This is the grand, palpable objection to that whole scheme. It directly makes void the law. It makes thousands content to live and die transgressors of the law, because Christ fulfilled it for them. Therefore, though I believe he hath lived and died for me, yet I would speak very tenderly and sparingly of the former, (and never, separately from the latter,) even as sparingly as do the Scriptures, for fear of this dreadful consequence.

P. 138. "The gift of righteousness must signify a righteousness not their own." Yes, it signifies the righteousness or holiness which God gives to and works in them.

P. 139. "The obedience of one is Christ's actual performance of the whole law." So here his passion is fairly left out! Whereas his becoming obedient unto death, that is, dying for man, is certainly the chief, if not the whole, which is meant by that expression.

Ibid. "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in usthat is, by our Representative in our nature." Amazing! But this, you say, "agrees with the tenor of the apostle's arguing. For he is demonstrating we cannot be justified by our own conformity to the law." No: not here. He is not speaking here of the cause of our justification, but the fruits of it. Therefore that unnatural sense of his words does not at all "agree with the tenor of his arguing."

P. 140. I totally deny the criticism on fixatorum and dixi, and cannot conceive on what authority it is founded. O how deep an aversion to inward holiness does this scheme naturally create!

P. 142. "The righteousness they attained could not be any personal righteousness." Certainly it was. It was implanted as well as imputed. P. 145. "For instruction in righteousness, in the righteousness of Christ." Was there ever such a comment before! The plain meaning is, For training up in holiness of heart and of life.

P. 146. He shall convince the world of righteousness-that I am not a sinner, but innocent and holy.

P. 148. "That we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Not intrinsically, but imputatively." Both the one and the other. God through him, first accounts and then makes us righteous. Accordingly,

P. 152. The righteousness which is of God by faith, is both imputed and inherent.

P. 153. "My faith fixes on them both, the meritorious life and atoning death of Christ." Here we clearly agree. this, and never talk of the former without the latter. cannot say, "Here we are exposed to no hazard." an exceeding great one: even the hazard of living out holiness. And then we are lost for ever.

Hold then to If you do, you Yes, you are to and dying with

The sixth Letter contains an admirable account of the earth and its atmosphere, and comprises abundance of sense in a narrow compass, and expressed in beautiful language.

P. 177. Gems have "a seat on the virtuous fair one's breast." I cannot reconcile this with St. Paul. He says, Not with pearls: by a parity of reason, Not with diamonds. But in all things, I perceive,

you are too favourable, both to the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eye. You are a gentle casuist as to every self-indulgence which a plentiful fortune can furnish.

P. 182. "Our Saviour's obedience"-O say with the good old Puritans, our Saviour's death or merits. We swarm with Antinomians on every side. Why are you at such pains to increase their number?

P. 194. My mouth shall show forth thy righteousness and thy salvation-thy mercy which brings my salvation.

The eighth Letter is an excellent description of the supreme greatness of Christ. I do not observe one sentence in it, which I cannot cheerfully subscribe to.

The ninth Letter, containing a description of the sea, with various inferences deduced therefrom, is likewise a masterpiece, for justness of sentiment, as well as beauty of language. But I doubt whether, "mere shrimps," p. 241, be not too low an expression: and whether you might not as well have said nothing of "cod, the standing repast of Lent:" or concerning "the exquisite relish of turbot, or the deliciousness of sturgeon." Are not such observations beneath the dignity of a minister of Christ? I have the same doubt concerning what is said, p. 264, of "delicately flavoured tea, finely scented coffee the friendly bowl, the pyramid of Italian figs, and the pastaeia nut of Aleppo." Beside that, the mentioning these in such a manner is a strong encouragement of luxury and sensuality. And does the world need this? The English in particular? Si non insaniunt satis suâ sponte, instiga.

Letter X. P. 271. "Those treasures which spring from the imputation of Christ's righteousness." Not a word of his atoning blood? Why do so many men love to speak of his righteousness rather than his atonement? I fear, because it affords a fairer excuse for their own unrighteousness. To cut off this, is it not better, to mention both together? At least never to name the former without the latter?

P. 285. "Faith is a persuasion that Christ has shed his blood for me, and fulfilled all righteousness in my stead." I can by no means subscribe to this definition. There are hundreds, yea, thousands of true believers, who never once thought one way or the other, of Christ's fulfilling all righteousness in their stead. I personally know many, who to this very hour have no idea of it; and yet have each of them a divine evidence and conviction, Christ loved me, and gave himself for me. This is St. Paul's account of faith: and it is sufficient. He that thus believes is justified.

P. 287. "It is a sure means of purifying the heart, and never fails to work by love." It surely purifies the heart-if we abide in it; but not if we draw back to perdition. It never fails to work by love, while it continues; but if itself fail, farewell both love and good works.

"Faith is the hand which receives all that is laid up in Christ." Consequently, if we make shipwreck of the faith, how much soever is laid up in Christ, from that hour we receive nothing.

Letter XI. P. 288. "Faith in the imputed righteousness of Christ,

is a fundamental principle in the Gospel." If so, what become of all those who think nothing about imputed righteousness? How many who are full of faith and love, if this be true, must perish everlastingly!

P. 297. "Thy hands must urge the way of the deadly weapon through the shivering flesh, till it be plunged in the throbbing heart." Are not these descriptions far too strong? May they not occasion unprofitable reasonings in many readers?

Ne puerum coram populo Media trucidet.

P. 298. "How can he justify it to the world?" Not at all. Can this then justify his faith to the world?

P. 304. "You take the certain way to obtain comfort, the righteousness of Jesus Christ." What, without the atonement? Strange fondness for an unscriptural, dangerous mode of expression!

