love of it, and walking in that faith that worketh by love, and keeping a good conſcience toward God, is obqy ing thetruth to all intents andþurpoſes and never mind being called Antinomians; ſuch ſouls obtain a good report through faith. God ſays of ſuch an one, that he- " feared me,and was afraid before " my name; that he walked with mein peace and 'I equity, and did turn many away from iniquity." Mal. ii. 5, 6. But what'does he ſay of theſe hy pocrites, that ſubvert the'ſouls of his faints, and traduce them as vile and licentious ? " But ye are " departed out of the way : ye have cauſed many to 5' ſtumhle at the Law; ye have corrupted the cow " nant ofLetfl', (ſaith the Lord of hoſts.) There " fore have I alſo made you contemptible and baſe " before all the people, according as ye have not ** [cept my ways, but have been partial in the Late) '' of truth." Mal. ii. 8, 9. AndI ſhould not won der if God were to make ſome of our modern hy pocrites as baſe and contemptible as he made the ' Jewiſh

A WORD TO THE WISE. ' \ Jewiſh prieſtsyſor their vain jangling is of the ſame caſt. Perverting the Scriptures, and ſubverting the faints, was the, trade that they carried on, and ſo do theſe. I know that I might have extracted one half of the book, and have ſet it to contradict the other, and ſo have couched an anſwer in a three halfpenny volume. But as the glorious liberty of the children of God is a doctrine that to me ſhines brighter and brighter, I am glad of every opportunity to aſſert it; and, when I can ſilence a fool, by enſorcing , the truth, l think I kill two birds with one ſtone; and make my own lamp ſhine the brighter, by placing it oppoſite to Maria's WiZl-o'-the-zviſp. But Maria tells us, that ſhe has taken off an hun dred likeneii'es in her wonderful performance-Land I now intend to ſhew the reader, that theplayſiognom of John Ryland, and his maid Maria, are the moſt ſtriking and pictureſque in all the exhibition. ' Maria's piece, reader, is, ſhe tells us, a refdta tion oferrors; and, iſ you read the following ex tracts, you will ſay, " Tha't's a truth, and we cannot " deny it :" for Maria's experimental truths entirely reſute herſbzmd doctrine5, and Mr. Ryland's tenets re- ' fute all his ſentiments; ſo that the pill entirely ſwal lows up the bolus, and choaks the quack inſtead of the patient. But this is no wonder : Maria can write upon any ſubject; it! ſhould have been man] ſubjects; becauſe this piece is a miſcellany of manyffthings, truth and grace excepted. \ I doubt,

94. AN ANFWER TO FO'OLS; AND I doubt, reader, whether thou wilt] be able to follow me through the following reſutationt, with out tittering and laughing. If thou canſt, thou haſt got more ſolidity about thee than I have : ſor, ſure ly,'I never laughed more than I have in this work. The wiſe man ſays, " A fooliſh woman is loud and " clamorous; ſhe is ſimple, and knoweth nothing." And, by following me a little farther, 'thou wilt find the truth of another proverb, that of her ways thou wilt know nothing: " Left thou ſhouldſt ponder "' the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou " canſt not know them." I have, reader, ſelected ſome of her ſound doc trines, and placed them againſt her experimental truths, in an oppoſite Column 3 ſo that, when thou haſt rEad one doctrine eſtabliſhed, thou muſt look to the oppoſite extract that deſtroys it. - The leſt-hand column in the page builde up, 'the right-hand column knocks down. Moreover, leſt the reader ſhould puzzle or involve his mind in theſe deep myfieries, Ihave placed my key over every quotation, in order to unlock the myſtery, and guide the reader into the ſenſe of the propheteſr. At the beginning of every introduction of mine, the rea der will find the word Key; and, at thebeginning of every extract from her, the word Quot. N. B. The Reader muſt not read the whole column down, but he muſt read one extract on the left-hand at a time, and then the oppoſite extract, which 'contradþicta it. KEY.

