An Answer To The Daughter S Defence Of H

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A N A N s w E R DAUGHTER’S DEFENCE F A T H E R, Addreſſed to her Father Himſelf, B y M AR I A D E F L E U RY.****** *** And the Servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all Men, apt to teach, patient, in Meekneſs inſtruƐting thoſe that oppoſe themſelves, 2 Tim. ii. 24, 25, L O N D O N : -* * Printed and Sold by T. WILKINs, No. 23; Aldermanbury, Sold alſo at No. 31, Jewin-Street; and by R. ThoMsos, Corner of Crown-Court, Little Poultney-Street, Soho. M D cc Lxxxvi 11,

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R = v. Mr. H U N T I N G To N. S 1 R, . · · - - - Yo perhaps be fomewhat ſurprized at my addreſſing this letter to you, and not to Miſs Morton, to whoſe pamphlet it is intended as a reply; but you will pleaſe to re member it was to you, and not to Morton, that my former letter was addreſſed; and though that lady, from her great attachment to you as her ſpiritual father, has thought proper to an fwer me in your defence; yet as ſhe repeatedly avows what ſhe afferts to be your fentiments, (which if ſhe had not, I ſhould have taken for granted, as it breaths your ſpirit in every line) I think I am fully warranted to view the whole as much your own, as though it had flowed immediately from your pen, and in confequence thereof addreſs my reply to you. In your title page, you divert yourſelf and the public, with a very pretty and curious wit ticiſm on my name; of which, Sir, I ſhall only - A 2 fay, 4

( 4 ) fay, that it is a witticiſm beneath my notice. Madame (de Mara) Flora, and Co. Ridicule and Scurrility, are weapons I am not at all afraid of, they are ſciences I have never ſtudied, and wiſh ever to be ignorant of; I therefore with pleaſure, leave you, Sir, and your Daughter to enjoy the laugh your humourous animad verſions may have raiſed, it is a triumph I never wiſh to partake : Good fenſe, nervous argu ment, and found divinity, are the only wea pons I wiſh to make ufe of, and though theſe will never create the fmile of merriment, yet they will carry convićtion to the mind, and meet with folid approbation. By the word “ Co.” you doubtleſs mean to infinuate, that I had fome coadjutors in writing my letter to you, permit me to affure you, Sir, that this is a great miſtake; for though I am but an indifferent , fcribe, yet I never call in help; and as to the letter in queſtion, the gentlemen of the Evan gelical Aſſociation, were perfećt ſtrangers, even to my intention of writing, till after its appear ance in the world. I affured Mr. Terry of this, when he waited on me for information whether I acknowledged it as mine? I told him, it was entirely my own, and thatno other perſon whatever had the least concernin writing it. This is a truth, Sir, and a truth which a candid public will not diſbelieve, when they obſerve the inaccuracies to be found in it; had 1 had the aſſiſtance of any judicious friend, it wouid have appeared in a more correćt ſtate; but I rather chofe to pub - - - - - ; liſh

( 5 ) fiſh it rough as it came from my own pen, that it might appear what it really is, entirely my own. I ſpeak the truth in Chriſt, 1 lie not, my conſcience alſo bearing me witneſs. You had no leifure, it appears, p. 2. “ to no ** tice an addreſs from a nameleſs author;” now whether the author was nameleſs or not, whether the addreſs was written by a man or a woman, was of very little conſequence; the great thing to be confidered was, whether the addreſs itſelf contained the words of truth and foberneſs; and if it did, it ought not to have been treated with contempt; it demanded attention, from whatever quarter it might come. You aſk my reafon, p. 3. for not putting my name to it, and I will very frankly and ingenuouſly affign my reafon for it. In the firſt place, I had no wiſh to “ cut fome “ thing ofa flouriſhin the world as an authoreſs:” And in the fecond place, I had a wiſh that the truths contained in my letter, might be made uſeful to Mr. H. (but as I know, Sir, you were too great and felf-important to receive even the greateſt truth, and that truth expreſt in the fo bereft manner poſſible, if coming from the pen of a woman) I was defirous to conceal my name, leſt the publication of it ſhould render one grand end of my writing abortive. I was not afhamed of my name, nor yet of the caufe in which I engaged; neither had I any deſign to ftab you in the dark; I have not ſtabb'd you at all, if you have received any blow, it is the truth, and not I that has given it. Neither, Sir, A 3 W38

* ( 6 ) was it from any fear of you ; the fear of man bringeth a ſnare, and in things of this kind, I hope I am ſuperior to that ; I wiſh to treat you with all becoming reſpećt, but I cannot com mend you in things that are wrong, that would be paying the adulation of fattery ; neither am - I to be terrified by the frowns of a mortal from telling him the truth, though that truth may be irkſome to his ears, and painful to his pre fent feelings. - : Thus having affigned my reafons for not putting my name to the firſt edition of my letter to you, I ſhall now proceed in the firſt place, to examine the Motto your daughter has adopt ed, and which forms a principal thread of her .difcourſe ; and this will lead to a refutation of the charges of rebellion, preſumption, &c. In the fecond place, I ſhall endeavour to vin dicate myſelf from the charge of hypocrify brought againſt me, which will lead me to fay a few things concerning the Evangelical Af fociation. . . . . ' ( . . . . . . ' . . I ſhall in the third place, take a view of the nature of the divine law, firft as a covenant of works, and then as it is the rule of the believers gratitude and duty ; in doing which, I ſhall en deavour to confider the glorious method, by which the law ceaſes to be the terror of the be liever, and becomes his delight ; and this is not with a deſign to teach Mr. H. but hoping it may be made uſeful to the edification of fome one or other of my readers ; for I am perſuaded - there

( 7 ) there are fome, who will not love the truth a jot the leſs, becauſe it is brought to their view by the pen of a woman. . . . . . . . . I ſhall fourthly enquire what are the effećts of receiving the truth in the love and power of it ; or, what is the ſpirit of the goſpel ; and . Fifthly, I ſhall conclude with a few thoughts more particularly addreſſed to you, Sir, and Mifs Morton. And when I have gone through theſe heads, I hope you will find your queries and difficulties fatisfactorily reſolved. The reaſon I adopt this method, is this, were I to anſwer your queries one by one, as they preſent them felves to view, I ſhould be obliged to tranſcribe almoſt, if not the whole of your book; which as it would be tirefome to me, fo l preſume it would not be either very pleafing or profitable to my readers; befides, it would ſwell the book to an unneceſſary fize: if they were folid, calm, and diſpaffionate, they would deſerve a clofer ex amination ; but they are fo tristing and jejune, that I rather chooſe to anſwer them in a more general way, and yet I hope, to the full fatis faćtion both of my own mind, and a candid public. - - * - - I beg leave to aſſure you, Sir, that I do not adopt this method of writing with thé leaſt de fign “ to appear as a Divine in orders;” but I love order, anđ I don't know why it ſhould be confined to divines : When I write, I generally firſt form my plan, divide my ſubjećt into dif ferent heads, and then I proceed with more eaſe A 4 - and

( 8 ) and delight than I otherwife fhould ; for if I wrote, in a more deranged manner, my ideas would be confuſed. ' " ' ' Before I begin to confider your Motto, Sir, I think it wilP not be amifs to remind both you and myſelf of my own. “ The Servant of the “ Lord muſt not ſtrive ; but be gentie unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekneſs inſtru&t “ ing thoſe that oppoſe themſelves,” z Tim. ii. 24, 25. This is the command of God to all his fervants to the end of time. When I firſt re commended it to ' your ferious attention, I. charged my own heart to remember it alſo ; and fincerely hoped, by the affiſtance of divine grace, never to forget it. Whether I did tranſ greſs that command or not, in my letter to you, I refer to the determination of thoſe who have read it; I am not conſcious that I have, and muſt therefore deny all your charges of bitter neſs, ridicule, and wrath : I was not aćtuated by a fpirit of bitterneſs while writing, and I am · perſuaded there are no expreſſions of wrath, much leſs of ridicule, throughout the whole; if there are, why did not your daughter quote at leaft one paffage to give weight to her affertions? the reafọn is evident, there are none to quote. It would have ornamented the lady’s charaćter, if, when ſhe took up her pen to defend her ſpiritual Father, ſhe had remembered my motto as well as her own; ſhe would then have treated her antagoniſt with a little more ferioufneſs, and ? - - - -> :: i ! , :: : leſs - , -

( 9 ) leſs feverity, and her pamphlet would not have been diſgraced by fuch expreſſions as theſe ; “ Madame (de Mara) Flora and Co.” p. 1. ** This wife of Jeroboam,” p. 6. “ Mighty Deborah,” p. 8. ** Your Reverence,” p. 1 o. - - “ I much fufpećt that you are one of Paul’s “ doters, that know nothing of power; for sº I obferved as foon as I read your letter, “ not knowing the Author, that he or ſhe was ss a ſtranger to the divine power of religion.” page 23. s . , . , - v“ Witch of Endor,” p. 24, e . " \ , : “ For you neither know Law nor Goſpel, with et reſpećt to the power of it,” p. 25. : “ Pope Maria,” p. 26, e - - - - - - “ A Lady of the faculty,” p. 28. , 3 “ Miſtreſs of Arts,” ibid. - - - “ A teacher of divinity, and that you had got se all your doćtrines from Surgeons Hall,” ibid. “ Doll Bridget,” ibid. . . . . . * Mother Shipton,” gibid. “ Rebellious woman,” ibid. “ This imperious, accuſing, deſigning, un “ favory letter of your's,” p. 43. “ An imperious woman,” p. 44. “ An aſpiring charaćter,” ibid *“ An hackney writer, that will undertake * any fubjećt,” ibid. “ Reverend Madam,” p. 53. « Mother Abbeſs,” ibid. Now I appeal to every reader of common fenfe and impartiality, whether expreſſions like - theſe, va a *