P. 306. "So the merits of Christ are derived to all the faithful." Rather the fruits of the Spirit: which are likewise plainly typified by the oil in Zachariah's vision.

P. 310. "Has the Law any demand? It must go to him for satisfaction." Suppose," Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Then I am not obliged to love my neighbour. Christ has satisfied the demands of the law for me. Is not this the very quintessence of Antinomianism?

P. 311. The righteousness wrought out by Jesus Christ, is wrought for all his people, to be the cause of their justification, and the purchase of their salvation. The righteousness is the cause, the purchase." So the death of Christ is not so much as named! "For all his people." But what becomes of all other people? They must inevitably perish for ever. The die was cast or ever they were in

being. The doctrine to pass them by, has

Consign'd their unborn souls to hell,

And damn'd them from their mother's womb!

I could sooner be a Turk, a Deist, yea, an Atheist, than I could believe this. It is less absurd to deny the very being of God, than to make him an Almighty Tyrant.

P. 318. "The whole world and all its seasons, are rich with our Creator's goodness. His tender mercies are over all his works." Are they over the bulk of mankind? Where is his goodness to the non-elect? How are his tender mercies over them? "His tem. poral blessings are given to them." But are they to them blessings, at all? Are they not all curses? Does not God know they are? That they will only increase their damnation? Does not he design they should? And this you call goodness! This is tender mercy!

P. 321. "May we not discern pregnant proofs of goodness in each individual object?" No; on your scheme not a spark of it in this world or the next, to the far greater part of the work of his own hands!

P. 334. "Is God a generous Benefactor to the meanest animals, to the lowest reptiles? And will he deny my friend what is necesVOL. 10.-S

sary to his present comfort, and his final acceptance?" Yea, will he deny it to any soul that he has made? Would you deny it to any, if it were in your power?

But if you lov'd whom God abhorr'd

The servant were above his Lord.

P. 337. The wedding-garment here means holiness.

P. 340. "This is his tender complaint, They will not come unto He himself has deme!" Nay, that is not the case; they cannot. creed, not to give them that grace without which their coming is impossible!

"The grand end which God proposes in all his favourable dispensations to fallen man, is to demonstrate the sovereignty of his grace." Not so: to impart happiness to his creatures, is his grand end herein. "Barely to demonstrate his sovereignty," is a principle of action fit for the great Turk, not the Most High God.

P. 341. "God hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants. He is a boundless ocean of good." Nay, that ocean is far from boundless, if it wholly passes by nine tenths of mankind.

"God

P. 342. "You cannot suppose God would enter into a fresh covenant with a rebel." I both suppose and know he did. made the new covenant with Christ, and charged him with the performances of the conditions." I deny both these assertions, which are the central point wherein Calvinism and Antinomianism meet. "I have made a covenant with my chosen."-Namely, with David my servant. So God himself himself explains it.

P. 362. "He will wash you in the blood which atones, and invest you with the righteousness which justifies." Why should you thus continually put asunder what God has joined ?

P. 440. God himself at the last day pronounces them righteous, because they are interested in the obedience of the Redeemer." Rather, because they are washed in his blood, and renewed by his Spirit.

Upon the whole, I cannot but wish that the plan of these Dialogues had been executed in a different manner. Most of the grand truths of Christianity are herein both explained and proved with great strength and clearness. Why was any thing intermixed, which could prevent any serious Christian's recommending them to all mankind? Any thing which must necessarily render them exceptionable to so many thousands of the children of God? In practical writings I studiously abstain from the very shadow of controversy. Nay, even in controversy, I do not knowingly write one line, to which any but my opponent would object. For opinions shall I destroy the work of God? Then am I bigot indeed. Much more if I would not drop any mode of expression, rather than offend either Jew or Gentile, or the church of God,

I am, with great sincerity, dear Sir,

Your affectionate brother and servant,

J. W.

LETTERS.

DEAR SIR,

TO THE REV. MR. HERVEY.

London, Nov. 29, 1758.

A WEEK or two ago, in my return from Norwich, I met with Mr. Pierce, of Bury, who informed me of a conversation which he had had a few days before. Mr. Cudworth, he said, then told him, "that he had prevailed on Mr. Hervey to write against me, who likewise in what he had written referred to the book which he (Mr. Cudworth) had lately published."

Every one is welcome to write what he pleases concerning me. But would it not be well for you to remember, that before I published any thing concerning you, I sent it to you in a private letter. That I waited for an answer for several months; but was not favoured with one line that when at length I published part of what I had sent you, I did it in the most inoffensive manner possible; in the latter end of a larger work, purely designed to preserve those in connexion with me from being tossed to and fro by various doctrines. What therefore I may fairly expect from my friend, is, to mete me with the same measure. To send to me first in a private manner, any complaint he has against me; to wait as many months as I did; and if I give you none, or no satisfactory answer, then to lay the matter before the world, if you judge it will be to the glory of God.

to me.

But whatever you do in this respect, one thing I request of you. Give no countenance to that insolent, scurrilous, virulent libel, which bears the name of William Cudworth. Indeed, how you can converse with a man of his spirit, I cannot comprehend. O leave not your old, well-tried friends! The new is not comparable to them. I speak not this because I am afraid of what any one can say or do But I am really concerned for you: an evil man has gained the ascendant over you, and has persuaded a dying man, who had shunned it all his life, to enter into controversy as he is stepping into eternity! Put off your armour, my brother! You and I have no moments to spare; let us employ them all in promoting peace and good-will among men. And may the peace of God keep your heart and mind in Christ Jesus! So prays, Your affectionate brother and servant, J. WESLEY.