every month, if the editor chooses to insert it. But on the troublesome

“་།

I am constrained to launch upon

deep in a more public manner, and in some sense to engage in the same controversy, or at least argument, with Mr. Fuller. I have raised a considerable opposition against me, both at the Lock and among the general body of professors in our line in London; not without some measure of shyness in several ministers; by my exhortatory and practical address,

which you are acquainted. This has been strangely misapprehended and misrepresented, both by the hearers and others: as if Christ, and faith, and were left out, because duty, holiness, and good works were brought in. There was, by this means, and through party, a considerable underhand discontent working for some time past, to which I was no stranger; but it seemed not very formidable or hurtful: but at length some trivial circumstances, too tedious to relate, gave the occasion, and the cry of Arminianism rapidly spread; and the congregation was so terrified for fear of so dreadful a name, (for really they are few of them competent to judge of the thing,) that I was confounded to find, in a few weeks, half the company missing. I really deemed my place untenable, till many firm friends, especially among the governors, stood forth, and encouraged me to persevere, and advised me to speak explicitly on the subject. Accordingly I gave public notice that I would, the next Lord's day, fully declare and explain my sentiments on those points. Afterwards, considering that accuracy and temper were very needful, I determined to write my sermon, and my sermon, and then, reflecting how many had misrepresented the matter to others, I de

termined to appeal to the public by printing it. It is now in the press on John vi. 37-40, entitled, The doctrines of Election and Final Perseverance stated, and shown to be consistent with exhortatory and practical preaching, and conducive to holiness of life.' I have not much gone out of my way to combat the opinions of others; nor merely confined

myself to argumentative matter, nor indeed to my

avowed subject: yet there is the substance

e of what you have heard from me on these topics. 16e doud "I know not your precise idea of the extent of Christ's death. Archbishop Usher's letter, in the Theological Miscellany for May, exactly states mine; with which I think Dr. Bellamy coincides in his True Religion delineated.' I have not given any needless provocation either to the Arminians or pseudo-Calvinists: but, if they should attack me, I must do as occasion requires. I believe it has answered, and will do so, its purpose in this in this congrega tion, and in the neighbourhood, as far as relates to my personal concerns, I trust the cause is that of God and truth, which must prevail."

་བ

Another letter to the same correspondent, though of later date, may not improperly be introduced here, as it further explains the writer's views, without any thing else peculiar to the time at which it was written, than a slight reference to his Essays then in the course of publication in the form of tracts.

66

September 30, 1793. The little Essays sell very fast, and I hope will have a measure of usefulness. However, truth is the only seed from which real holiness or happiness can grow; and, unless seed be sown, we cannot expect a crop. Indeed much of

༦.

it may perish in the ground, and much of it lie dor mant for a long time; yet our business is, in every way, and by every means, to be sowing the truth ac cording to our apprehensions of it, and to trust in God, and beg of him to render it productive by his special grace. This is particularly the great business of a mis nister's life; and, though we often may seem to las bour in vain, and discouragements may be needful for us to keep us from being exalted above measure, we shall, I trust, find at last, that more of the seed sown was productive, than we in general supposed. It appears to me that a superficial gospel will almost always át first make more rapid progress, than the whole truth of revelation solidly proposed to mankind; (except at such seasons as that which followed the day of Pentecost:) but then these superficial effects die away, and gradually come to little; whereas the less apparent effect of the whole truth abides and increases permanently. This has been remarkably the case in the vicinity of Olney: the effect of my ministry now appears much more evidently, than when I left that situation; and this encourages me, amidst the manifold discouragements of my present station. You see I take it for granted, in opposition to the verdict of a vast majority of London professors, that I have the truth on my side: and indeed I have so long and so earnestly examined the sacred scriptures, and considered the various schemes of those around me, with fervent, constant prayer to know the truth, more than for almost any other mercy, that I scarcely know how to think that I can be mistaken in those grand matters, in which I differ from so many modern profes sors in the establishment, among the two descriptions

A

of methodists, and among the dissenters; for, as to lesser differences, I am not very confident, and am probably mistaken in many things; but not willingly. Yet I can truly say, that I scarcely ever hear or read any way of stating doctrines different from what I adopt, but I give it a fair examination, and seek to know the mind of God respecting it; desiring to be a learner, that I may be a teacher to the end of my life. In general I accord with the American divines: and yet, in some things, I rather dissent from them; especially in that, as I think, they rather consider what true religion is in the abstract, than as it subsists in the mind of such poor creatures as we are, with all our infirmities, prejudices, &c. &c. : in that they sometimes insist on the necessity of seeing such and such things, when perhaps many upright souls only believe them, that is, allow them to be so on God's tes timony, though they cannot see them so clearly as others do in that they seem sometimes to give too little encouragement to inquirers and in that they would have self-love almost excluded from religion; whereas it seems to me, that it is a part of our nature as God made us, not as sin hath made us; that sin has only perverted it, and that grace recovers us from that perversion, and brings us to love ourselves wisely, by seeking happiness in God and not in the creature; in which exercise of it, it perfectly consists with the supreme love of God, and equal love of our neighbour, and with doing all to the glory of God.

"When I began to write, I no more thought of this subject than I did of filling my paper, which I have almost done. However, as I trust truth is our ob

ject, and as we are both likely to be placed in situations, if we are spared, in which we shall disseminate, perhaps widely, those principles we deem to be truth, and as a little deviation may sometimes counteract our endeavours, I should not be sorry now and then, when you have leisure, to exchange a letter on these subjects; as the discussion of them may be mutually useful to us. I am, dear sir, your affectionate friend

and brother,

T. S."

I shall next lay before the reader some extracts of letters to his late respected parishioner, Mrs. Godfrey, of Ravenstone.

"December 20, 1786. The opposition was so great against me here in town since my return from Bucks, that my congregation seemed almost gone, and other pulpits shut against me; and I thought it scarcely possible for me long to maintain my post at the Lock, or in London. I know not that ever I was so desponding about any thing in all the time that I have preached. But, after much discouragement, I determined to make another effort, and both to explain my sentiments to the congregation, and to appeal to the public. I therefore wrote, preached, and published the sermon I send you; and, I bless God, it seems far to exceed my most sanguine expectations of success. Misrepresentations seem silenced and prejudices diminished; the congregation increases a spirit of inquiry appears to be excited; many confess that they did not well understand the matter, and that there is a necessity for more practical preaching. So that I trust all things shall tend to