( 1o ) theſe, become the delicacy and politeneſs of a lady of Miſs Morton’s liberal education ; and who has herſelf been engaged in the education of others ; much lefs do they become the fervant of the Lord, who muſt not ſtrive, but be gentle? I ſhall make no farther comment on chefe paf fages, only that I deſpiſe them, while I pity and pray for the writer of them. Your daughter very obligingly aſſures me, “ ſhe don’t expećt humour or witticiſms from me, p. 49. She is very right in her ſuppoſition, for if ſhe did, ſhe would be diſappointed : it is not a ready flow of low wit, or a gay vein of humour that will bring folid fatisfaćtion to the mind, receive the approbation of heaven, or even the applauſe of wife and judicious men ; and therefore I wiſh to lay afide every thing that has the appearance of wit, and humour, as well as every thing that favors of bitterneſs and wrath ; and as the fervant of the Lord, purſue that line of condućt which my motto commands, and which I muſt beg leave to obſerve here, belongs to every chriftiap, though more particularly to minifters. : : . . . . I come now in the firſt place to confider the text which your daughter has felećted for her motto, Iſaiah iii. 12. As for my people, chil dren are their oppreſfors, and women rule over them, 1 Tim. ii. 12. But I fuffer not a woman to teach nor to uſurp authority over the man, but to be in filence.. |- - , - - - - · e : As

( 1 1 ) As the firſt of theſe texts appears in your title page, I expećted to find fome obſervations up on it in the courſe of the treatife, but I think it is not once mentioned; I apprehend the reaſon of that omiſſion was, you diſcovered the appli cation of that text to me would have been too groſs an inſult upon the underſtanding of your readers: and yet the latter, which is fo fre quently repeated, is no more applicable to me, than the former; I wiſh fir, you would be a lit tle more careful, when interpreting the ſcrip tures, to give them their real meaning, and not put your own gloffes upon them, very contrary to the mind of the Holy Spirit who inſpired them, merely to preſs them into your fervice, to ferve a turn : this is a fault you are frequently guilty of, but it is no part of faithfulneſs, and very unbecoming a miniſter of Jeſus Chriſt. However by your interpretation of this ſcrip ture, (yiz.) I ſuffer not a woman to teach, nor to uſurp authority over the man, but to be in filence;–you level a charge againſt me of the breach of it, and a heavy charge indeed, even of rebellion againſt God, and preſumption againſt you. Now, Sir, I muſt really plead not guilty ; and in order to prove my plea, I ſhall take the liberty to examine your motto by other paffages of the word of God, as fcripture you know is the beſt interpreter of ſcripture ; and I doubt. not but I ſhall be able to prove that in apply ing this text to me, you have totally miſapplied it ;

( 12 ) ":,: ít; and alſo to give its true meaning, to the fa tisfaćtion of my readers. : : : -- I fuffer not a woman to teach, nor to uſurp authority over the man, but to be in filence, 1 Tim. ii. 12. Let your women keep filence in the churches ; for it is not permitted unto them to ſpeak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as alſo faith the law. . . And if they will learn any thing, let them aſk their huf bands at home; for it is a ſhame for women to fpeak in the church, 1 Cor. xiv. 34, 35. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told thefe things to the a poſtles. Luke xxiv. 1o. and a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the ſcriptures, came to Ephefus. This man was inſtrućted in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in the ſpirit, he fpake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptiſm of John. And he began to ſpeak boldly in the ſynagogue, whom when Aquilla and Priſcilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him, the way of God more perfećtly. Aćts xviii. 24–26 · And I intreat thee alſo, true yokefel low, help thoſe women which laboured with me in the goſpel, Phil. iv. 3. - And the fame man had four daughters, virgias, which did prophecy, Aćts xxi. 9. * * * Now by comparing thęfe ſcriptures together, I diſcover the real meaning of your motto to be this,

( 13 ) this, that women are expreſsly and poſitively forbid to ſpeak in the affemblies of God's peo ple–to take upon them the office of preachers, or to bear any part of the adminiſtration of di vine ordinances;–but that they are at full liber ty to converſe of the things of God, both byfpeaking and writing, not only with private chriſtians, but alſo with the greateſt miniſters upon earth. Now if this be the true meaning of theſe ſcriptures, (which it really is) all your charges of rebellion, preſumption, imperiouf neſs, &c. brought againſt me, are falfe and un juſt : I am innocent of any breach of this com mand, I have never finned aganft it, I have ne ver taken upon me the office of a preacher; I have never ſpoken in the affemblies of God's people, but have always obſerved the moſt profound fi lence in the churches, except when I join in finging pſalms and hymns, and ſpiritual fongs with the people of God, congregated together ; which I apprehend you will allow to be no breach of the command. I have indeed wrote a letter to the Reverend Mr. Huntington, but I am perſuaded you cannot find one command, from Genefis to Revelations, which forbids me to do that. Now if I am miftaken in this, and your motto is to be underſtood according to your application of it, I am not the firſt, nor the only woman who has tranſgreffed it : Mary Magdalene, and the other women, when they told the apoſtles of the reſurrećtion of the Lord Jeſus, forgot they was commanded to keep fi lence ;

( 14 ) lence ; Philip, the evangelist's four daughters, the women who laboured with Paul in the gof, pel, whoſe names, he fays, were written in the book of life, and eſpecially Prifcilla, who pre fumed to take the great Apollos, an eloquent man, mighty in the fcriptures, and fervent in the ſpirit, home to her houſe ; and together with her huſband, to teach him the way of God more perfećtly. Theſe, Sir, if your application of your motto is fcriptural, were equally involved with me in this great tranſgreſſion, and were equally with me, rebellious, preſumptuous, and imperious women; nay, a thouſand times more fo, but will you dare to apply theſe appellations to them, although the Holy Ghoſt has honoured their condućt in theſe very things, with his di vine approbation ? I think you fcarcely will venture that, and yet if you acquit them of thefe charges, you muſt acquit me alfo; for I and every converted woman under heaven, have an equal right with them to converſe with, or write to the greateſt miniſter of the goſpel exiſting ; and here, Sir, permit me to intreat you to re mark the great humility of the great Apollos; what a luſtre it put upon his eloquence and deep knowledge of the ſcriptures ! indeed it is the poliſhing grace, and makes every grace and gift, the chriſtian or preacher poffeffes, fhine with double ſplendour. l fincerely wiſh you, Sir, a large increaſe of it. I think, Sir, I have fully refuted all your charges of rebellion, preſumption, &c. and proved

( 15 ) proved the text your daughter has adopted for her motto, when applied to me, is totally miſapplied. But before I leave this part of my fubjećt, permit me to expreſs my fürpriſe, that as you underſtand this fcripture in the point of view you do, you ſhould: fuffer your daughter to follow my example, i and tranſgreſs the fame: command. You i know your motto does not ſay, I ſuffer not a woman to teach this man or that man, or the other man ; there is no dif tinétion, it is quite generali; I ſuffer not alwo man: to teach, and if it is to be underſtood in that, abfolute, poſitive fenfe, that a woman muft be fo filent, as never to fpeak or write of divine things, orthofe things which are connećted with divine truth; Miſs Morton, when fhe took up her penin the defence of her father, committed as great an act of rebellion againſt this com mand, as I did, when I took up my pen to re prove you Sir, and to point out the impropriety: of your, condućt, with reſpect to the Evangeli cal Aſſociation. I allow that. Mifs Morton’s: great attachment to you, Sir, might naturally. legd her to commit this overfight, but I think: your wiſdom, and the love you certainly must: be fuppoſed to have for a daughter fo full of affećtion and regard to you, ſhould have led your to interpoſe between her and fo great an evil ; your fatherly advice ſhould have been given, and if that was inſufficient, your parental au thority ſhould have been exerted, in order to: Preſerve her from an aćtion, which (according - * . . . . . .' ' ' IQ

( 16 ) to your fentiments and her own) is a bréach of the poſitive command of God, and which in conſequence thereof, muſt certainly involve her in your difpleaſure. - I come now to the fecond thing propoſed, which is to vindicate myſelf from the charge of hypocriſy, which will naturally lead me to ſay a few things concerning the Evangelical Asto ciation. In the firſt place, what is candour ? I appre hend it confifts in impartiality, moderation, and . fweetneſs in judging, and mildneſs and fweetneſs of expreſſion, putting the beſt conſtrućtion pof fible upon períons and things ; and ſtands op poſed to partiality, bigotry, rafhneſs, and harſh neſs of judgment, and feverity of expreſſion. Candour is not blind, it has eyes to fee faults, but it never views them through a magnifying glaſs: neither is it lame, it has a hand to hold the rod, and it knows how to correćt, but it has nothing to do with whips and fcorpions. Now Sir, whether your mind was influenced by fuch a frame of temper as this when you wrote your ** Modern Plaiſterer detećted:” I leave to the de termination of your readers; but I can appeal to the fearcher of hearts, that when I fet down to write to Mr. Huntington, my earneſt defire was that my mind might be influenced by fuch a fpirit, and I hope I was not altogether diſap pointed of that defire : whether I was or not, I refer to the judgment of thoſe who have my let ter in their hands, and the ſpirit of truth and candour in their hearts; and they I am perſuaded will

