neglecting to study the scriptures, and to explain these doctrines in their true sense; thereby giving injudicious people an occasion of perverting them. In short, we are to be justified by our faith, which alone can render sinners partakers of the grace and mercy of the gospel: at the same time, we and our faith also must be judged according to our works: and, if our faith have not produced the fruits of righteousness, it will be condemned as dead and unfruitful, and we both as sinners and unbelievers.2. The methodists preach the imputed righteousness of Christ: which too is a scripture doctrine, as I think. Christ became sin for us, though he knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, says St. Paul. But I will leave you to examine it, unless you desire me to be more full, and only lay down my system of it. We all by nature had interest in Adam, and were condemned in or by his condemnation, for his disobedience, unto temporal death. (This certainly we all suffered on account of Adam's sin, who thereby became mortal, and propagated a mortal progeny; though all other consequences were best attributed to each person's actual transgressions.) Even so, being by faith united unto him, as branches of the true vine, we all may spiritually have interest in Christ, and be justified in his justification, for his perfect obedience unto eternal life. See Rom. v, vi. I am persuaded, if you carefully examine, you will find this not only St. Paul's doctrine, but, in general, the doctrine of the New Testament. The only fault the methodists commit is, in laying so much stress on this as to derogate from the necessity of personal righteousness, or holiAnd here indeed they are very unscriptural;

ness.

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for nothing can be plainer than that, if any man be by faith united unto Christ, that union will assuredly make him bring forth much fruit: (see John xv.) and that nothing can more effectually dissolve that mystical union than a wicked and immoral life.3. The methodists attribute all to the grace of God's Holy Spirit, even faith itself: and so do the scriptures. And yet in this they are more exceptionable than in any other point; because they thereby totally and avowedly overthrow our agency, and turn us into machines, and render God a respecter of persons, and indeed what I do not choose to say. In short, to every Christian God hath promised his Holy Spirit, if he sues for it, and he is more ready to give than we to pray; and doth, in the sinner's conversion, prevent his prayers: but we may resist, grieve, quench, do despite unto this Holy Spirit.... I say nothing of their notions of election, predestination, assurance of the elect, and others, which are all implied, as far as doctrinal,' in what I have said; though as mere speculative notions they are not; and are too abstruse, and unimportant, and perplexing, to be worth treating of.-The doctrines of regeneration, or the new birth, and original sin, and free grace, are all more or less scriptural; but under such interpreters are generally carried much beyond the truth, and degenerate into fanaticism, and partake of their other notions....

The birth of my father's two eldest children, at

I It need not be said what his own subsequent opinion was of these charges. They fall under the censure implied in the first sentence of this letter, concerning the doctrines of "the methodists." Query: practical?

Ravenstone, has been already mentioned. Perhaps I shall be excused, if, for the sake of introducing a characteristic paragraph, I bring myself a little more distinctly into notice. The next letter to his sister, dated April 15, 1777, announces my birth, and con tains the following passage:

"As to my boy, he is already dedicated to the ministry, if it please God to spare his life, and mine, and to give him a head and heart meet for so sacred and important a function. Should he be defective in either one or the other, he shall be any thing or nothing rather than that. Bad ministers we have enough, and much more than enough: but good ones are a sort of black swans, mighty great rarities.It was with this intent that I wished the child to be a boy; and with this intent I shall, God willing, always educate him: and, if he lives to be a pious, faithful, able, and useful minister of the gospel, I ask no higher preferment for him, than I now have myself: so contented am I with my own lot, and so totally indifferent about these lesser matters."

"At this time," he proceeds in his memoir, "I had not the most distant prospect of preferment; my expectation of adding to my scanty income by pupils was terminated; and, considering the character of my vicar, and the determined opposition of my former rector, I had little prospect of retaining my curacy. Yet, with an increasing family, I seldom felt any anxiety about a provision: and my wife, who had married with different prospects, fully concurred with me. She would say, Only act according to the dictates of your conscience; we shall doubtless be provided for yet, when she saw, as she frequently did,

that my eager spirit and violent temper were hurrying me into wrong measures, she uniformly checked me: and, though often not till after much opposition on my part, she always carried her point with me; to my unspeakable benefit.

"After I had written my sermons for the Sunday, I, for a long time, constantly read them to her before they were preached: and, at her instance, I altered many things, especially in exchanging words, unintelligible to labourers and lace makers, for simpler language. This induced a habit of familiar speaking in the pulpit, which has since been censured, probably with justice, as too colloquial."

It may here be added, that my father's practice of extemporary preaching commenced from these private rehearsals of his sermons before they were preached.. Something had occurred in the parish to which he thought it right to allude in the pulpit: but, on his reciting to my mother the discourse which he had prepared, she objected to it, and brought him over to her opinion. He in consequence committed his sermon to the flames, and was thus, on the Saturday evening, left without one for the next day. This induced him to address his congregation without. written preparation; and, succeeding in the attempt, he repeated it, and by degrees discontinued the use of written sermons. This change, however, was not made without severe effort. An old parishioner at Weston (lately deceased,) mentioned well remembering his sitting down in a kind of despair, and exclaiming, It does not signify, it is impossible that I should ever be able to preach extempore.'

CHAPTER V.

PERIOD AT WESTON UNDERWOOD TILL THE PUBLICATION OF THE FORCE OF TRUTH.

"IN the spring, 1777, I removed to Weston Underwood, to a house afterwards well known, under the name of the Lodge, as the residence of the poet Cowper. The ground intended for the garden, when I came to it, more resembled a stone-quarry: but by my personal labour it was brought into order, and several fine fruit trees, now growing in it, were of my planting.

"In August following my father died. He seemed to be well satisfied at my becoming a clergyman: but my new views of the doctrines of Christianity did not meet his approbation. In answer to what I had written on this subject, I received a letter very hostile to my sentiments, and full of Socinian principles. This greatly affected me, and I wrote an answer with many tears and prayers: but he never saw it, as he was dying when it arrived. On receiving information of his sickness, I set off immediately to visit him, but I did not reach his house (distant more than a hundred miles,) till after his funeral.

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Every circumstance, on this mournful occasion, concurred to depress my spirits; and I appeared so dejected and melancholy among my relations, and my former neighbours, who had always before been pleased with my cheerfulness, (though alas! it was