A WORD TO THE WlSL KEY. The Propheteſs detecteth the baſe Anti/iomiaa, conſidereth his deſtmctive tenet, eſtabliſheth the au thority of the Maral Larw, and that it hath never CEASED to be the be liever'e infallible rule. Laſt Farerwefl, p. 14.. 0301. The next thing I mean to conſider, is that grand Antimmia't TENET, that the Maral Law has CEASED to be the rule of a believer's conduct. KEY. The Propheteſs ſheweth, that the belle'ver is not UNDER the Larw, but redeemed entirely from it. That the mini/lra'ion (ſ deatb, engraeuen an tables ofſtone (a Cor. iii. 7.) muſt apply it's killing ſen tenee to the/inner; that thereby the Larw may become dead to the ſm ner, and the ſinner dead to that, be fore he can be married to the great Huſharzd of the church. Laſt Farewell, p. 25. Wo'r. Thou art not uNnea the I'arw, for Chriſt hath redeemed thee fi'am it. Ir is DEAD to thee, as a covenant of works; and thou art DEAD 10 it, that thou mayeſt be married to another bit/band. KEY. The Prophe'teſs ſheweth, that the aldeammandment, which was given to Chriſt in eternity, com manding him to gie-'e 'be bleffing of ' eternal life to Mount Zion, is the More! Law; which is the old rule, and that no nerw rule was ever given; but, as a covenant of works, this rule is DONE AWAY. Laſt Farewell, p, 19, 20. Ogp'r. As though the apoſtle had ſaid, KsY. The Propheteſs conſidemhthe nature of a ea-uenaat of war-ſer, aboIi/betl: the eamma'zding and con demning autboriey of the Mnral Law as ſuch; and that to the believer it's legal power has CEASED, and that it's authority has no EXISTENCI. Laſt Farewell, p. 15. Qvo'r. That, to the beIie'ver in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the M'ral La'w has CEASED to Exrs'r as a eo-venant qf'workr, is a grand and glariom' TRUTH. KEY. The propheteſs ſhewelh, that the MaralLaw, or the miniſtra tion qf deaf/1, which eaſtr, (Male/mer, and kills the finner, and to which the linner becomes dead reſpecting any hope therein, or expectation there From; the Law becoming alſo dead to him, is a Law qflo-ve. Laſt Fare-well, p.r7. Arm', [Dead] to what Law; TheMaralLa'w? Some ſay,theLaw or LOVE, and I grant it; for the Maral Larw. and the LAW or Love, are jjmorymaus terms, and mean one and the ſame t/Ji/tg. KEY. The Propheteſs ſheweth, that the old commandment, or the Maral Law: is not none AWAY, nor in any ſenſe abroga'ted, but the full force thereof ſtill remains. she explaineth he" meaning, touchin her rule q/'eomluct. and plainly cal 6 it the bell'e-ver'r none or R'CHTE oUsNEss. Laſt Fare-well, p. an. Oyor. This was written to ne sieve'as, '