( 17 ) will bring no charges againſt me, either of bit terneſs on the one hand, or hypocriſy on the other; although Miſs Morton is pleaſed to do fo ; however, it ſhall be my bufineſs now, to confider thoſe two charges, and refute them as briefly, and with as much perſpicuity as Í can. They lay ſcattered up and down in many parts of your pamphlet, but in the 44th page, they are collected together, and make a very formidable appearance under fix heads. I ſhall take the liberty to tranſcribe the paſſage, and then proceed to anfwer it. “ I muſt now attempt a difcovery of what ** you would, as an imperious woman, an aſpir “ ing character, ań hackney writer (that will t“ undertake any fubjećt) be glad to conceal– ** namely, your hypocrify , which appears fix “ fold-your hypocrify to God–to his word– ** to your own conſcience–to your Allies, or ** the Affociation that encourage you–to the “ cauſe of God –and to Mr. Huntington.” This is an heavy charge indeed ! its thunders are ſufficient tó ſtrike a guilty heart with terror and confuſion ; but innocence can ſtand amidſt the ſtorm unaffrighted, unappalled ! I lay my hand on my heart, and appeal tó him to whorn its inmoſt receffes are open, that every accuſa tion you here bring againſt me, is totally falfe and groundleſs. “ An imperious woman, an ** aſpiring charaćter.” I have already refuted this, by proving that in writing to Mr. H. I by no means tranſgreſſed the command expreſſed in B * your

( 18 ) your motto, and confequently committed no aćt of preſumption againſt you, Sir ; which I fup poſe is meant by the words “ Imperious” and “ aſpiring.” “ An hackney writer, (that will «“ undertake any ſubjećt.)” You are miſtaken, I never wrote for hire in my life, I have been, and ſtill am, a volunteer in the cauſe of God and truth ; I write from principle, and not for gain or applauſe, I deſpiſe them both; I am na turally of a ſtudious diſpoſition, and love writ ing, but my abilities for it are very fmall: how ever, fuch as they be, I received them from heaven, and to heaven I defire to dedicate them. I ſay the truth in Chriſt, I lie not, my confci ence alſo bearing me witneſs in the Holy Ghoſt. The firſt of this fixfold charge, is “ Hypocriſy to God,” founded on my afferting, that I did not queſtion your being called of God, both as a chriſtian and as a preacher, although I charged you with being erroneous. Now I very fincerely believe the fame of you ftill, Sir; I do mot queſtion your being called of God, both as a chriſtian and a preacher, and yet I fincerely think you are in fome things erroneous, and alſo that in your “ Modern Plaiſterer,” you diſco ver very little of the ſpirit of chriſtianity, but yet I cannot find any hypocrify in this; I think it bears fome analogy to the difinition of can dour I gave you juſt now, which I believe to be a true one ; and I heartily wiſh Sir, that you may be poſſeſſed of a little, nay, a good deal more of ſuch a candid ſpirit; for then you will RQL.

( 19 ) hot paſs that raſh and unrighteous judgment which you frequently do, both upon the miniſ ters and people of God, who differ fomewhat from you in fentiment, or in whom you find any imperfećtion, As to reproaching or def pifing you; I totally deny the charge; there was nothing of rancour or fcorn in my Letter to you, and therefore this does not need a refuta tion. The fecond accuſation is, “ Hypocriſy with “ the word of truth.” “You paſſed over in fi “ lence, every doćtrine that is cleared in Mr. “ Huntington's book, and culled out what you “ hoped would countenance your hypocrify : I “ have proved that you might by the fame me “thod, repreſent the bible itſelf in as bad a “ light.” - - Sir, I never denied there being fome truth contained in your book, it would have been a fad thing indeed if there had not; but it was not my buſineſs to compliment you on that account, you have fycophants and fiatterers enough about you to do that, and they are far more your ene mies than I am. But what I had in view, was to point out to you, how much you had dif graced all truth, by writing in a fpirit fo very unbecoming your charaćter, as a miniſter of the goſpel of Chriſt ; and how this can be con ftrued into hypocrify, I really cannot tell; and therefore I appeal from your judgment to that of a more candid public. As to the light in, which I have repreſented you, Sir, I will not B 2 fay

( 2o ) fay whether it is a good one or a bad one, but this I know, it is a true one ; and as to the in ference Miſs Morton draws reſpećting the bi ble, and its great author, both here, and alfo in her fixth query, I deny that ſhe has proved her affertion at all, her argument is fallacious, and has no folidity in it; and I prove it thus, the charaćter of the Saviour was as perfect as the infinite perfećtion of Deity, and fpotleſs huma nity united, could make it;: when he ſpake, it was with the utmoſt precifion, for he knew the hearts of thoſe he fpake to, there was no posti bility of his being deceived ; and yet when he fpoke the ſharpeſt words which ever proceeded from his lips, he fpoke at the fame time, in all the meekneſs of wiſdom. Now Sir, when you have an eye like his, that can penetrate the deepeſt receſſes of the foul, you will then, but not till then, be able to form your judgment, and pronounce your terrible rebukes with equal propriety with him: and as to the written word, the ſcripture of truth, if I was to collećt all the threatenings it contains from Genefis to Reve lations, I could not repreſent the ſcriptures in a “ bad” point of view; it is impoſſible to do that, it would appear, I acknowledge, in a very uncomfortable light to fallen man ; but there is nothing in the awful denunciations of God's word, but what is perfećtly confiſtent with the holineſs, juſtice and infinite perfećtions of their divine author : but it is not fo with your book, Sir, the ſpirit and language in which a great Part

( 21 ) part of that is written, and which indeed runs through the whole, is directly oppoſite and ve ry diſgraceful to whatever truth it may, or does contain in any part of it. - Your next charge of hypocrify is direćled to my conſcience, but I think it is ſufficiently re futed already, therefore fhall only add, that as I have affigned my reaſons in another placè, for not putting my name to the firſt edition of my letter, it would only be tautology to repeat it here. I beg leave to affure Mifs Morton, that my conſcience bears a moſt incontrovertible witneſs to my fincerity in the whole of this matter ; and therefore I ſhall with pleaſure proceed to examine and confute your fourth charge, which is “ Hypocrify to your allies, or the Affociation that encourage you.” This accuſation is founded on my afferting that I do not think Mr. H. to be an antino mian, in contrariety to the fentiment of the Evangelical Aſſociation. Now to be fure if I was an hired ſcribbler, employed by thoſe gen tlemen to vindicate their cauſe, it would be fomewhat extraordinary that I ſhould dare to differ from them in fentiment, and publickly contradićt what one of them aflerted from the pulpit; this would, I acknowledge, have been very preſumptuous indeed, but I, hardly need fay that I am not guilty of this preſumption : Miſs Morton has proved it for me, for her charge of hypocrify in this inſtance deſtroys it felf, and is an unanſwerable argument to prove B 3 that

( 22 ) that 1 am independent of the Evangelical Affb ciation, which is really the caſe; fo far from being hired, employed, or ever “ encour aged” by thoſe gentlemen, they none of them knew even of my intention to write, till after my Letter to Mr. H. was printed, Indeed, Sir, I ſtudied nobody’s opinion but my own, I wrote what my heart conceived to be true, both of you, Sir, and the Evangelical Aſſociation; and give me leave to affure you, Sir, that rather than purſue a different line of condućt to this, I would throw my pens and paper into the fire, and never write a line more while I breathe. As Miſs Morton concludes this part of her charge, in a manner rather peculiar, I ſhall beg leave to tranſcribe the paffage. “ But this is not at se all to be wondered at, for I am informed that “ your conſcience wifi let you write on any fub“jećt-you can pen a treatife on the words of is divinity, though not on the power; write a “ poem ön candour, or an history of anatomy, se or the diffeếtion of mangled limbs.” . I ſhall make no comment on this, only beg leave to affure the lady that ſhe has been mifinformed. I now proceed to examine and confute your fifth accuſation, “ Hypocrify in the cauſe of is God.” If the Evangelical Affociation think Mr. H.an Antinomian, it is, I apprehend, becaufe they know he holds an opinion, which in its confe quences leads to antinomianiſm. Now the rea fön why I think him not an Antinomian, is - this 5

( 23 ) | this; I conſider it is very poſſible for a man to entertain a fentiment, without feeing the full extent of the conſequences to which that fenti ment may lead. I believe this to be the caſe with you, Sir; and I alſo believe, and am per fuaded, my candid readers will by no means fup poſe the Evangelical Aſſociation to be “ falſe apoſtles, or deceitful workers,” from the con cluſion they draw of you, having fuch grounds for it; neither will they condemn me, as being “ lifted up in the pride of fatan,” or as pretend ing to “ the infallibility of a Pope ” becauſe I view you in a more moderate and favourable point of light; and I really believe if Mr. Hun tington, and Miſs Morton, would weigh this in a calm diſpaſionate manner, they would them felves acquit me of any hypocrify in the cauſe of God, and be aſhamed that they had brought fuch a charge againſt me. Your fixth accuſation, is of “ Hypocriſy to * Mr. Huntington.” If I were to ſay any thing to the firſt part of it, it would be tautology, as I have already given a reaſon, why it is very posti ble he may hold antinomian principles, and yet be no Antinomian. I deny the latter part of it to be true, I did not charge him with “ ran “ cour, ſpleen and bitterneſs, for doing his of “ fice, and vindicating his teſtimony;” but I did, and do ſtill charge him with rancour, ſpleen and bitterneſs, in the manner of his doing it, I allowed, p. 4. “ If you thought yourſelf “ called upon, and that it was your duty to B 4 · “ vindi

( 24 ) “ vindicate either yourſelfor the truth, you un “ doubtedly had a right to do it; but it ſhould “ have been done in that ſpirit of meekneſs and “ gentleneſs which becomes the goſpel.” Thefe . were my very words, Could I have allowed you any thing fairer than this ? it was not your writing, Sir, but the ſpirit in which you wrote that I condemned, and which I am perſuaded every ferious candid chriftian muſtalfo condemn. I “ recommended candour” to you, Sir, I ac knowledge ; but that I “ heaped flander on. “ you,” I abſolutely deny: I treated you with plainneſs and faithfulneſs, but every thing that favour'd of fatire or rudeneſs, I ftudiouſly avoid ed. I wiſh, Sir, that when you write again, and when your daughter takes up her pen in your defence, you will both be equally careful “ not to give offence, either to Jew or Gentile, “ or the church of God,” i Cor. x. 32. - Whether I have given fufficient anſwers to your fixfold charge of hypocriſy, I leave to the determination of my readers ; my own mind is perfectly fatisfied, it triumphs in conſcious fin cerity: but though there is nothing you have faid, or can fay of me, which can give me a moment's uneafineſs ; yet I acknowledge my feelings are fomewhat hurt, at the illiberal manner in which you treat the Evangelical Af fociation, through the whole of your pamphlet. When Mr. Terry called upon me to enquire whether I acknowledged myſelf the author of the letter to you, he affured me there was fome of

