nishes the occasion of remarking, that it would be a very improper use made of this part of his history, should any one be emboldened to involve himself in a similar manner, by observing how Mr. Scott was carried through his embarrassments. A man must be fully assured indeed, perhaps more fully assured than previously to trial it is possible to become, that his motives are equally pure, and his integrity and firmness of mind equally great, before he can be warranted to follow a path into which my father was imperceptibly beguiled, rather than induced deliberately to enter. On this subject I most readily admit the remarks of a reviewer of his Life:

"Few persons would have come out of such transactions as he did, without suffering either in their conscience or in their character, or in both. It is a perilous thing for a minister to be very deeply involved in the speculations of authorship, but still more so in pecuniary responsibilities. Their operation on the character is more frequently the reverse of that which they appear to have had on that of Mr. Scott, whose spirituality of mind was but promoted by circumstances tending to destroy it; who was but humbled by disappointments which would have made many men sordid and querulous; and who found matter for thankfulness when others would have desponded. His rare integrity and simplicity of mind carried him through the consequences of his own" want of caution, "and his very mistakes were overruled for the most important benefit to others. But he paid dearly for it in the interim; and a man of less strength of mind and firmness of principle would

probably have fallen a victim to his imprudence. We have no doubt that Mr. Scott would himself sanction, were he living, this view of the circumstances." 1

"DEAR SIR,

"Chapel Street,

October 20, 1797.

"THE date of your letter reminds me that I have too long delayed to answer it: but my family was at Margate when I received it; for some time after I went thither and returned by sea every week;2 and, since we all got settled again at home, I have been but poorly in health, and engaged in a variety of ways. However, I lost no time in transmitting your orders to the proper quarters, and I hope they were duly attended to.

"I received also your kind present of Mr. Anderson's book on faith; and, though I have not yet read the whole of it, I am sufficiently informed of his scheme to give an opinion on it; because it is a subject which I have studied more than any other for many years.-In general I do not differ from him any thing like so much as I do from Mr. Booth's Glad Tidings,'3 and from many things in Hervey and Marshall: 4 yet in some points I differ from him, and in others I think his views contracted and confused. I apprehend that the writers who have gone on that plan do

'Eclectic Review, Dec. 1822, p. 502, 503.

2 Life, p. 319-322. (327-331.)

Ibid. p. 313. (322.)

Ibid. p. 598, 643. (612, 661.)

not much enter into the apostle's views of faith, as stated and exemplified, in its nature and effects, in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. They confine the exercise of faith very much to one single article; and commonly confound it with hope: they do not properly distinguish between dead and living faith; and they scarcely leave room for the difference between weak and strong faith, because they confound the certainty of the things, in themselves, with the assurance we have of them. The former is always the same, the latter is proportioned to the strength of our faith.-But, having written a book on the subject,1 I shall not fill my paper with further observations, except as they arise out of your letter.

"You say, 'We teach that Christ and all his benefits are made over to every one that hears the gospel.' Then it follows that they are the sinner's before he believes, and will continue his though he should never believe.-I teach, that Christ and all his benefits are proposed and offered to all that hear the gospel: that some, left to themselves, refuse him that speaketh; others, 'through grace, obey the call,' accept the invitation, believe the testimony, and come to Christ; and that the blessings are made over' to these, and to these exclusively. Let him that is athirst, that will, come, take, and drink: but let him not fancy himself athirst and willing, and imagine the blessings his own, while he neglects to come, take, and drink. I think my view gives quite as much encouragement to all that want encouraging, as

1 Warrant and Nature of Faith.'

the other statement; and, if I mistake not, it is more consistent with the general tenor of scripture, and not so liable to soothe men's consciences into a false peace and a presumptuous confidence. -It was in this point especially, that from the first I was compelled to dissent from Mr. Hervey: 1 and, after about twenty years' study and observation, in situations peculiar suited for experiment, I am more than ever confirmed in my opinion, and rendered deeply sensible of the wide-spread efficacy of the other statement, in deceiving men's souls, and in bringing in a loose, superficial gospel, to the unspeakable dishonour of the Christian religion. My whole ministry and writings have uniformly been directed to counteract these principles, though not in a way of controversy: and, instead of thinking that Mr. Marshall's book2 has been very useful, I consider it as having been of very bad consequence to numbers. Many, I doubt not, have got benefit from its contents, because much good is contained in it: but its system, fairly drawn out, is neither more nor less than false affections, springing from a baseless confidence, effecting, [that is, proposing in this way to effect,] by a natural process, that [purification of heart and] reformation of life, which the scripture ascribes to the new-creating power of the Holy Spirit. To believe that Christ and all blessings are mine, previously to all genuine humiliation for sin, is false confidence. This may give rise to many high affections in a selfish heart,

1 See Force of Truth.

*The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification."

which will be good-humoured when pleased, and reconciled to a false notion of the divine character, and to an unscriptural gospel; while yet the carnal mind is enmity against God.

"If you wish to understand this subject more fully, read Bellamy's 'Letters and Dialogues between Theron, Aspasio, and Paulinus;' in which, though I disapprove his harsh language, and think he runs into extremes, there is such scriptural argument as never can be answered. But, above all, make it a matter of prayer to the Lord to lead you into the truth, in a point that is peculiarly connected with all experience and practice. Suffice it that I give my opinion; and, in my opinion, it has been the chief error of modern evangelical preaching; in which we have adopted, as pure gospel, the very sentiments which eminent divines of the last age opposed as a most refined and dangerous sort of antinomianism; as many of Flavel's writings, and those of others that opposed Dr. Crisp, &c. prove. Many good men hold these sentiments; but they are [even to them] of a relaxing nature, and I do not think their attainments in sanctification are the greater for them; but they are the pillow and the opiate of false professors: and, though such will have pillows and opiates, yet I do not wish the friends of Christ to prepare them for them.

"I am almost sorry that I took up the subject, as it carries me too far [in point of room].-I never am shy of any man because I differ from him, provided he will permit me to declare my mind freely; and one may go further in a confidential letter than would be proper in print.