96 AN ANSWER 'To rooLs; AND , have dominion overyou, foryou are not ſaid-I lay down no 're'w rule for you as believers, to form your life and converſation by. I refer you to the old commandment, the ſame that was given you from the begin ning: it is noNr AWAY meum as a remenant qf 'work-r. KEY. The Propheteſs aſſerts the holineſs of her gentle reader, who is favoured with divine grace, that ſuch an one 'is not an Antinomian, nor looſe liver, being delivered from the dominion of ſm: and alligns a reaſon thereof; namely, becauſe ſuch ſouls are not UNDER the Law, but UNBER the grace qfGod. Laſt Fare-well, p. 2 5. Qvo'r. lf this is thy habitual frame of mind, gentle reader, thou art one of thoſe happy ones, to whom the promiſe declares, sm ſhall not UNDER 'rue LAW, but'unban GRACE. KEY. The Pro heteſsſheweth the glorious liberty o her believer from thejakeqf bandage: that the Laew, as a legal yoke, or a covenant qf work', has no exiſtence, but as ſuch it hath CEASED TO EXlST; and this is granted, both by the wan geliml and- the legalpartiu. Laſt Farewell, p. 1 5. Uo'r. That, to the believer in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the LAW has censer) to axrs'r as a covenant of nwarkr, is granted- on both ſides of the queſtion. KET: The Propheteſs renews the attack, and inlijls upon the old corn mandment's being the M'oral Law, and that the La'w is done away. l Laſt LXEVERS; and itis a flron attefla. tion, that the La''w is not ragat'd, butfli/l remaining in l''ULL roneo as the num; or ruci-l'raousutzss. KEY. The Propheteſs brings the gentle reader again under the legal yoke; and, by a Jranſþqfltian qf terms, obliges him to the obſervanct of the Moral Law; with this pro viſo, that be has any rationality, grand reaſonings, or that he is fa youred with the faculty of think tng. Laſt Farewell, p. 16. Wot', What can be more e'i dent, than that EVERY CREATURB i' under a natural obligation to obey the commands of it's Creator ? and UNDER A MORAL OBLlGATION, as they are not only creature-r, but creatures poſſeſſed with rationality, grand reaſoning, thinking facul ties. KEY. The Propheteſs theweth, that the Beuavaa, as well as the infidel, are under the Moral Larw: that the Law ſtill EXISTS, br the apoſtles muſt be charged with non ſenſe; and that none but an Antim mia'z would bring ſuch a charge a gainſt a' apoſtle, or deny the ax rs'ranca of the La'w. Are'r. Whoſoever! [It takes iu both the believer, and the unbeIie-v er] committetbſia, tranſgteſſeth alſo the Law; conſequently, the Law ſtill EXlST s, orelſe the apoſtle wrote nanſtwfl, which nam' but an Antim mian can ſuppoſe. KEY. The Propheteſs reaſſumes her ground againſt the Antirzomian; and inſiſts uponit, that the Law i' not done away; that ſuch an idea never entered an apoſtolick mind. (Luo.r.

A WORD TO THE WISE£ 97 Laſt Farewell, p. zo. , QLIOT. The old commandment, 'the ſame that was given you from the beginning; it is oomz AWAY m b E an as a carvenant qfrwarkt. KEY. The Propheteſs affirm/1 the NON-EXISTENCE of the Larw, as a rowcnant of works, which is a trutb of her own; and applaudeth the glory and grandeur of that truth. Laſt Farewell, p. 15. WOT. The Moral La-w has CEASED TO EXlST as a covenant aflworkt. This is a grand and glariaus 'r RUTH. KlY. The Propheteſs reinſorces her arguments againſt the Antinami an; oppoſeth his baſe thoughts touching theyake'of the Moral Law, which, Peter ſays, neitbcr'wznor our fat/ters 'were able ſo bear.' which Paul calls flr'uing God in the aldmſ: eftbe letter. Rom. vii. 6. Anh'namianiſ'n Un'naſhed, p. 1 3. QUoT. The Antinomian thinks that the Maralþaw is not to be con ſidered as the RULz of a belie-wr's conduct. KEY. The Propheteſs enforceth the Aw as a rule of conduct, not withllanding all the objections made againſt it. And in a ſecond quota tion ex lains ber rule oſcanduct to be the believer's rule tffrigþteaxſmjfl. '., Laſt Laſt Farc-w'll, p. zo. AXQT. Neither Paul, nor Yanm, had any idea that the MaralLm-o was abaliſhed, and DONB AWAY. KEY. The Propheteſs holds fall: her integrity againſt the Antinamian; reſutes the notion of the Law being done awqy, or of it's ever CRASlNG TO ExlsT as a covenant of Wflſkl; which is proved From the eternigy and immutabiligy of it's nature. Laſt Farewell, p. t 5. UOT. The LAW is ib' 'ternal rule of rigbteouſmſx, and is incapable of any VARlATlON KEY. The Propheteſs ſheweth, that not thejake of the La'w, but the Sarviaur's eaſyjoke, is ſubmitted to by the C/mrcb .' and that ſubmitting to the word of life in the Goſpel, as a Rule, is real obedience; and that the Church's ſervice is fih'al and e'van geliml, under the yoke of Faith; and not the legal ſer-vice under tbe Law. Laſt Farewell, p. 17. (Lgosx she takes HIS YoxE up on her; and feels herſelf under the ſtricteſt obligations of du' , la-ve, and gratitude, [0 yield the moſt flial, cruangelical OBIÞIENCE to bil com mands; as well as to believe, and rejoice in his promiſes. KEY. The Propheteſs ſheweth the bleſſed ſtate of a believer, who re ceives ſreſh vigour and courageſrom the Saviour. And aſſerts, that ſin has no dominion over ſuch; for they are not under 'be LAW, which is t/zc ſtrength qffin, (1 Cor. xv. 56.) but under Grace, that ſubdues it. G Aſlfiflg