( 25 ) of thoſe gentlemen, whom you very much re fpećted ; and though, as he told me, I ſhould have et A most fevere trimming ;” which I confe quently expećted, yet I hoped your daughter would pay fome reſpećt, at leaft to her father's friends; and in general, that from a lady's pen fo many truly reſpectable and valuable charaćters would be treated in milder language, fofter ex prestions, and with titles leís fevere and ſhock ing, than “ combination, falſe apoſtles, deceit “ ful workers,” and fuch like; but I am dif appointed, and for your fake, Sir, and Miſs Morton’s, I am forry, very forry, for the dif appointment. “ Tell it not in Gath, publiſh it «« not in the ſtreets of Aſkelon, left the daugh “ ters of the Philiſtines rejoice, left the daugh ** ters of the uncircumciſed triumph,” 2 Sam, i. 2o. Whether it was the Aſſociation, or you, Sir, that gave the firſt offence, is not very ma terial; though I really believe from my heart, and I doubt not but the Aſſociation, if they thought it worth their while, could amply prove it originated with you. But fuppoſing this were not the cafe, but that you really had been treat ed ill by one of their number; nay, ſuppoſe they had all united to treat you ill ? this could have been no vindication of your condućt to them : it would have given you a noble opportunity of triumphing over them, and proving yourſelf a miniſter, and true diſciple of a meek and low ly Saviour, who when he was reviled, reviled pot again ; when he fuffered, he threatened not, * ** but \

( 46 ) “ but committed himſelf to him that judgeth “ righteouſly,” 1 Pet. ii. 23. By following his example, eſpecially remembering what the A poftle fays in the 2oth verfe of the fame chapter, “ For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted “ for your faults, ye take it patiently ? but if ** when you do well and fuffer for it, this is ** acceptable with God.” Now, Sir, as your condućt is the very reverſe of this, you certainly are reprehenſible, even ſuppofing the offence did not originate with you. I therefore don't won der, that Mifs Morton does not attempt to bring one folid argument in your vindication ; it was impoſſible to find one to bring; it is not enough for her to ſay, that your expreſſions were fcriptural; as that sɛ we read of Sir of Ham, and of the land of Ham, of Cottiſh or ef “ feminate men, and of Barren fouls.” That “ David/peaks of water-/pouts, and Solomon ſpeaks “ of Mauls or Clubs.” O, Sir, theſe arguments are weaker than a ſpider's web; the words mur der and robbery, are to be found in the bible; but if you, or your daughter, were to commit murder or robbery, I believe every one would acknowledge your condućt to be very unfcrip tural; it would be the weakeſt defence you could poſſibly make, to fay thoſe exprestions are to be found in the bible; and here I muſt beg leave to obſerve, that Miſs Morton, is at full liberty to diſplay her talent of wit and humour with me and my name, as much as fhe pleaſes ; but the word of God, is too folemn and facred a thing to be ſported and trified with, it is putting an inſult

( 27 ) infult upon its glorious author; and I hope, Sir, that when your daughter takes up her pen a ſecond time in your defence, you will caution her not to ftain your name, and difhonour your cáufe, by treating the word of God in fo pro fane a manner. I do not apprehend that there is the leaft analogy between David's Water fpouts, and Solomon's Mauls, and a fociety of goſpel miniſters united for the excellent pur poſe of mutual edification : if amongſt this So ciety, there are any to be found who diſgrace it by purſuing a line of condućt contrary to cheir profeffion, far be it from me to attempt a vin dication of them. You will pleaſe to remember in my letter to you, I ſpoke with caution of the Affociation: my words were theſe, “ I have the “ honour and happineſs to be perſonally ac “ quainted with fome of them, and I believe ** they are moſt of them fo well and fo publickly “ known, &c. You may obſerve, that I did not ſpeak in a univerſal, but in a limited fenfe ; I wiſh, in your Modern Plaſterer, you had done the fame. As to the gentleman with whoſe charaćter you make fo exceedingly free, as I ne ver heard him preach but once in my life, and that feveral years ago, and never faw him above twice in my life; I am not fufficiently acquaint ed with him, to be able to enter into a vindi cation of his condućt: I ſhall leave his defence therefore to his own conſcience, if that acquits him, he is happy. * , • • • / As

( 23 ) As to the charge you bring againſt Mr. Beck, of afferting “ Mr. H. to be of a blood-thirſty “ ſpirit ; one that would, if it was not for the “ laws of his country, ſwim this metropolis “ with blood ;” it is well known that Mr. Beck, poſitively denies the charge; and I am inform ed by fome who heard the fermon alluded to, that he was far from making ufe of any fuch exprefſions; the fubſtance of what he faid was, that when men of a very ingenious turn of mind were aćtuated by a bad ſpirit, they might do a great deal of miſchief in the world. Mr. Beck, abſolutely denies having Mr. Huntington at all in view, when he ſpoke theſe words: I received this information from fo reſpećtable a quarter, that I cannot for a moment doubt the veracity of it ; I could as foon doubt my own exiſtence. I wiſh, Sir, your ears were not quite fo open to talebearers, and that you would not employ fpies to go about from meeting to meeting, to gather up ſcraps of fermons, and after putting their own conſtructions upon them, perhaps quite contrary to the preacher's meaning, con vey them to you, in order that you may fill the çhriſtian world with noife and buftle: or at leaft that they would not employ themſelves in fuch out of the way bufineſs, which to my certain knowledge, they have done in times paſt. As to the ſecond part of the charge you bring againſt Mr. Beck, viz. that he afferts, “ you * take texts that a wife man would be afhamed “ of, and that modeſt men would bluſh at.” Give

( 29 ) Give me leave to obſerve, that a truly wife man, is always a modeſt man ; and though eve ry word of God is like its divine author, pure and holy in itſelf; yet there certainly is fome paſſages of ſcripture, not altogether proper to furniſh diſcourſes from the pulpit; and this, is not from any impurity or fault in the facred ora cles ; no, but from the fault and depravity of human naturę. And I have a female friend of my own, who heard you-once from a text fimi lar to what Mr. Beck alludes to, and ſhe ac knowledged to me, that ſhe found her feelings exceedingly hurt, at the indecency and indeii cacy of your fermon. But it is not in fermons only, that you break through the rules of mo deſty. In one of your letters to Miſs Morton, you feem to forget that you are writing to a lady, and propoſe a queſtion to her, which it would have done honour to her delicacy, if ſhe had not anſwered in the explicit manner ſhe has; but as I do not choofe to tranſcribe the expreſ fions, I ſhall only refer my readers to the paſ fages where they may be found, and proceed without faying any more upon this fubjećt. Let ter xxxvi. p. 4o2–427. Before I conclude this head, I muſt beg leave to obſerve, not only to you, Sir, but to the gen tlemen of the Evangelical Affociation alfo; and not only to them, but to the chriſtian world at large; and that not by way of teaching them, it is the furtheft thing from my thoughts, but only to ſtir up their pure minds by way of re membrance

( 3o ) membrance, that if the apostle Paul was now upon earth, I apprehend he would addreſs the churches of Chriſt in the preſent day, in much the fame language as he did the church of Corinth. “ Now I beſeech you brethren, by “ the name of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, that ye ** all fpeak the fame thing, and that there be no “ diviſions among you, but that ye be perfectly “ joined together in the fame mind, and in the “ ſame judgment, 1 Cor. i. 1o.” When you are thus united, you will ſtand terrible as an army with banners, againſt all the oppoſitions of error. When will Mr. Huntington, lay afide his wrathful diſpoſition, and exercife his pen againſt Arianiſm, Socinianiſm, Popery, Armi nianiſm and fuch like ? even then remembering the exhortation contained in my motto; inſtead of pointing it, (dipped in gall and vinegar) againſt thoſe who love the Saviour, and preach his goſpel in fincerity and truth. And when differences arife, why might they not be en quired into coolly and calmly, and healed in the ſpirit of love and gentleneſs? Angry pastions and bitter words ought never to be brought in to the field of religious controverfy; they can neither ornament nor difcover truth, but they can grieve and quench that holy ſpirit, in whoſe light alone we can fee light, and without whoſe divine illuminations, we ſhall walk in darkneſs. I come now to my third propoſition, which is firſt to conſider the nature of the divine law, as a covenant of works; the glorious method by

( 31 ) by which it ceaſes to be a covenant of works to the believer, which will lead to a few thoughts on the nature of the divine law, as it is the rule of the believers gratitude and duty. In my letter to you, Sir, I addreſſed a few fines to your moſt ferious conſideration upon this fubjećt; whether they met with that can did attention from you, which the importance of them deſerved, I cannot pretend tofay.–They were words of truth and fobernefs, but as Miſs Morton does not appear to have underſtood them, though I endeavoured to write with as much clearnefs and perſpicuity as I could, I fhall attempt by the divine affiſtance, to enlarge a little here upon the fame ſubject, and I fin cerely wiſh, and humbly hope that my readers will be fo judicious as to try and examine my ideas by the ſcriptures of truth, weigh them in the balance of the fanćtuary, and if they are found wanting, if they will not ſtand the teſt of that divine touchſtone, let them be rejeếted as counterfeit coin, but if they are found to be confiſtent with the word of God, built upon the foundation of eternal truth, let it be received with that attention and love that the truth of God demands, whether it proceeds from the eloquent lips of an Apollos, or is expreſt in the meaner and more ſimple language of a babe. The covenant of works was originally made with Adam in paradice, when he had power to fulfil it as the federal head of the whole race of mankind; the continuation of his own bliſs, and

