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This Gentleman fometimes puts on the mask of a zealous contender for the peculiar doctrines of Chriftianity, particularly that of juftification by faith alone without the works of the law; at other times one would take him to be Antinomian all over. When he appears in another form, an acute Arminian, I am perfuaded, would acknowledge him for a brother, and give him the right-hand of fellowfhip. On fome other occafions a good Roman Catholic would have no caufe to difown an affinity with him; yet at other times he might eafily be taken for a modern infidel, whose religion chiefly confifts in vilifying and fcoffing at all ferious godlinefs, and any thing that refembles or has the leaft appearance of it.

We have already obferved, that the implantation of the grace of Chrift, or a renewing and fanctifying work of his Spirit, is no less neceffary to the falvation of a finner than the imputation of his righteousness. But though the letter-writer, on fome occafions, affects to talk in very high ftrain's concerning the latter, it is evident, that the former can have no place in his fcheme. In his elaborate differtations on reafon and spirit he pretends to give fome account of the original corruption of human nature; but his reasonings on this head are so myftical and obfcure, that it would require no uncommon degree of penetration to find out his meaning, or determine with certainty what are his real fentiments concerning that corrupt and finful ftate, which, it is acknowledged, all men fince the fall of Adam are naturally in. He fuppofes there are naturally in every man a ftrong propensity to forget his natural dependence on God, and to entertain and cherifh deceitful notions of his own dignity; but we could wish he had more clearly informed

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us, how this propensity came to take place, and be fo deeply rooted in human nature. He tells us indeed, "that this cannot be accounted for any "other way fo well as by the Scripture*;" but he has not thought fit to take any particular notice of what the Scripture teaches concerning it, further than to obferve, in allufion to the parable of the fower and the feed, that an enemy hath done this; which is far enough from giving us any diftinct account of what is declared in the Infpired Writings concerning this important article of the Chriftian faith, without fome fuitable knowledge. of which, it is impoffible to form jutt notions of any other article of the Chriftian doctrine.

The Scripture informs us, that the nature of man. fince the fall is wholly corrupted; that his underftanding is darkened, his will perverfe, and in every refpect oppofite to the will of God; and confequently averfe to every thing that is really or fpiritually good, and prone to all evil.

From this plain, though fhort defcription of hu-. man nature, as now corrupted, it is easy to account, not only for that ftrong propenfity that is naturally in every man to cherish a deceitful fenfe of his own dignity, but also for all those proud imaginations, and perverse reasonings, by which he ftrengthens himself in oppofition to the truth of the gofpel, or the true doctrine of the grace of God; as alfo for all thofe irregular appetites, corrupt affections, and vitious inclinations, which. prompt him to tranfgrefs and disobey the divine commands.

Palamon often fpeaks of a principle firmly fettled in the hearts of men, inclining them to oppofe what the gofpel reveals; but he feldom or

Letters, &c. p. 171.

never takes any particular notice of their natural averfion to what the divine law requires, or of their natural propenfity to do what the law forbids. And it is obfervable, that, when giving an account of the corruption of human nature, he never makes the leaft mention of man's natural impo-. tency, or inability, to yield obedience to the law of God, or do that which is well-pleafing in his fight. Yea, he seems to infinuate, that this is no part of man's natural mifery; but that every man, if he will, may do what is really good and acceptable-to God; and that to incline his will to perform, what obedience the divine law requires, nothing elfe is neceffary but a due improvement of his natural notions, and the right exercise of his reasoning powers: for he tells us, "that the gospel affirms, "in the strongest manner, all the notices of God, and all the reafons of duty naturally imprinted in his confcience, and adds to them what was "entirely wanting before, namely, a divine reason " of hope*?

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Now this divine reafon of hope, according to: our author, is nothing but the hiftory of the death. and refurrection of Jefus recorded in the New Teftament; which, when any one believes, as every man must do who duly attends to the evidence of the facts therein related, he becomes poffeffed of that faith which is the fpring of all true holiness and obedience to God. This doubtless any one may do by the mere exercise of natural reason; and in the fame manner he may acquire that knowledge of the genuine import of those facts which the letter-writer fupposes to be implied in juftifying faith.

Letters, p. 172.

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That these are our author's real fentiments concerning this matter, is evident from his own words: for, fays he, "When the truth of the gospel takes "place in the heart of a man, it does by no "means fet afide the ufe of his reafoning faculty;' he might have added, nor fuppofe the renovation of it by any internal and fupernatural operation of the Spirit; "but rather, by enlarging the "bounds of his knowledge, provides it with a new "province, wherein it may exercise itself with "greater certainty and delight. It affirms in the "strongest manner all the notices of God, all

the reafons of duty naturally imprinted in his "confcience; and adds to them what was entire"ly wanting before, namely, a divine reafon of "hope. And thus it difintangles him from the "neceffity wherewith he found himself preffed, of "debafing his own nature, and defacing the divine "character, by reasoning on mere prefumptions, ❝in order to invent fome ground of hope for his "temporary fupport. The ftricteft reafoner, then,

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can have no objection against the gofpel, unless "he will quarrel with it, because it provides guilty 66 man with a fource of comfort without the aid of *his reasoning faculty, or where all his natural "funds for reafoning proved utterly deficient."

Afterwards our author expreffes himself in the following manner : "We have no natural no"tions helping us to conceive how God can raise "one who has fuffered death for fin, to an endless

life of pleasure, abfolutely free from all pain. "Neither have we any notions helping us to con

ceive how God can juftify an unjust perfon, "without his doing any thing to make himself ❝ just; or how he can impart righteousness to fuch ❝a one, fo as he may be fuftained as a righteous ❝ person, in all refpects, in his prefence, and ac<<cordingly

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"cordingly intitled to everlasting happiness. Yet "if it appears by undeniable evidence, that God "hath raised one from death to eternal happiness, and the juftification of the unjust be declared as the genuine import of this fact, and the fame power that was manifeft in raifing the dead, "appear attending this declaration; then, upon my "conviction of the truth of the refurrection, I may "conceive how God can alfo juftify the ungodly; "efpecially if I find it impoffible to account for "what has actually happened any other way. If it "appear by the circumftances, that he who died, "and rofe, was not only a righteous, but also a divine "perfon; if it appear impoffible that fuch a perfon "fhould lead a life of painful fervice, and at laft be"come exceeding forrowful unto death, unless to ex"piate the fins of others, and furnish them with a ❝righteoufnefs; and if it alfo appear impoffible, "that one fuffering death for fin, should be raised "again to a happy life, unless the divine difplea"fure against fin had been fully manifefted in his

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fuffering; or that one undertaking to fulfil a ❝righteousness, fhould be honoured with a refur"rection, if he had failed in his undertaking; ❝if, at any time, my conscience condemn me as "an unrighteous perfon, and exclude all hope of "relief from any natural fource: if, I fay, my thoughts come thus to be ftraitned on every "other fide, I muft find a very fenfible relief to my mind, in admitting the declaration issued in "the bofom of the evidence of the refurrection, "viz. that he who died and rofe again, was deli"vered for our offences, and was raised again for our juftification*.

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* Letters, &c. p. 177, 178..

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