AN ANSWER To poets; AND Laſt Farewell, p. 17. Afar. Some ſay, theLawcannot be a perfect rule a," conduct, becauſe it ſays nothing upon ſome (objects which are noted in the precepts of the New Teflament. Page 20, The Law is not abrogated, but ſtill remains in ſullflrce, as the RULB or' Rum TEOUSNESS. KEY. The Propheteſs 'enforceth the legal rule; aſſerteth an apoſtolick expreſſton (not to be found in the Bible) in defence of it. Her rule of (and ct is explained to be the Rule qf Rtlg teouſnqſn the tranſgreſſqrthereof i' thrown to the devil. lntinamiani/'m Umnaſhed, p. 50. Uo''r. However, (ſays the apo flle) the Law ſtill remains as the Rule q/'Rigbteazzſne/E; and every tranſ greſſton of it is ſin, and he that com mitteth (in is of the devil. Kn'. The Propheteſs ſheweth, that if the Moral Larw is done away, the believer cannot be culpable of blame by any other rule; that he cannot be tried or judged by any other law. , Laſt Fare-well, p. ed. 0301. If the Law is ſo done away, as that the believer, do what he will, cannot ſin,- 'becauſe there is he Lawto forbid, and, by forbidding, t'nake the 'ction criminal; why did the Holy Spirit dictate, under the Goſpel diſpenſation, this Scripture Whoſoever comt'nitteth ſin, tranſ greſſeth alſo the Law, for ſm is the tranſgreſſion of the Law? - KIY. e Antinmianiſm Umnaſhed, p. 32. Qgo'r. He who is the author and finiſher of his Faith, ſh-engthens that noble yarrior, and inſpires it with freſh vigour and courage. So that the believer is enabled to ſay, " I thank " God throughJeſus ChriſtourI-ord. ** Sin ſhall nothavednminian over me; " for I am not UNBER THE LAw, " but under Grace." KEY. The Propheteſs ſheweth, that the New Corvenant, not 'be Old, (Jen xxxi. 32, 33.) whichPaul calls t/je LAW offbis mind, in which In de lighted after the inner man, and which with his mind beſereued, namely, the Larw rLwi'tten on the tables qſ the bear', not on tables qfflane, is the Clmrcb's RULiz. Antinamianiſm Unmaſlzed, p. 61. UOT. This is the experience of the hureh of Chriſt, while in he' militant ſtate. The latws qfber King are rwritten upon ber /zar', and art 'be RULE af/m' CONDUCT. KEY. The Propheteſs maketh the authority of the Law null and void. Aſſerteth the La-w to be done atway a' a met/'nant of twarkr, which ſet' aſide all it's morality .' and that which remains for the believer to do, is to conſider the MaralLAw as a RULE; which conſideration, when it has paſſed through the believer'slzead, is tran ſubſtantiated into a trutb of confi derable magnitude. Laſt Fare-well, p. ed. WOT. I refer you to the Old Command'ment.' it is DONE AWAY, indeed, as a carvenant af'warkr, (page the 15th.) But, that the MaraILa-w ought (Ell to be conſidered as a Rule of the belieruer's conduct, is as great a trutl: .' it is the eternal Rule of Rev.