( 32 ) and the felicity of his children, depended upori his obedience to the divine command ; and the threatening of death was pronounced againſt him, and in him againſt all his poſterity, in cafe of diſobedience, which afterwards took place, and which left him and all his poſterity under the curfe of God, utterly unable to make any · fatisfaction to the divine juſtice for the breach of the command, and totally deſtitute of power to obey any laws, which Jehovah as a great and glorious fovereign, might think fit to promul gate in future time to his creatures ; becauſe whatever God wills, muſt be juſt and holy, like himſelf, but the nature of man by the fall, was become altogether unholy, nay, enmity itſelf, a gainſt God, and every thing that is like him. But though man thus loft all power to obey, the fovereign right of God to command, and the in diſpenſible duty of man, (as his creature) to o bey that command, remained the fame as ever. When the moral law, or the law of the ten commandments was given by God from Mount Sinai, it was ſpoke in thunders, in the midft of terrors, fo that all the camp of Iſrael trembled; and even Moſes the man of God, exceedingly feared and quaked, and the people intreated that they might not hear the voice of God any more, · but that they might receive his will from the mouth of his fervant Moſes. And the Apoſtle informs us, was not fo much from the terror they were in, from the awful found of the trum Pet and the folemn indications of Jehovah's pre | fenfe

( 33 ) fence, which they ſeem to aſign as the reaſon; ạs from the enmity they felt againſt the holý law, Paul fays, “ For they could not endure that “ which was commanded,” Heb. xii. 2ọ. And yet, though they could not endure it, their very nature being directly oppoſite to its holineſs and rectitude ; yet they told Moſes they would hear it, and do it, but they ſpoke in the blind neſs and faſhneſs of their hearts. The infinite God himſelf, ſeems as it were to lament their folly and ignorance, in binding themſelves by fuch a promiſe : he fays, “ O that there were “ fuch a heart in them, that they would fear me, * and keep all my commandments always,” Deut. v. 29. Thus they received the moral law as a covenant of works, they ſuppoſed themſelves able to fulfil ít, and expected life and falvation by their obedience to it: and thefe ideas were not only formed by thoſe who ſtood at the foot of Mount Sinai, when the law was given ; but are fo deeply rooted in the human heart, fo very cloſely interwoven with the very nature of fallen nhan, that nothing but thë illüminating grace of the Holy Spirit, can convince him of the utter impoſſibility of being ſaved by a covenant of works, and make his proud heart willing to be faved by a new and better covenant. The moral law, or the law of the ten com mandments, I apprehend to be fo perfećt, as to contain the whole mind and will of God, as - to what his wifdom thought proper to preſcribe as the rule of right to his creatures, fo abſolute C - ly --,

( 34 ) ly perfect, as to need no addition ; but yet te pleaſed him in ſucceeding generations, while the cannon of fcripture was compleating, to give numberlefs precepts, exhortations, and dehor tations, not by way of adding new commands, but as explanatory of the divine meaning, con tained in thofe before delivered on Mount Sinai; and therefore, though they are not expreſt in fo many words, in what is called the moral law, yet they are contained in that law, they are founded upon it, and are as much and as pro perly parts of it, as the branches and leaves of a tree, are parts of a tree, though they are not the body, nor the root. The language of the law, as a covenant of works is, Do this and live. It promifes life, as the reward of obedience; ** the man that do ** eth them, ſhall live in them,” Gal. iii. 12. and it threatens a curfe and death, as the puniſh ment of difobedience. “Curfed is every one “ that continueth not in all things which are “ written in the book of the law, to do them,” Gal. iii. 1o. “ The foul that finneth it ſhall “ die,” Ezekiel xviii. 4. And yet, notwith ítanding this, the great Lawgiver, never de figned the law to give life, neither ſpiritual or eternal, to any of the fallen fons of Adam ; he had before determined, what he declares in his word, by the deeds of the law, ** there ſhall no “ fleſh be juſtified,” Rom. iii. 19. Gal. iii. 11. Theſe conſiderations led the apostle to inquire, “ Wherefore then ferveth the law?” Gal. iii. 19. And

( 35 ) . contrary, “ that the of Rom. y. 2ọ. “ That every mouth might be And he immediately returns a important anſwer, “ It was added becauſe oftranſgrestion;” it was not to be the wayof falvation, a key to the kingdom of heaven, but quite the the offence might abound,” “ stopped, and all the world become guilty be “ fore God, Rom. iii. 19. So far from being the minister of life, “it is the miniſtration “ of death, the ministration of condemna “ tion,” 2 Cor. iii. 7, 9. * It worketh wrath.” Rom. iv. 15. and that not from any fault or inſufficiency in the law, but from the inſuf ficiency and depravity of human nature, “ the “ law is weak through the fleſh,” Rom. viii. 3. A man cannot be faved by a covenant of works except he fulfil the conditions of it, it demands a perfect, finleſs obedience, it will not be fatif fied with a partial, or even fincere obediences it will accept of nothing leſs than a perfect righ teouſneſs, unſpotted, unpolluted with the least mixture of fin. Now man by nature being al together fin, a leper from head to foot, it is im poſſible for him to work any fuch righteouſnefs, or yield any fuch obedience; all his thoughts, words and actions flowing from a corrupt fource, must alſo be corrupt: “ Who can bring a clean “ thing out of an unclean ?” Job. xiv. 4. He is therefore hopeleſs and helpleſs, as to falvation by the works of the law, and muſt ſtand a guilty. criminal, the ſubject of its most dreadful de nunciations. . . , , , , - * * , * * * C 2 when

( 36 ) When I obſerved, in my letter to you, Sir, that “ the law as a covenant of works, has no “ thing to do with the believer in Jeſus;” I real ly thought it had been your ſentiment as well as mine, but Miſs Morton, informs me, that I was miftaken in that; and as that lady is doubtleſs well acquainted with the doćtrines you preach, and cannot be ſuppoſed to miſrepreſent her fa ther's ſentiments, I muſt take it for granted that you do not believe that “ the law as a co “ venant of works, has nothing to do with the “ believer in Jeſus.” She fays, “ She never ‘ “ heard you fay fo much againſt the law in “ her life:” She fays, “ You do not plough “ with bis beifer, and therefore you cannot find out “ bis riddle. I believe the law as a covenant of “ works, commands love to God and the neigh “ bour, and the goſpel reveals and gives this “ love, without the application of which no “ fleſh can be faved, (agreeable to Mr. Hun “ tington's doćtrine) and further, the law com “ mands good works ;-and God works in the ** believer both to will and to do them.” If this is your doćtrine, Sir, as Miſs Morton, abſolutely affirms it is, I muſt beg leave to ſay, it is a very unfcriptural doćtrine ; and the Evan gelical Affociation need not entertain ſuſpicions of your being an Antinomian, you are in more danger of legality ; for whoever preaches fuch doćtrine as this, is far from preaching evangelic truth ; it is what good old Biſhop Latimer uſed to call, “ Mingle mangłe, neither law nor “ goſpel.” “ The law as a covenant of works, - 86 COII)•

( 37 ) * commands love to God and the neighbour.” this is a truth I acknowledge, “ and the goſpel “ reveals and gives this love.” The love that the goſpel reveals, is the love of God to finners ; the covenant of works did not command that, it comes free; it commanded the love of the crea ture to God and the neighbour, and this you fay, “ the goſpel gives ;” fø it does, I acknow ledge, when brought to the heart with power ; but that the goſpel gives this love, or any other grace, in order to enable the believer to fulfil. the law as a covenant of works, is a propoſition which I abſolutely deny. That “ the law com “ mands good works, and God works in the be * liever both to will and do them,” is a great truth ; but that this is done in order to fulfil the law as a covenant of works, is totally repugnant to the truth of the goſpel. O Sir, theſe are fad confuſed ideas, calculated to miſlead your hear ers; and really, if Mifs Morton had not poſi rively affirmed this to be your doćtrine, I could not poſſibly have believed it ; but as your daugh ter cannot be ſuppoſed to be miſtaken, or to have any deſign to flander you, I am under a neceſſity of giving credit to it. However, whe ther it is your fentiment or not, I muſt repeat my former affertion, viz. “That the law as a ** covenant of works, has nothing to do with ** the believer in Jeſus ;” and I repeat it, be cauſe it is one of the grand fundamental truths of the goſpel, a truth that bears the ſtamp of heaven upon it, and has been fealed with the - C 3 blood

( 38 ) ". blood of a great part of the “ noble army of “ Martyrs.” . . . . As Adam, before the fall, ſtood as the federal ór covenant head of all mankind ; fo when the great God our Saviour was manifested in thefleſh, he ſtood as the federal or covenant head of all God's elećt people. By the difobedience of the first Adam, many, viz. all his race, whom he repreſented, were made finners; fo by the obedience of the fecond Adam, the Lord from heaven, many, that is, all the election of grace whom he repreſented, were made righteous, Rom, v. 19. The prophet Daniel very parti cularly informs us what was to be the work of the Lord Jeſus, when he appeared upon earth, as the Redeemer and Surety of his people ; he fays, it was “ to finiſh the tranſgreſſion, and to “ make an end of fins, and to make reconcilia es tion for iniquity, and to bring in everlaſting “ righteouſneſs,” Dan. ix. 24. This was all that was requifite to be done for the falvation of his people, they were under the curſe of a broken iaw, that was to be removed ; “ they were with “ out ſtrength,” Rom. v. 6. to yield the holy law of God any obedience, and therefore that was to be fulfilled, in order that God might aç cept them as righteous perſons; for he had fo Iemnly declared, “ that he would not clear ** the guilty,” Exod. xxxiv. 7. This was that will of the Father, that glorious work whichthe Lord Jeſus had to perform ; and his readi neſs and willingnefs to perform this works is * moſt

( 39 ) moſt beautifully expreſt in Pſalm xl. 7, 8. ** Then faid I, lo, I come: in the volume of the * book it is written of me, I delight to do thy ** will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my ** heart.” The heart of the Saviour was the throne of holineſs; and though the perfećtion of the law is “exceedingly broad,” Pfal. cxix. 96. the perfećtion of his nature was equally extenſive, and this rendered him fufficient for the great work he had undertaken : the whole of his life was ſpent in obedience to the law as a covenant of works, he not only fulfilled it, but “ mag “ nified and made it honourable,” Iſaiah xlii. 21. and this not for himſelf, but as the great Surety and Covenant-head of his people, in their name, place, and ſtead; fo bringing in an everlaſting righteoufneſs, which being imputed to them (in the fame manner as Adam's tranſgreſſion was imputed to them) God can “ be juſt, and the “juſtifier of the ungodly, who believe in Jeſus,” Rom. iii. 26. Rom. iv. 5. This I apprehend, was one part of the great work the Saviour had to perform, for the falvation of his people ; and the ſecond thing was, to redeem them from the curfe of a broken law; and this he did by bear ing it himſelf, “ being himſelf made a curſa “ for them,” Gal. iii. 13. The ſufferings and death of an incarnate God, rendered a full and compleat atonement and fatisfaćtion to the divine juſtice for all the fins of an elećt world ; and in conſequence thereof, they are for ever pardoned and blotted out from the fight of God, and are C 4 aß

( 4o ) as though they never had been. “ I, even I am? he that blotteth out thy tranſgreſſions, for mine own fake, and will not remember thy fins,” Iſaiah xliii. 25. Faith brings the knowledge of this pardon and redemption home to the foul, Rom. v. i. And though the holy law may fometimes as it were ſearch the believer's confcience to find out fin, and the accuſer of the brethren may bring charges againſt him, yet notwithſtand ing that, God beholds him in his well beloved Son, waſhed in the blood, and cloathed in the righteoufneſs of Jehovah Jeſus; and therefore declares, “ He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he feen perverfeneſs in Iſrael,” Numb. xxiii. 21. He fays, “ Thou art all fair my love, there is no ſpot in thee,” Canticles iv. 7. becaufe he hath made him to be fin, (or a fin offering) for us, who knew no fin, that we might be made the righteoufneſs of God in him,” 2 Cor. v. 2 I. - This is the glorious way by which the be liever in Jeſus is delivered from the law, as a covenant of works : I may venture to affirm, that it has no more to do with him in ſuch a point of view, than it has with the Redeemer himſelf, now he is exalted in heaven. The law as a covenant of works is dead to the be liever, and the believer is dead to the law, as a covenant of works, Rom, vii. 4. therefore, fays Paul, “ we conclude that a man is juſtified by faith, without the deeds of the law,” Rom. iii. 28. Whoſoever of you are justified by the law, yɛ

( 41 ) ye are fallen from grace,” Gal. v. 4. And the fame apoſtle, upon theſe grounds exhorts believers to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Chriſt hath made them free, and not to be again entangled with the yoke of bondage, Gal. v. 1. This free and full falvation, and the fovereign love from whence it flows, is the love which the goſpel reveals, indeed it is the goſpel itſelf; theblood and righteouſneſs of the Lord Jeſus Chriſtis the way, and the only way by which the di vine attributes of mercy and juſtice can be re conciled and glorified in the falvation of finners,. The thunders of Mount Sinai be huſhed into a. calm, and the holy and righteous law of God. he ſtript of its horrors and terrors, and become the ſubject of the believer's delight. But though it hạs thus ceaſed to be a covenant of works to the believer in Jeſus, and in fuch a point of view, has no exiſtence ; yet as the declared mind and will of God, as the invariable rule of right, it ſtill does exiſt, and muſt exiſt for ever. The covenant of grace provided for . the honour of the divine law as a covenant of works, by giving a furety who ſhould in the nam and tead of his people make a ſufficient atoriement to the divine juſtice for all their breaches of it, and yield it not only a perfećt, but alſo an obedience, he being the infinite and eternal God manifeſted in the fleſh. And this béing done, the law ceafing to be any longer a covenant of works, becomes ſubſervi eat to the covenant of grace in two things; firſt

( 42 ) firft, it becomes a fchoolmaſter to bring us to Chrift, Gal. iii. 24. And fecondly, it becomes the rule of the believer's gratitude and duty. - Here, Sir, I ſuppoſe you will objećt, and fay, it is the ſpirit of God only, who can bring fin ners to Chriſt. I heartily agree with you in this; the law knows nothing of life and grace, and conſequently can give none; but yet as Paul fays, “ The law was our fchoolmaſter to “ bring us to Chriſt,” Gal. iii. 24. I do not choofe to contradićt the affertion of an inſpired apoſtle, I rather wiſh to underſtand his true meaning, which I am perſuaded cannot be dero gatory to the honour of the ſpirit of God; and which I apprehend to be this, that the law in fubſervience to the covenant of gráee, in the hand of the holy Spirit, is made a fehoelmaſter to bring us to Chrift. The fame apostle fays in another place, “ by the law is the knowledge of fin,” Rom. iii. 2o. “ Nay, I had not known fin but by the law.” Rom. vii. 7. And the pſalm iſt declares, “ The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes,” Pfal, xix. 8. Now the law of itſelf, can never give the knowledgeoffin, or communicate light to the dark under ftanding, but when (the Holy Gheft is pleaſed to take it in his omnipotent hand, he makes it inſtrumental of effecting the great work of convincing his people of fin. You will pleaſe to remember, Sir, that even the goſpel itſelf, with all its glories and excellencies, if it be not - i brought

( 43 ) brought home to the heart by the power of the Holy Ghoſt, will only be the favour of death to thoſe who hear it, 2 Cor. ii. 16. to fay there fore that the law is a ſchoolmaſter to bring us to Christ, is a ſcriptural and judicious expreſion. Secondly, it becomes the rule of the believer's gratitude and duty. The divine law is the in variable rule of right, and whatever is contrary to that, muſt be wrong, that is fin ; “ for fin is the tranſgreſſion of the law,” 1 John iii. 4. Now as God, as a fovereign, has a right to command, fo all his creatures are under an indeſpenſible bond of duty to obey; but how much more his children ? and though the Lord Jeſus lived and died to fulfil the law for them as a covenant of works, and to redeem them from its penalty, can it be ſuppoſed that in fo doing, he dif charged them from that bond, or obligation of duty they were under to God, as their Creator and Father ? certainly not, the infinite love of God diſcovered in the redemption of his peo ple, muſt neceſſarily, inſtead of diſcharging them from, lay them under a thouſand fold greater obligation to make his mind and will the rule of their life and condućt. - The cove nant of grace engages to write the divine laws, in their hearts, and to put them in their minds; how then can they do otherwife than make. them the rule of their condućt? but you rather chooſe to take the whole bible for your rule ; now this is a very vague and injudicious ex preſſion,

( . 44 ) preſſion, and leaves your hearers and readers doubtful as to your meaning. The whole of di vine revelation may be divided into two parts, the law and the goſpel; the law takes in every thing of a commanding, preceptive nature, from Ge nefis to Revelations ; and all the rich diſplay of free grace, fovereign love and mercy in Chriſt, Jefus, gracious declarations and unconditional promiſes, from Genefis to Revelations, conſti tutes the goſpel. Now if you believe the di vine law in this point of view, to remain as a rule of condućt, why do you quarrel with the faithful minifters of the goſpel for afferting this very thing, and repreſent them as being work mongers” and “ legal?” this would at best be only quibbling with words, to no profit, but to the ſubverting of the hearers, and very unbe coming a goſpel miniſter; befides, it proves that you really do not take the whole Bible for your rule, for if you do, you muſt of neceſſity take the moral law, which is fo great a part of it. I was converfing one day with a gentleman in the miniſtry, who informed me that he in tirely coincided with you, Sir, in fentiment; and he declared to me, that “ if he believed the ** moral law ftill to remain as the rule of a be “ liever’s condućt, he would throw off all reli “ gion, and turn Atheift at once.” This was plain, but it was honeſt; however I think it was a very injudicious and unfcriptural, as well as unreaſonable expreſſion. Before I diſmiſs this head, *

( 45 ) head, I muſt beg leave to enquire, if the law is totally annihilated and has no exiſtence ? What is fin ? you will perhaps anſwer as the above mentioned gentleman đid, when I propoſed that queſtion to him, that there is no fin to a be liever, becauſe it is not imputed to him : but if you do, I muſt beg leave to affirm that this is a very weak argument, for though the fins of a believer are not imputed to him, being pardoned by the blood of the Lamb; yet if thoſe aćtions which are contrary to the holy law of God, had not the nature of fin in them, they would not ſtand in need of pardon, for where no law is, there is no tranſgreſſion, Rom. iv. 15. but that the law does remain as a rule of con dućt; I gather from Eph. vi. 1-3. there the apoſtle is enforcing the duty of children to their parents ; but he gives them no new rule, he fends them to the law of the ten com mandments to read their duty there : and in Rom. xiii. 9, 1o. he fums up and comprehends the whole divine law in one little word Love ; and this remains to be wrote upon the heart of God's people by the finger of the eternal Spirit, and to be the rule and direćtory of their life and converſation: “ If ye love me, (fays the lip of ** truth,) keep my commandments,” John xiv. 15. And this naturally brings me to the fourth thing propoſed, which is to fhew, What are the effects of the goſpel when brought to the heart with power, or in other - words,