A 'WORD '1'0 THE WISE. 99 KEY. The Propheteſs aſſerteth the weabuſs ofſin, and the omuPo 'rence of grace. Laſt Farewell, p. a 5. Am'r. Sin ſhall not have domi m'on orueryau, for you are not under the Law, but under grarr. K'Y. The Propheteſs ſheweth that union (which is effected by the indwelling of the Spirit of Love) is WROUGHT in the ſtzul by FAtTH, The/Intinomian charged with a dental of this truth. Laſt Farewell, p. 13. QvoT. The Antinomian denies wital, experimental, pnſanal UNION, wnoucnr intheſiml by FAITH. KEY. The Propheteſs ſheweth, that Faith (which the Scriptures call the ſaint's VlCTOkY) is the gi-t/er of itſtzlf, and of all other victory. Laſt Farewell, p. '4. (Lqo'n FAlTH gi-tm the ſon] vicTottY over Sin, Satan, and the World. KLY. The Propheteſs ſheweth, that Faith (inſtead of the word of God) is aſword, ,which CUTS the ſinner from the old ſtock of nature, and ingrafls him into the RENOWN no vINE; and that Chriſt, and not FMTH, works theſaint's union; and that Faith is Chriſt's plant, and not the Spirit's creature. , Laſt Farewell, p. 22. ,QJOT. [Chriſt] by an act of divine ſovereignty, UNITES to him ſelf: Kn'. ThePropheteſs ſheweth the OMNIPOTENCI of ſin, and the in. patence of grace. Laſt Farewell, p. r 5. QUoT. At othertimesſin rim/hap all it's powers, attempts to ſhake off the yoke; and even PkEvMLs ſo far, as to take the new man [which is grace] CAPTlVE. KBY. The Propheteſs ſheweth, that Fu'ru does not work ſpiritual union in the ſoul, but that the Spi rit of union CREATRS FMTH. Laſt Farewell, p. 22. Qgor. It is the HoLY GHOST who alone can CREATE this FAtTH in theſiml of a ſmner. KEY. The Propheteſs fheweth, that Faith is not a perſhn, conſe quently not the gift/er of any thing ' and that Faith is no more than a HAND, that receives all grace and help from the Saviour. '' Laſt Farewell, p. n. HAND, receives' Chriſt as the juſti fying rightcouſncſs of the foul; and actually Recuvrs ou't of his full mſt all thoſe communication: of di cvmcgracc. KEY. The Propheteſs ſheweth, that inſtead of Faith wokxmc an' tal union, it is no more than an at tmdant on the word; and that the Scripturu, and not Faith, is the ſword which cuts dawn all oppoſi tion. Laſt Farewe/I, p. 23. Qyo'r. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, The QgOT. Becauſe FAlTH, as a

"too AN ANSWER TO FOOLS; AND jzlf, by implanting in their hearts VITAL rArrH, by wHxcH they are CUT Orr from the old' ſtock, and are ingrafled into the 'te-w, the living l/tne. KEY. The Propheteſs aſſerteth the ful-vation of the helie'vingſonl, from the love and wer of all ſin; and likewiſe liberty rom handage and fear, which come by the Law; and the bleſſing conſequentupon the glo rious liberty of the Goſpel. 'Anlinogniani/'m Un'naſhed, p. 2 3. AtOT. In this way the Lord Je ſus Chriſt ſanctifies his people, and actuall'y'ſa-ves them from the low and power qfſin: for, when this is the caſe, they are brought into the glorious liberty 'zfthe Goſþel; they be come the Lord's free men, to ſerve him without fear, in holineſs and ri hteouſneſs before him, all the days o their lives. God has been graci 'ouſly pleaſed to give his believing eople, in his word, a multitude of exceeding great and precious pro miſes, whereby they are ſtiled the heir' oſ promiſe. The ward qf God is the swonn of takes this noble fward into his al mighty hand, he makes it quick and powerful, CUTTING down all appa ſition. KEY. The ,Propheteſs aſſerteth the right of thoſe who rEEL them ſelves under the dominion afſin and ſatan, to rejoice in the lihertyqf the Gojþel; and that ſuch captives are ſhe Lord'sfree men, and that thoſe ſhould rejoice in liberty though in cap, li-uity; and that ſuch ſhould rejoicein ful-vation, though under the power of 'ſid and ſatan. From this conſidera tion, that though ſin has dominion over him, yet it has no dominion; for, although he is a caþti-ve, yet not a ſta-Ue, though he flels hint/'elf a SLAVE both toſinandſatan. Antinamianiſ'n Unma/leed, p. 6-z. Alein' Such as conclude they have no right to rejoice in the lihergy ofthe Gojþel; that they are not the Lord's/'rise men, but ſtill SLAVES to ſin andſamn, ſtill under the reigning power ofſin, and conſequently not partaker's oſChriſt's ſalvation. Now, leſt any of theſe whoſe hearts the Lord would not have made ſad, ſhould be made ſadthrough any thing contained in this treatiſe, 1 would with to obſerve, that wherever ſin is hated, not only in it's conſequences and puniſhment, but in it's nature and practice;' where it is ſtruggled with, fought againſt, prayed againſt, and groaned under; it has no Dom NloN: the ſoul, thougha CAPTlVE' is BOKRSLAVL- - Thou the Spirit; and when the Holy Ghoſt r