( 46 ) words, what is the ſpirit and temper of the s he heart of man by nature is intirely deſti tute of divine love, either to God or man ; “ it “ is enmity againſt God," Rom. viii. 7. but the fum total of the law, is love; “ and God engages “ in one of the exceeding great and precious “ promifes of the new covenant, to write his law, ** upon the hearts of his people,” Heb. viii. 1o. He begins this great work in their converſion, he carries it on in their progreſſive fanćtification, and perfects it in glory ; and therefore there is no impropriety in faying, the believer longs to have the law written upon his heart. I am per fuaded it is, and muft be his anxious defire ; and while he aſcribes all the glory of fulfilling the law as a covenant of works, to his exalted Re deemer, he cannot be fatisfied without having the law fulfilled in him, by the work of the fpirit upon his heart, mouldering him into the glorious image of the divine perfections, the apostle informs us, “ The end of the command “ ment is charity out of a pure heart, and of “ a good confeience and of faith unfeigned:” 1 Tim. i. 5. This is the end or fum of the commandment; this the Holy Ghoſt ſheds abroad in the foul, when he brings the goſpel of Christ home to the heart with power, Rom. v. 5, we have therefore only to enquire into the nature of this divine love, or charity, to determine what is the ſpirit and temper of the goſpel : and - - 1R

( 47 ) in order to do this, the word of God muſt be our guide. Paul declares, “ Though I ſpeak “ with the tonguesofmen and ofangels, and have “ not charity, I am become as founding braſs, or “ a tinkling cymbal. And though 1 have the “ gift of prophecy, and underſtand all myſteries “ and all knowledge, and though I have all “ faith, fo that I could remove mountains, “ and have not charity, I am nothing; and “ though I bestow all my goods to feed the “ poor, and though I give my 'body to be “ burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me “ nothing–Charity ſuffereth long, and is kind; “ charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not it “ ſelf, is not puffed up, doth not behave itſelf “ unfeemly, feeketh not her own, is not eaſily “ provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in “ iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth ; beareth ºf all things, believeth all things, hopeth all “things, endureth all things : charity never et faileth,” 1 Cor. xiii. 1-8. “ The fruit of ** the ſpirit is love, joy, peace, long-ſuffering, “ gentleneſs, goodneſs, faith, meekneſs tem “ perance : againſt fuch there is no law,” Gal. v. 22, 23. For it was fulfilled for them as a covenant of works, by their Redeemer, and is fulfilled in them by his Holy Spirit thus, “ writ “ ing it on their hearts,” Rom. 8. iv. and con fequently it cannot but be the rule of their life and converſation. - - - - It * * * *

( 48 } Ît appears then, that the ſpirit of the goſpei is a loving and kind ſpirit, a humble and pa tient, a meek and gentle ſpirit; it is compoſed of every thing that is noble and generous, praiſe worthy and excellent; it is a stranger to pride and haughtineſs, wrath and bitterneſs, and every thing that is mean and contemptible: every thing of that kind ſprings from corrupt nature, and are the works of the fiefh; but the ſpirit of the goſpel is all fweetneſs and candoúr, altoge ther lovely and beautiful, like the glorious foun tain from whence it flows. Happy would it be for the believer in Jeſus, if there was nothing in his heart contrary to this divine charity; but there is the corrupt difpofition of nature, as well as the heavenly diſpoſition of grace: but where there is none of this divine charity, Paul declares there is no grace; for whatever gifts a man may poſſeſs, either as a man, or a preacher, if he have none of this beſt gift charity, he is but as founding brafs or a tinkling cymbal. Thoſe who do poſſeſs this moſt excellent gift, I am perſuaded feel the want of more of it, and therefore every chriſtian will acknowledge the propriety of the Apoſtle's exhortation, to covet an encreaſe of it with fervent defire. Now Sir, I am very far from ſuppoſing that you are one of thoſe unhappy mortals, who posteſs great gifts and abilities, and yet are no better than found ing braſs and tinkling cymbals: and yet I wiſh to recommend that ſcripture to your ferious COIl

( 4ĝ ) cohfideration, becauſe you diſplay fo little of a chriſtian temper, and ſo much of that diſpoſition which is the very oppoſite to that divine charity, or love, which the Apoſtle ſpeaks of as being the vėry criterion of a chriſtian : it is not fuf ficient for a minifter of the goſpel that he preach the truth, even though he preach the whole truth, and appears zealous for the truth, unleſs he ornament his charaćter, by manifeſting fome what of that ſpirit of meekneſs, forbearance and, love, which is the diſtinguiſhing characteristic of thoſe who arė callèd to be faints, as well as to be preachers of the everlaſting goſpel. This was the praćtice of the great Apoftłe of the Gentiles, when the Roman governor charged him with being mad, and befide himſelf; with what fweetneſs and mildnefs, as well as firmnefs, did he reply, “ I am not mad, moſt noble Fef ºs tus, but ſpeak forth the words of truth and * foberneſs,” Aćts xxvi. 25. And he fays of himſelf and fellow-labourers, “ Being reviled, ** we bleſs, being perſecuted, we fuffer it, being ** defamed, we intreat,” 1 Cor. iv. 12, 13. Can you, Sir, lay your hand upon your heart, and fay, this is your practice alſo ? I believe you cannot anſwer this queſtion in the affirmative, if your Modern Plaiſterer, and the pamphlet I have now under confideration, amongſt others, may be allowed to bear any witnefs of your ſpi rit and temper. The teſtimony they bear is this, that you know not what ſpirit you are of, - you

( ( 5o į ) ) you cannot bearthe leaſt oppoſition to your fen-3 timents, and a word ſpoken againſt you, or even, fufpe&ted to be fo, though the ſuſpicion may be, groundleſs, fets you all in a flame: you rail,, and call names, and cut off all thoſe whom you ; conſtrue to be your oppoſers, as having no parri or lot in the kingdom of grace and glory. : But. this is all felf, and nature; it is not the Spirit of God, nor the temper the goſpel inſpires when it; is brought home to the heart with power; that is, the ſpirit of meekneſs, patience, and forbear ance; and they are happieſt and moſt like their, Mafter, who poſſeſs the greatest ſhare of it. When the chriſtian, is aćtuated by that divine charity or heavenly diſpoſition, that “ ſuffereth, “ long and is kind, that vaunteth not itſelf, is “ not puffed up, is not eaſily provoked, think “ eth no evil, beareth all things, hopeth alP “ things, endureth all things;” then he looks tike himſelf, a child of God, and an heir of glory; then he glorifies the Saviour whoſe name he bears, and adorns the holy religion he pro festes. But when he lays this afide, when he gets into his own ſpirit, and manifeſts a temper full of rancour and bitterneſs, and more parti cularly when he directs his ſpleen againſt his . brethren, the heirs of the fame kingdom with himſelf, he appears, not like a diſciple of the meek and lowly Jeſus, but like one that never heard of his name; he difhonours his profeſ fion, and I am perſuaded, brings guilt and dif » . . . - *--- treſs

* - - } e si ) treſs upon his own mind; for the Holy Spirit will never ſhine upon the foul with his divine comforts, while it is indulging a diſpoſition fo hateful in his fight. But when the christian is living under the influence of divine love, love to God, and in conſequence thereof love to his brethren ; if when he is perſecuted, or flander: ed, he is enabléd by divine grace to exercife the fpirit of the goſpel, to bearit patiently, to “love « his enemies,” to pity and pardon his perſecu tors, to pray for them that hate him, and uſe him deſpitefully, fo returning them good for their evil, and heaping coals of fire on their heads, according as he is commanded, Mat. v. 44 tom. xii. 19, 2o, 21. then his mind enjoys a fweet calm in the midſt of the ſtorm, the peace that the world can neither give nor take away; and he gains a far nobler viếtory over his ene mies than he poſſibly could if he fought them . with their own weapons, and returned them evil for evil, and railing for railing. May the God of falvation, with whom is the refidue of the Spirit, pour out a double portion of it both upon his miniſters and people, to heal, all their breaches, to fubdue every unbecoming temper, and to fill their hearts with that heavenly love, that divine charity, which ſhall endure for ever, when faith is ſwallowed up in fight, and hope in the enjoyment of bleffedneſs. . 5thly. I am now to conclude with a few thoughts more particularly addreſſed to Mr. Huntington and Miſs Morton. D 2 And

( 52 ) And here, Sir, I muſt beg leave to repeat, and that with great fincerity, what I faid in my former letter to you, (viz.) “ That I do not “ queſtion your being called of God, both as a “ chriſtian and a preacher, neither do I diſpute “ your being poſſeſſed of gifts and abilities,” but though I really think this of you, yet I can not agree with Miſs Morton, in ſuppoſing you to be infallible, and that it is impostible for you to err. I hope you do not think this of your felf; if you do, you are got upon a very dan gerous pinnacle indeed; however, your daugh ter aſcribes this to you, and ſhe would hardly venture to do that, if it was contrary to your fentiment. She fays, p. 33. “ I am forry to « think that a man, diſciplined by the law, « for upwards of twenty years, and delivered “ with fo high a hand, fent out by the great « Prophet of the Church, and uſed to the con «e verſion and eſtabliſhment of fo many hun“ dred fouls, ſhould be ſo ignorant. Surely the “ Saviour has not fulfilled his prmiſe, or the « Spirit’s teaching must be very deficient in my « father.” The firſt conſequence which natu rally ariſes from this affertion is, that if you are yetin a capacity oferring, it arifes from want offaithfulneſs in the Saviour, and is the fault of the Holy Spirit: now to ſuppoſe this is little leſs than blaſphemy. And the fecond conſequence that ariſes from this affertion is, that if the Saviour has fulfilled his promife, and the teaching of the ! - Holy

( 53 ) ;: Holy Spirit has not been deficient in you, that then you have arrived to the very fummit of knowledge, there is no postibility of your err ing, and you are of courſe infallible. This is the very fame argument on which the church of Rome grounds the infallibility of the Pope, and I am really afraid, that whatever Popes your daughtęr has renounced, ſhe has got one ſtill. But if this infallibility muſt be allowed to you, it muſt be allowed alſo to every miniſter of Chriſt, and every private chriſtian in the world, for there is no promife in the word of God made only to Mr. Huntington, neither is the Spirit's teach ing confined to you, Sir. I ſuppoſe you will not fay it is, and therefore if you are infallible, your brethren muſt be equally fo, if they are not, neither are you, and this is indeed the truth of the matter ; you are not infallible, however highly you may think of yourſelf, or your daugh ter think of you ; you are equally liable to error, both in principle and praćtice, as the weakeſt and meaneſt chriftian in the world, if left for a moment to your own heart and your ſpiritual enemies. - Now, Sir, if you do think thus highly of your-felf, I am fully juſtified in repeating my former affertion, (viz.) that “you are too great by half.” And here I muſt beg leave to remark, that your daughter, in quoting this paſſage from my former letter, in the 45th page of her pamphlet, has not treated me fairly, ſhe has left out one * - - - - of

( 54 ) of my words, and put in two of her own ; how ever, I ſhall paſs over that and proceed. It is your condućt, Sir, and your writings, that have led me to conclude, that you are too great by half in your own eyes and eſteem. Innumer able paffages might be brought to prove this, but I ſhali content myſelf with felecting one. In the title-page of your Spiritual Sea Voyage, you affume a ſtring of titles, which, though they found very pretty, and really are ingenious, yet they do no honour to your humility. . “ Wil “ liam Huntington, S. S. formerly a pupil un “ der Moſes, and inſtrućted in all the wiſdom “ of Egypt; but lately a pupil at the feet of “ Jeſus Chriſt, by him inſtrućted in the lan “ guage of Canaan; for twenty years a fellow “ of Grace college, in the univerſity of Sion ; ºs fellow ſtudent with Jonah, Peter, Thomas, “ Manaffeh, Mary Magdalene,” (what! Mr. Huntington fellow ſtudent with a woman ?) “ and John Bunyan : Ordained in the well-re se membered year of our Lord 1773, by the ** only right, the only reverend, the only Father, “ the only God and Lord, high Primate of, “ heaven and earth, moſt gracious Archbiſhop of “ fouls. Now under-chaplain to her moſt excel “ lent majeſty the royal Sheba, through fove “ reign grace, the queen of heaven, at her royal. * palace, Proſperity, in the metropolitan city of “ Salem, on the eminent mountain of Sion, in * the land of Canaan.” Now fome of thefe: - : titles

( 55 ) titles belong to every chriſtian under heaven, and others of them belong to every goſpel mi nifter, but yet it does not become any of them to affume fuch dignities to themſelves. You affert of yourſelf, Sir, that you are a fellow-ftu dent with the apoſtles and prophets, and yet they appear of a very different temper and ſpirit from you. , Iſaiah fays of himſelf, “ I am a man of “ unclean lips,” Iſaiah vi. 5. And the great apostle of the Gentiles fays, he was “leſs than ** the leaſt of all faints,” Eph. iii. 8. “ For I “ am the leaſt of the apoſtles, that am not meet “ to be called an apoſtle,” I Cor. xv. 9. But theſe men, Sir, were in the valley of humiliation, at their maſter's feet in reality, while you appear to be exalted upon the mountain of pride and vain glory. This is a very dangerous place; if you ſaw yourſelf in a proper point of light, you would not think yourſelf worthy to be com pared with the prophets and apoſtles: No, no, you would be for taking the loweſt place, and then, inſtead of being reproved for pride andhaughtineſs, it might be neceſſary to ſay to you, “ Friend, go up higher,” Luke xiv. 1o. Ex cuſe my plainneſs; it is, I repeat it again, my duty to be faithful, I durft not flatter you ; and, on the other hand, I affure you, Sir, I am no way your enemy; I reſpećt and honour every thing in you that reſembles him whoſe nameyou profeſs, and whoſe goſpel you preach ; but I cannot commend you in that which is wrong. My

( 56 ) My heart's defire and daily prayer to God for you, is, that his Holy Spirit may make and keep you humble, and give you a larger portion of that divine love or charity, without which, á man, though he may be as eloquent as Apollos, and as wife as an angel, is but like founding brafs, and a tinkling cymbol. I wiſh you to lay afide all bitterneſs and wrath, and that you maý be enabled by divine grace, to walk humbly with your God, in the fear of the Lord, and in all the comforts of his holy Spirit, that you may be more and more an able and faithful mi nifter of the New Teſtament. It only remains for me now to addreſs a few lines to Mifs Morton's ferious confideration. I hope that lady, has found her queries fatisfaćto rily ſolved, and her difficulties removed : I would have anſwered them one by one, as they ftand propoſed, had they been propoſed in a calm diſpaffionate manner, and had contained found fenfe and folid argument ; but as they do not, I do not chuſe to take that trouble with them ; and yet I hope I have anſwered them fuffici ently, though in a more general way. As to the illiberal and ungenerous manner in which that lady has been pleaſed to treat me, I wiſh to paſs it over in filence, and I beg leave to affure her, that ſhe has not faid one word óf me, that has been able to make me angry, or to occáfion me one moment’s uneafineſs. I excuſe her, becauſe I know it was her great attachment to her ſpi ritual

( 57 ) * fitual father that led her to forget herfelfin the manner ſhe has; and this is not uncommon for young converts. , If Mr. H. has been made the înftrument of her converſion, it is her duty to love him, but let her, take care not to love him too well ; let her follow him as far as he follows Chriſt, but not a ſtep farther. If Mr. H. ma nifeſts an unchriftian ſpirit of bitterneſs and wrath, let not Miſs Morton break through the bounds of chriſtian charity, moderation and good manners ; but when ſhe writes again, and eſpecially in the defence of her father, let her aim to write with that mildneſs and gentle neſs which at all times, becomes the pious chriſtian, and which must be very ornamental to the charaćter of a lady of her good fenfe and, politeneſs. A different line of condućt muſt be very injurius to herſelf, as well as dif graceful to her Father's charaćter and cauſe. I am arraigned at the bar, both by Mr. H. and Miſs M. and condemned repeatedly and poſitively as being a ſtranger to the power ofreligion, but I muſt beg leave to appeal from their tribunal to a fuperior and more juſt one ; permit me to fay, you are too raſh in your judgment, and too fevere in your cenſures; butas for me, “ My witneſs is in heaven and my ** record on high,” Job xvi. 19. and therefore it is a light thing for me to be judged by your judgment. You call upon me in very peremp tory terms to give you an account of the work of God upon my foul ; but as this appears more E like ----*

( 58 ) like a demand than a requeſt, you muſt excuſe me if I decline giving you that fatisfaćtion here; but if Miſs Morton will lay afide her wit and humour, and alfo, bitterneſs and wrath, and will do me the honour of a viſit, (but ſhe muft come in a good humour) and will make it plain to me, that ſhe defires it not to gratify any vain curioſity, but for my edification and her own, I am very willing to give a reafon of the hope that is in me, in the greateſt ſincerity, and I truft in the fear of God. Before I conclude, I muſt beg leave to repeat . the aſſurances I have already given you, Sir, that my former Letter to you, and alſo this, is intirely the produćtion of my own pen; I have no coadjutors, no affiſtance, except the affiſtance of that God whoſe I am, and whom I defire to ferve: neither am I hired, or em ployed to write by any perſon under heaven. I really am a volunteer in this buſineſs. If you do not think proper to anſwer me, I ſhall be led to hope that you are fomewhat convinced of theimpropriety of yourpaſtcondućt, and then one great end of my writing will be anſwered ; but if you ſhould write an anſwer to this yourſelf, or employ an amanuenſis to do it for you, I hope you will keep in mind the feriouſneſs of the ſubjećt, and endeavour to write in the ſpi rit of the goſpel. I think I am fully warranted to look upon this publication as much your's, Sir, as your daughter's, as it was wrote by your - knowledge,

( 59 ) ---- -*-r knowledge, anounced by yourſelf from the pul. pit, fold at your vestries, and publiſhed intire ly under your auſpices, you are therefore re fponſible for every thing it contains, whether it has done you honour or difhonour, ornamented or diſgraced your cauſe and character, I leave to the judgment of your readers. As to the con tempt you are pleaſed to put upon the writings of the great Witfius, it is a proof that you are a ſtranger to them; I ſhall not attempt any vin dication of that great and learned divine, it would be the height of preſumption ; I ſhall only fay, that as a writer, he as far excels the writers of the preſent age, as the brightneſs of the fun is fuperior to that of the moon and ſtars : I therefore fincerely wiſh you, Sir, to poſſeſs as clear a head, as warm a heart, as correćt a tafte, as candid a judgment, as much humility and zeal for truth, as the excellent Witfius did; and then you will fhine bright indeed, and your uſe fulneſs be extended to future generations. He was a man of peace, of a ſweet and heavenly temper, may you be fo alfo, may you follow him, as he followed Chriſt, till you meet him in the kingdom of glory. This is the moſt fin cere wiſh of } S I R, &c. &c. MARIA DE FLEURY. No. 31, Jewin Street,

| * . . . . . . . . . . . " - 5 4 - - : * * * . Á D v E R T IS E M E N r I T having been indüstriouſly reported that the Letter to the Rev. Mr. Huntington was not wrote by me, or at leaft that there were others concerned in writing it, I think it is pro per to affure the public, that the above report is totally falfe and groundleſs. I do moſt fơ lemnly proteſt, in the preſence of that Jehovah who is the fearcher of hearts, that that Letter, and alſo this Pamphlet, is intirely my own : I have not had the aſſiſtance of any perſon under heaven in writing them; neither am I employed by any perſon or perſons whatever to write them: I am intirely a volunteer in this bu finefs. - - - MARIA D E FLEU RY. 4. CC 53 May be had of the Author, No. 31, řewin-Street, A few remaining Copies of Henry; or, thé Wanderer reclaimed; a Sacred Poem. An Elegy on the Death of the Rev. Dr. Gifford. - And an Hymn of Praiſe.

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