A 'WORD TO THE WlSE. * 10! Thou mayeſt ſee, Reader, by theſe few jarring founds of diſcord, " that a clamorous woman's ways - *' are moveable, ſo that thou canſ't not know them." As for her aſſerting, that the Moral Law is dom' away as a covenant of works, it is an arrant lye, and has no foundation in God's book. The faint is de livered from it, that he'may be ſaved : " he that is of " the works of the Law, is under the curſe." What ever LAw, Reader, thou liveſt and dieſt under, by thatLaw wilt thou be judged in the great day ; as it is written, *' And I ſaw the dead, ſmall and, " great, ſtand before God; and the BOOKS were " opened; that is, the book of t/oe Law, the book of " Coizſcienco, and the book of 'God's Remomkranoe. " And another book was opened, which is the Book of " Life: this is the ſourth book. And the dead were " judged out of thoſe things which were written in " the books according to their works." [Some were of the works of the Law, and ſome of the works of Fair/19.] " And they werejudged every man ac " cording to his works; and whoſoever was not " found written in the Book of Life, was caſt into ** the lake'of fire." Rov. xx. 12, 14, 15. If thou, Reader, ſhould die in faith, thou diefi: under the co Yenant of Grace, and ſhalt bejudged by the Book OFLiſe; but if thou dieſt under the Moral Law, thou ſhait be judged by the Law, and not by the Book Qſ Life, He that is under the laws of Great * ' Britain

102. AN ANSWER TO FOOLS; AND Britain, is not judged by the laws of Turkey. He thatdies under 'the Law, ſhall be curſed by the Law; and he that dies under the Goſpel, ſhall be bleſſed with eternal life. ' O Reader! let no one " hewiteh thee, that thou U ſhould not obey the truth." Gal. iii. 1. Cleave to Chriſt, " andyeſh'all know the truth, and the truth " ſhall make youfree." John, viii. 32.-" Who " ſo looketh into the perfect LAW of Iiherty, and " CONTINUETH (mark that CONTlNUETH) therein, " he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of " the work, (which work is the work offaith) this " man ſhall be h/eſſ'd in his deed." James, i. '25. " Stand faſt, therefore, in the liberty wherewith -" Chriſt hath made you free, and be not again en " tangled with the yoke of bondage." God calls ſuch ſoule not ſervants, but ſons; not ſtrangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizem with the faints, un der the King of Zion, " where God cornmanded '' the bleffing, even life for evermore." Such are children, (not of the bond woman) hut of the free; and God declares, that by the Law of Liberty ſhall they' bejudged at laſt. " Soſpeakye, ana'ſo do, as V they that sHA'LL BE JUDGLD BY THE LAW or Li 5' BLRTY." James, ii. 12. Pay no regard to the ſcribblings of this woman, _ , Reader ;

A WORD TO THE WISE. 103 Reader: ſhe knows nothing of God; nor can ſhe explain one truth of the Bible, or deſcribe one grace in it-'s operations, if it was to ſave her ſoul from hell. The Church ſwarms with ſuch hy pocrites, whoſe end ſhall be according to their works. _ P. S. If the Reader would know, whether our great Apoſ tle ever had any idea that the Moral Law is alzoliſhed, with reſpect to the believer in Chriſt, I refer him to the third chapter of the Second Epiſile to the Corinthians, from the 6th to the 13th verſe, where he will find more of the matter than ever I have written. FINIS.